Chapter 7

Junethe 10th. At noon we leftNew York, and sailed up the riverHudson, in a yacht bound forAlbany. All this afternoon we saw a whole fleet of little boats returning fromNew York, whither they had brought provisions and other goods for sale, which on account of the extensive commerce of this town, and the great number of its inhabitants, go off very well. The[228]riverHudsonruns from North to South here, except some high pieces of land which sometimes project far into it, and alter its direction; its breadth at the mouth is reckoned about a mile and a quarter. Some porpesses played and tumbled in the river. The eastern shore, or theNew Yorkside, was at first very steep and high; but the western was very sloping and covered with woods. There appeared farm-houses on both sides, surrounded with corn-fields. The ground of which the steep shores consisted was of a pale brick colour, and some little rocks of a grey sand-stone were seen here and there. About ten or twelve miles fromNew York, the western shore appears quite different from what it was before; it consists of steep mountains with perpendicular sides towards the river, and they are exactly like the steep sides of the mountains ofHallandHunnebarginWest Gothland. Sometimes a rock projects like the salliant angle of a bastion: the tops of these mountains are covered with oaks, and other wood; a number of stones of all sizes lay along the shore, having rolled down from the mountains.These high and steep mountains continue for someEnglishmiles on the western shore; but on the eastern side the land is[229]high, and sometimes diversified with hills and valleys, which are commonly covered with deciduous trees, amongst which there appears a farm now and then in a glade. The hills are covered with stones in some places. About twelve miles fromNew Yorkwe sawSturgeons64(Acipenser Sturio), leaping up out of the water, and on the whole passage we met with porpesses in the river. As we proceeded we found the eastern banks of the river very much cultivated; and a number of pretty farms surrounded with orchards and fine corn-fields, presented themselves to our view. About twenty-two miles fromNew York, the high mountains which I have before mentioned left us, and made as it were a high ridge here from east to west quite across the country. This altered the face of the country on the western shore of the river: from mountainous, it became interspersed with little vallies and round hillocks, which were scarce inhabited at all; but the eastern shore continued to afford us a delightful prospect. After sailing a little while in the night, we cast our anchor and lay here[230]till the morning, especially as the tide was ebbing with great force.Junethe 11th. This morning we continued our voyage up the river, with the tide and a faint breeze. We now passed theHighlandmountains, which were to the East of us; they consist of a grey sandstone, are very high and pretty steep, and covered with deciduous trees, and likewise with firs and red cedars. The western shore was full of rocks, which however did not come up to the height of the mountains on the opposite shore; the tops of these eastern mountains were cut off from our sight by a thick fog which surrounded them. The country was unfit for cultivation, being so full of rocks, and accordingly we saw no farms. The distance from these mountains toNew Yorkis computed at thirty-sixEnglishmiles.A thick fog now rose up from the high mountains. For the space of someEnglishmiles, we had hills and rocks on the western banks of the river; and a change of lesser and greater mountains and vallies covered with young firs, red cedars, and oaks, on the eastern side. The hills close to the river side are commonly low, but their height increases as they are further from the river. Afterwards we saw, for some miles[231]together, nothing but high round mountains and valleys, both covered with woods; the valleys are in reality nothing but low rocks, and stand perpendicular towards the river in many places. The breadth of the river is sometimes two or three musket shot, but commonly not above one; every now and then we saw several kinds of fish leaping out of the water. The wind vanished away about ten oâ€™clock in the morning, and forced us to get forwards with our oars, the tide being almost spent. In one place on the western shore we saw a wooden house painted red, and we were told, that there was a saw-mill further up; but besides this we did not perceive one farm or any cultivated grounds all this forenoon.The water in the river has here no more a brackish taste; yet I was told that the tide, especially when the wind is South, sometimes carries the salt water up higher with it. The colour of the water was likewise altered, for it appeared darker here than before. To account for the first origin of rivers is very difficult, if not wholly impossible; some rivers may have come from a great reservoir of water, which being considerably encreased by heavy falls of rain or other circumstances, passed its old bounds and flowed to the lower countries,[232]through the places where it met with the least opposition. This is perhaps the reason why some rivers run in so many bendings equally through fields of soft earth, as likewise there, where mountains, rocks, and stones, divert their passage. However it seems that some rivers derive their first origin from the creation itself, and that Providence then pointed out their course; for their existence can, in all probability, not be owing to the accidental eruption of water alone. Among these rivers we may rank the riverHudson: I was surprised on seeing its course, and the variety of its shores. It takes its rise a good way aboveAlbany, and descends toNew York, in a direct line from North to South, which is a distance of about a hundred and sixtyEnglishmiles, and perhaps more; for the little bendings which it makes are of no signification. In many places betweenNew YorkandAlbany, are ridges of high mountains running West and East. But it is remarkable that they go on undisturbed till they come to the riverHudson, which cuts directly across them, and frequently their sides stand perpendicular towards the river. There is an opening left in the chain of mountains, as broad as the river commonly is, for it to pass through, and the mountains go on as[233]before, on the other side, in the same direction. It is likewise remarkable, that the river in such places where it passes through the mountains is as deep, and often deeper than in the other places. The perpendicular rocks on the sides of the river are surprising, and it appears that if no passages had been opened by Providence, for the river to pass through, the mountains in the upper part of the country would have been inundated, since these mountains, like so many dykes, would have hindered the water from going on.Quere, Why does this river go on in a direct line for so considerable a distance? Why do the many passages, through which the river flows across the mountains, ly under the same meridian? Why are water-falls near some of these passages, or at least shallow water with a rocky ground?We now perceived excessive high and steep mountains on both sides of the river, which echoed back each sound we uttered. Yet notwithstanding they were so high and steep, they were covered with small trees.TheBlue Mountains, which reared their towering tops above all the other mountains, were now seen before us, towardsNorth, but at a great distance.The country began here to look more cultivated, and less mountainous.[234]The last of the high western mountains is calledButterhill, after which the country between the mountains grows more spacious. The farms became very numerous, and we had a prospect of many corn-fields, between the hills: before we passed these hills we had the wind in our face, and we could only get forward by tacking, which went very slow, as the river was hardly a musket-shot in breadth. Afterwards we cast anchor, because we had both wind and tide against us.Whilst we waited for the return of tide and the change of wind, we went on shore.TheSassafras-tree(Laurus Sassafras) and the chesnut-tree grows here in great abundance. I found the tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in some parts of the wood, as likewise theKalmia latifolia, which was now in full blossom; though the flowers were already withering.Some time after noon the wind arose from South-west, which being a fair wind, we weighed anchor, and continued our voyage. The place where we lay at anchor, was just the end of those steep and amazing high mountains: their height is very amazing; they consist of grey rock stone, and close to them, on the shore, lay a vast[235]number of little stones. As soon as we had passed these mountains, the country became clearer of mountains, and higher. The river likewise encreased in breadth, so as to be near anEnglishmile broad. After sailing for some time, we found no more mountains along the river; but on the eastern side goes a high chain of mountains to the north-east, whose sides are covered with woods, up to one half of their height. The summits however are quite barren; for I suppose that nothing would grow there, on account of the great degree of heat65, dryness, and the violence of the wind, to which that part is exposed. The eastern side of the river is much more cultivated than the western, where we seldom saw a house, the land being covered with woods, though it is in general very level. About fifty-sixEnglishmiles fromNew Yorkthe country is not very high; yet it is every where covered with woods, except some new farms which were scattered here and there. The high mountains[236]which we left in the afternoon, now appeared above the woods and the country. These mountains, which were called theHighlands, did not project more North than the other, in the place where we anchored. Their sides (not those towards the river) were seldom perpendicular, but sloping, so that one could climb up to the top, though not without difficulty.On several high grounds near the river, the people burnt lime. The master of the yacht told me, that they break a fine blueish grey limestone in the high grounds, along both sides of the river, for the space of someEnglishmiles, and burn lime of it. But at some miles distance there is no more limestone, and they find also none on the banks till they come toAlbany.We passed by a little neck of land, which projected on the western side in the river, and was calledDance. The name of this place is said to derive its origin from a festival which theDutchcelebrated here in former times, and at which they danced and diverted themselves; but once there came a number ofIndians, who killed them all.We cast anchor late at night, because the wind ceased and the tide was ebbing. The depth of the river is twelve fathoms here.[237]The fire-flies passed the river in numbers, at night, and sometimes settled upon the rigging.Junethe 12th. This morning we proceeded with the tide,butagainst the wind. The river was here a musket-shot broad. The country in general is low on both sides, consisting of low rocks, and stony fields, which are however covered with woods. It is so rocky, stony, and poor, that nobody can settle in it, or inhabit it, there being no spot of ground fit for a corn-field. The country continued to have the same appearance for the space of some miles, and we never perceived one settlement. At eleven oâ€™clock this morning we came to a little island, which lies in the middle of the river, and is said to be half-way betweenNew YorkandAlbany. The shores are still low, stony, and rocky, as before. But at a greater distance we saw high mountains, covered with woods, chiefly on the western shore, raising their tops above the rest of the country; and still further off, theBlue Mountainsrose up above them. Towards noon it was quite calm, and we went on very slow. Here, the land is well cultivated, especially on the eastern shore, and full of great corn-fields; yet the soil seemed sandy.[238]Several villages lay on the eastern side, and one of them, calledStrasburg, was inhabited by a number ofGermans. To the West we saw several cultivated places. TheBlue Mountainsare very plainly to be seen here. They appear through the clouds, and tower above all other mountains. The river is full anEnglishmile broad oppositeStrasburg.They make use of a yellowAgaricus, or mushroom, which grows on maple-trees, for tinder; that which is found on the red-flowering maple (Acer rubrum) is reckoned the best, and next in goodness is that of theSugar-maple(Acer saccarinum), which is sometimes reckoned as good as the former.Rhinbeckis a place at some distance fromStrasburg, further off from the river. It is inhabited by manyGermans, who have a church there. Their clergyman at present was the Rev. Mr.Hartwig, who knew someSwedish, having been atGothenburgfor some time. This little town is not visible from the river-side.At two in the afternoon it began again to blow from the south, which enabled us to proceed. The country on the eastern side is high, and consists of a well cultivated soil. We had fine corn-fields, pretty[239]farms, and good orchards, in view. The western shore is likewise somewhat high, but still covered with woods, and we now and then, though seldom, saw one or two little settlements. The river is above anEnglishmile broad in most places, and comes in a strait line from the North, so that we could not sometimes follow it with our eye.Junethe 13th. The wind favoured our voyage during the whole night, so that I had no opportunity of observing the nature of the country. This morning at five oâ€™clock we were but nineEnglishmiles fromAlbany. The country on both sides the river is low, and covered with woods, excepting a few little scattered settlements. Under the higher shores of the river are wet meadows, covered with sword-grass (Carex), and they formed several little islands. We saw no mountains; and hastened towardsAlbany. The land on both sides of the river is chiefly low, and more carefully cultivated as we came nearer toAlbany.As to the houses, which we saw, some were of wood, others of stone. The river is seldom above a musket-shot broad, and in several parts of it are sands, which require great experience for governing the[240]yachts. At eight oâ€™clock in the morning we arrived atAlbany.All the yachts which ply betweenAlbanyandNew York, belong toAlbany. They go up and down the riverHudson, as long as it is open and free from ice.They bring fromAlbanyboards or planks, and all sorts of timber, flour, pease, and furs, which they get from theIndians, or which are smuggled from theFrench. They come home almost empty, and only bring a few merchandizes with them, among which rum is the chief. This last is absolutely necessary to the inhabitants ofAlbany; they cheat theIndiansin the fur trade with it; for when theIndiansare drunk, they will leave it to theAlbaniansto fix the price of the furs. The yachts are pretty large, and have a good cabbin, in which the passengers can be very commodiously lodged. They are commonly built ofred Cedar, or ofwhite Oak. Frequently, the bottom consists of white oak, and the sides of red cedar, because the latter withstands putrefaction much longer than the former. The red cedar is likewise apt to split, when it hits against any thing, and the riverHudsonis in many parts full of sands and rocks, against which the keel of the yacht sometimes hits; therefore[241]they choose white oak for the bottom, as being the softer wood, and not splitting so easily: and the bottom being continually under water, is not so much exposed to putrefaction, and holds out longer.TheCanoeswhich the yachts have along with them, are made of a single piece of wood, hollowed out; they are sharp on both ends, frequently three or four fathoms long, and as broad as the thickness of the wood will allow. The people in it do not row sitting, but commonly a fellow stands at each end, with a short oar in his hand, with which he governs and brings the canoe forwards. Those which are made here atAlbany, are commonly of thewhite Pine; they can do service for eight or twelve years, especially if they be tarred and painted. AtAlbanythey make them of the white pine, since there is no other wood fit for them; atNew Yorkthey are made of the tulip-tree, and in other parts they are made of red or white cedars: but both these trees are so small, in the neighbourhood ofAlbany, that they are unfit for canoes; there are no seats in the canoes, for if they had any, they would be more liable to be overset, as one could not keep the equilibrium so well.[242]Battoes66are another kind of boats, which are much in use inAlbany: they are made of boards of white pine; the bottom is flat, that they may row the better in shallow water; they are sharp at both ends, and somewhat higher towards the end than in the middle. They have seats in them, and are rowed as common boats. They are long, yet not all alike, commonly three, and sometimes four fathoms long. The height from the bottom to the top of the board (for the sides stand almost perpendicular) is from twenty inches to two feet, and the breadth in the middle about a yard and six inches. They are chiefly made use of for carrying goods, by means of the rivers, to theIndians; that is, when those rivers are open enough for the battoes to pass through, and when they need not be carried by land a great way. The boats made of the bark of trees, break easily by knocking against a stone, and the canoes cannot carry a great cargo, and are easily overset; the battoes are therefore preferable to them both. I saw no boats here like those inSweden, and other parts ofEurope.The frost does frequently a great deal of[243]damage atAlbany. There is hardly a month in summer during which a frost does not happen. The spring comes very late, and inAprilandMayare numerous cold nights, which frequently kill the flowers of trees and kitchen-herbs. It was feared that the blossoms of the apple-trees had been so severely damaged by the frost, lastMay, that next autumn there would be but very few apples. The oak-blossoms are very often killed by the frost in the woods. The autumn here is of long continuance, with warm days and nights. However, the cold nights commonly commence towards the end ofSeptember, and are frequent inOctober. The people are forced to keep their cattle in stables, from the middle ofNovember, tillMarchorApril, and must find them hay during that time67.During summer, the wind blows commonly from the South, and brings a great drought along with it. Sometimes it rains a little, and as soon as it has rained the wind veers to North West, blowing for several days from that point, and then returning to the South. I have had frequent[244]opportunities of seeing this change of wind happen very exactly, both this year and the following.Junethe 15th. The enclosures were made of boards of fir-wood, of which there is abundance in the extensive woods, and many saw-mills to cut it into boards.The several sorts of apple-trees grow very well here, and bear as fine fruit as in any other part ofNorth America. Each farm has a large orchard. They have some apples here, which are very large, and very palatable; they are sent toNew York, and other places as a rarity. They make excellent cyder, in autumn, in the country roundAlbany.All the kinds of cherry-trees, which have been planted here, succeed very well.Pear-treesdo not succeed here. This was complained of in many other parts ofNorth America. But I fear that they do not take sufficient care in the management and planting of them; for I have seen fine pears in several parts ofNorth America.Peach-treeshave often been planted here, and never would succeed well. This was attributed to a worm which lives in the ground, and eats through the root, so[245]that the tree dies. Perhaps the severity of the winter contributes much to it.They plant no other fruit-trees atAlbanybesides these I have mentioned.They sow as much hemp and flax here, as they want for home consumption.They sow maize in great abundance: A loose soil is reckoned the best for this purpose; for it will not grow in clay. From half a bushel they reap a hundred bushels. They reckon maize a very good kind of corn, because the shoot recovers after being hurt by the frost. They have had examples here of the shoots dying twice in spring, to the very ground, and yet they shot up again afterwards, and afforded an excellent crop. Maize has likewise the advantage of standing much longer against a drought, than wheat. The larger sort of maize which is commonly sown here, ripens inSeptember.They sow wheat in the neighbourhood ofAlbany, with great advantage. From one bushel they get twelve sometimes; if the soil be good, they get twenty bushels. If their crop amounts only to ten bushels from one, they think it very trifling. The inhabitants of the country roundAlbany, areDutchandGermans. TheGermanslive in several great villages, and sow great[246]quantities of wheat, which is brought toAlbany; and from thence they send many yachts laden with flour toNew York. The wheat-flour fromAlbanyis reckoned the best in allNorth America, except that fromSopusorKingâ€™s Town, a place betweenAlbanyandNew York. All the bread inAlbanyis made of wheat. AtNew Yorkthey pay theAlbanyflour with several Shillings moreperhundred weight, than that from other places.Rye is likewise sown here, but not so generally as wheat.They do not sow much barley here, because they do not reckon the profits very great. Wheat is so plentiful that they make malt of it. In the neighbourhood ofNew York, I saw great fields sown with barley.They do not sow more oats than are necessary for their horses.TheDutchandGermanswho live hereabouts, sow pease in great abundance; they succeed very well, and are annually carried toNew York, in great quantities. They have been free from insects for a considerable time. But of late years the same beetles which destroy the pease inPensylvania,New Jersey, and the lower parts of the province ofNew York68, have likewise[247]appeared abundant among the pease here. It is a real loss to this town, and to the other parts ofNorth America, which used to get pease from hence for their own consumption, and that of their sailors. It had been found that if they procured good pease fromAlbany, and sowed them nearKingâ€™s Town, or the lower part of the province ofNew York, they succeeded very well the first year, but were so full of worms the second, and following years, that nobody could or would eat them. Some people put ashes into the pot, among the pease, when they will not boil, or soften well; but whether this is wholesome and agreeable to the palate, I do not know.Potatoes are generally planted. Some people preferred ashes to sand for keeping them in during winter.TheBermuda Potatoes(Convolvulus Batatas) have likewise been planted here, and succeed pretty well. The greatest difficulty is to keep them during winter; for they generally rot in that season.TheHumming-bird(Trochilus Colubris) comes to this place sometimes; but is rather a scarce bird.The shingles with which the houses are covered are made of the White Pine, which[248]is reckoned as good and as durable, and sometimes better, than the White Cedar (Cupressus thyoides). The White Pine is found abundant here, in such places where common pines grow inEurope, I have never seen them in the lower parts of the province ofNew York, nor inNew JerseyandPensylvania. They saw a vast quantity of deal from the White Pine on this side ofAlbany, which are brought down toNew York, and from thence exported.The woods abound with vines, which likewise grow on the steep banks of the river in surprising quantities. They climbed to the tops of trees on the bank, and bent them by their weight. But where they found no trees, they hung down along the steep shores, and covered them entirely. The grapes are eaten after the frost has attacked them; for they are too sour before. They are not much used any other way.The vast woods and uninhabited grounds, betweenAlbanyandCanada, contain immense swarms of gnats, which annoy the travellers. To be in some measure secured against these insects, some besmear their face with butter or grease; for the gnats do not like to settle on greasy places. The great heat makes boots very uneasy; but to prevent the gnats from stinging the legs, they wrap some paper round them, under the[249]stockings. Some travellers wear caps which cover the whole face, and have some gauze before the eyes. At night they lie in tents, if they can carry any with them; and make a great fire at the entrance, by the smoke of which the gnats are driven away.The porpesses seldom go higher up the riverHudsonthan the salt water goes; after that, the sturgeons fill their place. It has however sometimes happened, that porpesses have gone quite up toAlbany.There is a report, that a whale once came up the river quite to this town.The Fireflies (Lampyris) which are the same that are so common inPensylvaniaduring summer, are seen here in abundance every night. They fly up and down in the streets of this town. They come into, the houses, if the doors and windows are open.Several of thePensylvaniantrees are not to be met with in these woods;viz.Magnolia glauca, theBeaver-tree.Nyssa aquatica, theTupelo-tree.Liquidambar styraciflua, theSweet-gum tree.Diospyros Virginiana, thePersimon.Liriodendron tulipifera, theTulip-tree.Juglans nigra, theblack Walnut-tree.Quercus â€”â€”, theSwamp Oak.Cercis Canadensis, theSallad-tree.Robinia pseudacacia, theLocust-tree.[250]Gleditsia triacanthos, theHoney-locust tree.Annona muricata, thePapaw-tree.Celtis occidentalis, theNettle-tree. And a number of shrubs, which are never found here.The more northerly situation of the place, the height of theBlue Mountains, and the course of the rivers, which flow here southward into the sea, and accordingly carry the seeds of plants from north to south, and not the contrary way, are chiefly the causes that several plants which grow inPensylvaniacannot be found here.This afternoon I went to see an island which lies in the middle of the river, about a mile below the town. This island is anEnglishmile long, and not above a quarter of a mile broad. It is almost entirely turned into corn-fields; and is inhabited by a single planter, who, besides possessing this island, is the owner of two more. Here we saw no woods, except a few trees which were left round the island on the shore, and formed as it were a tall and great hedge. The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) grows in abundance in several places. Its leaves are white or silvery on the under sides, and, when agitated by the wind, they make the tree appear as if it was full of white flowers. The Water-beech (Platanus occidentalis) grows to a great height, and is[251]one of the most shady trees here. TheWater-poplar69is the most common tree hereabouts, grows exceedingly well on the shores of the river, and is as tall as the tallest of our asps. In summer it affords the best shade for men and cattle against the scorching heat. On the banks of rivers and lakes it is one of the most useful trees, because it holds the soil by its extensive branched roots, and prevents the water from washing it away.The Water-beech and the Elm-tree (Ulmus) serve the same purpose. The wild Prune-trees were plentiful here, and were full of unripe fruit. Its wood is not made use of; but its fruit is eaten. Sumach (Rhus glabra) is plentiful here; as also the wild vines, which climb up the trees, and creep along the high shores of the river. I was told, that the grapes ripen very late, though they were already pretty large.TheAmericanElm-tree (Ulmus Americana) formed several high hedges. The soil of this island is a rich mould, mixed with sand, which is chiefly employed in maize plantations. There were likewise large fields of potatoes. The whole island[252]was leased for one hundred pounds ofNew Yorkcurrency. The person who had taken the lease, again let some greater and some smaller lots of ground, to the inhabitants ofAlbany, for making kitchen-gardens of; and by that means reimbursed himself. Portulack (Portulaca oleracea) grows spontaneously here in great abundance, and looks very well.Junethe 20th. The tide in the riverHudsongoes about eight or tenEnglishmiles aboveAlbany, and consequently runs one hundred and fifty-sixEnglishmiles from the sea. In spring, when the snow melts, there is hardly any flowing near this town; for the great quantity of water which comes from the mountains during that season, occasions a continual ebbing. This likewise happens after heavy rains.The cold is generally reckoned very severe here. The ice in the riverHudsonis commonly three or four feet thick. On the 3d ofAprilsome of the inhabitants crossed the river with six pair of horses. The ice commonly dissolves about the end ofMarch, or beginning ofApril. Great pieces of ice come down about that time, which sometimes carry with them the houses that stand close to the shore. The water is very high at that time in the[253]river, because the ice stops sometimes, and sticks in places where the river is narrow. The water has been often observed to rise three fathom higher than it commonly is in summer. The ground is frozen here in winter to the depth of three, four, or five feet. On the 16th ofNovemberthe yachts are put up, and about the beginning or middle ofAprilthey are in motion again. They are unacquainted with stoves; and their chimnies are so wide that one could drive through them with a cart and horses.The water of several wells in this town was very cool about this time; but had a kind of acid taste, which was not very agreeable. On a nearer examination, I found an abundance of little insects in it, which were probablyMonoculi. Their length was different; some were a geometrical line and an half, others two, and others four lines long. They were very narrow, and of a pale colour. The head was blacker and thicker than the other parts of the body, and about the size of a pinâ€™s head. The tail was divided into two branches, and each branch terminated in a little black globule. When these insects swim, they proceed in crooked or undulated lines, almost likeTadpoles. I poured some of this water into a bowl, and put near a fourth part of rum to[254]it. TheMonoculi, instead of being affected with it, swam about as briskly as they had done in the water. This shews, that if one makes punch with this water, it must be very strong to kill theMonoculi. I think this water is not very wholesome for people who are not used to it, though the inhabitants ofAlbany, who drink it every day, say, they do not feel the least inconvenience from it. I have been several times obliged to drink water here, in which I have plainly seenMonoculiswimming; but I generally felt the next day somewhat like a pea in my throat, or as if I had a swelling there; and this continued for above a week. I felt such swellings this year, both atAlbanyand in other parts. My servant,Yungstroem, likewise got a great pain in his breast, and a sensation as from a swelling, after drinking water withMonoculiin it: but whether these insects occasioned it, or whether it came from some other cause, I cannot ascertain. However, I have always endeavoured, as much as possible, to do without such water as hadMonoculiin it. I have foundMonoculiin very cold water, taken from the deepest wells, in different parts of this country. Perhaps many of our diseases arise from waters of this kind, which we do not sufficiently examine. I have[255]frequently observed abundance of minute insects in water, which has been remarkable for its clearness. Almost each house inAlbanyhas its well, the water of which is applied to common use; but for tea, brewing, and washing, they commonly take the water of the riverHudson, which flows close by the town. This water is generally quite muddy, and very warm in summer; and, on that account, it is kept in cellars, in order that the slime may subside, and that the water may cool a little.We lodged with a gunsmith, who told us, that the best charcoals for the forge were made of theBlack Pine. The next in goodness, in his opinion, were charcoals, made of theBeech-tree.The best and dearest stocks for his muskets were made of the wood of the wild Cherry-tree; and next to these he valued those of the Red Maple most. They scarce make use of any other wood for this purpose. The black Walnut-tree affords excellent wood for stocks; but it does not grow in the neighbourhood ofAlbany.Junethe 21st. Next to the town ofNew York,Albanyis the principal town, or at least the most wealthy, in the province ofNew York. It is situated on the declivity of a hill, close to the western shore of the[256]riverHudson, about one hundred and forty-sixEnglishmiles fromNew York. The town extends along the river, which flows here from N.Â N.Â E. to S.Â S.Â W. The high mountains in the west, above the town, bound the prospect on that side. There are two churches inAlbany, anEnglishone and aDutchone. TheDutchchurch stands at some distance from the river, on the east side of the market. It is built of stone; and in the middle it has a small steeple, with a bell. It has but one minister, who preaches twice everySunday. TheEnglishchurch is situated on the hill, at the west end of the market, directly under the fort. It is likewise built of stone, but has no steeple. There was no service at this church at this time, because they had no minister; and all the people understoodDutch, the garrison excepted. The minister of this church has a settled income of one hundred pounds sterling, which he gets fromEngland. The town-hall lies to the southward of theDutchchurch, close by the river side. It is a fine building of stone, three stories high. It has a small tower or steeple, with a bell, and a gilt ball and vane at the top of it.The houses in this town are very neat, and partly built with stones covered with shingles[257]of theWhite Pine. Some are slated with tiles fromHolland, because the clay of this neighbourhood is not reckoned fit for tiles. Most of the houses are built in the old way, with the gable-end towards the street; a few excepted, which were lately built in the manner now used. A great number of houses were built like those ofNew Brunswick, which I have described70; the gable-end being built, towards the street, of bricks, and all the other walls of planks. The outside of the houses is never covered with lime or mortar, nor have I seen it practiced in anyNorth-Americantowns which I have visited; and the walls do not seem to be damaged by the air. The gutters on the roofs reach almost to the middle of the street. This preserves the walls from being damaged by the rain; but is extremely disagreeable in rainy weather for the people in the streets, there being hardly any means of avoiding the water from the gutters. The street-doors are generally in the middle of the houses; and on both sides are seats, on which, during fair weather, the people spend almost the whole day, especially on those which are in the shadow of the houses. In the evening these seats are covered with people of both sexes; but this[258]is rather troublesome, as those who pass by are obliged to greet every body, unless they will shock the politeness of the inhabitants of this town. The streets are broad, and some of them are paved; in some parts they are lined with trees; the long streets are almost parallel to the river, and the others intersect them at right angles. The street which goes between the two churches, is five times broader than the others, and serves as a market-place. The streets upon the whole are very dirty, because the people leave their cattle in them, during the summer nights. There are two market-places in the town, to which the country people resort twice a week.The fort lies higher than any other building, on a high steep hill on the West side of the town. It is a great building of stone, surrounded with high and thick walls; its situation is very bad, as it can only serve to keep off plundering parties, without being able to sustain a siege. There are numerous high hills to the west of the fort, which command it, and from whence one may see all that is done within it. There is commonly an officer and a number of soldiers quartered in it. They say the fort contains a spring of water.The situation ofAlbanyis very advantageous[259]in regard to trade. The riverHudson, which flows close by it, is from twelve to twenty feet deep. There is not yet any quay made for the better lading of the yachts, because the people feared it would suffer greatly, or be entirely carried away in spring by the ice, which then comes down the river; the vessels which are in use here, may come pretty near the shore in order to be laden, and heavy goods are brought to them upon canoes tied together.Albanycarries on a considerable commerce withNew York, chiefly in furs, boards, wheat, flour, pease, several kinds of timber, &c. There is not a place in all theBritishcolonies, theHudsonâ€™s Baysettlements excepted, where such quantities of furs and skins are bought of theIndians, as atAlbany. Most of the merchants in this town send a clerk or agent toOswego, anEnglishtrading town upon the lakeOntario, to which theIndiansresort with their furs. I intend to give a more minute account of this place in my Journal for the year 1750. The merchants fromAlbanyspend the whole summer atOswego, and trade with many tribes ofIndianswho come to them with their goods. Many people have assured me, that theIndiansare frequently cheated in disposing of their goods, especially when they are in[260]liquor, and that sometimes they do not get one half or even one tenth of the value of their goods. I have been a witness to several transactions of this kind. The merchants ofAlbanyglory in these tricks, and are highly pleased when they have given a poorIndiana greater portion of brandy than he can bear, and when they can after that get all his goods for mere trifles. TheIndiansoften find when they are sober again, that they have been cheated, they grumble somewhat, but are soon satisfied when they reflect that they have for once drank as much as they are able, of a liquor which they value beyond any thing else in the whole world, and they are quite insensible to their loss, if they again get a draught of this nectar. Besides this trade atOswego, a number ofIndianscome toAlbanyfrom several parts, especially fromCanada; but from this latter place, they hardly bring any thing but beaver-skins. There is a great penalty inCanadafor carrying furs to theEnglish, that trade belonging to theFrench West IndiaCompany; notwithstanding which theFrenchmerchants inCanadacarry on a considerable smuggling trade. They send their furs, by means of theIndians, to their correspondents atAlbany, who purchase it at the price which they[261]have fixed upon with theFrenchmerchants. TheIndianstake in return several kinds of cloth, and other goods, which may be got here at a lower rate than those which are sent toCanadafromFrance.The greater part of the merchants atAlbanyhave extensive estates in the country, and a great deal of wood. If their estates have a little brook, they do not fail to erect a saw-mill upon it for sawing boards and planks, with which commodity many yachts go during the whole summer toNew York, having scarce any other lading than boards.Many people atAlbanymake thewampumof theIndians, which is their ornament and their money, by grinding some kinds of shells andmuscles; this is a considerable profit to the inhabitants. I shall speak of this kind of money in the sequel. The extensive trade which the inhabitants ofAlbanycarry on, and their sparing manner of life, in theDutchway, contribute to the considerable wealth which many of them acquire.The inhabitants ofAlbanyand its environs are almost allDutchmen. They speakDutch, haveDutchpreachers, and divine service is performed in that language: their manners are likewise quiteDutch; their dress is however like that of theEnglish. It is well known that the first[262]Europeanswho settled in the province ofNew YorkwereDutchmen. During the time that they were the masters of this province, they possessed themselves ofNew Sweden71, of which they were jealous. However the pleasure of possessing this conquered land and their own, was but of short duration; for towards the end of 1664, SirRobert Carre, by order of KingCharlesthe second, went toNew York, thenNew Amsterdam, and took it. Soon after ColonelNicholswent toAlbany, which then bore the name ofFort Orange, and upon taking it, named itAlbany, from the Duke ofYorkâ€™sScotchtitle. TheDutchinhabitants were allowed either to continue where they were, and, under the protection of theEnglish, to enjoy all their former privileges, or to leave the country. The greater part of them chose to stay, and from them theDutchmenare descended, who now live in the province ofNew York, and who possess the greatest and best estates in that province.The avarice and selfishness of the inhabitants ofAlbanyare very well known throughout allNorth America, by theEnglish, by theFrench, and even by theDutch, in the lower part ofNew Yorkprovince. If a Jew, who understands the art of getting[263]forward perfectly well, should settle amongst them, they would not fail to ruin him. For this reason nobody comes to this place without the most pressing necessity; and therefore I was asked in several places, what induced me to go to it, two years one after another. I likewise found that the judgment, which people formed of them, was not without foundation. For though they seldom see any strangers, (except those who go from theBritishcolonies toCanadaand back again) and one might therefore expect to find victuals and accommodation for travellers cheaper than in places, where travellers always resort to; yet I experienced the contrary. I was here obliged to pay for every thing twice, thrice, and four times as dear as in any part ofNorth Americawhich I have passed through. If I wanted their assistance, I was obliged to pay them very well for it, and when I wanted to purchase any thing, or to be helped in some case or other, I could presently see what kind of blood ran in their veins; for they either fixed exorbitant prices for their services, or were very backward to assist me. Such was this people in general. However, there were some amongst them who equalled any inNorth America, or any where else, in politeness, equity, goodness,[264]and readiness to serve and to oblige; but their number fell far short of that of the former. If I may be allowed to declare my conjectures, the origin of the inhabitants ofAlbanyand its neighbourhood seems to me to be as follows. Whilst theDutchpossessed this country, and intended to people it, the government took up a pack of vagabonds, of which they intended to clear the country, and sent them along with a number of other settlers to this province. The vagabonds were sent far from the other colonists, upon the borders towards theIndiansand other enemies, and a few honest families were persuaded to go with them, in order to keep them in bounds. I cannot any other way account for the difference between the inhabitants ofAlbany, and the other descendants of so respectable a nation as theDutch, who are settled in the lower part ofNew Yorkprovince. The latter are civil, obliging, just in the prices, and sincere; and though they are not ceremonious, yet they are well meaning and honest, and their promises are to be relied on.The behaviour of the inhabitants ofAlbany, during the war betweenEnglandandFrance, which was ended with the peace ofAix la Chapelle, has, among several other causes, contributed to make them[265]the object of hatred in all theBritishcolonies, but more especially inNew England. For at the beginning of that war, when theIndiansof both parties had received orders to commence hostilities, theFrenchengaged theirs to attack the inhabitants ofNew England; which they faithfully executed, killing every body they met with, and carrying off whatever they found. During this time the people ofAlbanyremained neutral, and carried on a great trade with the veryIndianswho murdered the inhabitants ofNew England. The plate, such as silver spoons, bowls, cups, &c. of which theIndiansrobbed the houses inNew England, was carried toAlbany, for sale. The people of that town bought up these silver vessels, though the names of the owners were graved on many of them, and encouraged theIndiansto get more of them, promising to pay them well, and whatever they would demand. This was afterwards interpreted by the inhabitants ofNew England, as if theAlbaniansencouraged theIndiansto kill more of the people, who were in a manner their brothers, and who were subjects of the same crown. Upon the first news of this behaviour, which theIndiansthemselves[266]spread inNew England, the inhabitants of the latter province were greatly incensed, and threatened, that the first step they would take in another war, would be to burnAlbany, and the adjacent parts. In the present war it will sufficiently appear how backward the otherBritishprovinces inAmericaare in assistingAlbany, and the neighbouring places, in case of an attack from theFrenchorIndians72. The hatred which theEnglishbear against the people, atAlbany, is very great, but that of theAlbaniansagainst theEnglishis carried to a ten times higher degree. This hatred has subsisted ever since the time when theEnglishconquered this country, and is not yet extinguished, though they could never have got such advantages under theDutchgovernment, as they have obtained under that of theEnglish. For in a manner, their privileges are greater than those ofEnglishmen.The inhabitants ofAlbanyare much more sparing than theEnglish. The meat which is served up is often insufficient to satisfy the stomach, and the bowl does not[267]circulate so freely as amongst theEnglish. The women are perfectly well acquainted with Å“conomy; they rise early, go to sleep very late, and are almost over nice and cleanly, in regard to the floor, which is frequently scoured several times in the week. The servants in the town are chiefly negroes. Some of the inhabitants wear their own hair, but it is very short, without a bag or queue, which are looked upon as the characteristics ofFrenchmen; and as I wore my hair in a bag the first day I came here fromCanada, I was surrounded with children, who called meFrenchman, and some of the boldest offered to pull at myFrenchdress.Their meat, and manner of dressing it, is very different from that of theEnglish. Their breakfast is tea, commonly without milk. About thirty or forty years ago, tea was unknown to them, and they breakfasted either upon bread and butter, or bread and milk. They never put sugar into the cup, but take a small bit of it into their mouths whilst they drink. Along with the tea they eat bread and butter, with slices of hung beef. Coffee is not usual here; they breakfast generally about seven. Their dinner is butter-milk, and bread, to which they sometimes add sugar,[268]then it is a delicious dish for them; or fresh milk and bread; or boiled or roasted flesh. They sometimes make use of butter-milk instead of fresh milk, to boil a thin kind of porridge with, which tastes very sour, but not disagreeable in hot weather. To each dinner they have a great sallad, prepared with abundance of vinegar, and very little or no oil. They frequently eat butter-milk, bread, and sallad, one mouthful after another. Their supper is generally bread and butter, and milk and bread. They sometimes eat cheese at breakfast, and at dinner; it is not in slices, but scraped or rasped, so as to resemble coarse flour, which they pretend adds to the good taste of cheese. They commonly drink very small beer, or pure water.The governor ofNew Yorkoften confers atAlbany, with theIndiansof the Five Nations, or theIroquese, (Mohawks,Senekas,Cayugaws,Onondagoes, andOnidoes) especially when they intend either to make war upon, or to continue a war against theFrench. Sometimes their deliberations likewise turn upon their conversion to the christian religion, and it appears by the answer of one of theIndianchiefs, orSachems, to governorHunter, at a conference in this town, that theEnglishdo not pay[269]so much attention to a work of so much consequence, as theFrenchdo, and that they do not send such able men to instruct theIndians, as they ought to do73. For after governorHunterhad presented theseIndians, by order of QueenAnne, with many clothes, and other presents, of which they were fond, he intended to convince them still more of her Majestyâ€™s good-will, and care for them, by adding,that their good mother, the Queen, had not only generously provided them with fine clothes for their bodies, but likewise intended to adorn[270]their souls, by the preaching of the gospel; and that to this purpose some ministers should be sent to them, to instruct them. The governor had scarce ended, when one of the oldestSachemsgot up, and answered,that in the name of all the Indians, he thanked their gracious good queen and mother for the fine clothes she had sent them; but that in regard to the ministers, they had already had some among them,(whom he likewise named)who instead of preaching the holy gospel to them, had taught them to drink to excess, to cheat, and to quarrel among themselves. He then entreated the governor to take from them these preachers, and a number ofEuropeanswho resided amongst them; for before they were come among them, theIndianshad been an honest, sober, and innocent people, but most of them became rogues now. That they had formerly had the fear of God, but that they hardly believed his existence at present. That if he (the governor) would do them any favour, he should send two or three blacksmiths amongst them, to teach them to forge iron, in which they were unexperienced. The governor could not forbear laughing at this extraordinary speech. I think the words of St.Paulnot wholly unapplicable on[271]this occasion:For the name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles, through you74.Junethe 21st. About five oâ€™clock in the afternoon we leftAlbany, and proceeded towardsCanada. We had two men with us, who were to accompany us to the firstFrenchplace, which is FortSt. Frederick, or, as theEnglishcall it,Crown Point. For this service each of them was to receive five pounds ofNew Yorkcurrency, besides which I was to provide them with victuals. This is the common price here, and he that does not choose to conform to it, is obliged to travel alone. We were forced to take up with a canoe75, as we could get neither battoes, nor boats of bark; and as there was a good road along the west side of the riverHudson, we left the men to row forwards, in the canoe, and we went along it on the shore, that we might be better able to examine it, and its curiosities, with greater accuracy. It is very incommodious to row in these canoes; for one stands at each end and pushes the boat forwards. They commonly keep close to the shore, that they may be able[272]to reach the ground easily. Thus the rowers are forced to stand upright, whilst they row in a canoe. We kept along the shore all the evening, towards the river, it consisted of great hills, and next to the water grew the trees, which I have above mentioned76, and which likewise are to be met with on the shores of the isle, in the river, situate belowAlbany. The easterly shore of the river is uncultivated, woody, and hilly; but the western is flat, cultivated, and chiefly turned into corn-fields, which had no drains, though they wanted them in some places. It appeared very plainly here, that the river had formerly been broader. For there is a sloping bank on the corn-fields, at about thirty yards distance from the river, with which it always runs parallel. From this it sufficiently appears, that the rising ground formerly was the shore of the river, and the corn-fields its bed. As a further proof, it may be added, that the same shells which abound on the present shore of the river, and are not applied to any use by the inhabitants, ly plentifully scattered on these fields. I cannot say whether this change was occasioned by the diminishing of the[273]water in the river, or by its washing some earth down the river, and carrying it to its sides, or by the riverâ€™s cutting deeper in on the sides.All the grounds were ploughed very even, as is usual in theSwedishprovince ofUpland. Some were sown withyellow, and others withwhite Wheat. Now and then we saw great fields of flax, which was now beginning to flower. In some parts it grows very well, and in others it was but indifferent. The excessive drought which had continued throughout this spring, had parched all the grass and plants on hills and high grounds, leaving no other green, plant than the commonMullein(Verbascum Thapsus Linn.) which I saw in several places, on the driest and highest hills, growing in spite of the parching heat of the sun, and though the pastures and meadows were excessively poor, and afforded scarce any food at all, yet the cattle never touched theMullein. Now and then I found fields with pease, but theCharlock, (Sinapis arvensis Linn.) kept them quite under. The soil in most of these fields is a fine mould, which goes pretty deep.The wild vines cover all the hills along the rivers, on which no other plants grow, and on those which are covered with trees,[274]they climb to the tops of them, and wholly cover them, making them bend down with their weight. They had already large grapes; we saw them abundant all this day, and during all the time that we kept to the riverHudson, on the hills, along the shores, and on some little islands in the river.Thewhite-backed Maize-thievesappeared now and then, flying amongst the bushes: their note is fine, and they are not so large as the black maize-thieves, (Oriolus PhÅ“niceus). We saw them nearNew York, for the first time.We found aWater-beechtree (Platanus occidentalis) cut down near the road, measuring about five feet in diameter.This day, and for some days afterwards, we met with islands in the river. The larger ones were cultivated, and turned into corn-fields and meadows.We walked about fiveEnglishmiles along the river to-day, and found the ground, during that time, very uniform, and consisting of pure earth. I did not meet with a single stone on the fields. The Red Maple, the Water-beech, the Water-asp, the wild Prune-tree, the Sumach, the Elm, the wild Vines, and some species of Willows, were[275]the trees which we met with on the rising shores of the river, where some Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) grew wild.

These high and steep mountains continue for someEnglishmiles on the western shore; but on the eastern side the land is[229]high, and sometimes diversified with hills and valleys, which are commonly covered with deciduous trees, amongst which there appears a farm now and then in a glade. The hills are covered with stones in some places. About twelve miles fromNew Yorkwe sawSturgeons64(Acipenser Sturio), leaping up out of the water, and on the whole passage we met with porpesses in the river. As we proceeded we found the eastern banks of the river very much cultivated; and a number of pretty farms surrounded with orchards and fine corn-fields, presented themselves to our view. About twenty-two miles fromNew York, the high mountains which I have before mentioned left us, and made as it were a high ridge here from east to west quite across the country. This altered the face of the country on the western shore of the river: from mountainous, it became interspersed with little vallies and round hillocks, which were scarce inhabited at all; but the eastern shore continued to afford us a delightful prospect. After sailing a little while in the night, we cast our anchor and lay here[230]till the morning, especially as the tide was ebbing with great force.

Junethe 11th. This morning we continued our voyage up the river, with the tide and a faint breeze. We now passed theHighlandmountains, which were to the East of us; they consist of a grey sandstone, are very high and pretty steep, and covered with deciduous trees, and likewise with firs and red cedars. The western shore was full of rocks, which however did not come up to the height of the mountains on the opposite shore; the tops of these eastern mountains were cut off from our sight by a thick fog which surrounded them. The country was unfit for cultivation, being so full of rocks, and accordingly we saw no farms. The distance from these mountains toNew Yorkis computed at thirty-sixEnglishmiles.

A thick fog now rose up from the high mountains. For the space of someEnglishmiles, we had hills and rocks on the western banks of the river; and a change of lesser and greater mountains and vallies covered with young firs, red cedars, and oaks, on the eastern side. The hills close to the river side are commonly low, but their height increases as they are further from the river. Afterwards we saw, for some miles[231]together, nothing but high round mountains and valleys, both covered with woods; the valleys are in reality nothing but low rocks, and stand perpendicular towards the river in many places. The breadth of the river is sometimes two or three musket shot, but commonly not above one; every now and then we saw several kinds of fish leaping out of the water. The wind vanished away about ten oâ€™clock in the morning, and forced us to get forwards with our oars, the tide being almost spent. In one place on the western shore we saw a wooden house painted red, and we were told, that there was a saw-mill further up; but besides this we did not perceive one farm or any cultivated grounds all this forenoon.

The water in the river has here no more a brackish taste; yet I was told that the tide, especially when the wind is South, sometimes carries the salt water up higher with it. The colour of the water was likewise altered, for it appeared darker here than before. To account for the first origin of rivers is very difficult, if not wholly impossible; some rivers may have come from a great reservoir of water, which being considerably encreased by heavy falls of rain or other circumstances, passed its old bounds and flowed to the lower countries,[232]through the places where it met with the least opposition. This is perhaps the reason why some rivers run in so many bendings equally through fields of soft earth, as likewise there, where mountains, rocks, and stones, divert their passage. However it seems that some rivers derive their first origin from the creation itself, and that Providence then pointed out their course; for their existence can, in all probability, not be owing to the accidental eruption of water alone. Among these rivers we may rank the riverHudson: I was surprised on seeing its course, and the variety of its shores. It takes its rise a good way aboveAlbany, and descends toNew York, in a direct line from North to South, which is a distance of about a hundred and sixtyEnglishmiles, and perhaps more; for the little bendings which it makes are of no signification. In many places betweenNew YorkandAlbany, are ridges of high mountains running West and East. But it is remarkable that they go on undisturbed till they come to the riverHudson, which cuts directly across them, and frequently their sides stand perpendicular towards the river. There is an opening left in the chain of mountains, as broad as the river commonly is, for it to pass through, and the mountains go on as[233]before, on the other side, in the same direction. It is likewise remarkable, that the river in such places where it passes through the mountains is as deep, and often deeper than in the other places. The perpendicular rocks on the sides of the river are surprising, and it appears that if no passages had been opened by Providence, for the river to pass through, the mountains in the upper part of the country would have been inundated, since these mountains, like so many dykes, would have hindered the water from going on.Quere, Why does this river go on in a direct line for so considerable a distance? Why do the many passages, through which the river flows across the mountains, ly under the same meridian? Why are water-falls near some of these passages, or at least shallow water with a rocky ground?

We now perceived excessive high and steep mountains on both sides of the river, which echoed back each sound we uttered. Yet notwithstanding they were so high and steep, they were covered with small trees.

TheBlue Mountains, which reared their towering tops above all the other mountains, were now seen before us, towardsNorth, but at a great distance.

The country began here to look more cultivated, and less mountainous.[234]

The last of the high western mountains is calledButterhill, after which the country between the mountains grows more spacious. The farms became very numerous, and we had a prospect of many corn-fields, between the hills: before we passed these hills we had the wind in our face, and we could only get forward by tacking, which went very slow, as the river was hardly a musket-shot in breadth. Afterwards we cast anchor, because we had both wind and tide against us.

Whilst we waited for the return of tide and the change of wind, we went on shore.

TheSassafras-tree(Laurus Sassafras) and the chesnut-tree grows here in great abundance. I found the tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) in some parts of the wood, as likewise theKalmia latifolia, which was now in full blossom; though the flowers were already withering.

Some time after noon the wind arose from South-west, which being a fair wind, we weighed anchor, and continued our voyage. The place where we lay at anchor, was just the end of those steep and amazing high mountains: their height is very amazing; they consist of grey rock stone, and close to them, on the shore, lay a vast[235]number of little stones. As soon as we had passed these mountains, the country became clearer of mountains, and higher. The river likewise encreased in breadth, so as to be near anEnglishmile broad. After sailing for some time, we found no more mountains along the river; but on the eastern side goes a high chain of mountains to the north-east, whose sides are covered with woods, up to one half of their height. The summits however are quite barren; for I suppose that nothing would grow there, on account of the great degree of heat65, dryness, and the violence of the wind, to which that part is exposed. The eastern side of the river is much more cultivated than the western, where we seldom saw a house, the land being covered with woods, though it is in general very level. About fifty-sixEnglishmiles fromNew Yorkthe country is not very high; yet it is every where covered with woods, except some new farms which were scattered here and there. The high mountains[236]which we left in the afternoon, now appeared above the woods and the country. These mountains, which were called theHighlands, did not project more North than the other, in the place where we anchored. Their sides (not those towards the river) were seldom perpendicular, but sloping, so that one could climb up to the top, though not without difficulty.

On several high grounds near the river, the people burnt lime. The master of the yacht told me, that they break a fine blueish grey limestone in the high grounds, along both sides of the river, for the space of someEnglishmiles, and burn lime of it. But at some miles distance there is no more limestone, and they find also none on the banks till they come toAlbany.

We passed by a little neck of land, which projected on the western side in the river, and was calledDance. The name of this place is said to derive its origin from a festival which theDutchcelebrated here in former times, and at which they danced and diverted themselves; but once there came a number ofIndians, who killed them all.

We cast anchor late at night, because the wind ceased and the tide was ebbing. The depth of the river is twelve fathoms here.[237]

The fire-flies passed the river in numbers, at night, and sometimes settled upon the rigging.

Junethe 12th. This morning we proceeded with the tide,butagainst the wind. The river was here a musket-shot broad. The country in general is low on both sides, consisting of low rocks, and stony fields, which are however covered with woods. It is so rocky, stony, and poor, that nobody can settle in it, or inhabit it, there being no spot of ground fit for a corn-field. The country continued to have the same appearance for the space of some miles, and we never perceived one settlement. At eleven oâ€™clock this morning we came to a little island, which lies in the middle of the river, and is said to be half-way betweenNew YorkandAlbany. The shores are still low, stony, and rocky, as before. But at a greater distance we saw high mountains, covered with woods, chiefly on the western shore, raising their tops above the rest of the country; and still further off, theBlue Mountainsrose up above them. Towards noon it was quite calm, and we went on very slow. Here, the land is well cultivated, especially on the eastern shore, and full of great corn-fields; yet the soil seemed sandy.[238]Several villages lay on the eastern side, and one of them, calledStrasburg, was inhabited by a number ofGermans. To the West we saw several cultivated places. TheBlue Mountainsare very plainly to be seen here. They appear through the clouds, and tower above all other mountains. The river is full anEnglishmile broad oppositeStrasburg.

They make use of a yellowAgaricus, or mushroom, which grows on maple-trees, for tinder; that which is found on the red-flowering maple (Acer rubrum) is reckoned the best, and next in goodness is that of theSugar-maple(Acer saccarinum), which is sometimes reckoned as good as the former.

Rhinbeckis a place at some distance fromStrasburg, further off from the river. It is inhabited by manyGermans, who have a church there. Their clergyman at present was the Rev. Mr.Hartwig, who knew someSwedish, having been atGothenburgfor some time. This little town is not visible from the river-side.

At two in the afternoon it began again to blow from the south, which enabled us to proceed. The country on the eastern side is high, and consists of a well cultivated soil. We had fine corn-fields, pretty[239]farms, and good orchards, in view. The western shore is likewise somewhat high, but still covered with woods, and we now and then, though seldom, saw one or two little settlements. The river is above anEnglishmile broad in most places, and comes in a strait line from the North, so that we could not sometimes follow it with our eye.

Junethe 13th. The wind favoured our voyage during the whole night, so that I had no opportunity of observing the nature of the country. This morning at five oâ€™clock we were but nineEnglishmiles fromAlbany. The country on both sides the river is low, and covered with woods, excepting a few little scattered settlements. Under the higher shores of the river are wet meadows, covered with sword-grass (Carex), and they formed several little islands. We saw no mountains; and hastened towardsAlbany. The land on both sides of the river is chiefly low, and more carefully cultivated as we came nearer toAlbany.

As to the houses, which we saw, some were of wood, others of stone. The river is seldom above a musket-shot broad, and in several parts of it are sands, which require great experience for governing the[240]yachts. At eight oâ€™clock in the morning we arrived atAlbany.

All the yachts which ply betweenAlbanyandNew York, belong toAlbany. They go up and down the riverHudson, as long as it is open and free from ice.They bring fromAlbanyboards or planks, and all sorts of timber, flour, pease, and furs, which they get from theIndians, or which are smuggled from theFrench. They come home almost empty, and only bring a few merchandizes with them, among which rum is the chief. This last is absolutely necessary to the inhabitants ofAlbany; they cheat theIndiansin the fur trade with it; for when theIndiansare drunk, they will leave it to theAlbaniansto fix the price of the furs. The yachts are pretty large, and have a good cabbin, in which the passengers can be very commodiously lodged. They are commonly built ofred Cedar, or ofwhite Oak. Frequently, the bottom consists of white oak, and the sides of red cedar, because the latter withstands putrefaction much longer than the former. The red cedar is likewise apt to split, when it hits against any thing, and the riverHudsonis in many parts full of sands and rocks, against which the keel of the yacht sometimes hits; therefore[241]they choose white oak for the bottom, as being the softer wood, and not splitting so easily: and the bottom being continually under water, is not so much exposed to putrefaction, and holds out longer.

TheCanoeswhich the yachts have along with them, are made of a single piece of wood, hollowed out; they are sharp on both ends, frequently three or four fathoms long, and as broad as the thickness of the wood will allow. The people in it do not row sitting, but commonly a fellow stands at each end, with a short oar in his hand, with which he governs and brings the canoe forwards. Those which are made here atAlbany, are commonly of thewhite Pine; they can do service for eight or twelve years, especially if they be tarred and painted. AtAlbanythey make them of the white pine, since there is no other wood fit for them; atNew Yorkthey are made of the tulip-tree, and in other parts they are made of red or white cedars: but both these trees are so small, in the neighbourhood ofAlbany, that they are unfit for canoes; there are no seats in the canoes, for if they had any, they would be more liable to be overset, as one could not keep the equilibrium so well.[242]

Battoes66are another kind of boats, which are much in use inAlbany: they are made of boards of white pine; the bottom is flat, that they may row the better in shallow water; they are sharp at both ends, and somewhat higher towards the end than in the middle. They have seats in them, and are rowed as common boats. They are long, yet not all alike, commonly three, and sometimes four fathoms long. The height from the bottom to the top of the board (for the sides stand almost perpendicular) is from twenty inches to two feet, and the breadth in the middle about a yard and six inches. They are chiefly made use of for carrying goods, by means of the rivers, to theIndians; that is, when those rivers are open enough for the battoes to pass through, and when they need not be carried by land a great way. The boats made of the bark of trees, break easily by knocking against a stone, and the canoes cannot carry a great cargo, and are easily overset; the battoes are therefore preferable to them both. I saw no boats here like those inSweden, and other parts ofEurope.

The frost does frequently a great deal of[243]damage atAlbany. There is hardly a month in summer during which a frost does not happen. The spring comes very late, and inAprilandMayare numerous cold nights, which frequently kill the flowers of trees and kitchen-herbs. It was feared that the blossoms of the apple-trees had been so severely damaged by the frost, lastMay, that next autumn there would be but very few apples. The oak-blossoms are very often killed by the frost in the woods. The autumn here is of long continuance, with warm days and nights. However, the cold nights commonly commence towards the end ofSeptember, and are frequent inOctober. The people are forced to keep their cattle in stables, from the middle ofNovember, tillMarchorApril, and must find them hay during that time67.

During summer, the wind blows commonly from the South, and brings a great drought along with it. Sometimes it rains a little, and as soon as it has rained the wind veers to North West, blowing for several days from that point, and then returning to the South. I have had frequent[244]opportunities of seeing this change of wind happen very exactly, both this year and the following.

Junethe 15th. The enclosures were made of boards of fir-wood, of which there is abundance in the extensive woods, and many saw-mills to cut it into boards.

The several sorts of apple-trees grow very well here, and bear as fine fruit as in any other part ofNorth America. Each farm has a large orchard. They have some apples here, which are very large, and very palatable; they are sent toNew York, and other places as a rarity. They make excellent cyder, in autumn, in the country roundAlbany.

All the kinds of cherry-trees, which have been planted here, succeed very well.

Pear-treesdo not succeed here. This was complained of in many other parts ofNorth America. But I fear that they do not take sufficient care in the management and planting of them; for I have seen fine pears in several parts ofNorth America.

Peach-treeshave often been planted here, and never would succeed well. This was attributed to a worm which lives in the ground, and eats through the root, so[245]that the tree dies. Perhaps the severity of the winter contributes much to it.

They plant no other fruit-trees atAlbanybesides these I have mentioned.

They sow as much hemp and flax here, as they want for home consumption.

They sow maize in great abundance: A loose soil is reckoned the best for this purpose; for it will not grow in clay. From half a bushel they reap a hundred bushels. They reckon maize a very good kind of corn, because the shoot recovers after being hurt by the frost. They have had examples here of the shoots dying twice in spring, to the very ground, and yet they shot up again afterwards, and afforded an excellent crop. Maize has likewise the advantage of standing much longer against a drought, than wheat. The larger sort of maize which is commonly sown here, ripens inSeptember.

They sow wheat in the neighbourhood ofAlbany, with great advantage. From one bushel they get twelve sometimes; if the soil be good, they get twenty bushels. If their crop amounts only to ten bushels from one, they think it very trifling. The inhabitants of the country roundAlbany, areDutchandGermans. TheGermanslive in several great villages, and sow great[246]quantities of wheat, which is brought toAlbany; and from thence they send many yachts laden with flour toNew York. The wheat-flour fromAlbanyis reckoned the best in allNorth America, except that fromSopusorKingâ€™s Town, a place betweenAlbanyandNew York. All the bread inAlbanyis made of wheat. AtNew Yorkthey pay theAlbanyflour with several Shillings moreperhundred weight, than that from other places.

Rye is likewise sown here, but not so generally as wheat.

They do not sow much barley here, because they do not reckon the profits very great. Wheat is so plentiful that they make malt of it. In the neighbourhood ofNew York, I saw great fields sown with barley.

They do not sow more oats than are necessary for their horses.

TheDutchandGermanswho live hereabouts, sow pease in great abundance; they succeed very well, and are annually carried toNew York, in great quantities. They have been free from insects for a considerable time. But of late years the same beetles which destroy the pease inPensylvania,New Jersey, and the lower parts of the province ofNew York68, have likewise[247]appeared abundant among the pease here. It is a real loss to this town, and to the other parts ofNorth America, which used to get pease from hence for their own consumption, and that of their sailors. It had been found that if they procured good pease fromAlbany, and sowed them nearKingâ€™s Town, or the lower part of the province ofNew York, they succeeded very well the first year, but were so full of worms the second, and following years, that nobody could or would eat them. Some people put ashes into the pot, among the pease, when they will not boil, or soften well; but whether this is wholesome and agreeable to the palate, I do not know.

Potatoes are generally planted. Some people preferred ashes to sand for keeping them in during winter.

TheBermuda Potatoes(Convolvulus Batatas) have likewise been planted here, and succeed pretty well. The greatest difficulty is to keep them during winter; for they generally rot in that season.

TheHumming-bird(Trochilus Colubris) comes to this place sometimes; but is rather a scarce bird.

The shingles with which the houses are covered are made of the White Pine, which[248]is reckoned as good and as durable, and sometimes better, than the White Cedar (Cupressus thyoides). The White Pine is found abundant here, in such places where common pines grow inEurope, I have never seen them in the lower parts of the province ofNew York, nor inNew JerseyandPensylvania. They saw a vast quantity of deal from the White Pine on this side ofAlbany, which are brought down toNew York, and from thence exported.

The woods abound with vines, which likewise grow on the steep banks of the river in surprising quantities. They climbed to the tops of trees on the bank, and bent them by their weight. But where they found no trees, they hung down along the steep shores, and covered them entirely. The grapes are eaten after the frost has attacked them; for they are too sour before. They are not much used any other way.

The vast woods and uninhabited grounds, betweenAlbanyandCanada, contain immense swarms of gnats, which annoy the travellers. To be in some measure secured against these insects, some besmear their face with butter or grease; for the gnats do not like to settle on greasy places. The great heat makes boots very uneasy; but to prevent the gnats from stinging the legs, they wrap some paper round them, under the[249]stockings. Some travellers wear caps which cover the whole face, and have some gauze before the eyes. At night they lie in tents, if they can carry any with them; and make a great fire at the entrance, by the smoke of which the gnats are driven away.

The porpesses seldom go higher up the riverHudsonthan the salt water goes; after that, the sturgeons fill their place. It has however sometimes happened, that porpesses have gone quite up toAlbany.

There is a report, that a whale once came up the river quite to this town.

The Fireflies (Lampyris) which are the same that are so common inPensylvaniaduring summer, are seen here in abundance every night. They fly up and down in the streets of this town. They come into, the houses, if the doors and windows are open.

Several of thePensylvaniantrees are not to be met with in these woods;viz.

Magnolia glauca, theBeaver-tree.

Nyssa aquatica, theTupelo-tree.

Liquidambar styraciflua, theSweet-gum tree.

Diospyros Virginiana, thePersimon.

Liriodendron tulipifera, theTulip-tree.

Juglans nigra, theblack Walnut-tree.

Quercus â€”â€”, theSwamp Oak.

Cercis Canadensis, theSallad-tree.

Robinia pseudacacia, theLocust-tree.[250]

Gleditsia triacanthos, theHoney-locust tree.

Annona muricata, thePapaw-tree.

Celtis occidentalis, theNettle-tree. And a number of shrubs, which are never found here.

The more northerly situation of the place, the height of theBlue Mountains, and the course of the rivers, which flow here southward into the sea, and accordingly carry the seeds of plants from north to south, and not the contrary way, are chiefly the causes that several plants which grow inPensylvaniacannot be found here.

This afternoon I went to see an island which lies in the middle of the river, about a mile below the town. This island is anEnglishmile long, and not above a quarter of a mile broad. It is almost entirely turned into corn-fields; and is inhabited by a single planter, who, besides possessing this island, is the owner of two more. Here we saw no woods, except a few trees which were left round the island on the shore, and formed as it were a tall and great hedge. The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) grows in abundance in several places. Its leaves are white or silvery on the under sides, and, when agitated by the wind, they make the tree appear as if it was full of white flowers. The Water-beech (Platanus occidentalis) grows to a great height, and is[251]one of the most shady trees here. TheWater-poplar69is the most common tree hereabouts, grows exceedingly well on the shores of the river, and is as tall as the tallest of our asps. In summer it affords the best shade for men and cattle against the scorching heat. On the banks of rivers and lakes it is one of the most useful trees, because it holds the soil by its extensive branched roots, and prevents the water from washing it away.The Water-beech and the Elm-tree (Ulmus) serve the same purpose. The wild Prune-trees were plentiful here, and were full of unripe fruit. Its wood is not made use of; but its fruit is eaten. Sumach (Rhus glabra) is plentiful here; as also the wild vines, which climb up the trees, and creep along the high shores of the river. I was told, that the grapes ripen very late, though they were already pretty large.

TheAmericanElm-tree (Ulmus Americana) formed several high hedges. The soil of this island is a rich mould, mixed with sand, which is chiefly employed in maize plantations. There were likewise large fields of potatoes. The whole island[252]was leased for one hundred pounds ofNew Yorkcurrency. The person who had taken the lease, again let some greater and some smaller lots of ground, to the inhabitants ofAlbany, for making kitchen-gardens of; and by that means reimbursed himself. Portulack (Portulaca oleracea) grows spontaneously here in great abundance, and looks very well.

Junethe 20th. The tide in the riverHudsongoes about eight or tenEnglishmiles aboveAlbany, and consequently runs one hundred and fifty-sixEnglishmiles from the sea. In spring, when the snow melts, there is hardly any flowing near this town; for the great quantity of water which comes from the mountains during that season, occasions a continual ebbing. This likewise happens after heavy rains.

The cold is generally reckoned very severe here. The ice in the riverHudsonis commonly three or four feet thick. On the 3d ofAprilsome of the inhabitants crossed the river with six pair of horses. The ice commonly dissolves about the end ofMarch, or beginning ofApril. Great pieces of ice come down about that time, which sometimes carry with them the houses that stand close to the shore. The water is very high at that time in the[253]river, because the ice stops sometimes, and sticks in places where the river is narrow. The water has been often observed to rise three fathom higher than it commonly is in summer. The ground is frozen here in winter to the depth of three, four, or five feet. On the 16th ofNovemberthe yachts are put up, and about the beginning or middle ofAprilthey are in motion again. They are unacquainted with stoves; and their chimnies are so wide that one could drive through them with a cart and horses.

The water of several wells in this town was very cool about this time; but had a kind of acid taste, which was not very agreeable. On a nearer examination, I found an abundance of little insects in it, which were probablyMonoculi. Their length was different; some were a geometrical line and an half, others two, and others four lines long. They were very narrow, and of a pale colour. The head was blacker and thicker than the other parts of the body, and about the size of a pinâ€™s head. The tail was divided into two branches, and each branch terminated in a little black globule. When these insects swim, they proceed in crooked or undulated lines, almost likeTadpoles. I poured some of this water into a bowl, and put near a fourth part of rum to[254]it. TheMonoculi, instead of being affected with it, swam about as briskly as they had done in the water. This shews, that if one makes punch with this water, it must be very strong to kill theMonoculi. I think this water is not very wholesome for people who are not used to it, though the inhabitants ofAlbany, who drink it every day, say, they do not feel the least inconvenience from it. I have been several times obliged to drink water here, in which I have plainly seenMonoculiswimming; but I generally felt the next day somewhat like a pea in my throat, or as if I had a swelling there; and this continued for above a week. I felt such swellings this year, both atAlbanyand in other parts. My servant,Yungstroem, likewise got a great pain in his breast, and a sensation as from a swelling, after drinking water withMonoculiin it: but whether these insects occasioned it, or whether it came from some other cause, I cannot ascertain. However, I have always endeavoured, as much as possible, to do without such water as hadMonoculiin it. I have foundMonoculiin very cold water, taken from the deepest wells, in different parts of this country. Perhaps many of our diseases arise from waters of this kind, which we do not sufficiently examine. I have[255]frequently observed abundance of minute insects in water, which has been remarkable for its clearness. Almost each house inAlbanyhas its well, the water of which is applied to common use; but for tea, brewing, and washing, they commonly take the water of the riverHudson, which flows close by the town. This water is generally quite muddy, and very warm in summer; and, on that account, it is kept in cellars, in order that the slime may subside, and that the water may cool a little.

We lodged with a gunsmith, who told us, that the best charcoals for the forge were made of theBlack Pine. The next in goodness, in his opinion, were charcoals, made of theBeech-tree.

The best and dearest stocks for his muskets were made of the wood of the wild Cherry-tree; and next to these he valued those of the Red Maple most. They scarce make use of any other wood for this purpose. The black Walnut-tree affords excellent wood for stocks; but it does not grow in the neighbourhood ofAlbany.

Junethe 21st. Next to the town ofNew York,Albanyis the principal town, or at least the most wealthy, in the province ofNew York. It is situated on the declivity of a hill, close to the western shore of the[256]riverHudson, about one hundred and forty-sixEnglishmiles fromNew York. The town extends along the river, which flows here from N.Â N.Â E. to S.Â S.Â W. The high mountains in the west, above the town, bound the prospect on that side. There are two churches inAlbany, anEnglishone and aDutchone. TheDutchchurch stands at some distance from the river, on the east side of the market. It is built of stone; and in the middle it has a small steeple, with a bell. It has but one minister, who preaches twice everySunday. TheEnglishchurch is situated on the hill, at the west end of the market, directly under the fort. It is likewise built of stone, but has no steeple. There was no service at this church at this time, because they had no minister; and all the people understoodDutch, the garrison excepted. The minister of this church has a settled income of one hundred pounds sterling, which he gets fromEngland. The town-hall lies to the southward of theDutchchurch, close by the river side. It is a fine building of stone, three stories high. It has a small tower or steeple, with a bell, and a gilt ball and vane at the top of it.

The houses in this town are very neat, and partly built with stones covered with shingles[257]of theWhite Pine. Some are slated with tiles fromHolland, because the clay of this neighbourhood is not reckoned fit for tiles. Most of the houses are built in the old way, with the gable-end towards the street; a few excepted, which were lately built in the manner now used. A great number of houses were built like those ofNew Brunswick, which I have described70; the gable-end being built, towards the street, of bricks, and all the other walls of planks. The outside of the houses is never covered with lime or mortar, nor have I seen it practiced in anyNorth-Americantowns which I have visited; and the walls do not seem to be damaged by the air. The gutters on the roofs reach almost to the middle of the street. This preserves the walls from being damaged by the rain; but is extremely disagreeable in rainy weather for the people in the streets, there being hardly any means of avoiding the water from the gutters. The street-doors are generally in the middle of the houses; and on both sides are seats, on which, during fair weather, the people spend almost the whole day, especially on those which are in the shadow of the houses. In the evening these seats are covered with people of both sexes; but this[258]is rather troublesome, as those who pass by are obliged to greet every body, unless they will shock the politeness of the inhabitants of this town. The streets are broad, and some of them are paved; in some parts they are lined with trees; the long streets are almost parallel to the river, and the others intersect them at right angles. The street which goes between the two churches, is five times broader than the others, and serves as a market-place. The streets upon the whole are very dirty, because the people leave their cattle in them, during the summer nights. There are two market-places in the town, to which the country people resort twice a week.

The fort lies higher than any other building, on a high steep hill on the West side of the town. It is a great building of stone, surrounded with high and thick walls; its situation is very bad, as it can only serve to keep off plundering parties, without being able to sustain a siege. There are numerous high hills to the west of the fort, which command it, and from whence one may see all that is done within it. There is commonly an officer and a number of soldiers quartered in it. They say the fort contains a spring of water.

The situation ofAlbanyis very advantageous[259]in regard to trade. The riverHudson, which flows close by it, is from twelve to twenty feet deep. There is not yet any quay made for the better lading of the yachts, because the people feared it would suffer greatly, or be entirely carried away in spring by the ice, which then comes down the river; the vessels which are in use here, may come pretty near the shore in order to be laden, and heavy goods are brought to them upon canoes tied together.Albanycarries on a considerable commerce withNew York, chiefly in furs, boards, wheat, flour, pease, several kinds of timber, &c. There is not a place in all theBritishcolonies, theHudsonâ€™s Baysettlements excepted, where such quantities of furs and skins are bought of theIndians, as atAlbany. Most of the merchants in this town send a clerk or agent toOswego, anEnglishtrading town upon the lakeOntario, to which theIndiansresort with their furs. I intend to give a more minute account of this place in my Journal for the year 1750. The merchants fromAlbanyspend the whole summer atOswego, and trade with many tribes ofIndianswho come to them with their goods. Many people have assured me, that theIndiansare frequently cheated in disposing of their goods, especially when they are in[260]liquor, and that sometimes they do not get one half or even one tenth of the value of their goods. I have been a witness to several transactions of this kind. The merchants ofAlbanyglory in these tricks, and are highly pleased when they have given a poorIndiana greater portion of brandy than he can bear, and when they can after that get all his goods for mere trifles. TheIndiansoften find when they are sober again, that they have been cheated, they grumble somewhat, but are soon satisfied when they reflect that they have for once drank as much as they are able, of a liquor which they value beyond any thing else in the whole world, and they are quite insensible to their loss, if they again get a draught of this nectar. Besides this trade atOswego, a number ofIndianscome toAlbanyfrom several parts, especially fromCanada; but from this latter place, they hardly bring any thing but beaver-skins. There is a great penalty inCanadafor carrying furs to theEnglish, that trade belonging to theFrench West IndiaCompany; notwithstanding which theFrenchmerchants inCanadacarry on a considerable smuggling trade. They send their furs, by means of theIndians, to their correspondents atAlbany, who purchase it at the price which they[261]have fixed upon with theFrenchmerchants. TheIndianstake in return several kinds of cloth, and other goods, which may be got here at a lower rate than those which are sent toCanadafromFrance.

The greater part of the merchants atAlbanyhave extensive estates in the country, and a great deal of wood. If their estates have a little brook, they do not fail to erect a saw-mill upon it for sawing boards and planks, with which commodity many yachts go during the whole summer toNew York, having scarce any other lading than boards.

Many people atAlbanymake thewampumof theIndians, which is their ornament and their money, by grinding some kinds of shells andmuscles; this is a considerable profit to the inhabitants. I shall speak of this kind of money in the sequel. The extensive trade which the inhabitants ofAlbanycarry on, and their sparing manner of life, in theDutchway, contribute to the considerable wealth which many of them acquire.

The inhabitants ofAlbanyand its environs are almost allDutchmen. They speakDutch, haveDutchpreachers, and divine service is performed in that language: their manners are likewise quiteDutch; their dress is however like that of theEnglish. It is well known that the first[262]Europeanswho settled in the province ofNew YorkwereDutchmen. During the time that they were the masters of this province, they possessed themselves ofNew Sweden71, of which they were jealous. However the pleasure of possessing this conquered land and their own, was but of short duration; for towards the end of 1664, SirRobert Carre, by order of KingCharlesthe second, went toNew York, thenNew Amsterdam, and took it. Soon after ColonelNicholswent toAlbany, which then bore the name ofFort Orange, and upon taking it, named itAlbany, from the Duke ofYorkâ€™sScotchtitle. TheDutchinhabitants were allowed either to continue where they were, and, under the protection of theEnglish, to enjoy all their former privileges, or to leave the country. The greater part of them chose to stay, and from them theDutchmenare descended, who now live in the province ofNew York, and who possess the greatest and best estates in that province.

The avarice and selfishness of the inhabitants ofAlbanyare very well known throughout allNorth America, by theEnglish, by theFrench, and even by theDutch, in the lower part ofNew Yorkprovince. If a Jew, who understands the art of getting[263]forward perfectly well, should settle amongst them, they would not fail to ruin him. For this reason nobody comes to this place without the most pressing necessity; and therefore I was asked in several places, what induced me to go to it, two years one after another. I likewise found that the judgment, which people formed of them, was not without foundation. For though they seldom see any strangers, (except those who go from theBritishcolonies toCanadaand back again) and one might therefore expect to find victuals and accommodation for travellers cheaper than in places, where travellers always resort to; yet I experienced the contrary. I was here obliged to pay for every thing twice, thrice, and four times as dear as in any part ofNorth Americawhich I have passed through. If I wanted their assistance, I was obliged to pay them very well for it, and when I wanted to purchase any thing, or to be helped in some case or other, I could presently see what kind of blood ran in their veins; for they either fixed exorbitant prices for their services, or were very backward to assist me. Such was this people in general. However, there were some amongst them who equalled any inNorth America, or any where else, in politeness, equity, goodness,[264]and readiness to serve and to oblige; but their number fell far short of that of the former. If I may be allowed to declare my conjectures, the origin of the inhabitants ofAlbanyand its neighbourhood seems to me to be as follows. Whilst theDutchpossessed this country, and intended to people it, the government took up a pack of vagabonds, of which they intended to clear the country, and sent them along with a number of other settlers to this province. The vagabonds were sent far from the other colonists, upon the borders towards theIndiansand other enemies, and a few honest families were persuaded to go with them, in order to keep them in bounds. I cannot any other way account for the difference between the inhabitants ofAlbany, and the other descendants of so respectable a nation as theDutch, who are settled in the lower part ofNew Yorkprovince. The latter are civil, obliging, just in the prices, and sincere; and though they are not ceremonious, yet they are well meaning and honest, and their promises are to be relied on.

The behaviour of the inhabitants ofAlbany, during the war betweenEnglandandFrance, which was ended with the peace ofAix la Chapelle, has, among several other causes, contributed to make them[265]the object of hatred in all theBritishcolonies, but more especially inNew England. For at the beginning of that war, when theIndiansof both parties had received orders to commence hostilities, theFrenchengaged theirs to attack the inhabitants ofNew England; which they faithfully executed, killing every body they met with, and carrying off whatever they found. During this time the people ofAlbanyremained neutral, and carried on a great trade with the veryIndianswho murdered the inhabitants ofNew England. The plate, such as silver spoons, bowls, cups, &c. of which theIndiansrobbed the houses inNew England, was carried toAlbany, for sale. The people of that town bought up these silver vessels, though the names of the owners were graved on many of them, and encouraged theIndiansto get more of them, promising to pay them well, and whatever they would demand. This was afterwards interpreted by the inhabitants ofNew England, as if theAlbaniansencouraged theIndiansto kill more of the people, who were in a manner their brothers, and who were subjects of the same crown. Upon the first news of this behaviour, which theIndiansthemselves[266]spread inNew England, the inhabitants of the latter province were greatly incensed, and threatened, that the first step they would take in another war, would be to burnAlbany, and the adjacent parts. In the present war it will sufficiently appear how backward the otherBritishprovinces inAmericaare in assistingAlbany, and the neighbouring places, in case of an attack from theFrenchorIndians72. The hatred which theEnglishbear against the people, atAlbany, is very great, but that of theAlbaniansagainst theEnglishis carried to a ten times higher degree. This hatred has subsisted ever since the time when theEnglishconquered this country, and is not yet extinguished, though they could never have got such advantages under theDutchgovernment, as they have obtained under that of theEnglish. For in a manner, their privileges are greater than those ofEnglishmen.

The inhabitants ofAlbanyare much more sparing than theEnglish. The meat which is served up is often insufficient to satisfy the stomach, and the bowl does not[267]circulate so freely as amongst theEnglish. The women are perfectly well acquainted with Å“conomy; they rise early, go to sleep very late, and are almost over nice and cleanly, in regard to the floor, which is frequently scoured several times in the week. The servants in the town are chiefly negroes. Some of the inhabitants wear their own hair, but it is very short, without a bag or queue, which are looked upon as the characteristics ofFrenchmen; and as I wore my hair in a bag the first day I came here fromCanada, I was surrounded with children, who called meFrenchman, and some of the boldest offered to pull at myFrenchdress.

Their meat, and manner of dressing it, is very different from that of theEnglish. Their breakfast is tea, commonly without milk. About thirty or forty years ago, tea was unknown to them, and they breakfasted either upon bread and butter, or bread and milk. They never put sugar into the cup, but take a small bit of it into their mouths whilst they drink. Along with the tea they eat bread and butter, with slices of hung beef. Coffee is not usual here; they breakfast generally about seven. Their dinner is butter-milk, and bread, to which they sometimes add sugar,[268]then it is a delicious dish for them; or fresh milk and bread; or boiled or roasted flesh. They sometimes make use of butter-milk instead of fresh milk, to boil a thin kind of porridge with, which tastes very sour, but not disagreeable in hot weather. To each dinner they have a great sallad, prepared with abundance of vinegar, and very little or no oil. They frequently eat butter-milk, bread, and sallad, one mouthful after another. Their supper is generally bread and butter, and milk and bread. They sometimes eat cheese at breakfast, and at dinner; it is not in slices, but scraped or rasped, so as to resemble coarse flour, which they pretend adds to the good taste of cheese. They commonly drink very small beer, or pure water.

The governor ofNew Yorkoften confers atAlbany, with theIndiansof the Five Nations, or theIroquese, (Mohawks,Senekas,Cayugaws,Onondagoes, andOnidoes) especially when they intend either to make war upon, or to continue a war against theFrench. Sometimes their deliberations likewise turn upon their conversion to the christian religion, and it appears by the answer of one of theIndianchiefs, orSachems, to governorHunter, at a conference in this town, that theEnglishdo not pay[269]so much attention to a work of so much consequence, as theFrenchdo, and that they do not send such able men to instruct theIndians, as they ought to do73. For after governorHunterhad presented theseIndians, by order of QueenAnne, with many clothes, and other presents, of which they were fond, he intended to convince them still more of her Majestyâ€™s good-will, and care for them, by adding,that their good mother, the Queen, had not only generously provided them with fine clothes for their bodies, but likewise intended to adorn[270]their souls, by the preaching of the gospel; and that to this purpose some ministers should be sent to them, to instruct them. The governor had scarce ended, when one of the oldestSachemsgot up, and answered,that in the name of all the Indians, he thanked their gracious good queen and mother for the fine clothes she had sent them; but that in regard to the ministers, they had already had some among them,(whom he likewise named)who instead of preaching the holy gospel to them, had taught them to drink to excess, to cheat, and to quarrel among themselves. He then entreated the governor to take from them these preachers, and a number ofEuropeanswho resided amongst them; for before they were come among them, theIndianshad been an honest, sober, and innocent people, but most of them became rogues now. That they had formerly had the fear of God, but that they hardly believed his existence at present. That if he (the governor) would do them any favour, he should send two or three blacksmiths amongst them, to teach them to forge iron, in which they were unexperienced. The governor could not forbear laughing at this extraordinary speech. I think the words of St.Paulnot wholly unapplicable on[271]this occasion:For the name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles, through you74.

Junethe 21st. About five oâ€™clock in the afternoon we leftAlbany, and proceeded towardsCanada. We had two men with us, who were to accompany us to the firstFrenchplace, which is FortSt. Frederick, or, as theEnglishcall it,Crown Point. For this service each of them was to receive five pounds ofNew Yorkcurrency, besides which I was to provide them with victuals. This is the common price here, and he that does not choose to conform to it, is obliged to travel alone. We were forced to take up with a canoe75, as we could get neither battoes, nor boats of bark; and as there was a good road along the west side of the riverHudson, we left the men to row forwards, in the canoe, and we went along it on the shore, that we might be better able to examine it, and its curiosities, with greater accuracy. It is very incommodious to row in these canoes; for one stands at each end and pushes the boat forwards. They commonly keep close to the shore, that they may be able[272]to reach the ground easily. Thus the rowers are forced to stand upright, whilst they row in a canoe. We kept along the shore all the evening, towards the river, it consisted of great hills, and next to the water grew the trees, which I have above mentioned76, and which likewise are to be met with on the shores of the isle, in the river, situate belowAlbany. The easterly shore of the river is uncultivated, woody, and hilly; but the western is flat, cultivated, and chiefly turned into corn-fields, which had no drains, though they wanted them in some places. It appeared very plainly here, that the river had formerly been broader. For there is a sloping bank on the corn-fields, at about thirty yards distance from the river, with which it always runs parallel. From this it sufficiently appears, that the rising ground formerly was the shore of the river, and the corn-fields its bed. As a further proof, it may be added, that the same shells which abound on the present shore of the river, and are not applied to any use by the inhabitants, ly plentifully scattered on these fields. I cannot say whether this change was occasioned by the diminishing of the[273]water in the river, or by its washing some earth down the river, and carrying it to its sides, or by the riverâ€™s cutting deeper in on the sides.

All the grounds were ploughed very even, as is usual in theSwedishprovince ofUpland. Some were sown withyellow, and others withwhite Wheat. Now and then we saw great fields of flax, which was now beginning to flower. In some parts it grows very well, and in others it was but indifferent. The excessive drought which had continued throughout this spring, had parched all the grass and plants on hills and high grounds, leaving no other green, plant than the commonMullein(Verbascum Thapsus Linn.) which I saw in several places, on the driest and highest hills, growing in spite of the parching heat of the sun, and though the pastures and meadows were excessively poor, and afforded scarce any food at all, yet the cattle never touched theMullein. Now and then I found fields with pease, but theCharlock, (Sinapis arvensis Linn.) kept them quite under. The soil in most of these fields is a fine mould, which goes pretty deep.

The wild vines cover all the hills along the rivers, on which no other plants grow, and on those which are covered with trees,[274]they climb to the tops of them, and wholly cover them, making them bend down with their weight. They had already large grapes; we saw them abundant all this day, and during all the time that we kept to the riverHudson, on the hills, along the shores, and on some little islands in the river.

Thewhite-backed Maize-thievesappeared now and then, flying amongst the bushes: their note is fine, and they are not so large as the black maize-thieves, (Oriolus PhÅ“niceus). We saw them nearNew York, for the first time.

We found aWater-beechtree (Platanus occidentalis) cut down near the road, measuring about five feet in diameter.

This day, and for some days afterwards, we met with islands in the river. The larger ones were cultivated, and turned into corn-fields and meadows.

We walked about fiveEnglishmiles along the river to-day, and found the ground, during that time, very uniform, and consisting of pure earth. I did not meet with a single stone on the fields. The Red Maple, the Water-beech, the Water-asp, the wild Prune-tree, the Sumach, the Elm, the wild Vines, and some species of Willows, were[275]the trees which we met with on the rising shores of the river, where some Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) grew wild.

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