PENSYLVANIA 21 



The following instance happened in this neighbor- 

 hood, and deserves mention as a contribution to such 

 history, and as proof of how often trifling occasions 

 bring the understanding, for a long time obscured, into 

 full and sound activity again. Michael Car, the son of 

 a farmer of this region, was in the war before the last 

 often in the field against the French and the Indians. 

 Misfortune in love was the cause of his becoming first 

 melancholy and then raving mad, and in this state he 

 passed several years in the Pensylvania Hospital at 

 Philadelphia. Growing somewhat quieter, he was 

 taken back to his parents, and for 20 years, in the 

 deepest crazyness, unfit for any work or society, he 

 had been cared for as an object of pity by his friends. 

 By chance, during the last war, there came by his 

 home a recruiting-serjeant with drum-play and stand- 

 ard flying. He no sooner heard the old familiar mili- 

 tary music, than springing suddenly up he cast off his 

 rags, in all reasonableness asked for decent clothing, 

 and followed the serjeant. And from that moment he 

 had and kept the complete use of his understanding. 



Wagons and horses meeting us on the road hither 

 were all in excellent order ; Pensylvania has this ad- 

 vantage (as well as the back parts of Virginia and 

 Maryland) over the other provinces and those regions 

 nearer the coast, the want of inland navigation making 

 them more careful of their teams. They have here a 

 strong and large breed of horses, kept in good condi- 

 tion, and always looking sound and fit, whereas the 

 skeletons along the coast are thin to the point of col- 

 lapsing. The Pensylvania breed supplies fine and comely 

 coach-horses ; but lacking steady work these strong 

 Pensylvania horses have not sufficient bottom for long 



