22 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



dark red appearance. But this is hardly a distinguish- 

 ing mark of Jersey, for it is pretty generally observed, 

 even in other countries, that grass on red soils has a 

 particularly green color. 



Brunswick. Here for the first time we underwent a 

 general questioning on the part of the landlord at the 

 Queen. There are no people in the world of more 

 curiosity than the inn-keepers throughout the greater 

 part of America. It is told of Dr. Franklin (but it 

 may have been anyone else) + how on a journey trom 

 Boston to Philadelphia, he became so tired of the in- 

 sidious tavern-catechism, that on arriving at an inn he 

 had the whole family assembled and made it clear to 

 them once for all what his name was, where he lived, 

 what he did for a living, where he was going, and then 

 asked that no further queries be put. At the inn in 

 Brunswick nothing was to be had until it was known 

 where we came from and whither we were bound ; I 

 asked for a room and the woman of the house bade me 

 in a most indifferent manner to be patient ; she was 

 unwilling for us to escape too soon from the curiosity 

 of her husband, who in the meantime was looking up 

 slippers of every calibre, kept for the traveller's con- 

 venience. 



Brunswick is pleasantly and advantageously situ- 

 ated. The Rariton even here reaches no great breadth, 

 probably ten to fifteen feet ; but with the help of the 

 tide, which ascends two miles above the town, tolerably 

 large vessels come up, and in former years the place 

 has exported directly to the West Indies flour, bread, 

 Indian corn, timber, and the like. Brunswick therefore 

 has great hopes of renewing its trade, since at one time 

 the town carried on more business than Perth-Amboy, 



