LIFE OF WILSON. xcix 



and they absolutely devour their meals that they may return the sooner to their 

 business. Their manners correspond with their features. 



" Good country this for lazy fellows : they plant corn, turn their pigs into 

 the woods, and in the autumn feed upon corn and pork — they lounge about 

 the rest of the year. 



" March 24. — Weather cool. Walked to Shelbyville to breakfast. Passed 

 some miserable log-houses in the midst of rich fields. Called at a 'Squire C.'s, 

 who was rolling logs. Sat down beside him, but was not invited in, though it 

 was about noon. 



" March 29. — Finding my baggage not likely to come on, I set out from 

 Frankfort for Lexington. The woods swarm with pigs, squirrels, and wood- 

 peckers. Arrive exceedingly fatigue'd. 



" Wherever you go you hear people talking of buying and selling land ; no 

 readers, all traders. The Yankees, wherever you find them, are all traders. 

 Found one here, a house carpenter, who came from Massachusetts, and brought 

 some barrels of apples down the river from Pennsylvania to this town, where 

 he employs the negro women to hawk them about the streets, at thirty-seven 

 and a half cents per dozen. 



" Restless, speculating set of mortals here, full of lawsuits, no great readers, 

 even of politics or newspapers. 



" The sweet courtesies of life, the innumerable civilities in deeds and con- 

 versation, which cost one so little, are seldom found here. Every man you 

 meet with has either some land to bay or sell, some lawsuit, some coarse hemp 

 or corn to dispose of; and if the conversation do not lead to any of these he 

 will force it. Strangers here receive less civilities than in any place I have 

 ever been in. The respect due to the fatigues and privations of travellers is 

 nowhere given, because every one has met with as much, and thinks he has 

 seen more than any other. No one listens to the adventures of another, with- 

 out interrupting the narrative with his own ; so that, instead of an auditor, he 

 becomes a competitor in adventure-telling. So many adventurers, also, con- 

 tinually wandering about here, injure the manners of the people, for avarice 

 and knavery prey most freely and safely upon passengers whom they may never 

 meet again. 



" These few observations are written in Salter White's garret, with little or 

 no fire, wood being a scarce article here — the forests being a full half mile 

 distant. 



"April 9. — Court held to-day, large concourse of people ; not less than one 

 thousand horses in town, hitched to the side-posts — no food for them all day. 

 Horses selling by auction. Negro woman sold same way : my reflections while 

 standing by and hearing her cried, ' three hundred and twenty-five di)llars for 

 this woman and boy ! going ! going !' Woman and boy afterwards weep. 

 Damned, damned slavery ! this is one infernal custom which the Virginians 

 have brought into this country. Rude and barbarous appearance of the 

 crowd. Hopkins's double cutters mucli wanted here. 



" April 10. — Was introduced to several young ladies this afternoon, whose 

 agreeable society formed a most welcome contrast to that of the lower orders 

 of the other sex. Mrs. * * *, an amiable, excellent lady; think that savage 



