86 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
is a mineral Well of the same Character as the Cheltenham Waters. 
The Company had not yet arrived, but in the Season, which is in about 
a Month, it is very full, the whole Town consisting of Boarding Houses 
and Hotels. The one we were in had 190 People last year and they 
can make up 120 beds. Saratoga is the Resort of all the Fashion of 
America. The Water has a very salt Taste. ‘The Road we passed thro’ 
was very sandy and bad—poor Appearance. Little Appearance of 
Population. From Saratoga the Country consisted entirely in Sand and 
low Fir Trees and reminded me so much of Riga that I might have 
fancied myself in Russia had not the constant Question whether we had 
News from Europe prevented this Delusion. At 9 o’clock in the Even- 
ing we arrived at Sandy Hill being a Distance from Albany of 50 miles. 
We passed a great deal of Country which had been newly cleared—the 
Trees are cut down about 8 feet from the stem and this is allowed 
to remain till it rots, which requires 20 to 25 years. On one Part of the 
Road a beautiful little Squirrel followed us about half a mile running 
on the Wooden Fences. We only saw Wooden Fences and altogether 
the Country had a miserable Appearance. Our Inn was very comfort- 
able and clean and the Pleasure of our Tea Party was much enhanced 
by a very pleasing Young Lady, the Sister of the Landlady, making 
Tea for us. This is the Custom of this Part of the Country and a very 
pleasing one. Our Landlord is a very considerable Farmer and he 
informed us that the poor sandy Land we travelled thro’ has become 
very valuable, that formerly it only sold for $1 an Acre and that now it 
is worth 15 Dollars, it having been found that a sandy Soil mixed with 
Plaster of Paris becomes very productive. Plaster Paris is now found 
in the State of New York—formerly it was imported from St. John’s 
and New Brunswick. 
About 30 miles distant is a Sect of Quakers called Shakers. The 
Men and Women live separately and they keep up their Community 
by inducing others to join them. They are very industrious People— 
they dance till they are quite exhausted. The Men go out to cultivate 
their Land and during the Time the Females clean their Rooms and 
then retire to their own Houses. 
Bill at the Eagle, Bauman, formerly Servant to [?] L. Paul : 
2Board ee: dee ase iia nt eee Bee f4 Bill at Saratoga. 
Madeira. 8.268002 Ne RON one 2 50 2) Dinners: Ji: ack reo 50 
2 *Bottles:Glaretic-*; MIRE i Bottle Madeira -295 eee 2 50 
Sitting ROOMS AE eee eer 15 =a 
Servants. eae eee 1 fA 
1 24 0 0 (0 à SN RM nie ur à 19 
f12 19 
Chambermaids ter te ee scien 50 
SeLVANES in LEE CURE STAR SERRE 50 

f13 19 Stage Fare to Whitehall, f 44. 
