98 Obfervat'ions en Mr. Paikhfori's Tour in the United States. [Sept. 1, 



From the year 1784.10 1799, a term of 

 ffteeii yt-ats, the Americans improved 

 fifteen inillions of acres of land. The 

 waHe-laiids incloied m England during 

 the la(t: fifty years amounts only to 

 2. 800. 000 acres. This (hews that Ame- 

 iJca is m a rapid (hue cf improvement, 

 and even more To t'nan Engl.ind. 



But if new farms recently cleared of 

 their timber Ao not produce all which we 

 find on the old and lontj-cultivated eftates 

 of England, it is no proof that the conn, 

 tiy is bad or the people mlferahle. The 

 American farmer has abundance to tat, to 

 diii>k, to warm a^'d cloath him \ he is 

 owner of the foil on which he lives ; no 

 lent to be railed at the expiration of iiis 

 Jeafe; no landlord to influence him at an 

 eledlion ; no tax-gatherer at his door ; 

 he is confident of iecurity in equal laws, 

 and has a high fenfe of that noble indc- 

 p.-ndence which acknowledgts no fuperi- 

 ers but genius and merit : and thole are 

 real comforts to a man of feeling. If 

 good turnp ke-roads, and a particular fine 

 bleed of cattle or flitep, are rarely to be 

 found in America, it arifes from the po- 

 pulation being fpread over a great ex'ent 

 of country, and that want ot divilion of 

 labour wh'ch enables ore man to apply to 

 one thii.g, and thereby render it as jicrfeft 

 as p' fable. But the fault is not in the 

 land or climate ; and luch improvements 

 will be made when the country (hall be 

 more filled with people. 



Let us look hack on England two hun- 

 dred years : — Not a hedge, not a turnpike- 

 road, waggon or carriaee to travel in ; 

 none of the fine breed vi fheep and cattle 

 now fo much and juftly admired ; nor ir- 

 rigation, nor the produdlive I'yftem of fuc- 

 celFion of crops j at that time turnips, 

 cabbages, and carrots, were great arti- 

 cles of commerce from Br,ibanr to Lon- 

 don. In 1697 the whole exports from 

 England were only three miihons and a 

 half a year: the iinports near the fame 

 fum. Buttinae, with inJnllry, has matie 

 Eiigland what (he is, to the great honour 

 ot the inhabitants ; and time, with in- 

 duttry, will give to th'> United States of 

 America all that is refined in fcience and 

 gratifying to rational man. 



But one great objfft of Mr. Parklnfon's 

 book. is. to prevent Enolifli farmers ren- 

 dering themlelves and families unhappy 

 bv going to Ame:ica. With him I am 

 cl'-aiiy ot opinicn that they fnould not go 

 Itili they have well vveight-d every circum- 

 ftaiice, and confulted the fctlings of thofe 



they propofe to carry with them ; for al- 

 though I krovv that abundance reigns in 

 America, yet perfons always rifque their 

 happiiielii by removing fiom thtir native 

 place, and into a country where the man- 

 ners and cul^nnis are fiich as they have 

 n t been uled to. Every piirfuit is a kind 

 of trade, which if we cannot follow it in 

 the wav to which we have been accuiioni- 

 ed, feels irkfome. I doubt whetl.er an 

 txjfrienced Devonfhire farmer would for 

 !ome years fe^-l happv in Northuinber- 

 land ; nor would the Noitliumberlard man 

 feel comfortable on a farm in Dcvonfliire. 

 A Frenchman, accuftomed to the culture 

 of the vine, would mike a bad farmer in 

 England ; and the Engli/li farmer would 

 become a bar.kiupt among the vines of 

 France. Local habi s, wi-ich in a great 

 mtafure conftiiute our hapiinefs, and 

 which makes a country appear pleafanJ 

 or difagreeable, extend to the fmallctt 

 minutiae, to our eating, drinking, tiavel- 

 liiig, company, &c. &c. 



During ihe lait peace the Abhc Gre- 

 goire came over from Fr.ince to England, 

 where he made a tour throughout the 

 coun'ry, and, from his amiable tharafier 

 and excellent quali ics, was received in 

 the belt ficieties in a very hofpitible 

 manner. On his return to Paris I afl:cd 

 him how he hked England > He replied, 

 " The Englifli are a generous, hofpitable, 

 good people ; and the country would be 

 cliarmif g had it pl-afed God to give thern 

 fonie funfhine, and French cooks. The 

 c untry (he faid) was always enveloped 

 in clouds ; and he was almoll ftarved on 

 abominable lecjs of mutton, roait-beef, 

 beef fteaks, cabbage and potatoes, none 

 of which were half cooked, and with 

 I'auce feldom ea'ahlc : the porter was bit- 

 ter, and the port-wine (b ftrong that he 

 could not drink it, and as to water he did 

 not like that beverage." In faft, the good 

 Abbe preferred France ; and, being of a 

 humane difpofition, (eemed to feel forry 

 for the many irconveniencies under which, 

 as he fuppjfed, the people of England 

 lib.ured. 



Hence, if we look into ourfelves, and 

 exHinine the habits we have acquiied, we 

 fliall find, that, by g'ing to refide in a 

 foreign counirj', the circumftances change, 

 and the unhappineCs or ill fuccels which 

 we experience arifes more from ourfelvts 

 thin the dcftffs of the country which we 

 adojit. 



I am, Sir, &c. 



"Ju'j z, 1805. Robert Fulton. 



ro I 



