1 86 Dr. Rufh on the Progrefs of 



not bear to furrender up a fingle natural right 

 for all the benefits of government, and therefore 

 he abandons his little fettlement, and feeks a 

 retreat in the woods, where he again fubmits to 

 all the toils which have been mentioned. There 

 are inftances of many men who have broken 

 ground, on bare creation, not lefs than four differ- 

 ent times in this way, in different and more ad- 

 vanced parts of the ftate. It has been remarked, 

 that the flight of this clafs of people is always 

 increafed by the preaching of the gofpel. This 

 will not furprize us when we confider how op- 

 pofite its precepts are to their licentious manner 

 of living. If our firft fettler were the owner of 

 the fpot of land which he began to cultivate, he 

 fells it at a confiderable profit to his fucceffor ; 

 but if (as is oftener the cafe) he were a tenant to 

 fome rich land-holder, he abandons it in debt ; 

 but the fmall improvements he leaves behind him 

 generally make it an object of immediate demand 

 to zjecond fpecies of fettler. 



This fpecies of fettler is generally a man of 

 fome property. He pays one third, or one fourth 

 part in cafh for his plantation, which confifts of 

 three or four hundred acres, and the reft in 

 gales or inftalments, as it is called here; that is, 

 a certain fum yearly, without intercft, till the 

 whole is paid. The firft objedt of this fettler is 

 to build an addition to his cabin. This is done 

 with hewn logs, and, as faw mills generally fol- 

 low 



