55 



in good condition. I saw here a greater 

 number of negroes than I ever saw at one 

 time either before or since. 



The house is a very decent mansion : 

 not large, and something like a gentleman's 

 house in England, with gardens and planta- 

 tions ; and is very prettily situated on the 

 banks of the river Potowmac, with extensive 

 prospects. It took its name from Admiral 

 Vernon: the General's brother, who former- 

 ly owned the place, having served under 

 that Admiral. The roads are very bad 

 from Alexandria to Mount- Vernon, even 

 very near to the General's house : I men- 

 tion this circumstance, merely because it 

 seemed strange to me that so capital a man 

 had it not in his power to provide an agree- 

 able conveyance to that city, a distance of 

 only nine miles. 



The General still continuing at Phi- 

 ladelphia, I could not have the pleasure 

 of seeing him ; therefore I returned to 

 Alexandria, where my family resided. 

 Here I found a letter from Hugh Thomp- 



