459 



I imagine there is neither parson nor 

 church from five to five hundred miles to- 

 gether in the surrounding country ; and 

 many people who never v^ere christened, or 

 in a church in their lives : how they were 

 married I do not know. I judge in this 

 manner from having travelled through the 

 best-regulated and civilised parts of Ameri- 

 ca ; where I do not remember seeing a 

 church that was not either in city or tov/n, 

 except two ; which, although built for 

 that purpose, were both tumbling down, 

 and not used. 



There are a great many negro priests ; 

 but where they preach I cannot tell. The 

 lower class of people, such as worked for 

 me, said, that they had known a black fel- 

 low give a better sermon than they ever 

 heard from a white man. 



The only time I ever went to hear a 

 dissenter preach was at Baltimore, where 

 General Ridgely's lady, Mr. Gcugh, and 

 several other genteel families, went regular- 

 ly, — generally twice on a Sunday ; and, 

 seeing a great many carriages stand at the 



