ii General Preface. 



observed one that conveyed to Englishmen any thing 

 like a correct notion of the matter. Some writers of 

 Travels in these States have jolted along in the stages 

 from place to place, have lounged away their time with 

 the idle part of their own countrymen, and, taking every 

 thing different from what they left at home for the effect 

 of ignorance, and every thing not servile to be the 

 effect of insolence, have described the country as unfit 

 for a civilized being to reside in. Others, coming 

 with a resolution to find every thing better than at 

 home, and weakly deeming themselves pledged to find 

 climate, soil, and all blessed by the effects of freedom, 

 have painted the country as a perfect paradise; they 

 have seen nothing but blooming orchards and smiling 

 faces. 



3. The account, which I shall give, shall be that of 

 actual experience. I will say what I know and what 1 

 have seen and what 1 have done. 1 mean to give an 

 account of a Year's Residence, ten months in this 

 Island and two months in Pennsylvania, in which I 

 went back to the first ridge of mountains. In the course 

 of the THREE PARTS, of which this work will consist, 

 every thing which appears to me useful to persons in- 

 tending to come to this country shall be communicated ; 

 but, more especially that which may be useful to farmers ; 

 because, as to such matters, I have ample experience. 

 Indeed, this is the main thing ; for this is really and truly 

 a country of farmers. Here, Governors, Legislators, 

 Presidents, all are farmers. A farmer here is not the 

 poor dependent wretch that a Yeomanry-Cavalry man 

 is, or that a Treason-Jury man is. A farmer here 



