188 Expenses of HorsE-KEEPixc. [Part II. 



average, at far less than half the English price. Tea, 

 sugar, coffee, spices, chocolate, cocoa, salt, sweet oil ; 

 all free of the Boroughmongers' taxes and their jtaicn^ 

 are so cheap as to be within the reach of every one. 

 Chocolate, which is a treat to the rich, in England, is 

 here used even by the negroes. Sweet oil, raisins, cur- 

 rants ; all the things from the Levant, are at & fourth 

 or ffth of the English price. The English people, 

 who pay enormously to keep possession of the East 

 and West Indies, purchase the produce even of the 

 English possessions at a price double of that which 

 the Americans give for that very produce ! VfhsX a 

 hellish oppression must that people live under! Can- 

 dles and soap (quality for quality) are half the Eng- 

 lish price. Wax candles (beautiful) are at a third of 

 the English price. It is no very great piece of extra- 

 vagence to burn wax candles constantly here, and it 

 is frequently done by genteel people, Avho do not make 

 their own candles. 



332. Fish I have not mentioned, because fish is not 

 every where to be had in abundance. But, any where 

 near the coast it is ; and it is so cheap, that one won- 

 ders how it can be brought to market for the money. 

 Fine Black-Rock, as good, at least, as codfish, I have 

 seen sold, and in cold weather too, at an English far- 

 thing a pound. They now bring us fine fish round the 

 country to our doors, at an English three pence a pound. 

 I believe they count Jifty or sixty sorts of fish in New 

 York market, as the average. Oysters, other shell- 

 fish, called clams. In short, the variety and abundance 

 are such that I cannot describe them. 



333. An idea of the state of plenty may be formed 

 from these facts: nobody but the free negroes who 

 have families ever think of eating a sheep'n head and 

 pluck. It is seldom that oxen's heads are used at home, 

 or sold, and never in the country. In the course of the 

 year hundreds of calves' heads, large bits and whole 



joints of meat, are left on the shambles, at New York, 

 tor any body to take away that will. They generally 

 fall to" the share of the street hogs, a thousand or two of 

 'which are constantly fatting in New York on the meat 

 and fish flung out of the houses. I shall be told, that it 



