Part III.] Morris Birkqeck, Esq. 325 



fencing of a farm, and in the erection of buildingi, 

 a.s four or fve English of the same age and size. Yet, 

 have n-.any of the New England farmers returned. 

 Even they have had cause to repent of their folly. 

 What hope is there, then, that English farmers will 

 succeed 1 



618. Jt so happens, that / have seen new' settle- 

 ments formed. 1 have seen lands cleared. I have 

 seen crowds of people coming and squatting down in 

 woods or little islands, and by the sides of rivers. I 

 have seen the log-hut raised ; the bark covering put 

 on ; I have heard the bold language of the adventurers ; 

 and I have Avitnessed their subsequent miseries. They 

 were just as free as you are ; for, they, like you, saw 

 no signs of the existence of any government, good or 

 bad. 



619. New settlements, particularly at so great a 

 distance from all the conveniences and sweeteners of 

 life, must be begun b>- people who labour for them- 

 selves. Money is, in such a case, almost useless. It 

 is impossible to believe, that, after your statement 

 about your intended hundred acres of Indian corn^ you 

 would not have had it, or, at least, a part of it, if you 

 could; that is to say, if money would have got it. Vet 

 you had not a single square rod. Mr. Hulme, (See 

 Journal, 28th July) says, in the way of reason for 

 your having no crops this year, that you could pur- 

 chase with more economy than you could grow / In- 

 deed I what ; would the Indian Corn have cost, then, 

 more than the price of the Corn ? Untoward observa- 

 tion ; but perfectly true, I am convinced. There is, 

 it i-s my opinion, nobody that can raise Indian Com 

 or Grain at .so great adi^tiince from a market to any 

 profit at all with hired labour. Nay, this is too plain 

 a case to be matter of opinian. I may safelj assume 

 it as an indisputable fact. For, it being notorious, that 

 labour is as high priced with you as with us, and vour 

 suitement shewing that Corn is not mucli more than 

 one-third of our price, how monstrous, if you gain at 

 all, must be the Consumers' gains here! The rent of 

 the land here is a mere trifle more than it must be 

 there, for the cultivated part must pay rent for the 



