328 Letter ii. to [Part III. 



*' thing earthly but your own exertions. — At this lime 1 

 " suppose you to have remaining one hundred pounds 

 ** (borrowed probably from English friends, who rely 

 " on your integrity, and who may have directed the 

 " interest to be paid to me en their behalf, and the 

 ** principal in due season.) — We will now, if you 

 *' please, turn it into dollars, and consider how it may 

 '■* be disposed of A hundred pounds sterling will go 

 •* a great way in dollars. With eighty dollars you will 

 *•* enter a quarter section of land ; that is, you will 

 " purchase at the land-office one hundred and sixty 

 " acres, and pay one-fourth of the purchase money, and 

 " looking to the land to reward your pains with the 

 " means 0^ discharging the other three-fourths as they 

 *' become; due, in two, three, and four years. — You will 

 " build a house with fifty dollars ; and you will find it 

 " extremely comfortable and convenient, as it M'ill be 

 " really and truly yours. Two horses Avill cost, with 

 " harness and plough, one hundred. — Cows, and hogs, 

 *' and seed corn, and fencing, with other expenses, will 

 ** require the remaining two hundred and ten dollars. — 

 " This beginning, humble as it appears, is affluence 

 " and splendour, compared with the original outfit of 

 " settlers in general. Yet no man remains in poverty, 

 •* who possesses even moderate industry and economy, 

 " and especially of time. — You would of course bring 

 " with you your sea-bedding and store of blankets, for 

 " you will need them on the Ohio ; and you should 

 *' leave England with a good stock of wearing apparel. 

 "Your luggage must be composed of light articles, 

 " on account of the costly land-carriage from the 

 " Eastern port to Pittsburgh, which will be from seven 

 *' to ten dollars per 100 lbs. nearly sixpence sterling 

 " per pound. A few simple medicines of good quality 

 " are indispensable, such as calomel, bark in powder, 

 " castor oil, calcined magnesia, laudanum ; they mav 

 '* be of the greatest importance on tlie voyage and 

 "journey, as well as after your arrival. — Change of 

 " climate and situation will produce temporary indis- 

 " position, but with prompt and judicious treatment, 

 " which is happily of the most simple kind, complaints 

 " to which new comers are liable are seklom dangerous 



