SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 239 



of owls, or his tomb left alone — a deserted spot in the 

 wilderness. 



If there are any of the American family so wedded to 

 their golden gods that they would hesitate on account of 

 cost, I care not to know them. They are not congenial 

 spirits with mine. 



Now, my dear little daughter, you may think this a 

 very uninteresting letter ; but if you will preserve it until 

 you grow old enough to read and understand more of 

 American history, you will then read it with more 

 interest. 



I want you, my daughter, to study your map of the 

 United States, so as to be able not only to point out where 

 I now am, but to trace my long journey through the dif- 

 ferent States during the last eight months. Start upon 

 the map from our house near the head of Lake Michigan, 

 and down through the State of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, 

 Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, 

 South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and after this 

 through Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey 

 to New York. What a long drive for one to take all alone 

 by himself, and what a diversity of people, soil, cultiva- 

 tion, and manners and customs I have seen within the 

 last eight months. I have learned a great deal of the 

 country, that I never could have learned from books. I 

 continue to write letters to the American Agriculturist 

 every month, but that paper cannot publish a tenth of the 

 interesting matters that I have seen and might write 

 about. I also write some letters to other papers, as often 

 as I can find time, amid all my other engagements. 



Perhaps, after I get home, I shall be able to write out 

 a full account of my observations, and have them pub- 

 lished in a book. I have no doubt but I could write one 

 that would be very interesting, and one that perhaps 

 would sell well and bring us a little money for our com- 

 fort and convenience. Many gentlemen have urged me 

 to do so. 



I have in my journey met a great many persons who 



