la INTRODUCTION. 



may go to America ; but if he wants 

 money and comfort, he should stay at 

 home. 



I could give many strong reasons for my 

 not going even to see those back woods, 

 but I will trouble the reader with only one 

 instance. After I had landed my horses at 

 Alexandria, I wanted some place for them 

 cheaper than a tavern or inn. A gentleman 

 of the name of Ricketts, who with his bro- 

 ther had large flour-mills about a mile out 

 of the city, offered me a stable and hay for 

 my horses, and board and lodging for my 

 son to take care of them. This I readily 

 accepted, hay being a very scarce article at 

 Alexandria , though these gentlemen, from 

 the advantage of the water in their mill- 

 race, had a piece of timothy very good ; 

 indeed, by watering and dunging, I never 

 saw a meadow better managed in any 



