24 INTRODUCTION. 



say, from my own knowledge, that better 

 characters cannot exist : the blame in this 

 case lay on the old Dutchman ; who, when 

 he had brought himself into such a situation, 

 ought with temper to have done his best, 

 and the gentlemen would have treated him 

 with kindness. 



Perhaps, from my observations, it may be 

 here said, that I have been disappointed 

 and am a prejudiced man. No : I am not. 

 I never had half the condescension shown 

 me in the same time in England by gentle- 

 men of superior rank to myself, as 1 have 

 had in America ; and solemnly affirm it was 

 painful to me to leave so respectable ac- 

 quaintance : but farming being my sole object 

 in life, I found the climate and soil there to 

 be of such a nature as to put it out of the 

 power of man to enrich the land without 



