49 



We were two days in going this small 

 distance, which is only nine miles. 

 While we lay at anchor about two miles 

 from that city, my stock of blades being 

 consumed, and as I perceived a house, 

 situated in what is in America termed very 

 fine land, I went on shore to purchase some 

 food for my horses and cattle. The gen- 

 tleman of this house, named Rozer, had 

 some hay. I thought this would do 

 finely : but when I saw it, I found it was 

 grown on land where water continually 

 stood, and had a great deal of different 

 sorts of weeds in it, ' and among the rest 

 wild mint ; and besides stunk so much of 

 one nastiness or other, that the horses would 

 not touch it, 



The next day we landed at Alexandria. 

 General Washington's steward had recom- 

 mended me to the inn kept by Mr. Gadsby, 

 an Englishman. Here the stables were floor- 

 ed with boards ; for in many parts of Ame- 

 rica, as there is not straw enough produced 

 to litter the horses with, this is the practice, 







