66 



buy milk, or at least no money to pay for 

 it with so I declined his very favourable 

 proposals. 



I had then an offer from General Ridgely, 

 of a farm of great note, nine miles from 

 Baltimore. I got an invitation, and a letter 

 of introduction, to Colonel Mercer ; by 

 whom I was very kindly received, and I 

 found him a most agreeable man. He 

 was said to live on one of the best planta- 

 tions in America, and indeed I do not know 

 whether it be not as good as any I saw, 

 It is called West River ; and lies on the 

 west side of the bay. His cattle were very 

 poor. He had got two thrashing-ma- 

 chines, one of them from England, that 

 .were to 'thrash the ears only ; which he 

 said answered very well for thrashing 

 wheat injured by the mildew, or what the 

 Americans call the rust. I staid some time 

 there ; and the Colonel then introduced me 

 to a Mr. Stewart, a tobacco-planter. ,At 

 this gentleman's I spent an agreeable day, 

 and slept all night ; and then returned to 



