278 



great. I had become acquainted with 

 many Englishmen who had come over 

 with an intention to farm, but who had 

 given the preference to trade, and particu- 

 larly the eldest son of Mr. Allenby, of 

 Maidenwell, in the county of Lincoln, 

 who was born and brought up a farmer 

 as well as myself, and a neighbour, and 

 of a family that has never shewn an in^ 

 stance of want of spirit or judgment. 

 While debating with myself how to act, I 

 met with a merchant from Wakefield in 

 Yorkshire, whom I invited to dine with me, 

 and discovered to him my disappointment 

 of the American land, and asked his opinion 

 whether trade might not be better, as I was 

 very certain there was only a very miser- 

 able living to be had by farming. He very 

 soon convinced me of the great hazard of 

 that answering; at best a bad business. This 

 put all thoughts of that kind out of my head. 

 This merchant having a brother who kept 

 9. store at Boston, in New England, I 

 made no further enquiry on that subject. 



