CLIMATE, SEASONS, ETC. 



1818. 



Feb. 19. understand my affair ; and when they do under 

 stand it, I am not at all afraid of receiving justice 

 at their hands, whether I am present or absent. 

 Slept at Lancaster. One night more in this very 

 excellent Tavern. 



20. Frost still. Arrived at Philadelphia along with my 

 friend HULME. They are roasting an ox on the 

 Delaware. The fooleries of England are copied 

 here, and every where in this country, with wonder 

 ful avidity ; and, I wish I could say, that some of the 

 vices of our &quot; higher orders, as they have the im 

 pudence to call themselves, were not also imitated. 

 However, I look principally at the mass of farmers ; 

 the sensible and happy farmers of America. 



21. Thaw and Rain. The severe weather is over for 

 this year. 



22. Thaw and Rain. A solid day of rain. 



23. Little frost at night. Fine market. Fine meat of 

 all sorts. As fat mutton as I ever saw. How mis 

 taken Mr. Birkbeck is about American mutton ! 



24. Same weather. Very fair days now. 



25. Went to Bustleton with my old friend, Mr. John 

 Morgan. 



26. Returned to Philadelphia. Roads very dirty and 

 heavy. 



27. Complete thaw : but it will be long before the frost 

 be out of the ground. 



28. Same weather. Very warm. I hate this weather. 

 Hot upon my back, and melting ice under my feet. 

 The people (those who have been lazy) are chopping 

 away with axes the ice, which has grown out of the 

 snows and rains, before their doors, during the 

 winter. The hogs (best of scavengers) are very 

 busy in the streets seeking out the bones and bits 

 of meat, which have been flung out and frozen down 

 amidst water and snow, during the two foregoing 

 months. I mean including the present month. At 

 New York (and, I think, at Philadelphia also) they 

 have corporation laws to prevent hogs from being in 

 the streets. For &quot;what reason, I know not, except 

 putrid meat be pleasant to the smell of the in 

 habitants. But, Corporations are seldom the wisest 

 of law-makers. It is argued, that, if there were no 

 hogs in the streets, people would not throw out their 

 orts of flesh and vegetables. Indeed ! What 

 would they do with those orts, then ? Make their 

 hired servants eat them ? The very proposition 

 would leave them to cook and wash for themselves. 



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