50 VISIT OF IWAN ALEXIOWITZ 



great variety of curious plants and shrubs ; some grew in a green- 

 house, over the door of which were written these lines : 



" Slave to no sect, who takes no private road, 

 But looks through nature, up to nature's God." 



He informed me that he had often followed General Bouquet to 

 Pittsburg, with the view of herborizing ; that he had made useful 

 collections in Virginia ; and that he had been employed by the 

 King of England to visit the two Floridas. 



Our walks and botanical observations engrossed so much of our 

 time, that the sun was almost down ere I thought of returning to 

 Philadelphia ; I regretted that the day had been so short, as I had 

 not spent so rational a one for a long time before. I wanted to 

 stay, yet was doubtful whether it would not appear improper, being 

 an utter stranger. Knowing, however, that I was visiting the least 

 ceremonious people in the world, I bluntly informed him of the 

 pleasure I had enjoyed, and with the desire I had of staying a few 

 days with him. " Thee art as welcome as if I was thy father ; thee 

 art no stranger; thy desire of knowledge, thy being a foreigner, 

 besides, entitleth thee to consider my house as thine own, as long 

 as thee pleaseth ; use thy time with the most perfect freedom ; I, too, 

 shall do so myself." I thankfully accepted the kind invitation. 



We went to view his favourite bank ; he showed me the principles 

 and method on which it was erected ; and Ave walked over the 

 grounds which had been already drained. The whole store of 

 nature's kind luxuriance seemed to have been exhausted on these 

 beautiful meadows ; he made me count the amazing number of 

 cattle and horses now feeding on solid bottoms, which but a few 

 years before had been covered with water. Thence we rambled 

 through his fields, where the rightangular fences, the heaps of 

 pitched stones, the flourishing clover, announced the best hus- 

 bandry, as well as the most assiduous attention. His cows were 

 then returning home, deep-bellied, short-legged, having udders 

 ready to burst ; seeking, with seeming toil, to be delivered from 

 the great exuberance they contained. He next showed me his 

 orchard, formerly planted on a barren, sandy soil, but long since 

 converted into one of the richest spots in that vicinage. " This 

 (said he) is altogether the fruit of my own contrivance. I pur- 

 chased, some years ago, the privilege of a small spring, about a 

 mile and a half from hence, which at a considerable expense I 



