150 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 3 



barks that appeared every where around, the fine 

 vigtas, up York and James rivers, and other nav- 

 igable streams, liie prodigious fligiits of wild fowl, 

 that darkened the air, all in their native strains 

 hymning the great creator, the alhicores, dolphins 

 and porpoises wantoning on every side, and a long. 

 long view of the wide ocean, with a whole fleet of 

 vessels in the offing, tumbling in tiie calm, and 

 reeling their lofty, unsteady heads; the lowing of 

 the goodly kine, the bleating of the sheep, the 

 neighing of the useful steed, and the cries of the 

 laborious husbandman, plunged us into an admi- 

 ring ecstacy. Nor could we forbear to excJaim, 

 *'Ho\v manifold are thy works, O Lord! In wisdom 

 hast thou made them all! The earth is fidi of thy 

 riches. So is this irreat and wide sea, wherein are 

 things creeping innumerable, both small and great 

 beasts. There go the ships," &c. A delicious moon- 

 light night succeeded this brilliant day, and exliib- 

 ited still new and n)ore delectable scenes of won- 

 der, and millions of unknown regions, the work of 

 an eternal, unbounded creation. Lost in the con- 

 templation of these blessings — struck with such a 

 field of magnificence — exclamation and rapture is 

 succeeded by the lowest adoration, and the most 

 .unfeigned praises! 



Where'er we stir, where'er we look or move, 

 All, all is him, and every where is Jove. 



LucAN. 

 At eight the succeeding morning, we discovered 

 the red clif ts of York-Town, and the opposite town 

 of Gloucester; and sure, nothing could ibrm a more 

 romantic sight. The place being somewhat situ- 

 ated like Dover, and the town standing on a de- 

 scent, you can only perceive three or four houses 

 at first view, and scarce any thing presents itself 

 but these steep, sandy banks, dug into an infinite 

 number of holes and caverns, and the battery of 

 guns before the town upon the pitch of the bluff. 

 York-Town, capital of the county of that name. 

 ;.is situated on a rising ground, gently descending 

 , every way into a valley, and though but strag- 

 glingly built, yet makes no inconsiderable figure. 

 You perceive a great air of" opulence amongst the 

 inhabitants, who have some of them builttheni- 

 selves houses equal in magnificence toinany of 

 our superb ones at St. James'; as those of Mr. 

 Lightibot, Nelson, &c. Almost every considera- 

 ble man keeps an equipage, though they have no 

 concern about the difierent colors of their coach 

 horses, driving fi-equently black, white, and ches- 

 nut, in the same harness. The taverns are many 

 here, and much frequented, and an unbounded li- 

 centiousness seems to taint the moralsof the young 

 gentlemen of this place. The Court-house is the 

 only considerable public building, and is no un- 

 handsome structure. The amiable hospitality I 

 have just passed an eulogium upon, on the other 

 side the bay, seems on this shore to have found 

 no great footing. Schemes of gain, or parties of 

 gaming and pleasure, muddy too much their souls, 

 and banish fi^om amongst them the glorious pro- 

 pensity to doing good. The most considerable 

 houses are of brick; some handsome ones of wood, 

 all built in the modern taste; and the lesser sort, of' 

 plaster. There are some very pretty garden spots 



in the town; and the avenues leading to Williams- 

 burg, Norfolk, &c. are prodigiously agreeable. The 

 roads are, as 1 said before, some of the best I ever 

 saw, and infinitely superior to most in England. 

 The country surrounding is thickly overspread 

 with plantations, and the planters live in a man- 

 ner equal to men of the best fcirtune; some of them 

 being possessed of 500 or £1000 a year, sterling. 



Gloucester, Jrlampton, and Norfolk, are towns of 

 near the same structure, fhere being little difier- 

 ence, save llicit at the last riientioned place, aspirit 

 of trade reigns, far surpassing that of any other part 

 of Virginia. A great^number of vessels are filted 

 out from thence, to trade to the northward and the 

 West Indies; and the inhabitants are, licm their 

 great intercourse with strangers, abundantly more 

 refined. But before I leave York entirely, I should 

 just mention the battery, that is the dtlence of the 

 town, vviiich at this time was under the direction 

 of an awkward engineer, by trade a barber, and 

 is as despicably contrived for the safi^ty of the 

 place,' as it, no doubt, would be conducted in a 

 time of danger. ' Indeed, Virginia is quite an open 

 country to the incursions of an enemy, having lit- 

 tle to resist an attack by sea, but the men of war 

 stationed there, which are generally two or three. 

 In a land expedition from the natives, or French 

 and Spaniards, indeed, their numbers, it is hoped, 

 will always protect them, seeing that they could as- 

 semble at the shortest warning, a militia of eighteen 

 or twenty thousand men. They have also some 

 forts towards the Apalaches, which bridle the In- 

 dians, and secure the trade With them. 



Williamsburg is a most wretched contrived af- 

 fair for the capital ol a country, being near three 

 mil'es from the sea, in a bad situation. There is 

 [ nothing considerable in it, but the college, the gov- 

 ernor's house, and one or two more, which are no 

 bad piles; and the prodigious number of coaches 

 that crov.'d the deep, sandy streets of this little 

 city. Il is very surprising to me, that this should 

 be preferred to James-Town, Hampton, or some 

 other situations I could mention. Here the courts 

 of justice are held, and with a dignity and deco- 

 rum, that would become them even in Europe. 

 The present Lieutenant Governor Gooch is much 

 beloved by every one,- and by his mild and agree- 

 able disposiiion, difl'uses content every where 

 around. The posts that arc most stickled for 

 here, are the office of secretary, wJiich is said to 

 be worth £900 per annum; and the being naval 

 officers to the several counties, which are the pla- 

 ces'ofgood profit. 



From the Alton [Illinois] Observer. 



REMARKS ON THE MANUFACTURE OF BEET 

 SUGAR IN FRANCE, AND THE INTRODUC- 

 TION INTO THE UNITED STATES. 



to the great Mico Tomo Chachi. arid always bore an 

 extreme regard to the English. He had, however, this 

 satisfaction, to see most of the Yamasees cut off before 

 Jie expired. 



The following very interesting letter on this 

 subject has been handed us for publication, by the 

 gentleman to whom it was addressed. Mr. Child 

 went to Europe under the auspices of a company 

 consisting of Messrs. B. Godfrey, W. S. Gilman, 

 Dr. C F. Edwardsj George Kimball, and other 

 citizens of this state. The object of the company, 

 as we understand, is to introduce, if practicable, 

 the culture of the sugar beet, and its manufacture, 

 into Illinois. Mr. C. is himself connected with 

 the company, and has gone to France lor the 



