LIFE OF WILSON, Ixxv 



to his countrymen; and would have done me any favour in his 

 power. I spent the whole of this week traversing the streets, 

 from one particular house to another, till, I believe, I became 

 almost as well known as the public crier, or the clerk of the 

 market, for I could frequently perceive gentlemen point me out 



to others as I passed with my book under my arm, 



# * * * 



On Sunday morning, October 2, I went on board a packet 

 for New Haven, distant about ninety miles. The wind was fa- 

 vourable, and carried us rapidly through Hellgate, (a place I 

 had no intention of calling at in my tour) on the other side of 

 which we found upwards of sixty vessels beating up for a pas- 

 sage. The Sound here, between Long Island and the main, is 

 narrowed to less than half a mile, and filled with small islands, 

 and enormous rocks under water, among which the tide roars 

 and boils violently, and has proved fatal to many a seaman. 

 At high water it is nearly as smooth as any other place, and 

 can then be safely passed. The country, on the New York 

 side, is ornamented with handsome villas, painted white, and 

 surrounded by great numbers of Lombardy poplars. The 

 breeze increasing to a gale, in eight hours from the time we set 

 sail the high red-fronted mountain of New Haven rose to our 

 view. In two hours more we landed; and, by the stillness 

 and solemnity of the streets, recollected we were in New En- 

 gland, and that it was Sunday, which latter circumstance had 

 been almost forgotten on board the packet-boat. 



" This town is situated upon a sandy plain; and the streets 

 are shaded with elm trees and poplars. In a large park or 

 common, covered with grass, and crossed by two streets, and 

 several foot paths, stand the church, the state house and col- 

 lege buildings, which last are one hundred and eighty yards in 

 front From these structures rise four or five wooden spires, 

 which, in former time, as one of the professors informed me, 

 were so infested by woodpeckers, which bored them in all di- 

 rections, that, to preserve their steeples from destruction, it 

 became necessary to set people, with guns, to watch and shoot 



