ALEXANDER WILSON. XXXvii 



not coming to any agreement about engaging me, I left Washington, 

 and steered for New York, through a country entirely unknown to 

 me ; visited many wretched hovels of schools by the way ; in two 

 days reached York, and from every person who knew the Mitchells, 

 received the most disagreeable accounts of them, viz., that James 

 had, by too great a fondness for gaming, and sometimes taking his 

 scholars along with him, entirely ruined his reputation, and lost his 

 business ; and, from his own mouth, I learned that he expected 

 jail every day, for debts to a considerable amount. And William 

 is lost for every good purpose in this world, and abandoned to the 

 most shameful and excessive drinking, swearing, and wretched 

 company : he called on me last Thursday morning, in company 

 with a hocus-pocus-man, for whom he plays the clarionette. New 

 York swarms with newly-imported Irishmen of all descriptions,- — 

 clerks, schoolmasters, &c. &c. The oity is very sickly : Mitchell, 

 and all the rest to whom I spoke of you, believed that your success 

 here would be even more unsuccessful than in Philadelphia, and 

 related so many stories to that purpose that I was quite dis- 

 couraged. Mr Milne attempted it there, but was obliged to remove, 

 and is now in Boston, wandering through the streets insane. I 

 stayed only one night in York, and being completely run out except 

 three elevenpenny bits, I took the first school, from absolute necessity, 

 that I could find. I live six miles north from Newark, and twelve 

 miles from New York, in a settlement of canting, preaching and 

 praying, and snivelling, ignorant Presbyterians. They pay their 

 minister £250 a-year for preaching twice a-week, and their teacher 

 forty dollars a quarter, for the most spirit-sinking laborious work, 

 six — I may say twelve — times weekly. I have no company, and 

 live unknowing and unknown. I have lost all relish for this 

 country ; and, if Heaven spare me, I shall soon see the shores of 

 old Caledonia. How happy I should be to have you beside me ; — 

 I am exceedingly uneasy to hear from you. Dear Ord, make no 

 rash engagements that may bind you for ever to this unworthy soil. 

 — I am, most sincerely, your affectionate friend, 



"Alexander Wilson." 



" P.S. — Let's contrive a plan to leave this country, and try old 

 Scotia once more in company." 



