316 INTEMPERANCE OF THE EMIGRANTS. 



of the people among whom I travelled, both 

 Americans, and British emigrants, intemperance 

 appeared every where, to be the prevailing vice 

 among the lower classes of society. They have 

 strong inducements to this vice, from the ex- 

 cessive heat of the climate during the summer 

 months, which creates a violent thirst, par- 

 ticularly under manual, or agricultural labour, 

 which is not allayed, as generally in the mother 

 country, with the wholesome beverage of malt 

 liquor. I seldom met with beer in North Ame- 

 rica, and to drink cold water in a profuse state 

 of perspiration, or when parched with thirst, is 

 not safe ; the labouring classes therefore usually 

 mix with it ardent spirits. — Though taken from 

 prudential motives at first, it but too frequently 

 produces a fondness for stimulants, and leads to 

 habits of intoxication. The very low price of 

 spirituous liquors operates as a strong incentive 

 to drunkenness, and Irish labourers who had 

 emigrated to America, have been known to 

 give the invitation to their countrymen to 

 follow them in their emigration to 6 a land of 

 freedom, where they could get drunk for three 

 cents.'' It would be sound policy on the part 

 of the different legislative assemblies, though 

 it might be unpopular for a season, to impose 

 an additional tax on ardent spirits, and at the 



