185 
a well cultivated country surrounded by hills. It has about 
five thousand inhabitants, and is built very regularly. At the 
entrance of one of the streets stood a wooden triumphal arch raised 
in honour of General La Fayette. The inscriptions were already 
nearly effaced by the weather. I had hardly alighted at the tavern, 
when I received a visit from a clergyman of this place named 
Dr. Schaeffer, a son of a preacher of the same name in Philadel¬ 
phia. This gentleman accompanied me to see Mr. Schley, whom 
I had known in Saratoga, and afterwards we went to a Lutheran 
church, a very plain building. We ascended the spire in order 
to have a view of the town and surrounding country. The 
country appeared to be very well cultivated; their principal ag¬ 
ricultural object is tobacco. There are four churches, Lutheran, 
Reformed, Catholic and Methodist. The public buildings are 
the Court-house and prison. 
Harper’s Ferry was yet twenty-one miles distant from Frede- 
ricktown. The country grew at every moment more hilly, and the 
road rugged and worse; as we were approaching the Blue Ridge, 
we often alighted and walked. We met with several herds and 
flocks, which are driven from the western states to~different sea¬ 
ports for sale. The wagons we met were generally carrying 
products of the west; they were large wagons with five stout 
horses. Every horse had on its collar a set of bells, consisting 
of five different tones, which made a very singular music. 
Meanwhile, our road passed mostly through forest; we went 
through but a single insignificant village called Newton. The 
mountains grew higher and more rocky. At last we came again 
to the Potomac, which we had left the day before, and enjoyed 
many fine views. 
This country reminded me of Pranen, near Dresden. It was 
night when we arrived on the left bank of the Potomac, opposite 
to Harper’s Ferry; we were obliged to wait for a considerable 
length of time for the ferry-boat. When this came, we saw it 
was conducted by an intoxicated negro; even the ferry-boat 
itself was very bad; however, we fortunately crossed the shallow 
river, passing amidst pieces of rocks, and perceived at some dis¬ 
tance up, three piers standing in the river, on which the next 
year, a bridge was to be built. Having crossed, we came into 
the state of Virginia. At Harper’s Ferry, we took our lodgings 
in a neat tavern; and I had here the pleasure to see Dr. Weise, 
from Dresden, who, as soon as he knew I had arrived, came to 
see me. I take the liberty of inserting here the following de¬ 
scription of this country, by Thomas Jefferson, in his “ Notes 
on the State of Virginia.” 
u The passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge is per¬ 
haps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature. You stand 
Vol. I. 24 
