5 
to meet here with Colonel Wool, inspector-general of the army, 
with whom I became acquainted in Washington. I moreover 
made acquaintance with Mr. Bee, an elderly gentleman who had 
travelled much, to whom I had letters; also the late governor of 
the state, Mr. Wilson, with his young and accomplished lady, 
from New York, who, besides her native language, spoke French, 
German, Spanish, and Italian, and understood Latin and Greek; 
lastly, Major Massias, army paymaster. 
A severe catarrh obliged me to remain at home a whole day. 
The weather was also unpleasant and stormy; Fahrenheit’s ther- 
mometer had fallen to twenty degrees, which degree of cold is 
here extremely uncommon. In the meantime, I received visits 
from a number of the distinguished inhabitants: from Dr. Tidy- 
man, whom I had known in Philadelphia; from Mr. Lowndes, 
to whom I had introductory letters; from Dr. Johnson, mayor of 
the city; from Messrs. Pitray and Yiel, French merchants; 
from the Marquis De Fougeres, French consul; from Mr. Bacott, 
with whom I had arrived yesterday, and from Major Massias. 
Some extremely interesting strangers were also in the hotel, so 
that I did not lack entertainment. The following was related to 
me:—Some years previous, the negroes of the country engaged 
in a conspiracy to murder all the white males, and spare none but 
the females. This design was found out, and it was discovered 
that the original projectors were free negroes out of the limits of 
the state, who travelled in the northern section of the union, and 
in part were become Methodist preachers. They had returned 
home and preached freedom to the slave population. Since that 
period the legislature of this state has adopted very severe pre¬ 
cautionary laws against free negroes and mulattoes. One of them 
is, that no individual of this description, if he have once left the 
state, shall be permitted to return. The wife of our host, Jones, 
found herself in this predicament. She had undertaken a voyage 
to New York, her native city, and now dared not to attempt a 
return. On this account, I was,informed, had I brought a free 
black servant with me, he would have been taken from me, and 
put in custody till I should have left the state, or I must deposit 
a considerable security for him. 
I made my first excursion abroad in company with Colonel 
Wool and Major Massias, in a boat to Fort Moultrie, where the 
Colonel had to inspect two companies of the third regiment of 
artillery, lying there in garrison. This fort is situated at the en¬ 
trance of Charleston Bay, upon a peninsula, Sullivan’s Island, 
which is connected with the continent by a marshy strip of land. 
The vessels running into the bay are compelled to pass within 
reach of the cannon of this fort. It is four miles distant from the 
