INTENSE COLD. 
99 
both found ourselves sufficiently warm in 
common clothing. It seems, however, to be a 
matter generally allowed, that strangers, even 
from the West Indies^ unaccustomed to intense 
cold, do not suffer so much from the severity of 
the winter, the first year of their arrival in 
America, as the white people who have been 
born in the country. Every person that we 
met upon the road was wrapped up much in. 
the same manner as the travellers who break* 
fasted with us, and had silk handkerchiefs tied 
round their heads, so as to cover their mouths 
and ears. 
About the middle of the day we arrived at 
the Susquehannah, and, as we expected to find 
it, the river was frozen entirely over. In 
what manner we were to get across was now 
the question. The people at the ferry-house 
were of opinion that the ice was not suffi¬ 
ciently strong to bear in every part of the 
river; at the same time they said, it was so 
very thick near the shores, that it would he 
impracticable to cut a passage through it be¬ 
fore the day was over; however, as a great 
number of travellers desirous of getting across 
was collected together, and as all of them 
were much averse to remaining at the fe»ry~ 
house till the next morning, by which time 
it was supposed that the ice would be strong 
enough to bear in every part, the people were 
h 2 
