New-York... Oceupations.:.. Diet, Se. 
ftances admit! The country people re- 
femble- their neighbours of New-Jerfey 
and Pentylvania; a plodding, fober, 
hardy race; ftaunch republicans, but not 
fo active and intelligent as the New-Eng- 
landers or Virginians, though handiomer 
in feature and complexion than the latter. 
Many of the’ fettlers’ in this’ fate’ are 
‘emigrants from New-England and Great 
Britain, ‘and chiciy in the farming line ; | 
agriculture, ‘next to commerce, being the 
moftlucrative employ. In the perional 
appearance of ‘the Anglo-Americans, 
mothing is fo ttriking as their height of 
ftature’: probably being the talleft race of 
whites exif''ne! with this difference among 
them, in the douthern ftates the inhabitants 
generally being of a lank, meagre habit of 
Bod y,and {warthy or fallow complexioned, 
and in the midland and northern much 
ftouter and fairer. The Back Woodf- 
men, as the whites all along the in- 
terior ling of the itates are termed, are 
almoft gigantic. “The Americans are 
remarkable alfo fortheir {traight, clean 
make ; few of them having knock-knees 
or round-fhoulders ; and their counte- 
nances, in general, are more expreffive 
than the northern Europeans. ‘The name 
of Friend, or Quaker, in the mother 
country, almoft implies gravity and {e- 
dateneis ; but among their lefs methodi- 
-cal defcendants, acrofs the Atlantic, mer- 
riment and conyiviality are as cagerly pur- 
fued as among other fectaries; neverthe- 
Tefs, they are equally diftinguifhed by the 
useful accompaniments of diligence, punc- 
‘tuality, fobriety, and other virtues : their 
~ women may wel be called the Fair Qua- 
kers ! and may ferve as a pattern for their 
charming fex; for in every truly ami- 
able quality they excel; in the’ mental 
and domeftic accomplifhments none ex- 
ceed them: I found women amongtt 
‘them of extraordinary fenfe and informa- 
“tion: the hours that frivolous women of 
fafhion and diffipaticn devote to idienefs 
and folly, thefe lovelier females employ- 
ing to very different purpolts. As to 
the political tenets of the Quakers, who 
@re very numerous in alf tie midicnd 
ftates, they are, unanimoufly, deeided 
repudlicans ; yet hefsitable and well-dil- 
~pofed to the Britifh: although net of 
“their religious peifuafion, I affociated 
-tmuch with them during my abode in 
“America; therefore, in juftice to: their 
“merits, T embrace this public ackuow- 
ledginent of their many laudable quali- 
ties. The American women are tend of 
drefs, and follow the London tuthions, 
ay caverly as cur’ provincial ladies: they 
’ She “taode st wat .elerved to iirancers, 
185 
and are almoft idolized by the men; whe 
defervedly pay them every refpeét and 
indulgence: a ‘convincing “proof ~with 
me, both of their “morals ‘andount 
deritanding. In their matrimonial con: 
nections, both fexes, to their ‘credit; 
apparently confult real affeétion and 
choice, more univerlally than we odo. 
Wedlock with them is aot a mercenary 
and fordid, but an honoufabltesodiitite- 
refted, and indifpenfable ties “Thefelfith 
or vicious charatter of a rich old bachelor 
1s, of courfe, rare among them # “(6 is the 
practice of giving portions with’ dauch: 
ters; inftead whereot, it> is cultoniary 
for ‘parents to furnifh the Houfe of the 
young couple, according to their ftation 
in lire, which is termed a ¢ fetting off." 
Children inherit in the way of Gavel- 
kind; parental affetion and conimon 
fenfe” thus taking their due ‘courfe, un- 
fhackled by the arbitrary, winatural, and 
proud diftinétions, that difgrace modern 
Europe, wherever arittocracy and here- 
ditary rank held their iron fway. This 
commendable practice» effectually pre- 
vents the eldeft fon from besearing his 
juniors; whilft it enfures that happy 
mediocrity of property and_ condition 
which pervades the Foederal States 
of America, ‘Rowing, failing, and 
bathing, are favourite diverficns with 
the ‘New-Yorkers ; and in thefe whoie- 
iome exercifes no. people have a finer 
{cope to indulge, ‘The'markets are plen- 
titully fupphed with all forts of . ex- 
cellent provifions—fith, flefh, and fowl, 
&c.; feveral of the former I think much 
inferior in their refpective kinds to ours: 
viz. ikate, mackarel,'and cod; however, 
they have others peculiar to their coaft ; 
the fheep’s-head for initarice, and the 
black fifh. Their fruits, the apple cx- 
cepted, are likewife greatly inferior ia 
flavour to thofe of England; but the de- 
fect, I incline to imagine, Kes in the 
want of attention to horticulture, not te 
climate and foil ; thovgh the extreme fe= 
verity of their winters is perhaps unta- 
vowable to the production of the more. 
delicate kinds of fruit. 
The wines moft in we are: Madeira 
and Claret, but Lifbon, Port,.and Sher- 
ry, are not uncommons ~ Spirits and 
water, cyder; and Lenden porter, are 
likewife the common beverage.  Houte- 
rent is dear; fo is labour: in fad, WNety- 
York, i confequence cof the vatt 
inereafe of commerce ‘and population, 
is beceme’s one of the deareit and. 
moft expenfive towns torefide in upen 
the At erican. Ceatinent: theugh: ew 
Bb 2 i 
Leng 
