128 
its rife from immenfe rocks, which, on 
fome earthquake or other unknown event, 
have funk confiderably, and turned the 
courfe of the waters from their accuftomed 
channel. 
The Americans have long obtained 
eredit for building {wift-failing veflels, 
and very juftly, in my opinion ;. for in the 
{pace of about eighteen hours, we were 
fately landed at Newport, which is 200 
miles diftant from the place of our de- 
parture; having failed at the rate of 
above eleven miles an hours This town 
(Newport) 1s called the capital of Rhode 
Mfland ; and during the late war, on ac- 
eount of its Commodious and beautiful 
harbour, it was in a very flourifhing ftate : 
it has fince, however, gradually declined ; 
whilft the town of Providence in the fame 
fiate, thirty miles diftant on the road to 
Bofton, has increafed in a proportion 
equally rapid. This place, though not 
io eligibly fituated as the former, in a 
commercial point of view, far furpaffes it 
im extent and opulence; which may be 
attributed to the fpirit of enterprife ap- 
parently pervading the whole body of its 
inhabitants, and tor which it is not a 
little indebted to. that truly indefatigable 
and worthy citizen, Mr. John Brown. 
At the entrance of the town of Provi- 
dence a new bridge has been erected, of 
a licht and very elegant ftru€ture. The 
church is a very handfome modern edifice, 
and the inns have accommedation for 
travellers, fuperior to any I have ever 
ieen in the fouthern diftriéts of Amerjea. 
This ftate, although the fijalleit in the 
union, apparently pofifics the moft con- 
fiderable advantages; the farms here are. 
better cultivated, and the lands are more 
productive, than any | have feen in other 
parts. It is likewiie admirably fituated 
for commerce, lying contiguous to the 
Atlantic Ocean, and at a convenient dif- 
tance between the great capitals New 
York, and Bolton: the climate alfo is 
generally allowed to be the mildeft, and 
the peafantry here are accounted the hand- 
fomelt. 
From Frevidence to Bolton the diftance 
is 45 miles. As the river is not navigable 
farther, I proceeded to the latter place in 
the ftage, and was agreeably furprifed to 
find this conveyance a comfortable cloie 
coach, inftead of the open, jumbling ca- 
ravans, to which I had been accuftomed 
in the Penfylvania and New York States. 
I obferved alfo witb pleafure the increafed 
expédition in travelling, and the attention 
and excellent accommodations on the road, 
a fatisfaction which was enhanced by hav- 
ing loft light oi the people of colour. 
Recent Tcur in New England. 
[Feb, 
On my entering Bofton, the activity 
and alacrity vifible in the domeitics, with 
the general buftle, and concern for bufi- 
nefs which charaéterifes the inhabitants, 
had well-nigh led me to miftake the me- 
tropolis of New England, for fome great 
town of its mother country. It is a pre- 
vailing cuftom throughout the United 
States, on account of the fcarcity of con- 
venient hotels, and coffee-houfes, for 
ftrangers to be accommodated with board 
and ljedging in private families, by 
which means, a number of widows, with 
{mall incomes, who generally fuperin- 
tend thefe concerns, are enabled to main- 
tain their families with a degree of credit 
and decent refpeétability. ‘Fhis method 
is not without its advantages, as it tends 
to familiarize, by affociating together, 
travellers -of different countries, from 
whofe converfation much entertainment 
and mental inftruétion is derived and in- 
terchanged ; it may alfo be a means of 
preventing many excefles, to which men 
are often addicted; in the ufual taverns, 
fuch for inftance as thofe in Great Britain. 
The tables, at the above houfes, are well 
and plentifully ferved, (rather indeed | 
profulely) as are thofe of moft pri- 
vate families ; I cannot account for this 
from any particular cheapnefs of pro- 
vifions, as whatever might have been the 
cate formerly, at prefent they are fully 
adequate to the prices in England. 
It is aftonifhing to think of the rapid 
advance to which every neceflary of lite 
has arifen, mn confequence of the war now 
raging in Europe. At the commencemen 
ot 1793, five dollars was the general. 
price per week, for board and lodging, 
but in the fhort, fpace of three years, it 
has increafed to rhore than eight dollars 
per week ; houle rent rifes in yet greater 
proportion, and if this difaftrons war 
fhould continue for any length of time, 
what with the influx of emigrants, and 
the neceflary fupply of provifions exported 
to the Weft India Iflands, the above ar- 
ticles will, in all probability, become 
ftill dearer. IL have remarked, not with- 
out a degree of {urprize, the comelinefs 
and apparent health of the American men, 
particularly in this part, the New Eng- 
land ftates, which is difficult to be ac- 
counted for, confidering the great quan- 
tity of animal food they eat, and the new 
mace f{pirit or rum they ufually drink. 
An American breakfait is even prover- 
bial for its variety: I feldom fat dewn to 
this meal, but in addition to the ufual 
tare of tea and coffee, fith, beef-fteaks, 
ham, cheele, &c. were ferved up; yet, 
. noswith- 
a 
