1802.] 
greateft depreffionof fpirits, in confequence 
of the-very debilitating complaint with 
which I was long affli&ted.. You likewife 
{peak of a letter which I wrote, contain- 
ing fome remarks on Mr. Cooper’s ob- 
jections to Kentucky, on which you.feem 
to think that experience has altered my 
opinion. But I believe this is not the cafe. 
I have not, indeed, a copy of the letter by 
me, but I know not that [ have feen any 
reafon to alter my general opinion refpect- 
ing this country. ; 
There is one refpect, indeed, in which 
Thad formed wrong conceptions, and in 
which too, I believe, the country itfelf 
to have undergone fome change. I refer 
to climate—I believe it to be neither fo 
healthy nor fo agreeable as I expeéted.* 
Slavery was always an objection. Society 
is another objection: but it held equally 
good as to Northumberland, or aimoft 
any other place; and if it does not hald 
equally good now, it is becaufe a circle 
of former friends have fettled together 
there: and neither my influence, nor my 
induftry in giving inviting reprefentations, 
was fufficient to accomplith the fame here. 
There is one great point in which Mr, 
Cooper appears, from experience, to have 
wonderfully mif-calculated. He argued, 
that the little profpect of a rife in the 
price of land in Kentucky, forbad any 
expeClations of rendering inve(tments in 
land profitable here. The fad is, that 
in various parts of the flate land has rifen 
100 per cent. fince I have been here; and 
in fome cafes it has rifen 3, 4, and even 
soc per cent.: I have loft fine opportu- 
nities of increafing the little Thad; but 
it is net yet too late to improve what little 
Ican fave. But let Englifhmen beware of 
land-jobbers, who go to Europe to accom- 
modate the people with lands in America, 
I fcarcely know what to advile refpect - 
ing R S <t I have no doubt of 
its being as’ advantageous a place as he 
could fix in for laying a foundation for 
provifion in future life. He would (being 
well recommended) at once maintain him. 
felf well by his fervices ina ftore, which, 
with indultry and prudence, would lead 
to his eftablifhment in a trade for himiclf. 
But the morals of youth, in fuch a fitu- 
ation, are in great danger. So much 
difipation, fo much gaming, fo much 
‘ licentioufnefs, that a youth, not under 
the immediate controul of a judicious 
friend, is in great danger. 
* bis expectations were, it is probavie, 
raifed too high by Imlay’s fafcinating account 
ef the weftern territory. . 
: + A youthy related te him.- 
4 
\ 
Prefent State of Kentucky, by Mr. Toulnin. 127 
No. XIII. 
Lexington, Keniuckyy 
Sept. 11, 1796. 
T have borne this fummer much better 
than I expected, having been but little 
incommoded by the heat, except when it 
firft began, in the month of April ,or 
May; and it is now, indeed, fomewhat 
exceflive for the feafon of the year, the 
thermozheter flanding at feven in the 
morning at 74, in the middle of the day 
at 84 or 5, which it has for fome days; 
though it was fo cold the week before 
Jatt, that we had fires in our fitting 
rooms. ‘Chere was the fame irregularity 
in the fpring, and in confequence of i¢ 
the peach-biofloms on this fide of Ken- 
tucky-river were univerfally cut off; and 
yet the peaches have been fo plentiful on 
the other fide, that they have been brought 
from hence (20 miles off) by waggon- 
loads, and fold in town at half a dollar 
per bufhel. I mention thefe things, becaufe 
one’s attention in a country territory new 
to.one is naturally drawn to fuch matters. 
In your laft you were mentioning a. 
propofal of publifhing my Journal,* and 
I forgot, when writing in reply, to fay 
any thing-upon the fubje&t. And, in- 
deed, now I hardly know what to fay. 
But I am very fully feofible, that, though 
it may offer fome information to thofe- 
who want it, it will appear under very 
great diladvantages. In what I fent 
there were fome chafms, which I meant 
to have filled up afterwards; and I far. 
ther find, that many of my communica- 
tions never reached my friends, fo that 
any publication of my papers muft ap- 
pear in a very disjointed form. And yet 
I know not how to mend it, unlefs I had 
the whole before me; which to be {ure 
the printing ef what you have would 
afford me an opportunity of; though it 
might be at the rifk of gaining no great 
credit as a traveller, or a writer. How- 
ever, I leave it to the judgment of my 
friends in England, and would, in addi- 
tion to what I have already faid, only 
wifh to take the opportunity of caution. 
ing my countrymen to put no confidence 
* This was, from time’to time, communi- 
cated to his friends in Lancafhire, at whofe 
defire he went to America. A gentleman of 
Manchefter meant to have publifhed it, but 
in the mean time the papers were lent about 
and difperfed inte fo many hands, that they 
could not be collected together again. To 
make up, in fome degree, this Jofs, the 
above and preceding extraéts have been 
conimunicated to the public through the 
channel of this Mifcellany. 
in 
