~ 4803.] 
reckoned, even among their own country- 
men, to be very acute in their dealings ; : 
and at Providence, in Rhode-ifland, it is 
@ common boaft, that no fon of Ifrael 
could ever ftand his ground among them 
for fix months, The Americans are all 
extremely inquifitive, owing no doubt to 
the practice of their earlielt forefathers of 
inquiring news of their relations and 
friends in the mother country from every 
new comer; but, although the caufe is 
done away; the effect ftill remains ; and 
no where fo much as in the ftate of Con- 
necticut, of which Dr. Franklin was in 
the habit of relating that, being very 
much incommoded, in his paffage through 
it, by the queftions which every indivi- 
dual put to him, he ufed to defire the 
whole family to be affembled ; and, hav- 
ing told them his name, from arn he 
came, and whither he was going, he ob- 
ferved that he made this cormarunice: 
tion to them in a body, that he might 
not have-to anfwer their inquiries one 
after another. In their agricultural pur- 
fuits they follow nearly the Englith fyf- 
tem. 
The ftate of New York, befides a 
great number of Englifh, Irifh one Scotch, 
receives a multitude ats Germans, (as 
all the High and Low Dutch are indiferi- 
minately called) and fome few French. 
Their manners and drefs are very nearly 
Englifh, but their agriculture is a mix- 
ture of the German, ”Englith, and local 
modes. ‘The city of New York is a fo- 
ciable place, and, in that refpect, divides 
the opinion of Bee. with Bofton, in 
Maffachufetts. 
The ftate of New Jerfey, having no 
fea-port, is little liable toa mixture. It 
is a great inland thoroughfare, as lying 
between the cities of New York and Phi- 
ladelphia, but the diftance is fo fhort, about 
ninety miles, that thefe travellers leave 
{carcely any other tracks than the wheels 
of their carriage. The inhabitants are 
principally of that fect denominated friends. 
‘The foil being extremely fandy, is very 
little adapted to agriculture ; ; the inhabi- 
tants raife poultry and garden fiuff for 
New York, .and Philadelphia markets ; 
and fupply thefe and other places, with 
wood for fuel; which, particularly pine 
wood, is fo plenti tul, that they have a 
number of iron-fernaces, and one glafs- 
_ houfe, at work. ‘hey are a very peace- 
able quiet people, although numbers of 
them are of that clafs called fighting 
Quakers, becaule they do not object to take 
up arms. 
The fate of Pennfylvania, like that of 
‘ 
On the Ce and Cuftoms of the United States. 123 
New York, is ‘he receptacle - of Britifh, 
Germans, and fome French; their agri- 
culture is nearly the fame, but. inclining 
rather more to the fafhion of the Germans, 
who are the moft induftrious and ufetal 
fettlers in the United States. They have 
very extenfive inland fettlements, and 
fome towns, as Lancafter, Reading, Wom. _ 
meldorf, 8c. are wholly. inhabited ~by 
themfelves. The mode ef pert is a med- 
ley of the Englifh, German, and Quaker, 
files. Delaware, the fmalleft of the (tates, 
is fcarcely in any refpeét diftinguifhable 
from Pennfylvania. 
Here .a line feems to be drawn betwixt’ 
the northern and fouthern fates, as the 
difference is immediately perceptible. 
Whether from the effects of climate, or 
the toleration of flavery, (perhaps a mix- 
ture of each) indufiry declines, and the 
white man becomes a vegetable. ‘Ibis is 
the cafe in the ftate of ‘Maryland. I do 
not fpeak of the maritime towns, where 
bufinefs mutt be looked to, or banktuptcy 
is inevitable ; but of the inland parts, 
and general force of the ftate. 
Cultivation is left wholly to the negroes 5 
and what in other parts is termed an agri- 
culturift, affumes there the pompous ftile 
ofa planter! ‘His life is an uniform fcene 
of luxurious indolence ;— inappetenty 
reftlefs, and unealy for want of every kind 
of exercife, histime is fpent in gaming, 
caroufing, or fleeping. Horfe-racing, 
cock-fighting, and billiards, are the 
chief games ; which are followed up fe 
clofely, that when the money. is gong, 
it is very common to hear a negro flaked 
again(t a few barrels of ricé on a game of 
billiards, 
Virginia excels Maryland in ase and 
indolence. A planter fcorns even that 
degree of exercife, which monarchs have 
not thought themfelves difgraced by? I 
mean that of amufing themfelves in a 
flower-garden. An Englifnman calling 
upon a gentleman, whofe houfe was fi- 
tuated a little ae from James-river, 
was very hofpitably ‘received, although a 
ftranger, and prefently conduéted to che 
fable to look at his race-horfes, which- 
were by no means remarkable. The Ene 
glifhman, however, not to difappoint his 
entertainer, {poke more highly’ of them 
than he thought him(elf juftified in doing, 
On their return to the houfe the Englith- 
man was truck’ with the beauty of the 
garden in front of the houfe, from whence 
it diverged to the river, in a gentle flope, . 
about 250 yards in length in a direét line. 
from the houfe, The Virginian informed 
him it had been laid out by a Seotcn 
R2z : gentieman 
