Page 548. "The dreadful maladies, which of late years have never failed to rage in these places, (the large towns on the coast of America,) during certain months."

The only malady which, at the period specified, raged in these places, was the yellow fever; which began in Philadelphia, in the year 1793; two years before the arrival of Mr. Weld in the United States. No other disease had, during the period which intervened between 1793, and the date of this letter, 1797, in any considerable degree prevailed. The yellow fever had spread twice in Philadelphia; once in New-York; once, to a small extent, in Boston; never in Salem; once in Newburyport; once in Providence; never in Newport. Mr. Weld ought certainly to have been better informed, before he ventured to say that any dreadful maladies had never failed to rage of late years in these places, during certain months.

Page 549. "The permanent residents on Long-Island, are chiefly of Dutch extraction."

The number of inhabitants in Kings County, in the year 1790, was 4,495. Of these, 1,432 were blacks. Subtract this number, and there will remain 3,065. There are more English residents in Kings County, by a considerable number, than there are Dutch in the other two counties. The whole number of inhabitants on the island, in 1790, was 36,949 of which 3,063 is less than a twelfth part. So near is Mr. Weld's assertion to truth. Mr. Weld made a short excursion into Kings County; and finding that the greater number of inhabitants there were of Dutch extraction, he concluded that it was so every where. Ex hoc uno disce omnia. European travellers in this country, usually make their general conclusions from single, or, at the best, from a very few, insulated facts.

Page 549. "It is a common saying in New-York, that a LongIsland man will conceal himself in the house, on the approach of a stranger."

I have spent about two years in the city of New-York, and never heard this saying mentioned. Had I heard it, I should have known, that it was ridiculously false. It was probably told

to Mr. Weld by a mere citizen, who had, perhaps crossed Brooklyn ferry twice. Mere citizens in this, and I presume in all other countries, are not uncommonly profoundly ignorant of the regions, by which they are surrounded, and of the inhabitants, which they contain. Very generally, indeed, they are acquainted with their own business; and this but too often is the boundary of their knowledge. Few worse informants concerning this country can be found, than mere citizens: and yet from these men is unhappily derived most of the information, acquired concerning it by foreign travellers.

I have visited Long-Island several times, and made the circuit of it. Mr. Weld himself will easily believe, that I have had more intercourse with the inhabitants than he could possibly have. I shall, therefore, beg leave to inform him, that, however awed they might be at his approach, they discover no peculiar marks of terrour, or diffidence, in their intercourse with ordinary strangers; but receive them, so far as my knowledge extends, with a cheerful good-will, and a cordial hospitality.

Ibid. "Widely different from the Anglo-Americans, whose inquisitiveness in similar circumstances would lead them to a thousand troublesome and impertinent enquiries, in order to discover what your business was in that place; and how they could possibly take any advantage of it."

This contemptible observation has been so often repeated, that one would think even prejudice itself would be weary of uttering it; and that a little truth would give more pleasure to the tongue, merely as a variety. Mr. Weld has too much understanding, and ought to have too much good-nature, to have stained his pages with it. For my own opinions, I refer you to observations made in preceding parts of this work.

Page 550. "Immense quantities of grouse, and deer, are found amidst the brushwood, with which it, (the Brushy Plain) is covered, and which is so well calculated to afford shelter to these animals."

Great numbers of deer inhabit, and are annually killed, in the forests by which the interior parts of Long-Island are so extensive

ly covered. But that they are found amidst the brushwood, with which the Brushy Plain is covered, and found in immense quantities, I have first learned from Mr. Weld. Even now I must beg him to explain what he means by quantities of deer.

Nor can I conceive how brush, which rarely rises to the height of three feet, though it may furnish a convenient shelter for grouse, can be very well calculated to afford shelter to deer.

Ibid. Mr. Weld observes, that several of the Dutch inhabitants have very extensive tracks of land under cultivation.

This must, I think, be a mistake; although Mr. Weld has mentioned the same thing in several places. We have tracts, but I believe no tracks, of land in this country. The thing, whatever it be, which the writer means, must certainly be peculiar to Europe, if not to Great-Britain; and ought, as well as quantities of deer, to have been explained in a small glossary, at the end of the work. Page 552. "I shall leave it," (that is America,) "without a sigh, and without entertaining the slightest wish to revisit it."

Unless Mr. Weld should revisit this country with a better temper than he displayed in his work, I presume every American who reads this concluding sentence, will cordially say Amen. I am, Sir, yours, &c.

LETTER III.

Duke De La Rochefoucault.

Dear Sir,

I WILL now proceed to an examination of the Travels of the Duke De La Rochefoucault De Liancourt. It is remarkable that these three travellers all visited the United States at the same time; and must, one would suppose, since in many instances they visited the same scenes, have met with the same objects. This, however, can hardly have been the fact, if we are to form our conjectures from what they have written.

The Duke De La Rochefoucault is plainly of a superiour character, in several respects, to either of his compeers. He is pleasant, candid, grateful, and honourable; equally remote from the scientific vanity of Volney, and the ill-natured petulence of Weld. He visited the United States for the purpose of learning the nature of the country, and the character of its inhabitants. Whatever object within his reach he supposed likely to be worth his investigation, he examined; and often with a patient and vigorous inquisition. To such persons as he believed capable of giving him useful information, he applied for it; and frequently found those, who furnished it with a good degree of correctness. When he was treated with civility, he was pleased; when with kindness, he was grateful. Generally, he is distinguished from both Volney, and Weld, in not deriving general conclusions from a single fact, or a very small number of facts; and from the former particularly, in shewing no disposition to originate theories. In fairness of character he leaves Weld out of sight; and in honourable intentions to do justice to the country which he was exploring.

With religion, the Duke had evidently never busied himself; and cannot, therefore, be supposed to have known much of this subject. In his politics he was altogether a Frenchman. Concerning these two subjects, it was to be expected that he would exercise pretty strong prejudices; and whoever had formed such

an expectation, must, in reading his travels, have found it realized. Concerning other subjects, his prejudices are fewer than those of most travellers; I think I may say, than of almost any. To me it seems, that America is not a little indebted to this nobleman, for being willing to enter so thoroughly into her condition, and character; and for having represented it in so long a series of details, with so much truth. Whether his work has been extensively read in France, I am ignorant. In this country it has certainly been read less than it deserves.

Most of them

Still the Duke has fallen into many errours. are, however, of no great importance; and few of them the result of negligence. Almost always they appear to be chargeable to erroneous informants; to ill intentions I should not attribute any, which I have discovered.

My design in the following strictures is to show you how far the Duke's information may be safely made an object of reliance. You will understand, that there are many mistakes in these travels, which I have purposely omitted, because I thought the number, which I have selected sufficient for my design; and because I take little pleasure in finding fault with such a man.

Vol. I. Page 352. "Gen. Schuyler, who intends to purchase all the land on his own account, (i. e. of the Iroquois tribes,) experiences strong opposition from Timothy Pickering; who is said to be displeased that he cannot come in for a share in the proposed indemnification. These particulars, which I have from persons, who think themselves well informed, may yet be mere scandalous reports; although they carry no improbability with them."

The Duke de la Rochefoucault is in several instances adventurous in giving characters, and attributing designs. I presume that nothing of this nature could be imputed to Gen. Schuyler. Had the Duke known Col. Pickering, at that time, as well as have known him since; he would have thought that these reports, so far from carrying no improbability with them, were mere libels on the character of this gentleman. Aristides himself would not have entered with more reluctance, or indignation, upon the design which is here suggested.