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LETTERS, &c.

LETTER I.

British Settlement, Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, 30th Dec. 1818.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

MY last letter was dated at Philadelphia, a short time after my arrival there, and detailed the few occurrences of my voyage, and the favourable impressions which were made by the appearance of that city. You will have seen by that letter, that my intentions with regard to a settlement in the western part of the United States, were much affected by the unfavourable accounts which I had received from some of our countrymen, who had returned from thence, after a journey of nearly three thousand miles, (going and coming) by land. I was, indeed, so disheartened by these representations, that I was almost tempted to commence the practice of my profession in Philadelphia, and give up all thoughts of the country. You will, however, be surprised to find this letter dated from Susquehanna county, in Pennsylvania, instead of Philadelphia, Illinois, or Indiana.

C

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This intention of encountering so toilsome a journey, in order to judge for myself of the" Western Country," as it is here called, was formed very much on the principles of "Hobson's choice;" for in some way, which is to me now countable, we had been led into an opinion, that the only part of the United States for an Englishman to go to, was the western wilderness. Of the error of this opinion I was convinced in a short time after my arrival, by an inspection of the farms in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and a reflection on the great advantages of vicinity to markets; advantages which I readily saw a farmer must relinquish, who settles in any part of the United States, beyond the mountains. At this period, I met with a little work published by Mr. Cobbett, since his last visit to this country, called "The First Part of a Year's Residence in the United States of America,” which I send you with this. You will find in it a diary of the weather, together with many useful practical observations, detailed in a plain and easy manner. Mr. Cobbett has shown the advantage of farming on this side of the mountains; and while I felt a growing disposition to avoid the prairies, or flats, of the Illinois, our friend S mentioned to

me, that the lands of Susquehanna county, in this state, and within a short distance of Philadelphia and New-York, had been very favourably spoken of by Mr. V- a highly respected gentleman of Philadelphia, of whose philanthropy and benevo

lence most of the Englishmen who arrive there can bear witness. Mr. S directed me to a Mr. Young, an Englishman, then in Philadelphia, who had been to what he called Mr. Rose's settlement, in Susquehanna county, and who could therefore give me correct information about it. I called on Mr. Young, and found his account to be very favourable respecting the soil and climate; and that he intended to settle there. Mr. Y. described the land as being of a good quality, the country healthy, the water plentiful and excellent, and the timber of great variety: that there were about five hundred families, mostly from the New England states, on Mr. R.'s tract; a number of grist and saw mills, and four post-offices on it: that Montrose, the seat of justice for the county, was 170 miles from Philadelphia, and, by a turnpike now making, it would be about 130 miles from New-York: that measures have been also taken for making another turnpike in nearly a due south direction to Philadelphia, which will lessen considerably the present distance: that the Susquehanna river was navigable from the vicinity of the tract to Baltimore: the price of the lands on the turnpikes was six dollars, and for those back from them, five dollars per acre: that the title was indisputable, and a deed of general warranty given: that several of the settlers on the tract, who were desirous of getting their neighbours to settle near them, and who doubtless, good judges of land, had given a

were,

statement of the quality, from which he had, when on the spot, copied the following:

"We, the subscribers, have purchased farms on the lands of Robert H. Rose. The soil is, generally, of a good quality, deep, and lasting; and the situation very favourable, on account of a market for our produce. (Signed by)

Daniel Gaige, Alpheus Finch, Isaac Howard, Mortimer Gaige, Abraham Gaige, Joseph Whipple, Philip Griffeth, Peleg Butts, Charles Davies, Christian Shillop, Nathan Brewster, John Griffiths, Jonathan Ellsworth, Henry Ellsworth, Jacob Bump, George Bump, Bela More, Joseph Addison, Charles Chalker, Daniel Chalker, Seth Baldwyn, Richard Daniels, Ephraim Fancher, Zephania Cornell, Benjamin Fancher, Caleb Bush, Asa Baldwyn, Samuel Baldwyn, Thurston Carr, Isaac Soule, Hiel Tupper, Jabez A. Birchard, David Owen, Jeremiah Glover, Albert Camp, H. P. Corbin, D. Taylor, Lemuel Walbridge, Leman Turrel, Camfield Stone, Philo Bostwick, Salmon Bradshaw, Billings Babcock, Robinson Bolles, Zenas Bliss, Jon. C. Sherman, Philo Morehouse, Reuben Faxen, Darius Bixby, Asahel Southwell, Asa Brown, Edward Cox, Peter Brown, Daniel Chamberlain."

All this seemed to be good authority, and as there were at that time in Philadelphia, many of our countrymen, whose object was, like our own, the

selection of an eligible spot for their abode, it was thought prudent to call them together, and unite the information we had received of various places, in the hope of being able to choose that one which would be best for a "British settlement," and in which could be combined advantages for both farmers and mechanics.

For this purpose, a number of persons interested, met at the Chester and Montgomery hotel, in Phi-. ladelphia, a house kept by Mr. Davis, an Englishman. The impressions amongst all who met, appeared to be very unfavourable to a settlement in the Western States, in consequence of the various information that had been received, from different sources, as well as from several of our own countrymen, who had returned dissatisfied with the privations of society, and the loss of many comforts to which they had been accustomed, which they found they would be compelled to endure in a settlement there.

At this meeting, it was deemed to be of great importance to find a suitable situation for the contemplated establishment, on the eastern side of the mountains, and within a reasonable distance from some of the seaports, in which all the surplus produce of the mechanic's labour might be vended, where the toil of the farmer would be rewarded by a good price for his produce, and where, in consequence of the country not being filled with settlers, land might yet be had at a low price.

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