We have come 24 miles to day, & just begin to shorten the distance between Pittsburgh & us, & to increase it between Phildelphy (as the dutchmen call it,) & us- It has for a long time been 250 miles to Pittsg & 60 to Philhia- but is now 218 to one & more than 80 to the other— It began snowing this morning which rendered our ride more unpleasant than before- Mr W has continued just as he was in the morning- scarcely a word has been spoken by any of us- I never felt more low spirited & discouraged in my life- We have pass'd through 2 little towns to day- Moyerstown & the other I don't know the name of- We also pass'd thro Lebanon which appear'd to be a town of considerable size & pleasant- we did not stop at all in it- The other towns were merely one short dirty street- this town is one street only, but a tolerably pretty one- There are a number of good houses in it- We have once more got among people of our own nation & language- & they appear very clever—
Harrisburg- P- Thursday- Eve-November-1st 1810-
It has been snowing fast all the afternoon & we found it very difficult travelling & were oblig'd to put up just in the edge of the town- It was Mr W's intention to cross the Susquehannah which is the other side the town- we shall not pass thro' it- We cross'd the Sweet Arrow, a little river about 8 miles from the Susquehannah— we cross'd it in our waggon-Mr Jeremiah Rees is our landlord- his wife is sick with a fever arising from the Hives at first- He has a sister who seems to take the direction of the female part of the business- She is a strange creature-
Friday morn- I have been very much diverted at hearing some part of her history which she told last night, after drinking a little too much I suppose-She says she has property if she is not married- she had her fortune told a short time since- & was told to think of a certain gentleman living about 300 miles off- which she did, & thought so hard that a drop of blood fell from her nose- She was telling Mrs Jackson of this & ask'd how far she was going- being told about 300 miles- well she said she really believ'd her oldest son was the young man she was to have, for he looks just like the one she thought of- The young man will be quite flatter'd no doubt—— We are all in tolerably good spirits notwithstanding we are unable to proceed on our journey- It still continues snowing, & we shall stay here till tomorrow morning & how much longer I do not know—— There was a cockfighting in the house last night & a great many of the "finest young men in the town" got so intoxicated as to be unable to get home without assistance—— M. V. D.
Sunday eve- East pensboro' township- P-
We left Mr Rees' yesterday ten oclock- & after waiting some time at the ferry house, cross'd the Susquehanna with considerable difficulty- The river is a mile wide & so shallow that the boat would scrape across the large stones so as almost to prevent it from proceeding- We only came 8 miles- the riding was awful- & the weather so cold that I thought I should perish riding 4 miles- This will do well for us, 8 miles in 3 days- We were to have seen the mountains yesterday, but are 50 miles from it— I should like to have staid at Mr Rees' till we reach home if it was possible, notwithstanding we had like to have all lost our characters there- While we were at breakfast, the black wench miss'd nearly 4 dollars of money, & very impudently accused us with taking it, in rather an indirect manner— I felt at first very angry, but anger soon gave place to pity for the poor girls loss- It was money she had been saving for a long time that she might get enough to buy her a dress- but she left it about very carelessly in the closet where any one might have taken it who was so disposed— But had I been inclined to steal, I could not have stolen from a poor black girl- I would rather have given her as much- I never felt so queerly in my life- To be suspected of theft was so new & unexpected to me, that I was wholly unprepar'd for it— We went to Mr Rees & begg'd him to take some method to satisfy the girl we were innocent but we could not prevail on him to, tho' we really wish'd it-He gave the girl a severe scolding & desir'd us not to remember it against them, or to suffer ourselves to be made a moment uneasy by it, & both himself and Mrs Rees were extremely sorry any thing of the kind had happen'd- The girl continued crying & assuring us her money had been safe all summer till then & nobody had been near it but us- I, nor any of us had any doubt that the landlord's sister, whom I before mention'd, had taken it- She had the day before 2 or 3 ninepences in her shoes, & when Mr W ventur'd to ask her if she had not taken it to tease the wench, she swore by every thing she had not touch'd it- She said it was fashionable for ladies to carry money in their shoes- I suppose she had long been eyeing it, & thought then would be a good opperty to take it but did not intend it should be discover'd till we were gone & unable to defend ourselves from the charge which she then meant to make against us— She is so worthless a character in every respect, that I am certain she could be guilty of stealing upon occasion— She was very fond of telling what ladies, like her & me, did & wore— She is between 30 & 40 yrs of age- It was an honour I was not very tenacious of, to be rank'd with her ladyship-The money was not found before we left there & I suppose the poor girl feels as certain some one of us have it, as that she has lost it- Should I ever return this way I would call & enquire about it- I hope it will be found with Babby (for that is the creatures name)—
We put up for the Sabbath at a tavern where none but the servants deign to look at us- When I am with such people, my proud spirit rises & I feel superior to them all— I believe no regard is paid to the sabbath any where in this State- It is only made a holiday of— So much swearing as I have heard amongst the Pensylvanians both men & women I have never heard before during my whole life- I feel afraid I shall become so accustom'd to hearing it, as to feel no uneasiness at it. Harrisburgh is a most dissipated place I am sure- & the small towns seem to partake of the vice & dissipation of the great ones— I believe Mrs Jackson has cast her eyes on Susan or me for a daughter in law- for my part, though I feel very well disposed toward the young man, I had not thought of making a bargain with him, but I have jolted off most of my high notions, & perhaps I may be willing to descend from a judge to a blacksmith- I shall not absolutely determine with respect to him till I get to Warren & have time to look about me & compare him with the judges Dobson & Stephenson- It is clever to have two or three strings to ones bow— But in spite of my prejudices, they are very clever— Among my list of cast offs, I would rank Dutchmen, a Pensylvania waggoner, ditto gentlemen- for their prophanity- & a Slut- The words, Landlord & lady, terrible,- get married,- get a husband-&c. &c— I do not find it as easy to write a journal as I had hoped- for we are seldom favour'd with any more than the barroom, & there is always as many men as the room will hold besides our party, & there is nine of us- so you may judge whether I find it difficult or not- I frequently begin a sentence & forget how to finish it,- for the conversation grows so loud, that I am oblig'd to listen to it & write between whiles- I sometimes get quite discouraged & think I will not try again, but I take too much pleasure in writing, to give it up willingly—