WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20TH.
Rose soon after seven; found no arrangements made for getting me on to Pike; resolved to go immediately in some way. Informed of a person going 13 miles on the road. At ten he came and a very sensible man I found him; said the bank had registered certain wealthy individuals improperly, and therefore the charter had been refused; this more than the removal of the deposits had injured the credit and business of the country; admitted that there was too much paper money but thought it should have been lessened gradually; Hindle & Co. should have been called to account. The President had no right to renew the deposits without consent of the Senate, and hence their displeasure; the Representatives support him on account of popularity. A most interesting account of his father who had lived 50 years in one house and unwilling to sleep from home. Had 15 children, 8 still living. At the end of 13 miles Hitchcock's saw-mill; he took me to a farmer who agreed to go on with me about 8 miles further; after travelling some time I stepped out to enquire at a house on the road side for Noah Makinson. "He lives here," I was told. Immediately Noah appeared looking much thinner and older; did not know me. One of the daughters set off to fetch her mother; in less than two hours she came with her two daughters; on entering she gazed a long time, said she did not know me, and then cried out "Is it Robert?" and almost fainted; she suffered from a difficulty of breathing but soon was better, and we chatted away the evening. A sheep was killed.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST.
Rose at seven. Found Alice better than I expected considering the hurry and fatigue of yesterday, though thin and weak she has much of her old features, not so deaf as I expected; sits a good deal, often smiling. An American breakfast; coffee, beef steaks, eggs, tart and cakes like crumpet, made from buck wheat. The house not large but comfortable; a very large new barn with shippen, stable and granary and a good stock of hay. Had agreed for the same with a neighbour on the following terms, to make the hay and have one half. The house pleasantly situated on the slope of a hill on a good road; nearly 80 acres 30 chains on each side of the road; a good spring of water near the house; seven cows, two horses, pigs, geese and poultry and guinea-hens. The breakfast consists of coffee, bread and butter, eggs, beef or mutton with buck wheat cakes resembling crumpets also blackberry pies and potatoes; nearly the same at dinner, and again at supper with tea. Make their own sugar from the maple; a hole is bored into the trees; a chip placed below to guide the sap into a tub; this is done with about a hundred trees at the beginning of April; a fire place is made in the woods and the pans are hung over by means of long wooden hooks, and the sap is boiled down into sugar, a supply for the year. They make their own candles and soap, the latter from the wood ashes. Went to see many people who appear very comfortably settled. Noah surprised the family by consenting to go with us.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND.
John is married and settled in Rhode Island: Ann a nice spirited girl employed in tailoring and has seen a good deal of society. Mary a most cheerful and pleasing young woman married to a young man Aery Gridley, a carpenter and also farmer, a steady active young man not too good for her. James assists his father but prefers the joiner's business; Hannah rather lusty, does a good deal in the house and also assists Ann; Martha the youngest, her spine injured in her youth, a very sly little person and says very droll things. Noah often affected when talking of old friends in England; related some grievances of the family not treating him with respect, particularly his two sons. The daughters too fond of visiting and dressing. This evening a neighbour's dog catches an animal called a woodchuck somewhat resembling a beaver; it is considered good food and indeed is to be prepared for dinner. Mary and her husband came about eight and returned about half past ten. Besides woodchucks they eat the black and grey squirrels, the yellow and striped are not liked; both are killed because they devour the grain, a large cat frequently catches them. Two horses are great favourites with all the family, the best was hurt last Christmas by a cow. They have two waggons.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23RD.
The breakfast profuse as usual. Went to watch logs being sawn to be burned, chiefly hemlock, a species of pine; other sorts brought home for fires; went out to gather blackberries; all the neighbours very sociable and kind, particularly attentive to Alice when poorly. Nothing like stealing is known; most of the houses without a lock or bolt. Alice was first ill at the end of January, has had difficulty of breathing, but was better; at the end of April had a sort of fit that caused her to be insensible for some time; in June after severe coughing she commenced spitting blood that continued three weeks; violent palpitations of the heart, greatly relieved by digitalis that she still takes; perspires a good deal and one eye is still weaker than the other and is often running; so ill was she that her burial suit was prepared. The battlements of bridges generally coped with wood.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24TH.
Got both horses to the waggon, and all but the two old folks set off to the Meeting House about 6 miles; rather late, found a great many other horses and waggons, also one or two better looking carriages or as we should say phaetons; there is no shed as in some places so that in winter or wet weather the horses must suffer terribly. The Minister Samuel Henderson, an Irishman, was just beginning the sermon; very orthodoxical and loud; rapped the Universalists as relying upon the mercy of God and forgetting His justice. The singing, German hymns, chiefly done by the choir. After service notice was given of the Lord's Supper, and those in the centre were requested to go to the sides to make room for the communicants; after the bread was broken it was handed to the deacons, then all arose and a prayer was delivered, the same with the wine. An urgent request that they would not bring the service into disgrace by any immoral conduct; nearly 2 when finished, therefore no service in the afternoon and went and dined at Mary's, had tea, pies, cakes and cucumbers; then a pleasant chat afterwards and a walk through the orchard; not much fruit in consequence of snow and ice on the 15th of May. On getting back, several neighbours came to sit with us and we chatted till near ten. Alice retired earlier.