August 4th, 5th, and 6th.—These three days traversing the romantic Allegany Mountains; got overturned (a common accident here) only once, and then received very little damage: myself none, some of my fellow travellers a few scratches. We scrambled out, and, with the help of some wagoners, set the vehicle on its wheels again, adjusted our "plunder" (as some of the Western people call it), and drove on again {307} without being detained more than five minutes. The fourth night slept at Chambersburgh, the beginning of a fine country.
August 7th.—Travelled over the fine lime-stone valley before mentioned, and through a very good country all the way, by Little York to Lancaster. Here I met with a person from Philadelphia, who told me a long story about a Mr. Hulme, an Englishman, who had brought a large family and considerable property to America. His property, he told me, the said Mr. Hulme had got from the English Government, for the invention of some machine, and that now, having got rich under their patronage, he was going about this country doing the said Government all the mischief he could, and endeavouring to promote the interest of this country. After letting him go on till I was quite satisfied that he depends mainly for his bread and butter upon the English Treasury, I said, "Well, do you know this Mr. Hulme?" "No, he had only heard of him." "Then I do, and I know that he never had any patent, nor ever asked for one, from the English government; all he has got he has gained by his own industry and economy, and, so far from receiving a fortune from that vile government, he had nothing to do with it but to pay and obey, without being allowed to give a vote for a Member of Parliament or for any Government officer. He is now, thank God, in a country where he cannot be taxed but by his own consent, and, if he should succeed in contributing in any degree to the downfall of the English Government, and to the improvement of this country, he will only succeed in doing his duty." This man could be no other than a dependant of that boroughmongering system which has its feelers probing every quarter and corner of the earth.
August 8th.—Return to Philadelphia, after a journey of 72 days. My expenses for this journey, including every thing, not excepting the loss sustained by the purchase and sale of my horse, amount to 270 dollars and 70 cents.
As it is now about a twelvemonth since I have {308} been settled in Philadelphia, or set foot in it, rather, with my family, I will take a look at my books, and add to this Journal what have been the expenses of my family for this one year, from the time of landing to this day, inclusive.
| Dls. | Cts. | ||||
| House-rent | 600 | 0 | |||
| Fuel | 137 | 0 | |||
| Schooling (at day-schools) for my children viz.; Dolls. for Thomas, 14 years of age | 40 | ||||
| Peter and John, ages of 12 and 10 | 48 | ||||
| Sarah, 6 years of age | 18 | — | 106 | 0 | |
| Boarding of all my family at Mrs. Anthony's Hotel for about a week, on our arrival | 80 | 0 | |||
| Expenses of house-keeping (my family fourteen in number, including two servants) with every other out-going not enumerated above, travelling incidents, two newspapers a day, &c., &c. | 2076 | 66 | |||
| Taxes, not a cent | 0 | 0 | |||
| Priest, not a cent | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2999 | 66 | |||
"What! nothing to the Parson!" some of my old neighbours will exclaim. No: not a single stiver. The Quakers manage their affairs without Parsons, and I believe they are as good and as happy a people as any religious denomination who are aided and assisted by a Priest. I do not suppose that the Quakers will admit me into their Society; but, in this free country I can form a new society, if I choose, and, if I do, it certainly shall be a Society having a Chairman in place of a Parson, and the assemblage shall discuss the subject of their meeting themselves. Why should there not be as much knowledge and wisdom and common sense, in the heads of a whole congregation, as in the head of a Parson? Ah, but then there are the profits arising from the trade! Some of this holy Order in England receive upwards of 40,000 dollars per {309} annum for preaching probably not more than five or six sermons during the whole year. Well may the Cossack Priests represent Old England as the bulwark of religion! This is the sort of religion they so much dreaded the loss of during the French Revolution; and this is the sort of religion they so zealously expected to establish in America, when they received the glad tidings of the restoration of the Bourbons and the Pope.