During the hot season, mineral waters, (chiefly soda,) sometimes mixed with syrups, are drank in great abundance;—the first thing every American who can afford five cents (about threepence) takes, on rising in the morning, is a glass of soda water: many houses are open for the sale of it, and some of them are fitted up with Parisian elegance.
Being so attached to water potations it is not surprising that these people should stand in more than usual dread of canine madness; they are dog-mad without being bit: such is the rage against the canine species that carts are sent round the town both here and at New York every two or three days, attended by fellows armed with bludgeons and spears, with which they kill every dog they meet, and receive I am informed a dollar for each. I had a fine Bull-dog put an [32] end to in this manner, for which fifty dollars had been offered since my arrival; the cold blooded wretches first enticed him, as I heard, towards them, and when he, not knowing fear, came up to be caressed, they despatched him with spears and bludgeons. For this I obtained no redress.
Accompanied Mr. ******* to the handsome public library presented to Philadelphia by Dr. Franklin;[10] and of which his ungrateful countrymen make use, while they are as silent as his statue over the entrance if the worthy donor is mentioned, or if they do speak of him, it is generally slightly;—the fact is, he was too good and too shrewd for them to understand. I inquired respecting his philanthropic bequest of money laid out at compound interest in aid of young tradesmen, and heard it was properly attended to; though my informer added that several who had been assisted from the fund had not subsequently been fortunate in trade: that is probably according to the old adage "lightly come lightly go," they had spent it instead of attending to business: the original sum was four thousand dollars, and it has now increased to sixteen thousand.[11]
Little Brandywine, Pennsylvania
14th. Visited the Penitentiary: this institution has been so fully described by others that it is not necessary to give more than an additional testimony to the truth of its admirable [33] plan; unfortunately, the prison is at this time so full, (five hundred are in confinement,) that it is impossible to lock up, separately at night, those whose crimes are trifling from culprits of greater magnitude; but a new prison is building which will enable them, when finished, to correct this evil: the utmost cleanliness prevails, with order and industry; indeed, the whole had the appearance of a well-regulated manufactory, in which a regular debtor and creditor account is kept with each individual, who receives, at the termination of his confinement, the balance of his earnings, with which he may be enabled to maintain himself while he seeks honest employment: an excellent regulation. We afterwards viewed the Hospital for Lunatics, where the same, or more attention to cleanliness and every thing conducive to the health and recovery of the patients pervade every part; no appearance of gloom in the building, but all calculated to inspire the mind with ease and comfort. There is a good garden which, besides providing fruits and vegetables to the house, affords a pleasant walk to the convalescent; and in front of the building, encircled by a beautiful collection of trees, lemon, orange, pomegranate, &c., stands the statue of William Penn, holding in his hand the Charter of Liberties.
This is not a cheap country for the stranger: [34] either boarding-houses or taverns he must be in, (private lodgings being unknown;) and in such establishments the charges are high: but the inhabitant must, it would seem, live at a very reasonable rate, as the following prices will shew, and the lowest are not stated:—Meat, good at six cents[12] a lb., excellent Tea for one dollar a lb., Sugar (loaf) for eleven cents a lb., Soap at ten or eleven cents a lb., and other groceries cheap in proportion. Of Wines, Port we buy for two dollars the gallon, Claret one and a half the gallon, Sherry two and a half. Spirits,—good Brandy for two dollars, Rum and Hollands the same.
But we will take leave of Philadelphia for the present—a future opportunity may occur for further observations; and to that chance we will leave it for the more important view of the Western country.
21st. With a strong but light carriage, called here a Dearborn waggon, for myself and party, and a light covered baggage waggon driven by my servant, I left the City about noon of such a day of heat as we had never until lately experienced: in consequence of which my dog, the fine animal above alluded to, ran off in a high fever, and I [35] never saw him again; but he recovered, and came back to the house I had left in search of me, and was taken care of for a few days, when the dog butchers destroyed him. Not to mention the breaking of a three gallon Demijon bottle of good liquor in rattling over the pavement, another cross adventure happened, which made the commencement of so long a journey ominous;—having sent the baggage waggon forward the first stage, and there happening to be two roads and two inns with the same sign at about the same distance, my man unluckily took the wrong way—we slept the first night therefore ignorant of what had happened to him; however he crossed over, and to our mutual satisfaction joined us the following day. On requesting the ostler to call me early next morning, the drunken old beast told me I might "call myself and be damned." Oh, the blessings of independence!—But I will say this for the Americans, that if during my stay one other oath was uttered it is the most I heard.