On settling an innkeeper's account I said that if we might judge by the charges, a man must soon become rich in his business; which he acknowledged would be the case were it not for bad notes and bilking customers, anecdotes of whom he told several: one young man after running a bill of three hundred dollars rode out one morning, as accustomed, to take the air and forgot to return; others have watched the departure of the steam vessels and set off to New Orleans, having reckoned without their host, so that the losses are immense. These hints and others, I did not unfortunately hear until on my return, or I should not probably have been induced to trust to American honour in way of business so much as I did to my cost.
At all these houses a regular clerk and bar-keeper [79] is maintained with whom the traveller goes to settle, for a bill is never brought as in England; no ringing of the bell here and, when the waiter comes bowing in, "Desire my bill immediately"—no; that would not suit with independence.
The bed of the river is here of vast breadth, and during the spring must afford a grand view when the waters are struggling with and rushing over the extensive rocky falls; at present a very small channel is sufficient for its reduced stream; people are employed on the dry bed in deepening the intended course for the boats, arks, &c. when the waters shall next rise to afford them a passage. Travellers of curiosity can now traverse on wheels, with a guide, the greatest part of the rocks over which in a few months a mighty body of waters will roll with tremendous force.
INDIANA
Three miles beyond Louisville the western road again brings you to the Ohio; and by a very ill conducted and apparently rather dangerous ferry we were wafted over, (after waiting for our turn with many waggons, &c. above three [80] hours,) and entered the State of Indiana at the town of New Albany;[36] where we found a very comfortable reception at the excellent family tavern kept by Dr. Hales, a physician. We had hitherto been frequently received by Representatives, Colonels, Majors, 'Squires, and Captains; these now sometimes give place to the medical profession. An American may be proud of his liberty, but the pride of a gentleman never stands in the way of a profitable speculation; idleness only is here a disgrace, and if a man of liberal education finds that his profession will not sufficiently remunerate him it is thought right that he should seek profit in trade.
I had quitted the State of Kentucky with impressions in its favour far stronger than that of Ohio had produced;—the climate is fine, the land fertile and well cleared, and inclosed; the houses well built, and the landscape as we passed frequently beautiful. But this is a slave State; and as this degraded situation of a part of our species has excited the horror of philanthropists on our side the globe, I will stop to say a few words on the subject; my observations being understood to be confined solely to the few slave States I have seen, and disclaiming, at the same time, all theoretic approbation of the institution. I have read, as others, with feelings of disgust [81] and injured pride of humanity, of estates to be sold with so many slaves upon them; and of the floggings unmerciful which authors have related; and, drawing conclusions from such statements, I expected to see the slave, in misery and wretchedness, bent down with labour and hard-living, but was very agreeably surprised to find the reverse. Slavery is not here what it may be in our Colonies and perhaps, as I believe it is still worse, in the old quarters of the globe. By the spirit of the laws the black is here indirectly benefitted: though a slave, he is suffered to associate with his fellows, and one day in the seven (Sunday) is set apart for society with each other; and though there may be instances of cruel punishment, yet so numerous are the blacks becoming that it will soon be dangerous, if the time is not already arrived, for such instances to be repeated. And here lies the real objection to these slave States; the slaves begin to know their own strength, and probably would not long bear oppression. To see their well-proportioned figures easy and unconstrained, and lively countenances, a stranger might be led to think that they were in fact the masters of the ill-formed, emaciated, care-worn whites, were it not for the fine clothing of the latter: in short they are well clothed, fed, and taken care of, and [82] so numerous that I believe they are felt already in many places rather a burthen on the community than an advantage. As to the work they do, as far as I have had an opportunity to see, I should say it is so little, that an English labourer would with ease accomplish more in a day than two of them; and excepting a few of the old school, it is the general sentiment of the best informed Americans that they should be better off without slaves. But the sins of the fathers have fallen upon their sons, and, as far as human foresight may look into futurity, they never can get rid of the effects; they must always have an immense black population to support, unless indeed the period shall ever arrive when the latter shall change stations and support them.
We now meet at least as many parties going eastward as on the western route, which might be rather discouraging to those not accustomed to American restless search after gain; in this, all considerations of comfort, or attachment to home are lost. He makes a pig-inclosure of logs, a stable of the same, open to all the winds and to the poultry, and if his log house will keep out the worst of the weather it is sufficient: and thus, with such buildings, with just as much corn and fother as will keep him, his family, and his stock, the [83] settler passes his indolent days; smoking under the shed of his habitation, and waiting for some good offer for what he terms his improvement; when he immediately loads his waggon with his furniture and family, and without the shadow of regret leaves his abode to seek some other equally uncomfortable.
This State in respect to cultivation bears not at present any comparison with its neighbour, but in natural beauties far exceeds it. The variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers is great; the colours of the latter gratifying the eye in all the gay luxuriance of nature;—the timber trees grow to an enormous size; I measured an Oak which at four feet from the ground was twenty-four feet in circumferance, but there are larger trees here. We passed (chemin faisant) through several new settlements called by the people Towns, and which indeed may soon deserve the name; roads, bridges, mills for sawing, and other buildings—every thing in short, goes on with that spirit of enterprise which, in spite of poverty, is shewn by the people of America.
Paoli stands very pleasantly: Hindostan, on a branch of the White river communicating with the Ohio by the Wabash, also is to be a town of great trade: Washington is perhaps the worst situated for trade[37] but the land around it is [84] very fertile. There are also many other intended to-be towns, but at present containing about half a dozen log huts, such as Greensville, Brownsville, Fredericksberg, &c. &c. called thus after the first proprietor of the land, who, if he is so fortunate as to make choice of a favourable situation, rapidly makes his fortune by the quick influx of settlers; but this is not always the case and there are many "Villes" and "Bergs" which will probably long remain as we found them.
At Hindostan I met with an adventure which, considering how little respect is paid to any law, I might perhaps as well have avoided. At a miserable log tavern there, kept open (and to all the winds) by a Colonel, the entertainment both for man and horse was the worst we had lately met with—the hay it was pretended was too far off to fetch; and a few heads of Indian corn was all we could procure for the horses. For ourselves, after a miserable meal, we found a bed laid in an out-house, which also served for lumber-room and larder. All this travellers must learn chearfully to bear, but another evil, which too frequently follows, the high charges, it is not so easy to pay with good humour: in this case I ventured, as I had hitherto done with good effect, to reason against one or two of the items in a quiet delicate way fit for the ears [85] of an independent; but here it did not succeed, for my Colonel turned upon his heel saying, if I objected to his charges he would take nothing at all, and away he went. I had a great mind to take him at his word on account of his treatment; but after waiting for his return some time, with my horses at the door, I at length left with the Colonel's lady more than sufficient to defray the proper legal charge according to the rate made out by their magistrates, to which however few of them pay much attention: well, we then drove on, but had not got to the river side before a lad was sent after me with the money, for the Colonel had in fact been hiding to see what I would do, and coming out from his hole to hear what had been left for him, preferred venting his spite even before his money. I now determined to see how this would end, and therefore put the money into my pocket, drove down to the river side, and leaving my name and address at a store there for him, crossed the ford and proceeded. An hour or two after, my gentleman passed me on horseback, pale, "spiteful and wrathful," and we kept a good look out, a little apprehensive of being rifled at from behind the trees; so we got the arms out ready; and drove on with circumspection to the town of Washington about eighteen miles from [86] Hindostan. Here he had collected more people than I should have supposed possible in the short time, and had prepared his dramatis personæ, one of whom came immediately to arrest me; with this fellow I went to attend another whom they called a 'Squire, a whisky seller. At this respectable tribunal of the wilderness I stated my case with some difficulty from the noise and opposition, and expecting as much justice as I found, the 'Squire said the bill must be paid without referring to the rates; and as curiosity not resistance was my object, I at length paid it with about a quarter dollar, no great fee for his worship. Upon this, the Colonel was so elated with his victory that to shew his generosity, he said, he would treat his friends with half a dozen of wine and give the amount of his bill away; being satisfied with "shewing the Englishman that he was not to be imposed upon;" and it was in fact this rancor against an Englishman, (not the first time I heard, it had been shewn by him in the present way;) and which indeed is very general, that had actuated him from our arrival at his log palace.