Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/134

 on corn-meal and dried fish only. Working is disgraceful in a slave state, where blacks only work. "Will you work?" "What, work? I'm no negro, I guess." Thanks be given to slavery for all this.

30th.—His Excellency, James Monroe, Esq., President of the United States, when out of office, is poor, not more than able to maintain himself and family, never having had time to gain a fortune.[21] Our late President Madison," (says friend Jenny, to whom I was this day introduced by Dr. Dawes,) "was, and is a poor man. He married a poor quaker girl, one of a large family of girls, raised in a boarding-house, but now all married to {119} Congress-men.[22] While Madison was President, his wife, Dolly Madison, used frequently to visit our friend's meeting-house in George-town, though she was no longer a quaker."

I rode all day with friend Jenny, and slept at his house. He is a shrewd land-jobber, who has quickly enriched himself. His eyes are in his head, and he sees all points of the compass at one view. By him I was kindly accompanied to the beautiful mansion and plantation of Loughborough, Esq., the most intelligent agriculturist (except Mr. Day, of Camden,) whom I have yet seen. This gentleman offers his beautiful much-improved farm and mansion at 200 dollars, or 45l. sterling an acre, just two miles from the city. This price was thought too high. Mr. Jenny says, that 100 acres of land is plenty for an industrious family, who will net 1,000 dollars a year, ex-*