Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/69

 *men, a staunch republican, Mr. Atman, of Lynn, near Boston, and an intelligent man, says, in reference to the federalists, that for every Julius Cæsar, there is a Brutus.

16th.—Spoke a brig, the James Monroe, from New Orleans. Recommended my ship-mate, Mr. Atman, to read Mr. Fearon's Sketches, which he promised to do, but learning they were unfavourable to America, he said he thought he should not read them. My Yankee friends love nothing but unmixed flattery. My fellow passengers, one a colonel, and the rest of the most respectable order of the middle class, all seem of uncleanly manners and habits; with unwashed hands, and grossly indelicate in language. To the honour however of this section of the land, there seem few or no idle hands; from the richest down to the poorest, meanest citizen, none are seen eating the bread of idleness; even my rich friends, Mr. Lyman and Mr. Gray, are no exception to this remark. The former gentleman is found at his office after dinner, till sunset; and the latter, by sunrise throughout the year.

17th.—Lat. 36°, long. 74°, a beautiful morning, after much lightning and thunder, at six, a. m. when all sail was taken in, in expectation of a terrible squall. Saw an immense number of dog-fish round our stern.

{39} Sunday, 18th.—A very warm dense fog to-day, at noon, and therefore unable to get an observation; but judge ourselves to be off Cape Hatteras, 260 miles from Charleston; and, on sounding, found 20 fathoms; saw four sail; the wind very variable.

19th.—Rose at eight this morning, becalmed in the gulf stream, and therefore drifting back with the current, three miles an hour. The air and water warm and steamy, and the sky summerish and gleamy, and ornamented with