Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/231

 spite of their conversation I at last fell asleep, but I was soon awoke in torture from a general attack made on me by hosts of vermin of the most troublesome and disgusting genii. I started from the bed, dressed myself, spread a coverlet on the floor, and lay down there to court a little more repose, but I was prevented by a constant noise in the house during the whole night, beginning with church musick, among which some sweet female voices were discernible, and ending in the loud drunken frolicks of some rustick guests, who kept Saturday night until late on Sunday morning.

Previous to going to bed I had sauntered round the town, and I observed all the taverns filled with guests in the roughest style of conviviality, from which I infer that the last day of the week is generally devoted to the orgies of Bacchus; by the same classes of people who on the succeeding day, attend with pious regularity the dogmatick lectures of some fanatick dispenser of the gospel. What an heterogeneous {201} animal is man!—sometimes exalted to an approach towards divinity, sometimes debased to lower than brutality:—A perpetual struggle between the essence and the dregs.

The dawn of morning relieved me from my uncomfortable couch, and going down stairs, I found all as silent as an hour before it had been noisy. I walked out into the town, where the same stillness prevailed, so I lounged along the banks of the Hockhocking enjoying the morning air, until a thick mist rising with the sun envelopped me, when I returned to the inn and finding the stage ready to depart, I again mounted Mr. Willis's horse, and set out in advance of it.

Leaving New Lancaster and the fog below, I proceeded eighteen miles through a hilly country, with settlements within every mile, many of which were taverns. I then stopped at Babb's, the sign of the house, appropriate to its