Page:Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin (1793).djvu/289

279 INFORMATION TO THOSE WHO WOULD REMOVE TO AMERICA.

ANY perſons in Europe having, directly or by letters, expreſſed to the writer of this, who is well acquainted with North-America, their deſire of tranſporting and eſtabliſhing themſelves in that country; but who appear to him to have formed, through ignorance, miſtaken ideas and expectations of what is to be obtained there; he thinks it may be uſeful, and prevent inconvenient, expenſive, and fruitless removals and voyages of improper perſons, if he gives ſome clearer and truer notions of that part of the world than appear to have hitherto prevailed.

He finds it is imagined by numbers, that the inhabitants of North-America are rich, capable of rewarding, and diſpoſed to reward, all ſorts of ingenuity; that they are at the ſame time ignorant of all the ſciences, and conſequently that ſtrangers, poſſeſſing talents in the belles-lettres, fine arts, &c, muſt be highly eſteemed, and ſo well paid as to become eaſily rich themſelves; that, there are alſo abundance of profitable offices to be diſpoſed of, which the natives are not qualified to fill; and that having few perſons of family among them, ſtrangers of birth muſt be greatly reſpected, and of courſe eaſily obtain the beſt of thoſe offices, which will make all their fortunes: that the governments too, to encourage emigrations from Europe, not only pay the expence of perſonal tranſportation, but give lands gratis to ſtrangers, with negroes to work for them, utenſils of huſbandry, and flocks of cattle. Theſe are all wild imaginations; and thoſe who go to America with expectations