Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/93

Jojirnal of Jolm Alair, ijgi 83 terior parts of the country they employ a prodigious number of craft for that purpose, and as this port seldom or ever freezes they boast of that advantage over Philadelphia where ships are frequently detaind by the Ice. Xew York Island is joind to the Main by a bridge 15 Miles from town, the Island is very narrow, the land poor, the roads are not so varied as Philadelphia, but the rides are beauti- ful!, there are several rising grounds from which one commands a view of both rivers, particularly at Fort Washington 11 Miles from town; the Ferry to Long Island is short, and the country and roads are there beautifull and extensive, the Ferrys to the Jersies are 3, to arrive at Newark 7 Miles, which makes excursions there very in- convenient. I rode one day to see the falls of the Pisaick river 25 Miles, the fall in itself fell greatly short of my expectation, but as I made a circle by the town of Hackinsack and the road for the most part going by the side of those two rivers nothing can be more picturesque than the country, it is so thickly setled with small farms that it -appears as one continual villiage, and really might be compared in beauty to the Thames, except that it wants the embellishments of buildings and Gar- dens. The Markets of new York are little inferior to Philadelphia, that of the Fish better, people live very well here, and cheap, in the win- ter they have balls, routs, and all kinds of amusements, but the moment the summer approaches all finishes, but tea parties. the 22d. May I embark'd on board the Providence packet for New- port in Rhode Island, where we arriv'd the next day after a sail of 26 hours, the prospect on each side the Channel of Long Island and Con- necticut Shores was as delightfull as a well setled. and beautifully varia- gated country cou'd render it. the Town of Newport bears the traces of having once been eminent, but many of the inhabitants being ruin'd in the war by their attachment to the Royal cause, several houses are empty, and their Trade has quite dwindled away, tho the Harbour is al- lowed to be the best in the States, and it offers every advantage a commercial people cou'd wish ; some of the buildings have been good and handsome, but must now soon decay. I took a ride round the Island which is about 15 Miles long, but is very narrow, the road is very good, and the country beautifull, and must have been eminently so, be- fore the British troops devasted it of its trees, the fences are mostly stone, the land is mostly gently rising and falling, it is in general good, and was very well cultivated, the channel to the continent is not above J/J a Mile and the prospects from the rising grounds are very extensive on each side; we found a French Ship of War of 74 Guns, anchor'd here, call'd the Dugay Trouin. she call'd in here for supplys on her way to Europe from ^lartinico having a vast number of land troops on board. at 12 oClock next day we again set sail, and having a fine wind got to Providence bv S oClock in the afternoon, there is an assemblage of so