former state, present condition and prospects, and be able to tell his old neighbours of his comforts and {243} satisfaction. "Now," says he, "I feel I can live, and live well, by working, and without fretting and working, seventeen, out of the twenty-four hours, all the year round, as I used to do at Chatteris. And what is sweeter than all, I feel I am now the owner of 300 acres of land, all paid for, and free from all poor-rates, parsons, and tax-gatherers, and that I shall be able to give and leave each of my children, 100 acres of good land to work upon, instead of the highway, or Chatteris work-house. No fear of their committees now, nor of Ely jail."
It was pleasant to witness the boasting satisfaction of this good, honest fellow, and his family of young Pecks.
I saw an old, dirty, stinking Irishman, very well to do, settled on a quarter section here, but who says, were it not for his family, he could do better in Ireland; and therefore, for the sake of his family, he is content to live a little longer, and die here. They will be better off. He came to breakfast with us, and borrowed a razor to shave his beard, for once, instead of clipping it off.
Meeting Mr. Hornbrook,[80] the first settler here, I said to him, "How is it, that you, and others, can do with such houses here, when you had such comfortable ones in England." "Oh," said he, "after our voyage and journey, we are glad to get into any hole, although we know, that in {244} England, they would think them not good enough for stables."
On the eve of this day, a heavy battering rain came,
