Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/272

his fine Irish family of sprightly sons, and one little motherless daughter. They are Protestants, and lived, as long as they could keep their comforts, in Ireland. He was a banker, and a correspondent of the Right Hon. N. Vansittart, and George Canning, Esq. while the young sons were the dandies of Dublin; but here, the father is a store-keeper, and the sons are cooks, housemaids, carpenters, and drudges for all work. He brought considerable property away. He has bought no land, and professes to dislike the prairies and America generally. He would have bought from Mr. Birkbeck, but could get only a "cup," that is, a swamp. He says his funds are yet entire, and he means to leave the country, and live in England, in a garret, in either London or Dublin, rather {285} than remain here, if he should be cast in a suit in which he is the plaintiff, against the magistrates of Illinois, who, he thinks, have unjustly taken Birkbeck's part against him; he and his family having quarreled with Mr. B. and family, about water, &c. Mr. Hanks, is a wild, hot-headed, sprightly Irishman, charging Mr. Birkbeck's writings with falsehood and deception, and him as a deceiver, idly spending already 30,000 dollars; no farmer, and now out of funds, and embarrassed. "I was caught," said he, "by his fascinating writings; it was impossible to resist them. Who could? Did ever man write like him? I read his letters to him; he could not bear it. Persons were employed to buy them up in the east. I admire both him and his writings, and notwithstanding all I say against him, I love him still. Whatever may be his opinions, I hope and believe the Almighty will never let such a man slip through his fingers. He must, however, fail in his enterprize. Never come here, sir: here is no money, no labourers. The English are the