consequence never was town more orderly or quiet. No mobs, no fighting, no racing, no rough and tumbling, or any thing to be observed but industry, and a persevering application to individual views. The Virginians, who at times visit the town, remain for a short period, and return to their own shores astonished at the municipal phenomena they witnessed, and wondering how man could think of imposing on himself such restraints.

As I before observed, the original settlers of this town and neighbourhood were New-Englanders, and many of them old continental officers, and officers who remained in the country after the Indian war. Some few of them still live; but in situations very different from their former ones. This leads a stranger into a variety of error and misconception. Yesterday I was speaking rather harshly to a man who had not

fulfilled an agreement with me to caulk my boat, when a gentleman came up and accosted him with "Ah! General, how do you? I mean to dine with you. What's your hour?" I made use of this opportunity to go on to the baker in pursuit of some biscuit. I found him at home. On seeing the bread I began to comment on the price and quality, and might have betrayed some little dissatisfaction and incivility, had not a third person entered opportunely to say, "Colonel, I want a loaf of bread." My next call was on a butcher, whose sorry dirty looking meat made me neglectful of my late experience, and I raved without any consideration of propriety and decorum, till brought to a sense of misconduct and absence of breeding by a negro, who, taking me aside, very kindly warned me that the butcher was a judge, and that he could fine folks for cursing and swearing.

Hemmed in on every side, I resolved to mend my manners and gain some instruction on the subject. I consulted my landlord, whom I found to be also a major of the late army. His lessons "We majors, colonels,

were short. and generals," said he, " are so cheap and common here, that people don't mind us no more than nothing." Do you follow their example: live without constraint, and get your business done as though you were dealing with knaves, and the most common race of men. Our title signifies but little. For the most part it is used towards us from familiarity, derision and contempt. Those who really respect us, say, Tom, Dick, or whatever else we may be called." But the judge, said I, how is he to be treated? "When in his character of butcher," said the major," he is treated rough enough, and without any ceremony; but when in court, and

sometimes on Sundays, the citizens say, "Your honor," and touch their hat!

As I propose writing again from this place, I may now conclude, not without an apprehension that my letter has already attained a tiresome and immoderate length.

LETTER XIV.

Marietta an inundation-Fort Harmer-Indian antiquities-Be a lover of truth-the axiom of the Western world-Indian tradition-an anecdote-an excursion-the Muskinghum river-a prospect-discovery of a vault-a beautiful tesselated pavemen and other remarkable remains of Indian antiquity-large human skeleton and other curious antiques-the depository of the remains af a chief in ancient times—the author's remarks on these remains of antiquity—predelection of the Indians for tall and robust chiefs-wild turkeys.

Marietta, June, 1806.

I MENTIONED in my last, that this town is built on a very high plain, inclined to the mountain, and that the part of the bank on which it more immediately stands, is near sixty feet above the surface of low water. I should have been satisfied that the situation was admirably calculated for the comfort and health of the inhabitants, and would possibly have recommended it as the best site I had yet seen for a city, had I not perceived, while at breakfast this morning, that the parlour in which I sat, was distinctly marked all round with a water-mark from seven to eight inches high. As I could by no means admit the idea of inundation, I could in no manner account for the appearance, and was compelled to seek information from others. I give you the result of my enquiries.