distance on turnpike, we found it fenced across & were oblig'd to turn into a wood where it was almost impossible to proceed- large trees were across, not the road for there was none, but the only place we could possibly ride- It appear'd to me, we had come to an end of the habitable part of the globe- but all these difficulties were at last surmounted, & we reach'd the Delaware- The river where it is cross'd, is much smaller than I suppos'd- The bridge over it is elegant I think— It is covered & has 16 windows each side— As soon as we pass'd the bridge, we enter'd Easton, the first town in Pennsylvania- It is a small but pleasant town- the houses are chiefly small, & built of stone- very near together- The meeting house, Bank, & I think, market, are all of the same description- There are a few very handsome brick houses, & some wooden buildings—From Easton, we came to Bethlehem, which is 12 miles distant from it- M^r W. went a mile out of his way, that we might see the town- It contains almost entirely dutch people— The houses there are nearly all stone- but like Easton it contains some pretty brick houses- It has not half as many stores as Easton—— The meeting house is a curious building-it looks like a castle- I suppose it is stone,- the outside is plaister'd- We left our waggon to view the town- we did not know whether the building was a church or the moravian school, so we enquir'd of 2 or 3 men who only answer'd in dutch- M^r & M^rs W were purchasing bread, & Susan & I walk'd on to enquire- we next saw a little boy on horseback, & he could only say "me cannot english" but he I believe, spoke to another, for a very pretty boy came near us & bow'd & expecting us to speak, which we soon did; & he pointed out the school & explained the different buildings to us as well as he was able; but we found it difficult to understand him, for he could but just "english"- We felt very much oblig'd to him, though we neglected to tell him so- He is the only polite dutchman small or great, we have yet seen; & I am unwilling to suppose him a dutchman. The school buildings are low, long stone houses- the stone houses are not at all handsome- but rather ugly—Where we stopt to bait yesterday, we found another waggon containing a widow Jackson, her 2 sons & a daughter in law- They enquir'd where we were going & told us they were going to the same place & immediately join'd our party- We were sorry as we did not wish an addition to our party, & thought by not travvelling on sunday we should lose their company, but rather than lose ours, they wait till monday-They are very clever people apparently, & we may possibly be benefited by them before we end our journey—We now find the benefit of having our own provision- for I would not eat anything we could get here.

Monday morn-October 29-

It rains & we shall have a dismal day I am afraid-M^r W's harness last night was very much injur'd by being chew'd to pieces by a cow- I have broken my parasol handle a little, but it will not much injure it-I have a bad cold to day- which I know not how I have taken- I more than ever wish to reach Warren—

Pennsylvania- Monday-eve- A Dutchman's inn- I dont know where. Palks County-or some thing like it—

We have only pass'd thro' 2 small towns to day, Allenstown & Kluztown- The former is about 3 miles from Hannover, where we spent the sabbath, & 6 from Bethlehem- Before we enter'd the town, we cross'd the Lehi in 2 places- It was not deep, & we forded it to save time & expence- It runs I believe through Bethlehem or at the side of it & is a very small river- Allentown is not a pleasant place-The houses are almost all stone- It contains 2 small stone churches- We went into a store, where I bought me a coarse tooth comb for 15 cents- I should never get accustom'd to the Pensylvania currency- It diverts me to hear them talk of their fippenny bits (as they pronounce it) & their eleven penny bits— Kluztown is but a few miles from Allentown-It has but one short street which is very thickly built with Stone & log houses— It is rather a dirty street & not more pleasant than the others Stone is used for everything in this state- The barns & houses are almost entirely built of it- I imagine the dutch pride themselves on building good barns, for a great many of than are very elegant- they are 3 & 4 stories high, have windows & one or 2. I saw with blinds- They are larger & handsomer than most of the houses- The dutch women are all out as we pass, dressing flax, picking up apples &c. &c-The dress of the women grows worse & worse-We find them now with very short petticoats, no short gown & barefoot— The country is not pleasant, at least does not appear so as we ride thro' it at all- I should think the land must be good as we see large fields of grain very frequently- There does not appear to be as much fruit as in N Y & N J—We saw immense quantities of apples in each of those states, particularly N J- there would be thousands of bushels at the cider presses, & still the trees would be borne down with them— The roads in this state are pretty good, where, dame Nature has not undertaken to pave them- but she has so much other business on hand that she has never learn'd to pave, & makes a wretched hand at it- I wish she could be persuaded to leave it to Art for the future; for we are very great sufferers for her work- It is quite amusing to see the variety of paintings on the innkeeper's signs- I saw one in N J with Tho^s Jeff'^ns head & shoulders & his name above it- to day I saw Gen G Washington- his name underneath- Gen Putnam riding down the steps at Horseneck- one sign was merely 3 little kegs hanging down one after the other- They have the sun rising, setting, & at Meridian, here a full moon, a new moon, the moon & 7 stars around her, the Lion & Unicorn "fighting &c", & every thing else that a dutchman has ever seen or heard of- I do not believe one of them has wit enough to invent any thing, even for a sign——Several of these creatures sit by Jabbering dutch so fast, that my brain is turn'd & my thoughts distracted, & I wonder I have been able to write a word- If you find it unintelligible you must not wonder or blame me- A dozen will talk at once & it is really intolerable- I wish Uncle Porter was here-How can I live among them 3 weeks? We have come about 24 miles to day- it rain'd a very little this morning & the rest of the day has been quite pleasant tho' somewhat cold- Tomorrow we pass thro' Reading—

Wednesday Oct^ber 31^st Highdleburg-Penn-

We pass'd through Reading yesterday which is one of the largest & prettiest towns I have seen-We stopt about 2 hours in the town, & I improved my time in walking about to see it- I went into the stores enquiring for a scissor case- Almost every one could talk english- but I believe the greatest part of them were dutch people- As soon as we left Reading, we cross'd the Schuylkill- It was not deeper than the Lehi, & we rode thro' it in our waggon. A bridge was begun over it, but the man broke & was unable to finish it- It would have been an excellent one had it been completed- It is now grown over with grass & serves as a walk for the ladies—— We put up for the night at Leonard Shaver's tavern-He is a dutchman, but has one of the most agreeable women for his wife I have seen in this State-I was extremely tir'd when we stopt,