Tuesday Noon- Ferry House near State Prison-
It has been very cold & dusty riding to day We have met with no adventure yet, of any kind We are now waiting at the ferry house to cross the river as soon as wind & tide serve- The white waves foam terribly how we shall get across I know not, but I am in great fear- If we drown there will be an end of my journal
Hobuck, Wednesday Morn-Buskirck's Inn
After waiting 3 or 4 hours at the ferry house, we with great difficulty cross'd the ferry & I, standing brac'd against one side of the boat involuntarily endeavouring to balance it with my weight & groaning at every fresh breeze as I watch'd the side which almost dipt in the water- & the ferrymen swearing at every breath- Mr, Mrs & Miss Wolcott viewing the city and vainly wishing they had improv'd the time of our delay to take a nearer view At length we reach'd this shore almost frozen- The Ferry is a mile & an half wide I was too fatigued to write last night & soon after we came retired to bed- We were again oblig'd all to sleep in one room & in dirty sheets- but pass'd the night very comfortably If good wishes have any influence, we shall reach our journey's end in peace- for we obtain them from everyone The morning is pleasant & we are soon to ride Mrs Buskirck the landlady, I should imagine is about 60 years of age & she sits by with a three year old child in her lap- She wears a long ear'd cap & looks so old I thought she must be Grandmother till I enquir'd
Springfield-New Jersey- Pierson's Inn-Wedy-PM 4 oclock-
"What is every body's business is no body's" for instance- it is nobody's business where we are going, yet every body enquires- every toll gatherer & child that sees us I am almost discouraged- we shall never get to New Connecticut or any where else, at the rate we go on- We went but eleven miles yesterday & 15 to day Our Waggon wants repairing & we were oblig'd to put up for the night at about 3 oclock. I think the country so far, much pleasanter than any part of Connecticut we pass'd thro'-but the Turnpike roads are not half as good- The Deacon & his family complain most bitterly of the gates & toll bridges- tho' the former is very good-natur'd with his complaints Also the tavern expenses are a great trouble- As I said before I will never go with a Deacon again- for we go so slow & so cheap, that I am almost tir'd to death. The horses walk, walk hour after hour while Mr W sits reckoning his expenses & forgetting to drive till some of us ask when we shall get there? then he remembers the longer we are on the road the more expensive it will be, & whips up his horses and when Erastus the son, drives, we go still slower for fear of hurting the horses Since I left you I have conceived such an aversion for Doctors & the words, expense, expensive, cheap & expect, that I do not desire ever to see the one (at least to need them) or hear the others again, in my life I have just found out that Elizabeth Town is but 5 miles off & have been to the landlord to enquire if I cannot possibly get there & he encourages me a little, I cannot write more till I am certain- Oh if I can but see my brother! After a long crying spell, I once more take up my pen to tell you I cannot go, there is no chair or side saddle to be got, & I will, by supposing him at New York, try to content myself- to describe my disappointment would be impossible it is such an agravation of my pain, to know myself so near & then not see him I have the greater part of the time till now, felt in better spirits than I expected-my journal has been of use to me in that respect I did not know but I should meet with the same fate that a cousin of Mr Hall's did, who like me, was journeying to a new, if not a western country- She was married on her way & prevented from proceeding to her journey's end- There was a man to day in Camptown where we stopt to eat, not oats but gingerbread, who enquired, or rather expected we were going to the Hio- we told him yes & he at once concluded it was to get husbands- He said winter was coming on & he wanted a wife & believ'd he must go there to get him one- I concluded of course the next thing would be, a proposal to Miss W or me to stay behind to save trouble for us both; but nothing would suit him but a rich widow, so our hopes were soon at an end- Disappointment is the lot of man & we may as well bear them with a good grace- this thought restrain'd my tears at that time, but has not been able to since What shall I do? My companions say they shall insist upon seeing my journal & I certainly will not show it to them, so I told them I would bring it with me the first time I came to Henshaw (the place where they live) & read it to them; but I shall do my utmost to send it to you before I go- that would be a sufficient excuse for not performing my promise which must be conditional I will not insist upon your reading this thro' my dear Elizabeth & I suspect by this time you feel quite willing to leave it unread further- I wish I could make it more interesting I write just as I feel & think at the moment & I feel as much in haste to write every thing that occurs, as if you could know it the moment it was written- I must now leave you to write to my brother, for if I cannot see him I will at least write him- I cannot bear the idea of leaving the state without once more seeing him I hope next to write you from 30 miles hence at least Poor Susan feels worse to night than me, & Mrs Wolcott to cheer us, tells us what we have yet to expect- this you may be sure has the desir'd effect & raises our spirits at once
Friday morn- Chester N J
We left Springfield yesterday about nine oclock & came on to Chester about 22 miles from Springd Patience & perseverance will get us to N C in time-but I fear we shall winter on our way there, for instead of four weeks, I fear we shall be four times four We found an excellent tavern here compar'd with any we have yet found, & we had for the first time clean sheets to sleep in- We pass'd thro' Morristown yesterday, & 3 small villages- one called Chatham I do not know the names of the others It is very hilly in N Jersey, & what is very strange, we appear almost always to be going up hill, but like the squirrel, never rise 2 inches higher- The hills look very handsomely at a little distance, but none of them are very high Mr & Mrs Wolcott, after telling us every thing dreadful, they could think of, began encouraging us by changing sides & relating the good as well as the bad- They are sure I shall like Warren better than I expect & think I shall not regret going in the least The weather yesterday was very pleasant, & is this morning also- We wish to reach Easton to day, but I am sure we shall not, for it is 32 miles distant- 5 or 600 hundred miles appears like a short journey to me now- indeed I feel as if I could go almost any distance- My courage & spirits & both very good one week is already gone of the 4 I wish I could fly back to you a few minutes while we are waiting
Mansfield-N J-Sat-morn October 27-
We yesterday travell'd the worst road you can imagine- over mountains & thro' vallies- We have not I believe, had 20 rods of level ground the whole day- and the road some part of it so intolerably bad on every account, so rocky & so gullied, as to be almost impassable- 15 miles this side Morristown, we cross'd a mountain call'd Schyler or something like it- We walk'd up it, & Mrs W told us it was a little like some of the mountains only not half so bad indeed every difficulty we meet with is compar'd to something worse that we have yet to expect- We found a house built in the heart of the mountain near some springs- in a romantic place-Whether the springs are medicinal or not, I do not know- but I suspect they are, & that the house is built for the accommodation of those who go to them- for no human creature, I am sure, would wish to live there- Opposite the house are stairs on the side of the mountain & a small house resembling a bathing house, at the head of them Soon after we cross'd the mountain, we took a wrong road, owing to the neglect of those whose duty it is to erect guide boards, & to some awkward directions given This gave us a great deal of trouble, for we were oblig'd in order to get right again, to go across a field where the stones were so large & so thick that we scarcely touch'd the ground the whole distance- At last the road seem'd to end in a hogs pen, but we found it possible to get round it, & once more found ourselves right again- We met very few people, yet the road seem'd to have been a great deal travelled- One young man came along & caus'd us some diversion, for he eyed us very closely & then enter'd into conversation with Mr W who was walking a little forward-He told him he should himself set out next week for Pittsburg- & we expect to see him again before we get there Erastus enquir'd the road of him & he said we must go the same way he did; so we follow'd on till we put up for the night; he walking his horse all the way & looking back at the waggon-As soon as we came to the inn he sat on his horse at the door till he saw us all quietly seated in the house & then rode off- Which of us made a conquest I know not, but I am sure one of us did We have pass'd thro' but 2 towns in N J- but several small villages- Dutch valley, between some high hills & the Mountain- Batestown, where we stopt to bait-& some others- all too small to deserve a name- At last we stopt at Mansfield at an Inn kept by Philip fits (a little f). We found it kept by 2 young women, whom I thought amazoons for they swore & flew about "like witches" they talk & laugh'd about their sparks &c. &c. till it made us laugh so as almost to affront them- There was a young woman visiting them who reminded me of Lady Di Spanker-for sprung from the ground to her horse with as much agility as that Lady could have done They all took their pipes before tea one of them appears to be very unhappy- I believe she has a very cross husband if she is married- She has a baby & a pretty one Their manners soften'd down after a while & they appear to be obliging & good natur'd