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, & M^{rs} 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 M^r 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----