Francestown (New Hampshire),
July 26, 1802.
My dear Father:
My letter in which I informed you of my intended journey, my motives for
it, etc., you will receive before this, I therefore think it unnecessary
to say any more, but rest with full confidence on the indulgent heart of
an affectionate Father, who I trust knows my heart too well to think me
capable of acting in opposition to what I know to be his wishes. We left
Salem on Thursday evening and slept at Ten hills in Charleston,
breakfasted in Webrion,[31] and dined in Betavia.[32] We had a fine view
of the celebrated Middlesex canal, which in future ages must do honor to
our country,—such monuments of industry and perseverance raise our
opinion of our countrymen; it will be 25 miles in length when completed,
running from Deckel[33] to Medford river,—the river of Concord supplies
it with water, boats pass every day, and parties of pleasure are always
sailing on it. In my journal I have been more particular, here I say but
little as we are in a miserable tavern and the horses almost ready. I
cannot tell you the route we are going,—Mr. Derby’s motive is to see the
most pleasant part of the country that he has not seen before. From
Bilusia we came through Chelmsford, Inigsborough where old Irving lived
and Miss Pitts, now Mrs. Brimby, the heiress of his fortune has a most
elegant tasty country house on the banks of the Merrimack—which forms a
most beautiful scene in front of the house and gives a full view of the
river in each direction,—more of this in my journal. We are on a new
turnpike road, from Amherst to Dartmouth. We shall go up to Dartmouth
College as ’tis wholly a jaunt of pleasure, and Mr. Derby is determined
to be in no haste, to enquire everything worth seeing and not to mind 6
or 7 miles from a direct road,—they are very attentive to me and have
gone a mile from the direct road to show me something they had seen
before. Mr. Derby has been such a traveller that he is now one of the
most useful travelling companions in the world; his wife is the most
engaging, unaffected, family woman in the world, and instead of feeling
myself a burden to them, they make me feel of the utmost consequence. We
passed thro’ several pretty villages on coming here—tho’ it is almost a
new country, scarcely cleared up,—excepting a small village every 6 or 7
miles; the most hilly, mountainous, woody country I ever was in,—here as
I look round me I see nothing but enormous high hills, covered with
trees and almost mingling with the clouds. One of them in
particular—Francestown[34] is about 12 miles from Amherst, a number of
pleasant houses and a very elegant meeting-house,—how different from our
part of the country!—here, if there is but one handsome house in town
there will be a meeting house. I have passed but one on my journey, in
these new back places, but what was painted and a steeple! From
Dartmouth we go down to Northampton and then to Lebanon Springs, then to
Ballstown and Saratoga, and return by the way of New Haven, Hartford,
etc. I shall have a fine opportunity of seeing the country on
Connecticut River. Mr. Derby does not know the route he shall go, but
shall depend on what he hears; we shall go thro’ a part of the States of
Vermont, Connecticut, and New York, so that in our tour we shall be in 5
different States. I shall write very often, and wish you, my Dear
Father, to write me by the return of the mail, and direct to Pittsfield
in Massachusetts,—or to Mr. John Derby in Salem. If we go thro’
Leicester I shall find out our relations. Tell Octavia and Horatio I
shall write them soon, but as I keep a particular journal which they
shall all see, ’tis not so material. I hear the carriage—love to all.