―167―

memorandums made on a jour -
ney through part of penn -
slyvania .

Aug. 19, 1801…..This day being
fixed on for setting out upon our
journey up the Susquehannah, bro-
ther J…. and myself, mounted our
horses at six in the afternoon, and
taking to the Ridge road, arrived
at the Wissihicken, where we stop-
ped for the night.

Previous to the adoption of the
plan, now in operation, for water-
ing the city of Philadelphia, this
creek was recommended to the no-
tice of the corporation, as eligible
for the purpose ; but as there was
reason to fear, that in dry seasons
the water would prove insufficient,
and as it would have been attended
with considerable expense to pur-
chase the requisite number of mills

which must have been destroyed to
acquire a sufficient head, the project
was abandoned. Notwithstanding
the periodical scantiness of the sup-
ply, this is a valuable stream. From
Peter Robinson’s, where it dis-
charges itself into the Schuylkill,
to Wheler’s, a distance of about
twelve miles, in a direct line, there
are eighteen merchant and grist-
mills, capable of furnishing, at
least, one hundred thousand barrels
of flour, per annum; but as they are
not constantly provided with grain,
and the water frequently fails, it is
believed that they do not prepare
more than sixty thousand. The
average Philadelphia price of flour
for the last ten years, may be safely
taken at eight dollars and a quarter
per barrel,* which proves that the
millers of Wissihicken receive al-
most half a million dollars annu-
ally, for the produce of their mills.
In the year 1796, when flour was at
the highest, and when, from the ex-
traordinary price, it is presumable
that they manufactured more than
the usual quantity, it is probable

The following statement extract-
ed from the books of an extensive
and correct flour factor, in Philadel-
phia, will shew the price of flour for
a period of ten years. Instead of fol-
lowing the fluctuations minutely into
every month, the average sales of the
two principal seasons in each year
have been taken. In 1796 it was as
high as fourteen and a half, and even
fifteen dollars; but it maintained these
prices for a very limited time.

AVERAGE PRICE OF FLOUR IN PHI- LADELPHIA.
Spring. Fall.
Dolls. Dolls.
1791……………. 5 ….. 5
2……………. 4 ….. 5 20
3……………. 6 ….. 6 33
4……………. 7 ……… 7
5……………. 11 ……… 13
6……………. 14 ……… 11
7……………. 9 ……… 8 50
8……………. 8 50 ……… 6 50
9……………. 9 50 ……… 9 25
1800……………. 10 50 ……… 10

―168―

that their receipts fell little short of
a million; and that they have not
laboured in vain, is fairly deduce-
able from the circumstance of their
being rich.

The universal vehicle for convey-
ing the flour to market, is the wag-
gon; and the vicinity of the city
gives these millers no inconsiderable
advantage over their competitors.

This mode of conveyance is com-
mon throughout Pennsylvania. In
New-York it is otherwise; water-
carriage alone being used there.
The consequence of which is, that
whenever the navigation of the
North and East rivers is interrupt-
ed by the ice, the city is deprived of
her inland commerce; whereas,
Philadelphia carries on a brisk
trade with the interior country and
her back settlements during the se-
verset frosts.

The banks of the Wissihicken
are steep and rugged. They are
covered with rich foliage of na-
tive trees, interspersed with the
wild grape, the woodbine, and other
flowering plants, which perfume the
air with their odour, and add great-
ly to the beauty of the scenery…..
The wanderer may here immerse
himself in the deepest solitude, and
contemplate nature in her most
hidden recesses: or, if other views
be more agreeable to his fancy, he
may direct his steps towards the
habitations of the millers, and feast
his eyes on luxuriant and well culti-
vated fields, verdant meadows, and
variegated gardens. To those who
have not lost their relish for the
sportive charms of native scenery,
contrasted and blended with the
useful works of man, Wissihicken
will ever be a delightful retreat. In
my juvenile days, I have often visit-
ed these hills to gaze on the limped
stream, and breathe the delicious
fragrance of the wild flower. The
remembrance is now dear to me.

The chatter of the mills might
well recall to our memory, the sim-
ple story of the German boor, who,
on his first approach to a mill, heard
a strange voice loudly and delibe-
rately pronounce “Ich juckt ihr

buckel….. Ich juckt ihr buckel…..
Ich juckt ihr buckle.”* The lan-
guage was sufficiently intelligible;
but, as he had committed no of-
fence, he supposed the threat was
uttered against some other person.
Curiosity tempted him to enter.
He gave umbrage to the surly pro-
prieter, received a drubbing, and
was turned out. The miller had
occasion to alter the gears, and as
the unlucky clown was hastening
away, he suffered the additional
mortification of being briskly taunt-
ed by the flippant mill with, “Gelt
Ich habt ihr buckel gejuckt? Gelt
Ich habt buckel ihr gejuckt? Gelt
Ich habt ihr buckel gejuckt?”

20….Lodged as comfortably as
A sultry night would permit, at our
hospitable friend, P. Robinson’s,
where we likewise breakfasted.
My unruly steed chose to put his
foot on mine, so that lameness is
added to debility. A foggy morn-
ing, succeeded by a bright and hot
sun. Stopped to bait at Norris-
town. ‘Tis a poor, ill-looking place,
consisting of about twenty houses.
The courts of justice for Montgo-
mery county are held in this place,
in an ill-fashioned stone building….
placed on a naked eminence. The
town is situated on a sloping bank,
on the margin of the river, which
flows here, with a gentle current
over a gravelly bottom. It is
here that the canal is taken from
the Schuylkill, and considerable
progress has been made in cut-
ting it through a rocky ridge, be-
low the town. The want of funds
has put a total stop to the work. It

*I’ll-tickle you back….I’ll tickle etc.
(cross symbol) Hey! didn’t I tickle you back….
Hey! didn’t I etc.
I know of no word in the English
language that expressed the full mean-
ing of the German Juck or Jucken.
I have used tickle….but it has by no
means the same humorous significa-
tion. It is also observable, that the
German articulation more nearly re-
sembles the language of the mill than
the English.

―169―

is to be hoped, that it will at some
period be resumed. Notwithstand-
ing the large sums which have al-
ready been expended on this ob-
ject, it is probable that it will yet
require between three and four
hundred thousand dollars to com-
plete it. It is satisfactory, however,
to observe, that much of what is
done is of a permanent nature;
but unless the Susquehannah and
Schuylkill canal be accomplished ,
and the navigation of the river
above this place be considerably
improved, the utility of the Schuyl-
kill and Delaware canal may be
questionable. Whenever the waters
are sufficiently high to admit of the
passage or rafts or loaded boats to
Norristown, they can always pro-
ceed with safety to the city. This
circumstance, no doubt, occurred to
the projectors and prosecutors of
the work.

In one of the rooms of the tavern,
we observed a pedlar, very busy in
displaying his scanty wares on the
backs of chairs, on tables and
trunks, with an air as consequen-
tial as if her were surrounded with
the riches of Indostan. He had
posted an advertisement on the
door, enumerating the articles he
had for sale, and giving notice that
he would sell very cheap, and con-
tinue for some days, and longer if
encouraged. It is remarkable, how-
ever, notwithstanding the general
opprobrium heaped on the poor
pedlars, that some of the wealthiest
traders in America commenced bu-
siness in this humble station.

The Ridge road is a channel
through which immense riches flow
into the city. Large quantities of
lime, marble, flour, and other pro-
duce of the country, being continu-
ally conveyed along it, which occa-
sion it to be much cut up, and from
the nature of the soil , it is, during
winter, nearly impassable; while
in summer the deep bed of dust
which covers it, renders travelling
very unpleasant. A turnpike has
become almost indispensable.

We stopped to view the stone
bridge over the Perkiomen, a small

but beautiful stream. This is one
of the greatest structures of the kind
in America, and adds greatly and
justly to the fame of Pennsylvania
in this respect. It was built by one
Lewis, a Welshman, of no educa-
tion. He has, however, given much
satisfaction to his employers in the
execution of this work. It is built not
without taste, and has a good effect
upon the eye, though irregular in
its construction. It has one arch
of seventy-five feet span, three of
sixty, and two of thirty, resting on
strong piers and solid abutments. It
passes obliquely over the channel,
and appears to be, including the
abutments, between seven and eight
hundred feet in length; but the
stream does not usually occupy
more than one fourth of that space.
The bridge is sufficiently broad to
admit two carriages a-breast.

Dined at the Trap Tavern, a
mile and an half beyond the bridge,
and twenty-six miles from Philadel-
phia. During our stay, there oc-
curred a heavy fall of rain. We
were overtaken here by the sheriff
of Montgomery county, with a jury
in his train. As they appeared to
be bent upon a frolic, I inquired
of one of them, whom I knew,
whither they were going. He re-
plied, “A few miles higher up to
hold an inquest on some land, which
might be done in a day; but, as the
sheriff was just going out of office,
and the expense was to fall on
others, they intended to keep it up
three days.” All of them were
mounted, and if some of the horses
lacked spirit, it was otherwise with
their riders.

Showery all the afternoon. Eve-
ry little transient cloud was sur-
charged with water, and seemed in
a humour to be merry with us. We
stopped to save our jackets, and
then it ceased to rain. Invited by
a bright sun, we set out again, and
it immediately began to pour…..
Others were no better than our-
selves. One care-taking man, par-
ticularly, was constantly occupied
in putting on and pulling off his
great coat, and so unlucky was he,

―170―

that he was seldom in the right.
When it rained, his coat was snugly
tied to his saddle…he made haste
to get it on his back, and lo! it
ceased to rain: while the heat of
the sun soon obliged him to alight,
and fix it on the saddle again. It
served us for an occasional laugh,
and if all our miscalculations and
misfortunes could be passed off as
merrily, we should fare much bet-
ter than most of us do, in our jour-
ney through life.

The farm-houses within sight are
generally built of stone, and form,
in this respect, a striking contrast
to the wooden houses of New-Eng-
land. Dwellings of stone and of
brick are universally condemned
by our eastern brethren, as destruc-
tive of health; but if this prejudice
were not otherwise contradicted,
the hardy appearance of the peo-
ple among whom we now are, is far
from warranting the belief. No
lack of taverns….there are ele-
ven in a distance of as many
miles, between the Bridge and
Pottsgrove. So many are not ne-
cessary for the accommodation of
travellers….they serve as places of
drunkenness and debauchery to the
idle and profligate in the neighbour-
hood, and are, in fact, public nui-
sances. The soil is not gene-
rally rich, consisting of a thin
redish loam, hilly and gravelly…..
We passed though a populous coun-
try, and arrived at the pretty little
village of Pottsgrove before sun-set.
At the entrance of the town, there
Is an unoccupied large stone-
house, which, as we were inform-
ed, was erected by one of the Pott’s,
on a high spot of ground, which
never was completed, from water
being nowhere to be found upon the
hill. Though several hundred
pounds were expended on this
house, the builder as not more
short-sighted than he who built a
mill in Dauphin county, intending to
make it pump up the water, by
which it was to be supplied, and
from which it was to derive all its
force.

The land about this village is fer-
tile, and well cultivated. The town
is situated thirty-seven miles from
Philadelphia, in a valley, near the
Schuylkill, but not within sight of
it; and contains one hundred and
fifty houses, chiefly stone and brick.
The most notable circumstance
that occurred here, was the mea-
suring of a radish in the landlord’s
garden, which proved to be twenty-
two and a half inches in circum-
ference.

21….Departed by times. Cross-
ed the Mawnytawny, a small creek,
and breakfasted at the White-horse,
five miles on our way…fared well.
Soon after crossed the Monockass,
over a substantial stone-bridge of
six arches. Tarried an hour at
Reading, which is a considerable,
but ill-looking town, sixteen and an
half miles from Pottsgrove. One
story log-houses, filled in with brick
or stone, small, slovenly and incon-
venient, with a few modern build-
ings, clumsily ornamented, is a
full description of Reading. We
met here a Philadelphian, who
told us, he could not, after re-
peated trials, find a chaise, or any
kind of carriage, for hire in the
town. This place is noted for its
hatters. A great many wool hats,
of good fabric, are made here, sold
to the Philadelphia hatters, and
thence dispersed every where…..
They manufacture them so cheap,
and their work is in such credit,
that no body in Philadelphia at-
tempts the same business. They are
much superior to the wool hats usu-
ally imported from England.

Schuylkill is on the west side of
Reading, out of view. Hills obstruct
the prospect on every other side.
The town lies, comparatively, low,
in a contracted, but fertile valley:
the hills are generally cultivated on
their sides, though some of them
are bleak and barren. The contrast
is not unpleasant. Near the town
flows the Tulpehocken into the
Schuylkill. By means of this stream,
and the Quitipihilla, the sources of
each approaching very near to each

―171―

other, one of the projected canals
was intended to unite the Susque-
hannah and Schuylkill.

This canal has suffered the same
fate as the other….the work has
long since been suspended. To ren-
der the Delaware and Schuylkill
canal extensively useful, it will be
necessary to complete this….by
means of which a water communi-
cation may be opened with an ex-
tensive country bordering on the
wide spreading branches of the
Susquehannah, and on the lakes
north-west of the Pennsylvania
line.

My countrymen project with
more zeal than they execute, and
are not backward to undertake
more than they can perform. The
failure of these canals may be at-
tributed to a variety of causes. It
was not to be expected, considering
the number and magnitude of the
public works commenced at the
same period, that a sum, commen-
surate to their seasonal comple-
tion, could be suddenly diverted
from the capital employed, by the
citizens, in pursuits from pressing
in their demands, more generally
understood, and more certain in
their issue. Many of the subscri-
bers were mere spectators, and
became stockholders with no view
steadily to prosecute the work; but
to embrace the first favourable mo-
ment to sell out to a profit. Thse
nominal members were like dead
weights on the exertions of the rest.
Certain other individuals, whose
extensive schemes of aggrandize-
ment have no parallel in this, or
perhaps in any other country, having
purchased largely of the stock, pos-
sessed themselves of a considerable
portion of the funds of their asso-
ciated brethren, and then becoming
bankrupts, thus effectually para-
lized, if they have not given the
death wound to these valuable
works.

Still pursuing the course of the
river on its eastern side, we halted
ten miles from Reading, at Ham
burgh, or Carter’s-town….or, as the
Germans in the neighbourhood pro-

nounce it, Kaarker’s sthettle…..
a small place of forty houses, which
seems to carry on a brisk trade in
card-playing and horse-racing.

Before we reached Hamburgh,
we crossed Maiden-creek, a consi-
derable stream, over a wooden
bridge, resting on stone piers…..
About this creek, there is good
land, and the redish hue of the soil
so conspicuous hitherto, begins to
decline.

Every where we find the descend-
ants of Germans. They are the
principal settlers of the country,
and are a rude uncultivated people,
not noted for civility nor apt to
render disinterested services to
strangers or each other.

A mile from Hamburgh we began
to skirt the first ridge of mountains,
on a wild, rugged road, cut along
its sides, at the foot of which flows
the river, sometimes placidly and
slowly, and sometimes rapidly and
turbulently over rocks and shoals.
The road is frequently sixty, and an
hundred feet almost vertically above
the river, and is too narrow to al-
low carriages to pass each other.
Three miles further we crossed at
Ege’s Forge the eastern branch call-
ed Little Schuylkill, having passed
in view of the junction a little below.
Both branches head in this immense
chain of mountains. The roughness of
the road made travelling very tire-
some, and occasioned us to be benight-
ed, a circumstance however, which
we have little reason to regret. The
air of the mountains after a hot day,
was very refreshing, and the full
moon, rising majestically over the
hill-tops, contributed not a little to
the grandeur of the scenery. The
dark sides of the mountains formed
a pictersque [sic] contrast to the silvery
illumination which invested the rest
of the landscape. At length we
reached our intended resting place,
and were received with significant
bows and looks, by a boorish look-
ing German, whom we soon found
to be our landlord. Judging from
appearances we prepared ourselves
for rough fair in this barren region.
We enquired what we could have

―172―

to eat and were answered, any thing
you please. J….. was for coffee,
but I dissuaded him, expecting he
would not relish it if made; we call-
ed for milk which was furnished
of the best quality and in nice or-
der, with abundance of good butter
and cheese. J….. proposed the ad-
dition of pye, “well,” said our host,
“you can have it,” and forthwith
produced pyes of two kinds, both
excellent. Such fare in a wilder-
ness was unexpected, and we did it
justice by finishing near a quart of
milk each.

Or landlord’s name is David
Pensinger. His house is nine miles
from Hamburgh. He seems desirous
of pleasing, and amused us much by
his aukward nods and singular
remarks. As an instance, when we
ordered oats for our horses, he
stopped to point out to us the remark-
able resemblance between the Eng-
lish and German pronunciation of
the word, one being “oats,” and the
other “haaver.”

22…..Several of us, having been
crowded together in a small, close
room, and the weather being ex-
ceedingly warm, I slept little on
my musty dusty bed of chaff with
one scanty sheet: heard the clock
strike every hour of the night, and
rose between three and four in the
morning.

J……’s horse is lame, and mine
much galled, and this is the more
unpleasant as we have a rough
tiresome day’s ride before us.
We are now among the mountains,
and expect to travel slowly. Pen-
singer, after examining J…...’s
horse, gravely informed him of a
cure which he said could not fail of
success…. “At the next house you
stop at, look for a bag, and steal
the string. This, tie round your
horses lame leg, but be sure you do
it without being seen by any body.”

We have been diligently employ-
ed three hours in going to Reever’s,
a distance of eight or ten miles.
J….. will scarcely find it necessary
to purloin a string, as his horse
moves as usual. No improvements
visible except a few low huts, with

small patches of cleared ground
about them, mostly planted with
buck-wheat. Buck-wheat is the grain
chiefly grown in this part of the
country, and is employed to feed
their poultry, their hogs and them-
selves. Good rye is likewise culti-
vated to profit, but the soil is too
light for wheat, and we saw none
of it.

Every where the women are busy
in the fields with the men, and both
sexes are principally occupied in
destroying the trees. A shirt of
coarse linen, wide trowsers of tow
cloth, a broad rimmed black wool
hat, and leather shoes, composed
the dress of the men; most of them
had pipes in their mouths. The
dress of the women consisted of
three articles; a hat similar to that
worn by the men, the usual gar-
ment of coarse linen, and a lin-
sey petticoat, to which some of
them added a neck handkerchief
and shoes. The air we breathe is
impregnated with the odour of
wild flowers, with which the
woods abound, and of which we
observed a great variety. Ree-
ver’s wife appeared to exert herself
to entertain us, and among other dain-
ties placed before us a large dish of
fried onions swimming in fat. Here
we were overtaken by three young
men on foot from Philadelphia,
bound to Catawessey, who left
Reading when we did. An active
Man on foot, will, on a journey of
considerable extent, keep pace
with a horseman, so much time is
consumed in the care necessarily
bestowed on that animal, and who
requires longer and more frequent
intervals of rest, inasmuch as he
carries not only himself, but his ri-
der.

It is amusing to observe the effect
of political zeal in this impoverish-
ed tract. Every few miles present
us with a liberty pole towering near
some dismal hovel, and decorated
with party coloured flags and liber-
ty caps.

We perceived no pines, nor ever-
greens of any kind till we entered
the mountains, and now few other

―173―

trees of any importance present
themselves. It is reasonable to
believe that these trees prevailed
originally and generally through-
out a considerable portion of the
United States. Where settlements
are newly made, and the pine and
hemlock are cut down, they are in-
variably succeeded by the oak and
hickory. It is probably that the
dwarf bush or scrub oak differs not
in species from those of larger size,
for it is always sure to expand to the
customary magnitude, when the lofty
trees which overshadow, and impede
its growth are removed. This is the
case in every part of the continent
that I have visited.

Between Reever’s and Kepner’s
(about eight miles) there is but one
house, or rather hovel. Kepner is
a lively talkative old fellow, and
his house is one of the best in its
materials and construction in the
woods. It is of hewn logs one story
high, and twenty feet square, com-
posing a single room in which the
landlord tells us he has lodged forty
persons at once.

The man left a good plantation
in a populous neighbourhood to re-
side in this lonely and sterile spot.
This he does not regret, but laments
very much his having abandoned
another mode of life, which was
that of driving a waggon and team
of horses, which he says, he follow-
ed for forty-five years, without in-
terruption. We had a repast of
some venison, rye bread and butter,
radishes and cheese, all very excel-
lent, and whisky being the only li-
quor his house afforded. Our horses
had a plentiful mess of cut rye and
straw: for all which he charged us
twenty-five cents. “Twenty-five
cents,” exclaimed J….r with up-
lifted hands and eyes, affecting to
be amazed at the extravagance of
the demand. “Why tus you dink
es du much?” Was the query
of our good natured host, with-
drawing his hand as the money was
presented to him. He would wil-
lingly have reduced the price. In
any of the southern states a less
comfortable and plentiful supply
VOL. I….NO. III.

would have cost us two dollars.
The old man was well pleased with
our liberality in paying the full
quarter of a dollar, and on parting
wished us a pleasant ride.