gourds, grew to a great fize, and were of an excellent quality. Kidney-beans, afparagus, celery, great variety of fallads and fweet herbs, cucumbers, &c., were only admitted into the garden, into which no foot of man intruded, after it was dug in fpring. Here were no trees, thofe grew in the orchard in high perfection; in these strawberries and many high flavoured wild fruits of the fhrub kind abounded fo much in the woods, that they did not think of cultivating them in their gardens, which were extremely neat, but fmall, and not by any means calculated for walking in. I think I yet fee what I have fo often beheld both in town and country, a refpectable mistress of a family going out to her garden, in an April morning, with her great calash, her little painted basket of feeds, and her rake over her shoulder, to her garden labours. These were by no means figurative,

"From morn till noon, from noon till dewy eve." A woman, in very easy circumstances, and

abun

were

abundantly gentle in form and manners, would fow, and plant, and rake, inceffantly. These fair gardeners too great florifts their emulation and folicitude in this pleafing employment, did indeed produce" flowers worthy of Paradife." Thefe, though not fet incurious knots," were arranged in beds, the varieties of each kind by themselves; this, if not varied and elegant, was at least rich and gay. To the Schuylers this description did not apply; they had gardeners, and their gardens were laid out in the European manner.

Perhaps I should referve my defcription of the manner of living in that country for that period, when by the exertions of a few humane and enlightened individuals it affumed a more regular and determinate form. Yet as the fame outline was preferved through all the stages of its progreffion, I know not but that it may be best to sketch it entirely, before I go further; that the few and fimple facts which my narrative affords may not be clogged by explanations relative to the customs, or any other

реси

peculiarities which can only be understood by a previous acquaintance with the nature of the country, its political relations, and the manners of the people: my recollection all this while has been merely confined to Albany, and its precincts. At New York there was always a governor, a few troops, and a kind of little court kept; there too was a mixed, and in fome degree, polished fociety. To this the acceffion of many families of French hugonots, rather above the middling rank, contributed not a little : thofe confcientious exiles had more knowledge and piety than any other class of the inhabitants; their religion feemed indeed endeared to them, by what they had fuf fered for adhering to it. Their number and wealth was fuch, as enabled them to build not only a ftreet, but a very refpectable church in the new city. In this place of worship fervice continued to be celebrated in the French language within my recol lection, though the original congregation was by that time much blended in the mafs of general fociety. It was the custom of

the

the inhabitants of the upper fettlement, who had any pretenfions to fuperior culture or polish, among which number Mr. Schuyler ftood foremoft, to go once in a year to New York, where all the law-courts were held, and all the important business of the province tranfacted, here too they fent their chil dren occafionally to refide with their rela tions, and to learn the more polished manners and language of the capital. The inhabitants of that city, on the other hand, delighted in a fummer excurfion to Albany. The beautiful, and in fome places highly fingular banks of the river, rendering a voyage to its fource both amusing and interefting, while the primitive manners of the inhabitants diverted the gay and idle, and pleased the thoughtful and fpeculative.

Let me now be indulged in drawing a picture of the abode of my childhood just as, at this time, it prefents itfelf to my mind.

CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

Defcription of Albany.- Manner of living there.-Hermitage, &c.

THE city of Albany was stretched along the banks of Hudfon; one very wide and long street lay parallel to the river, the intermediate space between it and the shore being occupied by gardens. A fmall, but steep hill rose above the centre of the town, on which stood a fort, intended (but very ill adapted) for the defence of the place, and of the neighbouring country. From the foot of this hill, another street was built, floping pretty rapidly down till ic joined the one before mentioned that ran along the river. This ftreet was ftill wider than the other; it was only paved on each fide, the middle being occupied by public edifices. Thefe confifted of a market-place, or guard-house, a town hall, and the Eng

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