will probably be imperfectly known until the final disclosure. Anne called some persons who opposed her, dogs, dumb dogs, and damned dogs. Several of the brotherhood professed to have gifts, to curse such as censured their conduct, and to tell others to go to hell. There are also gifts for trembling, shaking, whirling, jerking, jumping, stamping, rolling on the ground, running with one or both hands stretched out, barking, crowing, hissing, brushing and driving the devil out of their houses, groaning, crying, laughing, loud shouting, and clapping their hands. These ridiculous extravagances seem gradually to be passing away; and instead of them there has been adopted a regular scheme of industry, of acquiring wealth, and of improving in agricultural and mechanical business.

From the administration of Joseph Meacham the affairs of the brotherhood have been formed into a system. The love of domination appears to have taken a final possession of the elderhood; and absolute submission, of the brethren. The wish to rule begets of course the wish to make converts. The spirit of proselyting is now very evidently the controlling principle. Occasionally, they have been and will hereafter be joined by some shrewd individuals, who will find their passions more gratified than they can expect them to be in any other situation. By these their excesses will from time to time be pruned away; the inconveniences, which obstruct their prosperity, removed; and measures adopted in their stead, of a more promising nature. For all this they are furnished with the most convenient of all pretences. It is only for the principal Elder to say, that he has a gift i. e. a rev elation, for any change; and the thing is accomplished. As in other sects originally enthusiastic, policy will here take place of extravagance. The reserve, the distance, the mysticism, of the elders, the profound ignorance, habitual submission, and Asiatic veneration, of their votaries: and the strong propensity of individuals, scattered throughout the world, to relish what is strange and mysterious, merely because it is so; will in all probability prolong this delusion until it shall be terminated by the MillenniI am, Sir, yours, &c.

um.

LETTER III.

Journey from New-Lebanon to Minden-Valley of the Mohawk-Canajoharie Minden-Thoughts on Religious persecution-Palatines-German Flats-Utica -New-Hartford-Brothertown-Brothertown Indians-Observations on the differences of complexion in the human race.

Dear Sir,

WE dined at the spring; a medicinal water long celebrated in this country for numerous cures. It is situated on the Western declivity of the Taghkannuc Range, and pours a considerable brook down its side. The temperature of the water is 72° on Farenheit's scale. It contains, according to an analysis made by Doctor Seaman, one of the surgeons of the New-York hospital, Azotic Gas, and a small proportion of alkaline matter. It has been found efficacious in a variety of complaints; particularly in several cutaneous affections. It has also been beneficial to persons, afflicted with the Chronic Rheumatism. The resort to this spring has heretofore been great; but has been much lessened, in consequence of the superiour reputation of the waters of Balls

town.

New-Lebanon is in the township of Canaan. This town contained, in the year 1790, 6,692 inhabitants; in 1800, 5,195; and, in 1810, 4,941. It has been divided.

After dinner we rode to Schodac. The next morning we proceeded to Albany; and after dinner Mr. D—and myself proceeded to Schenectady; where we lodged with the Rev. Dr. Edwards, lately elected President of Union College.

On Monday September 22d, having been rejoined by our companions, we left Schenectady; and, crosing the Mohawk, proceeded up that river. When we had rode about four miles, we were stopped by rain, although we had set out with a fresh NorthWest wind; a proverbial sign throughout almost all New-England of fair weather. A small, dark cloud hung over a mountain, rising six or seven miles South-West of the inn, and elevated about six hundred feet above the Mohawk. This cloud, after

preserving for some time a settled form, began to spread with rapidity; and soon overcast the greatest part of the hemisphere. Within half an hour it began to rain; and drove us to a shelter.

The evening, before we arrived at this house, (Schwartz's ;) a waggoner, attempting to get off from his waggon, put his hand on the back of one of his horses, to support himself, while he was alighting. Both horses started; the man fell; and the waggon, passing directly over his head, killed him outright. The name of the man was Fisk. He lived on the borders of Cayuga lake. We saw his unhappy son, who had borne him company, and whose countenance wore the appearance of as deep and unfeigned sorrow, as I ever beheld.

We were detained at Schwartz's until after two; when we rode to Tripe's Hill in Johnstown; sixteen miles in the whole twenty. Here we lodged at Putnam's, a Dutchman, descended probably from one of those unfortunate people, who fled from England to Holland, in order to escape persecution.

The road from Schenectady, after we left the beautiful farm of Scotia, passed over a hard pine-plain; and presented nothing agreeable. The plain is uninhabited, the soil lean, and the road indifferent.

From Schwartz's it lay partly on the intervals, which border the Mohawk, and partly on the oak lands, which border the intervals. We found it generally tolerable, but made unpleasant by a number of small bridges, in such bad repair, as frequently to alarm the traveller for his safety.

Tuesday, Sept. 23, we rode to Canajoharie before dinner; sixteen miles and to Hudson's in Minden, in the afternoon; thirteen more: Here we lodged. The following day we dined at the German Flats; and lodged in Utica; twenty-nine miles.

After we descended from Tripes Hill the road passed over the intervals of the Mohawk, principally, to Canajoharie. Here it crossed the river; and after occupying the same ground five miles farther, left the river, and passed over the hills of Minden. A little before we arrived at Hudson's it returned to the river again; and thence kept along its borders most of the way to Uti

ca. On the intervals it is good in dry weather; but in wet is muddy, and extremely disagreeable. On the hills it was indifferent, but perhaps as good, as could be expected in a country so recently settled.

The valley of the Mohawk is rarely more than a mile and a half in breadth, and generally not more than a mile. It is bounded by two long ranges of hills, or rather brows which border it with little variety and, less beauty. These are almost covered, and crowned, by trees, neither thrifty nor handsome. Beyond these limits the eye is rarely permitted to wander; and soon becomes wearied by such a constant succession of the same objects. To compensate the traveller, the river is for a great extent in full view; a sprightly noble stream; sixty rods in breadth at Schenectady, and gradually lessening to about twelve or sixteen at Utica. Its waters are always delightful; and are often ornamented with elegant islands. The intervals on both sides are rich, and handsome. At the time of our journey particularly, the numerous meadows, after having been scorched by drought, had been clothed by successive rains with a fresh verdure, peculiarly vivid. The settlements along this river are almost universally scattered plantations: almost all the inhabitants being farmers, of Dutch extraction. In most of the older settlements the houses are, generally good, comfortable Dutch houses. The cultivation is moderately good also; and is pursued in exactly the same manner, in which it was begun by their ancestors, and confined almost entirely to wheat, peas, and grass; the latter of which however, is always an inferiour object of attention. The circumstances of the inhabitants appear to be easy, and their life quiet and unenterprising.

Between Schenectady and Utica, (cighty miles,) we saw only three Churches, and only four places, which could with any propriety be called villages; one at Caghnawaga, containing fifteen or twenty houses, with a small Church; a scattered settlement around the Church in Canajoharie; a third, more compact, at the German Flats; and a fourth on the opposite side of the Mohawk at Herkimer. We passed, also, a few miserably-looking

school-houses; which plainly owed their appearance to the want, not of wealth, but of a sufficient attachment to education.

An observing traveller could not fail to conclude, that these people must be extensively destitute both of knowledge and morals.* If the information, which, from respectable sources, I received on the spot, may be credited; low vices are unhappily prevalent among them. Fathers have not very unfrequently been seen at the gaming table with their sons; endeavouring to win money from each other; swearing at each other; charging each other with cheating, and lying; and both at very late hours intoxicated.

What must be the sentiments of a child towards a parent, whom he habitually sees in these attitudes; and with the idea of whom, instead of that venerable character, which alone ought ever to meet his eye, or recur to his remembrance, these ingredients of deformity must be necessarily associated? All the authority which such a father can retain, must be derived from bodily strength, or the possession of property. The parental character he can never assume religious instruction, and reproof, he can never give. The inestimable benefit of a virtuous example from him, in whom it would have more influence than in half mankind, his children can never receive. On the contrary, he himself becomes their corrupter, both by his conversation and his conduct. The guide, who should conduct them to heaven, takes them by the hand, and leads them to perdition.

Among the causes, which here assemble multitudes with high pulsations of hope, and pleasure, a horse race is one of the most memorable. This diversion, when least exceptionable, is a deplorable exhibition of human debasement. The gentleman here dwindles at once into a jockey; imbibes his spirit; assumes his station; and, what is worse, sinks to the level of his morality. The plain man, at the same time, becomes a mere brute; swears, curses, cheats, lies, and gets drunk; extinguishing at once virtue, reason, and character. Horse-racing is the box of Pandora, from which more, and greater, mischiefs flow, than any man ever