LETTER III.

MY DEAR SIR,

IN my two last letters you have received my opinions of the most eligible part of the Continent of America, and information on fuch other topics as have occurred to you to enquire about, or to me to fuggeft. I fhall now endeavour to give you some facts refpecting the present price of land, of produce, of wages, of carriage, &c, in various parts of the United States, which will enable you to judge in fome measure for yourself, in case you should ftill have views of vifiting us.

The Rev. Mr. Toulmin, of Chowbent, near Bolton, in Lancashire, went to America in the spring of last year (1793) with the same intentions nearly as I did. When I arrived at Philadelphia in Oct. 1793, I found a letter from him to me, of which the following is an extract. This will give you facts of the kind above-mentioned from Richmond, in Virginia, through Maryland, along the Shenandoah valley to Harrisburg, on the banks of the Sufquehanna, in Pennsylvania. My own notes of a tour in company with Meffrs. Priestley, Humphreys and Bakewell, G 3

will

will furnish information of the fame fort toward
the most northern part of Pennsylvania, near the
confines of New York State, and thence through
the centre of the State firft mentioned, to Phila-
delphia. This, with fome fcattered information
respecting the price of land in fome other of the
(as yet) unfettled parts of America, will enable
you to judge how far a certain quantity of mo-
ney will go in the purchase of land there, and
where it may probably be invefted to most ad-
vantage.
You must recollect, however, that
the flourishing state of America; the number
of emigrants thither from among perfons of
middling fortune in various parts of Europe, who
fear the refult of the prefent calamities; and the
confiderable fums invefted by monied people in
Holland and elsewhere, in the purchase of un-
fettled American lands, occafions a continual
increase in the price of that commodity. Within
these last three years, the purchases of land in
Pennsylvania and New York States, have en-
creased in value, at least three-fold on the aver-
age; and I have little doubt of their continuing
to encrease, especially if Europe fhould, unfortu-
nately for that continent, continue in a state of
warfare, while America remains at peace with
herfelf, and with all the world. And this is a
fuppofition, for many years to come, far from
improbable.

The

H

The fums mentioned are in fterling money, unless where it is otherwife expreffed.

VIRGINIA. Urbanna, upon the Rapahannock in the county of Middlefex.

Soil, white, loose, fandy.

Price of land about one third cleared,* 15s. fterling per acre of 69 and two-thirds yards fquare.

Rent of corn land about 1s. 6d. per acre.

Labour. Slaves only, either purchafed or rented. They are hired at from 6 to 9l. a year, the mafter finding provifions and cloathing, and paying the tax. The ufual allowance to a flave is a peck and half of the meal of Indian corn, per week; fometimes pickled and falted herrings or mackarel. The cloathing is very trifling.

Produce. Tobacco, wheat, corn. (By corn is meant exclusively Indian corn, or maize. Blè de Turquie.)

Market. By water, direct from Urbanna to Europe. Corn alfo (maize) to New England, Nova Scotia and the Weft Indies. Wheat to Europe.

Price. Wheat 4s. 6d. per bushel. Corn 13s. 6d. per barrel of five bufhels.

*

By cleared is meant, the fmall trees and shrubs grubbed up, and the larger trees cut down about two feet from the ground, the stumps remaining. T. C.

N. B. Urbanna has all the appearance of a deferted village,

RICHMOND and the neighbourhood.

Soil. Sandy, but on the banks of James river

rich.

But

Price of land 4 to 6 guineas per acre. land by the whole tract, including buildings, cleared and uncleared land together, feldom exceeds, at ten miles diftant from the town, 20s. to 45s. per acre. It is reckoned hereabout an advantage to have a great part of it in wood, because the culture of tobacco (which has been common, but is now rapidly giving way to wheat) exhausts the land fo much, that land, so used out, is generally reckoned at nothing in the purchase. Labour. Is. 6d. to 2s. a day, with provisions. In harvest 2s. 6d. and 3s. 6d. a day. All slave labour.

Produce and price. Indian corn is. 6d. to 2s. per bufhel. Wheat 3s. 6d. to 4s.* The market, Richmond. Veffels of large burthen may come within twenty miles of Richmond.

NEAR THE SOUTH-WEST MOUNTAIN.

Soil. Red clay, very good for wheat. The country pleasant and healthful.

*This differs in fome fmall degree from his Journal, of which I fhall make an extract hereafter. T. C.

Price of land, 20s. to 30s, an acre.

Labour, 9l.to 121. a year for a flave with food and cloathing. The very few white fervants that are to be procured, coft from 121. to 161. a year, and board, and are worth but little; for it being cuftomary for all labour to be done by flaves, the whites thinking it degrading, will not work with the blacks. Labour in harvest 2s. 3d. a day, with provifions.

Produce., Wheat, corn, and fome tobacco.

Market. Boats which carry four ton weight, go up to the South-Weft Mountain. Wheat is taken down to Richmond at 74d. per bushel. Tobacco at 135. 4 d. per hogfhead of 1200lb.

FREDERICK AND BERKELEY COUNTIES.

Soil. The best part of the country lies between the waters of the Opeckan Creek, and the Shenandoah. It is the richeft lime-ftone land on the eaftern waters of this ftate. It is of a dark grey, and fuppofed to be much about the fame quality as the third rate land in Kentucky.*

Price of land from 15s. to 41. an acre, but feldom fo low as 15s. in the best part of these countries, i. e. one-half or two-thirds cleared. A good plot of land of 200 acres with a house,

* Mr. Toulmin had not at that time been in Kentucky.

orchard,