staring with their _mouths open_,) "when I clear a fresh
lot of land on any of my plantations, I am obliged to plant it six or
seven years with hemp, or tobacco, before it is sufficiently _poor_ to
bear wheat! My indian corn grows twelve or thirteen feet high; I'll dig
four feet deep on my best land, and it shall then be sufficiently rich to
_manure_ your barren hills; and as to the climate, there is no comparison:
this cursed cold north-west wind loses all it's severity before it reaches
us; our winters are so mild, that our cattle requite no fodder, but range
the woods all winter; and our summers are more moderate than on your side
the Allegany; and as to----" Here the stage-driver put an end to his
oration, by informing us, all was ready to proceed on our journey.

We must not be surprised, that numbers, who cultivate an ungrateful soil
in this cold climate, should be induced, by such descriptions as the
above, to emigrate to our orator's land of promise, I am informed ten
thousand persons emigrated from these states to Kentucky _alone_, in
one year. I have lately seen a flattering description of this country,
published in London: that the accounts are exaggerated, I have no doubt,
as it is said to be written by a speculator; deeply interested in the sale
of lands in the new settlements. I had a strong suspicion our fellow
traveller was of this description, and took every opportunity to
cross-examine him on this subject; he stuck true to his text, insisted
that all he advanced was literally true, but acknowledged he was going to
receive a sum of money for land he had sold to some emigrants from the
province of Main, and that he expected to sell a considerable tract before
his return. I arrived at Boston the 23d instant, four hundred and
seventy-four miles from Baltimore.

Yours, &c.

_P.S._ I find we are to have a most vigorous theatrical opposition. A sort
of dramatic mania has lately seiz'd the inhabitants. The _primitive_
Bostonians would as soon have admitted the plague as a company of players;
but the present inhabitants having more liberal sentiments, a company of
comedians came to this town about four years ago, and ventured to exhibit
dramatic pieces, under the title of _Moral Lectures_. At length a bill
passed the General Assembly of Massachusetts to licence theatrical
performances; and as it is natural for mankind to run from one extreme to
another, they have this year _two_ theatres, both of which are at