rom Carolina. Even the peach is late, small, and
acid. The coldness of the climate, and the fanaticism of the inhabitants,
make the New England states by no means such desirable places of
residence, as those of the south, to

Yours, &c.

* * * * *

_Dover, April 22nd, 1797._

DEAR FRIEND,

On the 12th of March I embarked in the Betsy, captain Hart, for London; my
live stock consisted of some fowls, four brace of partridges, a flying
squirrel, and a young racoon. We sailed about midnight, with a good breeze
at S.W., and were in a few hours clear of the land.

On the evening of the 13th, we met with a hard gale at N. E. by N.--The
degree of cold was intolerable. We shipped some heavy seas, and our
rigging being intirely incrusted with ice, our captain was resolved to
stand to the south, in search of better weather. The next morning being on
the edge of the gulf stream, we were witness to a strange struggle between
the warmth of the current, and the coldness of the surrounding ocean and
atmosphere: the stream actually smoaked like a caldron! We ran as far to
the south as latitude 38, when the wind shifting to the S. W., in a few
hours we found a wonderful change of climate: the degree of heat was, at
least, equal to that of a usual summer day in England, without the
disagreeable pressure experienced from a thick atmosphere. The air was
perfectly clear, elastic, and animating, nothing could be more charming;
but this was of short continuance; the next morning the wind shifted to
the N. E., and blew a _gale_, which lasted eighteen hours. We had
then a calm, which was succeeded by westerly winds,

On the 27th, we had run down half our longitude, four degrees of which we
sailed in the last twenty four hours.

On the 29th, we met with another very severe gale at E.N.E., which soon
obliged us to strike our top-gallant-yards, and lie too, under our mizen
and mizen stay sail. During the confusion of the night, my racoon got
loose, and found means to kill all my partridges! and, as misfortunes
seldom come alone; a large spanish cat we had on board, caught my flying
squirrel. The loss of my partridges was the more provoking, as they were
in perfect health, and I had no doubt of landing them safe: so ends my
project of propagating the breed of these birds in England.

In a former letter, wherein I gave you my motives for making this attempt,
I mentioned their extreme hardiness; of this I had n