e whole we must conclude that Washington was one of the best
sportsmen of all our Presidents. He was not so much of an Izaak Walton
as was one of his successors, nor did he pursue the lion and festive
bongo to their African lairs as did another, but he had a keen love of
nature and the open country and would have found both the Mighty Hunter
and the Mighty Angler kindred spirits.

CHAPTER XV

A CRITICAL VISITOR AT MOUNT VERNON

About thirty miles down the river Potomac, a gentleman, of the name of
Grimes, came up to us in his own boat[8]. He had some little time
before shot a man who was going across his plantation; and had been
tried for so doing, but not punished. He came aboard, and behaved very
politely to me: and it being near dinner time, he would have me go
ashore and dine with him: which I did. He gave me some grape-juice to
drink, which he called Port wine, and entertained me with saying he made
it himself: it was not to my taste equal to our Port in England, nor
even strong beer; but a hearty welcome makes everything pleasant, and
this he most cheerfully gave me. He showed me his garden; the produce of
which, he told me, he sold at Alexandria, a distance of thirty miles.
His garden was in disorder: and so was everything else I saw about the
place; except a favourite stallion, which was in very good condition--a
pretty figure of a horse, and of proper size for the road, about fifteen
hands high. He likewise showed me some other horses, brood-mares and
foals, young colts, &c. of rather an useful kind. His cattle were small,
but all much better than the land.

[8] This chapter is taken from _A Tour of America in 1798, 1799, and
1800_, by Richard Parkinson, who has already been several times quoted.
Parkinson had won something of a name in England as a scientific
agriculturist and had published a book called the _Experienced Farmer_.
He negotiated by letter with Washington for the rental of one of the
Mount Vernon farms, and in 1798, without having made any definite
engagement, sailed for the Potomac with a cargo of good horses, cattle
and hogs. His plan for renting Washington's farm fell through, by his
account because it was so poor, and ultimately he settled for a time
near Baltimore, where he underwent such experiences as an opinionated
Englishman with new methods would be likely to meet. Soured by failure,
he returned to England, and published an account of his travels, partly
with the avowed purp