Rose at seven. Found Alice better than I expected considering the hurry
and fatigue of yesterday, though thin and weak she has much of her old
features, not so deaf as I expected; sits a good deal, often smiling. An
American breakfast; coffee, beef steaks, eggs, tart and cakes like
crumpet, made from buck wheat. The house not large but comfortable; a
very large new barn with shippen, stable and granary and a good stock of
hay. Had agreed for the same with a neighbour on the following terms, to
make the hay and have one half. The house pleasantly situated on the
slope of a hill on a good road; nearly 80 acres 30 chains on each side
of the road; a good spring of water near the house; seven cows, two
horses, pigs, geese and poultry and guinea-hens. The breakfast consists
of coffee, bread and butter, eggs, beef or mutton with buck wheat cakes
resembling crumpets also blackberry pies and potatoes; nearly the same
at dinner, and again at supper with tea. Make their own sugar from the
maple; a hole is bored into the trees; a chip placed below to guide the
sap into a tub; this is done with about a hundred trees at the beginning
of April; a fire place is made in the woods and the pans are hung over
by means of long wooden hooks, and the sap is boiled down into sugar, a
supply for the year. They make their own candles and soap, the latter
from the wood ashes. Went to see many people who appear very comfortably
settled. Noah surprised the family by consenting to go with us.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND.
John is married and settled in Rhode Island: Ann a nice spirited girl
employed in tailoring and has seen a good deal of society. Mary a most
cheerful and pleasing young woman married to a young man Aery Gridley, a
carpenter and also farmer, a steady active young man not too good for
her. James assists his father but prefers the joiner's business; Hannah
rather lusty, does a good deal in the house and also assists Ann; Martha
the youngest, her spine injured in her youth, a very sly little person
and says very droll things. Noah often affected when talking of old
friends in England; related some grievances of the family not treating
him with respect, particularly his two sons. The daughters too fond of
visiting and dressing. This evening a neighbour's dog catches an animal
called a woodchuck somewhat resembling a beaver; it is considered good
food and indeed is to be prepared for dinner. Mary and her husband came
about eight and returned about half past ten. Besides woodchucks they
eat the black and grey squirrels, the yellow and striped are not liked;
both are killed because they devour the grain, a large cat frequently
catches them. Two horses are great favourites with all the family, the
best was hurt last Christmas by a cow. They have two waggons.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23RD.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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