[44] A brief account of the early settlement of Princeton may be found in Hulme's _Journal_, volume x of our series, note 17.--ED. [45] On returning to Philadelphia, and stating how I had disposed of the baggage I was greeted with grins and smiles; one said he would not give fifty dollars for my chance, another offered ten, and in short I found that no _smart fellow_ thought of trusting another in America; and that he who should think himself safe under the pledge of honour or honesty was considered a fiat and deserving to be taken in! At Vincennes I had yet to learn this at the expense of at least a thousand dollars.--WELBY. [46] This depreciation will appear nothing when compared with the following. Towards the close of the struggle for independence a Mr. S***** travelled westward in order to collect some out-standing debts; after receiving which in notes and on his road home, he actually paid within sixteen miles of Philadelphia, three hundred dollars for a breakfast, and even this bargain he would not have been able to make, he found on his return, to that city!--The government have never been able to enter into any arrangements to redeem these notes.--WELBY. [47] I added to the diet, strong gruel of Indian corn meal, or wheat flour, which enabled them to travel.--WELBY. [48] A short sketch of Major Spriggs will be found in Faux's _Journal_, _ante_, note 113.--ED. [49] It was in the beginning of November when I crossed the Ohio near Louisville; at that time a fine new steam vessel, of I believe two hundred and fifty tons burthen, was waiting the rise of the water. What a daily loss this detainer must have been to the proprietors! Many people were staying at Louisville in order to go passengers by her to New Orleans, a journey of between fifteen hundred and two thousand miles, which was to be performed in six days independent of wind: to get back it would require three or four weeks. This vessel was to convey the western mail to New Orleans--the accommodations in every respect were excellent and the whole interior was fitted up in the most complete manner; the price to New Orleans for each passenger was, I understood, forty dollars.--WELBY. _Comment by Ed._ The first steamboat mail to New Orleans was carried in this year by Captain Shreve upon his boat, named in honor of the occasion, "Post-Boy."