All our company continue. The morning fair & cool--Yesterday & to-day I am strongly solicited to dance--I decline however & must persevere.--Mr & Mrs Turburville came in before Dinner--With the two Fantleroys, Ben, Bob, & Harry, I had a pleasant walk through the Fields, to the Mill &c. I paid my forfeit to the Baker 7½d--The Plumb-Trees are beginning to blossom--Towards Evening our company all left us. _Fryday April 1st 1774._ Good Fryday--A general Holiday here--Wednesday & thursday I gave up my School on account of the Dance, and they must have this Day for Devotion!--The Colonel, _Ben Harry_, & _myself_ all go to Ucomico Church--Parson _Smith_ gave the usual Prayers for the Day and a long Sermon very suitable & well chosen. After Service we were invited and went Home with Captain Walker to dine; I was here introduced to Dr Steptoe[143] & a young Gentleman Brother to the Parson Both seem agreeable, & appear to be men of Sense Dined here also the Parson, his Wife, Sister, Mr Warder the Lawyer [143] Dr. George Steptoe of "Windsor" in Westmoreland County had been graduated in medicine at Edinburgh in 1767. Towards Evening we rode home I observed as I rode along People are universally plowing up their Land for planting Corn & for Tobacco And in one field I saw several Women planting Corn I think however, it is early even here--They raise no Flax, their Land in general being so poor that it will not produce it--And their Method of farming is slovenly, without any regard to continue their Land in heart, for future Crops--They plant large Quantities of Land, without any Manure, & work it very hard to make the best of the Crop, and when the Crop comes off they take away the Fences to inclose another Piece of Land for the next years tillage, and leave this a common to be destroyed by Winter & Beasts till they stand in need of it again to plough--The Land most commonly too is of a light sandy soil, & produces in very great quantities shrubby _Savins_ & _Pines_, unless in the Vallies (for it is very hilly) & near the Potowmack where it is often vastly rich--Mr Carter has been lately solicited & was to have gone this Day with a number of Gentlemen to Horn-Point on the River Ucomico, with an intention, if they think the Situation will be proper, to establish Ware-Houses, & form a small Town--It is however, in my opinion, a fruitless Scheme-- _Saturday 2._