Travels Through the States of North America, and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, During the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797, Vol. I. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ +TRAVELS+ THROUGH THE STATES OF +NORTH AMERICA+, AND THE PROVINCES OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA, DURING THE YEARS 1795, 1796, AND 1797. ────────── BY +ISAAC WELD+, JUNIOR. ────────── SECOND EDITION. ILLUSTRATED AND EMBELLISHED WITH SIXTEEN PLATES. ────────── +IN TWO VOLUMES+. +VOL. I+ ════════════════════════════════════ +LONDON+: PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY. ═══ 1799. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ +PREFACE+. AT a period when war was spreading desolation over the fairest parts of Europe, when anarchy seemed to be extending its frightful progress from nation to nation, and when the storms that were gathering over his native country[1] in particular, rendered it impossible to say how soon any one of its inhabitants might be forced to seek for refuge in a foreign land; the Author of the following pages was induced to cross the Atlantic, for the purpose of examining with his own eyes into the Footnote 1: Ireland. truth of the various accounts which had been given of the flourishing and happy condition of the United States of America, and of ascertaining whether, in case of future emergency, any part of those territories might be looked forward to, as an eligible and agreeable place of abode. Arrived in America, he travelled pretty generally through the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York; he afterwards passed into the Canadas, desirous of obtaining equal information as to the state of those provinces, and of determining from his own immediate observations, how far the present condition of the inhabitants of the British dominions in America might be inferior, or otherwise, to that of the people of the States, who had now indeed thrown off the yoke, but were formerly common members of the same extensive empire.