sportsman in this watery chase; but I cannot say I have felt that spirit of "sublime elevation of soul" which we are told, in the Guide to the Lakes of Killarney, induces a thorough bred sportsman there "in his raptures and ecstacies, so far to forget himself, as to jump out of the boat." I am assured that the deer are as abundant now, as they were at the first settlement of the county; and this is attributed to the disappearance of their enemies, the wolves. Deer usually have two fawns at a time; and these are so easily tamed, that on being caught when very young, and carried a few hundred yards, they will immediately follow you. The facility with which they are tamed, I should not have credited, had I not derived my information from unquestionable authority.

Bears and wolves, which once were numerous in this part of Pennsylvania, are now seldom heard of. They have retired before the population; so have also the elks, which once inhabited these woods, as is proved by their immense horns being sometimes found. Foxes are in great numbers, and, as at home, are frequent marauders in the hen roosts.

Pheasants, different from and smaller than ours, are plenty; partridges are scarce. Wild pigeons commonly visit this place in the spring and autumn; when their numbers are truly astonishing. Flocks of them are sometimes seen, so large as to contain millions; their flesh is dark, and, when fat, very good. Ducks and teal, at particular seasons, fre

quent the lakes. Woodcocks are in abundance amongst the bushes. As to hunting, shooting, and fishing, I suppose I need not tell you that they are free to all; and that the man would be called a great churl, who should forbid any one to catch game on his grounds, or fish in his waters.

LETTER VI.

Clearing of Land, &c.

THE common mode of clearing land in this place, is by first cutting the underwood, or brush, close to the ground. The timber is then cut down, as much as possible in one direction, and into lengths of about twelve feet. A few months after, sometimes immediately after, fire is set to the collected mass, which generally burns up all the limbs and small stuff, leaving the logs. Two or three men then go with a pair of oxen, and haul the logs which are left, into piles. They are again set on fire, and in this second burning consumed. When the timber is cut down, ready for burning, it is called a fallow. The piling of the logs is done during the day, and they are set on fire towards evening, and generally suffered to burn unattended during the night; at which time the burning piles on several acres, present a

very brilliant spectacle; and when seen with the consciousness of this being the first step in the conversion of the wild into cultivated fields, the reflection is attended with no small share of interest in the

scenery.

I am surprised to see so little taste shown in clearing land here. No reservation, or selection, is made of groves to serve hereafter, as shelter from the sun, for both man and beast. These beautiful woods are indiscriminately hewn down and cast into the fire; and it is left to another generation to find out the inconvenience of this general destruction of the timber. With a little care in the commencement of an improvement, the most delightful groves could be left, interspersed with the fields; nothing is requisite but to leave them. What a treat it would be to a landscape gardener in England, to have such cutting and carving! What would not Price, Gilpin, Repton, or Capability Brown have given for such materials to work with, instead of being obliged to plant saplings for other ages to admire as trees; or what would even your burgesses and freeholders give for such logs of fine timber as are here consumed, to cleave into posts and rails to divide their lands at the enclosure of their hills. The very refuse of an acre would be worth more than is paid for hundreds of acres of the land here.

Besides the beauty of what I mention, much advantage would be derived to the farmer from the practice of leaving groves interspersed with his

fields, for the time when timber shall become scarce, as it must in a few years; and the wood be considered valuable as fuel. What delightful avenues might be formed, what vistas cut by the hand of taste! Some traveller describes an American, who, on landing on a part of England or Ireland, which was remarkably destitute of trees, exclaimed, "What a charming country this is, without any woods to intercept one's view!" and from what I see, I am induced to think the story a very true one; for I am sure there are many here that would cry, "how charming the country, if there were no woods in it!" To a new settler the sound of the axe is the cheering indication of comfort and competence; and if idleness, or a fondness for hunting, as is too frequently the case with this class of men, seduces them from their business, in a way which the industrious habits of an English farmer would not allow, it is only one of the many proofs before my eyes, of the ease with which every man may support his family here. The close calculations which an English farmer is obliged to make of the probable result of his labour, appear to these people to be incredible; and they cannot conceive a state of things, in which it is necessary to ascertain the price which grain is likely to bring at the ensuing harvest, in order to know how much rent, per acre, he can afford to give for his farm. Indeed, accuracy of calculation is little thought of. A common way of purchasing a farm here is this; a person goes to the owner

and makes a contract for a lot of one or two hundred acres, to be paid for in a certain number of annual instalments. He has no money, perhaps no kind of property; he goes to work for a few days in the neighbourhood, and with the profit of this he purchases an axe and some provisions. He then begins to cut down the trees on his own lot; and so either becomes the owner of a good farm, if industrious, by gradually converting the forests into fields, and his log hut into a comfortable house and barn, or if idle and a hunter, after a few years, he gives place to one of more application, who performs on the lot that which the first ought to have done. Wherever industry is found here, it appears to be attended with success. I have been particular in asking, as a general question, do you know any industrious, prudent man, whose circumstances are not improving, and I can hear of none.

A few days ago, two men came into Mr. Rose's office. He said to me, "Here are two of my industrious settlers; ask them how they have made out." I did so. One had come into the country three years before; he brought with him about five hundred dollars worth of property, not money, but cattle, furniture, &c.; his farm of two hundred acres, which he has paid for by his industry, and his stock, are now worth three thousand dollars. The other came into the country eight years ago; he brought with him property worth six hundred dollars; he has also paid for two hundred acres of land, and is