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of the health and the prolongation of the lives of the inhabitants ?
Even the desire of accumulating riches is'often interrupted at present
here, for as soon as the yellow fever makes its appearance,'-all
commercial business in this place is at a stand, and that, too, in the
very best season of the# year for trade. At the commencement of
this present month of July, the inhabitants have been several times
greatly alarmed by a report of some signs of the fever; and now, at
the end of this month, a prevailing disorder, the influenza, is spreading
rapidly, but the people console themselves with the hope, that
however severe this disease may be, it will not be followed by the
still more dreadful scourge, the yellow fever.
As I am speaking of diseases and deaths, I am sorry to fin'd* by
the American papers, that to all appearance Mungo Park has lost
his life in'his travels in Africa. Though hè was certainly excellently
qualified for such a difficult undertaking, and a man of a most patient
and enduring character, yet there was too much reason to fear
that hé would ultimately fall , a sacrifice to his ardent spirit Of enter-
prize. * Perhaps the best method for an European government who
wishes to obtain a knowledge of the interior parts of Africa, would
be, to employ two or three Armenian merchants, who are known to
travel through all Africa to sell their goods to the different negro
nations; with these merchants also should be sent the European
traveller; he should be dressed like the Armenians,and pass also for
a merchant, by which means hè would avoid the . suspicion of the
people through whose country he passes; and the Armenian merchants
could give him proper advice in sickness, or assist him in
Other exigences. I cannot help thinking that if Mr. Park had travelled
in such a way as this, we should not have lostthe continuance
of his labours, but have profited still more by his valuable, discoveries.
There is no information to be had of Mr. H .Th—. Thé landlord
of this hotel thinks that soine years ago a pefson of this name lodged
in his ho'üsë; but off asking him if he recollected any gentleman of
this tOwff who had been acqffai n't’ècP with him, he harshly ^replied,
“ h©'#j^uld he remefriber any particular person out of s8 many
hundreds-who are* daily-1 coming and gOirtg* fifom his houS^ ?’ It’ is
true?hisreCollection seems to faih lfuh óftehï’for' I have heard him
disputing with a passenger whën he had made a trffi^ke in the bill,
and sue If a thing has also happened to me; but from the'great eld
tent of his concern, confusion multpimdofibtedlysonletimes arise*,
evéh' without any wilful intention on his part, and as mine? was not
a considerable"bbjëct, I paid it Without any deiriur. 1
Mr. W. has been so goéd as to offering that if Pintended making
a tour to the different states,- he iwould ‘provide me witli the
means for it, which I readily accepted. As the influenza- still continues?
to spread very mueW/ I therefore am the more desirous to
leave this - city. ’<i
I will nol'vènture to give yöu a full description of all those placed
in the United States which I intend to-Visit, as this has‘ been done
so; largely by travellers who have long" resided here, and cbtisei
quently had a better ‘opportunity of seefng the'country; therefore^
I shall only just attempt a slight sketch Of what comes under my
observation."
On the thirty-first o f July I set Off for Philadelphia''jjudsbh
rivèr, which is crossed in a ferry boat, is hër§ éstëemed to bé above
a mile and quarter wide. On the opposite shólre,- at Pauls Nook,
I got into the stage coach, taking this mannffr of travelling at present
as the most advisable method.
The road "is good, and where it* passes thrdh^h the gfèat Jedat
swamps, a causeway is made Of logs, lying Close' togëthli, across*
the road, and covered with earth, dug out of Jhè ditfehéé Pri èach
side'thé road.
The boroughs and small towns'lying on this road, appefar to be
very wealthy, and they increase in importan&Pthe nearer you come
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