salted, and, if I mistake not, are sold at a dollar and a half
per thousand. Whiskey, however, flows every where at the
same fatally cheap rate of twenty cents (about one shilling)
the gallon, and its hideous effects are visible on the coun-
tenance of every man you meet.

The class of people the most completely unlike any ex-
isting in England, are those who, farming their own, free-
hold estates, and often possessing several slaves, yet live
with as few of the refinements, and I think I may say, with
as few of the comforts of life, as the very poorest English
peasant. When in Maryland, I went into the houses of sev-
eral of these small proprietors, and remained long enough
and looked and listened sufficiently, to obtain a tolerably
correct idea of their manner of living.

One of these families consisted of a young man, his wife,
two children, a female slave, and two young lads, slaves
also. The farm belonged to the wife, and, I was told, con-
sisted of about three hundred acres of indifferent land, but
all cleared. The house was built of wood, and looked as if
the three slaves might have overturned it, had they pushed
hard against the gable end. It contained one room, of
about twelve feet square, and another adjoining it, hardly
larger than a closet; this second chamber was the lodging-
room of the white part of the family. Above these rooms
was a loft, without windows, where I was told the "stay-
ing company" who visited them, were lodged. Near this
mansion was a "shanty," a black hole, without any window,
which served as a kitchen and all other offices, and also as
the lodging of the blacks.

We were invited to take tea with this family, and readily
consented to do so. The furniture of the room was one
heavy huge table, and about six wooden chairs. When we
arrived the lady was in rather a dusky dishabille, but she ve-
hemently urged us to be seated, and then retired into the

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