to all, and singular, our faithful subjects within our province of maryland, greeting. whereas there is a pleasant and commodious place for trade . laid out for a town, and port, and called annapolis, in honour of us. this city was intended for the emporium of the province; and surely no spot ever _seemed_ better calculated for a town of trade and commerce. far to the south, and in one of the most pleasant and healthy situations in america; as the seat of government, being the greatest, and indeed then _only_ mercantile town in the province; the bay of chesapeak, and adjacent rivers, wafting the tobacco and other produce of the country to this mart at a trifling expense; a harbour where ships might ride at anchor in perfect security, and where wharfs, with sufficient depth of water for a vessel of eight hundred tons, might be formed with very little trouble: but unfortunately these advantages were rendered abortive by the bite of a small insect; the worms are so troublesome in these waters, that a vessel lying in this harbour during the summer months will be as full of holes as a honey-comb. baltimore, a town on a similar inlet from the bay, about thirty miles hence, being free from this plague, (by having a great proportion of fresh water from the patapsico in its harbour) has drawn all the trade from the _capital_: the annapolians have now but _one_ square-rigged vessel belonging to their port, while their rivals have many hundreds, and drive a brisk trade to the four quarters of the globe. annapolis is whimsically laid out, the streets verging from each other, like rays from a centre. it is still the seat of government; and its state-house is by much the best building i have seen in america. this little city is now the retreat of some of the best families in the state. the inhabitants in general are passionately fond of theatrical entertainments, and received us with a degree of kindness and hospitality which claims our warmest acknowledgments. i spend my time here very agreeably. the politeness, ease, and conviviality of the annapolians form a strong and pleasing contrast to the behaviour of the stiff, gloomy and unsocial bigots i was lately surrounded with in the jerseys. next to virginia, this state was the most famous for tobacco-plantations; but the people now find the culture of wheat more profitable, as well as less injurious to the soil. no plant impoverishes the earth so much by its growth as tobacco; many plantations, owing to successive crops of this _weed_, are what is here called _worn out_; formerly, when their land was in this state, instead of endeavouring to bring it round by a few fallow years and manure, as in england, they immediately cleared a fresh tract. they now begin to use manure, and have discovered a very extraordinary kind; viz. antediluvian oyster-shells, large beds of which are found a few feet beneath the surface of the earth in several parts of the state[footnote: see bartrams account of a similar bed in georgia, page 213.]: these being laid on the land, are, by the effect of the air, crumbled into dust in a few days, and fertilize the earth in an astonishing degree.farewell.conclude me yours very sincerely, &c. _philadelphia, 27th february, 1794._ dear friend, on the fourth instant i left annapolis on my way to this city. after travelling eight miles, we passed through a long and dreary wood; here we met two negroes conveying a coffin on a sort of sledge. on inquiry, one of them informed us, the coffin contained the corpse of his mother; that on the death of his old master, his parents were sold to different planters, which his father took so much to heart, that he died soon after; his mother only survived him about five months; and they were now complying with her last request, which was, to be carried to a plantation about eight miles thence, and there buried with her husband. there seemed a great degree of dejection in the poor fellows countenance; and i could not help telling him, by way of consolation, that his father and mother were gone to a better place, where there was no distinction of colour, and where no white man would dare again to part them; but as _words_ are _wind_, we agreed to administer some more _solid_ consolation, which the black man received with a look of gratitude, then cast his eye towards his mothers corpse, and shed a silent tear. why was not _sterne_ present at this scene? i slept at an inn, about twenty miles from annapolis, where we supped in the american fashion on fried squirrels and coffee, the former excellent. _feb. 5th_.arrived at baltimore, and hired a caravan with four horses, which is here called a stage: the same afternoon we arrived at the susquana. this noble river, which is here about a mile and a quarter wide, was frozen hard. our _advanced guard_ crossed the day before, in a ferry boat: this circumstance will give you some idea of the severity of the cold in this climate. a negro slave, belonging to the ferry, undertook to drive our stage over the river for two dollars, which his _master put into his pocket_, and ordered _sambo_ to proceed; the fellow drove boldly, and was across in a few minutes, the ice cracking most horribly all the way. i suppose i need not inform you, we were _not_ in the carriage. on the evening of the 7th we slept at wilmington, a pleasantly situate town on the banks of a creek, which joins the delaware, about thirty miles below philadelphia. there are about thirty square-rigged vessels, beside sloops, and schooners, belonging to this port, which was originally a danish settlement. the next morning i walked to brandywine, to see the grist mills, which are said to be the best in the united states. about five miles from this village was fought the battle of brandywine. this was washingtons last effort to stop general howes progress, and save philadelphia. the royal army being victorious, they got possession of that city without opposition. general washington, after rallying his troops, took a very advantageous situation on a chain of hills, a few miles west of the british army. we dined at chester. this little town is situated on the delaware, and is the same to philadelphia that gravesend is to london. ships outward bound here receive their passengers, &c