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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
wanting to make his chimney and oven. He then clears a few acres by cutting down the large trees about
four feet from the ground[Footnote: These stumps are many years rotting, and, when completely
rotted, afford an excellent manure.], grubs up the underwood, splits some of the large timber for railing
fences, and sets fire to the rest upon the spot; ploughs round the stumps of the large timber, and in May
plants maize, or indian corn. In October he has a harvest of eight hundred or a thousand fold. This is
every thing to him and his family. Indian corn, ground and made into cakes, answers the end of bread,
and when boiled with meat, and a small proportion of a sort of kidney-bean (which it is usual to sow with
this grain), it makes an excellent dish, which they call hominy. They also coarsely pound the
indian corn, and boil it for five hours; this is by the Indians called mush ; and, when a proportion
of milk is added, forms their breakfast. Indian corn is also the best food for horses employed in
agriculture in this climate: black cattle, deer, and hogs are very fond of it, and fatten better than on any
other grain. It is also excellent food for turkies, and other poultry.
When this harvest is in, he provides himself with a cow, and a few sheep and hogs; the latter run wild in
the woods. But for a few years he depends chiefly on his rifle, and faithful dog; with
these he provides his family with deer, bear, racoon, &c.; but what he values most are the black, and gray
squirrels; these animals are large and numerous, are excellent roasted, and make a soup exceedingly rich
and nourishing.
He gradually clears his land, a few acres every year, and begins to plant wheat, tobacco, &c. These,
together with what hogs, and other increase of his stock he can spare, as also the skins of deer, bear, and
other animals he shoots in the woods, he exchanges with the nearest storekeeper, for clothing, sugar,
coffee, &c.
In this state he suffers much for want of the comforts and even necessaries of life. Suppose him
afflicted with a flux or fever, attacked by a panther, bitten by a rattle-snake, or any other of the dreadful
circumstances peculiar to his situation: but, above all, suppose a war to break out between the Indians,
and him, and his whole family scalped, and their plantations burnt!
The following extract from an American work very feelingly describes him under these cruel
apprehensions: -
EXTRACT.
"You know the position of our settlement; therefore I need not describe it. To the west it is enclosed by a
chain of mountains, reaching to - - . To the east, the country is yet but very thinly inhabited. We are
almost insulated, and the houses are at a considerable distance from each other. From the mountains we
have but too much reason to expect our dreadful enemy, the Indians; and the wilderness is a harbour,
where it is impossible to find them. It is a door through which they can enter our country at any time; and
as they seem determined to destroy the whole frontier, our fate cannot be far distant. From lake
Champlain almost all has been conflagrated, one after another. What renders these incursions still more
dreadful is, that they most commonly take place in the dead of the night. We never go to our fields, but
we are seized with an involuntary fear, which lessens our strength, and weakens our labour. No other
subject of discourse intervenes between the different accounts, which spread through the country, of
successive acts of devastation; and these, told in chimney corners, swell themselves in our affrighted
imaginations into the most terrific ideas. We never sit down, either to dinner, or supper, but the least
noise spreads a general alarm, and prevents us from enjoying the comforts of our meals. The very
appetite proceeding from labour and peace of mind is gone! Our sleep is disturbed by the most frightful
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