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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
are by no means so frequent as in England; where you have the wind from every point of the
compass, and experience all the seasons of the year in twenty-four hours!
Recollect these observations on the climate of America are confined to the middle states,
including Virginia in this description. Those of the north, and south, are somewhat different; but I
am informed the country to the S.W. of the Allegany Mountains is materially different. The
distance the N.W. wind has to travel to this country, and the opposition it meets with from those
mountains, in a great measure meliorates and destroys those penetrating qualities, which make this wind
so formidable to the Atlantic States. I have heard so many extraordinary accounts of the South-western
territory, that I have long made up my mind to visit that country: two trifling reasons alone
prevented me; viz. want of time and money; and from some disagreeable intelligence I
have lately received from Wells, instead of climbing the Allegany, I apprehend I shall
soon be obliged to cross the Atlantic; in which case, I shall have the pleasure of returning you
thanks in person for your obliging attention to my order concerning the........... which I received by the
Peggy.
At present I must content myself by assuring you of my being
Your obliged friend, &c.
Philadelphia, September 13th, 1796.
DEAR SIR,
I write this in my way to Boston, where I am going to fulfil my engagement with W - - , the particulars of
which I informed you of in a former letter.
When I arrived at Newcastle, I had the mortification to find upwards of one hundred irish passengers on
board the packet.
For some time before I left Baltimore, our papers were full of a shocking transaction, which took place
on board an irish passenger ship, containing upwards of three hundred. It is said, that, owing to the cruel
usage they received from the captain, such as being put on a very scanty allowance of
water[Footnote: By a law of the United States, the quantity of water and provision every vessel is obliged
to take (in proportion to the length of the passage and persons on board) is clearly defined. A master of a
vessel violating this law forfeits five hundred dollars.] and provision, a contagious disorder broke out on
board, which carried off great numbers; and, to add to their distress, when they arrived in the Delaware,
they were obliged to perform quarantine, which, for some days, was equally fatal.
The disorder was finally got under by the physicians belonging to the Health Office. We had several of
the survivors on board, who confirmed all I had heard: indeed their emaciated appearance was a
sufficient testimony of what they had suffered. They assured me, the captain sold the ship's water by the
pint; and informed me of a number of shocking circumstances, which I will not wound your feelings by
relating.
It is difficult to conceive how a multitude of witnesses can militate against a fact; but more so,
how three hundred passengers could tamely submit to such cruelties, from a bashaw of a captain.
I am happy to inform you the Philadelphia Hibernian Society are determined to prosecute this flesh
butcher for murder; As the manner of carrying on this trade in human flesh is not
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