|
William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
Park, London. This walk commands some beautiful prospects of the adjacent continent.
Immediately opposite is the village and university of Cambridge.
To open an immediate communication between Boston and the university, the New Bridge was built on
the plan of Mr. Cox during his absence in Ireland; a great undertaking, including the causeways, which
are covered in the same manner as the water. This bridge is within a few feet of a mile in length,
by means of which, the bridge at Charleston, and the neck of the peninsula, our communication with the
continent is so complete, that we feel but few inconveniences from our insular situation. - We have a
plentiful supply of provision. Our fish-market is an excellent one: the following species are larger than I
remember seeing them in Europe; viz. hallibut, cod, mackarel, smelts, and lobsters. The first is often
brought to market weighing two hundred pounds. Dr. Belknap, in his History of New Hampshire, says,
that when full grown, they often exceed five hundred pounds weight. The cod are from seventy to eighty
pounds. Mackarel often exceed four, and lobsters sometimes thirty-five pounds weight. I
have preserved a claw of one of the latter, which weighed thirty pounds: this I shall bring home with me,
lest my friends should think that, in this particular, I take too liberal an advantage of the traveller's
privilege, which I assure you I do not, when I subscribe myself
Your sincere friend.
* * * * *
Boston, December 27th, 1796.
DEAR FRIEND,
There is no calamity the bostonians so much, and justly dread, as fire. Almost every part of the town
exhibits melancholy proofs of the devastation of that destructive element. This you will not wonder at,
when I inform you that three fourths of the houses are built with wood, and covered with
shingles, thin pieces of cedar, nearly in the shape, and answering the end of tiles. We have no regular
fire-men, or rather mercenaries, as every master of a family belongs to a fire-company: there are several
in town, composed of every class of citizens, who have entered into a contract to turn out with two
buckets at the first fire alarm, and assist to the utmost of their power in extinguishing the flames, without
fee or reward.
I awoke this morning about two o'clock by the cry of fire, and the jingling of all the church bells, which,
with the rattling of the engines, call for water, and other et caetera of a bostonian fire-alarm, form
a concert truly horrible.
As sleep was impossible under such circumstances, I immediately rose, and found the town illuminated.
When the alarm is given at night, the female part of the family immediately place candles in the
windows. This is of great service in a town where there are few lamps.
I found the fire had broken out in one of the narrow streets, and was spreading fast on all sides. I was
much pleased with the regularity observed by these amateur fire-men. Each engine had a double
row, extending to the nearest water; one row passed the full, and the other the empty buckets. The
citizens not employed at the engines were pulling down the adjacent buildings, or endeavouring to save
the furniture; their behaviour was bold and intrepid. The wind blew fresh at N.W.; and nothing but such
uncommon exertions could possibly have saved the town, composed, as it is, of such combustible
|
