to a small spot of earth, they have traversed the Ocean. While the husbandman has followed the plough, or brandished the sickle, the inhabitant of Province Town has coasted the shores of Greenland, swept the Brazilian seas, or crossed the Pacific Ocean, in chase of the whale. Who, that has circumnavigated the globe, will not look down on him, who has scarcely travelled out of his native county, or spent life on his own farm?

The truth is; a great part of human happiness or misery arises from comparison merely. Our misfortunes spring not from our poverty; for we are rarely poor in such a sense as to suffer; but from a perception, that we are not so rich as others. To this spirit there are no bounds. Alexander would have been contented with Macedon, had there been no Persia, with Persia had the Indus and the Ocean limited the Asiatic continent, and with the station of a man, had there been in his apprehension no Gods. Where objects of superiority and comparison do not exist, the pain arising from this source, is not felt. Such, in a good degree, is the situation of these people. Their lot is the lot of all around them. They have little to covet, because they possess most of what is seen and known. Happily, Providence has, in cases of real importance, conciliated us, partially at least, to the sources of our enjoyment. Were we naturally, and generally, prompted to an universal comparison of our condition with that of others, how many who are now satisfied, would make themselves miserable, because they were not seated on thrones, and wielding sceptres. How many would pine, that they were not to glitter on the page of the historian and the poet. How many would spend life in sighing for the fine enthusiasm of Spencer and Beattie, the exquisite elegance of Addison and Virgil, or the sublime raptures, which thrilled in the bosom of Homer, Milton, or Isaiah.

Province Town, in 1790, contained 434 inhabitants; in 1800, 812; in 1802, there were 198 families, and, by a proportional calculation, 946 persons; rather less than five to a family; and, in 1810, 936.

Wednesday, September 30th, we left our hospitable and friendly inn; and rode to Harwich: thirty-five miles. We began our

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journey at an early hour, in order to take the benefit of a hard path, furnished by that part of the beach, which is covered by the tide at high-water. For several miles we were presented with a fine view of the Atlantic, now rolling against the shore under the pressure of a strong wind with inexpressible grandeur. After we had ascended the high ground on which stands the church of Truro, I was struck with the resemblance between this spot and some parts of Scotland, as they are often exhibited in description. "Bleak and barren," like "Scotia's Hills," the country seemed to forbid the cultivation and the hopes of man. Providence appeared, in the very formation of the ground, to have destined it to accidental visitation, or eternal solitude. In spite of facts the imagination irresistibly asked, who, that could make his retreat, would fix his residence here.

On this ground there is a handsome light-house, stationed upon a mass of clay remarkable for its firmness, and not less so for being found here. General Lincoln, a gentleman to whom his country is indebted for many important services, superintended its erection and it is said to be contrived in a manner uncommonly useful.

On our way we passed through the town of Wellfleet; and found the houses generally like those heretofore described, but with more appearances of attention and taste.

Here we saw a collection of sand-hills, surrounding the harbour. They were of different sizes, and, in some degree, of different figures; but were all obtuse cones, smooth, regular, and elegant. Such a number, adorning a handsome piece of water, winding beautifully until it opened with a vista-like passage into the bay, were, after all the similar objects which we had seen, new and interesting. No mass of earth is comparable to these hills for regularity and elegance of figure, and surface. Were they as cheerful as they are regular, were they dressed with the verdure which so generally adorns New-England, they would be among the most beautiful objects in nature.

* Beattie's Minstrel.

At Wellfleet formerly lived Colonel Elisha Doane, who amassed in this spot an estate of £120,000 sterling.

In 1790, Wellfleet contained 1,113 inhabitants; in 1800, 1,207; and, in 1810, 1,402.

At Eastham we changed our road a few miles before we reached Orleans; and, after passing by the church, an ordinary building in indifferent repair, entered a large sandy waste, lying towards the bay. Here, about one thousand acres were entirely blown away to the depth, in many places, of ten feet. Nothing can exceed the dreariness and desolation of this scene. Not a living creature was visible; not a house; nor even a green thing, except the whortleberries, which tufted a few lonely hillocks, rising to the height of the original surface, and prevented by this defence from being blown away also. These, although they varied the prospect, added to the gloom by their strongly picturesque appearance, by marking exactly the original level of the plain, and by shewing us in this manner the immensity of the mass, which had thus been carried away by the wind. The beach grass had been planted here, and the ground had been formerly enclosed; but the gates had been left open, and the cattle had destroyed this invaluable plant. The inhabitants were, I presume, discouraged, and yielded up their possessions to ruin. When and where this evil will stop, cannot easily be calculated; for the sand spreads a perfect sterility in its progress, and entirely desolates the ground, on which it falls. The impression, made by this landscape, cannot be realized without experience. It was a compound of wildness, gloom, and solitude. I felt myself transported to the borders of Nubia, and was well prepared to meet the sandy columns, so forcibly described by Bruce, and after him by Darwin. A troop of Bedouins would have finished the picture, banished every thought of our own country, and set us down in an African

waste.

The day had now become very warm; the wind blew from behind us; the sand was very deep; and our horses were obliged to move slowly, and with extreme difficulty. Nothing could better VOL. III.

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elucidate the strength and beauty of that fine image of Isaiah; "A weary land;" and to us "the shadow of a great rock" would have been inexpressibly delightful.

The rocks on this peninsula terminated upon our road, in Orleans. They are the common, grey granite of the country.

We lodged at Harwich with a Captain A. This man had been thirty years at sea, and, as he informed us with emphasis, had seen the world. Now he was the principal farmer in Harwich, and cut annually from four to eight loads of English hay;* a greater quantity, as he told us, than was cut by any single farmer further down the Cape. A farmer in the interiour, who cuts annually from one to two hundred tons, may perhaps smile at this story.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

Spear grass.

LETTER XI.

Return to Sandwich-Mission among the Indians at Massapee-Visit to the Rev. Gideon Hawley, the missionary-Description of the peninsula of Cape Cod—Its soil, population, &c.

Dear Sir,

THE next morning, Thursday, October 1st we rode to Yarmouth, nine miles, to breakfast; and spent a considerable time in examining the salt works of Peter Thatcher, Esq. Hence we proceeded to Marshpee, or Massapee; fifteen, to dinner. In the evening we returned to Sandwich; twelve: in all thirty-six miles. Our road was better than on the three preceding days.

Massapee is one of the few tracts in the populous parts of NewEngland, which are still occupied by the Aborigines. A missionary has been regularly supported here, with small interruptions, from the establishment of this Indian colony by the efforts of Mr. Richard Bourne, the first missionary. This gentleman, with a disinterestedness, and piety, highly honourable to him, obtained, in the year 1660, a deed from an Indian, named Quachatisset, and others, to the Indians of Massapee, or, as they were then called the South Sea Indians, covering the tract which bears this name. The instrument was so drawn, that the land could never be sold without the consent of every Indian, belonging to the settlement. On this foundation he began a mission to this place; and was ordained as a missionary in 1670. In 1685, he died; and was succeded by an Indian preacher, named Simon Popmonet, who lived in this character about forty years; and was succeeded, in 1729, by Mr. Joseph Bourne, a descendant of Richard. This gentleman resigned the office in 1742; and was followed by a second Indian Missionary, a regular minister, and a good, sensible preacher. During his life two gentlemen were successively candidates for the office; but, being powerfully opposed, neither of them was inducted. In 1758, the Rev. Gideon Hawley was installed as the pastor of these people.