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but are, with one exception we are about to notice, without interest or value.

Of those few parts, which contain information or amusement, we will now quote some specimens; and the first is that to which we have just alluded.

Mr. Melish gives rather an interesting account of his native parish of Methven in Scotland; it affords some knowledge respecting the state of society in that country.-The whole parish is owned by two proprietors, thence called heritors. The whole land being entailed, the farmers occupy their farms on rent from the proprietors, generally having leases of nineteen

years.

"The legal provision for the minister of the parish consists of a house, called the manse; about 30 acres of land called the glebe; and the remainder is paid by the heritors, who generally indemnify themselves by assessing it on the farmers, to whom they let the land. The whole of the minister's income, in this parish, is about £300. The average in Scotland, generally, may be reckoned about 200. In every parish there is what is called a patron, who has the gift of presentation; that is, when a vacancy takes place, he provides a candidate of his choice, and presents him to the people. If they vote for him, he is thenceforth minister of the parish; if they are dissatisfied, he is settled as minister of the parish, whether they will or not. In consequence of this law, a great schism took place in the church, and in almost every populous parish there is a seceder meeting. In this parish nearly two thirds of the people are seceders.

"The school-master is appointed by the heritors, and the legal provision in this parish is a house, school-house, and a garden. A small income arises from the office of session clerk; and, I believe, there are some little perquisites besides. The remainder of the income arises from the quarterly payments of such as go to school. It is now one shilling and six-pence per quarter, but in my young days it was only one shilling. The seceders have sometimes a school-master, and sometimes not."

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"I cannot better explain the order of the school and church, and their connexion one with another, than by giving a short sketch of the plan followed in my early life, which will also explain the moral economy of the parish.

"When I was five years of age, we lived a little more than half a mile from the village; and I was sent to school along with an elder brother. The first book used in the school was the Shorter Catechism, which cost one half-penny. The next in order was the Proverbs, price one penny; the third was the New Testament, price

seven-pence or eight-pence. I went through the first two books, of course, and at seven years of age was in the New Testament, at which time we removed to the village. The next gradation was the Bible, accompanied by writing, and from thence to Latin and arithmetic; the writing being continued. The hour of attendance in the morning was 9 o'clock in summer, and 10 o'clock in winter; and the school was opened by a short prayer. We had an interval from 1 to 2, and were dismissed at 6 o'clock in summer, and in winter a little before dark; when we had again a short prayer. The Saturdays were devoted to repeat questions in the catechism; and on Sunday, besides attendance at church, which was strictly enjoined, we had to get a psalm by heart, which we repeated in the school on Monday morning. Those farther advanced in education, got by heart the proofs to the Shorter Catechism; and sometimes we were appointed to repeat them in church, after the morning service.

"The people assembled at church at 10 o'clock in the morning, when the exercise began by singing from 8 to 12 lines of the Scots psalms. The school-master was precentor, and all the people joined, often forming a most melodious concert. After singing,

the minister prayed, and then read a portion of the scriptures, on which he gave a lecture, which generally lasted about 40 minutes. When it was finished he gave out another psalm to be sung, and this was called the mid-psalm. The minister then prayed, gave a sermon and a prayer after it. He then gave out another psalm, and, with a benediction, dismissed the congregation." *

"In summer there was an interval of about an hour, when the congregation again met, and the afternoon exercise was conducted in the same way, with the exception of the lecture and mid-psalm. "The worship in the seceder church was performed exactly in the same way, but was longer continued; and they had an interval both in summer and winter.

"The religious tenets of the parish were Calvinistic, in which the established church were pretty liberal; but the seceders were very rigid and austere. No part of the discipline however had any tendency to clash with the established habits of the people, except. that which prohibited promiscuous dancing; that is, men and women dancing together. We had-for my mother was a seceder, and I was one of course—we had frequent addresses from the pulpit on the profanity of this exercise." vol. i. PP. 324-327.

These addresses however, and the exhortations of "the old douce elders and 'unco guid' of the congregation," Mr. Melish informs us produced very little effect; for that dancing was a most favorite amusement.

We return to America. Mr. Melish gives us some account of that barren, swampy, unhealthy part of the southern states, which

lies between the sea shore and the hilly country: the latter commencing from about eighty to one hundred and twenty miles from the sea. Mr. Melish was travelling southward. On the tenth of October he left Raleigh in North Carolina. "The country," he says, "was one continued dull scene of sand and pine barrens." The next day

"The country became more and more dismal, and was very thinly inhabited. The day was rainy, damp, and disagreeable; the creeks swelled beyond their natural limits, which made crossing , very difficult; and the people looked pale and sickly."....."At one creek we found the bridge so shattered, that we had to unloose the horses and drag over the stage." vol. i. pp. 256, 257.

The day following

"The country became still more dismal, and the creeks were more swelled; so that we prosecuted our journey with great difficulty, and at length we met with an accident which proved fatal to one of the horses." vol. i. p. 257.

This accident was occasioned by a bridge out of repair.

"A few miles beyond this we reached the stage, where we dined. Our dinner, as at Lumberton, was black bacon; our drink, new peach brandy. But our troubles were only beginning. A mile from where we dined we had to cross Ashpole swamp, about one third of a mile in breadth; and here I met with something new. We swam across in the stage, and it was with difficulty that I preserved the mail from a complete soaking. When I observed the forehorses plunge, I called out to the driver whether we must swim. "O yes,' says he, 'swim away through thick and thin.' I requested that he would remove the mail to a higher seat. He was not for losing time. I insisted I might be allowed to remove my trunk; and this being granted, I prevailed on him to assist me in moving the mail also; which being done, he dashed right through the creek." vol. i. p. 258.

Soon after he passed the boundary line into South Carolina. But he says

"Although we had passed into a different state, we had neither a more beautiful country, nor a better road. The one was flat, swampy, and dismal; the other was bad in the extreme." vol. i. p.

264.

The next day

"On getting up this morning, at day-light, I found the driver, a young lad of about 18, was not inclined to go on with the stage,

and Mr. Ford, the postmaster, seemed very indifferent whether he went or not. The driver alleged that there was a bridge broken on a creek about 18 miles distant, which he could not possibly get `across, and it was of no use to try. I asked when it would be passable. He replied drily, 'Perhaps in a month.' 'And are we to wait here a month?' 'I suppose so,' said he, with great sang froid. I appealed to the postmaster, but he appeared willing to leave it to the driver's discretion."

* *

"Having got this matter adjusted, we travelled 15 miles to Reedy creek, the soil sandy, the woods pine, and many swamps by the way. The banks of this creek were overflowed to the breadth of a quarter of a mile on each side. About a mile beyond this, the driver took a passage through the woods, the assistant driver acting as pioneer, and after travelling in this way nearly 3 miles, we came to the creek, concerning which we had the altercation in the morning. It was not broad, but very deep, and choaked up with roots and brushwood. I did not like its appearance; but there was no alternative; we must either go through or return. Having secured the mail from the water, and taking some precautions in case of being upset, we plunged in, swam right across, reached the opposite bank in safety; and travelling about a mile more, through trackless woods, we regained the road, very much to my satisfaction." * * * *

"We were hardly ever out of swamps and creeks. Six miles from our swimming creek, we reached Maple swamp; and here the bridge was also broken, and we had to get across in a flat, which detained us a considerable time." * * *

*

"We stopped here for breakfast, but the family were all sick with fever and ague, in consequence of which we were long detained. It was, however, at last produced, and consisted of unsightly coffee, brown bread, some bacon and butter, which looked like train oil thickened with salt.' I had just put the cup to my lips, when I heard a violent retching in the adjoining room.... I could not bear it, and urged to be gone; but the drivers seemed to be accustomed to these sort of scenes, and ate their coarse fare with all the composure imaginable." pp. 264–267.

During the remainder of his journey to Charleston Mr. Melish continued to travel through a country flat, sandy, full of swamps, and intersected by numerous creeks. The bridges were, for the most part, broken down or out of repair. He was detained for a day at a little place called Willton, which he describes as eminently wretched. Here however he was hospitably received at the inn, kept by an Irishman; but found him and the doctor of the place afflicted with the ague. On the Vol. III. No. 2.

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sixth day after his leaving Raleigh he set out in the morning from Georgetown. Thirty miles from this place, he says

"we stopped for dinner, where we had a view of the Atlantic ocean; and this was several times repeated in our journey onward. There was no other variety, for the country is one continued sand flat, with drifting sand and pine trees." vol. i. p. 272.

On the evening of the same day, he arrived at Charleston.

Of the western country Mr. Melish gives us little new information. He describes the state of Ohio with its neighbourhood, as it has been described by others, fertile, healthy, temperate in its climate, and abounding in the necessaries of life. He repeatedly gives the prices of labor and those of the articles of use and subsistence, and frequently mentions the ease with which a livelihood may be earned by labor. At Zanesville he says

"The price of labor is nearly the same all over the western country, a common laborer has 75 cents per day, brick-makers have 5 dollars per 1000 for bricks, and 2 dollars 50 cents for laying. Stone-cutters and carpenters work at the Philadelphia prices. Other trades have about 1 dollar per day.

"The markets are favorable to tradesmen and laborers. Houserent may be quoted at 36 to 50 dollars per annum; coal 5 cents per bushel, delivered; wood 1 dollar per cord, delivered; flour 4 dollars per barrel; meal 33 cents per cwt.; potatoes 25 cents per bushel; turnips 121; other vegetables plenty and cheap. Beef, mutton, and veal 3 to 4 cents per lb.; pork 2 dollars 50 cents per cwt.; bacon 10 cents per lb.; venison 25 per ham; fowls 61 each; ducks 12; geese 37; wild turkeys 25; hog's lard 3 per lb.; cheese and butter 121; whisky and peach-brandy 40 per gallon; cyder 5 dollars per barrel; salt 1 dollar 50 cents per bushel; fish very plenty and cheap. Boarding from 1 dollar 75 cents to 2 dollars 50 cents per week." vol. ii. p. 233.

The prices which he has given for other parts of the western country do not vary materially from the preceding.

We might perhaps, if our limits would allow it, make a few more extracts, particularly from Mr. Melish's account of his travels in the western country. But on the whole, his book contains very little to give it value to any class of readers.

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