The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-06-28
TRAVELLERS IN AMERICA.

Teaoiiy OBTAIN the acqulefCcDce or the people.
TRAVELLERS IN AMERICA.
1t has grown into a fort of proverb, that book $
OF travels are generally fraught with erroneous
descriptions, conversations that were never held,
countries that were never feen and characters
that were never ftudied. Many of thefe have
been written in the clofct by men, who have
employed their Imagination upon countries
which their feet have never traverfed. Mott of
them have been publiiled by men who have
Teen what they had no opportunity to faudy,
and whole eye took in fuch a variety of objects.
that they had neither the with nor the power
to fcan them with precifon. Scarcely one of
them has been written by an author, who fat
down cody to defcribe what he had cody fur
veyed, and who anly anxious TO transfer that
very imprefiion to his readers mind which ex-
ifted upon his own, rejects all the bewitchihg
embellishments Of fancy and fyle. All travel
writers indulge the fame though not an equal H.
cenfe of defcription, which ihoulG belong ONLY
to the poet and the novelift. They are not 70
anx'oust0 tell what is true, as to make out
lone tale that is ftriking. Even when they
draw their groundwork from experience, it is
the imagination alone that fupplies the colour
ing. Almoft every thing is Trained to the ftl-
per'afi:c drprec. They people every country
through which they pats, with the very beft or
very WORT of men; monitors and prodgies
tart up under their prolific pen, and when their
painting comes under the eye of the
experienced connoif1eur, of the very man
whole country they had deneated, he is per-
maps the very laft man in the world to recop-
niie the original from which it was taken.
Wehad no right to exnea that orr country
would have fallen into the hands of more cor
rect defcribers. Coming from Europe as mott
ofthem have done. and returning to Europe be-
fore they publifhed their works, they had the
advantage of feeling and drfcrihng a country
which was upwards of 5000 miles beyond the
circle OF their readers and the back parts of
which were feldom vifited even by the natives
on the coat. Men may lye with fafety about
iuch remote objects, when there are 70 MANY to
believe and 10 few TO contradict. We fee eve
ry day that even facts of the mott public noto-
rlety are materially changed in their nature by
trip acrofs the Atlantic. Was il not the o.
ther day, for inhance, that we expoied Il MOT
material mihaiement in Paris priut of that
part OF the preiident's Ian neiage to conrrefs.
which related to the st. Domingo trade Was
It NOT IN our laft paper that we publifhed a
trange account from the celebrated astronomer
Laiande OF Tome proceedings of the fenate that
were laid to have been held on Col. Burr'striaI ?
When we fee fuch facts as thefe 70 ftrancely
:. NtN - NV" Va" VIZ expect THAT tNe varying &
diverhfied manners of our countrymen fbould
meet with more faithful hiftorians,
The lit Of American travellers has indeed
been iDali and It is much to be regretted that
their errors had not been equally 70. They
have almoft without exception given falfe CO.
loring to our manners and they have no, al
ways put II on with the mott friendly hand.
Even the cool and phofophic yolney. from
whom we might have expected greater truth &,
rivility, has in the very few words which he
has expended upon our Manners in his laf yo-
Iume of travels fallen into the mott Ridiculous
miitakes about our diet and cookery. "Our paf.
try he declares " is pumpkin pye, and nothing
hut half baked greafy dough and all orr ora.
vles, even that for roaa Beef are nothing more,
than melted butter TheEe fpecimens are fif-
hcicnt ~ fhow the very extravagant centuries
which he would have paffed upon our manners,
had ne INDUCED his fpIeen in drawing them at
full length. To an American who fsw him ~
Paris after his return, he reprefented every thing
among us in the mott contemplate COLOURS.
Our roads were imr.qabIe our IandCcaues
were rude and " our women were iuh fitted
for fuch men,"
Is any Of our readers acquainted with the
perfon and character Of another of thofe travel
lers, who has lately figured upon the faee /?
We obferve him under the name of Thaniod |:
and have the following defcription from his
pen, rs it has been pubifhed in a late London
paper, of our national cufoms:
VtaoISIAN MANNERs--A French TRAVELLED
TnANIoD who has lately returned from Virginia. thus
defcribes he Of the Inhabitants of that Cn
try" The Virginian isproud--he Is fond Of ex-
penee but he pays for !, as fedom as pofibe. Lob
ling negiigcnty afopha with duid Of tobacco in
his mouth he enters into Dragging deferpton of hi,
hunting, enueratcs hi, hores defcribes them and his
negroes, Of which be gives an account how many he
has bought and fold in his lifetime He !. always on
the point Of building eegan, co0nfry-houf and no.
thing delays him but plaguy troublefome l,w-fp,.
He rcafonably fond Of his wife, and mt averfe 10 his
children but is paionatey attached to his gaeforI
He would rot part with him Tor 200 guiaeas though