The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-09-09

tDeing fOund IncOnVenlenI In the snow DRIFTS
rom having two horses abreast. James anC
were put into tandem-slegh, about as large
: as pariour coal box, or larger, the driver
!, standing up TO drive.
II Our two companions followed with one
horse in similar sleigh; and away we went
lover the snow-drifts, the music Of our bell,
resembling concert Of Jews harps. Some
! times the bells of our companions suddenly
-lceased, or literally " dr0pt:" for, on LOOKING
tIbehind, we used TO find that their horse bad
ldisappeared,-his chin resting on snow drift
and his countenance exhibiting a most pite.
lous expression of he plessness AT other times
Tour horses fell through, and it was with great
ldithculty we extricated them the snow be-
ling sufficiently frozen TO be of a very incon-
-Ivenient consiatence, although not always hard
enough to carry US rapidly on its surface.
i Our horses were sometimes PROSTATE three OF
lonr Hples IN twenty yards Once we were
bhged TO be cut out, and at another time 10
have more than twenty men and several oxen
TO clear our way, the drifts on the road being
from six TO twelve feet deep. As we had ex.
cellent drivers, however, who drove with
lgreat rapidly where the road would admit Of
Int, we reached Portsmouth, sixty miles from
| Portland, at four o'clock-eleyen hours-af
Ter an amusing and agreeable, and in some
ldegree adventurous ride. TIE cold MORNING
was succeeded, as is often the case in this fck-
e Climate, by beautiful warm day and al
though the road, except in the vicinity Of the
pine hills, is rather level, the fir groves and
large masses of rock often combine with the
| open sea, which is almost constantly IN sight.
TO form rather interesting views. The coun-
Try is tolerably well settled, and we passed
through several little towns; bat the houses
being less frequently painted than in other
parts of New England, have neither the same
neat or hourlshng aspect. The people. how
ever seem every where busy and robust.
Portsmouth is a noble harbour on the Pts
cataqua, which is SO deep that the vessels dis
charge along the wharf; and SO rapid. that
even m this winter, the severest which has
been IN America, for at least forty years its
navigation has never been INTERRUPTED. A
hayward IS established near the town, where
Inc congress" and other ships of war were
oullt, and where they are now building a sew
enty-four gun frigate. Al the best boarding
house IN Portsmouth was full, went TO the
stage Inn, where found at breakfast The next
morning, amid motley group. one Of the
Judges and several lawyers. The Supreme
Court was to be opened early in the morning,
and as i was before my hours of commercial
calls, | attended to hear the Jury sworn in. and
the Judges charge. Roth the grand and petit
Jury, 10 the appearance of which could dis
Germ no difference, seemed to be composed Of
respectable yeomanry, of about the same rank
as our farmers of 3O0L to 5eOL per annum.
IHnu HefpnAaJ -
udge read not spoke, which greatly took from
It's elect, plain sensible charge, much to the
point. The aspect Of the court in general
pleased me, from the homely suitable appear
ance of those sfwhom it was composed home
spun clothes, with large buttons and long
waists, waistcoats, with the old triangular in
dentnre or pointed flaps, and hats with good
broad respectable brims the absence, in fact,
OF all aftectation Of fashion, or awkward at
temPts at city spruceness. This has pleased
me particularly throughout newfoundland. and
and forms contrast with the stvle of dress
which meets the eye generally in passing a.
long the road on the seaboard of the middle
and southern states, where blue coats, black
wastcoats and blue pantaloons, produce a
monotony far less agreeable and picturesque
than variety of dress adapted, or apparently
adapted, to the. various employments of the
wearers. had little opportunity Of seeing
the society of Portsmouth, as my stay was so
short but | met with some whose manners
convinced me that should have found re-
hned and polished circle there, if had re-
kmained.-From Portsmouth we reached New
b0ryport, where walked down towards sun
set, Tor shutdown, as il is always called in this
country TO the mouth Of the Merrimack, and
had noble view of the open sea. The roads
IN this part OF the country are excellent, and
lthe finger posts are so like ours pointing 10
salisbury, Ipswich, &c. that il was easy to i'm
agiue myself in the south Of England. Ii
most towns in NewEngland the houses gen
orally stand alone in a court or garden, with
lofty trees IN their immediate vicinity The
inn was large brick house, in which had a
Tspaclous bedroom, as neatly furnished as al
the pricipal-inns at Bath or Cheltenham. ]
arose very early the next morning, and spent
AN half hour ID churchvard in the neigh
bourhood, in the hope of seeing the sun rise
out of the Atlantic, few hours after he had
risen on you all in the East; but little invid-
ious cliff interviewed. The ocean, however.
was beautiful and this quiet churchyard on .
foreign shore gave rise to many solemn anc
very INTERESTING reflections. The god was
lWashington's birthday, which in the princi-
[pal cities, generally gave rise to public din
ners and balls. Here the afternoons seemed
to be made holiday, and the young men
turned out in great numbers, very nicely dress
led.
On the 23d, left Newburyport for Salem
rs miles distant, where we arrived at noon
The surface of the ground was generally wei
cultivated; but often observed immense rocks
apparently groioing in the fields, and evincing
that the country Immediately on the coast was
more indebted to man than TO nature for any
appearance of fertility it might exhibit. In
deed, think great part Of the road between
Newburyport and Boston presents more
rocky region than ever | before saw in state
Iof cultivation but every thing seemed Il
yield 70 the proverhial perseverance of New
England. | have seen a New-Englandel