The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-22
DINNER WITH GEN.
GEORGE WASHINGTON

The Marquis de Chastellux of Count
Rochambeau's army has left in nj:
American travels sketch of Gen
Washington, when he visited in a New
Jersey mansion which Washington oc-
lcupied during one of his campaigns.
The Marquis and Gen. Lafayette met
Gen. Washington at Lafayette's head
quarters, where there was a review.
T The Marquis then rode home with Gen.
| Washington and thus describes part
Of his stay with him:
The rain SPARED US no more at the
camp OF Marquis than at that Of the
main army. sos that our review being
f5riisIfea. 81 sszs u 'sEfth pleasure Gen.
Washington set OFF in galtop to re-
gain his quarters. We reached them
as soon as the badness of the roads
would permit US At our return We
found good dinner ready and about
twenty guests, among whom were
Gems, Howe and Sinclair.
! The repast was in the English fash
ion, consisting of eight or ten large
dishes of butchers meats and poultry,
with vegetables of several sorts, fol-
lowed by a second course of pastry,
comprised under two denominations of
pies and pudding. After this the cloth
was taken off and apples and great
quantity of nuts We're served, which
Gen. Washington usually continues
eating for two hours. toasting and con-
versing all the time. These nuts are
small and dry, and have SO hard
shell (hickory nuts they are called,
that they can only be broken by the
hammer; they are served half open and
the company are never done picking
and eating them.
The conversation was calm and
agreeab BILE; his Excellency was pleased
to enter with me into the particulars
of some of the principal operations of
the war, but always with a modesty
and conciseness which proved that it
was from pure complaisance that he
mentioned it. About half past we
rose from the table and Immediately
the servants came, to shorten it and
convert it into a round one, for at
dinner it was placed diagonally to give
more room.
I was surprised at this maneuver.
and asked the reason of it: 1 was told
they We're going to lay the cloth for
supper. In half an hour I retired to
my chamber, fearing lest the General
manned in company only on my ac-
count; but at the end of another half |
hour I was informed that his Excel |
1ency expected me at supper.
l returned to the dining room, pro- |
testing against this supper; but the |
General told me that he was accus-
toned to take something in the even
ing; that I would be seated, 1 should |
only eat some fruit and assist in the /
conversation. l desired nothing bet
ter, for there were no strangers, and |
remained but the Generals |
family. The supper was composed of
three or four light dishes. some fruit
and, above all. great abundance of
nuts which were as well received in
the evening as at dinner.
The cloth being soon removed a few
bottles of good claret and Madeira
were placed on the table. Every SEN
sible man will be of my opinion, that
being a French officer, under the orders
Of Gen. Washington, and, what is more,
4 good Wing, I could not refuse a good
glass of wine offered me by him: but
confess that I had little merit in this
.omplaisance, and that, less accus-
toned to drink than anybody, I accom-
myself very we'll to the Eng
ish mode of "toasting"; you have
very small glasses, you pour out your
self a quantity of wine you choose |
without being pressed to take more
and the toast is only a sort of check
n the conversation to remind each in
livid9.al that he forms part of the COM
Dany, and that the whole formed one
ociety.
I observed that there was more So
emnity in the toasts a dinner: there
we're several ceremonious ones; the
'thers We're suggested by the General
nd given out by his aide-de-camp. who
the honors at the table at
Inner; for one of them is every day
Gated at the bottom OF the table, near
he General, to serve the company and
distribute the bottles.
The toasts in the evening were given
y Col. Hamilton, without order or
CEREMONY.
The Dey mansion faces south and g
lands about a hundred yards from the
aain road. The walls are still firm :
nd good for many years and it is said
0 be a pleasant and comfortable res
7ence in spite of its age The ex-
osed timbers in the cellar and attic 8
re OF hewn oak, massive and pinned
nth wooden pins
The rooms occupied by Washington
re in the southeast part of the first
DOR. The corner room was his audi 4
nee chamber and dining room. His
edroom was directly above There is
fty-six acres of land connected with s
ne manor, and the place has been con-
ucted as farm for many years, the
wner occupying the mansion. The Is
lst owner of the place, William H. &
elcher, spent much money on i'm s
rowing the grounds while he lived s.
here.