SKETCH OF

AN INCURSION INTO THE OLD COLONY.*

A PARTY of four gentlemen, labouring under a temporary satiety of State-street, the Athenæum, wedding visits and the mill-dam, projected an incursion to the old colony for a change of scene. To speak strictly, two of them were individuals; the other two are under engagements, which by all laws, human and divine, constitute them what a metaphysician would term, mixed essences. This slight difference of condition modified their judgment of the objects which fell under their observation, in such a moderate degree as to produce a more just appreciation of them. The following is a hasty sketch of the general result of their observations, put down to relieve the ennui of those who are suffering at home, without energy to make a similar effort.

* This tour was first published in the Boston Daily Advertiser. It was begun as a kind of jest while the party were chatting in the parlour of the inn at Sandwich, and without any view to such a serious operation as printing. It was voted however, to have it finished and published. The notes are now added to it.

Oct. 12.-Left Boston for Plymouth-a fresh N. W. wind and transparent atmosphere. At Quincy had the honour of bowing to the venerable President Adams, who was walking half a mile from home, with a firm step, and without any attendant. It may be safely affirmed, that in no country of the world, could a traveller at this moment meet with a man of the same eminence and the same age-and if such an individual should be found, the same simplicity would in vain be sought for. No other event happened on the road to Plymouth worth noticing, except one of the gentlemen driving off from the halfway house, supposing his companion to have walked on, and giving him a walk of six miles, a match against time, before he could overtake him. This was an error of judgment, which in the individual who made it, was an exception to a general rule.

At Plymouth, to our great dismay, we found the Supreme Court in session; and of course, the numbers which on these occasions invade a small county town, leave the chance of a comfortable lodging very slight. However, we obtained the great desideratum of three single bedded rooms, and decided by lot who should be the victim of a double one. In the evening, found the usual assortment of clients and lawyers, some with too much and some with too little business. A cause had just been decided about the warranty of a horse, which had lasted a day and a half, and astonished the laity with a display of professional ingenuity. One of these spectators seemed anxious to give us the history of the case, and made several leading observations with that design, but our

sullen want of curiosity thwarted him. The Convention was the principal topic of conversationand, to our surprise, some interest about it was expressed. Though a little incredulous at first, we were convinced that at least four or five persons in this county had read all the numbers of B. G., B. G., jr. and B. G. ter.

13th.-Walked after breakfast to survey the town, which has fewer marks of antiquity than could be expected; none of the buildings go back to even the third generation of the colony. Plymouth is a respectable village built on the side of a hill that rises rather steeply from the harbour, the summit of which may be about 150 feet above it, and is occupied as a burial place, where the forefathers and their descendants repose together. It contains several handsome houses, and the people derive their support from the fisheries, foreign commerce and manufactures. A substantial stone gaol has just been completed, which the wants of the county fortunately do not require to be of large dimensions, and a new Court House of brick and stone is now erecting, which it is said will be the best in the state. Their manufactories are on a small stream that flows through the town, and consist of a very extensive one for nails, another for shovels and spades, one for anchors, and one for cotton. Their fishery this year has done well; the vessels to the streights of Bellisle, made great fares-those to the banks less.The mackerel fishery has been about an average one-a vessel caught one hundred barrels in eight days. The opening in the beach has been stopped,

and the sand is beginning to collect over it. Their foreign commerce is small; one vessel has just arrived with a cargo of Salt from St. Ubes, and another had just discharged a cargo of Iron from Russia— half a dozen coasting and fishing vessels comprised the remainder of the navigation in port. The seaview from the burial ground is extensive; the principal objects are Monumet point and highlands on the right-the long sandy beach that forms the harbour, which is far from being of the first class, in front-Duxbury and Captain's Hill on the left, with the termination of Duxbury beach called the Gurnet, and its two light houses.

We walked down to the rock, which stands imbedded in a wharf near the edge of the high water line. A part of it, weighing three or four tons, was broken off and carried to the Market House in the centre of the town-the surface of the remaining part is flat and about six feet in diameter. The piece that was carried to the market house has been whitewashed, a mark of respect that the mineralogist would feel very sensibly. The forefathers' rock, as it is called, is now visited by hundreds every year, as it will be by thousands in all succeeding time. On this rock the passengers of the May Flower landed on the 22d of December, 1620. What debarkation in the world ever was attended with such momentous and beneficent consequences, as followed that of the few English gentlemen and yeomen, who then landed with their families on this barren, inclement spot! They persevered with heroic constancy: they grew apace, and they laid the foundation for the slow

and certain growth of "the manners, principles, and feelings" which led to the American revolution, founded our republic on the broadest and noblest foundations of justice, and perfected the system of representation. Representation is now the cry and claim of every nation; and they will have it, though after many a scene of blood and crime. A commemoration of this landing is annually celebrated by a discourse, a dinner and ball.Next December, is a jubilee, the completion of a second century, and great expectations are entertained of the orator on this occasion, which we may be certain will not be disappointed.*

Our next visit was to the Register's office, where we saw the early records of the Plymouth Colony, amounting to about twenty volumes. They were

*Without pretending to define the exact degree of skill required to make this prediction, it need only be said that it was completely fulfilled. A very large audience were highly gratified by the discourse of Mr. Webster, and the most competent judges agreed, that so powerful an effect had rarely been produced by any oration in this country. The little town of Plymouth was never so animated before, being crowded with visitors from the capital, and from all the neighbouring counties. A public Dinner and Ball were given in very handsome style, at which about 600 persons were present. The guests on the occasion of this Jubilee all wrote their names on a parchment deposited in the archieves of the Pilgrim Society. It would be an extraordinary chance indeed, if one of these signers should survive to the next centennial festival. If some of the forefathers could have peeped in upon this crowded assembly, where so much fashion and elegance were collected, they would have wondered and perhaps frowned, at the progress of luxury among their posterity.