as much water, morning, noon and night without any flesh; Boarding at one house, we
generally sat at one Table. Some at first looked at me with astonishment,
and tho' they had never seen the like, said they believed, or did not know,
but it was the right way of living, but it would be hard for them to sub-
mit to. -- As they had private Rooms, a number of them invited
me (as it was at a tavern we were, & near 50 boarders all men of Note.) that if at
anytime I was weary of noise & craved to me more retired, I might freely
come into their rooms, & sit with them; & that they should be pleased if I
would make so free. All this seemed to be in my favour to furnish
me, when my mind was so engaged, with opportunities to touch on their
cruel Laws, the hardships & inhuman cruelties to which the poor blacks
were Subjected in that Government &c. I queried of them Why Things should
be in such a severe Way here, more than in any other Place that I had
heard of: For I had been thro' each of the Governments Eastward, as well as Mary-
land

and Virginia lately, and had not heard of any Cruelty of the kind
sanction'd by any other Legislative Body on the Continent: Some of them
spake of other States not having so many Slaves in them, and less occasion for
fear of their rising &c; my answer to that was, Those who so cruelly oppress
the Slaves, have more occasion to fear their rising, &c: My treating with them
on the subject was in a way of plain dealing, and so well received that
many of them kindly invited me to come and see them, if I should come near
their dwellings, for that it would give them pleasure (as they said) to entertain
me: It was unexpected also to my Companion & myself, when he came
to Settle for our Tavern Expences whilst there, the Man would take
no pay for my Boarding, he was so well pleased with the visit.