York and the Atlantic; particularly those in the
European trade. Other vessels also come up the
Raritan and the Hackinsack rivers, which add to
the beauty of the scene.

10th Month, 21st. I went on board the packet
for New-York

directly after a breakfast made
chiefly of stewed oysters. These shell-fish abound
so much here, that little children are taught to eat
them to breakfast. The landlady told me, that she
sometimes had 2 or 300 bushels in the cellar, at a
time, in the winter season. After being on board
about a quarter of an hour, we were invited by
signal to touch at Perth Amboy, on the opposite
shore; where we landed about ten o'clock, and
took in two families for New-York. As we sailed
along this Bay, I had an opportunity of seeing the
oyster fishers, who were busily employed. The
instruments they generally used, somewhat resem-
bled two hay-rakes, with long iron teeth, having
the handles, which are very long, pinned together
about two feet from the heads of the rakes, so as
to open and shut like a pair of large pincers.
These instruments, which are called tongs, are
opened wide when the heads are let down from
the boat; and, as soon as they reach the bottom,
the men close them, and the teeth of the rakes
meeting drag the oysters together. By this method
from one to three or four oysters are taken at a
time.