I returned to the City the night before last on the 18th: day after my departure. My Father sat off on Tuesday and I found the house turned inside out. My own things were carefully packed up by Mr: Briesler and yesterday I had them removed to my lodgings in the same family that I was with last year.1

Mr: Briesler & family will be ready to sett out on Tuesday and will leave the house in good condition. I received from him the two demijohns of Wine, which were drawn off by your direction, for which I kindly thank you.

My journey was safe & agreeable and has conduced much to my health, though even my complection is several shades darker for it. The Country thro’ which I travelled was rude enough; but growing daily in population & improvement. The land is excellent in many places—fertile & where the settlements are considerable, very well cultivated— I passed through the Shire or County towns of nine different Counties on the route & met with hospitable treatment every where, though the Company I kept was pretty generally with federal people— But the sovereign people of several Counties through which I passed are deeply and generally Antifederal in their politics. At Huntingdon 200 miles from the City, we met two of our Supreme Court Judges and several of the Country Lawyers— Being detained on the road a day by the rain, prevented our arriving so seasonably as we could have wished.

On our return we passed through Northumberland and took a survey of Dr: Priestleys house & garden, externally. The house 270 consists of a two story frame building—painted white, with small wings on each side, pleasantly situated, and commanding a good prospect of the River Susquehannah— It is very much in the style, altogether, of a plain, neat & well finished New England Country house—2 I neither saw the owner, nor enquired if he were at home, but on my arrival at Sunbury was informed by my friend Mr: Charles Hall that the philosopher was on the spot—

I hope my jaunt has furnished me with a stock of health sufficient to last me the Summer through— In the Fall I shall make another excursion.

I have not heard when my father intends to return from Washington, but I presume in the course of a month, if not sooner—

Present me kindly & affectionately to all our friends at the Eastward and believe me with all love & duty / Your Son

Before I left Philadelphia, I wrote you, expecting the letter would overtake you at Brookfield.1 The rain on monday prevented our leaving the city till Tuesday, as we had previously intended. The great rains, which they have had this way, have made the roads very bad— they are ploughed up, by the heavy loaded German waggons, exactly like the corn fields in New-England, and you might with equal convenience travel over them, as the ground, which we have passed. The accommodations at the public houses, have been generally speaking very good and remarkably cheap. Between two and three dollars at noon—and 7 and 8 at night have been the amount of our 271 bills.— The horses have performed the journey, thus far extremely well. Currie proves himself to be an excellent driver and an extremely obliging and excellent coachman—the two footman do very well.

Notwithstanding the extreme badness of the roads, yet such has been the beauty and fertility of the country which we have passed and such the constant attention of the people—exerting themselves in every possible way to make the journey agreeable, that the President has been highly gratifyed. Our eyes Every inch of the land from Philadelphia to Frederick Town is a perfect garden—luxuriant as any in the world and only equalled, the president thinks, in Flanders and England. Our eyes have been delighted throughout the whole of our journey, with cultivated fields and prospects of a fruitful harvest, and our minds gratifyed with the pleasing reflection, that the people are prosperous and of course ought to be happy.

The inhabitants have appeared to be universally gratified and highly honored by the presidents passing their Country—this they repeatedly expressed and proved in action. His arrival at Lancaster was unexpected and therefore could not come go out to meet him, as they had wished—they were very pressing that he should remain and dine with them the next day which he refused. A troop of horse and many citizens escorted him to the Susquehannah—ten miles. We rode about five miles and were met by another troop of horse from York Town. Little out of the town there was a company of volunteer Infantry, which joined the procession and marched into town, where the President received a very cordial welcome. A very handsome address was presented him—speaking of the great services which he had rendered to his Country and expressing their wishes that he might be continued in office—2 From York a troop of horse accompaned us about four miles. In the evening of the same day, we arrived at a little village called Tauny Town—which soon after our arrival was compleatly and beautifully illuminated—the next morning a troop of horse accompanied us half the way to this place. A very handsome troop of horse, accompanied by a large number of citizens met us at four miles distance from Frederick Town—to which was afterwards added a company of Infantry and thus we marched into the city—the bells were instantly rung and every possible mark of veneration and respect paid. We dont expect to arrive at the federal city till Tuesday, it being upwards of forty miles and bad roads.— General Marshall has accepted of his appointment which gives general satisfaction.

In very great haste I am my dear Aunt / Your very affectionate nephew