lodging me at their houses, and in giving me a hearty and generous welcome to their best fare. Robert Simpson from New Hampshire, and Daniel Ker and Thomas Gibson from Pennsylvania, shall ever be entitled to my grateful remembrance. I had no letters of introduction to them—I had no claims on their hospitality, other than what any other stranger ought to have.—But they were farmers, and had not acquired those contracted habits, which I have observed to prevail very generally amongst the traders in this part of the world.
On Saturday I returned to Ellis's ferry opposite Maysville, to give directions for my baggage being sent after me by the stage to Chilicothe.
On the bank of the Ohio I found squire Ellis seated on a bench under the shade of two locust trees, with a table, pen and ink, and several papers, holding a justice's court, which he does every Saturday.[134]—Seven or eight men were sitting on the bench with him, awaiting his awards in their several cases.—When he had finished, which was soon after I had taken a seat under the same shade, one of the men invited the squire to drink with them, which he {181} consenting to, some whiskey was provided from landlord Powers, in which all parties made a libation to peace and justice. There was something in the scene so primative and so simple, that I could not help enjoying it with much satisfaction.
I took up my quarters for the night at Powers's, who is an Irishman from Ballibay, in the county of Monaghan. He pays squire Ellis eight hundred dollars per annum for
