John Moore, Carrickfergus, on His Life in America

		March 1 What great alterations do I find in this
    little Town. during my absence of 4 Years!
    O the changing Scenes & visisitudes [vicissitudes?]
    of Human Life. they that made a Bustle & a Noise & a figure
    in the World 100 Years agoe [ago?] where are they? & yet
    how absurdly do we Act. Temporal Concerns engage
    us as if they were Eternal & Eternal as if
    they were only Temporal. as Hervey say
    in the Character of a Dying Person _______
         Ye Lying Vanitys of Life. [Vanities?]
         Ye ever Tempting Cheating Fram, [Frame?]
         where are ye now.
         and what is your amount.
    O God grant us thy Grace, to know & Act,
    by a Medium in all Things _________
    14 met with the Bowmans, in order to settle
    about the Farm in their possion [possession?], but find
    they will neither Hearken [Harken?] To Reason nor Justice
    altho [although?] they have made the Bleach House &
    improvements on it a perfect waste _____ 21 I planted
    7 Ash Trees in the Garden being the first of my Planting,
    but I do not intend it shall be the last. as I look
    Planting to be a kind of a Half Virtue, for what is
    more Usefull [useful?] or ornamental that at the same
    Time requires so little trouble or expense ____ 20/.
    will Buy & plant as many Trees on ditches and other
    waste Grounds as in a few Years will sell for as many
    Pounds & even if one could not purpose to reap any
    Benefit by them themselves, yet their Children or
    a [at?] least their Country will ______ &
    the Scocietys [Societys?] for the good of the
    Publick [Public?] utility by the Premiums the [they?]
    offer to encourage it ______ But Indeed the Beauty
    & ornament which Trees give us I think a sufficient
    compensation for all the Trouble & expence [expence?]
    if it were twice as great ______ it really surprizes me
    to see so many People Neglect it _______________
April 4. went to Lisburn _______ what a different appearance
    does this part of the Country make from
    that about Carrickfergus &c by the Spirit of
    Planting & improving which is amongst the
    Farmers & Gentlemen hereabouts what a pleasing
    & delightfull [delightful?] Air does Trees &
    Hedges give a Place & to see the Houses tho' [though?
    mean yet neat & clean in & about them ____ it
    prepossesses a Stranger with a favourable Opinion
    of the Genius Taste and Industry of the inhabitants
    as they are I am told in England tho' [though?] to be
    sure it must be own'd that the Farmers in England
    have greater encouragement to make improvements
May 1. got into Possession of The Farm But
    oblidged [obliged?] to settle with the Bowmans that
    had it upon their own unjust & unreasonable Terms
    rather than go to Law, which strange as it
    seems proves often a Remedy worse than the
    Disease especially for small matters _______
September ___ To my great grievance & uter [utter]
    disappointmt [disappointment?] my Domestic Uneasinesses
    are now greater than ever, so as to make me almost
    weary of my Life _____ good God remove them, or
    give me ability  to bear them with becoming Fortitude
    & Patience, & forgive for Jesus sake whatever by my
    conduct I have or do against thy will, in this
    matter. & direct me in some measure how to remove
    the intolerable uneasyness [uneasiness?]
    which I at preasant [present?] labour under ________
October ___ no Account from my Uncle he having never
    so much as wrote to me, or to Mr Craige at
    New York who he was at least to send Crooks's
    Money to to remmit [remit?] to me long before this Time,
    Therefore, as I can't possibly begin to any Business
    till Crooks's Money be pay'd, I have concluded
    to go over again myself for I have no
    Reason to think my Uncle will do me Justice
    otherwise ____ unjust & Cruel he has used me already
    ______ also will take about œ120 Sterling worth
    of Linen with me which Mr James Craig has
    been so good as to let me have on 6 Months Time
    2d I went  to Larne to Embark for NYork [New York?]
    my Domestick [Domestic?] uneasynesses [uneasinesses?] as
    well as the above having great weight in my undertaking the
    Voyage ______ 7. Sail'd from Larne on board the
    Snow James & Mary ____ To Thy protection O
    God I commit myself _____ grant me Sucess in the
    purposes of my Voyage _______ 20. A Dangerous
    Storm ahead. Lay to for 30 Hours, when the
    Wind comes Fair from the Eastward, & continues
    so fresh & steady for 5 days, that we have made
    8. or 900 Miles of our Course, which is
    a verry [very?] extraordinary thing when the Wind comes
B    from the Eastward. ________________________
November. 9 being by our Reconing [Reckoning?] withing [within?]
    a Days Sail of NYork [New York?], the Wind coming verry [very?]
    fresh ahead Oblidges [Obliges?] us to lye [lie?] To, &
    continues ahead tho' [though?] more moderate for 12 Days,
    having drove us as far to the Southd [Southward?] as South
    Carolina. ______ 23d in the Latitude of NYork [New York?]
    & at 12 at Night got Soundings 48 Fathom 24. at 3' in the
    Afternoon made the entrance of New York Harbour with a fair
    Gale. _____ But increasing to a Voilent [Violent?] Storm.
    oblidged [obliged?] to Hale of [Hail off?] the Land for
    Fear of being put ashore.
    The Storm continues most voilent [violent?] for 2 Days
    & drove us 2 Degrees to the Southd [Southward?] & out of Soundings,
    which makes us begin to be a good deal discouraged
    at our disappointments _____ 27. Soundings
    again 36. Fathom Water. _________ 30 made
    NYork [New York?] Harbour again ____ 31. got within Sandy
    Point ________________________________________
December. 3 got up to NYork [New York?] ___ To my verry [very?]
    great Surprize I find my Uncle has been so
    ungenerous, as not to Pay the small Draft I
    gave on him for œ18 ___ nor ever wrote the scrape
    of a pen to Mr Craige about my Affairs!
    shure [sure?] He must have lost all sense of Honour Justice
    or Equity _________5 Sail'd for Albany _____ 9 _______
    arrived safe _____ find my Uncle Wife & Sister in Law
    well. his Mother in Law being Dead in may last
February. finding that I cannot Possibly get Settling
    with my Uncle in Time to go Home with the
    Flaxseed Vessels, upon his Promising to deal
    Handsomely by me against May, I have concluded to
    stay here till that Time _____ 12. Mr. Neile
    of whome [whom?] I borrowed the œ18 last Year, having money
    to send Home to Andrew Crooks, for Linen of his
    which I left with him to sell last Year. he lets
    me know by a Letter that he is so straitned [straitened?] for
    Cash that He will be Oblidged [Obliged?] to stop the œ18 out
    of Crook's Money, which that should happen
    would be worse than all the rest, therefore as
    I have not rece'd [received?] but a Triffle [Trifle?] of
    money for Linen yet. I applyed [applied?] to my Uncle for to
    enable  me to pay Neile setting forth in lively coulors [colours?]
    what a necessity I was in to send it. But to
    my  utter astonishment he refused me in a
    verry [very?] unkind & even insulting manner! never
    did I meet with any Person so void of all
    discretion or Reason. _______ Money is scarce it's True
    but if he should Beg it I think he ought to
    give it to me at this juncture _____________
    13. Reson [Reason?] has wrought so far on him as
    To give me the money I asked Yesterday _______
March 19. went to Schenectady to endeavour to
    sell some of my Linen ______ Schenectady is
    about 2/3 as large as Albany. situated
    on the South Bank of the Mohawk River
    & on a fine Plain ____ there is a Dutch &
    English Church in ___ it is 18 Miles from Albany
    on the Road to Sir William Johnson's.
    The German Flatts, Oswego &c ___ unhappily
    the Land betwixt it & Albany, is
    intirely [entirely?] Barren, so that there is no
    Inhabitants betwixt the Two Places._________
    22. Return'd from Schenectady. __________
    28. my uncle Jno [John?] Cobham. & his little Son
    Jno [John?] arrived here from Scotland but last from Carrickfergus
    _____ my Uncle here wrote for him to come over, but if He Uses
    him no better than me, he had better stay'd in
    Scotland, where he was settled ______ He brings me
    News from Carrickfergus. my Mother, Sister,
    Freinds [Friends?], & acquaintance all verry [very?] well._______
April.4. Sail'd for New York. To transact some Business
    of my Uncle's._______ I have all allong [along?] purposed
    To my Uncle To send home a small Bill the Beginning
    of this month To Mr Craige along with Crook's
    Money, but what Money I have got for Linen I
    lent to my Uncle (like a blockhead as I was) to oblidge [oblige?)
    Him in his Necessity. But neither can I get a penny
    of That or Crook"s _____ so he has again disappointed
    me, how things will turn out , God only knows ____ my
    Uncle still continues to fix May for the Time of
    Settling with me. ______ 6. arrive at NYork [New York?]
    12. A vessel being here to Sail for Dublin about
    10. of May. I write a long Pathetick [Pathetic?] Letter
    To my Uncle, pressing by him all the Arguments
    I could possibly think of, to Settle with me, & let me
    go with this vessel in May, agreeable to his Solemn
    Promise, & that as he might not be able To raise
    Cash for what was coming to me on my own Account
    I would Take rum for it, which he could get on
    Time for me from his Creditors in New York ______
    & that I waited impatiently for an answer ____ But
    upon second thought, I sail for Albany the 17
    & on the 22d get to Albany, my Uncle having wrote
    an Answer to my letter some days before. ________
    23s. this Day, looking for a pair of Gloves, in a
    Drawer of an Escrutore [Escritoire?], where Combs. [Pomatum?]
    & other loose things are kept. I happened to find
    a letter from my Mother to my Uncle, & was
    Reading it, when my Uncle coming into the Room,
    flew into a most Voilent [Violent?] Passion, & declared he
    would have me laid in Jail, & Trounced me for looking
    over his papers, roundly Charging me with
    Burning & destroying his Papers in his absence
    in particular when he was at New York in Jany [January?]
    last. _______ which must be a Callumny [Calumny?] of my Aunt's,
    & is the first Instance that I could be sure of
    her prejudicing my Uncle against me. But
    from which I may Learn it has not been
    the first Time, Tho' [Though?] so Cunningly done that
    I never could Possibly find it out before _________
May. 1. having my Uncle's answer to my Letter
    return'd from New York, I find it is no Ansr [Answer?]
    at all only for me to come to Albany. That
    he had not Cash to send me for Crooks or
    Craige's Money. & not a word of my proposal
    to take Rum for what's coming on my own
    Account. _____ my Uncle's going to NYork [New York?] To Day
    & never making the Least Apology about
    the Affairs betwixt us. I Reason'd the Case
    A little with him _____ how my Credit was
    suffering, by not sending Mr Craige his Money now
    a Month due ___ & Crooks his Ballance [Balance?] not 2 years
    due _____ also how my Interest would Suffer by
    the Loss of my Time, & of [if?] I did not get home
    now in Time, it will be too late to Finish the
    Buildings & Repairs, necessary to put the Bleach
    Green in  readiness for Bleaching the next Spring, &
    of consequence my not getting him in Time to get
    it ready this Season, will be very loseing [losing?] of a whole
    Year. _____ likewise several verry [very?] necessary improvements
    of Mason Work to be done about the Farm, Viz
    Building Pillars for Gates, repairing & rebuilding
    the Office Houses &c which all must be done Early
    in the Summer or deffer'd [deferred?] till next Season ____ To
    all which my Uncle in a careless way Answer'd
    that as for Craige's Money. he might
    think himself well of [off?], if he got his Money a good
    while hence! ____ & that Crooks may think the same
    for many a One has been Bankrupt since the
    Time he bought his Linen & their Creditors got little or
    nothing! ______ & as for my other disappointments
    & Troubles that I complain of he thinks nothing
    of them, & wishes I may never have more cause
    of Complaints, whilst I live in the World!
    verry [very?] Reasonable, & Just Answers to be sure!_____
    O Reason, Justice & Equity! _______ O Tempores! O Mores!
    also if I hold my Tongue, keep myself quiet &
    Behave myself he will do me the greatest Justice
    but I Fear it will be great injustice ______ & must
    I just stay here & dream away my Youth, in
    Idleness till my Wordly Interest is intirely [entirely?]
    Ruin'd, it cannot be. I must call on the Laws
    of my Country to do me Justice & will in a
    verry [very?] short Time, if I see not more Sign of
    having Justice done me._____________________
May 30 went for Crownpoint slept my Uncle
    John Cobham who is lately come Over from
    Scotland & my Uncle James has let him have
    Goods to set up shop at Crownpoint
    at Night Slept at Still Water 31. at Fort Edwd [Edward?]
    June 1st. at Fort George 2d at Sabbath Day
    Point 3 Saw Mill ____ remain'd till 7 at Putnam's
    Point 8 Crownpoint 29 went for Albany got
    to Sabbath Day Point 30 Fort Edwd [Edward?] July 1st
    safe to Albany _____ my Uncle's House almost
    Burned since I was at Crownpoint
    Augt [August?] 14 went for New York could get nothing
    done with my Uncle except getting Crooks' Money & even
    had much difficulty [difficulty?] to get what money I lent
    him of the Linen
    I might go to Law but his Affairs is
    in so bad a way that he must give up to his
    Creditors _____ & of [if?] I should push him he might
    say that my severity Obliged him to shut
    up _____ & it might also make the rest of his
    Creditors more Severe upon him when it
    would be known how he was using me &
    it would expose him sadly ____ For all
    which Reasons I have quit thoughts of
    Obliging him to pay me _____ he still
    promises but indeed I put no dependence
    on them I was deceived too long by them
    17th Arrived at New York where I find great
    disappointment about Bills that I had got
    in payment for my Linen being just perplexed
    about them at last got them settled & there
    being no Vessell [Vessel?] here at present for Ireland
    September 2d went for Philadelphea [Philadelphia?] to
    take my Passage from that I arrived there __________
    Bought Flower [Flour?] with all my Money & Shipped
    it on Board a Brig called the Munster Lass
    Abraham Russell Master NB left Money with the Owner
    of this Brigg [Brig?] for Bristol in Company
October
    in a gale of Wind parted Company & in a
    Day or Two got in Company ____ & the
    9 parted for good ____________________
    29 made the Old Head of Kinsale in the
    evening of Corke [Cork?] Harbour _____ 30 of [off?]
    Waterford 31 at 4 Afternoon made St Davids Head in
    Wales & stood St George Channel with
    a fair Wind for Dublin expecting to be
    there next morning _______ But at 9 o'clock
    came to Blow ahead & increased to such
    a Terrible Storm that the Vessell [Vessel?] was laid
    too [to?] not being able to carry Sail _____ by lying
    We Drifted on the Welsh Shore _____ & expected
    in Morning to be all lost the Storm continued
    24 Hours _____ Novr [November?] 1st moderated something
    so that we got some Sail set to draw us of [off?] the land
    2d a Storm again lay too [to?]
    3 more moderate in the afternoon ran into
    a Little Bay when a Boat came of [off?] & to our
    verry [very?] great surprise told us that we were
    in a Bay called Cloughey 2 Miles to the
    Northward of Portaferry 70 or 80 miles to the Nd [Northward?]
    of Dublin, we expected that we had got past
    Dublin but did not imagine to be nigh so
    far down the Channel ______ Calm this evening
    came to an Anchor
    4th. at 6 in the morning came on a Tempest
    & in a little Time we drove with our best
    Anchor out ___ let go the other which quickly parted
    & the Vessell [Vessel?] was so nigh the Rocks
    that if She had not Sheered the right way
    we Should have been on them _____ Sail'd for
    a Mile along shore. & having no Anchor
    aboard the Vessell [Vessel?] verry [very?] Leaky & the men
    wore out & all of us impatient ______ by the advice
    of the Pilot we run the Vessel into a little Bay call'd
    the milling Bay. but it being but half Tide
    She Struck in the Entrance & beat Violently
    & expecting her to go to pieces imediately [immediately?]
    hoist'd out the Boat & all in her got safe on Shore
    in the Afternoon it Moderated when we went of [off?]
    to the Vessel & got our Chest & Bedding on Shore
    found them full of Water _____ next Day part of her
    Cargoe [Cargo?] being got out & the Leakes Stoped
    [Leakes Stopped?] the Vessel was got into the Bay _______
Novr [November?] 7 I went for Carrickfergus 30 Miles of
    [off?] & at [------?] arrived safe find my Mother and
    Sister well 9 went for Portaferry ___ the Vessell [Vessel?]
    brought round there _______ 10 Mr Edwd [Edward?] Moore
    to whom the Vessell [Vessel?] is Consign'd arrived from
    Dublin & concludes to repair the Vessell [Vessel?] &
    reship the Cargoe [Cargo?] for Dublin ______ 14 I returned
    to Carrickfergus
February began to have my Land plowed & to Farm
March rece'd [received?] a Letter from my Factor Mr Moore
 B   at Dublin ____by which I learn that my Insurance
    affair is likely to be verry [very?] Tedious ____ it has
    been a great Loss to me the Vesell [Vessel?] being Stranded
    & my Flouer [Flour?] Damaged _______
         It has pleased God to make my Worldly
    Affairs as yet unsuccessful _____ I thank him
    I have been enabled to bear uo with Christian
    Patience and Fortitude _______ having Food & Raiment
    I am therewith Content in Patience possessing my Lord
    _______ June I went with my Mother for Dublin
    from Carrickfergus, a most Ancient Wall'd
    Town, with a Castle Built 2000 Years agoe [ago?]
    the Town Walls are about One Mile round, the
    Houses within & without about 500 _____ it is
    Situated on the NW [Northwest?] Side of a Bay of the same
    Name, with a Key [Quay?] for small Vessels ________
    this Town is a County of itself & is incorporated
    by a verry [very?] ample Charter _____ Governed
    by a Mayor 16 Aldermen & 24 Burgesses
    send 2 Members to Parliament who are chose by the Foremen
    [Freemen?] formerly there was 1500 Acres of common belonging
    to the Town by the Charter but the
    Gentlemen who have Land ajoining [adjoining?] have from Time
    to Time got Deeds for & encroached upon 5 or
    600 Acres of it, & there yet remains upwards 900
    this Place also formerly enjoyed by the Charter
    a Right to one Third of the Customs & Dutys [Duties?]
    of all Goods Landed within the Bay _____ but this
    Priveledge [Privilege?] was thought too great for them to
    enjoy long. For when the Earl of Strafford
    was Lord Lieutenant in Charles the 1st Reign
    he Threatened to bring a Quo Warranto against
    the Charter & have it Broke as this of the Duty
    & Customs was too great a Priviledge [Privilege?] for any
    Subjects to have ____ but if they would Surrender
    up that Clause of the Charter the [they?] should have
    3000 given them & the rest of the Charter to
    stand good _____ which proposal was accepted
    but the Persons who were entrusted to receive
    Money Cheated the Corporation out of the
    whole ______ in this Town is the Ruins of a
    verry [very?] Grand House belonging to the Earl of
    Donegal, indeed the Walls is also in Ruins &
    the Town much on the decline ________
    8 miles from this Town is Belfast a
    Handsome Seaport about 2 or 300 Houses
    Situated at the Head of Carrickfergus Bay
    & on the West side of the River Lagan Over
    which there is a Bridge of 21 Arches & Qr [Quarter?] of
    a Mile long _______ it is a Town of good
    Trade & improves verry [very?] Fast incorporated as a Borrough
    [Borough?] with a Sovereign & 12 Burgesses sends 2 members
    to Parliament who are chose by these 12
    Burgesses only ______  & as The Town belongs
    entirely to Lord Donegal, they return whoever
    he chuses [chooses?] to Nominate this is the very worst
    kind of Burroughs [Boroughs?], & are verry [very?] justlty
    called the Rotten part of the Constitution _______
    Lisburn 7 Miles from Belfast a verry [very?] handsome
    Town of about 1000 Houses the river
    Lagan runs by it & is made Navigable from
    Belfast by a Canal which is carrying on from this Town to
    Lough Neagh 16 Miles distant ______ this is a
    Borrough [Borough?] Town returns 2 Members to Part [Parliament?]
    everry [every?] Householder has a vote in chusing [choosing?]
    them which is the fairest & most agreeable to a free
    Constitution of any Method that the Wit
    of Man could invent _______ For can any thing
    be more consistent with a free State than
    everry [every?] Man to have a Vote in chusing [choosing?]
    the Persons who are to make laws by
    which he is to Govern himself _______ & Yet as
    this Town as well as many others belong all
    to one Landlord, whoever they Nominate is
    chose [chosen?], but this is what can never be helped
    Whilst Men will Vote for Interest or to lease
    their Landlords ___________________

    June 9 past Hillsborough 3 Miles from
    Lisburn a verry [very?] small Borough Town & one of
    the rotten Kind sending 2 Members to Parliament
    Nominated by lord Hillsborough a Bishops
    See _____ Banbridge 6 Miles from Dromore
    a small town but improving the River Ban [Bann?]
    runs by this Town over which the [there?] is a wretched
    bad Bridge ______ Loughbrickland 2 Miles
    from Banbridge ______ Newry 8 miles from Loughbrickland
    a large Town with a good Trade a Seaport situated on
    the East Side of the River Black Water 4
    Miles from the Sea & communicates with
    Lough Neagh & the Inland Country by
    fine Canal ____ it is a Borought [Borough?] Town sends
    2 Members to Parliament chose by the House Holders
    Jonesborough 5 miles from Newry a small Village
    June 10 past Dundalk 4 Miles from Jonesborough a long handsome
    Town about 7 or 800 Houses _____ a Seaport for Small
    Vessells [Vessels?] situated at the Bottom of a Bay of
    the same Name a Borough Town sends 2
    Members to parliament chose by
    Lurgan Green 4 Miles from Dundalk a small
    Village _____ Castle Bellingham 4 Miles from
    Lurgan Green a small Village ______ Dunleer 4 Miles
    from Castle Bellingham a small Borough
    sends 2 Member to Parliament _____ Drogheda
    6 Miles from Dunleer a Large Handsome
    & verry [very?] Ancient Walled Town about 1500 Houses & County
    of itself incorporated & Governed by a Mayor Alderman
    & Burgesses sends 2 Member to Parliament chose by the Freemen
    it is a Seaport with a good Trade situated on the North side of the
    River Boyne 1 Mile from a large Bay of the
    same Name ____ 2 Miles above this Town King
    William 3 of Glorious Memory in 1790 [sic] crossed
    the Boyne River & defeated the Forces of King James
    _____ Balrothery 9 Miles from Drogheda a
    small Village _________ June 11 past Swords
    a verry [very?] Ancient but small Burough [Borough?] Town
    sends 2 Members to Parliament chose by the
    House Holders _________ Dublin 6 Miles
    from Swords _______ which is upon the whole
    a Handsome Elegant City with the River
    Liffey runing [running?] through it the harbour is but
    indifferent great Sums of Money have been expended
    in improving it ____ the last Numbering of the
    Houses they were 14000 but much increased since
    the Parliament House Colledge [College?] & one or Two
    Churches & Several Hospitals are verry [very?] fine
    Buildings but the most of the Churches make but a Poor
    appearance in the outside & have no Steeple but like Pigeon
    Houses this is verry [very?] disagreeable when at the same
    time there is so many Handsome Streets & private
    Houses _______ the Market Places is small & inconvenient
    the Courts of Justice make a poor appearance
    both inside & out, situated in a Dirty narrow
    Lane ______ however there is Money raising
    to Build a Grand Exchange & they talk
    of Building Steeples to the Churches & making
    many alterations to improve the Streets &
    Publick [public?] Buildings _______ There is in this City
    _____ Churches of England 6 Presbyterian Meeting
    Houses the Congregations of which are more Numerous
    than all the Protestants together ____ some say 2 for one ____
    June 24 left Dublin & 28 get safe home
    July 1st my Mother & Sister fall out & my Sister leaves
    the House 14 I take her to Larne for some Time
    Augt [August?] 12 She returns with evident signs of Lunacy
    upon her ______ Good God thou hast been pleased
    to Afflict her now more than onst [once?] with the worst
    of all Maladys [Maladies?] to the great Grieve [Grief?] &
    perplexity of us her Relations. but thy will be done
    shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right
    September 1st We are obliged to confine her
    close _____ Novr [November?] her disorder still increasing
    we have with great Difficulty got an Order for her
    Admission into Dean Swifts Hospital in Dublin
    & the 17th set of [off?] with her & on the 21 arrive
    without any accident but much perplexity on the Road
    24th leave Dublin & got safe home on the 28 -