23
my purpose. I travelled through the country for
twenty miles around the place where I lived, but
though I found plenty of vacant farms, I told you
before, and I declare it again on the word of an
honest man, that I could see no farm for which the
laird did not ask more than double the rent it was
worth; so that if I had meddled with any of them I
saw well that my sons would not be able to pay the
rent and that in three or four years I would not have
one shilling to rub upon another.
After I had spent so much time and labor to no
purpose, I confess that at length I conceived a sort of
distaste for the lairds; I imagined that as they knew I
had a little money, they wanted to get it from me as
fast as they could; and in truth some of my neighbors
observed a change in my temper and alleged I was
turned so obstinate that I would not stay in the
country even though some laird should offer me a
farm or two on reasonable terms and I dare say they
were not altogether in the wrong.
As I was going to America not for merchandising, but
as a farmer, several of my acquaintances and well-
wishers told me that I would save both time and
money by landing at New York or Philadelphia; but I
had a great curiosity to see Boston, especially as I
understood that some of my father's friends had
settled there and some from Paisley very lately.
However I stayed at Boston but a very few days; for I