Those who live near the sea, feed more on fish than on flesh, and often encounter that boisterous element.  This renders them more bold and enterprising; this leads them to neglect the confined occupations of the land.  They see and converse with a variety of people, their intercourse with mankind becomes extensive.  The sea inspires them with a love of traffic, a desire of transporting produce from one place to another; and leads them to a variety of resources which supply the place of labour.  Those who inhabit the middle settlements, by far the most numerous, must be very different; the simple cultivation of the earth purifies them, but the indulgences of the government, the soft remonstrances of religion, the rank of independent freeholders, must necessarily inspire them with sentiments, very little known in Europe among people of the same class.  What do I say?  Europe has no such class of men; the early knowledge they acquire, the early bargains they make, give them a great degree of sagacity.  As freemen they will be litigious; pride and obstinacy are often the cause of law suits; the nature of our laws and governments may be another.  As citizens it is easy to imagine, that they will carefully read the newspapers, enter into every political disquisition, freely blame or censure governors and others.  As farmers they will be careful and anxious to get as much as they can, because what they get is their own.  As northern men they will love the cheerful cup.  As Christians, religion curbs them not in their opinions; the general indulgence leaves every one to think for themselves in spiritual matters; the laws inspect our actions, our thoughts are left to God.  Industry, good living, selfishness, litigiousness, country politics, the pride of freemen, religious indifference, are their characteristics.  If you recede still farther from the sea, you will come into more modern settlements; they exhibit the same strong lineaments, in a ruder appearance.  Religion seems to have still less influence, and their manners are less improved.

Now we arrive near the great woods, near the last inhabited districts; there men seem to be placed still farther beyond the reach of government, which in some measure leaves them to themselves.  How can it pervade every corner; as they were driven there by misfortunes, necessity of beginnings, desire of acquiring large tracts of land, idleness, frequent want of economy, ancient debts; the re-union of such people does not afford a very pleasing spectacle.  When discord, want of unity and friendship; when either drunkenness or idleness prevail in such remote districts; contention, inactivity, and wretchedness must ensue.  There are not the same remedies to these evils as in a long established community.  The few magistrates they have, are in general little better than the rest; they are often in a perfect state of war; that of man against man, sometimes decided by blows, sometimes by means of the law; that of man against every wild