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Show 66 L 0 N G I S LAN D. N E \V Y 0 R K. toaether drink tea in the afternoon, fi(h and amufe them-a ' h '[t felves till evening, and then return home in Italian c a1. es, (the fa!hionable carriage in this and mofl: parts of Amenca, Virginia excepted, where they make nfe only of coaches, and thefe commonly drawn by fix horfes), a gentleman and lady in each chaife. In the way there is a bridge, about three miles difiant from New York, which you always pafs over as you return, ca1led the Killing-Bridge, where it is a part of the etiquette to falute the lady who has put herfelf under your proteCtion. The prefent fiate of this province is flouriiliing: it has an extenfive trade to many parts of the world, particularly to the Weft Indies; and has acquired great riches by the commerce which it has carried on, under fl ags of truce, to Cape-Franctois, and Monte-Chrifio. The troops, by having made it the place of their general rendezvous, have alfo enriched it very much. However, it is burthened with taxes, and the prefent public debt amounts to more than 3oo,oo0 l. currency. The taxes are laid upon dl:ates real and perfonal; and there are duties upon Negroes, and other importations. The provincial troops are about 26oo men. The difference of exchange between currency and bills, is from 70 to 8o per cent. Before I left New York, I took a ride upon Long Hland, the riche!t fpot, in the opinion of the New-Yorkers, of .aU America ; and where they generally have their villas, or country houfes. It is undeniably beautiful, and fome parts of it are remarkably fertile, but not equal, I think, to the Jerfeys. The length of it is fomething more than 1 oo miles, and the breadth 2 5· About I 5 or 16 miles from the weft end of it, there opens a large plain between 20 and 30 miles long, and 4 or 5 bro ad . There i.s not a tree growing upon it, and it is ~[., NEWpORT. R H 0 D E I S L A ND. ai. Terted that .t here never were any. Strange rs are always car - rhted t.o fe ~ this pl ace, as a greJ t curiofi ty, and the only one of t e ktnd 111 North America. Tuefday the sth of AuguLl:, being in difpofed, a nd unable to ;ravel any farther by land, I embarked on board a brigantine or Rhode I!l and. We made fail up the Sound with a fai r wind ~nd after about two hours, paifed through Hell- gate It i: l:p~~bl.e t? go through this place without recalling ;o mind t e e ~nptwn of Scylla and Charybdis. The breadth of the Sound IS here about half a mile; but the channel is very nar-row. , . not exceeding eighty yar d s : t 11 e water runs with great raptdtty, and in di~erent currents, only one of which will carr a /eifel through wtth fafety; for, un one fide, there is a lho~ o rocks J ufi: ftanding above the water; and, on the other a dhreadful vortex: produced by a rock lying about nine feet under t e furface . So. th a t I' f you get I· nto any but the right cur-rent, you are. either dallied upon the lhoal, or elfe fucked into the eddy, wl11:led round with incredible rapidity, and at length f wallo~ved uP 111 the vortex. There are exceeding good pilots to navtgate veifels through this place, notwithCl:anding which tl:ey are frequently loft. The proper time of palling it is a~ hlg~ ~ater. We had pleafant weather during the paifage, which IS about fev:nty leagues, with beautiful views of Long Hland and Connecticut; and arrived in the harbour at Newport the 7th of Auguft. .Thi.s town is fituated upon a fm all ifland, about twelve miles 111 length, and fiv~ or fix in breadth, c all ed Rhode Ifland, f~om whence t.he prov111ce takes its name. It is the capital City, and contains about 8oo, or 1 ooo houfes, chiefly built of wood; and 6 or 7000 inhabitants. There are few bu. 'ld' , · · h . 1 w gs 111f Ibt ·w ort notice. The court-houfe is indeed hand 1r.0 me, an d o nck; and there is a public library, built in the form of a K 2 Grecian |