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Show 6S TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA: the other fhot at it with a ball at the di!lance of one hundred paces. This they ufed to do alternately, for the amufement of th~ town's people, as often ~s they were called upon. Numbers of people m Lancafl:cr ca11 vouch for the truth of this facl:. Were J, however, to tell you all tbc Il:ories I have heard of the performances of riflemen, you would think the people were mofl: abominably addiCted to lying. A rifle gun will not carry !hot, nor will it carry a ball much farther than one hundred yards with cert<l in ty • LETTER IX. Number cf Germans in the Nci'gbbourbood o/ York mzd Lrmcajler.-I-Io-ro brougbt over.-ff/hite Slave 'I'radt!.-Cruelty ji~cquently praUifed i'n the carrying it o7t.-Charaacr qf the German Settlers r.:ontnzjted wtth tbat ql tbe Amcricam.-Pa_l/{,ge of the Sifquehamwh between York and L ancajler.- Great Beauty of the Profpeas along the R.iver.·-Drfcripticm qf York.-Courts of 'jzifhce the·re.-Of tbe Pennjylvaniatt Syflem of 'Judicature. MY DEAR SIR, York, March. J Arrived at this place, which is about twenty mile~ dill:ant from Lan-cafler, yefi:erday. The inhabitants of this town, as well as thofe of Lancall:er and of the adjoining country, confi.fl: princip?.lly of Dutch and German emigrants, and their dcfccndants. Great numbers of thcfc people emigrate to America every year, and the importation of them forms a very eonfidcrah1e bran h of commerce. They arc for the moll: part brought from the Ha.nfe Towns and from Rotterdam. The vefids fail thither from America, laden with different kinds of produce, anc.L the mafl:ers of them, on arriving there, entice on board as many of thdc people as they can pcrfuadc to leave. th ir native country, wi hout de .. mand.ing any money for their pafiage. When the vcifel arrives in. America, an advertifement i put into the paper, mentioniug the different § k~d W II I T E S L A V E T R A D E. kinds of men on board, whether fmiths, tailors, carpenters, labourers, or the like, and the people that are .in want of fu h men flock down to the vdlcl; thcfe 1 oor Germans arc then fold to the highell: bidder, and the captain of the vcifel, or the a )ip holder, put the money into his pocket'*·. There have been mrtny very il10cking in fbnces of crn elty in the carrying 011 of thi .:. trade, vulgarly oiled " The white Dave trade." I 01all tell yon but of one. \tV hi lc the y-:llow fever was raginr_; in 1)hibdclph ia. jn the year 17y3, at vbich time few ve.fitl would vcntme to approach n arer to tl c city than Fort Md1l111, four miles below .it, a captain in rhc trade arrived in the river, and hearing that fuch was the f1tt1l nature of the infcClion, that a fLtilicient number of nurfes could not be procnrcd to ~ttcml the fick for any fmn wh~tcver, he conceived the philanthropic idea of fupplying thi dd1 ·icncy from amongO: his paGl-ngers; accordingly he bol Uy failed up to the city, and advertifcd his cargo for [tle: " A few healthy fervants, generally between feventeen and eighteen "yeCir of age, arc jull: arrived in the brig , their times will be u difpofed of by applying on boJrd." The cargo, as you may fnppofc, did not remain long unfold. This anecdote wL1s communicated to me by a gentleman who has the original advcrtifcment in his poifeffion. When I tell you that people are fold in this manner, it is not to be undcrfl:ood that they arc fold for ever, but only for a certain number of year ; for two, three, fuur, or five year , according to their refpcctivc merits. A good mechanic, that undedl:and · a partie Jar kind of trade, for which men arc much wanted in America, has to fcrve a fhortcr time than a mere labourer, as more money will be gi ven for hi time, and the expencc of his pafi:1ge docs not exceed that of any other man. During their fcrvitude, thcfe people arc liaulc to be refold at the caprice of their mafi:ers; they arc as much nnder dominion a negro Daves, ami if they attempt to nm away, they may be imprifone i like felons. The laws refpeCting " redemptioncrs," fa arc the men call d tj1at arc lJrought • Thoul:'tnds of people were bronght from the north of Ireland in the f.1mc vay before the wa ~ ith .France, OV<.:J,' |