He says:-- "My ride to New Haven was beyond everything disagreeable; the sun beating down upon the stage (the sides of which we were obliged to shut up on account of the sun) which was like an oven, and the wind, instead of being in our faces as papa supposed, was at our back and brought into our faces such columns of dust as to hinder us from seeing the other side of the stage.
"I never was so completely covered with dust in my life before.

Mama, perhaps, will think that I experienced some inconvenience from such a fatiguing journey, but I never felt better in my life than now." The optimism of youth when it is doing what it wants to do.
He had taken passage on the good ship Lydia with Mr.and Mrs.Allston and some eleven other passengers, and the sailing of the ship was delayed for several days on account of contrary winds, but at last, on July 13, the voyage was begun.
ON BOARD THE LYDIA, OFF SANDY HOOK, July 15, 1811.
MY DEAR PARENTS,--After waiting a great length of time I have got under way.

We left New York Harbor on Saturday, 13th, about twelve o'clock and went as far as the quarantine ground on Staten Island, where, on account of the wind, we waited over Sunday.
We are now under sail with the pilot on board.

We have a fair wind from S.S.W.and shall soon be out of sight of land.

We have fourteen very agreeable passengers, an experienced and remarkably pleasant captain, and a strong, large, fast-sailing ship.