It makes servants civil and obliging and always ready to do anything; for, knowing that they depend altogether on the bounty of travellers, they would fear to do anything which would in the least offend them; and, as there is a customary price for each grade of servants, a person who is travelling can as well calculate the expense of his journey as though they were nothing of the kind." "_London, August 15, 1811._ You see from the date that I have at length arrived at the place of my destination.

I have been in the city about three hours, so you see what is my first object....

Mr.and Mrs.Allston with myself took a post-chaise which, indeed, is much more expensive than a stage-coach, but, on account of Mrs.Allston's health, which you know was not very good when in Boston (although she is much benefited by her voyage), we were obliged to travel slowly, and in this manner it has cost us perhaps double the sum which it would have done had we come in a stage-coach.

But necessity obliged me to act as I have done.

I found myself in a land of strangers, liable to be cheated out of my teeth almost, and, if I had gone to London without Mr.Allston, by waiting at a boarding-house, totally unacquainted with any living creature, I should probably have expended the difference by the time he had arrived....