Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, June 1, 1800

Philadelphia 1 st: June
1800

My dear Mother

I returned to the City the night before last on the 18 th: day after my departure. My Father sat off on
Tuesday and I found the house turned inside out. My own things were
carefully packed up by M r: Briesler and
yesterday I had them removed to my lodgings in the same family that I was
with last year. 1

M r: Briesler & family
will be ready to sett out on Tuesday and will leave the house in good
condition. I received from him the two demijohns of Wine, which were drawn
off by your direction, for which I kindly thank you.

My journey was safe & agreeable and has conduced much
to my health, though even my complection is several shades darker for it.
The Country thro’ which I travelled was rude enough; but growing daily in
population & improvement. The land is excellent in many places—fertile
& where the settlements are considerable, very well cultivated— I passed
through the Shire or County towns of nine different Counties on the route
& met with hospitable treatment every where, though the Company I kept
was pretty generally with federal people— But the sovereign people of
several Counties through which I passed are deeply and generally Antifederal
in their politics. At Huntingdon 200 miles from the City, we met two of our
Supreme Court Judges and several of the Country Lawyers— Being detained on
the road a day by the rain, prevented our arriving so seasonably as we could
have wished.

On our return we passed through Northumberland and took a
survey of D r: Priestleys house & garden,
externally. The house consists of a two story frame building—painted white, with small wings on
each side, pleasantly situated, and commanding a good prospect of the River
Susquehannah— It is very much in the style, altogether, of a plain, neat
& well finished New England Country house— 2 I neither saw the owner, nor
enquired if he were at home, but on my arrival at Sunbury was informed by my
friend M r: Charles Hall that the philosopher was
on the spot—

I hope my jaunt has furnished me with a stock of health
sufficient to last me the Summer through— In the Fall I shall make another
excursion.

I have not heard when my father intends to return from
Washington, but I presume in the course of a month, if not sooner—

Present me kindly & affectionately to all our friends
at the Eastward and believe me with all love & duty / Your Son

T B Adams

PS. On my return I received a letter from M r: Pitcairn from Hamburg of the 7 th: of April, but he says nothing of my
brother. 3