A NARRATIVE OF TRAVELS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF AMERICAN MANNERS AND POLITY, EMIGRANTS and TRAVELLERS GOING TO THAT INTERESTING COUNTRY. BY WM. O'BRYAN. PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, AND SOLD BY S. THORNE, SHEBBEAR, HATHERLEIGH, DEVON, R. M. TIMS, 85, GRAFTON STREET, W. CURRY AND CO. SACKVILLE тастапит PREFACE. THE travels which were the basis of the following Narrative, were undertaken chiefly in preaching the gospel and visiting different Ministers and congregations, in order to ascertain the state of religion in the United States. For many years the author had thought of visiting that country; at last the way unexpectedly opened, and he followed what appeared to him to be the leadings of divine providence. In travelling through the various parts to which the following work bears reference, he was sometimes led to make, and write down, observations on various subjects that fell under his notice, which were likely to be useful to the bodies and souls of men. Having come to England on a visit, he purposed before he returned to the United States, to publish an extract of those notes, under the impression that it is likely to be of considerable service to those about to emigrate thither, and also to be of some interest to others. The following Narrative is greatly abbreviated for two reasons: one is, on a consid eration that with some persons, money being scarce, a low price book with partial information will please, or suit them better than to have more information, (though to others it might be highly interesting) which would cost a little more. Another class of people have more money, yet they love it too well to expend it on books. As these two classes are likely to be the majority of purchasers, the following Narrative has been narrowed to meet their choice. When a new book is published, the enquiry readily follows, Who is the author? The author of the following Narrative has no objection to inform the reader as to this particular, especially as his family name has often been pronounced wrong, and spelled wrong. It is a well know tradition in our family that our forefathers came from Ireland, and that the name was O'Bryan. In course of time some of the family wrote Bryant, while the name of others was written only Bryan, without the previous prepositionary appellative. Several causes might contribute to this Bryant is an English name, and I understand also a French name. Probably that family in England at first came over with William the Norman, as there are the names of many French families still in England. Bryant being known to be an English name, and the two names being so near alike in sound, might be easily confounded |