with some thunder & lightning, after which it cleared; but another shower came on about sun down tho' it was very moderate & of short continuance.

Monday 19th

Mercury at 73 in the Morning 79 at noon- and 78 at night. Morning Cloudy but clear afterwards with the wind at S° West. Rid to Muddy hole, Dogue run, and Ferry Plantations; and to the Meadows (where people were at work) at the two latter.

Finding My corn was in danger of being lost by Grass & weeds, I stopped Brick making, and sent Gurrer, Boatswain, Anthony, and Myrtilla to assist at Dogue run in weeding it.

The grass at the Ferry being forwarder and better than that at Dogue run, where the Scythmen began last to cut, I removed them, (tho' the grass was not half down) to the former place, 4 cutters at work.

Mr. Herbert & wife, Mr Throcmortan & his wife, Miss Hannah & Miss Kitty Washington, & Mr Willm Craik came her to dinner & all stayed the evening except Mr Herbert who returned to Alexandria, a Marq Andri Mechaux1 a Botanest sent by the Court of France to America (after having been only 6 weeks returned from India) came in a little before dinner with letters of introduction & recommendation from the Duke de Lauzen & Marq" de la Fayette to me, he dined & returned afterwards to Alexandria on his way to New York, from whence he had come, and where he was about to establish a Botanical garden.

Tuesday — 20th

Mercury at 71 in the Morning 77 at Noon- and 78 at night.

Morning clear and pleasant with but little wind, in the afternoon the wind blew from the Eastward, & a cloud a rising in the contrary directions it began about 9 O'clock to rain very powerfully and continued to do so more or less through the night.

Mr Craik went away before Breakfast and the rest of the Company

1 André Michaux (1746-1802), who, with his son François André Michaux (1770-1855), had recently arrived in New York. "In 1824," writes R. G. Thwaites, "the younger Michaux presented to the American Philosophical Society... the note-books containing the diary of his father's travels in America all save those covering the first two years (1785-87), which were lost in the shipwreck on the coast of Holland" (Early Western Travels, iii. 15). André Michaux's Journal is printed in the original French in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1889, pp. 91-101, 114-140; and in an English translation in Thwaites's Early Western Travels, iii. 27-104.

about 11 O'clock, at which time, I rid to the Plantations at Dogue run & ferry and to the meadows where people were cutting & making Hay stopped the Cutters at the ferry, and set them to making hay having too much grass down & exposed for the numbers employed in this business to execute in time without.

Mr Shaw went up to Alexandria on My business — and returned in the afternoon.

Wednesday - 21st

Mercury at 66 in the morning 66 at noon, and 66 at night. Wind at No Et and raining more or less till near noon after wch it continued Cloudy until Sundown, with the wind in the same quarter. A stop put to out door work till near noon. About Sundown Mr Fendall came here.

Thursday - 224

Mercury at 63 in the Morning 68 at noon and 68 at night. Calm, clear, cool, & pleasant all day.

Mr Fendale went away after Breakfast.

I rid to all the plantations and to the Hay Makers at the Ferry. The plows finished the drilled corn in the neck on Monday afternoon, and the hoes got over it on Tuesday Morning and both went into the Cut of common corn by the Barn.

Friday - 234

Mercury at 66 in the Morning 76 at noon- and 74 at night. Very little wind all day, but clear and pleasant notwithstanding. Finished Hoeing the drilled corn at Dogue run about 9 o'clock this forenoon, and began to weed the corn in the dunged ground at that place wch had got very foul.

Doct' La Moyeur came here this afternoon.

Saturday - 24th

Mercury at 69 in the morning. 76 at noon and 80 at night.

Clear in the forenoon with but little wind, in the afternoon clouds' arose and a smart shower of rain fell.

Rid to all the plantations and to the Hay Makers at the Ferry. In the Neck both Plows & Hoes would have finished the cut of corn by the Barn had not the Rain prevented — The Ferry hands would also have finished the cut of common corn on the Flat but for the same cause.

Major Washington and his wife went up to Alexandria and were detained there all night by the rain and appearances of the clouds afterwards.

Sunday - 25th

Mercury at 75 in the Morn' 80 at noon and 80 at night.

Clear all day with little or no wind and very warm.

Majr Washington and Fanny came home before Breakfast.

Monday - 26th

Mercury at 74 in the morning 76 at noon and 78 at night. The forenoon was clear and calm, as was the afternoon except a cloud which rose to the westward and produced rain and very high wind in the night.

Rid to Muddy hole, Dogue run and Ferry Plantations. Found the Muddy hole people in the Eastermost cut of Corn having finished (with the hoes) the Middle cut on Saturday- the plows however were yet in the Middle Cut. At Dogue run the plows had finished breaking up, and had begun crossing the cut in which Barry's houses stand, into which they went about dinner time on Saturday. About 11 O'clock to day the hoes finished weeding the Cowpened ground, and had got into the swamp corn which was more weedy than the rest. At the Ferry the plows finished about 9 O'Clock, the drilled Corn by the Fish house and went into the other drilled corn by the meadow. - About the same time the hoes having finished weeding the Corn in the flat, planted in the Common way, had begun to weed the drilled corn by the Fish House and to replant the Irish Potatoes therein. Finished cutting the Meadow at the Ferry this afternoon

Tuesday 27th

Mercury at 69 in the morning 70 at noon and 70 at night. Lowering (rather Cloudy) in the Morning with the wind brisk but not cold from the No West. Afternoon Clear & pleasant.

Rid to all my Plantations, found the plows and Hoes in the neck had gone over the Cut by the Bank. - the first finished it yesterday about breakfast & the other about dinner time and were in the cut adjoining. Finding the Hoe-Harrow did not do good work in the drilled corn, I ordered it to desist and the Bar shaw plow to be used, till the common corn was all crossed, after which to use it when the ground was worked

the other way, cut down the Clover at Muddy hole this forenoon (whilst it was moist from the Rain of last night) and put it into windrows 3 swarths in a row The Dogue run hands had not got over the Corn in the swamps. At the Ferry the People had just finished weeding the drilled corn by the Fish House, & replanting the Potatoes thereon,not having quite enough of the latter to replant the whole, the deficiency was supplied with Corn. - Making the hay that was cut yesterday at the Ferry, with the small gang.

DoctTM Craik dined here, and returned home afterwards.

Mr Shaw went up to Alexa on My business and returned late in the evening.

Mercury at 68 in the Morning 72 at noon - and 70 at night

Clear & pleasant all day, in the forenoon the wind was at n° W, in the afternoon it was at So West.

The

Rid at the plantations at Muddy hole, Dogue run and the Ferry and to the Hay fields, at the first I sowed turnips in Drills in the ground which had been sowed with oats that never came up (by the negro quarters). -There were 7 rows running from 180 to 200 steps of these (averaging 190 yards) wch were sowed with about a gill or little more seed first row, southerly, was harrowed with the little harrow at the tail of the barrel; but gathering earth and burying the seed too deep I took out every other tooth and with it in this order harrowed the next row - this also appeared to cover too deep, I therefore took the harrow off altogether and tied brush in its place which did much better, the seed used here was of the first recd from Mr Chichester and was of the last year. The hands at Dogue run having just needed their swamp corn as I got there about noon I directed, finding there was no prospect of getting over the corn there with hoes before harvest that the whole shd be immediately succoured, and then between this and Sunday the forwardest which was also the most weedy should be gone over with the Hoes.

The Mowers after cutting down the clover yesterday (wch was done by noon) went into the meadow at Morris's weh had been left, & were cutting there to-day. - the grass at the Ferry was all got into cocks this afternoon. Doct' La Moyeur came in before Dinner.

Mr Shaw went after breakfast to day, to see if he could engage any mowers for me, he returned in the afternoon, having partly engaged 2 or 3.

Mercury at 68 in the Morning, 71 at noon and 70 at night, Cool & pleasant, the wind being at N° West & Westerly all day.

At home all day in the evening Major Gibbs came in.

Planted in one row, between the Cherokee Plumb & the honey locust back of the N° Garden adjoining the Green House (where the Spanish Chest-nuts had been placed and were rotten) 25 of the Paliurus, very good to make hedges and inclosures for fields. Also in the section between the Work House & Salt house adjourning the Pride of China Plants, & between the rows in which the Carolina laurel seeds had been sowed, 46, of the Pistatia nut in 3 rows and in the places where the Hemlock pine had been planted and were dead, Et & W of the Garden gates, the seeds of the Pyramidical Cyprus 75 in number all of which with others were presented to me by Mr. Michaux Botanist to his Most Christ" Majesty.

Mr Shaw went out again today to procure if to be had scythe men for corn and grass of which he engaged two for the latter to be at work at Dogue run tomorrow, and four of the latter to be at this place on Monday.

Friday - 30th

Mercury at 65 in the Morning, 68 at noon, and 70 at night, clear and pleasant all day, the wind being at No West and West all day, though not fresh.

Rid to the Plantations at Muddy hole, Dogue run & Ferry; & to the Hay Makers at the second. At Dogue found the corn had all been succoured, and the hoes had got into the fresh & weedy ground along the wood side-about 3 O'clock yesterday. The Meadow near the Overseers House at this place would all be cut down about dinner time. The two white men viz; Tayler & Hill, engaged by Mr. Shaw yesterday, having got to work there this Morning. The plows at the ferry finished the drill corn yesterday about 2 O'clock and the hoes got over it about breakfast.

Began to cut My Rye at the Ferry about 12 O'clock today. employed three Negro cradlers - viz- Cæsar, Sambo & Boatswain - the greater part of which appeared to me to be blighted and the rest very ripe & much beat down, both Rye & Wheat at this place had the appearance of greater ripeness than at any other and might have been safely cut six or eight days ago, if I could have left my corn to do it.

1

Mr. Bushrod Washington 1 came in while we were at dinner.

1 Judge Bushrod Washington (d. 1829), son of John Augustine Washington.