Pfeiffer's general store, mentioned in Dr. Hamilton's
journey.
Wednesday July 11, 1744: We
arrived at a scattered ton called Brookhaven or by the Indians
Setoquoet (setauket) about two o'clock afternoon and dined at
one Buchanan's there. Brookhaven is a small scattered settlement
near the sea. In this town is a small windmill for sawing plank
and a wooden church with a small steeple.
While we were at Buchananan's an old fellow named Smith called at the house. He
said he was a traveling to York to get a commission or license
from the governor to go a privateering and swore he would not be
under any commander, but would be chief man himself. He showed
us several antic tricks, such as jumping out touching high on
his bum, without touching any other part of his body or the
floor. Then he turned and did the same upon his belly. Then he
stood upright on his head. He told us he was seventy five-year
old and swore damn his old shoes if any man in America could do
the like.
He asked me whence I came
and whither i went. I answered him I came from California and
was going to Lanthern Land. He swore damn his old shoes again if
he had not been a sailor all his life and yet never had hears of
such places. Mr. Parker made him believe he was captain of a
privateer and for a mug of cider made him Friday next promising
to make him his lieutenant for nothing else would satisfy the
old fellow. At last he wanted to borrow a little advance money
of Parker which when he could obtain he drank up his cider and
swore he would not go.
We took horse again at half
an hour after five o'clock and had scarcely got a mile from
Brookhaven when we lost our way but were directed right by a man
we met. After riding ten miles which we were pestered by
mosquitoes we arrived at 8 o'clock a night at one Brewster's
(now Pfeiffer's store in Middle Island). Where we put up for all
night and in this horse could not get nothing either to eat or
drink and so were obligated to go to bed fasting and suppperless. I was conducted upstairs to a large chamber. The
people in this house seemed quite savage and rude.
Thursday July 12: When i
waked this morning i found two beds in the room beside the one
in which great hulking fellows with long black beards and not so
much as half a night cap between both them. I took them for
weavers not only from their greasy appearance but because a ance
but because i observed a weavers loom at each side of the room.
In the other bed was a ram boned boy, who with the two lubber
huddled on his clothes and went reeling down the stairs making
as much noise as three horses.
We set out from this
desolated place at six o'clock in the morning and rid 18 miles
through very barren and waste land. Here we passed through a
plain six or eight miles long where was nothing but oak brush or
bushes two feet high very thick and replenished with acorns, and
thinly scattered over the plain were several old naked pines at
about two or three hundred feet distance from one another most
of them decayed and broken.
In all this way we met not
one living soul, nor saw any house but one in ruins. Some of the
inhabitants call this place the desert of Arabia. (middle
country road to riverhead.) I t is very much infected with
mosquitoes. We breakfasted at one Fanning's . Near his house a
decayed wooden building and close by his door runs a small
rivulet into an arm of the sea about twenty miles distant.
(peconic river at Riverhead.)
The day was rainy but we
took horse and rid ten miles further to one Hubbard's where we
rested half an hour then proceeded eight miles farther to the
town of Southold, near which the road is level, firm and
pleasant and in the neighborhood are a great many windmills. The
houses are pretty thick along the road here. We put up at one
Mrs. Moore's at Southold. In her house appeared nothing but
industry. She and her grand-daughters were busied in carding and
spinning of wool. After dinner we sent to inquire for a boat to
cross the sound.
At night the house was
crowded with a company of patched coats and tattered jackets. A
comical old fellow among the rest inquired if I had come from
the new country. We asked him what entertainment we could have
at the oyster pond. where we designed to take a boat across the
sound.
While we were at supper
there came in a peddler with his pack along with one Doctor
Hull, practioner of physic in the town. We were told the doctor
was a man of great learning and very much of a gentlemen. The
peddler went to show him some linen by candle light and told him
he would be on his honor with him and recommended to him the
best of his wares. We left this company at Nine o'cloc and went
upstairs to bed al in one chamber.
Fridays July 13: We took
horse after six in the morning and rid five or six miles close
by the sound till we came to one Brown's who was to give us
passage seven miles farther and stopped at one King's were all
busy in preparing dinner which consisted chiefly in garden
stuff. Here we saw some handsome country girls one of whom wore
a perpetual smile upon her face and prepared the chocolate for
our breakfast. At one o'clock we dined with the family upon fat
pork and green peas. At two o'clock we observed the boat falling
down the river and having provided ourselves with a store of
bread and cheese an some rum and sugar in case of being detained
upon the water we put our horses on board and set sail with a
fair wind from the Oyster Pond.
At three o'clock we crossed
the Gut a rapid current by the tides. Gardiner Island bore east
by north about three leagues distance. This island has been in
the possession of one man and takes its name from him. It had
been a prey to the French privateers in Queen Anne's war who
used to land upon ants of their stock and provisions the island
lying very bleak upon the ocean just as the casternmost entry of
the sound between Long Island the main of Connecticut.
(The foregoing account has
bee taken from a book entitled "Hamilton's Itinerary", which was
printed for private distribution by William K. Bixby in St.
Louis in 1907.)