20
th Warm plesent weather we commenced early
in the morning getting our baggage on deck
passengers went to washing & cleaning up it was
a vary busy time, their was a fight between
the carpenter & second mate which was ended
by the first mate who brused the carpenters
Head badly by striking him with a junk bottle.
Two quarentene lighters came along side of the
Rochester & took off all the passengers & baggage &
took us all to the Custom House here we had to
unload all the baggage which were examined by
the Custom House officer & out of 300 passengers
we were not charged duty for the first article. We
had to load evry thing again on board of the lighters
who took us to , & when we arived
at the docks we found them coverd with horses
& drays & about 50 drayman who stood ready to
leap on board & devour all our baggage & bcause
we were not willing to have our things stolen
from us & be defrauded out of our rights
but felt disposed to do our own busines without
being forced to measures by carman, they cursed
& swore at a dreadful rate & appeared more like
cannibals than civilized men, but after much
trouble & difficulty we got our goods out of the
lighters & loaded them on to drays & constantly
had to keep a guard over them to keep them from
being stolen we were untill 10 oclock at night gett
ing of[f] the docks to an Inn, whare we spent the
night. I was the nearest tired to death by fatigue
& labour that I ever was in my life for I was
continually loading & unloading boxes chests,
barrels & trunks from sunrise untill 10 o-clock
at night, without eating or drinking. I took
a hearty supper about midnight & lay down in
a room whare their was two children expected
to die hourly. I did not sleep a moment arose
in the morning & again commenced carting
baggage. I truly felt to rejoice to once more
step upon our native shore I thank God for
sparing my life & giving me such a blessing
we spent the night at the Battery Pavilion
Distance from to is 3,500 miles
