John Hunt Journal, 1806 8mo. 24

              Everything we here enjoy changes, decays and comes to an end. The indulgence of harsh dispositions is the introduction of future misery.  Remember trout[?] Haman all availed him nothing w[cut off]: Disturb in mind and hoss[?] t[cut off] Ended.

Gentleness is in truth the great avenue to mutual enjoyment

24th 8th Month 1806. Although we have had a very fruitful [interline note above "Great said David"] season here in our parts vast plenty of apples, pears, cherries, fruit of every kind watermelons, cucumbers so plenty and cheap in market that they would not pay the expense of taking there and abundance thrown away a very mortifying time to the truck mongers or truck merchants the like was never known in such vast plenty I don't doubt but many wagon loads of watermelons and cucumbers will be thrown away. They are in such vast plenty in our Jersey land and a very good harvest for rye and wheat And the greatest prospect of a vast great crop of Indian corn and Buckwheat that ever was known Yet I am told by eye witnesses that a little below Salem they have had a pinching time of drought so that a few weeks ago they could rub the corn leaves to snuff and  a Friend who lately traveled thru New England Isaac C. Jones told me a great drought prevailed thro that part of the country East ward especially in province of Maine so called the drought is mentioned in the Newspapers very piercing indeed in the time of this dry weather the fire broke out the wind being very high and raged to a great Degree spread over and consumed a great part of the country Burnt up and destroyed, many settlements so that many Great famers who had lived in affluence and plenty were now by that means reduced to poverty and want being Burnt out of house and home. 

See William Edmondson's Journal an account of a time of great scarcity which was soon succeeded a time of great plenty which was made known to him and he had to prophecy foretell and forewarn the people and told the people the Lord would lash them with his Judgment and dung the ground with the carcasses of men which shortly after soon came to pass and many died for want of bread and tuffs of rank green grass were seen on the common where carcasses of people had dunged the Ground and s[cut off] his prophecy was fulfilled

[Marginal note] 1807 John Hains traveling in New England this summer says they have had no harvest over a great part of that country the winter and Insects destroyed their wheat that they made bread without bottling their meal Bran and all together and would allow but 10 pound of hay a night for a horse"]