5.  Among  the  many  failures  in  this  Town  which  have  mowed
down  many  bold  adventurers  in  Salem,  a  person  bearing  the  name
*ot  a  Physician,  for  the  first  since  the  settiement  of  Salem,  has  suf-
fered as  a  Speculator.  S.  Hemenway  came  to  Salem  to  study  with
Dr.  Holyoke  &  had  beoi  educated  at  Cambridge.  He  maintained
himself  by  a  Dancing  School.    From  his  studies  he  went  to  a

*Rev.  Ablel  Abbot,  author  of  History  of  Andover,  MaiM..  and  Genealogy
4«f  the  Abbot  Family.    After  his  diamlMion  he  became  master  at  Dummer
Academy.
1811]  WILLIAM   BBKTLBY,   D.   D.  47

Grocery  Store,  thence  to  an  Apothecary  Shop  &  lately  to  Specu-
lation &  the  practice  of  Physic.  He  married  the  d.  of  a  Baker,
alias  a  Speculator,  alias  a  Bankrupt,  &  now  shares  the  fate  of  his
Father  in  law.  This  is  something  like  a  true  picture  of  our  habits
during  the  profits  of  Commerce.  While  we  went  before  the  wind
credit  was  boundless  &  success  followed  every  adventurer.  Since
the  wind  has  changed,  few  have  skill  enough  to  navigate  troubled
seas.  Most  of  the  failures  are  among  young  men  from  the  coun-
try. A  young  girl  who  saved  from  the  wreck  of  Allen's  estate  a
few  pennies  has  lost  all  by  another  failure  among  her  kindred.  The
abuse  of  credit  was  notorious  but  the  rapacity  among  the  plun-
derers of  the  wreck  is  worse  than  Cape  Cod  itself.*  This  day
Capt.  Banney  of  Marblehead  fort,  &  Capt.  Thomas  of  the  Newport
B.  I.  station,  dined  &  spent  the  day  with  me  &  I  took  tea  for  the
first  time  at  Salem  fort  &  they  passed  to  M[arblehead]  by  water.
7.  A  Comet  very  distinctly  seen  last  evening  by  the  naJced  eye.
