The Value of the Goods annually shipped from England to Pensylvania.The Year, from one Christmas to another.Foreign Goods for which the duty has already been paid, & which therefore only req. receipts.Englishmanufactured Goods.The Sums of these two preceding columns added together.l.s.d.l.s.d.l.s.d.172351991351079351159921941724937315820951053032416117251030112631508184220914217269371116282636237634178172710243072173610031979107172814073133234056237478191117291294885168512529799101017301566010113293116648592751731118381743242118944260161173215240144264571934169813717331318708273787540585811734196481593474312154392710173518078433072671488041141736234561511380572561513184173714517434217324566906717382032019341129506145043173990414545411765445211111740102802046471129567511491741129771810780321319101011111742144586360836171752953417431922016601204107934064174414681844759518262214661745130438841237235428010111746181031275559519773699122174785851411738192882404177Total.343,789160969,049161,312,838176[53]The whole extent of thePhiladelphiatrade may be comprehended from the number of ships, which annually arrive at and sail from this town. I intend to insert here a table of a few years which I have taken from the gazettes of the town. The ships coming and going in one year, are to be reckoned from the twenty fifth ofMarchof that year, to the twenty fifth ofMarchof the next.The Year.Ships arrived.Ships sailed.173519921217403072081741292309174422927117452803011746273293But it is much to be feared that the trade ofPhiladelphia, and of all theEnglishcolonies, will rather decrease than encrease, in case no provision is made to prevent it. I shall hereafter plainly shew upon what foundation this decrease of trade is likely to take place.The town not only furnishes most of the inhabitants ofPensylvaniawith the goods which they want, but numbers of[54]the inhabitants ofNew Jerseycome every day and carry on a great trade.The town has two great fairs every year; one inMay, and the other inNovember, both on the sixteenth days of those two months. But besides these fairs, there are every week two market days, viz.WednesdayandSaturday. On those days the country people inPensylvaniaandNew Jersey, bring to town a quantity of victuals, and other productions of the country, and this is a great advantage to the town. It is therefore to be wished that the like regulation might be made in ourSwedishtowns. You are sure to meet with every produce of the season, which the country affords, on the market-days. But on other days, they are in vain sought for.Provisions are always to be got fresh here, and for that reason most of the inhabitants never buy more at a time, than what will be sufficient till the next market-day. In summer there is a market almost every day; for the victuals do not keep well in the great heat. There are two places in the town where these markets are kept; but that near the court-house is the principal. It begins about four or five o’clock in the morning, and ends about nine o’clock in the forenoon.[55]The town is not enclosed, and has no other custom-house than the great one for the ships.The governor of the whole province lives here; and though he is nominated by the heirs ofPen, yet he cannot take that office without being confirmed by the king ofEngland.The quakers of almost all parts ofNorth-America, have their great assembly here once a year.In the year 1743, a society for the advancement of the sciences was erected here. Its objects would have been the curiosities of the three kingdoms of nature, mathematicks, physick, chemistry, œconomy, and manufactures. But the war, which ensued immediately, stopped all designs of this nature, and since that time, nothing has been done towards establishing any thing of this kind.The declination of the needle was here observed on the thirtieth ofOctober1750, old style, to be five deg. and forty-five min. west. It was examined by the new meridian, which was drawn atPhiladelphiain the autumn of the same year, and extended a mile in length. By experience it appears, that this declination lessens about a degree in twenty years time.[56]The greatest difference in the rising and falling of the barometer, is according to the observations made for several years together by Mr.James Logan, found at 28´´ 59 and 30´´ 78.Here are three printers, and every week twoEnglish, and oneGermannews-paper is printed.In the year 1732, on the fifth ofSeptember, old style, a little earthquake was felt here about noon, and at the same time atBostoninNew England, and atMontrealinCanada, which places are above sixtySwedishmiles asunder.In the month ofNovemberof the year 1737, the well known prince from mountLebanon,Sheich Sidicame toPhiladelphia, on his travels through most of theEnglish Americancolonies. And in the same year a second earthquake was felt about eleven o’clock at night, on the seventh ofDecember. But it did not continue above half a minute, and yet, it was felt according to the accounts of the gazettes at the same hour inNewcastle,New York,New London,Boston, and other towns ofNew England. It had therefore likewise reached several miles.The countSinzendorf5arrived here in[57]theDecemberof the year 1741, and continued till the next spring. His uncommon behaviour persuaded manyEnglishmenof rank, that he was disordered in his head.I have not been able to find the exact number of the inhabitants ofPhiladelphia. In the year 1746, they were reckoned above ten thousand, and since that time their number is incredibly encreased. Neither can it be made out from the Bills of mortality, since they are not kept regularly in all the churches. I shall, however, mention some of those which appeared either in the gazettes, or in bills printed on purpose.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.173022717413451745420173825017424091748672173935017434251749758174029017444101750716From these bills of mortality it also appears, that the diseases which are the most fatal, are consumptions, fevers, convulsions, pleuresies, hæmorrhagies, and dropsies.The number of those that are born cannot be determined, since in many churches no order is observed with regard to this affair. The quakers, who are the most[58]numerous in this town, never baptize their children, though they take a pretty exact account of all who are born among them.It is likewise impossible to guess at the number of inhabitants from the dead, because the town gets such great supplies annually from other countries. In the summer of the year 1749, near twelve thousandGermanscame over toPhiladelphia, many of whom staid in that town. In the same year the houses inPhiladelphiawere counted, and found to be two thousand and seventy six in number.The town is now quite filled with inhabitants, which in regard to their country, religion and trade, are very different from each other. You meet with excellent masters in all trades, and many things are made here full as well as inEngland. Yet no manufactures, especially for making fine cloth are established. Perhaps the reason is, that it can be got with so little difficulty fromEngland, and that the breed of sheep which is brought over, degenerates in process of time, and affords but a coarse wool.Here is great plenty of provisions, and their prices are very moderate. There are no examples of an extraordinary dearth.Every one who acknowledges God to be the Creator, preserver and ruler of all[59]things, and teaches or undertakes nothing against the state, or against the common peace, is at liberty to settle, stay, and carry on his trade here, be his religious principles ever so strange. No one is here molested on account of the erroneous principles of the doctrine which he follows, if he does not exceed the above-mentioned bounds. And he is so well secured by the laws in his person and property, and enjoys such liberties; that a citizen ofPhiladelphiamay in a manner be said to live in his house like a king.On a careful consideration of what I have already said, it will be easy to conceive how this city should rise so suddenly from nothing, into such grandeur and perfection, without supposing any powerful monarch’s contributing to it, either by punishing the wicked, or by giving great supplies in money. And yet its fine appearance, good regulations, agreeable situation, natural advantages, trade, riches and power, are by no means inferior to those of any, even of the most ancient towns inEurope. It has not been necessary to force people to come and settle here; on the contrary foreigners of different languages, have left their country, houses, property and relations, and ventured over wide and stormy seas, in order[60]to come hither. Other countries, which have been peopled for a long space of time, complain of the small number of their inhabitants. ButPensylvania, which was no better than a desart in the year 1681, and hardly contained five hundred people, now vies with several kingdoms inEurope, in number of inhabitants. It has received numbers of people which other countries, to their infinite loss, have either neglected or expelled.A wretched old wooden building, on a hill near the river somewhat north of theWickako church, belonging to one of theSons of Sven, of whom, as before-mentioned, the ground was bought for buildingPhiladelphiaupon, is preserved on purpose, as a memorial of the poor state of that place, before the town was built on it. Its antiquity gives it a kind of superiority over all the other buildings in town, though in itself the worst of all. This hut was inhabited, whilst as yet stags, deers, elks, and beavers, at broad day light lived in the future streets, church-yards, and market-places ofPhiladelphia. The noise of a spinning wheel was heard in this house, before the manufactures now established were thought of, orPhiladelphiabuilt. But with all these advantages, this house is ready to[61]fall down, and in a few years to come, it will be as difficult to find the place where it stood, as it was unlikely at the time of its erection, that one of the greatest towns inAmerica, should in a short time stand close up to it.Septemberthe 7th. Mr.Peter Cock, a merchant of this town, assured me that he had last week himself been a spectator of a snake’s swallowing a little bird. This bird, which from its cry has the name ofCat bird, (Muscicapa Carolinensis, Linn.) flew from one branch of a tree to another, and was making a doleful tune. At the bottom of the tree, but at a fathom’s distance from the stem, lay one of the great black snakes, with its head continually upright, pointing towards the bird, which was always fluttering about, and now and then settling on the branches. At first it only kept in the topmost branches, but by degrees it came lower down, and even flew upon the ground, and hopped to the place where the snake lay, which immediately opened its mouth, caught the bird and swallowed it; but it had scarce finished its repast before Mr.Cockcame up and killed it. I was afterwards told that this kind of snakes was frequently observed to pursue little birds in this manner. It is already[62]well known that the rattle snake does the same.I walked out to day into the fields in order to get more acquainted with the plants hereabouts, I found severalEuropeanand evenSwedishplants among them. But those which are peculiar toAmerica, are much more numerous.TheVirginian maplegrows in plenty on the shores of theDelaware. TheEnglishin this country call it eitherButtonwood, orWaterbeech, which latter name is most usual. TheSwedescall itWattenbok, orWasbok. It isLinnæus’sPlatanus occidentalis. SeeCatesby’s Nat. Hist. ofCarolina, vol. 1. p. 56. t. 56. It grows for the greatest part in low places, but especially on the edge of rivers and brooks. But these trees are easily transplanted to more dry places, if they be only filled with good soil; and as their leaves are large and their foliage thick, they are planted about the houses and in gardens, to afford a pleasant shade in the hot season, to the enjoyment of which some seats were placed under them. Some of theSwedeshad boxes, pails, and the like, made of the bark of this tree by the nativeAmericans. They say that those people whilst they were yet settled here, made little dishes of this bark for gathering[63]whortleberries. The bark was a line in thickness. This tree likewise grows in marshes, or in swampy fields, where ash and red maple commonly grow. They are frequently as tall and thick, as the best of our fir trees. The seed stays on them till spring, but in the middle ofAprilthe pods open and shed the seeds. Query, Whether they are not ripe before that time, and consequently sooner fit for sowing? ThisAmericanmaple is remarkable for its quick growth, in which it exceeds all other trees. There are such numbers of them on the low meadows betweenPhiladelphiaand the ferry atGloucester, on both sides of the road, that in summer time you go as it were through a shady walk. In that part ofPhiladelphiawhich is near theSwedishchurch, some great trees of this kind stand on the shore of the river. In the year 1750, on the 15th. ofMayI saw the buds still on them, and in the year 1749 they began to flower on the eighth of that month. Several trees of this sort are planted atChelseanearLondon, and they now in point of height vie with the tallest oak.Septemberthe 18th. In the morning I went with theSwedishpainter, Mr.Hesselius, to the country seat of Mr.Bartram, which is about fourEnglishmiles to the[64]south ofPhiladelphia, at some distance from the high road toMaryland,Virginia, andCarolina. I had therefore the first opportunity here, of getting an exact knowledge of the state of the country, which was a plain covered with all kinds of trees with deciduous leaves. The ground was sandy, mixed with clay. But the sand seemed to be in greater quantity. In some parts the wood was cut down, and we saw the habitations of some country people, whose corn-fields and plantations were round their farm-houses. The wood was full of mulberry-trees, walnut-trees of several kinds, chesnut-trees, sassafras, and the like. Several sorts of wild vines clasped their tendrils round, and climbed up to the summits of the highest trees; and in other places they twined round the enclosures, so thick, that the latter almost sunk down under their weight. ThePersimon, orDiospyros Virginiana, Linn.sp. pl. p. 1510, grew in the marshy fields, and about springs. Its little apples looked very well already, but are not fit for eating, before the frost has affected them, and then they have a very fine taste.Hesseliusgathered some of them, and desired my servant to taste of the fruits of the land; but this poor credulous follow, had hardly bit into them, when he felt the[65]qualities they have before the frost has penetrated them. For they contracted his mouth so that he could hardly speak, and had a very disagreeable taste. This disgusted him so much that he was with difficulty persuaded to taste of it during the whole of our stay inAmerica, notwithstanding it loses all its acidity and acquires an agreeable flavour in autumn and towards the beginning of winter. For the fellow always imagined, that though he should eat them ever so late in the year, they would still retain the same disagreeable taste.To satisfy the curiosity of those, who are willing to know, how the woods look in this country, and whether or no the trees in them are the same with those found in our forests, I here insert a small catalogue of those which grow spontaneously in the woods which are nearest toPhiladelphia. But I exclude such shrubs as do not attain any considerable height. I shall put that tree first in order, which is most plentiful, and so on with the rest, and therefore trees which I have found but single, though near the town, will be last.1.Quercus alba, the white oak in good ground.[66]2.Quercus rubra, or the black oak.3.Quercus hispanica, theSpanishoak, a variety of the preceding.4.Juglans alba, hiccory, a kind of walnut tree, of which three or four varieties are to be met with.5.Rubus occidentalis, orAmericanblackberry shrub.6.Acer rubrum, the maple tree with red flowers, in swamps.7.Rhus glabra, the smooth leaved Sumach, in the woods, on high glades, and old corn-fields.8.Vitis labruscaandVulpina, vines of several kinds.9.Sambucus canadensis,AmericanElder tree, along the hedges and on glades.10.Quercus phellos, the swamp oak, in morasses.11.Azalea lutea, theAmericanupright honey-suckle, in the woods in dry places.12.Cratægus Crus galli, theVirginianAzarole, in woods.13.Vaccinium——, a species of whortleberry shrub.14.Quercus prinus, the chesnut oak in good ground.15.Cornus florida, the cornelian cherry, in all kinds of ground.16.Liriodendron Tulipifera, the tulip tree,[67]in every kind of soil.17.Prunus virginiana, the wild cherry tree.18.Vaccinium——, a frutex whortleberry, in good ground.19.Prinos verticillatus, the winterberry tree in swamps.20.Platanus occidentalis, the water-beech.21.Nyssa aquatica, the tupelo tree; on fields and mountains.622.Liquidambar styraciflua, sweet gum tree, near springs.23.Betula Alnus, alder, a variety of theSwedish; it was here but a shrub.24.Fagus castanea, the chesnut tree, on corn-fields, pastures, and in little woods.25.Juglans nigra, the black walnut tree, in the same place with the preceding tree.26.Rhus radicans, the twining sumach, climbed along the trees.27.Acer Negundo, the ash-leaved maple, in morasses and swampy places.28.Primus domestica, the wild plumb tree.29.Ulmus Americana, the white elm.[68]30.Prunus spinosa, sloe shrub, in low places.31.Laurus sassafras, the sassafras tree, in a loose soil mixed with sand.32.Ribes nigrum, the currant tree, grew in low places and in marshes.33.Fraxinus excelsior, the ash tree in low places.34.Smilax laurifolia, the rough bind weed with the bay leaf, in woods and on pales or enclosures.35.Kalmia latifolia, theAmericandwarf laurel, on the northern side of mountains.36.Morus rubra, the mulberry tree on fields, hills and near the houses.37.Rhus vernix, the poisonous Sumach, in wet places.38.Quercus rubra, the red oak, but a peculiar variety.39.Hamamelis virginica, the witch hazel.40.Diospyros virginiana, the persimon.41.Pyrus coronaria, the anchor tree.42.Juniperus virginiana, the red juniper, in a dry poor soil.43.Laurusæstivalis, spice-wood in a wet soil.44.Carpinus ostrya, a species of horn beam in a good soil.45.Carpinus betulus, a horn beam, in the same kind of soil with the former.[69]46.Fagus sylvatica, the beech, likewise in good soil.47.Juglans——, a species of walnut tree on hills near rivers,7called by theSwedesButternustræ.48.Pinus Americana,Pensylvanianfir tree; on the north side of mountains, and in vallies.849.Betula lenta, a species of birch, on the banks of rivers.50.Cephalantus occidentalis, button wood, in wet places.51.Pinus tæda, theNew Jerseyfir tree, on dry sandy heaths.52.Cercis canadensis, the sallad tree, in a good soil.53.Robinia pseudacacia, the locust tree, on the corn-fields.54.Magnolia glauca, the laurel-leaved tulip tree, in marshy soil.55.Tilia Americana, the lime tree, in a good soil.56.Gleditsia triacanthos, the honey locust tree, or three thorned acacia, in the same soil.57.Celtis occidentalis, the nettle tree, in the fields.58.Annona muricata, the custard apple in a fruitful soil.[70]We visited severalSwedes, who were settled here, and were at present in very good circumstances. One of them was calledAndrew Rambo; he had a fine house built of stone, two stories high, and a great orchard near it. We were every where well received, and stayed over night with the above-mentioned countryman. We saw no other marks of autumn, than that several fruits of this season were already ripe. For besides this all the trees were yet as green, and the ground still as much covered with flowers, as in our summer. Thousands of frogs croaked all the night long in the marshes and brooks. The locusts and grasshoppers made likewise such a great noise, that it was hardly possible for one person to understand another. The trees too, were full of all sorts of birds, which by the variety of their fine plumage, delighted the eye, while the infinite variety of their tunes were continually re-echoed.The orchards, along which we passed to-day, were only enclosed by hurdles. But they contained all kinds of fine fruit. We wondered at first very much when our leader leaped over the hedge into the orchards, and gathered some agreeable fruit for us. But our astonishment was still greater, when we saw that the people in the garden were[71]so little concerned at it, as not even to look at us. But our companion told us, that the people here were not so exact in regard to a few fruits, as they are in other countries where the soil is not so fruitful in them. We afterwards found very frequently that the country people inSwedenandFinlandguarded their turneps more carefully, than the people here do the most exquisite fruits.Septemberthe 19th. As I walked this morning into the fields, I observed that a copious dew was fallen; for the grass was as wet as if it had rained. The leaves of the plants and trees, had contracted so much moisture, that the drops ran down. I found on this occasion that the dew was not only on the superior, but likewise on the inferior side of the leaves. I therefore carefully considered many leaves both of trees and of other plants; both of those which are more above, and of those which are nearer to the ground. But I found in all of them, that both sides of the leaves were equally bedewed, except those of theVerbascum Thapsus, orgreat Mullein, which though their superior side was pretty well covered with the dew, yet their inferior had but a little.Every countryman, even a common peasant, has commonly an orchard near[72]his house, in which all sorts of fruit, such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and others, are in plenty. The peaches were now almost ripe. They are rare inEurope, particularly inSweden, for in that country hardly any people besides the rich taste them. But here every countryman had an orchard full of peach trees, which were covered with such quantities of fruit, that we could scarcely walk in the orchard, without treading upon those peaches which were fallen off; many of which were always left on the ground, and only part of them was sold in town, and the rest was consumed by the family and strangers; for every one that passed by, was at liberty to go into the orchard, and to gather as many of them as he wanted. Nay, this fine fruit was frequently given to the swine.This fruit is however sometimes kept for winter use, and for this purpose they are prepared in the following manner. The fruit is cut into four parts, the stone thrown away, and the fruit put upon a thread, on which they are exposed to the sunshine in the open air, till they are sufficiently dry. They are then put into a vessel for winter. But this manner of drying them is not very good, because the rain of this season very easily spoils and putrifies[73]them, whilst they hang in the open air. For this reason a different method is followed by others, which is by far the most eligible. The peaches are as before cut into four parts, are then either put upon a thread, or laid upon a board, and so hung up in the air when the sun shines. Being dried in some measure, or having lost their juice by this means, they are put into an oven, out of which the bread has but just been taken, and are left in it for a while. But they are soon taken out and brought into the fresh air; and after that they are again put into the oven, and this is repeated several times till they are as dry as they ought to be. For if they were dried up at once in the oven, they would shrivel up too much, and lose part of their flavour. They are then put up and kept for the winter. They are either baked into tarts and pyes, or boiled and prepared as dried apples and pears are inSweden. Several people here dry and preserve their apples in the same manner as their peaches.The peach trees, have, as I am told, been first planted here by theEuropeans. But at present they succeed very well, and require even less care, than our apple and pear trees.The orchards have seldom other fruit[74]than apples and peaches. Pear trees are scarce in this province, and those that had any of them, had planted them in their orchards. They likewise have cherry trees in the orchards, but commonly on the sides of them towards the house, or along the enclosures. Mulberry trees are planted on some hillocks near the house, and sometimes even in the court yards of the house. The black walnut trees, orJuglans nigra, grow partly on hills, and in fields near the farm-houses, and partly along the enclosures; but most commonly in the forests. No other trees of this kind, are made use of here. The chesnuts are left in the fields; here and there is one in a dry field or in a wood.TheHibiscus esculentus, orOkra,9is a plant which grows wild in theWest Indies, but is planted in the gardens here. The fruit, which is a long pod, is cut whilst it is green, and boiled in soups, which thereby become as thick as pulse. This dish is reckoned a dainty by some people, and especially by the negroes.Capsicum annuum, orGuinea pepperis likewise planted in gardens. When the[75]fruit is ripe it is almost entirely red, it is put to a roasted or boiled piece of meat, a little of it being strewed upon it, or mixed with the broth. Besides this, cucumbers are pickled with it. Or the pods are pounded whilst they are yet tender, and being mixed with salt are preserved in a bottle; and this spice is strewed over roasted or boiled meat, or fried fish, and gives them a very fine taste. But the fruit by itself is as biting as common pepper.This country contains many species of the plant, which Dr.LinnæuscallsRhus, and the most common is theRhus foliis pinnatis serratis lanceolates retrinque nudis, or theRhus glabra. TheEnglishcall this plantSumach. But theSwedeshere, have no particular name for it, and therefore make use of theEnglishname. Its berries or fruits are red. They are made use of for dying, and afford a colour like their own. This tree is like a weed in this country, for if a corn-field is left uncultivated for some few years together, it grows on it in plenty, since the berries are spread every where by the birds. And when the ground is to be ploughed the roots stop the plough very much. The fruit stays on the shrub during the whole winter. But the leaves drop very early in autumn, after they are[76]turned reddish, like those of our Swedish mountain ash. The branches boiled with the berries afford a black ink like tincture. The boys eat the berries, there being no danger of falling sick after the repast; but they are very sour. They seldom grow above three yards high. On cutting the stem, it appears that it contains nothing but pith. I have cut several in this manner, and found that some were ten years old; but that most of them were above one year old. When the cut is made, a yellow juice comes out between the bark and the wood. One or two of the most outward circles are white, but the innermost are of a yellowish green. It is easy to distinguish them one from another. They contain a very plentiful pith, the diameter of which is frequently half an inch, and sometimes more. It is brown, and so loose that it is easily pushed out by a little stick, in the same manner as the pith of the elder tree, raspberry and blackberry bushes. This sumach grows near the enclosures, round the corn-fields, but especially on fallow ground. The wood seemed to burn well, and made no great crackling in the fire.Septemberthe 20th. In the morning we walked in the fields and woods near the[77]town, partly for gathering seeds, and partly for gathering plants for my herbal, which was our principal occupation; and in the autumn of this year, we sent part of our collection toEnglandandSweden.A species ofRhus, which was frequent in the marshes here was called thepoison treeby bothEnglishandSwedes. Some of the former gave it the name ofswamp-sumach, and my country-men gave it the same name. Dr.Linnæusin his botanical works calls itRhus Vernix. Sp. pl. 1. 380.Flora Virgin.45. An incision being made into the tree, a whitish yellow juice, which has a nauseous smell, comes out between the bark and the wood. This tree is not known for its good qualities, but greatly so for the effect of its poison, which though it is noxious to some people, yet does not in the least affect others. And therefore one person can handle the tree as he pleases, cut it, peel off its bark, rub it, or the wood upon his hands, smell at it, spread the juice upon his skin, and make more experiments, with no inconvenience to himself; another person on the contrary dares not meddle with the tree, while its wood is fresh, nor can he venture to touch a hand which has handled it, nor even to expose himself to the smoak of a fire which is made with this wood, without soon[78]feeling its bad effects; for the face, the hands, and frequently the whole body swells excessively, and is affected with a very accute pain. Sometimes bladders or blisters arise in great plenty, and make the sick person look as if he was infected by a leprosy. In some people the external thin skin, or cuticle, peels of in a few days, as is the case when a person has scalded or burnt any part of his body. Nay, the nature of some persons will not even allow them to approach the place where the tree grows, or to expose themselves to the wind, when it carries the effluvia or exhalations of this tree with it, without letting them feel the inconvenience of the swelling, which I have just now described. Their eyes are sometimes shut up for one, or two and more days together by the swelling. I know two brothers, one of whom could without danger handle this tree in what manner he pleased, whereas the other could not come near it without swelling. A person sometimes does not know that he has touched this poisonous plant, or that he has been near it, before his face and hands shews it by their swelling. I have known old people who were more afraid of this tree than of a viper; and I was acquainted with a person who merely by the noxious exhalations of it[79]was swelled to such a degree, that he was as stiff as a log of wood, and could only be turned about in sheets.On relating in the winter of the year 1750, the poisonousqualitiesof the swamp sumach to myYungstrœm, who attended me on my travels, he only laughed, and looked upon the whole as a fable, in which opinion he was confirmed by his having often handled the tree the autumn before, cut many branches of it, which he had carried for a good while in his hand in order to preserve its seeds, and put many into the herbals, and all this, without feeling the least inconvenience. He would therefore, being a kind of philosopher in his own way, take nothing for granted of which he had no sufficient proofs, especially as he had his own experience in the summer of the year 1749, to support the contrary opinion. But in the next summer his system of philosophy was overturned. For his hands swelled and he felt a violent pain, and itching in his eyes as soon as he touched the tree, and this inconvenience not only attended him when he meddled with this kind of sumach, but even when he had any thing to do with theRhus radicans, or that species of sumach which climbs along the trees, and is not by far so[80]poisonous as the former. By this adventure he was so convinced of the power of the poison tree, that I could not easily persuade him to gather more seeds of it for me. But he not only felt the noxious effects of it in summer when he was very hot, but even in winter when both he and the wood were cold. Hence it appears that though a person be secured against the power of this poison for some time, yet that in length of time he may be affected with it as well, as people of a weaker constitution.I have likewise tried experiments of every kind with the poison tree on myself. I have spread its juice upon my hands, cut and broke its branches, peeled off its bark, and rubbed my hands with it, smelt at it, carried pieces of it in my bare hands, and repeated all this frequently, without feeling the baneful effects so commonly annexed to it; but I however once experienced that the poison of the sumach was not entirely without effect upon me. On a hot day in summer, as I was in some degree of perspiration, I cut a branch of the tree, and carried it in my hand for about half an hour together, and smelt at it now and then. I felt no effects from it, till in the evening. But next morning I awoke with a violent itching of my eye-lids, and the[81]parts thereabouts, and this was so painful, that I could hardly keep my hands from it. It ceased after I had washed my eyes for a while, with very cold water. But my eye-lids were very stiff all that day. At night the itching returned, and in the morning as I awoke, I felt it as ill as the morning before, and I used the same remedy against it. However it continued almost for a whole week together, and my eyes were very red, and my eye-lids were with difficulty moved, during all that time. My pain ceased entirely afterwards. About the same time, I had spread the juice of the tree very thick upon my hand. Three days after they occasioned blisters, which soon went off without affecting me much. I have not experienced any thing more of the effects of this plant, nor had I any desire so to do. However I found that it could not exert its power upon me, when I was not perspiring.I have never heard that the poison of this Sumach has been mortal; but the pain ceases after a few days duration. The natives formerly made their flutes of this tree, because it has a great deal of pith. Some people assured me, that a person suffering from its noisome exhalations, would easily recover by spreading a mixture of the wood,[82]burnt to charcoal, and hog’s lard, upon the swelled parts. Some asserted that they had really tried this remedy. In some places this tree is rooted out on purpose, that its poison may not affect the workmen.I received to day, several curiosities belonging to the mineral kingdom, which were collected in the country. The following were those which were most worth attention. The first was a white, and quite transparent crystal.10Many of this kind are found inPensylvania, in several kinds of stone, especially in a pale-grey limestone. The pieces are of the thickness and length of the little finger, and commonly as transparent as possible. But I have likewise got crystals here, of the length of a foot, and of the thickness of a middle-sized man’s leg. They were not so transparent as the former.Thecubic Pyrites of Bishop Browallius,11was of a very regular texture. But its cubes were different in size, for in some of[83]the cubes, the planes of the sides only amounted to a quarter of an inch, but in the biggest cubes, they were full two inches. Some were exceedingly glittering, so that it was very easy to be perceived that they consisted of sulphureous pyrites. But in some one or two sides only, glittered so well, and the others were dark-brown. Yet most of these marcasites had this same colour on all the sides. On breaking them they shewed the pure pyrites. They are found nearLancasterin this province, and sometimes lie quite above the ground; but commonly they are found at the depth of eight feet or more from the surface of the ground, on digging wells and the like. Mr.Hesseliushad several pieces of this kind of stone, which he made use of in his work. He first burnt them, then pounded or ground them to a powder, and at last rubbed them still finer in the usual way, and this afforded him a fine reddish-brown colour.Fewblack pebblesare found in this province, which on the other hand yields many kinds ofmarble, especially awhite one,with pale-grey bluish spots, which is found in a quarry at the distance of a fewEnglishmiles fromPhiladelphia, and is very good[84]for working, though it is not one of the finest kind of marbles. They make many tombstones and tables, enchase chimneys and doors, floors of marble flags in the rooms, and the like of this kind of marble. A quantity of this commodity is shipped to different parts ofAmerica.Muscovyglass,12is found in many places hereabouts, and some pieces of it are pretty large, and as fine as those which are brought fromRussia. I have seen some of them, which were a foot and more in length. And I have several in my collection that are nearly nine inches square. TheSwedeson their first arrival here made their windows of this native glass.A pale grey fine limestone,13of a compact texture, lies in many places hereabouts, and affords a fine lime. Some pieces of it are so full of fine transparent crystals, that almost half of the stone consists of nothing else. But besides this limestone, they make[85]lime near the sea-shore, from oyster shells, and bring it to town in winter, which is said to be worse for masonry, but better for white-washing, than that which is got from the limestone.Coals have not yet been found inPensylvania; but people pretend to have seen them higher up in the country among the natives. Many people however agree that they are met with in great quantity more to the north, nearCape Breton.14The ladies make wine from some of the fruits of the land. They principally take white and red currants for that purpose, since the shrubs of this kind are very plentiful in the gardens, and succeed very well. An old sailor who had frequently been inNew-foundland, told me that red currants grew wild in that country in great quantity. They likewise make a wine of strawberries, which grow in great plenty in the woods, but are sourer than theSwedishones. TheAmerican blackberries, orRubus occidentalis, are likewise made use of for this purpose, for they grow every where about the fields, almost as abundantly as[86]thistles inSweden, and have a very agreeable taste. InMarylanda wine is made of the wild grapes, which grow in the woods of that province. Raspberries and cherries which are planted on purpose, and taken great care of, likewise afford a very fine wine. It is unnecessary to give an account of the manner of making the currant wine, for inSwedenthis art is in higher perfection than inNorth America.Septemberthe 21st. Thecommon Privet, orLigustrum vulgare, Linn.grows among the bushes in thickets and woods. But I cannot determine whether it belongs to the indigenous plants, or to those which theEnglishhave introduced, the fruits of which the birds may have dispersed every where. The enclosures and pales are generally made here of wooden planks and posts. But a few, good œconomists, having already thought of sparing the woods for future times, have begun to plant quick hedges round their fields; and to this purpose they take the above-mentioned privet, which they plant in a little bank, which is thrown up for it. The soil every where hereabouts is a clay mixed with sand, and of course very loose. The privet hedges however, are only adapted to the tameness of the cattle and other animals here; for the hogs[87]all have a triangular yoke about their necks, and the other cattle are not very unruly. But in such places where the cattle break through the enclosures, hedges of this kind would make but a poor defence. The people who live in the neighbourhood ofPhiladelphia, are obliged to keep their hogs enclosed.In the afternoon I rode with Mr.Peter Cock, who was a merchant, born atKarlscroninSweden, to his country seat, about nine miles from the town, to the north-west.The country on both sides of the road was covered with a great forest. The trees were all with annual leaves, and I did not see a single fir or pine. Most of the trees were different sorts of oak. But we likewise saw chesnut trees, walnut trees, locust trees, apple trees, hiccory, blackberry bushes, and the like. The ground ceased to be so even as it was before, and began to look more like theEnglishground, diversified with hills and vallies. We found neither mountains nor great stones, and the wood was so much thinned, and the ground so uniformly even, that we could see a great way between the trees, under which we rode without any inconvenience; for there were no bushes to stop us. In some places[88]where the soil was thrown up, we saw some little stones of that kind of which the houses here are so generally built. I intend to describe them in the sequel.As we went on in the wood, we continually saw at moderate distances little fields, which had been cleared of the wood. Each of these was a farm. These farms were commonly very pretty, and a walk of trees frequently led from them to the high-road. The houses were all built of brick, or of the stone which is here every where to be met with. Every countryman, even though he were the poorest peasant, had an orchard with apples, peaches, chesnuts, walnuts, cherries, quinces, and such fruits, and sometimes we saw the vines climbing along them. The vallies were frequently provided with little brooks which contained a crystal stream. The corn on the sides of the road, was almost all mown, and no other grain besides maize and buckwheat was standing. The former was to be met with near each farm, in greater or lesser quantities; it grew very well and to a great length, the stalks being from six to ten foot high and covered with fine green leaves. Buckwheat likewise was not very uncommon, and in some places the people were beginning to reap it. I intend in the sequel[89]to be more particular about the qualities and use of these kinds of corn.After a ride of sixEnglishmiles, we came toGermantown; this town has only one street, but is near twoEnglishmiles long. It is for the greatest part inhabited byGermans, who from time to time come from their country toNorth America, and settle here, because they enjoy such privileges, as they are not possessed of any where else. Most of the inhabitants are tradesmen, and make almost every thing in such quantity and perfection, that in a short time this province will want very little fromEngland, its mother country. Most of the houses were built of the stone which is mixed with glimmer, and found every where towardsPhiladelphia, but is more scarce further on. Several houses however were made of brick. They were commonly two stories high, and sometimes higher. The roofs consisted of shingles of the white cedar wood. Their shape resembled that of the roofs inSweden, but the angles they formed at the top were either obtuse, right angled, or acute, according as the slopes were steep or easy. They sometimes formed either the half of an octogon, or the half of a dodecagon.Many of the roofs were made in such a[90]manner, that they could be walked upon, having a balustrade round them. Many of the upper stories had balconies before them, from whence the people had a prospect into the street. The windows, even those in the third story, had shutters. Each house had a fine garden. The town had three churches, one for the lutherans, another for the reformed protestants, and the third for the quakers. The inhabitants were so numerous, that the street was always full. The baptists have likewise a meeting-house.Septemberthe 22d. After I had been at church, I employed the remainder of the day in conversing with the most considerable people in town, who had lived here for a long while, and I enquired into the curiosities hereabouts.Mr.Cockhad a fine spring near his country seat; it came from a sandy hill, and afforded water enough constantly to fill a little brook. Just above this spring Mr.Cockhad erected a building from those above-mentioned glittering stones, into which were put many jugs, and other earthen vessels full of milk; for it kept very well in cold water during the great heat with which the summer is attended here.I afterwards met with many houses which were situated like this on springs,[91]and therefore were destined to keep the meat and milk fresh.Almost all the enclosures round the corn-fields and meadows hereabouts, were made of planks fastened in a horizontal direction. I only perceived a hedge of privet in one single place. The enclosures were not made like ours, for the people here take posts from four to six feet in height, and make two or three holes into them, so that there was a distance of two feet and above between them. Such a post does the same service as two, and sometimes three poles are scarce sufficient. The posts were fastened in the ground, at two or three fathoms distance from each other, and the holes in them kept up the planks, which were nine inches, and sometimes a foot broad, and lay above each other from one post to the next. Such an enclosure therefore looked at a distance like the hurdles in which we enclose the sheep at night inSweden. They were really no closer than hurdles, being only destined to keep out the greater animals, such as cows and horses. The hogs are kept near the farm-houses every where aboutPhiladelphia, and therefore this enclosure does not need to be made closer on their account. Chesnut trees were commonly made use of for this[92]purpose, because this wood keeps longest against putrefaction, and an enclosure made of it can stand for thirty years together. But where no chesnut wood was to be got, the white, and likewise the black oaks were taken for that purpose. Of all kinds of wood, that of the red cedar holds out the longest. The greatest quantity of it is brought up here; for nearPhiladelphiait is not plentiful enough, to be made use of for enclosures; however there are many enclosures near the town made of this wood.The best wood for fuel in every body’s opinion is the hiccory, or a species of walnut; for it heats well; but is not good for enclosures, since it cannot well withstand putrefaction when it is in the open air. The white and black oaks are next in goodness for fuel. The woods with whichPhiladelphiais surrounded, would lead one to conclude, that fuel must be cheap there. But it is far from being so, because the great and high forest near the town is the property of some people of quality and fortune, who do not regard the money which they could make of them. They do not sell so much as they require for their own use, and much less would they sell it to others. But they leave the trees for times to come, expecting that wood will become[93]much more scarce. However they sell it to joiners, coach-makers, and other artists, who pay exorbitantly for it. For a quantity of hiccory of eight foot in length, and four in depth, and the pieces being likewise four foot long, they paid at present eighteen shillings ofPensylvaniancurrency. But the same quantity of oak only came to twelve shillings. The people who came at present to sell wood in the market were peasants, who lived at a great distance from the town. Every body complained that fuel in the space of a few years, was risen in price to many times as much again as it had been, and to account for this, the following reasons were given: the town is encreased to such a degree, as to be four or six times bigger, and more populous than what some old people have known it to be, when they were young. Many brick-kilns have been made hereabouts, which require a great quantity of wood. The country is likewise more cultivated than it used to be, and consequently great woods have been cut down for that purpose; and the farms built in those places likewise consume a quantity of wood. Lastly, they melt iron out of the ore, in several places about the town, and this work always goes on without interruption. For these reasons it is[94]concluded in future timesPhiladelphiawill be obliged to pay a great price for wood.The wine of blackberries, which has a very fine taste, is made in the following manner. The juice of the blackberries is pressed out, and put into a vessel; with half a gallon of this juice, an equal quantity of water is well mixed. Three pounds of brown sugar are added to this mixture, which must then stand for a while, and after that, it is fit for use. Cherry wine is made in the same manner, but care must be taken that when the juice is pressed out, the stones be not crushed, for they give the wine a bad taste.They make brandy from peaches here, after the following method. The fruit is cut asunder, and the stones are taken out. The pieces of fruit are then put into a vessel, where they are left for three weeks or a month, till they are quite putrid. They are then put into the distilling vessel, and the brandy is made and afterwards distilled over again. This brandy is not good for people who have a more refined taste, but it is only for the common kind of people, such as workmen and the like.Applesyield a brandy, when prepared in the same manner as the peaches. But for this purpose those apples are chiefly[95]taken, which fall from the tree before they are ripe.TheAmerican Night-shade, orPhytolacca decandra, Linn.S. N. grows abundantly near the farms, on the highroad in hedges and bushes, and in several places in the fields. Whenever I came to any of these places I was sure of finding this plant in great abundance. Most of them had red berries, which grew in bunches, and looked very tempting, though they were not at all fit for eating. Some of these plants were yet in flower. In some places, such as in the hedges, and near the houses, they sometimes grow two fathom high. But in the fields were always low; yet I could no where perceive that the cattle had eaten of it. AGermanof this place who was a confectioner told me, that the dyers gathered the roots of this plant and made a fine red dye of them.Here are several species ofSquirrels. Theground Squirrels, orSciurus striatus, Linn.S. N. are commonly kept in cages, because they are very pretty: but they cannot he entirely tamed. Thegreater Squirrels, orSciurus cinereus, Linn.S. N. frequently do a great deal of mischief in the plantations, but particularly destroy the maize. For they climb up the stalks, cut[96]the ears in pieces and eat only the loose and sweet kernel which lies quite in the inside. They sometimes come by hundreds upon a maize-field, and then destroy the whole crop of a countryman in one night. InMarylandtherefore every one is obliged annually to bring four squirrels, and their heads are given to the surveyor, to prevent deceit. In other provinces every body that kills squirrels, received twopence a piece for them from the public, on delivering the heads. Their flesh is eaten and reckoned a dainty. The skins are sold, but are not much esteemed. Squirrels are the chief food of the rattle-snake and other snakes, and it was a common fancy with the people hereabouts, that when the rattle snake lay on the ground, and fixed its eyes upon a squirrel, the latter would be as it were fascinated, and that though it were on the uppermost branches of a tree, yet it would come down by degrees, till it leaped into the snake’s mouth. The snake then licks the little animal several times, and makes it wet all over with its spittle, that it may go down the throat easier. It then swallows the whole squirrel at once. When the snake has made such a good meal, it lies down to rest without any concern.
The Value of the Goods annually shipped from England to Pensylvania.The Year, from one Christmas to another.Foreign Goods for which the duty has already been paid, & which therefore only req. receipts.Englishmanufactured Goods.The Sums of these two preceding columns added together.l.s.d.l.s.d.l.s.d.172351991351079351159921941724937315820951053032416117251030112631508184220914217269371116282636237634178172710243072173610031979107172814073133234056237478191117291294885168512529799101017301566010113293116648592751731118381743242118944260161173215240144264571934169813717331318708273787540585811734196481593474312154392710173518078433072671488041141736234561511380572561513184173714517434217324566906717382032019341129506145043173990414545411765445211111740102802046471129567511491741129771810780321319101011111742144586360836171752953417431922016601204107934064174414681844759518262214661745130438841237235428010111746181031275559519773699122174785851411738192882404177Total.343,789160969,049161,312,838176[53]The whole extent of thePhiladelphiatrade may be comprehended from the number of ships, which annually arrive at and sail from this town. I intend to insert here a table of a few years which I have taken from the gazettes of the town. The ships coming and going in one year, are to be reckoned from the twenty fifth ofMarchof that year, to the twenty fifth ofMarchof the next.The Year.Ships arrived.Ships sailed.173519921217403072081741292309174422927117452803011746273293But it is much to be feared that the trade ofPhiladelphia, and of all theEnglishcolonies, will rather decrease than encrease, in case no provision is made to prevent it. I shall hereafter plainly shew upon what foundation this decrease of trade is likely to take place.The town not only furnishes most of the inhabitants ofPensylvaniawith the goods which they want, but numbers of[54]the inhabitants ofNew Jerseycome every day and carry on a great trade.The town has two great fairs every year; one inMay, and the other inNovember, both on the sixteenth days of those two months. But besides these fairs, there are every week two market days, viz.WednesdayandSaturday. On those days the country people inPensylvaniaandNew Jersey, bring to town a quantity of victuals, and other productions of the country, and this is a great advantage to the town. It is therefore to be wished that the like regulation might be made in ourSwedishtowns. You are sure to meet with every produce of the season, which the country affords, on the market-days. But on other days, they are in vain sought for.Provisions are always to be got fresh here, and for that reason most of the inhabitants never buy more at a time, than what will be sufficient till the next market-day. In summer there is a market almost every day; for the victuals do not keep well in the great heat. There are two places in the town where these markets are kept; but that near the court-house is the principal. It begins about four or five o’clock in the morning, and ends about nine o’clock in the forenoon.[55]The town is not enclosed, and has no other custom-house than the great one for the ships.The governor of the whole province lives here; and though he is nominated by the heirs ofPen, yet he cannot take that office without being confirmed by the king ofEngland.The quakers of almost all parts ofNorth-America, have their great assembly here once a year.In the year 1743, a society for the advancement of the sciences was erected here. Its objects would have been the curiosities of the three kingdoms of nature, mathematicks, physick, chemistry, œconomy, and manufactures. But the war, which ensued immediately, stopped all designs of this nature, and since that time, nothing has been done towards establishing any thing of this kind.The declination of the needle was here observed on the thirtieth ofOctober1750, old style, to be five deg. and forty-five min. west. It was examined by the new meridian, which was drawn atPhiladelphiain the autumn of the same year, and extended a mile in length. By experience it appears, that this declination lessens about a degree in twenty years time.[56]The greatest difference in the rising and falling of the barometer, is according to the observations made for several years together by Mr.James Logan, found at 28´´ 59 and 30´´ 78.Here are three printers, and every week twoEnglish, and oneGermannews-paper is printed.In the year 1732, on the fifth ofSeptember, old style, a little earthquake was felt here about noon, and at the same time atBostoninNew England, and atMontrealinCanada, which places are above sixtySwedishmiles asunder.In the month ofNovemberof the year 1737, the well known prince from mountLebanon,Sheich Sidicame toPhiladelphia, on his travels through most of theEnglish Americancolonies. And in the same year a second earthquake was felt about eleven o’clock at night, on the seventh ofDecember. But it did not continue above half a minute, and yet, it was felt according to the accounts of the gazettes at the same hour inNewcastle,New York,New London,Boston, and other towns ofNew England. It had therefore likewise reached several miles.The countSinzendorf5arrived here in[57]theDecemberof the year 1741, and continued till the next spring. His uncommon behaviour persuaded manyEnglishmenof rank, that he was disordered in his head.I have not been able to find the exact number of the inhabitants ofPhiladelphia. In the year 1746, they were reckoned above ten thousand, and since that time their number is incredibly encreased. Neither can it be made out from the Bills of mortality, since they are not kept regularly in all the churches. I shall, however, mention some of those which appeared either in the gazettes, or in bills printed on purpose.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.173022717413451745420173825017424091748672173935017434251749758174029017444101750716From these bills of mortality it also appears, that the diseases which are the most fatal, are consumptions, fevers, convulsions, pleuresies, hæmorrhagies, and dropsies.The number of those that are born cannot be determined, since in many churches no order is observed with regard to this affair. The quakers, who are the most[58]numerous in this town, never baptize their children, though they take a pretty exact account of all who are born among them.It is likewise impossible to guess at the number of inhabitants from the dead, because the town gets such great supplies annually from other countries. In the summer of the year 1749, near twelve thousandGermanscame over toPhiladelphia, many of whom staid in that town. In the same year the houses inPhiladelphiawere counted, and found to be two thousand and seventy six in number.The town is now quite filled with inhabitants, which in regard to their country, religion and trade, are very different from each other. You meet with excellent masters in all trades, and many things are made here full as well as inEngland. Yet no manufactures, especially for making fine cloth are established. Perhaps the reason is, that it can be got with so little difficulty fromEngland, and that the breed of sheep which is brought over, degenerates in process of time, and affords but a coarse wool.Here is great plenty of provisions, and their prices are very moderate. There are no examples of an extraordinary dearth.Every one who acknowledges God to be the Creator, preserver and ruler of all[59]things, and teaches or undertakes nothing against the state, or against the common peace, is at liberty to settle, stay, and carry on his trade here, be his religious principles ever so strange. No one is here molested on account of the erroneous principles of the doctrine which he follows, if he does not exceed the above-mentioned bounds. And he is so well secured by the laws in his person and property, and enjoys such liberties; that a citizen ofPhiladelphiamay in a manner be said to live in his house like a king.On a careful consideration of what I have already said, it will be easy to conceive how this city should rise so suddenly from nothing, into such grandeur and perfection, without supposing any powerful monarch’s contributing to it, either by punishing the wicked, or by giving great supplies in money. And yet its fine appearance, good regulations, agreeable situation, natural advantages, trade, riches and power, are by no means inferior to those of any, even of the most ancient towns inEurope. It has not been necessary to force people to come and settle here; on the contrary foreigners of different languages, have left their country, houses, property and relations, and ventured over wide and stormy seas, in order[60]to come hither. Other countries, which have been peopled for a long space of time, complain of the small number of their inhabitants. ButPensylvania, which was no better than a desart in the year 1681, and hardly contained five hundred people, now vies with several kingdoms inEurope, in number of inhabitants. It has received numbers of people which other countries, to their infinite loss, have either neglected or expelled.A wretched old wooden building, on a hill near the river somewhat north of theWickako church, belonging to one of theSons of Sven, of whom, as before-mentioned, the ground was bought for buildingPhiladelphiaupon, is preserved on purpose, as a memorial of the poor state of that place, before the town was built on it. Its antiquity gives it a kind of superiority over all the other buildings in town, though in itself the worst of all. This hut was inhabited, whilst as yet stags, deers, elks, and beavers, at broad day light lived in the future streets, church-yards, and market-places ofPhiladelphia. The noise of a spinning wheel was heard in this house, before the manufactures now established were thought of, orPhiladelphiabuilt. But with all these advantages, this house is ready to[61]fall down, and in a few years to come, it will be as difficult to find the place where it stood, as it was unlikely at the time of its erection, that one of the greatest towns inAmerica, should in a short time stand close up to it.Septemberthe 7th. Mr.Peter Cock, a merchant of this town, assured me that he had last week himself been a spectator of a snake’s swallowing a little bird. This bird, which from its cry has the name ofCat bird, (Muscicapa Carolinensis, Linn.) flew from one branch of a tree to another, and was making a doleful tune. At the bottom of the tree, but at a fathom’s distance from the stem, lay one of the great black snakes, with its head continually upright, pointing towards the bird, which was always fluttering about, and now and then settling on the branches. At first it only kept in the topmost branches, but by degrees it came lower down, and even flew upon the ground, and hopped to the place where the snake lay, which immediately opened its mouth, caught the bird and swallowed it; but it had scarce finished its repast before Mr.Cockcame up and killed it. I was afterwards told that this kind of snakes was frequently observed to pursue little birds in this manner. It is already[62]well known that the rattle snake does the same.I walked out to day into the fields in order to get more acquainted with the plants hereabouts, I found severalEuropeanand evenSwedishplants among them. But those which are peculiar toAmerica, are much more numerous.TheVirginian maplegrows in plenty on the shores of theDelaware. TheEnglishin this country call it eitherButtonwood, orWaterbeech, which latter name is most usual. TheSwedescall itWattenbok, orWasbok. It isLinnæus’sPlatanus occidentalis. SeeCatesby’s Nat. Hist. ofCarolina, vol. 1. p. 56. t. 56. It grows for the greatest part in low places, but especially on the edge of rivers and brooks. But these trees are easily transplanted to more dry places, if they be only filled with good soil; and as their leaves are large and their foliage thick, they are planted about the houses and in gardens, to afford a pleasant shade in the hot season, to the enjoyment of which some seats were placed under them. Some of theSwedeshad boxes, pails, and the like, made of the bark of this tree by the nativeAmericans. They say that those people whilst they were yet settled here, made little dishes of this bark for gathering[63]whortleberries. The bark was a line in thickness. This tree likewise grows in marshes, or in swampy fields, where ash and red maple commonly grow. They are frequently as tall and thick, as the best of our fir trees. The seed stays on them till spring, but in the middle ofAprilthe pods open and shed the seeds. Query, Whether they are not ripe before that time, and consequently sooner fit for sowing? ThisAmericanmaple is remarkable for its quick growth, in which it exceeds all other trees. There are such numbers of them on the low meadows betweenPhiladelphiaand the ferry atGloucester, on both sides of the road, that in summer time you go as it were through a shady walk. In that part ofPhiladelphiawhich is near theSwedishchurch, some great trees of this kind stand on the shore of the river. In the year 1750, on the 15th. ofMayI saw the buds still on them, and in the year 1749 they began to flower on the eighth of that month. Several trees of this sort are planted atChelseanearLondon, and they now in point of height vie with the tallest oak.Septemberthe 18th. In the morning I went with theSwedishpainter, Mr.Hesselius, to the country seat of Mr.Bartram, which is about fourEnglishmiles to the[64]south ofPhiladelphia, at some distance from the high road toMaryland,Virginia, andCarolina. I had therefore the first opportunity here, of getting an exact knowledge of the state of the country, which was a plain covered with all kinds of trees with deciduous leaves. The ground was sandy, mixed with clay. But the sand seemed to be in greater quantity. In some parts the wood was cut down, and we saw the habitations of some country people, whose corn-fields and plantations were round their farm-houses. The wood was full of mulberry-trees, walnut-trees of several kinds, chesnut-trees, sassafras, and the like. Several sorts of wild vines clasped their tendrils round, and climbed up to the summits of the highest trees; and in other places they twined round the enclosures, so thick, that the latter almost sunk down under their weight. ThePersimon, orDiospyros Virginiana, Linn.sp. pl. p. 1510, grew in the marshy fields, and about springs. Its little apples looked very well already, but are not fit for eating, before the frost has affected them, and then they have a very fine taste.Hesseliusgathered some of them, and desired my servant to taste of the fruits of the land; but this poor credulous follow, had hardly bit into them, when he felt the[65]qualities they have before the frost has penetrated them. For they contracted his mouth so that he could hardly speak, and had a very disagreeable taste. This disgusted him so much that he was with difficulty persuaded to taste of it during the whole of our stay inAmerica, notwithstanding it loses all its acidity and acquires an agreeable flavour in autumn and towards the beginning of winter. For the fellow always imagined, that though he should eat them ever so late in the year, they would still retain the same disagreeable taste.To satisfy the curiosity of those, who are willing to know, how the woods look in this country, and whether or no the trees in them are the same with those found in our forests, I here insert a small catalogue of those which grow spontaneously in the woods which are nearest toPhiladelphia. But I exclude such shrubs as do not attain any considerable height. I shall put that tree first in order, which is most plentiful, and so on with the rest, and therefore trees which I have found but single, though near the town, will be last.1.Quercus alba, the white oak in good ground.[66]2.Quercus rubra, or the black oak.3.Quercus hispanica, theSpanishoak, a variety of the preceding.4.Juglans alba, hiccory, a kind of walnut tree, of which three or four varieties are to be met with.5.Rubus occidentalis, orAmericanblackberry shrub.6.Acer rubrum, the maple tree with red flowers, in swamps.7.Rhus glabra, the smooth leaved Sumach, in the woods, on high glades, and old corn-fields.8.Vitis labruscaandVulpina, vines of several kinds.9.Sambucus canadensis,AmericanElder tree, along the hedges and on glades.10.Quercus phellos, the swamp oak, in morasses.11.Azalea lutea, theAmericanupright honey-suckle, in the woods in dry places.12.Cratægus Crus galli, theVirginianAzarole, in woods.13.Vaccinium——, a species of whortleberry shrub.14.Quercus prinus, the chesnut oak in good ground.15.Cornus florida, the cornelian cherry, in all kinds of ground.16.Liriodendron Tulipifera, the tulip tree,[67]in every kind of soil.17.Prunus virginiana, the wild cherry tree.18.Vaccinium——, a frutex whortleberry, in good ground.19.Prinos verticillatus, the winterberry tree in swamps.20.Platanus occidentalis, the water-beech.21.Nyssa aquatica, the tupelo tree; on fields and mountains.622.Liquidambar styraciflua, sweet gum tree, near springs.23.Betula Alnus, alder, a variety of theSwedish; it was here but a shrub.24.Fagus castanea, the chesnut tree, on corn-fields, pastures, and in little woods.25.Juglans nigra, the black walnut tree, in the same place with the preceding tree.26.Rhus radicans, the twining sumach, climbed along the trees.27.Acer Negundo, the ash-leaved maple, in morasses and swampy places.28.Primus domestica, the wild plumb tree.29.Ulmus Americana, the white elm.[68]30.Prunus spinosa, sloe shrub, in low places.31.Laurus sassafras, the sassafras tree, in a loose soil mixed with sand.32.Ribes nigrum, the currant tree, grew in low places and in marshes.33.Fraxinus excelsior, the ash tree in low places.34.Smilax laurifolia, the rough bind weed with the bay leaf, in woods and on pales or enclosures.35.Kalmia latifolia, theAmericandwarf laurel, on the northern side of mountains.36.Morus rubra, the mulberry tree on fields, hills and near the houses.37.Rhus vernix, the poisonous Sumach, in wet places.38.Quercus rubra, the red oak, but a peculiar variety.39.Hamamelis virginica, the witch hazel.40.Diospyros virginiana, the persimon.41.Pyrus coronaria, the anchor tree.42.Juniperus virginiana, the red juniper, in a dry poor soil.43.Laurusæstivalis, spice-wood in a wet soil.44.Carpinus ostrya, a species of horn beam in a good soil.45.Carpinus betulus, a horn beam, in the same kind of soil with the former.[69]46.Fagus sylvatica, the beech, likewise in good soil.47.Juglans——, a species of walnut tree on hills near rivers,7called by theSwedesButternustræ.48.Pinus Americana,Pensylvanianfir tree; on the north side of mountains, and in vallies.849.Betula lenta, a species of birch, on the banks of rivers.50.Cephalantus occidentalis, button wood, in wet places.51.Pinus tæda, theNew Jerseyfir tree, on dry sandy heaths.52.Cercis canadensis, the sallad tree, in a good soil.53.Robinia pseudacacia, the locust tree, on the corn-fields.54.Magnolia glauca, the laurel-leaved tulip tree, in marshy soil.55.Tilia Americana, the lime tree, in a good soil.56.Gleditsia triacanthos, the honey locust tree, or three thorned acacia, in the same soil.57.Celtis occidentalis, the nettle tree, in the fields.58.Annona muricata, the custard apple in a fruitful soil.[70]We visited severalSwedes, who were settled here, and were at present in very good circumstances. One of them was calledAndrew Rambo; he had a fine house built of stone, two stories high, and a great orchard near it. We were every where well received, and stayed over night with the above-mentioned countryman. We saw no other marks of autumn, than that several fruits of this season were already ripe. For besides this all the trees were yet as green, and the ground still as much covered with flowers, as in our summer. Thousands of frogs croaked all the night long in the marshes and brooks. The locusts and grasshoppers made likewise such a great noise, that it was hardly possible for one person to understand another. The trees too, were full of all sorts of birds, which by the variety of their fine plumage, delighted the eye, while the infinite variety of their tunes were continually re-echoed.The orchards, along which we passed to-day, were only enclosed by hurdles. But they contained all kinds of fine fruit. We wondered at first very much when our leader leaped over the hedge into the orchards, and gathered some agreeable fruit for us. But our astonishment was still greater, when we saw that the people in the garden were[71]so little concerned at it, as not even to look at us. But our companion told us, that the people here were not so exact in regard to a few fruits, as they are in other countries where the soil is not so fruitful in them. We afterwards found very frequently that the country people inSwedenandFinlandguarded their turneps more carefully, than the people here do the most exquisite fruits.Septemberthe 19th. As I walked this morning into the fields, I observed that a copious dew was fallen; for the grass was as wet as if it had rained. The leaves of the plants and trees, had contracted so much moisture, that the drops ran down. I found on this occasion that the dew was not only on the superior, but likewise on the inferior side of the leaves. I therefore carefully considered many leaves both of trees and of other plants; both of those which are more above, and of those which are nearer to the ground. But I found in all of them, that both sides of the leaves were equally bedewed, except those of theVerbascum Thapsus, orgreat Mullein, which though their superior side was pretty well covered with the dew, yet their inferior had but a little.Every countryman, even a common peasant, has commonly an orchard near[72]his house, in which all sorts of fruit, such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and others, are in plenty. The peaches were now almost ripe. They are rare inEurope, particularly inSweden, for in that country hardly any people besides the rich taste them. But here every countryman had an orchard full of peach trees, which were covered with such quantities of fruit, that we could scarcely walk in the orchard, without treading upon those peaches which were fallen off; many of which were always left on the ground, and only part of them was sold in town, and the rest was consumed by the family and strangers; for every one that passed by, was at liberty to go into the orchard, and to gather as many of them as he wanted. Nay, this fine fruit was frequently given to the swine.This fruit is however sometimes kept for winter use, and for this purpose they are prepared in the following manner. The fruit is cut into four parts, the stone thrown away, and the fruit put upon a thread, on which they are exposed to the sunshine in the open air, till they are sufficiently dry. They are then put into a vessel for winter. But this manner of drying them is not very good, because the rain of this season very easily spoils and putrifies[73]them, whilst they hang in the open air. For this reason a different method is followed by others, which is by far the most eligible. The peaches are as before cut into four parts, are then either put upon a thread, or laid upon a board, and so hung up in the air when the sun shines. Being dried in some measure, or having lost their juice by this means, they are put into an oven, out of which the bread has but just been taken, and are left in it for a while. But they are soon taken out and brought into the fresh air; and after that they are again put into the oven, and this is repeated several times till they are as dry as they ought to be. For if they were dried up at once in the oven, they would shrivel up too much, and lose part of their flavour. They are then put up and kept for the winter. They are either baked into tarts and pyes, or boiled and prepared as dried apples and pears are inSweden. Several people here dry and preserve their apples in the same manner as their peaches.The peach trees, have, as I am told, been first planted here by theEuropeans. But at present they succeed very well, and require even less care, than our apple and pear trees.The orchards have seldom other fruit[74]than apples and peaches. Pear trees are scarce in this province, and those that had any of them, had planted them in their orchards. They likewise have cherry trees in the orchards, but commonly on the sides of them towards the house, or along the enclosures. Mulberry trees are planted on some hillocks near the house, and sometimes even in the court yards of the house. The black walnut trees, orJuglans nigra, grow partly on hills, and in fields near the farm-houses, and partly along the enclosures; but most commonly in the forests. No other trees of this kind, are made use of here. The chesnuts are left in the fields; here and there is one in a dry field or in a wood.TheHibiscus esculentus, orOkra,9is a plant which grows wild in theWest Indies, but is planted in the gardens here. The fruit, which is a long pod, is cut whilst it is green, and boiled in soups, which thereby become as thick as pulse. This dish is reckoned a dainty by some people, and especially by the negroes.Capsicum annuum, orGuinea pepperis likewise planted in gardens. When the[75]fruit is ripe it is almost entirely red, it is put to a roasted or boiled piece of meat, a little of it being strewed upon it, or mixed with the broth. Besides this, cucumbers are pickled with it. Or the pods are pounded whilst they are yet tender, and being mixed with salt are preserved in a bottle; and this spice is strewed over roasted or boiled meat, or fried fish, and gives them a very fine taste. But the fruit by itself is as biting as common pepper.This country contains many species of the plant, which Dr.LinnæuscallsRhus, and the most common is theRhus foliis pinnatis serratis lanceolates retrinque nudis, or theRhus glabra. TheEnglishcall this plantSumach. But theSwedeshere, have no particular name for it, and therefore make use of theEnglishname. Its berries or fruits are red. They are made use of for dying, and afford a colour like their own. This tree is like a weed in this country, for if a corn-field is left uncultivated for some few years together, it grows on it in plenty, since the berries are spread every where by the birds. And when the ground is to be ploughed the roots stop the plough very much. The fruit stays on the shrub during the whole winter. But the leaves drop very early in autumn, after they are[76]turned reddish, like those of our Swedish mountain ash. The branches boiled with the berries afford a black ink like tincture. The boys eat the berries, there being no danger of falling sick after the repast; but they are very sour. They seldom grow above three yards high. On cutting the stem, it appears that it contains nothing but pith. I have cut several in this manner, and found that some were ten years old; but that most of them were above one year old. When the cut is made, a yellow juice comes out between the bark and the wood. One or two of the most outward circles are white, but the innermost are of a yellowish green. It is easy to distinguish them one from another. They contain a very plentiful pith, the diameter of which is frequently half an inch, and sometimes more. It is brown, and so loose that it is easily pushed out by a little stick, in the same manner as the pith of the elder tree, raspberry and blackberry bushes. This sumach grows near the enclosures, round the corn-fields, but especially on fallow ground. The wood seemed to burn well, and made no great crackling in the fire.Septemberthe 20th. In the morning we walked in the fields and woods near the[77]town, partly for gathering seeds, and partly for gathering plants for my herbal, which was our principal occupation; and in the autumn of this year, we sent part of our collection toEnglandandSweden.A species ofRhus, which was frequent in the marshes here was called thepoison treeby bothEnglishandSwedes. Some of the former gave it the name ofswamp-sumach, and my country-men gave it the same name. Dr.Linnæusin his botanical works calls itRhus Vernix. Sp. pl. 1. 380.Flora Virgin.45. An incision being made into the tree, a whitish yellow juice, which has a nauseous smell, comes out between the bark and the wood. This tree is not known for its good qualities, but greatly so for the effect of its poison, which though it is noxious to some people, yet does not in the least affect others. And therefore one person can handle the tree as he pleases, cut it, peel off its bark, rub it, or the wood upon his hands, smell at it, spread the juice upon his skin, and make more experiments, with no inconvenience to himself; another person on the contrary dares not meddle with the tree, while its wood is fresh, nor can he venture to touch a hand which has handled it, nor even to expose himself to the smoak of a fire which is made with this wood, without soon[78]feeling its bad effects; for the face, the hands, and frequently the whole body swells excessively, and is affected with a very accute pain. Sometimes bladders or blisters arise in great plenty, and make the sick person look as if he was infected by a leprosy. In some people the external thin skin, or cuticle, peels of in a few days, as is the case when a person has scalded or burnt any part of his body. Nay, the nature of some persons will not even allow them to approach the place where the tree grows, or to expose themselves to the wind, when it carries the effluvia or exhalations of this tree with it, without letting them feel the inconvenience of the swelling, which I have just now described. Their eyes are sometimes shut up for one, or two and more days together by the swelling. I know two brothers, one of whom could without danger handle this tree in what manner he pleased, whereas the other could not come near it without swelling. A person sometimes does not know that he has touched this poisonous plant, or that he has been near it, before his face and hands shews it by their swelling. I have known old people who were more afraid of this tree than of a viper; and I was acquainted with a person who merely by the noxious exhalations of it[79]was swelled to such a degree, that he was as stiff as a log of wood, and could only be turned about in sheets.On relating in the winter of the year 1750, the poisonousqualitiesof the swamp sumach to myYungstrœm, who attended me on my travels, he only laughed, and looked upon the whole as a fable, in which opinion he was confirmed by his having often handled the tree the autumn before, cut many branches of it, which he had carried for a good while in his hand in order to preserve its seeds, and put many into the herbals, and all this, without feeling the least inconvenience. He would therefore, being a kind of philosopher in his own way, take nothing for granted of which he had no sufficient proofs, especially as he had his own experience in the summer of the year 1749, to support the contrary opinion. But in the next summer his system of philosophy was overturned. For his hands swelled and he felt a violent pain, and itching in his eyes as soon as he touched the tree, and this inconvenience not only attended him when he meddled with this kind of sumach, but even when he had any thing to do with theRhus radicans, or that species of sumach which climbs along the trees, and is not by far so[80]poisonous as the former. By this adventure he was so convinced of the power of the poison tree, that I could not easily persuade him to gather more seeds of it for me. But he not only felt the noxious effects of it in summer when he was very hot, but even in winter when both he and the wood were cold. Hence it appears that though a person be secured against the power of this poison for some time, yet that in length of time he may be affected with it as well, as people of a weaker constitution.I have likewise tried experiments of every kind with the poison tree on myself. I have spread its juice upon my hands, cut and broke its branches, peeled off its bark, and rubbed my hands with it, smelt at it, carried pieces of it in my bare hands, and repeated all this frequently, without feeling the baneful effects so commonly annexed to it; but I however once experienced that the poison of the sumach was not entirely without effect upon me. On a hot day in summer, as I was in some degree of perspiration, I cut a branch of the tree, and carried it in my hand for about half an hour together, and smelt at it now and then. I felt no effects from it, till in the evening. But next morning I awoke with a violent itching of my eye-lids, and the[81]parts thereabouts, and this was so painful, that I could hardly keep my hands from it. It ceased after I had washed my eyes for a while, with very cold water. But my eye-lids were very stiff all that day. At night the itching returned, and in the morning as I awoke, I felt it as ill as the morning before, and I used the same remedy against it. However it continued almost for a whole week together, and my eyes were very red, and my eye-lids were with difficulty moved, during all that time. My pain ceased entirely afterwards. About the same time, I had spread the juice of the tree very thick upon my hand. Three days after they occasioned blisters, which soon went off without affecting me much. I have not experienced any thing more of the effects of this plant, nor had I any desire so to do. However I found that it could not exert its power upon me, when I was not perspiring.I have never heard that the poison of this Sumach has been mortal; but the pain ceases after a few days duration. The natives formerly made their flutes of this tree, because it has a great deal of pith. Some people assured me, that a person suffering from its noisome exhalations, would easily recover by spreading a mixture of the wood,[82]burnt to charcoal, and hog’s lard, upon the swelled parts. Some asserted that they had really tried this remedy. In some places this tree is rooted out on purpose, that its poison may not affect the workmen.I received to day, several curiosities belonging to the mineral kingdom, which were collected in the country. The following were those which were most worth attention. The first was a white, and quite transparent crystal.10Many of this kind are found inPensylvania, in several kinds of stone, especially in a pale-grey limestone. The pieces are of the thickness and length of the little finger, and commonly as transparent as possible. But I have likewise got crystals here, of the length of a foot, and of the thickness of a middle-sized man’s leg. They were not so transparent as the former.Thecubic Pyrites of Bishop Browallius,11was of a very regular texture. But its cubes were different in size, for in some of[83]the cubes, the planes of the sides only amounted to a quarter of an inch, but in the biggest cubes, they were full two inches. Some were exceedingly glittering, so that it was very easy to be perceived that they consisted of sulphureous pyrites. But in some one or two sides only, glittered so well, and the others were dark-brown. Yet most of these marcasites had this same colour on all the sides. On breaking them they shewed the pure pyrites. They are found nearLancasterin this province, and sometimes lie quite above the ground; but commonly they are found at the depth of eight feet or more from the surface of the ground, on digging wells and the like. Mr.Hesseliushad several pieces of this kind of stone, which he made use of in his work. He first burnt them, then pounded or ground them to a powder, and at last rubbed them still finer in the usual way, and this afforded him a fine reddish-brown colour.Fewblack pebblesare found in this province, which on the other hand yields many kinds ofmarble, especially awhite one,with pale-grey bluish spots, which is found in a quarry at the distance of a fewEnglishmiles fromPhiladelphia, and is very good[84]for working, though it is not one of the finest kind of marbles. They make many tombstones and tables, enchase chimneys and doors, floors of marble flags in the rooms, and the like of this kind of marble. A quantity of this commodity is shipped to different parts ofAmerica.Muscovyglass,12is found in many places hereabouts, and some pieces of it are pretty large, and as fine as those which are brought fromRussia. I have seen some of them, which were a foot and more in length. And I have several in my collection that are nearly nine inches square. TheSwedeson their first arrival here made their windows of this native glass.A pale grey fine limestone,13of a compact texture, lies in many places hereabouts, and affords a fine lime. Some pieces of it are so full of fine transparent crystals, that almost half of the stone consists of nothing else. But besides this limestone, they make[85]lime near the sea-shore, from oyster shells, and bring it to town in winter, which is said to be worse for masonry, but better for white-washing, than that which is got from the limestone.Coals have not yet been found inPensylvania; but people pretend to have seen them higher up in the country among the natives. Many people however agree that they are met with in great quantity more to the north, nearCape Breton.14The ladies make wine from some of the fruits of the land. They principally take white and red currants for that purpose, since the shrubs of this kind are very plentiful in the gardens, and succeed very well. An old sailor who had frequently been inNew-foundland, told me that red currants grew wild in that country in great quantity. They likewise make a wine of strawberries, which grow in great plenty in the woods, but are sourer than theSwedishones. TheAmerican blackberries, orRubus occidentalis, are likewise made use of for this purpose, for they grow every where about the fields, almost as abundantly as[86]thistles inSweden, and have a very agreeable taste. InMarylanda wine is made of the wild grapes, which grow in the woods of that province. Raspberries and cherries which are planted on purpose, and taken great care of, likewise afford a very fine wine. It is unnecessary to give an account of the manner of making the currant wine, for inSwedenthis art is in higher perfection than inNorth America.Septemberthe 21st. Thecommon Privet, orLigustrum vulgare, Linn.grows among the bushes in thickets and woods. But I cannot determine whether it belongs to the indigenous plants, or to those which theEnglishhave introduced, the fruits of which the birds may have dispersed every where. The enclosures and pales are generally made here of wooden planks and posts. But a few, good œconomists, having already thought of sparing the woods for future times, have begun to plant quick hedges round their fields; and to this purpose they take the above-mentioned privet, which they plant in a little bank, which is thrown up for it. The soil every where hereabouts is a clay mixed with sand, and of course very loose. The privet hedges however, are only adapted to the tameness of the cattle and other animals here; for the hogs[87]all have a triangular yoke about their necks, and the other cattle are not very unruly. But in such places where the cattle break through the enclosures, hedges of this kind would make but a poor defence. The people who live in the neighbourhood ofPhiladelphia, are obliged to keep their hogs enclosed.In the afternoon I rode with Mr.Peter Cock, who was a merchant, born atKarlscroninSweden, to his country seat, about nine miles from the town, to the north-west.The country on both sides of the road was covered with a great forest. The trees were all with annual leaves, and I did not see a single fir or pine. Most of the trees were different sorts of oak. But we likewise saw chesnut trees, walnut trees, locust trees, apple trees, hiccory, blackberry bushes, and the like. The ground ceased to be so even as it was before, and began to look more like theEnglishground, diversified with hills and vallies. We found neither mountains nor great stones, and the wood was so much thinned, and the ground so uniformly even, that we could see a great way between the trees, under which we rode without any inconvenience; for there were no bushes to stop us. In some places[88]where the soil was thrown up, we saw some little stones of that kind of which the houses here are so generally built. I intend to describe them in the sequel.As we went on in the wood, we continually saw at moderate distances little fields, which had been cleared of the wood. Each of these was a farm. These farms were commonly very pretty, and a walk of trees frequently led from them to the high-road. The houses were all built of brick, or of the stone which is here every where to be met with. Every countryman, even though he were the poorest peasant, had an orchard with apples, peaches, chesnuts, walnuts, cherries, quinces, and such fruits, and sometimes we saw the vines climbing along them. The vallies were frequently provided with little brooks which contained a crystal stream. The corn on the sides of the road, was almost all mown, and no other grain besides maize and buckwheat was standing. The former was to be met with near each farm, in greater or lesser quantities; it grew very well and to a great length, the stalks being from six to ten foot high and covered with fine green leaves. Buckwheat likewise was not very uncommon, and in some places the people were beginning to reap it. I intend in the sequel[89]to be more particular about the qualities and use of these kinds of corn.After a ride of sixEnglishmiles, we came toGermantown; this town has only one street, but is near twoEnglishmiles long. It is for the greatest part inhabited byGermans, who from time to time come from their country toNorth America, and settle here, because they enjoy such privileges, as they are not possessed of any where else. Most of the inhabitants are tradesmen, and make almost every thing in such quantity and perfection, that in a short time this province will want very little fromEngland, its mother country. Most of the houses were built of the stone which is mixed with glimmer, and found every where towardsPhiladelphia, but is more scarce further on. Several houses however were made of brick. They were commonly two stories high, and sometimes higher. The roofs consisted of shingles of the white cedar wood. Their shape resembled that of the roofs inSweden, but the angles they formed at the top were either obtuse, right angled, or acute, according as the slopes were steep or easy. They sometimes formed either the half of an octogon, or the half of a dodecagon.Many of the roofs were made in such a[90]manner, that they could be walked upon, having a balustrade round them. Many of the upper stories had balconies before them, from whence the people had a prospect into the street. The windows, even those in the third story, had shutters. Each house had a fine garden. The town had three churches, one for the lutherans, another for the reformed protestants, and the third for the quakers. The inhabitants were so numerous, that the street was always full. The baptists have likewise a meeting-house.Septemberthe 22d. After I had been at church, I employed the remainder of the day in conversing with the most considerable people in town, who had lived here for a long while, and I enquired into the curiosities hereabouts.Mr.Cockhad a fine spring near his country seat; it came from a sandy hill, and afforded water enough constantly to fill a little brook. Just above this spring Mr.Cockhad erected a building from those above-mentioned glittering stones, into which were put many jugs, and other earthen vessels full of milk; for it kept very well in cold water during the great heat with which the summer is attended here.I afterwards met with many houses which were situated like this on springs,[91]and therefore were destined to keep the meat and milk fresh.Almost all the enclosures round the corn-fields and meadows hereabouts, were made of planks fastened in a horizontal direction. I only perceived a hedge of privet in one single place. The enclosures were not made like ours, for the people here take posts from four to six feet in height, and make two or three holes into them, so that there was a distance of two feet and above between them. Such a post does the same service as two, and sometimes three poles are scarce sufficient. The posts were fastened in the ground, at two or three fathoms distance from each other, and the holes in them kept up the planks, which were nine inches, and sometimes a foot broad, and lay above each other from one post to the next. Such an enclosure therefore looked at a distance like the hurdles in which we enclose the sheep at night inSweden. They were really no closer than hurdles, being only destined to keep out the greater animals, such as cows and horses. The hogs are kept near the farm-houses every where aboutPhiladelphia, and therefore this enclosure does not need to be made closer on their account. Chesnut trees were commonly made use of for this[92]purpose, because this wood keeps longest against putrefaction, and an enclosure made of it can stand for thirty years together. But where no chesnut wood was to be got, the white, and likewise the black oaks were taken for that purpose. Of all kinds of wood, that of the red cedar holds out the longest. The greatest quantity of it is brought up here; for nearPhiladelphiait is not plentiful enough, to be made use of for enclosures; however there are many enclosures near the town made of this wood.The best wood for fuel in every body’s opinion is the hiccory, or a species of walnut; for it heats well; but is not good for enclosures, since it cannot well withstand putrefaction when it is in the open air. The white and black oaks are next in goodness for fuel. The woods with whichPhiladelphiais surrounded, would lead one to conclude, that fuel must be cheap there. But it is far from being so, because the great and high forest near the town is the property of some people of quality and fortune, who do not regard the money which they could make of them. They do not sell so much as they require for their own use, and much less would they sell it to others. But they leave the trees for times to come, expecting that wood will become[93]much more scarce. However they sell it to joiners, coach-makers, and other artists, who pay exorbitantly for it. For a quantity of hiccory of eight foot in length, and four in depth, and the pieces being likewise four foot long, they paid at present eighteen shillings ofPensylvaniancurrency. But the same quantity of oak only came to twelve shillings. The people who came at present to sell wood in the market were peasants, who lived at a great distance from the town. Every body complained that fuel in the space of a few years, was risen in price to many times as much again as it had been, and to account for this, the following reasons were given: the town is encreased to such a degree, as to be four or six times bigger, and more populous than what some old people have known it to be, when they were young. Many brick-kilns have been made hereabouts, which require a great quantity of wood. The country is likewise more cultivated than it used to be, and consequently great woods have been cut down for that purpose; and the farms built in those places likewise consume a quantity of wood. Lastly, they melt iron out of the ore, in several places about the town, and this work always goes on without interruption. For these reasons it is[94]concluded in future timesPhiladelphiawill be obliged to pay a great price for wood.The wine of blackberries, which has a very fine taste, is made in the following manner. The juice of the blackberries is pressed out, and put into a vessel; with half a gallon of this juice, an equal quantity of water is well mixed. Three pounds of brown sugar are added to this mixture, which must then stand for a while, and after that, it is fit for use. Cherry wine is made in the same manner, but care must be taken that when the juice is pressed out, the stones be not crushed, for they give the wine a bad taste.They make brandy from peaches here, after the following method. The fruit is cut asunder, and the stones are taken out. The pieces of fruit are then put into a vessel, where they are left for three weeks or a month, till they are quite putrid. They are then put into the distilling vessel, and the brandy is made and afterwards distilled over again. This brandy is not good for people who have a more refined taste, but it is only for the common kind of people, such as workmen and the like.Applesyield a brandy, when prepared in the same manner as the peaches. But for this purpose those apples are chiefly[95]taken, which fall from the tree before they are ripe.TheAmerican Night-shade, orPhytolacca decandra, Linn.S. N. grows abundantly near the farms, on the highroad in hedges and bushes, and in several places in the fields. Whenever I came to any of these places I was sure of finding this plant in great abundance. Most of them had red berries, which grew in bunches, and looked very tempting, though they were not at all fit for eating. Some of these plants were yet in flower. In some places, such as in the hedges, and near the houses, they sometimes grow two fathom high. But in the fields were always low; yet I could no where perceive that the cattle had eaten of it. AGermanof this place who was a confectioner told me, that the dyers gathered the roots of this plant and made a fine red dye of them.Here are several species ofSquirrels. Theground Squirrels, orSciurus striatus, Linn.S. N. are commonly kept in cages, because they are very pretty: but they cannot he entirely tamed. Thegreater Squirrels, orSciurus cinereus, Linn.S. N. frequently do a great deal of mischief in the plantations, but particularly destroy the maize. For they climb up the stalks, cut[96]the ears in pieces and eat only the loose and sweet kernel which lies quite in the inside. They sometimes come by hundreds upon a maize-field, and then destroy the whole crop of a countryman in one night. InMarylandtherefore every one is obliged annually to bring four squirrels, and their heads are given to the surveyor, to prevent deceit. In other provinces every body that kills squirrels, received twopence a piece for them from the public, on delivering the heads. Their flesh is eaten and reckoned a dainty. The skins are sold, but are not much esteemed. Squirrels are the chief food of the rattle-snake and other snakes, and it was a common fancy with the people hereabouts, that when the rattle snake lay on the ground, and fixed its eyes upon a squirrel, the latter would be as it were fascinated, and that though it were on the uppermost branches of a tree, yet it would come down by degrees, till it leaped into the snake’s mouth. The snake then licks the little animal several times, and makes it wet all over with its spittle, that it may go down the throat easier. It then swallows the whole squirrel at once. When the snake has made such a good meal, it lies down to rest without any concern.
The Value of the Goods annually shipped from England to Pensylvania.The Year, from one Christmas to another.Foreign Goods for which the duty has already been paid, & which therefore only req. receipts.Englishmanufactured Goods.The Sums of these two preceding columns added together.l.s.d.l.s.d.l.s.d.172351991351079351159921941724937315820951053032416117251030112631508184220914217269371116282636237634178172710243072173610031979107172814073133234056237478191117291294885168512529799101017301566010113293116648592751731118381743242118944260161173215240144264571934169813717331318708273787540585811734196481593474312154392710173518078433072671488041141736234561511380572561513184173714517434217324566906717382032019341129506145043173990414545411765445211111740102802046471129567511491741129771810780321319101011111742144586360836171752953417431922016601204107934064174414681844759518262214661745130438841237235428010111746181031275559519773699122174785851411738192882404177Total.343,789160969,049161,312,838176[53]The whole extent of thePhiladelphiatrade may be comprehended from the number of ships, which annually arrive at and sail from this town. I intend to insert here a table of a few years which I have taken from the gazettes of the town. The ships coming and going in one year, are to be reckoned from the twenty fifth ofMarchof that year, to the twenty fifth ofMarchof the next.The Year.Ships arrived.Ships sailed.173519921217403072081741292309174422927117452803011746273293But it is much to be feared that the trade ofPhiladelphia, and of all theEnglishcolonies, will rather decrease than encrease, in case no provision is made to prevent it. I shall hereafter plainly shew upon what foundation this decrease of trade is likely to take place.The town not only furnishes most of the inhabitants ofPensylvaniawith the goods which they want, but numbers of[54]the inhabitants ofNew Jerseycome every day and carry on a great trade.The town has two great fairs every year; one inMay, and the other inNovember, both on the sixteenth days of those two months. But besides these fairs, there are every week two market days, viz.WednesdayandSaturday. On those days the country people inPensylvaniaandNew Jersey, bring to town a quantity of victuals, and other productions of the country, and this is a great advantage to the town. It is therefore to be wished that the like regulation might be made in ourSwedishtowns. You are sure to meet with every produce of the season, which the country affords, on the market-days. But on other days, they are in vain sought for.Provisions are always to be got fresh here, and for that reason most of the inhabitants never buy more at a time, than what will be sufficient till the next market-day. In summer there is a market almost every day; for the victuals do not keep well in the great heat. There are two places in the town where these markets are kept; but that near the court-house is the principal. It begins about four or five o’clock in the morning, and ends about nine o’clock in the forenoon.[55]The town is not enclosed, and has no other custom-house than the great one for the ships.The governor of the whole province lives here; and though he is nominated by the heirs ofPen, yet he cannot take that office without being confirmed by the king ofEngland.The quakers of almost all parts ofNorth-America, have their great assembly here once a year.In the year 1743, a society for the advancement of the sciences was erected here. Its objects would have been the curiosities of the three kingdoms of nature, mathematicks, physick, chemistry, œconomy, and manufactures. But the war, which ensued immediately, stopped all designs of this nature, and since that time, nothing has been done towards establishing any thing of this kind.The declination of the needle was here observed on the thirtieth ofOctober1750, old style, to be five deg. and forty-five min. west. It was examined by the new meridian, which was drawn atPhiladelphiain the autumn of the same year, and extended a mile in length. By experience it appears, that this declination lessens about a degree in twenty years time.[56]The greatest difference in the rising and falling of the barometer, is according to the observations made for several years together by Mr.James Logan, found at 28´´ 59 and 30´´ 78.Here are three printers, and every week twoEnglish, and oneGermannews-paper is printed.In the year 1732, on the fifth ofSeptember, old style, a little earthquake was felt here about noon, and at the same time atBostoninNew England, and atMontrealinCanada, which places are above sixtySwedishmiles asunder.In the month ofNovemberof the year 1737, the well known prince from mountLebanon,Sheich Sidicame toPhiladelphia, on his travels through most of theEnglish Americancolonies. And in the same year a second earthquake was felt about eleven o’clock at night, on the seventh ofDecember. But it did not continue above half a minute, and yet, it was felt according to the accounts of the gazettes at the same hour inNewcastle,New York,New London,Boston, and other towns ofNew England. It had therefore likewise reached several miles.The countSinzendorf5arrived here in[57]theDecemberof the year 1741, and continued till the next spring. His uncommon behaviour persuaded manyEnglishmenof rank, that he was disordered in his head.I have not been able to find the exact number of the inhabitants ofPhiladelphia. In the year 1746, they were reckoned above ten thousand, and since that time their number is incredibly encreased. Neither can it be made out from the Bills of mortality, since they are not kept regularly in all the churches. I shall, however, mention some of those which appeared either in the gazettes, or in bills printed on purpose.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.173022717413451745420173825017424091748672173935017434251749758174029017444101750716From these bills of mortality it also appears, that the diseases which are the most fatal, are consumptions, fevers, convulsions, pleuresies, hæmorrhagies, and dropsies.The number of those that are born cannot be determined, since in many churches no order is observed with regard to this affair. The quakers, who are the most[58]numerous in this town, never baptize their children, though they take a pretty exact account of all who are born among them.It is likewise impossible to guess at the number of inhabitants from the dead, because the town gets such great supplies annually from other countries. In the summer of the year 1749, near twelve thousandGermanscame over toPhiladelphia, many of whom staid in that town. In the same year the houses inPhiladelphiawere counted, and found to be two thousand and seventy six in number.The town is now quite filled with inhabitants, which in regard to their country, religion and trade, are very different from each other. You meet with excellent masters in all trades, and many things are made here full as well as inEngland. Yet no manufactures, especially for making fine cloth are established. Perhaps the reason is, that it can be got with so little difficulty fromEngland, and that the breed of sheep which is brought over, degenerates in process of time, and affords but a coarse wool.Here is great plenty of provisions, and their prices are very moderate. There are no examples of an extraordinary dearth.Every one who acknowledges God to be the Creator, preserver and ruler of all[59]things, and teaches or undertakes nothing against the state, or against the common peace, is at liberty to settle, stay, and carry on his trade here, be his religious principles ever so strange. No one is here molested on account of the erroneous principles of the doctrine which he follows, if he does not exceed the above-mentioned bounds. And he is so well secured by the laws in his person and property, and enjoys such liberties; that a citizen ofPhiladelphiamay in a manner be said to live in his house like a king.On a careful consideration of what I have already said, it will be easy to conceive how this city should rise so suddenly from nothing, into such grandeur and perfection, without supposing any powerful monarch’s contributing to it, either by punishing the wicked, or by giving great supplies in money. And yet its fine appearance, good regulations, agreeable situation, natural advantages, trade, riches and power, are by no means inferior to those of any, even of the most ancient towns inEurope. It has not been necessary to force people to come and settle here; on the contrary foreigners of different languages, have left their country, houses, property and relations, and ventured over wide and stormy seas, in order[60]to come hither. Other countries, which have been peopled for a long space of time, complain of the small number of their inhabitants. ButPensylvania, which was no better than a desart in the year 1681, and hardly contained five hundred people, now vies with several kingdoms inEurope, in number of inhabitants. It has received numbers of people which other countries, to their infinite loss, have either neglected or expelled.A wretched old wooden building, on a hill near the river somewhat north of theWickako church, belonging to one of theSons of Sven, of whom, as before-mentioned, the ground was bought for buildingPhiladelphiaupon, is preserved on purpose, as a memorial of the poor state of that place, before the town was built on it. Its antiquity gives it a kind of superiority over all the other buildings in town, though in itself the worst of all. This hut was inhabited, whilst as yet stags, deers, elks, and beavers, at broad day light lived in the future streets, church-yards, and market-places ofPhiladelphia. The noise of a spinning wheel was heard in this house, before the manufactures now established were thought of, orPhiladelphiabuilt. But with all these advantages, this house is ready to[61]fall down, and in a few years to come, it will be as difficult to find the place where it stood, as it was unlikely at the time of its erection, that one of the greatest towns inAmerica, should in a short time stand close up to it.Septemberthe 7th. Mr.Peter Cock, a merchant of this town, assured me that he had last week himself been a spectator of a snake’s swallowing a little bird. This bird, which from its cry has the name ofCat bird, (Muscicapa Carolinensis, Linn.) flew from one branch of a tree to another, and was making a doleful tune. At the bottom of the tree, but at a fathom’s distance from the stem, lay one of the great black snakes, with its head continually upright, pointing towards the bird, which was always fluttering about, and now and then settling on the branches. At first it only kept in the topmost branches, but by degrees it came lower down, and even flew upon the ground, and hopped to the place where the snake lay, which immediately opened its mouth, caught the bird and swallowed it; but it had scarce finished its repast before Mr.Cockcame up and killed it. I was afterwards told that this kind of snakes was frequently observed to pursue little birds in this manner. It is already[62]well known that the rattle snake does the same.I walked out to day into the fields in order to get more acquainted with the plants hereabouts, I found severalEuropeanand evenSwedishplants among them. But those which are peculiar toAmerica, are much more numerous.TheVirginian maplegrows in plenty on the shores of theDelaware. TheEnglishin this country call it eitherButtonwood, orWaterbeech, which latter name is most usual. TheSwedescall itWattenbok, orWasbok. It isLinnæus’sPlatanus occidentalis. SeeCatesby’s Nat. Hist. ofCarolina, vol. 1. p. 56. t. 56. It grows for the greatest part in low places, but especially on the edge of rivers and brooks. But these trees are easily transplanted to more dry places, if they be only filled with good soil; and as their leaves are large and their foliage thick, they are planted about the houses and in gardens, to afford a pleasant shade in the hot season, to the enjoyment of which some seats were placed under them. Some of theSwedeshad boxes, pails, and the like, made of the bark of this tree by the nativeAmericans. They say that those people whilst they were yet settled here, made little dishes of this bark for gathering[63]whortleberries. The bark was a line in thickness. This tree likewise grows in marshes, or in swampy fields, where ash and red maple commonly grow. They are frequently as tall and thick, as the best of our fir trees. The seed stays on them till spring, but in the middle ofAprilthe pods open and shed the seeds. Query, Whether they are not ripe before that time, and consequently sooner fit for sowing? ThisAmericanmaple is remarkable for its quick growth, in which it exceeds all other trees. There are such numbers of them on the low meadows betweenPhiladelphiaand the ferry atGloucester, on both sides of the road, that in summer time you go as it were through a shady walk. In that part ofPhiladelphiawhich is near theSwedishchurch, some great trees of this kind stand on the shore of the river. In the year 1750, on the 15th. ofMayI saw the buds still on them, and in the year 1749 they began to flower on the eighth of that month. Several trees of this sort are planted atChelseanearLondon, and they now in point of height vie with the tallest oak.Septemberthe 18th. In the morning I went with theSwedishpainter, Mr.Hesselius, to the country seat of Mr.Bartram, which is about fourEnglishmiles to the[64]south ofPhiladelphia, at some distance from the high road toMaryland,Virginia, andCarolina. I had therefore the first opportunity here, of getting an exact knowledge of the state of the country, which was a plain covered with all kinds of trees with deciduous leaves. The ground was sandy, mixed with clay. But the sand seemed to be in greater quantity. In some parts the wood was cut down, and we saw the habitations of some country people, whose corn-fields and plantations were round their farm-houses. The wood was full of mulberry-trees, walnut-trees of several kinds, chesnut-trees, sassafras, and the like. Several sorts of wild vines clasped their tendrils round, and climbed up to the summits of the highest trees; and in other places they twined round the enclosures, so thick, that the latter almost sunk down under their weight. ThePersimon, orDiospyros Virginiana, Linn.sp. pl. p. 1510, grew in the marshy fields, and about springs. Its little apples looked very well already, but are not fit for eating, before the frost has affected them, and then they have a very fine taste.Hesseliusgathered some of them, and desired my servant to taste of the fruits of the land; but this poor credulous follow, had hardly bit into them, when he felt the[65]qualities they have before the frost has penetrated them. For they contracted his mouth so that he could hardly speak, and had a very disagreeable taste. This disgusted him so much that he was with difficulty persuaded to taste of it during the whole of our stay inAmerica, notwithstanding it loses all its acidity and acquires an agreeable flavour in autumn and towards the beginning of winter. For the fellow always imagined, that though he should eat them ever so late in the year, they would still retain the same disagreeable taste.To satisfy the curiosity of those, who are willing to know, how the woods look in this country, and whether or no the trees in them are the same with those found in our forests, I here insert a small catalogue of those which grow spontaneously in the woods which are nearest toPhiladelphia. But I exclude such shrubs as do not attain any considerable height. I shall put that tree first in order, which is most plentiful, and so on with the rest, and therefore trees which I have found but single, though near the town, will be last.1.Quercus alba, the white oak in good ground.[66]2.Quercus rubra, or the black oak.3.Quercus hispanica, theSpanishoak, a variety of the preceding.4.Juglans alba, hiccory, a kind of walnut tree, of which three or four varieties are to be met with.5.Rubus occidentalis, orAmericanblackberry shrub.6.Acer rubrum, the maple tree with red flowers, in swamps.7.Rhus glabra, the smooth leaved Sumach, in the woods, on high glades, and old corn-fields.8.Vitis labruscaandVulpina, vines of several kinds.9.Sambucus canadensis,AmericanElder tree, along the hedges and on glades.10.Quercus phellos, the swamp oak, in morasses.11.Azalea lutea, theAmericanupright honey-suckle, in the woods in dry places.12.Cratægus Crus galli, theVirginianAzarole, in woods.13.Vaccinium——, a species of whortleberry shrub.14.Quercus prinus, the chesnut oak in good ground.15.Cornus florida, the cornelian cherry, in all kinds of ground.16.Liriodendron Tulipifera, the tulip tree,[67]in every kind of soil.17.Prunus virginiana, the wild cherry tree.18.Vaccinium——, a frutex whortleberry, in good ground.19.Prinos verticillatus, the winterberry tree in swamps.20.Platanus occidentalis, the water-beech.21.Nyssa aquatica, the tupelo tree; on fields and mountains.622.Liquidambar styraciflua, sweet gum tree, near springs.23.Betula Alnus, alder, a variety of theSwedish; it was here but a shrub.24.Fagus castanea, the chesnut tree, on corn-fields, pastures, and in little woods.25.Juglans nigra, the black walnut tree, in the same place with the preceding tree.26.Rhus radicans, the twining sumach, climbed along the trees.27.Acer Negundo, the ash-leaved maple, in morasses and swampy places.28.Primus domestica, the wild plumb tree.29.Ulmus Americana, the white elm.[68]30.Prunus spinosa, sloe shrub, in low places.31.Laurus sassafras, the sassafras tree, in a loose soil mixed with sand.32.Ribes nigrum, the currant tree, grew in low places and in marshes.33.Fraxinus excelsior, the ash tree in low places.34.Smilax laurifolia, the rough bind weed with the bay leaf, in woods and on pales or enclosures.35.Kalmia latifolia, theAmericandwarf laurel, on the northern side of mountains.36.Morus rubra, the mulberry tree on fields, hills and near the houses.37.Rhus vernix, the poisonous Sumach, in wet places.38.Quercus rubra, the red oak, but a peculiar variety.39.Hamamelis virginica, the witch hazel.40.Diospyros virginiana, the persimon.41.Pyrus coronaria, the anchor tree.42.Juniperus virginiana, the red juniper, in a dry poor soil.43.Laurusæstivalis, spice-wood in a wet soil.44.Carpinus ostrya, a species of horn beam in a good soil.45.Carpinus betulus, a horn beam, in the same kind of soil with the former.[69]46.Fagus sylvatica, the beech, likewise in good soil.47.Juglans——, a species of walnut tree on hills near rivers,7called by theSwedesButternustræ.48.Pinus Americana,Pensylvanianfir tree; on the north side of mountains, and in vallies.849.Betula lenta, a species of birch, on the banks of rivers.50.Cephalantus occidentalis, button wood, in wet places.51.Pinus tæda, theNew Jerseyfir tree, on dry sandy heaths.52.Cercis canadensis, the sallad tree, in a good soil.53.Robinia pseudacacia, the locust tree, on the corn-fields.54.Magnolia glauca, the laurel-leaved tulip tree, in marshy soil.55.Tilia Americana, the lime tree, in a good soil.56.Gleditsia triacanthos, the honey locust tree, or three thorned acacia, in the same soil.57.Celtis occidentalis, the nettle tree, in the fields.58.Annona muricata, the custard apple in a fruitful soil.[70]We visited severalSwedes, who were settled here, and were at present in very good circumstances. One of them was calledAndrew Rambo; he had a fine house built of stone, two stories high, and a great orchard near it. We were every where well received, and stayed over night with the above-mentioned countryman. We saw no other marks of autumn, than that several fruits of this season were already ripe. For besides this all the trees were yet as green, and the ground still as much covered with flowers, as in our summer. Thousands of frogs croaked all the night long in the marshes and brooks. The locusts and grasshoppers made likewise such a great noise, that it was hardly possible for one person to understand another. The trees too, were full of all sorts of birds, which by the variety of their fine plumage, delighted the eye, while the infinite variety of their tunes were continually re-echoed.The orchards, along which we passed to-day, were only enclosed by hurdles. But they contained all kinds of fine fruit. We wondered at first very much when our leader leaped over the hedge into the orchards, and gathered some agreeable fruit for us. But our astonishment was still greater, when we saw that the people in the garden were[71]so little concerned at it, as not even to look at us. But our companion told us, that the people here were not so exact in regard to a few fruits, as they are in other countries where the soil is not so fruitful in them. We afterwards found very frequently that the country people inSwedenandFinlandguarded their turneps more carefully, than the people here do the most exquisite fruits.Septemberthe 19th. As I walked this morning into the fields, I observed that a copious dew was fallen; for the grass was as wet as if it had rained. The leaves of the plants and trees, had contracted so much moisture, that the drops ran down. I found on this occasion that the dew was not only on the superior, but likewise on the inferior side of the leaves. I therefore carefully considered many leaves both of trees and of other plants; both of those which are more above, and of those which are nearer to the ground. But I found in all of them, that both sides of the leaves were equally bedewed, except those of theVerbascum Thapsus, orgreat Mullein, which though their superior side was pretty well covered with the dew, yet their inferior had but a little.Every countryman, even a common peasant, has commonly an orchard near[72]his house, in which all sorts of fruit, such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and others, are in plenty. The peaches were now almost ripe. They are rare inEurope, particularly inSweden, for in that country hardly any people besides the rich taste them. But here every countryman had an orchard full of peach trees, which were covered with such quantities of fruit, that we could scarcely walk in the orchard, without treading upon those peaches which were fallen off; many of which were always left on the ground, and only part of them was sold in town, and the rest was consumed by the family and strangers; for every one that passed by, was at liberty to go into the orchard, and to gather as many of them as he wanted. Nay, this fine fruit was frequently given to the swine.This fruit is however sometimes kept for winter use, and for this purpose they are prepared in the following manner. The fruit is cut into four parts, the stone thrown away, and the fruit put upon a thread, on which they are exposed to the sunshine in the open air, till they are sufficiently dry. They are then put into a vessel for winter. But this manner of drying them is not very good, because the rain of this season very easily spoils and putrifies[73]them, whilst they hang in the open air. For this reason a different method is followed by others, which is by far the most eligible. The peaches are as before cut into four parts, are then either put upon a thread, or laid upon a board, and so hung up in the air when the sun shines. Being dried in some measure, or having lost their juice by this means, they are put into an oven, out of which the bread has but just been taken, and are left in it for a while. But they are soon taken out and brought into the fresh air; and after that they are again put into the oven, and this is repeated several times till they are as dry as they ought to be. For if they were dried up at once in the oven, they would shrivel up too much, and lose part of their flavour. They are then put up and kept for the winter. They are either baked into tarts and pyes, or boiled and prepared as dried apples and pears are inSweden. Several people here dry and preserve their apples in the same manner as their peaches.The peach trees, have, as I am told, been first planted here by theEuropeans. But at present they succeed very well, and require even less care, than our apple and pear trees.The orchards have seldom other fruit[74]than apples and peaches. Pear trees are scarce in this province, and those that had any of them, had planted them in their orchards. They likewise have cherry trees in the orchards, but commonly on the sides of them towards the house, or along the enclosures. Mulberry trees are planted on some hillocks near the house, and sometimes even in the court yards of the house. The black walnut trees, orJuglans nigra, grow partly on hills, and in fields near the farm-houses, and partly along the enclosures; but most commonly in the forests. No other trees of this kind, are made use of here. The chesnuts are left in the fields; here and there is one in a dry field or in a wood.TheHibiscus esculentus, orOkra,9is a plant which grows wild in theWest Indies, but is planted in the gardens here. The fruit, which is a long pod, is cut whilst it is green, and boiled in soups, which thereby become as thick as pulse. This dish is reckoned a dainty by some people, and especially by the negroes.Capsicum annuum, orGuinea pepperis likewise planted in gardens. When the[75]fruit is ripe it is almost entirely red, it is put to a roasted or boiled piece of meat, a little of it being strewed upon it, or mixed with the broth. Besides this, cucumbers are pickled with it. Or the pods are pounded whilst they are yet tender, and being mixed with salt are preserved in a bottle; and this spice is strewed over roasted or boiled meat, or fried fish, and gives them a very fine taste. But the fruit by itself is as biting as common pepper.This country contains many species of the plant, which Dr.LinnæuscallsRhus, and the most common is theRhus foliis pinnatis serratis lanceolates retrinque nudis, or theRhus glabra. TheEnglishcall this plantSumach. But theSwedeshere, have no particular name for it, and therefore make use of theEnglishname. Its berries or fruits are red. They are made use of for dying, and afford a colour like their own. This tree is like a weed in this country, for if a corn-field is left uncultivated for some few years together, it grows on it in plenty, since the berries are spread every where by the birds. And when the ground is to be ploughed the roots stop the plough very much. The fruit stays on the shrub during the whole winter. But the leaves drop very early in autumn, after they are[76]turned reddish, like those of our Swedish mountain ash. The branches boiled with the berries afford a black ink like tincture. The boys eat the berries, there being no danger of falling sick after the repast; but they are very sour. They seldom grow above three yards high. On cutting the stem, it appears that it contains nothing but pith. I have cut several in this manner, and found that some were ten years old; but that most of them were above one year old. When the cut is made, a yellow juice comes out between the bark and the wood. One or two of the most outward circles are white, but the innermost are of a yellowish green. It is easy to distinguish them one from another. They contain a very plentiful pith, the diameter of which is frequently half an inch, and sometimes more. It is brown, and so loose that it is easily pushed out by a little stick, in the same manner as the pith of the elder tree, raspberry and blackberry bushes. This sumach grows near the enclosures, round the corn-fields, but especially on fallow ground. The wood seemed to burn well, and made no great crackling in the fire.Septemberthe 20th. In the morning we walked in the fields and woods near the[77]town, partly for gathering seeds, and partly for gathering plants for my herbal, which was our principal occupation; and in the autumn of this year, we sent part of our collection toEnglandandSweden.A species ofRhus, which was frequent in the marshes here was called thepoison treeby bothEnglishandSwedes. Some of the former gave it the name ofswamp-sumach, and my country-men gave it the same name. Dr.Linnæusin his botanical works calls itRhus Vernix. Sp. pl. 1. 380.Flora Virgin.45. An incision being made into the tree, a whitish yellow juice, which has a nauseous smell, comes out between the bark and the wood. This tree is not known for its good qualities, but greatly so for the effect of its poison, which though it is noxious to some people, yet does not in the least affect others. And therefore one person can handle the tree as he pleases, cut it, peel off its bark, rub it, or the wood upon his hands, smell at it, spread the juice upon his skin, and make more experiments, with no inconvenience to himself; another person on the contrary dares not meddle with the tree, while its wood is fresh, nor can he venture to touch a hand which has handled it, nor even to expose himself to the smoak of a fire which is made with this wood, without soon[78]feeling its bad effects; for the face, the hands, and frequently the whole body swells excessively, and is affected with a very accute pain. Sometimes bladders or blisters arise in great plenty, and make the sick person look as if he was infected by a leprosy. In some people the external thin skin, or cuticle, peels of in a few days, as is the case when a person has scalded or burnt any part of his body. Nay, the nature of some persons will not even allow them to approach the place where the tree grows, or to expose themselves to the wind, when it carries the effluvia or exhalations of this tree with it, without letting them feel the inconvenience of the swelling, which I have just now described. Their eyes are sometimes shut up for one, or two and more days together by the swelling. I know two brothers, one of whom could without danger handle this tree in what manner he pleased, whereas the other could not come near it without swelling. A person sometimes does not know that he has touched this poisonous plant, or that he has been near it, before his face and hands shews it by their swelling. I have known old people who were more afraid of this tree than of a viper; and I was acquainted with a person who merely by the noxious exhalations of it[79]was swelled to such a degree, that he was as stiff as a log of wood, and could only be turned about in sheets.On relating in the winter of the year 1750, the poisonousqualitiesof the swamp sumach to myYungstrœm, who attended me on my travels, he only laughed, and looked upon the whole as a fable, in which opinion he was confirmed by his having often handled the tree the autumn before, cut many branches of it, which he had carried for a good while in his hand in order to preserve its seeds, and put many into the herbals, and all this, without feeling the least inconvenience. He would therefore, being a kind of philosopher in his own way, take nothing for granted of which he had no sufficient proofs, especially as he had his own experience in the summer of the year 1749, to support the contrary opinion. But in the next summer his system of philosophy was overturned. For his hands swelled and he felt a violent pain, and itching in his eyes as soon as he touched the tree, and this inconvenience not only attended him when he meddled with this kind of sumach, but even when he had any thing to do with theRhus radicans, or that species of sumach which climbs along the trees, and is not by far so[80]poisonous as the former. By this adventure he was so convinced of the power of the poison tree, that I could not easily persuade him to gather more seeds of it for me. But he not only felt the noxious effects of it in summer when he was very hot, but even in winter when both he and the wood were cold. Hence it appears that though a person be secured against the power of this poison for some time, yet that in length of time he may be affected with it as well, as people of a weaker constitution.I have likewise tried experiments of every kind with the poison tree on myself. I have spread its juice upon my hands, cut and broke its branches, peeled off its bark, and rubbed my hands with it, smelt at it, carried pieces of it in my bare hands, and repeated all this frequently, without feeling the baneful effects so commonly annexed to it; but I however once experienced that the poison of the sumach was not entirely without effect upon me. On a hot day in summer, as I was in some degree of perspiration, I cut a branch of the tree, and carried it in my hand for about half an hour together, and smelt at it now and then. I felt no effects from it, till in the evening. But next morning I awoke with a violent itching of my eye-lids, and the[81]parts thereabouts, and this was so painful, that I could hardly keep my hands from it. It ceased after I had washed my eyes for a while, with very cold water. But my eye-lids were very stiff all that day. At night the itching returned, and in the morning as I awoke, I felt it as ill as the morning before, and I used the same remedy against it. However it continued almost for a whole week together, and my eyes were very red, and my eye-lids were with difficulty moved, during all that time. My pain ceased entirely afterwards. About the same time, I had spread the juice of the tree very thick upon my hand. Three days after they occasioned blisters, which soon went off without affecting me much. I have not experienced any thing more of the effects of this plant, nor had I any desire so to do. However I found that it could not exert its power upon me, when I was not perspiring.I have never heard that the poison of this Sumach has been mortal; but the pain ceases after a few days duration. The natives formerly made their flutes of this tree, because it has a great deal of pith. Some people assured me, that a person suffering from its noisome exhalations, would easily recover by spreading a mixture of the wood,[82]burnt to charcoal, and hog’s lard, upon the swelled parts. Some asserted that they had really tried this remedy. In some places this tree is rooted out on purpose, that its poison may not affect the workmen.I received to day, several curiosities belonging to the mineral kingdom, which were collected in the country. The following were those which were most worth attention. The first was a white, and quite transparent crystal.10Many of this kind are found inPensylvania, in several kinds of stone, especially in a pale-grey limestone. The pieces are of the thickness and length of the little finger, and commonly as transparent as possible. But I have likewise got crystals here, of the length of a foot, and of the thickness of a middle-sized man’s leg. They were not so transparent as the former.Thecubic Pyrites of Bishop Browallius,11was of a very regular texture. But its cubes were different in size, for in some of[83]the cubes, the planes of the sides only amounted to a quarter of an inch, but in the biggest cubes, they were full two inches. Some were exceedingly glittering, so that it was very easy to be perceived that they consisted of sulphureous pyrites. But in some one or two sides only, glittered so well, and the others were dark-brown. Yet most of these marcasites had this same colour on all the sides. On breaking them they shewed the pure pyrites. They are found nearLancasterin this province, and sometimes lie quite above the ground; but commonly they are found at the depth of eight feet or more from the surface of the ground, on digging wells and the like. Mr.Hesseliushad several pieces of this kind of stone, which he made use of in his work. He first burnt them, then pounded or ground them to a powder, and at last rubbed them still finer in the usual way, and this afforded him a fine reddish-brown colour.Fewblack pebblesare found in this province, which on the other hand yields many kinds ofmarble, especially awhite one,with pale-grey bluish spots, which is found in a quarry at the distance of a fewEnglishmiles fromPhiladelphia, and is very good[84]for working, though it is not one of the finest kind of marbles. They make many tombstones and tables, enchase chimneys and doors, floors of marble flags in the rooms, and the like of this kind of marble. A quantity of this commodity is shipped to different parts ofAmerica.Muscovyglass,12is found in many places hereabouts, and some pieces of it are pretty large, and as fine as those which are brought fromRussia. I have seen some of them, which were a foot and more in length. And I have several in my collection that are nearly nine inches square. TheSwedeson their first arrival here made their windows of this native glass.A pale grey fine limestone,13of a compact texture, lies in many places hereabouts, and affords a fine lime. Some pieces of it are so full of fine transparent crystals, that almost half of the stone consists of nothing else. But besides this limestone, they make[85]lime near the sea-shore, from oyster shells, and bring it to town in winter, which is said to be worse for masonry, but better for white-washing, than that which is got from the limestone.Coals have not yet been found inPensylvania; but people pretend to have seen them higher up in the country among the natives. Many people however agree that they are met with in great quantity more to the north, nearCape Breton.14The ladies make wine from some of the fruits of the land. They principally take white and red currants for that purpose, since the shrubs of this kind are very plentiful in the gardens, and succeed very well. An old sailor who had frequently been inNew-foundland, told me that red currants grew wild in that country in great quantity. They likewise make a wine of strawberries, which grow in great plenty in the woods, but are sourer than theSwedishones. TheAmerican blackberries, orRubus occidentalis, are likewise made use of for this purpose, for they grow every where about the fields, almost as abundantly as[86]thistles inSweden, and have a very agreeable taste. InMarylanda wine is made of the wild grapes, which grow in the woods of that province. Raspberries and cherries which are planted on purpose, and taken great care of, likewise afford a very fine wine. It is unnecessary to give an account of the manner of making the currant wine, for inSwedenthis art is in higher perfection than inNorth America.Septemberthe 21st. Thecommon Privet, orLigustrum vulgare, Linn.grows among the bushes in thickets and woods. But I cannot determine whether it belongs to the indigenous plants, or to those which theEnglishhave introduced, the fruits of which the birds may have dispersed every where. The enclosures and pales are generally made here of wooden planks and posts. But a few, good œconomists, having already thought of sparing the woods for future times, have begun to plant quick hedges round their fields; and to this purpose they take the above-mentioned privet, which they plant in a little bank, which is thrown up for it. The soil every where hereabouts is a clay mixed with sand, and of course very loose. The privet hedges however, are only adapted to the tameness of the cattle and other animals here; for the hogs[87]all have a triangular yoke about their necks, and the other cattle are not very unruly. But in such places where the cattle break through the enclosures, hedges of this kind would make but a poor defence. The people who live in the neighbourhood ofPhiladelphia, are obliged to keep their hogs enclosed.In the afternoon I rode with Mr.Peter Cock, who was a merchant, born atKarlscroninSweden, to his country seat, about nine miles from the town, to the north-west.The country on both sides of the road was covered with a great forest. The trees were all with annual leaves, and I did not see a single fir or pine. Most of the trees were different sorts of oak. But we likewise saw chesnut trees, walnut trees, locust trees, apple trees, hiccory, blackberry bushes, and the like. The ground ceased to be so even as it was before, and began to look more like theEnglishground, diversified with hills and vallies. We found neither mountains nor great stones, and the wood was so much thinned, and the ground so uniformly even, that we could see a great way between the trees, under which we rode without any inconvenience; for there were no bushes to stop us. In some places[88]where the soil was thrown up, we saw some little stones of that kind of which the houses here are so generally built. I intend to describe them in the sequel.As we went on in the wood, we continually saw at moderate distances little fields, which had been cleared of the wood. Each of these was a farm. These farms were commonly very pretty, and a walk of trees frequently led from them to the high-road. The houses were all built of brick, or of the stone which is here every where to be met with. Every countryman, even though he were the poorest peasant, had an orchard with apples, peaches, chesnuts, walnuts, cherries, quinces, and such fruits, and sometimes we saw the vines climbing along them. The vallies were frequently provided with little brooks which contained a crystal stream. The corn on the sides of the road, was almost all mown, and no other grain besides maize and buckwheat was standing. The former was to be met with near each farm, in greater or lesser quantities; it grew very well and to a great length, the stalks being from six to ten foot high and covered with fine green leaves. Buckwheat likewise was not very uncommon, and in some places the people were beginning to reap it. I intend in the sequel[89]to be more particular about the qualities and use of these kinds of corn.After a ride of sixEnglishmiles, we came toGermantown; this town has only one street, but is near twoEnglishmiles long. It is for the greatest part inhabited byGermans, who from time to time come from their country toNorth America, and settle here, because they enjoy such privileges, as they are not possessed of any where else. Most of the inhabitants are tradesmen, and make almost every thing in such quantity and perfection, that in a short time this province will want very little fromEngland, its mother country. Most of the houses were built of the stone which is mixed with glimmer, and found every where towardsPhiladelphia, but is more scarce further on. Several houses however were made of brick. They were commonly two stories high, and sometimes higher. The roofs consisted of shingles of the white cedar wood. Their shape resembled that of the roofs inSweden, but the angles they formed at the top were either obtuse, right angled, or acute, according as the slopes were steep or easy. They sometimes formed either the half of an octogon, or the half of a dodecagon.Many of the roofs were made in such a[90]manner, that they could be walked upon, having a balustrade round them. Many of the upper stories had balconies before them, from whence the people had a prospect into the street. The windows, even those in the third story, had shutters. Each house had a fine garden. The town had three churches, one for the lutherans, another for the reformed protestants, and the third for the quakers. The inhabitants were so numerous, that the street was always full. The baptists have likewise a meeting-house.Septemberthe 22d. After I had been at church, I employed the remainder of the day in conversing with the most considerable people in town, who had lived here for a long while, and I enquired into the curiosities hereabouts.Mr.Cockhad a fine spring near his country seat; it came from a sandy hill, and afforded water enough constantly to fill a little brook. Just above this spring Mr.Cockhad erected a building from those above-mentioned glittering stones, into which were put many jugs, and other earthen vessels full of milk; for it kept very well in cold water during the great heat with which the summer is attended here.I afterwards met with many houses which were situated like this on springs,[91]and therefore were destined to keep the meat and milk fresh.Almost all the enclosures round the corn-fields and meadows hereabouts, were made of planks fastened in a horizontal direction. I only perceived a hedge of privet in one single place. The enclosures were not made like ours, for the people here take posts from four to six feet in height, and make two or three holes into them, so that there was a distance of two feet and above between them. Such a post does the same service as two, and sometimes three poles are scarce sufficient. The posts were fastened in the ground, at two or three fathoms distance from each other, and the holes in them kept up the planks, which were nine inches, and sometimes a foot broad, and lay above each other from one post to the next. Such an enclosure therefore looked at a distance like the hurdles in which we enclose the sheep at night inSweden. They were really no closer than hurdles, being only destined to keep out the greater animals, such as cows and horses. The hogs are kept near the farm-houses every where aboutPhiladelphia, and therefore this enclosure does not need to be made closer on their account. Chesnut trees were commonly made use of for this[92]purpose, because this wood keeps longest against putrefaction, and an enclosure made of it can stand for thirty years together. But where no chesnut wood was to be got, the white, and likewise the black oaks were taken for that purpose. Of all kinds of wood, that of the red cedar holds out the longest. The greatest quantity of it is brought up here; for nearPhiladelphiait is not plentiful enough, to be made use of for enclosures; however there are many enclosures near the town made of this wood.The best wood for fuel in every body’s opinion is the hiccory, or a species of walnut; for it heats well; but is not good for enclosures, since it cannot well withstand putrefaction when it is in the open air. The white and black oaks are next in goodness for fuel. The woods with whichPhiladelphiais surrounded, would lead one to conclude, that fuel must be cheap there. But it is far from being so, because the great and high forest near the town is the property of some people of quality and fortune, who do not regard the money which they could make of them. They do not sell so much as they require for their own use, and much less would they sell it to others. But they leave the trees for times to come, expecting that wood will become[93]much more scarce. However they sell it to joiners, coach-makers, and other artists, who pay exorbitantly for it. For a quantity of hiccory of eight foot in length, and four in depth, and the pieces being likewise four foot long, they paid at present eighteen shillings ofPensylvaniancurrency. But the same quantity of oak only came to twelve shillings. The people who came at present to sell wood in the market were peasants, who lived at a great distance from the town. Every body complained that fuel in the space of a few years, was risen in price to many times as much again as it had been, and to account for this, the following reasons were given: the town is encreased to such a degree, as to be four or six times bigger, and more populous than what some old people have known it to be, when they were young. Many brick-kilns have been made hereabouts, which require a great quantity of wood. The country is likewise more cultivated than it used to be, and consequently great woods have been cut down for that purpose; and the farms built in those places likewise consume a quantity of wood. Lastly, they melt iron out of the ore, in several places about the town, and this work always goes on without interruption. For these reasons it is[94]concluded in future timesPhiladelphiawill be obliged to pay a great price for wood.The wine of blackberries, which has a very fine taste, is made in the following manner. The juice of the blackberries is pressed out, and put into a vessel; with half a gallon of this juice, an equal quantity of water is well mixed. Three pounds of brown sugar are added to this mixture, which must then stand for a while, and after that, it is fit for use. Cherry wine is made in the same manner, but care must be taken that when the juice is pressed out, the stones be not crushed, for they give the wine a bad taste.They make brandy from peaches here, after the following method. The fruit is cut asunder, and the stones are taken out. The pieces of fruit are then put into a vessel, where they are left for three weeks or a month, till they are quite putrid. They are then put into the distilling vessel, and the brandy is made and afterwards distilled over again. This brandy is not good for people who have a more refined taste, but it is only for the common kind of people, such as workmen and the like.Applesyield a brandy, when prepared in the same manner as the peaches. But for this purpose those apples are chiefly[95]taken, which fall from the tree before they are ripe.TheAmerican Night-shade, orPhytolacca decandra, Linn.S. N. grows abundantly near the farms, on the highroad in hedges and bushes, and in several places in the fields. Whenever I came to any of these places I was sure of finding this plant in great abundance. Most of them had red berries, which grew in bunches, and looked very tempting, though they were not at all fit for eating. Some of these plants were yet in flower. In some places, such as in the hedges, and near the houses, they sometimes grow two fathom high. But in the fields were always low; yet I could no where perceive that the cattle had eaten of it. AGermanof this place who was a confectioner told me, that the dyers gathered the roots of this plant and made a fine red dye of them.Here are several species ofSquirrels. Theground Squirrels, orSciurus striatus, Linn.S. N. are commonly kept in cages, because they are very pretty: but they cannot he entirely tamed. Thegreater Squirrels, orSciurus cinereus, Linn.S. N. frequently do a great deal of mischief in the plantations, but particularly destroy the maize. For they climb up the stalks, cut[96]the ears in pieces and eat only the loose and sweet kernel which lies quite in the inside. They sometimes come by hundreds upon a maize-field, and then destroy the whole crop of a countryman in one night. InMarylandtherefore every one is obliged annually to bring four squirrels, and their heads are given to the surveyor, to prevent deceit. In other provinces every body that kills squirrels, received twopence a piece for them from the public, on delivering the heads. Their flesh is eaten and reckoned a dainty. The skins are sold, but are not much esteemed. Squirrels are the chief food of the rattle-snake and other snakes, and it was a common fancy with the people hereabouts, that when the rattle snake lay on the ground, and fixed its eyes upon a squirrel, the latter would be as it were fascinated, and that though it were on the uppermost branches of a tree, yet it would come down by degrees, till it leaped into the snake’s mouth. The snake then licks the little animal several times, and makes it wet all over with its spittle, that it may go down the throat easier. It then swallows the whole squirrel at once. When the snake has made such a good meal, it lies down to rest without any concern.
The Value of the Goods annually shipped from England to Pensylvania.The Year, from one Christmas to another.Foreign Goods for which the duty has already been paid, & which therefore only req. receipts.Englishmanufactured Goods.The Sums of these two preceding columns added together.l.s.d.l.s.d.l.s.d.172351991351079351159921941724937315820951053032416117251030112631508184220914217269371116282636237634178172710243072173610031979107172814073133234056237478191117291294885168512529799101017301566010113293116648592751731118381743242118944260161173215240144264571934169813717331318708273787540585811734196481593474312154392710173518078433072671488041141736234561511380572561513184173714517434217324566906717382032019341129506145043173990414545411765445211111740102802046471129567511491741129771810780321319101011111742144586360836171752953417431922016601204107934064174414681844759518262214661745130438841237235428010111746181031275559519773699122174785851411738192882404177Total.343,789160969,049161,312,838176
[53]
The whole extent of thePhiladelphiatrade may be comprehended from the number of ships, which annually arrive at and sail from this town. I intend to insert here a table of a few years which I have taken from the gazettes of the town. The ships coming and going in one year, are to be reckoned from the twenty fifth ofMarchof that year, to the twenty fifth ofMarchof the next.
The Year.Ships arrived.Ships sailed.173519921217403072081741292309174422927117452803011746273293
But it is much to be feared that the trade ofPhiladelphia, and of all theEnglishcolonies, will rather decrease than encrease, in case no provision is made to prevent it. I shall hereafter plainly shew upon what foundation this decrease of trade is likely to take place.
The town not only furnishes most of the inhabitants ofPensylvaniawith the goods which they want, but numbers of[54]the inhabitants ofNew Jerseycome every day and carry on a great trade.
The town has two great fairs every year; one inMay, and the other inNovember, both on the sixteenth days of those two months. But besides these fairs, there are every week two market days, viz.WednesdayandSaturday. On those days the country people inPensylvaniaandNew Jersey, bring to town a quantity of victuals, and other productions of the country, and this is a great advantage to the town. It is therefore to be wished that the like regulation might be made in ourSwedishtowns. You are sure to meet with every produce of the season, which the country affords, on the market-days. But on other days, they are in vain sought for.
Provisions are always to be got fresh here, and for that reason most of the inhabitants never buy more at a time, than what will be sufficient till the next market-day. In summer there is a market almost every day; for the victuals do not keep well in the great heat. There are two places in the town where these markets are kept; but that near the court-house is the principal. It begins about four or five o’clock in the morning, and ends about nine o’clock in the forenoon.[55]
The town is not enclosed, and has no other custom-house than the great one for the ships.
The governor of the whole province lives here; and though he is nominated by the heirs ofPen, yet he cannot take that office without being confirmed by the king ofEngland.
The quakers of almost all parts ofNorth-America, have their great assembly here once a year.
In the year 1743, a society for the advancement of the sciences was erected here. Its objects would have been the curiosities of the three kingdoms of nature, mathematicks, physick, chemistry, œconomy, and manufactures. But the war, which ensued immediately, stopped all designs of this nature, and since that time, nothing has been done towards establishing any thing of this kind.
The declination of the needle was here observed on the thirtieth ofOctober1750, old style, to be five deg. and forty-five min. west. It was examined by the new meridian, which was drawn atPhiladelphiain the autumn of the same year, and extended a mile in length. By experience it appears, that this declination lessens about a degree in twenty years time.[56]
The greatest difference in the rising and falling of the barometer, is according to the observations made for several years together by Mr.James Logan, found at 28´´ 59 and 30´´ 78.
Here are three printers, and every week twoEnglish, and oneGermannews-paper is printed.
In the year 1732, on the fifth ofSeptember, old style, a little earthquake was felt here about noon, and at the same time atBostoninNew England, and atMontrealinCanada, which places are above sixtySwedishmiles asunder.
In the month ofNovemberof the year 1737, the well known prince from mountLebanon,Sheich Sidicame toPhiladelphia, on his travels through most of theEnglish Americancolonies. And in the same year a second earthquake was felt about eleven o’clock at night, on the seventh ofDecember. But it did not continue above half a minute, and yet, it was felt according to the accounts of the gazettes at the same hour inNewcastle,New York,New London,Boston, and other towns ofNew England. It had therefore likewise reached several miles.
The countSinzendorf5arrived here in[57]theDecemberof the year 1741, and continued till the next spring. His uncommon behaviour persuaded manyEnglishmenof rank, that he was disordered in his head.
I have not been able to find the exact number of the inhabitants ofPhiladelphia. In the year 1746, they were reckoned above ten thousand, and since that time their number is incredibly encreased. Neither can it be made out from the Bills of mortality, since they are not kept regularly in all the churches. I shall, however, mention some of those which appeared either in the gazettes, or in bills printed on purpose.
Year.Dead.Year.Dead.Year.Dead.173022717413451745420173825017424091748672173935017434251749758174029017444101750716
From these bills of mortality it also appears, that the diseases which are the most fatal, are consumptions, fevers, convulsions, pleuresies, hæmorrhagies, and dropsies.
The number of those that are born cannot be determined, since in many churches no order is observed with regard to this affair. The quakers, who are the most[58]numerous in this town, never baptize their children, though they take a pretty exact account of all who are born among them.
It is likewise impossible to guess at the number of inhabitants from the dead, because the town gets such great supplies annually from other countries. In the summer of the year 1749, near twelve thousandGermanscame over toPhiladelphia, many of whom staid in that town. In the same year the houses inPhiladelphiawere counted, and found to be two thousand and seventy six in number.
The town is now quite filled with inhabitants, which in regard to their country, religion and trade, are very different from each other. You meet with excellent masters in all trades, and many things are made here full as well as inEngland. Yet no manufactures, especially for making fine cloth are established. Perhaps the reason is, that it can be got with so little difficulty fromEngland, and that the breed of sheep which is brought over, degenerates in process of time, and affords but a coarse wool.
Here is great plenty of provisions, and their prices are very moderate. There are no examples of an extraordinary dearth.
Every one who acknowledges God to be the Creator, preserver and ruler of all[59]things, and teaches or undertakes nothing against the state, or against the common peace, is at liberty to settle, stay, and carry on his trade here, be his religious principles ever so strange. No one is here molested on account of the erroneous principles of the doctrine which he follows, if he does not exceed the above-mentioned bounds. And he is so well secured by the laws in his person and property, and enjoys such liberties; that a citizen ofPhiladelphiamay in a manner be said to live in his house like a king.
On a careful consideration of what I have already said, it will be easy to conceive how this city should rise so suddenly from nothing, into such grandeur and perfection, without supposing any powerful monarch’s contributing to it, either by punishing the wicked, or by giving great supplies in money. And yet its fine appearance, good regulations, agreeable situation, natural advantages, trade, riches and power, are by no means inferior to those of any, even of the most ancient towns inEurope. It has not been necessary to force people to come and settle here; on the contrary foreigners of different languages, have left their country, houses, property and relations, and ventured over wide and stormy seas, in order[60]to come hither. Other countries, which have been peopled for a long space of time, complain of the small number of their inhabitants. ButPensylvania, which was no better than a desart in the year 1681, and hardly contained five hundred people, now vies with several kingdoms inEurope, in number of inhabitants. It has received numbers of people which other countries, to their infinite loss, have either neglected or expelled.
A wretched old wooden building, on a hill near the river somewhat north of theWickako church, belonging to one of theSons of Sven, of whom, as before-mentioned, the ground was bought for buildingPhiladelphiaupon, is preserved on purpose, as a memorial of the poor state of that place, before the town was built on it. Its antiquity gives it a kind of superiority over all the other buildings in town, though in itself the worst of all. This hut was inhabited, whilst as yet stags, deers, elks, and beavers, at broad day light lived in the future streets, church-yards, and market-places ofPhiladelphia. The noise of a spinning wheel was heard in this house, before the manufactures now established were thought of, orPhiladelphiabuilt. But with all these advantages, this house is ready to[61]fall down, and in a few years to come, it will be as difficult to find the place where it stood, as it was unlikely at the time of its erection, that one of the greatest towns inAmerica, should in a short time stand close up to it.
Septemberthe 7th. Mr.Peter Cock, a merchant of this town, assured me that he had last week himself been a spectator of a snake’s swallowing a little bird. This bird, which from its cry has the name ofCat bird, (Muscicapa Carolinensis, Linn.) flew from one branch of a tree to another, and was making a doleful tune. At the bottom of the tree, but at a fathom’s distance from the stem, lay one of the great black snakes, with its head continually upright, pointing towards the bird, which was always fluttering about, and now and then settling on the branches. At first it only kept in the topmost branches, but by degrees it came lower down, and even flew upon the ground, and hopped to the place where the snake lay, which immediately opened its mouth, caught the bird and swallowed it; but it had scarce finished its repast before Mr.Cockcame up and killed it. I was afterwards told that this kind of snakes was frequently observed to pursue little birds in this manner. It is already[62]well known that the rattle snake does the same.
I walked out to day into the fields in order to get more acquainted with the plants hereabouts, I found severalEuropeanand evenSwedishplants among them. But those which are peculiar toAmerica, are much more numerous.
TheVirginian maplegrows in plenty on the shores of theDelaware. TheEnglishin this country call it eitherButtonwood, orWaterbeech, which latter name is most usual. TheSwedescall itWattenbok, orWasbok. It isLinnæus’sPlatanus occidentalis. SeeCatesby’s Nat. Hist. ofCarolina, vol. 1. p. 56. t. 56. It grows for the greatest part in low places, but especially on the edge of rivers and brooks. But these trees are easily transplanted to more dry places, if they be only filled with good soil; and as their leaves are large and their foliage thick, they are planted about the houses and in gardens, to afford a pleasant shade in the hot season, to the enjoyment of which some seats were placed under them. Some of theSwedeshad boxes, pails, and the like, made of the bark of this tree by the nativeAmericans. They say that those people whilst they were yet settled here, made little dishes of this bark for gathering[63]whortleberries. The bark was a line in thickness. This tree likewise grows in marshes, or in swampy fields, where ash and red maple commonly grow. They are frequently as tall and thick, as the best of our fir trees. The seed stays on them till spring, but in the middle ofAprilthe pods open and shed the seeds. Query, Whether they are not ripe before that time, and consequently sooner fit for sowing? ThisAmericanmaple is remarkable for its quick growth, in which it exceeds all other trees. There are such numbers of them on the low meadows betweenPhiladelphiaand the ferry atGloucester, on both sides of the road, that in summer time you go as it were through a shady walk. In that part ofPhiladelphiawhich is near theSwedishchurch, some great trees of this kind stand on the shore of the river. In the year 1750, on the 15th. ofMayI saw the buds still on them, and in the year 1749 they began to flower on the eighth of that month. Several trees of this sort are planted atChelseanearLondon, and they now in point of height vie with the tallest oak.
Septemberthe 18th. In the morning I went with theSwedishpainter, Mr.Hesselius, to the country seat of Mr.Bartram, which is about fourEnglishmiles to the[64]south ofPhiladelphia, at some distance from the high road toMaryland,Virginia, andCarolina. I had therefore the first opportunity here, of getting an exact knowledge of the state of the country, which was a plain covered with all kinds of trees with deciduous leaves. The ground was sandy, mixed with clay. But the sand seemed to be in greater quantity. In some parts the wood was cut down, and we saw the habitations of some country people, whose corn-fields and plantations were round their farm-houses. The wood was full of mulberry-trees, walnut-trees of several kinds, chesnut-trees, sassafras, and the like. Several sorts of wild vines clasped their tendrils round, and climbed up to the summits of the highest trees; and in other places they twined round the enclosures, so thick, that the latter almost sunk down under their weight. ThePersimon, orDiospyros Virginiana, Linn.sp. pl. p. 1510, grew in the marshy fields, and about springs. Its little apples looked very well already, but are not fit for eating, before the frost has affected them, and then they have a very fine taste.Hesseliusgathered some of them, and desired my servant to taste of the fruits of the land; but this poor credulous follow, had hardly bit into them, when he felt the[65]qualities they have before the frost has penetrated them. For they contracted his mouth so that he could hardly speak, and had a very disagreeable taste. This disgusted him so much that he was with difficulty persuaded to taste of it during the whole of our stay inAmerica, notwithstanding it loses all its acidity and acquires an agreeable flavour in autumn and towards the beginning of winter. For the fellow always imagined, that though he should eat them ever so late in the year, they would still retain the same disagreeable taste.
To satisfy the curiosity of those, who are willing to know, how the woods look in this country, and whether or no the trees in them are the same with those found in our forests, I here insert a small catalogue of those which grow spontaneously in the woods which are nearest toPhiladelphia. But I exclude such shrubs as do not attain any considerable height. I shall put that tree first in order, which is most plentiful, and so on with the rest, and therefore trees which I have found but single, though near the town, will be last.
[70]
We visited severalSwedes, who were settled here, and were at present in very good circumstances. One of them was calledAndrew Rambo; he had a fine house built of stone, two stories high, and a great orchard near it. We were every where well received, and stayed over night with the above-mentioned countryman. We saw no other marks of autumn, than that several fruits of this season were already ripe. For besides this all the trees were yet as green, and the ground still as much covered with flowers, as in our summer. Thousands of frogs croaked all the night long in the marshes and brooks. The locusts and grasshoppers made likewise such a great noise, that it was hardly possible for one person to understand another. The trees too, were full of all sorts of birds, which by the variety of their fine plumage, delighted the eye, while the infinite variety of their tunes were continually re-echoed.
The orchards, along which we passed to-day, were only enclosed by hurdles. But they contained all kinds of fine fruit. We wondered at first very much when our leader leaped over the hedge into the orchards, and gathered some agreeable fruit for us. But our astonishment was still greater, when we saw that the people in the garden were[71]so little concerned at it, as not even to look at us. But our companion told us, that the people here were not so exact in regard to a few fruits, as they are in other countries where the soil is not so fruitful in them. We afterwards found very frequently that the country people inSwedenandFinlandguarded their turneps more carefully, than the people here do the most exquisite fruits.
Septemberthe 19th. As I walked this morning into the fields, I observed that a copious dew was fallen; for the grass was as wet as if it had rained. The leaves of the plants and trees, had contracted so much moisture, that the drops ran down. I found on this occasion that the dew was not only on the superior, but likewise on the inferior side of the leaves. I therefore carefully considered many leaves both of trees and of other plants; both of those which are more above, and of those which are nearer to the ground. But I found in all of them, that both sides of the leaves were equally bedewed, except those of theVerbascum Thapsus, orgreat Mullein, which though their superior side was pretty well covered with the dew, yet their inferior had but a little.
Every countryman, even a common peasant, has commonly an orchard near[72]his house, in which all sorts of fruit, such as peaches, apples, pears, cherries, and others, are in plenty. The peaches were now almost ripe. They are rare inEurope, particularly inSweden, for in that country hardly any people besides the rich taste them. But here every countryman had an orchard full of peach trees, which were covered with such quantities of fruit, that we could scarcely walk in the orchard, without treading upon those peaches which were fallen off; many of which were always left on the ground, and only part of them was sold in town, and the rest was consumed by the family and strangers; for every one that passed by, was at liberty to go into the orchard, and to gather as many of them as he wanted. Nay, this fine fruit was frequently given to the swine.
This fruit is however sometimes kept for winter use, and for this purpose they are prepared in the following manner. The fruit is cut into four parts, the stone thrown away, and the fruit put upon a thread, on which they are exposed to the sunshine in the open air, till they are sufficiently dry. They are then put into a vessel for winter. But this manner of drying them is not very good, because the rain of this season very easily spoils and putrifies[73]them, whilst they hang in the open air. For this reason a different method is followed by others, which is by far the most eligible. The peaches are as before cut into four parts, are then either put upon a thread, or laid upon a board, and so hung up in the air when the sun shines. Being dried in some measure, or having lost their juice by this means, they are put into an oven, out of which the bread has but just been taken, and are left in it for a while. But they are soon taken out and brought into the fresh air; and after that they are again put into the oven, and this is repeated several times till they are as dry as they ought to be. For if they were dried up at once in the oven, they would shrivel up too much, and lose part of their flavour. They are then put up and kept for the winter. They are either baked into tarts and pyes, or boiled and prepared as dried apples and pears are inSweden. Several people here dry and preserve their apples in the same manner as their peaches.
The peach trees, have, as I am told, been first planted here by theEuropeans. But at present they succeed very well, and require even less care, than our apple and pear trees.
The orchards have seldom other fruit[74]than apples and peaches. Pear trees are scarce in this province, and those that had any of them, had planted them in their orchards. They likewise have cherry trees in the orchards, but commonly on the sides of them towards the house, or along the enclosures. Mulberry trees are planted on some hillocks near the house, and sometimes even in the court yards of the house. The black walnut trees, orJuglans nigra, grow partly on hills, and in fields near the farm-houses, and partly along the enclosures; but most commonly in the forests. No other trees of this kind, are made use of here. The chesnuts are left in the fields; here and there is one in a dry field or in a wood.
TheHibiscus esculentus, orOkra,9is a plant which grows wild in theWest Indies, but is planted in the gardens here. The fruit, which is a long pod, is cut whilst it is green, and boiled in soups, which thereby become as thick as pulse. This dish is reckoned a dainty by some people, and especially by the negroes.
Capsicum annuum, orGuinea pepperis likewise planted in gardens. When the[75]fruit is ripe it is almost entirely red, it is put to a roasted or boiled piece of meat, a little of it being strewed upon it, or mixed with the broth. Besides this, cucumbers are pickled with it. Or the pods are pounded whilst they are yet tender, and being mixed with salt are preserved in a bottle; and this spice is strewed over roasted or boiled meat, or fried fish, and gives them a very fine taste. But the fruit by itself is as biting as common pepper.
This country contains many species of the plant, which Dr.LinnæuscallsRhus, and the most common is theRhus foliis pinnatis serratis lanceolates retrinque nudis, or theRhus glabra. TheEnglishcall this plantSumach. But theSwedeshere, have no particular name for it, and therefore make use of theEnglishname. Its berries or fruits are red. They are made use of for dying, and afford a colour like their own. This tree is like a weed in this country, for if a corn-field is left uncultivated for some few years together, it grows on it in plenty, since the berries are spread every where by the birds. And when the ground is to be ploughed the roots stop the plough very much. The fruit stays on the shrub during the whole winter. But the leaves drop very early in autumn, after they are[76]turned reddish, like those of our Swedish mountain ash. The branches boiled with the berries afford a black ink like tincture. The boys eat the berries, there being no danger of falling sick after the repast; but they are very sour. They seldom grow above three yards high. On cutting the stem, it appears that it contains nothing but pith. I have cut several in this manner, and found that some were ten years old; but that most of them were above one year old. When the cut is made, a yellow juice comes out between the bark and the wood. One or two of the most outward circles are white, but the innermost are of a yellowish green. It is easy to distinguish them one from another. They contain a very plentiful pith, the diameter of which is frequently half an inch, and sometimes more. It is brown, and so loose that it is easily pushed out by a little stick, in the same manner as the pith of the elder tree, raspberry and blackberry bushes. This sumach grows near the enclosures, round the corn-fields, but especially on fallow ground. The wood seemed to burn well, and made no great crackling in the fire.
Septemberthe 20th. In the morning we walked in the fields and woods near the[77]town, partly for gathering seeds, and partly for gathering plants for my herbal, which was our principal occupation; and in the autumn of this year, we sent part of our collection toEnglandandSweden.
A species ofRhus, which was frequent in the marshes here was called thepoison treeby bothEnglishandSwedes. Some of the former gave it the name ofswamp-sumach, and my country-men gave it the same name. Dr.Linnæusin his botanical works calls itRhus Vernix. Sp. pl. 1. 380.Flora Virgin.45. An incision being made into the tree, a whitish yellow juice, which has a nauseous smell, comes out between the bark and the wood. This tree is not known for its good qualities, but greatly so for the effect of its poison, which though it is noxious to some people, yet does not in the least affect others. And therefore one person can handle the tree as he pleases, cut it, peel off its bark, rub it, or the wood upon his hands, smell at it, spread the juice upon his skin, and make more experiments, with no inconvenience to himself; another person on the contrary dares not meddle with the tree, while its wood is fresh, nor can he venture to touch a hand which has handled it, nor even to expose himself to the smoak of a fire which is made with this wood, without soon[78]feeling its bad effects; for the face, the hands, and frequently the whole body swells excessively, and is affected with a very accute pain. Sometimes bladders or blisters arise in great plenty, and make the sick person look as if he was infected by a leprosy. In some people the external thin skin, or cuticle, peels of in a few days, as is the case when a person has scalded or burnt any part of his body. Nay, the nature of some persons will not even allow them to approach the place where the tree grows, or to expose themselves to the wind, when it carries the effluvia or exhalations of this tree with it, without letting them feel the inconvenience of the swelling, which I have just now described. Their eyes are sometimes shut up for one, or two and more days together by the swelling. I know two brothers, one of whom could without danger handle this tree in what manner he pleased, whereas the other could not come near it without swelling. A person sometimes does not know that he has touched this poisonous plant, or that he has been near it, before his face and hands shews it by their swelling. I have known old people who were more afraid of this tree than of a viper; and I was acquainted with a person who merely by the noxious exhalations of it[79]was swelled to such a degree, that he was as stiff as a log of wood, and could only be turned about in sheets.
On relating in the winter of the year 1750, the poisonousqualitiesof the swamp sumach to myYungstrœm, who attended me on my travels, he only laughed, and looked upon the whole as a fable, in which opinion he was confirmed by his having often handled the tree the autumn before, cut many branches of it, which he had carried for a good while in his hand in order to preserve its seeds, and put many into the herbals, and all this, without feeling the least inconvenience. He would therefore, being a kind of philosopher in his own way, take nothing for granted of which he had no sufficient proofs, especially as he had his own experience in the summer of the year 1749, to support the contrary opinion. But in the next summer his system of philosophy was overturned. For his hands swelled and he felt a violent pain, and itching in his eyes as soon as he touched the tree, and this inconvenience not only attended him when he meddled with this kind of sumach, but even when he had any thing to do with theRhus radicans, or that species of sumach which climbs along the trees, and is not by far so[80]poisonous as the former. By this adventure he was so convinced of the power of the poison tree, that I could not easily persuade him to gather more seeds of it for me. But he not only felt the noxious effects of it in summer when he was very hot, but even in winter when both he and the wood were cold. Hence it appears that though a person be secured against the power of this poison for some time, yet that in length of time he may be affected with it as well, as people of a weaker constitution.
I have likewise tried experiments of every kind with the poison tree on myself. I have spread its juice upon my hands, cut and broke its branches, peeled off its bark, and rubbed my hands with it, smelt at it, carried pieces of it in my bare hands, and repeated all this frequently, without feeling the baneful effects so commonly annexed to it; but I however once experienced that the poison of the sumach was not entirely without effect upon me. On a hot day in summer, as I was in some degree of perspiration, I cut a branch of the tree, and carried it in my hand for about half an hour together, and smelt at it now and then. I felt no effects from it, till in the evening. But next morning I awoke with a violent itching of my eye-lids, and the[81]parts thereabouts, and this was so painful, that I could hardly keep my hands from it. It ceased after I had washed my eyes for a while, with very cold water. But my eye-lids were very stiff all that day. At night the itching returned, and in the morning as I awoke, I felt it as ill as the morning before, and I used the same remedy against it. However it continued almost for a whole week together, and my eyes were very red, and my eye-lids were with difficulty moved, during all that time. My pain ceased entirely afterwards. About the same time, I had spread the juice of the tree very thick upon my hand. Three days after they occasioned blisters, which soon went off without affecting me much. I have not experienced any thing more of the effects of this plant, nor had I any desire so to do. However I found that it could not exert its power upon me, when I was not perspiring.
I have never heard that the poison of this Sumach has been mortal; but the pain ceases after a few days duration. The natives formerly made their flutes of this tree, because it has a great deal of pith. Some people assured me, that a person suffering from its noisome exhalations, would easily recover by spreading a mixture of the wood,[82]burnt to charcoal, and hog’s lard, upon the swelled parts. Some asserted that they had really tried this remedy. In some places this tree is rooted out on purpose, that its poison may not affect the workmen.
I received to day, several curiosities belonging to the mineral kingdom, which were collected in the country. The following were those which were most worth attention. The first was a white, and quite transparent crystal.10Many of this kind are found inPensylvania, in several kinds of stone, especially in a pale-grey limestone. The pieces are of the thickness and length of the little finger, and commonly as transparent as possible. But I have likewise got crystals here, of the length of a foot, and of the thickness of a middle-sized man’s leg. They were not so transparent as the former.
Thecubic Pyrites of Bishop Browallius,11was of a very regular texture. But its cubes were different in size, for in some of[83]the cubes, the planes of the sides only amounted to a quarter of an inch, but in the biggest cubes, they were full two inches. Some were exceedingly glittering, so that it was very easy to be perceived that they consisted of sulphureous pyrites. But in some one or two sides only, glittered so well, and the others were dark-brown. Yet most of these marcasites had this same colour on all the sides. On breaking them they shewed the pure pyrites. They are found nearLancasterin this province, and sometimes lie quite above the ground; but commonly they are found at the depth of eight feet or more from the surface of the ground, on digging wells and the like. Mr.Hesseliushad several pieces of this kind of stone, which he made use of in his work. He first burnt them, then pounded or ground them to a powder, and at last rubbed them still finer in the usual way, and this afforded him a fine reddish-brown colour.
Fewblack pebblesare found in this province, which on the other hand yields many kinds ofmarble, especially awhite one,with pale-grey bluish spots, which is found in a quarry at the distance of a fewEnglishmiles fromPhiladelphia, and is very good[84]for working, though it is not one of the finest kind of marbles. They make many tombstones and tables, enchase chimneys and doors, floors of marble flags in the rooms, and the like of this kind of marble. A quantity of this commodity is shipped to different parts ofAmerica.
Muscovyglass,12is found in many places hereabouts, and some pieces of it are pretty large, and as fine as those which are brought fromRussia. I have seen some of them, which were a foot and more in length. And I have several in my collection that are nearly nine inches square. TheSwedeson their first arrival here made their windows of this native glass.
A pale grey fine limestone,13of a compact texture, lies in many places hereabouts, and affords a fine lime. Some pieces of it are so full of fine transparent crystals, that almost half of the stone consists of nothing else. But besides this limestone, they make[85]lime near the sea-shore, from oyster shells, and bring it to town in winter, which is said to be worse for masonry, but better for white-washing, than that which is got from the limestone.
Coals have not yet been found inPensylvania; but people pretend to have seen them higher up in the country among the natives. Many people however agree that they are met with in great quantity more to the north, nearCape Breton.14
The ladies make wine from some of the fruits of the land. They principally take white and red currants for that purpose, since the shrubs of this kind are very plentiful in the gardens, and succeed very well. An old sailor who had frequently been inNew-foundland, told me that red currants grew wild in that country in great quantity. They likewise make a wine of strawberries, which grow in great plenty in the woods, but are sourer than theSwedishones. TheAmerican blackberries, orRubus occidentalis, are likewise made use of for this purpose, for they grow every where about the fields, almost as abundantly as[86]thistles inSweden, and have a very agreeable taste. InMarylanda wine is made of the wild grapes, which grow in the woods of that province. Raspberries and cherries which are planted on purpose, and taken great care of, likewise afford a very fine wine. It is unnecessary to give an account of the manner of making the currant wine, for inSwedenthis art is in higher perfection than inNorth America.
Septemberthe 21st. Thecommon Privet, orLigustrum vulgare, Linn.grows among the bushes in thickets and woods. But I cannot determine whether it belongs to the indigenous plants, or to those which theEnglishhave introduced, the fruits of which the birds may have dispersed every where. The enclosures and pales are generally made here of wooden planks and posts. But a few, good œconomists, having already thought of sparing the woods for future times, have begun to plant quick hedges round their fields; and to this purpose they take the above-mentioned privet, which they plant in a little bank, which is thrown up for it. The soil every where hereabouts is a clay mixed with sand, and of course very loose. The privet hedges however, are only adapted to the tameness of the cattle and other animals here; for the hogs[87]all have a triangular yoke about their necks, and the other cattle are not very unruly. But in such places where the cattle break through the enclosures, hedges of this kind would make but a poor defence. The people who live in the neighbourhood ofPhiladelphia, are obliged to keep their hogs enclosed.
In the afternoon I rode with Mr.Peter Cock, who was a merchant, born atKarlscroninSweden, to his country seat, about nine miles from the town, to the north-west.
The country on both sides of the road was covered with a great forest. The trees were all with annual leaves, and I did not see a single fir or pine. Most of the trees were different sorts of oak. But we likewise saw chesnut trees, walnut trees, locust trees, apple trees, hiccory, blackberry bushes, and the like. The ground ceased to be so even as it was before, and began to look more like theEnglishground, diversified with hills and vallies. We found neither mountains nor great stones, and the wood was so much thinned, and the ground so uniformly even, that we could see a great way between the trees, under which we rode without any inconvenience; for there were no bushes to stop us. In some places[88]where the soil was thrown up, we saw some little stones of that kind of which the houses here are so generally built. I intend to describe them in the sequel.
As we went on in the wood, we continually saw at moderate distances little fields, which had been cleared of the wood. Each of these was a farm. These farms were commonly very pretty, and a walk of trees frequently led from them to the high-road. The houses were all built of brick, or of the stone which is here every where to be met with. Every countryman, even though he were the poorest peasant, had an orchard with apples, peaches, chesnuts, walnuts, cherries, quinces, and such fruits, and sometimes we saw the vines climbing along them. The vallies were frequently provided with little brooks which contained a crystal stream. The corn on the sides of the road, was almost all mown, and no other grain besides maize and buckwheat was standing. The former was to be met with near each farm, in greater or lesser quantities; it grew very well and to a great length, the stalks being from six to ten foot high and covered with fine green leaves. Buckwheat likewise was not very uncommon, and in some places the people were beginning to reap it. I intend in the sequel[89]to be more particular about the qualities and use of these kinds of corn.
After a ride of sixEnglishmiles, we came toGermantown; this town has only one street, but is near twoEnglishmiles long. It is for the greatest part inhabited byGermans, who from time to time come from their country toNorth America, and settle here, because they enjoy such privileges, as they are not possessed of any where else. Most of the inhabitants are tradesmen, and make almost every thing in such quantity and perfection, that in a short time this province will want very little fromEngland, its mother country. Most of the houses were built of the stone which is mixed with glimmer, and found every where towardsPhiladelphia, but is more scarce further on. Several houses however were made of brick. They were commonly two stories high, and sometimes higher. The roofs consisted of shingles of the white cedar wood. Their shape resembled that of the roofs inSweden, but the angles they formed at the top were either obtuse, right angled, or acute, according as the slopes were steep or easy. They sometimes formed either the half of an octogon, or the half of a dodecagon.
Many of the roofs were made in such a[90]manner, that they could be walked upon, having a balustrade round them. Many of the upper stories had balconies before them, from whence the people had a prospect into the street. The windows, even those in the third story, had shutters. Each house had a fine garden. The town had three churches, one for the lutherans, another for the reformed protestants, and the third for the quakers. The inhabitants were so numerous, that the street was always full. The baptists have likewise a meeting-house.
Septemberthe 22d. After I had been at church, I employed the remainder of the day in conversing with the most considerable people in town, who had lived here for a long while, and I enquired into the curiosities hereabouts.
Mr.Cockhad a fine spring near his country seat; it came from a sandy hill, and afforded water enough constantly to fill a little brook. Just above this spring Mr.Cockhad erected a building from those above-mentioned glittering stones, into which were put many jugs, and other earthen vessels full of milk; for it kept very well in cold water during the great heat with which the summer is attended here.
I afterwards met with many houses which were situated like this on springs,[91]and therefore were destined to keep the meat and milk fresh.
Almost all the enclosures round the corn-fields and meadows hereabouts, were made of planks fastened in a horizontal direction. I only perceived a hedge of privet in one single place. The enclosures were not made like ours, for the people here take posts from four to six feet in height, and make two or three holes into them, so that there was a distance of two feet and above between them. Such a post does the same service as two, and sometimes three poles are scarce sufficient. The posts were fastened in the ground, at two or three fathoms distance from each other, and the holes in them kept up the planks, which were nine inches, and sometimes a foot broad, and lay above each other from one post to the next. Such an enclosure therefore looked at a distance like the hurdles in which we enclose the sheep at night inSweden. They were really no closer than hurdles, being only destined to keep out the greater animals, such as cows and horses. The hogs are kept near the farm-houses every where aboutPhiladelphia, and therefore this enclosure does not need to be made closer on their account. Chesnut trees were commonly made use of for this[92]purpose, because this wood keeps longest against putrefaction, and an enclosure made of it can stand for thirty years together. But where no chesnut wood was to be got, the white, and likewise the black oaks were taken for that purpose. Of all kinds of wood, that of the red cedar holds out the longest. The greatest quantity of it is brought up here; for nearPhiladelphiait is not plentiful enough, to be made use of for enclosures; however there are many enclosures near the town made of this wood.
The best wood for fuel in every body’s opinion is the hiccory, or a species of walnut; for it heats well; but is not good for enclosures, since it cannot well withstand putrefaction when it is in the open air. The white and black oaks are next in goodness for fuel. The woods with whichPhiladelphiais surrounded, would lead one to conclude, that fuel must be cheap there. But it is far from being so, because the great and high forest near the town is the property of some people of quality and fortune, who do not regard the money which they could make of them. They do not sell so much as they require for their own use, and much less would they sell it to others. But they leave the trees for times to come, expecting that wood will become[93]much more scarce. However they sell it to joiners, coach-makers, and other artists, who pay exorbitantly for it. For a quantity of hiccory of eight foot in length, and four in depth, and the pieces being likewise four foot long, they paid at present eighteen shillings ofPensylvaniancurrency. But the same quantity of oak only came to twelve shillings. The people who came at present to sell wood in the market were peasants, who lived at a great distance from the town. Every body complained that fuel in the space of a few years, was risen in price to many times as much again as it had been, and to account for this, the following reasons were given: the town is encreased to such a degree, as to be four or six times bigger, and more populous than what some old people have known it to be, when they were young. Many brick-kilns have been made hereabouts, which require a great quantity of wood. The country is likewise more cultivated than it used to be, and consequently great woods have been cut down for that purpose; and the farms built in those places likewise consume a quantity of wood. Lastly, they melt iron out of the ore, in several places about the town, and this work always goes on without interruption. For these reasons it is[94]concluded in future timesPhiladelphiawill be obliged to pay a great price for wood.
The wine of blackberries, which has a very fine taste, is made in the following manner. The juice of the blackberries is pressed out, and put into a vessel; with half a gallon of this juice, an equal quantity of water is well mixed. Three pounds of brown sugar are added to this mixture, which must then stand for a while, and after that, it is fit for use. Cherry wine is made in the same manner, but care must be taken that when the juice is pressed out, the stones be not crushed, for they give the wine a bad taste.
They make brandy from peaches here, after the following method. The fruit is cut asunder, and the stones are taken out. The pieces of fruit are then put into a vessel, where they are left for three weeks or a month, till they are quite putrid. They are then put into the distilling vessel, and the brandy is made and afterwards distilled over again. This brandy is not good for people who have a more refined taste, but it is only for the common kind of people, such as workmen and the like.
Applesyield a brandy, when prepared in the same manner as the peaches. But for this purpose those apples are chiefly[95]taken, which fall from the tree before they are ripe.
TheAmerican Night-shade, orPhytolacca decandra, Linn.S. N. grows abundantly near the farms, on the highroad in hedges and bushes, and in several places in the fields. Whenever I came to any of these places I was sure of finding this plant in great abundance. Most of them had red berries, which grew in bunches, and looked very tempting, though they were not at all fit for eating. Some of these plants were yet in flower. In some places, such as in the hedges, and near the houses, they sometimes grow two fathom high. But in the fields were always low; yet I could no where perceive that the cattle had eaten of it. AGermanof this place who was a confectioner told me, that the dyers gathered the roots of this plant and made a fine red dye of them.
Here are several species ofSquirrels. Theground Squirrels, orSciurus striatus, Linn.S. N. are commonly kept in cages, because they are very pretty: but they cannot he entirely tamed. Thegreater Squirrels, orSciurus cinereus, Linn.S. N. frequently do a great deal of mischief in the plantations, but particularly destroy the maize. For they climb up the stalks, cut[96]the ears in pieces and eat only the loose and sweet kernel which lies quite in the inside. They sometimes come by hundreds upon a maize-field, and then destroy the whole crop of a countryman in one night. InMarylandtherefore every one is obliged annually to bring four squirrels, and their heads are given to the surveyor, to prevent deceit. In other provinces every body that kills squirrels, received twopence a piece for them from the public, on delivering the heads. Their flesh is eaten and reckoned a dainty. The skins are sold, but are not much esteemed. Squirrels are the chief food of the rattle-snake and other snakes, and it was a common fancy with the people hereabouts, that when the rattle snake lay on the ground, and fixed its eyes upon a squirrel, the latter would be as it were fascinated, and that though it were on the uppermost branches of a tree, yet it would come down by degrees, till it leaped into the snake’s mouth. The snake then licks the little animal several times, and makes it wet all over with its spittle, that it may go down the throat easier. It then swallows the whole squirrel at once. When the snake has made such a good meal, it lies down to rest without any concern.