,,travels                               
,,into                                  
,,north ,,america2                      
,,containing                            
,its ,natural ,history1 and             
,a circumstantial ,account of its       
,plantations and ,agriculture in        
general1                                
,,with ,,the                            
,,civil1 ,,ecclesiastical ,,and         
,,commercial ,,state ,,of ,,the         
,,country1                  ,the        
,,manners of the ,,inhabitants1 and     
several             curious and         
,,important ,,remarks on various        
,subjects4                              
,by ,,peter ,,kalm1           ,professor
 of ,oeconomy in the ,university of     
,aobo in ,swedish       ,finland1 and   
,member of the ,swedish ,royal ,academy 
of ,sciences4                           
,,translated ,,into ,,english           
,by ,,john ,,reinhold ,,forster1        
,f4,a4,s4         ,enriched with a ,map1
 several ,cuts for the ,illustration of 

,natural                    ,history1   
and some additional ,notes4             
,,vol4 ,i4                              
,,warrington3                           
,printed by ,,william ,,eyres4          
,,mdcclxx4                              
,,to ,,the ,,honourable                 
,,daines ,,barrington1          ,one of 
his ,majesty's ,justices of the ,grand  
,sessions for      the ,counties of     
,anglesey1 ,caernarvon1 and ,merioneth4 
,,sir1        ,i ,presume to prefix your
 name to a performance which will in    
some measure display to the ,british    
nation1 the circumstances      of a     
country which is so happy as to be under
 its protection4        ,every lover of 
knowledge1 especially of natural        
history1 must      be sensible of your  
zealous endeavours to promote every     
branch      of it4 ,it was my great     
happiness to fall within your notice1   
and to receive very substantial and     
seasonable favours from      your       
patronage and recommendations4 ,i shall 

ever remain mindful      of your        
generosity and humanity towards me1 but 
must lament      that ,i have no other  
means of expressing my gratitude than by
      this publick acknowledgment4      
,accept then1 ,dear ,sir1 my earnest    
wishes for your prosperity1      and    
think me with the truest esteem1        
,your most obliged1              and    
obedient                  humble        
,servant1                        ,john  
,reinhold ,forster4        ,warrington1 
,july #beth4 #aggj4                     
,,preface4      ,the present ,volume of 
,professor ,kalm's ,travels through     
,north ,america1  is originally written 
in the ,swedish language1 but was       
immediately  after translated into the  
,german by the two ,murray's1 both of   
whom are  ,swedes1 and one a pupil of   
,dr4 ,linnus1 and therefore we may be   
sure  that this translation corresponds 
exactly with the original4    ,baron    
,sten ,charles ,bielke1 ,vice president 
of the ,court of ,justice in  ,finland1 

was the first who made a proposal to the
 ,royal ,academy of  ,sciences at       
,stockholm1 to send an able man to the  
northern parts of  ,siberia and         
,iceland1 as places which are partly    
under the same latitude  with ,sweden1  
and to make there such observations and 
collections of  seeds and plants1 as    
would improve the ,swedish husbandry1   
gardening1  manufactures1 arts and      
sciences4 ,dr4 ,linnus found the        
proposal just1  but he thought that a   
journey through ,north ,america would be
 yet of a  more extensive utility1 than 
that through the before-mentioned       
countries2 for the plants of ,america   
were then little known1 and not         
scientifically described1 and by several
 trials1 it seemed probable  that the   
greatest part of the ,north ,american   
plants1 would bear very  well the       
,swedish winters2 and what was more     
important1 a great many  ,american      
plants promised to be very useful in    
husbandry and physic4    ,thus far this 

journey was a mere scheme2 but as       
,captain ,triewald1 a man  well known   
for his abilities in ,england1 gave his 
,observations on the  ,cultivation of   
,silk in a series of ,memoirs to the    
,royal ,academy of  ,sciences1 and      
mentioned therein a kind of mulberry    
tree1 which was  discovered by ,dr4     
,linnus1 and which bore the rigours of  
the ,swedish  climate as well as a fir  
or pine tree2 this circumstance revived 
the  proposal of such a journey in the  
year #agde4 ,count ,tessin1 a nobleman  
of established merit both in the        
political and learned world1 becoming   
president of the ,royal ,academy1 it was
 unanimously agreed upon to send        
,professor ,kalm to ,north ,america4    
,the expences were at first a great     
obstacle2 but the ,royal ,academy wrote 
to the three universities to  assist    
them in this great and useful           
undertaking4 ,aobo sent first her  small
 contribution1 ,lund had nothing to     
spare1 but ,upsala made up this         

deficiency by a liberal contribution4   
,count ,piper was intreated to give a   
family exhibition to ,mr4 ,kalm1  which 
he readily promised1 but as the ,academy
 had obtained from the  convocation of  
the university of ,upsala and the       
magistrates of  ,stockholm1 another     
exhibition of the family of ,helmsfield 
for ,mr4 ,kalm1  ,count ,piper refused  
to grant his exhibition1 as being       
contrary to the  statutes of the        
university and without any precedent1   
that one person  should enjoy two       
exhibitions4 ,the present king of       
,sweden being then  prince royal1       
successor to the throne1 and chancellor 
of the  university1 wrote to the        
convocation1 and expressed his wishes to
 have  from the treasury of the         
university for so useful a purpose1     
about #ajjj  plates1 or about #aejl4    
sterling4 ,the university complied      
generously  with the desire of her      
chancellor1 and gave orders that the    
money  should be paid to the ,royal     

,academy4 ,the board for promoting      
manufactures gave #cjj plates1 or about 
#del4 ,mr4 ,kalm spent in this  journey 
his salary1 and besides very near #acjl4
 of his own fortune1 so  that at his    
return he found himself obliged to live 
upon a very small  pittance4 ,the rest  
of the expences the ,academy made up    
from her own  fund4    ,we on purpose   
have given this detail from ,mr4 ,kalm's
 long preface1 to  shew the reader with 
what public spirit this journey has been
 supported  in a country where money is 
so scarce1 and what a patriotic and     
laudable ardor for the promotion of     
sciences in general1 and especially  of 
natural history and husbandry animates  
the universities1 the public  boards1   
and even the private persons1 in this   
cold climate1 which goes  so far1 that  
they chuse rather to spend their own    
private fortunes1  than to give up so   
beneficial and useful a scheme4 ,we have
 the same  instance in ,dr4             
,hasselquist1 who with a sickly and     

consumptive  constitution1 went to ,asia
 ,minor1 ,egypt and ,palestine1 and     
collected  such great riches in new     
plants and animals1 that ,dr4 ,linnus's 
system  would never have contained so   
many species1 had he not made use of    
these treasures1 which the queen of     
,sweden generously bought by paying  the
 debts of ,dr4 ,hasselquist1 who died in
 his attempt to promote  natural        
history4 ,the ,reverend ,mr4 ,osbeck in 
his voyage to ,china1 made  an infinite 
number of useful and interesting        
observations at the  expence of his     
whole salary1 and published them by the 
contributions of  his parish4 ,the      
,reverend ,mr4 ,toreen died by the      
fatigues of the same  voyage1 and left  
his letters published along with        
,osbeck1 as a monument  of his fine     
genius1 and spirit for promoting natural
 history4 ,we here  look upon the       
expences as trifling1 but they are not  
so in ,sweden1 and  therefore are       
certainly the best monuments to the     

honour of the nation  and the great     
,linnus1 who in respect to natural      
history is the primum  mobile of that   
country4    ,professor ,kalm having     
obtained leave of his ,majesty to be    
absent from  his post as professor1 and 
having got a passport1 and              
recommendations  to the several ,swedish
 ministers at the courts of ,london1    
,paris1  ,madrid1 and at the ,hague1 in 
order to obtain passports for him in    
their  respective states1 set out from  
,upsala1 the #afth4 of ,october #agdg1  
accompanied by ,lars ,yungstrm1 a       
gardener well skilled in the knowledge  
of plants and mechanics1 and who had at 
the same time a good hand for  drawing1 
whom he took into his service4 ,he then 
set sail from  ,gothenburgh1 the #aath4 
of ,december but a violent hurricane    
obliged the  ship he was in to take     
shelter in the harbour of ,grmstad in   
,norway1  from which place he made      
excursions to ,arendal and              
,christiansand4 ,he  went again to sea  

,february the #hth4 #agdh1 and arrived  
at ,london the  #agth4 of the same      
month4 ,he staid in ,england till       
,august #aeth4 in which  interval of    
time he made excursions to ,woodford in 
,essex1 to little  ,gaddesden in        
,hertfordshire1 where ,william ,ellis1 a
 man celebrated for  his publications in
 husbandry lived1 but whose practical   
husbandry ,mr4  ,kalm found not to be   
equal to the theory laid down in his    
writings2 he  likewise saw ,ivinghoe in 
,buckinghamshire1 ,eaton and several    
other  places1 and all the curiosities  
and gardens in and about ,london3 at    
last he went on board a ship1 and       
traversed the ocean to ,philadelphia  in
 ,pensylvania1 which was formerly called
 ,new ,sweden1 where he arrived         
,september the #bfth4 ,the rest of that 
year he employed in collecting  seeds of
 trees and plants1 and sending them up  
to ,sweden2 and in  several excursions  
in the environs of ,philadelphia4 ,the  
winter he  passed among his countrymen  

at ,raccoon in ,new ,jersey4 ,the next  
year  #agdi1 ,mr4 ,kalm went through    
,new ,jersey and ,new ,york along the   
river  ,hudson to ,albany1 and from     
thence1 after having crossed the lakes  
of  ,st4 ,george and ,champlain1 to     
,montreal and ,quebec1 he returned that 
very  year against winter to            
,philadelphia1 and sent a new cargo of  
seeds1  plants and curiosities to       
,sweden4 ,in the year #agej1 ,mr4 ,kalm 
saw the  western parts of ,pensylvania  
and the coast of ,new ,jersey2 ,yungstrm
  staid in the former province all the  
summer for the collection of  seeds1 and
 ,prof4 ,kalm in the mean time passed   
,new ,york and the blue  mountains1 went
 to ,albany1 then along the river       
,mohawk to the ,iroquois  nations1 where
 he got acquainted with the ,mohawk's1  
,oneida's1  ,tuskarora's1 ,onandaga's   
and ,kayugaw's4 ,he then viewed and     
navigated the  great lake ,ontario1 and 
saw the celebrated fall at ,niagara4 ,in
 his  return from his summer expedition1

 he crossed the blue mountains in a     
different place1 and in ,october again  
reached ,philadelphia4    ,in the year  
#agea1 the #acth4 of ,february1 he went 
at ,newcastle on board  a ship for      
,england1 and after a passage subject to
 many dangers in the  most dreadful     
hurricanes1 he arrived ,march the #bgth4
 in the ,thames1 and  two days after in 
,london4 ,he took passage for           
,gothenburgh ,may the #eth4  and was the
 #afth4 of the same month at the place  
of his destination1  and the #acth4 of  
,june he again arrived at ,stockholm1   
after having been  on this truly useful 
expedition three years and eight months4
 ,he  afterwards returned again to his  
place of professor at ,aobo1 where in a 
small garden of his own1 he cultivates  
many hundreds of ,american  plants1 as  
there is not yet a public botanical     
garden for the use of  the university1  
and he with great expectation wishes to 
see what plants  will bear the climate1 
and bear good and ripe seeds so far     

north4 ,he  published the account of his
 journey by intervals1 for want of      
encouragement1 and fearing the expences 
of publishing at once in a  country     
where few booksellers are found1 and    
where the author must very  often       
embrace the business of bookseller1 in  
order to reimburse himself  for the     
expences of his publication4 ,he        
published in his first volume           
observations on ,england1 and chiefly on
 its husbandry1 where he with  the most 
minute scrupulousness and detail1       
entered into the very  minuti of this   
branch of his business for the benefit  
of his  countrymen1 and this subject he 
continued at the beginning of the       
second volume4 ,a passage cross the     
,atlantic ocean is a new thing to       
,swedes1 who are little used to it1     
unless they go in the few ,east ,india  
ships of their country4 ,every thing    
therefore was new to ,mr4 ,kalm1 and  he
 omitted no circumstance unobserved     
which are repeated in all the           

navigators from the earlier times down  
to our own age4 ,it would be a  kind of 
injustice to the public1 to give all    
this at large to the  reader4 ,all that 
part describing ,england and its        
curiosities and  husbandry we omitted4  
,the particulars of the passage from    
,england to  ,pensylvania we abridged2  
no circumstance interesting to natural  
history  or to any other part of        
literature has been omitted4 ,and from  
his  arrival at ,philadelphia1 we give  
the original at large1 except where we  
omitted some trifling circumstances1    
viz4 the way of eating oysters1  the art
 of making apple dumplings1 and some    
more of the same nature1  which struck  
that ,swedish gentleman with their      
novelty4    ,mr4 ,kalm makes use of the 
,swedish measure2 its foot is to the    
,english  foot1 as #aacd to #acej4 ,for 
his meteorological observations1 he     
employed  the thermometer of ,prof4     
,celsius generally made use of in       
,sweden1 and  his was of ,celsius's own 

making2 the interval from the point of  
freezing to the point of boiling water1 
is equally divided in this  thermometer 
into #ajj parts4 ,in the names of       
plants1 we have chiefly  employed after 
his directions the ,linnan names in the 
last edition of  his ,spec4 ,plantarum1 
and ,systema ,natur1 ,vol4 #b4 ,but as  
his  descriptions of animals1 plants1   
and minerals are very short1 he         
promises to give them at large some time
 hence in a ,latin work4 ,he  excuses   
the negligence of his stile1 from the   
time in which he  methodised his        
observations1 which was commonly at     
night1 after being  fatigued with the   
business of the preceding day1 when his 
spirits were  almost exhausted1 and he1 
incapable of that sprightliness which   
commends so many curious performances of
 that nature4    ,he gives you his      
observations as they occurred day after 
day1 which  makes him a faithful        
relater1 notwithstanding it takes away  
all  elegance of style1 and often       

occasions him to make very sudden       
transitions from subjects very foreign  
to one another4 ,this defect we  will   
endeavour to supply by a very copious   
index at the end of the  whole work1    
rather than derange the author's words1 
which are the more  to be relied on1 as 
being instantly committed to paper warm 
from his  reflections4    ,at last he   
arms himself with a very noble          
indifference against the  criticism of  
several people1 founded on the great aim
 he had in view by  his performance1    
which was no less than public utility4  
,this he looks  upon as the true reward 
of his pains and expences4    ,these are
 the contents of his long preface4 ,we  
have nothing to add1 but  that we intend
 to go on in this work as soon as       
possible1 hoping to be  supported and   
encouraged in this undertaking1 by a    
nation which is the  possessor of that  
great continent1 a great part of which  
is here  accurately and impartially     
described1 especially at this time when 

,american affairs attract the attention 
of the public4    ,we intend to join for
 the better illustration of the work1 a 
map and  drawings of ,american birds and
 animals which were not in the original4
  ,they will be copied from original    
drawings and real birds and animals     
from ,north ,america1 which we have     
access to1 and must therefore give to   
this translation a superiority above the
 original and the ,german  translation4 
,an encourager of this work proposed it 
as an improvement to the  translation of
 ,kalm's travels1 to add in the margin  
the paging of the  original1 as by this 
means recourse would be had easily to   
the  quotations made by ,dr4 ,linnus4   
,we would very readily have complied    
with this desideratum1 had we had the   
,swedish edition of this work at  hand1 
or had the work not been too far        
advanced at the time we got this  kind  
hint3 however this will be remedied by a
 copious index1 which will  certainly   
appear at the end of the whole work4    

,as we have not yet been able to procure
 a compleat list of the  subscribers and
 encouragers of this undertaking1 we    
choose rather to  postpone it1 than to  
give an imperfect one3 at the same time 
we assure  the public1 that it shall    
certainly appear in one of the          
subsequent  volumes4    ,we find it     
necessary here to mention1 that as many 
articles in ,mr4  ,kalm's travels       
required illustrations1 the publisher   
has taken the  liberty to join here and 
there some notes1 which are marked at   
the end  with ,f4 ,the other notes not  
thus marked were kindly communicated by 
the  publisher's friends4    ,lastly1 we
 take this opportunity to return our    
most sincere thanks in  this public     
manner to the ladies and gentlemen1 who 
have generously in  various ways exerted
 themselves in promoting the publication
 of these  useful remarks of an         
impartial1 accurate and judicious       
foreigner1 on a  country which is at    
present so much the object of public    

deliberation  and private conversation4 
,,peter ,,kalm's ,,travels4      ,august
 the #eth4 #agdh4    ,i with my servant 
,lars ,yungstrm 7who joined to his      
abilities as  gardener1 a tolerable     
skill in mechanics and drawing7 went at 
,gravesend  on board the ,mary ,gally1  
,captain ,lawson1 bound for             
,philadelphia2 and  though it was so    
late as six o'clock in the afternoon1 we
 weighed  anchor and sailed a good way  
down the ,thames before we again came to
  anchor4    ,august the #fth4 ,very    
early in the morning we resumed our     
voyage1 and  after a few hours sailing  
we came to the mouth of the ,thames1    
where we  turned into the channel and   
sailed along the ,kentish coast1 which  
consists of steep and almost            
perpendicular chalk hills1 covered at   
the  top with some soil and a fine      
verdure1 and including strata of flints1
  as it frequently is found in this kind
 of chalk-hills in the rest of          
,england4 ,and we were delighted in     

viewing on them excellent corn  fields1 
covered for the greatest part with      
wheat1 then ripening4    ,at six o'clock
 at night1 we arrived at ,deal1 a little
 well known town1  situate at the       
entrance of a bay exposed to the        
southern and easterly  winds4 ,here     
commonly the outward bound ships provide
 themselves with  greens1 fresh         
victuals1 brandy1 and many more         
articles4 ,this trade1 a  fishery1 and  
in the last war the equipping of        
privateers1 has enriched  the           
inhabitants4    ,august the #gth4 ,when 
the tide was out1 ,i saw numbers of     
fishermen  resorting to the sandy       
shallow places1 where they find round   
small  eminences caused by the          
excrements of the log worms1 or sea     
worms1  7,lumbrici marini4 ,linn47 who  
live in the holes leading to these      
hillocks1 sometimes eighteen inches     
deep1 and they are then dug out  with a 
small three tacked iron fork and used as
 baits4    ,august the #hth4 ,at three  

o'clock we tided down the channel1      
passed  ,dover1 and saw plainly the     
opinion of the celebrated ,camden in his
  ,britannia confirmed1 that here       
,england had been formerly joined to    
,france and ,flanders by an isthmus4    
,both shores form here two opposite     
points2 and both are formed of the same 
chalk hills1 which have the  same       
configuration1 so that a person         
acquainted with the ,english coasts  and
 approaching those of ,picardy          
afterwards1 without knowing them to be  
such1 would certainly take them to be   
the ,english ones4 #a    ,august the    
#ith-#abth4 ,we tided and alternately   
sailed down the channel1  and passed    
,dungness1 ,fairlight1 the ,isle of     
,wight1 ,portsmouth1 the  ,peninsula of 
,portland and ,bolthead1 a point behind 
which ,plymouth lies2  during all which 
time we had very little wind4    ,august
 the #acth4 ,towards night we got out of
 the ,english channel into  the ,bay of 
,biscay4    ,august the #adth4 ,we had  

contrary wind1 and this increased the   
rolling  of the ship1 for it is         
generally remarked that the ,bay of     
,biscay has  the greatest and broadest  
waves1 which are of equal size with     
those  between ,america and ,europe2    
they are commonly half an ,english mile 
in  length1 and have a height           
proportionable to it4 ,the ,baltic and  
the  ,german ocean has on the contrary  
short and broken waves4    ,whenever an 
animal is killed on board the ship1 the 
sailors commonly  hang some fresh pieces
 of meat for a while into the sea1 and  
it is  said1 it then keeps better4      
,august the #aeth4 ,the same swell of   
the sea still continued1 but the  waves 
began to smooth1 and a foam swimming on 
them was said to forebode  in calm      
weather1 a continuance of the same for  
some days4    ,about noon a north       
easterly breeze sprung up1 and in the   
afternoon it  blew more1 and this gave  
us a fine spectacle2 for the great waves
  rolled the water in great sheets1 in  

one direction1 and the north  easterly  
wind curled the surface of these waves  
quite in another4 ,by  the beating and  
dashing of the waves against one        
another1 with a more  than ordinary     
violence1 we could see that we passed a 
current1 whose  direction the captain   
could not determine4    ,august the     
#afth-#bast4 ,the same favourable breeze
 continued to our great  comfort and    
amazement1 for the captain observed that
 it was very  uncommon to meet with an  
easterly or north-easterly wind between 
,europe  and the ,azores 7which the     
sailors call the ,western ,islands7 for 
more  than two days together2 for the   
more common wind is here a westerly     
one3 but beyond the ,azores they find a 
great variety of winds1  especially     
about this time of the year2 nor do the 
westerly winds  continue long beyond    
these isles2 and to this it is owing1   
that when  navigators have passed the   
,azores1 they think they have performed 
one  half of the voyage1 although in    

reality it be but one third part4 ,these
  isles come seldom in sight2 for the   
navigators keep off them1 on  account of
 the dangerous rocks under water        
surrounding them4 ,upon  observation and
 comparison of the journal1 we found    
that we were in  forty-three deg4       
twenty-four min4 north lat4 and thirty  
and a half  degrees west long4 from     
,london4    ,august the #bb;d4 ,about   
noon the captain assured us1 that in    
twenty-four  hours we should have a     
south-west wind3 and upon my enquiring  
into the  reasons of his foretelling    
this with certainty1 he pointed at some 
clouds in the south-west1 whose points  
turned towards north-east1 and  said    
they were occasioned by a wind from the 
opposite quarter4 ,at this  time ,i was 
told we were about half way to          
,pensylvania4    ,august the #bc;d4     
,about seven o'clock in the morning the 
expected  south-west wind sprung up1 and
 soon accelerated our course so much1   
that we went at the rate of eight knots 

an hour4    ,august the #bdth4 ,the wind
 shifted and was in our teeth4 ,we were 
told by  some of the crew to expect a   
little storm1 the higher clouds being   
very  thin and striped and scattered    
about the sky like parcels of combed    
wool1 or so many skains of yarn1 which  
they said forebode a storm4  ,these     
striped clouds ran north-west and       
south-east1 in the direction of  the    
wind we then had4 ,towards night the    
wind abated and we had a  perfect calm1 
which is a sign of a change of wind4    
,august the #beth4 and #bfth4 ,a west   
wind sprung up and grew stronger and    
stronger1 so that at last the waves     
washed our deck4    ,august the #bgth4  
,in the morning we got a better wind1   
which went  through various points of   
the compass and brought on a storm from 
north-east towards night4    ,our       
captain told me an observation founded  
on long experience1 viz4  that though   
the winds changed frequently in the     
,atlantic ocean1  especially in summer  

time1 the most frequent however was the 
western1  and this accounts for the     
passage from ,america to ,europe        
commonly being  shorter1 than that from 
,europe to ,america4 ,besides this1 the 
winds in  the ,atlantic during summer   
are frequently partial1 so that a storm 
may  rage on one part of it1 and within 
a few miles of the place little or  no  
storm at all may be felt4 ,in winter the
 winds are more constant1  extensive and
 violent2 so that then the same wind    
reigns on the greater  part of the ocean
 for a good while1 and causes greater   
waves than in  summer4    ,august the   
#cjth4 ,as ,i had observed the night    
before some strong flashes  of          
lightening without any subsequent clap  
of thunder1 ,i enquired of our  captain1
 whether he could assign any reasons for
 it4 ,he told me these  phnomena were   
pretty common1 and the consequence of a 
preceding heat  in the atmosphere2 but  
that when lightenings were observed in  
winter1  prudent navigators were used to

 reef their sails1 as they are by this  
sign certain of an impendent storm2 and 
so likewise in that season1 a  cloud    
rising from the north-west1 is an       
infallible forerunner of a  great       
tempest4    ,september the #gth4 ,as we 
had the first day of the month contrary 
wind1  on the second it shifted to the  
north1 was again contrary the third1    
and fair the fourth and following days4 
,the fifth we were in forty deg4  three 
min4 north lat4 and between fifty-three 
and fifty-four deg4 west  long4 from    
,london4    ,besides the common waves   
rolling with the wind1 we met on the    
#dth4 and  #eth4 inst4 with waves coming
 from south-west1 which the captain gave
 as  a mark of a former storm from that 
quarter in this neighbourhood4          
,september the #hth4 ,we crossed by a   
moderate wind1 a sea with the  highest  
waves we met on the whole passage1      
attributed by the captain to  the       
division between the great ocean and the
 inner ,american gulf2 and  soon after  

we met with waves greatly inferior to   
those we observed  before4    ,september
 the #ith4 ,in the afternoon we remarked
 that in some places the  colour of the 
sea 7which had been hitherto of a deep  
blue7 was changed  into a paler hue2    
some of these spots were narrow stripes 
of twelve or  fourteen fathoms breadth1 
of a pale green colour1 which is        
supposed to  be caused by the sand1 or  
as some say1 by the weeds under water4  
,september the #abth4 ,we were becalmed 
that day1 and as we in this  situation  
observed a ship1 which we suspected to  
be a ,spanish  privateer1 our fear was  
very great2 but we saw some days after  
our  arrival at ,philadelphia the same  
ship arrive1 and heard that they  seeing
 us had been under the same             
apprehensions with ourselves4           
,september the #acth4 ,captain ,lawson1 
who kept his bed for the greater  part  
of the voyage1 on account of an         
indisposition1 assured us  yesterday we 
were in all appearance very near        

,america3 but as the mate  was of a     
different opinion1 and as the sailors   
could see no land from  the head of the 
mast1 nor find ground by the lead1 we   
steered on  directly towards the land4  
,about three o'clock in the morning the 
captain gave orders to heave the lead1  
and we found but ten fathom3 the  second
 mate himself took the lead and called  
out ten and fourteen  fathoms1 but a    
moment after the ship struck on the     
sand1 and this shock  was followed by   
four other very violent ones4 ,the      
consternation was  incredible2 and very 
justly might it be so2 for there were   
above eighty  persons on board1 and the 
ship had but one boat3 but happily our  
ship  got off again1 after having been  
turned4 ,at day break1 which followed   
soon after 7for the accident happened   
half an hour past four7 we saw  the     
continent of ,america within a ,swedish 
mile before us3 the coast was  whitish1 
low1 and higher up covered with firs4   
,we found out1 that the  sand we struck 

on1 lay opposite ,arcadia in ,maryland1 
in thirty-seven  deg4 fifty min4 ,north 
lat4    ,we coasted the shores of       
,maryland all the day1 but not being    
able to  reach cape ,hinlopen1 where we 
intended to take a pilot on board1 we   
cruized all night before the bay of     
,delaware4 ,the darkness of the night   
made us expect a rain1 but we found that
 only a copious fall of dew  ensued1    
which made our coats quite wet1 and the 
pages of a book1  accidently left open  
on the deck1 were in half an hours time 
after  sun-setting likewise wet1 and we 
were told by the captain and the        
sailors that both in ,england and in    
,america a copious dew was commonly     
followed by a hot and sultry day4       
,september the #adth4 ,we saw land on   
our larboard in the west1 which         
appeared to be low1 white1 sandy1 and   
higher up the country covered  with     
firs1 cape ,hinlopen is a head of land  
running into the sea from  the western  
shore1 and has a village on it4 ,the    

eastern shore belongs  here to ,new     
,jersey1 and the western to             
,pensylvania4 ,the bay of ,delaware  has
 many sands1 and from four to eleven    
fathom water4    ,the fine woods of oak1
 hiccory and firs covering both shores  
made a  fine appearance1 and were partly
 employed in ship-building at           
,philadelphia2 for which purpose every  
year some ,english captains take a      
passage in autumn to this town1 and     
superintend the building of new  ships  
during winter1 with which they go to sea
 next spring3 and at this  time it was  
more usual than common1 as the ,french  
and ,spanish  privateers had taken many 
,english merchant ships4    ,a little   
after noon we reached the mouth of      
,delaware river1 which is  here about   
three ,english miles broad1 but         
decreases gradually so much1  that it is
 scarcely a mile broad at ,philadelphia4
    ,here we were delighted in seeing   
now and then between the woods some     
farm houses surrounded with corn fields1

 pastures well-stocked with  cattle1 and
 meadows covered with fine hay2 and more
 than one sense was  agreeably affected1
 when the wind brought to us the finest 
effluvia of  odoriferous plants and     
flowers1 or that of the fresh made hay3 
these  agreeable sensations and the fine
 scenery of nature on this continent1   
so new to us1 continued till it grew    
quite dark4    ,here ,i will return to  
sea1 and give the reader a short view of
 the  various occurrences belonging to  
,natural-,history1 during our crossing  
the ,ocean4    ,of sea weeds 7,fucus    
linn47 we saw ,august the #afth4 and    
#agth4 a kind  which had a similarity to
 a bunch of onions tied together1 these 
bunches were of the size of the fist1   
and of a white colour4 ,near the  coast 
of ,america within the ,american gulf1  
,september the #aath4 we met  likewise  
with several sea weeds1 one species of  
which was called by the  sailors        
rock-weed2 another kind looked like a   
string of pearls1 and  another was      

white1 about a foot long1 narrow1 every 
where equally wide  and quite strait4   
,from ,august the #bdth4 to ,september  
the #aath4 we saw  no other weeds1 but  
those commonly going under the name of  
,gulf-weed1  because they are supposed  
to come from the gulf of ,florida2      
others call  it ,sargazo1 and ,dr4      
,linnus1 ,fucus natans4 ,its stalk is   
very slender1  rotundato-angulated1 and 
of a dark green1 it has many branches   
and each  of them has numerous leaves   
disposed in a row1 they are extremely   
thin1  are serrated1 and are a line or a
 line and a half wide1 so that they     
bear a great resemblance to the leaves  
of ,iceland-moss2 their colour is  a    
yellowish green4 ,its fruit in a great  
measure resembles unripe  juniper       
berries1 is round1 greenish yellow1     
almost smooth on the  outside1 and grows
 under the leaves on short footstalks1  
of two or  three lines length2 under    
each leaf are from one to three berries1
 but  ,i never have seen them exceed    

that number4 ,some berries were small1  
and  when cut were quite hollow and     
consisted of a thin peel only1 which is 
calculated to communicate their buoyancy
 to the whole plant4 ,the leaves  grow  
in proportion narrower1 as they approach
 the extremities of the  branches3 their
 upper sides are smooth1 the ribs are on
 the under  sides1 and there likewise   
appear small roots of two1 three or four
  lines length4 ,i was told by our mate 
that gulf weed1 dried and pounded1  was 
given in ,america to women in childbed1 
and besides this it is also  used there 
in fevers4 ,the whole ocean is as if it 
were covered with  this weed1 and it    
must also be in immense quantities in   
the gulf of  ,florida1 from whence all  
this driving on the ocean is said to    
come4  ,several little shells pointed   
like horns1 and ,eschar or ,horn wracks 
are frequently found on it3 and seldom  
is there one bundle of this  plant to be
 met with1 which does not contain either
 a minute shrimp1 or  a small crab1 the 

latter of which is the ,cancer minutus  
of ,dr4 ,linnus4  ,of these ,i collected
 eight1 and of the former three1 all    
which ,i put in  a glass with water3 the
 little shrimp moved as swift as an     
arrow round  the glass1 but sometimes   
its motion was slow1 and sometimes it   
stood  still on one side1 or at the     
bottom of the glass4 ,if one of the     
little  crabs approached1 it was seized 
by its forepaws1 killed and sucked2 for 
which reason they were careful to avoid 
their fate4 ,it was quite of the  shape 
of a shrimp2 in swimming it moved always
 on one side1 the sides  and the tail   
moving alternately4 ,it was capable of  
putting its forepaws  entirely into its 
mouth3 its antenn were in continual     
motion4 ,having  left these little      
shrimps together with the crabs during  
night1 ,i found  on the morning all the 
crabs killed and eaten by the shrimps4  
,the  former moved when alive with      
incredible swiftness in the water4      
,sometimes when they were quite at the  

bottom of the glass1 with a  motion     
something like to that of a ,puceron or 
,podura of ,linnus2 they  came in a     
moment to the surface of the water4 ,in 
swimming they moved  all their feet very
 close1 sometimes they held them down as
 other crabs  do1 sometimes they lay on 
their backs1 but as soon as the motion  
of  their feet ceased1 they always sunk 
to the bottom4 ,the remaining  shrimps  
,i preserved in spirits1 and the loss of
 my little crabs was  soon repaired by  
other specimens which are so plentiful  
in each of the  floating bundles of     
gulf-weed4 ,for a more minute           
description of which ,i  must refer the 
reader to another work1 ,i intend to    
publish4 ,in some  places we saw a crab 
of the size of the fist1 swimming by the
 continual  motion of its feet1 which   
being at rest1 the animal began         
immediately  to sink4 ,and one time ,i  
met with a great red crawfish1 or       
lobster1  floating on the surface of the
 sea4    ,blubbers1 or ,medus ,linn41 we

 found of three kinds3 the first is the 
,medusa aurita ,linn42 it is round1     
purple coloured1 opens like a bag1  and 
in it are as if it were four white      
rings1 their size varies from  one inch 
diameter to six inches2 they have not   
that nettling and  burning quality which
 other blubbers have1 such for instance 
as are on  the coast of ,norway1 and in 
the ocean4 ,these we met chiefly in the 
channel and in the ,bay of ,biscay4     
,after having crossed more than half of 
the ocean between ,europe and  ,america1
 we met with a kind of blubber1 which is
 known to ,sailors by  the name of the  
,spanish or ,portugueze man of ,war1 it 
looks like a great  bladder1 or the     
lungs of a quadruped1 compressed on both
 sides1 about  six inches in diameter1  
of a fine purple-red colour1 and when   
touched  by the naked skin of the human 
body1 it causes a greater burning than  
any other kind of blubber4 ,they are    
often overturned by the rolling of  the 
waves1 but they are again standing up in

 an instant1 and keep the  sharp or     
narrow side uppermost4    ,within the   
,american gulf we saw not only these    
,spanish men of ,war1 but  another kind 
too1 for which the ,sailors had no other
 name but that of a  blubber4 ,it was of
 the size of a pewter plate1 brown in   
the middle1  with a pale margin1 which  
was in continual motion4    ,of the     
,lepas anatifera ,linn4 ,i saw on the   
#cjth4 of ,august a log of  wood1 which 
floated on the ocean1 quite covered4 ,of
 insects ,i saw in  the channel1 when we
 were in sight of the ,isle of ,wight   
several white  butterflies1 very like to
 the ,papilio ,brassic ,linn4 ,they     
never  settled1 and by their venturing  
at so great a distance from land they   
caused us just astonishment4    ,some   
common flies were in our cabbin alive   
during the whole voyage1 and  it cannot 
therefore be determined whether they    
were originally in  ,america1 or whether
 they came over with the ,europeans4    
,of ,cetaceous fish we met with         

,porpesses1 or as some sailors call them
  ,sea-hogs #b 7,delphinus ,phocna1     
,linn47 first in the channel and then   
they continued every where on this side 
the ,azores1 where they are the  only   
fish navigators meet with2 but beyond   
these isles they are seldom  seen1 till 
again in the neighbourhood of ,america  
we saw them equally  frequent to the    
very mouth of ,delaware river4 ,they    
always appeared in  shoals1 some of     
which consisted of upwards of an hundred
 individuals2  their swimming was very  
swift1 and though they often swam along 
side of  our ship1 being taken as it    
were with the noise caused by the ship  
cutting the waves1 they however soon    
outwent her1 when they were tired  with 
staring at her4 ,they are from four to  
eight feet long1 have a bill  like in   
shape to that of a goose1 a white belly1
 and leap up into the  air frequently   
four feet high1 and from four to eight  
feet in length2  though their snoring   
indicates the effort which a leap of    

that nature  costs them4 ,our sailors   
made many vain attempts to strike one of
 them  with the harp iron from the      
forecastle1 when they came within reach1
  but their velocity always eluded their
 skill4    ,another cetaceous fish1 of  
the ,dolphin kind1 #c with which we met1
 is  called by the sailors ,bottle-nose1
 it swims in great shoals1 has a head   
like a bottle1 and is killed by a       
harpoon1 and is sometimes eaten4  ,these
 fish are very large1 and some fully    
twelve feet long2 their  shape1 and     
manner of tumbling and swimming make    
them nearly related to  ,porpesses4     
,they are to be met with every where in 
the ocean from the  channel to the very 
neighbourhood of ,america4    ,one      
,whale we saw at a distance1 and knew it
 by the water which it  spouted up4     
,a ,dog-fish of a considerable size     
followed the ship for a little while1   
but it was soon out of sight1 without   
our being able to determine to  which   
species it belonged3 this was the only  

cartilaginous fish we saw  on the whole 
passage4    ,of the bony fish1 we saw   
several beyond the ,azores1 but never   
one on  this side of those isles1 one of
 them was of a large size1 and we saw   
it at a distance2 the sailors called it 
an ,albecor1 and it is ,dr4  ,linnus's  
,scomber ,thynnus4    ,the ,dolphin of  
the ,english is the ,dorado of the      
,portugueze1 and ,dr4  ,linnus calls it 
,coryphna ,hippuris2 it is about two    
feet and a half  long1 near the head six
 inches deep1 and three inches broad2   
from the  head the ,dolphin decreases on
 all sides towards the tail1 where its  
perpendicular depth is one inch and a   
half1 and its breadth hardly one  inch4 
,the colour of the back near the head is
 a fine green on a silver  ground1 but  
near the tail of a deep blue2 the belly 
is white1 and  sometimes mixed with a   
deep yellow1 on the sides it has some   
round pale  brown spots4 ,it has six and
 not seven fins as was imagined2 two of 
them  are on the breast1 two on the     

belly1 one at the tail extending to the 
anus1 and one along the whole back1     
which is of a fine blue3 when the  fish 
is just taken the extremities of the    
most outward rays in the tail  were     
eight inches one from another4 ,their   
motion when they swam behind1  or along 
side of the ship was very slow1 and gave
 a fair opportunity to  hit them with   
the harpoon1 though some are taken with 
a hook and line1  and a bait of chicken 
bowels1 small fish1 or pieces of his own
 species1  or the flying fish1 which    
latter are their chief food3 and it is  
by  their chasing them1 that the flying 
fish leave their element to find        
shelter in one to which they are        
strangers4 ,the ,dolphins sometimes leap
  a fathom out of the water1 and love to
 swim about casks and logs of  wood1    
that sometimes drive in the sea4 ,they  
are eaten with thick  butter1 when      
boiled1 and sometimes fried1 and afford 
a palatable food1  but rather somewhat  
dry4 ,in the bellies of the fish of this

 species  which we caught1 several      
animals were found1 viz4 an ,ostracion2 
a  little fish with blue eyes1 which was
 yet alive1 being just the moment       
before swallowed1 and measuring two     
inches in length2 another little  fish2 
a curious marine insect1 and a flying   
fish1 all which not yet  being damaged  
by digestion1 ,i preserved in spirits4  
,the ,flying ,fish 7,exocoetus volitans1
 ,linn47 are always seen in great       
shoals1 sometimes of an hundred or more 
getting at once out of the  water1 being
 pursued by greater fish1 and chiefly by
 ,dolphins2 they  rise about a yard1 and
 even a fathom above the water in their 
flight1  but this latter height they    
only are at1 when they take their flight
  from the top of a wave2 and sometimes 
it is said they fall on the deck  of    
ships4 ,the greatest distance they fly1 
is a good musket-shot1 and  this they   
perform in less than half a minute's    
time2 their motion is  somewhat like    
that of the yellow-hammer1 7,emberiza   

,citrinella1 ,linn474  ,it is very      
remarkable that ,i found the course they
 took always to be  against the wind1   
and though ,i was contradicted by the   
sailors1 who  affirmed that they went at
 any direction1 ,i nevertheless was     
confirmed  in my opinion by a careful   
observation during the whole voyage1    
according to which they fly constantly  
either directly against the  wind1 or   
somewhat in an oblique direction4 #d    
,we saw likewise the fish called        
,bonetos1 7,scomber ,pelamys1 ,linn47   
they  were likewise in shoals1 hunting  
some smaller fish1 which chase caused  a
 noise like to that of a cascade1       
because they were all swimming close  in
 a body2 but they always kept out of the
 reach of our harpoons4    ,of          
amphibious animals1 or reptiles2 we met 
twice with a ,turtle1 one of  which was 
sleeping1 the other swam without taking 
notice of our ship2  both were of two   
feet diameter4    ,birds are pretty     
frequently seen on the ocean1 though    

,aquatic ,birds are  more common than   
,land ,birds4    ,the ,petrel           
7,procellaria ,pelagica1 ,linn47 was our
 companion from the  channel to the     
shores of ,america4 ,flocks of this bird
 were always about  our ship1 chiefly in
 that part of the sea1 which being cut  
by the ship1  forms a smooth surface1   
where they frequently seem to settle1   
though  always on the wing4 ,they pick  
up or examine every thing that falls    
accidentally from the ship1 or is thrown
 over board3 little fish seem  to be    
their chief food2 in day time they are  
silent1 in the dark  clamorous2 they are
 reputed to forebode a storm1 for which 
reason the  sailors disliking their     
company1 complimented them with the name
 of  witches2 but they are as frequent  
in fair weather1 without a storm        
following their appearance4 ,to me it   
appeared as if they stayed  sometimes   
half an hour and longer under the waves1
 and the sailors  assured me they did4  
,they look like swallows1 and like them 

they skim  sometimes on the water4      
,the ,shearwater 7,procellaria          
,puffinus1 ,linn47 is another sea-bird1 
which  we saw every where on our voyage1
 from the channel to the ,american      
coasts2 it has much the appearance and  
size of the dark-grey ,sea-gull1  or of 
a ,duck2 it has a brown back1 and       
commonly a white ring round its  neck1  
and a peculiar slow way of flying4 ,we  
plainly saw some of these  birds feed on
 fish4    ,the ,tropic bird 7,phaton    
thereus1 ,linn47 has very much the shape
 of a  gull1 but two very long feathers1
 which it has in its tail1 distinguish  
it enough from any other bird2 its      
flight is often exceedingly high3  the  
first of this kind we met1 was at about 
forty deg4 north lat4 and  forty-nine or
 fifty deg4 west long4 from ,london4    
,common ,gulls 7,larus canus1 ,linn47 we
 saw1 when we were opposite the  ,land's
 ,end1 the most westerly cape of        
,england1 and when according to  our    
reckoning we were opposite ,ireland4    

,terns 7,sterna hirundo1 ,linn47 though 
of a somewhat darker colour than  the   
common ones1 we found after the         
forty-first deg4 of north lat4 and      
forty-seventh deg4 west long4 from      
,london1 very plentifully1 and          
sometimes in flocks of some hundreds2   
sometimes they settled1 as if  tired1 on
 our ship4    ,within the ,american     
gulph we discovered a sea-bird at a     
little distance  from the ship1 which   
the sailors called a ,sea-hen4          
,land-birds are now and then seen at    
sea1 and sometimes at a good  distance  
from any land1 so that it is often      
difficult1 to account for  their        
appearance in so uncommon a place4      
,august the #ahth4 we saw a bird  which 
settled on our ship1 and was perfectly  
like the great ,titmouse1  7,parus      
major1 ,linn47 upon an attempt to catch 
it1 it got behind the  sails1 and could 
never be caught4    ,september the #ast4
 ,we observed some ,land-birds flying   
about our ship1  which we took for ,sand

 ,martins 7,hirundo riparia1 ,linn47    
sometimes they  settled on our ship1 or 
on the sails2 they were of a greyish    
brown  colour on their back1 their      
breast white1 and the tail somewhat     
furcated2 a heavy shower of rain drove  
them afterwards away1 ,september  the   
#b;d4 a ,swallow fluttered about the    
ship1 and sometimes it settled on  the  
mast2 it seemed to be very tired2       
several times it approached our  cabin  
windows1 as if it was willing to take   
shelter there4 ,these cases  happened   
about forty deg4 north lat4 and between 
forty-seven and  forty-nine deg4 west   
long4 from ,london1 and also about      
twenty deg4  long4 or more than nine    
hundred and twenty sea miles from any   
land  whatsoever4    ,september the     
#ajth4 within the ,american gulph a     
large bird1 which we  took for an ,owl1 
and likewise a little bird settled on   
our sails4    ,september the #abth4 a   
,wood-pecker settled on our rigging3 its
 back was  of a speckled grey1 and it   

seemed extremely fatigued4 ,and another 
land-bird of the passerine class1       
endeavoured to take shelter and rest  on
 our ship4    ,before ,i entirely take  
leave of the sea1 ,i will communicate my
  observations on two curious phnomena4 
,in the channel and in the ocean we saw 
at night time1 sparks of fire1  as if   
flowing on the water1 especially where  
it was agitated1 sometimes  one single  
spark swam for the space of more than   
one minute on the  ocean before it      
vanished4 ,the sailors observed them    
commonly to appear  during1 and after a 
storm from the north1 and that often the
 sea is as  if it were full of fire1 and
 that some such shining sparks would    
likewise stick to the masts and sails4  
,sometimes this light had not the       
appearance of sparks1 but looked  rather
 like the phosphorescence of putrid     
wood4    ,the ,thames-water which made  
our provision of fresh water1 is reputed
 to  be the best of any4 ,it not only   
settled in the oak casks it is kept in1 

but becomes in a little time stinking1  
when stopped up2 however this  nauseous 
smell it soon looses1 after being filled
 into large stone  juggs1 and exposed to
 the open fresh air for two or three    
hours  together4 ,often the vapours     
arising from a cask which has been kept 
close and stopped up for a great while  
take fire1 if a candle is held  near    
them when the cask is opened1 and the   
,thames water is thought to  have more  
of this quality than any other2 though  
,i was told that this  even happened    
with any other water in the same        
circumstances4    ,now ,i can resume my 
narrative1 and therefore observe that we
 afterwards  sailed on the river with a 
fair wind1 pretty late at night4 ,in the
 dawn  of the evening we passed by      
,newcastle1 a little town on the western
  shore of the river ,delaware4 ,it was 
already so dark1 that we could  hardly  
know it1 but by the light which appeared
 through some of the  windows4 ,the     
,dutch are said to have been the first  

founders of this  place1 which is       
therefore reckoned the most ancient in  
the country1  even more ancient than    
,philadelphia4 ,but its trade can by no 
means be  compared with the             
,philadelphia trade1 though its         
situation has more  advantages in       
several respects2 one of which is1 that 
the river seldom  freezes before it1 and
 consequently ships can come in and go  
out at any  time4 ,but near             
,philadelphia it is almost every winter 
covered with ice1  so that navigation is
 interrupted for some weeks together4   
,but the  country about ,philadelphia   
and farther up1 being highly cultivated1
 and  the people bringing all their     
goods to that place1 ,newcastle must    
always be inferior to it4    ,i         
mentioned1 that the ,dutch laid the     
foundations of this town4 ,this         
happened at the time1 when this country 
was as yet subject to ,sweden4  ,but the
 ,dutch crept in1 and intended by       
degrees to dispossess the  ,swedes1 as a

 people who had taken possession of     
their property4 ,they  succeeded in     
their attempt2 for the ,swedes not being
 able to bear with  this encroachment1  
came to a war1 in which the ,dutch got  
the better4  ,but they did not enjoy the
 fruits of their victory long3 for a few
  years after1 the ,english came and    
deprived them of their acquisition1  and
 have ever since continued in the       
undisturbed possession of the  country4 
,somewhat later at night we cast anchor1
 the pilot not  venturing to carry the  
ship up the river in the dark1 several  
sands  being in the way4    ,september  
#aeth4 ,in the dawn of the morning we   
weighed anchor1 and  continued our      
voyage up the river4 ,the country was   
inhabited almost  every where on both   
sides4 ,the farm-houses were however    
pretty far  asunder4 ,about eight       
o'clock in the morning we sailed by the 
little  town of ,chester1 on the western
 side of the river4 ,in this town1 our  
mate1 who was born in ,philadelphia1    

shewed me the places1 which the  ,swedes
 still inhabit4    ,at last we arrived  
in ,philadelphia about ten o',clock in  
the morning4 ,we  had not been more than
 six weeks1 or 7to speak more           
accurately7 not  quite forty one days on
 our voyage from ,gravesend to this     
place1  including the time we spent at  
,deal1 in supplying ourselves with the  
necessary fresh provisions1 c4 our      
voyage was therefore reckoned one  of   
the shortest4 ,for it is common in      
winter time to be fourteen1  nineteen1  
or more weeks in coming from ,gravesend 
to ,philadelphia4  ,hardly any body ever
 had a more pleasant voyage over this   
great ocean1  than we had4 ,captain     
,lawson affirmed this several times4    
,nay he assured  us he had never seen   
such calm weather in this ocean1 though 
he had  crossed it very often4 ,the wind
 was generally so favourable that a boat
  of a middling size might have sailed  
in perfect safety4 ,the sea never  went 
over our cabin1 and but once over the   

deck1 and that was only in a  swell4    
,the weather indeed was so clear1 that a
 great number of the  ,germans on board 
slept on the deck4 ,the cabin windows   
needed not the  shutters4 ,all these are
 circumstances which show the uncommon  
goodness  of the weather4    ,captain   
,lawson's civility increased the        
pleasure of the voyage4 ,for he  shewed 
me all the friendship1 that he could    
have shewn to any of his  relations4    
,as soon as we were come to the town1   
and had cast anchor1 many of the        
inhabitants came on board1 to enquire   
for ,letters4 ,they took all those      
which they could carry1 either for      
themselves or for their friends4        
,those1 which remained1 the captain     
ordered to be carried on shore1 and  to 
be brought into a coffee-house1 where   
every body could make enquiry  for them1
 and by this means he was rid of the    
trouble of delivering  them himself4 ,i 
afterwards went on shore with him4 ,but 
before he went1  he strictly charged the

 second mate1 to let no one of the      
,german  refugees out of the ship1      
unless he paid for his passage1 or some 
body  else paid for him1 or bought him4 
,on my leaving ,london ,i received      
letters of recommendation from ,mr4     
,abraham ,spalding1 ,mr4 ,peter         
,collinson1 ,dr4 ,mitchel1 and others to
 their  friends here4 ,it was easy for  
me therefore to get acquaintance4 ,mr4  
,benjamin ,franklin1 to whom            
,pensylvania is indebted for its        
welfare1 and  the learned world for many
 new discoveries in ,electricity1 was   
the  first1 who took notice of me1 and  
introduced me to many of his friends4   
,he gave me all necessary instructions1 
and shewed me his kindness on  many     
occasions4    ,i went to day accompanied
 by ,mr4 ,jacob ,bengtson1 a member of  
the  ,swedish consistory and the        
sculptor ,gustavus ,hesselius1 to see   
the town  and the fields which lay      
before it4 7,the former is brother of   
the rev4  ,messrs4 ,andrew and ,samuel  

,hesselius1 both ministers at           
,christiana in  new ,sweden1 and of the 
late ,dr4 ,john ,hesselius in the       
provinces of  ,nerik and ,wermeland74   
,my new friend had followed his brother 
,andrew in  #agaa to this country1 and  
had since lived in it4 ,i found that ,i 
was now  come into a new world4         
,whenever ,i looked to the ground1 ,i   
every where  found such plants as ,i had
 never seen before4 ,when ,i saw a tree1
 ,i was  forced to stop1 and ask those  
who accompanied me1 how it was called4  
,the first plant which struck my eyes   
was an ,andropogon1 or a kind of  grass1
 and grass is a part of ,botany ,i      
always delighted in4 ,i was  seized with
 terror at the thought of ranging so    
many new and unknown  parts of natural  
history4 ,at first ,i only considered   
the plants1  without venturing a more   
accurate examination4    ,at night ,i   
took up my lodging with a grocer who was
 a quaker1 and ,i met  with very good   
honest people in this house1 such as    

most people of this  profession appeared
 to me1 ,i and my ,yungstrm1 the        
companion of my  voyage1 had a room1    
candles1 beds1 attendance1 and three    
meals a day1  if we chose to have so    
many1 for twenty shillings per week in  
,pensylvania currency4 ,but wood1       
washing and wine1 if required1 were to  
be paid for besides4    ,september the  
#afth4 ,before ,i proceed ,i must give a
 short description of  ,philadelphia1   
which ,i shall frequently mention in the
 sequel of my  travels4 ,i here put down
 several particulars which ,i marked    
during my  stay at that place1 as a help
 to memory4    ,philadelphia1 the       
capital of ,pensylvania1 a province     
which makes part  of what formerly was  
called ,new ,sweden is one of the       
principal towns in  ,north-,america2 and
 next to ,boston the greatest4 ,it is   
situated almost  in the center of the   
,english colonies1 and its lat4 is      
thirty nine deg4  and fifty min4 but its
 west long4 from ,london near seventy   

five deg4    ,this town was built in the
 year #afhc1 or as others say in #afhb1 
by the  well known quaker ,william ,pen1
 who got this whole province by a grant 
from ,charles the second1 king of       
,england2 after ,sweden had given up its
  claims to it4 ,according to ,pen's    
plan the town was to have been built    
upon a piece of land which is formed by 
the union of the rivers  ,delaware and  
,skulkill1 in a quadrangular form1 two  
,english miles long  and one broad4 ,the
 eastern side would therefore have been 
bounded by  the ,delaware1 and the      
western by the ,skulkill4 ,they had     
actually begun  to build houses on both 
these rivers2 for eight capital streets1
 each  two ,english miles long1 and     
sixteen lesser streets 7or lanes7 across
  them1 each one mile in length1 were   
marked out1 with a considerable         
breadth1 and in strait lines4 ,the place
 was at that time almost an  entire     
wilderness covered with thick forests1  
and belonged to three  ,swedish brothers

 called ,sven's-,sner 7,sons of ,sven7  
who had settled in  it4 ,they with      
difficulty left the place1 the situation
 of which was  very advantageous1 ,but  
at last they were persuaded to it by    
,pen1 who  gave them a few ,english     
miles from that place twice the space of
  country they inhabited4 ,however ,pen 
himself and his descendants after  him1 
have considerably lessened the ground   
belonging to them1 by  repeated         
mensurations1 under pretence that they  
had taken more than  they ought4    ,but
 the inhabitants could not be got in    
sufficient number to fill a  place of   
such extent4 ,the plan therefore about  
the river ,skulkill was  laid aside till
 more favourable circumstances should   
occur1 and the  houses were only built  
along the ,delaware4 ,this river flows  
along the  eastern side of the town1 is 
of great advantage to its trade1 and    
gives  a fine prospect4 ,the houses     
which had already been built upon the   
,skulkill were transplanted hitherto by 

degrees4 ,this town accordingly  lies in
 a very pleasant country1 from north to 
south along the river4  ,it measures    
somewhat more than an ,english mile in  
length2 and its  breadth in some places 
is half a mile or more4 ,the ground is  
flat and  consists of sand mixed with a 
little clay4 ,experience has shewn that 
the air of this place is very healthy4  
,the streets are regular1 fine1 and most
 of them are fifty foot1 ,english       
measure1 broad2 ,arch-street measures   
sixty six feet in breadth1 and          
,market-street or the principal street1 
where the market is kept1 near a        
hundred4 ,those which run               
longitudinally1 or from north to south  
are  seven1 exclusive of a little one1  
which runs along the river1 to the      
south of the market1 and is called      
,water-street4 ,the lanes which go      
across1 and were intended to reach from 
the ,delaware to the ,skulkill1  are    
eight in number4 ,they do not go quite  
from east to west1 but  deviate a little

 from that direction4 ,all the streets  
except two which  are nearest to the    
river1 run in a straight line1 and make 
right angles  at the intersections4     
,some are paved1 others are not2 and it 
seems less  necessary since the ground  
is sandy1 and therefore soon absorbs the
  wet4 ,but in most of the streets is a 
pavement of flags1 a fathom or  more    
broad1 laid before the houses1 and posts
 put on the outside three  or four      
fathom asunder4 ,under the roofs are    
gutters which are carefully  connected  
with pipes1 and by this means1 those who
 walk under them1  when it rains1 or    
when the snow melts1 need not fear being
 wetted by  the dropping from the roofs4
    ,the houses make a good appearance1 
are frequency several stories high1  and
 built either of bricks or of stone2 but
 the former are more  commonly used1    
since bricks are made before the town1  
and are well  burnt4 ,the stone which   
has been employed in the building of    
other  houses1 is a mixture of black or 

grey glimmer1 running in undulated      
veins1 and of a loose1 and quite small  
grained limestone1 which run  scattered 
between the bendings of the other veins1
 and are of a grey  colour1 excepting   
here and there some single grains of    
sand1 of a paler  hue4 ,the glimmer     
makes the greatest part of the stone2   
but the mixture  is sometimes of another
 kind1 as ,i shall relate hereafter     
under the  article1 eleventh of         
,october4 ,this stone is now got in     
great quantities  in the country1 is    
easily cut1 and has the good quality of 
not  attracting the moisture in a wet   
season4 ,very good lime is burnt every  
where hereabouts1 for masonry4    ,the  
houses are covered with shingles4 ,the  
wood for this purpose is  taken from the
 ,cupressus thyoides1 ,linn4 or a tree  
which ,swedes here  call the white      
juniper-tree1 and the ,english1 the     
white cedar4 ,swamps  and ,morasses     
formerly were full of them1 but at      
present these trees are  for the        

greatest part cut down1 and no attempt  
has as yet been made to  plant new ones4
 ,the wood is very light1 rots less than
 any other in  this country1 and for    
that reason is exceeding good for roofs4
 ,for it  is not too heavy for the      
walls1 and will serve for forty or fifty
 years  together4 ,but many people      
already begin to fear1 that these roofs 
will  in time be looked upon as having  
been very detrimental to the city4 ,for 
being so very light1 most people who    
have built their houses of stone1  or   
bricks1 have been led to make their     
walls extremely thin4 ,but at  present  
this kind of wood is almost entirely    
destroyed4 ,whenever  therefore in      
process of time these roofs decay1 the  
people will be  obliged to have recourse
 to the heavier materials of tiles1 or  
the  like1 which the walls will not be  
strong enough to bear4 ,the roof will   
therefore require supports1 or the      
people be obliged to pull down the      
walls and to build new ones1 or to take 

other steps for securing them4  ,several
 people have already in late years begun
 to make roofs of tiles4    ,among the  
publick buildings ,i will first mention 
churches1 of which  there are several1  
for ,god is served in various ways in   
this country4    #a4 ,the ,english      
established church stands in the        
northern part of the  town1 at some     
distance from the market1 and is the    
finest of all4 ,it  has a little1       
inconsiderable steeple1 in which is a   
bell to be rung  when it is time to go  
to church1 and on burials4 ,it has      
likewise a  clock which strikes the     
hours4 ,this building which is called   
,christ  church1 was founded towards the
 end of the last century1 but has lately
  been rebuilt and more adorned4 ,it has
 two ministers who get the  greatest    
part of their salary from ,england4 ,in 
the beginning of this  century1 the     
,swedish minister the ,rev4 ,mr4        
,rudmann1 performed the  functions of a 
clergyman to the ,english congregation  

for near two  years1 during the absence 
of their own clergyman4    #b4 ,the     
,swedish church1 which is otherwise     
called the church of  ,weekacko1 is on  
the southern part of the town1 and      
almost without it1  on the river's side1
 and its situation is therefore more    
agreeable than  that of any other4 ,i   
shall have an opportunity of describing 
it more  exactly1 when ,i shall speak of
 the ,swedes in particular1 who live in 
this place4    #c4 ,the ,german         
,lutheran church1 is on the north-west  
side of the town4  ,on my arrival in    
,america it had a little steeple1 but   
that being but up  by an ignorant       
architect1 before the walls of the      
church were quite  dry1 they leaned     
forwards by its weight1 and therefore   
they were forced  to pull it down again 
in the autumn of the year #agej4 ,about 
that time  the congregation received a  
fine organ from ,germany4 ,they have    
only one  minister1 who likewise        
preaches at another ,lutheran church in 

,germantown4 ,he preaches alternately   
one sunday in that church1 and  another 
in this4 ,the first clergyman which the 
,lutherans had in this  town1 was the   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,muhlenberg1 who laid the    
foundations of this  church in #agdc1   
and being called to another place       
afterwards1 the rev4  ,mr4 ,brunholz    
from ,sleswick was his successor1 and is
 yet here4 ,both  these gentlemen were  
sent to this place from ,hall in        
,saxony1 and have  been a great         
advantage to it by their peculiar talent
 of preaching in  an edifying manner4 ,a
 little while before this church was    
built1 the  ,lutheran ,germans had no   
clergyman for themselves1 so that the   
every-where beloved ,swedish minister at
 ,weekacko1 ,mr4 ,dylander1  preached   
likewise to them4 ,he therefore preached
 three sermons every  sunday2 the first 
early in the morning to the ,germans2   
the second to  the ,swedes1 and the     
third in the afternoon to the ,english1 
and besides  this he went all the week  

into the country and instructed the     
,germans  who lived separately there4   
,he therefore frequently preached       
sixteen  sermons a week4 ,and after his 
death1 which happened in ,november      
#agda1  the ,germans first wrote to     
,germany for a clergyman for themselves4
 ,this  congregation is at present very 
numerous1 so that every sunday the      
church is very much crowded4 ,it has two
 galleries1 but no vestry4 ,they  do not
 sing the collects1 but read them before
 the altar4    #d4 ,the old             
,presbyterian church1 is not far from   
the market1 and on the  south-side of   
market-street4 ,it is of a middling     
size1 and built in the  year #agjd1 as  
the inscription on the northern pediment
 shews4 ,the roof  is built almost      
hemispherical1 or at least forms a      
hexagon4 ,the whole  building stands    
from north to south1 for the            
presbyterians do not  regard1 as other  
people do1 whether their churches look  
towards a  certain point of the heavens 

or not4    #e4 ,the new ,presbyterian   
church was built in the year #agej1 by  
the  ,new-lights in the north-western   
part of the town4 ,by the name of       
,new-lights1 are understood the people  
who have1 from different  religions1    
become proselytes to the well known     
,whitefield1 who in the  years #agci1   
#agdj1 and likewise in #agdd and #agde  
travelled through  almost all the       
,english colonies4 ,his delivery1 his   
extraordinary zeal1  and other talents  
so well adapted to the intelects of his 
hearers1 made  him so popular that he   
frequently1 especially in the two first 
years1  got from eight thousand to      
twenty thousand hearers in the fields4  
,his  intention in these travels1 was to
 collect money for an orphans  hospital 
which had been erected in ,georgia4 ,he 
here frequently  collected seventy      
pounds sterling at one sermon2 nay1 at  
two sermons  which he preached in the   
year #agdj1 both an one sunday1 at      
,philadelphia1 he got an hundred and    

fifty pounds4 ,the proselytes of  this  
man1 or the above-mentioned new-lights1 
are at present merely a  sect of        
presbyterians4 ,for though ,whitefield  
was originally a clergyman  of the      
,english church1 yet he deviated by     
little and little from her  doctrines2  
and on arriving in the year #agdd at    
,boston in ,new ,england1  he disputed  
with the ,presbyterians about their     
doctrines1 so much that  he almost      
entirely embraced them4 ,for ,whitefield
 was no great  disputant1 and could     
therefore easily be led by these cunning
 people1  whithersoever they would have 
him4 ,this likewise during his latter   
stay  in ,america caused his audience to
 be less numerous than during the       
first4 ,the new-lights built first in   
the year #agda1 a great house in  the   
western part of the town1 to hold divine
 service in4 ,but a division  arising   
amongst them after the departure of     
,whitefield1 and besides on  other      
accounts1 the building was sold to the  

town in the beginning of  the year      
#agej1 and destined for a school4 ,the  
new-lights then built a  church which ,i
 call the new ,presbyterian one4 ,on its
 eastern pediment  is the following     
inscription1 in golden letters3 ,templum
  ,presbyterianum1 annuente numine1     
erectum1 ,anno ,dom4 ,,mdccl4    #f4    
,the old ,german reformed church is     
built in the west north-west part  of   
the town1 and looks like the church in  
the ,ladugoordfield near  ,stockholm4   
,it is not yet finished1 though for     
several years together1  the            
congregation has kept up divine service 
in it4 ,these ,germans  attended the    
,german service at the ,swedish church1 
whilst the ,swedish  minister ,mr4      
,dylander lived4--,but as the ,lutherans
 got a clergyman for  themselves on the 
death of the last1 those of the reformed
 church made  likewise preparations to  
get one from ,dordrecht2 and the first  
who was  sent to them1 was the ,rev4    
,mr4 ,slaughter1 whom ,i found on my    

arrival4  ,but in the year #agej1       
another clergyman of the reformed church
 arrived  from ,holland1 and by his     
artful behaviour1 so insinuated himself 
into  the favour of the ,rev4 ,mr4      
,slaughter's congregation1 that the     
latter  lost almost half his audience4  
,the two clergymen then disputed for    
several sundays together1 about the     
pulpit1 nay1 people relate that the  new
 comer mounted the pulpit on a saturday1
 and stayed in it all night4  ,the other
 being thus excluded1 the two parties in
 the audience1 made  themselves the     
subject both of the laughter and of the 
scorn of the  whole town1 by beating and
 bruising each other1 and committing    
other  excesses4 ,the affair was        
inquired into by the magistrates1 and   
decided  in favour of the rev4 ,mr4     
,slaughter1 the person who had been     
abused4    #g4 ,the new reformed church1
 was built at a little distance from the
 old  one by the party of the clergyman1
 who had lost his cause4 ,this man      

however had influence enough to bring   
over to his party almost the  whole     
audience of his antagonist1 at the end  
of the year #agej1 and  therefore this  
new church will soon be useless4    #h4 
#i4 ,the ,quakers have two meetings1 one
 in the market1 and the other  in the   
northern part of the town4 ,in them are 
according to the custom  of this people1
 neither altars1 nor pulpits1 nor any   
other ornaments  usual in churches2 but 
only seats and some sconces4 ,they meet 
thrice  every sunday in them1 and       
besides that at certain times every week
 or  every month4 ,i shall mention more 
about them hereafter4    #aj4 ,the      
,baptists1 have their service1 in the   
northern part of the town4    #aa4 ,the 
,roman ,catholicks1 have in the         
south-west part of the town a  great    
house1 which is well adorned within1 and
 has an organ4    #ab4 ,the ,moravian   
,brethren1 have hired a great house1 in 
the northern  part of the town1 in which
 they performed the service both in     

,german  and in ,english2 not only twice
 or three times every sunday1 but       
likewise every night after it was grown 
dark4 ,but in the winter of the  year   
#agej1 they were obliged to drop their  
evening meetings2 some  wanton young    
fellows having several times disturbed  
the congregation1  by an instrument     
sounding like the note of a cuckoo1 for 
this noise  they made in a dark corner1 
not only at the end of every stanza1 but
  likewise at that of every line1 whilst
 they were singing a hymn4    ,those of 
the ,english church1 the ,new-lights1   
the ,quakers1 and the  ,germans of the  
reformed religion1 have each of them    
their burying  places on one side out of
 town1 and not near their churches1     
though the  first of these sometimes    
make an exception4 ,all the others bury 
their  dead in their church-yards1 and  
,moravian brethren bury where they can4 
,the ,negroes are buried in a particular
 place out of town4    ,i now proceed to
 mention the other publick buildings in 

,philadelphia4    ,the ,town-hall1 or   
the place where the assemblies are held1
 is situated  in the western part of the
 town1 it is a fine large building1     
having a  tower with a bell in the      
middle1 and is the greatest ornament to 
the  town4 ,the deputies of each        
province meet in it commonly every      
,october1  or even more frequently if   
circumstances require it1 in order to   
consider of the welfare of the country1 
and to hold their parliaments  or diets 
in miniature4 ,there they revise the old
 laws1 and make new  ones4    ,on one   
side of this building stands the        
,library1 which was first begun  in the 
year #agdb1 on a publick spirited plan1 
formed and put in  execution by the     
learned ,mr4 ,franklin4 ,for he         
persuaded first the most  substantial   
people in town to pay forty shillings at
 the outset1 and  afterwards annually   
ten shillings1 all in ,pensylvania      
currency1 towards  purchasing all kinds 
of useful books4 ,the subscribers are   

entitled to  make use of the books4     
,other people are likewise at liberty to
 borrow  them for a certain time1 but   
must leave a pledge and pay eight-pence 
a  week for a folio volume1 six-pence   
for a quarto1 and four-pence for all    
others of a smaller size4 ,as soon as   
the time1 allowed a person for the      
perusal of the volume1 is elapsed1 it   
must be returned1 or he is fined4  ,the 
money arising in this manner is employed
 for the salary of the  librarian1 and  
for purchasing new books4 ,there was    
already a fine  collection of excellent 
works1 most of them ,english2 many      
,french and  ,latin1 but few in any     
other language4 ,the subscribers were so
 kind to  me1 as to order the librarian1
 during my stay here1 to lend me every  
book1 which ,i should want1 without     
requiring any payment of me4 ,the       
library was open every saturday from    
four to eight o'clock in the  afternoon4
 ,besides the books1 several            
mathematical and physical  instruments1 

and a large collection of natural       
curiosities were to be  seen in it4     
,several little libraries were founded  
in the town on the  same footing or     
nearly with this4    ,the ,court ,house 
stands in the middle of ,market street1 
to the west of  the market1 it is fine  
building1 with a little tower in which  
there is  a bell4 ,below and round about
 this building the market is properly   
kept  every week4    ,the building of   
the ,academy1 is in the western part of 
the town4 ,it was  formerly as ,i have  
before mentioned1 a meeting-house of the
 followers  of ,whitefield1 but they    
sold it in the year #agej1 and it was   
destined  to be the seat of an          
university1 or to express myself in more
 exact  terms1 to be a college1 it was  
therefore fitted up to this purpose4    
,the  youths are here only taught those 
things which they learn in our common   
schools2 but in time1 such lectures are 
intended to be read here1 as  are usual 
in real universities4    ,at the close  

of the last war1 a redoubt was erected  
here1 on the south  side of the town1   
near the river1 to prevent the ,french  
and ,spanish  privateers from landing4  
,but this was done after a very strong  
debate4  ,for the quakers opposed all   
fortifications1 as contrary to the      
tenets  of their religion1 which allow  
not christians to make war either       
offensive or defensive1 but direct them 
to place their trust in the  ,almighty  
alone4 ,several papers were then handed 
about for and against  the opinion4 ,but
 the enemy's privateers having taken    
several vessels  belonging to the town1 
in the river1 many of the quakers1 if   
not all of  them1 found it reasonable to
 forward the building of the            
fortification  as much as possible1 at  
least by a supply of money4    ,of all  
the natural advantages of the town1 its 
temperate climate is the  most          
considerable1 the winter not being over 
severe1 and its duration  but short1 and
 the summer not too hot2 the country    

round about bringing  forth those fruits
 in the greatest plenty1 which are      
raised by  husbandry4 ,their ,september 
and ,october are like the beginning of  
the  ,swedish ,august4 ,and the first   
days in their ,february are frequently  
as  pleasant1 as the end of ,april and  
the beginning of ,may in ,sweden4 ,even 
their coldest days in some winters have 
been no severer1 than the days  at the  
end of autumn are in the middlemost     
parts of ,sweden1 and the  southern ones
 of ,finland4    ,the good and clear    
water in ,philadelphia1 is likewise one 
of its  advantages4 ,for though there   
are no fountains in the town1 yet there 
is  a well in every house1 and several  
in the streets1 all which afford        
excellent water for boiling1 drinking1  
washing1 and other uses4 ,the  water is 
commonly met with at the depth of forty 
feet4 ,the water of the  river ,delaware
 is likewise good4 ,but in making the   
wells1 a fault is  frequently committed1
 which in several places of the town1   

spoils the  water which is naturally    
good2 ,i shall in the sequel take an    
opportunity of speaking further about   
it4    ,the ,delaware is exceeding      
convenient for trade4 ,it is one of the 
greatest rivers in the world3 is three  
,english miles broad at its  mouth1 two 
miles at the town of ,wilmington1 and   
three quarters of a  mile at            
,philadelphia4 ,this city lies within   
ninety or an hundred  ,english miles    
from the sea1 or from the place where   
the river ,delaware  discharges itself  
into the bay of that name4 ,yet its     
depth is hardly  ever less than five or 
six fathom4 ,the greatest ships         
therefore can  sail quite up to the town
 and anchor in good ground in five      
fathoms of  water1 on the side of the   
bridge4 ,the water here has no longer a 
saltish taste1 and therefore all        
destructive worms1 which have fastened  
themselves to the ships in the sea1 and 
have pierced holes into them1  either   
die1 or drop off1 after the ship has    

been here for a while4    ,the only     
disadvantage which trade labours under  
here1 is the freezing  of the river     
almost every winter for a month or more4
 ,for during that  time the navigation  
is entirely stopped4 ,but this does not 
happen at  ,boston1 ,new ,york1 and     
other towns which are nearer the sea4   
,the tide comes up to ,philadelphia1 and
 even goes thirty miles higher1  to     
,trenton4 ,the difference between high  
and low water is eight feet at          
,philadelphia4    ,the cataracts of the 
,delaware near ,trenton1 and of the     
,skulkill at some  distance from        
,philadelphia1 make these rivers useless
 further up the  country1 in regard to  
the conveyance of goods either from or  
to  ,philadelphia4 ,both must therefore 
be carried on waggons or carts4 ,it  has
 therefore already been thought of to   
make these two rivers  navigable in     
time1 at least for large boats and small
 vessels4    ,several ships are annually
 built of ,american oak1 in the docks   

which  are made in several parts of the 
town and about it1 yet they can by no   
means be put in comparison with those   
built of ,european oak1 in point  of    
goodness and duration4    ,the town     
carries on a great trade1 both with the 
inhabitants of the  country1 and to     
other parts of the world1 especially to 
the ,west  ,indies1 ,south ,america1 and
 the ,antilles2 to ,england1 ,ireland1  
,portugal1  and to several ,english     
colonies in ,north ,america4 ,yet none  
but ,english  ships are allowed to come 
into this port4    ,philadelphia reaps  
the greatest profits from its trade to  
the ,west  ,indies4 ,for thither the    
inhabitants ship almost every day a     
quantity of  flour1 butter1 flesh and   
other victuals2 timber1 plank and the   
like4 ,in  return they receive either   
sugar1 molasses1 rum1 indigo1 mahogany1 
and  other goods1 or ready money4 ,the  
true mahogany which grows in ,jamaica1  
is at present almost all cut down4      
,they send both ,west ,india goods1 and 

their own productions to ,england2  the 
latter are all sorts of woods1          
especially black walnut1 and oak  planks
 for ships2 ships ready built1 iron1    
hides and tar4 ,yet this  latter is     
properly bought in ,new ,jersey1 the    
forests of which province  are          
consequently more ruined than any       
others4 ,ready money is likewise  sent  
over to ,england1 from whence in return 
they get all sorts of goods  there      
manufactured1 viz4 fine and coarse      
cloth1 linen1 iron ware1 and  other     
wrought metals1 and ,east ,india goods4 
,for it is to be observed  that ,england
 supplies ,philadelphia with almost all 
stuffs and  manufactured goods which are
 wanted here4    ,a great quantity of   
linseed goes annually to ,ireland1      
together with  many of the ships which  
are built here4 ,portugal gets wheat1   
corn1  flour and maize which is not     
ground4 ,spain sometimes takes some     
corn4  ,but all the money1 which is got 
in these several countries1 must        

immediately be sent to ,england1 in     
payment for the goods which are got     
from thence1 and yet those sums are not 
sufficient to pay all the  debts4       
,but to shew more exactly1 what the town
 and province have imported from        
,england1 in different years1 ,i shall  
here insert an extract from the         
,english custom-house books1 which ,i   
got from the engineer1 ,lewis ,evans1   
at ,philadelphia1 and which will        
sufficiently answer the purpose4 ,this  
gentleman had desired one of his friends
 in ,london to send him a  compleat     
account of all the goods shipped from   
,england to ,pensylvania  in several    
years4 ,he got this account1 and though 
the goods are not  enumerated in it1 yet
 their value in money is calculated4    
,such extracts  from the custom-house   
books have been made for every          
,north-,american  province1 in order to 
convince the ,english parliament1 that  
those  provinces have taken greater     
quantities of the goods in that kingdom1

  ever since they have turned their     
money into bills4    ,i have taken the  
copy from the original itself1 and it is
 to be  observed that it begins with the
 christmas of the year #agbb1 and ends  
about the same time of the year #agdg4  
,in the first column is the value  of   
the foreign goods1 the duty for which   
has already been paid in  ,england4 ,the
 second column shews the value of the   
goods manufactured in  ,england and     
exported to ,pensylvania4 ,and in the   
last column these two  sums are added   
together1 but at the bottom each of the 
columns is cast  up4    ,but this table 
does not include the goods which are    
annually shipped in  great quantities to
 ,pensylvania from ,scotland and        
,ireland1 among which  is a great       
quantity of linen4                      
----------------------------------------
-------------------------               
,the ,value of the ,goods annually      
shipped from                            
,england to ,pensylvania4               

----------------------------------------
----------------------  ,the            
,year1,foreign ,goods for               
,the ,sums of these   from one which the
 duty has  ,english        two preceding
       ,christmasalready been paid1     
manufactured   columns added            
to    which therefore   ,goods4         
together4            another4only req4  
receipts4                               
----------------------------------------
----------------------             l4   
s4     d4    l4    s4  d4    l4    s4   
d4     #agbc    #eaii   #ac    #e       
#ajgic  #e  #a   #aeiib  #ai   #d       
#agbd    #icgc   #ae    #h   #bjiea  #j 
#e   #cjcbd  #af   #a      #agbe        
#ajcja   #ab    #f   #caejh  #a  #h     
#dbbji  #ad   #b      #agbf    #icga    
#aa    #f   #bhbfc  #f  #b   #cgfcd  #ag
   #h      #agbg   #ajbdc    #j    #g   
#bagcf #aj  #j   #caigi  #aj   #g       
#agbh   #adjgc   #ac    #c   #bcdje  #f 
#b   #cgdgh  #ai  #aa      #agbi        
#abidh    #h    #e   #afhea  #b  #e     

#bigii  #aj  #aj      #agcj   #aeffj    
#aj   #aa   #cbica #af  #f   #dheib   #g
   #e      #agca   #aahch   #ag    #d   
#cbdba #ah  #i   #ddbfj  #af   #a       
#agcb   #aebdj   #ad    #d   #bfdeg #ai 
#c   #dafih  #ac   #g      #agcc        
#acahg    #j    #h   #bgcgh  #g  #e     
#djehe   #h   #a      #agcd   #aifdh    
#ae    #i   #cdgdc #ab  #a   #edcib   #g
  #aj      #agce   #ahjgh    #d    #c   
#cjgbf  #g  #a   #dhhjd  #aa   #d       
#agcf   #bcdef   #ae   #aa   #chjeg  #b 
#e   #faeac  #ah   #d      #agcg        
#adeag    #d    #c   #dbagc  #b  #d     
#effij   #f   #g      #agch   #bjcbj    
#ai    #c   #daabi  #e  #j   #fadej   #d
   #c      #agci    #ijda    #d    #e   
#dedaa  #g  #f   #eddeb  #aa  #aa       
#agdj   #ajbhj    #b    #j   #dfdga #ab 
#i   #efgea  #ad   #i      #agda        
#abigg   #ah   #aj   #ghjcb #ac  #a     
#iajaj  #aa  #aa      #agdb   #addeh    
#f    #c   #fjhcf #ag  #a   #gebie   #c 
#d      #agdc   #aibbj    #a    #f      
#fjabj  #d #aj   #gicdj   #f   #d       

#agdd   #adfha    #h    #d   #dgeie #ah 
#b   #fbbad   #f   #f      #agde        
#acjdc    #h    #h   #dabcg  #b  #c     
#edbhj  #aj  #aa      #agdf   #ahajc    
#ab    #g   #eeeie #ai  #g   #gcfii  #ab
   #b      #agdg    #hehe   #ad   #aa   
#gchai  #b  #h   #hbdjd  #ag   #g       
----------------------------------------
-------------------------    ,total4    
#cdc1ghi   #af     #j  #ifi1jdi   #a    
#f  #a1cab1hch #ag    #f                
----------------------------------------
-------------------------      ,the     
whole extent of the ,philadelphia trade 
may be comprehended from the  number of 
ships1 which annually arrive at and sail
 from this town4 ,i  intend to insert   
here a table of a few years which ,i    
have taken from  the gazettes of the    
town4 ,the ships coming and going in one
 year1 are  to be reckoned from the     
twenty fifth of ,march of that year1 to 
the  twenty fifth of ,march of the next4
                     ,the ,year4        
,ships arrived4   ,ships sailed4        

#agce              #aii             #bab
                  #agdj                 
#cjg             #bjh                   
#agda              #bib             #cji
                  #agdd                 
#bbi             #bga                   
#agde              #bhj             #cja
                  #agdf                 
#bgc             #bic      ,but it is   
much to be feared that the trade of     
,philadelphia1 and of all  the ,english 
colonies1 will rather decrease than     
encrease1 in case no  provision is made 
to prevent it4 ,i shall hereafter       
plainly shew upon  what foundation this 
decrease of trade is likely to take     
place4    ,the town not only furnishes  
most of the inhabitants of ,pensylvania 
with  the goods which they want1 but    
numbers of the inhabitants of ,new      
,jersey  come every day and carry on a  
great trade4    ,the town has two great 
fairs every year2 one in ,may1 and the  
other in  ,november1 both on the        
sixteenth days of those two months4 ,but

 besides  these fairs1 there are every  
week two market days1 viz4 ,wednesday   
and  ,saturday4 ,on those days the      
country people in ,pensylvania and ,new 
,jersey1 bring to town a quantity of    
victuals1 and other productions of  the 
country1 and this is a great advantage  
to the town4 ,it is therefore  to be    
wished that the like regulation might be
 made in our ,swedish  towns4 ,you are  
sure to meet with every produce of the  
season1 which the  country affords1 on  
the market-days4 ,but on other days1    
they are in  vain sought for4           
,provisions are always to be got fresh  
here1 and for that reason most of  the  
inhabitants never buy more at a time1   
than what will be sufficient  till the  
next market-day4 ,in summer there is a  
market almost every day2  for the       
victuals do not keep well in the great  
heat4 ,there are two  places in the town
 where these markets are kept2 but that 
near the  court-house is the principal4 
,it begins about four or five o'clock in

  the morning1 and ends about nine      
o'clock in the forenoon4    ,the town is
 not enclosed1 and has no other         
custom-house than the great  one for the
 ships4    ,the governor of the whole   
province lives here2 and though he is   
nominated by the heirs of ,pen1 yet he  
cannot take that office without  being  
confirmed by the king of ,england4      
,the quakers of almost all parts of     
,north-,america1 have their great       
assembly here once a year4    ,in the   
year #agdc1 a society for the           
advancement of the sciences was  erected
 here4 ,its objects would have been the 
curiosities of the three  kingdoms of   
nature1 mathematicks1 physick1          
chemistry1 conomy1 and  manufactures4   
,but the war1 which ensued immediately1 
stopped all  designs of this nature1 and
 since that time1 nothing has been done 
towards establishing any thing of this  
kind4    ,the declination of the needle 
was here observed on the thirtieth of   
,october #agej1 old style1 to be five   

deg4 and forty-five min4 west4 ,it  was 
examined by the new meridian1 which was 
drawn at ,philadelphia in  the autumn of
 the same year1 and extended a mile in  
length4 ,by  experience it appears1 that
 this declination lessens about a degree
 in  twenty years time4    ,the greatest
 difference in the rising and falling of
 the barometer1 is  according to the    
observations made for several years     
together by ,mr4  ,james ,logan1 found  
at #bh #ei and #cj #gh4    ,here are    
three printers1 and every week two      
,english1 and one ,german  news-paper is
 printed4    ,in the year #agcb1 on the 
fifth of ,september1 old style1 a little
  earthquake was felt here about noon1  
and at the same time at ,boston in  ,new
 ,england1 and at ,montreal in ,canada1 
which places are above sixty  ,swedish  
miles asunder4    ,in the month of      
,november of the year #agcg1 the well   
known prince from  mount ,lebanon1      
,sheich ,sidi came to ,philadelphia1 on 
his travels through  most of the        

,english ,american colonies4 ,and in the
 same year a second  earthquake was felt
 about eleven o'clock at night1 on the  
seventh of  ,december4 ,but it did not  
continue above half a minute1 and yet1  
it was  felt according to the accounts  
of the gazettes at the same hour in     
,newcastle1 ,new ,york1 ,new ,london1   
,boston1 and other towns of ,new        
,england4 ,it had therefore likewise    
reached several miles4    ,the count    
,sinzendorf #e arrived here in the      
,december of the year #agda1  and       
continued till the next spring4 ,his    
uncommon behaviour persuaded  many      
,englishmen of rank1 that he was        
disordered in his head4    ,i have not  
been able to find the exact number of   
the inhabitants of  ,philadelphia4 ,in  
the year #agdf1 they were reckoned above
 ten thousand1  and since that time     
their number is incredibly encreased4   
,neither can  it be made out from the   
,bills of mortality1 since they are not 
kept  regularly in all the churches4 ,i 

shall1 however1 mention some of those   
which appeared either in the gazettes1  
or in bills printed on purpose4         
,year4   ,dead4                         
#agcj     #bbg                          
#agch     #bej                          
#agci     #cej                          
#agdj     #bij                          
#agda     #cde                          
#agdb     #dji                          
#agdc     #dbe                          
#agdd     #daj                          
#agde     #dbj                          
#agdh     #fgb                          
#agdi     #geh                          
#agej     #gaf      ,from these bills of
 mortality it also appears1 that the    
diseases which  are the most fatal1 are 
consumptions1 fevers1 convulsions1      
pleuresies1  hmorrhagies1 and dropsies4 
,the number of those that are born      
cannot be determined1 since in many     
churches no order is observed with      
regard to this affair4 ,the quakers1    
who are the most numerous in this town1 

never baptize their children1  though   
they take a pretty exact account of all 
who are born among them4    ,it is      
likewise impossible to guess at the     
number of inhabitants from  the dead1   
because the town gets such great        
supplies annually from other  countries4
 ,in the summer of the year #agdi1 near 
twelve thousand ,germans  came over to  
,philadelphia1 many of whom staid in    
that town4 ,in the same  year the houses
 in ,philadelphia were counted1 and     
found to be two  thousand and seventy   
six in number4    ,the town is now quite
 filled with inhabitants1 which in      
regard to their  country1 religion and  
trade1 are very different from each     
other4 ,you  meet with excellent masters
 in all trades1 and many things are made
  here full as well as in ,england4 ,yet
 no manufactures1 especially for  making
 fine cloth are established4 ,perhaps   
the reason is1 that it can  be got with 
so little difficulty from ,england1 and 
that the breed of  sheep which is       

brought over1 degenerates in process of 
time1 and  affords but a coarse wool4   
,here is great plenty of provisions1 and
 their prices are very moderate4  ,there
 are no examples of an extraordinary    
dearth4    ,every one who acknowledges  
,god to be the ,creator1 preserver and  
ruler  of all things1 and teaches or    
undertakes nothing against the state1 or
  against the common peace1 is at       
liberty to settle1 stay1 and carry on   
his trade here1 be his religious        
principles ever so strange4 ,no one is  
here molested on account of the         
erroneous principles of the doctrine    
which he follows1 if he does not exceed 
the above-mentioned bounds4 ,and  he is 
so well secured by the laws in his      
person and property1 and  enjoys such   
liberties2 that a citizen of            
,philadelphia may in a manner  be said  
to live in his house like a king4    ,on
 a careful consideration of what ,i have
 already said1 it will be easy  to      
conceive how this city should rise so   

suddenly from nothing1 into  such       
grandeur and perfection1 without        
supposing any powerful monarch's        
contributing to it1 either by punishing 
the wicked1 or by giving great  supplies
 in money4 ,and yet its fine appearance1
 good regulations1  agreeable situation1
 natural advantages1 trade1 riches and  
power1 are  by no means inferior to     
those of any1 even of the most ancient  
towns in  ,europe4 ,it has not been     
necessary to force people to come and   
settle  here2 on the contrary foreigners
 of different languages1 have left      
their country1 houses1 property and     
relations1 and ventured over wide  and  
stormy seas1 in order to come hither4   
,other countries1 which have  been      
peopled for a long space of time1       
complain of the small number of  their  
inhabitants4 ,but ,pensylvania1 which   
was no better than a desart  in the year
 #afha1 and hardly contained five       
hundred people1 now vies  with several  
kingdoms in ,europe1 in number of       

inhabitants4 ,it has  received numbers  
of people which other countries1 to     
their infinite  loss1 have either       
neglected or expelled4    ,a wretched   
old wooden building1 on a hill near the 
river somewhat north  of the ,wickako   
church1 belonging to one of the ,sons of
 ,sven1 of whom1  as before-mentioned1  
the ground was bought for building      
,philadelphia  upon1 is preserved on    
purpose1 as a memorial of the poor state
 of that  place1 before the town was    
built on it4 ,its antiquity gives it a  
kind  of superiority over all the other 
buildings in town1 though in itself  the
 worst of all4 ,this hut was inhabited1 
whilst as yet stags1 deers1  elks1 and  
beavers1 at broad day light lived in the
 future streets1  church-yards1 and     
market-places of ,philadelphia4 ,the    
noise of a  spinning wheel was heard in 
this house1 before the manufactures now 
established were thought of1 or         
,philadelphia built4 ,but with all these
  advantages1 this house is ready to    

fall down1 and in a few years to  come1 
it will be as difficult to find the     
place where it stood1 as it  was        
unlikely at the time of its erection1   
that one of the greatest  towns in      
,america1 should in a short time stand  
close up to it4    ,september the #gth4 
,mr4 ,peter ,cock1 a merchant of this   
town1 assured me  that he had last week 
himself been a spectator of a snake's   
swallowing  a little bird4 ,this bird1  
which from its cry has the name of ,cat 
bird1  7,muscicapa ,carolinensis1       
,linn47 flew from one branch of a tree  
to  another1 and was making a doleful   
tune4 ,at the bottom of the tree1 but   
at a fathom's distance from the stem1   
lay one of the great black  snakes1 with
 its head continually upright1 pointing 
towards the bird1  which was always     
fluttering about1 and now and then      
settling on the  branches4 ,at first it 
only kept in the topmost branches1 but  
by degrees  it came lower down1 and even
 flew upon the ground1 and hopped to the

  place where the snake lay1 which      
immediately opened its mouth1 caught    
the bird and swallowed it2 but it had   
scarce finished its repast before  ,mr4 
,cock came up and killed it4 ,i was     
afterwards told that this kind of       
snakes was frequently observed to pursue
 little birds in this manner4  ,it is   
already well known that the rattle snake
 does the same4    ,i walked out to day 
into the fields in order to get more    
acquainted  with the plants hereabouts1 
,i found several ,european and even     
,swedish  plants among them4 ,but those 
which are peculiar to ,america1 are much
  more numerous4    ,the ,virginian     
maple grows in plenty on the shores of  
the ,delaware4 ,the  ,english in this   
country call it either ,buttonwood1 or  
,waterbeech1 which  latter name is most 
usual4 ,the ,swedes call it ,wattenbok1 
or ,wasbok4 ,it  is ,linnus's ,platanus 
occidentalis4 ,see ,catesby's ,nat4     
,hist4 of  ,carolina1 vol4 #a4 p4 #ef4  
t4 #ef4 ,it grows for the greatest part 

in low  places1 but especially on the   
edge of rivers and brooks4 ,but these   
trees are easily transplanted to more   
dry places1 if they be only  filled with
 good soil2 and as their leaves are     
large and their foliage  thick1 they are
 planted about the houses and in        
gardens1 to afford a  pleasant shade in 
the hot season1 to the enjoyment of     
which some seats  were placed under     
them4 ,some of the ,swedes had boxes1   
pails1 and the  like1 made of the bark  
of this tree by the native ,americans4  
,they say  that those people whilst they
 were yet settled here1 made little     
dishes  of this bark for gathering      
whortleberries4 ,the bark was a line in 
thickness4 ,this tree likewise grows in 
marshes1 or in swampy fields1  where ash
 and red maple commonly grow4 ,they are 
frequently as tall and  thick1 as the   
best of our fir trees4 ,the seed stays  
on them till  spring1 but in the middle 
of ,april the pods open and shed the    
seeds4  ,query1 ,whether they are not   

ripe before that time1 and consequently 
sooner fit for sowing8 ,this ,american  
maple is remarkable for its quick       
growth1 in which it exceeds all other   
trees4 ,there are such numbers of  them 
on the low meadows between ,philadelphia
 and the ferry at  ,gloucester1 on both 
sides of the road1 that in summer time  
you go as it  were through a shady walk4
 ,in that part of ,philadelphia which is
 near  the ,swedish church1 some great  
trees of this kind stand on the shore of
  the river4 ,in the year #agej1 on the 
#aeth4 of ,may ,i saw the buds still  on
 them1 and in the year #agdi they began 
to flower on the eighth of  that month4 
,several trees of this sort are planted 
at ,chelsea near  ,london1 and they now 
in point of height vie with the tallest 
oak4    ,september the #ahth4 ,in the   
morning ,i went with the ,swedish       
painter1 ,mr4  ,hesselius1 to the       
country seat of ,mr4 ,bartram1 which is 
about four  ,english miles to the south 
of ,philadelphia1 at some distance from 

the  high road to ,maryland1 ,virginia1 
and ,carolina4 ,i had therefore the     
first opportunity here1 of getting an   
exact knowledge of the state of  the    
country1 which was a plain covered with 
all kinds of trees with  deciduous      
leaves4 ,the ground was sandy1 mixed    
with clay4 ,but the sand  seemed to be  
in greater quantity4 ,in some parts the 
wood was cut down1  and we saw the      
habitations of some country people1     
whose corn-fields  and plantations were 
round their farm-houses4 ,the wood was  
full of  mulberry-trees1 walnut-trees of
 several kinds1 chesnut-trees1          
sassafras1 and the like4 ,several sorts 
of wild vines clasped their  tendrils   
round1 and climbed up to the summits of 
the highest trees2 and  in other places 
they twined round the enclosures1 so    
thick1 that the  latter almost sunk down
 under their weight4 ,the ,persimon1 or 
,diospyros  ,virginiana1 ,linn4 sp4 pl4 
p4 #aeaj1 grew in the marshy fields1 and
 about  springs4 ,its little apples     

looked very well already1 but are not   
fit  for eating1 before the frost has   
affected them1 and then they have a     
very fine taste4 ,hesselius gathered    
some of them1 and desired my  servant to
 taste of the fruits of the land2 but   
this poor credulous  follow1 had hardly 
bit into them1 when he felt the         
qualities they have  before the frost   
has penetrated them4 ,for they          
contracted his mouth so  that he could  
hardly speak1 and had a very            
disagreeable taste4 ,this  disgusted him
 so much that he was with difficulty    
persuaded to taste of  it during the    
whole of our stay in ,america1          
notwithstanding it loses  all its       
acidity and acquires an agreeable       
flavour in autumn and towards  the      
beginning of winter4 ,for the fellow    
always imagined1 that though he  should 
eat them ever so late in the year1 they 
would still retain the  same            
disagreeable taste4    ,to satisfy the  
curiosity of those1 who are willing to  

know1 how the  woods look in this       
country1 and whether or no the trees in 
them are the  same with those found in  
our forests1 ,i here insert a small     
catalogue  of those which grow          
spontaneously in the woods which are    
nearest to  ,philadelphia4 ,but ,i      
exclude such shrubs as do not attain any
  considerable height4 ,i shall put that
 tree first in order1 which is  most    
plentiful1 and so on with the rest1 and 
therefore trees which ,i  have found but
 single1 though near the town1 will be  
last4           #a4 ,quercus alba1 the  
white oak in good ground4       #b4     
,quercus rubra1 or the black oak4       
#c4 ,quercus hispanica1 the ,spanish    
oak1 a variety of the preceding4        
#d4 ,juglans alba1 hiccory1 a kind of   
walnut tree1 of which three or          
four varieties are to be met with4      
#e4 ,rubus occidentalis1 or ,american   
blackberry shrub4       #f4 ,acer       
rubrum1 the maple tree with red flowers1
 in swamps4       #g4 ,rhus glabra1 the 

smooth leaved ,sumach1 in the woods1 on 
high          glades1 and old           
corn-fields4       #h4 ,vitis labrusca  
and ,vulpina1 vines of several kinds4   
#i4 ,sambucus canadensis1 ,american     
,elder tree1 along the hedges and       
on glades4      #aj4 ,quercus phellos1  
the swamp oak1 in morasses4      #aa4   
,azalea lutea1 the ,american upright    
honey-suckle1 in the woods          in  
dry places4      #ab4 ,cratgus ,crus    
galli1 the ,virginian ,azarole1 in      
woods4      #ac4 ,vaccinium ----1 a     
species of whortleberry shrub4      #ad4
 ,quercus prinus1 the chesnut oak in    
good ground4      #ae4 ,cornus florida1 
the cornelian cherry1 in all kinds of   
ground4      #af4 ,liriodendron         
,tulipifera1 the tulip tree1 in every   
kind of soil4      #ag4 ,prunus         
virginiana1 the wild cherry tree4       
#ah4 ,vaccinium ----1 a frutex          
whortleberry1 in good ground4      #ai4 
,prinos verticillatus1 the winterberry  
tree in swamps4      #bj4 ,platanus     

occidentalis1 the water-beech4      #ba4
 ,nyssa aquatica1 the tupelo tree2 on   
fields and mountains4 #f      #bb4      
,liquidambar styraciflua1 sweet gum     
tree1 near springs4      #bc4 ,betula   
,alnus1 alder1 a variety of the         
,swedish2 it was here but          a    
shrub4      #bd4 ,fagus castanea1 the   
chesnut tree1 on corn-fields1 pastures1 
and          in little woods4      #be4 
,juglans nigra1 the black walnut tree1  
in the same place with      the         
preceding tree4      #bf4 ,rhus         
radicans1 the twining sumach1 climbed   
along the trees4      #bg4 ,acer        
,negundo1 the ash-leaved maple1 in      
morasses and swampy          places4    
#bh4 ,primus domestica1 the wild plumb  
tree4      #bi4 ,ulmus ,americana1 the  
white elm4      #cj4 ,prunus spinosa1   
sloe shrub1 in low places4      #ca4    
,laurus sassafras1 the sassafras tree1  
in a loose soil mixed          with     
sand4      #cb4 ,ribes nigrum1 the      
currant tree1 grew in low places and in 

marshes4      #cc4 ,fraxinus excelsior1 
the ash tree in low places4      #cd4   
,smilax laurifolia1 the rough bind weed 
with the bay leaf1 in          woods and
 on pales or enclosures4      #ce4      
,kalmia latifolia1 the ,american dwarf  
laurel1 on the northern          side of
 mountains4      #cf4 ,morus rubra1 the 
mulberry tree on fields1 hills and near 
the          houses4      #cg4 ,rhus    
vernix1 the poisonous ,sumach1 in wet   
places4      #ch4 ,quercus rubra1 the   
red oak1 but a peculiar variety4        
#ci4 ,hamamelis virginica1 the witch    
hazel4      #dj4 ,diospyros virginiana1 
the persimon4      #da4 ,pyrus          
coronaria1 the anchor tree4      #db4   
,juniperus virginiana1 the red juniper1 
in a dry poor soil4      #dc4 ,laurus   
stivalis1 spice-wood in a wet soil4     
#dd4 ,carpinus ostrya1 a species of horn
 beam in a good soil4      #de4         
,carpinus betulus1 a horn beam1 in the  
same kind of soil with          the     
former4      #df4 ,fagus sylvatica1 the 

beech1 likewise in good soil4      #dg4 
,juglans ----1 a species of walnut tree 
on hills near rivers1 #g          called
 by the ,swedes ,butternustr4      #dh4 
,pinus ,americana1 ,pensylvanian fir    
tree2 on the north side of              
mountains1 and in vallies4 #h      #di4 
,betula lenta1 a species of birch1 on   
the banks of rivers4      #ej4          
,cephalantus occidentalis1 button wood1 
in wet places4      #ea4 ,pinus tda1 the
 ,new ,jersey fir tree1 on dry sandy    
heaths4      #eb4 ,cercis canadensis1   
the sallad tree1 in a good soil4        
#ec4 ,robinia pseudacacia1 the locust   
tree1 on the corn-fields4      #ed4     
,magnolia glauca1 the laurel-leaved     
tulip tree1 in marshy soil4      #ee4   
,tilia ,americana1 the lime tree1 in a  
good soil4      #ef4 ,gleditsia         
triacanthos1 the honey locust tree1 or  
three thorned          acacia1 in the   
same soil4      #eg4 ,celtis            
occidentalis1 the nettle tree1 in the   
fields4      #eh4 ,annona muricata1 the 

custard apple in a fruitful soil4       
,we visited several ,swedes1 who were   
settled here1 and were at present  in   
very good circumstances4 ,one of them   
was called ,andrew ,rambo2 he had  a    
fine house built of stone1 two stories  
high1 and a great orchard near  it4 ,we 
were every where well received1 and     
stayed over night with the              
above-mentioned countryman4 ,we saw no  
other marks of autumn1 than that        
several fruits of this season were      
already ripe4 ,for besides this all  the
 trees were yet as green1 and the ground
 still as much covered with  flowers1 as
 in our summer4 ,thousands of frogs     
croaked all the night  long in the      
marshes and brooks4 ,the locusts and    
grasshoppers made  likewise such a great
 noise1 that it was hardly possible for 
one person  to understand another4 ,the 
trees too1 were full of all sorts of    
birds1  which by the variety of their   
fine plumage1 delighted the eye1 while  
the infinite variety of their tunes were

 continually re-echoed4    ,the         
orchards1 along which we passed to-day1 
were only enclosed by  hurdles4 ,but    
they contained all kinds of fine fruit4 
,we wondered at  first very much when   
our leader leaped over the hedge into   
the  orchards1 and gathered some        
agreeable fruit for us4 ,but our        
astonishment was still greater1 when we 
saw that the people in the  garden were 
so little concerned at it1 as not even  
to look at us4 ,but  our companion told 
us1 that the people here were not so    
exact in regard  to a few fruits1 as    
they are in other countries where the   
soil is not  so fruitful in them4 ,we   
afterwards found very frequently that   
the  country people in ,sweden and      
,finland guarded their turneps more     
carefully1 than the people here do the  
most exquisite fruits4    ,september the
 #aith4 ,as ,i walked this morning into 
the fields1 ,i  observed that a copious 
dew was fallen2 for the grass was as wet
 as if  it had rained4 ,the leaves of   

the plants and trees1 had contracted so 
much moisture1 that the drops ran down4 
,i found on this occasion that  the dew 
was not only on the superior1 but       
likewise on the inferior side  of the   
leaves4 ,i therefore carefully          
considered many leaves both of  trees   
and of other plants2 both of those which
 are more above1 and of  those which are
 nearer to the ground4 ,but ,i found in 
all of them1 that  both sides of the    
leaves were equally bedewed1 except     
those of the  ,verbascum ,thapsus1 or   
great ,mullein1 which though their      
superior side  was pretty well covered  
with the dew1 yet their inferior had but
 a  little4    ,every countryman1 even a
 common peasant1 has commonly an orchard
 near  his house1 in which all sorts of 
fruit1 such as peaches1 apples1 pears1  
cherries1 and others1 are in plenty4    
,the peaches were now almost ripe4      
,they are rare in ,europe1 particularly 
in ,sweden1 for in that country  hardly 
any people besides the rich taste them4 

,but here every  countryman had an      
orchard full of peach trees1 which were 
covered with  such quantities of fruit1 
that we could scarcely walk in the      
orchard1  without treading upon those   
peaches which were fallen off2 many of  
which were always left on the ground1   
and only part of them was sold in  town1
 and the rest was consumed by the family
 and strangers2 for every  one that     
passed by1 was at liberty to go into the
 orchard1 and to  gather as many of them
 as he wanted4 ,nay1 this fine fruit was
  frequently given to the swine4        
,this fruit is however sometimes kept   
for winter use1 and for this  purpose   
they are prepared in the following      
manner4 ,the fruit is cut  into four    
parts1 the stone thrown away1 and the   
fruit put upon a  thread1 on which they 
are exposed to the sunshine in the open 
air1 till  they are sufficiently dry4   
,they are then put into a vessel for    
winter4  ,but this manner of drying them
 is not very good1 because the rain of  

this season very easily spoils and      
putrifies them1 whilst they hang in  the
 open air4 ,for this reason a different 
method is followed by others1  which is 
by far the most eligible4 ,the peaches  
are as before cut into  four parts1 are 
then either put upon a thread1 or laid  
upon a board1  and so hung up in the air
 when the sun shines4 ,being dried in   
some  measure1 or having lost their     
juice by this means1 they are put into  
an  oven1 out of which the bread has but
 just been taken1 and are left in  it   
for a while4 ,but they are soon taken   
out and brought into the fresh  air2 and
 after that they are again put into the 
oven1 and this is  repeated several     
times till they are as dry as they ought
 to be4 ,for if  they were dried up at  
once in the oven1 they would shrivel up 
too much1  and lose part of their       
flavour4 ,they are then put up and kept 
for the  winter4 ,they are either baked 
into tarts and pyes1 or boiled and      
prepared as dried apples and pears are  

in ,sweden4 ,several people here  dry   
and preserve their apples in the same   
manner as their peaches4    ,the peach  
trees1 have1 as ,i am told1 been first  
planted here by the  ,europeans4 ,but at
 present they succeed very well1 and    
require even less  care1 than our apple 
and pear trees4    ,the orchards have   
seldom other fruit than apples and      
peaches4 ,pear  trees are scarce in this
 province1 and those that had any of    
them1 had  planted them in their        
orchards4 ,they likewise have cherry    
trees in the  orchards1 but commonly on 
the sides of them towards the house1 or 
along  the enclosures4 ,mulberry trees  
are planted on some hillocks near the   
house1 and sometimes even in the court  
yards of the house4 ,the black  walnut  
trees1 or ,juglans nigra1 grow partly on
 hills1 and in fields  near the         
farm-houses1 and partly along the       
enclosures2 but most  commonly in the   
forests4 ,no other trees of this kind1  
are made use of  here4 ,the chesnuts are

 left in the fields2 here and there is  
one in a  dry field or in a wood4       
,the ,hibiscus esculentus1 or ,okra1 #i 
is a plant which grows wild in  the     
,west ,indies1 but is planted in the    
gardens here4 ,the fruit1 which  is a   
long pod1 is cut whilst it is green1 and
 boiled in soups1 which  thereby become 
as thick as pulse4 ,this dish is        
reckoned a dainty by  some people1 and  
especially by the negroes4    ,capsicum 
annuum1 or ,guinea pepper is likewise   
planted in gardens4 ,when  the fruit is 
ripe it is almost entirely red1 it is   
put to a roasted or  boiled piece of    
meat1 a little of it being strewed upon 
it1 or mixed  with the broth4 ,besides  
this1 cucumbers are pickled with it4 ,or
 the  pods are pounded whilst they are  
yet tender1 and being mixed with salt   
are preserved in a bottle2 and this     
spice is strewed over roasted or  boiled
 meat1 or fried fish1 and gives them a  
very fine taste4 ,but the  fruit by     
itself is as biting as common pepper4   

,this country contains many species of  
the plant1 which ,dr4 ,linnus  calls    
,rhus1 and the most common is the ,rhus 
foliis pinnatis serratis  lanceolates   
retrinque nudis1 or the ,rhus glabra4   
,the ,english call this  plant ,sumach4 
,but the ,swedes here1 have no          
particular name for it1 and  therefore  
make use of the ,english name4 ,its     
berries or fruits are red4  ,they are   
made use of for dying1 and afford a     
colour like their own4  ,this tree is   
like a weed in this country1 for if a   
corn-field is left  uncultivated for    
some few years together1 it grows on it 
in plenty1  since the berries are spread
 every where by the birds4 ,and when the
  ground is to be ploughed the roots    
stop the plough very much4 ,the fruit   
stays on the shrub during the whole     
winter4 ,but the leaves drop very  early
 in autumn1 after they are turned       
reddish1 like those of our  ,swedish    
mountain ash4 ,the branches boiled with 
the berries afford a  black ink like    

tincture4 ,the boys eat the berries1    
there being no  danger of falling sick  
after the repast2 but they are very     
sour4 ,they  seldom grow above three    
yards high4 ,on cutting the stem1 it    
appears  that it contains nothing but   
pith4 ,i have cut several in this       
manner1  and found that some were ten   
years old2 but that most of them were   
above one year old4 ,when the cut is    
made1 a yellow juice comes out  between 
the bark and the wood4 ,one or two of   
the most outward circles  are white1 but
 the innermost are of a yellowish green4
 ,it is easy to  distinguish them one   
from another4 ,they contain a very      
plentiful pith1  the diameter of which  
is frequently half an inch1 and         
sometimes more4  ,it is brown1 and so   
loose that it is easily pushed out by a 
little  stick1 in the same manner as the
 pith of the elder tree1 raspberry and  
blackberry bushes4 ,this sumach grows   
near the enclosures1 round the          
corn-fields1 but especially on fallow   

ground4 ,the wood seemed to burn  well1 
and made no great crackling in the fire4
    ,september the #bjth4 ,in the       
morning we walked in the fields and     
woods  near the town1 partly for        
gathering seeds1 and partly for         
gathering  plants for my herbal1 which  
was our principal occupation2 and in the
  autumn of this year1 we sent part of  
our collection to ,england and  ,sweden4
    ,a species of ,rhus1 which was      
frequent in the marshes here was called 
the poison tree by both ,english and    
,swedes4 ,some of the former gave it    
the name of swamp-sumach1 and my        
country-men gave it the same name4 ,dr4 
,linnus in his botanical works calls it 
,rhus ,vernix4 ,sp4 pl4 #a4 #chj4       
,flora ,virgin4 #de4 ,an incision being 
made into the tree1 a whitish  yellow   
juice1 which has a nauseous smell1 comes
 out between the bark  and the wood4    
,this tree is not known for its good    
qualities1 but  greatly so for the      
effect of its poison1 which though it is

 noxious to  some people1 yet does not  
in the least affect others4 ,and        
therefore one  person can handle the    
tree as he pleases1 cut it1 peel off its
 bark1  rub it1 or the wood upon his    
hands1 smell at it1 spread the juice    
upon  his skin1 and make more           
experiments1 with no inconvenience to   
himself2  another person on the contrary
 dares not meddle with the tree1 while  
its wood is fresh1 nor can he venture to
 touch a hand which has handled  it1 nor
 even to expose himself to the smoak of 
a fire which is made  with this wood1   
without soon feeling its bad effects2   
for the face1 the  hands1 and frequently
 the whole body swells excessively1 and 
is  affected with a very accute pain4   
,sometimes bladders or blisters arise   
in great plenty1 and make the sick      
person look as if he was infected by  a 
leprosy4 ,in some people the external   
thin skin1 or cuticle1 peels of  in a   
few days1 as is the case when a person  
has scalded or burnt any  part of his   

body4 ,nay1 the nature of some persons  
will not even allow  them to approach   
the place where the tree grows1 or to   
expose  themselves to the wind1 when it 
carries the effluvia or exhalations of  
this tree with it1 without letting them 
feel the inconvenience of the  swelling1
 which ,i have just now described4      
,their eyes are sometimes  shut up for  
one1 or two and more days together by   
the swelling4 ,i know  two brothers1 one
 of whom could without danger handle    
this tree in what  manner he pleased1   
whereas the other could not come near it
 without  swelling4 ,a person sometimes 
does not know that he has touched this  
poisonous plant1 or that he has been    
near it1 before his face and hands      
shews it by their swelling4 ,i have     
known old people who were more  afraid  
of this tree than of a viper2 and ,i was
 acquainted with a person  who merely by
 the noxious exhalations of it was      
swelled to such a  degree1 that he was  
as stiff as a log of wood1 and could    

only be turned  about in sheets4    ,on 
relating in the winter of the year      
#agej1 the poisonous qualities of  the  
swamp sumach to my ,yungstrm1 who       
attended me on my travels1 he  only     
laughed1 and looked upon the whole as a 
fable1 in which opinion he  was         
confirmed by his having often handled   
the tree the autumn before1  cut many   
branches of it1 which he had carried for
 a good while in his  hand in order to  
preserve its seeds1 and put many into   
the herbals1 and  all this1 without     
feeling the least inconvenience4 ,he    
would therefore1  being a kind of       
philosopher in his own way1 take nothing
 for granted of  which he had no        
sufficient proofs1 especially as he had 
his own  experience in the summer of the
 year #agdi1 to support the contrary    
opinion4 ,but in the next summer his    
system of philosophy was  overturned4   
,for his hands swelled and he felt a    
violent pain1 and  itching in his eyes  
as soon as he touched the tree1 and this

  inconvenience not only attended him   
when he meddled with this kind of       
sumach1 but even when he had any thing  
to do with the ,rhus radicans1 or  that 
species of sumach which climbs along the
 trees1 and is not by far  so poisonous 
as the former4 ,by this adventure he was
 so convinced of  the power of the      
poison tree1 that ,i could not easily   
persuade him to  gather more seeds of it
 for me4 ,but he not only felt the      
noxious  effects of it in summer when he
 was very hot1 but even in winter when  
both he and the wood were cold4 ,hence  
it appears that though a person  be     
secured against the power of this poison
 for some time1 yet that in  length of  
time he may be affected with it as well1
 as people of a  weaker constitution4   
,i have likewise tried experiments of   
every kind with the poison tree on      
myself4 ,i have spread its juice upon my
 hands1 cut and broke its  branches1    
peeled off its bark1 and rubbed my hands
 with it1 smelt at  it1 carried pieces  

of it in my bare hands1 and repeated all
 this  frequently1 without feeling the  
baneful effects so commonly annexed to  
it2 but ,i however once experienced that
 the poison of the sumach was  not      
entirely without effect upon me4 ,on a  
hot day in summer1 as ,i was  in some   
degree of perspiration1 ,i cut a branch 
of the tree1 and carried  it in my hand 
for about half an hour together1 and    
smelt at it now and  then4 ,i felt no   
effects from it1 till in the evening4   
,but next morning  ,i awoke with a      
violent itching of my eye-lids1 and the 
parts  thereabouts1 and this was so     
painful1 that ,i could hardly keep my   
hands  from it4 ,it ceased after ,i had 
washed my eyes for a while1 with very   
cold water4 ,but my eye-lids were very  
stiff all that day4 ,at night the       
itching returned1 and in the morning as 
,i awoke1 ,i felt it as ill as  the     
morning before1 and ,i used the same    
remedy against it4 ,however it          
continued almost for a whole week       

together1 and my eyes were very red1    
and my eye-lids were with difficulty    
moved1 during all that time4 ,my  pain  
ceased entirely afterwards4 ,about the  
same time1 ,i had spread the  juice of  
the tree very thick upon my hand4 ,three
 days after they  occasioned blisters1  
which soon went off without affecting me
 much4 ,i  have not experienced any     
thing more of the effects of this plant1
 nor  had ,i any desire so to do4       
,however ,i found that it could not     
exert its  power upon me1 when ,i was   
not perspiring4    ,i have never heard  
that the poison of this ,sumach has been
 mortal2 but  the pain ceases after a   
few days duration4 ,the natives formerly
 made  their flutes of this tree1       
because it has a great deal of pith4    
,some  people assured me1 that a person 
suffering from its noisome  exhalations1
 would easily recover by spreading a    
mixture of the wood1  burnt to charcoal1
 and hog's lard1 upon the swelled parts4
 ,some  asserted that they had really   

tried this remedy4 ,in some places this 
tree is rooted out on purpose1 that its 
poison may not affect the  workmen4     
,i received to day1 several curiosities 
belonging to the mineral  kingdom1 which
 were collected in the country4 ,the    
following were those  which were most   
worth attention4 ,the first was a white1
 and quite  transparent crystal4 #aj    
,many of this kind are found in         
,pensylvania1  in several kinds of      
stone1 especially in a pale-grey        
limestone4 ,the  pieces are of the      
thickness and length of the little      
finger1 and  commonly as transparent as 
possible4 ,but ,i have likewise got     
crystals  here1 of the length of a foot1
 and of the thickness of a middle-sized 
man's leg4 ,they were not so transparent
 as the former4    ,the cubic ,pyrites  
of ,bishop ,browallius1 #aa was of a    
very regular  texture4 ,but its cubes   
were different in size1 for in some of  
the  cubes1 the planes of the sides only
 amounted to a quarter of an inch1  but 

in the biggest cubes1 they were full two
 inches4 ,some were  exceedingly        
glittering1 so that it was very easy to 
be perceived that  they consisted of    
sulphureous pyrites4 ,but in some one or
 two sides  only1 glittered so well1 and
 the others were dark-brown4 ,yet most  
of  these marcasites had this same      
colour on all the sides4 ,on breaking   
them they shewed the pure pyrites4 ,they
 are found near ,lancaster in  this     
province1 and sometimes lie quite above 
the ground2 but commonly  they are found
 at the depth of eight feet or more from
 the surface of  the ground1 on digging 
wells and the like4 ,mr4 ,hesselius had 
several  pieces of this kind of stone1  
which he made use of in his work4 ,he   
first burnt them1 then pounded or ground
 them to a powder1 and at last  rubbed  
them still finer in the usual way1 and  
this afforded him a fine  reddish-brown 
colour4    ,few black pebbles are found 
in this province1 which on the other    
hand  yields many kinds of marble1      

especially a white one1 with pale-grey  
bluish spots1 which is found in a quarry
 at the distance of a few  ,english     
miles from ,philadelphia1 and is very   
good for working1 though  it is not one 
of the finest kind of marbles4 ,they    
make many tombstones  and tables1       
enchase chimneys and doors1 floors of   
marble flags in the  rooms1 and the like
 of this kind of marble4 ,a quantity of 
this  commodity is shipped to different 
parts of ,america4    ,muscovy glass1   
#ab is found in many places hereabouts1 
and some pieces  of it are pretty large1
 and as fine as those which are brought 
from  ,russia4 ,i have seen some of     
them1 which were a foot and more in     
length4  ,and ,i have several in my     
collection that are nearly nine inches  
square4  ,the ,swedes on their first    
arrival here made their windows of this 
native glass4    ,a pale grey fine      
limestone1 #ac of a compact texture1    
lies in many  places hereabouts1 and    
affords a fine lime4 ,some pieces of it 

are so  full of fine transparent        
crystals1 that almost half of the stone 
consists of nothing else4 ,but besides  
this limestone1 they make lime  near the
 sea-shore1 from oyster shells1 and     
bring it to town in winter1  which is   
said to be worse for masonry1 but better
 for white-washing1  than that which is 
got from the limestone4    ,coals have  
not yet been found in ,pensylvania2 but 
people pretend to  have seen them higher
 up in the country among the natives4   
,many people  however agree that they   
are met with in great quantity more to  
the  north1 near ,cape ,breton4 #ad     
,the ladies make wine from some of the  
fruits of the land4 ,they  principally  
take white and red currants for that    
purpose1 since the  shrubs of this kind 
are very plentiful in the gardens1 and  
succeed very  well4 ,an old sailor who  
had frequently been in ,new-foundland1  
told me  that red currants grew wild in 
that country in great quantity4 ,they   
likewise make a wine of strawberries1   

which grow in great plenty in the       
woods1 but are sourer than the ,swedish 
ones4 ,the ,american blackberries1  or  
,rubus occidentalis1 are likewise made  
use of for this purpose1 for  they grow 
every where about the fields1 almost as 
abundantly as  thistles in ,sweden1 and 
have a very agreeable taste4 ,in        
,maryland a wine  is made of the wild   
grapes1 which grow in the woods of that 
province4  ,raspberries and cherries    
which are planted on purpose1 and taken 
great  care of1 likewise afford a very  
fine wine4 ,it is unnecessary to give an
  account of the manner of making the   
currant wine1 for in ,sweden this  art  
is in higher perfection than in ,north  
,america4    ,september the #bast4 ,the 
common ,privet1 or ,ligustrum vulgare1  
,linn4  grows among the bushes in       
thickets and woods4 ,but ,i cannot      
determine  whether it belongs to the    
indigenous plants1 or to those which the
  ,english have introduced1 the fruits  
of which the birds may have  dispersed  

every where4 ,the enclosures and pales  
are generally made here  of wooden      
planks and posts4 ,but a few1 good      
conomists1 having already  thought of   
sparing the woods for future times1 have
 begun to plant  quick hedges round     
their fields2 and to this purpose they  
take the  above-mentioned privet1 which 
they plant in a little bank1 which is   
thrown up for it4 ,the soil every where 
hereabouts is a clay mixed with  sand1  
and of course very loose4 ,the privet   
hedges however1 are only  adapted to the
 tameness of the cattle and other       
animals here2 for the  hogs all have a  
triangular yoke about their necks1 and  
the other cattle  are not very unruly4  
,but in such places where the cattle    
break through  the enclosures1 hedges of
 this kind would make but a poor        
defence4 ,the  people who live in the   
neighbourhood of ,philadelphia1 are     
obliged to  keep their hogs enclosed4   
,in the afternoon ,i rode with ,mr4     
,peter ,cock1 who was a merchant1 born  

at ,karlscron in ,sweden1 to his country
 seat1 about nine miles from the  town1 
to the north-west4    ,the country on   
both sides of the road was covered with 
a great forest4  ,the trees were all    
with annual leaves1 and ,i did not see a
 single fir  or pine4 ,most of the trees
 were different sorts of oak4 ,but we   
likewise  saw chesnut trees1 walnut     
trees1 locust trees1 apple trees1       
hiccory1  blackberry bushes1 and the    
like4 ,the ground ceased to be so even  
as it  was before1 and began to look    
more like the ,english ground1          
diversified  with hills and vallies4 ,we
 found neither mountains nor great      
stones1  and the wood was so much       
thinned1 and the ground so uniformly    
even1  that we could see a great way    
between the trees1 under which we rode  
without any inconvenience2 for there    
were no bushes to stop us4 ,in some     
places where the soil was thrown up1 we 
saw some little stones of that  kind of 
which the houses here are so generally  

built4 ,i intend to  describe them in   
the sequel4    ,as we went on in the    
wood1 we continually saw at moderate    
distances  little fields1 which had been
 cleared of the wood4 ,each of these was
 a  farm4 ,these farms were commonly    
very pretty1 and a walk of trees        
frequently led from them to the         
high-road4 ,the houses were all built of
  brick1 or of the stone which is here  
every where to be met with4 ,every      
countryman1 even though he were the     
poorest peasant1 had an orchard  with   
apples1 peaches1 chesnuts1 walnuts1     
cherries1 quinces1 and such  fruits1 and
 sometimes we saw the vines climbing    
along them4 ,the vallies  were          
frequently provided with little brooks  
which contained a crystal  stream4 ,the 
corn on the sides of the road1 was      
almost all mown1 and no  other grain    
besides maize and buckwheat was         
standing4 ,the former was to  be met    
with near each farm1 in greater or      
lesser quantities2 it grew  very well   

and to a great length1 the stalks being 
from six to ten foot  high and covered  
with fine green leaves4 ,buckwheat      
likewise was not  very uncommon1 and in 
some places the people were beginning to
 reap it4  ,i intend in the sequel to be
 more particular about the qualities and
  use of these kinds of corn4    ,after 
a ride of six ,english miles1 we came to
 ,germantown2 this town has  only one   
street1 but is near two ,english miles  
long4 ,it is for the  greatest part     
inhabited by ,germans1 who from time to 
time come from  their country to ,north 
,america1 and settle here1 because they 
enjoy  such privileges1 as they are not 
possessed of any where else4 ,most of   
the inhabitants are tradesmen1 and make 
almost every thing in such  quantity and
 perfection1 that in a short time this  
province will want  very little from    
,england1 its mother country4 ,most of  
the houses were  built of the stone     
which is mixed with glimmer1 and found  
every where  towards ,philadelphia1 but 

is more scarce further on4 ,several     
houses  however were made of brick4     
,they were commonly two stories high1   
and  sometimes higher4 ,the roofs       
consisted of shingles of the white cedar
  wood4 ,their shape resembled that of  
the roofs in ,sweden1 but the angles    
they formed at the top were either      
obtuse1 right angled1 or acute1         
according as the slopes were steep or   
easy4 ,they sometimes formed  either the
 half of an octogon1 or the half of a   
dodecagon4    ,many of the roofs were   
made in such a manner1 that they could  
be walked  upon1 having a balustrade    
round them4 ,many of the upper stories  
had  balconies before them1 from whence 
the people had a prospect into the      
street4 ,the windows1 even those in the 
third story1 had shutters4 ,each  house 
had a fine garden4 ,the town had three  
churches1 one for the  lutherans1       
another for the reformed protestants1   
and the third for the  quakers4 ,the    
inhabitants were so numerous1 that the  

street was always  full4 ,the baptists  
have likewise a meeting-house4          
,september the #bb;d4 ,after ,i had been
 at church1 ,i employed the remainder   
of the day in conversing with the most  
considerable people in town1 who  had   
lived here for a long while1 and ,i     
enquired into the curiosities           
hereabouts4    ,mr4 ,cock had a fine    
spring near his country seat2 it came   
from a sandy  hill1 and afforded water  
enough constantly to fill a little      
brook4 ,just  above this spring ,mr4    
,cock had erected a building from those 
above-mentioned glittering stones1 into 
which were put many jugs1 and  other    
earthen vessels full of milk2 for it    
kept very well in cold water  during the
 great heat with which the summer is    
attended here4    ,i afterwards met with
 many houses which were situated like   
this on  springs1 and therefore were    
destined to keep the meat and milk      
fresh4    ,almost all the enclosures    
round the corn-fields and meadows       

hereabouts1  were made of planks        
fastened in a horizontal direction4 ,i  
only  perceived a hedge of privet in one
 single place4 ,the enclosures were  not
 made like ours1 for the people here    
take posts from four to six  feet in    
height1 and make two or three holes into
 them1 so that there  was a distance of 
two feet and above between them4 ,such a
 post does the  same service as two1 and
 sometimes three poles are scarce       
sufficient4  ,the posts were fastened in
 the ground1 at two or three fathoms    
distance  from each other1 and the holes
 in them kept up the planks1 which were 
nine inches1 and sometimes a foot broad1
 and lay above each other from  one post
 to the next4 ,such an enclosure        
therefore looked at a distance  like the
 hurdles in which we enclose the sheep  
at night in ,sweden4 ,they  were really 
no closer than hurdles1 being only      
destined to keep out the  greater       
animals1 such as cows and horses4 ,the  
hogs are kept near the  farm-houses     

every where about ,philadelphia1 and    
therefore this  enclosure does not need 
to be made closer on their account4     
,chesnut  trees were commonly made use  
of for this purpose1 because this wood  
keeps longest against putrefaction1 and 
an enclosure made of it can  stand for  
thirty years together4 ,but where no    
chesnut wood was to be  got1 the white1 
and likewise the black oaks were taken  
for that  purpose4 ,of all kinds of     
wood1 that of the red cedar holds out   
the  longest4 ,the greatest quantity of 
it is brought up here2 for near         
,philadelphia it is not plentiful       
enough1 to be made use of for           
enclosures2 however there are many      
enclosures near the town made of  this  
wood4    ,the best wood for fuel in     
every body's opinion is the hiccory1 or 
a  species of walnut2 for it heats well2
 but is not good for enclosures1  since 
it cannot well withstand putrefaction   
when it is in the open air4  ,the white 
and black oaks are next in goodness for 

fuel4 ,the woods with  which            
,philadelphia is surrounded1 would lead 
one to conclude1 that fuel  must be     
cheap there4 ,but it is far from being  
so1 because the great and  high forest  
near the town is the property of some   
people of quality and  fortune1 who do  
not regard the money which they could   
make of them4  ,they do not sell so much
 as they require for their own use1 and 
much  less would they sell it to others4
 ,but they leave the trees for times  to
 come1 expecting that wood will become  
much more scarce4 ,however they  sell it
 to joiners1 coach-makers1 and other    
artists1 who pay  exorbitantly for it4  
,for a quantity of hiccory of eight foot
 in length1  and four in depth1 and the 
pieces being likewise four foot long1   
they  paid at present eighteen shillings
 of ,pensylvanian currency4 ,but the    
same quantity of oak only came to twelve
 shillings4 ,the people who came  at    
present to sell wood in the market were 
peasants1 who lived at a  great distance

 from the town4 ,every body complained  
that fuel in the  space of a few years1 
was risen in price to many times as much
 again as  it had been1 and to account  
for this1 the following reasons were    
given3  the town is encreased to such a 
degree1 as to be four or six times      
bigger1 and more populous than what some
 old people have known it to  be1 when  
they were young4 ,many brick-kilns have 
been made hereabouts1  which require a  
great quantity of wood4 ,the country is 
likewise more  cultivated than it used  
to be1 and consequently great woods have
 been  cut down for that purpose2 and   
the farms built in those places likewise
  consume a quantity of wood4 ,lastly1  
they melt iron out of the ore1 in       
several places about the town1 and this 
work always goes on without             
interruption4 ,for these reasons it is  
concluded in future times  ,philadelphia
 will be obliged to pay a great price   
for wood4    ,the wine of blackberries1 
which has a very fine taste1 is made in 

the  following manner4 ,the juice of the
 blackberries is pressed out1 and put   
into a vessel2 with half a gallon of    
this juice1 an equal quantity of  water 
is well mixed4 ,three pounds of brown   
sugar are added to this  mixture1 which 
must then stand for a while1 and after  
that1 it is fit  for use4 ,cherry wine  
is made in the same manner1 but care    
must be taken  that when the juice is   
pressed out1 the stones be not crushed1 
for they  give the wine a bad taste4    
,they make brandy from peaches here1    
after the following method4 ,the  fruit 
is cut asunder1 and the stones are taken
 out4 ,the pieces of fruit  are then put
 into a vessel1 where they are left for 
three weeks or a  month1 till they are  
quite putrid4 ,they are then put into   
the  distilling vessel1 and the brandy  
is made and afterwards distilled over   
again4 ,this brandy is not good for     
people who have a more refined  taste1  
but it is only for the common kind of   
people1 such as workmen  and the like4  

,apples yield a brandy1 when prepared in
 the same manner as the peaches4  ,but  
for this purpose those apples are       
chiefly taken1 which fall from  the tree
 before they are ripe4    ,the ,american
 ,night-shade1 or ,phytolacca decandra1 
,linn4 ,s4 ,n4 grows  abundantly near   
the farms1 on the highroad in hedges and
 bushes1 and in  several places in the  
fields4 ,whenever ,i came to any of     
these places ,i  was sure of finding    
this plant in great abundance4 ,most of 
them had red  berries1 which grew in    
bunches1 and looked very tempting1      
though they  were not at all fit for    
eating4 ,some of these plants were yet  
in  flower4 ,in some places1 such as in 
the hedges1 and near the houses1  they  
sometimes grow two fathom high4 ,but in 
the fields were always low2  yet ,i     
could no where perceive that the cattle 
had eaten of it4 ,a ,german  of this    
place who was a confectioner told me1   
that the dyers gathered  the roots of   
this plant and made a fine red dye of   

them4    ,here are several species of   
,squirrels4 ,the ground ,squirrels1 or  
,sciurus  striatus1 ,linn4 ,s4 ,n4 are  
commonly kept in cages1 because they are
 very  pretty3 but they cannot he       
entirely tamed4 ,the greater ,squirrels1
 or  ,sciurus cinereus1 ,linn4 ,s4 ,n4  
frequently do a great deal of mischief  
in  the plantations1 but particularly   
destroy the maize4 ,for they climb up   
the stalks1 cut the ears in pieces and  
eat only the loose and sweet  kernel    
which lies quite in the inside4 ,they   
sometimes come by hundreds  upon a      
maize-field1 and then destroy the whole 
crop of a countryman in  one night4 ,in 
,maryland therefore every one is obliged
 annually to bring  four squirrels1 and 
their heads are given to the surveyor1  
to prevent  deceit4 ,in other provinces 
every body that kills squirrels1        
received  twopence a piece for them from
 the public1 on delivering the heads4   
,their flesh is eaten and reckoned a    
dainty4 ,the skins are sold1 but are    

not much esteemed4 ,squirrels are the   
chief food of the rattle-snake and      
other snakes1 and it was a common fancy 
with the people hereabouts1  that when  
the rattle snake lay on the ground1 and 
fixed its eyes upon a  squirrel1 the    
latter would be as it were fascinated1  
and that though it  were on the         
uppermost branches of a tree1 yet it    
would come down by  degrees1 till it    
leaped into the snake's mouth4 ,the     
snake then licks  the little animal     
several times1 and makes it wet all over
 with its  spittle1 that it may go down 
the throat easier4 ,it then swallows the
  whole squirrel at once4 ,when the     
snake has made such a good meal1 it     
lies down to rest without any concern4  
,the quadruped1 which ,dr4 ,linnus in   
the memoirs of the ,royal ,academy of   
,sciences1 has described by the name of 
,ursus cauda elongata1 and which  he    
calls ,ursus ,lotor1 in his ,systema    
,natur1 is here called ,raccoon4 ,it  is
 found very frequently1 and destroys    

many chickens4 ,it is hunted by  dogs1  
and when it runs upon a tree to save    
itself1 a man climbs upon  the tree     
after it1 and shakes it down to the     
ground1 where the dogs  kill it4 ,the   
flesh is eaten1 and is reputed to taste 
well4 ,the bone of  its male parts is   
made use of for a tobacco-stopper4 ,the 
hatters  purchase their skins1 and make 
hats out of the hair1 which are next in 
goodness to beavers4 ,the tail is worn  
round the neck in winter1 and  therefore
 is likewise valuable4 ,the ,raccoon is 
frequently the food of  snakes4    ,some
 ,englishmen asserted that near the     
river ,potomack in ,virginia1 a  great  
quantity of oyster shells were to be met
 with1 and that they  themselves had    
seen whole mountains of them4 ,the place
 where they are  found is said to be    
about two ,english miles distant from   
the sea-shore4  ,the proprietor of that 
ground burns lime out of them4 ,this    
stratum of  oyster-shells is two fathom 
and more deep4 ,such quantities of      

shells  have likewise been found in     
other places1 especially in ,new ,york1 
on  digging in the ground2 and in one   
place1 at the distance of some  ,english
 miles from the sea1 avast quantity of  
oyster-shells1 and of  other shells was 
found4 ,some people conjectured that the
 natives had  formerly lived in that    
place1 and had left the shells of the   
oysters  which they had consumed1 in    
such great heaps4 ,but others could not 
conceive how it happened that they were 
thrown in such immense  quantities all  
into one place4    ,every one is of     
opinion that the ,american savages were 
a very  good-natured people1 if they    
were not attacked4 ,no body is so strict
 in  keeping his word as a savage4 ,if  
any one of their allies come to visit   
them1 they shew him more kindness1 and  
greater endeavours to serve him1  than  
he could have expected from his own     
countrymen4 ,mr4 ,cock gave me  the     
following relation1 as a proof of their 
integrity4 ,about two years  ago1 an    

,english merchant travelling amongst the
 savages1 in order to  sell them        
necessaries1 and to buy other goods1 was
 secretly killed1  without the          
murderer's being found out4 ,but about a
 year after1 the  savages found out the 
guilty person amongst themselves4 ,they 
immediately took him up1 bound his hands
 on his back1 and thus sent him  with a 
guard to the governor at ,philadelphia1 
and sent him word1 that  they could no  
longer acknowledge this wretch 7who had 
been so wicked  towards an ,englishman7 
as their countryman1 and therefore would
 have  nothing more to do with him1 and 
that they delivered him up to the       
governor1 to be punished for his        
villainy as the laws of ,england        
direct4 ,this ,indian was afterwards    
hanged at ,philadelphia4    ,their good 
natural parts are proved by the         
following account1 which  many people   
have given me as a true one4 ,when they 
send their  ambassadors to the ,english 
colonies1 in order to settle things of  

consequence with the governor1 they sit 
down on the ground1 as soon as  they    
come to his audience1 and hear with     
great attention the governor's  demands 
which they are to make an answer to4    
,his demands are sometimes  many4 ,yet  
they have only a stick in their hand1   
and make their marks on  it with a      
knife1 without writing any thing else   
down4 ,but when they  return the next   
day to give in their resolutions1 they  
answer all the  governor's articles in  
the same order1 in which he delivered   
them1  without leaving one out1 or      
changing the order1 and give such       
accurate  answers1 as if they had an    
account of them at full length in       
writing4    ,mr4 ,sleidorn related      
another story1 which gave me great      
pleasure4 ,he  said he had been at ,new 
,york1 and had found a venerable old    
,american  savage amongst several others
 in an inn4 ,this old man began to talk 
with ,sleidorn as soon as the liquor was
 getting the better of his head1  and   

boasted that he could write and read in 
,english4 ,sleidorn therefore  desired  
leave to ask a question1 which the old  
man readily granted4  ,sleidorn then    
asked him1 whether he knew who was first
 circumcised8 and  the old man          
immediately answered1 ,father ,abraham2 
but at the same time  asked leave to    
propose a question in his turn1 which   
,sleidorn granted2  the old man then    
said1 who was the first quaker8         
,sleidorn said it was  uncertain1 that  
some took one person for it1 and some   
another2 but the  cunning old fellow    
told him1 you are mistaken1 sir2        
,mordecai was the  first quaker1 for he 
would not take off his hat to ,haman4   
,many of the  savages1 who are yet      
heathens1 are said to have some obscure 
notion of  the deluge4 ,but ,i am       
convinced from my own experience1 that  
they are  not at all acquainted with it4
    ,i met with people here who         
maintained that giants had formerly     
lived in  these parts1 and the following

 particulars confirmed them in this     
opinion4 ,a few years ago some people   
digging in the ground1 met with a  grave
 which contained human bones of an      
astonishing size4 ,the ,tibia is  said  
to have been fourteen feet long1 and the
 os femoris to have  measured as much4  
,the teeth are likewise said to have    
been of a size  proportioned to the     
rest1 ,but more bones of this kind have 
not yet been  found4 ,persons skilled in
 anatomy1 who have seen these bones1    
have  declared that they were human     
bones4 ,one of the teeth has been sent  
to  ,hamburgh1 to a person who collected
 natural curiosities4 ,among the        
savages1 in the neighbourhood of the    
place where the bones were found1  there
 is an account handed down through many 
generations from fathers  to children1  
that in this neighbourhood1 on the banks
 of a river1 there  lived a very tall   
and strong man1 in ancient times1 who   
carried the  people over the river on   
his back1 and waded in the water1 though

 it  was very deep4 ,every body to whom 
he did this service gave him some       
maize1 some skins of animals1 or the    
like4 ,in fine he got his  livelyhood by
 this means1 and was as it were the     
ferryman of those who  wanted to pass   
the river4    ,the soil here consists   
for the greatest part of sand1 which is 
more or  less mixed with clay4 ,both the
 sand and the clay1 are of the colour of
  pale bricks4 ,to judge by appearance  
the ground was none of the best2  and   
this conjecture was verified by the     
inhabitants of the country4  ,when a    
corn-field has been obliged to bear the 
same kind of corn for  three years      
together1 it does not after that produce
 any thing at all  if it be not well    
manured1 or fallowed for some years4    
,manure is very  difficult to be got1   
and therefore people rather leave the   
field  uncultivated4 ,in that interval  
it is covered with all sorts of plants  
and trees2 and the countryman in the    
mean while1 cultivates a piece of       

ground which has till then been fallow1 
or he chuses a part of the  ground which
 has never been ploughed before1 and he 
can in both cases  be pretty sure of a  
plentiful crop4 ,this method can here be
 used with  great convenience4 ,for the 
soil is loose1 so that it can easily be 
ploughed1 and every countryman has      
commonly a great deal of land for  his  
property4 ,the cattle here are neither  
housed in winter1 nor tended  in the    
fields1 and for this reason they cannot 
gather a sufficient  quantity of dung4  
,all the cattle has been originally     
brought over from ,europe4 ,the  natives
 have never had any1 and at present few 
of them care to get any4  ,but the      
cattle degenerates by degrees here1 and 
becomes smaller4 ,for  the cows1 horses1
 sheep1 and hogs1 are all larger in     
,england1 though  those which are       
brought over are of that breed4 ,but the
 first  generation decreases a little1  
and the third and fourth is of the same 
size with the cattle already common     

here4 ,the climate1 the soil1 and  the  
food1 altogether contribute their share 
towards producing this  change4    ,it  
is remarkable that the inhabitants of   
the country1 commonly sooner  acquire   
understanding1 but likewise grow sooner 
old than the people in  ,europe4 ,it is 
nothing uncommon to see little children1
 giving sprightly  and ready answers to 
questions that are proposed to them1 so 
that they  seem to have as much         
understanding as old men4 ,but they do  
not attain  to such an age as the       
,europeans1 and it is almost an unheard 
of thing1  that a person born in this   
country1 should live to be eighty or    
ninety  years of age4 ,but ,i only speak
 of the ,europeans that settled here4   
,for  the savages1 or first inhabitants1
 frequently attained a great age1       
though at present such examples are     
uncommon1 which is chiefly  attributed  
to the great use of brandy1 which the   
savages have learnt of  the ,europeans4 
,those who are born in ,europe attain a 

greater age here1  than those who are   
born here1 of ,european parents4 ,in the
 last war1 it  plainly appeared that    
these new ,americans were by far less   
hardy than  the ,europeans in           
expeditions1 sieges1 and long sea       
voyages1 and died in  numbers4 ,it is   
very difficult for them to use          
themselves to a climate  different from 
their own4 ,the women cease bearing     
children sooner than  in ,europe4 ,they 
seldom or never have children1 after    
they are forty or  forty-five years old1
 and some leave off in the thirtieth    
year of their  age4 ,i enquired into the
 causes of this1 but no one could give  
me a  good one4 ,some said it was owing 
to the affluence in which the people    
live here4 ,some ascribed it to the     
inconstancy and changeableness of  the  
weather1 and believed that there hardly 
was a country on earth in  which the    
weather changes so often in a day1 as it
 does here4 ,for if it  were ever so    
hot1 one could not be certain whether in

 twenty-four hours  there would not be a
 piercing cold4 ,nay1 sometimes the     
weather will  change five or six times a
 day4    ,the trees in this country have
 the same qualities as its inhabitants4 
,for the ships which are built of       
,american wood1 are by no means equal   
in point of strength1 to those which are
 built in ,europe4 ,this is what  nobody
 attempts to contradict4 ,when a ship   
which is built here1 has  served eight  
or twelve years it is worth little2 and 
if one is to be  met with1 which has    
been in use longer and is yet           
serviceable1 it is  reckoned very       
astonishing4 ,it is difficult to find   
out the causes from  whence this        
happens4 ,some lay the fault to the     
badness of the wood3  others condemn the
 method of building the ships1 which is 
to make them  of trees which are yet    
green1 and have had no time to dry4 ,i  
believe  both causes are joined4 ,for ,i
 found oak1 which at the utmost had been
  cut down about twelve years1 and was  

covered by a hard bark4 ,but upon       
taking off this bark1 the wood below it 
was almost entirely rotten1 and  like   
flour1 so that ,i could rub it into     
powder between my fingers4 ,how  much   
longer will not our ,european oak stand 
before it moulders8    ,at night we     
returned to ,philadelphia4    ,september
 the #bc;d4 ,there are no ,hares in this
 country1 but some  animals1 which are a
 medium between our ,hares and ,rabbets1
 and make a  great devastation whenever 
they get into fields of cabbage and     
turneps4    ,many people have not been  
able to find out why the ,north         
,american  plants which are carried to  
,europe and planted there1 for the      
greatest  part flower so late1 and do   
not get ripe fruit before the frost     
overtakes them1 although it appears from
 several accounts of travels1  that the 
winters in ,pensylvania1 and more so    
those in ,new ,york1 ,new  ,england1 and
 ,canada1 are full as severe as our     
,swedish winters1 and  therefore are    

much severer than those which are felt  
in ,england4  ,several men of judgment  
charged me for this reason to examine   
and  enquire into this phnomenon with   
all possible care4 ,but ,i shall        
instead of an answer1 rather give a few 
remarks which ,i made upon the  climate 
and upon the plants of ,north ,america1 
and leave my readers at  liberty to draw
 the conclusions themselves4    #a4 ,it 
is true1 that the winters in            
,pensylvania1 and much more those in    
the more northern provinces1 are        
frequently as severe as our ,swedish    
winters1 and much colder than the       
,english ones1 or those of the  southern
 parts of ,europe4 ,for ,i found at     
,philadelphia1 which is above  twenty   
deg4 more southerly than several        
provinces in ,sweden1 that the          
thermometer of professor ,celsius1 fell 
twenty-four deg4 below the  freezing    
point in winter4 ,yet ,i was assured    
that the winters ,i spent  here1 were   
none of the coldest1 but only common    

ones1 which ,i could  likewise conclude 
from the ,delaware's not being frozen   
strong enough to  bear a carriage at    
,philadelphia during my stay1 though    
this often  happens4 ,on considering the
 breadth of the river which ,i have     
already  mentioned in my description of 
,philadelphia1 and the difference       
between  high and low water1 which is   
eight ,english feet2 it will pretty     
plainly  appear that a very intense     
frost is required to cover the ,delaware
 with  such thick ice4    #b4 ,but it is
 likewise true1 that though the winters 
are severe here1  yet they are commonly 
of no long duration1 and ,i can justly  
say1 that  they do not continue above   
two months and sometimes even less1 at  
,philadelphia2 and it is something very 
uncommon when they continue for  three  
months together1 in so much that it is  
put into the gazettes4  ,nearer the pole
 the winters are somewhat longer1 and in
 the quite  northern parts they are as  
long as the ,swedish winters4 ,the daily

  meteorological observations which ,i  
have made during my stay in  ,america1  
and which ,i intend to annex at the end 
of each volume of this  work1 will give 
more light in this matter4    #c4 ,the  
heat in summer is excessive1 and without
 intermission4 ,i own ,i  have seen the 
thermometer rise to nearly the same     
degree at ,aobo in  ,finland4 ,but the  
difference is1 that when the thermometer
 of professor  ,celsius rose to thirty  
deg4 above the freezing point once in   
two or  three summers at ,aobo1 the same
 thermometer did not only for three     
months together stand at the same       
degree1 but even sometimes rose  higher2
 not only in ,pensylvania1 but likewise 
in ,new ,york1 ,albany1 and  a great    
part of ,canada4 ,during the summers    
which ,i spent at  ,philadelphia1 the   
thermometer has two or three times risen
 to  thirty-six deg4 above the freezing 
point4 ,it may therefore with great     
certainty be said1 that in ,pensylvania 
the greatest part of ,april1 the  whole 

,may1 and all the following months till 
,october1 are like our  ,swedish months 
of ,june and ,july4 ,so excessive and   
continued a heat must  certainly have   
very great effects4 ,i here again refer 
to my  meteorological observations4 ,it 
must likewise be ascribed to the        
effects of this heat that the common    
melons1 the water melons1 and the       
pumpions of different sorts are sown in 
the fields without any bells or  the    
like put over them1 and yet are ripe as 
early as ,july2 further1  that cherries 
are ripe at ,philadelphia about the     
#beth4 of ,may1 and that  in            
,pensylvania the wheat is frequently    
reaped in the middle of ,june4    #d4   
,the whole of ,september1 and half1 if  
not the whole of ,october1 are  the     
finest months in ,pensylvania1 for the  
preceding ones are too hot4  ,but these 
represent our ,july and half of ,august4
 ,the greatest part of  the plants are  
in flower in ,september1 and many do not
 begin to open  their flowers before the

 latter end of this month4 ,i make no   
doubt that  the goodness of the season1 
which is enlivened by a clear sky1 and a
  tolerably hot sun-shine1 greatly      
contributes towards this last effort  of
 ,flora4 ,yet though these plants come  
out so late1 they are quite ripe  before
 the middle of ,october4 ,but ,i am not 
able to account for their  coming up so 
late in autumn1 and ,i rather ask1 why  
do not the ,centaurea  ,jacea1 the      
,gentiana1 ,amarella and ,centaurium of 
,linnus1 and the common  golden rod1 or 
,solidago ,virgaurea flower before the  
end of summer8 or  why do the common    
noble liverwort1 or ,anemone ,hepatica1 
the wild  violets 7,viola martia1       
,linn47 the mezereon 7,daphne ,mezereum1
 ,linn47 and  other plants shew their   
flowers so early in spring8 ,it has     
pleased the  ,almighty ,creator to give 
to them this disposition4 ,the weather  
at  ,philadelphia during these months1  
is shewn by my meteorological tables4   
,i have taken the greatest care in my   

observations1 and have always  avoided  
putting the thermometer into any place  
where the sun could  shine upon it1 or  
where he had before heated the wall by  
his beams2 for  in those cases my       
observations would certainly not have   
been exact4 ,the  weather during our    
,september and ,october is too well     
known to want an  explanation4 #ae      
#e4 ,however there are some spontaneous 
plants in ,pensylvania1 which do  not   
every year bring their seeds to maturity
 before the cold begins4 ,to  these     
belong some species of ,gentiana1 of    
,asters1 and others4 ,but in  these too 
the wisdom of the ,creator has wisely   
ordered every thing in  its turn4 ,for  
almost all the plants which have the    
quality of flowering  so late in autumn1
 are perennial1 or such as1 though they 
have no seed  to propagate themselves1  
can revive by shooting new branches and 
stalks  from the same root every year4  
,but perhaps a natural cause may be     
given  to account for the late growth of

 these plants4 ,before the ,europeans   
came into this country1 it was inhabited
 by savage nations1 who  practised      
agriculture but little or not at all1   
and chiefly lived upon  hunting and     
fishing4 ,the woods therefore have never
 been meddled with1  except that        
sometimes a small part was destroyed by 
fire4 ,the accounts  which we have of   
the first landing of the ,europeans     
here1 shew that  they found the country 
all over covered with thick forests4 #af
 ,from  hence it follows1 that excepting
 the higher trees1 and the plants which 
grow in the water or near the shore1 the
 rest must for the greatest  part have  
been obliged to grow perhaps for a      
thousand years together1  in a shade1   
either below or between the trees1 and  
they therefore  naturally belong to     
those which are only peculiar to woody  
and shady  places4 ,the trees in this   
country drop their leaves in such       
quantities  in autumn1 that the ground  
is covered with them to the depth of    

four or  five inches4 ,these leaves lie 
a good while in the next summer before  
they moulder1 and this must of course   
hinder the growth of the plants  which  
are under the trees1 at the same time   
depriving them of the few  rays of the  
sun which can come down to them through 
the thick leaves at  the top of the     
trees4 ,these causes joined together    
make such plants  flower much later than
 they would otherwise do4 ,may it not   
therefore be  said1 that in so many     
centuries these plants had at last      
contracted a  habit of coming up very   
late1 and that it would now require a   
great  space of time to make them lose  
this habit1 and use them to quicken     
their growth8    ,september the #bdth4  
,we employed this whole day in gathering
 the seeds  of plants of all kinds1 and 
in putting scarce plants into the       
herbal4    ,september the #beth4 ,mr4   
,hesselius made me a present of a little
 piece  of petrified wood1 which was    
found in the ground here4 ,it was four  

inches long1 one inch broad1 and three  
lines thick4 ,it might plainly be  seen 
that it had formerly been wood4 ,for in 
the places where it had  been polished1 
all the longitudinal fibres were easily 
distinguishable1  so that it might have 
been taken for a piece of oak which was 
cut  smooth4 ,my piece was part of a    
still greater piece4 ,it was here       
thought  to be petrified hiccory4 ,i    
afterwards got more of it from other    
people4  ,mr4 ,lewis ,evans told me that
 on the boundaries of ,virginia1 a great
  petrified block of hiccory had been   
found in the ground1 with the bark  on  
it1 which was likewise petrified4       
,mr4 ,john ,bartram is an ,englishman1  
who lives in the country about four     
miles from ,philadelphia4 ,he has       
acquired a great knowledge of natural   
philosophy and history1 and seems to be 
born with a peculiar genius for  these  
sciences4 ,in his youth he had no       
opportunity of going to school4  ,but by
 his own diligence and indefatigable    

application he got1 without             
instruction1 so far in ,latin1 as to    
understand all ,latin books1 and  even  
those which were filled with botanical  
terms4 ,he has in several  successive   
years made frequent excursions into     
different distant parts  of ,north      
,america1 with an intention of gathering
 all sorts of plants  which are scarce  
and little known4 ,those which he found 
he has planted  in his own botanical    
garden1 and likewise sent over their    
seeds or  fresh roots to ,england4 ,we  
owe to him the knowledge of many scarce 
plants1 which he first found1 and which 
were never known before4 ,he has  shewn 
great judgment1 and an attention which  
lets nothing escape  unnoticed4 ,yet    
with all these great qualities1 he is to
 be blamed for  his negligence2 for he  
did not care to write down his numerous 
and  useful observations4 ,his friends  
at ,london once obliged him to send     
them a short account of one of his      
travels1 and they were very ready1  with

 a good intention1 though not with      
sufficient judgment1 to get this        
account printed4 ,but this book1 did    
,mr4 ,bartram more harm than good2  for 
as he is rather backward in writing down
 what he knows1 this  publication was   
found to contain but few new            
observations4 ,it would not  however be 
doing justice to ,mr4 ,bartram's merit1 
if it were to be  judged of by this     
performance4 ,he has not filled it with 
a thousandth  part of the great         
knowledge1 which he has acquired in     
natural  philosophy and history1        
especially in regard to ,north ,america4
 ,i have  often been at a loss to think 
of the sources1 from whence he got many 
things which came to his knowledge4 ,i  
likewise owe him many things1 for  he   
possessed that great quality of         
communicating every thing he knew4 ,i   
shall therefore in the sequel1          
frequently mention this gentleman4 ,for 
,i  should never forgive myself1 if ,i  
were to omit the name of the first      

inventor1 and claim that as my own      
invention1 which ,i learnt from  another
 person4    ,many ,muscle shells1 or    
,mytili anatini1 are to be met with on  
the  north-west side of the town in the 
clay-pits1 which were at present  filled
 with water from a little brook in the  
neighbourhood4 ,these  muscles seem to  
have been washed into that place by the 
tide1 when the  water in the brook was  
high4 ,for these clay-pits are not old1 
but were  lately made4 ,poor boys       
sometimes go out of town1 wade in the   
water1 and  gather great quantities of  
these shells1 which they sell very      
easily1  they being reckoned a dainty4  
,the ,virginian ,azarole with a red     
fruit1 or ,linnus's ,cratgus ,crus      
galli1 is a species of hawthorn1 and    
they plant it in hedges1 for want  of   
that hawthorn1 which is commonly used   
for this purpose in ,europe4  ,its      
berries are red1 and of the same size1  
shape1 and taste with those  of our     
hawthorn4 ,yet this tree does not seem  

to make a good hedge1 for  its leaves   
were already fallen1 whilst other trees 
still preserved  theirs4 ,its spines are
 very long and sharp2 their length being
 two or  three inches4 ,these spines are
 applied to some inconsiderable use4    
,each  berry contains two stones4       
,mr4 ,bartram assured me1 that the      
,north ,american oak1 cannot resist     
putrefaction for near such a space of   
time1 as the ,european4 ,for this       
reason1 the boats 7which carry all sorts
 of goods down from the upper  parts of 
the country7 upon the river ,hudson1    
which is one of the  greatest in these  
parts1 are made of two kinds of wood4   
,that part which  must always be under  
water1 is made of black oak2 but the    
upper part1  which is now above and now 
under water1 and is therefore more      
exposed  to putrefaction1 is made of red
 cedar or ,juniperus ,virginiana1 which 
is  reckoned the most hardy wood in the 
country4 ,the bottom is made of  black  
oak1 because that wood is very tough4   

,for the river being full of  stones1   
and the boats frequently running against
 them1 the black oak  gives way1 and    
therefore does not easily crack4 ,but   
the cedar would not  do for this        
purpose2 because it is hard and brittle4
 ,the oak likewise  is not so much      
attacked by putrefaction1 when it is    
always kept under  water4    ,in autumn1
 ,i could always get good pears here2   
but every body  acknowledged1 that this 
fruit would not succeed well in the     
country4    ,all my observations and    
remarks on the qualities of the         
,rattle-snake1  are inserted in the     
,memoirs of the ,swedish ,academy of    
,sciences1 for the  year #ageb1 p4 #caf1
 and for the year #agec1 p4 #ed1 and    
thither ,i refer  the reader4 #ag       
,bears are very numerous higher up in   
the country1 and do much mischief4  ,mr4
 ,bartram told me1 that when a bear     
catches a cow1 kills her in the         
following manner3 he bites a hole into  
the hide1 and blows with all his  power 

into it1 till the animal swells         
excessively and dies2 for the air       
expands greatly between the flesh and   
the hide4 #ah ,an old ,swede  called    
,nils ,gustave's son1 who was ninety-one
 years of age1 said1 that  in his youth1
 the bears had been very frequent       
hereabouts1 but that  they had seldom   
attacked the cattle3 that whenever a    
bear was killed1  its flesh was prepared
 like pork1 and that it had a very good 
taste4  ,and the flesh of bears is still
 prepared like ham1 on the river        
,morris4  ,the environs of              
,philadelphia1 and even the whole       
province of  ,pensylvania in general    
contain very few bears1 they having been
  extirpated by degrees4 ,in ,virginia  
they kill them in several different     
ways4 ,their flesh is eaten by both rich
 and poor1 since it is reckoned  equal  
in goodness to pork4 ,in some parts of  
this province1 where no  hogs can be    
kept on account of the great numbers of 
bears1 the people  are used to catch and

 kill them1 and to use them instead of  
hogs4 ,the  ,american bears however1 are
 said to be less fierce and dangerous1  
than  the ,european ones4    ,september 
the #bfth4 ,the broad plantain1 or      
,plantago major1 grows on the           
highroads1 foot paths1 meadows1 and in  
gardens in great plenty4 ,mr4  ,bartram 
had found this plant in many places on  
his travels1 but he did  not know       
whether it was an original ,american    
plant1 or whether the  ,europeans had   
brought it over4 ,this doubt had its    
rise from the savages  7who always had  
an extensive knowledge of the plants of 
the country7  pretending that this plant
 never grew here before the arrival of  
the  ,europeans41 ,they therefore give  
it a name which signifies1 the          
,englishman's foot1 for they say that   
where a ,european had walked1 there     
this plant grew in his foot steps4      
,the ,chenopodium album1 or ,goosefoot  
with sinuated leaves1 grows in  plenty  
in the gardens4 ,but it is more scarce  

near the houses1 in the  streets1 on    
dunghills and corn-fields4 ,this seems  
to shew1 that it is  not a native of    
,america1 but has been brought over     
amongst other seeds  from ,europe4 ,in  
the same manner it is thought that the  
,tansey  7,tanacetum vulgare1 ,linn47   
which grows here and there in the       
hedges1 on  the roads1 and near houses1 
was produced from ,european seeds4      
,the common vervain1 with blue flowers1 
or verbena officinalis1 was  shewn to me
 by ,mr4 ,bartram1 not far from his     
house in a little plain  near           
,philadelphia4 ,it was the only place   
where he had found it in  ,america4 ,and
 for this reason ,i suppose it was      
likewise sown here  amongst other       
,european seeds4    ,mr4 ,bartram was at
 this time-building a house in          
,philadelphia1 and had  sunk a cellar to
 a considerable depth1 the soil of which
 was thrown  out4 ,i here observed the  
following strata4 ,the upper loose soil 
was  only half a foot deep1 and of a    

dark brown colour4 ,under it was a      
stratum of clay so much blended with    
sand1 that it was in greater  quantity  
than the clay itself2 and this stratum  
was eight feet deep4  ,these were both  
brick coloured4 ,the next stratum       
consisted of little  pebbles mixed with 
a coarse sand4 ,the stones consisted    
either of a  clear1 or of a dark        
,quartz2 #ai they were quite smooth and 
roundish on  the outside1 and lay in a  
stratum which was a foot deep4 ,then the
  brick-coloured clay mixed with sand   
appeared again4 ,but the depth of  this 
stratum could not be determined4 ,query1
 could the river formerly  have reached 
to this place and formed these strata8  
,mr4 ,bartram has not only frequently   
found oyster-shells in the ground1  but 
likewise met with such shells and       
snails1 as undoubtedly belong to  the   
sea1 at the distance of a hundred and   
more ,english miles from the  shore4 ,he
 has even found them on the ridge of    
mountains which separate  the ,english  

plantations from the habitations of the 
savages4 ,these  mountains which the    
,english call the blue mountains1 are of
  considerable height1 and extend1 in   
one continued chain from north to       
south1 or from ,canada to ,carolina4    
,yet in some places they have gaps1     
which are as it were broke through1 to  
afford a passage for the great  rivers1 
which roll down into the lower country4 
,the ,cassia ,chamcrista grew on the    
roads the woods1 and sometimes on       
uncultivated fields1 especially when    
shrubs grew in them4 ,its leaves  are   
like those of the ,sensitive plant1 or  
,mimosa1 and have likewise the  quality 
of contracting when touched1 in common  
with the leaves of the  latter4    ,the 
,crows in this country are little       
different from our common crows in      
,sweden4 ,their size is the same with   
that of our crows1 and they are as      
black as jet in every part of their     
body4 ,i saw them flying to day in      
great numbers together4 ,their voice is 

not quite like that of our  crows1 but  
has rather more of the cry of the rook1 
or ,linnus's ,corvus  frugilegus4       
,mr4 ,bartram related1 that on his      
journeys to the northern ,english       
colonies1 he had discovered great holes 
in the mountains on the banks  of       
rivers1 which according to his          
description1 must exactly have been     
such giants pots1 #bj as are to be met  
with in ,sweden1 and which ,i  have     
described in a particular dissertation  
read in the ,royal ,swedish  ,academy of
 ,sciences4 ,mr4 ,bartram has likewise  
addressed some letters to  the ,royal   
,society at ,london upon this subject4  
,for some people  pretended1 that these 
holes were made by the savages1 that    
they might  in time of war hide their   
corn and other valuable effects in them4
 ,but  he wrote against this opinion1   
and accounted for the origin of these   
cavities in the following manner4 ,when 
the ice settles1 many pebbles  stick in 
it4 ,in spring when the snow melts1 the 

water in the rivers  swells so high that
 it reaches above the place where these 
holes are  now found in the mountains4  
,the ice therefore will of course float 
as  high4 ,and then it often happens1   
that the pebbles which were contained   
in it1 ever since autumn when it first  
settled on the banks of the  river1 fall
 out of the ice upon the rocky bank1 and
 are from thence  carried into a cleft  
or crack by the water4 ,these pebbles   
are then  continually turned about by   
the water1 which comes in upon them1 and
 by  this means they gradually form the 
hole4 ,the water at the same time       
polishes the stone by its circular      
motion round it1 and helps to make  the 
hole or cavity round4 ,it is certain    
that by this turning and  tossing1 the  
stone is at last unfit for this purpose2
 but the river  throws commonly every   
spring other stones instead of it into  
the  cavity1 and they are turned round  
in the same manner4 ,by this whirling   
both the mountain and the stone afford  

either a fine or a coarse sand1  which  
is washed away by the water when in     
spring1 or at other times it  is high   
enough to throw its waves into the      
cavity4 ,this was the opinion  of ,mr4  
,bartram about the origin of these      
cavities4 ,the ,royal ,society of       
,sciences at ,london1 has given a       
favourable reception to1 and approved   
of them4 #ba ,the remarks which ,i made 
in the summer of the year #agdc1  during
 my stay at ,land's-,ort1 in my country1
 will prove that ,i was at  that time of
 the same opinion1 in regard to these   
holes4 ,i have since  further explained 
this opinion in a letter to the ,royal  
,academy of  ,sciences2 and this letter 
is still preserved in the ,academy's    
,memoirs1  which have not yet been      
published4 ,but there is great reason to
 doubt1  whether all cavities of this   
kind in mountains1 have the same origin4
    ,here are different species of      
,mulberry trees1 which grow wild in the 
forests of north and south ,america4 ,in

 these parts the red mulberry  trees are
 more plentiful than any other4 ,however
 ,mr4 ,bartram assured me  that he had  
likewise seen the white mulberry trees  
growing wild1 but  that they were more  
scarce4 ,i asked him and several other  
people of  this country1 why they did   
not set up silk manufactures1 having    
such a  quantity of mulberries1 which   
succeed so easily8 ,for it has been     
observed that when the berries fall upon
 the ground where it is not  compact but
 loose1 they soon put out several fine  
delicate shoots4 ,but  they replied that
 it would not be worth while to erect   
any silk  manufactures here1 because    
labour is so dear4 ,for a man gets from 
eighteen pence to three shillings and   
upwards1 for one day's work1 and  the   
women are paid in proportion4 ,they were
 therefore of opinion that  the         
cultivation of all sorts of corn1 of    
hemp1 and of flax1 would be of  greater 
advantage1 and that at the same time it 
did not require near so  much care as   

the feeding of silk worms4 ,by the      
trials of a governor in  ,connecticut1  
which is a more northern province than  
,new ,york1 it is  evident however1 that
 silk worms succeed very well here1 and 
that this  kind of mulberry trees is    
very good for them4 ,the governor       
brought up a  great quantity of silk    
worms in his court yard2 and they       
succeeded so  well1 and spun so much    
silk1 as to afford him a sufficient     
quantity for  cloathing himself and all 
his family4    ,several sorts of ,vines 
likewise grow wild hereabouts4 ,whenever
 ,i made a  little excursion out of     
town1 ,i saw them in numerous places    
climbing up  trees and hedges4 ,they    
clasp around them1 and cover them       
sometimes  entirely1 and even hang down 
on the sides4 ,this has the same        
appearance  at a distance1 as the       
tendrils of hops climbing along trees4  
,i enquired  of ,mr4 ,bartram why they  
did not plant vineyards1 or press wine  
from the  grapes of the wild vine4 ,but 

they answered1 that the same objection  
lay  against it1 which lies against the 
erection of a silk manufacture1 that    
the necessary hands were too scarce1 and
 it therefore was more rational  to make
 agriculture their chief employment4    
,but the true reason  undoubtedly is1   
that the wine which is pressed out of   
most of the ,north  ,american wild      
grapes is sour and sharp1 and has not   
near such an  agreeable taste1 as that  
which is made from ,european grapes4    
,the ,virginian ,wake robin1 or ,arum   
,virginicum1 grows in wet places4 ,mr4  
,bartram told me1 that the savages      
boiled the spadix and the berries of    
this flower1 and devoured it as a great 
dainty4 ,when the berries are  raw1 they
 have a harsh1 pungent taste1 which they
 lose in great measure  upon boiling4   
,the ,sarothra ,gentianoides1 grows     
abundantly in the fields and under the  
bushes1 in a dry sandy ground near      
,philadelphia4 ,it looks extremely  like
 our whortleberry bushes when they first

 begin to green1 and when  the points of
 the leaves are yet red4 ,mr4 ,bartram  
has sent this plant  to ,dr4 ,dillenius1
 but that gentleman did not know where  
he should range  it4 ,it is reckoned a  
very good traumatic1 and this quality   
,mr4 ,bartram  himself experienced2 for 
being thrown and kicked by a vicious    
horse1 in  such a manner as to have both
 his thighs greatly hurt1 he boiled the 
,sarothra and applied it to his wounds4 
,it not only immediately appeased  his  
pain1 which before had been very        
violent1 but he likewise by its         
assistance recovered in a short time4   
,having read in ,mr4 ,miller's          
,botanical ,dictionary1 that ,mr4 ,peter
  ,collinson had a particular ,larch    
tree from ,america in his garden1 ,i    
asked ,mr4 ,bartram whether he was      
acquainted with it1 he answered1 that   
he had sent it himself to ,mr4          
,collinson1 that it only grew in the    
eastern parts of ,new ,jersey1 and that 
he had met with it in no other  ,english

 plantation4 ,it differs from the other 
species of ,larch trees1  its cones     
being much less4 ,i afterwards saw this 
tree in great plenty  in ,canada4       
,mr4 ,bartram was of opinion1 that the  
apple tree was brought into  ,america by
 the ,europeans1 and that it never was  
there before their  arrival4 ,but he    
looked upon peaches as an original      
,american fruit1 and  as growing wild in
 the greatest part of ,america4 ,others 
again were of  opinion1 that they were  
first brought over by the ,europeans4   
,but all  the ,french in ,canada agreed1
 that on the banks of the river         
,missisippi  and in the country         
thereabouts peaches were found growing  
wild in great  quantity4 #bb            
,september the #bgth4 ,the tree which   
the ,english here call ,persimon1 is    
the ,diospyros ,virginiana of ,linnus4  
,it grows for the greatest part in  wet 
places1 round the water pits4 ,i have   
already mentioned that the  fruits of   
this tree are extremely bitter and sharp

 before they are  quite ripe1 and that  
being eaten in that state they quite    
contract ones  mouth1 and have a very   
disagreeable taste4 ,but as soon as they
 are  ripe1 which does not happen till  
they have been quite softened by the    
frost1 they are a very agreeable fruit4 
,they are here eaten raw1 and  seldom   
any other way4 ,but in a great book1    
which contains a description  of        
,virginia1 you meet with different ways 
of preparing the ,persimon1  under the  
article of that name4 ,mr4 ,bartram1    
related that they were  commonly put    
upon the table amongst the sweet-meats1 
and that some  people made a tolerably  
good wine of them4 ,some of these       
,persimon  fruits were dropped on the   
ground in his garden1 and were almost   
quite  ripe1 having been exposed to a   
great degree of the heat of the sun4 ,we
  picked up a few and tasted them1 and  
,i must own that those who praised  this
 fruit as an agreeable one1 have but    
done it justice4 ,it really  deserves a 

place among the most palatable fruit of 
this country1 when  the frost has       
thoroughly conquered its acrimony4      
,the ,verbascum ,thapsus1 or great white
 ,mullein1 grows in great quantity  on  
roads1 in hedges1 on dry fields1 and    
high meadows of a ground mixed  with    
sand4 ,the ,swedes here call it the     
tobacco of the savages1 but  owned1 that
 they did not know whether or no the    
,indians really used  this plant instead
 of tobacco4 ,the ,swedes are used to   
tie the leaves  round their feet and    
arms1 when they have the ague4 ,some of 
them  prepared a tea from the leaves1   
for the dysentery4 ,a ,swede likewise   
told me1 that a decoction of the roots  
was injected into the wounds of  the    
cattle which are full of worms1 which   
killed these worms1 and made  them fall 
out4 #bc    ,september the #bhth4 ,the  
meadows which are surrounded by wood1   
and were  at present mown1 have a fine  
lively verdure4 ,on the contrary when   
they  lie on hills1 or in open fields1  

or in some elevated situation1          
especially so that the sun may be able  
to act upon them without any  obstacles1
 their grass looks brown and dry4       
,several people from  ,virginia told me1
 that on account of the great heat and  
drought1 the  meadows and pastures      
almost always had a brown colour1 and   
looked as if  they were burnt4 ,the     
inhabitants of those parts do not       
therefore enjoy  the pleasure which a   
,european feels at the sight of our     
verdant1  odoriferous meadows4    ,the  
,american ,nightshade1 or the           
,phytolacca decandra1 grows abundantly  
in the fields1 and under the trees1 on  
little hills4 ,its black berries  are   
now ripe4 ,we observed to day some      
little birds with a blue plumage1  and  
of the size of our ,hortulans and       
,yellow ,hammers 7,emberiza  ,citrinella
 and ,emberiza ,hortulanus7 flying down 
from the trees1 in  order to settle upon
 the nightshade and eat its berries4    
,towards night ,i went to ,mr4          

,bartram's country seat4    ,september  
the #bith4 ,the ,gnaphalium             
margaritaceum1 grows in astonishing     
quantities upon all uncultivated fields1
 glades1 hills1 and the like4  ,its     
height is different according to its    
different soil and situation4           
,sometimes it is very ramose1 and       
sometimes very little4 ,it has a        
strong1 but agreeable smell4 ,the       
,english call it ,life everlasting2 for 
its flowers1 which consist chiefly of   
dry1 shining1 silvery leaves  7,folia   
calycina7 do not change when dried4     
,this plant is now every  where in full 
blossom4 ,but some have already lost the
 flowers1 and are  beginning to drop the
 seeds4 ,the ,english ladies were used  
to gather  great quantities of this     
,life everlasting1 and to pluck them    
with the  stalks4 ,for they put them    
into pots with or without water1 amongst
  other fine flowers which they had     
gathered both in the gardens and in  the
 fields1 and placed them as an ornament 

in the rooms4 ,the ,english  ladies in  
general are much inclined to have fine  
flowers all the summer  long1 in or upon
 the chimneys1 sometimes upon a table1  
or before the  windows1 either on       
account of their fine appearance1 or for
 the sake of  their sweet scent4 ,the   
,gnaphalium above-mentioned1 was one of 
those1  which they kept in their rooms  
during the winter1 because its flowers  
never altered from what they were when  
they stood in the ground4 ,mr4  ,bartram
 told me another use of this plant4 ,a  
decoction of the flowers  and stalks is 
used to bathe any pained or bruised     
part1 or it is rubbed  with the plant   
itself tied up in a bag4    ,instead of 
flax several people made use of a kind  
of ,dog's bane1 or  ,linnus's ,apocynum 
cannabinum4 ,the people prepared the    
stalks of this  plant1 in the same      
manner as we prepare those of hemp or   
flax4 ,it was  spun and several kinds of
 stuffs were woven from it4 ,the savages
 are  said to have had the art of making

 bags1 fishing-nets1 and the like1  for 
many centuries together1 before the     
arrival of the ,europeans4    ,i asked  
,mr4 ,bartram1 whether he had observed  
in his travels1 that the  water was     
fallen1 and that the sea had formerly   
covered any places  which were now land4
 ,he told me1 that from what he had     
experienced1 he  was convinced that the 
greatest part of this country1 even for 
several  miles together1 had formerly   
been under water4 ,the reasons which led
  him to give credit to this opinion1   
were the following4    #a4 ,on digging  
in the blue mountains1 which are above  
three hundred  ,english miles distant   
from the sea1 you find loose oyster and 
other  sorts of shells1 and they are    
also likewise to be met with in the     
vallies formed by these mountains4      
#b4 ,a vast quantity of petrified shells
 are found in limestone1 flint1  and    
sandstone1 on the same mountains4 ,mr4  
,bartram assured me at the  same time1  
that it was incredible what quantities  

of them there were in  the different    
kinds of stones of which the mountains  
consist4    #c4 ,the same shells are    
likewise dug in great quantity1 quite   
entire and  not mouldered1 in the       
provinces of ,virginia and ,maryland1 as
 also in  ,philadelphia and in ,new     
,york4    #d4 ,on digging wells 7not    
only in ,philadelphia1 but likewise in  
other  places7 the people have met with 
trees1 roots1 and leaves of oak1 for    
the greatest part1 not yet rotten1 at   
the depth of eighteen feet4    #e4 ,the 
best soil and the richest mould is to be
 met with in the vallies  hereabouts4   
,these vallies are commonly crossed by a
 rivulet or brook4  ,and on their       
declivity1 a mountain commonly rises1   
which in those  places where the brook  
passes close to it1 looks as if it were 
cut on  purpose4 ,mr4 ,bartram believed1
 that all these vallies formerly were   
lakes2 that the water had by degrees    
hollowed out the mountain1 and  opened a
 passage for itself through it2 and that

 the great quantity of  slime which is  
contained in the water1 and which had   
subsided to the  bottom of the lake1 was
 the rich soil which is at present in   
the  vallies1 and the cause of their    
great fertility4 ,but such vallies and  
cloven mountains are very frequent in   
the country1 and of this kind is  the   
peculiar gap between two mountains1     
through which a river takes its  course 
or boundaries of ,new ,york and         
,pennsylvania4 ,the people in a jest    
say1 that this opening by the ,d--l1 as 
he wanted to go out of  ,pennsylvania   
into ,new ,york4    #f4 ,the whole      
appearance of the blue mountains1       
plainly shews that the  water formerly  
covered at part of them4 ,for many are  
broken in a  peculiar manner1 but the   
highest are plain4    #g4 ,when the     
savages are told1 that shells are found 
on these high  mountains1 and that from 
thence there is reason to believe that  
the sea  must formerly have extended to 
them1 and even in part flown over them2 

they answer that this is not new to     
them1 they having a tradition from      
their ancestors among them1 that the sea
 formerly surrounded these  mountains4  
#h4 ,the water in rivers and brooks     
likewise decreases4 ,mills1 which  sixty
 years ago were built on rivers1 and at 
that time had a sufficient  supply of   
water almost all the year long1 have at 
present so little1  that they cannot be 
used1 but after a heavy rain1 or when   
the snow  melts in spring4 ,this        
decrease of water in part arises from   
the great  quantity of land which is now
 cultivated1 and from the extirpation of
  great forests for that purpose4    #i4
 ,the sea-shore increases likewise in   
time4 ,this arises from the  quantity of
 sand continually thrown on shore from  
the bottom of the  sea1 by the waves4   
,mr4 ,bartram thought that some peculiar
 attention should be paid to  another   
thing relating to these observations4   
,the shells which are to  be found      
petrified on the northern mountains1 are

 of such kinds as at  present are not to
 be got in the sea1 in the same         
latitude1 and they  are not fished on   
the shore1 till you come to ,south      
,carolina4 ,mr4  ,bartram from hence    
took an occasion to defend ,dr4 ,thomas 
,burnet's  opinion1 that the earth      
before the deluge was in a different    
position  towards the sun4 ,he likewise 
asked whether the great bones which are 
sometimes found in the ground in        
,siberia1 and which are supposed to be  
elephant's bones and tusks1 did not     
confirm this opinion4 ,for at  present  
those animals cannot live in such cold  
countries2 but if  according to ,dr4    
,burnet1 the sun once formed different  
zones about our  earth1 from those it   
now makes1 the elephant may easily be   
supposed to  have lived in ,siberia4 #bd
 ,however it seems that all which we    
have  hitherto mentioned1 may have been 
the effect of different causes4 ,to     
those belong the universal deluge1 the  
increase of land which is merely  the   

work of time1 and the changes of the    
course of rivers1 which when  the snow  
melts and in great floods1 leave their  
first beds1 and form  new ones4    ,at  
some distance from ,mr4 ,bartram's      
country house1 a little brook  flowed   
through the wood1 and likewise ran over 
a rock4 ,the attentive  ,mr4 ,bartram   
here shewed me several little cavities  
in the rock1 and we  plainly saw that   
they must have been generated in the    
manner ,i before  described1 that is1 by
 supposing a pebble to have remained in 
a cleft  of the rock1 and to have been  
turned round by the violence of the     
water1 till it had formed such cavity in
 the mountain4 ,for on putting  our     
hands into one of these cavities1 we    
found that it contained  numerous small 
pebbles1 whose surface was quite smooth 
and round4 ,and  these stones we found  
in each of the holes4    ,mr4 ,bartram  
shewed me a number of plants which he   
had collected into a  herbal on his     
travels4 ,among these were the          

following1 which likewise  grow in the  
northern parts of ,europe1 of which he  
had either got the  whole plants1 or    
only broken branches4          #a4      
,betula alba4 ,the common birch tree1   
which he had found on the               
cats-hills4      #b4 ,betula nana4 ,this
 species of birch grows in several low  
places         towards the hills4       
#c4 ,comarum palustre1 in the meadows1  
between the hills in ,new               
,jersey4      #d4 ,gentiana lutea1 the  
great ,gentian1 from the fields near the
         mountains4 ,it was very like   
our variety1 but had not so many        
flowers under each leaf4      #e4 ,linna
 borealis1 from the mountains in        
,canada4 ,it creeps along         the   
ground4      #f4 ,myrica ,gale1 from the
 neighbourhood of the river             
,susquehanna1         where it grows in 
a wet soil4      #g4 ,potentilla        
fruticosa1 from the swampy fields and   
low meadows1         between the river  
,delaware1 and the river ,new ,york4    

#h4 ,trientalis ,europa1 from the       
cats-hills4      #i4 ,triglochin        
maritimum1 from the salt springs towards
 the country         of the five        
nations4      ,mr4 ,bartram shewed me a 
letter from ,east ,jersey1 in which he  
got the  following account of the       
discovery of an ,indian grave4 ,in the  
,april of  the year #agdd1 as some      
people were digging a cellar1 they came 
upon a  great stone1 like a tombstone1  
which was at last got out with great    
difficulty1 and about four feet deeper  
under it1 they met with a large         
quantity of human bones and a cake of   
maize4 ,the latter was yet quite        
untouched1 and several of the people    
present tasted it out of  curiosity4    
,from these circumstances it was        
concluded that this was a  grave of a   
person of note among the savages4 ,for  
it is their custom to  bury along with  
the deceased1 meat any other things     
which he liked  best4 ,the stone was    
eight feet long1 four feet broad1 and   

even some  inches more where it was     
broadest1 and fifteen inches thick at   
one end1  but only twelve inches at the 
other end4 ,it consisted of the same    
coarse kind of stone1 that is to be got 
in this country4 ,there were no  letters
 nor other characters visible on it4    
,the corn which the ,indians chiefly    
cultivate is the ,maize1 or ,zea ,mays1 
,linn4 ,then have little corn fields for
 that purpose4 ,but besides this1  they 
likewise plant a great quantity of      
,squashes1 a species of pumpions  or    
melons1 which they have always          
cultivated1 even in the remotest  ages4 
,the ,europeans settled in ,america1 got
 the seeds of this plant1  and at       
present their gardens are full of it1   
the fruit has an agreeable  taste when  
it is well prepared4 ,they are commonly 
boiled1 then crushed  7as we are used to
 do with turneps when we make a pulse of
 them7 and  some pepper or other spice  
thrown upon them1 and the dish is ready4
 ,the  ,indians likewise sow several    

kinds of beans1 which for the greatest  
part they have got from the ,europeans4 
,but pease which they likewise  sow1    
they have always had amongst them1      
before any foreigners came into  the    
country4 ,the squashes of the ,indians1 
which now are likewise  cultivated by   
the ,europeans1 belong to those kinds of
 gourds  7cucurbita17 which ripen before
 any other4 ,they are a very delicious  
fruit1 but will not keep4 ,i have       
however seen them kept till pretty  laid
 ,in winter4    ,september the #cjth4   
,wheat and rye are sown in autumn about 
this time1  and commonly reaped towards 
the end of ,june1 or in the beginning of
  ,july4 ,these kinds of corn1 however1 
are sometimes ready to be reaped in  the
 middle of ,june1 and there are even    
examples that they have been  mown in   
the beginning of that month4 ,barley and
 oats are sown in ,april1  and they     
commonly begin to grow ripe towards the 
end of ,july4  ,buck-wheat is sown in   
the middle or at the end of ,july1 and  

is about  this time1 or somewhat later1 
ready to be reaped4 ,if it be sown      
before  the above-mentioned time1 as in 
,may1 or in ,june1 it only gives        
flowers1  and little or no corn4    ,mr4
 ,bartram and other people assured me1  
that most of the cows which  the        
,english have here1 are the offspring of
 those which they bought of  the ,swedes
 when they were masters of the country4 
,the ,english  themselves are said to   
have brought over but few4 ,the ,swedes 
either  brought their cattle from home1 
or bought them of the ,dutch1 who were  
then settled here4    ,near the town1 ,i
 saw an ,ivy or ,hedera ,helix1 planted 
against the wall  of a stone building1  
which was so covered by the fine green  
leaves of  this plant1 as almost to     
conceal the whole4 ,it was doubtless    
brought  over from ,europe1 for ,i have 
never perceived it any where else on my 
travels through ,north-,america4 ,but in
 its stead ,i have often seen wild      
vines made to run up the walls4    ,i   

asked ,mr4 ,bartram1 whether he had     
observed1 that trees and plants         
decreased in proportion as they were    
brought further to the ,north1 as       
,catesby pretends8 ,he answered1 that   
the question should be more  limited1   
and then his opinion would prove the    
true one4 ,there are some  trees which  
grow better in southern countries1 and  
become less as you  advance to the      
north4 ,their seeds or berries are      
sometimes brought into  colder climates 
by birds and by other accidents4 ,they  
gradually  decrease in growth1 till at  
last they will not grow at all4 ,on the 
other hand1 there are other trees and   
herbs which the wise ,creator  destined 
for the northern countries1 and they    
grow there to an amazing  size4 ,but the
 further they are transplanted to the   
south1 the less they  grow2 till at last
 they degenerate so much as not to be   
able to grow at  all4 ,other plants love
 a temperate climate1 and if they be    
carried  either south or north1 they    

will not succeed well1 but always       
decrease4  ,thus for example            
,pensylvania contains some trees which  
grow exceedingly  well1 but always      
decrease in proportion as they are      
carried further off  either to the      
north1 or to the south4    ,i afterwards
 on my travels1 had frequent proofs of  
this truth4 ,the  ,sassafras1 which     
grows in ,pensylvania1 under forty deg4 
of lat4 and  becomes a pretty tall and  
thick tree1 was so little at ,oswego and
 ,fort  ,nicholson1 between forty-three4
 and forty-four deg4 of lat4 that it    
hardly reached the height of two or four
 feet1 and was seldom so thick  as the  
little finger of a full grown person4   
,this was likewise the case  with the   
,tulip tree4 ,for in ,pensylvania it    
grows as high as our tallest  oaks and  
firs1 and its thickness is              
proportionable to its height4 ,but      
about ,oswego it was not above twelve   
feet high1 and no thicker than a  man's 
arm4 ,the ,sugar ,maple1 or ,acer       

saccharinum1 is one of the most  common 
trees in the woods of ,canada1 and grows
 very tall4 ,but in the  southern       
provinces1 as ,new ,jersey and          
,pensylvania1 it only grows on the      
northern side of the blue mountains1 and
 on the steep hills which are  on the   
banks of the river1 and which are turned
 to the north4 ,yet there  it does not  
attain to a third or fourth part of the 
height which it has  in ,canada4 ,it is 
needless to mention more examples4      
,october the #ast4 ,the gnats which are 
very troublesome at night here1  are    
called ,musquetoes4 ,they are exactly   
like the gnats in ,sweden1 only         
somewhat less1 and the description which
 is to be met with in ,dr4  ,linnus's   
,systema ,natur1 and ,fauna ,suecica1   
fully agrees with them1  and they are   
called by him ,culex pipiens4 ,in day   
time or at night they  come into the    
houses1 and when the people are gone to 
bed they begin  their disagreeable      
humming1 approach always nearer to the  

bed1 and at  last suck up so much blood1
 that they can hardly fly away4 ,their  
bite  causes blisters in people of a    
delicate complexion4 ,when the weather  
has been cool for some days1 the        
musquetoes disappear4 ,but when it      
changes again1 and especially after a   
rain1 they gather frequently in  such   
quantities about the houses1 that their 
numbers are astonishing4  ,the chimneys 
of the ,english which have no valves for
 shutting them up1  afford the gnats a  
free entrance into the houses4 ,in      
sultry evenings1  they accompany the    
cattle in great swarms1 from the woods  
to the houses  or to town1 and when they
 are drove before the houses1 the gnats 
fly in  wherever they can4 ,in the      
greatest heat of summer1 they are so    
numerous  in some places1 that the air  
seems to be quite full of them1         
especially  near swamps and stagnant    
waters1 such as the river ,morris in    
,new  ,jersey4 ,the inhabitants         
therefore make a fire before their      

houses to  expell these disagreeable    
guests by the smoak4 ,the old ,swedes   
here1  said that gnats had formerly been
 much more numerous2 that even at       
present they swarmed in vast quantities 
on the sea shore near the salt  water1  
and that those which troubled us this   
autumn in ,philadelphia  were of a more 
venomous kind1 than they commonly used  
to be4 ,this last  quality appeared from
 the blisters1 which were formed on the 
spots1  where the gnats had inserted    
their sting4 ,in ,sweden ,i never felt  
any  other inconvenience from their     
sting1 than a little itching2 whilst    
they sucked4 ,but when they stung me    
here at night1 my face was so           
disfigured by little red spots and      
blisters1 that ,i was almost ashamed  to
 shew myself4    ,i have already        
mentioned somewhat about the enclosures 
usual here2 ,i  now add1 that most of   
the planks which are put horizontally1  
and of  which the enclosures in the     
environs of ,philadelphia chiefly       

consist1  are of the red cedar wood1    
which is here reckoned more durable than
 any  other4 ,but where this could not  
be got1 either white or black oak       
supplied its place4 ,the people were    
likewise very glad if they could  get   
cedar wood for the posts1 or else they  
took white oak1 or chesnut1  as ,i was  
told by ,mr4 ,bartram4 ,but it seems    
that that kind of wood in  general does 
not keep well in the ground for a       
considerable time4 ,i saw  some posts   
made of chesnut wood1 and put into the  
ground only the year  before1 which were
 already for the greatest part rotten   
below4    ,the ,sassafras tree1 or      
,laurus ,sassafras1 ,linn4 grows in     
abundance in  the country1 and stands   
scattered up and down the woods1 and    
near  bushes and enclosures4 ,on old    
grounds1 which are left uncultivated1 it
  is one of the first that comes up1 and
 is as plentiful as young birches  are  
on those ,swedish fields1 which are     
formed by burning the trees  which grew 

on them4 #be ,the sassafras grows in a  
dry loose ground1 of  a pale brick      
colour1 which consists for the greatest 
part of sand1  mixed with some clay4 ,it
 seems to be but a poor soil4 ,the      
mountains  round ,gothenburgh1 in       
,sweden1 would afford many places rich  
enough for  the ,sassafras to grow in1  
and ,i even fear they would be too rich4
 ,i  here saw it both in the woods      
amidst other trees1 and more frequently 
by itself along the enclosures4 ,in both
 it looks equally fresh4 ,i have  never 
seen it on wet or low places4 ,the      
people here gather its flowers1  and use
 them instead of tea4 ,but the wood     
itself is of no use in  conomy2 for when
 it is set on fire1 it causes a         
continual crackling1  without making any
 good fire4 ,the tree spreads its roots 
very much1 and  new shoots come up from 
them in some places2 but these shoots   
are not  good for transplanting1 because
 they have so few fibres besides the    
root1 which connects them to the main   

stem1 that they cannot well  strike into
 the ground4 ,if therefore any one would
 plant ,sassafras  trees he must        
endeavour to get their berries1 which   
however is  difficult1 since the birds  
eat them before they are half ripe4 ,the
 cows  are very greedy after the tender 
new shoots1 and look for them every     
where4    ,the bark of this tree is used
 by the women here in dying worsted a   
fine  lasting orange colour1 which does 
not fade in the sun4 ,they use urine    
instead of alum in dying1 and boil the  
dye in a brass boiler1 because  in an   
iron vessel it does not yield so fine a 
colour4 ,a woman in  ,virginia has      
successfully employed the berries of the
 ,sassafras against  a great pain in one
 of her feet1 which for three years     
together she had  to such a degree1 that
 it almost hindered her from walking4   
,she was  advised to broil the berries  
of sassafras1 and to rub the painful    
parts  of her foot with the oil1 which  
by this means would be got from the     

berries4 ,she did so1 but at the same   
time it made her vomit2 yet this  was   
not sufficient to keep her from         
following the prescription three  times 
more1 though as often as she made use   
thereof1 it always had the  same effect4
 ,however she was entirely freed from   
that pain1 and  perfectly recovered4    
,a black ,woodpecker with a red head1 or
 the ,picus pileatus1 ,linn4 is         
frequent in the ,pensylvanian forests1  
and stays the winter1 as ,i know  from  
my own experience4 ,it is reckoned among
 those birds which destroy  the maize2  
because it settles on the ripe ears1 and
 destroys them with  its bill4 ,the     
,swedes call it ,tillkroka1 but all     
other woodpeckers1  those with gold     
yellow wings excepted1 are called       
,hackspickar in the  ,swedish language4 
,i intend to describe them altogether   
more exactly in  a particular work4 ,i  
only observe here1 that almost all the  
different  species of woodpeckers are   
very noxious to the maize1 when it      

begins to  ripen3 for by picking holes  
in the membrane round the ear1 the rain 
gets into it1 and causes the ear with   
all the corn it contains to rot4        
,october the #c;d4 ,in the morning ,i   
set out for ,wilmington1 which was      
formerly called ,christina by the       
,swedes1 and is thirty ,english miles to
  the south west of ,philadelphia4      
,three miles behind ,philadelphia ,i    
passed the river ,skulkill in a ferry1  
beyond which the country appears  almost
 a continual chain of mountains and     
vallies4 ,the mountains have  an easy   
slope on all sides1 and the vallies are 
commonly crossed by  brooks with crystal
 streams4 ,the greater part of the      
country is covered  with several kinds  
of deciduous trees2 for ,i scarcely saw 
a single tree  of the fir kind1 if ,i   
except a few red cedars4 ,the forest was
 high1 but  open below1 so that it left 
a free prospect to the eye1 and no      
under-wood obstructed the passage       
between the trees4 ,it would have been  

easy in some places to have gone under  
the branches with a carriage for  a     
quarter of a mile1 the trees standing at
 great distances from each  other1 and  
the ground being very level4 ,in some   
places little glades  opened1 which were
 either meadows1 pastures1 or           
corn-fields2 of which  latter some were 
cultivated and others not4 ,in a few    
places1 several  houses were built close
 to each other4 ,but for the greatest   
part they  were single4 ,in part of the 
fields the wheat was already sown1 in   
the  ,english manner without trenches1  
but with furrows pretty close  together4
 ,i sometimes saw the country people    
very busy in sowing their  rye4 ,near   
every farm-house was a little field with
 maize4 ,the  inhabitants hereabouts    
were commonly either ,english or        
,swedes4    ,all the day long ,i saw a  
continual variety of trees2 walnut trees
 of  different sorts1 which were all    
full of nuts2 chesnut trees quite       
covered with fine chesnuts2 mulberries1 

sassafras1 liquidambar1 tulip  trees1   
and many others4    ,several species of 
vines grew wild hereabouts4 ,they run up
 to the  summits of the trees1 their    
clusters of grapes and their leaves     
covering the stems4 ,i even saw some    
young oaks five or six fathoms  high1   
whose tops were crowned with vines4 ,the
 ground is that which is  so common     
hereabouts1 which ,i have already       
described1 viz4 a clay mixed  with a    
great quantity of sand1 and covered with
 a rich soil or  vegetable earth4 ,the  
vines are principally seen on trees     
which stand  single in corn-fields1 and 
at the end of woods1 where the meadows1 
pastures1 and fields begin1 and likewise
 along the enclosures1 where  they cling
 with their tendrils round the trees    
which stand there4 ,the  lower parts of 
the plant are full of grapes1 which hang
 below the  leaves1 and were now almost 
ripe1 and had a pleasant sourish taste4 
,the  country people gather them in     
great quantities1 and sell them in the  

town4 ,they are eaten without further   
preparation1 and commonly people  are   
presented with them when they come to   
pay a visit4    ,the soil does not seem 
to be deep hereabouts2 for the upper    
black  stratum is hardly two inches4    
,this ,i had an occasion to see both in 
such places where the ground is dug up1 
and in such where the water1  during    
heavy flowers of rain1 has made cuts1   
which are pretty numerous  here4 ,the   
upper soil has a dark colour1 and the   
next a pale colour like  bricks4 ,i have
 observed everywhere in ,america1 that  
the depth of the  upper soil does not by
 far agree with the computation of some 
people1  though we can almost be sure1  
that in some places it never was stirred
  since the deluge4 ,i shall be more    
particular in this respect  afterwards4 
#bf    ,the ,datura ,stramonium1 or     
,thorn ,apple1 grows in great quantities
 near  all the villages4 ,its height is 
different according to the soil it is   
in4 ,for in a rich soil it grows eight  

or ten feet high1 but in a hard  and    
poor ground1 it will seldom come up to  
six inches4 ,this ,datura1  together    
with the ,phytolacca1 or ,american      
,nightshade1 grow here in  those places 
near the gardens1 houses1 and roads1    
which in ,sweden are  covered with      
nettles and goose-foot1 which ,european 
plants are very  scarce in ,america4    
,but the ,datura and ,phytolacca are the
 worst weeds  here1 nobody knowing any  
particular use of them4                 
,turnep-fields are sometimes to be seen4
 ,in the middle of the highroad ,i      
perceived a dead black snake1 which was 
four feet six inches long1 and  an inch 
and a half in thickness4 ,it belonged to
 the viper kind4    ,late at night a    
great ,halo appeared round the moon4    
,the people said  that it prognosticated
 either a storm1 or rain1 or both       
together4 ,the  smaller the ring is1 or 
the nearer it comes to the moon1 the    
sooner  this weather sets in4 ,but this 
time neither of these changes happened1 

and the halo had foretold a coldness in 
the air4    ,i saw to-day the ,chermes  
of the alder 7,chermes ,alni7 in great  
abundance  on the branches of that tree1
 which for that reason looks quite      
white1  and at a distance appears as it 
were covered with mould4    ,october the
 #dth4 ,i continued my journey early in 
the morning1 and the  country still had 
the same appearance as ,i went on4 ,it  
was a continual  chain of pretty high   
hills1 with an easy ascent on all sides1
 and of  vallies between them4 ,the soil
 consisted of a brick coloured mould1   
mixed with clay1 and a few pebbles1 ,i  
rode sometimes through woods of  several
 sorts of trees1 and sometimes amidst   
little fields1 which had  been cleared  
of the wood1 and which at present were  
corn-fields1  meadows1 and pastures4    
,the farm-houses stood single1 sometimes
 near the  roads1 and sometimes at a    
little distance from them1 so that the  
space  between the road and the houses  
was taken up with little fields and     

meadows4 ,some of the houses were built 
of stone1 two stories high1 and  covered
 with shingles of the white cedar4 ,but 
most of the houses were  wooden1 and the
 crevices stopped up with clay1 instead 
of moss1 which  we make use of for that 
purpose4 ,no valves were to be met with 
in the  chimneys1 and the people even   
did not know what ,i meant by them4 ,the
  ovens were commonly built up at some  
distance from the houses1 and were      
either under a roof1 or without any     
covering against the weather4 ,the      
fields bore partly buck-wheat1 which was
 not yet cut1 partly maize1 and  partly 
wheat1 which was but lately sown2 but   
sometimes they lay fallow4  ,the vines  
climbed to the top of several trees1 and
 hung down again on  both sides4 ,other 
trees again were surrounded by the ivy  
7,hedera  quinquefolia7 which with the  
same flexibility ascended to a great    
height4 ,the ,smilax laurifolia always  
joined with the ivy1 and together  with 
it twisted itself round the trees4 ,the 

leaves of the ivy were at  this time    
commonly reddish1 but those of the vine 
were still quite  green4 ,the trees     
which were surrounded with them1 looked 
at a distance  like those which are     
covered with hops in our country1 7and  
on seeing  them from afar off1 one might
 expect to find wild hops climbing upon 
the trees47 ,walnut and chesnut trees   
were common near enclosures1 in  woods1 
and on hills1 and at present were loaded
 with their fruit4 ,the  persimon was   
likewise plentiful near the roads1 and  
in the woods4 ,it  had a great quantity 
of fruit1 but they were not yet fit for 
eating1  since the frost had not        
softened them4 ,at some distance from   
,wilmington1 ,i passed a bridge over a  
little river1 which falls north  into   
the ,delaware4 ,the rider pays here     
twopence toll for himself and  his      
horse4    ,towards noon ,i arrived at   
,wilmington4    ,wilmington is a little 
town1 about thirty ,english miles       
south-west from  ,philadelphia4 ,it was 

founded in the year #agcc4 ,part of it  
stands upon  the grounds belonging to   
the ,swedish church1 which annually     
receives  certain rents1 out of which   
they pay the minister's salary1 and     
employ  the rest for other uses4 ,the   
houses are built of stone1 and look very
  pretty2 yet they are not built close  
together1 but large open places  are    
left between them4 ,the quakers have a  
meeting-house in this town4  ,the       
,swedish church1 which ,i intend to     
mention in the sequel1 is half a  mile  
out of town eastwards4 ,the parsonage is
 under the same roof with  the church4  
,a little river called ,christina-kill  
passes by the town1  and from thence    
falls into the ,delaware4 ,by following 
its banks one  goes three miles before  
one reaches the ,delaware4 ,the river is
 said to  be sufficiently deep1 so that 
the greatest vessel may come quite up to
  the town3 for at its mouth or juncture
 with the ,delaware1 it is  shallowest1 
and yet its depth even there when the   

water is lowest1 is  from two fathoms to
 two and a half4 ,but as you go higher  
its depth  encreases to three1 three and
 a half1 and even four fathoms4 ,the    
largest ships therefore may safely1 and 
with their full cargoes come  to1 and   
from the town with the tide4 from       
,wilmington1 you have a fine  prospect  
of a great part of the river ,delaware1 
and the ships sailing  on it4 ,on both  
sides of the river ,christina-kill1     
almost from the place  where the redoubt
 is built to its juncture with the      
,delaware1 are low  meadows1 which      
afford a great quantity of hay to the   
inhabitants4 ,the  town carries on a    
considerable trade1 and would have been 
more  enlarged1 if ,philadelphia and    
,newcastle1 which are both towns of a   
more  ancient date1 were not so near on 
both sides of it4    ,the ,redoubt upon 
the river ,christina-kill1 was erected  
this summer1  when it was known that the
 ,french and ,spanish privateers        
intended to  sail up the river1 and to  

attempt a landing4 ,it stands1 according
 to  the accounts of the late ,rev4 ,mr4
 ,tranberg1 on the same spot1 where the 
,swedes had built theirs4 ,it is        
remarkable1 that on working in the      
ground this summer1 to make this        
redoubt1 an old ,swedish silver coin of 
,queen ,christina1 not quite so big as a
 shilling was found at the depth  of a  
yard1 among some other things4 ,the     
,rev4 ,mr4 ,tranberg afterwards         
presented me with it4 ,on one side were 
the arms of the house of ,wasa  with the
 inscription3 ,,christina1 ,d4 ,g4 ,,de4
 ,,re4 ,,sve4 that is1 ,christina1  by  
the grace of ,god1 elected ,queen of    
,sweden2 and near this the year of  our 
,lord #afcc4 ,on the reverse were these 
words3 ,,moneta ,,nova ,,regni ,,svec4  
or1 a new coin of the kingdom of        
,sweden4 ,at the same time a number of  
old iron tools1 such as axes1 shovels1  
and the like1 were discovered4  ,the    
redoubt1 that is now erected1 consists  
of bulwarks of planks1 with  a rampart  

on the outside4 ,near it is the powder  
magazine1 in a vault  built of bricks4  
,at the erection of this little         
fortification it was  remarkable1 that  
the quakers1 whose tenets reject even   
defensive war1  were as busy as the     
other people in building it4 ,for the   
fear of being  every moment suddenly    
attacked by privateers1 conquered all   
other  thoughts4 ,many of them scrupled 
to put their own hands to the work2 but 
forwarded1 it by supplies of money1 and 
by getting ready every thing1  which was
 necessary4    ,october the #eth4 ,it   
was my design to cross the ,delaware1   
and to get  into ,new ,jersey with a    
view to get acquainted with the country2
 but as  there was no ferry here to     
bring my horse over1 ,i set out on my   
return  to ,philadelphia4 ,i partly went
 along the high road1 and partly        
deviated  on one or the other side of   
it1 in order to take more exact         
observations of the country1 and of its 
natural history4    ,the maize1 was sown

 in several places4 ,in some its stalks 
were cut  somewhat below the ear1 dried 
and put up in narrow high stacks1 in    
order to keep them as a food for the    
cattle in winter4 ,the lower part  of   
the stalk had likewise leaves1 but as   
they commonly dry of  themselves1 the   
people do not like to feed the cattle   
with them1 all  their flavour being     
lost3 ,but the upper ones are cut1      
whilst they are  yet green4    ,the     
vallies between the hills commonly      
contain brooks3 but they are not  very  
broad1 and require no bridges1 so that  
carriages and horse can  easily pass    
through them1 for the water is seldom   
above six inches  deep4    ,the leaves  
of most trees were yet quite green1 such
 as those of oaks1  chesnut trees1 black
 walnut trees1 hiccory1 tulip trees1 and
 sassafras4  ,the two latter species are
 found in plenty on the sides of the    
little  woods1 on hills1 on the fallow  
fields1 near hedges1 and on the road4   
,the persimon likewise had still its    

leaves2 however some trees of this  kind
 had dropt them4 ,the leaves of the     
,american bramble were at present       
almost entirely red1 though some of     
these bushes yet retained a lively      
green in the leaves4 ,the ,cornelian    
cherry likewise had already a  mixture  
of brown and pale leaves4 ,the leaves of
 the red maple were also  red4    ,i    
continued my journey to ,chichester1 a  
borough upon the ,delaware1  where      
travellers pass the river in a ferry4   
,they build here every year  a number of
 small ships for sale4 ,from an iron    
work which lies higher  in the country1 
they carry iron bars to this place1 and 
ship them4    ,canoes are boats made of 
one piece of wood1 and are much in use  
with  the farmers1 and other people upon
 the ,delaware1 and some little  rivers4
 ,for that purpose a very thick trunk of
 a tree is hollowed out2  the red       
juniper or red cedar tree1 the white    
cedar1 the chesnut tree1  the white oak1
 and the tulip tree are commonly made   

use of for this  purpose4 ,the canoes   
made of red and white cedar are reckoned
 the best1  because they swim very light
 upon the water1 and last twenty years  
together4 ,but of these1 the red cedar  
canoes are most preferable4 ,those  made
 of chesnut trees will likewise last for
 a good while4 ,but those of  white oak 
are hardly serviceable above six years1 
and also swim deep1  because they are so
 heavy4 ,the ,liquidambar tree1 or      
,liquidambar  styraciflua1 ,linn4 is big
 enough but unfit making canoes1 because
 it  imbibes the water4 ,the canoes     
which are made of the tulip tree1 scarce
  last as long as those of white oak4   
,the size of the canoes is  different1  
according to the purposes they are      
destined for4 ,they can  carry six      
persons2 who however1 must by no means  
be unruly1 but sit at  the bottom of the
 canoe in the quietest manner possible1 
lest the boat  overset4 ,the ,swedes in 
,pensylvania and ,new ,jersey near the  
rivers1 have  no other boats to go to   

,philadelphia in1 which they commonly do
 twice a  week on the market days1      
though they be several miles distant    
from the  town1 and meet sometimes with 
severe storms2 yet misfortunes from the 
oversetting1 c2 of these canoes are     
seldom heard of1 though they might  well
 be expected on account of the small    
size of this kind of boats4  ,however a 
great deal of attention and care is     
necessary in managing the  canoes1 when 
the wind is somewhat violent2 for they  
are narrow1 round  below1 have no keel1 
and therefore may easily be overset4    
,accordingly  when the wind is more     
brisk than ordinary1 the people make for
 the  land4    ,the common garden       
cresses grow in several places on the   
roads about  ,chichester1 and           
undoubtedly come from the seeds1 which  
were by chance  carried out of the many 
gardens about that town4    ,the        
,american brambles are here in great    
plenty4 ,when a field is left           
uncultivated1 they are the first plants 

that appear on it2 and ,i  frequently   
observed them in such fields as are     
annually ploughed1 and  have corn sown  
on them4 ,for when these bushes are once
 rooted1 they are  not easily           
extirpated4 ,such a bush runs out       
tendrils sometimes four  fathoms off its
 root1 and then throws a new root1 so   
that on pulling it  up1 you meet with   
roots on both ends4 ,on some old        
grounds1 which had  long been           
uncultivated1 there were so many bushes 
of this kind1 that it  was very         
troublesome and dangerous walking in    
them4 ,a wine is made of  the berries1  
as ,i have already mentioned4 ,the      
berries are likewise  eaten when they   
are ripe1 and taste well4 ,no other use 
is made of them4    ,october the #fth4  
,the ,chenopodium anthelminticum is very
 plentiful on  the road1 and on the     
banks of the river1 but chiefly in dry  
places in a  loose sandy soil4 ,the     
,english who are settled here1 call it  
,wormseed  and ,jerusalem ,oak4 ,it has 

a disagreeable scent4 ,in ,pensylvania  
and ,new  ,jersey its seeds are given to
 children1 against the worms1 and for   
that  purpose they are excellent4 ,the  
plant itself is spontaneous in both     
provinces4    ,the environs of          
,chichester1 contain many gardens1 which
 are full of  apple trees1 sinking under
 the weight of innumerable apples4 ,most
 of  them are winter fruit1 and         
therefore were yet quite sour4 ,each    
farm has  a garden1 and so has each     
house of the better sort4 ,the extent of
 these  gardens is likewise not         
inconsiderable1 and therefore affords1  
the  possessor all the year long1 great 
supplies in his house-keeping1 both  for
 eating and drinking4 ,i frequently was 
surprized at the prudence of  the       
inhabitants of this country4 ,as soon as
 one has bought a piece of  ground1     
which is neither built upon nor sown1   
his first care is to get  young apple   
trees1 and to make a garden4 ,he next   
proceeds to build his  house1 and lastly

 prepares the uncultivated ground to    
receive corn4 ,for  it is well known    
that the trees require many years before
 they arrive  to perfection1 and this   
makes it necessary to plant them first4 
,i now  perceived near the farms1 mills1
 wheels1 and other instruments which    
are made use of in crushing the apples1 
in order to prepare cyder from  them    
afterwards4    ,from ,chichester ,i went
 on towards ,philadelphia4 ,the oaks    
were the most  plentiful trees in the   
wood4 ,but there were several species of
 them1  all different from the ,european
 ones4 ,the swine now went about in     
great  herds in the oak woods1 where    
they fed upon the acorns which fell in  
great abundance from the trees4 ,each   
hog had a wooden triangular yoke  about 
its neck1 by which it was hindered from 
penetrating through the  holes in the   
enclosures2 and for this reason1 the    
enclosures are made  very slender1 and  
easy to put up1 and do not require much 
wood4 ,no  other enclosures are in use1 

but those which are so like sheep       
hurdles4  ,a number of squirrels were in
 the oak woods1 partly running on the   
ground1 and partly leaping from one     
branch to another2 and at this time     
they chiefly fed upon acorns4    ,i     
seldom saw beach trees2 but ,i found    
them quite the same with the  ,european 
ones4 ,their wood is reckoned very good 
for making joiner's  planes of4    ,i do
 not remember seeing any other than the 
black ,ants1 or ,formica  nigra in      
,pensylvania4 ,they are as black as a   
coal1 and of two sorts1  some very      
little1 like the least of our ants1 and 
others of the size of  our common       
reddish ants4 ,i have not yet observed  
any hills of theirs1  but only seen some
 running about singly4 ,in other parts  
of ,america1 ,i  have likewise found    
other species of ants1 as ,i intend to  
remark in the  sequel4    ,the common   
,privet1 or ,ligustrum vulgare1 is made 
use of in many places1  as a hedge round
 corn-fields and gardens1 and on my     

whole voyage1 ,i did  not see that any  
other trees were made use of for this   
purpose1 though  the ,englishmen here1  
well know that the hawthorn makes a much
 better  hedge4 ,the privet hedges grow 
very thick and close1 but having no     
spines1 the hogs1 and even other animals
 break easily through them2 and  when   
they have once made a hole1 it requires 
a long while before it  grows up again4 
,but when the hedges consist of spinose 
bushes1 the  cattle will hardly attempt 
to get through them4    ,about noon ,i  
came through ,chester1 a little         
market-town which lies on  the          
,delaware4 ,a rivulet coming down out of
 the country1 passes through  this      
place1 and discharges itself into the   
,delaware4 ,there is a bridge  over it4 
,the houses stand dispersed4 ,most of   
them are built of stone1  and two or    
three stories high2 some are however    
made of wood4 ,in the  town is a church1
 and a market-place4    ,wheat was now  
sown every where4 ,in some places it was

 already green1  having been sown four  
weeks before4 ,the wheat fields were    
made in the  ,english manner1 having no 
ditches in them1 but numerous furrows   
for  draining the water1 at the distance
 of four or six foot from one  another4 
,great stumps of the trees which had    
been cut down1 are every  where seen on 
the fields1 and this shews that the     
country has been but  lately cultivated4
    ,the roots of the trees do not go   
deep into the ground1 but spread        
horizontally4 ,i had opportunities of   
observing this in several places  where 
the trees were dug up2 for ,i seldom saw
 one1 whose roots went  above a foot    
deep into the ground1 though it was a   
loose soil4    ,about two ,english miles
 behind ,chester1 ,i passed by an iron  
forge1  which was to the right hand by  
the road side4 ,it belonged to two      
brothers1 as ,i was told4 ,the ore      
however is not dug here1 but thirty or  
forty miles from hence1 where it is     
first melted in the oven1 and then      

carried to this place4 ,the bellows were
 made of leather1 and both they  and the
 hammers1 and even the hearth1 but small
 in proportion to ours4  ,all the       
machines were worked by water4 ,the iron
 was wrought into bars4    ,to day ,i   
remarked1 as ,i have since frequently   
seen on my travels in  this country1    
that horses are very greedy of apples4  
,when they are let  into an orchard to  
feed upon the grass1 if there are any   
apples on the  ground1 they frequently  
leave the fresh green grass1 and eat the
  apples1 which1 however1 are not       
reckoned a good food for them2 and      
besides that1 it is too expensive4      
,the red ,maple1 or ,acer rubrum is     
plentiful in these places4 ,its proper  
situations are chiefly swampy1 wet      
places1 in which the alder commonly  is 
its companion4 ,out of its wood they    
make plates1 spinning-wheels1  rolls1   
feet for chairs and beds1 and all sorts 
of work4 ,with the bark1  they dye both 
worsted and linnen1 giving it a dark    

blue colour4 ,for  that purpose it is   
first boiled in water2 and some         
copperas1 such as  the hat-makers and   
shoe-makers commonly make use of1 is    
added1 before  the stuff 7which is to be
 dyed7 is put into the boiler4 ,this    
bark  likewise affords a good black ink4
 ,when the tree is felled early in      
spring1 a sweet juice runs out of it1   
like that which runs out of our         
birches4 ,this juice they do not make   
any use of here1 but in ,canada1  they  
make both treacle and sugar of it4 ,here
 is a variety of this tree  which they  
call the curled ,maple1 the wood being  
as it were marbled  within2 it is much  
used in all kinds of joiner's work1 and 
the utensils  made of this wood1 are    
preferable to those made of any other   
sort of  wood in the country1 and are   
much dearer than those made of the wood 
of  the wild cherry trees 7,prunus      
,virginiana7 or of black walnut trees4  
,but  the most valuable utensils were   
those made of curled black walnut1 for  

that is an excessive scarce kind of     
wood4 ,the curled maple was likewise    
very uncommon1 and you frequently find  
trees1 whose outsides are  marbled1 but 
their inside not4 ,the tree is therefore
 cut very deep  before it is felled1 to 
see whether it has veins in every part4 
,in the evening ,i reached              
,philadelphia4    ,october the #gth4 ,in
 the morning we crossed the ,delaware in
 a boat to  the other side which belongs
 to ,new ,jersey1 each person paying    
fourpence for his passage4 ,the country 
here is very different from that  in    
,pensylvania2 for here the ground is    
almost mere sand1 but in the  other     
province it is mixed with a good deal of
 clay1 and this makes the  ground pretty
 rich4 ,the discoveries which ,i made to
 day of insects and  plants1 ,i intend  
to mention in another work4    ,a soil  
like this in ,new ,jersey1 one might be 
led to think1 could  produce nothing    
because it is so dry and poor4 ,yet the 
maize which is  planted on it grows     

extremely well1 and we saw many fields  
filled with  it4 ,the earth is of that  
kind in which tobacco commonly succeeds1
 but  it is not near so rich4 ,the      
stalks of maize are commonly eight feet 
high1 more or less1 and are full of     
leaves4 ,the maize is planted as  usual 
in rows1 in little squares1 so that     
there is a space of five feet  and six  
inches between each square1 both in     
length and breadth2 on each  of these   
little hills three or four stalks come  
up1 which were not yet  cut for the     
cattle2 each stalk again has from one to
 four ears1 which  are large and full of
 corn4 ,a sandy ground could never have 
been better  employed4 ,in some places  
the ground between the maize is         
ploughed1 and  rye sown in it1 so that  
when the maize is cut1 the rye remains  
upon the  field4    ,we frequently saw  
,asparagus growing near the enclosures1 
in a loose  soil1 on uncultivated sandy 
fields4 ,it is likewise plentiful       
between  the maize1 and was at present  

full of berries1 but ,i cannot tell     
whether the seeds are carried by the    
wind to the places where ,i saw  them2  
it is however certain1 that ,i have     
likewise seen it growing wild  in other 
parts of ,america4    ,the ,worm-seed1  
is likewise plentiful on the roads1 in a
 sandy ground  such as that near the    
ferry opposite to ,philadelphia4 ,i have
 already  mentioned that it is given to 
children1 as a remedy to carry off the  
worms4 ,it is then put into brandy1 and 
when it has been in it for one  hour1 it
 is taken out again1 dried and given to 
the children1 either in  beer sweetened 
with treacle1 or in any other liquor4   
,its effects talked  of differently4    
,some people say it kills the worms1    
others again  pretend that it forwards  
their encrease4 ,but ,i know by my own  
experience1 that this wormseed has had  
very good effects upon children4    ,the
 ,purslain1 which we cultivate in our   
gardens1 grows wild in great  abundance 
in the loose soil amongst the maize4 ,it

 was there creeping on  the ground1 and 
its stalks were pretty thick and        
succulent2 which  circumstance very     
justly gave reason to wonder from whence
 it could get  juice sufficient to      
supply it in such a dry ground4 ,it is  
to be found  plentiful in such soil1 in 
other places of this country4    ,the   
,bidens bipinnata1 is here called       
,spanish ,needles4 ,it grows single     
about farm houses1 near roads1 pales and
 along the hedges4 ,it was yet  partly  
in flower2 but for the greatest part it 
was already out of  blossom4 ,when its  
seeds are ripe it is very disagreeable  
walking where  it grows4 ,for they stick
 to the cloaths and make them black2 and
 it is  difficult to discharge the black
 spots which they occasion4 ,each seed  
has three spines at its extremity2 and  
each of these again is full of  numerous
 little hooks1 by which the seed fastens
 itself to the cloaths4    ,in the woods
 and along the hedges in this           
neighbourhood1 some single  red ,ants1  

7,formica rubra7 crept about1 and their 
antenn or feel-horns  were as long as   
their bodies4    ,towards night we      
returned to ,philadelphia4    ,october  
the #hth4 ,the shore of ,pensylvania has
 a great quantity of the  finest        
oysters4 ,about this time the people    
began to bring them to  ,philadelphia   
for sale4 ,they come from that part of  
the shore1 which is  near the mouth of  
the river ,delaware4 ,they are reckoned 
as good as the  ,new ,york oysters1 of  
which ,i shall make more particular     
mention  afterwards4 ,however ,i thought
 that this latter sort of oysters was   
generally larger1 fatter and more       
palatable4 ,it is remarkable that they  
commonly became palatable at the time   
when the agues had left off their  fury4
 ,some men went with whole carts full of
 oysters1 crying them about  the        
streets2 this is unusual here when any  
thing else is to be sold1  but in       
,london it is very common4 ,the oyster  
shells are thrown away1  though formerly

 a lime was burnt from them1 which has  
been found  unnecessary1 there being    
stones for burning of lime in this      
neighbourhood1 and the lime of oyster   
shells not being as good as this  other 
lime4 ,the people shewed me some of     
houses in this town which were  built of
 stone1 and to the mason work of which  
the lime of oyster  shells had been     
employed4 ,the walls of these houses    
were always so wet  two or three days   
before a rain1 that great drops of water
 could  plainly be perceived on them2   
and thus they were as good as           
,hygrometers4 #bg ,several people who   
had lived in this kind of houses        
complained of these inconveniences4     
,october the #ith4 ,pease are not much  
cultivated in ,pensylvania at  present1 
though formerly1 according to the       
accounts of some old ,swedes1  every    
farmer had a little field with pease4   
,in ,new ,jersey and the  southern parts
 of ,new ,york1 pease are likewise not  
so much cultivated  as they used to be4 

,but in the northern parts of ,new      
,york1 or about  ,albany1 and in all the
 parts of ,canada which are inhabited by
 the  ,french1 the people sow great     
quantities1 and have a plentiful crop4  
,in  the former colonies1 a little      
despicable insect has obliged the people
  to give up so useful a part of        
agriculture4 ,this little insect was    
formerly little known1 but a few years  
ago it multiplied excessively4  ,it     
couples in summer1 about the time when  
the pease are in blossom1 and  then     
deposites an egg into almost every one  
of the little pease4 ,when  the pease   
are ripe1 their outward appearance does 
not discover the  worm1 which1 however1 
is found within1 when it is cut4 ,this  
worm lies  in the pea1 if it is not     
stirred during all the winter1 and part 
of the  spring1 and in that space of    
time consumes the greatest part of the  
inside of the pea3 ,in spring therefore 
little more than the mere thin  outward 
skin is left4 ,this worm at last changes

 into an insect1 of the  coleoptera     
class1 and in that state creeps through 
a hole of its own  making in the husk1  
and flies off1 in order to look for new 
fields of  pease1 in which it may couple
 with its cogeneric insects1 and provide
  food sufficient for its posterity4    
,this noxious insect has spread from    
,pensylvania to the north4 ,for the     
country of ,new ,york1 where it is      
common at present1 has not been  plagued
 with it above twelve or fifteen years  
ago2 and before that time  the people   
sowed pease every year without any      
inconvenience1 and had  excellent crops4
 ,but by degrees these little enemies   
came in such  numbers1 that the         
inhabitants were forced to leave off    
sowing of pease4  ,the people complained
 of this in several places4 ,the country
 people  about ,albany have yet the     
pleasure to see their fields of pease   
not  infected by these beetles1 but are 
always afraid of their approach2 as  it 
has been observed they come every year  

nearer to that province4    ,i know not 
whether this insect would live in       
,europe1 and ,i should think  our       
,swedish winters must kill the worm1    
even if it be ever so deeply  inclosed  
in the pea2 notwithstanding it is often 
as cold in ,new ,york  7where this      
insect is so abundant7 as in our        
country1 yet it continues  to multiply  
here every year1 and proceeds always    
farther to the north4  ,i was very near 
bringing some of these vermin into      
,europe1 without  knowing of it4 ,at my 
departure from ,america1 ,i took some   
sweet peas  with me in a paper1 and they
 were at that time quite fresh and      
green4  ,but on opening the paper after 
my arrival at ,stockholm1 on ,august the
  #ast4 #agea2 ,i found all the peas    
hollow1 and the head of an infect       
peeping out of each4 ,some of these     
insects even crept out1 in order to  try
 the weather of this new climate2 but ,i
 made haste1 to shut the  paper again1  
in order to prevent the spreading of    

this noxious insect4  #bh ,i own1 that  
when ,i first perceived them1 ,i was    
more frightened  than ,i should have    
been at the sight of a viper4 ,for ,i at
 once had a  full view of the whole     
damage1 which my dear country would have
  suffered1 if only two or three of     
these noxious insects had escaped me4   
,the posterity of many families1 and    
even the inhabitants of whole           
provinces1 would have had sufficient    
reason to detest me as the cause  of so 
great a calamity4 ,i afterwards sent    
some of them1 though well  secured1 to  
count ,tessin1 and to ,dr4 ,linnus1     
together with an account  of their      
destructive qualities4 ,dr4 ,linnus has 
already inserted a  description of them 
in an ,academical ,dissertation1 which  
has been drawn  up under his presidency1
 and treats of the damages made by      
insects4  #bi ,he there calls this      
insect the ,bruchus of ,north-,america4 
#cj ,it  was very peculiar that every   
pea in the paper was eaten without      

exception4    ,when the inhabitants of  
,pensylvania sow pease procured from    
abroad1  they are not commonly attacked 
by these insects for the first year2 but
  in the next they take possession of   
the pea4 ,it is greatly to be wished    
that none of the ships which annually   
depart from ,new ,york or  ,pensylvania1
 may bring them into the ,european      
countries4 ,from hence the  power of a  
single despicable insect will plainly   
appear2 as also1 that  the study of the 
conomy and of the qualities of insects1 
is not to be  looked upon as a mere     
pastime and useless employment4 #ca     
,the ,rhus radicans is a shrub or tree  
which grows abundantly in this  country1
 and has in common with the ivy1 called 
,hedera arborea1 the  quality of not    
growing without the support either of a 
tree1 a wall1 or  a hedge4 ,i have seen 
it climbing to the very top of high     
trees in the  woods1 and its branches   
shoot out every where little roots1     
which  fasten upon the tree and as it   

were enter into it4 ,when the stem is   
cut1 it emits a pale brown sap of a     
disagreeable scent4 ,this sap is so     
sharp that the letters and characters   
made upon linnen with it1 cannot  be got
 out again1 but grow blacker the more   
the cloath is washed4 ,boys  commonly   
marked their names on their linnen with 
this juice4 ,if you  write with it on   
paper1 the letters never go out1 but    
grow blacker from  time to time4        
,this species of ,sumach has the same   
noxious qualities as the poisonous      
sumach1 or ,poison-tree1 which ,i have  
above described1 being poisonous  to    
some people1 though not to every one4   
,therefore all that has been  said of   
the poison tree is likewise applicable  
to this2 excepting that  the former has 
the stronger poison4 ,however ,i have   
seen people who have  been as much      
swelled from the noxious exhalations of 
the latter1 as  they could have been    
from those of the former4 ,i likewise   
know that of  two sisters1 the one could

 manage the tree without being affected 
by  its venom1 though the other         
immediately felt it as soon as the      
exhalations of the tree came near her1  
or when ever she came a yard too  near  
the tree1 and even when she stood in the
 way of the wind1 which  blew directly  
from this shrub4 ,but upon me this      
species of sumach has  never exherted   
its power1 though ,i made above a       
hundred experiments  upon myself with   
the greatest stems1 and the juice once  
squirted into  my eye1 without doing me 
any harm4 ,on another person's hand     
which ,i had  covered very thick with   
it1 the skin a few hours after became as
 hard  as a piece of tanned leather1 and
 peeled off in the following days1 as   
if little scales fell from it4          
,october the #ajth4 ,in the morning ,i  
accompanied ,mr4 ,cock to his country   
seat1 which is about nine miles from    
,philadelphia to the north4    ,though  
the woods of ,pensylvania afford many   
oaks1 and more species of  them than are

 found further north1 yet they do not   
build so many ships  in this province as
 they do in the northern ones1 and      
especially in ,new  ,england4 ,but      
experience has taught the people that   
the same kind of  trees is more durable 
the further it grows to the north1 and  
that this  advantage decreases the more 
it grows in warm climates4 ,it is       
likewise  plain that the trees in the   
south grow more every year1 and form    
thicker ringlets than those in the      
north4 ,the former have likewise much   
greater tubes for the circulation of the
 sap than the latter4 ,and for  this    
reason they do not build so many ships  
in ,pensylvania1 as they do  in ,new    
,england1 though more than in ,virginia 
and ,maryland2 but ,carolina  builds    
very few1 and its merchants get all     
their ships from ,new  ,england4 ,those 
which are here made of the best oak1    
hardly are  serviceable above ten1 or at
 most twelve years2 for then they are so
  rotten1 that no body ventures to go to

 sea in them1 ,many captains of  ships  
come over from ,england to              
,north-,america1 in order to get ships  
built4 ,but most of them choose ,new    
,england1 that being the most  northerly
 province2 and if they even come over in
 ships which are bound  for             
,philadelphia1 they frequently on their 
arrival set out from  ,pensylvania for  
,new ,england4 ,the ,spaniards in the   
,west ,indies are said  to build their  
ships of a peculiar sort of cedar1 which
 holds out  against putrefaction and    
wet2 but it is not to be met with on the
  continent in the ,english provinces4  
,here are above nine different sorts  of
 oak1 but not one of them is comparable 
to the single species we have  in       
,sweden1 with regard to its goodness4   
,and therefore a ship of  ,european oak 
costs a great deal more than one made of
 ,american oak4    ,many people who     
chiefly employed themselves in          
gardening1 had found in  a succession of
 years1 that the red ,beet1 which grew  

out of the seed  which was got from ,new
 ,york1 became very sweet and had a very
 fine  taste2 but that it every year    
lost part of its goodness1 if it was    
cultivated from seeds which were got    
here4 ,the people were therefore        
obliged to get as many seeds of red beet
 every year from ,new ,york1 as  were   
wanted in their gardens4 ,it has        
likewise been generally observed1  that 
the plants which are produced from      
,english seeds are always much  better  
and more agreeable1 than those which    
come from seeds of this  country4    ,in
 the garden of ,mr4 ,cock was a raddish 
which was in the loose soil1  grown so  
big as to be seven inches in diameter4  
,every body that saw it1  owned it was  
uncommon to see them of such a size4    
,that species of ,convolvulus which is  
commonly called ,batatas1 has here  the 
name of ,bermudian potatoes4 ,the common
 people1 and the gentry  without        
distinction planted them in their       
gardens4 ,this is done in the  same     

manner as with the common potatoes4     
,some people made little  hillocks1 into
 which they put these potatoes2 but     
others only planted  them in flat beds4 
,the soil must be a mixture of sand and 
earth1 and  neither too rich1 nor too   
poor4 ,when they are going to plant     
them1 they  cut them1 as the common     
potatoes1 taking care however that a bud
 or two  be left upon each piece which  
is intended to be planted4 ,their colour
  is commonly red without1 and yellow   
within4 ,they are bigger than the       
common sort1 and have a sweet and very  
agreeable taste1 which ,i cannot  find  
in the other potatoes1 in artichokes or 
in any other root1 and  they almost melt
 in the mouth4 ,it is not long since    
they have been  planted here4 ,they are 
dressed in the same manner as common    
potatoes1  and eaten either along with  
them1 or by themselves4 ,they grow very 
fast  and very well here2 but the       
greatest difficulty consists in keeping 
them over winter1 for they will bear    

neither cold1 nor a great heat1  nor    
wet4 ,they must therefore be kept during
 winter in a box with sand  in a warm   
room4 ,in ,pensylvania where they have  
no valves in their  chimnies1 they are  
put in such a box with sand1 at some    
distance from  the fire1 and there they 
are secured both against frost and      
against  over great heat4 ,it will not  
answer the purpose to put them into dry 
sand in a cellar1 as is commonly done   
with the common sort of potatoes4  ,for 
the moisture which is always in cellars1
 penetrates the sand1 and  makes them   
putrefy4 ,it would probably be very easy
 to keep them in  ,sweden in warm rooms1
 during the cold season4 ,but the       
difficulty lies  wholly in bringing them
 over to ,sweden4 ,i carried a          
considerable number  of them with me on 
leaving ,america1 and took all possible 
care in  preserving them4 ,but we had a 
very violent storm at sea1 by which the 
ship was so greatly damaged1 that the   
water got in every where1 and  wetted   

our cloaths1 beds and other moveables so
 much1 that we could  wring the water   
out of them4 ,it is therefore no wonder 
that my ,bermuda  potatoes were rotten2 
but as they are now cultivated in       
,portugal and  ,spain1 nay even in      
,england1 it will be easy to bring them 
into ,sweden4  ,the drink which the     
,spaniards prepare from these potatoes  
in their  ,american possessions is not  
usual in ,pensylvania4 #cb    ,mr4 ,cock
 had a paper mill1 on a little brook1   
and all the coarser sorts  of paper are 
manufactured in it4 ,it is now annually 
rented for fifty  pounds ,pensylvania   
currency4    ,october the #aath4 ,i have
 already mentioned1 that every          
countryman has a  greater or lesser     
number of apple trees planted round his 
farm-house1  from whence he gets great  
quantities of fruit1 part of which he   
sells1  part he makes cyder of1 and part
 he uses in his own family for pyes1    
tarts1 and the like4 ,however he cannot 
expect an equal quantity of  fruit every

 year4 ,and ,i was told1 that this year 
had not by far  afforded such a great   
quantity of apples as the preceding2 the
 cause of  which they told me1 was the  
continual and great drought in the month
 of  ,may1 which had hurt all the       
blossoms of the apple trees1 and made   
them  wither4 ,the heat had been so     
great as to dry up all the plants1 and  
the  grass in the fields4    ,the       
,polytrichum commune1 a species of moss1
 grew plentifully on wet and  low       
meadows between the woods1 and in       
several places quite covered  them1 as  
our mosses cover the meadows in ,sweden4
 ,it was likewise very  plentiful on    
hills4    ,agriculture was in a very bad
 state hereabouts4 ,when a person had   
bought a piece of land1 which perhaps   
had never been ploughed since the       
creation1 he cut down part of the wood1 
tore up the roots1 ploughed the  ground1
 sowed corn on it1 and the first time   
got a plentiful crop4 ,but  the same    
land being tilled for several years     

successively1 without  being manured1 it
 at last must of course lose its        
fertility4 ,its  possessor therefore    
leaves it fallow1 and proceeds to       
another part of  his ground1 which he   
treats in the same manner4 ,thus he goes
 on till he  has changed a great part of
 his possessions into corn-fields1 and  
by  that means deprives the ground of   
its fertility4 ,he then returns to the  
first field1 which now is pretty well   
recovered2 this he again tills as  long 
as it will afford him a good crop1 but  
when its fertility is  exhausted1 he    
leaves it fallow again1 and proceeds to 
the rest as  before4    ,it being       
customary here1 to let the cattle go    
about the fields and in  the woods both 
day and night1 the people cannot collect
 much dung for  manure4 ,but by leaving 
the land fallow for several years       
together1 a  great quantity of weeds    
spring up in it1 and get such strength1 
that it  requires a considerable time to
 extirpate them4 ,from hence it likewise

  comes1 that the corn is always so much
 mixed with weeds4 ,the great  richness 
of the soil1 which the first ,european  
colonists found here1  and which had    
never been ploughed before1 has given   
rise to this  neglect of agriculture1   
which is still observed by many of the  
inhabitants4 ,but they do not consider1 
that when the earth is quite  exhausted1
 a great space of time1 and an infinite 
deal of labour is  necessary to bring it
 again into good order2 especially in   
these  countries which are almost every 
summer so scorched up by the excessive  
heat and drought4 ,the soil of the      
corn-fields consisted of a thin  mould1 
greatly mixed with a brick coloured     
clay1 and a quantity of  small particles
 of glimmer4 ,this latter came from the 
stones which are  here almost every     
where to be met with at the depth of a  
foot or  thereabouts4 ,these little     
pieces of glimmer made the ground       
sparkle1  when the sun shone upon it4   
,almost all the houses hereabouts were  

built either of stone or bricks2  but   
those of stone were more numerous4      
,germantown1 which is about two         
,english miles long1 had no other       
houses1 and the country houses          
thereabouts1 were all built of stone4   
,but there are several varieties  of    
that stone which is commonly made use of
 in building4 ,sometimes it  consisted  
of a black or grey glimmer1 running in  
undulated veins1 the  spaces between    
their bendings being filled up with a   
grey1 loose1  small-grained limestone1  
which was easily friable4 ,some         
transparent  particles of quartz were   
scattered in the mass1 of which the     
glimmer  made the greatest part4 ,it was
 very easy to be cut1 and with proper   
tools could readily be shaped into any  
form4 ,sometimes however the  pieces    
consisted of a black1 small-grained     
glimmer1 a white  small-grained         
sandstone1 and some particles of quartz1
 and the several  constituent parts were
 well mixed together4 ,sometimes the    

stone had  broad stripes of the white   
limestone without any addition of       
glimmer4  ,but most commonly they were  
much blended together1 and of a grey    
colour4 ,sometimes this stone was found 
to consist of quite fine and  black     
pieces of glimmer1 and a grey1 loose and
 very small-grained  limestone4 ,this   
was likewise very easy to be cut1 being 
loose4    ,these varieties of the stone 
are commonly found close together4 ,they
  were every where to be met with1 at a 
little depth1 but not in equal  quantity
 and goodness2 and not always easy to be
 broken4 ,when therefore  a person      
intended to build a house1 he enquired  
where the best stone  could be met with4
 ,it is to be found on corn-fields and  
meadows1 at a  depth which varies from  
two to six feet4 ,the pieces were       
different as  to size4 ,some were eight 
or ten feet long1 two broad1 and one    
thick4  ,sometimes they were still      
bigger1 but frequently much less4       
,hereabouts  they lay in strata one     

above another1 the thickness of each    
stratum  being about a foot4 ,the length
 and breadth were different1 but        
commonly  such as ,i have before        
mentioned4 ,they must commonly dig three
 or four  feet before they reach the    
first stratum4 ,the loose ground above  
that  stratum1 is full of little pieces 
of this stone4 ,this ground is the      
common brick coloured soil1 which is    
universal here1 and consists of  sand   
and clay1 though the former is more     
plentiful4 ,the loose pieces of  glimmer
 which shine so much in it1 seem to have
 been broken off from  the great strata 
of stone4    ,it must be observed that  
when the people build with this stone1  
they  take care to turn the flat side of
 it outwards4 ,but as that cannot       
always be done1 the stone being         
frequently rough on all sides1 it is    
easily cut smooth with tools1 since it  
is soft1 and not very difficult  to be  
broken4 ,the stones however are unequal 
in thickness1 and  therefore by putting 

them together they cannot be kept in    
such straight  lines as bricks4 ,it     
sometimes likewise happens that pieces  
break off  when they are cut1 and leave 
holes on the outside of the wall4 ,but  
in  order to fill up these holes1 the   
little pieces of stone which cannot  be 
made use of are pounded1 mixed with     
mortar1 and put into the holes2  the    
places thus filled up1 are afterwards   
smoothed1 and when they are  dry1 they  
are hardly distinguishable from the rest
 at some distance4 ,at  last they draw  
on the outside of the wall1 strokes of  
mortar1 which  cross each other         
perpendicularly1 so that it looks as if 
the wall  consisted wholly of equal1    
square stones1 and as if the white      
strokes  were the places where they were
 joined with mortar4 ,the inside of the 
wall is made smooth1 covered with mortar
 and whitewashed4 ,it has not  been     
observed that this kind of stone        
attracts the moisture in a rainy  or wet
 season4 ,in ,philadelphia and its      

environs1 you find several  houses built
 of this kind of stone4    ,the houses  
here are commonly built in the ,english 
manner4    ,one of ,mr4 ,cock's negroes 
showed me the skin of a badger 7,ursus  
,meles7  which he had killed a few days 
ago1 and which convinced me that the    
,american badger is the same with the   
,swedish one4 ,it was here called       
,ground ,hog4    ,towards night ,i      
returned to ,philadelphia4    ,october  
the #abth4 ,in the morning we went to   
the river ,skulkill1 partly  to gather  
seeds1 partly to collect plants for the 
herbal1 and to make  all sorts of       
observations4 ,the ,skulkill is a narrow
 river1 which falls  into the ,delaware1
 about four miles from ,philadelphia to 
the south2 but  narrow as it is1 it     
rises on the west side of those high    
mountains1  commonly called the blue    
mountains1 and runs two hundred ,english
 miles1  and perhaps more4 ,it is a     
great disadvantage to this country1 that
  there are several cataracts in this   

river as low as ,philadelphia1 for      
which reason there can be no navigation 
on it4 ,to day ,i made some             
descriptions and remarks on such plants 
as the cattle liked1 or such as  they   
never touched4    ,i observed several   
little subterraneous walks in the       
fields1 running  under ground in various
 directions1 the opening of which was   
big enough  for a mole3 the earth1 which
 formed as it were a vault above it1 and
  lay elevated like a little bank1 was  
near two inches high1 full as  broad as 
a man's hand1 and about two inches      
thick4 ,in uncultivated  fields ,i      
frequently saw these subterraneous      
walks1 which discovered  themselves by  
the ground thrown up above them1 which  
when trod upon  gave way1 and made it   
inconvenient to walk in the field4      
,these walks are inhabited by a kind of 
mole1 #cc which ,i intend to  describe  
more accurately in another work4 ,their 
food is commonly roots3  ,i have        
observed the following qualities in one 

which was caught4 ,it had  greater      
stiffness and strength in its legs1 than
 ,i ever observed in  other animals in  
proportion to their size4 ,whenever it  
intended to dig1  it held its legs      
obliquely1 like oars1 ,i laid my        
handkerchief before  it1 and it began to
 stir in it with the snout1 and taking  
away the  handkerchief to see what it   
had done to it1 ,i found that in the    
space  of a minute it had made it full  
of holes1 and it looked as if it had    
been pierced very much by an awl4 ,i was
 obliged to put some books on  the cover
 of the box in which ,i kept this       
animal1 or else it was flung  off       
immediately4 ,it was very irascible1 and
 would bite great holes into  any thing 
that was put in its way2 ,i held a steel
 pen-case to it1 it at  first bit at it 
with great violence1 but having felt its
 hardness1 it  would not venture again  
to bite at any thing4 ,these moles do   
not make  such hills as the ,european   
ones1 but only such walks as ,i have    

already  described4    ,october the     
#acth4 ,there is a plant here1 from the 
berries of which they  make a kind of   
wax or tallow1 and for that reason the  
,swedes call it  the ,tallow shrub4 ,the
 ,english call the same tree the        
,candleberry-tree1  or ,bayberry-bush2  
and ,dr4 ,linnus gives it the name of   
,myrica cerifera4  ,it grows abundantly 
on a wet soil1 and it seems to thrive   
particularly  well in the neighbourhood 
of the sea1 nor have ,i ever found it   
high up  in the country far from the    
sea4 ,the berries grow abundantly on the
  female shrub1 and look as if flower   
had been strewed upon them4 ,they  are  
gathered late in autumn1 being ripe     
about that time1 and are then  thrown   
into a kettle or pot full of boiling    
water2 by this means their  fat melts   
out1 floats at the top of the water and 
may be skimmed off  into a vessel2 with 
the skimming they go on till there is no
 tallow  left4 ,the tallow as soon as it
 is congealed1 looks like common tallow 

or wax1 but has a dirty green colour2 it
 is for that reason melted over  again1 
and refined1 by which means it acquires 
a fine and pretty  transparent green    
colour3 this tallow is dearer than      
common tallow1 but  cheaper than wax4   
,in ,philadelphia they pay a shilling   
,pensylvania  currency1 for a pound of  
this tallow2 but a pound of common      
tallow only  came to half that money1   
and wax costs as much again4 ,from this 
tallow  they make candles in many parts 
of this province1 but they usually mix  
some common tallow with it4 ,candles of 
this kind1 do not easily bend1  nor melt
 in summer as common candles do2 they   
burn better and slower1  nor do they    
cause any smoak1 but rather yield an    
agreeable smell1 when  they are         
extinguished4 ,an old ,swede of         
ninety-one years of age told me1  that  
this sort of candles had formerly been  
much in use with his  country men4 ,at  
present they do not make so many candles
 of this kind1  if they can get the     

tallow of animals2 it being too         
troublesome to  gather the berries4     
,however these candles are made use of  
by poor  people1 who live in the        
neighbourhood of a place where the      
bushes grow1  and have not cattle enough
 to kill1 in order to supply them with a
  sufficient quantity of tallow4 ,from  
the wax of the candleberry tree  they   
likewise make a soap here1 which has an 
agreeable scent1 and is  the best for   
shaving4 ,this wax is likewise used by  
doctors1 and  surgeons1 who reckon it   
exceeding good for plasters upon wounds4
 ,a  merchant of this town once sent a  
quantity of these candles to those      
,american provinces which had ,roman    
,catholic inhabitants1 thinking he      
would be well paid1 since wax candles   
are made use of in the ,roman           
,catholick churches2 but the clergy     
would not take them4 ,an old ,swede     
mentioned that the root of the          
candleberry tree was formerly made use  
of by the ,indians1 as a remedy against 

the tooth ach1 and that he  himself     
having had the tooth ach very violently1
 had cut the root in  pieces and applied
 it round his tooth2 and that the pain  
had been  lessened by it4 ,another      
,swede assured me that he had been cured
 of the  tooth ach1 by applying the peel
 of the root to it4 ,in ,carolina1 they 
not only make candles out of the wax of 
the berries1 but likewise  sealing-wax4 
,october the #adth4 ,penny ,royal is a  
plant which has a peculiar strong       
scent1 and grows abundantly on dry      
places in the country4 ,botanists  call 
it ,cunila pulegioides4 ,it is reckoned 
very wholesome to drink as a  tea when a
 person has got cold1 as it promotes    
perspiration4 ,i was  likewise told1    
that on feeling a pain in any limb1 this
 plant1 if  applied to it1 would give   
immediate relief4    ,the goods which   
are shipped to ,london from ,new        
,england are the  following3 all sorts  
of fish caught near ,newfoundland and   
elsewhere2  train-oil of several sorts2 

whale-bone2 tar1 pitch1 masts2 new      
ships1  of which a great number is      
annually built2 a few hides1 and        
sometimes  some sorts of wood4 ,the     
,english islands in ,america1 as        
,jamaica and  ,barbadoes1 get from ,new 
,england1 fish1 flesh1 butter1 cheese1  
tallow1  horses1 cattle2 all sorts of   
lumber1 such as pails1 buckets1 and     
hogsheads2 and have returns made in rum1
 sugar1 melasses1 and other  produces of
 the country1 or in cash1 the greatest  
part of all which  they send to ,london 
7the money especially7 in payment of the
 goods  received from thence1 and yet   
all this is inefficient to pay off the  
debt4    ,october the #aeth4 ,the       
,alders grew here in considerable       
abundance on wet  and low places1 and   
even sometimes on pretty high ones1 but 
never  reached the height of the        
,european alders1 and commonly stood    
like a  bush about a fathom or two high4
 ,mr4 ,bartram1 and other gentlemen who 
had frequently travelled in these       

provinces1 told me that the more you  go
 to the south1 the less are the alders1 
but that they are higher and  taller1   
the more you advance to the north4 ,i   
found afterwards myself1  that the      
alders in some places of ,canada1 are   
little inferior to the  ,swedish ones4  
,their bark is employed here in dying   
red and brown4 ,a  ,swedish inhabitant  
of ,america1 told me that he had cut his
 leg to the  very bone1 and that some   
coagulated blood had already been       
settled  within4 ,that he had been      
advised to boil the alder bark1 and to  
wash  the wound often with the water3   
that he followed this advice1 and had   
soon got his leg healed1 though it had  
been very dangerous at first4    ,the   
,phytolacca decandra was called ,poke by
 the ,english4 ,the ,swedes had  no     
particular name for it1 but made use of 
the ,english1 with some  little         
variation into ,paok4 ,when the juice of
 its berries is put upon  paper or the  
like1 it strikes it with a high purple  

colour1 which is as  fine as any in the 
world1 and it is pity that no method is 
as yet found  out1 of making this colour
 last on woollen and linen cloth1 for it
  fades very soon4 ,mr4 ,bartram        
mentioned1 that having hit his foot     
against a stone1 he had got a violent   
pain in it2 he then bethought  himself  
to put a leaf of the ,phytolacca on his 
foot1 by which he lost  the pain in a   
short time1 and got his foot well soon  
after4 ,the berries  are eaten by the   
birds about this time4 ,the ,english and
 several ,swedes  make use of the leaves
 in spring1 when they are just come out1
 and are  yet tender and soft1 and eat  
them partly as green cale1 and partly in
  the manner we eat spinnage4 ,sometimes
 they likewise prepare them in the      
first of these ways1 when the stalks are
 already grown a little longer1         
breaking off none but the upper sprouts 
which are yet tender1 and not  woody2   
but in this latter case1 great care is  
to be taken1 for if you  eat the plant  

when it is already grown up1 and its    
leaves are no longer  soft1 you may     
expect death as a consequence which     
seldom fails to  follow1 for the plant  
has then got a power of purging the body
 to  excess4 ,i have known people1 who1 
by eating great full grown leaves of    
this plant1 have got such a strong      
dysentery1 that they were near dying    
with it3 its berries however are eaten  
in autumn by children1 without  any ill 
consequence4    ,woollen and linen cloth
 is dyed yellow with the bark of        
hiccory4 ,this  likewise is done with   
the bark of the black oak1 or ,linnus's 
,quercus  nigra1 and that variety of it 
which ,catesby in his ,natural ,history 
of  ,carolina1 vol4 i4 tab4 #ai4 calls  
,quercus marilandica4 ,the flowers and  
leaves of the ,impatiens ,noli tangere  
or balsamine1 likewise dyed all  woollen
 stuffs with a fine yellow colour4      
,the ,collinsonia canadensis was        
frequently found in little woods and    
bushes1 in a good rich soil4 ,mr4       

,bartram who knew the country perfectly 
well1 was sure that ,pensylvania1 and   
all the parts of ,america in the  same  
climate1 were the true and original     
places where this plant grows4  ,for    
further to the south1 neither he nor    
,messrs4 ,clayton and ,mitchel  ever    
found it1 though the latter gentlemen   
have made accurate  observations in     
,virginia and part of ,maryland4 ,and   
from his own  experience he knew1 that  
it did not grow in the northerly parts4 
,i have  never found it more than       
fifteen min4 north of forty-three deg4  
,the  time of the year when it comes up 
in ,pensylvania1 is so late1 that its   
seed has but just time sufficient to    
ripen in1 and it therefore seems        
unlikely1 that it can succeed further   
north1 ,mr4 ,bartram was the first  who 
discovered it1 and sent it over into    
,europe4 ,mr4 ,jussieu during his  stay 
at ,london1 and ,dr4 ,linnus afterwards1
 called it ,collinsonia1 from  the      
celebrated ,mr4 ,peter ,collinson1 a    

merchant in ,london1 and fellow of  the 
,english and ,swedish ,royal ,societies4
 ,he well deserved the honour of  having
 a plant called after his name1 for     
there are few people that  have promoted
 natural history and all useful sciences
 with a zeal like  his2 or that have    
done as much as he towards collecting1  
cultivating1  and making known all sorts
 of plants4 ,the ,collinsonia has a     
peculiar  scent1 which is agreeable1 but
 very strong4 ,it always gave me a      
pretty  violent head-ach whenever ,i    
passed by a place where it stood in     
plenty1  and especially when it was in  
flower4 ,mr4 ,bartram was acquainted    
with a  better quality of this plant1   
which was that of being an excellent    
remedy against all sorts of pain in the 
limbs1 and against a cold1 when  the    
parts affected are rubbed with it4 ,and 
,mr4 ,conrad ,weisser1  interpreter of  
the language of the ,indians in         
,pensylvania1 had told him  of a more   
wonderful cure with this plant4 ,he was 

once among a company  of ,indians1 one  
of which had been stung by a rattle     
snake1 the savages  gave him over1 but  
he boiled the collinsonia1 and made the 
poor wretch  drink the water1 from which
 he happily recovered4 ,somewhat more to
 the  north and in ,new ,york they call 
this plant ,horseweed1 because the      
horses eat it in spring1 before any     
other plant comes up4    ,october the   
#afth4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,franklin and other
 gentlemen who were  well acquainted    
with this country1 whether they had met 
with any signs1  from whence they could 
have concluded that any place which was 
now a  part of the continent1 had       
formerly been covered with water8 and ,i
 got  the following account in answer4  
#a4 ,on travelling from hence to the    
south1 you meet with a place where  the 
highroad is very low in the ground      
between two mountains4 ,on both  sides  
you see nothing but oyster shells and   
muscle shells in immense  quantities    
above each other2 however the place is  

many miles off the  sea4    #b4         
,whenever they dig wells1 or build      
houses in town1 they find the  earth    
lying in several strata above each      
other4 ,at a depth of fourteen  feet or 
more1 they find globular stones1 which  
are as smooth on the  outside as those  
which lie on the sea-shore1 and are made
 round and  smooth by the rolling of the
 waves4 ,and after having dug through   
the  sand1 and reached a depth of       
eighteen feet or more1 they discover in 
some places a slime like that which the 
sea throws up on the shore1 and  which  
commonly lies at its bottom and in      
rivers2 this slime is quite  full of    
trees1 leaves1 branches1 reed1 charcoal1
 c4    #c4 ,it has sometimes happened   
that new houses have sunk on one side in
 a  short time1 and have obliged the    
people to pull them down again4 ,on     
digging deeper1 for a very hard ground  
to build upon1 they have found a        
quantity of the above slime1 wood1      
roots1 c4    ,are not these reasons     

sufficient to make one suppose that     
those places  in ,philadelphia which are
 at present fourteen feet and more under
  ground1 formerly were the bottom of   
the sea1 and that by several  accidents1
 sand1 earth1 and other things were     
carried upon it8 or1 that  the ,delaware
 formerly was broader than it is at     
present8 or1 that it  has changed its   
course8 ,this last still often happens  
at present2 the  river breaking off the 
bank on one side1 and forming one on the
 other4  ,both the ,swedes and ,english 
often shewed me such places4    ,october
 the #ahth4 ,at present ,i did not find 
above ten different kinds  of plants in 
blossom3 they were1 a ,gentiana1 two    
species of ,aster1 the  common ,golden  
,rod1 or ,solidago ,virga aurea1 a      
species of ,hieracium1 the  yellow wood 
,sorrel1 or ,oxalis corniculata1 the    
,fox ,gloves1 or ,digitalis  purpurea1  
the ,hamamelis ,virginiana1 or ,witch   
,hazel1 our common  ,millefoil1 or      
,achilla ,millefolium1 and our          

,dandelion1 or ,leontodon  ,taraxacum4  
,all other plants had for this year laid
 aside their gay  colours4 ,several     
trees1 especially those which were to   
flower early in  spring1 had already    
formed such large buds1 that on opening 
them all  the parts of fructification1  
such as ,calyx1 ,corolla1 ,stamina and  
,pistillum were plainly distinguishable4
 ,it was therefore easy to  determine   
the genus to which such trees belonged4 
,such were the red  maple1 or ,acer     
rubrum1 and the ,laurus stivalis1 a     
species of bay4 ,thus  nature prepared  
to bring forth flowers1 with the first  
mild weather in  the next year4 ,the    
buds were at present quite hard1 and all
 their parts  pressed close together1   
that the cold might by all means be     
excluded4    ,the black ,walnut trees   
had for the greatest part dropt their   
leaves1  and many of them were entirely 
without them4 ,the walnuts themselves   
were already fallen off4 ,the green peel
 which enclosed them1 if  frequently    

handled1 would yield a black colour1    
which could not be got  off the fingers 
in two or three weeks time1 though the  
hands were  washed ever so much4    ,the
 ,cornus florida was called ,dogwood by 
the ,english1 and grew  abundantly in   
the woods4 ,it looks beautiful when it  
is adorned with its  numerous great     
white flowers in spring4 ,the wood is   
very hard1 and is  therefore made use of
 for weaver's spools1 joiner's planes1  
wedges1 c4  ,when the cattle fall down  
in spring for want of strength1 the     
people  tie a branch of this tree on    
their neck1 thinking it will help them4 
,october the #aith4 ,the ,tulip tree    
grows every where in the woods of this  
country4 ,the botanists call it         
,liriodendron tulipifera1 because its   
flowers both in respect to their size1  
and in respect to their exterior  form1 
and even in some measure with regard to 
their colour1 resemble  tulips4 ,the    
,swedes called it ,canoe tree1 for both 
the ,indians and the  ,europeans often  

make their canoes of the stem of this   
tree4 ,the  ,englishmen in ,pensylvania 
give it the name of ,poplar4 ,it is     
reckoned a  tree which grows to the     
greatest height and thickness of any in 
,north  ,america1 and which vies in that
 point with our greatest ,european      
trees4  ,the white oak and the fir in   
,north ,america1 however are little     
inferior  to it4 ,it cannot therefore   
but be very agreeable to see in spring1 
at  the end of ,may 7when it is in      
blossom7 one of the greatest trees      
covered for a fortnight together with   
flowers1 which with regard to  their    
shape1 size1 and partly colour are like 
tulips1 the leaves have  likewise       
something peculiar1 the ,english        
therefore in some places call  the tree 
the old woman's smock1 because their    
imagination finds  something like it    
below the leaves4    ,its wood is here  
made use of for canoes1 boards1 planks1 
bowls1 dishes1  spoons1 door posts1 and 
all sorts of joiners work4 ,i have seen 

a barn  of a considerable size whose    
walls1 and roof were made of a single   
tree  of this kind1 split into boards4  
,some joiners reckoned this wood better 
than oak1 because this latter frequently
 is warped1 which the other  never does1
 but works very easy2 others again      
valued it very little4 ,it  is certain1 
that it contracts so much in hot        
weather1 as to occasion  great cracks in
 the boards1 and in wet weather it      
swells so as to be  near bursting1 and  
the people hardly know of a wood in     
these parts  which varies so much in    
contracting and expanding itself4 ,the  
joiners  however make much use of it in 
their work1 they say there are two      
species of it2 but they are merely two  
varieties1 one of which in time  turns  
yellow within1 the other is white1 the  
former is said to have a  looser        
texture4 ,the bark 7like ,russia glass7 
is divisible into very  thin leaves1    
which are very tough like bast1 though  
,i have never seen  it employed as such4

 ,the leaves when crushed and applied to
 the  forehead are said to be a remedy  
against the head ach4 ,when horses are  
plagued with worms1 the bark is pounded1
 and given them quite dry4 ,many  people
 believe its roots to be as efficacious 
against the fever as the  jesuits bark4 
,the trees grow in all sorts of dry     
soil1 both on high and  low grounds1 but
 too wet a soil will not agree with     
them4    ,october the #bjth4 ,the       
,beaver tree is to be met with in       
several parts of  ,pensylvania and ,new 
,jersey1 in a poor swampy soil1 or on   
wet meadows4  ,dr4 ,linnus calls it     
,magnolia glauca2 both the ,swedes and  
,english call  it ,beaver tree1 because 
the root of this tree is the dainty of  
beavers1  which are caught by its means1
 however the ,swedes sometimes gave it a
  different name1 and the ,english as   
improperly called it ,swamp  ,sassafras1
 and ,white ,laurel4 ,the trees of this 
kind dropt their leaves  early in       
autumn1 though some of the young trees  

kept them all the  winter4 ,i have      
seldom found the beaver tree to the     
north of  ,pensylvania1 where it begins 
to flower about the end of ,may4 ,the   
scent  of its blossoms is excellent1 for
 by it you can discover within three    
quarters of an ,english mile1 whether   
these little trees stand in the         
neighbourhood1 provided the wind be not 
against it4 ,for the whole air  is      
filled with this sweet and pleasant     
scent4 ,it is beyond description        
agreeable to travel in the woods about  
that time1 especially towards  night4   
,they retain their flowers for three    
weeks and even longer1  according to the
 quality of the soil on which the trees 
stand2 and  during the whole time of    
their being in blossom1 they spread     
their  odoriferous exhalations4 ,the    
berries likewise look very fine when    
they  are ripe1 for they have a rich red
 colour1 and hang in bunches on  slender
 stalks4 ,the cough1 and other pectoral 
diseases are cured by  putting the      

berries into rum or brandy1 of which a  
draught every  morning may be taken2 the
 virtues of this remedy were universally
  extolled1 and even praised for their  
salutary effects in consumptions4  ,the 
bark being put into brandy1 or boiled in
 any other liquor1 is said  not only to 
ease pectoral diseases1 but likewise to 
be of some service  against all internal
 pains and heat2 and it was thought that
 a  decoction of it could stop the      
dysentery4 ,persons who had caught cold1
  boiled the branches of the beaver tree
 in water1 and drank it to their  great 
relief4 ,a ,swede1 called ,lars ,lack1  
gave the following account of  a cure   
effected by this tree3 ,one of his      
relations1 an old man1 had an  open sore
 in his leg1 which would not heal up    
again1 though he had had  much advice   
and used many remedies4 ,an ,indian at  
last effected the cure  in the following
 manner4 ,he burnt some of this wood to 
charcoal1 which  he reduced to powder1  
mixed with the fresh fat of pork1 and   

rubbed the  open places several times4  
,this dried up the holes1 which before  
were  continually open1 and the legs of 
the old man were quite sound to his     
death4 ,the wood is likewise made use of
 for joiner's planes4    ,october the   
#bb;d4 ,upon trial it has been found    
that the following  animals and birds1  
which are wild in the woods of ,north   
,america1 can be  made nearly as        
tractable as domestic animals4    ,the  
wild ,cows and ,oxen1 of which several  
people of distinction have got  young   
calves from these wild cows1 which are  
to be met with in  ,carolina1 and other 
provinces to the south of ,pensylvania1 
and brought  them up among the tame     
cattle2 when grown up1 they were        
perfectly tame1  but at the same time   
very unruly1 so that there was no       
enclosure strong  enough to resist them1
 if they had a mind to break through it2
 for as  they possess a great strength  
in their neck1 it was easy for them to  
overthrow the pales with their horns1   

and to get into the corn-fields2  and as
 soon as they had made a road1 all the  
tame cattle followed them2  they        
likewise copulated with the latter1 and 
by that means generated as  it were a   
new breed4 ,this ,american species of   
oxen is ,linnus's ,bos  ,bison1 4       
,american ,deer1 can likewise be tamed2 
and ,i have seen them tame myself  in   
different places4 ,a farmer in ,new     
,jersey had one in his possession1      
which he had caught when it was very    
young2 and at present it was so  tame1  
that in the day time it run into the    
wood for its food1 and  towards night it
 returned home1 and frequently brought a
 wild deer out  of the wood1 giving its 
master an opportunity to shoot it4      
,several  people have therefore tamed   
young deer1 and make use of them for    
hunting wild deer1 or for decoying them 
home1 especially in the time of  their  
rutting4    ,beavers have been so tamed 
that they have gone on fishing1 and     
brought  home what they had caught to   

their masters4 ,this often is the case  
with  ,otters1 of which ,i have seen    
some1 which were as tame as dogs1 and   
followed their masters wherever they    
went2 if he went out in a boat1  the    
otter went with him1 jumped into the    
water1 and after a while came  up with a
 fish4 ,the ,opossum1 can likewise be   
tamed1 so as to follow  people like a   
dog4    ,the ,raccoon which we 7,swedes7
 call ,siupp1 can in time be made so    
tame  as to run about the streets like a
 domestic animal2 but it is  impossible 
to make it leave off its habit of       
stealing4 ,in the dark it  creeps to the
 poultry1 and kills in one night a whole
 flock4 ,sugar and  other sweet things  
must be carefully hidden from it1 for if
 the chests  and boxes are not always   
locked up1 it gets into them1 eats the  
sugar1  and licks up the treacle with   
its paws3 the ladies therefore have     
every  day some complaint against it1   
and for this reason many people rather  
forbear the diversion which this        

ape-like animal affords4    ,the grey   
and flying ,squirrels are so tamed by   
the boys1 that they sit  on their       
shoulders1 and follow them every where4 
,the ,turkey ,cocks and ,hens run about 
in the woods of this country1 and       
differ in nothing from our tame ones1   
except in their superior size1  and     
redder1 though more palatable flesh4    
,when their eggs are found in  the wood1
 and put under tame ,turkey hens1 the   
young ones become tame2  however when   
they grow up1 it sometimes happens that 
they fly away2  their wings are         
therefore commonly clipped1 especially  
when young4 ,but  the tamed turkeys are 
commonly much more irascible1 than those
 which  are naturally tame4 ,the        
,indians likewise employ themselves in  
taming  them and keeping them near their
 huts4    ,wild ,geese have likewise    
been tamed in the following manner4     
,when the  wild geese first come hither 
in spring1 and stop a little while 7for 
they do not breed in ,pensylvania7 the  

people try to shoot them in the  wing1  
which however is generally mere chance4 
,they then row to the  place where the  
wild goose fell1 catch it1 and keep it  
for some time at  home1 by this means   
many of them have been made so tame1    
that when they  were let out in the     
morning1 they returned in the evening1  
but to be  more sure of them1 their     
wings are commonly clipped4 ,i have seen
 wild  geese of this kind1 which the    
owner assured me1 that he had kept for  
more than twelve years2 but though he   
kept eight of them1 yet he never  had   
the pleasure to see them copulate with  
the tame ones1 or lay eggs4             
,partridges1 which are here in          
abundance1 may likewise be so far tamed1
  as to run about all day with the      
poultry1 and to come along with them  to
 be fed when they are called4 ,in the   
same manner ,i have seen wild  ,pigeons1
 which were made so tame as to fly out  
and return again4 ,in  some winters     
there are immense quantities of wild    

pigeons in  ,pensylvania4    ,october   
the #bdth4 ,of all the rare birds of    
,north ,america1 the ,humming  bird is  
the most admirable1 or at least most    
worthy of peculiar  attention4 ,several 
reasons induce me to believe that few   
parts of the  world can produce its     
equal4 ,dr4 ,linnus calls it ,trochilus 
,colubris4  ,the ,swedes and some       
,englishmen call it the ,king's bird1   
but the name of  ,humming bird is more  
common4 ,catesby in his ,natural        
,history of  ,carolina1 ,vol4 i4 page   
#fe1 tab4 #fe4 has drawn it1 in its     
natural size1  with its proper colours1 
and added a description of it4 #cd ,in  
size it  is not much bigger than a large
 humble bee1 and is therefore the least 
of all birds1 #ce or it is much if there
 is a lesser species in the  world4 ,its
 plumage is most beautifully coloured1  
most of its feathers  being green1 some 
grey1 and others forming a shining red  
ring round its  neck2 the tail glows    
with fine feathers1 changing from green 

into a  brass colour4 ,these birds come 
here in spring about the time when it   
begins to grow very warm1 and make their
 nests in summer1 but towards  autumn   
they retreat again into the more        
southern countries of ,america4  ,they  
subsist barely upon the nectar1 or sweet
 juice of flowers  contained in that    
part1 which botanists call the          
nectarium1 and which  they suck up with 
their long bills4 ,of all the flowers1  
they like those  most1 which have a long
 tube1 and ,i have observed that they   
have  fluttered chiefly about the       
,impatiens ,noli tangere1 and the       
,monarda  with crimson flowers4 ,an     
inhabitant of the country is sure to    
have a  number of these beautiful and   
agreeable little birds before his window
  all the summer long1 if he takes care 
to plant a bed with all sorts of  fine  
flowers under them4 ,it is indeed a     
diverting spectacle to see  these little
 active creatures flying about the      
flowers like bees1 and  sucking their   

juices with their long and narrow bills4
 ,the flowers of  the above-mentioned   
,monarda grow verticillated1 that is1 at
 different  distances they surround the 
stalk1 as the flowers of our mint       
7,mentha7  bastard hemp 7,galeopsis7    
mother-wort 7,leonurus7 and dead nettle 
7,lamium74 ,it is therefore diverting to
 see them putting their bills  into     
every flower in the circle4 ,as soon as 
they have sucked the juice  of one      
flower1 they flutter to the next4 ,one  
that has not seen them  would hardly    
believe in how short a space of time    
they have had their  tongues in all the 
flowers of a plant1 which when large and
 with a long  tube1 the little bird by  
putting its head into them1 looks as if 
it  crept with half its body into them4 
,during their sucking the juice out of  
the flowers they never settle on  it1   
but flutter continually like bees1 bend 
their feet backwards1 and  move their   
wings so quick1 that they are hardly    
visible4 ,during this  fluttering they  

make a humming like bees1 or like that  
which is  occasioned by the turning of a
 little wheel4 ,after they have thus1   
without resting1 fluttered for a while1 
they fly to a neighbouring tree  or     
post1 and resume their vigour again4    
,they then return to their  humming and 
sucking4 ,they are not very shy1 and ,i 
in company with  several other people1  
have not been full two yards from the   
place where  they fluttered about and   
sucked the flowers2 and though we spoke 
and  moved1 yet they were no ways       
disturbed2 but on going towards them1   
they  would fly off with the swiftness  
of an arrow4 ,when several of them were 
on the same bed1 there was always a     
violent combat between them1 in  meeting
 each other at the same flower 7for envy
 was likewise  predominant amongst these
 little creatures7 and they attacked    
with such  impetuosity1 that it would   
seem as if the strongest would pierce   
its  antagonist through and through1    
with its long bill4 ,during the fight1  

they seem to stand in the air1 keeping  
themselves up1 by the incredibly  swift 
motion of their wings4 ,when the windows
 towards the garden are  open1 they     
pursue each other into the rooms1 fight 
a little1 and  flutter away again4      
,sometimes they come to a flower which  
is withering1  and has no more juice in 
it2 they then in a fit of anger pluck it
 off1  and throw it on the ground1 that 
it may not mislead them for the  future4
 ,if a garden contains a great number of
 these little birds1 they  are seen to  
pluck off the flowers in such           
quantities1 that the ground  is quite   
covered with them1 and it seems as if   
this proceeded from a  motion of envy4  
,commonly you hear no other sound than  
their humming1 but when they fly        
against each other in the air1 they make
 a chirping noise like a  sparrow or    
chicken4 ,i have sometimes walked with  
several other people  in small gardens1 
and these birds have on all sides       
fluttered about us1  without appearing  

very shy4 ,they are so small that one   
would easily  mistake them for great    
humming-bees or butterflies1 and their  
flight  resembles that of the former1   
and is incredibly swift4 ,they have     
never  been observed to feed on insects 
or fruit2 the nectar of flowers1 seems  
therefore to be their only food4        
,several people have caught some        
humming birds on account of their       
singular beauty1 and have put them  into
 cages1 where they died for want of a   
proper food4 ,however ,mr4  ,bartram has
 kept a couple of them for several weeks
 together1 by  feeding them with water  
in which sugar had been dissolved1 and  
,i am of  opinion that it would not be  
difficult to keep them all winter in a  
hot-house4    ,the humming bird always  
builds its nest in the middle of a      
branch of a  tree1 and it is so small1  
that it cannot be seen from the ground1 
but  he who intends to see it must get  
up to the branch4 ,for this reason it   
is looked upon as a great rarity if a   

nest is accidentally found1  especially 
as the trees in summer have so thick a  
foliage4 ,the nest is  likewise the     
least of all2 that which is in my       
possession is quite  round1 and consists
 in the inside of a brownish and quite  
soft down1  which seems to have been    
collected from the leaves of the great  
mullein  or ,verbascum ,thapsus1 which  
are often found covered with a soft wool
 of  this colour1 and the plant is      
plentiful here4 ,the outside of the nest
  has a coating of green moss1 such as  
is common on old pales or  enclosures   
and on trees2 the inner diameter of the 
nest is hardly a  geometrical inch at   
the top1 and its depth half an inch4 ,it
 is however  known that the humming     
birds make their nests likewise of flax1
 hemp1  moss1 hair and other such soft  
materials2 they are said to lay two     
eggs1 each of the size of a pea4        
,october the #beth4 ,i employed this day
 and the next in packing up all  the    
seeds gathered this autumn1 for ,i had  

an opportunity of sending  them to      
,england by the ships which sailed about
 this time4 ,from ,england  they were   
forwarded to ,sweden4    ,october the   
#bgth4 ,in the morning ,i set out on a  
little journey to ,new  ,york1 in       
company with ,mr4 ,peter ,cock1 with a  
view to see the country1  and to enquire
 into the safest road1 which ,i could   
take in going to  ,canada1 through the  
desart or uninhabited country between it
 and the  ,english provinces4    ,that  
part where we travelled at present was  
pretty well inhabited on  both sides of 
the road1 by ,englishmen1 ,germans and  
other ,europeans4  ,plains and hills of 
different dimensions were seen          
alternately1  mountains and stones1 ,i  
never saw1 excepting a few pebbles4     
,near almost  every farm was a great    
orchard with peach and apple trees1 some
 of  which were yet loaded with fruit4  
,the enclosures were in some parts low  
enough1 for the cattle to leap  over    
them with ease2 to prevent this the hogs

 had a triangular wooden  yoke3 this    
custom was as ,i have already observed1 
common over all the  ,english           
plantations4 ,to the horses neck was    
fastened a piece of wood1  which at the 
lower end had a tooth or hook1 fastening
 in the enclosure1  and stopping the    
horse1 just when it lifted its fore feet
 to leap over2  but ,i know not whether 
this be a good invention with regard to 
horses4  ,they were likewise kept in    
bounds by a piece of wood1 one end of   
which  was fastened to one of the fore  
feet1 and the other to one of the hind  
feet1 and it forced them to walk pretty 
slowly1 as at the same time it  made it 
impossible for them to leap over the    
enclosures4 ,to me it  appeared that the
 horses were subject to all sorts of    
dangerous  accidents from this piece of 
wood4    ,near ,new ,frankfurt we rode  
over a little stone bridge1 and somewhat
  further1 eight or nine ,english miles 
from ,philadelphia we passed over       
another1 which was likewise of stone4   

,there are not yet any milestones  put  
up in the country1 and the inhabitants  
only compute the distances  by guess4   
,we were afterwards brought over a river
 in a ferry1 where we  paid threepence a
 person1 for ourselves and our horses4  
,at one of the places where we stopt to 
have our horses fed1 the people  had a  
,mocking-bird in a cage2 and it is here 
reckoned the best singing  bird1 though 
its plumage be very simple1 and not     
showy at all4 ,at this  time of the year
 it does not sing4 ,linnus calls it     
,turdus polyglottos1  and ,catesby in   
his ,natural ,history of ,carolina1     
,vol4 #a4 p4 #bg4 tab4 #bg1  has        
likewise described and drawn this bird4 
,the people said that it  built its     
nests in the bushes and trees1 but is so
 shy1 that if any  body come and look at
 its eggs1 it leaves the nest1 never to 
come to it  again4 ,its young ones      
require great care in being bred up4 ,if
 they are  taken from their mother and  
put into a cage1 she feeds them for     

three  or four days2 but seeing no hopes
 of setting them at liberty1 she flies  
away4 ,it then often happens1 that the  
young ones die soon after1  doubtless   
because they cannot accustom themselves 
to eat what the  people give them4 ,but 
it is generally imagined1 that the last 
time the  mother feeds them1 she finds  
means to poison them1 in order1 the     
sooner  to deliver them from slavery and
 wretchedness4 ,these birds stay all    
summer in the colonies1 but retire in   
autumn to the south1 and stay  away all 
winter4 ,they have got the name of      
,mocking-birds1 on account of  their    
skill in imitating the note of almost   
every bird they hear4 ,the  song        
peculiar to them is excellent1 and      
varied by an infinite change of  notes  
and melody2 several people are therefore
 of opinion1 that they  are the best    
singing birds in the world4 ,so much is 
certain1 that few  birds come up to     
them2 this is what makes them precious3 
the ,swedes  call it by the same name as

 the ,english4    ,about noon we came to
 ,new ,bristol1 a small town in         
,pensylvania1 on the  banks of the      
,delaware1 about fifteen ,english miles 
from ,philadelphia4  ,most of the houses
 are built of stone1 and stand asunder4 
,the  inhabitants carry on a small      
trade1 though most of them get their    
goods  from ,philadelphia4 ,on the other
 side of the river1 almost directly     
opposite to ,new ,bristol1 lies the town
 of ,burlington1 in which the  governor 
of ,new ,jersey resides4    ,we had now 
country seats on both sides of the      
roads4 ,now we came into a  lane        
enclosed with pales on both sides1      
including pretty great  corn-fields4    
,next followed a wood1 and we perceived 
for the space of  four ,english miles   
nothing but woods1 and a very poor soil1
 on which  the ,lupinus perennis grew   
plentifully and succeeded well4 ,i was  
overjoyed to see a plant come on so well
 in these poor dry places1 and  even    
began to meditate1 how to improve this  

discovery in a soil like  that which it 
inhabited4 ,but ,i afterwards had the   
mortification to find  that the horses  
and cows eat almost all the other       
plants1 but left the  lupine1 which was 
however very green1 looked very fresh1  
and was  extremely soft to the touch4   
,perhaps means may be found out of      
making  this plant palatable to the     
cattle4 ,in the evening we arrived at   
,trenton1 after having previously passed
 the ,delaware in a ferry4    ,october  
the #bhth4 ,trenton is a long narrow    
town1 situate at some  distance from the
 river ,delaware1 on a sandy plain2 it  
belongs to ,new  ,jersey1 and they      
reckon it thirty miles from             
,philadelphia4 ,it has two  small       
churches1 one for the people belonging  
to the church of ,england1  the other   
for the presbyterians4 ,the houses are  
partly built of stone1  though most of  
them are made of wood or planks1        
commonly two stories  high1 together    
with a cellar below the building1 and a 

kitchen under  ground1 close to the     
cellar4 ,the houses stand at a moderate 
distance  from one another4 ,they are   
commonly built so1 that the street      
passes  along one side of the houses1   
while gardens of different dimensions   
bound the other side2 in each garden is 
a draw-well2 the place is  reckoned very
 healthy4 ,our landlord told us1 that   
twenty-two years ago1  when he first    
settled here1 there was hardly more than
 one house2 but  from that time ,trenton
 has encreased so much1 that there are  
at present  near a hundred houses4 ,the 
houses were within divided into several 
rooms by their partitions of boards4    
,the inhabitants of the place  carried  
on a small trade with the goods which   
they got from  ,philadelphia1 but their 
chief gain consisted in the arrival of  
the  numerous travellers between that   
city and ,new ,york2 for they are       
commonly brought by the ,trenton ,yachts
 from ,philadelphia to ,trenton1 or     
from thence to ,philadelphia4 ,but from 

,trenton further to ,new ,brunswick1    
the travellers go in the waggons which  
set out every day for that  place4      
,several of the inhabitants however     
likewise subsist on the  carriage for   
all sorts of goods1 which are every day 
sent in great  quantities1 either from  
,philadelphia to ,new ,york1 or from    
thence to the  former place2 for between
 ,philadelphia and ,trenton all goods go
 by  water1 but between ,trenton and    
,new ,brunswick they are all carried by 
land1 and both these conveniences belong
 to people of this town4    ,for the    
yachts which go between this place and  
the capital of  ,pensylvania1 they      
usually pay a shilling and six-pence of 
,pensylvania  currency per person1 and  
every one pays besides for his baggage4 
,every  passenger must provide meat and 
drink for himself1 or pay some settled  
fare3 between ,trenton and ,new         
,brunswick a person pays two shillings  
and  sixpence1 and the baggage is       
likewise paid for separately4    ,we    

continued our journey in the morning2   
the country through which we  passed was
 for the greatest part level1 though    
sometimes there were  some long hills1  
some parts were covered with trees1 but 
far the  greater part of the country was
 without woods2 on the other hand ,i    
never saw any place in ,america1 the    
towns excepted1 so well peopled4 ,an    
old man1 who lived in this neighbourhood
 and accompanied us for some  part of   
the road1 however assured me1 that he   
could well remember the  time1 when     
between ,trenton and ,new ,brunswick    
there were not above three  farms1 and  
he reckoned it was about fifty and some 
odd years ago4  ,during the greater part
 of the day we had very extensive       
corn-fields on  both sides of the road1 
and commonly towards the south the      
country had  a great declivity4 ,near   
almost every farm was a spacious orchard
 full  of peaches and apple trees1 and  
in some of them the fruit was fallen    
from the trees in such quantities1 as to

 cover nearly the whole  surface4 ,part 
of it they left to rot1 since they could
 not take it all  in and consume it4    
,wherever we passed by we were always   
welcome to go  into the fine orchards1  
and gather our hats and pockets full of 
the  choicest fruit1 without the        
possessor's so much as looking after it4
  ,cherry trees were planted near the   
farms1 on the roads1 c4    ,the barns   
#cf had a peculiar kind of construction 
hereabouts1 which ,i  will give a       
concise description of4 ,the whole      
building was very great1  so as almost  
to equal a small church2 the roof was   
pretty high1 covered  with wooden       
shingles1 declining on both sides1 but  
not steep3 the walls  which support it1 
were not much higher than a full grown  
man2 but on  the other hand the breadth 
of the building was the more            
considerable3  in the middle was the    
threshing floor1 and above it1 or in the
 loft or  garret they put the corn which
 was not yet threshed1 the straw1 or any

  thing else1 according to the season3  
on one side were stables for the        
horses1 and on the other for the cows4  
,and the small cattle had  likewise     
their particular stables or styes2 on   
both ends of the  buildings were great  
gates1 so that one could come in with a 
cart and  horses through one of them1   
and go out at the other3 here was       
therefore  under one roof the threshing 
floor1 the barn1 the stables1 the hay   
loft1 the coach house1 c4 ,this kind of 
buildings is chiefly made use  of by the
 ,dutch and ,germans2 for it is to be   
observed that the country  between      
,trenton and ,new ,york1 is inhabited by
 few ,englishmen1 but  instead of them  
by ,germans or ,dutch1 #cg the latter of
 which  especially are numerous4        
,before ,i proceed1 ,i find it necessary
 to remark one thing with regard  to the
 ,indians1 or old ,americans4 ,for this 
account may perhaps meet  with readers1 
who1 like many people of my             
acquaintance1 may be of  opinion that   

all ,north ,america1 was almost wholly  
inhabited by savage  or heathen nations1
 and they may be astonished1 that ,i do 
not mention  them more frequently in my 
account4 ,others may perhaps imagine1   
that  when ,i mention in my journal1    
that the country is much cultivated1    
that  in several places1 houses of stone
 or wood are built1 round which are     
corn-fields1 gardens1 and orchards1 that
 ,i am speaking of the property  of the 
,indians2 to undeceive them1 ,i here    
give the following  explication4 ,the   
country especially all along the coasts1
 in the  ,english colonies1 is inhabited
 by ,europeans1 who in some places are  
already so numerous1 that few parts of  
,europe are more populous4 ,the         
,indians have sold the country to the   
,europeans1 and have retired  further   
up3 in most parts you may travel twenty 
,swedish miles1 or about  a hundred and 
twenty ,english miles1 from the sea     
shore1 before you  reach the first      
habitations of the ,indians4 ,and it is 

very possible for  a person to have been
 at ,philadelphia and other towns on the
 sea shore  for half a year together1   
without so much as seeing an ,indian4 ,i
 intend  in the sequel to give a more   
circumstantial account of them1 their   
religion1 manners1 oeconomy1 and other  
particulars relating to them3 at        
present ,i return to the sequel of my   
journal4    ,about nine ,english miles  
from ,trenton1 the ground began to      
change its  colour2 hitherto it         
consisted of a considerable quantity of 
hazel  coloured clay1 but at present the
 earth was a reddish brown1 so that it  
sometimes had a purple colour1 and      
sometimes looked like logwood4 ,this    
colour came from a red limestone which  
approached very near to that  which is  
on the mountain ,kinnekulle in ,west    
,gothland1 and makes a  particular      
stratum in the rock4 ,the ,american red 
limestone therefore  seems to be merely 
a variety of that ,i saw in ,sweden1 it 
lay in strata  of two or three fingers  

thickness2 but was divisible into many  
thinner  plates or shivers1 whose       
surface was seldom flat and smooth1 but 
commonly rough3 the strata themselves   
were frequently cut off by  horizontal  
cracks4 ,when these stones were exposed 
to the air1 they by  degrees shivered   
and withered into pieces1 and at last   
turned into  dust4 ,the people of this  
neighbourhood did not know how to make  
any use  of it2 the soil above is       
sometimes rich and sometimes poor3 in   
such  places where the people had lately
 dug new wells1 ,i perceived1 that  most
 of the rubbish which was thrown up     
consisted of such a species of  stone4  
,this reddish brown earth we always saw 
till near ,new ,brunswick1  where it is 
particularly plentiful4 ,the banks of   
the river1 shewed in  many places       
nothing but strata of ,limestone1 which 
did not run  horizontally1 but dipped   
very much4    ,about ten o'clock in the 
morning we came to ,prince-town1 which  
is  situated in a plain4 ,most of the   

houses are built of wood1 and are not   
contiguous1 so that there are gardens   
and pastures between them4 ,as  these   
parts were sooner inhabited by          
,europeans than ,pensylvania1 the  woods
 were likewise more cut away1 and the   
country more cultivated1 so  that one   
might have imagined himself to be in    
,europe4    ,we now thought of          
continuing our journey1 but as it began 
to rain very  heavily1 and continued so 
during the whole day and part of the    
night1  we were forced to stay till next
 morning1    ,october the #bith4 ,this  
morning we proceeded on our journey4    
,the country  was pretty well peopled2  
however there were yet great woods in   
many  places3 they all consisted of     
deciduous trees3 and ,i did not perceive
 a  single tree of the fir kind1 till ,i
 came to ,new ,brunswick4 ,the ground   
was level1 and did not seem to be every 
where of the richest kind4 ,in  some    
places it had hillocks1 losing          
themselves almost imperceptibly in  the 

plains1 which were commonly crossed by a
 rivulet4 ,almost near every  farm-house
 were great orchards4 ,the houses were  
commonly built of  timber1 and at some  
distance by themselves stood the ovens  
for baking1  consisting commonly of     
clay4    ,on a hill covered with trees1 
and called ,rockhill1 ,i saw several    
pieces  of stone or rock1 so big1 that  
they would have required three men to   
roll them down4 ,but besides these there
 were few great stories in the  country2
 for most of those which we saw1 could  
easily be lifted up by a  single man4   
,in another place we perceived a number 
of little round  pebbles1 but we did not
 meet with either mountains or rocks4   
,about noon we arrived at ,new          
,brunswick1 a pretty little town in the 
province of ,new ,jersey1 in a valley on
 the west side of the river  ,rareton2  
on account of its low situation1 it     
cannot be seen 7coming  from            
,pensylvania7 before you get to the top 
of the hill1 which is quite  close up to

 it3 the town extends north and south   
along the river4 ,the  ,german          
inhabitants have two churches1 one of   
stone and the other of  wood2 the       
,english church is of the latter kind1  
but the presbyterians  were building one
 of stone3 the town house makes likewise
 a pretty good  appearance4 ,some of the
 other houses are built of bricks1 but  
most of  them are made either wholly of 
wood1 or of bricks and wood2 the wooden 
houses are not made of strong timber1   
but merely of boards or planks1  which  
are within joined by laths3 such houses 
as consist of both wood  and bricks1    
have only the wall towards the street of
 bricks1 all the  other sides being     
merely of planks4 ,this peculiar kind of
 ostentation  would easily lead a       
traveller1 who passes through the town  
in haste1 to  believe that most of the  
houses are built of bricks4 ,the houses 
were  covered with shingles2 before each
 door there was an elevation1 to  which 
you ascend by some steps from the       

street2 it resembled a small  balcony1  
and had some benches on both sides1 on  
which the people sat in  the evening1 in
 order to enjoy the fresh air1 and to   
have the pleasure  of viewing those who 
passed by4 ,the town has only one street
  lengthways1 and at its northern       
extremity there is a street across2     
both of these are of a considerable     
length4    ,the river ,rareton passes   
hard by the town1 and is deep enough for
 great  yachts to come up2 its breadth  
near the town is within the reach of a  
common gun shot2 the tide comes up      
several miles beyond the town1 the      
yachts were placed lengthways along the 
bridge2 the river has very high  and    
pretty steep banks on both sides1 but   
near the town there are no  such banks1 
it being situated in a low valley4 ,one 
of the streets is  almost entirely      
inhabited by ,dutchmen1 who came hither 
from ,albany1 and  for that reason they 
call it ,albany street3 these ,dutch    
people only  keep company among         

themselves1 and seldom or never go      
amongst the other  inhabitants1 living  
as it were quite separate from them4    
,new ,brunswick  belongs to ,new        
,jersey2 however the greatest part1 or  
rather all its  trade is to ,new ,york1 
which is about forty ,english miles     
distant2 to  that place they send corn1 
flour in great quantities1 bread1       
several  other necessaries1 a great     
quantity of linseed1 boards timber1     
wooden  vessels1 and all sorts of       
carpenters work4 ,several small yachts  
are  every day going backwards and      
forwards between these two towns4 ,the  
inhabitants likewise get a considerable 
profit from the travellers1 who  every  
hour pass through1 on the high road4    
,the steep banks consist of the red     
limestone1 which ,i have before         
described4 ,it is here plainly visible  
that the strata are not  horizontal1 but
 considerably dipping1 especially       
towards the south4 ,the  weather and the
 air has in a great measure dissolved   

the stone here3 ,i  enquired1 whether it
 could not be made use of1 but was      
assured1 that in  building houses it was
 entirely useless2 for1 though it is    
hard and  permanent under ground1 yet on
 being dug out1 and exposed for some    
time  to the air1 it first crumbles into
 greater1 then into lesser pieces1  and 
at last is converted into dust4 ,an     
inhabitant of this town1 however  tried 
to build a house with this sort of      
stone1 but its outsides being  exposed  
to the air1 soon began to change so     
much1 that the owner was  obliged to put
 boards all over the wall1 to preserve  
it from falling to  pieces4 ,the people 
however pretend that this stone is a    
very good  manure1 if it is scattered   
upon the corn-fields in its rubbish     
state1  for it is said to stifle the    
weeds3 it is therefore made use of both 
on  the fields and in gardens4 #ch      
,towards the evening we continued our   
journey1 and were ferried over the      
river ,rareton1 together with our       

horses4 ,in a very dry summer1 and when 
the tide has ebbed1 it is by no means   
dangerous to ride through this  river4  
,on the opposite shore the red juniper  
tree was pretty abundant4  ,the country 
through which we now passed was pretty  
well inhabited1 but  in most places full
 of small pebbles4    ,we saw ,guinea   
,hens in many places where we passed by4
 ,they sometimes  run about the fields1 
at a good distance from the farm-houses4
    ,about eight ,english miles from    
,new ,brunswick1 the road divided4 ,we  
took  that on the left1 for that on the 
right leads to ,amboy1 the chief        
sea-town in ,new ,jersey4 ,the country  
now made a charming appearance2  some   
parts being high1 others forming        
vallies1 and all of them well           
cultivated4 ,from the hills you had a   
prospect of houses1 farms1  gardens1    
corn-fields1 forests1 lakes1 islands1   
roads1 and pastures4    ,in most of the 
places where we travelled this day the  
colour of the  ground was reddish4 ,i   

make no doubt1 but there were strata of 
the  before-mentioned red limestone     
under it4 ,sometimes the ground looked  
very like a cinnabar ore4               
,wood-bridge is a small village in a    
plain1 consisting of a few houses3  we  
stopped here to rest our horses a       
little4 ,the houses were most of  them  
built of boards2 the walls had a        
covering of shingles on the  outside2   
these shingles were round at one end1   
and all of a length in  each row3 some  
of the houses had an ,italian roof1 but 
the greatest part  had roofs with       
pediments2 most of them were covered    
with shingles4 ,in  most places we met  
with wells and buckets to draw up the   
water4    ,elizabeth-town is a small    
town1 about twenty ,english miles       
distant from  ,new ,brunswick3 we       
arrived there immediately after sun     
setting4 ,its  houses are mostly        
scattered1 but well built1 and generally
 of boards1  with a roof of shingles1   
and walls covered with the same4 ,there 

were  likewise some stone buildings4 ,a 
little rivulet passes through the town  
from west to east2 it is almost reduced 
to nothing when the water ebbs  away1   
but with the full tide they can bring up
 small yachts4 ,here were  two fine     
churches1 each of which made a much     
better appearance than any  one in      
,philadelphia4 ,that belonging to the   
people of the church of  ,england was   
built of bricks1 had a steeple with     
bells1 and a balustrade  round it1 from 
which there was a prospect of the       
country4 ,the meeting  house of the     
presbyterians was built of wood1 but had
 both a steeple  and bells1 and was1    
like the other houses covered with      
shingles4 ,the  town house made likewise
 a good appearance1 and had a spire with
 a  bell4 ,the banks of the river were  
red1 from the reddish limestone2 both   
in and about the town were many gardens 
and orchards1 and it might  truly be    
said that ,elizabeth-town was situated  
in a garden2 the ground  hereabouts     

being even and well cultivated4    ,the 
geese1 in some of the places by which we
 passed this day and the  next1 carried 
three or four little sticks1 of the     
length of a foot  about their necks2    
they were fastened crossways1 to prevent
 them from  creeping through half broken
 enclosures4 ,they look extremely       
awkward1  and it is very diverting to   
see them in this attire4    ,at night we
 took up our lodgings at ,elizabeth-town
 ,point1 an inn about  two ,english     
miles distant from the town1 and the    
last house on this  road belonging to   
,new ,jersey4 ,the man who had taken the
 lease of it1  together with that of the
 ferry near it1 told us that he paid a  
hundred  and ten pounds of ,pensylvania 
currency to the owner4    ,october the  
#cjth4 ,we were ready to proceed on our 
journey at  sun-rising4 ,near the inn   
where we had passed the night1 we were  
to  cross a river1 and we were brought  
over1 together with our horses1 in a    
wretched half rotten ferry4 ,this river 

came a considerable way out of  the     
country1 and small vessels could easily 
sail up it4 ,this was a  great advantage
 to the inhabitants of the neighbouring 
country1 giving  them an opportunity of 
sending their goods to ,new ,york with  
great ease2  and they even made use of  
it for trading to the ,west ,indies4    
,the  country was low on both sides of  
the river1 and consisted of meadows4    
,but there was no other hay to be got1  
than such as commonly grows in  swampy  
grounds2 for as the tide comes up in    
this river1 these low  plains were      
sometimes overflowed when the water was 
high4 ,the people  hereabouts are said  
to be troubled in summer with immense   
swarms of  gnats or musquetoes1 which   
sting them and their cattle4 ,this was  
ascribed to the low swampy meadows1 on  
which these insects deposite  their     
eggs1 which are afterwards hatched by   
the heat4    ,as soon as we had got over
 the river1 we were upon ,staten        
,island1 which  is quite surrounded with

 salt water4 ,this is the beginning of  
the  province of ,new ,york4 ,most of   
the people settled here were ,dutchmen1 
or  such as came hither whilst the      
,dutch were yet in possession of this   
place4 ,but at present they were        
scattered among the ,english and other  
,european inhabitants1 and spoke        
,english for the greatest part4 ,the    
prospect of the country here is         
extremely pleasing1 as it is not so     
much intercepted by woods1 but offers   
more cultivated fields to view4  ,hills 
and vallies still continued1 as usual1  
to change alternately4    ,the farms    
were near each other4 ,most of the      
houses were wooden2 however  some were  
built of stone4 ,near every farm-house  
was an orchard with  apple trees3 the   
fruit was already for the greatest part 
gathered4  ,here1 and on the whole      
journey before1 ,i observed a press for 
cyder at  every farm-house1 made in     
different manners1 by which the people  
had  already pressed the juice out of   

the apples1 or were just busied with    
that work4 ,some people made use of a   
wheel made of thick oak planks1  which  
turned upon a wooden axis by means of a 
horse drawing it1 much in  the same     
manner as the people do with woad2 #ci  
except that here the  wheel runs upon   
planks4 ,cherry trees stood along the   
enclosures round  corn-fields4    ,the  
corn-fields were excellently situated1  
and either sown with wheat  or rye4     
,they had no ditches on their sides1 but
 7as is usual in  ,england7 only        
furrows1 drawn at greater or lesser     
distances from each  other4    ,in one  
place we observed a water mill1 so      
situated1 that when the tide  flowed1   
the water ran into a pond3 but when it  
ebbed1 the floodgate was  drawn up1 and 
the mill driven by the water1 flowing   
out of the pond4    ,about eight o'clock
 in the morning we arrived at the place 
where we  were to cross the water1 in   
order to come to the town of ,new ,york4
 ,we  left our horses here and went on  

board the yacht3 we were to go eight    
,english miles by sea2 however we landed
 about eleven o'clock in the  morning at
 ,new ,york4 ,we saw a kind of wild     
ducks in immense quantities  upon the   
water3 the people called them ,blue     
bills1 and they seemed to  be the same  
with our ,pintail ducks1 or ,linnus's   
,anas acuta3 but they  were very shy4   
,on the shore of the continent we saw   
some very fine  sloping corn-fields1    
which at present looked quite green1 the
 corn  being already come up4 ,we saw   
many boats in which the fishermen were  
busy catching oysters3 to this purpose  
they make use of a kind of rakes  with  
long iron teeth bent inwards2 these they
 used either singly or two  tied        
together in such a manner1 that the     
teeth were turned towards each  other4  
,october the #cast4 ,about ,new ,york   
they find innumerable quantities of     
excellent oysters1 and there are few    
places which have oysters of such  an   
exquisite taste1 and of so great a size3

 they are pickled and sent  to the ,west
 ,indies and other places2 which is done
 in the following  manner4 ,as soon as  
the oysters are caught1 their shells are
 opened1 and  the fish washed clean2    
some water is then poured into a pot1   
the  oysters are put into it1 and they  
must boil for a while2 the pot is  then 
taken off from the fire again1 the      
oysters taken out and put upon  a dish1 
till they are somewhat dry3 then you    
take some mace1 allspice1  black pepper1
 and as much vinegar as you think is    
sufficient to give a  sourish taste4    
,all this is mixed with half the liquor 
in which the  oysters were boiled1 and  
put over the fire again4 ,while you boil
 it  great care is to be taken in       
scumming off the thick scum2 at last the
  whole pickle is poured into a glass or
 earthen vessel1 the oysters are  put to
 it1 and the vessel is well stopped to  
keep out the air4 ,in this  manner1     
oysters will keep for years together1   
and may be sent to the  most distant    

parts of the world4    ,the merchants   
here buy up great quantities of oysters 
about this time1  pickle them in the    
above-mentioned manner1 and send them to
 the ,west  ,indies3 by which they      
frequently make a considerable profit3  
for1 the  oysters1 which cost them five 
shillings of their currency1 they       
commonly sell for a pistole1 or about   
six times as much as they gave  for     
them2 and sometimes they get even more3 
the oysters which are thus  pickled have
 a very fine flavour4 ,the following is 
another way of  preserving oysters3 they
 are taken out of the shells1 fried with
  butter1 put into a glass or earthen   
vessel with the melted butter over      
them1 so that they are quite covered    
with it1 and no air can get to  them4   
,oysters prepared in this manner have   
likewise an agreeable taste1  and are   
exported to the ,west ,indies and other 
parts4    ,oysters are here reckoned    
very wholesome1 some people assured us1 
that  they had not felt the least       

inconvenience1 after eating a           
considerable  quantity of them4 ,it is  
likewise a common rule here that oysters
 are  best in those months which have an
 r in their name1 such as ,september1   
,october1 c2 but that they are not so   
good in other months2 however  there are
 poor people1 who live all the year long
 upon nothing but  oysters with bread4  
,the sea near ,new ,york1 affords       
annually the greatest quantity of       
oysters4 ,they are found chiefly in a   
muddy ground1 where they lie in  the    
slime1 and are not so frequent in a     
sandy bottom3 a rockey and a  stony     
bottom is seldom found here4 ,the oyster
 shells are gathered in  great heaps1   
and burnt into a lime1 which by some    
people is made use of  in building      
houses1 but is not reckoned so good as  
that made of  limestone4 ,on our journey
 to ,new ,york1 we saw high heaps of    
oyster  shells near the farm-houses1    
upon the sea shore2 and about ,new      
,york1 we  observed the people had      

carried them upon the fields which were 
sown  with wheat4 ,however they were    
entire1 and not crushed4    ,the        
,indians who inhabited the coast before 
the arrival of the  ,europeans1 have    
made oysters and other shell fish their 
chief food2 and  at present whenever    
they come to a salt water where oysters 
are to be  got1 they are very active in 
catching them1 and sell them in great   
quantities to other ,indians who live   
higher up the country3 for this  reason 
you see immense numbers of oyster and   
muscle shells piled up  near such       
places1 where you are certain that the  
,indians formerly built  their huts4    
,this circumstance ought to make us     
cautious in maintaining1  that in all   
places on the sea shore1 or higher up in
 the country1 where  such heaps of      
shells are to be met with1 the latter   
have lain there  ever since the time    
that those places were overflowed by the
 sea4    ,lobsters are likewise         
plentyfully caught hereabouts1 pickled  

much in  the same way as oysters1 and   
sent to several places4 ,i was told of a
  very remarkable circumstance about    
these lobsters1 and ,i have  afterwards 
frequently heard it mentioned4 ,the     
coast of ,new ,york had  already        
,european inhabitants for a considerable
 time1 yet no lobsters  were to be met  
with on that coast2 and though the      
people fished ever so  often1 they could
 never find any signs of lobsters being 
in this part  of the sea3 they were     
therefore continually brought in great  
wellboats  from ,new ,england1 where    
they are plentiful2 but it happened that
 one of  these wellboats broke in pieces
 near ,hellgate1 about ten ,english     
miles  from ,new ,york1 and all the     
lobsters in it got off4 ,since that time
 they  have so multiplied in this part  
of the sea1 that they are now caught in 
the greatest abundance4    ,november the
 #ast4 ,a kind of cold fever1 which the 
,english in this  country call ,fever   
and ,ague1 is very common in several    

parts of the  ,english colonies4 ,there 
are however other parts1 where the      
people have  never felt it4 ,i will in  
the sequel describe the symptoms of this
  disease at large4 ,several of the most
 considerable inhabitants of this  town1
 assured me that this disease was not   
near so common in ,new ,york1  as it is 
in ,pensylvania1 where ten were seized  
by it1 to one in the  former province2  
therefore they were of opinion1 that    
this disease was  occasioned by the     
vapours arising from stagnant fresh     
water1 from  marshes1 and from rivers2  
for which reason those provinces        
situated on  the sea shore1 could not be
 so much affected by it4 ,however the   
carelesness with which people eat       
quantities of melons1 watermelons1      
peaches1 and other juicy fruit in       
summer1 was reckoned to contribute  much
 towards the progress of this fever2 and
 repeated examples  confirmed the truth 
of this opinion4 ,the jesuit's bark was 
reckoned a  good remedy against it4 ,it 

has however often been found to have    
operated contrary to expectation1 though
 ,i am ignorant whether it was          
adulterated1 or whether some mistake had
 been committed in the manner  of taking
 it4 ,mr4 ,davis van ,horne1 a merchant1
 told me that he cured  himself and     
several other people of this fever1 by  
the leaves of the  common ,garden ,sage1
 or ,salvia officinalis of ,linnus4 ,the
 leaves are  crushed or pounded in a    
mortar1 and the juice is pressed out of 
them2  this is continued till they get a
 spoonful of the liquid1 which is  mixed
 with lemon juice4 ,this draught is     
taken about the time that the  cold fit 
comes on2 and after taking it three or  
four times1 the fever  does not come    
again4    ,the bark of the white oak was
 reckoned the best remedy which had as  
yet  been found against the dysentery4  
,it is reduced to a powder1 and then    
taken3 some people assured me that in   
cases where nothing would help1  this   
remedy had given a certain and speedy   

relief4 ,the people in this  place      
likewise make use of this bark 7as is   
usually done in the ,english  colonies7 
to dye wool a brown colour1 which looks 
like that of bohea  tea1 and does not   
fade by being exposed to the sun4 ,among
 the numerous  shells which are found on
 the sea shore1 there are some which by 
the  ,english here are called ,clams1   
and which bear some resemblance to the  
human ear4 ,they have a considerable    
thickness1 and are chiefly white1       
excepting the pointed end1 which both   
without and within has a blue  colour1  
between purple and violet4 ,they are met
 with in vast numbers on  the sea shore 
of ,new ,york1 ,long ,island1 and other 
places4 ,the shells  contain a large    
animal1 which is eaten both by the      
,indians and  ,europeans settled here4  
,a considerable commerce is carried on  
in this article1 with such  ,indians as 
live further up the country4 ,when these
 people inhabited the  coast1 they were 
able to catch their own clams1 which at 

that time made  a great part of their   
food2 but at present this is the        
business of the  ,dutch and ,english1   
who live in ,long ,island and other     
maritime  provinces4 ,as soon as the    
shells are caught1 the fish is taken out
 of  them1 drawn upon a wire1 and hung  
up in the open air1 in order to dry  by 
the heat of the sun4 ,when this is done1
 the fish is put into proper  vessels1  
and carried to ,albany upon the river   
,hudson2 there the ,indians  buy them1  
and reckon them one of their best       
dishes4 ,besides the  ,europeans1 many  
of the native ,indians come annually    
down to the sea  shore1 in order to     
catch clams1 proceeding with them       
afterwards in the  manner ,i have just  
described4    ,the shells of these clams
 are used by the ,indians as money1 and 
make  what they call their wampum2 they 
likewise serve their women for an       
ornament1 when they intend to appear in 
full dress4 ,these wampums are  properly
 made of the purple parts of the shells1

 which the ,indians  value more than the
 white parts4 ,a traveller1 who goes to 
trade with  the ,indians1 and is well   
stocked with them1 may become a         
considerable  gainer2 but if he take    
gold coin1 or bullion1 he will          
undoubtedly be a  loser2 for the        
,indians who live farther up the        
country1 put little or  no value upon   
these metals which we reckon so         
precious1 as ,i have  frequently        
observed in the course of my travels4   
,the ,indians formerly  made their own  
wampums1 though not without a deal of   
trouble3 but at  present the ,europeans 
employ themselves that way2 especially  
the  inhabitants of ,albany1 who get a  
considerable profit by it4 ,in the      
sequel ,i intend to relate the manner of
 making the wampum4    ,november the    
#b;d4 ,besides the different sects of   
christians1 there are  many ,jews       
settled in ,new ,york1 who possess great
 privileges4 ,they have  a synagogue and
 houses1 and great country seats of     

their own property1  and are allowed to 
keep shops in town4 ,they have likewise 
several  ships1 which they freight and  
send out with their own goods4 ,in fine 
they enjoy all the privileges common to 
the other inhabitants of this  town and 
province4    ,during my residence at    
,new ,york1 this time and in the two    
next years1 ,i  was frequently in       
company with ,jews4 ,i was informed     
among other things1  that these people  
never boiled any meat for themselves on 
saturday1 but  that they always did it  
the day before2 and that in winter they 
kept a  fire during the whole saturday4 
,they commonly eat no pork2 yet ,i have 
been told by several men of credit1 that
 many of them 7especially among  the    
young ,jews7 when travelling1 did not   
not make the least difficulty  about    
eating this1 or any other meat that was 
put before them2 even  though they were 
in company with christians4 ,i was in   
their synagogue  last evening for the   
first time1 and this day at noon ,i     

visited it  again1 and each time ,i was 
put into a particular seat which was set
  apart for strangers or christians4 ,a 
young ,rabbi read the divine  service1  
which was partly in ,hebrew1 and partly 
in the ,rabinical  dialect4 ,both men   
and women were dressed entirely in the  
,english  fashion2 the former had all of
 them their hats on1 and did not once   
take them off during service4 ,the      
galleries1 ,i observed1 were            
appropriated to the ladies1 while the   
men sat below4 ,during prayers the  men 
spread a white cloth over their heads2  
which perhaps is to  represent sack     
cloth4 ,but ,i observed that the        
wealthier sort of people  had a much    
richer cloth than the poorer ones4 ,many
 of the men had  ,hebrew books1 in which
 they sang and read alternately4 ,the   
,rabbi stood  in the middle of the      
synagogue1 and read with his face turned
 towards  the east2 he spoke however so 
fast1 as to make it almost impossible   
for  any one to understand what he said4

 #dj    ,new ,york1 the capital of a    
province of the same name is situated   
under  forty deg4 and forty min4 north  
lat4 and forty seven deg4 and four min4 
of western long4 from ,london2 and is   
about ninety seven ,english miles       
distant from ,philadelphia4 ,the        
situation of it is extremely            
advantageous for trade3 for the town    
stands upon a point which is  formed by 
two bays2 into one of which the river   
,hudson discharges  itself1 not far from
 the town2 ,new ,york is therefore on   
three sides  surrounded with water2 the 
ground it is built on1 is level in some 
parts1 and hilly in others3 the place is
 generally reckoned very  wholesome4    
,the town was first founded by the      
,dutch3 this1 it is said1 was done in   
the year #afbc1 when they were yet      
masters of the country3 they called  it 
,new ,amsterdam1 and the country itself 
,new ,holland4 ,the ,english1  towards  
the end of the year #affd1 taking       
possession of it under the  conduct of  

,des ,cartes1 and keeping it by the     
virtue of the next treaty  of peace1    
gave the name of ,new ,york to both the 
town1 and the province  belonging to it3
 in size it comes nearest to ,boston and
 ,philadelphia4  ,but with regard to its
 fine buildings1 its opulence1 and      
extensive  commerce1 it disputes the    
preference with them3 at present it is  
about  half as big again as ,gothenburgh
 in ,sweden4    ,the streets do not run 
so straight as those of ,philadelphia1  
and have  sometimes considerable        
bendings3 however they are very spacious
 and  well built1 and most of them are  
paved1 except in high places1 where it  
has been found useless4 ,in the chief   
streets there are trees planted1  which 
in summer give them a fine appearance1  
and during the excessive  heat at that  
time1 afford a cooling shade3 ,i found  
it extremely  pleasant to walk in the   
town1 for it seemed quite like a garden3
 the  trees which are planted for this  
purpose are chiefly of two kinds4 ,the  

,water beech1 or ,linnus's ,platanus    
occidentalis1 are the most numerous1    
and give an agreeable shade in summer1  
by their great and numerous  leaves4    
,the ,locust tree1 or ,linnus's ,robinia
 ,pseud-,acacia is likewise  frequent3  
its fine leaves1 and the odoriferous    
scent which exhales from  its flowers1  
make it very proper for being planted in
 the streets near  the houses1 and in   
gardens4 ,there are likewise lime trees 
and elms1 in  these walks1 but they are 
not by far so frequent as the others3   
one  seldom met with trees of the same  
sort next to each other1 they being  in 
general planted alternately4    ,besides
 numbers of birds of all kinds which    
make these trees their  abode1 there are
 likewise a kind of frogs which frequent
 them in great  numbers in summer1 they 
are ,dr4 ,linnus's ,rana arborea1 and   
especially  the ,american variety of    
this animal4 ,they are very clamorous in
 the  evening and in the nights         
7especially when the days had been hot1 

and a  rain was expected7 and in a      
manner drown the singing of the birds4  
,they  frequently make such a noise1    
that it is difficult for a person to    
make  himself heard4    ,most of the    
houses are built of bricks2 and are     
generally strong and  neat1 and several 
stories high4 ,some had1 according to   
old  architecture1 turned the gable-end 
towards the streets2 but the new  houses
 were altered in this respect4 ,many of 
the houses had a balcony  on the roof1  
on which the people used to sit in the  
evenings in the  summer season2 and from
 thence they had a pleasant view of a   
great part  of the town1 and likewise of
 part of the adjacent water and of the  
opposite shore4 ,the roofs are commonly 
covered with tiles or shingles3  the    
latter of which are made of the white   
firtree1 or ,pinus ,strobus  7,linn4 sp4
 plant4 page #adai47 which grows higher 
up in the country4 ,the  inhabitants are
 of opinion that a roof made of these   
shingles is as  durable as one made in  

,pensylvania of the ,white ,cedar1 or   
,cupressus  thyoides 7,linn4 spec4      
plant1 page #adbb47 ,the walls were     
whitewashed  within1 and ,i did not any 
where see hangings1 with which the      
people in  this country seem in general 
to be but little acquainted4 ,the walls 
were quite covered with all sorts of    
drawings and pictures in small  frames4 
,on each side of the chimnies they had  
usually a sort of alcove2  and the wall 
under the windows was wainscoted1 and   
had benches placed  near it4 ,the       
alcoves1 and all the wood work were     
painted with a bluish  grey colour4     
,there are several churches in the town1
 which deserve some attention4  #a4 ,the
 ,english ,church1 built in the year    
#afie1 at the west end of town1         
consisting of stone1 and has a steeple  
with a bell4 #b4 ,the new ,dutch        
,church1 which is likewise built of     
stone1 is pretty large and is  provided 
with a steeple1 it also has a clock1    
which is the only one in  the town4     

,this church stands almost due from     
north to south4 ,no  particular point of
 the compass has here been in general   
attended to in  erecting sacred         
buildings4 ,some churches1 stand as is  
usual from east  to west1 others from   
south to north1 and others in different 
positions4  ,in this ,dutch church1     
there is neither altar1 vestry1 choir1  
sconces1  nor paintings4 ,some trees are
 planted round it1 which make it look as
  if it was built in a wood4 #c4 ,the   
old ,dutch church1 which is also built  
of stone4 ,it is not so large as the new
 one4 ,it was painted in the  inside1   
though without any images1 and adorned  
with a small organ1 of  which governor  
,burnet made them a present4 ,the men   
for the most part  sit in the gallery1  
and the women below4 #d4 ,the           
,presbyterian ,church1  which is pretty 
large1 and was built but lately4 ,it is 
of stone1 and  has a steeple and a bell 
in it4 #e4 ,the ,german ,lutheran       
,church4 #f4 ,the  ,german ,reformed    

,church4 #g4 ,the ,french ,church1 for  
protestant refugees4  #h4 ,the ,quaker's
 ,meeting house4 #i4 ,to these may be   
added the ,jewish  ,synagogue1 which ,i 
mentioned before4    ,towards the sea1  
on the extremity of the promontory is a 
pretty good  fortress1 called ,fort     
,george1 which entirely commands the    
port1 and can  defend the town1 at least
 from a sudden attack on the sea side4  
,besides  that1 it is likewise secured  
on the north or towards the shore1 by a 
pallisade1 which however 7as for a      
considerable time the people have  had  
nothing to fear from an enemy7 is in    
many places in a very bad  state of     
defence4    ,there is no good water to  
be met with in the town itself1 but at a
  little distance there is a large      
spring of good water1 which the         
inhabitants take for their tea1 and for 
the uses of the kitchen4 ,those         
however1 who are less delicate in this  
point1 make use of the water  from the  
wells in town1 though it be very bad4   

,this want of good water  lies heavy    
upon the horses of the strangers that   
come to this place2  for they do not    
like to drink the water from the wells  
in the town4    ,the port is a good one3
 ships of the greatest burthen can lie  
in it1  quite close up to the bridge3   
but its water is very salt1 as the sea  
continually comes in upon it2 and       
therefore is never frozen1 except in    
extraordinary cold weather4 ,this is of 
great advantage to the city and  its    
commerce2 for many ships either come in 
or go out of the port at  any time of   
the year2 unless the winds be contrary2 
a convenience1  which as ,i have before 
observed1 is wanting at ,philadelphia4  
,it is  secured from all violent        
hurricanes from the south-east by ,long 
,island  which is situated just before  
the town3 therefore only the storms from
  the south-west are dangerous to the   
ships which ride at anchor here1        
because the port is open only on that   
side4 ,the entrance however has  its    

faults3 one of them is1 that no men of  
war can pass through it2 for  though the
 water is pretty deep1 yet it is not    
sufficiently so for  great ships4       
,sometimes even merchant ships of a     
large size have by the  rolling of the  
waves and by sinking down between them1 
slightly touched  the bottom1 though    
without any bad consequences4 ,besides  
this1 the  canal is narrow2 and for this
 reason many ships have been lost here1 
because they may be easily cast upon a  
sand1 if the ship is not well  piloted4 
,some old people1 who had constantly    
been upon this canal1  assured me1 that 
it was neither deeper1 nor shallower at 
present1 than  in their youth4    ,the  
common difference between high and low  
water at ,new ,york1 amounts  to about  
six feet1 ,english measure4 ,but at a   
certain time in every  month1 when the  
tide flows more than commonly1 the      
difference in the  height of the water  
is seven feet4    ,new ,york probably   
carries on a more extensive commerce1   

than any town  in the ,english ,north   
,american provinces2 at least it may be 
said to  equal them3 ,boston and        
,philadelphia however come very near up 
to it4  ,the trade of ,new ,york extends
 to many places1 and it is said they    
send  more ships from thence to ,london1
 than they do from ,philadelphia4 ,they 
export to that capital all the various  
sorts of skins which they buy of  the   
,indians1 sugar1 logwood1 and other     
dying woods1 rum1 mahogany1 and  many   
other goods which are the produce of the
 ,west ,indies2 together  with all the  
specie which they get in the course of  
trade4 ,every year  they build several  
ships here1 which are sent to ,london1  
and there  sold2 and of late years they 
have shipped a quantity of iron to      
,england4 ,in return for these1 they    
import from ,london stuffs and every    
other article of ,english growth or     
manufacture1 together with all sorts  of
 foreign goods4 ,england1 and especially
 ,london1 profits immensely by  its     

trade with the ,american colonies2 for  
not only ,new ,york1 but  likewise all  
the other ,english towns on the         
continent1 import so many  articles from
 ,england1 that all their specie1       
together with the goods  which they get 
in other countries1 must altogether go  
to ,old ,england1  in order to pay the  
amount1 to which they are however       
insufficient4  ,from hence it appears   
how much a well regulated colony        
contributes to  the increase and welfare
 of its mother country4    ,new ,york   
sends many ships to the ,west ,indies1  
with flour1 corn1  biscuit1 timber1     
tuns1 boards1 flesh1 fish1 butter1 and  
other  provisions2 together with some of
 the few fruits that grow here4 ,many   
ships go to ,boston in ,new ,england1   
with corn and flour1 and take in        
exchange1 flesh1 butter1 timber1        
different sorts of fish1 and other      
articles1 which they carry further to   
the ,west ,indies4 ,they now and  then  
take rum from thence1 which is distilled

 there in great  quantities1 and sell it
 here with a considerable advantage4    
,sometimes  they send yachts with goods 
from ,new ,york to ,philadelphia1 and at
 other  times yachts are sent from      
,philadelphia to ,new ,york2 which is   
only  done1 as appears from the         
gazettes1 because certain articles are  
cheaper at one place than at the other4 
,they send ships to ,ireland  every     
year1 laden with all kinds of ,west     
,india goods2 but especially  with      
linseed1 which is reaped in this        
province4 ,i have been assured1  that in
 some years no less than ten ships have 
been sent to ,ireland1  laden with      
nothing but linseed2 because it is said 
the flax in ,ireland  does not afford   
good seed4 ,but probably the true reason
 is this3 the  people of ,ireland1 in   
order to have the better flax1 make use 
of the  plant before the seed is ripe1  
and therefore are obliged to send for   
foreign seed2 and hence it becomes one  
of the chief articles in trade4    ,at  

this time a bushel of linseed is sold   
for eight shillings of ,new  ,york      
currency1 or exactly a piece of eight4  
,the goods which are shipped to the     
,west ,indies1 are sometimes paid for   
with ready money1 and sometimes with    
,west ,india goods1 which are either    
first brought to ,new ,york1 or         
immediately sent to ,england or         
,holland4  ,if a ship does not chuse to 
take in ,west ,india goods in its return
 to  ,new ,york1 or if no body will     
freight it1 it often goes to ,newcastle 
in  ,england to take in coals for       
ballast1 which when brought home sell   
for  a pretty good price4 ,in many parts
 of the town coals are made use of1     
both for kitchen fires1 and in rooms1   
because they are reckoned cheaper  than 
wood1 which at present costs thirty     
,shillings of ,new ,york currency  per  
fathom2 of which measure ,i have before 
made mention4 ,new ,york has  likewise  
some intercourse with ,south ,carolina2 
to which it sends corn1  flour1 sugar1  

rum1 and other goods1 and takes rice in 
return1 which is  almost the only       
commodity exported from ,south          
,carolina4    ,the goods with which the 
province of ,new ,york trades are not   
very  numerous4 ,they chiefly export the
 skins of animals1 which are bought of  
the ,indians about ,oswego2 great       
quantities of boards1 coming for the    
most part from ,albany2 timber and ready
 made lumber1 from that part of  the    
country which lies about the river      
,hudson2 and lastly wheat1 flour1       
barley1 oats and other kinds of corn1   
which are brought from ,new ,jersey  and
 the cultivated parts of this province4 
,i have seen yachts from ,new           
,brunswick1 laden with wheat which lay  
loose on board1 and with flour  packed  
up into tuns2 and also with great       
quantities of linseed4 ,new  ,york      
likewise exports some flesh and other   
provisions out of its own  province1 but
 they are very few2 nor is the quantity 
of pease which the  people about ,albany

 bring much greater4 ,iron however may  
be had more  plentifully1 as it is found
 in several parts of this province1 and 
is  of a considerable goodness2 but all 
the other products of this country  are 
of little account4    ,most of the wine1
 which is drank here and in the other   
colonies is  brought from the ,isle of  
,madeira and is very strong and fiery4  
,no manufactures of note have as yet    
been established here2 at present  they 
get all manufactured goods1 such as     
woollen and linen cloth1 c4  from       
,england1 and especially from ,london4  
,the river ,hudson is very convenient   
for the commerce of this city2 as  it is
 navigable for near a hundred and fifty 
,english miles up the  country1 and     
falls into the bay not far from the     
town1 on its western  side4 ,during     
eight months of the year this river is  
full of yachts1 and  other greater and  
lesser vessels1 either going to ,new    
,york or returning  from thence1 laden  
either with inland or foreign goods4    

,i cannot make a just estimate of the   
ships that annually come to this  town  
or sail from it4 ,but ,i have found by  
the ,pensylvania gazettes that  from the
 first of ,december in #agbi1 to the    
fifth of ,december in the  next year1   
#baa ships entered the port of ,new     
,york1 and #bbb cleared it2  and since  
that time there has been a great        
increase of trade here4    ,the country 
people come to market in ,new ,york1    
twice a week much in the  same manner1  
as they do at ,philadelphia2 with this  
difference1 that the  markets are here  
kept in several places4    ,the governor
 of the province of ,new ,york1 resides 
here1 and has a  palace in the fort4    
,among those who have been entrusted    
with this post1  ,william ,burnet       
deserves to be had in perpetual         
remembrance4 ,he was one  of the sons of
 ,dr4 ,thomas ,burnet 7so celebrated on 
account of his  learning7 and seemed to 
have inherited the knowledge of his     
father4 ,but  his great assiduity in    

promoting the welfare of this province1 
is what  makes the principal merit of   
his character4 ,the people of ,new ,york
  therefore still reckon him the best   
governor they ever had1 and think  that 
they cannot praise his services too     
much4 ,the many astronomical            
observations which he made in these     
parts1 are inserted in several  ,english
 works4 ,in the year #agbg1 at the      
accession of king ,george the  ,,ii4 to 
the throne of ,great ,britain1 he was   
appointed governor of ,new  ,england4   
,in consequence of this he left ,new    
,york1 and went to ,boston1  where he   
died universally lamented1 on the #gth4 
of ,september #agbi4    ,an assembly of 
deputies from all the particular        
districts of the  province of ,new      
,york1 is held at ,new ,york once or    
twice every year4 ,it  may be looked    
upon as a parliament or dyet in         
miniature4 ,every thing  relating to the
 good of the province is here debated4  
,the governor  calls the assembly1 and  

dissolves it at pleasure3 this is a     
power which  he ought only to make use  
of1 either when no farther debates are  
necessary1 or when the members are not  
so unanimous in the service of  their   
king and country as is their duty3 it   
frequently however happens1  that1 led  
aside by caprice or by interested views1
 he exerts it to the  prejudice of the  
province4 ,the colony has sometimes had 
a governor1  whose quarrels with the    
inhabitants1 have induced their         
representatives1 or the members of the  
assembly1 through a spirit of  revenge1 
to oppose indifferently every thing he  
proposed1 whether it  was beneficial to 
the country or not4 ,in such cases the  
governor has  made use of his power2    
dissolving the assembly1 and calling    
another  soon after1 which however he   
again dissolved upon the least mark of  
their ill humour4 ,by this means he so  
much tired them1 by the many  expences  
which they were forced to bear in so    
short a time1 that they  were at last   

glad to unite with him1 in his          
endeavours for the good of  the         
province4 ,but there have likewise been 
governors who have called  assemblies   
and dissolved them soon after1 merely   
because the  representatives did not act
 according to their whims1 or would not 
give  their assent to proposals which   
were perhaps dangerous or hurtful to    
the common welfare4    ,the king        
appoints the governor according to his  
royal pleasure2 but the  inhabitants of 
the province make up his excellency's   
salary4 ,therefore  a man entrusted with
 this place has greater or lesser       
revenues1  according as he knows how to 
gain the confidence of the inhabitants4 
,there are examples of governors in     
this1 and other provinces of ,north     
,america1 who by their dissensions with 
the inhabitants of their  respective    
governments1 have lost their whole      
salary1 his ,majesty  having no power to
 make them pay it4 ,if a governor had no
 other  resource in these circumstances1

 he would be obliged either to resign   
his office1 or to be content with an    
income too small for his dignity2  or   
else to conform himself in every thing  
to the inclinations of the  inhabitants3
 but there are several stated profits1  
which in some  measure make up for this4
 #a4 ,no one is allowed to keep a public
 house  without the governor's leave2   
which is only to be obtained by the     
payment of a certain fee1 according to  
the circumstances of the person4  ,some 
governors therefore1 when the           
inhabitants refused to pay them a       
salary1 have hit upon the expedient of  
doubling the number of inns in  their   
province4 #b4 ,few people who intend to 
be married1 unless they be  very poor1  
will have their banns published from the
 pulpit2 but instead  of this they get  
licences from the governor1 which       
impower any minister  to marry them4    
,now for such a licence the governor    
receives about half  a guinea1 and this 
collected throughout the whole province1

 amounts to  a considerable sum4 #c4    
,the governor signs all passports1 and  
especially  of such as go to sea2 and   
this gives him another means of         
supplying his  expences4 ,there are     
several other advantages allowed to him1
 but as  they are very trifling1 ,i     
shall omit them4    ,at the above       
assembly the old laws are reviewed and  
amended1 and new  ones are made3 and the
 regulation and circulation of coin1    
together  with all other affairs of that
 kind are there determined4 ,for it is  
to  be observed that each ,english      
colony in ,north ,america is independent
 of  the other1 and that each has its   
proper laws and coin1 and may be  looked
 upon in several lights1 as a state by  
itself4 ,from hence it  happens1 that in
 time of war1 things go on very slowly  
and irregularly  here3 for not only the 
sense of one province is sometimes      
directly  opposite to that of another2  
but frequently the views of the         
governor1  and those of the assembly of 

the same province1 are quite different3 
so  that it is easy to see1 that1 while 
the people are quarrelling about  the   
best and cheapest manner of carrying on 
the war1 an enemy has it in  his power  
to take one place after another4 ,it has
 commonly happened  that whilst some    
provinces have been suffering from their
 enemies1 the  neighbouring ones were   
quiet and inactive1 and as if it did not
 in the  least concern them4 ,they have 
frequently taken up two or three years  
in  considering whether they should give
 assistance to an oppressed sister      
colony1 and sometimes they have expresly
 declared themselves against  it4 ,there
 are instances of provinces who were not
 only neuter in these  circumstances1   
but who even carried on a great trade   
with the power  which at that very time 
was attacking and laying waste some     
other  provinces4    ,the ,french in    
,canada1 who are but an inconsiderable  
body1 in comparison  with the ,english  
in ,america1 have by this position of   

affairs been able  to obtain great      
,advantages in times of war2 for if we  
judge from the  number and power of the 
,english1 it would seem very easy for   
them to  get the better of the ,french  
in ,america4 #da    ,it is however of   
great advantage to the crown of         
,england1 that the  ,north ,american    
colonies are near a country1 under the  
government of the  ,french1 like        
,canada4 ,there is reason to believe    
that the king never was  earnest in his 
attempts to expel the ,french from their
 possessions  there2 though it might    
have been done with little difficulty4  
,for the  ,english colonies in this part
 of the world have encreased so much in 
their number of inhabitants1 and in     
their riches1 that they almost vie  with
 ,old ,england4 ,now in order to keep up
 the authority and trade of  their      
mother country1 and to answer several   
other puposes1 they are  forbid to      
establish new manufactures1 which would 
turn to the  disadvantage of the        

,british commerce3 they are not allowed 
to dig for  any gold or silver1 unless  
they send them to ,england immediately3 
they  have not the liberty of trading to
 any parts that do not belong to the    
,british dominions1 excepting some      
settled places1 and foreign traders  are
 not allowed to send their ships to     
them4 ,these and some other             
restrictions1 occasion the inhabitants  
of the ,english colonies to grow  less  
tender for their mother country4 ,this  
coldness is kept up by the  many        
foreigners such as ,germans1 ,dutch and 
,french settled here1 and  living among 
the ,english1 who commonly have no      
particular attachment to  ,old ,england2
 add to this likewise that many people  
can never be  contented with their      
possessions1 though they be ever so     
great1 and  will always be desirous of  
getting more1 and of enjoying the       
pleasure  which arises from changing2   
and their over great liberty1 and their 
luxury often lead them to               

licentiousness4    ,i have been told by 
,englishmen1 and not only by such as    
were born in  ,america1 but even by such
 as came from ,europe1 that the ,english
  colonies in ,north-,america1 in the   
space of thirty or fifty years1 would   
be able to form a state by themselves1  
entirely independent on ,old  ,england4 
,but as the whole country which lies    
along the sea shore1 is  unguarded1 and 
on the land side is harrassed by the    
,french1 in times of  war these         
dangerous neighbours are sufficient to  
prevent the connection  of the colonies 
with their mother country from being    
quite broken off4  ,the ,english        
government has therefore sufficient     
reason to consider the  ,french in      
,north-,america1 as the best means of   
keeping the colonies in  their due      
submission4 ,but1 ,i am almost gone too 
far from my purpose2 ,i  will therefore 
finish my observations on ,new ,york4   
,the declination of the magnetic needle1
 in this town was observed by  ,philip  

,wells1 the chief engineer of the       
province of ,new ,york1 in the  year    
#afhf1 to be eight deg4 and forty-five  
min4 to the westward4 ,but in  #agbc1 it
 was only seven deg4 and twenty min4    
according to the  observations of       
governor ,burnet4    ,from hence we may 
conclude that in thirty-eight years the 
magnet  approaches about one deg4 and   
twenty five min4 nearer to the true     
north2 or1 which is the same thing1     
about two min4 annually4 ,mr4           
,alexander1 a man of great knowledge in 
astronomy and in mathematics1  assured  
me from several observations1 that in   
the year #agej1 on the  eighteenth of   
,september the deviation was to be      
reckoned six deg4 and  twenty two min4  
,there are two printers in the town1 and
 every week some ,english  gazettes are 
published1 which contain news from all  
parts of the world4    ,the winter is   
much more severe here1 than in          
,pensylvania2 it being  nearly as cold  
as in some of the provinces of ,sweden3 

its continuance  however is much shorter
 than with us3 their spring is very     
early and  their autumn very late1 and  
the heat in summer is excessive4 ,for   
this  reason1 the melons sown in the    
fields are ripe at the beginning of     
,august2 whereas we can hardly bring    
them so soon to maturity under  glasses 
and on hot beds4 ,the cold of the       
winter1 ,i cannot justly  determine1 as 
the meteorological observations which   
were communicated  to me1 were all      
calculated after thermometers1 which    
were so placed in  the houses1 that the 
air could not freely come at them4 ,the 
snow lies  for some months together upon
 the ground2 and sledges are made use of
  here as in ,sweden1 but they are      
rather too bulky4 ,the river ,hudson is 
about an ,english mile and a half broad 
at its mouth3 the difference  between   
the highest flood and the lowest ebb is 
between six and seven  feet1 and the    
water is very brackish3 yet the ice     
stands in it not only  one but even     

several months3 it has sometimes a      
thickness of more than  two feet4       
,the inhabitants are sometimes greatly  
troubled with ,musquitoes4 ,they  either
 follow the hay which is made near the  
town1 in the low meadows  which are     
quite penetrated with salt water2 or    
they accompany the  cattle at night when
 it is brought home4 ,i have myself     
experienced1 and  have observed in      
others1 how much these little           
animalcules can  disfigure a person's   
face during a single night2 for the skin
 is  sometimes so covered over with     
little blisters from their stings1 that 
people are ashamed to appear in public4 
,the water melons which are  cultivated 
near the town grow very large3 they are 
extremely delicious1  and are better    
than in other parts of ,north ,america2 
though they are  planted in the open    
fields and never in a hot-bed4 ,i saw a 
water melon  at ,governor ,clinton's in 
,september #agej1 which weighed forty   
seven  ,english pounds1 and at a        

merchant's in town another of forty two 
pounds  weight3 however they were       
reckoned the biggest ever seen in this  
country4    ,in the year #agaj1 five    
kings1 or ,sachems of the ,iroquois went
 from  hence to ,england1 in order to   
engage ,queen ,anne to make an alliance 
with them against the ,french4 ,their   
names1 dress1 reception at court1       
speeches to the ,queen1 opinion of      
,england and of the ,european manners1  
and several other particulars about them
 are sufficiently known from  other     
writings2 it would therefore be here    
unnecessary to enlarge about  them4 ,the
 kings or ,sachems of the ,indians1 have
 commonly no greater  authority over    
their subjects than constables in a     
meeting of the  inhabitants of a parish1
 and hardly so much4 ,on my travels     
through the  country of these ,indians1 
,i had never any occasion to go and wait
 upon  the ,sachems2 for they always    
came into my habitation without being   
asked3 these visits they commonly paid  

in order to get a glass or two  of      
brandy1 which they value above any thing
 they know4 ,one of the five  ,sachems  
mentioned above1 died in ,england2 the  
others returned safe4    ,the first     
colonists in ,new ,york were ,dutchmen3 
when the town and its  territories were 
taken by the ,english1 and left them by 
the next peace  in exchange for         
,surinam1 the old inhabitants were      
allowed either to  remain at ,new ,york1
 and to enjoy all the privileges and    
immunities  which they were possessed of
 before1 or to leave the place with all 
their goods3 most of them chose the     
former2 and therefore the  inhabitants  
both of the town and of the province    
belonging to it1 are  yet for the       
greatest part ,dutchmen2 who still1     
especially the old  people1 speak their 
mother tongue4    ,they begin however by
 degrees to change their manners and    
opinions2  chiefly indeed in the town   
and in its neighbourhood3 for most of   
the  young people now speak principally 

,english1 and go only to the ,english   
church2 and would even take it amiss1 if
 they were called ,dutchmen and  not    
,englishmen4    ,though the province of 
,new ,york has been inhabited by        
,europeans1 much  longer than           
,pensylvania1 yet it is not by far so   
populous as that  colony4 ,this cannot  
be ascribed to any particular           
discouragement  arising from the nature 
of the soil2 for that is pretty good3   
but ,i was  told of a very different    
reason1 which ,i will mention here4 ,in 
the  reign of ,queen ,anne about the    
year #agji1 many ,germans came hither1  
who  got a tract of land from the       
government on which they might settle4  
,after they had lived there for some    
time1 and had built houses and          
churches1 and made corn-fields and      
meadows1 their liberties and  privileges
 were infringed1 and under several      
pretences they were  repeatedly deprived
 of parts of their land4 ,this at last  
rouzed the  ,germans2 they returned     

violence for violence1 and beat those   
who thus  robbed them of their          
possessions4 ,but these proceedings were
 looked  upon in a very bad light by the
 government3 the most active people     
among the ,germans being taken up1 they 
were very roughly treated1 and  punished
 with the utmost rigour of the law4     
,this however so far  exasperated the   
rest1 that the greater part of them left
 their houses  and fields1 and went to  
settle in ,pensylvania3 there they were 
exceedingly well received1 got a        
considerable tract of land1 and were    
indulged in great privileges which were 
given them forever4 ,the ,germans  not  
satisfied with being themselves removed 
from ,new ,york1 wrote to  their        
relations and friends and advised them1 
if ever they intended to  come to       
,america1 not to go to ,new ,york1 where
 the government had shewn  itself so    
unequitable4 ,this advice had such      
influence1 that the  ,germans1 who      
afterwards went in great numbers to     

,north ,america1  constantly avoided    
,new ,york and always went to           
,pensylvania4 ,it  sometimes happened   
that they were forced to go on board    
such ships as  were bound to ,new ,york2
 but they were scarce got on shore1 when
 they  hastened on to ,pensylvania in   
sight of all the inhabitants of ,new    
,york4    ,but the want of people in    
this province may likewise be accounted 
for  in a different manner4 ,as the     
,dutch1 who first cultivated this       
country1  obtained the liberty of       
staying here by the treaty with         
,england1 and of  enjoying all their    
privileges and advantages without the   
least  limitation1 each of them took a  
very large piece of ground for himself1 
and many of the more powerful heads of  
families made themselves the  possessors
 and masters of a country of as great an
 extent as would be  sufficient to form 
a middling and even a great parish4     
,most of them  being very rich1 their   
envy of the ,english led them not to    

sell them  any land1 but at an excessive
 rate2 a practice which is still        
punctually observed among their         
descendants4 ,the ,english therefore as 
well as people of different nations1    
have little encouragement to  settle    
here4 ,on the other hand they have      
sufficient opportunity in the  other    
provinces1 to purchase land at a more   
moderate price1 and with  more security 
to themselves4 ,it is not then to be    
wondered1 that so  many parts of ,new   
,york are still uncultivated1 and have  
entirely the  appearance of desarts4    
,this instance may teach us how much a  
small  mistake in a government will     
injure population4    ,november the     
#c;d4 ,about noon we set out from ,new  
,york on our return1 and  continuing our
 journey1 we arrived at ,philadelphia on
 the fifth of  ,november4    ,in the    
neighbourhood of this capital 7of       
,pensylvania7 the people had a  month   
ago made their cyder1 which they were   
obliged to do1 because  their apples    

were so ripe as to drop from the trees4 
,but on our journey  through ,new ,york 
we observed the people still employed in
 pressing out  the cyder4 ,this is a    
plain proof that in ,pensylvania the    
apples are  sooner ripe than in ,new    
,york2 but whether this be owing to the 
nature  of the soil1 or a greater heat  
of the summer in ,philadelphia1 or to   
some other cause ,i know not4 ,however  
there is not the least advantage  in    
making cyder so early3 for long         
experience had taught the husbandmen    
that it is worse for being made early in
 the year2 the great heat in  the       
beginning of autumn being said to hinder
 the fermentation of the  juice4        
,there is a certain quadruped which is  
pretty common not only in  ,pensylvania1
 but likewise in other provinces both of
 ,south and ,north  ,america1 and goes  
by the name of ,polecat among the       
,english4 ,in ,new ,york  they generally
 call it ,skunk4 ,the ,swedes here by   
way of nickname called  it ,fiskatta1 on

 account of the horrid stench it        
sometimes causes as ,i  shall presently 
show4 ,the ,french in ,canada1 for the  
same reason call it  ,bte puante or     
stinking animal1 and ,enfant du diable  
or child of the  devil4 ,some of them   
likewise call it ,pekan3 ,catesby in his
 ,natural  ,history of ,carolina1 has   
described it in ,vol4 #b4 p4 #fb4 by the
 name of  ,putorius ,americanus striatus
 and drawn it plate #fb4 ,dr4 ,linnus   
calls  it ,viverra ,putorius4 #db ,this 
animal1 which is very similar to the    
,marten1 is of about the same size and  
commonly black3 on the back it  has a   
longitudinal white stripe and two others
 on each side1 parallel  to the former4 
,sometimes but very seldom1 some are    
seen which are quite  white4 ,on our    
return to ,philadelphia we saw one of   
these animals not  far from town near a 
farmer's house1 killed by dogs4 ,and    
afterwards ,i  had during my stay in    
these parts several opportunities of    
seeing it  and of hearing its qualities4

 ,it keeps its young ones in holes in   
the  ground and in hollow trees2 for it 
does not confine itself to the  ground1 
but climbs up trees with the greatest   
agility3 it is a great  enemy to birds2 
for it breaks their eggs and devours    
their young ones2  and if it can get    
into a hen roost it soon destroys all   
its  inhabitants4    ,this animal has a 
particular quality by which it is       
principally known2  when it is pursued  
by men or dogs it runs at first as fast 
as it can1  or climbs upon a tree2 but  
if it is so beset by its pursuers1 as to
  have no other way of making its       
escape1 it squirts its urine upon them4 
,this according to some it does by      
wetting its tail with the urine  whence 
by a sudden motion it scatters it       
abroad2 but others believe1  that it    
could send its urine equally far without
 the help of its tail2  ,i find the     
former of these accounts to be the most 
likely4 ,for1 some  credible people     
assured me1 that they have had their    

faces wetted with  it all over2 though  
they stood above eighteen feet off from 
the animal4  ,the urine has so horrid a 
stench that nothing can equal it3 it is 
something like that of the ,cranesbill  
or ,linnus's ,geranium  robertianum1 but
 infinitely stronger4 ,if you come near 
a polecat when  it spreads its stench1  
you cannot breathe for a while1 and it  
seems as  if you were stifled2 and in   
case the urine comes into the eyes1 a   
person is likely to be blinded4 ,many   
dogs that in a chace pursue the  polecat
 very eagerly1 run away as fast as they 
can when they are  wetted3 however1 if  
they be of the true breed1 they will not
 give over  the pursuit till they have  
caught and killed the polecat2 but they 
are  obliged now and then to rub their  
noses in the ground in order to  relieve
 themselves4    ,clothes which have been
 wetted by this animal retain the smell 
for more  than a month2 unless they be  
covered with fresh soil1 and suffered to
  remain under it for twenty four hours 

together2 when it will in a great       
measure be removed4 ,those likewise who 
have got any of this urine upon  their  
face and hands1 rub them with loose     
earth2 and some even hold  their hands  
in the ground for an hour2 as washing   
will not help them so  soon4 ,a certain 
man of rank who had by accident been    
wetted by the  polecat1 stunk so ill1   
that on going into a house1 the people  
either  ran away1 or on his opening the 
door1 rudely denied him entrance4 ,dogs 
that have hunted a polecat are so       
offensive for some days afterwards1     
that they cannot be borne in the house4 
,at ,philadelphia ,i once saw a  great  
number of people on a market day        
throwing at a dog that was so           
unfortunate as to have been engaged with
 a polecat just before1 and to  carry   
about him the tokens of its displeasure4
 ,persons when travelling  through a    
forest are often troubled with the stink
 which this creature  makes2 and        
sometimes the air is so much infected   

that it is necessary  to hold ones nose4
 ,if the wind blows from the place where
 the polecat  has been1 or if it be     
quite calm1 as at night1 the smell is   
more strong  and disagreeable4    ,in   
the winter of #agdi1 a polecat tempted  
by a dead lamb1 came one night  near the
 farm house where ,i then slept4 ,being 
immediately pursued by  some dogs1 it   
had recourse to its usual expedient in  
order to get rid  of them4 ,the attempt 
succeeded1 the dogs not choosing to     
continue the  pursuit3 the stink was so 
extremely great that1 though ,i was at  
some  distance it affected me in the    
same manner as if ,i had been stifled2  
and it was so disagreeable to the cattle
 that it made them roar very  loudly3   
however1 by degrees it vanished4        
,towards the end of the same  year one  
of these animals got into our cellar1   
but no stench was  observed1 for it only
 vents that when it is pursued4 ,the    
cook however  found for several days    
together that some of the meat which was

 kept  there was eaten2 and suspecting  
that it was done by the cat she shut up 
all avenues1 in order to prevent their  
getting at it4 ,but the next  night     
being awoke by a noise in the cellar1   
she went down1 and though  it was quite 
dark1 saw an animal with two shining    
eyes1 which seemed to  be all on fire2  
she however resolutely killed it1 but   
not before the  polecat had filled the  
cellar with a most dreadful stench4 ,the
 maid was  sick of it for several days2 
and all the bread1 flesh1 and other     
provisions kept in the cellar were so   
penetrated with it1 that we could  not  
make the least use of them1 and were    
forced to throw them all away4    ,from 
an accident that happened at ,new ,york 
to one of my acquaintances1  ,i conclude
 that the polecat either is not always  
very shy1 or that it  sleeps very hard  
at night4 ,this man coming home out of a
 wood in a  summer evening1 thought that
 he saw a plant standing before him2    
stooping to pluck it1 he was to his cost

 convinced of his mistake1 by  being all
 on a sudden covered with the urine of a
 polecat1 whose tail  as it stood       
upright1 the good man had taken for a   
plant3 the creature  had taken its      
revenge so effectually that he was much 
at a loss how to  get rid of the stench4
    ,however though these animals play  
such disagreeable tricks1 yet the       
,english1 the ,swedes1 the ,french1 and 
the ,indians in these parts tame  them4 
,they follow their masters like domestic
 animals1 and never make  use of their  
urine1 except they be very much beaten  
or terrified4 ,when  the ,indians kill  
such a polecat1 they always eat its     
flesh1 but when  they pull off its skin1
 they take care to cut away the bladder1
 that  the flesh may not get a taste    
from it4 ,i have spoken with both       
,englishmen and ,frenchmen1 who assured 
me that they had eaten of it1 and  found
 it very good meat1 and not much unlike 
the flesh of a pig4 ,the  skin which is 
pretty coarse1 and has long hair1 is not

 made use of by  the ,europeans2 but the
 ,indians prepare it with the hair on1  
and make  tobacco pouches of it1 which  
they carry before them4    ,november the
 #fth4 ,in the evening ,i went out of   
town to ,mr4 ,bartram1 ,i  found a man  
with him1 who lived in ,carolina and ,i 
obtained several  particulars about that
 province from him2 a few of which ,i   
will here  mention4    ,tar1 pitch and  
rice are the chief products of          
,carolina4 ,the soil is  very sandy1 and
 therefore many pines and firs grow in  
it1 from which  they make tar3 the firs 
which are taken for this purpose are    
commonly  such as are dried up of       
themselves2 the people here in general  
not  knowing how to prepare the firs by 
taking the bark off on one1 or on       
several sides1 as they do in            
,ostrobothnia4 ,in some parts of        
,carolina  they likewise make use of the
 branches4 ,the manner of burning or    
boiling1 as the man describes it to me1 
is entirely the same as in  ,finland4   

,the pitch is thus made3 they dig a hole
 into the ground and  smear the inside  
well with clay1 into which they pour the
 tar1 and make  a fire round it1 which  
is kept up till the tar has got the     
consistence  of pitch4 ,they make two   
kinds of tar in the ,north ,american    
colonies3  one is the common tar1 which 
,i have above described1 and which is   
made  of the stems1 branches1 and roots 
of such firs1 as were already           
considerably dried out before2 which is 
the most common way in this  country4   
,the other way in peeling the bark from 
the firs on one side1  and afterwards   
letting them stand another year2 during 
which the resin  comes out between the  
cracks of the item4 ,the tree is then   
felled and  burnt for tar2 and the tar  
thus made is called green tar1 not that 
there is that difference of colour in   
it1 for in this respect they are  both  
pretty much alike2 but the latter is    
called so from being made of  green and 
fresh trees2 whereas common tar is made 

of dead trees3 the  burning is done in  
the same manner as in ,finland4 ,they   
use only black  firs2 for the white firs
 will not serve this purpose1 though    
they are  excellent for boards1 masts1  
c4 green tar is dearer than common tar4 
,it is already a pretty general         
complaint that the fir woods are almost 
wholly destroyed by this practice4      
,rice is planted in great quantity in   
,carolina3 it succeeds best in  marshy  
and swampy grounds1 which may be laid   
under water1 and likewise  ripens there 
the soonest4 ,where these cannot be had1
 they must choose a  dry soil2 but the  
rice produced here will be much inferior
 to the  other3 the land on which it is 
cultivated must never be manured4 ,in   
,carolina they sow it in the middle of  
,april1 and it is ripe in  ,september3  
it is planted in rows like pease1 and   
commonly fifteen  inches space is left  
between the rows2 as soon as the plants 
are come  up1 the field is laid under   
water4 ,this not only greatly forwards  

the  growth of the rice1 but likewise   
kills all weeds1 so as to render        
weeding unnecessary4 ,the straw of rice 
is said to be excellent food for        
cattle1 who eat it very greedily4 ,rice 
requires a hot climate1 and  therefore  
it will not succeed well in ,virginia1  
the summer there being  too short1 and  
the winter too cold2 and much less will 
it grow in  ,pensylvania4 ,they are as  
yet ignorant in ,carolina of the art of 
making  arrack from rice3 it is chiefly 
,south ,carolina that produces the      
greatest quantity of rice2 and on the   
other hand they make the most tar  in   
,north ,carolina4    ,november the #gth4
 ,the stranger from ,carolina whom ,i   
have mentioned  before1 had met with    
many oyster shells at the bottom of a   
well1  seventy ,english miles distant   
from the sea1 and four from a river3    
they  lay in a depth of fourteen        
,english feet from the surface of the   
earth3  the water in the well was       
brackish2 but that in the river was     

fresh4  ,the same man1 had at the       
building of a saw-mill1 a mile and a    
half from  a river1 found1 first sand1  
and then clay filled with oyster shells4
  ,under these he found several bills of
 sea birds as he called them1  which    
were already quite petrified3 they were 
probably ,glossopetr4    ,there are two 
species of foxes in the ,english        
colonies1 the one grey1  and the other  
red3 but in the sequel ,i shall shew    
that there are others  which sometimes  
appear in ,canada4 ,the grey foxes are  
here constantly1  and are very common in
 ,pensylvania and in the southern       
provinces3 in  the northern ones they   
are pretty scarce1 and the ,french in   
,canada1  call them ,virginian ,foxes on
 that account3 in size they do not quite
  come up to our foxes4 ,they do no harm
 to lambs2 but they prey upon all  sorts
 of poultry1 whenever they can come at  
them4 ,they do not however  seem to be  
looked upon as animals that cause a     
great deal of damage2  for there is no  

reward given for killing them3 their    
skin is greatly  sought for by hatters1 
who employ the hair in their work4      
,people have  their clothes lined with  
it sometimes3 the grease is used against
 all  sorts of rheumatic pains4 ,these  
foxes are said to be less nimble than   
the red ones3 they are sometimes tamed2 
though they be not suffered to  run     
about but are tied up4 ,mr4 ,catesby has
 drawn and described this  sort of foxes
 in his ,natural history of ,carolina1  
by the name of the  grey ,american fox1 
vol4 #b4 p4 #gh4 tab4 #gh4 ,a skin of it
 was sold in  ,philadelphia for two     
shillings and six-pence in ,pensylvanian
 currency4    ,the red ,foxes are very  
scarce here3 they are entirely the same 
with the  ,european sort4 ,mr4 ,bartram1
 and several others assured me1 that    
according to the unanimous testimony of 
the ,indians1 this kind of foxes  never 
was in the country1 before the          
,europeans settled in it4 ,but of  the  
manner of their coming over ,i have two 

different accounts3 ,mr4  ,bartram and  
several other people were told by the   
,indians1 that these  foxes came into   
,america soon after the arrival of the  
,europeans1 after  an extraordinary cold
 winter1 when all the sea to the        
northward was  frozen3 from hence they  
would infer1 that they could perhaps get
 over  to ,america upon the ice from    
,greenland or the northern parts of     
,europe  and ,asia4 ,but ,mr4 ,evans1   
and some others assured me that the     
following  account was still known by   
the people4 ,a gentleman of fortune in  
,new  ,england1 who had a great         
inclination for hunting1 brought over a 
great  number of foxes from ,europe1 and
 let them loose in his territories1     
that he might be able to indulge his    
passion for hunting4 #dc ,this is  said 
to have happened almost at the very     
beginning of ,new ,england's  being     
peopled with ,european inhabitants4     
,these foxes were believed to  have so  
multiplied1 that all the red foxes in   

the country were their  offspring4 ,at  
present they are reckoned among the     
noxious creatures in  these parts2 for  
they are not contented1 as the grey     
foxes with killing  fowl2 but they      
likewise devour the lambs4 ,in          
,pensylvania therefore  there is a      
reward of two shillings for killing an  
old fox1 and of one  shilling for       
killing a young one4 ,and in all the    
other provinces there  are likewise     
rewards offer'd for killing them1 ,their
 skin is in great  request1 and is sold 
as dear as that of the grey foxes1 that 
is two  shillings and six-pence1 in     
,pensylvanian currency4    ,they have   
two varieties of ,wolves here1 which    
however seem to be of the  same species4
 ,for some of them are yellowish1 or    
almost pale grey1 and  others are black 
or dark brown4 ,all the old ,swedes     
related1 that during  their childhood1  
and still more at the arrival of their  
fathers1 there  were excessive numbers  
of wolves in the country1 and that their

 howling  and yelping might be heard all
 night4 ,they likewise frequently tore  
in  pieces1 sheep1 hogs1 and other young
 and small cattle4 ,about that time  or 
soon after1 when the ,swedes and the    
,english were quite settled here1  the  
,indians were attacked by the small pox3
 this disease they got from  the        
,europeans1 for they knew nothing of it 
before3 it killed many  hundreds of     
them1 and most of the ,indians of the   
country1 then called  ,new ,sweden died 
of it4 ,the wolves then came1 attracted 
by the stench of  so many corpses1 in   
such great numbers that they devoured   
them all1 and  even attacked the poor   
sick ,indians in their huts1 so that the
 few  healthy ones had enough to do1 to 
drive them away4 ,but since that time   
they have disappeared1 so that they are 
now seldom seen1 and it is very  rarely 
that they commit any disorders4 ,this is
 attributed to the  greater cultivation 
of the country1 and to their being      
killed in great  numbers4 ,but further  

up the country1 where it is not yet so  
much  inhabited1 they are still very    
abundant4 ,on the coasts of ,pensylvania
  and ,new ,jersey1 the sheep stay all  
night in the fields1 without the        
people's fearing the wolves3 however to 
prevent their multiplying too  much1    
there is a reward of twenty shillings in
 ,pensylvania and of  thirty in ,new    
,jersey1 for delivering in a dead wolf1 
and the person  that brings it may keep 
the skin4 ,but for a young wolf the     
reward is  only ten shillings of the    
,pensylvanian currency4 ,there are      
examples of  these wolves being made as 
tame as dogs4    ,the wild ,oxen have   
their abode principally in the woods of 
,carolina1  which are far up in the     
country4 ,the inhabitants frequently    
hunt them1  and salt their flesh like   
common beef1 which is eaten by servants 
and  the lower class of people4 ,but the
 hide is of little use1 having too      
large pores to be made use of for shoes4
 ,however the poorer people in          

,carolina1 spread these hides on the    
ground instead of beds4    ,the ,viscum 
filamentosum1 or ,fibrous misletoe1 is  
found in abundance in  ,carolina2 the   
inhabitants make use of it as straw in  
their beds1 and to  adorn their houses2 
the cattle are very fond of it3 it is   
likewise  employed in packing goods4    
,the ,spartium scoparium grew in ,mr4   
,bartram's garden from ,english seeds2  
he said that he had several bushes of   
it1 but that the frost in the  cold     
winters here had killed most of them3   
they however grow  spontaneously in     
,sweden4    ,mr4 ,bartram had same      
,truffles1 or ,linnus's ,lycoperdon     
,tuber1 which he  had got out of a sandy
 soil in ,new ,jersey1 where they are   
abundant4  ,these he shewed to his      
friend from ,carolina1 and asked him    
whether they  were the ,tuckahoo of the 
,indians4 ,but the stranger denied it1  
and added  that though these truffles   
were likewise very common in ,carolina1 
yet  he had never seen them used any    

other way but in milk1 against the      
dysentery2 and he gave us the following 
description of the ,tuckahoo4 ,it  grows
 in several swamps and marches1 and is  
commonly plentiful4 ,the  hogs greedily 
dig up its roots with their noses in    
such places2 and the  ,indians in       
,carolina likewise gather them in their 
rambles in the woods1  dry them in the  
sun shine1 grind them and bake bread of 
them4 ,whilst  the root is fresh it is  
harsh and acrid1 but being dried it     
loses the  greatest part of its         
acrimony4 ,to judge by these qualities  
the ,tuckahoo  may very likely be the   
,arum ,virginianum4 ,compare with this  
account1  what shall be related in the  
sequel of the ,tahim and ,tuckah4       
,after dinner ,i again returned to town4
    ,november the #hth4 ,several        
,english and ,swedish oeconomists kept  
bee-hives1 which afforded their         
possessors profit3 for bees succeed     
very well here3 the wax was for the most
 part sold to tradesmen3 but  the honey 

they made use of in their own families1 
in different ways4  ,the people were    
unanimous1 that the common bees were not
 in ,north  ,america before the arrival 
of the ,europeans2 but that they were   
first  brought over by the ,english who 
settled here4 ,the ,indians likewise    
generally declare1 that their fathers   
had never seen any bees either in  the  
woods or any where else1 before the     
,europeans had been several  years      
settled here4 ,this is further confirmed
 by the name which the  ,indians give   
them3 for having no particular name for 
them in their  language1 they call them 
,english flies1 because the ,english    
first  brought them over3 but at present
 they fly plentifully about the woods   
of ,north ,america4 ,however it has been
 observed that the bees always  when    
they swarm1 spread to the southward1 and
 never to the northward4  ,it seems as  
if they do not find the latter countries
 so good for their  constitution3       
therefore they cannot stay in ,canada1  

and all that have  been carried over    
thither1 died in winter4 ,it seemed to  
me as if the  bees in ,america were     
somewhat smaller than ours in ,sweden4  
,they have  not yet been found in the   
woods on the other side of the ,blue    
,mountains1 which confirms the opinion  
of their being brought to ,america  of  
late4 ,a man told ,mr4 ,bartram1 that on
 his travels in the woods of  ,north    
,america1 he had found another sort of  
bees1 which1 instead of  separating     
their wax and honey1 mixed it both      
together in a great bag4  ,but this     
account wants both clearing up and      
confirming4    ,november the #ith4 ,all 
the old ,swedes and ,englishmen born in 
,america  whom ,i ever questioned1      
asserted that there were not near so    
many birds  fit for eating at present1  
as there used to be when they were      
children1  and that their decrease was  
visible4 ,they even said1 that they had 
heard their fathers complain of this1 in
 whose childhood the bays1  rivers and  

brooks were quite covered with all sorts
 of water fowls such  as wild geese1    
ducks1 and the like4 ,but at present    
there is sometimes  not a single bird   
upon them2 about sixty or seventy years 
ago1 a single  person could kill eighty 
ducks in a morning2 but at present you  
frequently wait in vain for a single    
one4 ,a ,swede above ninety years  old1 
assured me that he had in his youth     
killed twenty-three ducks at a  shot4   
,this good luck no body is likely to    
have at present1 as you are  forced to  
ramble about for a whole day1 without   
getting a sight of more  than three or  
four4 ,cranes #dd at that time came     
hither by hundreds in  the spring3 at   
present there are but very few4 ,the    
wild ,turkeys1 and  the birds which the 
,swedes in this country call ,partridges
 and  ,hazel-hens were in whole flocks  
in the woods4 ,but at this time a person
  is tired with walking before he can   
start a single bird4    ,the cause of   
this diminution is not difficult to     

find4 ,before the  arrival of the       
,europeans1 the country was             
uncultivated1 and full of  great        
forests4 ,the few ,indians that lived   
here seldom disturbed the  birds4 ,they 
carried on no trade among themselves1   
iron and gun powder  were unknown to    
them4 ,one hundredth part of the fowl   
which at that time  were so plentiful   
here1 would have sufficed to feed the   
few  inhabitants2 and considering that  
they cultivated their small maize       
fields1 caught fish1 hunted stags1      
beavers1 bears1 wild cattle1 and  other 
animals whose flesh was delicious to    
them1 it will soon appear  how little   
they disturbed the birds4 ,but since the
 arrival of great  crouds of ,europeans1
 things are greatly changed2 the country
 is well  peopled1 and the woods are cut
 down3 the people increasing in this    
country1 they have by hunting and       
shooting in part extirpated the  birds1 
in part scared them away3 in spring the 
people still take both  eggs1 mothers   

and young indifferently1 because no     
regulations are made  to the contrary4  
,and if any had been made1 the spirit of
 freedom which  prevails in the country 
would not suffer them to be obeyed4 ,but
 though  the eatable birds have been    
diminished greatly1 yet there are       
others1  which have rather increased    
than decreased in number1 since the     
arrival  of the ,europeans3 this can    
most properly be said of a species of   
daws  which the ,english call           
,blackbirds #de and the ,swedes ,maize  
thieves1  ,dr4 ,linnus calls them       
,gracula ,quiscula4 ,and together with  
them1 the  several sorts of ,squirrels  
among the quadrupeds have spread3 for   
these  and the former1 live chiefly upon
 maize1 or at least they are most       
greedy of it4 ,but as population        
increases1 the cultivation of maize     
increases1 and of course the food of the
 above-mentioned animals is  more       
plentiful3 to this it is to be added1   
that these latter are rarely  eaten1 and

 therefore they are more at liberty to  
multiply their kind4  ,there are        
likewise other birds which are not      
eaten1 of which at present  there are   
nearly as many as there were before the 
arrival of the  ,europeans4 ,on the     
other hand ,i heard great complaints of 
the great  decrease of eatable fowl1 not
 only in this province1 but in all the  
parts of ,north ,america1 where ,i have 
been4    ,aged people had experienced   
that with the fish1 which ,i have just  
mentioned of the birds3 in their youth1 
the bays1 rivers1 and brooks1  had such 
quantities of fish that at one draught  
in the morning1 they  caught as many as 
a horse was able to carry home4 ,but at 
present things  are greatly altered2 and
 they often work in vain all the night  
long1  with all their fishing tackle4   
,the causes of this decrease of fish1   
are  partly the same with those of the  
diminution of the number of birds2      
being of late caught by a greater       
variety of contrivances1 and in         

different manners than before4 ,the     
numerous mills on the rivers and  brooks
 likewise contribute to it in part3 for 
it has been observed  here1 that the    
fish go up the river in order to spawn  
in a shallow  water2 but when they meet 
with works that prevent their           
proceeding1  they turn back1 and never  
come again4 ,of this ,i was assured by a
 man of  fortune at ,boston3 his father 
was used to catch a number of herrings  
throughout the winter and almost always 
in summer1 in a river1 upon his  country
 seat3 but he having built a mill with a
 dyke in this water1  they were lost4   
,in this manner they complained here and
 every where of  the decrease of fish4  
,old people asserted the same in regard 
to oysters  at ,new ,york2 for though   
they are still taken in considerable    
quantity1  and are as big and as        
delicious as can be wished1 yet all the 
oyster-catchers own1 that the number    
diminishes greatly every year3 the  most
 natural cause of it1 is probably the   

immoderate catching of them  at all     
times of the year4    ,mr4 ,franklin    
told me that in that part of ,new       
,england1 where his father  lived1 two  
rivers fell into the sea1 in one of     
which1 they caught great  numbers of    
herring1 and in the other not one4 ,yet 
the places where  these rivers          
discharged themselves into the sea1 were
 not far asunder4  ,they had observed   
that when the herrings came in spring to
 deposit  their spawn1 they always swam 
up the river where they used to catch   
them1 but never came into the other4    
,this circumstance led ,mr4  ,franklin's
 father who was settled between the two 
rivers1 to try  whether it was not      
possible to make the herrings likewise  
live in the  other river4 ,for that     
purpose he put out his nets1 as they    
were coming  up for spawning1 and he    
caught some4 ,he took the spawn out of  
them1 and  carefully carried it across  
the land into the other river4 ,it was  
hatched1 and the consequence was1 that  

every year afterwards they  caught more 
herrings in that river2 and this is     
still the case4 ,this  leads one to     
believe that the fish always like to    
spawn in the same  place where they were
 hatched1 and from whence they first put
 out to  sea2 being as it were          
accustomed to it4    ,the following is  
another peculiar observation4 ,it has   
never formerly  been known that codfish 
were to be caught at cape ,hinlopen3    
they were  always caught at the mouth of
 the ,delaware3 but at present they are 
numerous in the former place4 ,from     
hence it may be concluded that fish     
likewise change their places of abode1  
of their own accord4    ,a captain of a 
ship who had been in ,greenland1        
asserted from his own  experience1 that 
on passing the seventieth deg4 of north 
lat4 the  summer heat was there much    
greater1 than it is below that degree4  
,from  hence he concluded1 that the     
summer heat at the pole itself1 must be 
still more excessive1 since the sun     

shines there for such a long space  of  
time1 without ever setting4 ,the same   
account with similar  consequences drawn
 from thence1 ,mr4 ,franklin had heard  
of the ship  captains in ,boston1 who   
had sailed to the most northern parts of
 this  hemisphere4 ,but still more      
astonishing is the account he got from  
captain ,henry ,atkins1 who still lives 
at ,boston4 ,he had for some time  been 
upon the fishery along the coasts of    
,new ,england4 ,but not catching  as    
much as he wished1 he sailed north1 as  
far as ,greenland4 ,at last he  went so 
far1 that he discovered people1 who had 
never seen ,europeans  before 7and what 
is more astonishing7 who had no idea of 
the use of  fire1 which they had never  
employed2 and if they had known it1 they
  could have made no use of their       
knowledge1 as there were no trees in    
the country4 ,but they eat the birds and
 fish which they caught quite  raw4     
,captain ,atkins got some very scarce   
skins in exchange for some  trifles4    

,it is already known from several       
accounts of voyages1 that to the        
northward neither trees nor bushes1 nor 
any ligneous plants are to be  met with1
 fit for burning4 ,but is it not        
probable that the inhabitants  of so    
desolate a country1 like other northern 
nations which we know1  burn the train  
oil of fishes1 and the fat of animals in
 lamps1 in order  to boil their meat1 to
 warm their subterraneous caves in      
winter1 and to  light them in the       
darkest season of the year8 else their  
darkness would  be insupportable4       
,november the #aath4 ,in several        
writings we read of a large animal1     
which  is to be met with in ,new        
,england and other parts of ,north      
,america4 ,they  sometimes dig very long
 and branched horns out of the ground in
  ,ireland1 and no body in that country 
or any where else in the world1  knows  
an animal that has such horns4 ,this has
 induced many people to  believe that it
 is the ,moose-deer so famous in ,north 

,america1 and that  the horns found1    
were of animals of this kind1 which had 
formerly lived  in that island1 but were
 gradually destroyed4 ,it has even been 
concluded1 that ,ireland1 in distant    
ages either was connected with  ,north  
,america1 or that a number of little    
islands1 which are lost at  present1    
made a chain between them4 ,this led me 
to enquire1 whether an  animal with such
 excessive great horns1 as are ascribed 
to the  ,moose-deer1 had ever been seen 
in any part of this country4 ,mr4       
,bartram  told me1 that notwithstanding 
he had carefully enquired to that       
purpose1 yet there was no person who    
could give him any information1  which  
could be relied upon1 and therefore he  
was entirely of opinion1  that there was
 no such an animal in ,north ,america4  
,mr4 ,franklin related  that he had1    
when a boy1 seen two of the animals     
which they call  ,moose-deer1 but he    
well remembered that they were not near 
of such a  size as they must have been1 

if the horns found in ,ireland were to  
fit  them3 the two animals which he saw1
 were brought to ,boston in order to  be
 sent to ,england to ,queen ,ann4 ,the  
height of the animal up to the  back was
 that of a pretty tall horse2 but the   
head and its horns were  still higher3  
,mr4 ,dudley has given a description of 
the ,moose-deer  which is found in      
,north ,america4 ,on my travels in      
,canada1 ,i often  enquired of the      
,frenchmen1 whether there had ever been 
seen so large an  animal in this        
country1 as some people say there is in 
,north ,america2  and with such great   
horns as are sometimes dug out in       
,ireland4 ,but ,i  was always told1 that
 they had never heard of it1 and much   
less seen  it3 some added1 that if there
 was such an animal1 they certainly must
  have met with it1 in some of their    
excursions in the woods4 ,there are     
elks here1 which are either of the same 
sort with the ,swedish ones1 or  a      
variety of them3 of these they often    

catch some which are larger than        
common1 whence perhaps the report of the
 very large animal with  excessive horns
 in ,north ,america first had its rise4 
,these elks are  called ,original's by  
the ,french in ,canada1 which name they 
have  borrowed from the ,indians3       
perhaps ,dudley1 in describing the      
,moose-deer1 meant no other animals1    
than these large elks4 #df    ,mr4      
,franklin gave me a piece of a stone1   
which on account of its                 
indestructibility in the fire1 is made  
use of in ,new ,england for making      
melting furnaces and forges4    ,it     
consists of a mixture of ,lapis ,ollaris
 or ,serpentine stone1 and of  ,asbest4 
,the greatest part of it is a grey      
,serpentine stone1 which is  fat and    
smooth to the touch1 and is easily cut  
and worked4 ,here and  there are some   
glittering speckles of that sort of     
asbest1 whose fibres  come from a center
 like rays1 or ,star ,asbest4 ,this     
stone is not found  in strata or solid  

rocks1 but here and there scattered on  
the fields4    ,another stone is called 
,soapstone by many of the ,swedes1 being
 as  smooth as soap on the outside4     
,they make use of it for rubbing spots  
out of their cloaths4 ,it might be      
called ,saxum talcosum particulus       
spataceis1 granatisque immixtis1 or a   
talc with mixed particles of spar  and  
garnets4 ,a more exact description ,i   
reserve for another work4 ,at  present  
,i only add that the ground colour is   
pale green1 with some dark  spots1 and  
sometimes a few of a greenish hue4 ,it  
is very smooth to the  touch1 and runs  
always waved4 ,it is likewise easily    
sawed and cut1  though it is not very   
smooth4 ,i have seen large stones of it1
 which  were a fathom and more long1    
proportionably broad1 and commonly six  
inches or a foot deep4 ,but ,i cannot   
determine any thing of their  original  
size1 as ,i have not been at the place  
where they are dug1 and  have only seen 
the stones at ,philadelphia1 which are  

brought there  ready cut4 ,the particles
 of talc in this stone are about thirty 
times  as many as those of spar and     
garnet4 ,it is found in many parts of   
the  country1 for example in the        
neighbourhood of ,chester in            
,pennsylvania4  ,the ,english likewise  
call it ,soapstone1 #dg and it is likely
 that the  ,swedes have borrowed that   
name from them4    ,this stone was      
chiefly employed in the following       
manner4 ,first1 the  people took spots  
out of their cloaths with it4 ,but for  
this purpose  the whole stone is not    
equally useful1 for it includes in its  
clear  particles some dark ones which   
consist wholly of serpentine stone1 and 
may easily be cut with a knife2 some of 
the loose stone is scraped off  like a  
powder1 and strewed upon a greasy spot1 
in silk or any other  fluff2 this       
imbibes the grease1 and after rubbing   
off the powder the  spot disappears3 and
 as this stone is likewise very durable 
in the  fire1 the country people make   

their hearths with it1 especially the   
place where the fire lies1 and where the
 heat is the greatest1 for the  stone   
stands the strongest fire4 ,if the      
people can get a sufficient  quantity of
 this stone1 they lay the steps before  
the houses with it1  instead of bricks1 
which are generally used for that       
purpose4    ,the walls round the court  
yards1 gardens1 burying places1 and     
those for  the sloping cellar doors     
towards the street1 which are all       
commonly  built of brick1 are covered   
with a coping of this stone2 for it     
holds  excellently against all the      
effects of the sun1 air1 rain and storm1
  and does not decay but secures the    
bricks4 ,on account of this quality1    
people commonly get the door posts in   
which their hinges are fastened  made of
 this stone3 and in several publick     
buildings1 such as the house  of        
assembly for the province1 the whole    
lower wall is built of it1 and  in other
 houses the corners are laid out with   

it4    ,the ,salt which is used in the  
,english ,north ,american colonies is   
brought from the ,west ,indies4 ,the    
,indians have in some places salt       
springs from which they get salt by     
boiling4 ,i shall in the sequel have    
occasion to describe some of them4 ,mr4 
,franklin was of opinion that the       
people in ,pensylvania could easier make
 good salt of sea water1 than in  ,new  
,england1 where sometimes salt is made  
of the sea water on their  coast2 though
 their situation is more northerly4     
,lead-ore has been  discovered in       
,pensylvania1 but as it is not to be met
 with in quantity1  no body ever        
attempted to use it4 ,loadstones of     
considerable goodness  have likewise    
been found2 and ,i myself possess       
several pretty pieces of  them4    ,iron
 is dug in such great quantities in     
,pensylvania and in the other  ,american
 provinces of the ,english1 that they   
could provide with that  commodity not  
only ,england1 but almost all ,europe1  

and perhaps the  greater part of the    
globe4 ,the ore is here commonly        
infinitely easier  got in the mines1    
than our ,swedish ore4 ,for in many     
places with a pick  ax1 a crow-foot and 
a wooden club1 it is got with the same  
ease with  which a hole can be made in a
 hard soil3 in many places the people   
know  nothing of boring1 blasting and   
firing2 and the ore is likewise very    
fusible4 ,of this iron they get such    
quantities1 that not only the  numerous 
inhabitants of the colonies themselves  
have enough of it1 but  great           
quantities1 are sent to the ,west       
,indies1 and they have lately  began    
even to trade to ,europe with it4 ,this 
iron is reckoned better for  ship       
building than our ,swedish iron1 or any 
other1 because salt water  does not     
corrode it so much4 ,some people        
believed that without  reckoning the    
freight1 they could sell their iron in  
,england at a lower  rate than any other
 nation2 especially when the country    

becomes better  peopled and labour      
cheaper4    ,the mountain flax1 #dh or  
that kind of stone1 which ,bishop       
,browallius  calls ,amiantus fibris     
separabilibus molliusculis1 in his      
lectures on  mineralogy which were      
published in #agci1 or the amiant with  
soft fibres  which can easily be        
separated1 is found abundantly in       
,pensylvania4 ,some  pieces are very    
soft1 others pretty tough3 ,mr4         
,franklin told me that  twenty and some 
odd years ago1 when he made a voyage to 
,england1 he had  a little purse with   
him1 made of the mountain flax of this  
country1  which he presented to ,sir    
,hans ,sloane4 ,i have likewise seen    
paper made  of this stone3 and ,i have  
likewise received some small pieces of  
it1  which ,i keep in my cabinet4 ,mr4  
,franklin had been told by others that  
on exposing this mountain flax to the   
open air in winter1 and leaving  it in  
the cold and wet1 it would grow         
together1 and more fit for  spinning4   

,but he did not venture to determine how
 far this opinion was  grounded4 ,on    
this occasion he related a very pleasant
 accident1 which  happened to him with  
this mountain flax3 he had1 several     
years ago1 got  a piece of it1 which he 
gave to one of his journeymen printers1 
in  order to get it made into a sheet at
 the paper mill4 ,as soon as the  fellow
 brought the paper1 ,mr4 ,franklin      
rolled it up1 and threw it into  the    
fire1 telling the journeyman he would   
see a miracle1 a sheet of  paper which  
did not burn3 the ignorant fellow       
asserted the contrary1  but was greatly 
astonished1 upon seeing himself         
convinced4 ,mr4 ,franklin  then         
explained him1 though not very clearly1 
the peculiar qualities of  the paper4   
,as soon as he was gone1 some of his    
acquaintance came in1  who immediately  
knew the paper4 ,the journeyman thought 
he would shew  them a great curiosity   
and astonish them4 ,he accordingly told 
them that  he had curiously made a sheet

 of paper1 which would not burn1 though 
it  was thrown into the fire4 ,they     
pretended to think it impossible1 and he
  as strenuously maintained his         
assertion4 ,at last they laid a wager   
about it2 but whilst he was busy with   
stirring up the fire1 the others  slyly 
besmeared the paper with fat3 the       
journeyman1 who was not aware  of it1   
threw it into the fire1 and that moment 
it was all in flames3  this astonished  
him so much1 that he was almost         
speechless2 upon which  they could not  
help laughing1 and so discovered the    
whole artifice4    ,in several houses of
 the town1 a number of little ,ants run 
about1  living underground and in holes 
in the wall4 ,the length of their bodies
  is one geometrical line4 ,their colour
 is either black or dark red3 they  have
 the custom of carrying off sweet       
things1 if they can come at them1  in   
common with the ants of other countries4
 ,mr4 ,franklin was much  inclined to   
believe that these little insects could 

by some means  communicate their        
thoughts or desires to each other1 and  
he confirmed  his opinion by some       
examples4 ,when an ant finds some sugar1
 it runs  immediately under ground to   
its hole1 where having stayed a little  
while1 a whole army comes out1 unites   
and marches to the place where  the     
sugar is1 and carries it off by pieces3 
or if an ant meets with a  dead fly1    
which it cannot carry alone1 it         
immediately hastens home1 and  soon     
after some more come out1 creep to the  
fly and carry it away4 ,some  time ago  
,mr4 ,franklin put a little earthen pot 
with treacle into a  closet4 ,a number  
of ants got into the pot1 and devoured  
the treacle  very quietly4 ,but as he   
observed it he shook them out1 and tied 
the pot  with a thin string to a nail   
which he had fastened in the ceiling2 so
  that the pot hung down by the string4 
,a single ant by chance remained  in the
 pot3 this ant eat till it was          
satisfied2 but when it wanted to  get   

off1 it was under great concern to find 
its way out3 it ran about  the bottom of
 the pot1 but in vain3 at last it found 
after many  attempts the way to get to  
the ceiling by the string4 ,after it was
 come  there1 it ran to the wall1 and   
from thence to the ground4 ,it had      
hardly  been away for half an hour1 when
 a great swarm of ants came out1 got up 
to the ceiling1 and crept along the     
string into the pot1 and began to  eat  
again3 this they continued till the     
treacle was all eaten3 in the  mean time
 one swarm running down the string1 and 
the other up4    ,november the #abth4 ,a
 man of fortune who has long been in    
this province  asserted1 that1 by twenty
 years experience1 he had found a       
confirmation  of what other people have 
observed with regard to the weather1    
viz4  that the weather in winter was    
commonly foretold by that on the first  
of ,november1 old stile1 or twelfth new 
stile2 if that whole day be  fair1 the  
next winter will bring but little rain  

and snow along with  it3 but if the     
first half of the day be clear1 and the 
other cloudy1  the beginning of winter  
would accordingly be fair1 but its end  
and  spring would turn out rigorous and 
disagreeable3 of the same kind were  the
 other presages4 ,i have likewise in    
other places heard of similar  signs of 
the weather2 but as a mature judgment   
greatly lessens the  confidence in them1
 so the meteorological observations have
  sufficiently shewn1 how infinitely    
often these prophecies have failed4     
,pensylvania abounds in springs1 and you
 commonly meet with a spring of  clear  
water on one or the other1 and sometimes
 on several sides of a  mountain4 ,the  
people near such springs1 use them for  
every purpose of a  fine spring water4  
,they also conduct the water into a     
little stone  building near the house1  
where they can confine it1 and bring    
fresh  supplies at pleasure4 ,in summer 
they place their milk1 bottles of wine  
and other liquors in this building1     

where they keep cool and fresh4 ,in     
many country houses1 the kitchen or     
buttery was so situated1 that a  rivulet
 ran under it1 and had the water near at
 hand4    ,not only people of fortune1  
but even others that had some           
possessions1  commonly had fish ponds in
 the country near their houses4 ,they   
always  took care that fresh water might
 run into their ponds1 which is very    
salutary for the fish3 for that purpose 
the ponds were placed near a  spring on 
a hill4    ,november the #acth4 ,i saw  
in several parts of this province a     
ready  method of getting plenty of grass
 to grow in the meadows4 ,here must be  
remembered what ,i have before mentioned
 about the springs1 which are  sometimes
 found on the sides of hills and        
sometimes in vallies4 ,the  meadows lie 
commonly in the vallies between the     
hills3 if they are too  swampy and wet1 
the water is carried off by several     
ditches4 ,but the  summer in            
,pensylvania is very hot2 and the sun   

often burns the grass so  much1 that it 
dries up entirely4 ,the husbandmen      
therefore have been  very attentive to  
prevent this in their meadows3 to that  
purpose they  look for all the springs  
in the neighbourhood of a meadow2 and as
 the  rivulets flowed before by the     
shortest way into the vallies1 they     
raise  the water as much as possible and
 necessary1 to the higher part of the   
meadow1 and make several narrow channels
 from the brook1 down into the  plain1  
so that it is entirely watered by it4   
,when there are some deeper  places1    
they frequently lay wooden gutters      
across them1 through which  the water   
flows to the other side2 and from thence
 it is again by very  narrow channels   
carried to all the places where it seems
 necessary4 ,to  raise the water the    
higher1 and in order to spread it more1 
there are  high dykes built near the    
springs1 between which the water rises  
till  it is so high as to run down where
 the people want it4 ,industry and      

ingenuity went further3 when a brook    
runs in a wood1 with a direction  not   
towards the meadow1 and it has been     
found by levelling1 and taking  an exact
 survey of the land between the meadow  
and the rivulet1 that  the latter can be
 conducted towards the former2 a dyke is
 made1 which  hems the course of the    
brook1 and the water is led round the   
meadow  over many hills1 sometimes for  
the space of an ,english mile and       
further1 partly across vallies in wooden
 pipes1 till at last it is  brought     
where it is wanted1 and where it can be 
spread as  above-mentioned4 ,one that   
has not seen it himself1 cannot believe 
how  great a quantity of grass there is 
in such meadows1 especially near the    
little channels2 whilst others1 which   
have not been thus managed look         
wretchedly4 ,the meadows commonly lie in
 the vallies1 and one or more of  their 
sides have a declivity4 ,the water can  
therefore easily be brought  to run down
 in them4 ,these meadows which are so   

carefully watered1 are  commonly mowed  
three times every summer4 ,but it is    
likewise to be  observed1 that summer   
continues seven months here4 ,the       
inhabitants  seldom fail to employ a    
brook or spring in this manner1 if it is
 not  too far from the meadows to be led
 to them4    ,the leaves were at present
 fallen from all the trees2 both from   
oaks1  and from all those which have    
deciduous leaves1 and they covered the  
ground in the woods six inches deep4    
,the great quantity of leaves which     
drop annually1 would necessarily seem to
 encrease the upper black mould         
greatly4 ,however1 it is not above three
 or four inches thick in the  woods1 and
 under it lays a brick coloured clay1   
mixed with a sand of  the same colour4  
,it is remarkable1 that a soil which in 
all probability  has not been stirred1  
should be covered with so little black  
mould3 but  ,i shall speak of this in   
the sequel4    ,november the #adth4 ,the
 ,squirrels which run about plentifully 

in the  woods are of different species2 
,i here intend to describe the most     
common sorts1 more accurately4    ,the  
grey ,squirrels are very plentiful in   
,pensylvania and in the other  provinces
 of ,north ,america4 ,their shape       
corresponds with that of our  ,swedish  
squirrel2 but they differ from them1 by 
keeping their grey  colour all the year 
long1 and in size being something       
bigger4 ,the woods  in all these        
provinces1 and chiefly in ,pensylvania1 
consist of trees  with deciduous leaves1
 and in such these squirrels like to    
live4 ,ray in  his ,synopsis            
,quadrupedum1 p4 #bae1 and ,catesby in  
his ,natural ,history of  ,carolina1    
,vol4 #b4 p4 #gd1 tab4 #gd1 call it the 
,virginian greater grey  ,squirrel2 and 
the latter has added a figure after     
life4 ,the ,swedes call  it grao        
,ickorn1 which is the same as the       
,english grey ,squirrel4 ,their  nests  
are commonly in hollow trees1 and are   
made of moss1 straw1 and  other soft    

things3 their food is chiefly nuts2 as  
hazel nuts1  chinquapins1 chesnuts1     
walnuts1 hiccory nuts1 and the acorns of
 the  different sorts of oak which grow 
here2 but maize is what they are most   
greedy of4 ,the ground in the woods is  
in autumn covered with acorns1  and all 
kinds of nuts which drop from the       
numerous trees3 of these the  squirrels 
gather great stores for winter1 which   
they lay up in holes  dug by them for   
that purpose3 they likewise carry a     
great quantity of  them into their      
nests4    ,as soon as winter comes1 the 
snow and cold confines them to their    
holes  for several days1 especially when
 the weather is very rough4 ,during     
this time they consume the little store1
 which they have brought to  their      
nests3 as soon therefore as the weather 
grows milder1 they creep  out1 and dig  
out part of the store which they have   
laid up in the  ground3 of this they eat
 some on the spot1 and carry the rest   
into  their nests on the trees4 ,we     

frequently observed that in winter1 at  
the  eve of a great frost1 when there   
had been some temperate weather1 the    
squirrels1 a day or two before the      
frost1 ran about the woods in  greater  
numbers than common1 partly in order to 
eat their fill1 and  partly to store    
their nests with a new provision for the
 ensuing great  cold1 during which they 
did not venture to come out1 but stay   
snug in  their nests3 therefore seeing  
them run in the woods in greater numbers
  than ordinary1 was a safe prognostic  
of an ensuing cold4    ,the hogs which  
are here droven into the woods1 whilst  
there is yet no  snow in them1 often do 
considerable damage to the poor         
squirrels1 by  rooting up their         
store-holes1 and robbing their winter   
provisions4 ,both  the ,indians1 and the
 ,european ,americans1 take great pains 
to find out  these store-holes1 whether 
in trees or in the ground1 as all the   
nuts  they contain are choice1 and not  
only quite ripe1 but likewise not       

pierced by worms4 ,the nuts and acorns  
which the ,dormice1 or ,mus  ,cricetus1 
,linn4 store up in autumn1 are all in   
the same condition4 ,the  ,swedes       
relate1 that in the long winter1 which  
happened here in the year  #agda1 there 
fell such a quantity of snow1 that the  
squirrels could not  get to their store1
 and many of them were starved to death4
    ,the damage which these animals do  
in the maize fields1 ,i have already    
described3 they do the more harm1 as    
they do not eat all the corn1 but  only 
the inner and sweet part1 and as it were
 take off the husks4 ,in  spring towards
 the end of ,april1 when the oaks were  
in full flower1 ,i  once observed a     
number of squirrels on them1 sometimes  
five1 six1 or  more in a tree1 who bit  
off the flower stalks a little below the
  flowers1 and dropt them on the ground3
 whether they eat any thing off  them1  
or made use of them for some other      
purpose ,i know not3 but the  ground was
 quite covered with oak flowers1 to     

which part of the stalk  adhered4 ,for  
this reason the oaks do not bear so much
 fruit by far1 to  feed hogs and other  
animals1 as they would otherwise do4    
,of all the wild animals in this        
country1 the squirrels are some of the  
easiest to tame1 especially when they   
are taken young for that purpose4  ,i   
have seen them tamed so far1 that they  
would follow the boys into the  woods   
and run about every where1 and when     
tired would sit on their  shoulders4    
,sometimes they only ran a little way   
into the wood1 and then  returned home  
again to the little hole that had been  
fitted up for  them4 ,when they eat1    
they sit almost upright1 hold their food
 between  their forefeet and their tail 
bent upwards4 ,when the tame ones got   
more  than they could eat at a time1    
they carried the remainder to their     
habitations1 and hid it amongst the wool
 which they lay upon4 ,such tame        
squirrels shewed no fear of strangers1  
and would suffer themselves to  be      

touched by every body1 without offering 
to bite4 ,they sometimes  would leap    
upon stranger's cloaths and lie still on
 them1 in order to  sleep4 ,in the farm 
houses where they were kept1 they played
 with cats  and dogs3 they likewise eat 
bread4    ,the wild grey squirrels      
likewise hold up their tails when       
sitting4 ,as  soon as they perceive a   
man1 they continually wag their tails   
and begin  to gnash with their teeth1   
and make a great noise1 which they do   
not  readily give over4 ,those who go a 
shooting birds and other animals1 are   
therefore very angry at them1 as this   
noise discovers them1 and alarms  the   
game4 ,though a grey squirrel does not  
seem to be very shy1 yet it  is very    
difficult to kill2 for when it perceives
 a man1 it climbs upon  a tree1 and     
commonly chuses the highest about it4   
,it then tries to hide  itself behind   
the trunk1 so that the shooter may not  
see it1 and though  he goes ever so fast
 round the tree1 yet the squirrel       

changes its place  as quickly1 if not   
quicker3 if two boughs bend towards each
 other1 the  squirrel lies in the middle
 of them1 and presses itself so close1  
that  it is hardly visible4 ,you may    
then shake the tree1 throw sticks and   
stones to the place where it lies1 or   
shoot at it1 yet it will never  stir4   
,if three branches join1 it takes refuge
 between them1 and lies as  close to    
them as possible1 and then it is        
sufficiently safe4 ,sometimes  it       
escapes on a tree where there are old   
nests of squirrels1 or of  large birds3 
it slips into such1 and cannot be got   
out1 either by  shooting1 throwing1 or  
any thing else2 for the grey squirrels  
seldom  leap from one tree to another1  
except extreme danger compels them4     
,they  commonly run directly up the     
trees and down the same way1 with their 
head straight forward4 ,several of them 
which ,i shot in the woods1 had  great  
numbers of fleas4    ,i have already    
mentioned that these squirrels are among

 the animals1  which at present are more
 plentiful than they formerly were1 and 
that  the infinitely greater cultivation
 of maize1 which is their favourite     
food1 is the cause of their             
multiplication4 ,however it is peculiar1
  that in some years a greater number of
 squirrels come down from the  higher   
countries into ,pensylvania1 and other  
,english colonies4 ,they  commonly come 
in autumn1 and are then very busy in the
 woods gathering  nuts and acorns1 which
 they carry into hollow trees or their  
store-holes1 in order to be sufficiently
 provided with food for winter4  ,they  
are so diligent in storing up of        
provisions1 that though the nuts  have  
been extremely plentiful that year1 yet 
it is difficult to get a  considerable  
quantity of them4 ,the people here      
pretended from their own  experience to 
know1 that when the squirrels came down 
in such numbers  from the higher parts  
of the country1 the winter ensuing was  
uncommonly  rigorous and cold1 and for  

that reason they always look upon their 
coming down1 as a sure sign of such a   
winter4 ,yet this does not always  prove
 true1 as ,i experienced in the autumn  
of the year #agdi3 at that  time a great
 number of squirrels came down into the 
colonies1 yet the  winter was very mild 
and no colder than common4 ,but it      
appeared that  their migration was      
occasioned by the scarcity of nuts and  
acorns1  which happened that year in the
 higher parts of the country1 and       
obliged them to come hither for their   
food4 ,therefore they generally  return 
the next year to the place from which   
they came4    ,some people reckon       
squirrel flesh a great dainty1 but the  
generality  make no account of it4 ,the 
skin is good for little1 yet small      
straps  are sometimes made of it1 as it 
is very tough3 others use it as a furr  
lining1 for want of a better4 ,ladies   
shoes are likewise sometimes made  of   
it4    ,the ,rattle snake often devours 
the squirrels1 notwithstanding all their

  agility4 ,this unwieldy creature1 is  
said to catch so agile an one1  merely  
by fascination4 ,i have never had an    
opportunity of seeing how it  is done3  
but so many credible people assured me  
of the truth of the  fact1 and asserted 
that they were present1 and paid        
peculiar attention  to it1 that ,i am   
almost forced to believe their unanimous
 accounts4 ,the  fascination is effected
 in the following manner3 the snake lies
 at the  bottom of the tree upon which  
the squirrel sits2 its eyes are fixed   
upon the little animal1 and from that   
moment it cannot escape2 it  begins a   
doleful outcry1 which is so well known1 
that a person passing  by1 on hearing   
it1 immediately knows that it is charmed
 by a snake4 ,the  squirrel runs up the 
tree a little way1 comes downwards      
again1 then  goes up1 and now comes     
lower again4 ,on that occasion it has   
been  observed1 that the squirrel always
 goes down more than it goes up4 ,the   
snake still continues at the root of the

 tree1 with its eyes fixed on  the      
squirrel1 with which its attention is so
 entirely taken up1 that a  person      
accidentally approaching1 may make a    
considerable noise1 without  the snake's
 so much as turning about4 ,the squirrel
 as before-mentioned  comes always      
lower1 and at last leaps down to the    
snake1 whose mouth is  already wide open
 for its reception4 ,the poor little    
animal then with a  piteous cry runs    
into the snake's jaws1 and is swallowed 
at once1 if it  be not too big2 but if  
its size will not allow it to be        
swallowed at  once1 the snake licks it  
several times with its tongue1 and      
smoothens  it1 and by that means makes  
it fit for swallowing4 ,every thing else
  remarkable at this enchantment1 ,i    
have described in a treatise inserted   
in the ,memoirs of the ,royal ,swedish  
,academy of ,sciences1 in the ,volume   
for the year #agec1 ,i therefore am not 
so circumstantial here4 ,the same  power
 of enchanting is ascribed to that kind 

of snake1 which is  commonly called the 
black snake in ,america1 and it is said 
to catch and  devour squirrels in the   
same manner as the former4 #di    ,but  
these little animals do considerable    
damage to the maize1 not only  whilst it
 is upon the stalk1 as ,i have before   
observed1 but even when  it is brought  
home into the barns3 for if they can    
come at it without  any obstacle1 they  
can in a few nights bring a whole bushel
 away into  their lurking holes4 ,the   
government in most of the ,north        
,american  colonies1 has therefore been 
obliged to offer a certain premium1 to  
be  paid out of the common treasury1 for
 the head of a squirrel4 ,it seems      
inconceivable what a sum of money has   
been paid for grey and black  squirrel's
 heads1 in the province of ,pensylvania 
only1 from the first  of ,january #agdi1
 to the first of ,january #agej2 for    
when the deputies  from the several     
districts of the province met1 in order 
to deliberate  upon the affairs of the  

province1 each of them complained that  
their  treasuries were exhausted by     
paying so much for squirrels3 for at    
that  time the law had appointed a      
reward of three-pence for each          
squirrel's  head4 ,so far extended the  
vengeance taken upon these little       
creatures1  i4e4 upon the grey and black
 squirrels4 ,it was found1 by calling up
  accounts1 that in that one year eight 
thousand pounds of ,pensylvania         
currency1 had been expended in paying   
these rewards3 this ,i was assured  of  
by a man who had looked over the        
accounts himself4    ,many people1      
especially young men1 left all other    
employment1 and went  into the woods to 
shoot squirrels3 but the government     
having  experienced how much three-pence
 per head took out of the treasury1     
settled half that sum upon each         
squirrel's head4    ,flying ,squirrels  
are a peculiar kind1 which seem to be   
the same with  those which inhabit      
,finland1 and which ,dr4 ,linnus in his 

,fauna  ,svecica1 ,no4 #ch4 calls       
,sciurus volans4 ,the ,american flying  
squirrel at  the utmost is only a       
variety of that which we have in        
,finland4 ,catesby  in his ,natural     
,history of ,carolina1 ,vol4 #b1 p4 #gf1
 #gg1 has described  it1 and tab4 #gf1  
#gg1 drawn it after life4 ,he likewise  
calls it ,sciurus  volans4 ,edwards in  
his ,natural ,history of ,birds         
represents it1 t4 #aia4  ,they are met  
with in the woods1 but not very         
frequently4 ,they are  scarce ever seen 
in the day time1 unless they are forced 
out by men who  have discovered their   
nests3 for they sleep in the day time1  
but as  soon as it grows dark1 they come
 out and run about almost all night4    
,they live in hollow trees1 and by      
cutting one down1 seven or more  flying 
squirrels are frequently found in it4   
,by the additional skin  with which     
,providence has provided them on both   
sides1 they can fly  from one tree to   
another4 ,they expand their skins like  

wings1 and  contract them again as soon 
as they can get hold of the opposite    
tree4  ,some people say that they fly in
 a horizontal line2 but others asserted 
that they first went a little downwards1
 and then rose up again1 when  they     
approached the tree to which they would 
fly3 they cannot fly  further than four 
or five fathoms4 ,among all the         
squirrels in this  country1 these are   
the most easily tamed4 ,the boys carry  
them to  school1 or wherever they go1   
without their ever attempting to escape3
  if even they put their squirrel aside1
 it leaps upon them again  immediately1 
creeps either into their bosom1 or their
 sleeve1 or any  fold of the clothes1   
and lies down to sleep3 its food is the 
same with  that of the grey squirrel4   
,there is a small species of squirrels  
abounding in the woods1 which the       
,english call ground ,squirrels4        
,catesby has described and drawn them   
from life1 in the #b;d4 ,vol4 of his    
,natural ,history of ,carolina1 p4 #ge1 

tab4 #ge1 and ,edwards in his ,natural  
,history of ,birds1 t4 #aha4 #ej ,he    
and ,dr4 ,linnus call it ,sciurus       
striatus1 or the streaked ,squirrel4    
,these do not properly live in trees1 as
 others of this genus1 but dig  holes in
 the ground 7much in the same manner as 
rabbets7 in which they  live1 and       
whither they take refuge when they      
perceive any danger4 ,their  holes go   
deep1 and commonly further inwards      
divide into many branches4  ,they are   
also cunning enough to make sometimes an
 opening or hole to  the surface of the 
ground from one of these branches4 ,the 
advantage  they have from hence1 is that
 when they stroll about for food1 and   
the  hole is stopt up through which they
 went out1 they may not expose          
themselves to be caught1 but presently  
find the other hole1 into which  they   
may retreat3 but in autumn1 when the    
leaves fall from the trees1  or sometime
 after1 it is diversion to see the      
consternation they are  sometimes in    

when pursued2 for their holes being     
easily covered with  the great fall of  
leaves1 or by the wind1 they have a     
great deal to do1  to find them on a    
sudden3 they then run backwards and     
forwards1 as if  they had lost their    
way3 they seem to know the places where 
they have  made their subterraneous     
walks1 but cannot conceive where the    
entrances  are4 ,if they be then        
pursued1 and one claps his hands1 they  
know no  other refuge than that of      
climbing upon a tree2 for it is to be   
observed that these squirrels always    
live under ground1 and never climb  upon
 trees unless pursued1 and unable in the
 hurry to find their holes4  ,this kind 
of squirrels is much more numerous in   
,pensylvania1 than in  any other        
province of ,north ,america through     
which ,i have travelled4 ,its  length is
 commonly six inches1 without the curved
 tail2 and it is very  narrow4 ,the skin
 is ferruginous1 or of a reddish brown1 
and marked with  five black streaks1 one

 of which runs along the back1 and two  
on each  side4 ,their food consists of  
all sorts of corn1 as rye1 barley1      
wheat1  maize1 and of acorns1 nuts1 c4  
,they gather their winter provisions in 
autumn1 like the common grey squirrels1 
and keep them in their holes  under     
ground4 ,if they get into a granary1    
they do as much mischief as  mice and   
rats4 ,it has often been observed that  
if1 after eating rye1  they come to some
 wheat1 they throw up the former1 which 
they do not  like so well as the wheat1 
in order to fill their belly with the   
latter4 ,when the maize is reaped in the
 fields1 they are very busy in  biting  
off the ears1 and filling the pouches in
 their mouth with corn1  so that their  
cheeks are quite blown up4 ,with this   
booty they hasten  into the holes which 
they have made in the ground4    ,as a  
,swede was making a mill-dyke1 pretty   
late in autumn1 he employed  for that   
purpose the soil of a neighbouring hill1
 and met with a hole  on a subterraneous

 walk belonging to these squirrels2 he  
followed it  for some time1 and         
discovered a walk on one side like a    
branch1 parting  from the chief stem3 it
 was near two feet long1 and at its end 
was a  quantity of choice acorns of the 
white oak1 which the little careful     
animal had stored up for winter4 ,soon  
after he found another walk on  the side
 like the former1 but containing a fine 
store of maize3 the  next had hiccory   
nuts1 and the last and most hidden one  
contained some  excellent chesnuts1     
which might have filled two hats4    ,in
 winter these squirrels are seldom seen1
 for during that season they  live in   
their subterraneous holes upon the      
provisions1 which they have  stored up  
there4 ,however on a very fine and clear
 day they sometimes  come out4 ,they    
frequently dig through the ground1 into 
cellars in which  the country people lay
 up their apples1 which they partly eat1
 and  partly spoil1 so that the master  
has little or nothing left4 ,they       

handle the maize stores full as roughly 
as the apples4 ,but the cats are  their 
great enemies1 who devour them and bring
 them home to their young  ones3 their  
flesh is not eaten by men1 and their    
skin is not made use  of4    ,of all the
 squirrels in the country1 these are the
 most difficult to be  tamed2 for1      
though they be caught very young1 yet it
 is dangerous to  touch them with naked 
hands1 as they bite very sharp when one 
is not  aware of them4 ,many boys1 who  
had lost a deal of time in trying to    
tame  these squirrels1 owned that they  
knew of no art to make them quite  tame2
 at least they are never so far tamed as
 the other species4 ,in  order to do any
 thing towards taming them they must be 
caught when they  are very small4 ,some 
people kept them in that state in a     
cage1 because  they looked very pretty4 
,i shall take an other opportunity of   
speaking of the black and  ferruginous  
squirrels1 which likewise inhabit this  
country4    ,november the #aeth4 ,in the

 morning ,i returned to ,philadelphia4  
,mr4 ,cock  told me to day1 and on some 
other occasions afterwards1 an accident 
which happened to him1 and which seemed 
greatly to confirm a peculiar  sign of  
an imminent hurricane4 ,he sailed to the
 ,west ,indies in a small  yacht1 and   
had an old man on board1 who had for a  
considerable time  sailed in this sea4  
,the old man sounding the depth1 called 
to the mate  to tell ,mr4 ,cock to      
launch the boats immediately1 and to put
 a  sufficient number of men into them1 
in order to tow the yacht during  the   
calm1 that they might reach the island  
before them1 as soon as  possible1 as   
within twenty-four hours there would be 
a strong  hurricane4 ,mr4 ,cock asked   
him what reasons he had to think so1 the
 old  man replied1 that on sounding1 he 
saw the lead in the water at a  distance
 of many fathoms more than he had seen  
it before2 that  therefore the water was
 become clear all of a sudden1 which he 
looked  upon as a certain sign of an    

impending hurricane in the sea4 ,mr4    
,cock  likewise saw the excessive       
clearness of the water4 ,he therefore   
gave  immediate orders for launching the
 boat1 and towing the yacht1 so that    
they arrived before night in a safe     
harbour4 ,but before they had quite     
reached it the waves began to rise more 
and more1 and the water was as  it were 
boiling1 though no wind was perceptible4
 ,in the ensuing night  the hurricane   
came on1 and raged with such violence1  
that not only many  ships were lost1 and
 the roofs were torn off from the       
houses1 but even  ,mr4 ,cock's yacht and
 other ships1 though they were in safe  
harbours1  were by the wind1 and the    
violence of the sea1 washed so far on   
shore1  that several weeks elapsed1     
before they could be got off4    ,an old
 ,dutch skipper said1 that he had once  
caught a dogfish in the bay  of ,new    
,york1 which being cut open1 had a      
quantity of eels in his  stomach4       
,november the #ahth4 ,mr4 ,bartram      

shewed me an earthen pot1 which had been
  found in a place1 where the ,indians  
formerly lived4 ,he1 who first dug  it  
out1 kept grease and fat in it to smear 
his shoes1 boots and all  forts of      
leather with3 ,mr4 ,bartram bought the  
pot of that man2 it was  yet entire and 
not damaged3 ,i could perceive no glaze 
or colour upon  it1 but on the outside  
it was very much ornamented and upon the
 whole  well made4 ,mr4 ,bartram shewed 
me several pieces of broken earthen     
vessels which the ,indians formerly made
 use of4 ,it plainly appeared in  all   
these that they were not made of mere   
clay2 but that different  materials had 
been mixed with it1 according to the    
nature of the places  where they were   
made4 ,those ,indians1 for example1 who 
lived near the  sea shore1 pounded the  
shells of snails and muscles1 and mixed 
them  with the clay4 ,others who lived  
further up in the country1 where        
mountain crystals could be found1       
pounded them and mixed them with  their 

clay2 but how they proceeded in making  
the vessels1 is entirely  unknown3 it   
was plain1 that they did not burn them  
much1 for they were  so soft that they  
might be cut in pieces with a knife3 the
 workmanship  however seems to have been
 very good2 for at present they find    
whole  vessels or pieces in the ground1 
which are not damaged at all1 though    
they have lain in the ground above a    
century4 ,before the ,europeans  settled
 in ,north ,america1 the ,indians had no
 other vessels to boil  their meat in1  
than these earthen pots of their own    
making3 but since  their arrival1 they  
have always bought pots1 kettles1 and   
other  necessary vessels of the         
,europeans1 and take no longer the pains
 of  making some1 by which means this   
art is entirely lost among them4 ,such  
vessels of their own construction are   
therefore a great rarity even  among the
 ,indians4 ,i have seen such old pots   
and pieces of them1  consisting of a    
kind of ,serpentine stone1 or ,linnus's 

,talcum1 ,syst4  nat4 #c4 p4 #eb4       
,mr4 ,bartram likewise shewed me little 
pieces of a black slate1 which is       
plentifully found in some parts of the  
river ,skullkill4 ,there are  pieces to 
be found1 which are four feet and above 
square3 the colour  and configuration is
 the same as in the ,table slate        
7,schistus  tabularis1 ,linn47 ,syst4   
nat4 #c4 p4 #cg4 except that this is a  
little  thicker4 ,the inhabitants of the
 country thereabouts 7in the            
neighbourhood of the ,skullkill7 cover  
their roofs with it2 ,mr4 ,bartram      
assured me1 that he had seen a whole    
roof composed of four such slates4  ,the
 rays of the sun1 heat1 cold1 and rain  
do not act upon the stone4    ,mr4      
,bartram further related1 that in       
several parts of the country1  caves or 
holes were to be met with1 going deep   
into the mountains3 he  had been in     
several of them and had often found a   
number of  ,stalactites1 ,linnus's      
,stalactites stillatitius1 ,syst4 nat4  

#c4 p4 #ahc4  of different dimensions at
 the top2 they differed in colour1 but  
the  greatest curiosity was1 that in    
some of the caves ,mr4 ,bartram had     
found  ,stalactites1 whose outward side 
was as it were wreathed from top to     
bottom2 he had sent some pieces of it to
 ,london1 and had none at  present4     
,november the #bjth4 ,this morning ,i   
set out in company of a friend1 on a    
journey to ,raccoon in ,new ,jersey1    
where many ,swedes live1 who have  their
 own church4 ,we had three miles to go  
before we came to the ferry  which was  
to bring us over the ,delaware4 ,the    
country here was very low  in some      
places3 the plains on the banks of the  
river1 were overflowed  at every high   
water or flowing of the tide1 and at the
 ebbing they were  left dry again4      
,however the inhabitants of the country 
hereabouts1 made  use of this plain3 for
 that purpose they had in several places
 thrown  up walls or dykes of earth     
towards the river1 to prevent its       

overflowing the plains1 which they made 
use of as meadows4 ,on them the         
,water-beeches 7,platanus occidentalis1 
,linn47 were planted in great  numbers  
on both sides the road1 quite close     
together3 these in summer  afford a     
pleasant shade1 on account of the       
abundance and size of their  leaves1 and
 make the road extremely delightful1 as 
it resembles a fine  shady walk4 ,the   
,delaware has nearly the same breadth   
here1 which it has  near ,philadelphia4 
,near the place where the ferry is to be
 met with1  several pretty houses were  
built on both sides1 where travellers   
might  get all kinds of refreshment4 ,on
 our journey from ,pensylvania to ,new  
,jersey1 we were brought over the       
,delaware in a ferry belonging to1 and  
kept in repair by the ,pensylvania-men2 
but on our return we were  obliged to   
take the ferry belonging to the ,new    
,jersey side4 ,as soon as  we had       
crossed the river1 we were in a         
different province1 for the  ,delaware  

makes the division between ,pensylvania 
and ,new ,jersey1 so that  every thing  
to the west of it belongs to the former1
 and all to the  east1 to the latter    
province4 ,both these provinces have in 
most things  different laws1 and their  
peculiar coin4    ,we now pursued our   
journey further1 and soon observed that 
the country  on this side appeared very 
different from that on the other2 for in
  ,pensylvania the ground consists of   
more clay and black mould1 and is  very 
fertile2 but in ,new ,jersey it is more 
sandy and very poor1 so that  the horses
 went very deep in sand in several parts
 of the road4 ,near  the place where we 
were brought over1 and a little way     
along the shore  was a thick firwood3   
the trees were not very high1 but in    
their  greatest vigour2 between them    
appeared now and then a low bush of oak4
  ,but after travelling about three     
,english miles1 the firwood ended1 and  
we saw no more trees of this kind till  
we came to the church in  ,raccoon4 ,in 

all the parts of ,pensylvania where ,i  
have been1 ,i have  found few firwoods2 
on the other hand1 they are abundant in 
,new ,jersey1  and especially in the    
lower part of that province4 ,we        
afterwards found  all the day long no   
other trees1 than such as have deciduous
 leaves2  most of these were oaks of    
different sorts1 and of considerable    
height1  but they stood every where far 
enough asunder1 to admit a chaise to    
pass through the wood without any       
inconvenience1 there being seldom any   
shrubs or underwood between the trees1  
to obstruct the way4 ,the leaves  were  
all fallen1 and covered the ground more 
than a hand's breadth3  this had an     
appearance of encreasing the upper black
 soil greatly4 ,in  several places      
flowed a small rivulet4 ,the country was
 commonly plain1  but sometimes formed a
 few hills with an easy declivity1      
though no high  mountains appeared1 and 
in a few places we found some small     
stones not  bigger than a fist4 ,single 

farm houses were scattered in the       
country1  and in one place only was a   
small village3 the country was yet more 
covered with forests than cultivated1   
and we were for the greatest part       
always in a wood4    ,this day and the  
next we passed several ,kills1 or small 
rivulets which  flowed out of the       
country into the ,delaware with no great
 descent nor  rapidity4 ,when the tide  
came up in the ,delaware1 it likewise   
rose in  some of these rivulets a good  
way2 formerly they must have spread to a
  considerable breadth by the flowing of
 the tide1 but at present there  were   
meadows on their banks1 formed1 by      
throwing up strong dykes as  close as   
possible to the water1 to keep it from  
overflowing4 ,such dykes  were made     
along all rivers here to confine their  
water2 therefore when  the tide was     
highest1 the water in the rivers was    
much higher than the  meadows3 in the   
dykes were gates through which the water
 can be drawn  from1 or led into the    

meadows2 they were sometimes placed on  
the  outward side of the wall1 so that  
the water in the meadows forced it      
open1 but the river water shut it4      
,in the evening we came into the house  
of a ,swede called ,peter ,rambo1  and  
we staid the night at his house4    ,the
 pines which we had seen to day1 and    
which ,i have mentioned before1  were of
 that kind which has double leaves and  
oblong cones covered with  aculeated    
scales4 ,the ,english to distinguish it 
call it the ,jersey  ,pine3 commonly    
there were only two spines or leaves in 
one fascicle1 as  in our common ,swedish
 pines1 but sometimes three2 the cones  
had long  spines1 so that they were     
difficult to be touched4 ,these pines   
look at  a distance wholly like the     
,swedish ones1 so that if the cones were
 not  regarded1 they might easily be    
taken for the same species4 ,of these   
pines they make a great quantity of tar1
 of which ,i shall speak in the  sequel2
 but as most of them are but small1 they

 are good for nothing  else2 for if they
 be employed as posts1 or poles in the  
ground1 they  are in a short time       
rendered useless by rotting3 as soon as 
they are  cut down the worms are very   
greedy of them2 they soon eat through   
the  wood1 and only a few weeks after it
 is cut down2 however it is made use  of
 as fuel where no other wood is to be   
got1 in several places they  make       
charcoal of it1 as ,i intend to mention 
in the sequel4 ,there is  another thing 
which deserves notice1 in regard to     
these trees1 and  which several people1 
besides myself1 have experienced4 ,in   
the great  heat of the summer1 the      
cattle like to stand in the shade of    
these  trees1 preferably to that of the 
oak1 hiccory1 walnut1 water-beech and   
other trees of this kind1 whose foliage 
is very thick2 and when the  cattle find
 the latter with the former1 they always
 choose to stand  under the firs and    
pines1 though the other trees with      
annually  deciduous leaves could afford 

a better shade3 and if there be but a   
single pine in a wood1 as many cattle   
from the herd as can stand under  it1   
throng to it4 ,some people would infer  
from hence1 that the resinous           
exhalations of these trees1 were        
beneficial to the cattle1 and which     
made them more inclined to be near firs 
and pines1 than any other  trees4       
,the ,spoon tree1 which never grows to a
 great height1 we saw this day in       
several places4 ,the ,swedes here have  
called it thus1 because the  ,indians   
who formerly lived in these provinces1  
used to make their  spoons and trowels  
of the wood of this tree4 ,in my cabinet
 of natural  curiosities1 ,i have a     
spoon made of this wood by an ,indian1  
who has  killed many stags and other    
animals on the very spot where          
,philadelphia  afterwards was built2 for
 in his time that spot was yet covered  
with  trees and shrubs4 ,the ,english   
call this tree a ,laurel1 because its   
leaves resemble those of the            

,laurocerasus4 ,dr4 ,linnus1 conformable
 to  the peculiar friendship and        
goodness which he has always honoured me
  with1 has been pleased to call this   
tree1 ,kalmia foliis ovatis1  corymbis  
terminalibus1 or ,kalmia latifolia4 ,it 
succeeds best on the  side of hills1    
especially on the north side1 where a   
brook passes by2  therefore on meeting  
with some steep places 7on hills7       
towards a brook1  or with a steep side  
of a hill towards a marsh1 you are sure 
to find  the ,kalmia4 ,but it frequently
 stands mixed among beech trees4 ,the   
higher the ,kalmias stand on the north  
side of a mountain1 the less they  grow3
 ,i have seen them not only in          
,pensylvania and ,new ,jersey1 but even 
in ,new ,york1 but there they are more  
scarce3 ,i never found them beyond  the 
forty-second deg4 of north lat4 though  
,i took ever so great care to  look for 
them3 they have the quality of          
preserving their fine green  leaves     
throughout winter1 so that when all     

other trees have lost their  ornaments1 
and stand quite naked1 these chear the  
woods with their  green foliage4 ,about 
the month of ,may they begin to flower  
in these  parts1 and then their beauty  
rivals that of most of the known trees  
in  nature3 the flowers are innumerable1
 and sit in great bunches4 ,before  they
 open1 they have a fine red colour1 but 
as they are expanded1 the  sun bleaches 
them1 so that some are quite white2 many
 preserve the  colour of roses4 ,their  
shape is singular1 for they resemble a  
crater of  the ancients3 their scent    
however is none of the most agreeable4  
,in  some places it was customary to    
adorn the churches on christmas day or  
new-years day with the fine branches of 
this tree1 which are then thick  covered
 with leaves4    ,but these trees are   
known for another remarkable quality2   
their leaves  are poison to some        
animals1 and food for others3 experience
 has taught  the people that when sheep 
eat of these leaves1 they either die    

immediately1 or fall very sick1 and     
recover with great difficulty4 ,the     
young and more tender sheep are killed  
by a small portion1 but the  elder ones 
can bear a stronger dose4 ,yet this food
 will likewise prove  mortal to them1 if
 they take too much of it3 the same     
noxious effect it  shews in regard to   
calves which eat too much of the leaves3
 they either  die1 or do not recover    
easily4 ,i can remember1 that in the    
autumn of  the year #agdh1 some calves  
eat of the leaves1 but fell very sick1  
swelled1 foamed at the mouth1 and could 
hardly stand1 however they were  cured  
by giving them gunpowder and other      
medicines3 the sheep are most  exposed  
to be tempted by these leaves in winter2
 for after having been  kept in stables1
 for some months they are greedy of all 
greens  especially if the snow still    
lies upon the fields1 and therefore the 
green but poisonous leaves of the       
,kalmia1 are to them very tempting4     
,horses1 oxen and cows which have eaten 

them1 have likewise been very  ill after
 the meal1 and though none of them ever 
died of eating these  leaves1 yet most  
people believed1 that if they took too  
great a portion  of them1 death would   
certainly be the result4 ,for it has    
been observed  that when these animals  
only eat small quantities1 yet they     
suffer  great pains4 ,on the other hand 
the leaves of the ,kalmia are the food  
of  stags1 when the snow covers the     
ground1 and hides all other provisions  
from them4 ,therefore1 if they be shot  
in winter1 their bowels are found       
filled with these leaves2 and it is very
 extraordinary1 that if those  bowels   
are given to dogs1 they become quite    
stupid and as it were  drunk1 and often 
fall so sick1 that they seem to be at   
the point of  death1 but the people1 who
 have eaten the venison1 have not felt  
the  least indisposition4 ,the leaves of
 the ,kalmia are likewise the winter    
food of those birds1 which the ,swedes  
in ,north ,america call ,hazel-hens1    

and which stay here all winter1 for when
 they are killed1 their crop is  found  
quite filled with them4    ,the wood of 
the ,kalmia is very hard1 and some      
people on that account1  make the axis  
of their pullies of it4 ,weavers        
shuttles are chiefly made  of it1 and   
the weavers are of opinion1 that no wood
 in this country is  better for this    
purpose1 for it is compact1 may be made 
very smooth1  and does not easily crack1
 or burst4 ,the joiners and turners     
here1  employ it in making all kinds of 
work1 which requires the best wood2     
they chiefly use the root because it is 
quite yellow2 the wood has a  very      
suitable hardness and fineness1 and from
 the center1 spread as it  were small   
rays1 which are at some distance from   
each other4 ,when the  leaves of the    
,kalmia are thrown into the fire1 they  
make a crackling  like salt4 ,the       
chimney sweepers make brooms in winter  
of the branches  with the leaves on     
them1 since they cannot get others in   

that season4  ,in the summer of the year
 #agej1 a certain kind of worms1        
devoured the  leaves of almost all the  
trees in ,pensylvania2 yet they did not 
venture  to attack the leaves of the    
,kalmia4 ,some people asserted1 that    
when a  fire happened in the woods1 it  
never went further1 as soon as it came  
to the ,kalmias1 or ,spoon trees4       
,november the #bast4 ,the ,swedes and   
all the other inhabitants of the        
country plant great quantities of maize1
 both for themselves and for  their     
cattle4 ,it was asserted that it is the 
best food for hogs1  because it makes   
them very fat1 and gives their flesh an 
agreeable  flavour1 preferable to all   
other meat4 ,i have given in two        
dissertations upon this kind of corn to 
the ,swedish ,royal ,academy of         
,sciences1 which stand in their         
,memoirs1 one in the ,volume for the    
year  #agea1 in the last quarter1 and   
the other in the first quarter of the   
,volume for the year #ageb1 and thither 

,i refer my readers4    ,the wheels of  
the carts which are here made use of1   
are composed of two  different kinds of 
wood4 ,the felloes were made of what is 
called the  ,spanish oak1 and the spokes
 of the white oak4    ,the ,sassafras   
tree grows every where in this place4 ,i
 have already  observed several         
particulars in regard to it1 and intend 
to add a few  more here4 ,on throwing   
some of the wood into the fire1 it      
causes a  crackling as salt does4 ,the  
wood is made use of for posts belonging 
to  the enclosures1 for it is said to   
last a long time in the ground3 but  it 
is likewise said1 that there is hardly  
any kind of wood1 which is  more        
attacked by worms than this1 when it is 
exposed to the air without  cover1 and  
that in a short time it is quite        
worm-eaten through and  through4 ,the   
,swedes related1 that the ,indians who  
formerly inhabited  these parts1 made   
bowls of it4 ,on cutting some part of   
the sassafras  tree1 or its shoots1 and 

holding it to the nose1 it has a strong 
but  pleasant smell4 ,some people peel  
the root1 and boil the peel with the    
beer which they are brewing1 because    
they believe it wholesome for the  same 
reason4 ,the peel is put into brandy1   
either whilst it is  distilling1 or     
after it is made4    ,an old ,swede     
remembered that his mother cured many   
people of the  dropsy1 by a decoction of
 the root of sassafras in water drank   
every  morning3 but she used1 at the    
same time to cup the patient on the     
feet4  ,the old man assured me1 he had  
often seen people cured by this means1  
who had been brought to his mother      
wrapped up in sheets4    ,when a part of
 a wood is destined for cultivation1 the
 sassafras trees  are commonly left upon
 it1 because they have a very thick     
foliage1 and  afford a cool shade to the
 cattle1 during the great heats4        
,several of  the ,swedes1 wash and scour
 the vessels in which they intend to    
keep  cyder1 beer or brandy1 with water 

in which the sassafras root or its  peel
 has been boiled2 which they think      
renders all those liquors more          
wholesome4 ,some people get their       
bed-posts made of sassafras wood1 in    
order to expel the bugs2 for its strong 
scent it is said prevents those  vermin 
from settling in them4 ,for two or three
 years together this has  the desired   
effect2 or about as long as the wood    
keeps its strong  aromatic smell2 but   
after that time it has been observed to 
lose it  effect4 ,a joiner shewed me a  
bed1 which he had made for himself1 the 
posts of which were of sassafras wood1  
but as it was ten or twelve  years old1 
there were so many bugs in it1 that it  
seemed likely1 they  would not let him  
sleep peaceably4 ,some ,englishmen      
related1 that some  years ago it had    
been customary in ,london1 to drink a   
kind of tea of  the flowers of          
sassafras1 because it was looked upon as
 very salutary2  but upon recollecting  
that the same potion was much used      

against the  venereal disease1 it was   
soon left off1 lest those that used it1 
should  be looked upon as infected with 
that disease4 ,in ,pensylvania some     
people put chips of sassafras into their
 chests1 where they keep all  sorts of  
woollen stuffs1 in order to expel the   
moths 7or ,larv1 or  caterpillars of    
moths or tinies7 which commonly settle  
in them in  summer4 ,the root keeps its 
smell for a long while3 ,i have seen one
  which had lain five or six years in   
the drawer of a table1 and still        
preserved the strength of its scent4    
,a ,swede named ,rambo1 related that the
 ,indians formerly dyed all sorts  of   
leather red with the bark of the chesnut
 oak4    ,some old people remembered    
that in the year #afig1 there had been  
so  rigorous a winter1 that the ice in  
the river ,delaware was two feet  thick4
    ,november the #bb;d4 ,aoke ,helm was
 one of the most considerable ,swedes in
  this place1 and his father came over  
into this country along with the        

,swedish governor ,prince2 he was       
upwards of seventy years of age4 ,this  
old man told us1 that in his youth there
 was grass in the woods1 which  grew    
very close1 and was every where two feet
 high2 but1 that it was so  much        
lessened at present1 that the cattle    
hardly find food enough1 and  that      
therefore four cows now give no more    
milk than one at that time2  but the    
causes of this alteration are easy to   
find4 ,in the younger  years of old     
,helm1 the country was little inhabited1
 and hardly the  tenth part of the      
cattle kept which is at present2 a cow  
had therefore  as much food at that     
time1 as ten now have4 ,further1 most   
kinds of  grass here are annual1 and do 
not for several years together shoot up 
from the same root1 as our ,swedish     
grasses3 they must sow themselves  every
 year1 because the last year's plant    
dies away every autumn4 ,the  great     
numbers of cattle hinder this sowing1 as
 the grass is eaten  before it can      

produce flowers and fruit4 ,we need not 
therefore wonder  that the grass is so  
thin on fields1 hills1 and pastures in  
these  provinces4 ,this is likewise the 
reason why travellers in ,new ,jersey1  
,pensylvania1 and ,maryland1 find many  
difficulties1 especially in  winter1 to 
get forwards with their own horses1 for 
the grass in these  provinces is not    
very abundant1 because the cattle eat it
 before it can  bring seeds3 but more to
 the north1 as in ,canada1 are a        
sufficient  quantity of perennial       
grasses2 so wisely has the ,creator     
regulated  every thing4 ,the cold parts 
of the earth1 naturally bring forth a   
more  durable grass1 because the        
inhabitants want more hay to feed their 
cattle with1 on account of the length of
 the winter4 ,the southern  provinces   
again have less perennial grass1 as the 
cattle may be in the  fields all the    
winter4 ,however careful conomists have 
got seeds of  perennial grasses from    
,england1 and other ,european states1   

and sowed it  in their meadows1 where   
they seem to thrive exceedingly well4   
,the ,persimon 7,diospyros ,virginiana7 
was pretty common here3 ,i have  already
 mentioned it before1 but ,i intend now 
to add some more  particulars4 ,some of 
its fruits began to ripen and to become 
fit for  eating about this time1 for    
they always ripen very late in autumn1  
and  then the people eat them like other
 fruit3 they are very sweet and         
glutinous1 yet have a little            
astringency2 ,i frequently used to eat a
  great quantity of them1 without       
feeling the least inconvenience4 ,from  
the persimon several ,englishmen and    
,swedes brew a very palatable liquor  in
 the following manner4 ,as soon as the  
fruit is ripe1 a sufficient  quantity is
 gathered1 which is very easy1 as each  
tree is well stocked  with them4 ,these 
persimon apples are put into a dough of 
wheat or other  flour1 formed into      
cakes1 and put into an oven1 in which   
they continue  till they are quite      

baked1 and sufficiently dry1 when they  
are taken  out again3 then1 in order to 
brew the liquor1 a pot full of water is 
put on the fire and some of the cakes   
are put in3 these become soft by        
degrees as the water grows warm1 and    
crumble in pieces at last2 the pot  is  
then taken from the fire1 and the water 
in it well stirred about1  that the     
cakes may mix with it3 this is then     
poured into another  vessel1 and they   
continue to steep and break as many     
cakes as are  necessary for a brewing3  
the malt is then infused1 and they      
proceed as  usual with the brewing4     
,beer thus prepared is reckoned much    
preferable  to other beer4 ,they        
likewise make brandy of this fruit in   
the following  manner3 having collected 
a sufficient quantity of persimons in   
autumn1  they are altogether put into a 
vessel1 where they lie for a week till  
they are quite soft4 ,then they pour    
water on them1 and in that state  they  
are left to ferment of themselves1      

without promoting the  fermentation by  
any addition4 ,the brandy is then made  
in the common  way1 and is said to be   
very good1 especially if grapes 7in     
particular  of the sweet sort7 which are
 wild in the woods1 be mixed with the   
persimon fruit4 ,some persimons are ripe
 at the end of ,september1 but  most of 
them later1 and some not before         
,november and ,december1 when the  cold 
first overcomes their acrimony4 ,the    
wood of this tree is very good  for     
joiner's instruments1 such as planes1   
handles to chisels1 c4 but  if after    
being cut down1 it lies exposed to      
sunshine and rain1 it is  the first wood
 which rots1 and in a year's time there 
is nothing left  but what is useless4   
,when the persimon trees get once into a
 field1  they are not easily got out of 
it again1 as they spread so much4 ,i was
  told1 that if you cut off a branch and
 put it into the ground1 it  strikes    
root1 but in very strong winters1 these 
trees often die by  frost1 and they1    

together with the peach trees1 bear cold
 the least of  any4    ,november the    
#bc;d4 ,several kinds of gourds and     
melons are cultivated  here3 they have  
partly been originally cultivated by the
 ,indians1 and  partly brought over by  
,europeans4 ,of the gourds there was a  
kind which  were crooked at the end1 and
 oblong in general1 and therefore they  
were  called crooked necks              
7,crocknacks27 they keep almost all     
winter4 ,there  is yet another species  
of gourds which have the same quality3  
others  again are cut in pieces or      
slips1 drawn upon thread and dried2 they
  keep all the year long1 and are then  
boiled or stewed4 ,all sorts of  gourds 
are prepared for eating in different    
manners1 as is likewise  customary in   
,sweden4 ,many farmers have a whole     
field of gourds4    ,squashes are a kind
 of gourds1 which the ,europeans got    
from the  ,indians1 and ,i have already 
mentioned them before4 ,they are eaten  
boiled1 either with flesh or by         

themselves4 ,in the first case1 they are
  put on the edge of the dish round the 
meat2 they require little care1  for    
into whatever ground they are sown1 they
 grow in it and succeed  well4 ,if the  
seed is put into the fields in autumn1  
it brings squashes  next spring1 though 
during winter it has suffered from      
frost1 snow and  wet4    ,the           
,calabashes are likewise gourds1 which  
are planted in quantities by  the       
,swedes and other inhabitants1 but they 
are not fit for eating1 and  are made   
use of for making all sorts of vessels2 
they are more tender  than the squashes1
 for they do not always ripen here1 and 
only when the  weather is very warm4 ,in
 order to make vessels of them1 they are
 first  dried well3 the seeds1 together 
with the pulpy and spungy matter in     
which they lie1 are afterwards taken out
 and thrown away4 ,the shells  are      
scraped very clean within1 and then     
great spoons or ladles1  funnels1 bowls1
 dishes and the like may be made of     

them2 they are  particularly fit for    
keeping seeds of plants in1 which are to
 be sent  over sea1 for they keep their 
power of vegetating much longer1 if they
  be put in calabashes1 than by any     
other means4 ,some people scrape the    
outside of the calabashes before they   
are opened1 dry them afterwards  and    
then clean them within2 this makes them 
as hard as bones3 they are  sometimes   
washed1 so that they always keep their  
white colour4    ,most of the farmers in
 this country1 sow ,buck-wheat1 in the  
middle of  ,july2 it must not be sown   
later1 for in that case the frost ruins 
it1  but if it be sown before ,july1 it 
flowers all the summer long1 but the    
flowers drop1 and no seed is generated4 
,some people1 plough the ground  twice  
where they intend to sow buck-wheat2    
others plough it only once1  about two  
weeks before they sow it4 ,as soon as it
 is sown the field is  harrowed4 ,it has
 been found by experience1 that in a wet
 year  buck-wheat is most likely to     

succeed3 it stands on the fields till   
the  frost comes on4 ,when the crop is  
favourable1 they get twenty1 thirty  and
 even forty bushels from one4 ,the      
,swedish churchwarden ,ragnilson1 in    
whose house we were at this time1 had   
got such a crop3 they make  buck-wheat  
cakes and pudding4 ,the cakes are       
commonly made in the  morning1 and are  
baked in a frying pan1 or on a stone3   
are buttered and  then eaten with tea or
 coffee1 instead of toasted bread with  
butter1 or  toast1 which the ,english   
commonly eat at breakfast4 ,the         
buck-wheat  cakes are very good1 and are
 likewise usual at ,philadelphia and in 
other ,english colonies1 especially in  
winter4 ,buck-wheat is an  excellent    
food for fowls2 they eat it greedily1   
and lay more eggs1 than  they do with   
other food3 hogs are likewise fattened  
with it4 ,buck-wheat  straw is of no    
use2 it is therefore left upon the      
field1 in the places  where it has been 
thrashed1 or it is scattered in the     

orchards1 in  order to serve as a manure
 by putrifying4 ,neither cattle nor any 
other  animal will eat of it1 except in 
the greatest necessity1 when the snow   
covers the ground and nothing else is to
 be met with4 ,but though  buck-wheat is
 so common in the ,english colonies1 yet
 the ,french had no  right notion of it 
in ,canada1 and it was never cultivated 
among them4    ,towards night we found  
some ,glow ,worms in the wood1 their    
body was  linear1 consisting of eleven  
articulations1 a little pointed before  
and  behind2 the length from head to    
tail was five and a half geometrical    
lines2 the colour was brown and the     
articulations joined in the same  manner
 as in the onisci or woodlice4 ,the     
antenn or feel horns were  short and    
filiform1 or thread-shaped2 and the feet
 were fastened to the  foremost         
articulations of the body3 when the     
insect creeps1 its  hindmost            
articulations are dragged on the ground1
 and help its motion4  ,the extremity of

 the tail contain a matter which shines 
in the dark1  with a green light3 the   
insect could draw it in1 so that it was 
not  visible4 ,it had rained            
considerably all day1 yet they crept in 
great  numbers among the bushes1 so that
 the ground seemed as it were sown  with
 stars4 ,i shall in the sequel have     
occasion to mention another kind  of    
insects or flies which shine in the     
dark1 when flying in the air4           
,november the #bdth4 ,holly1 or ,ilex   
,aquifolium1 grows in wet places1       
scattered in the forest1 and belongs to 
the rare trees2 its leaves are  green   
both in summer and in winter4 ,the      
,swedes dry its leaves1 bruise  them in 
a mortar1 boil them in small beer1 and  
take them against the  pleurisy4    ,red
 is dyed with brasil wood1 and likewise 
with a kind of moss1 which  grows on the
 trees here3 blue is dyed with ,indigo1 
but to get a black  colour1 the leaves  
of the common field sorrel 7,rumex      
,acetosella7 are  boiled with the stuff 

to be dyed1 which is then dried1 and    
boiled again  with log-wood and         
copperas3 the black colour thus         
produced1 is said to  be very durable4  
,the people spin and weave a great part 
of their every  day's apparel1 and dye  
them in their houses4 ,flax is          
cultivated by many  people1 and succeeds
 very well1 but the use of hemp is not  
very common4    ,rye1 wheat1 and        
buck-wheat are cut with the sickle1 but 
oats are mown  with a scythe4 ,the      
sickles which are here made use of are  
long and  narrow1 and their sharp edges 
have close teeth on the inner side4 ,the
  field lies fallow during a year1 and  
in that time the cattle may graze  on   
it4    ,all the inhabitants of this     
place from the highest to the lowest1   
have  each their orchard1 which is      
greater or less according to their      
wealth4  ,the trees in it are chiefly   
peach trees1 apple trees and cherry     
trees3  compare with this what ,i have  
already said upon this subject before4  

,a little before noon1 we left this     
place and continued our journey1  past  
the ,swedish church in ,raccoon1 to     
,peils groves4 ,the country1 on  the    
sides of this road1 is very sandy in    
many places and pretty near  level4     
,here and there appear single farms1 yet
 they are very scarce1  and large       
extensive pieces of ground are still    
covered with forests1  which chiefly    
consist of several species of oak and   
hiccory4 ,however we  could go with ease
 through these woods1 as there are few  
bushes 7or  under-wood7 and stones to be
 met with4 ,it was not only easy to ride
 in  every part of the wood on          
horseback1 but even in most places there
 was  sufficient room for a small coach 
or a cart4 ,sometimes a few lying  trees
 which had been thrown on the ground by 
a hurricane1 or had fallen  down through
 great age1 caused some hindrance4      
,november the #beth4 ,during my stay at 
,raccoon1 at this time and all the      
ensuing winter1 ,i endeavoured to get   

the most information from the old       
,swedes relating to the increase of     
land1 and the decrease of water in      
these parts2 ,i shall therefore insert  
the answers here1 which ,i have         
received to my questions4 ,they are as  
,i got them1 and ,i shall only  throw in
 a few remarks which may serve to       
explain things3 the reader  therefore is
 left at liberty to draw his own        
inferences and  conclusions4    ,one of 
the ,swedes1 called ,king1 who was above
 fifty years of age1 was  convinced1    
that about this time the little lakes1  
brooks1 springs and  rivers had much    
less water1 than they had when he was a 
boy4 ,he could  mention several lakes on
 which the people went in large boats in
 his  youth1 and had sufficient water   
even in the hottest summers2 but now1   
they were either entirely dried up1 or  
for the greatest part2 and in  the      
latter case1 all the water was lost in  
summer4 ,he had himself seen  the fish  
dying in them1 and he was apt to believe

 that at this time it  did not rain so  
much in summer1 as it did when he was   
young4 ,one of his  relations1 who lived
 about eight miles from the river       
,delaware1 on a  hill near a rivulet1   
had got a well1 dug in his court yard3  
at the  depth of forty feet1 they found 
a quantity of shells of oysters and     
muscles1 and likewise a great quantity  
of reed1 and pieces of broken  branches4
 ,i asked1 to what causes they ascribed 
what they had  discovered8 and ,i was   
answered1 that some people believed     
these things  had lain there ever since 
the deluge1 and others1 that the ground 
increased4    ,peter ,rambo1 a man who  
was near sixty years of age1 assured me 
that in  several places at ,raccoon1    
where wells had been dug1 or any other  
work  carried deep into the ground1 he  
had seen great quantities of muscle     
shells and other marine animals4 ,on    
digging wells1 the people have          
sometimes met with logs of wood at the  
depth of twenty feet1 some of  which    

were putrified1 and others as it were   
burnt4 ,they once found a  great spoon  
in the ground1 at this depth4 ,query1   
,is it not probable1  that the burnt    
wood which has been thus dug up1 was    
only blackened by a  subterraneous      
mineral vapour8 ,people however have    
concluded from this1  that ,america has 
had inhabitants before the deluge4 ,this
 man 7,peter  ,rambo7 further told me1  
that bricks had been found deep in the  
ground2  but may not the brick coloured 
clay 7of which the ground here chiefly  
consists1 and which is a mixture of clay
 and sand7 in a hard state have  had the
 appearance of bricks8 ,i have seen such
 hardened clay1 which at  first sight is
 easily mistaken for brick4 ,he likewise
 asserted1 that  the water in rivers was
 still as high as it used to be1 as far 
back as  memory could reach2 but little 
lakes1 ponds1 and waters in marshes are 
visibly decreased1 and many of them     
dried up4    ,maons ,keen1 a ,swede     
above seventy years old1 asserted1 that 

on digging  a well he had seen at the   
depth of forty feet1 a great piece of   
chesnut  wood1 together with roots and  
stalks of reed1 and a clayey earth like 
that which commonly covers the shores of
 salt water bays and coves4  ,this clay 
had a similar smell and a saline taste4 
,maons ,keen and  several other people  
inferred from hence1 that the whole     
country where  ,raccoon and ,penn's neck
 are situated1 was anciently quite      
overflowed by  the sea4 ,they likewise  
knew1 that at a great depth in the      
ground1 such  a trowel as the ,indians  
make use of1 had been found4    ,sven   
,lock1 and ,william ,cobb1 both above   
fifty years of age agreed1 that  in many
 places hereabouts1 where wells had been
 dug1 they had seen a  great quantity of
 reed1 mostly rotten1 at the depth of   
twenty or thirty  feet and upwards4     
,as ,cobb made a well for himself1 the  
workmen after digging twenty feet  deep1
 came upon so thick a branch1 that they 
could not get forwards1  till it was cut

 in two places2 the wood was still very 
hard4 ,it is very  common to find near  
the surface of the earth1 quantities of 
all sorts  of leaves not quite          
putrified4 ,on making a dyke some years 
ago1 along  the river on which the      
church at ,raccoon stands2 and for that 
purpose  cutting through a bank1 it was 
found quite full of oyster shells1      
though this place is above a hundred and
 twenty ,english miles from the  nearest
 sea shore4 ,these men1 and all the     
inhabitants of ,raccoon1  concluded from
 this circumstance 7of their own accord1
 and without  being led to the thought7 
that this tract of land was a part of   
the sea  many centuries ago4 ,they      
likewise asserted that many little      
lakes1  which in their youth were full  
of water1 even in the hottest season1   
now hardly formed a narrow brook in     
summer1 except after heavy rains2  but  
it did not appear to them that the      
rivers had lost any water4    ,aoke     
,helm1 found 7on digging a well7 first  

sand and little stones1 to  the depth of
 eight feet2 next a pale coloured clay1 
and then a black  one4 ,at the depth of 
fifteen feet he found a piece of hard   
wood1 and  several pieces of mundick or 
pyrites4 ,he told me that he knew       
several  places in the ,delaware1 where 
the people went in boats1 when he was   
young2 but which at present were changed
 into little islands1 some of  which    
were near an ,english mile in length4   
,these islands derive their  origin from
 a sand or bank in the river2 on this   
the water washes some  clay1 in which   
rushes come up1 and thus the rest is    
generated by  degrees4    ,on a meeting 
of the oldest ,swedes in the parish of  
,raccoon1 ,i obtained  the following    
answers to the questions which ,i asked 
them on this  account4 ,whenever they   
dig a well in this neighbourhood1 they  
always  find at the depth of twenty or  
thirty feet1 great numbers of oyster    
shells and clams3 the latter are1 as was
 above-mentioned1 a kind of  large      

shells1 which are found in bays1 and of 
which the ,indians make  their money4   
,in many places1 on digging wells a     
quantity of rushes and  reeds have been 
found almost wholly undamaged2 and once 
on such an  occasion a whole bundle of  
flax was brought up1 found between      
twenty  and thirty feet under ground2 it
 seemed as little damaged as if it had  
been lately put under ground2 all looked
 at it with astonishment1 as it  was    
beyond conception how it could get      
there2 but ,i believe the good  people  
saw some ,american plants1 such as the  
wild ,virginian flax1 or  ,linum        
,virginianum1 and the ,antirrhinum      
,canadense1 which look very like  common
 flax1 yet it is remarkable that the    
bundle was really tied  together4 ,the  
,europeans on their arrival in ,america1
 found our common  flax neither growing 
wild nor cultivated by the ,indians1 how
 then could  this bundle get into the   
ground8 ,can it be supposed1 that past  
ages  have seen a nation here1 so early 

acquainted with the use of flax8 ,i     
would rather abide by the opinion1 that 
the above ,american plants1 or  other   
similar ones1 have been taken for flax4 
,charcoal and firebrands  have often    
been found under ground3 ,the ,swedish  
churchwarden1 ,eric  ,ragnilson1 told me
 that he had seen a quantity of them1   
which had been  brought up at the       
digging of a well3 on such occasions1   
people have  often found 7at the depth  
of between twenty and fifty feet7 great 
branches and blocks4 ,there were some   
spots where twenty feet under the       
surface of the earth1 the people had    
found such trowels as the ,indians  use3
 from these observations they all       
concluded1 that this tract of  land had 
formerly been the bottom of the sea4 ,it
 is to be observed1  that most of the   
wells which have hitherto been made1    
have been dug in  new settlements1 where
 the wood was yet standing1 and had     
probably  stood for centuries together4 
,from the observations which have       

hitherto  been mentioned1 and to which  
,i shall add similar ones in the sequel1
 we  may1 with a considerable degree of 
certainty conclude1 that a great  part  
of the province of ,new ,jersey1 in ages
 unknown to posterity1 was  part of the 
bottom of the sea1 and was afterwards   
formed by the slime  and mud1 and the   
many other things which the river       
,delaware carries  down along with it1  
from the upper parts of the country3    
however ,cape  ,may seems to give some  
occasion for doubts1 of which ,i shall  
speak in  the sequel4    ,november the  
#bgth4 ,the ,american evergreens are    
#a4 ,ilex ,aquifolium1 holly4       #b4 
,kalmia latifolia1 the spoon tree4      
#c4 ,kalmia angustifolia1 another       
species of it4       #d4 ,magnolia      
glauca1 the beaver tree4 ,the young     
trees of this kind          only keep   
their leaves1 the others drop them4     
#e4 ,viscum album1 or misletoe2 this    
commonly grows upon the ,nyssa          
aquatica1 or tupelo tree1 upon the      

,liquidambar styraciflua1 or            
sweet gum tree1 the oak and lime tree1  
so that their whole          summits    
were frequently quite green in winter4  
#f4 ,myrica cerifera1 or the candleberry
 tree2 of this however only             
some of the youngest shrubs preserve    
some leaves1 but most of          them  
had already lost them4       #g4 ,pinus 
,abies1 the pine4       #h4 ,pinus      
sylvestris1 the fir4       #i4          
,cupressus thyoides1 the white cedar4   
#aj4 ,juniperus ,virginiana1 the red    
cedar4      ,several oaks and other     
trees dropt their leaves here in winter1
 which  however keep them ever green1 a 
little more to the south1 and in        
,carolina4    ,november the #cjth4 ,it  
has been observed1 that the ,europeans  
in ,north  ,america1 whether they were  
born in ,sweden1 ,england1 ,germany or  
,holland2  or in ,north ,america1 of    
,european parents1 always lost their    
teeth much  sooner than common2 the     
women especially were subject to this   

disagreeable circumstance1 the men did  
not suffer so much from it4  ,girls not 
above twenty years old1 frequently had  
lost half of their  teeth1 without any  
hopes of getting new ones3 ,i have      
attempted to  penetrate into the causes 
of this early shedding of the teeth1 but
 ,i  know not1 whether ,i have hit upon 
a true one4 ,many people were of        
opinion that the air of this country    
hurt the teeth3 so much is certain  that
 the weather can no where be subject to 
more frequent and sudden  changes2 for  
the end of a hot day1 often turns out   
piercing cold1 and  vice versa4 ,yet    
this change of weather1 cannot be looked
 upon as having  any effect upon the    
shedding of the teeth1 for the ,indians 
prove the  contrary3 they live in the   
same air1 and always keep fine1 entire  
white  teeth2 this ,i have seen myself1 
and have been assured of by every body3 
others ascribe it to the great          
quantities of fruit and sweet meats     
which are here eaten4 ,but ,i have known

 many people1 who never eat any  fruit1 
and nevertheless had hardly a tooth     
left4    ,i then began to suspect the   
tea1 which is drank here in the morning 
and  afternoon1 especially by women1 and
 is so common at present1 that there  is
 hardly a farmer's wife or a poor woman1
 who does not drink tea in  the morning3
 ,i was confirmed in this opinion when  
,i took a journey  through some parts of
 the country which were still inhabited 
by  ,indians4 ,for ,major ,general      
,johnson told me at that time1 that     
several  of the ,indians who lived close
 to the ,european settlements1 had      
learnt  to drink tea4 ,and it has been  
observed1 that such of the ,indian      
women1  as used themselves too much to  
this liquor1 had in the same manner as  
the ,european women1 lost their teeth   
prematurely1 though they had  formerly  
been quite sound4 ,those again1 who had 
not used tea preserved  their teeth     
strong and sound to a great age4    ,i  
afterwards found1 that the use of tea   

could not entirely cause this  accident4
 ,several young women who lived in this 
country1 but were born  in ,europe1     
complained that they lost most of their 
teeth after they  came to ,america3 ,i  
asked1 whether they did not think that  
it arose from  the frequent use of tea1 
as it was known1 that strong tea1 as it 
were  enters into and corrodes the      
teeth2 but they answered1 that they had 
lost their teeth before they had began  
to drink tea1 but continuing my         
enquiries1 ,i found at last a sufficient
 cause1 to account for the loss  of     
their teeth3 each of these women owned1 
that they were accustomed to  eat every 
thing hot1 and nothing was good in their
 opinion1 unless they  could eat it as  
fast as it came from the fire4 ,this is 
likewise the  case with the women in the
 country who lose their teeth much      
sooner and  more abundantly than the    
men4 ,they drink tea in greater quantity
 and  much oftener1 in the morning1 and 
even at noon1 when the employment of    

the men will not allow them to sit at   
the tea-table4 ,besides that1 the       
,englishmen care very little for tea1   
and a bowl of punch is much more        
agreeable to them4 ,when the ,english   
women drink tea1 they never pour it  out
 of the cup into the saucer1 but drink  
it hot as it is out of the  former4 ,the
 ,indian women in imitation of them1    
swallow the tea in the  same manner4 ,on
 the contrary those ,indians whose teeth
 are sound1 never  eat any thing hot1   
but take their meat either quite cold1  
or only just  milk warm4    ,i asked the
 ,swedish churchwarden in ,philadelphia1
 ,mr4 ,bengtson1 and a  number of old   
,swedes1 whether their parents and      
countrymen had likewise  lost their     
teeth as soon as the ,american          
colonists2 but they told me  that they  
had preserved them to a very great age4 
,bengtson assured me1  that his father  
at the age of seventy1 cracked peach    
stones and the  black walnuts with his  
teeth1 notwithstanding their great      

hardness1  which at this time no body   
dares to venture at that age4 ,this     
confirms  what ,i have before said1 for 
at that time the use of tea was not yet 
known in ,north ,america4    ,no disease
 is more common here1 than that which   
the ,english call fever  and ague1 which
 is sometimes quotidian1 tertian or     
quartan4 ,but it  often happens1 that a 
person who has had a tertian ague1 after
 losing  it for a week or two1 gets a   
quotidian ague in its stead1 which after
 a  while again changes into a tertian4 
,the fever commonly attacks the  people 
at the end of ,august1 or beginning of  
,september1 and commonly  continues     
during autumn and winter till towards   
spring1 when it ceases  entirely4       
,strangers who arrive here1 commonly are
 attacked by this sickness the  first or
 second year after their arrival2 and it
 is more violent upon  them1 than upon  
the natives1 so that they sometimes die 
of it2 but if  they escape the first    
time1 they have the advantage of not    

being  visited again the next year1 or  
perhaps never any more4 ,it is commonly 
said here1 that strangers get the fever 
to accustom them to the  climate4 ,the  
natives of ,european offspring1 have    
annual fits of this  ague in some parts 
of the country3 some however are soon   
delivered from  it1 with others on the  
contrary it continues for six months    
together1  and others are afflicted with
 it till they die4 ,the ,indians also   
suffer  it1 but not so violently as the 
,europeans4 ,no age is secured against  
it3 in those places where it rages      
annually1 you see old men and women     
attacked with it2 and even children in  
the cradle1 sometimes not above  three  
weeks old3 it is likewise quotidian1    
tertian or quartan with  them4 ,this    
autumn the ague was more violent here1  
than it commonly used  to be4 ,people   
who are afflicted with it1 look as pale 
as death1 and are  greatly weakened1 but
 in general are not prevented from doing
 their  work in the intervals4 ,it is   

remarkable1 that every year there are   
great parts of the country where this   
fever rages1 and others where  scarce a 
single person has been taken ill4 ,it   
likewise is worth notice1  that there   
are places where the people cannot      
remember that it formerly  prevailed in 
their country1 though at present it     
begins to grow more  common3 yet there  
was no other visible difference between 
the several  places4 ,all the old       
,swedes1 ,englishmen1 ,germans1 c4      
unanimously  asserted1 that the fever   
had never been so violent1 and of such  
continuance when they were boys1 as it  
is at present4 ,they were  likewise     
generally of opinion1 that about the    
year #afhj1 there were not  so many     
people afflicted with it1 as about this 
time4 ,however others  equally old1 were
 of opinion that the fever was          
proportionably as  common formerly1 as  
it is at present2 but that it could not 
at that  time be so sensibly perceived1 
on account of the scarcity of           

inhabitants1 and the great distance of  
their settlements from each  other2 it  
is therefore probable that the effects  
of the fever have at  all times been    
equal4    ,it would be difficult to     
determine the true causes of this       
disease2  they seem to be numerous1 and 
not always alike3 sometimes1 and ,i     
believe commonly several of them unite4 
,i have taken all possible care  to     
sound the opinions of the physicians    
here on that head1 and ,i here  offer   
them to the reader4    ,some of them    
think that the peculiar qualities of the
 air of this  country cause this fever2 
but most of them assert that it is      
generated  by the standing and putrid   
water1 which it seems is confirmed by   
experience4 ,for it has been observed in
 this country1 that such people  as live
 in the neighbourhood of ,morasses or   
,swamps1 or in places where  a stagnant1
 stinking water is to be met with1 are  
commonly infested  with the fever and   
ague every year1 and get it more readily

 than  others4 ,and this chiefly happens
 at a time of the year when those       
stagnant waters are most evaporated by  
the excessive heat of the sun1  and the 
air is filled with the most noxious     
vapors4 ,the fever likewise  is very    
violent in all places which have a very 
low situation1 and  where salt water    
comes up with the tide twice in twenty  
four hours1 and  unites with the        
stagnant1 fresh water in the country4   
,therefore on  travelling in summer over
 such low places where fresh and salt   
water  unite1 the nauseous stench       
arising from thence often forces the    
traveller to stop his nose4 ,on that    
account most of the inhabitants of      
,penn's neck1 and ,salem in ,new        
,jersey1 where the ground has the       
above-mentioned quality1 are annually   
infested with the fever to a much       
greater degree1 than the inhabitants of 
the higher country4 ,if an  inhabitant  
of the higher part of the country1 where
 the people are free  from the fever1   

removes into the lower parts1 he may be 
well assured  that the fever will attack
 him at the usual time1 and that he will
 get  it again every year1 as long as he
 continues in that country4 ,people of  
the liveliest complexion on coming into 
the low parts of the country1  and      
continuing there for some time1 have    
entirely lost their colour and  become  
quite pale4 ,however this cannot be the 
sole cause of the fever1  as ,i have    
been in several parts of the country    
which had a low  situation and had      
stagnant waters near them1 where the    
people declared  they seldom suffered   
from this sickness3 but these places    
were about  two or three degrees more   
northerly4    ,others were of opinion   
that diet did very much towards it1 and 
chiefly  laid the blame upon the        
inconsiderate and intemperate           
consumption of  fruit4 ,this is         
particularly the case with the          
,europeans1 who come into  ,america1 and
 are not used to its climate and its    

fruit2 for those who  are born here can 
bear more1 yet are not entirely free    
from the bad  effects of eating too     
much4 ,i have heard many ,englishmen1   
,germans1 and  others speak from their  
own experience on this account2 they    
owned1  that they had often tried1 and  
were certain that after eating a water  
melon once or twice before they had     
breakfasted1 they would have the  fever 
and ague in a few days after4 ,yet it is
 remarkable1 that the  ,french in       
,canada told me that fevers were less   
common in that country1  though they    
consumed as many water melons as the    
,english colonies1 and  that it had     
never been observed that they occasioned
 a fever2 but that  on coming in the hot
 season to the ,illinois1 an ,indian    
nation which is  nearly in the same     
latitude with ,pensylvania and ,new     
,jersey1 they could  not eat a water    
melon without feeling the shaking fits  
of an ague1 and  that the ,indians      
therefore warned them not to eat of so  

dangerous a  fruit4 ,query1 ,does not   
this lead us to think that the greater  
heat in  ,pensylvania1 and the country  
of the ,illinois1 which are both five or
  six degrees more southerly than       
,canada1 makes fruit in some measure    
more dangerous8 ,in the ,english ,north 
,american colonies1 every  countryman   
plants a number of water melons1 which  
are eaten whilst the  people make hay1  
or during the harvest when they have    
nothing upon  their stomachs1 in order  
to cool them during the great heat1 as  
that  juicy fruit seems very proper to  
give refreshment4 ,in the same manner   
melons1 cucumbers1 gourds1 squashes1    
mulberries1 apples1 peaches1  cherries1 
and such like fruit are eaten here in   
summer1 and altogether  contribute to   
the attacks of the ague4    ,but that   
the manner of living contributes greatly
 towards it1 may be  concluded from the 
unanimous accounts of old people1       
concerning the  times of their          
childhood2 according to which1 the      

inhabitants of these  parts1 were at    
that time not subject to so many        
diseases as they are at  present1 and   
people were seldom sick4 ,all the old   
,swedes likewise  agreed1 that their    
countrymen1 who first came into ,north  
,america1  attained to a great age1 and 
their children nearly to the same2 but  
that their grand children1 and great    
grand children did not reach the  age of
 their ancestors1 and their health was  
not near so vigorous and  durable4 ,but 
the ,swedes who first settled in        
,america1 lived very  frugally2 they    
were poor1 and could not buy rum1       
brandy1 or other  strong liquors1 which 
they seldom distilled themselves1 as few
 of them  had a distilling vessel4      
,however they sometimes had a good      
strong beer4  ,they did not understand  
the art of making cyder1 which is now so
 common  in the country3 tea1 coffee1   
chocolate1 which are at present even the
  country people's daily breakfast1 were
 wholly unknown to them3 most of  them  

had never tasted sugar or punch4 ,the   
tea which is now drank1 is  either very 
old1 or mixed with all sorts of herbs1  
so that it no longer  deserves the name 
of tea3 therefore it cannot have any    
good effect upon  those who use it      
plentifully2 besides1 it cannot fail of 
relaxing the  bowels1 as it is drank    
both in the morning and in the afternoon
 quite  boiling hot4 ,the ,indians1 the 
offspring of the first inhabitants of   
this country1 are a proof of what ,i    
have said4 ,it is well known that  their
 ancestors1 at the time of the first    
arrival of the ,europeans1  lived to a  
very great age4 ,according to the common
 accounts1 it was  then not uncommon to 
find people among the ,indians1 who were
 above a  hundred years old3 they lived 
frugally1 and drank pure water3 brandy1 
rum1 wine1 and all the other strong     
liquors1 were utterly unknown to  them2 
but since the christians have taught    
them to drink these liquors1  and the   
,indians have found them too palatable1 

those who cannot resist  their          
appetites1 hardly reach half the age of 
their parents4    ,lastly1 some people  
pretended that the loss of many         
odoriferous plants1  with which the     
woods were filled at the arrival of the 
,europeans1 but  which the cattle has   
now extirpated1 might be looked upon as 
a cause of  the greater progress of the 
fever at present4 ,the number of those  
strong plants occasioned a pleasant     
scent to rise in the woods every        
morning and evening4 ,it is therefore   
not unreasonable to think that the      
noxiousness of the effluvia from        
putrifying substances was then          
prevented1 so that they were not so     
dangerous to the inhabitants4           
,several remedies are employed against  
this disease3 the jesuit's bark  was    
formerly a certain one1 but at present  
it has not always this  effect1 though  
they sell it genuine1 and for the very  
best4 ,many people  accused it of       
leaving something noxious in the body4  

,yet it was  commonly observed1 that    
when the bark was good1 and it was taken
 as  soon as the fever made its         
appearance1 and before the body was     
weakened1 it was almost sure to conquer 
the fever1 so that the cold  fits never 
returned1 and no pain or stiffness      
remained in the limbs2  but when the    
disease is rooted in1 and has           
considerably weakened the  patients1 or 
they are naturally very weak1 the fever 
leaves them after  using the jesuit's   
bark1 but returns again in a fortnight's
 time1 and  obliges them to take the    
bark again2 but the consequence         
frequently is  a pain and a stiffness in
 their limbs1 and sometimes in their    
bowels1  which almost hinders them from 
walking3 this pain continues for several
  years together1 and even accompanies  
some to the grave4 ,this bad effect  is 
partly attributed to the bark1 which can
 seldom be got genuine here1  and partly
 to the little care which the patients  
take in using the  bark4 ,a man of my   

acquaintance was particularly dexterous 
in expelling  the ague by the use of the
 jesuit's bark4 ,his manner of          
proceeding was  as follows3 when it was 
possible1 the patient must use the      
remedy as  soon as the fever begun1 and 
before it was settled in his body3 but  
before he took the medicine1 he was to  
take a diaphoretic remedy1 as  that had 
been found very salutary2 and as the    
fever is frequently of  such a nature   
here1 as not to make the patient sweat1 
even when the hot  fit is upon him1 a   
perspiration was to be brought about by 
some other  means4 ,to that purpose the 
patient took his dose on the day when he
 had  his cold fit1 and was not allowed 
to eat any thing at night4 ,the next    
morning he continued in a warm bed1     
drank a quantity of tea1 and was  well  
covered that he might perspire          
plentifully4 ,he continued so till  the 
perspiration ceased1 and then left the  
bed in a hot room1 and  washed his body 
with milk warm water1 in order to       

cleanse it from the  impurities that    
settled on it from the perspiration1 and
 to prevent  their stopping up of the   
pores4 ,the patient was then dried      
again1 and  at last he took the bark    
several times in one day4 ,this was     
repeated  twice or thrice on the days   
after he had the ague1 and it commonly  
left  him without returning1 and most   
people recover so well1 that they do    
not look pale after their sickness4     
,the bark of the root of the ,tulip     
tree1 or ,liriodendron ,tulipifera1     
taken in the same manner as the jesuit's
 bark1 sometimes had a similar  effect4 
,several people peeled the roots of the 
,cornus florida1 or ,dog wood1 and  gave
 this peel to the patients2 and even    
some people1 who could not be  cured by 
the jesuit's bark1 have recovered by the
 help of this4 ,i have  likewise seen   
people cured of the fever1 by taking    
brimstone reduced to  powder1 and mixed 
with sugar every night before they went 
to bed1 and  every morning before they  

got up3 they took it three or four times
 in  the intervals1 and at each time    
drank some warm liquor1 to wash the     
powder down4 ,however others that tried 
the same remedy did not find  much      
relief from it4    ,some people         
collected the yellow bark of the peach  
tree1 especially  that which is on the  
root and boiled it in water1 till half  
of it was  evaporated by boiling4 ,of   
this decoction the patient took every   
morning  about a wine glass full1 before
 he had eaten any thing4 ,this liquor   
has  a disagreeable taste1 and contracts
 the mouth and tongue like alum2 yet    
several persons at ,raccoon who had     
tried many remedies in vain1 were  cured
 by this4    ,others boiled the leaves  
of the ,potentilla reptans1 or of the   
,potentilla canadensis1 in water1 and   
made the patients drink it before  the  
ague fit came on1 and it is well known  
that several persons have  recovered by 
this means4    ,the people who are      
settled upon the river ,mohawk in ,new  

,york1 both  ,indians and ,europeans    
collect the root of the ,geum rivale1   
and pound  it4 ,this powder some of them
 boil in water till it is a pretty      
strong  decoction3 others only infuse   
cold water on it and leave it so for a  
day2 others mix it with brandy4 ,of this
 medicine the patient is to take  a wine
 glass full on the morning of the day   
when the fever does not  come1 before he
 has eaten any thing4 ,i was assured    
that this was one of  the surest        
remedies1 and more certain than the     
jesuit's bark4    ,the people who live  
near the iron mines1 declared that they 
were seldom  or never visited by the    
fever and ague2 but when they have the  
fever1  they drink the water of such    
fountains1 as arise from the iron mines1
  and have a strong chalybeat taste2 and
 they assured me that this remedy  was  
infallible4 ,other people therefore who 
did not live very far from  such        
springs1 went to them for a few days1   
when they had the fever1 in  order to   

drink the water1 which commonly cured   
them4    ,i have already shown above1   
that sage mixed with lemon juice1 has   
been  found very salutary against the   
ague4    ,it was however universally    
remarkable1 that that which cures one   
person  of it1 has no effect upon       
another4    ,the pleurisy is likewise a 
disease which the people of this country
 are  much subject to4 ,the ,swedes in  
this province call it stitches and      
burning1 and they always mean the       
pleurisy whenever they mention those    
words4 ,many of the old ,swedes told me 
that they had heard very little  of it  
when they were young1 and that their    
parents had known still less  of it in  
their childhood2 but that it was so     
common now1 that many  people died every
 year of it3 yet it has been observed1  
that in some  years this disease has    
been very moderate1 and taken few people
 away  with it1 whilst in other years it
 makes great havock3 it likewise is     
more violent in some places than in     

others4    ,in the autumn of the year   
#agbh1 it swept away many at ,penn's    
neck1 a  place below ,raccoon1 and      
nearer to the ,delaware1 where a number 
of  ,swedes are settled4 ,almost all the
 ,swedes there died of it1 though they  
were very numerous4 ,from hence it      
happened that their children who were   
left in a very tender age1 and grew up  
among the ,english children1  forgot    
their mother tongue1 so that few of them
 understand it at  present4 ,since that 
time1 though the pleurisy has every year
 killed a  few people at ,penn's neck1  
yet it has not carried off any          
considerable  numbers4 ,it rested as it 
were till the autumn of the year #agdh1 
but  then it began to make dreadful     
havock1 and every week six or ten of the
  old people died4 ,the disease was so  
violent1 that when it attacked a        
person1 he seldom lived above two or    
three days2 and of those who were  taken
 ill with it1 very few recovered4 ,when 
the pleurisy was got into a  house1 it  

killed most of the old people in it3 it 
was a true pleurisy1  but it had a      
peculiarity with it1 for it commonly    
began with a great  swelling under the  
throat and in the neck1 and with a      
difficulty of  swallowing4 ,some people 
looked upon it as contagious2 and others
  seriously declared1 that when it came 
into a family1 not only those who  lived
 in the same house suffered from it1 but
 even such relations as  lived far off4 
,there have been several people at      
,penn's neck1 who1  without visiting    
their sick friends1 have got the        
pleurisy and died of  it3 ,i do not     
dispute the truth of this1 though ,i do 
not agree to the  conclusion4 ,the      
pleurisy was the most violent in        
,november2 yet some old  people died of 
it even in the next winter2 but children
 were pretty  free from it4 ,the        
physicians did not know what to make of 
it1 nor how  to remedy it4    ,it is    
difficult to determine the causes of    
such violent diseases4 ,an  old ,english

 surgeon who lived here gave the        
following reason4 ,the  inhabitants of  
this country drink great quantities of  
punch and other  strong liquors in      
summer1 when it is very hot2 by that    
means the veins  in the diaphragm       
contract1 and the blood grows thick4    
,towards the end  of ,october and the   
beginning of ,november1 the weather is  
apt to alter  very suddenly1 so that    
heat and cold change several times a    
day4 ,when  the people during this      
changeable weather are in the open air1 
they  commonly get this disease4 ,it is 
likewise certain that the air is more   
unwholesome one year1 than another1     
which depends upon the heat1 and  other 
circumstances3 this peculiar quality of 
the air must of course  produce a       
pleurisy4 ,it is remarkable1 that both  
in the year #agbh1 and  in the present1 
when so many people died at ,penn's     
neck1 few died at  ,raccoon1 though the 
two places are near each other1 and seem
 to have  the same soil and climate4    

,but there is this difference that      
,penn's  neck lies remarkably low1 and  
,raccoon pretty high4 ,the people in the
  former place have settled between     
marshes and swamps1 in which the  water 
stagnates and putrifies2 and most of    
these places are covered  with trees1 by
 which means the wet is shut up still   
more1 and near such  marshes1 are the   
houses4 ,lastly the water at ,penn's    
neck is not  reckoned so good as that in
 ,raccoon1 but has some taste4 ,it      
likewise  becomes brackish in several   
little rivers when the ,delaware during 
the  tide rises very high1 and runs up  
into them4 ,on the banks of these       
rivulets live many of the ,swedes1 and  
take water for common use from  them4   
,december the #c;d4 ,this morning ,i set
 out for ,philadelphia1 where ,i        
arrived in the evening4    ,wild grapes 
are very abundant in the woods1 and of  
various kinds2 a  species of them which 
are remarkable for their size1 grow in  
the  marshes1 and are greedily eaten by 

the ,raccoon3 they are therefore  called
 marsh grapes1 but the ,english call    
them fox grapes2 they have  not an      
agreeable flavour1 and are seldom eaten 
by the inhabitants of  this country1 who
 make use of a small kind of wild       
grapes1 which grow  on a dry soil1 and  
pretty late in autumn when they are     
quite ripe1 are  eaten raw1 and have a  
very good flavour1 being a mixture of   
sweet and  acid3 some people dry these  
grapes when gathered and bake them in   
tarts1 c4 they likewise make use of them
 as dried sweetmeats4 ,the  ,swedes     
formerly made a pretty good wine from   
them2 but have now left it  off4        
,however some of the ,english still     
press an agreeable liquor from  these   
grapes1 which they assured me was as    
good as the best claret1 and  that it   
would keep for several years4    ,the   
manner of preparing this sort of wine   
has been described at large  in an      
almanack of this country1 for the year  
#agdc1 and is as follows3  the grapes   

are collected from the twenty first of  
,september to about  the eleventh of    
,november1 that is as they grow ripe3   
they must be  gathered in dry weather1  
and after the dew is gone off3 the      
grapes are  cleared of the cobwebs1 dry 
leaves1 and other things adhering to    
them4  ,next a great hogshead is        
prepared which has either had treacle or
  brandy in2 it is washed very clean1   
one of the bottoms beat out1 and  the   
other placed on a stand for the purpose1
 or on pieces of wood in  the cellar1 or
 else in a warm room1 about two feet    
above the ground3  the grapes are put   
into this hogshead1 and as they sink    
lower in three  or four days time more  
are added4 ,a man with naked feet gets  
into the  hogshead and treads the       
grapes1 and in about half an hour's time
 the  juice is forced out2 the man then 
turns the lowest grapes uppermost1  and 
treads them for about a quarter of an   
hour3 this is sufficient to  squeeze the
 good juice out of them3 for an         

additional pressure would  even crush   
the unripe grapes1 and give the whole a 
disagreeable  flavour4 ,the hogshead is 
then covered with a thick blanket2 but  
if  there is no cellar1 or it is very   
cold1 two are spread over it4 ,under    
this covering the juice is left to      
ferment for the first time1 and in  the 
next four or five days it ferments and  
works very strongly4 ,as soon  as the   
fermentation ceases1 a hole is made     
about six inches from the  bottom1 and  
some of the juice is tapped off about   
twice in a day4 ,as  soon as this is    
clear and settled1 it is poured into an 
anker of a  middling size2 for from     
twenty bushels of grapes1 they get about
 as  many gallons of juice2 the anker   
remains untouched and the must in it    
ferments a second time3 at this time it 
is necessary that the anker be  quite   
full2 the scum which settles at the     
bunghole1 must be taken off1  and the   
anker always filled up with more must1  
which is kept ready for  that purpose3  

this is continued till christmas1 when  
the anker may be  stopped up2 at last   
the wine is ready in ,february and      
bottled4 ,it is  likewise usual here1 to
 put some of the ripe grapes into a     
vessel in  order to make a vinegar1 and 
that which is got by this means is very 
good4 ,several people made brandy from  
these grapes which has a very  pleasant 
taste1 but is still more pleasant1 if   
the fruits of the  persimon are mixed   
with it4 ,the wood of these vines is of 
no use1 it is  so brittle that it cannot
 be used for sticks3 on cutting into the
 stem1  a white1 insipid resin comes out
 a few hours after the wound is made4   
,in many gardens vines are planted for  
the purpose of making arbours for  which
 they are indeed excellent2 as their    
large and plentiful leaves  form a very 
close cover against the scorching heat  
of the sun4 ,when the  vines flower here
 in ,may and ,june1 the flowers exhale a
 strong1 but  exceeding pleasant and    
refreshing smell1 which is perceptible  

even at a  great distance4 ,therefore on
 coming into the woods about that time1 
you  may judge from the sweet perfume in
 the air1 arising from the flowers  of  
the vines1 that you are near them1      
though you do not see them4  ,though the
 winters be ever so severe1 yet they do 
not affect the vines4  ,each grape is   
about the size of a pea1 but further    
southward they are  said to be of the   
size of common raisins1 and of a finer  
flavour4  ,further up in the country1   
during a part of autumn1 they are the   
chief  food of bears1 who climb up the  
trees in order to pluck them4 ,people   
are of opinion that if the wild vines   
were cultivated with more care1  the    
grapes would grow larger1 and more      
palatable4    ,december the #eth4 ,i    
shall here mention two prognosticks of  
the weather1  which were greatly valued 
here4 ,some people pretended to foretel 
that  the ensuing winter would not be a 
severe one3 this they conjectured  from 
having seen wild geese and other        

migratory birds go to the south  in     
,october1 but return a few days ago in  
great numbers1 and even pass  on further
 to the north4 ,indeed the ensuing      
winter was one of the most  temperate   
ones4    ,several persons likewise      
assured us that we should have rain     
before to  morrow night4 ,the reason    
they gave for this conjecture was1 that 
this  morning at sun rising1 from their 
windows they had seen every thing  very 
plainly on the other side of the river1 
so that it appeared much  nearer than   
usual1 and that this commonly foreboded 
rain4 ,this presage  was likewise pretty
 exactly fulfilled4    ,the ,indians    
before the arrival of the ,europeans1   
had no notion of the  use of iron1      
though that metal was abundant in their 
country4 ,however  they knew in some    
measure how to make use of copper4 ,some
 ,dutchmen who  lived here1 still       
preserved the old account among them1   
that their  ancestors on their first    
settling in ,new ,york had met with many

 of the  ,indians1 who had tobacco pipes
 of copper1 and who made them understand
  by signs1 that they got them in the   
neighbourhood3 afterwards the fine      
copper mine was discovered1 upon the    
second river between  ,elizabeth-town   
and ,new ,york4 ,on digging in this     
mine1 the people met  with holes worked 
in the mountain1 out of which some      
copper had been  taken1 and they found  
even some tools1 which the ,indians     
probably made  use of1 when they        
endeavoured to get the metal for their  
pipes4 ,such  holes in the mountains    
have likewise been found in some parts  
of  ,pensylvania1 viz4 below ,newcastle 
towards the sea side1 and always some   
marks of a copper ore along with them4  
,some people have conjectured1  that the
 ,spaniards1 after discovering ,mexico1 
sailed along the coasts  of ,north      
,america1 and landed now and then1 in   
order to enquire whether  any gold or   
silver was to be met with1 and that they
 perhaps made these  holes in the       

mountains3 but supposing them to have   
made such a voyage  along the coasts1   
they could not immediately have found   
out the copper  mines2 and they probably
 did not stop to blast this ore1 as they
 were  bent only upon gold and silver2  
it is therefore almost undoubted that   
the ,indians dug these holes3 or may we 
be allowed to suspect that our  old     
,normans1 long before the discoveries of
 ,columbus1 came into these  parts and  
met with such veins of copper1 when they
 sailed to what they  called the        
excellent ,wineland1 #ea of which our   
ancient traditional  records called     
,sagor speak1 and which undoubtedly was 
,north ,america4  ,but in regard to     
this1 ,i shall have occasion in the     
sequel better to  explain my sentiments4
 ,it was remarkable1 that in all those  
places  where such holes have lately    
been found in the mountains1 which      
manifestly seem to have been dug by men1
 they were always covered with  a great 
quantity of earth1 as if they were      

intended to remain hidden  from         
strangers4    ,december the #fth4 ,on   
long voyages the sailors sometimes catch
 such fish  as are known to none of the 
ship's company2 but as they are very    
greedy  after fresh provisions1 they    
seldom abstain from eating them1 however
  it proves often venturing too much1   
experience having shown1 that their     
want of caution has often cost them     
their lives1 for sometimes  poisonous   
fish are caught4 ,but there is a method 
of finding them out1  as ,i have heard  
from several captains of ships3 it is   
usual when such  unknown fish are       
boiled1 to put a silver button1 or any  
piece of silver  into the kettle1 which 
if the fish be poisonous1 will turn     
quite black1  but if it be not1 it will 
not change3 some of the seamen referred 
to  their own repeated experience4 #eb  
,mr4 ,franklin and several other        
gentlemen frequently told me1 that a    
powerful ,indian1 who possessed ,rhode  
,island had sold it to the ,english  for

 a pair of spectacles3 it is large      
enough for a prince's domain1 and  makes
 a peculiar government at present4 ,this
 ,indian knew to set a true  value upon 
a pair of spectacles3 for undoubtedly if
 those glasses were  not so plentiful1  
and only a few of them could be found1  
they would on  account of their great   
use1 bear the same price with diamonds4 
,the servants which are made use of in  
the ,english ,american colonies are     
either free persons1 or slaves1 and the 
former are again of two  different      
sorts4    #a4 ,those who are quite free 
serve by the year1 they are not only    
allowed to leave their service at the   
expiration of their year1 but may  leave
 it at any time when they do not agree  
with their masters4 ,however  in that   
case they are in danger of losing their 
wages1 which are very  considerable4 ,a 
man servant who has some abilities1 gets
 between  sixteen and twenty pounds in  
,pensylvania currency1 but those in the 
country do not get so much4 ,a servant  

maid gets eight or ten pounds a  year3  
these servants have their food besides  
their wages1 but must buy  their own    
clothes1 and what they get of these they
 must thank their  master's goodness    
for4    #b4 ,the second kind of free    
servants consist of such persons as     
annually  come from ,germany1 ,england  
and other countries1 in order to settle 
here4 ,these new comers are very        
numerous every year3 there are old and  
young ones1 and of both sexes2 some of  
them have fled from oppression1  under  
which they supposed themselves to have  
laboured4 ,others have been  driven from
 their country by persecution on account
 of religion2 but  most of them are     
poor1 and have not money enough to pay  
their passage1  which is between six and
 eight pounds sterling for each person2 
therefore they agree with the captain   
that they will suffer themselves  to be 
sold for a few years1 on their arrival4 
,in that case the person  who buys them1
 pays the freight for them1 but         

frequently very old  people come over1  
who cannot pay their passage1 they      
therefore sell  their children1 so that 
they serve both for themselves and for  
their  parents3 there are likewise some 
who pay part of their passage1 and  they
 are sold only for a short time4 ,from  
these circumstances it  appears1 that   
the price of the poor foreigners who    
come over to ,north  ,america is not    
equal1 and that some of them serve      
longer than others3  when their time is 
expired1 they get a new suit of clothes 
from their  master1 and some other      
things3 he is likewise obliged to feed  
and  clothe them during the years of    
their servitude4 ,many of the ,germans  
who come hither1 bring money enough with
 them to pay their passage1 but  rather 
suffer themselves to be sold1 with a    
view that during their  servitude they  
may get some knowledge of the language  
and quality of  the country1 and the    
like1 that they may the better be able  
to consider  what they shall do when    

they have got their liberty4 ,such      
servants are  taken preferable to all   
others1 because they are not so dear2   
for to  buy a ,negroe or black slave1   
requires too much money at once2 and men
  or maids who get yearly wages1 are    
likewise too dear2 but this kind of     
servants may be got for half the money1 
and even for less2 for they  commonly   
pay fourteen pounds1 ,pensylvania       
currency1 for a person who is  to serve 
four years1 and so on in proportion4    
,their wages therefore are  not above   
three pounds ,pensylvania currency per  
ann4 ,this kind of  servants1 the       
,english call servings4 ,when a person  
has bought such a  servant for a certain
 number of years1 and has an intention  
to sell him  again1 he is at liberty to 
do so2 but he is obliged1 at the        
expiration  of the term of the servitude
 to provide the usual suit of cloaths   
for  the servant1 unless he has made    
that part of the bargain with the       
purchaser4 ,the ,english and ,irish     

commonly sell themselves for four       
years1 but the ,germans frequently agree
 with the captain before they  set out1 
to pay him a certain sum of money1 for a
 certain number of  persons2 as soon as 
they arrive in ,america1 they go about  
and try to  get a man who will pay the  
passage for them4 ,in return they give  
according to the circumstances one1 or  
several of their children to  serve a   
certain number of years1 at last they   
make their bargain with  the highest    
bidder4    #c4 ,the ,negroes or ,blacks 
make the third kind4 ,they are in a     
manner  slaves2 for when a ,negro is    
once bought1 he is the purchaser's      
servant  as long as he lives1 unless he 
gives him to another1 or makes him free4
  ,however it is not in the power of the
 master to kill his ,negro for a  fault1
 but he must leave it to the magistrates
 to proceed according to  the laws4     
,formerly the ,negroes were brought over
 from ,africa1 and  bought by almost    
every one who could afford it4 ,the     

quakers alone  scrupled to have slaves2 
but they are no longer so nice1 and they
 have  as many ,negroes as other people4
 ,however many people cannot conquer the
  idea of its being contrary to the laws
 of christianity to keep slaves4  ,there
 are likewise several free ,negroes in  
town1 who have been lucky  enough to get
 a very zealous quaker for their master1
 who gave them  their liberty1 after    
they had faithfully served him for some 
time4    ,at present they seldom bring  
over any ,negroes to the ,english       
colonies1  for those which were formerly
 brought thither have multiplied        
considerably4 ,in regard to their       
marriage they proceed as follows3 in    
case you have not only male but likewise
 female ,negroes1 they must  intermarry1
 and then the children are all your     
slaves3 but if you  possess a male      
,negro only1 and he has an inclination  
to marry a female  belonging to a       
different master1 you do not hinder your
 ,negro in so  delicate a point2 but it 

is no advantage to you1 for the children
  belong to the master of the female2 it
 is therefore advantageous to  have     
,negro-women4 ,a man who kills his      
,negro must suffer death for it3  there 
is not however an example here of a     
white man's having been  executed on    
this account4 ,a few years ago it       
happened that a master  killed his      
slave2 his friends and even the         
magistrates secretly advised  him to    
leave the country1 as otherwise they    
could not avoid taking him  prisoner1   
and then he would be condemned to die   
according to the laws  of the country1  
without any hopes of saving him4 ,this  
lenity was  employed towards him1 that  
the ,negroes might not have the         
satisfaction  of seeing a master        
executed for killing his slave2 for this
 would lead  them to all sorts of       
dangerous designs against their masters1
 and to  value themselves too much4     
,the ,negroes were formerly brought from
 ,africa1 as ,i mentioned before2  but  

now this seldom happens1 for they are   
bought in the ,west ,indies1 or         
,american ,islands1 whither they were   
originally brought from their own       
country3 for it has been found that on  
transporting the ,negroes from  ,africa1
 immediately into these northern        
countries1 they have not such a  good   
state of health1 as when they gradually 
change places1 and are  first carried   
from ,africa to the ,west ,indies1 and  
from thence to ,north  ,america4 ,it has
 frequently been found1 that the        
,negroes cannot stand  the cold here so 
well as the ,europeans or whites2 for   
whilst the latter  are not in the least 
affected by the cold1 the toes and      
fingers of the  former are frequently   
frozen4 ,there is likewise a material   
difference  among them in this point2   
for those who come immediately from     
,africa1  cannot bear the cold so well  
as those who are either born in this    
country1 or have been here for a        
considerable time2 for the frost  easily

 hurts the hands or feet of the ,negroes
 which come from ,africa1  or occasions 
violent pains in their whole body1 or in
 some parts of it1  though it does not  
at all affect those who have been here  
for some  time4 ,there are frequent     
examples that the ,negroes on their     
passage  from ,africa1 if it happens in 
winter1 have some of their limbs        
destroyed by frost on board the ship1   
when the cold is but very               
inconsiderable and the sailors are      
scarce obliged to cover their hands4  ,i
 was even assured1 that some ,negroes   
have been seen here1 who have had  an   
excessive pain in their legs1 which     
afterwards broke in the middle1  and    
dropt entirely from the body1 together  
with the flesh on them4 ,thus  it is the
 same case with men here1 as with plants
 which are brought  from the southern   
countries1 and cannot accustom          
themselves to a colder  climate4    ,the
 price of ,negroes differs according to 
their age1 health and  abilities4 ,a    

full grown ,negro costs from forty      
pounds and upwards to a  hundred of     
,pensylvania currency4 ,there are even  
examples that a  gentleman has paid     
hundred pounds for a black slave at     
,philadelphia1  and refused to sell him 
again for the same money4 ,a ,negro boy1
 or girl1  of two or three years old1   
can hardly be got for less than eight or
  fourteen pounds in ,pensylvanian      
currency4 ,not only the quakers1 but    
likewise several christians of other    
denominations sometimes set their       
,negroes at liberty4 ,this is done in   
the following manner3 when a  gentleman 
has a faithful ,negro who has done him  
great services1 he  sometimes declares  
him independent at his death4 ,this is  
however very  expensive2 for they are   
obliged to make a provision for the     
,negro thus  set at liberty1 to afford  
him subsistence when he is grown old1   
that he  may not be driven by necessity 
to wicked actions1 or that he may be at 
any body's charge1 for these free       

,negroes become very lazy and indolent  
afterwards4 ,but the children which the 
free ,negro has begot during his        
servitude are all slaves1 though their  
father be free4 ,on the other  hand     
those ,negro children are free whose    
parents are at liberty4 ,the  ,negroes  
in the ,north ,american colonies are    
treated more mildly1 and fed  better    
than those in the ,west ,indies4 ,they  
have as good food as the  rest of the   
servants1 and they possess equal        
advantages in all things1  except their 
being obliged to serve their whole life 
time1 and get no  other wages than what 
their master's goodness allows them3    
they are  likewise clad at their        
master's expence4 ,on the contrary1 in  
the ,west  ,indies1 and especially in   
the ,spanish ,islands they are treated  
very  cruelly2 therefore no threats make
 more impression upon a ,negro here1    
than that of sending him over to the    
,west ,indies1 in case he would not     
reform4 ,it has likewise been frequently

 found by experience1 that when  you    
show too much remissness to these       
,negroes1 they grow so obstinated1  that
 they will no longer do any thing but of
 their own accord3  therefore a strict  
discipline is very necessary1 if their  
master  expects to be satisfied with    
their services4    ,in the year #afbj1  
some ,negroes were brought to ,north    
,america in a ,dutch  ship1 and in      
,virginia they bought twenty of them4   
,these are said to  have been the first 
that came hither4 ,when the ,indians who
 were then  more numerous in the country
 than at present1 saw these black people
  for the first time1 they thought they 
were a true breed of ,devils1 and       
therefore they called them ,manitto for 
a great while3 this word in  their      
language signifies not only ,god1 but   
likewise the ,devil4 ,some  time before 
that1 when they saw the first ,european 
ship on their  coasts1 they were        
perfectly persuaded that ,god himself   
was in the ship4  ,this account ,i got  

from some ,indians1 who preserved it    
among them as a  tradition which they   
had received from their ancestors3      
therefore the  arrival of the ,negroes  
seemed to them to have confused every   
thing2 but  since that time1 they have  
entertained less disagreeable notions of
 the  ,negroes1 for at present many live
 among them1 and they even sometimes    
intermarry1 as ,i myself have seen4     
,the ,negroes have therefore been       
upwards of a hundred and thirty years   
in this country3 but the winters here   
especially in ,new ,england and ,new    
,york1 are as severe as our ,swedish    
winters4 ,i therefore very carefully    
enquired whether the cold had not been  
observed1 to affect the colour  of the  
,negroes1 and to change it1 so that the 
third or fourth  generation from the    
first that came hither1 were not so     
black as their  ancestors4 ,but ,i was  
generally answered1 that there was not  
the least  difference of colour to be   
perceived2 and that a ,negro born here  

of  parents which were likewise born in 
this country1 and whose ancestors  both 
men and women had all been blacks born  
in this country1 up to the  third or    
fourth generation1 was not at all       
different in colour1 from  those        
,negroes who are brought directly over  
from ,africa4 ,from hence  many people  
conclude1 that a ,negro or his posterity
 do not change  colour1 though they     
continue ever so long in a cold climate2
 but the  mixing of a white man with a  
,negro woman1 or of a ,negro with a     
white  woman has a different effect1    
therefore to prevent any disagreeable   
mixtures of the white people and        
,negroes1 and that the ,negroes may not 
form too great an opinion of themselves1
 to the disadvantage of their  masters1 
,i am told there is a law made          
prohibiting the whites of both  sexes to
 marry ,negroes1 under pain of death1   
and deprivation of the  clergyman who   
marries them3 but that the whites and   
blacks sometimes  mix1 appears from     

children of a mixed complexion1 which   
are sometimes  born4    ,it is likewise 
greatly to be pitied1 that the masters  
of these ,negroes  in most of the       
,english colonies take little care of   
their spiritual  welfare1 and let them  
live on in their pagan darkness4 ,there 
are even  some1 who would be very ill   
pleased at1 and would by all means      
hinder  their ,negroes from being       
instructed in the doctrines of          
christianity1  to this they are partly  
led by the conceit of its being         
shameful1 to  have a spiritual brother  
or sister among so despicable a people1 
partly  by thinking that they should not
 be able to keep their ,negroes so      
meanly afterwards2 and partly through   
fear of the ,negroes growing too  proud1
 on seeing themselves upon a level with 
their masters in  religious matters4    
,several writings are well known1 which 
mention1 that the ,negroes in  ,south   
,america have a kind of poison with     
which they kill each other1  though the 

effect is not sudden1 but happens a long
 time after the  person has taken it3   
the same dangerous art of poisoning is  
known by  the ,negroes in ,north        
,america1 as has frequently been        
experienced4  ,however only a few of    
them know the secret1 and they likewise 
know the  remedy against it1 therefore  
when a ,negro feels himself poisoned and
  can recollect the enemy1 who might    
possible have given him the poison1  he 
goes to him1 and endeavours by money and
 entreaties to move him to  deliver him 
from the poison2 but if the ,negro is   
malicious1 he does not  only deny that  
he ever poisoned him1 but likewise that 
he knows a  remedy against it3 this     
poison does not kill immediately1 for   
sometimes  the sick person dies some    
years after4 ,but from the moment he has
 the  poison he falls into a consumption
 and enjoys few days of good health3    
such a poor wretch often knows that he  
is poisoned1 the moment he gets  the    
poison4 ,the ,negroes commonly employ it

 on such of their brethren as  behave   
well1 are beloved by their masters1 and 
separate as it were from  their         
countrymen1 or do not like to converse  
with them4 ,they have  likewise often   
other reasons for their enmity2 but     
there are few  examples of their having 
poisoned their masters4 ,perhaps the    
mild  treatment they receive1 keeps them
 from doing it1 or perhaps they fear    
that they may be discovered1 and that in
 such a case1 the severest  punishments 
would be inflicted on them4    ,they    
never discover what the poison consists 
of1 and keep it secret  beyond          
conception4 ,it is probable that it is a
 very common thing which  may be got all
 the world over1 for wherever they are  
they can always  easily procure it4     
,therefore it cannot be a plant1 as     
several learned  men have thought2 for  
that is not to be met with every where4 
,i have  heard many accounts here of    
,negroes who have been killed by this   
poison4 ,i shall only mention one       

incident which happened during my stay  
in this country4 ,a man here had a      
,negro who was exceedingly faithful to  
him1 and behaved so well1 that he would 
not have given him for twenty  other    
,negroes4 ,his master likewise shewed   
him a peculiar kindness1 and  the       
slave's conduct equalled that of the    
best christian servant2 he  likewise    
conversed as little as possible with the
 other ,negroes2 on  that account they  
hated him to excess1 but as he was      
scarce ever in  company with them1 they 
had no opportunity of conveying the     
poison to  him1 which they had often    
tried4 ,however on coming to town during
 the  fair 7for he lived in the country7
 some other ,negroes invited him to     
drink with them4 ,at first he would not1
 but they pressed him till he  was      
obliged to comply4 ,as soon as he came  
into the room1 the others  took a pot   
from the wall and pledged him1 desiring 
him to drink  likewise3 he drank1 but   
when he took the pot from his mouth1 he 

said  what beer is this8 ,it is full of 
9999999999994 ,i purposely omit what he 
mentioned1 for it seems undoubtedly to  
have been the name of the poison  with  
which malicious ,negroes do so much     
harm1 and which is to be met  with      
almost every where4 ,it might be too    
much employed to wicked  purposes1 and  
it is therefore better that it remains  
unknown4 ,the other  ,negroes and       
,negro-women fell a laughing at the     
complaints of their  hated countryman1  
and danced and sung as if they had done 
an excellent  action1 and had at last   
obtained the point so much wished for4  
,the  innocent ,negro went away         
immediately1 and when he got home1 said 
that  the other ,negroes had certainly  
poisoned him3 he then fell into a       
consumption1 and no remedy could prevent
 his death4                             
,end of ,vol4 ,i4                       
,,advertisement4      ,the whole ,sheet 
,map of a great ,part of ,north         
,america1 intended for the              

,illustration of these ,travels1 could  
not be got ready in ,time for the  first
 ,volume1 on ,account of its ,size and  
the great many ,names of ,places        
brought into it1 which must give it a   
,superiority above any ,map  hitherto   
published of this ,part of the ,world3  
but the ,translator hopes1  the ,public 
will the more readily excuse this       
,omission1 as it will  greatly tend to  
make the ,map more perfect1 and as the  
second ,volume  will soon appear1 where 
it shall undoubtedly be inserted4    ,at
 the same ,time he intreats the         
,encouragers of this ,work to compleat  
the ,subscriptions for the second       
,volume1 and to favour him with the     
,lists of ,subscribers as soon as       
possible2 and if any more ,gentlemen    
will favour him with their              
,subscriptions1 he will look upon it as 
an  incentive the more vigorously to go 
on with the rest of the  ,publication4  
,,notes      #a ,the same opinion has   
been confirmed by ,mr4 ,buffon in his   

,hist4  ,naturelle4 tom4 #a4 art4 xix4  
,vol4 #b4 p4 #dai of the edit4 in       
twelves4 ,f4    #b ,the name of         
,porpesse is certainly derived from the 
name ,porcopesce1  given to this genus  
by the ,italians2 and it is remarkable  
that almost  all the ,european nations  
conspired in calling them ,sea-hogs1    
their name  being in ,german ,meer      
,schwein2 the ,danish1 ,swedish1 and    
,norvegian1  ,marsuin1 from whence the  
,french borrowed their ,marsouin4 ,the  
natives of  ,iceland call them          
,suinhual1 i4e4 a ,swine-whale1 and so  
likewise the  ,slavonian nations have   
their ,swinia ,morskaya4 ,whether this  
consent  arises from their rooting the  
sand at the bottom of the sea in quest  
of  ,sand-eels and ,sea-worms like      
swine1 or from the vast quantity of lard
  surrounding their bodies is uncertain4
 ,f4    #c ,mr4 ,kalm is certainly      
mistaken in reckoning the ,bottle-nose  
amongst  the ,dolphin kind2 it has no   
teeth in its mouth as all the fish of   

that  class have1 and therefore belongs 
to the first order of the ,whales1 or   
those that are without teeth4 ,see ,mr4 
,pennant's ,british ,zoology1 ,vol4  #c4
 p4 #dc4 where it is called the beaked  
,whale1 and very well described2  a     
drawing is seen in the explanatory      
table1 n4 ,i4 ,perhaps it would not  be 
improper to call it ,balna ampullata4   
,f4    #d ,in ,mr4 ,pennant's ,british  
,zoology vol4 #c4 p4 #bhb4 is the best  
account of this fish to be met with2 and
 in his ,british ,zoology1  illustrated 
by ,plates and brief explanations is    
plate xliv4 a good and  exact drawing of
 the fish1 the upper figure representing
 it in front1  the lower sideways4 ,f4  
#e ,head of the ,moravian ,brethren4 ,f4
    #f ,dr4 ,linnus mentions only one   
species of ,nyssa1 namely ,nyssa        
aquatica2 ,mr4 ,kalm does not mention   
the name of the species2 but if his  is 
not a different species1 it must at     
least be a variety1 since he  says it   
grows on hills1 whereas the aquatica    

grows in the water4 ,f4    #g ,quere4   
,is this the ,juglans baccata of        
,linnus8 ,f4    #h ,this species is not 
to be met with in ,linn4 spec4 plant4   
,f4    #i ,in ,miller's ,garden         
,dictionary1 it is called ,ketmia       
,indica folio  ficus1 fructu pentagono1 
recurvo esculento1 graciliori1 et       
longiori4    #aj ,nitrum ,crystallus    
montana1 ,linn4 ,syst4 nat4 #c4 p4 #hd4 
,crystallus  hexagona pellucida non     
,colorata4 ,wallerius's ,mineralogy1 p4 
#ajj4  ,crystallus montana1 colourless  
crystal4 ,forster's ,introd4 to         
,mineralogy1 p4 #ac4    #aa ,pyrites    
crystallinus1 ,linn4 ,syst4 nat4 #c4 p4 
#aac4 ,marchasit  hexadric tesselares4  
,wallerius's ,mineralogy1 p4 #baa4      
,marcasit1 vel  crystalli pyritacei1    
,marcasites4 ,forster's ,introd4 to     
,mineralogy1 p4  #ci4    #ab ,mica      
membranacea1 ,linn4 ,syst4 nat4 #c4 p4  
#eh4    ,mica membranacea pellucidissima
 flexilis alba4 ,wallerius's ,min4 p4   
#abj4    ,russian glass1 ,muscovy glass1

 ,isinglass1 ,vitrum ruthenicum1 ,vitrum
  ,mari4 ,forster's ,introd4 to         
,mineralogy1 p4 #ah4    #ac ,marmor     
rude1 ,linn4 ,syst4 nat4 #c4 p4 #da4    
,calcareus particulis scintillantibus4  
,wall4 ,min4 p4 #ci4    ,calcareus      
scintillans1 glittering limestone4      
,forster's ,introd4 to  ,mineral4 p4 #i4
    #ad ,this has been confirmed1 since 
,cape ,breton is in the hands of the    
,english1 and it is reported that the   
strata of coals run through the  whole  
isle1 and some basset out to day near   
the sea-shore1 so that this  isle will  
afford immense treasures of coals1 when 
the government will  find it convenient1
 to have them dug for the benefit of the
 ,nation4 ,f4    #ae ,the ,english      
reader1 who is perhaps not so well      
acquainted with the  weather of the     
,swedish autumn1 may form an idea of it1
 by having  recourse to the ,calendarium
 ,flor1 or the botanical and conomical  
almanack of ,sweden1 in ,dr4 ,linnus's  
,amn4 ,academ4 and in ,mr4              

,stillingfleet's ,swedish tracts1       
translated from the ,amn4 ,acad4 #b;d4  
edition4 ,f4    #af ,vide ,hackluyt's   
collect4 voy4 ,,iii4 #bdf4    #ag ,vide 
,medical1 c4 cases and experiments1     
translated from the  ,swedish1 ,london  
#ageh4 p4 #bhb4 ,p4    #ah ,this has all
 the appearance of a vulgar error3      
neither does the  succeeding account of 
the ,american bears being carnivorous1  
agree with  the observations of the most
 judicious travellers1 who deny the     
fact4  ,p4    ,but however it might be  
easible to reconcile both opinions4 ,for
 ,europe  has two or three kinds of     
bears1 one species of which is          
carnivorous1  the other lives only on   
vegetables3 the large brown species1    
with its  small variety1 are reputed to 
be carnivorous1 the black species is    
merely phytivorous4 ,in case therefore  
both species are found in ,north        
,america1 it would be very easy to      
account for their being both            
carnivorous and not4 ,f4    #ai         

,quartzum hyalinum1 ,linn4 ,syst4 nat4  
#c4 p4 #fe4 ,quartzum solidum           
pellucidum1 ,wallerii ,miner4 #ia4 ,the 
common ,quartz1 ,forster's  ,mineralogy1
 p4 #af4 ,and ,quartzum coloratum1      
,linn4 ,syst4 nat4 #c4 p4 #fe4          
,quartzum solidum opacum coloratum4     
,wall4 ,min4 #ii4 ,the impure ,quartz1  
,forst4 ,min4 p4 #af4    #bj ,in        
,sweden1 and in the north of ,germany1  
the round holes in rivers1  with a      
stoney or rocky bed1 which the whirling 
of the water has made1  are called      
giants pots2 these holes are likewise   
mentioned in ,mr4  ,grosleys new        
observations on ,italy1 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #h4
 ,f4    #ba ,how far this approbation of
 the ,royal ,society1 ought to be       
credited1 is to be understood from the  
advertisements published at the  head of
 each new volume of the ,philosophical  
,transactions4 ,f4    #bb ,thomas       
,herriot1 servant to ,sir ,walter       
,raleigh1 who was employed by  him to   
examine into the productions of ,north  

,america1 makes no mention  of the peach
 among the other fruits he describes1   
and ,m4 du ,pratz1 who  has given a very
 good account of ,louisiana and the     
,missisippi1 says1  that the natives got
 their peaches from the ,english colony 
of ,carolina1  before the ,french       
settled there4 ,p4    #bc ,these worms  
are the ,larva's of the ,oestrus or     
,gadfly1 which  deposits its eggs on the
 back of cattle1 and the ,larva's being 
hatched  from these eggs1 cause great   
sores1 wherein they live till they are  
ready for their change4 ,in the south of
 ,russia they use for the same  purpose 
the decoction of ,veratrum1 or the white
 ,hellebore4 ,f4    #bd ,the bones and  
tusks of ,elephants are not only found  
in ,russia1 but  also in the canton of  
,basel in ,swisserland1 in the dominions
 of the  ,marquis of ,bareith in        
,franconia1 and more instances are found
 in the  ,protoga of the celebrated     
,leibnitz4 ,lately near the river ,ohio 
have  been discovered1 a great number of

 skeletons of ,elephants with their     
tusks1 and very remarkable grinders     
still sticking in their jaw bones  were 
sent to the ,british ,museum2 the late  
,dr4 ,littleton ,bishop of  ,carlisle1  
also lodged some teeth sticking in their
 jawbones in the  ,museum of the ,royal 
,society1 which were brought from ,peru4
 ,the rivers  ,chatunga and ,indighirka 
in ,siberia1 are remarkable for         
affording on  their banks great         
quantities of bones and tusks of        
,elephants1 which  being preserved there
 by the great frost1 and in the short   
summer of a  few weeks1 the rain being  
rare1 these tusks are commonly so fresh 
that  they are employed in ,russia1 as  
common ivory1 on account of the great   
quantity brought from these places to   
,russia2 some of them were eight  feet  
long1 and of three hundred pounds       
weight4 ,there have been found  grinders
 of nine inches diameter4 ,but the      
,american grinders of  ,elephants from  
near the ,ohio are yet more remarkable1 

on account of  their being provided with
 crowns on their tops1 such as are only 
found  in the carnivorous animals1 and  
such as feed on hard bones or nuts4     
,whilst on the contrary1 ,elephants at  
present feeding on grasses and  soft    
vegetables have no such crowns at the   
tops of their grinders4  ,livy1 it is   
true1 makes a distinction between the   
,asiatic or ,indian  ,elephants1 and the
 ,african ones2 and remarks the latter  
to be inferior  to the former in size   
and vigour2 but whether the teeth in    
these  animals are so much different    
from those of the other variety1 has    
never been attended to4 ,this           
circumstance of the difference in the   
fossil grinders of ,elephants1 from     
those in the living ones1 and the  place
 where these skeletons were found in1   
viz4 ,siberia1 ,germany and  ,america1  
where at present no ,elephants are to be
 met with1 opens a wide  field to       
conjectures in regard to the way1 by    
which these animals were  carried to    

those spots4 ,the flood in the deluge   
perhaps has carried  them thither2 nor  
is it contrary to reason1 history or    
revelation1 to  believe1 these skeletons
 to be the remainders of animals1 which 
lived  on the surface of this globe1    
anterior to the ,mosaic creation1 which 
may be considered only as a new         
modification of the creatures living on 
this globe1 adapted to its present      
state1 under which it will remain  till 
circumstances will make a new change    
necessary1 and then our globe  will by a
 new creation of revolution appear more 
adapted to its state1  and be stocked   
with a set of animals more suitable to  
that state4 ,every  man used to         
philosophy and reasoning will find1 that
 this plan gives a  grand idea of the   
,creator1 his conomy and management of  
the universe3  and moreover1 it is      
conformable to the meaning of the words 
of a sacred  writer1 who says3 ,ps4 civ4
 #bi4 #cj4 ,thou bidest thy face and    
they 7small  and great beasts7 are      

troubled2 thou takest away their breath1
 they  die1 and return to their dust4   
,thou sendest forth thy spirit1 they are
  created2 and thou renewest the fact of
 the earth4 ,see ,dr4 ,hunter's  remarks
 on the above-mentioned teeth1 in the   
,philosophical ,trans4 ,vol4  lviii4 ,f4
    #be ,in ,mr4 ,osbeck's ,voyage to   
,china1 ,vol ,i4 p4 #ej4 in a note1 an  
account is given of this kind of land1  
which the ,swedes call  ,swedieland1    
where it is observed1 that the trees    
being burnt1 their  ashes afford manure 
sufficient for three years1 after which 
they are  left uncultivated again1 till 
after twenty or more years1 a new       
generation of trees being produced on   
them1 the country people burn  them1 and
 cultivate the country for three years  
again4 ,f4    #bf ,the learned ,dr4     
,wallerius1 in his ,mineralogy1 4 #h4 in
 the note to  the article1 ,humus       
communis atra1 mentions that some people
 were of  opinion1 that the mould of our
 globe increased their parts1 especially

  in such places as had been            
uncultivated ever since the deluge1 and 
that  thus in a hundred years1 half an  
inch of mould was produced4 ,but he     
observes in the same time1 that this    
observation was not at all exact2  for  
as the common mould seldom exceeds a    
soot1 it must from thence  follow1 that 
since the deluge no more than #bdjj     
years were elapsed1  though the         
scripture chronology reckons upwards of 
#djjj years since  that event3 besides  
this1 he remarks1 that mould always     
becomes more  dry and compressed1 where 
it is out of the reach1 of rain and     
snow2 and  where it is exposed to rain1 
it is carried off to lower places1 and  
therefore increases and decreases       
according to the qualities of its  local
 situation4 ,moreover1 vegetables it is 
known prosper the best  where mould is  
found4 ,as the surface of our globe has 
been covered with  vegetables since the 
deluge1 they must have had a mould to   
grow in ever  since that time2          

consequently it is highly probable1 that
 there must  have been a mould covering 
the surface of our globe1 ever since the
  first origin4 ,i should be led by some
 other confederations1 to doubt of  the 
infallibility of this rule for the      
increase of mould4 ,in ,russia1 on  this
 side the river ,volga1 are high and    
extensive plains1 which have  been      
uncultivated ever since the deluge1 for 
we know from history1 that  the         
,scythians1 ,sarmatians1 ,huns1         
,chazars1 and ,mogols1 were successively
  the masters of these vast countries1  
and were altogether nomadic  nations1   
who lived without agriculture2 the      
country has been without  wood since    
time immemorial1 nor could there even   
spring up any wood  whatsoever1 since   
its rambling possessors every spring set
 fire to the  old dry grass1 in order to
 make room for the new grass1 which in  
the  latter end of ,may1 ,i found come  
up very near to my waist4 ,and these    
vast1 desart plains1 ,i saw every where 

covered with at lead two feet  mould2   
nay1 in some places it amounted to four 
feet2 this would give  according to the 
former rule of half an inch per         
,century1 #dhjj years1  in the first    
instance1 and in the second1 #ifjj      
years1 and therefore  shews that this   
rule for calculating the increase of    
mould1 is very  precarious4 ,the        
chemical analysis of plants1 shews that 
they consist of  water1 earth1 acid1    
alkali1 oil1 and an inflammable         
principle1  independent of the last     
substance1 and called by a late ,german 
chemist  the caustic3 these substances  
must enter yearly the new plants1 and   
make their substance1 and are as it were
 regenerated in these new  plants1 after
 being set at liberty from the structure
 of the last  year's plants by          
putrefaction1 or by fire4 ,mould        
chemically examined1  has the same      
analogous parts4 ,acid and caustic are  
plentifully  contained in the common    
air1 and may also easily be restored to 

the  mould1 and thus circulate through a
 new system of plants4 ,water comes     
likewise from rain and snow1 out of our 
atmosphere3 alkaline and oily           
particles1 or a kind of soap1 are the   
only things wanting1 which when  added  
with the former to any subtle earth1    
will make a good mould1 and  these are  
produced by putrefaction or fire1 from  
vegetable and animal  substances1 and   
are the great promoters of vegetation4  
,but the great question is1 from whence 
these various substances  necessary for 
vegetation originally came8 ,to believe 
they are produced  from putrified       
vegetables is begging the question1 and 
making a  circulus vitiosus in the      
argument4 ,there is therefore no        
evasion2 they  were certainly produced  
by the great ,creator of the universe1  
and  endowed with such qualities1 as    
make them capable of producing in       
various mixtures new bodies2 and when   
they are introduced by moisture1  into  
the first stamina of a plant1 or a seed1

 they expand these  stamina1 and        
constitute a new being1 capable of      
affording food to the  animal creation4 
,it is evident1 ,mr4 ,kalm hinted at the
 above-mentioned  opinion of the        
increase of mould1 and this gave me an  
opportunity of  confirming his argument1
 and of stating fairly the great        
question oh  which agriculture1 the most
 necessary branch of human arts depends4
 ,f4    #bg ,as the shells of oysters   
are a marine animal production1 and     
their  cavities are full of particles of
 sea-water1 the moisture of it flies    
off1 leaving behind its salt2 when the  
shells are burnt1 and the lime  is      
slacked1 the salt mixes with the lime3  
and though the mortar of such  a lime   
grows ever so dry1 the particles of salt
 immediately attract the  moisture of   
the air1 and cause that dampness        
complained of here4 ,f4    #bh ,though  
,mr4 ,kalm has so carefully avoided     
peopling ,europe with this  insect1 yet 
,dr4 ,linnus assures us in his ,systema 

,natur1 that the  southern countries of 
,europe are already infested with it2   
,scopoli  mentions it among his ,insecta
 ,carniolica p4 #fc4 and ,geoffroy among
 his  ,parisian ,insects1 ,vol4 #a4 p4  
#bfg4 t4 #d4 f4 #i4 has given a fine    
figure  of it4 ,f4    #bi ,diss4 de     
,noxa ,insectorum1 ,amn4 ,acad4 ,vol4   
#c4 p4 #cdg4    #cj ,in his ,systema    
,natur1 he calls it ,bruchus ,pisi1 or  
the ,pease  ,beetle2 and says that the  
,gracula ,quiscula1 or ,purple daw of   
,catesby1  is the greatest destroyer of 
them1 and though this bird has been     
proscribed by the legislature of        
,pensylvania1 ,new ,jersey1 and ,new    
,england as a maize-thief1 they feel    
however the imprudence of  extirpating  
this bird2 for a quantity of worms which
 formerly were  eaten by these birds    
destroy their meadows at present4 ,f4   
#ca ,if the pease were steeped before   
they are sown1 in a lie of lime  water  
and some dissolved arsenic1 the pupa or 
aurelia of the insect  would be killed4 

,f4    #cb ,mr4 ,miller describes this  
liquor in his ,gardener's ,dictionary   
under the article of ,convolvulus1      
species the #agth4 and #ahth4    #cc    
,this animal is probably the ,sorex     
cristatus of ,dr4 ,linnus1 who  says it 
is like the mole and lives in           
,pensylvania4 ,f4    #cd ,the same is to
 be met with in ,edwards's ,natural     
,history of ,birds1  page #ch4 tab4 #ch4
 ,f4    #ce ,there is a much lesser     
species of humming-bird1 by ,linnus     
called  ,trochilus minimus1 being the   
least bird known2 ,sir ,hans ,sloane's  
living  one1 weighed only twenty grains1
 and ,mr4 ,edwards's dry one forty-five4
  ,it is drawn in ,edwards's birds1 t4  
#aej1 in its natural size1 together     
with its egg4 ,f4    #cf ,the author    
seems to comprehend more by this word1  
than what it  commonly includes1 for he 
describes it as a building1 which       
contains  both a barn and stables4 ,f4  
#cg ,this kind of building is frequent  
in the north of ,germany1  ,holland1 and

 ,prussia1 and therefore it is no wonder
 that it is employed  by people who1    
were used to them in their own country4 
,f4    #ch ,probably it is a stone      
marle2 a blue and reddish species of    
this  kind is used with good success1 in
 the county of ,bamff in ,scotland4     
#ci ,dr4 ,linnus1 in his ,travels       
through ,westrogothia1 has given a      
drawing of the machine by which woad is 
prepared1 on the #abhth4 page4    #dj   
,as there are no ,jews in ,sweden1      
,prof4 ,kalm was an utter stranger  to  
their manners and religious customs1 and
 therefore relates them as a  kind of   
novelty4 ,f4    #da ,this has really    
happened by a greater union and exertion
 of power  from the colonies and the    
mother country2 so that ,canada has been
  conquered and its possession has been 
confirmed to ,great ,britain in the     
last peace4 ,f4    #db ,of this animal  
and of the above-mentioned ,racoon is a 
representation given plate #b4 both from
 original drawings2 the ,german  and the

 ,swedish edition of ,prof4 ,kalm's work
 being both without this  plate4 ,f4    
#dc ,neither of these accounts appear to
 be satisfactory2 and therefore  ,i am  
inclined to believe that these red foxes
 originally came over from  ,asia1 7most
 probably from ,kamtchatka where this   
species is common1 see  ,miller's       
,account of the ,navigations of the     
,russians1 c47 though in  remote times1 
and thus spread over ,north ,america4   
,it is perhaps true  that the ,indians  
never took notice of them till the      
,europeans were  settled among them2    
this1 however1 was because they never   
had occasion  to use their skins3 but   
when there was a demand for these they  
began to  hunt them1 and1 as they had   
not been much accustomed to them before1
  they esteemed them as a novelty4 ,what
 gives additional confirmation to  this 
is1 that when the ,russians under       
,commodore ,bering landed on the        
western coast of ,america1 they saw five
 red foxes which were quite  tame1 and  

seemed not to be in the least afraid of 
men3 now this might  very well have been
 the case if we suppose them to have    
been for many  generations in a place   
where no body disturbed them2 but we    
cannot  account for it1 if we imagine   
that they had been used to a country    
where there were many inhabitants1 or   
where they had been much hunted4  ,f4   
#dd ,when ,captain ,amadas1 the first   
,englishman that ever landed in  ,north 
,america1 set foot on shore 7to use his 
own words7 such a flocke  of ,cranes    
7the most part white7 arose under us    
with such a cry1  redoubled by many     
ecchoes1 as if an armie of men had      
showted  alltogether4    #de ,properly  
shining blackbirds4    #df ,what gives  
still more weight1 to ,mr4 ,kalm's      
opinion of the ,elk  being the          
,moose-deer1 is the name ,musu which the
 ,algonkins give to the  elk1 as ,mr4   
,kalm himself observes in the sequel of 
his work2 and this  circumstance is the 
more remarkable1 as the ,algonkins      

before the  ,irokeese or five nations   
got so great a power in ,america1 were  
the most  powerful nation in the        
northern part of this continent2 in so  
much1  that though they be now reduced  
to an inconsiderable number1 their      
language is however a kind of universal 
language in ,north ,america2 so  that   
there is no doubt1 that the elk is the  
famous ,moose-deer4 ,f4    #dg ,it seems
 to be either the substance commonly    
called ,french ,chalk1  or perhaps the  
,soap-rock1 which is common in ,cornwall
 near the ,lizard  point1 and which     
consists besides of some particles of   
talc1 chiefly of  an earth like         
magnesia1 which latter with acid of     
vitriol1 yields an  earthy vitriolic1   
salt1 or ,epsom salt4 ,f4    #dh        
,amiantus 7,asbestus7 fibrosus1 fibris  
separabilibus flexilibus  tenacibus1    
,linn4 ,syst4 nat4 p4 #ee4    ,amiantus 
fibris mollibus parallelis facile       
separabilibus1 ,wall4 ,min4  #adj4      
,mountain ,flax1 ,linum montanum1       

,forster's ,mineralogy1 p4 #ag4 ,f4     
#di ,it has been observed1 that only    
such squirrels and birds as have  their 
nests near the place where such snakes  
come to1 make this pitiful  noise1 and  
are so busy in running up and down the  
tree and the  neighbouring branches1 in 
order to draw off the attention of the  
snake  from their brood1 and often they 
come so very near in order to fly away  
again1 that being within reach of the   
snakes1 they are at last bit1  poisoned 
and devoured2 and this will1 ,i believe1
 perfectly account for  the powers of   
fascinating birds and small creatures in
 the snakes4 ,f4    #ej ,as ,catesby and
 ,edwards have both represented the     
flying ,squirrel  in a sitting attitude1
 ,i have given here1 plate ,i4 a figure 
of one with  the expanded membrane1 and 
joined to it on the same plate1 a more  
accurate figure of the ground ,squirrel4
    ,it is not yet made out with        
certainty1 whether the ,american flying 
squirrel1 and that found in ,finland and

 in the north of ,europe and  ,asia1 be 
the same animal4 ,the ,american kind has
 a flat pennated tail1  but the         
,european kind a round one1 which       
affords a very distinguishing           
character4 ,f4    #ea ,see for this     
opinion the scarce and curious work     
intitled1 ,torfi  historia ,vinlandi    
antiqu seu partis ,americ               
septentrionalis4 ,hafni  #agae4 #dto4   
,f4    #eb ,this experiment with the    
silver1 supposes that the broth of the  
fish would be so strong as to act as a  
solvent upon the silver2 but  there may 
be poisons1 which would not affect the  
silver1 and however  prove fatal to men2
 the surest way therefore would be to   
suppress that  appetite1 which may      
become fatal not only to a few men of   
the crew1 but  also endanger the whole  
ship1 by the loss of necessary hands4   
,f4