Our _advanced guard_ crossed the day before, in a
ferry boat: this circumstance will give you some idea of the severity of
the cold in this climate. A negro slave, belonging to the ferry, undertook
to drive our stage over the river for two dollars, which his _master put
into his pocket_, and ordered _Sambo_ to proceed; the fellow drove
boldly, and was across in a few minutes, the ice cracking most horribly
all the way. I suppose I need not inform you, we were _not_ in the
carriage.
On the evening of the 7th we slept at Wilmington, a pleasantly situate
town on the banks of a creek, which joins the Delaware, about thirty miles
below Philadelphia. There are about thirty square-rigged vessels, beside
sloops, and schooners, belonging to this port, which was originally a
danish settlement.
The next morning I walked to Brandywine, to see the grist mills, which are
said to be the best in the United States. About five miles from this
village was fought the battle of Brandywine. This was Washington's last
effort to stop general Howe's progress, and save Philadelphia. The
royal army being victorious, they got possession of that city without
opposition. General Washington, after rallying his troops, took a very
advantageous situation on a chain of hills, a few miles west of the
British army.
We dined at Chester. This little town is situated on the Delaware, and is
the same to Philadelphia that Gravesend is to London. Ships outward bound
here receive their passengers, &c. &c.
At four the same day, arrived in this city, distant from Annapolis one
hundred and forty one miles, and from Baltimore one hundred and eleven.
Farewell.
Yours, &c.
* * * * *
_Philadelphia, March 1st, 1794._
DEAR SIR,
I perfectly agree with you, that the form of government in a great measure
_affects_, or rather _forms_ the manners, and way of thinking of
the people; but must decline answering the queries in your last, at least
for the present. I have not been long enough in these states to draw any
fair conclusions on these subjects; but that you may not be wholly
disappointed, I send you two anecdotes, on which you may depend.
Peter Brown, a blacksmith of this city, having made his fortune, set up
his coach; but so far from being ashamed of the means by which he acquired
his riches, he caused a large _anvil_ to be painted on each pannel of
his carriage, with two naked arms in the act of striking. The motto,
"_By this I got ye_."
Benjamin Whitall, high sheriff for the county of Gloster, West Jersey,
being obliged soon after his appointment to attend an execution, not
approving of Jack Ketch's clumsy method of _finishing the law_,
fairly tucked up the next criminal _himself_. Such behaviour in
Germany would have branded him with eternal infamy, but is in this country
(I think justly) thought a spirited action of a man, who was above
receiving the emoluments of an office, without performing the most
essential duty annexed to it himself.
I have often heard it asserted, that a servant should be born under an
absolute monarchy: whether this observation is just or not, I cannot tell,
but I know, that a republic is _not_ the place to find good servants.
If you want to hire a maid servant in this city, she will not allow you
the title of _master_, or herself to be called a _servant_; and
you may think yourself favoured if she condescends to inform you when she
means to spend an evening abroad; if you grumble at all this, she will
leave you at a moment's warning; after which you will find it very
difficult to procure another on any terms. This is one of the natural
consequences of liberty and equality.
Farewell, &c.
_March 3d, 1794._
Dear friend,
Philadelphia, the present seat of government, both of the state of
Pensylvania, and of the whole federal union, consisted, in the year 1681,
of half a dozen miserable huts, inhabited by a few emigrants from Sweden;
when the celebrated William Penn obtained a charter from king Charles the
Second, for a certain tract of unsettled country in North America,
extending from twelve miles north of Newcastle, along the courses of the
Delaware, and a meridian line from its head, to the 43d degree of north
latitude, and westward, 5 degrees of longitude from its eastern bounds.
In the year following, he arrived, and in 1701 the city was finally laid
out from Cedar-street to Vine-street, forming an oblong square of two
miles in length, from the river Delaware to the Scuylkill; and about a
mile in width. It was the wish of the founder, that the fronts facing the
_two_ rivers should be _equally_ built upon; by which means the city would
naturally meet in the centre; but they have not only deviated from the
original plan, by running the city along the banks of the Delaware,
_beyond_ the aforesaid streets, which formed the bounds in that direction,
but have left the _Scuylkill_ front without a single street.
Philadelphia is situate in latitude 39 deg. 56 min. north, and long. 75
deg. 8 min. west from Greenwich, on a narrow neck of land, between the
rivers Delaware and Scuylkill, on the Pensylvania banks of the latter,
where this river is about one mile wide, and one hundred and twenty
(following it's course) from the Atlantic Ocean. This noble river affords
a safe navigation for vessels of a thousand tuns burden up to the wharfs
of the city. The Scuylkill (though by no means so wide) has nearly the
same depth of water.
Philadelphia is the first port in the Union. The total value of it's
exports in the year 1793, was 695736 dollars; the total of flower shipped
in the year 1792 was 420000 barrels, and in the spring only of 1793 it
exceeded 200000 barrels.
