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The Streets are very Erregular the Main Streets are Broad and Paved with Stone the Cross Streets are but Narrow mostly Paved Except towards the Outskirts the Towne. The Towne Extends abt two Miles in Lenght North and South and is in some placesmile and Others mile Broad has One Main Street Run the whole Length The Towne from North to South and Tolerable broad the Situation is Vastly Pleasant being on a Neck Land The Tide Flowing on Each Side that Part the Towne may be termed an Island, the water which Parts it from the Main Contenant is about 20 Foot Over with draw Bridges and where the Tide Runs very Strong trough. The Harbour is defended by a Strong Castle of a Hundred Guns Built upon An Island where the Shipping must pass by and within Hale its Situation is Extroardenary as it Commands on Every Side and is Well Built and kept in Exceeding Good Order. The Tyde in the Harbour Flows about 12 or 13 Foot Perpendicular at the Full and Change moon its Very Inconvenient for Loaded Vessells, as they have not more then 12 Foot water at the End the Long wharf, which wharf is noted the Longest in North America being near half an English Mile in Lenght and runs direct out. One side whereof is full of whare Houses from One End to the Other. The Bostoniers Build a Vast Numb Vessells for Sale from Small Sloops up to Topsail Vessells from a Hundred Tons to 3, 4 and 5 Hundred Tons, and are noted for Good Sailing Vessels, they Runn mostly upon keene Built and very strong Counted about 15 Saile upon Stocks, which they Launch in Cradills at the full and Change the Moon. This Place has about Twelve Meeting Houses and Three Curches which are all Very Indifferent Buildings of no manner of Architect but Very Plain at the North End they have a Ring of Bells, which are but Very Indifferent. They have but One Markett which is all Built of Brick about Eighty Foot Long and Arch'd on Both Sides being Two Stories heigh the upper part Sashd, which Comprehends Several The Publick Offices the Towne, at the Southermost End is the Naval Office The Middle The Surveyars the Marketts Offices They have Also a Town House Built of Brick, Situated in Kings Street, Its a very Grand Brick Building Arch'd all Round and Two Storie Heigh Sashd above, its Lower Part is always Open Designd as a Change, tho the Merchants in Fair weather make their Change in the Open Street at the Eastermost End, in the upper Story are the Councill and Assembly Chambers &c. it has a Neat Cupulo Sashd all round and which on rejoycing days is Elluminated, As to Government Boston is dependent and Subordinate to Englands for its Laws

&c. being a Kings Government. The Governour is a Person appointed from Home who Represents his Majesty. The Governm Laws are Compyld by the Councill and Great and General Assembly. the Former Represents the House of Loards and the Latter the Commons, and the Governour Signs them and then they Pass in a Law. In Boston they are very Strict Observers of the Sabath day and in Service times no Persons are allow'd the Streets but Doctors if you are found upon the Streets and the Constables meet you they Compell you to go either to Curch or Meeton as you Chuse, also in Sweareing if you are Catcht you must Pay a Crown Old Tenor for Every Oath being Convicted thereof without farther dispute the ths of the Inhabitants are Strict Presbyterians.

Extracts from Capt. Francis Goelet's Journal, in New-England Historical and Genealogical Register (Boston, 1870), XXIV, 62–63.

24. "Overweening Prejudice in Favor of New England" (1775)

BY JOHN ADAMS

John Adams, schoolmaster, lawyer, public man, member of the Continental Congress, diplomat, and later vice-president and president of the United States, was one of the keenest observers of his time. — Bibliography: Channing and Hart, Guide, §§ 130, 136.

T

HERE is in the human breast a social affection which extends to our whole species, faintly indeed, but in some degree. The nation, kingdom, or community to which we belong is embraced by it more vigorously. It is stronger still towards the province to which we belong, and in which we had our birth. It is stronger and stronger as we descend to the county, town, parish, neighborhood, and family, which we call our own. And here we find it often so powerful as to become partial, to blind our eyes, to darken our understandings, and pervert our wills.

It is to this infirmity in my own heart that I must perhaps attribute that local attachment, that partial fondness, that overweening prejudice in favor of New England, which I feel very often, and which, I fear, sometimes leads me to expose myself to just ridicule.

New England has, in many respects, the advantage of every other

colony in America, and, indeed, of every other part of the world that I know anything of.

1. The people are purer English blood; less mixed with Scotch, Irish, Dutch, French, Danish, Swedish, etc., than any other; and descended from Englishmen, too, who left Europe in purer times than the present, and less tainted with corruption than those they left behind them.

2. The institutions in New England for the support of religion, morals, and decency exceed any other; obliging every parish to have a minister, and every person to go to meeting, etc.

3. The public institutions in New England for the education of youth, supporting colleges at the public expense, and obliging towns to maintain grammar schools, are not equaled, and never were, in any part of the world.

4 The division of our territory, that is, our counties, into townships; empowering towns to assemble, choose officers, make laws, mend roads, and twenty other things, gives every man an opportunity of showing and improving that education which he received at college or at school, and makes knowledge and dexterity at public business common.

5. Our law for the distribution of intestate estates occasions a frequent division of landed property, and prevents monopolies of land.

But in opposition to these we have labored under many disadvantages. The exorbitant prerogative of our Governors, etc., which would have overborne our liberties if it had not been opposed by the five preceding particulars.

Charles Francis Adams, editor, Familiar Letters of John Adams and his Wife (New York, 1876), 120–121.

CHAPTER IV-MIDDLE COLONIES

25. Pennsylvania, the Poor Man's Paradise (1698)

BY GABRIEL THOMAS

Gabriel Thomas, one of the most sprightly and individual of colonial writers, labored for seventeen years to build up the Quaker settlements in America. Bibliography: Tyler, American Literature, II, 228-229; Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 242-245; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 108.- For previous Pennsylvania history, see Contemporaries, I, ch. xxiv.

AND

ND now for their Lots and Lands in City and Countrey, in their great Advancement since they were first laid out, which was within the compass of about Twelve Years, that which might have been bought for Fifteen or Eighteen Shillings, is now sold for Fourscore Pounds in ready Silver; and some other Lots, that might have been then Purchased for Three Pounds, within the space of Two Years, were sold for a Hundred Pounds a piece.

Now the true Reason why this Fruitful Countrey and Florishing City advance so considerably in the Purchase of Lands both in the one and the other, is their great and extended Traffique and Commerce both by Sea and Land, viz. to New-York, New-England, Virginia, Mary-Land, Carolina, Jamaica, Barbadoes, Nevis, Monserat, Antego, St. Cristophers, Barmudoes, New-Found-Land, Maderas, Saltetudeous, and Old-England; besides several other places. Their Merchandize chiefly consists in Horses, Pipe-Staves, Pork and Beef Salted and Barrelled up, Bread, and Flower, all sorts of Grain, Pease, Beans, Skins, Furs, Tobacco, or Pot-Ashes, Wax, &c. which are Barter'd for Rumm, Sugar, Molasses, Silver, Negroes, Salt, Wine, Linen, Houshold-Goods, &c.

However, there still remain Lots of Land both in the aforesaid City and Country, that any may Purchase almost as cheap as they could at the first Laying out or Parcelling of either City or Country. . . .

... the Countrey at the first, laying out, was void of Inhabitants (except the Heathens, or very few Christians not worth naming) and not many People caring to abandon a quiet and easie (at least tolerable) Life in their Native Countrey (usually the most agreeable to all Man

kind) to seek out a new hazardous, and careful one in a Foreign Wilderness or Desart Countrey, wholly destitute of Christian Inhabitants, and even to arrive at which, they must pass over a vast Ocean, expos'd to some Dangers, and not a few Inconveniencies: But now all those Cares, Fears and Hazards are vanished, for the Countrey is pretty well Peopled, and very much Improv'd, and will be more every Day, now the Dove is return'd with the Olive-branch of Peace in her Mouth.

I must needs say, even the Present Encouragements are very great and inviting, for Poor People (both Men and Women) of all kinds, can here get three times the Wages for their Labour they can in England or Wales.

I shall instance in a few, which may serve; nay, and will hold in all the rest. The first was a Black-Smith, (my next Neighbour) who himself and one Negro Man he had, got Fifty Shillings in one Day, by working up a Hundred Pound Weight of Iron, which at Six Pence per Pound (and that is the common Price in that Countrey) amounts to that Summ.

... Felt-Makers will have for their Hats Seven Shillings a piece, such as may be bought in England for Two Shillings a piece; yet they buy their Wooll commonly for Twelve or Fifteen Pence per Pound. And as to the Glaziers, they will have Five Pence a Quarry for their Glass. The Rule for the Coopers I have almost forgot; but this I can affirm of some who went from Bristol, (as their Neighbours report) that could hardly get their Livelihoods there, are now reckon'd in Pensilvania, by a modest Computation to be worth some Hundreds, (if not Thousands) of Pounds. The Bakers make as White Bread as any in London, and as for their Rule, it is the same in all Parts of the World that I have been in. . . .

Of Lawyers and Physicians I shall say nothing, because this Countrey is very Peaceable and Healty; long may it so continue and never have occasion for the Tongue of the one, nor the Pen of the other, both equally destructive to Mens Estates and Lives; besides forsooth, they, Hang-Man like, have a License to Murder and make Mischief. Labouring-Men have commonly here, between 14 and 15 Pounds a Year, and their Meat, Drink, Washing and Lodging; and by the Day their Wages is generally between Eighteen Pence and Half a Crown, and Diet also; But in Harvest they have usually between Three and Four Shilling each Day, and Diet. The Maid Servants Wages is commonly betwixt Six and Ten Pounds per Annum, with very good Accommodation. And for the Women who get their Livelihood by their own Industry, their Labour

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