prior to 1762, through the towns of Lancaster, Carlisle, and Bedford, and thence to Pittsburgh. For the purpose of turning the tide of fettlers from this old channel into the unfettled parts of the State, the government and landed intereft of Pennfylvania have been, and are fill bufy in cutting convenient roads. During the fummer of 1788 they run a road north, from a former road beyond Bethlehem, to the north portage between the Delaware and Sufquehannah; and thence north eighty degrees well to the mouth of the Tyoga, the firft is feventy miles, and the laft above fixty. It is now in contemplation to cut a road from Sunbury, at the forks of the caft and west branches of the Sufquehannah; weft one hundred and fifty miles to the mouth of Toby's creek, which empties into the Allegany river from the eaft. This road will be through a tract of rich land, now for fale by the State. A road is alfo cut from the mouth of the Tyoga, fouthward, to the mouth of the Loyal, a branch of the weft branch of the Sufquehannah. Another road is cut from Huntingdon town, on Franks' town branch of the Juniata, weftward thirty miles to Conemagh, a navigable branch of the Allegany.

Among the natural advantages of Pennfylvania, her almoft innumerable mill feats ought not to be omitted; they are conveniently diftributed by Providence throughout the State, and afford the means of eftablishing, every fpecies of mill work and labour-faving machines, to meet the produce and raw materials almoft at the farmers doors. In the prefent fituation of this country, wanting hands for farming, and in the prefent flate of manufactures, when ingenious mechanism is every day and every where invented to leffen the neceffity for manual labour, this natural advantage muft appear of ineflimable importance. Hemp and flax are among the most profitable productions of the rich midland and new counties.

Many of the necessary and convenient arts and trades depend upon the plenty and cheapnefs of fuel, that it appears proper to take notice of this arti cle. Till the revolution, the dependence of the people was almoft entirely upon wood fuel, of which, in the most populous places, there is still a great abundance, and in all interior fituations immenfe quantities; but the increafe of manufactures has occafioned the inhabitants to turn their attention to coal : of this useful fofil, Providence has given them very great quantities in the middle and weftern country. In the vicinity of Wyoming, on the Sufquehannah, is one bed of the open burning kind, and of the moft intenfe heat. On the head waters of Schuylkill and Lehigh are fome confiderable bodies. At the head of the western branch of Sufquehannah is a mofl extenfive body, which stretches over the country fouthweftwardly, fo as to be found in the greateft plenty at Pittsburgh, where the Alleghany and Youhiegeny unite, and forin the head of the Ohio. All the coal has hitherto been accidentally found on the furface of the earth, or discovered in the digging of common cellars, fo that when the wood fuel frall become scarce, and the European methods of boring fhall be fkilfully purfued, there can be no doubt of its being found in many other places. At prefent, the ballafting of fhips from coal countries abroad, and the coal mines in Virginia, which lie convenient to fhip navigation, occafion a good deal of coal to be brought to the Philadelphia market. From this great abundance and variety of fuel it refults, that PennJylvania, and the United States in general, are well fuited to all manufactories that are effected by fire, fuch as furnaces, foundaries, forges, giafs-houfes, breweries, diftilleries, fleel works, fmith fhops, and all other manufactories in metal, foap boilings, pot afh works, fugar and other refineries, &c. &c.

Vol. IV.

U u

Ship building is a bufinefs in which the port of Philadelphia exceeds the other flates. Mafts, fpars, timber, and plank not only from their own ftate and the other fates on the Delaware, are conftantly for fale in their market; but the mulberry of the Chesapeak, and the evergreen or live oak and red cedar of the Carolinas and Georgia, are fo abundantly imported that ninetenths of their veffets are built of them. No veffels are better than these. A live oak and cedar flip of two hundred tons, carpenter's measurement, can be fitted to take in a cargo for fourteen pounds currency per ton; and there is not a port in Europe in which an oak fhip can be equally well built and fitted for twenty pounds per ton currency, or twelve pounds fterling. This fact may appear doubtful or extraordinary, but it is certainly true; and it is greatly in favour of the fhip carpenters and other tradefmen employed in fitting and building fhips, as well as merchants and farmers, whofe interefis are fo much connected with navigation.

The produce, manufactures, and exports of Pennfylvania are very many and various; viz. wheat, flour, middlings, fhip fluff, bran, fhorts, fhip bread, white water bifcuit, rye, rye flour, fleel, Indian corn or maize, Indian meal, buck-wheat, buck-wheat meal, bar and pig iron, nail rods, nails, iron hoops, rolled iron, tire, gun powder, cannon ball, iron cannon, mufquets, fhips, boats, oars, handfpikes, mafts, fpars, fhip timber, fhip blocks, cordage, fquare timber, fcantling, plank, boards, ftaves, heading, fhingles, wooden hoops, tanners bark, corn fans, coopers wares, coarfe earthen or potters ware, glue, parchment, fhoes, boots, fole leather, upper leather, dreffed deer and theep fkins, and gloves and garments of the fame, fine hats, many common, and a few coarfe; thread, cotton, worfted and yarn hoftery, fine writing, wrapping, blotting, fheathing, aud hanging paper, ftationary, playing cards, copper, filver and gold, clocks and watches, mufical inftruments, fouff; manufactured tobacco, chocolate, muflard feed and mustard, ftarch, hair powder, flax-feed, flax-feed oil, flax, hemp, wool and cotton cards, pickled beef, pork, fhad, herrings, tongues and flurgeon, hams and other bacon, tallow, hogs lard, butter, cheese, candles, foap, bees-wax, loaf fugar, pot and pearl afh, rum and other ftrong liquors, beer, porter, hops, winter and fummer barley, oats, fpelts, onions, potatoes, turnips, cabbages, carrots, parfnips, red and white clover, timothy, and moft European vegetables and graffes, apples, peaches, plumbs, pears, apricots, grapes, both native and imported, and other European fruits, working and pleafurable carriages, horfes, black cattle, fheep, hogs, wood for cabinet makers, lime-flone, coal, free-ftone and marble.

Some of thele productions are fine, fome indifferent; fome of the manufac tures are confiderable, for a young country, circumflanced as this has been, fome inconfiderable: but they are enumerated to fhow the general nature of the State, and the various purfuits of the inhabitants. In addition to them we may mention, that a lead mine and two or three falt fprings bave been difcovered in the new country, which will no doubt be worked, as foon as the demand for thefe articles to the weftward increafes. We ought alfo to notice the great forefis for making pot and pearl afh. Marble is found in many parts of the State.

The manufactures of Pennfylvania have increafed exceedingly within a few years, as well by mafter workmen and journeymen from Europe, as by the increased fkil! and induftry of their own citizens. Household or family manufactures have greatly advanced, and valuable acquifitions have been made of implements and machinery to fave labour, either imported, or invented in abe United States. The hand machines for çarding and spinning cotton have

been introduced by Europeans, and improved upon; and they have lately obtained the water mill for flax, which is applicable alfo to fpinning hemp and wool. Thefe machines promife an early ellablishment of the cotton, linen, and hempen branches, and must be of very great fervice in the woollen branch. Additional employment for weavers, dyers, bleachers, and other manufacturers, must be the confequence. Paper mills, gunpowder mills, feel works, rolling and flitting milis, printing figured goods of paper, linen, and cotton, coach making, book printing, potterers, and feveral other branches, are wonderfully advanced, and every month feems to extend the old manufactures, or to introduce new ones, There are upwards of fifiy paper mills in Pennfylvania which work materials of no intrinfic value. The manufactures from the mills are computed at two hundred and fifty thoufand dollars. The hands employed in them do not exceed three hundred. It is calculated that their paper mills alone indemnify them for five eights of their quota of the expenfes of the general government, and the intereft of the public debt.

Religion and Character.

THE fituation of religion and religious rights and liberty in Penn

fylvania is a matter that deferves the attention of all fober and well difpofed people, who may have thoughts of fecking the enjoymiest of civil and religi ous liberty in America. This State always afforded an afylum to the perfecuted fects of Europe. No church or fociety ever was eflablished here, no uthes or tenths can be demanded; and though fome regulations of the crown of England excluded two churches from a thare in the government of the province, thefe are now done away with regard to every religious fociety whatever. A convention of fpecial reprefentatives of the citizens of Pennfylvania have had under confideration all the crrors that had inadvertently crept into their conftitution and frame of government, and, in the act they have published for the examination of the people, they have rejcƐted the deteftable half-way doctrine of Teleration, and have established, upon firm and perfectly equal ground, all denominations of religious men. By the provifions of the new code, a Proteftant, a Roman Catholic, and a Hebrew, may elect or be elected to any office in the State, and purfue any lawful cailing, occupation, or profeflion.

The inhabitants of Pennfylvania are principally the defcendants of the English, Irish and Germans, with fome Scotch, Welch, Stacdes and a few Dutch. There are alfo many of the Irifa and Germans who emigrated when young or middle aged. The Friends and Epifcopalians are chielly of English extraction, and compose about one third of the inhabitants. They live principally in the city of Philadelphia, and in the counties of Chefer. Philadel phia, Bucks and Montgomery. The Irifa are molly Prefbyterians, but fome Catholics. Their ancefors came from the north of Ireland, w.ich was originally fettled from Scotland; hence they have fometinies been called Scotch Irish, to denote their double defcent; but they are commonly and more properly called Irish, or the defcendants of people from the north of Ireland. They inhabit the western and frontier counties, and are numerous. The Germans compose about one quarter of the inhabitants of Ponfylvania. They are most numerous in the north parts of the city of Pisladaiphia, and the counties of Philadelphia, Montgovry, Bucks, Dauphin, Lancefier, York, and Northampton, mollly in the four last, and are spreading in other

parts. They consist of Lutherans, (who are the most numerous feat) Calvi nifts or Reformed Church, Moravians, Catholics, Mennonifts, Tunkers (corruptly called Dunkers) and Zwing felters, who are a fpecies of Quakers. Thefe are all diftinguished for their temperance, induftry, and economy.

Literary, Humane, and Other Useful Societies.

THESE

HESE are more numerous and flourishing in Pennfylvania, than in any of the United States. The names of the principal of thefe improving inftitutions, the times when they were established, and the fummary of the benevolent defigns they were intended to accomplish, will be mentioned in their order.

1. The American Philofophical Society, held at Philadelphia, for promoting useful knowledge.

2. The fociety for promoting Political Inquiries.

3. The College of Phyficians, inflituted in 1787, for the promotion of medical, anatomical, and chemical knowledge, incorporated by act of ALfembly, March, 1789.

4. The Pennfylvania hofpital, a humane inflitution, which was firft meditated in 1750, and carried into effect by means of a liberal subscription of ahout gooo, and by the alliflance of the Affembly, who, in 1751, granted as much more for the purpofe. The prefent building was begun in 1754, and finifhed in 1756. This hofpital is under the direction of twelve managers, chofen annually, and is vifi ed every year by a committee of the Affembly. The accounts of the managers are fubmitted to the inspection of the legiflature. Six phyficians attend gratis, and generally prefcribe twice or three times in a week, in their turns. This hofpital is the general receptacle of lunatics and madmen, and of thofe affected with other diforders, and are unable to fupport themfelves. Here they are humanely treated and well provided for.

5. The Philadelphia Difpenfary, for the medical relief of the poor. This benevolent initiation was cflablished on the 12th of April, 1786, and is fupported by annual fubfcriptions of thirty-five fhillings each perfon. No lefs than eighteen hundred patients were admitted within fixteen months after the first opening of the difpenfary. It is under the direction of twelve managers and fix phyficians, all of whom attend gratis. This inflitution exhibits an application of fomething like the mechanical powers to the purposes of humanity. The greateit quantity of good is produced this way with the leaft money. Five hundred pounds a year defrays all the expenfes of the infirution. The poor are taken care of in their own houfes, and provide every thing for themfelves, except medicines, cordials, drinks, &c.

6. The Pennfylvania Society, for promoting the abolition of flavery, and the relief of free groes unlawfully held in bondage. This fociety was begun in 1774, and enlarged on the 23d of April, 1787.

The legillature of this State have favoured the humane defigns of this fociety, by "An a&t for the gradual Abolition of Slavery," paffed on the first of March, 1780; wherein, among other things, it is ordained, that no perfon born within the State, after the paffing of the act, fhall be confidered as a fervant for life; and all perpetual flavery is by this act for ever abolished. The act provides, that thofe who would in cafe this act had not been made, have been born fervants or flaves fhall be deemed fuch, till they fhall attain

the age of twenty-eight years; but they are to be treated in all refpefts as fervants bound by indenture for four years.

among

7. The Society of the United Brethren, for propagating the gospel the heathers, inftituted in 1787, to be held flatedly at Bethlehem. 8. The Pennfylvania Society, for the encouragement of manufactures and useful arts, inftituted in 1787, open for the reception of every citizen in the United States which will fulfil the engagements of a member of the fame. Befides thefe, a very refpectable infurance company has lately been efla. blifhed in Philadelphia, with a capital of fix hundred thousand dollars, who have commenced bufinefs to advantage. There are alfo a Society for alleviating the Miferies of Prifons; a Humane Society, for the recovering and reftoring to life the bodies of drowned perfons, inflituted in 1770, under the direction of thirteen managers; a Society for the aid and protection of Irifh emigrants; and a Society for the afliftance and advice of Emigrants in general. This Society is on a very refpectable footing, and numerous inflances occur where this friendly interference for the emigrant ftranger, has been attended with the most beneficial confequences.

Alfo, an Agricultural Society, a Society for German emigrants; a Marine Society, confifting of captains of veffeis; a Charitable Society for the fupport of widows and families of Prefbyterian clergymen ; and St. George's, St. Andrew's, and the Hibernian Charitable Societies. Most of these foci

eties are in the city of Philadelphia.

FROM

Colleges, Academies, and Schools.

ROM the enterprifing and literary fpirit of the Pennfylvanians we should naturally conclude, what is fact, that thefe are numerous.

In Philadelphia is the univerfity of Pennsylvania, founded and endowed. by the legislature during the war. Profefforihips are established in all the liberal arts and sciences, and a complete courfe of education may be purfued here from the first rudiments of literature to the higheft branches of science.

Dickinson College, at Carlisle, an hundred and twenty miles weftward of, Philadelphia, was founded in 1783, and has a principal, three profeffors, a philofophical apparatus, a library confifting of nearly three thousand volumes, four thousand pounds in funded certificates, and ten thousand acres of land; the laft, the donation of the State.

In 1787, a college was founded at Lancaster, fixty-fix miles from PhiLadelphia, and honoured with the name of Franklin college. This college is for the Germans, in which they may educate their youth in their own language, and in conformity to their own habits. The English language, however is taught in it.

The Epifcopals have an academy at Yorktown in York county. There are also academies at Germantown, at Pittsburg, at Washington, at Allen's Town, and other places; these are endowed by donations from the legillature, and by liberal contributions of individuals.

The schools for young men and women in Bethlehem and Nazareth, under the direction of the people called Moravians, are upon the best establishment of any schools in America. Befides thefe, there are private schools in different parts of the State; and to promote the education of poor children, the ftate have appropriated a large tract of land for the eftablifiment of free. fchools.