376 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



ware the people support themselves by fishing, and by 

 divers sorts of trade * with the in- and out-going 

 ships and the assistance they render these. But it is 

 strange to say especially of this little state, as several 

 have done, that its sky is clear and its weather regular, 

 as if in these items it was superior to the adjacent 

 regions. 



Christianabridge, the first place in this state we 

 came to, 12 miles from Head of Elk, is of itself a small 

 place but on account of the convenient communication 

 to be had here between the Delaware and the Chesa- 

 peak Bay, may become more important. From here to 

 Philadelphia the customary and shorter post-road goes 

 by Newport, but this is a hilly and rocky road ; a better 

 and more pleasant is by New-Castle, and along the 

 beautiful banks of the Delaware. This we chose and 

 after five miles reached 



New-Castle, the capital of this province and the 

 seat of the Governor, but a little insignificant town on 

 the high banks of the Delaware. Besides several 

 churches it has few other seemly buildings, the whole 

 number of which may be scarcely 200. There is no 

 trade here and the inhabitants seem not to be active. 

 The nearness of Philadelphia, which is only 30 miles 

 higher up the river, is likely the great hindrance to 

 the taking-up of large affairs. The boundaries of the 

 county of New-Castle are so fixed that this place lies 

 at the centre of an arc of a 1 2-mile radius. Five miles 

 on, along the river where one continually observes 

 good land, fine meadows in the bottoms, large wheat- 



* Formerly, (and doubtless in future when duties are col- 

 lected again), by smuggling and receiving smuggled goods. 



