266 November 1748. 



in this town was obferved by Philip Wells, 

 the chief engineer of the province of New 

 York, in the year 1686, to be eight deg. 

 and forty-five min. to the weftward. But 

 in 1723, it was only feven deg. and twenty 

 min. according to the obfervations of go- 

 vernor Burnet. 



From hence we may conclude that in 

 thirty-eight years the magnet approaches 

 about one deg. and twenty five min. nearer 

 to the true north ; or, which is the fame 

 thing, about two min. annually. Mr. 

 Alexander, a. man of great knowledge in 

 aftronomy and in mathematics, aflured me 

 from feveral obfervations, that in the year 

 1750, on the eighteenth of September the 

 deviation was to be reckoned fix deg. and 

 twenty two min. 



There are two printers in the town, and 

 every week fome Englijh gazettes are pub- 

 lished, which contain news from all parts 

 of the world. 



The winter is much more fevere here, 

 than in Penfyfacinia -, it being nearly as cold 

 as in fome of the provinces of Sweden : its 

 continuance however is much fhorter than 

 with us : their fpring is very early and their 

 autumn very late, and the heat in fummer 

 is excefiive. For this reafon, the melons 

 fown in the fields are ripe at the beginning 



of 



