Penfylvania, Philadelphia. 135 



quantity of the fineft oyfters. About this time 

 the people began to bring them to Philadelphia 

 for fale. They come from that part of the more, 

 which is near the mouth of the river Delaware. 

 They are reckoned as good as the New York 

 oyfters, of which I fhall make more particular 

 mention afterwards. However, I thought that 

 this latter fort of oyfters was generally larger, 

 fatter, and more palatable. It is remarkable that 

 they commonly became palatable at the time 

 when the agues had left off their fury. Some 

 men went with whole carts full of oyfters, cry- 

 ing them about the ftreets ; this is unufual here 

 when any thing elfe is to be fold, but in London 

 it is very common. The oyfter {hells are thrown 

 away, though formerly a lime was burnt from 

 them, which has been found unneceffary, there 

 being ftones for burning of lime in this neigh- 

 bourhood, and the lime of oyfter (hells not being 

 as good as this other lime. The people mewed 

 me fome houfes in this town which are built of 

 ftone, and to the mafon work of which the lime 

 of oyfter mells had been employed. The walls 

 of thefe houfes were always fo wet, two or three 

 days before a rain, that great drops of water could 

 plainly be perceived on them ; and thus they 

 were as good as Hygrometers.* Several people 



* As the fhells of oyfters are a marine animal produ&ion, and 

 their cavities are full of particles of Tea- water, the moifture of it 

 flies off, leaving behind its fait ; when the fhells are burnt, and 

 the lime is flacked, the fait mixes with the lime : and though the 

 mortar of fuch a lime grows ever fo dry, the particles of fait im- 

 mediately attracl the moifture of the air, and caufe that dampnefs 

 complained of here. P. 



K 4 who 



