New Tork. 197 



- 



town, though it be very bad. This want of 

 good water lies heavy upon the horfes of the 

 ftrangers that come to this place ; for they do not 

 like to drink the water from the wells in the 

 town. 



TuEporf is a good one : (hips of the greateft 

 burthen can lie in it, quite clofe up to the bridge : 

 but its water is very fait, as the fea continually 

 comes in upon it; and therefore is never frozen, 

 except in extraordinary cold weather. This is 

 of great advantage to the city and its commerce ; 

 for many {hips either come in or go out of the 

 port at any time of the year, unlefs the winds be 

 contrary; a convenience, which, as I have before 

 obferved, is wanting at Philadelphia. It is fe- 

 curea from all violent hurricanes from the fouth- 

 eait by Long I/land, which is fituated juft before 

 the town : therefore only the ftorms from the 

 ibuth well are dangerous to the {hips which ride 

 at anchor here, becaufe the port is open only on 

 that fide. The entrance however has its faults : 

 one of them is, that no men of war can pafs 

 through it ; for though the water is pretty deep, 

 yet it is not fufficiently fo for great {hips. Some- 

 times even merchant {hips of a large fize have, by 

 the rolling of the waves and by fmkjng down be* 

 tween them, (lightly touched the bottom, though 

 without any bad confequences. Befides this, the 

 canal is narrow; and for this reafon many {hips 

 have been loft here, becaufe they may be eafily 

 caft upon a fand, if the {hip is not well piloted. 

 Some old people, who had conftantly been upon 

 this canal, aflured me, that it was neither deeper 

 nor {hallo wer at prcfent, than in their youth, 



03 THE 



