New Tork. 207 



England-, add to this likewife, that many people 

 can never be contented with their poffeffions, 

 though they be ever fo great, and will always be 

 defirous of getting more, and of enjoying the 

 pleafure which arifes from changing 5 and their 

 over great liberty, and their luxury, often lead 

 them to licentioufnefs. 



I HAVE been told by Englijhmen, and not on* 

 ly by fuch as were born in America* but even by 

 fuch as came from Europe > that the EngHfh co- 

 lonies in North America, in the fpace of thirty or 

 fifty years, would be able to form a ftate by 

 themfelVes, entirely independent on Old Eng- 

 land. But as the whole country which lies along 

 the fea-fhore is unguarded, and on the land fide 

 is harraflcd by the French in times of war, thefe 

 dangerous neighbours are fufficient to prevent the 

 connection of the colonies with their mother 

 country from being quite broken off. The E*ng~ 

 li/h government has therefore fufficient reafon to 

 confider the French in North America as the beft 

 mearjs of keeping the colonies in their due fub- 

 miffion. But I am almoft gone too far from my 

 purpofe $ I will therefore finifh my obfervations 

 on New Tork. 



THE declination of the magnetic needle in 

 this town, v/as obferved by Philip Welh, the chief 

 engineer of the province of New Tork, in the 

 year 1686, to be eight deg. and forty-five min, 

 to the weft ward. But, in 1723, it was only fevan 

 deg. and twenty min. according to the obferva-* 

 tions of governor gurnet. 



FROM hence we may conclude, that, in thirty- 

 eight years, the magnet approaches about one 



deg. 



5 



