Penfyhania, Philadelphia. 213 



journey, we arrived at .Philadelphia on the fifth 

 of November. 



IN the neighbourhood of this capital (of Pen- 

 fyhania) the people had a month ago made their 

 cyder, which they were obliged to do, becaufe 

 their apples were fo ripe as to drop from the 

 trees. But on our journey through New York 

 we obferved the people {till employed in prefTing 

 out the cyder. This is a plain proof, chat in 

 Penjyfoania the apples are fooner ripe than in 

 New Tork ; but whether this be owing to the 

 nature of the foil, or a greater heat of the fum- 

 mer in Philadelphia, or to fome other caufe, I 

 know not. However, there is not the leaft ad* 

 vantage in making cyder fo early ; for long ex- 

 perience had taught the hufbandmcn that it is 

 worfe for being made early in the year ; the great 

 heat in the beginning of autumn being faid to 

 hinder the fermentation of the juice. 



THERE is a certain quadruped which is pretty 

 common not only in Penfyhania, but likewife in 

 other provinces both of South and North Ame- 

 rica, and goes by the name of Polecat among 

 the Englijh* In New Tork they generally call it 

 Skunk. The Swedes here, by way of nickname, 

 called it Fijkatta, on account of the horrid flench 

 it fometimes caufes, as I fhall prefently Chow. 

 The French in Canada, for the fame reafon, call 

 it Bete puante, or ftinking animal, and Enfant 

 du diable, or child of the devil. Some of them 

 likewife call it Pekan : Cafe/by, in his Natural 

 Hiflory of Carolina, has dcfcribed it in Vol. 2, 

 p. 62. by the name of Putorius Americanus jlri* 

 atus, and drawn it plate 62. Dr. Linnaus calls 



p 3 it 



