410 r April 17 49. 



now. Mr. Ifaac Norris, a wealthy merchant, 

 who has a confiderable (hare in the government 

 of Penfyhania, confirmed this by a particular ac- 

 count. His father, one of the firft Engiijh mer- 

 chants in this country, obferved, that in his 

 younger years, the river Delaware was commonly 

 covered with ice, about the middle of November , 

 old ftyle, fo that the merchants were obliged to 

 bring down their fhips in great hafte before that 

 time, for fear of their being obliged to lie all 

 winter. On the contrary, this river feldom freezes 

 over at prefent, before the middle of December, 

 old ftyle. 



IT fnowed much more in winter, formerly, 

 than it does now ; but the weather in general 

 was likewife more conftant and uniform ; and 

 when the cold fet in, it continued to the end of 

 February, or till March, old ftyle, when it com- 

 monly began to grow warm. At prefent, it is 

 warm, even the very next day after a fevere cold; 

 and fometimes the weather changes feveral times 

 a day. 



MOST of the old people here were of opinion, 

 that fpring came much later at prefent than for- 

 merly, and that it was now much colder in the 

 latter end of February r , and the whole month of 

 May, than v/hen they were young. Formerly 

 the fields were as green, and the air as warm, 

 towards the end of February, as it is now in 

 March, or in the beginningbf^>r//, old ftyle. The 

 Swedes at that time made ufe of this phrafe : Pajk 

 bitida, Pajkfent, altid Gras-, that is, we have al- 

 ways grais at Eajter, whether it be foon or late 

 in the year. But perhaps we can account as 



follows, 



