46 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



course of the river, would liave power to harass the commerce, and in 

 other respects to afi'ect the Avelfare of the neighboring colony .^ Penn 

 was desirous to possess these territories, as well on account of the security 

 they afforded, as of the advantages to be derived from a hardy and labo- 

 rious population. The Duke of York held them as an appendage to his 

 o-overnment, and, though reluctant to cede them, he could not resist the 

 solicitations of the proprietary. He executed three deeds to Penn in 

 August, 1682. The first, dated the twenty-first, releasing his right to the 

 province; the others, dated the twenty -fourth, granting the town of New- 

 castle and the land lying within a circle of twelve miles about it; and 

 the tract of land beginning at twelve miles south of Newcastle, and en- 

 tending southward to Cape Henlopen. For the last tract, Penn cove- 

 nanted to pay the Duke and his heirs one-half of all the rents and profits 

 received from it. These grants conveyed to the proprietary a fee simple 

 estate in the soil, but no political right whatever. Holding in soccage as 

 of the Duke's castle at New York, he owed fealty to, and was a subject 

 of that government. Whether he ever obtained from the crown political 

 powers over this country is questionable. It is certain that, when the 

 right he assumed became the subject of controversy, among the inhabi- 

 tants of the province and territories, no grant of this nature was exhibi- 

 ted. These deeds were duly recorded in New York, and, by proclamation 

 of the commander there, twenty-first November, 1782, to the magistrates 

 on the west side of the Delaware, the rights of Penn under them were 

 publicly recognized." 



Penn having completed all arrangements for his voyage to America, 

 after writing a beautiful letter to his wife and children, and another " to 

 all faithful friends in England," accompanied by about one hundred pas- 

 sengers, mostly friends from Sussex, after a passage of about two months 

 on board the ship Welcome, of three hundred tons burthen, came in 

 sight of the American coast about Egg-Harbour in New Jersey on the 

 24th of October, and reached New Castle on the 27th. On the following 

 day he produced his deeds from the Duke of York and received posses- 

 sion by the solemn " delivery of turf and twig and water and soyle of the 

 River Delaware^ ^ He was received with demonstrations of gladness by 

 the inhabitants, and at the Court House "made a speech to the old 

 magistrates, in which he explained to them the design of his coming, 

 the nature and end of government, and of that more particularly which 

 he came to establish.^ 



" To form some idea of the proportion of the different sorts of people, 



on the west side of Delaware, about this time, or prior to William Penn's 



arrival, on the lands granted him, it may be noted, that the Butch then had 



a meeting place, for religious worship, at Newcastle; the Swedes, three — 



1 Gordon. 2 Hazard. ' SClarkson. 



