A. D. 1680. ^gg 



the native Indians -, alfo his laws, pohcy, and governnient, fo endeared 

 him to the planters, and fo widely Ipread the fame of his whole econo- 

 iTiy, that his colony, though fo lately planted, is thought at this day 

 to have more white people in it than any other on all the continent of 

 Britiih America, New-England alone excepted *. And Penn, who was 

 a favourite of the duke of York, afterwards King James II, two years 

 after (1682) had a grant from his royal highnefs of the town and tract 

 of Newcaftle, and the two lower counties on the great river Delaware, 

 part of his province of New-York : thefe are now called the counties of 

 Newcaftle, Kent, and Suflex, and are no inconfiderable addition to his 

 province of Pennfylvania. Mr. Penn's beautiful and fuperb plan of his 

 capital city of Philadelphia, ftill ftriftly followed to this day f , and draw- 

 ing conftantly nearer to perfedion, may ferve for a pattern to the rich- 

 eft country on earth. At that city they conftantly build and employ 

 many good fliips, thofe of even 500 tons may lie clofe to their wharfs. 

 They trade to our fugar-colonies with their corn, peas, flour, bifket, 

 beef, pork, fifli, ftaves, peltry, lumber, horfes, &c. in exchange for fugar, 

 rum, melafles, ginger, pimento, and foreign filver, &c. So greatly does 

 this colony increafe in people, that it is thought already nearly to equal 

 New-England, and that it will very foon furpais it. It feeras the land- 

 ed gentlemen of many parts of Ireland, and particularly in the north of 

 it, had raifed their rents fo high, that many of the tenants threw up 

 their farms and withdrew to Pennfylvania, fo that about the year 1729 

 fome thoufands of them went thither, and Englifli, Welfli, and Scots, 

 and alfo many German proteftants, have at various times gone thither, 

 who are generally well fettled, and are much employed in raifing hemp, 

 flax, and other materials for our Britifh manufacT:ures, as drugs for 

 dyers, &c. iron, and copper. They even carry their corn, fifti, ftaves, 

 Sac. as far as Italy, and returning to Britain, they there take in woollen, 

 filk, and linen, for clothing, houfehold-furniture, hard-ware, and every 

 thing elfe that is wanted for that colony. They get filver alfo by their 

 clandeftine trade with the Spanifti main; and their trade in logwood, 

 which they import into England, helps to pay for what they bring back. 

 Thus the gi^eat evil of perfecution and reftraint, for innocent confcien- 

 tious opinions, has once more proved the accidental occafion of peopling 

 and improving one of the fineft provinces of Britifli America. 



* It ouglit to be obfe:ved, that Penn, though f By the original plan tlie city was to extend 



poflefied of a grant from his fovereign, did not, from the great river Delaware werl to the fmaller 



like fome other founders of colonies, begin by ex- river Skuylkil. But the buildings have long ago 



terminating the native proprietors of the country, extended tar beyond the plan on the fiJe of the 



but honeftly bought the territory from them for a Delaware, which is of fuch a depth, that the 



■fatisfattory price. The confequence was, that his grealcft merchant rtiips can lay their fides to the 



colony h'ved in harmony, and enjoyed peace and a wharfs ; while they have fcarcely extended halfway 



Tivutual intcrcoiirfe of trade and good office.;, with to the Skuylkil, which is navigable only by fmall 



the natives. AI. craft, and but for a few miles. AL 



I 



