128 April i j 49. 



the government of Penfylvania, confirmee! 

 this by a particular account. His father, 

 one of the firft Fnglifo merchants in this 

 country, obferved, that in his younger 

 years, the river Delaware was commonly 

 covered with ice, about the middle of No- 

 vember, old ftyle, fo that the merchants 

 were obliged to bring down their mips in 

 great hafte before that time, for fear of their 

 being obliged to ly all winter. On the 

 contrary, this river feldom freezes over at 

 prefent, before the middle of December, 

 old ftile. 



It fnowed much more in winter, for- 

 merly, than it does now ; but the weather 

 in general was likewiffe more conftant and 

 uniform ; and when the cold fet in, it con- 

 tinued to the end of February, or till 

 March, old ftyle, when it commonly be- 

 gan to grow warm. At prefent, it is 

 warm, even the very next day after a fe- 

 vere 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 formerly, and that it was 

 now much colder in the latter end of 

 February, and the whole month of May, 

 than when they were young. Formerly 



the 



