New York. 225 



the high-roads, from Philadelphia to New 

 Brunfwkk ; but behind that place they be- 

 came more fcarce. On coming to St at en 

 Ijland, in the province of New York, I 

 found them very common again, near the 

 gardens. Here are not fo many varieties of 

 cherries as there are in Ptnjfhafna. I fel- 

 dom faw any of the black fweet cherries * at 

 New York -, but commonly the four red 

 ones. All travellers are allowed to pluck 

 ripe fruit in any garden which they pafs by ; 

 and not even the moll covetous farmer can 

 hinder them from fo doing. Between New 

 Brunfwick and St at en Ijland \ are a few cher- 

 ry-gardens i but proportionably more or- 

 chards, with apple-trees. 



June the 6th. Several gentlemen and 

 merchants, between fifty and flxty years of 

 age, afferted, that during their life they had 

 plainly found feveral kinds of nfh decreafe 

 in number every year ; and that they could 

 not get near fo many nih now as they could 

 formerly. 



Rum, a brandy prepared from the fugar- 

 canes, and in great ufe with all the Etig- 

 lifh North American colonies, is reckoned 

 much wholefomer than brandy, made from 

 wine or corn -j% In confirmation of this 



opinion, 



* Commonly called Slack-heart Cherries. 

 f That rum is among the fpirituous liquors iefs noxious 

 thin any one of the reft, is chiefly owing to the balfomic 

 Vol. II. P qualiu 



