1681.] HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 133 



John Bozer, and Nathaniel Alk'n. William Crispin was ap- 

 pointed Surveyor-General as well as Commissioner, but died 

 before his arrival, whereupon Thomas Holme was appointed in 

 his place. Though they apjiear to have been authorized to treat 

 with the Indians and purehase their lands, their instructions^ 

 show that their main business was to fix upon the site of and 

 lay out a city — to survey and apportion lands and city lots 

 among the newly arrived immigrants, who had for the most part 

 made their purchases in England. The following extract from 

 these instructions, no doubt gave rise to the tradition that Penn 

 had fixed on Upland or Chester as the site of his great city. 



" That having taken what care you can for the people's good, 

 in these respects abovesaid, let the rivers and creeks be sounded 

 on my side of Delaware River, especially Upland, in order to 

 settle a great town, and be sure to make your choice where it is 

 most navigable, high, dry, and healthy ; that is where most 

 ships may best ride, of deepest draught of water, if possible to 

 load or unload at the bank or keys side without boating and 

 lightening of it. It would do well if the river coming into that 

 creek be navigable, at least for boats up into the country, and 

 that the situation be high, at least dry and sound, and not 

 swampy, which is best known by digging up two or three earths 

 and seeing the bottom." 



The celebrated "conditions and concessions" agreed upon 

 between Penn, and those who became " adventurers and purcha- 

 sers" under him, were published in England some time before 

 the date of the letter of instructions to the Commissioners. 

 Thomas Holme, the Surveyor-General, did not arrive till the 

 last of June of the following year. 



Although the minutes of the Council of Governor Markham 

 are not to be found, there is a document preserved, that shows 

 that one of its first acts was the prohibition of the sale of strong 

 drinks to the Indians. This paper is a petition to the Governor 

 and Council over the uncouth signatures of Passayunk Indians, 

 asking the removal of the prohibition, on the ground that there 

 was no prohibition in New Castle, "and that they find it a 

 greater ill-convenience than before, our Indians going down to 

 New Castle, and there buying rum and making them more 

 debauched than before."^ 



It will be remembered that Robert Wade was settled at Up- 

 land in 1675, and that William Edmundson, a travelling preacher 

 of the Society of Friends, held a meeting at his house during 

 that year. Robert Wade was a purchaser from John Fenwick, 



1 For these instructions see Haz. Ann. 527-531. Also Appendix p. 637. A letter 

 was addressed by Penn to the Indians dated on the 18th of October, couched in the 

 most kind and conciliatory language, which was probably sent by one of the Commis- 

 sioners.— ?ee Haz. Reg. i. 576. Haz. Ann. 532. 



2 Haz. Ann. 531. 



