ALEXANDER WILSON. 
XXXV 
strange birds, shrubs, &c., and came at length to Wilmington, 
which lies on the side of a hill, about a mile from the Delaware, 
and may be about as large as Renfrew, or perhaps larger. We 
could hear of no employment here in our business, though I saw 
two silk looms going, and some jennies preparing for establishing 
some manufactory of cotton cloth ; but they proceed with so 
little spirit, that I believe it may be some years before half-a- 
dozen of looms can be employed. From Wilmington we proceeded 
to Philadelphia, twenty-nine miles distant, where very little of the 
ground is cleared ; the only houses we saw were made of large 
logs of wood, laid one over another ; and what crops we could see 
consisted of Indian corn, potatoes, and some excellent oats. We 
made free to go in to a good many farm-houses on the road, but 
saw none of that kindness and hospitality so often told of them. 
We met with three weavers by the way, who live very quiet and 
well enough, but had no place for any of us. At length we came 
within sight of Philadelphia, which lies something like Glasgow, 
but on a much flatter piece of ground, extending in breadth along 
the Delaware for near three miles. Here we made a more 
vigorous search than ever for weavers, and found, to our astonish- 
ment, that, though the city contains between forty and fifty 
thousand people, there is not twenty weavers among the whole, 
and these had no conveniencies for journeymen, nor seemed to 
wish for any ; so, after we had spent every farthing we had, and 
saw no hopes of any thing being done that way, we took the first 
offer of employment we could find, and have continued so since. 
44 The weather here is so extremely hot, that, even though writing 
in an open room, and dressed, according to the custom, in nothing 
but thin trowsers and waistcoat, and though it is near eleven at 
night, I am wet with sweat. Judge, then, what it must be at 
noon with all kinds of tradesmen that come to this country, none 
with less encouragement than weavers ; and those of that trade 
would do well to consider first, how they would agree with the 
spade or wheelbarrow under the almost intolerable heat of a 
scorching sun. I fear many of them never think of these. 
Necessities of life are here very high, owing to the vast numbers of 
emigrants from St Domingo and France. Flour, though you will 
scarce believe it, is near double the price to what it is in Scotland ; 
