PHILADELPHIA. 
5 
health officer, who is a regular bred physician, 
resides at Mifflin Fort, four miles below the 
city, where there is a small garrison kept. A 
boat is always sent , on shore for him from the 
ship. After having been tossed about on the 
ocean for nine weeks nearly, nothing could be 
more tantalizing than to be kept thus close to 
the shore without being permitted to land. 
Philadelphia, as you approach by the river, 
is not seen farther off than three miles, a point 
of land covered with trees concealing it from 
the view. On weathering this point it sud¬ 
denly opens upon you, and at that distance 
it looks extremely well; but on a nearer ap¬ 
proach, the city makes a poor appearance, as 
nothing is visible from the water but confused 
heaps of wooden storehouses, crowded upon 
each other, the chief of which are built upon 
platforms of artificial ground, and wharfs 
which project a considerable way into the river. 
The wharfs are of a rectangular form, and 
built of wood; they jut out in every direction, 
and are well adapted for the accommodation 
of shipping, the largest merchant vessels being 
able to lie close alongside them. Behind these 
wharfs, and parallel to the river, runs Water- 
street. This is the first street which you usu¬ 
ally enter after landing, and it does not serve 
to give a stranger a very favourable opinion 
either of the neatness or commodiousness of 
