PHILADELPHIA. 
7 
of it; however as there was no positive law 
to this effect, the convenience of the situation 
soon tempted numbers to build there, and they 
are now encroaching annually on the river, 
by throwing wharfs farther out into the 
stream. In another respect also the original 
plan of the city was not adhered to. The 
ground allotted for it was in the form of an 
oblong square, two miles in length, reaching 
from the river Schuylkill to the Delaware, and 
one mile in breadth. Pursuant to this scheme, 
the houses were begun on the Delaware side ; 
but instead of having been carried on towards 
the Schuylkill, the current of building has kept 
entirely on one side. The houses extend for 
two miles nearly along the Delaware, but, on 
an average, not more than half a mile to¬ 
wards the Schuylkill: this is to be attributed 
to the great superiority of the one river over 
the other. All the houses built beyond the 
boundary line of the oblong square are said to 
be in the Liberties/’ as the jurisdiction of 
the corporation does not extend to that part 
of the town. Here the streets are very ir¬ 
regularly built; but in the city they all in¬ 
tersect each other at right angles, according 
to the original plan. The principal street is 
one hundred feet wide; the others vary from 
eighty to fifty. They are all tolerably well 
paved with pebble stones in the middle; and 
10 
