Deferipten of NewYork. | nig 
ee * Monthly fr seviaba 
A nEscriPTIVE Account of New- 
“York and its ENVIRONS, with OB- 
SERVATIONS o” the INHABITANTS, 
_ &e. 
MR. EDITOR, 
AL a period when the Bo gran- 
deur of the United States of North 
America attraéts univerfal admiration, 
a tranfient fketch of the flourifhing city 
of New-York, may prove not unwelcome 
to fome of your readers; permit, there- 
fore, a voyager who lately made that 
maritime port his refidence, to prefent you 
with the tollowing impartial lines. 
Having early imbibed a partiality in 
favour of the new fcederal republic, I 
refolved to crofs the vaft Atlantic, and 
bid atemporary adieu to the worle than 
favage warfare and tumultuous commo- 
tions that ‘defolated unhappy Europe !— 
I therefore took my paflage in an Ame- 
yican trader- bound for New-York, and 
after a tedious and ftormy paflage of eight 
weeks, to my extreme fatisfaction, I 
found myfelf fecurely moored alongtide 
the quays of that celebrated city. "Fo 
dwell upon. the dangers of the voyage, 
the defpondency arifing from fea-ficknets, 
or the badne{s and {cantinefs of our fare, 
_isnot my intention ; I fhali only caution 
others, who i incline to make the {ame trip, 
prudently to provide themfeives with a 
private ftock of provifions, and not to 
truftalone to the cabin fare! Dr. i rank- 
lin wifely recommends the like precau- 
tion: but I had not then read his whole- 
fome advice. Winter had commenced its 
ufual rigors, on our arrival off the Jerfey 
fhore, and the keen north-welters fut- 
ficiently indicated the change of climate. 
Of Barney-gatt, a heavy gale drove us 
out to fea, after broaching our laft cafk 
of water! but fortunately it abated the 
third day, and a fair breeze {pringing up, 
wafted us merrily into our a port. 
The night of our arriyal was beautifully 
ferene, though piercing coid; the moon- 
beams fhone refplendent, exhibiting in 
the fofteft colours, the highly remantic 
and variegated {cenery around the mag- 
_nificent harbour of New-York—a per- 
{pective i in itfelf ever interefting and de- 
lightful to behold, and then “rendered 
. infinitely more fo, to’ one fo long accut- 
tomed to the dull, cheerlefs, and unvar i 
ing {cene of fky and water!—a coup d’@il 
fo “fublime, an re at fo fill, contemplative 
an hour of the night, chert not fail to 
harmonize with my feelings, and predif- 
pole 3 me favourably toy wards Colum bia: 
‘but ill-preferved ; 
8 
no founds, fave thofe of the feather 
breeze wafting us fwiftly along, and o 
the gliding veffel foaming through the 
lucid waves, difturbed my reverie! abs 
forbed in thefe pleafurable fenfations, X 
imperceptibly reached the place of an= 
chorage in the eaft river, at dawn of day 
here, “along. thé. numerous docks and 
quays, or ilips (as the Americans call 
them), the larger vefiels ufually load and 
unload. On Arft perambulating the city, 
the moft itriking novelty which awakened 
my attention, was the multitude of ne- 
groes and mulattoes, of both fexes 5 
whofe appearance, however, befpoke 
comfort and humane treatment. The 
well-known accents of the Englifh tongus 
univerfally fpoken here, ftrongly re- 
minded me of good old England, while 
a thoufand namele{s incidents and refiec- 
tions crowded on my memory, inter- 
mingling regret with the fatisfaftion I 
felt on being fafe-landed on a kindred~ 
fhore! The extent and beauty, and popu~ 
lation of New-York, accorded perfeGly 
with the expeétations I had formed: the 
latter is faid to exceed 45,000, which I 
think not over-rated: the ftreets are ia 
general wide and regular, with well- 
paved foot-paths. The merchants and 
principal tradefmen chiefly inhabit Pearl 
and Water ftreets, which run, though 
rather irregularly, throughout the city; 
but the handfomeft houfes and public 
edifices are near the Battery, and in 
Broadway, and the pa ees ftreets.— 
Broadway is undoubtedly the handfomeft 
ftreet in America, and for beauty of fitn- 
ation, unrivalled perhaps in Europe! 
The buildings, inthe ancient parts of the 
town, are mottly Dutch-built, and sable: 
end towards the ftreet, but looks 3 neat 
fome of their dates are of the idficentee 
ry, infcribed in confpicuous figures on 
their fronts: the modern houfes are in 
the Englith ftyle, and feveral of them 
would not difcredit London _ itfelf. 
Cleanlinefs in the fuburbs, and docks, is 
and, to this unfuffera-~ 
ble neglect, during the intenfe fammer- 
heat, the prevalence of dangerous fevers 
is probably owing :—at low-water, the 
tench oceafioned by the effluvia ariling 
from the docks on the eaft river, is horri- 
ble; and in their vicinity the fever always 
coinmences—an evident proof of the rea! 
caule 5 which abufe ought, and might 
vafily be vemedied, at a trifling expence 
and labour, -when compared ‘with the 
health and fafety of the public. Someof 
the churches . are -handfome, , ftructures, 
with elegant fpires. The new coifee- 
houle 
