Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/91

 Journal oj Jo Jin M air, ijgi 8i Ceremony at the Tryals than in Charles town nay not so much for they wear no Gowns ; They have a poor house where Idlers are put that beg in the streets, and are made to do something for their maintainance. their Hospital is on a very good footing and very clean, the Lunaticks are also taken care of here. I expected to have found greater simplicity of manners and dress than I did, but now the Quakers alone seem to retain it. all the other inhabitants are as gay and dissipated as in London, and the abode of the Congress has introduc'd all kinds of luxury, they have plays, balls, Concerts etc, and the Routs at different houses vie with St. James's. commerce here seems to thrive very much, and the new establish'd funds have given prodigious fortunes to some individuals, the wharfs for the shipping are very convenient but they have spoild the original design of leaving a considerable area between the Front Street, and them, by building an intermediate street call'd Water Street; the Churches for the protestants and different religious sects are numerous, the Quakers have 5, they are all neat. the president when he is here resides in a house rented of Mr. Morrice the Financier, he observes great simplicity of manner, but whether from disposition of [or] policy associates but very little with any one. he never accepts an invitation to dine out, but his Secrety. invites strangers very often to dine with the prest. and he has a leve day, and his wife an Evening but witht, cards, whilst I was here I met all the remarkable characters at the feast of St. Geo : which is regularly kept up; I think their state of society will bear improvement, which their conxerse with strangers will soon eft'ect. every day I was here I rode out nor can there be more beautifull rides than in the environs, the banks of the Delawar, and the opposite shore of the Jerseys are very picturesque but the Schulekill is enchant- ingly romantick, the hills coming down in a slope sometimes gentle some- times steep to the side of the river, both of these Rivers are orna- mented with beautifull Country Seats, full of fruit etc etc. at present land is rather in a state of depreciation, and one of these houses with a consble farm contiguous may be purchas'd very cheap, for commerce, and the state Securities engrosses every speculation, they have here an ugly weed that does much mischief, and can't be rooted out call'd Gar- lick, the Milk and even the meat tastes of it. the inland country between the Rivers is beautifull, but the British have rob'd it of its trees, these rivers in time will probably be joind, and if that, and the cuts design'd for the upper inland Navigation suc- ceed, this city bids fair to retain its Metropolitan dignity, and to be in future Notwithstandg the town recently mark'd out on the Potowmack the Seat of the Federal Govt, the roads are of that sort of earth that require either the assistance of gravel or paving to make them good, they are lay'd out very broad, but are dreadfull in winter, and disagree- ably dusty in summer, the Waggons that supply the city with corn are AM. HISI'. KEV., vol. XII. — 6.