Leathern Apron Club. ·

This was Franklin's club, which took the name of the Junta. In 1728, J. Logan speaks of these as being the tools of Sir William Keith's "baseness and falsehood," saying "they are to send thee a petition, calling themselves the Leathern Apron Men, and they solicit favourable sentiments towards their master, Sir William Keith, who has raised deep contentions here," for when he was elected into the Assembly after being no longer Governor, he was escorted into town by eighty men on horseback, and guns were fired in triumph, &c. Perhaps Keith's use of the club, and Franklin's influence there, altho' then but young, and only a resident of the city 4 or 5 years, may present some clue to Sir William's strange seduction of Franklin to follow him in his fortunes to England, where Sir William joined "the ghosts of departed Governors," as hangers on.

North West Passage.

In 1753, the citizens of Philadelphia, especially the merchants, employed Captain Swaine, in the schooner Argo, to seek a North West passage. At his return he got credit for his exertions, although as unsuccessful as Captain Parry's late royal enterprise. In May, 1754, he again makes another unsuccessful voyage. The particulars of both voyages may be read on page 381 of my MS. Annals in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, too long for insertion here; his report was, that the winter had not been so severe there for 24 years before. The Argo got through the ice into the mouth of Hudson strait as far as the Island Resolution on the 26th of June; but was forced out again by ice, to sea. She cruised off with some Hudson Bay ships-twenty days trying to get in again, but could not. She ran down the ice from 63 to 57 degrees. Then went over to the Labrador coast and discovered it plainly from 56 to 65 degrees. Finally returned home all well, &c.

Magistrates.

Until the year 1759, it had been an occasional practice for Justices of the Peace to hear and decide causes at public inns; as it had a demoralizing effect in bringing so many people to drinking places, the Governor in this year publicly forbids its longer continuance. Even courts themselves, before they had a court-house, had been held there, for I see by James Logan's MS. that in the year 1702, the court at Philadelphia sat in Hall's public house.

It has been a general and frequent remark, made to me by the aged, that Magistrates were, in olden time, a much more dignified and honoured class of persons than now. They were also chosen as men of the first fortune, influence, and wisdom; so that wherever they went they carried reverence, and were effectively "a terror to evil-doers." Their occasional voice, heard in the street, could

tantly repress "wrong and outrage" among men, or frolic and schief among boys. They were at the same time effective "peacekers;" for as they never served from motives of personal gain, ir fortunes being above it, they generally strove to return the ties under some mutual agreement. I can still see some of se dignitaries in my mind's eye as they remained even in my ly days, a person bearing a post of authority, cock'd hat, wdered hair, and a gold headed cane, ruffles over the hand, and wed to with reverence by all who passed them, "His honour the aire."

The Dutch Riot.

About the year 1782-3, a riot was formed by numerous Dutch nen headed by Mammy Swivel, an old woman of prodigious e. It excited great interest and commotion in the northern end he city, at the time, and led to several small law-suits. The e was this :-The square from Callowhill to Brewer's alley, from Third to Fourth street, then lay in a field of grain, into ch some hogs made their entry and depredations. The owner, his revenge shot three of the animals. Upon this occurrence, German women in the neighbourhood "called to arms." They n gathered in strength and fell upon the owner and beat him so erely he had to be taken to the inn then at the north east corner Brewer's alley and Fourth street, where he lay some time. In meantime, the women, to the number of several hundreds, fell vork and tore up all his post and rail fences, making thereof a at pile, casting thereon the dead hogs, and making of the whole rand conflagration, in the presence of great crowds of specta-none of whom attempted to arrest their progress. It was a h exertion of female power and revenge, and long "Mammy ivel" bore the reputation of the heroine.

RIVER DELAWARE.

"Not distant far the time-when in thy solitude sublime

No sail was ever seen to skim thy billowy tide

Save light canoe, by artless savage plied."

P. HEYLIN, in his Cosmography, says the Indians called this river Arasapha, and the bay Poutaxat.

William Penn, in his letter of 1683, thus describes the fish of the Delaware, to wit: "Sturgeons play continually in our river. Alloes, as they call them-the Jews alice, and our ignorants shades, [shad!] are excellent fish. They are so plentiful that 600 are drawn at a draught. Fish is brought to the door both fresh and salt. Six alloes or rocks for twelve pence, and salt fish at three farthings per pound. Oysters two shillings per bushel."

In the year 1733, the Governor proposes to the Assembly to adopt the practice of other countries in placing buoys for the channel of the Delaware, and to appoint pilots under proper regulations. These things are said to be suggested in consequence of the difficulties of navigation, and the frequency of shipwrecks. They seem, however, to have got along awhile without them, for the buoys were not introduced into use until the year 1767.

In 1746-7, John Harding, a miller, built the wharf and made a windmill on the muddy island against the town. He, however. took a fever by working in the mud, and died. His son who succeeded him gave it its finish, and both expended about 600£. in the works. The windmill was in operation but a few years, when it had the misfortune to have the top and sails blown off in a violent gust, and was borne in the air to Joshua Cooper's orchard on the Jersey shore! There it was seen as a play place for boys many years afterwards. This was declared by Mr. John Brown, who saw it.

At a later period a bakehouse was erected there, which, as Thomas Hood told me, did much business. They had also a frame tavern, and sold milk. In time the tavern was left untenanted,— when some skating boys at night made it into a great bonfire for the interest of the town beholders.

Captain Smith's lodgement at the north end is a modern affair, and probably better than any preceding one.

Professor Kalm, when here in 1748, said it was the remark of

the old Swedes, and other oldest persons, that the rivers and brooks decreased whilst the seashores increased. As facts, they stated, that mills which 60 years before were built on waters with a sufficiency of head, had since so little as to be kept idle but in times of rains and snows. Aoke Kalm remembered several places in the Delaware, since made islands of a mile in length, over which he used to row in a boat.

Mr. M'Clure made a scientific and minute survey of the state of our tides in the Delaware, the facts concerning which may be seen at length in my MS. Annals, p. 325, in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

RIVER SCHUYLKILL.

THIS name, given it by the Dutch, is said to express “Hidden River," it not being visible at its mouth as you ascend the Delaware. From the Indians it bore the naine of Manajung, Manaiunk, and in Holmes' map it is called Nittabaconck. It is told as a tradition that the Indians called the river the mother, and that what is called "Maiden creek," a branch of the Schuylkill above Reading, was called Onteelaunee, meaning the little daughter of a great mother. The letter of Governor Stuyvesant, of 1644, to Colonel Nicolls, says they discovered the Varsche Rivierte-the little freshwater river, in 1628.

I have heard it conjectured that the flat ground of Pegg's marsh, and the low ground of Cohocksine swamp, are the beds of the Schuylkill, which may have passed there before Fair Mount barrier gave way-one channel having come from Fair Mount to Pegg's swamp, and the others from the Falls of Schuylkill by Cohocksinc. The particulars of this theory may be read in my MS. Annals, p. 352, 353, in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

In the year 1701, William Penn writes to James Logan, saying, "Pray see the utmost of poor Marshe's project of navigating flats up Schoolkill and Susquehanah above the Falls; he assuring me be could make the experiment for 40s. be it 50s. or S£. it were a mighty advantage."

In 1722, the Common Council this year appointed a committee to examine a route to Schuylkill through the woods, and to fix upon the site of a ferry at the end of High street, whereupon it was resolved to address the Assembly for an act for the same.

The same year the corporation of Philadelphia made a causeway on both sides of the ferry, and appointed boats, &c. The ferrymen were to dwell on the western side, and to ferry persons over at one penny, horses 1d. cows and oxen 14d. cart or wagon 6d. to 1s. sheep d. &c. The Upper and Lower ferries were then called Roach's and Blunston's, on private account. This one became of course "the Middle ferry."

In the year 1762, we see by a minute of the Council that they then leased the Middle ferry," for three years at 200£. per annum. I am not able to say when the floating bridges were first introduced; but we know the British army made one across the