Some hills were to reduce, and several low or wet and miry places to fill up or drain off. In many places the most delightful rural beauties, formed by aborescent charms, were utterly effaced by "clearings and burnings." Even solitary trees of sublime grandeur were not spared, from the then prevalent opinion, that dense foliage and shades would conduce to fevers. So general was the havoc in process of time, that none remained of all the crowded forest, save a cluster of black walnut trees, which, till of late years, stood opposite the Statehouse on Chesnut street, and guided the stranger to that venerable edifice.*

We may readily conceive that the young people of both sexes often formed exploring parties. Wishing to see the scenes which environed them, they plunged into the deep woods beyond the Dock creek; thence making a great circuit, they have seen the then wild Schuylkill shadowed by towering sycamores and oaks, and all the intermediate woods crowded with grape vines and whortleberries. Being protected from surprise by their needful guns, they start or shoot the rabbit, the raccoon, perhaps the fox, or the heavy wild turkey. Perhaps they have met with a colony of friendly Indians, and, bent on novelty and sport, they have bargained for the use of their canoes. Into these slender vessels they have huddled, and thus have made a voyage of discovery up and down the Manaiunk, endangered all the way by the frequent leapings of the reckless sturgeons.†

*The last of these, which stood in front of J. Ridgway's office, was cut down in 1818. I have preserved a relic of it.

+ These were then so numerous, says Penn, that many of them could be seen vaulting into the air at once, and often they fell into and overset the canoes.

Even the boys of that day had their rural exploits quite close to their own doors. There they could set

there they were sure of What a tramp it must

snares and gins for game, and
trapping rabbits, quails, &c.
have been for the urchins then to get over the great
Dock creek, and to lose themselves in the mysterious
wanderings of the opposite woods; there starting and
pursuing the wild game; sometimes chasing the fleet
footed wild turkeys, which disdained to fly while their
legs could serve their escape. If not so occupied, they
found employment in gathering shellbarks, walnuts, fil-
berts, or chesnuts; or eat of whortleberries, or black-
berries, as the season and the fruit might serve.

"But times are alter'd,-trade has chang'd the scene,"
-where scatter'd hamlets rose,

Unwieldy wealth, and cumbrous pomp repose

And rural mirth and manners are no more!"

FURTHER FACTS CONCERNING THE FIRST SETTLEMENT

OF PHILADELPHIA.

The following facts, drawn together in this place, will serve still further to illustrate the rude and small beginnings of the city, which we now, in a lapse of only 150 years, behold in such completion and grandeur.

Mrs. Lyle, an original settler, used to relate to the Hon. Charles Thompson, the manner of their falling upon the choice of a location,-saying that after they had come to Chester, the whole collection of vessels went on up to Burlington. The vessel she sailed in, being the dullest sailer, was left behind the others, so that at eventide they had reached the present Philadel

phia; and not being willing to proceed farther by night, in an unknown channel, and finding there a bold shore, they made their vessel fast to a large limb of a tree, to pass the night. The next morning their captain went ashore to make his observations, and being pleased with the situation, pursued his walk and investigations until he reached the river Schuylkill. When he came back, he spoke of the place with raptures, as a fine location for a town. This being reported to the colonists when they arrived at Burlington,-(settled five years before Philadelphia,) several of the leading men, joined by William Penn, made a visit to the place; and eventually it became Philadelphia.

The above story is given as we had it from Mr. Thompson, and seems to have many points of agreement or coincidence, with the one recorded in Smith's History of New Jersey; saying therein, that the first ship that ever visited Burlington was the Shield of Stockton with settlers from Hull, in 1678. That she, in passing the site of the present Philadelphia, while in the act of veering, chanced to strike the trees with her sails and spars, and then it was, that the passengers were induced to exclaim, of its high and bold shore," What a fine place for a town!"

Penn's instructions to his commissioners on the choice of a site, given before he sailed from England, said, "be sure to make your choice where it is most navigable, high, dry and healthy." At one time, the commissioners had in view to form Philadelphia at the mouth of the Poquessink creek in Byberry, along the pleasant bank adjoining to "the Bake-house," now Morgan's country seat.

Pastorius, the founder of Germantown, who arrived in 1683, describes Philadelphia then as consisting of three or four little cottages (such as Edward Drinker's, Sven Sener's, &c.) and all the residue being only woods, underwood, timber and trees, among which he several times lost himself in travelling from his cave, by the water side, to the hut of one Bom a Dutch baker, who made them their bread.

When James Harrison and Phineas Pemberton arrived in November, 1682, by way of Maryland, they could not find entertainment for their horses-" they therefore spancelled them (by leathern hopples), and turned them into the woods; but when they sought them next morning, and for two days afterwards, they could not be found; and one of the horses was not found till the succeeding January!" Only think what a wide range of woody country they must have enjoyed!

In constructing some of the first houses, some of the best families had to do the most of the labour themselves. Thus Deborah Morris, who died some years ago, has left in writing, concerning her progenitors, "that her good aunt Hard willingly volunteered to help her husband at one end of the saw, and to fetch all such water to make mortar, as was then needful to build their chimney." The small house too, formerly occupying the site of the present bookstore of the Careys, southeast corner of Fourth and Chesnut streets, originally built for Carter, had his wife as the carrier of the mortar, &c.

Mrs. Chandler came to Philadelphia at the first landing; having lost her husband on the shipboard, (probably from the small-pox,) she was left with eight or nine

children. Her companions prepared her the usual settlement in a cave on the river bank. She was a subject of general compassion. The pity was felt towards herself and children, even by the Indians, who brought them frequent supplies as gifts. Afterwards a Friend who had built himself a house, gave them a share in it. In future years, when the children grew up, they always remembered the kind Indians, and took many opportunities of befriending them and their families in return. Among these was "old Indian Hannah," the last survivor of the race, who lived in Chester county, near West Chester; under which head some account of her may be seen in these pages.

An ancient lady, Rebecca Coleman, arrived at Philadelphia at the first settlement as a young child. At the door of her cave, when one day sitting there eating milk porridge, she was overheard to say again and again; "Now thee shan't again!" "Keep to thy part!" &c. Upon her friends looking to her for the cause, they found she was permitting a snake to participate with her out of the vessel resting on the ground! Happy simplicity and peacefulness!-reminding one strongly of the Bible promise, when "the weaned child should put its hand upon the cockatrice's den!" &c. The said Rebecca Coleman died in 1770, aged 92 years; of course I have even now opportunities of conversing with several who were in her company and conversation! If she had been asked to chronicle all the changes and incidents she had witnessed, what a mass of curious facts she might have left for my present elucidation and use.

The original inequality of the surface of Philadelphia was once much greater than any present observer could