the "Indian Field," near Penn's estate at Pennsbury, and some at Ingham's Spring; others were on the Pownall tract, the Streiper tract, and Fell tract. The last of the Indian race went off from Buckingham in a body, in the year 1775. The general state of Woodywastes, was much the same as has been already described in the county of Chester. The Indian practice of burning the underbrush in the woods, made the woods in general easy of traversing and exploring.

The people of Bucks county have been, from the earliest settlement, trained and disciplined to a kindly spirit of good neighbourhood and frank hospitality. It arose at first from their universal brotherhood and mutual dependence; and it was long kept alive by the unreserved welcome, forever cherished, under their eyes, by the Indians settled about them. A true Indian never deems any thing too good for his friend or visitor.

The greater part of the centre grounds of Bucks county were located as early as 1700. Such was Buckingham and Solesbury. Among the first of those settlers there, were Thomas and John Byle, William Cooper, George Pownall, Roger Hartley, and other Friends, from the neighbourhood of " Falls Meeting." Thomas Watson arrived and settled among them in 1704. For the first few years, considerable of their supplies of grain for any new comers had to be drawn from the Falls, or Middletown; and until 1707, they had to take all their grain on horseback, for grinding, to Gwin's Mill, on the Pennepack, near to the Billet. In the mean time, many persons had to be content to pound their grain at home in wooden mortars. Several of the

houses of the original settlers are still standing. Such a house, built for Thomas Canby, now belongs to Joshua Anderson. The great portion of the houses were constructed of logs, and called log-houses, a rude but very comfortable kind of building.

Improved land was generally sold by the acre, at the nominal price or value of twenty bushels of wheat; so that when wheat was at 2s. 6d. a bushel, the land was actually sold at 50s.

The women were always industrious, clothing their families in general by their own hands-spinning and weaving for all their inmates, all the necessary linen and woollen clothing. For common diet, milk and bread and pie formed the breakfast meal; and good pork or bacon, and a wheat-flour pudding or dumplings, with butter and molasses, were given for dinner. Mush, or hominy, with milk and butter and honey, formed the supper. Chocolate was only occasionally procured, and used with maple sugar; and deer-meat and turkeys, when the season answered.

Only a few of the wealthiest farmers had any wagons before the year 1745; about the year 1750 was the time of their more common use. Carts were the most in use for going to market. John Wells, Esq. was the only person who then had a riding-chair. Taverns were scarcely known any where; the one at Coryell's Ferry was the first.

After the year 1750, a new era seemed to commence, by the influx of more wealth among the people. Bohea tea and coffee were introduced, and sundry articles of foreign fabric for the farmers' wives, brought among them by the pedlers, such as silk and linen neckhkfs.,

some silk or figured linen gowns. The men, too, began to wear vests and breeches of Bengal, nankeen, fustian, or black everlasting, and cotton velvet. Coats also were made of the latter. But no man or woman, in any condition of life, ever held themselves above the wear-for common purposes-of homemade "linseywoolsey," of linen or woollen fabric.

Bucks county has the honour of having had located, at the forks of the Neshamina, the once celebrated "Log College," so called, of the Rev. William Tennant, commenced there in 1721; and from it issued some of our best men of earliest renown. It was then "the day of small things."

Bucks county, in the period of the revolution, was made conspicuous, by a daring "refugee family," called the Doans. Their numerous perilous adventures, in scouring the country for "whig families," and to make their plunder on such, brought them into great renown as bold desperadoes. There were five brothers of them, severally fine looking men, and expert horsemen. Great rewards were offered for them; and finally, two were shot in combat, and two were apprehended and executed. They were far above ordinary robbers, being very generous and humane to all moderate people. The whigs had injured them, and they sought revenge at the hazard of their lives.

PENNSBURY.

This was the name of Penn's country place and mansion-sometimes called his "palace"-in Bucks county, situated on the margin of the Delaware river, below Bordentown. There William Penn and his family

lived, during part of his stay among us in the years 1700 and 1701. There, he often entertained Indians, and held treaty-covenants, religious meetings, &c. The place was constructed in 1682-3, at great expense for that day, having cost £7000, and having considerable of the most finished or ornamental materials brought out from England. The mansion was 60 feet in front, by 40 feet in depth; the garden, an ornamental and sloping one, lay along the river-side in front of it; and numerous offices were in a front line with the dwelling. All that now remains, is the house now occupied by Robert Crozier-the same building of wood which was originally formed for Penn's family "brew-house."

After Penn had gone back to England, his place was retained some time in hopes of his return. His furniture was long preserved there; and finally got sold and spread about in Bucks county. His clock, and his writing-desk and secretary, I have seen. For many years the people of Burlington used to make visits to the place, because of its associations with so distinguished a man-"a hallowed haunt, though but in ruins seen." Beneath a great grove of walnut-trees, they used to regale, and take their refreshments. A leaden reservoir on the top of the house, kept there for retaining water as a security against fire, got to leaking, and caused the building to fall into premature decay, so that at the era of the revolution, it was torn down, with an intention to rebuild another; but the war prevented that design. While it rested in a state of decay, it had a furnished chamber, hung with fine tapestry, and in which the family descendants were intended to be lodged in case of visits. This, from its being so seldom

opened, and when seen, presenting so many tokens of musty and cob-web interior, got the reputation of "the spirit-room," and was deemed to be a haunted chamber! All who used to visit the premises in years long since, were accustomed to take away some relics of the place. Some such I have preserved, such as the carved side of the door, and a piece of the bed-cover, curiously worked by Lætitia Penn. In the Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, is a memoir by J. F. Watson, containing sundry facts concerning this memorable place. In the Pennsylvania Hospital, is Penn's chair, taken from this mansion.

The country immediately around-through Penn's manor-presents a generally level and rich soil; but its aspect from the river side, is quite low and tame. Formerly a creek-now dry-run round behind the mansion, at some distance, forming the farm into an island, and being crossed at places by bridges. At those places Penn once had his pleasure-barge, and some small vessels.

SETTLEMENT OF BYBERRY.

This township was settled as early as Philadelphia itself. The first Englishmen who explored it were four brothers of the name of Walton, who had landed at New Castle, and set out on foot to make their discoveries and choice of location. When they came to Byberry, they were much pleased with a spot of open grass-land, and determined to make it their permanent home. They soon got a few acres into wheat, although they had to go back as far as Chester to procure their seed.