THE CAVES.

MOST Philadelphians have had some vague conceptions of the caves and cabins in which the primitive settlers made their tempoary residence. The caves were generally formed by digging into the ground, near the verge of the river-front bank, about three feet in depth; thus making half their chamber under ground; and the remaining half above ground was formed of sods of earth, or earth and brush combined. The roofs were formed of layers of limbs, or split pieces of trees, over-laid with sod or bark, river rushes, &c. The chimneys were of stones and river pebbles, mortared together with clay and grass, or river reeds. The following facts may illustrate this subject, to wit:

An original paper is in John Johnson's family, of the year 1683, which is an instrument concerning a division of certain lands, and "executed and witnessed in the cave of Francis Daniel Pastorius, Esq."

On the 17th of 9 mo. 1685, it was ordered by the provincial executive Council, that all families living in caves should appear before the Council. What a group they must have made! This order was occasioned by the representations of the magistrates of Philadelphia, and enforced by a letter they had received from Governor Penn, in England. No one, however, thought proper to obey the order. The Council 66 gave further notice" that the Governor's orders relating to the caves will be put in execution in one month's time.

In 1685, the Grand Jury present Joseph Knight, for suffering drunkenness and evil orders in his cave; and several drinking houses to debauch persons are also presented. They also present all the empty caves that do stand in the Front Street," which is to be sixty feet wide," wherefore, the court orders that they forthwith "be pulled down," by the constables, and "demolished;" [terms intimating they were in part above ground,] and upon request of John Barnes and Patrick Robinson, [the Clerk of Council,] who asked one month to pull down their respective caves, it was granted, on condition that they fill up the hole in the street. On another occasion, they are called Caves, or "Cabins," on the king's high way.

The interesting story concerning the cave at the Crooked Billet, at which the ancestors of Deborah Morris dwelt, has been told under the article" Primitive Settlement."

Mrs. Hannah Speakman, when aged 75, told me that she well remembered having seen and often played at an original cave, called "Owen's Cave." It was in "Townsend's Court," on the south side of Spruce Street, west of Second Street, on a shelving bank.

It was dug into the hill-had grass growing upon the roof part, which was itself formed of close-laid timber. The same man who had once inhabited it was still alive, and dwelt in a small frame house near it. Near the cave stood a large apple tree, and close by, on "Barclay's place," so called, she often gathered filberts and hickory nuts. The whole was an unimproved place only 80 years ago; it being, from some cause, suffered to lay waste by the Barclay heirs.

John Brown, and others, told me that the original cave of the Coates' Family, in the Northern Liberties, was preserved in some form in the cellar of the family mansion, which remained till 1830, at the southwest corner of Green and Front Streets.

HABITS AND STATE OF SOCIETY.

Not to know what has been transacted in former times, is always to remain a child! CICERO.

It is our intention (so far as facts will enable us) to raise some conceptions of the men and things as they existed in former years, chiefly such as they were when every thing partook of colonial submission and simplicity-when we had not learnt to aspire to great things. To this end we shall here dispose our collections from "narrative old age," and show the state of the past "glimmering through the dream of things that were."

Gabriel Thomas, in his account, of 1698, of the primitive state of society, speaks of great encouragements and ready pay given to all conditions of tradesmen and working men. None need stand idle. Of lawyers and physicians he remarks he will say little, save that their services were little required, as all were peaceable and healthy. Women's wages he speaks of as peculiarly high, for two reasons the sex was not numerous, which tended to make them in demand, and therefore to raise the price. Besides, as these married by the time they were twenty years of age, they sought to procure a maid-servant for themselves in turn. Old maids were not to be met with, neither jealousy of husbands. The children were generally well favoured and beautiful to behold. He says he never knew any with the least blemish. William Penn also made the remark, on his arrival, that all the houses of the Dutch and Swedes he found every where filled with a lusty and fine looking race of children.

Numerous traditionary accounts attest the fact, that there was always among the early settlers a frank and generous hospitality. Their entertainments were devoid of glare and show, but always abundant

and good Mr. Kalm, when here in 1748, expressed his great surprise at the universal freedom with which travellers were every where accustomed to leap over the hedges and take the fruit from the orchards, even while the owners were looking on, without refusal Fine peaches, he says, were thus taken from the orchards of the poorest peasants, such as could only be enjoyed, as he said, by the nobility in his own country! What a golden age it must have appeared to him and others!

William Fishbourne, in his MS. narrative of about the same time, says, "Thus Providence caused the country to flourish and to increase in wealth, to the admiration of all people,-the soil being fruitful and the people industrious. For many years there subsisted a good concord and benevolent disposition among the people of all denominations, each delighting to be reciprocally helpful and kind in acts of friendship for one another."

Moral as the people generally were, and well disposed to cherish. a proper regard for religious principles, it became a matter of easy: attainment to the celebrated Whitfield and his coadjutors, Tennant,' Davenport, &c., to gain a great ascendency over the minds of many of the people. The excitements wrought among them were very considerable. He procured in Philadelphia to be built for him one of the largest churches then in the colonies, and his helper, Tennant, another. It is manifest enough now that the ardour of success generated considerable of fanaticism and its consequent reproach." Whitfield, in 1739, preached to a crowd of 15,000 persons on Society Hill. About the same time he so far succeeded to repress the usual public amusements as that the dancing-school was discontinued, and the ball and concert room were shut up, as inconsistent with the requisitions of the gospel. No less than fourteen sermons were preached on Society Hill in open air, in one week, during the session of the Presbyterian Church; and the Gazette of the day, in noticing the fact, says, "The change to religion here is altogether surprising, through the influence of Whitfield-no books sell but religious, and such is the general conversation."

Doctor Franklin, describing the state of the people about the year 1752, says they were all loyal and submitted willingly to the government of the crown, or paid for defence cheerfully. "They were led by a thread. They not only had a respect, but an affection for Great Britain, for its laws, its customs, and its manners, and even a fondness for its fashions,"-not yet subsided. Natives of Great Britain were always treated with particular regard; and to be " Old England man" gave a kind of rank and respect among us." The old people all testify that the young of their youth were much

an

• This is manifest by numerous publications of the day. Rev. Mr. Cummings of Christ Church, and Rev. E. Kinnersly, Professor, among others, published against them. Both Whitfield and Tennant lived long enough afterwards to make their confessions of intemperate zeal,