Kurzbeschreibung von: Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: FACTS AND OCCURRENCES OF THE PRIMITIVE SETTLEMENT. " I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times." " Penn's instructions for settling the colony," dated the 30th of September, 1681, had long been buried among the lumber of the Hamilton family, and they were fortunately at length discovered among other papers, in the year 1827. I herein make some extracts as worthy of particular notice and remembrance in my inquiries, to wit: It is addressed to three commissioners as then about to depart from England with people for the settlement. It refers to his cousin, William Markham, as " then on the spot," acting as his deputy, and prepared beforehand to receive them. He speaks of their ability to procure supplies on the Jersey side of the river, if the Dutch, Swedes or English already in the province should be immoderate in their prices; thus indicating the state of previous population and improvement. He shows his expectation that the " great towne" might be located at Upland, (i. e. the neighbourhood of Chester, thus agreeing with the tradition,) by saying, " let the rivers and creeks be sounded on my side of the Delaware River, especially Upland, in order to settle a great towne; and be sure to make your choice where it is most navigable, high, dry and healthy, and not swampy. It would be well, he says, if the river coming into the creek (I presume at Chester) be navigable, at least for boats, up into the country." At the same time he admits the possibility of a previously determined location, by saying, " should it be already taken up in greater proportions, in that case they are to use their influence to have it diminished to the size in his scheme, so that a good design be not spoiled thereby." The bounds of a city are not designated; (as some have oft...