CHAPTER XXII.

Chief Commercial Cities CONTINUED.-State of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. Situation and importance. Ancient capital of the State. Origin of Philadelphia. Resources. Voyage up the Delaware. Incidents. Beautiful scenery. Reflections. General appearance of the city. Houses. Streets. Public buildings. Institutions. Public squares and pleasure grounds. Suburban villas. Gardens. Agriculture of the State. Circumstances for which Philadelphia is celebrated. Description of the city and suburbs as viewed from the cupola of the Statehouse.

Pennsylvania, from its position and general importance, is called "The Keystone State:" it was founded in the year 1682. Next to New York, it is the largest in extent of the four Middle States, and second as to numerical strength in the confederation. Its nominal capital is Harrisburgh, beautifully situated on the banks of the Susquehanna, ninety-eight miles west of Philadelphia.

The interior of the State is traversed by the different ridges of the Alleghany Mountains, while the eastern and western sections are moderately undulating It was settled, as is well known, by William Penn, of the Society of Friends, the son of Admiral Penn, who subjugated Jamaica with General Venables, -and it thus became a colony of Friends.

The soil is well cultivated, and yields in abundance all the varieties of grain and other products common to most of the Western and North-Eastern States. Its mineral wealth is probably greater than that of any other portion of the country, and it is highly distinguished for its manufactures and other public works.

Places of religious worship and schools are numerous. The latter are supposed to be nearly five hundred in number. Pennsylvania has also one university and eighteen colleges, with many respectable private seminaries.

The writer, in his visit to this distinguished and interesting section of the country, many years since, proceeded from New York, partly by water and partly by land. The steamboat in which he embarked was a magnificent vessel, crowded with

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passengers-a floating palace in its interior accommodations and ornaments. A spacious dining saloon was furnished with the richest carpets and sofas, and from tall mirrors, surmounting marble tables, the person of each passenger was reflected every moment. Among the company were some personages high in office, and a considerable number of emigrants from Europe.

We proceeded along the noble bay and harbour of New York, amidst all our smoke and steam, with great quietude and velocity. The scene altogether was beautiful: the narrow straits between Staten Island and New Jersey shore, adorned on both sides with beautiful residences, gardens, and pleasure grounds, meadows and corn-fields, the abodes and their appendages of opulent citizens from the metropolis, arrayed in all the attractions of fine architecture and eligible position, and commanding views of the city, islands, harbour, and adjacent shores; while far in the distance the smoke arose in beautiful spiral wreaths over the masses of foliage that skirted the horizon-the sign of a numerous population.

Here and there glistened through the rich foliage that partially enveloped them, the suburban villages of New Brighton and Staten Island; the latter the Quarantine ground and Greenwich Hospital of the States, as also of historical importance from its being the rendezvous of Lord Howe in the first contest of the mother country against her colonies, previously to his sailing up the Chesapeak to his attack on Philadelphia.

Boats passing along, the measured strokes of the oars as they sparkled by their contact with the water in the full blaze of the sun,-the swift motion of the lesser craft as they swept by us,—were all calculated to interest a stranger recently arrived from the tropics. The banks of the river in some places presented every variety of wild and picturesque rocks, giving evidence of some fearful subterranean convulsion;-thick forests,-fertile plains, sometimes gently sloping, sometimes stretched out among lofty crags where industry had won a domain from the fortresses of nature; here and there ornamented with flourishing towns and villages. In a word, the eye ranged over a landscape that seemed to possess every element of effect, while the wildest and most boundless scenes were presented by the distant mountains;-there were the rushing torrents,-the dark, mysterious forests,-and, over all, the gorgeous masses of cloud sailing across the transparent heavens. The whole State

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presented a pleasing alternation of hill and vale, cultivated fields and primeval woodlands.

We disembarked at South Amoy, twenty-eight miles from New York, taking cars from thence to Bourden Town, thirtyfive miles distant, and thus passed up the beautiful Delaware through Trenton.

Bourden Town, which is situated thirty-five miles from South Amoy, on the Delaware River, is the capital of New Jersey. Once a place of considerable trade, it is now celebrated for little except its ingenious and antique wooden bridge across the Delaware, the carriage-way of which is underneath the arches, supported by heavy iron chains suspended from the parapet or summit of the bridge.

In our journey by land we passed the mansion_once tenanted by the ci-devant king of Spain, the late Joseph Bonaparte, which is situated on the banks of the Delaware, occupying a rising ground at some distance from the road. The estate was originally called "Point Breeze,” and resembled the residence and grounds of a country gentleman in England. We were to terminate our journey by an ascent of the noble Delaware, running through an undulating and richly-wooded country,—a circumstance which awakened in the mind of the writer deeply interesting feelings, associated as it was with some romantic ideas of early youth, and calling up recollections not less interesting of riper years, as the result of acquaintance with the history of the labours and successes of the devoted missionaries of the past generation,-Eliot and Brainard, the Mayhews and others, among the children of the wilderness, at the forks of the Delaware and Crosweeksung. What a contrast was now presented to the scenes and circumstances they-not more than a century since-witnessed and described.*

Having received new orders to go to a number of Indians on the Delaware River," says Mr. Brainard, "I this day took all my clothes, books, &c., and disposed of them. 1 then set out for the Delaware River, and made it on my way to return to Mr. Sargeant's in the evening. Rode several hours in the rain through the howling wilderness." The next day he went forward on his journey, continues his biographer, crossed the Hudson River to Delaware, about a hundred miles through a desolate and hideous country above New Jersey, where there were but few settlements.

The names of Eliot, Mayhew, and Brainard, are justly placed among the benefactors of the pagans on this continent. But the question arises to a traveller, Where are the churches established by these apostolic men? We visit the banks of the Susquehanna and the Delaware, where but a century more or less ago, Brainard fed his pious flock, and there we find nothing that reminds us that a

The country on both sides the river was delightful. Here; was a region rich in orchards and corn-fields,—there, a forest extending itself for several miles over a space beautifully diversified with hill and dale,-a quiet, unbroken, far-reaching landscape, —there, a romantic village, each clean white dwelling, with its rural porch and its gay flower garden, contrasting beautifully with the dark or vivid green of the fields and woods,—old farmhouses, in dull solitary grandeur and languid repose, with villas of a superior order, and occupying a commanding site, the noble Delaware, the while, creeping along in silent grandeur through the level plains, all creating the highest interest as we approached the city. Nothing, perhaps, seen out of England, exceeded the beauty of some of the suburban villas,—the disposition of the grounds, the grouping of the trees, the style of the architecture, the terraces and statues, all reminded us of England. Above all, the beautiful outlines of the adjacent heights which closed in the view were illuminated with the light of the setting sun, and soon the bosom of the water, when rocks, and mountains, and city were fast receding in the darkness, presented a scene which interested both the eye and the heart.

christian missionary ever laboured among the native tenants of the soil. Where are the offspring of these churches? They are gone,-they have not only left their father's sepulchres for wilds far to the West, but they have forgotten their pious example, and have mingled with their unreclaimed brethren of the forest. Various causes of this, doubtless, might be named; but I am persuaded that the most powerful is that these worthy missionaries were not furnished with the means for supporting schools for the education of the converts of their children. Some attempts, indeed, were made by Eliot and the Mayhews, in translating part of the Bible into some of the Indian dialects, and some few youths were taught to read, but nothing of a permanent character in this department was attempted. This evil bas to a considerable degree been remedied by modern missions, but it is to be feared that the importance of schools in giving a permanent character in such neighbourhoods where they labour, to missions in heathen lands, is not even now sufficiently regarded. Hence the introduction and establishment of schools is an object of special importance at every Missionary Station. It lays a foundation for perpetuating the religion which is taught. If schools are in operation in which the Scriptures are read, divine truth like "the leaven hid in three measures of meal," will silently diffuse a permanent salutary influence. Other facts show that schools are of immense importance. Without them there cannot be a native agency raised up, and a native agency there must be before the world will be fully evangelized. It may be added that it has been almost invariably found that at such stations as have been abandoned for want of European labourers, where no schools have been established, the cause of God has in almost all cases been extinguished in the course of years, and that on the contrary, when those stations where schools have been established for any length of time, have been deserted from a similar cause, God has raised up native agency to carry on and perpetuate the work.

The city of Philadelphia is situated on an isthmus, about two miles wide, between the Delaware and the Schuylkill rivers, five miles above their junction; and in the districts to the north and south of these rivers, the inhabitants are independent of the city, having their own municipal governments. The more densely populated parts of the city have a circumference of about eight miles, and a length on the Delaware of from four to five miles. It is built on a plain slightly ascending from the river, the highest point of which is sixty-four feet above high-watermark.

On the east bank of the Schuylkill immense reservoirs are seen supplying each of the six hundred streets of the city with an abundance of water. Bridges lead across the Schuylkill and the Delaware; steamboats keep up a constant intercourse with New York and Baltimore; a railway over the Alleghanies and the Pennsylvanian Canal communicate with Pitsburgh and the Mississippi valley.

Philadelphia, therefore, is a great thoroughfare, besides being the political capital of Pennsylvania, and the seat of a large and flourishing trade.

The capital employed in manufacture alone exceeds ten millions of dollars.

The real and personal property of the inhabitants is worth more than five hundred millions of dollars.

The population of the city is estimated at upwards of half-amillion, and it is thus the third as to importance in the Union.

Philadelphia is ninety miles, or by railway about five or six hours, distant from New York, three hundred and twenty-two miles south-west from Boston, ninety-seven from Baltimore, and one hundred and thirty-five from Washington; and stands at the head of the bay formed by the mouth of the river Delaware. It is one hundred and twenty-six miles from the Atlantic by the course of the river and bay, but these are navigable the whole way by ships of the largest tonnage.

The shores on each side of the bay are richly wooded, and scattered over with neat farm-houses and villages.

The streets of the city are laid out in squares like a chessboard, the streets crossing each other at right angles, and bearing the names of the different trees of the country. The city, as originally planned, formed an oblong square, with a river on either side, and a straight street on either end. But several populous suburbs have arisen in the neighbourhood, which now