government was established. The election of the council and assembly now became annual, and the legislature, with their powers and forms of proceeding, was modelled.

new

In 1699, the proprietor arrived from England, and assumed the reins of government; and while he remained in Pennsylvania, the last charter of privileges, or frame of government, which continued to the revolution, was agreed upon and established: this was completed and delivered to the people, Oct. 28, 1701, just on his embarking for England. The inhabitants of the territory, as it was then called, in the lower counties, refused to accept this charter, and thus separated themselves from the province of Pennsylvania; they afterwards had their own assembly, in which the governor of Pennsylvania used to preside.

*

In September, 1700, the Susquehannah Indians granted to Mr. Penn all their lands on both sides the river; but in conjunction with the Shawanese, and Potomac Indians, they entered into articles of agreement, by which they were permitted to settle about the head of Potomac river, in the province of Pennsylvania: the Conostoga chiefs, also, in 1701, ratiñed the grant of the Susquehannah Indians, made the preceding year.

In 1708, Mr. Penn obtained from the chiefs of the country a confirmation of the grants made by former Indians, of all the lands from Duck creek, in the present state of Delaware, to the mountains, and from the river Delaware to the Susquehannah. In this deed the chiefs declared, that they had seen and heard read divers prior deeds which had been given to Mr. Penn by former chiefs.

Philadelphia had been erected into a corporation by the proprietor while he remained in America; the charter being dated in 1701. By this charter the police of the city was vested in mayor, recorder, aldermen and common council, with power to enquire into treasons, murders, and other felonies; and to inquire into and punish smaller crimes. The corporation had also an extensive civil jurisdiction; but it was dissolved at the revolution, and Philadelphia is governed like other counties in the state.

By the favourable terms which Mr. Penn offered to settlers, and an unlimited toleration of all religious denominations, the population of the province was extremely rapid. Notwithstanding the attempts of the proprietor, or his governors, to extend his own power and accumulate property, by procuring grants from the people, and

This territory now forms the state of Delaware,

exempting his lands from taxation; the government was generally mild, and the burdens of the people by no means oppressive. The selfish designs of the proprietors were vigorously and constantly opposed by the assembly, whose firmness preserved the chartered rights of the province.

At the revolution, the government was abolished. The proprietors were absent, and the people, by their representatives, formed a new constitution on republican principles; excluding the proprietors from all share in the government, by offering them £130,000 in lieu of all quitrents, which was finally accepted.

STATE OF DELAWARE.

Situation, Boundaries, and Extent.

THIS small state is situated between 38° 29′ and 39° 48' N. lat. and 1° 18′ and 1° 58′ E. long. It is bounded on the north by Pennsylvania; south, by Maryland; east, by Delaware bay and the Atlantic ocean; and west by Pennsylvania and Maryland. From north to south it is ninety miles in length, and from east to west twenty-five miles in breadth; forming an area of about 1,700 square miles, or 1,088,000 acres.

General aspect of the country, climate, soil, and productions. The face of a great part of the country is level, abounding with swamps and stagnant water; which render it equally unfit for the purposes of agriculture, and injurious to the health of the inhabitants; but towards the northern part it is more elevated, and near its extremity there is a considerable chain of hills. Excepting these heights, the surface of the state is very little broken, and the lower country may be said to form one extended plain. In the southern and western parts of the state spring the head waters of Choptank, Nanticock, Pocomoke, Wicomico, Chester, Sassafras, and Bohemia rivers; all of which fall into Chesapeak-bay: some of them are navigable twenty or thirty miles into the country, for vessels of fifty or sixty tons burden. The eastern side of the state is indented with a number of creeks, or small rivers, which generally have a short course, soft banks, numerous shoals, and are skirted with very extensive

marshes, and empty into the river and bay of Delaware, The principal of these is Brandywine creek, which falls into the Delaware at Wilmington, and on which there are numerous mills and manufactories.

The climate is much influenced by the face of the country; for the land being low and flat, occasions the waters to stagnate, and the consequence is, that the inhabitants are subject to intermittent fevers and agues. The southern parts of the state in particular, having a very moist atmosphere, is often foggy and unwholesome; but is mild and temperate in winter. The northern parts, on the contrary, are much more agreeable and healthy.

The soil in many places is well adapted to the different purposes of agriculture; and notwithstanding the stagnant waters already mentioned (which are only prevalent at certain seasons of the year) Delaware is chiefly an agricultural state, and, upon the whole, contains a very fertile tract of country. In Newcastle county, along the river Delaware, and from eight to ten miles into the interior, the soil is generally a rich clay, in which a great variety of the most useful productions can be conveniently and plentifully reared; from thence to the swamps before noticed, the soil is light, sandy, and of an inferior quality. In the county of Kent, there is a considerable mixture of sand; and in Sussex, the quantity of sand altogether predominates.

The greater part of the inhabitants of this state are devoted to husbandry; and in every place where the land is capable of cultivation, they have rendered it very productive. Wheat is the staple article of produce, and grows here in such perfection, as not only to be particularly sought by the manufacturers of flour throughout the United States, but also to be distinguished and preferred for its superior qualities, in foreign markets. This wheat possesses an uncommon softness and whiteness, and makes the best superfine flour, and in other respects far exceeds the hard and flinty grains raised in general on the higher lands. Next to wheat, the principal productions are rye, Indian corn, barley, oats, flax, and potatoes. Grasses are abundant, and thrive very luxuriantly, furnishing food for many fine cattle; and every sort of vegetable common to the states already described, arrive to great perfection here; particularly the various kinds of fruits. The county of Sussex, besides producing considerable quantities of grain, possesses large tracts of fine grazing land; and this county also exports lumber to a great amount, obtained chiefly from an extensive swamp called the Indian

river, or Cypress swamp, lying partly within this state, and partly in Maryland. This morass is twelve miles in length and six in breadth, including an area of nearly 50,000 acres of land; the whole of which is a high and level bason, very wet, though undoubtedly the highest land between the sea and the bay, whence the Pocomoke descends on one side, and Indian river on the other. The swamp contains a great variety of trees, plants, wild beasts, birds and reptiles. There are no mineral productions in this state except iron; large quantities of bog iron ore, very fit for castings, are found among the branches of Nanticoke river. Before the revolution this ore was worked to a great amount; but this business, though still carried on, is rather on the decline.

Civil divisions, towns, population, religion, character, &c.-The state of Delaware is divided into three counties, which are subdivided into twenty-five hundreds, containing, by the last general census, 72,674 inhabitants, of whom, 4,177 were slaves; being about forty-three individuals to the square mile: but by a state enumeration in 1817, the population is said to amount to 108,334.

Counties.

Hundreds.

Population. Chief Towns and Population. Kent........... 5.. ......20,495.........Dover, 800

Newcastle... 9.........24,429......... Wilmington, 4,406 Sussex........11.........27,750........Georgetown, 400

Dover, the seat of government for this state, is situated on Jones's creek, about four miles from its mouth in the Delaware; and is distant forty-seven miles from Wilmington, seventy-four from Philadelphia, and eighty-eight from the city of Washington. It is a small place, containing about 150 houses, built mostly of brick. There are four streets, which intersect each other at right angles in the centre of the town; and the area included within these intersections extends into a handsome parade, on the east side of which is an elegant state-house. The town has a lively appearance, and supports a considerable trade with Philadelphia, chiefly in flour.

Wilmington is a thriving town, consisting of about 700 houses, mostly built of brick; it is situated a mile and a half west of the Delaware, on Christiana creek, 27 miles southward from Philadelphia, and is built on the plan of that fine city. It carries on a very considerable trade, principally in flour, manufactured at the celebrated mills on Brandywine creek, half a mile from the town. There

are here six places for public worship, viz. two for presbyterians, one for quakers, one for baptists, one methodist, and one Swedish. The other public buildings are a market house, a court-house, a prison, and a flourishing academy. This is much the largest and pleasantest town in the state; and being built upon the gentle ascent of an eminence, it appears to great advantage as you sail up the Delaware.

Newcastle is thirty-two miles below Philadelphia, on the west bank of the Delaware river, and contains about 200 houses, some of them handsome; but the whole place has rather the appearance of decay. It was first settled by the Swedes in the year 1627, and called Stockholm; but was afterwards taken by the Dutch, who gave it the name of New Amsterdam: when it fell into the hands of the English they named it Newcastle. The river is here two miles wide, from thence it spreads out into Delaware bay; the banks are level and covered with wood, and the lands rise to a considerable height at a distance, affording in some places very fine prospects. The only rivers of note that join the Delaware between Newcastle and Philadelphia, are the Schuylkill, and Brandywine creek.

Besides the towns already described, which are the most considerable in the state, there are some others of less importance, such as Georgetown, Lewistown, and Milford; none of them containing above 600 inhabitants: there are also many villages of inferior note, all in a state of progressive improvement.

In this state there is a variety of religious denominations; but the principal sect is that of the presbyterians. Episcopalians are next in number, then baptists; the methodists are also numerous, especially in the counties of Kent and Sussex: besides these, there is a Swedish episcopal church at Wilmington, which is one of the oldest congregations in the United States. All these denominations have free toleration by the constitution, and live together in peace and harmony. In character and manners the inhabitants are nowise dissimilar from the people of Pennsylvania. Any shade of difference that may exist, arises from the small number of towns in this state, and most of the citizens being engaged in rural employments.

Trade, manufactures, &c.-Almost the whole of the exports of the Delaware are from Wilmington; and the trade from this state to Philadelphia is very great, it being