ouses, great
and small in it, in less than a year's time; and it has made answerable
progress since that period; the number of houses, at this time, being
about two thousand, and, generally speaking, better edifices than in the
cities of England, a few excepted, and those only in a few streets. All
the houses have large orchards and gardens belonging to them; the land on
which the city stands is high and firm, and the convenience of covered
docks and springs have very much contributed to the commerce of this
place, where many rich merchants now reside, some of whom are so wealthy
that they keep their coaches. Ships may ride in six or seven fathoms
water, with a very good anchorage; the land about it is a dry wholesome
level. All owners of one thousand acres and upwards have their houses in
the two fronts, facing the rivers, and in the High-street, running from
the middle of one front to the middle of the other. Every owner of one
thousand acres has about an acre in front, and the smaller purchasers
about half an acre in the back streets, by which means the least has room
enough for a house-garden and small orchard. High-street is a hundred
feet broad, so is Broad-street, which is in the middle of the city,
running from north to south. In the centre is a square of ten acres, for
the state-house, market-house, and school-house, as before hinted. The
names of the streets here denote the several sorts of timber that are
common in Pennsylvania, as Mulberry-street, Sassafras-street,
Chesnut-street, Walnut-street, Beech-street, Ash-street, Vine-street,
Cedar-street. There are also King-street, Broad-street, High-street.
Their court-house is built of brick, and under it is a prison: several
houses on the quay are worth four or five thousand pounds; and thirteen
ships have been on the stocks at a time: some hundreds have been built
there. The cellars and warehouses, on the quay, are made over the river
three stories high. Here are two fairs in a year, and two markets in a
week. It sends two members to the assembly.

The inhabitants were at first mostly quakers, and so they continue. It
was some time before there was a church built after the manner of
England; but as soon as one was built, it was called Christchurch. It
had, in a few years, a very numerous congregation, and King William
ordered an allowance of fifty-three pounds a-year to the minister; which,
with voluntary contributions, made a very handsome provisio