Travels in the United States of America - Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797. - With the Author's Journals of his Two Voyages - Across the Atlantic. by William Priest
page 23 of 131 (17%)
page 23 of 131 (17%)
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In the year following, he arrived, and in 1701 the city was finally laid out from Cedar-street to Vine-street, forming an oblong square of two miles in length, from the river Delaware to the Scuylkill; and about a mile in width. It was the wish of the founder, that the fronts facing the _two_ rivers should be _equally_ built upon; by which means the city would naturally meet in the centre; but they have not only deviated from the original plan, by running the city along the banks of the Delaware, _beyond_ the aforesaid streets, which formed the bounds in that direction, but have left the _Scuylkill_ front without a single street. Philadelphia is situate in latitude 39 deg. 56 min. north, and long. 75 deg. 8 min. west from Greenwich, on a narrow neck of land, between the rivers Delaware and Scuylkill, on the Pensylvania banks of the latter, where this river is about one mile wide, and one hundred and twenty (following it's course) from the Atlantic Ocean. This noble river affords a safe navigation for vessels of a thousand tuns burden up to the wharfs of the city. The Scuylkill (though by no means so wide) has nearly the same depth of water. Philadelphia is the first port in the Union. The total value of it's exports in the year 1793, was 695736 dollars; the total of flower shipped in the year 1792 was 420000 barrels, and in the spring only of 1793 it exceeded 200000 barrels. The total of inward entries at Philadelphia, in 1793, was 1414 vessels of different sizes, of which 477 were ships or brigs. It is foreign from the subject of this city, but I cannot help informing you, that the imports of the _United States_ from _Great Britain_ |
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