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
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page 25 of 131 (19%)
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description is offered for sale, it is by no means understood, as in
England, that the _land_ on which it stands is included in the purchase. They have a method of removing these buildings _entire_. A house _travelling_ in this manner through the streets of the city is to a European a truly grotesque and extraordinary sight. During the time the British troops had possession of this city in the last war, they were much distressed for fuel, and obliged to cut down all the wood they could meet with; upwards of a thousand acres of peach and apple orchard were destroyed, belonging to one family. This destruction of the trees has materially hurt the prospects for three or four miles on the Pensylvania side; the opposite Jersey shore (except the plantations) is one entire forest. Philadelphia is at present supplied with water from pumps, placed in different parts of the city; but a company of adventurers are bringing water from above the falls of Scuylkill, in the manner of the New River in London: but mean to improve on sir Hugh Middleton's plan, by making their aqueduct also serve the purposes of inland navigation. The inhabitants are in general very fond of theatrical representations; their new theatre is an elegant building, from a design the subscribers obtained from London, where the principal scenes were painted by Richardson and Rooker. The receipts of the house have exceeded one thousand six hundred dollars. The fair Philadelphians are by no means so fond of walking, as the English ladies; not that they have any _great dislike_ to a _trip_ into the _country_, but it is not fashionable even for a maid servant to make use of her _legs_ on these occasions; the consequence is, that there are 806 |
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