Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797 | Page 7

have often heard it asserted, that a servant should be born under an
absolute monarchy: whether this observation is just or not, I cannot tell,
but I know, that a republic is not the place to find good servants. If you
want to hire a maid servant in this city, she will not allow you the title
of _master_, or herself to be called a _servant_; and you may think
yourself favoured if she condescends to inform you when she means to
spend an evening abroad; if you grumble at all this, she will leave you
at a moment's warning; after which you will find it very difficult to
procure another on any terms. This is one of the natural consequences
of liberty and equality.
Farewell, &c.
_March 3d, 1794._
Dear friend,
Philadelphia, the present seat of government, both of the state of

Pensylvania, and of the whole federal union, consisted, in the year 1681,
of half a dozen miserable huts, inhabited by a few emigrants from
Sweden; when the celebrated William Penn obtained a charter from
king Charles the Second, for a certain tract of unsettled country in
North America, extending from twelve miles north of Newcastle, along
the courses of the Delaware, and a meridian line from its head, to the
43d degree of north latitude, and westward, 5 degrees of longitude from
its eastern bounds.
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 alone, in

the year 1791, were stated at 19502070 dollars, (chiefly of
_manufactured articles_) and have been considerably increasing every
year since.
By a slight inspection of the plan, you will perceive the great regularity
observed in laying out this city; the streets intersect each other at right
angles, the centre street, north and south, is 113 feet wide; that east and
west 100 feet; and the other principal streets 50 feet wide. Had equal
care been taken to build the houses uniformly, and their height in
proportion to the width of the streets, this city would have been
uncommonly beautiful; but except that the fronts of the buildings were
not permitted to extend beyond the line laid down in the plan, every
man built his house (to use the language of the first settlers,) "as it
seemed good in his own eyes."
The first object of an industrious emigrant, who means to settle in
Philadelphia, is to purchase a lot of ground in one of the vacant streets.
He erects a small building forty or fifty feet from the line laid out for
him by the city surveyor, and lives there till he can afford to build a
house; when his former habitation serves him for a kitchen and
wash-house. I have observed buildings in this state in the heart of the
city; but they are more common in the outskirts. Our friend Wright is
exactly in this situation; but I am afraid it will be many years before he
will be able to build in front.
The buildings in this city are about two thirds of brick, and the rest of
wood. The foundations of