of reprefentatives. The governor is chofen for threer years, but cannot hold his office more than nine years in twelve. A plurality of votes makes a choice. The reprefentatives are elected for one year; the fenators > for four. The latter are divided into four claffes. The

time of one clafs expires each year, whofe feats are then filled with new elections. Each county choofes its reprefentatives feparately. The fenators are chofen in dif tricts formed by the legiflature.

Hory] Pennfylvania was granted by king Charles II. to Mr. William Penn, fon of the famous Admiral Penn, in confideration of his father's fervices to the crown. Mr. Penn's petition for the grant was prefented to the king in 168, and after confiderable delays, the charter of Pennfylvania. received the royal fignature: on the 4th of March, 1681.

In 1699, the proprietary arrived from England and affumed the reins of government. While he remained in Pennfylvania, the laft charter of privileges, or frame of government, which continued until the revolution, was agreed upon and established. This was completed and delivered to the people by the proprietary, October 28, 1701, jutt on his embarking for England. The inhab-itants of the Territory, as it was then called, or the lower counties, refused to accept this charter, and thus feparated themfelves from the province of Pennfylvania. They afterwards had their own affembly, in which the governor of Pennsylvania ufed to prefide.

In September, 1700, the Sufquehannah Indians grant-ed to Mr. Penn all their lands on both fides the river. The Sufquehannah, Shawanefe and Patomak Indians, however, entered into articles of agreement with Mr. Penn, by which, on certain conditions of peaceable and friendly behaviour, they were permitted to fettle about the head of Patomak, in the province of Pennfylvania. The Conoftoga chiefs alfo, in 1701, ratified the grant of the Sufquehannah Indians, made the preceding year.

In 1708, Mr. Penn obtained from the Sachems of the country, a confirmation of the grants made by former: Indians, of all the lands from Duck Creek to the mountains, and from the Delaware to the Sufquehannah. In

this.

this deed, the Sachems declared that "they had feen, and heard read, divers prior deeds which had been given to Mr. Penn by former chiefs."

While Mr. Penn was in America, he erected Philadelphia into a corporation. The charter was dated Ocober 25, 1701.

By the favourable terms which Mr. Penn offered to fettlers, and an unlimited toleration of all religious denominations, the population of the Province was extremely rapid.

At the Revolution, the government was abolished. The proprietaries were abfent, and the people, by their reprefentatives, formed a new constitution on republican principles. The proprietaries were excluded from all fhare in the government; and the legislature offered. them one hundred and thirty thoufand pounds, in lieu of all quit rents, which was finally accepted. The proprietaries, however, ftill poffefs in Pennfylvania many large tracts of excellent land.

Containing 2,000 fquare miles, or 1,200,000 acres.

Boundaries] BOUNDED on the caft, by Delaware

river and bay, and the Atlantic Ocean; on the fouth and, weft, by the State of Maryland; north, by Pennfylvania.

Civil Divifions. This State is divided into three counties, which are fubdivided into hundreds..

Before the Revolution, this district of country was de nominated "The three lower counties.”

Rivers and Greeks.] The eastern fide of the state is indented with a large number of creeks or fmall rivers, which generally have a fhort course, soft banks, numerous fhoils, and are kirted with very extenfive marthes,and empty into the river and bay of Delaware. În the fouthern and western parts of this ftate, fpring the head waters, of Pocomoke, Wicomico, Nanticoke, Choptank, Chester, Suffafras, and Bohemia rivers, all falling into Chefapeak bay, and fome of them are navigable 20 or. 30 miles into the country för veffels of 50 or 60 tons.

Several canals in different parts of the state are contemplated, one of which is down the waters of the Branly wine.

Face of the Country, Soil and Productions.] The State of. Delaware, the upper parts of the county of Newcastle excepted, is, to fpeak generally, extremely low and lev-. el. Large quantities of itagnant water, at particular feafons of the year, overfpreading a great proportion of the land, reader it equally unfit for the purposes of agriculture, and injurious to the health of the inhabite

ants.

Delaware is chiefly an agricultural state. It includes a very fertile tract of country; and scarcely any part of the union can be felected better adapted to the different purposes of agriculture, or in which a greater variety of the molt ufeful productions can be fo conveniently and. plentifully reared. The foil along the Delaware river, and from 3 to 10 miles into the interior country, is generly a rich clay, producing large timber, and well adapted to the various purposes of agriculture. From: thrace to the interior and fwamps, the foil is light, fandy, and of an inferior quality. The general aspect of

the

die country is very favourable for cultivation. Fxcepting fome of the upper part of the county of Newcall, the furface of the date is very little broken or irregular. Wheat is the ftaple of this ftate. It grows here in Arch perfection, as act only to be particularly fought by the manufacturers of flour throughout the Un'on, but alfös to be diftinguithed and preferred, for its frperior quaiities in foreign markets. This wheat poffeffer an un- · common foftness and whitenets, very favourable to the manufacture of fuperfine flour, and in other reípuéts far · exceeds the hard and flinty grains raited in general on › the high lands. Befides what, this ftate generally produces plentiful crops of Indian corn, barley, rye, oats, . fax, buckwheat, aud potatoes. It abounds in natural · and artificial meadows, containing a large variety of grafies. Hemp, cotton, and filk, if properly attended to, would doubtless flourish very well.

Chief Towns.] DOVER, in the county of Kent, is thé feat of government. It stands on Jones' Creek, a few miles from Delaware river, and confitts of about 100 houses, principally of brick. The town has a lively appearance, and drives on a confiderable trade with Phil.. adelphia. Wheat is the principal article of export.. The landing is five or fix miles from the town of Dover.. Newcastle is 35 miles below Philadelphia, on the west · bank of Delaware river. It was firit fettled by the Swedes, about 1627, and called Stockholm. It was afterwards taken by the Dutch, and called New Amterdam. When it fell into the hands of the English, it was called by its prefent name. It was formerly the feat of government, and contains about 60 houses, which wear the afpect of decay. This is the first town that was fettled on Delaware river.

Wilmington is fituated a mile and a half weft of Delaware river, on Chriftiana Creek, 28 miles fonthward from Philadelphia. It is much the largest and pleafanteft town in the state, containing upwards of 400 houses which are handsomely built upon a gentle afcent of an eminence, and how to great advantage as you fail up the Delaware. It contains about 2400 inhabitants. There was alfo an academy of about 40 or 50 scholars, who

were

were taught the languages, and fome of the fciences This academy was intended to be erected into a college, but is now extinct. There is another academy at Newark, in this county, which was incorporated 1769 These academies were interrupted during the war, and their funds ruined by the depreciation of Continent al paper money. The legislature this year (1796) paffed an act to create a fund for the establishment of fchools throughout the State..

Milford is fituated at the fource of a small river, 15 miles from Delaware Bay, and 150 fouthward of Philadelphia. This town, which contains about 80 houses,, has been built, except one houfe, fince the revolution.

Duck Creek Crofs Roads is 12 miles northweft from Dover, and has 80 or 90 houfes, which stand on one. ftreet. It carries on a confiderable trade with Phila delphia, and is one of the largest wheat markets in the. State, and merits a more dignified name.

Lewes is fituated a few miles above the light-houfe, on Cape Henlopen It contains about 150 houtes.

Trade and Manufactures.] We have already mentioned wheat as the ftaple commodity of this State. This is manufactured into flour, and exported in large quan tities The exports from the port of. Wilmingtonwhere a number of fquare-rigged veffels are owned, for the year 1786, in the article of flour, was 20,783 barrels fuperfine, 457 ditto common, 256 ditto middlings, and 346 ditto in ship ftuff.. The manufacture of flour is car ried to a higher degree of perfection in this state than in any others in the Union. Befides the well constructed mills on Red Clay and White Clay Creeks, and other Areams in different parts of the State, there are the cele brated collection of mills at Brandywine. Here are to be feen, at one view, 12 merchant mills (befides a faw mill) which have double that number of pairs of ftones, all of fuperior dimenfions and excellent conftruction. Thefe mills are three miles from the mouth of the creek on which they stand, half a mile from Wilmington, and 27 from Philadelphia, on the poft road from the eastern to the fouthern States. They are called the Brandywine mills, from the ftream on which they are erected.. The quantity of wheat manufactured in thefe mills; an Dually,