and the houses well built. William-ftreet is alfo elevated and convenient, and is the principal market for retailing of dry goods. Many of the other ftreets are pleafant, but most of them are irregular and narrow.

The houfes are generally built of brick, and the roofs tiled. There are remaining a few houfes built after the old Dutch manner, but the Englifh tafte has prevailed almost a century.

Upon the fouth-weft point of the land ftands the fort, which is a fquare with four baftions; within the walls of which the governors ufed formerly to refide. Below the fort, near the water, there is a line of fortifi cations of confiderable extent, defigned to command the entrance into both rivers. But it is queftionable, whether any number of cannon would prevent fhips from paffing with a favourable wind and tide; and indeed whe ther New-York is capable of defence by land against a powerful marine force. The battery, however, in the fummer feafon furnishes the citizens with an agreeable walk, which is open to refreshing breezes from the bay. The city-hall is a brick building, more ftrong than elegant. It is three ftories in height, with wings at each end, and fronts Broad-ftreet, which affords an extenfive profpect. The first floor is an open walk, except two fmall apartments for the door-keeper and city-watch. In the fecond story of the eaftern wing is the affembly chamber, now occupied by Congress, and adorned with the following paintings: The portrait of the great Columbus, belonging to the affembly of this ftate; a painting valuable only for its antiquity and the character of the man- The likeneffes of the King and Queen of France, as large as the life, executed in a mafterly manner, and prefented to Congrefs by his Moft Chriftian Majefty; equally valuable for the richness of the paintings, the dignity of the perfonages whom they reprefent, and as pledges of royal friendship-The likenefs of General Washington, prefented by a gentleman in England; a likeness dear to every American, and deftined to grace the walls of every councilchamber in the New World.

The western wing contains a room for the council or fenate, now occupied by the fecretary of Congrefs, and another for the Mayor's court. In the body of the houfe is a fpacious hall for the fupreme judicial court. Large additions are now making to this building for the accommodation of Congrefs, under the direction of the ingenious Mon. Le Enfant.

There are three houfes of public worship belonging to the reformed Proteftant Dutch Church, one is called the Old Dutch Church, which was built in the year 1693, and rebuilt in the year 1766; another is called the North Church, which was founded in the year 1767, and dedicated to the fervice of God in the year 1769. This laft church being ruined by the British during the late war, was repaired in the year 1784, and has fince been used with the old church for the performance of divine fervice. The middle church, generally called the New Dutch Church, was built in the year 1729; it is the moft fpacious of the three, but was also ruined in the war, and is not yet fully repaired.

The people of this denomination were the first fettlers of this ftate, and make a refpectable part of the citizens. The church in the city is confidered as one church or congregation, though worshipping in different places. The charter, or act of incorporation, was granted by William

the

the Third, in the year 1696, when Benjamin Fletcher, Efq; was governor of the province. The minifters, elders, and deacons are the body corporate, and hold confiderable property. Many years before the war, they found it neceffary, by reafon of the decline of the Dutch language, to have fervice performed in English, and had then two Dutch and two Englifh minifters. Since the war it has been performed chiefly in English, and they have at prefent only two minifters.

There are four Prefbyterian churches in the city of New-York. The firft was erected in the year 1719, built of stone, and rebuilt and enlarged in the year 1748-it is eighty feet long and fixty wide, with a cupola and bell; and ftands in the upper end of Wall-ftreet, the north fide of the ftreet, near the Broadway. The fecond was erected in the year 1767, is a genteel brick building, eighty-three feet long, and fixty-five feet wide, with a fteeple not finifhed; it ftands on the east fide of the green, at the head of Beekman and Naffau-ftreets.

The congregations worshipping in thefe churches are connected with each other, under the care of the fame minifters, who preach alternately in them, and having the fame elders and deacons; their temporalities alfo are managed by the fame truftces, incorporated under the law of the ftate, paffed in April, 1784, capacitating religious focieties of every denomination to incorporate themfelves, for the purposes therein mentioned.

The third Prefbyterian Church was erected in the year 1768, is a genteel ftone building, fixty-five and an half feet long, and fifty-five and an half feet wide, and ftands in Little Queen-ftreet, not far from the Broadway. This church is alfo incorporated agreeably to the fame law.

Thefe three churches were occupied by the British troops during the late war, as hofpitals and barracks, and were left by them in a moft ruinous fituation-and have been repaired with great neatnefs, and at a very great expence, by their refpective congregations, fince the peace.

The fourth Prefbyterian Church was erected in the year 1787, is a neat frame building, fifty feet long and twenty-four wide, and ftands in Naffau-ftreet.

The clergy of the Prefbyterian Churches in this city are maintained by the revenues arifing from the rents of their pews.

There are three Epifcopal Churches in New-York, under one charter, which was granted the 6th of May, 1697. Trinity church was built in the year 1696, and at feveral times afterwards improved and enlarged. It was fituated on the weft fide of Broadway, in view of the Hudson, with a fpacious cemetery on each fide; including the tower and chancel, it was about 148 feet in length, and 72 in breadth-and the fteeple 173 feet in height. This was fuppofed to be the most fately building of the kind in America, but was deftroyed in the fire which happened just after the British troops entered the city in 1776. It is now rebuilding, and feveral thoufand pounds have already been fabfcribed for that purpofe.

St. George's Chapel, in Beekman-ftreet, was finished in 1750. This is a neat building, formed with hewn ftone, and the roof tiled.

St. Paul's Chapel, in Broadway, was completed in 1766. This building, which is in itfelf elegant, is embellished with a fuperb monument, erected by order of Congrefs, and at the expence of the United States, to

the

the memory of the brave General Montgomery, who fell in the attaek of Quebec, December 31, 1775

To the foregoing may be added the following churches: German, Lutheran, and Calvinists, 2 Moravians,

of repair) 1

The government of the city (which was incorporated in 1696) is now in the hands of a Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-Council. The city is divided into seven wards, in each of which there is chofen annually by the people an Alderman and an affiftant, who, together with the Mayor and Recorder, form the Common-Council. The Mayor and Recorder are appointed annually by the council of appointment.

The Mayor's court, which is held from time to time by adjournment, is in high reputation as a court of law.

A court of feffions is likewife held for the trial of criminal causes.

The fituation of the city is both healthy and pleafant. Surrounded on all fides by water, it is refreshed with cool breezes in fummer, and the air in winter is more temperate than in other places under the fame parallel. York ifland is fifteen miles in length, and hardly one in breadth. It is joined to the main by a bridge called King's bridge. The channels between Long and Staten iflands, and between Long and York islands are fo narrow as to occafion an unusual rapidity of the tides, which is increased by the confluence of the waters of the Hudfon and Eaft River. This rapidity in general prevents the obftruction of the channel by ice-fo that the navigation is clear, except for a few days in feafons when the weather is uncommonly fevere. There is no bafon or bay for the reception of fhips, but the road where they lie in Eaft River is defended from the violence of the fea by the islands which interlock with each other; fo that except that of Rhode-Ifland, the harbour of New-York, which admits fhips of any burthen, is the best in the United States.

This city is eftcemed the moft eligible fituation for commerce in the United States. It almoft neceffarily commands the trade of one-half NewJerfey, most of that of Connecticut, and part of that of Maffachusetts; befides the whole fertile interior country, which is penetrated by one of the largest rivers in America. This city imports moft of the goods confumed between a line of thirty miles eaft of Connecticut river, and twenty miles west of the Hudson, which is 130 miles, and between the ocean and the confines of Canada, about 250 miles; a confiderable portion of which is the best peopled of any part of the United States, and the whole territory contains at least half a million of people, or one-fixth of the inhabitants of the union. Befides, fome of the other ftates are partially fupplied with goods from New-York. But in the ftaple commodity flour, Pennsylvania and Maryland have rivalled it-the fuperfine flour of those ftates commanding a higher price than that of New-York.

In the manufacture likewife of iron, paper, cabinet works, &c. Pennfylvania exceeds not only New-York, but all her fifter ftates. In times of peace, however, New-York will command more commercial bufinefs than any town in the United States. In time of war it will be

infecure,

Infecure, without a marine force; but a fmall number of ships will be able to defend it from the moft formidable attacks by fea.

A want of good water is a great inconvenience to the citizens, there being few wells in the city. Moft of the people are fupplied every day with fresh water, conveyed to their doors in cafks, from a pump near the head of Queen-ftreet, which receives it from a fpring, almoft a mile from the city. Several proposals have been made by individuals to fupply the citizens by pipes, but none have yet been accepted.

New-York is the gayeft place in America. The ladies, in the richness and brilliancy of their drefs, are not equalled in any city in the United States; not even in Charleston, (S. C.) which has heretofore been called the centre of the Beau Monde. The ladies, however, are not folely employed in attentions to drefs. There are many who are ftudious to add to their brilliant external accomplishments, the more brilliant and lafting accomplishments of the mind. Nor have they been unfuccefsful; for NewYork can boast of great numbers of refined taste, whofe minds are highly improved, and whofe converfation is as inviting as their perfonal charms. Tinctured with a Dutch education, they manage their families with good œconomy and fingular neatness.

In point of fociability and hofpitality, New-York is hardly exceeded by any town in the United States. If, however, in regard to these agreeable characteristics, the preference must be given to any one place, it decidedly belongs to Charleston. Some travellers have, in these refpects, given Bolton and Newport the preference to New-York. Several caufes have operated to diminish the fociability of the citizens of New-York-particularly the change of inhabitants, by emigrations from Europe-the lofs of property during the ravages of the war-and the unfavourable state of bufinefs a great part of the time fince the peace. Thefe caufes have operated equally unfavourable in fome other parts of the union.

An enquirer, who would wish to acquaint himself with the true ftate of the people of New-York, their manners and government, would naturally afk the citizens for their focieties for the encouragement of sciences, arts, manufactures, &c.? For their public libraries? For the patrons of literature? Their well regulated academies? For their female academy for inftructing young ladies in geography, hiftory, belles lettres, &c.? Such enquiries might be made with propriety, but could not, at present, be anfwered fatisfactorily.

On a general view of this city, as described thirty years ago, and in its prefent ftate, the comparifon is flattering to the prefent age; particularly the improvements in tafte, elegance of manners, and that cafy unaffected civility and politenefs, which form the happiness of focial intercourse.

It is found, by a memorandum in one of the old regifters, that the num ber of inhabitants in the city, taken by order of the king in the year 1697, was as follows:

Men
Women

946

1018

Whites.

Negroes.

Number of inhabitants in the city and county of New-York, in 1756, 10,881-1771, 21,863-1786, 23,614 *.

The city of Albany is fituated upon the weft fide of Hudson's river, 160 miles north of the city of New-York, in latitude 42° 36′, and is by charter + one mile upon the river, and fixteen miles back. It contains about 600 houses, built moftly by trading people on the margin of the river. The houfes ftand chiefly upon Pearl, Market and Water-streets, and fix other streets or lanes, which crofs them nearly at right angles. They are built in the old Dutch Gothic ftile, with the gable end to the ftreet, which custom the first fettlers brought with them from Holland. The gable end is commonly of brick, with the heavy moulded ornament of flanting with notches, like ftairs, and an iron horfe, for a weather-cock, on the top. There is one little appendage to their houfes, which the peo→ ple, blind to the inconveniences of it, ftill continue, and that is the watergutters or fponts, which project from every houfe, rendering it almoft dangerous to walk the streets in a rainy day. Their houses are feldom more than one ftory and an half high, and have but little convenience, and lefs elegance; but they are kept very neat, being rubbed with a mop almoft every day, and fcoured every week. The fame neatnefs, however, is not obferved in the streets, which are very muddy moft of the year, except those which are paved; and thefe are feldom fwept, and very rough.

The city of Albany contains about 4000 inhabitants, collected from almost all parts of the northern world. As great a variety of languages are fpoken in Albany, as in any town in the United States. Adventu rers, in purfuit of wealth, are led here by the advantages for trade which this place affords. Situated on one of the fineft rivers in the world, at the head of floop navigation, furrounded with a rich and extenfive back country, and the ftore-house of the trade to and from Canada and the lakes, it must flourish, and the inhabitants cannot but grow rich. Hudfon, however, is their rival; other rivals may fpring up.

Albany is faid to be an unfociable place. This is naturally to be expected. A heterogeneous collection of people, invefted with all their national prejudices, eager in the purfuit of gain, and jealous of a rival. fhip, cannot expect to enjoy the pleafures of focial intercourse, or the fweets of an intimate and refined friendship.

A gentleman of observation and difcernment, who refided fome time in Albany, has made the following obfervations, which, though of general application, I beg leave to introduce under this particular head. To form a juft idea of the manners and cuftoms of the inhabitants, we muft confine ourselves to the Dutch, who being much the most numerous, give the tone to the manners of the place. Two things unite more particularly to render thefe difagreeable to foreigners; firit, a natural prejudice which we all poffefs in favour of our own, and against the manners of another place or nation: feeondly, their clofe union, like the Jews of old, to prevent the innovation of foreigners, and to keep the balance of interest always in their own hands.

This account of the city of New-York, is taken principally from Mr. Webster's valuable Magazine for March 1788.

+ Albany was incorporated by Colonel Dongan, in 1686. Smith.