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

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

Roman Catholic,
Friends Meeting,
Baptifts,

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Methodists,

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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 feven wards, in each of which there is chosen annually by the people an Alderman and an assistant, who, together with the Mayor and Recorder, from 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 healty and pleasant. 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 island 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 islands, 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-so that the navigation is clear, except for a few days in seasons when the weather is uncommonly fevere. There is no bafon or bay for the reception of fhips, but the road where they lie in East 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 esteemed the most 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 east of Connecticut river, and twenty miles weft of the Hudfon, which is 130 miles, and between the ocean and the confines of Cannada, 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, Pennfylvania and Maryland have rivalled it the furperfine 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 bufihefs than any town in the United States. In time of war it will be

infecure,

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Infecure, without a marine force; but a small number of fhips will be able to defend it from the most 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 supplied 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, alinot a mile from the city. Several propofals 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 inany who are ftudious to add to their brilliant external accomplishments, the more brilliant and lafting accomplishments of the mind. Nor have they been unsuccessful, for NewYork can boast of great numbers of refined tafte, whofe minds are highly improved, and whofe converfation is as inviting as their perfonal charins. Tinctured with a Dutch education, they manage their families with good œconomy and fingular neatnefs.

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 respects, given Bofton 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 propetty during the ravages of the war--and the unfavourable state of bufinefs a great part of the time fince the peace. These causes have operated equally unfavourable in fome other parts of the union.

An enquirer, who would wish to acquaint himself with the true state 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 prefent, be anfwered fatisfactorily.

On a general view of this city, as defcribed thirty years ago, and in its prefent fate, the comparison is flattering to the present age; particularly the improvements in tafte, elegance of manners, and that eafy unaffected civility and politenefs, which form the happiness of focial intercourfe.

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

Men

946

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Young men and boys

864

Young women and girls

899

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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 Hudfon'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 houses ftand chiefly upon Pearl, Market and Water-streets, and fix other ftreets 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 cuftom 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 stairs, and an iron horse, for a weather-cock, on the top. There is one little appendage to their houses, which the people, blind to the inconveniences of it, still continue, and that is the watergutters or spouts, which project from every houfe, rendering it almost dangerous to walk the ftreets in a rainy day. Their houses are feldom more than one ftory and an half high, and have but little convenience, and less elegance; but they are kept very neat, being rubbed with a mop almost every day, and scoured every week. The fame neatness, however, is not obferved in the streets, which are very muddy moft of the year, except those which are paved; and these are seldom 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 spoken in Albany, as in any town in the United States. Adventurers, in pursuit of wealth, are led here by the advantages for trade which this place affords. Situated on one of the finest rivers in the world, at the head of floop navigation, furrounded with a rich and extensive 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 rivalfhip, cannot expect to enjoy the pleasures of focial intercourse, or the fweets of an intimate and refined friendship.

A gentleman of obfervation 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; first, a natural prejudice which we all poffefs in favour of our own, and against the manners of another place or nation: fecondly, their clofe union, like the Jews of old, to prevent the innovation of foreigners, and to keep the balance of intereft always in their own hands.

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

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

It is an unhappy circumftance when an infant nation adopts the vices, luxuries and manners of an old one; but this was in a great measure the cafe with the first settlers of Albany, most of whom were immediately from Amfterdam. Their diverfions are walking and fitting in mead houses, and in mixed companies they dance. They know nothing of the little plays and amusements common to fmall focial circles. The gentlemen who are lively and gay, play at cards, billiards, chefs, &c. others go to the tavern, mechanically, at eleven o'clock, ftay until dinner, and return in the evening. It is not uncommon to fee forty or fifty at these places of refort, at the fame time; yet they feldom drink to intoxication, unless in company, or on public occafions, when it is thought to be no difgrace.

They feldom admit many fpectators to their marriages; but the day after, the groom prepares a cold collation, with punch, wine, &c. to partake of which, he expects all his friends will come, at eleven o'clock, without any invitation. A dictator, with abfolute power, is then appointed to prefide at each table, or in each room, and it feldom happens that any are fuffered to leave the house, until the whole circle exhibits a fhocking fpecimen of human depravity.

Their funeral ceremonies are equally fingular. None attend them without a previous invitation. At the appointed hour, they meet at the neighbouring houses or ftoops, until the corpfe is brought out. Ten or twelve perfons are appointed to take the bier all together, and are not relieved. The clerk then defires the gentlemen (for ladies never walk to the grave, nor even attend the funeral, unless of a near relation) to fall into the proceffion. They go to the grave, and return to the house of mourning in the fame order. Here the tables are handsomely fet and furnished with cold and fpiced wine, tobacco and pipes, and candles, paper, &c. to light them. The converfation turns upon promifcuous subjects, however improper, and unfuitable to the folemnity of the occafion, and the house of mourning is foon converted into a houfe of feafting.'

The best families live extremely well, enjoying all the conveniences and luxuries of life; but the poor have fcarcely the neceffaries for fubfiftence. The ground covered by the city charter, is of a thin, poor foil. In the river before the city is a beautiful little ifland, which, were it properly cultivated, would afford a faint resemblance of paradise.

The well-water in this city is extremely bad, fcarcely drinkable by those who are not accustomed to it. Indeed all the water for cooking is brought from the river, and many families ufe it to drink. The water in the wells, if Kalm was well informed, is unwhole fome, being full of little infects, resembling, except in fize, those which we frequently fee in ftagnated rain water.

The public buildings are, a Low Dutch church, one for Prefbyterians, one for Germans or High Dutch, one for Epifcopalians-an hofpital, and the City-hall.

The city of Hudfon has had the moft rapid growth of any place in Ame rica, if we except Baltimore in Maryland. It is fituated on the east fide of Hudfon's river, in latitude 42° 23', and is 130 miles North of NewYork, thirty miles fouth of Albany, and four miles weft from old Claverack town. It is furrounded by an extenfive and fertile back country, and, in proportion to its fize and population, carries on a large trade,

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No longer ago than the autumn of 1783, Meffrs. Seth and Thomas Jenkins, from Providence, in the ftate of Rhode-Ifland, having first réconnoitred all the way up the river, fixed on the unfettled spot where Hudfon now ftands, for a town. To this fpot they found the river was navigable for vessels of any fize. They purchased a tract of about a mile fquare, bordering on the river, with a large bay to the fouthward, and divided it into thirty parcels or fhares. Other adventurers were admitted to proportions, and the town was laid out in fquares, formed by fpacious ftreets, croffing each other at right angles. Each fquare contains thirty lots, two deep, divided by a twenty feet alley; each lot is fifty feet in front, and 120 feet in depth.

In the fpring of 1784, feveral houfes and ftores were erected. The increase of the town from this period to the fpring of 1786, two years only, was aftonishingly rapid, and reflects great honour upon the enterprizing and perfevering spirit of the original founders. In the fpace of time juft mentioned, no less than 150 dwelling-houses. befides fhops, barns, and other buildings, four warehoufes, feveral wharfs, fpermaceti works, a covered rope-walk, and one of the beft diftilleries in America, were erected, and 1500 fouls collected on a spot, which, three years before, was improved as a farm, and but two years before began to be built. Its increase fince has been equally rapid; a printing-office has been established, and feveral public buildings have been erected, befides dwelling-houses, ftores, &c. The inhabitants are plentifully and conveniently fupplied with water, brought to their cellars in wooden pipes, from a fpring two miles from the town.

It stands on an eminence, from which are extenfive and delightful views, to the north-weft, north, and round that way to the fouth-eaft, confifting of hills and vallies, variegated with woods and orchards, corn-fields and meadows, with the river, which is in moft places a miles over, and may be feen a confiderable diftance to the northward, forming a number of bays and creeks. From the fouth-eaft to the fouth-weft, the city is fcreened with hills at different distances; and weft, afar off over the river and a large valley, the prospect is bounded by a chain of stupendous mountains, called the Katts-kill, running to the west-north-west, which add magnifice ce and fublimity to the whole scene.

Upwards of twelve hundred fleighs entered the city daily, for feveral days together, in February 1786, loaded with grain of various kinds, boards, fhingles, ftaves, hoops, iron ware, ftone for building, fire-wood, and fundry articles of provifion for the market; from which fome idea may be formed of the advantage of its fituation, with respect to the country adjacent, which is every day extenfive and fertile, particularly to the weftward.

Poughkeepfie is the fhire-town of Duchefs county, and is fituated upon the eaft fide of Hudfon's river, and north of Wappinger's-kill, or creek. It is a pleafant little town, and has frequently been the feat of the ftate government.

Lanfinburgh, formerly called the New City, ftands on the eaft fide of the Hudfon, juft oppofite the fouth branch of Mohawks river, and nine miles north of Albany. It is a very flourishing place, containing upwards of a hundred houses, pleasantly fituated on a plain, at the foot of a hill.

Kingston

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