talc, it forms the soapstone rock, which is much used in in the city. Earthy marl occurs in many places, and in great quantities, in different parts of New Jersey, more particularly =la Serpentine. Gemeiner Serpentine. W. Roche Serpen- at Woodbury and at Haddonfield, ten miles from the ทะ tineuse. H. city. At Burlington, Allentown, and Emleytown, va Near Westchester this mineral occurs very abundant-rious organic remains are found imbedded in it. kly, and is used for common building stone. Colour, from light to dark green. It also occurs in Montgomery county. Phosphate of Lime. Spargelstein. W. Chaux phosphatee. H. The crystallized variety of this mineral, is found in most of the granite rocks about us, particularly on the canal ro:-1 and near Hamiltonville. Talc. Gemeiner Talc. W. Talc hexagonal et laminaire. H. Talc forms a considerable portion of the rocks known The massive variety was found by Mr. Vanuxem and by the name of soapstone, on the Schuylkill, about ten miles. It does not occur here crystallized, but lamina-myself, on the Baltimore turnpike, one mile from the ted and compact, of a greenish grey colour. Some specimens from this quarry, are of a rich green colour, semitransparent, and generally connected with bitter spar, or the magnesian rhomboidal carbonate of lime. Cyanite, Kyanit. W. Disthene. H. Sappare. Sau. This very beautiful and interesting mineral, occurs crystallized in the gneiss rocks on Springfield road, about two hundred yards from Darby bridge. Colour varies from a very light to a dark Prussian blue. It is generally darkest in a longitudinal line along the middle of the crystal, which is for the most part an elongated table. At the eleventh mile stone on the Wilmington road, it is found more abundant, but less pure; crystals generally detached and almost black. On the road to the Lazaretto it occurs blue; also about eight miles up the Schuylkill. On the Wichicon, about four miles from its mouth, associated with staurotide and garnets, in micaceous schistus; but in small quantities. It was first observed by Mr. S. Elliott in this vicinity. Actynolite. Variety of Amphibole. H. Strahlstein. W. On the Wichicon, about ten miles from the city, opposite to a large mill, half a mile below the bridge, actynolite is found in acicular crystals, of a green colour, imbedded in soapstone rock. Mr. Conrad found it in large masses at Concord, Chester county. Tremolite. Tremolith. W. Variety of Amphibole. H I have seen this but in one place in the neighbourhood of this city, viz: at London grove. It here exists in considerable quantities, in the limestone quarries of Mr. John Jackson, both bladed and fibrous, of a beautiful white. In some instances the fibres are so minute, as to render it almost compact. Carbonate of Lime. Chaux Carbonatee. H, Kalkstein. W. The limestone of our vicinity does not present much variety. It exists in distinct rhombic crystals at London grove, and in White's soapstone quarry with talc, affording fine specimens. Granular limestone occurs in large quantities, about twelve miles on the Reading road, beautifully white, and is much used for the embellishment of the buildings of the city. This variety exists also at London grove, and on the western side of Schuylkill about twelve miles, of a fine black, and clouded. Compact limestone occurs in very large quantities, from a north to a south west direction, at the distance of ten to twenty miles. Marle. Argile calcarifere. H. Mergel. W. In New Jersey we have two varieties of marl. Indurated grey marl, with small shining specks, occurs at Croswick's, near Bordentown, and contains organic remains. bridge. Fluate of Lime. Chaux fiuatee. H. Fluor Spar. W. Mr. Vanuxem proved a mineral to be fluate of lime, which was given him by Mr. Hagner, about two years since, from the quarry of gneiss at the falls of Schuylkill. Colour, violet blue. No determinate crystalliza tion. THE WEST END OF PENNSYLVANIA. From a gentleman just returned from a tour to the West, we have received the following notes on the advantages possessed by that section of country. No part of the United States possesses so many natural resources, or combines so many advantages, as the west end of this state; and as soon as the canals and rail roads, now constructing, are finished, these resources will be developed, and this district of country will take the rank to which they entitle her. Were I called upon conscientiously to point out a district in the United States preeminently calculated to favour mechanical labour and manufactories, I would set one foot of the compass in Pittsburgh, and describe a circle around it, whose radius would be 100 miles-and point to it with a confidence that forbids error. What are the advantages that would be so emphatically embraced? I answer, Coal, Iron, Salt, Lumber, Fertility, Healthfulness, Climate, facility of intercourse with the Atlantic, the Ohio Valley, and the Lakes, a hardy Population with industrious habits,' and already in possession of much skill. Let us speak of each of these in their turn. No country has succeeded in the heavy operations of machinery, and the whole routine of manufactures tained, and the fuel at hand, to render it cheap. This article is also upon the line of the canal above noticed. Lumber. The most valuable pine forest in the United States, and the only one that connects itself with the Ohio valley, touches this region, (I mean the Allegheney ri ver.) It supplies all the western country with pine building timber, and for many of the mechanic arts; and cheap on account of its contiguity. Other timber, such as oak, maple, cherry, and poplar, abound in this district. Fertility. This is the only hilly or waving country of its extent in the United States, that is uniformly fertile. There is no waste land; not more rock or stone than is necessary for domestic uses, and for the arts. Every hill rests on its coal, but without disturbing the fertility above; the grain grows, the orchard thrives, the cattle graze over the coal, unconscious of its existence. In other countries, hills so high and boldly relieved as these, are covered with the debris of rock, or are washed bare by the retreating waters, and left with scrub or stunted growth. These are not so. The forests are tall and majestic on the hills, the fertility continuous, and all either suited for grain, orchard, or grass. Healthfulness. No swamp is found in this region. There are no malaria-no intermittent, or any other disease, incident to a bad climate. All is healthy. The population stout and active, and will be more intelligent and enterprising, for disease not only checks the labour of a country, but renders its population inefficient and stupid. without coal and iron. I take them together. They are inseparable aids. Without them, England would not have half the wealth that so pre-eminently distinguishes her. They are the basis of her most lucrative operations. Her artists have repaired to these regions and taken root, and thence diffused wealth and prosperity. The cotton, woollen, and porcelain, and a thousand other branches of manufacture, owe their unrivalled growth to these invaluable materials, and have planted themselves along side of them in many large and wealthy cities. In England, the coal and iron were in the barren and mountainous districts, and it cost her much time and wealth to make good canals and railways to them, and to introduce an agriculture around them adequate to their supply. In east Pennsylvania we boast much of our anthracite coal, but it also is inaccessible except at great cost, and the region around it too sterile to afford a cheap and ready supply of provisions for large operations: hence the effort is to bring down the coal to the more fertile plains of the Schuylkill and Delaware, and there employ it. The cost, however, becomes so increased, from five to eight dollars a ton, that it enters too deeply into the cost of the articles based upon it. Now look to the district we speak of,— the reverse is the fact. As soon as you descend from the Allegheny mountain on the route of the Pennsylvania Canal within the Connemaugh valley, you disturb coal in every hill. Every half mile section of canal uncovers this valuable article; the same is true of the route of the Baltimore Rail Road. This is the case as far down the Ohio river as Wheeling, and up the Beaver line of the canal. The whole area above described abounds in it; every hill rests upon horizontal strata of coal-the mouths of the pits above the valleys-no deep mining, choak damps, or gaseous explosions-the cart drives into the hill and brings out the coal-if you own the land the quarrying is 14 cents a ton, and 28 cents if you do not own the mine, unless you are near some town, when you will give from 3 to 4 cents a bushel, or one dollar a ton. So universal is the coal, that in buying land you do not ask the question, "has it coal," nor does the value enter at all into the price of the land. You get good land at 5 or 8 dollars an acre, with plenty of coal on it; one hand quarries and wheels out 180 bushels Wool. No part of the United States by actual expea day at 50 cents wages. The Pennsylvania Canal will rience, suits the growth of sheep so well as this. The present a line of 200 miles within this district-the Bal- hills of Washington, Allegheney, and Fayette counties, timore Rail Road 100 miles-and the Ohio river 100 are already covered with sheep, of an excellent breed. miles-in all 400 miles; which may be literally lined In two years, wool would meet any demand in that diswith manufacturing villages, each leaning against its trict, and could be furnished cheap. The land is cheap own coal mine-deriving iron, lumber, and other mate--they graze, and procure such good pasturage, that it rials from the canal, road, or river-and drawing provi- is said eight sheep can be supported on one acre. sions and subsistence from the fertility that is around Flax can be growed with great perfection on the ferevery point. When coal and provisions become in any tile hills of this region; and the Ohio river brings them degree advanced at Pittsburgh, or any other condensed the hemp of Kentucky so cheap, that it may be said to point-others, where coal is less monopolized, may be belong almost to this district. resorted to, and where the provisions would be more plentifully supplied along the lines of these communications; and thus the nucleus of new villages be every day formed. This coal is of an excellent quality, and can be coked for operations of iron manufacturing. The anthracite of the Schuylkill never can from its compact nature. Iron not only abounds within the above district, but it leans upon the great and inexhaustible region of the Allegheny mountains, the Juniata, the Upper Monongahela, and the Allegheney rivers, whence never ending supplies of the best iron can be derived; embracing all the qualities from the tough Swedes' iron to the coal short of England. The Juniata iron is very similar to the Swedish iron. The Allegheney iron is harder, and makes the best grey pig iron for fine casting. Already the iron of this region is much developed, and could rapidly, with the start they have, supply any state of the arts and manufactures. Salt, an article of the first necessity in domestic economy, and much used in the arts, abounds in this district; already much is developed, the capacity ascer Climate. This is good-equally removed from the extremes of the Canadian and Gulph latitudes. The mild, genial, healthy latitude of Philadelphia—with just winter enough to brace, and heat enough in summer to ripen the finest fruits, and mature the greatest variety of the grain and root crops. Provisions. These are literally under foot; produced in the greatest quantity, of the best quality, and with little labour; hence they are cheap, and the wages of the day or monthly labourer take pitch from this circumstance, and altogether enable the operator to produce his article at the minimum prices. This will secure his market. Market. In its relation to a market and consumption, this district is very happily situated. Connected directly with the Atlantic cities by the Pennsylvania Canal and Baltimore Rail Road, and at the same time so far removed from the Atlantic as to be a little out of the sphere of foreign competition. This is the most desirable sort of connexion with the maritime cities; just near enough to derive through them every thing necessary for the perfection of the arts-and just far enough from them to be out of the sphere of foreign importation. Besides the dense population around it, and offering great consumption, it rests upon the vast and unlimited market which the valley of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers furnish-is connected directly with it by the longest and best line of interior navigation on earth. A line already covered with steam boats-one hundred and sixty-six rest upon its stream, ready to bear cotton, iron, lumber, hemp, and every other raw material essential to a manufacturing district, and on the cheapest terms. Three-fourths of a cent a pound is the cost up this great line, from New Orleans to Pittsburgh. And in sending off the manufactured articles still less, for the stream is in favour of this. operation, and carries them to the consumer with scarce ly any increase of cost. Again, this is the district whence the easy connexion with the great lakes is about to take place; opening thence a market almost equal in extent to the Mississippi valley, and connecting you, if your interest should require it, with N. York, through her canals. Thus we see this is the identical district where the great lines of intercommunication cross and meet, from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and the great lakes. Any shifting of your position throws you out of the focus of the great radii of commerce. Come more east, you not only change your supplies, and increase the cost of them, but you are drawn into the vortex of foreign commerce. Go further west, and you lose the vantage ground; you enter the swamps of the lower Ohio; have no coal, iron, or other materials, and you will have to push up the streams to market. There is no This district need have no timber reserved for fuel. Every acre can almost support its soul. limit to the population in such a country. EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON THE NAVIGATION. THE following investigation was commenced last winter with a view to ascertain the periods at which the navigation of the Delaware, has usually been obstructed by ice, and when it became freed from such obstruction.For this purpose we have consulted the news papers for the different periods, confining our attention principally to December, January, February and March, although occasionally notice is taken of some other months. The early Gazettes have generally noticed the occurrence of ice. Some of the late papers have omitted it. During the revolution, we find but few remarks on the subject, and in some years none at all. 1681. Decem ber 11. The river froze over that night. The Bristol Factor, Roger Drew, arrived at Chester from England, with settlers for Pennsylvania, where they lay all winter. 1692. "The great flood at Delaware falls, owing to the sudden melting of the snows, the water reached the upper stories of some of the houses, which were built on the low lands. 1704. Snow fell one yard deep. Mease. 1714. 1720. February. Flowers seen in the woods. December 20. Our river is full of ice, and the ship Prince of Orange, which is going with a flag of truce and Spanish prisoners to St. Augustine, is in great danger. Decr. 27. The river being now clear of ice, vessels are falling down. 1721. Decr. 19. No vessels arrived since our last, the 1725. December 29. Some driving ice, but not so as to prevent vessels going up or down. March 3. Snow fell near two feet deep last night, and yesterday, which has not been known for some years. December 21. River is very full of ice, though several vessels came up with it; no arrivals or clearances mentioned till 18th July. 1726. January 18. Entries and clearances. 1727. February 1. No vessels in or out since our last, river being blocked up by ice. 15. River driving with ice. December. Entries and clearances through the month. February 14. Very cold weather for four days which has filled our river full of ice: March 30, Weather, and floods prevented the legislature from meeting at the time to which they stood adjourned. 1728. January 23. We have had very hard weather here for nearly two weeks; so that it has frozen our river up to such a degree that people go over daily, and they have set up two booths on the ice about the middle of the river. 30. River still fast. February 7. Some say the ice is driving near Bombay Hook River here still fast. No clearances mentioned till March 5. 1729 1730. 1731. December 31. 36 vessels, besides small craft, frozen up at docks, viz. large ships 14; snows 3; brigs 8; sloops 9; schooners 2. January 29. Our river still frozen up. month. January 13. A large panther killed near Cones toga; also one last week near Shrewsbury, N. J. 20. We had here such a deep snow, the like not known these several years. River full of ice; no vessels can pass. 27. A vessel cleared. December 21. Vessels attempting to go were forced back by ice. 29. Entries and clearances. January 26. River still full of ice. February 2. No vessels since our last; river locked up with ice. 9. Entries and clearances. 16. Last week we had the greatest fresh in the Delaware ever known since the great flood at Delaware falls 39 years ago. December 14. Our river is now full of ice. locked up. 6. Vessels get up to New Castle. 9. 16. 22. River still locked up. Feby. 6. Vessels cleared and entered. 1723. January 1. Weather is yet very moderate and our river open. 6. Weather is yet very moderate, and river free from ice. December. Vessels enter and clear through the month. 1724. January 18. River very free from ice. December 15. On Thursday last a violent storm of wind and rain; tide overflowed the wharves. Two outward bound vessels returned for fear of ice, of which our river is very full. December 22. River full of ice. 25. River still fast. February 22. Entries and clearances. December. do. do. January 18. Great snow at Lewes; ice driven ashore by a N. E. storm. February 1. River still fast. 15. Ice grows rotten; expected to drive in a few days. December 21. Our river is now free from ice; weather fine and open. 1735. January 16. Our river continues open and the weather very moderate. March 4. Saturday last quantities of codfish taken just off the capes. December. Entries and clearances. 1736. January 6. River is fast, and full of ice. February 5. Arrivals. 25. Two whales killed at Cape May. April 22. Hail storm near the city; stones as large as pidgeons' eggs. December. Arrivals and clearances through the month. 1737. January 20. Weather very cold; persons frozen to death; a vessel below cannct come up on account of the ice. February 3. Sunday night last the ice in the Schuylkill, though exceedingly thick and strong, broke up with the fresh occasioned by the rains and melting of the snow. The water rose near six feet on the ground floor of Joseph Gray's house at the middle ferry, which is three feet higher than it was in the fresh in 1733, and that was said to be the highest ever recollected. March 17. On Wednesday and Thursday last a S. E. storm raised the tide higher than known for many years, and which did great damage. May 7. An aurora borealis. December 8. Earthquake last night about eleven o'clock; lasted half a minute. Entries and clearances through the month. 1738. January and February. Entries and clearances through the month. April 6. A great storm at E. and N. E.; damaged wharves; creeks very much raised. December. Entries and clearances till 18th. 1739. January 25. River now entirely clear of ice; vessels gone down; fast since 18th December. December. Entries and clearances. 1740. January 10. No entries or clearances from this date till February 21. When arrivals are mentioned. March 15. Ice broke up in the Delaware. December 19. River unnavigable from this to 13th March. 1741. January 8. Our river has been fast some time, and we heard from Lewes that 'tis al! ice towards the sea as far as the eye can reach. Tuesday and Wednesday are thought to have been the coldest days for many years. March 5. The severity of the winter complained of throughout the country. Cattle dying for want of fodder; many deer found dead in the woods, and some came tamely to the plantations, and fed on hay with other creatures. March 13. River navigable. The winter extremely long and severe. 19. Arrivals. A comet has been visible for six weeks; appears to have increased in size. Dec. Entries and clearances. 1745. January, February, March. Entries and clearances; find no mention of ice. March 26. Friday last, a violent gust-houses damaged and trees uprooted. Dec. Entries and clearances. 1746. January. No arrivals nor clearances this month; no ice is mentioned. December 28. River frozen up for a week past. 1747. February 24. First arrivals since 23d December. April 30. A violent N. E. storm did much da mage. December 15. full of ice. 1748. January 12. No entries this week, river being Entries and clearances. 26. A vessel ashore on Reedy Island, cut through with the ice--no entries or clearances -severe weather-a man frozen to death on a flat in Mantua Creek. February 2. Entries and clearances. 9. River again full of ice; no entries or clearances till March 1, when there are some. April 21. A comet visible for 8 or 10 night's past December. Entries and clearances through the month. 1749. January 31. A vesse! reaches "Elsingburgh." The river, by hard S. E. gale almost freed from ice. February 7. River again full of ice. 14. Arrivals. June 1. Great quantities of locusts. December. No arrivals from 12 to 26; ice not mentioned. 1750. January 22. Our river is now broke up; and yesterday a vessel went down. This morning a violent N. E. storm, which has done considerable damage to the vessels and wharves. 1751. February 6. River free from ice; vessels going up and down. February 16. A very bright aurora borealis. May 30. It is said this has been the coldest May in the memory of man; last week there were frosts in several places, which have done considerable damage, and in some places snow. December 25. A violent N. E. storm last Thursday; it damaged our wharves considerably, and sunk some small craft. January 1. River full of ice. 22. River so open that a shallop came up from Marcus Hook. This morning a violent S. E. storm which damaged wharves and vessels. October 3. Monday night last the streets of this city began to be illuminated with lamps in pursuance of an act of Assembly. December 24. For a week past our navigation has been stopped, the river being very full of ice. 1752. February 18. Our river has been driving for some days past, and is now so clear of ice, that if the weather continues moderate in a few days vessels will fall down. 19. River now quite open; vessels daily come up. April 19. We hear from Lancaster county that during the great snow, which in general was more than three feet deep, the back inhabitants suffered much for want of bread; that many families of new settlers had little else to subsist upon but the car-1753. cases of deer they found dead or dying in the The Indians swamps or runs about their houses. fear a scarcity of deer and Turkies, &c. December. Entries and clearances. 1742. January. do. do. 22. Comet visible for some time. February and March. Entries and clearances no mention of ice. Dec. Entries and clearances-no mention of ice. do. Dec. 8. A comet visible. 1743. Jan. 1744. Jan. 3. No entries this week-river full of ice. February 25. River entirely clear; 12 sea vessels arrived in one tide. Jan. 2. Our navigation is stopped; river full of ice. - 9. Vessels entered. 23. Navigation quite clear. November 14. A violent gale from E.; wharves overflowed, and water in most of the stores. December 29. River full of ice. Navigation stopped. On Monday last a violent S. E. storm drove several vessels ashore. 1754. January 15. Our river is now and has been for several days quite clear of ice. January 22. Unusually low tide owing to a gale from N. W. June 6. On Tuesday afternoon a shower of ex ceeding large hail; a water-spout appeared on the Delaware opposite Kensington, which was carried up Cooper's creek, and supposed to break on the shore, where considerable damage was done. December. Entries and clearances through the month. 1755. January 14. There is so much ice at present in the river that our navigation is stopped. January 21. Clearances from this date forward. do. through month. December. 1756. January and February. Clearances through the month. March 18. On Friday night we had a violent N. E. snow storm, which did considerable damage to the vessels at the wharves, and probably on the coast. This is the first mention of snow. Arrivals and clearances continue through the month. There is no intimation that the navigation was interrupted this winter. December. Entries and clearances. 30. "People surprised at the appearance of two Parhelia, or mock suns, one on each side of the true one, and a large white circle passing through all three, and a crown or small rainbow in the zenith, which appearance lasted nearly an hour, between ten and eleven o'clock in the morning.' 1757. January. Clearances and arrivals throughout the month, although the managers of the New Castle Lottery advertised that they have been prevented by the severity of the weather, from riding about to sell their tickets, and the country people from coming in to purchase; no mention of the navigation being interrupted, and entries and clearances published every week through the winter. December. Entries and clearances through the month. 1758. February 2. Navigation has been stopped some days, and is still, there being a good deal of ice in the river. 16. River almost clear of ice; some vessels have fallen down. March 22. A smart shock of an earthquake felt between ten and eleven o'clock P. M. December 28. For a few days past our river has been full of ice, but is now likely to be soon clear again. 1759. January 4. Our river is so full of ice that no vessel can stir. 11. Arrivals and clearances. 25. River has for some days been interrupted with ice. February 1. Clearances. December 28. Navigation stopped for a week past. River full of ice. 1760. January 3. Clearances. 17. Thursday last our river was so free from ice that a vessel came up; but it is now fast again. February 7. For three days past have had a fine thaw by which the ice is greatly dissolved, and we hope the navigation will be open in a few days. 14. Arrivals and clearances. March 20. On Sunday last, we had a violent N. E. snow storm, when considering the season of the year and the time it lasted (18 hours) there was the greatest fall of snow that has been known, it is said, since the settlement of the province. December. Arrivals, &c. through the month. 1761. No arrivals or clearances from January 15 to 5th February. December 17. Our river is and has been interrupted by ice for some days past. 24. Navigation quite stopped-mea. sures for relief of the poor. 1762. January 14. On Saturday and Sunday last we had a violent N. E. storm here, which, with the sudden thaw for some days before, occasioned prodiNo. 30. December 27. Our navigation was at a stand for a few days, the river being full of ice; but on Tuesday night we had a violent N. E. storm for some hours, which ended in rain-and the wind blowing prodigiously hard at the same time destroyed the ice, so that some vessels ventured down yesterday. 31. Delaware frozen over in one nightpassable next morning. January 3. Our navigation has been quite at a stand for a week past. 1766. February 7. On Tuesday last an ox was roasted whole on the river Delaware, which from the novelty of the thing, drew together a great number of people. February 14. The weather is now so moderate and our bay so clear of ice, that the vessels at the Capes are come up to Reedy Island. 28. Our navigation is now quite clear and several vessels have came up. A letter from Fort Pitt dated January 31, 1765, says "the weather has been so uncommonly severe at this post, that both rivers have been passable on the ice for six weeks." 1767. March 28. On Saturday night last came on here a very severe snow storm which continued all night and next day, when it is believed the greatest quantity of snow, that has been (considering the advanced state of the season) for many years past, it being said to be about 2 or 24 feet on a level, and in some places deeper. A great number of trees are destroyed; some torn up by the roots, others broke off and the roads so bad that there is scarcely any travelling. December. Entries, &c. al' the month. January 9. River quite fast since Friday lastweather very severe. 30. No arrivals &c. since 9th-ice most ly dissolved. February 6. Arrivals. 16. A sloop drove up to New Castle in a cake of ice. December. Arrivals and clearances throughout. January 1. Our river is so full of ice that navi gation is at a stand. Thermometer 6° on 2d, 5° 8. From the very great unexpected thaw since Saturday last, our river is now pretty clear of ice. On Monday night at the middle ferry, Schuyl kill, the ice carried away all the boats, broke the ropes, tore the wharf and dd other considerable damage; some of the out houses, being washed away by the water overflowing the banks. December 24. The cold weather of Saturday night, filled the river so full of ice that vessels could not depart; but on Tuesday there was a fine thaw accompanied with 1ain and the weather is now moderate, and we hope the navigation will soon open again. 1768. February 11. Our river is now so clear of ice, that vessels get up and down. March 24. On Saturday night last, we had a most violent snow storm from N. E. December. Arrivals and clearances through the month. |