Besides the number of birds which made these trees their homes, they were likewise frequented by tree-toads, and the clamorous voices of these animals were the subject of remark to travellers and others not accustomed to them.

Most of the houses were built of brick, and two or three stories high. The ancient custom of turning the gable ends to the streets, was now fast growing into disuse, although the great part of the city was still built up in this manner. Many of the houses had a balcony on the roof on which the people were accustomed to sit in the summer evenings. From thence, in houses in Broadway and other elevated streets, they had a pleasant view of a great part of the town, and likewise of the rivers, the bay and the opposite shores. The roofs were covered either with tiles or shingles. Within the houses the walls were white-washed. No hangings appear to have been in use, but the walls were quite covered with all sorts of drawings and pictures in small frames. On each side of the chimneys they had usually a sort of alcove, and the walls under the windows were wainscotted, and had benches placed near. The alcoves and all the wood-work were painted

There were at that time the following churches in the town:

1. The English church (on site of the present Trinity), built in the year 1695; it was built of stone, and had a steeple with a bell.

2. The New Dutch church-then so called-now known as the post-office. This was likewise of stone. It had a clock, then the only one in town. In this church, there was neither altar, vestry, choir, sconses or paintings. Some trees were planted around it, which made it look as if it were" built in a wood."

3. The Old Dutch church, then standing in Garden street, (now Exchange place) was also built of stone. It was not so large as the new one. It was painted on the inside, though without any images, and was also adorned with a small organ, of which Governor Burnet made them a presThe men, for the most part, sat in the gallery, the women below.

ent.

4. The Presbyterian church, formerly standing in Wall street, near Broadway, had been built but lately. It was of stone, and had a steeple with a bell in it.

5. The German Lutheran church.

6. The German Reformed church.

7. The French church, for Protestant refugees.

8. The Quaker meeting-house.

9. The Jewish Synagogue.

The want of good water in the town at this period was a serious inconvenience. There were many wells (commonly situated in the middle of the street) but the inhabitants, many of them preferred to send out of town to the fresh water spring, situated nearly in the rear of the Park, and then, and for a long period afterwards known as the tea-water spring.

Country people were in the habit of coming to market twice a week, on market days fixed by custom, as it still prevails in some of our river villages.

There were two printers in the town, and two small newspapers were published weekly.

The Rev. Andrew Burnaby, who travelled through the middle settlements in North America, in the year 1759 and 1760, gives the following account of his visit to the city of New York:

From Staten Island "I embarked for New York, and after a pleasant passage over the bay, which is three leagues wide, and various delightful prospects of rivers, islands, fields, hills, woods, the Narrows, New York city, vessels sailing to and fro, and innumerable porpoises playing upon the surface of the water, in an evening so serene that the hemisphere was not ruffled by a single cloud. Arrived there about the setting of the sun.

"The city contains between two and three thousand houses, and sixteen or seventeen thousand inhabitants; is tolerably well built, and has several good houses. The streets are paved and very clean, but in general narrow. There are two or three indeed, which are spacious and airy, particularly the Broadway. The houses in this street have mostly a row of trees before them, which form an agreeable shade, and have a pretty effect. There are several public buildings, though but few that deserve attention. The College (now Columbia College) when finished, will be exceedingly handsome. It is to be built on three sides of a quadrangle, fronting Hudson or North river, and will be the most beautifully situated of any college I believe in the world.

"More than half the inhabitants of New York are Dutch, and almost all traders; they are therefore habitually frugal, industrious and parsimonious. The women are handsome and agreeable, though rather more reserved than the Philadelphian ladies. Their amusements are much the same as in Pennsylvania, viz., balls and sleighing expeditions in the winter, and in summer going in parties upon the water and fishing, or making excursions into the country. There are several houses pleasantly situated upon the East river, near New York, where it is common to have turtle feasts; these happen once or twice in a week. Thirty or forty gentlemen and ladies meet and dine together, drink tea in the afternoon, fish and amuse themselves till evening, and then return home in Italian chaises (a fashionable carriage in these parts,) a gentleman and lady in each chaise. In the way there is a bridge about three miles distant from New York, which you always pass over as you return, called the Kissing bridge, where it is part of the etiquette, to salute the lady who has put herself under your protection."

In 1783, peace was concluded between Great Britain and the United States, by virtue of which the independence of this republic was recog nized.

In the early time of our republic, foreign nations had no confidence in the capacity of free institutions to govern a people; many ages of submission to feudal despotism, (though latterly chastened of its most despotic features) had bred in the people of Europe an inaptitude to think and act for themselves, and it was upon the knowledge of this habitual weakness of the masses of their subjects that the rulers upheld their power. It was not, therefore, expected abroad that our government could sustain itself upon the broad platform of the liberty of the people; and a distrust was felt towards us by the leading classes in Europe, which has only within a very few years past been eradicated. But with our continued stability,

came the confidence of the people of other nations, who began to regard this country as the haven of the poor man from the fears of want; as the mine whence the enterprising and adventurous were to draw wealth; as the theatre wherein the political economist was to realize his theories; as the church of all creeds wherein those deprived of liberty of conscience in their native land could worship without fear of molestation; hence the tide of the world's population tended to our shores, and the safe and beautiful harbor of New York, received the ships of all nations bearing their freight of men and of goods from every part of the earth.

In our midst, the increase of population began to extend the limits of the city. Even so early as the year 1804, the necessity of settling a regular plan of streets, for a distance of eight miles in length, and the width of the island was anticipated by our legislature, and a plan was established by law, comprehending in its features the cutting down of mountains and the filling up of valleys to a regular and uniform grade over all that extent. At the present time the compact portion of our city is about four miles in length by two in width, not including the suburbs of Brooklyn, Williamsburgh, Jersey City, Hoboken, &c., and including those suburbs by the recent census (1850) the population is about six hundred and fifty thousand. Under the smiles of fortune, most classes of our citizens have been prosperous, many have grown wealthy, and the style and expense of living, and the beauty of some of the principal streets of the city, have proportionably improved. The buildings now generally in course of construction by our wealthy inhabitants for their private residences, are among the most splendid and costly city dwelling houses in the world. The several styles of architecture are conceived by architects of great ability, and the designs of the buildings and interior decorations are in many instances carried out without regard to cost. One hundred thousand dollars for the cost of a single city lot, free-stone house, and furniture, is not an unfrequent expenditure. The support of many private establishments requires an outlay of ten to twenty thousand dollars a year, some ranging much higher. It is partly in this manner that the superfluous wealth of our citizens is expended; but while in this respect the luxuries of life enjoyed by the possession of wealth are

not less costly and magnificent than those of the most aristocratic societies in the world, yet the nature of our political institutions is calculated with certainty to render this privilege a temporary one, and the result is found to be that the wealth of a family, however great, is gradually reduced by divisions among successive generations, and a necessity for toil is commonly found to exist among the posterity as among the ancestry, and as this is a result taught both by theory and experience, labor among our peeple is no disgrace, but on the contrary to accumulate a fortune is considered more honorable than to inherit one.

There are in the city of New York in 1851, 239 churches, divided as follows: 30 Baptist; 9 Congregational; 17 Dutch Reformed; 3 Friends; 10 Jewish Synagogues; 6 Lutheran; 34 Methodist Episcopal; 3 Methodist Protestant; 40 Protestant Episcopal; 2 New Jerusalem; 36 Presbyterian ; 5 Associate Presbyterian ; 2 Associate Reformed Presbyterian; 4 Reformed Presbyterian; 3 Primitive Christians; 20 Roman Catholic; 2 Unitarian; 4 Universalist; 1 Wesleyan Methodist; 7 miscellaneous.

In 1786, three years subsequent to the Declaration of Peace between Great Britain and America, the city contained 23,614 inhabitants.

In 1790, the population was 33,131, being an increase of about 10,000 in four years, or 2,500 per annum.

In 1800, the population was 60,489, being an increase of about 27,000 in ten years, or 2,700 per annum.

In 1810, the population was 95,519, being an increase of about 35,000 in ten years, or 3,500 per annum.

In 1820, the population was 123,706, being an increase of about 28,000 in ten years, or 2,800 per annum.

In 1825, the population was 166,000, being an increase of about 43,000 in five years, or 8,500 per annum.

In 1830, the population was 203,007, being an increase of about 37,000 in five years, or 7,500 per annum.

In 1835, the population was 270,089, being an increase of about 67,000 in five years, or 13,000 per annum.

In 1840, the population was 312,710, being an increase of about 42,000 in five years, or 8,000 per annum.

In 1845, the population was 371,223, being an increase of about 70,000 in five years, or 14,000 per annum.

In 1850, the population was 515,394, being an increase of about 144,000 in five years, or nearly 30,000 per annum.

The suburbs of New York, lying within one mile of the city, consisting of Brooklyn, Williamsburgh, Jersey City and Hoboken, contain in round numbers 150,000 inhabitants, which added to the present population of the city proper, make a total of at least 650,000.

ON THE REASONS WHY SOME OF THE STREETS OF NEW YORK WERE CONSTRUCTED ON THEIR PRESENT SITES.

We have heard curiosity often expressed as to the reasons which induced the first founders of our city to lay down the plans of their streets in the irregular manner in which we find them in the lower part of the city. Looking at the city map, it will be observed that there has been no uniform plan of laying out the streets at the time these became peopled, and that local and peculiar influences must have governed them in fixing upon their sites. These influences cannot, upon a superficial view of the city at the present time, be ascertained; but by studying the history of the past, and the formation of the probable surface of the country before these streets were built upon, we are able to trace this puzzling problem with a considerable degree of certainty.

We must not suppose that the original founders of this city came hither prepared to lay out a city with respect to uniformity of grade, or that the site of this city was chosen, like that of Philadelphia, with any view before hand, of laying down a city, staked out in regular squares; but the fact must be borne in mind that the original settlers had other influences governing them. They come hither to a country of savages. They found the island a favorable site for trade, and affording natural facilities for security on three sides against an attack of their barbarous neighbors. Hence, they raised their cabins upon the south point of the island, and gradually, with the increase of population, the limits of their settlement expanded.

The formation of the land around their fort was much broken; hills, valleys, ponds, streams and marshes were obstructions to be regarded in settling their thoroughfares; but not then, as now, were these to be overcome by the spade and the wheelbarrow, the pick and the blast. They traversed around obstructions which we of the present day go through.

For the better illustrating our own views, we have prepared a ground plan of the lower part of the island, based upon the most authentic data, and with the aid of this, we propose to offer a few suggestions on the origin of some of the streets.

PEARL STREET.-The crescent, or bow-like, form of this street, appears now to be a puzzling matter of explanation, its end being nearly on the same line from which it starts. This street has in the course of its history been know by several different names, applied to different portions of it, and finally it was given one general cognomen for its whole extent. Originally this street was the one nearest to the shore of the river, and became soon one of the most populous in the city, on account of more business being done on the East river side of the island than on the North river