Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
several other small Rivers, in number hardly Credible; these, as the Brooks, have
for the most part gravelly and hard Bottoms; and it is suppos’d that there are many
other further up in the Country, which are nor yet discover’d; the Names of the
aforesaid Rivers, are, Hoorkill-River, alias Lewis River, which runs up to Lewis
Town, the chiefest in Suex County; Cedar-River, Muskmellon-River, all taking
their Names from the great plenty of these things growing thereabouts; Motherkill
alias Dover-River, St. Jones alias Cranbrook-River, where one John Curtice
lives, who hath Three Hundred Head of Neat Beasts, besides great Numbers of
Hogs, Horses and Sheep; Great Duck-River, Little Duck-River, Black-Bird-River,
these also took their Original Names from the great Numbers of those Fowls which
are found there in vast quantities: Apequinemy-River, where their Goods come to
be Carted over to Mary-Land, St. George’s-River, Christen-River, Brandy-Wine-
River, Upland alias Chester-River, which runs by Chester-Town, being the Shire
or Country-Town; Schoolkill-River, Frankford-River, near which, Arthur Cook
hath a most Stately Brick-House; and Nishamany-River, where Judge Growden
hath a very Noble and Fine House, very pleasantly Situated, and likewise a Famous
Orchard adjoining to it, wherein are contain’d above a Thousand Apple Trees of
various forts; likewise there is the famous Derby-River, which comes down from
the Cumbry by Derby-Town, wherein are several Mills, viz. Fulling-Mills, Corn-
Mills, &c.
There is curious Building-Stone and Paving-Stone, also Tile-Stone, with
which latter, Governor Penn covered his Great and Stately Pile, which he call’d
Pennsbury-House, the Name it still retains. There is likewise Iron-Stone or Oar,
(lately found) which far exceeds that in England, being Richer and Less Drossy,
some Preparations have been made to carry on an Iron-Work: There is also a
very good Lime-Stone in great plenty, and cheap, of great use in Buildings, and
also in Manuring Land, (if there were occasion) but Nature has made that of it
self suciently Fruitful; besides here are Load-Stone, Issing-Glass, and (that
Wonder of Stones) the Salamander-Stone, found near Brandy-Wine-River,
having Cotton in Veins within it, which will not consume in the Firel though held
there a long time.
As to Minerals, or Metals, there is very good Copper, far exceeding ours in
England, being much Finer, and of a more glorious Colour. Not two Mile from the
Metropolis, are also Purging Mineral-Waters, that pass both by Siege and Vrine,
all out as good as Epsom; and I have reason to believe, there are good Coals also,
for I observ’d, the Runs of Water have the fame Colour as that which proceeds from
the Coal-Mines in Wales.
Here is curious Diversion in Hunting, Fishing, and Fowling, especially upon
that Great and Famou River Suskahanah, which runs down quite through the
heart of the Country to Mary-Land, where it makes the Head of Chesepeck-Bay, in
which place there are an Innite Number of Sea and Land Fowl, of most forts. viz.
Swans, Ducks, Brands, Snipe, Curlew; as also Eagles, Turkies (of Forty or Fifty
Pound Weight) Pheasants, Partridges, Pidgeons, Heath-Birds, Black-Birds; and
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