USA > Delaware > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 29
USA > New Jersey > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 29
USA > Pennsylvania > Narratives of early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630-1707 > Part 29
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1 Ballot.
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[1682
CHAPTER V.
Concerning the Situation and the Rivers of the Province.
The situation of Pennsylvania is like that of Naples in Italy. This province begins at the fortieth degree of north latitude;1 its boundaries run to the east along the de la Ware River. It is seventy-five German miles' long and forty-five" wide.
The adjacent islands are, Neu-Jersey, Marie-land, and Vir- ginia.
In this province some new beautiful stars, whole and half, are seen which constantly maintain the same pole, and have not before been known to the European astrologers.
The dela Ware River is so grand that it has no equal in all Europe. Thirty miles above Philadelphia ships of one hun- dred tons burden can conveniently sail thereon. It separates Neu-Gersey and Pennsylvania from one another. At Phila- delphia it is two," and at Castle three," miles wide, it receives the ebb and flow of the tide, and abounds with fish, as does the Scolkil.
The fresh streams and springs are almost without number.
The shady underbrush and thickets are everywhere filled with birds, whose rare colors and varied notes magnificently set forth the praise of their Creator. And above all, there is a superabundance of wild geese, ducks, turkeys, partridges, wild pigeons, water-snipe, and similar game.
1 So erroneously believed at the time.
'Two hundred and twenty-five English miles.
' If German miles are meant, this would equal 135 English miles.
' Evidently English miles, as the head of navigation is about thirty miles above Philadelphia at the Falls of Delaware, at Trenton.
" Less than an English mile wide.
· Slightly more than two English miles wide.
--
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1682]
CHAPTER VI.
Concerning the Coming of William Penn.
On November 1, 1682,1 William Penn arrived in this prov- ince with twenty ships,' having spent six weeks upon the voy- age. Even while they were yet far from the land there was wafted to them as delightful a fragrance as if it came from a freshly blossoming garden. He found, upon his arrival, no other Christian people save those alone who upon the discovery of the province had been put there.' Part of them dwelt in Neu-Castle, and part upon separate plantations. Penn was received as their ruler by these people with especial tokens of affection, and they most willingly discharged their obligation of submission to him. All that he required of them in return was: A temperate life and neighborly love. On the other hand, he promised to protect them in both spiritual and tem- poral matters.
CHAPTER VII. Concerning the Laws given by William Penn.
Firstly, no one shall be disturbed on account of his belief, but freedom of conscience shall be granted to all inhabitants of the province, so that every nation may build and conduct churches and schools according to their desires.
2. Sunday shall be consecrated to the public worship of God. The teaching of God shall be so zealously carried on
" Penn arrived within the capes of Delaware Bay, October 24 (N. S., Novem- ber 3); at New Castle, Delaware, October 27 (N. S., November 6); at Upland (now Chester), Pennsylvania, October 29 (N. S., November 8), 1682.
' Not as a convoy or fleet in company with Penn's ship the Welcome, but as the number of vessels arriving during the summer of 1682, or the shipping season of Penn's coming. "Here have come letters from Wm. Penn [in Pennsylvania] above a month since . . . and there had been that summer 21 sayl Ships arrived there with Passingers." (Letter of James Claypoole, London, January 16, 1682/3).
* Not true; Penn found a heterogeneous population of Indians, Swedes, Dutch, French, and English; the whites had been coming there since the first permanent settlement by the Swedes in 1638.
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that its purity can be recognized in each listener from the fruits which arise from it.
3. For the more convenient bringing up of the youth, the solitary farmers living in the province shall all remove to the market-towns, so that the neighbors may help one another in a Christlike manner and praise God together, and that they may accustom their children also to do the same.
4. The sessions of the court shall be held publicly, at ap- pointed times, so that everyone may attend them.
5. Justices of the peace shall be appointed in the rising cities and market-towns, to insure the observance of the laws.
6. Cursing, blasphemy, misuse of the name of God, quarrel- ling, cheating, drunkenness, shall be punished with the pillory. 7. All workmen shall be content with their definite stip- ulated wages.
8. Each child, that is twelve years of age, shall be put to some handicraft or other honorable trade.
CHAPTER VIII.
Concerning the Rising Towns of the Province.
The Governor William Penn laid out the city of Philadel- phia between the two streams de la Ware and Scolkis, and gave it this name, as if its inhabitants should lead their lives there- in in pure and simple brotherly love.
The river at the city is deep enough so that large ships can, without danger, sail up to the bank within a stone's throw of the city.
Another English Company' has built the new city of Franck- furt,' at a distance of an hour and a half, wherein, in addition to trading, they have set on foot some mills, glass-works, and briek-kilns.
Neu-Castle lies forty English miles' from the sea, on the de la Ware River, and has a good harbor. The city of Upland lies twenty English miles from Castle, up the river, and is chiefly inhabited by Swedes.
" The Free Society of Traders.
" Nearer fifty miles.
· Frankford.
' Only about fifteen miles.
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1683]
On October 24, 1685,1 I, Francis Daniel Pastorius, with the good will of the governor, laid out another new city, of the name of Germanton, or Germanopolis, at a distance of two hours' walk from Philadelphia, where there are a good black fertile soil, and many fresh wholesome springs of water, many oak, walnut, and chestnut trees, and also good pasturage for cattle. The first settlement consisted of only twelve families of forty-one persons, the greater part High German mechanics and weavers, because I had ascertained that linen cloth would be indispensable.
I made the main street of this city sixty feet wide, and the side streets forty; the space, or ground-plot, for each house and garden was as much as three acres of land, but for my own dwelling twice as much. Before this, I had also built a little house in Philadelphia, thirty feet long and fifteen wide. Be- cause of the scarcity of glass the windows were of oiled paper. Over the house-door I had written:
Parva Domus, sed amica Bonis, procul este profani,?
Whereat our Governor, when he visited me, burst into laughter, and encouraged me to keep on building.
I have also acquired for my High-German Company fifteen thousand acres of land in one piece, upon the condition that, within a year, they shall actually place thirty households thereon; and for this reason, that we High-Germans may main- tain a separate little province, and thus feel more secure from all oppression.
It would, therefore, be a very good thing if the European. associates should at once send more persons over here, for the common advantage of the Company; for only the day before yesterday,' the Governor said to me that the zeal of the High- Germans in building pleased him very much, and that he pre- ferred them to the English, and would grant them special privileges.
1 Misprint for 1683.
' A little house, but a friend to the good; remain at a distance, ye profane.
* In this chapter Pastorius is drawing his account of Germantown and of his activities from his report of March 7, 1684.
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CHAPTER IX.
Concerning the Fruitfulness of this Province.
As this province is situated like Mompellier' and Naples in respect to latitude, but is furnished with many more rivers and springs than either of the two, so it is not difficult to compre- hend that such a country is well-adapted for many fine crops. The air is clear and pleasant, the summer longer and warmer than in Germany, and we have already in these parts satis- factory supply of all sorts of crops, and our work of cultivation is well rewarded.
We have also a large number of cattle, although, just now, all run free in the pasture together, until we shall have made better needful arrangements for them.
We get sugar and syrup from Barbados, and he who has no money exchanges goods for goods, as he comes to an agree- ment.
The trade between the savages and the Christians is in fish, birds, deer-skins, and all sorts of peltry, such as beaver, otter, fox, etc. Sometimes they barter for drink, sometimes they sell for their native money, which is only oblong corals, ground out of sea-mussels, sometimes white and sometimes light brown, and fastened on strings.
They know how to string this coral-money in a very artistic way, and they wear it in the place of gold chains. Their king wears a crown or hood of it.
Twelve of the brown are worth as much as twenty-four of the white pieces, which are equal to a silver penny of Franck- furt. They take their own money far more readily than silver coin, because they have often been cheated with the latter.
Besides this, the silver money, which we use here, consists of Spanish pieces of eight and English shillings. We have no precious stones found in these parts, nor do we desire them, and we cannot ascribe great praise to that man who first brought forth gold and precious stones out of the dark and hidden places of the earth, for these noble creations of God,
1 Montpellier, France, which is in about the latitude of Lake Ontario, is too far north for Pennsylvania.
-
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1700]
although good in themselves, are nevertheless terribly abused by their misuse, and, against their will, are made to subserve the uses of vanity.
CHAPTER X.
Concerning the Vegetation of this Province.
Although this far-distant portion of the world consisted of nothing but wildernesses, and it only within a short time has begun to be made ready for the use of Christian men, it is truly matter for amazement how quickly, by the blessing of God, it advances, and from day to day grows perceptibly. For al- though in the beginning we were obliged to have our victuals brought from Jersey, and to pay somewhat dearly for them with money, yet we are now able, praise be to God! to serve other neighboring communities.
We are supplied with the principal and most necessary handicraftsmen; the daily wage is regulated on a tolerable basis, and we have what is necessary in the way of mills and brick-kilns.
We sell our superabundance of grain and cattle in Barbados for brandy, syrup, sugar, and salt, but we send the fine peltries over to England.
We are especially desirous to advance the cultivation of the vine and the weaving of cloth in these parts, in order to keep the money in the province, and on this account we have already established yearly fairs, not for the sake of mere profit and gain, but that any thing which one man or another has, over and above his needs, may be made purchasable for the others, so that they need not, on this account, journey to the neighboring islands, and carry their money thither.
CHAPTER XI. Concerning the Inhabitants of this Province.
Of these, three sorts may be found: 1. The natives, the so- called savages. 2. The Christians who have come here from Europe, the so-called Old Settlers. 3. The newly-arrived As- sociations and Companies.
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[1700
So far as concerns the first, the savages, they are, in gen- eral, strong, agile, and supple people, with blackish bodies; they went about naked at first and wore only a cloth about the loins. Now they are beginning to wear shirts. They have, usually, coal-black hair, shave the head, smear the same with grease, and allow a long lock to grow on the right side. They also besmear the children with grease, and let them creep about in the heat of the sun, so that they become the color of a nut, although they were at first white enough by Nature.
They strive after a sincere honesty, hold strictly to their promises, cheat and injure no one. They willingly give shelter to others, and are both useful and loyal to their guests.
Their huts are made of young trees, twined, or bent, to- gether, which they know how to roof over with bark. They use neither table nor bench, nor any other household stuff, un- less perchance a single pot in which they boil their food.
I once saw four of them take a meal together in hearty contentment, and eat a pumpkin cooked in clear water, with- out butter and spice. Their table and bench was the bare earth, their spoons were mussel-shells, with which they dipped up the warm water, their plates were the leaves of the nearest tree, which they do not need to wash with painstaking after the meal, nor to keep with care for future use. I thought to myself, these savages have never in their lives heard the teach- ing of Jesus concerning temperance and contentment, yet they far excel the Christians in carrying it out.
They are, furthermore, serious and of few words, and are amazed when they perceive so much unnecessary chatter, as well as other foolish behavior, on the part of the Christians.
Each man has his own wife, and they detest harlotry, kiss- ing, and lying. They know of no idols, but they worship a single all-powerful and merciful God, who limits the power of the Devil. They also believe in the immortality of the soul, which, after the course of life is finished, has a suitable recom- pense from the all-powerful hand of God awaiting it.
They accompany their own worship of God with songs, during which they make strange gestures and motions with the hands and feet, and when they recall the death of their parents and friends, they begin to wail and weep most piti- fully.
385
1700]
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They listen very willingly, and not without perceptible emotion, to discourse concerning the Creator of Heaven and earth, and His divine Light, which enlightens all men who have come into the world, and who are yet to be born, and concern- ing the wisdom and love of God, because of which he gave his only-begotten and most dearly-beloved Son to die for us. It is only to be regretted that we can not yet speak their language readily, and therefore cannot set forth to them the thoughts and intent of our own hearts, namely, how great a power and salvation lies concealed in Christ Jesus. They are very quiet and thoughtful in our gatherings, so that I fully believe that in the future, at the great day of judgment, they will come forth with those of Tyre and Sidon, and put to shame many thousands of false nominal and canting Christians.
As for their economy and housekeeping, the men attend to their hunting and fishing. The women bring up their children honestly, under careful oversight and dissuade them from sin. They plant Indian corn and beans round about their huts, but they take no thought for any more extensive farming and cattle-raising; they are rather astonished that we Christians take so much trouble and thought concerning eating and drinking and also for comfortable clothing and dwellings, as if we doubted that God were able to care for and nourish us.
Their native language is very dignified, and in its pronunci- ation much resembles the Italian, although the words are en- tirely different and strange. They are accustomed to paint their faces with colors; both men and women use tobacco with pleasure; they divert themselves with fifes, or trumpets, in unbroken idleness.
The second sort of inhabitants in the province are the old Chris- tians, who came here from Europe.
These have never had the upright intention to give these needy native creatures instruction in the true living Chris- tianity, but instead they have sought only their own worldly interests, and have cheated the simple inhabitants in trade and intercourse, so that at length those savages who dealt with these Christians, proved themselves to be also for the most
. .
1
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[1700
part, crafty, lying, and deceitful, so that I can not say much that is creditable of either. These misguided people are wont to exchange the skins and peltry which they obtain for strong drink, and to drink so much that they can neither walk nor stand; also they are wont to commit all sorts of thievery, as the occasion may arise.
Owing to this, their kings and rulers have frequently com- plained of the sins of falsehood, deceit, thieving, and drunken- ness, introduced here by the Christians, and which were for- merly entirely unknown in these parts.
If one of these savages allows himself to be persuaded by a Christian to work, he does it with complaining, shame, and fear, as an unaccustomed act; he looks about him all the while on all sides, lest any of his people may find him working, just as if work were a disgrace, and idleness were an especial inborn privilege of the nobility, which should not be soiled by the sweat of toil.
The third sort of inhabitants of this province are the Christian Societies.
We, the latest arrivals, being Christians included in honor- able associations and companies, after obtaining royal permis- sion from England, in the year 1681, bought certain portions of the country for ourselves from the governor, William Penn, with the intention to erect new cities and colonies, and not only to gain thereby our own temporal advantage and support, but also to make the savages gentle and docile, and to instruct them in the true knowledge of God, insomuch that I live in the hope of being able to announce more good news of their conversion to Christianity within a short time.
CHAPTER XII.
Concerning the Magistrates of this Province.
The native savages have their own little kings. We Chris- tians acknowledge William Penn as our ruler of the country, to whom this land was granted and ceded for his own by King Charles II., and the Christian inhabitants were instructed to
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17001
give him personal allegiance. But this wise and God-fearing ruler did not, upon his arrival, wish to accept this inheritance of the heathen thus, for nothing, but he gave presents to the native inhabitants and their appointed kings, and compen- sated them, and thus bought from them one piece of land after another, so that they withdrew ever further into the wilderness. Penn, however, had bought all the land which he occupied by just right of purchase, and from him I bought at the start, in London, thirty thousand acres for my German Company.
And notwithstanding the aforesaid William Penn belongs to the sect of the Tremblers, or Quakers, yet he constrains no one to any religion, but leaves to each nation freedom of belief.
CHAPTER XIII.
Concerning the Religions in this Province.
The native naked inhabitants have no written articles of belief, since no traces can be found that any Christian teachers have ever come among them. They only know their native language by means of which the parents instruct their children through tradition, and teach them that which they have heard of and learned from their parents.
2. The English and Dutch are for the most part adherents of the Calvinist religion.
3. The Quakers are known in Philadelphia, through Will- iam Penn.
4. The Swedes and High-Germans are Evangelical. They have their own church, whose minister is named Fabricius, of whom I must declare with sorrow, that he is much addicted to drink, and is well-nigh blind in the inner man.
Here in Germanton, in the year 1686, we built a little church for the community, but did not have as our aim an outwardly great stone edifice, but rather that the tem- ple of God which we believers constitute, should be built up, and that we ourselves should be, all together, holy and un- spotted.
The Evangelical ministers could have had a fine oppor- tunity here to carry out the command of Christ: Go forth throughout the world, and preach the Gospel, if they had pre-
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[1700
ferred to be followers of Christ rather than servants of their bodies, and if they had been devoted to the inner theology rather than to verbal discourse.
CHAPTER XIV.
How the High-German Company is Managed in Pennsylvania.
The principal members of this Company were in the begin- ning:
Jacob von de Walle, D. Johann Jacob Schutz, and Daniel Behagel, merchant, all three in Franckfurt am Mayn. In Duisburg there was D. Gerhard of Maastricht.
In Wesel, D. Thomas von Wylich, and Johann Lebrunn. In Roterdamm, Benjamin Furly.
In London, Philipp Fort.1
These send on from hand to hand the letters and goods forwarded to them, until they reach the out-going ship; they also lend a helping hand by means of advice and assistance, to those who, with honest intent, wish to journey over to Pennsylvania.
At the present time the management of the affairs of the Company, in Pennsylvania, is confided to my unworthy self.
CHAPTER XV.
Concerning the Time for a Voyage to this Province.
From the month of April until autumn ships are sailing from England to Pennsylvania, especially from the port of Deal, yet there is no definite time appointed, either for the de- parture, or for the return, but one must wait for an opportunity. As soon as from thirty-five to forty persons (not including the ship's-crew) are at hand, a ship sails, and each grown person must give six pounds sterling, or thirty-six thalers, for his freight, the cost of his food, and one sailor's chest. For each servant or domestic twenty-two reichsthaler. One pound ster- ling is equal to six thalers.
1 Ford.
389
PASTORIUS'S PENNSYLVANIA
1683]
CHAPTER XVI.
Concerning my (Pastorius's) ou Journey and Crossing-over.
After I had arrived at Deal from London I hired four men- servants, and two maid-servants for myself, and set forth, in the company of eighty persons." The ship drew thirteen feet of water. Our treatment, as regards food and drink, was rather bad, for ten people received three pounds of butter a week, four jugs of beer and one jug of water a day, two dishes of pease every noontime, and four times in the week meat at noon, and three times, salt fish, which they must prepare for themselves with the butter that they had received, and there must always be enough saved from the noon meal to have some- thing to eat at night. Now because this food is very tough, and is wont to taste about as much like flesh as fish, each one must provide himself with the means of nourishment when he comes to the ship, or he must carefully stipulate with the ship's master concerning the quality as well as the quantity of the food which he shall daily receive. In order however to bind him more precisely thereto, one must hold back some of the passage-money, and promise to pay it here; also, when it is possible, one should take passage in a ship that sails as far as the city of Philadelphia, because in the other ships, that stop at Upland, one is subjected to all kinds of inconvenience.
On the sixteenth of August, 1683, we came in sight of America, but reached the de la Ware River on the eighteenth of the same. On the twentieth of the same, we passed by Neu- Castle and Upland, and arrived toward evening safely at Philadelphia, where I was received by the Governor, William Penn, with affectionate friendliness, whose Secretary, Johann
1 After attending to certain matters of business in London "I with Jacob Shoemaker (who came with me from Mentz), George Wertmuller, Isaac Dilbeck, his wife Marieke and his two boys Abraham and Jacob, Thomas Gasper, Cunrad Backer (alias Rutter,) and an English Maid, called Frances Simson, went a board of a Ship, which had the name of America, (the Captain whereof was Joseph Wasey,) and being gone the 6th of June [1683] from Gravesend, we arrived the 7th ditto. at Deal, and left England the 10th of the sd month of June" (Pastorius, Beehive, in Learned's Pastorius, p. 111). In his manuscript "Res Propriae," he states that he arrived in Gravesend June 3.
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Lehennmann,1 treated me with brotherly affection; also the governor frequently had me invited to his table, and allowed me to enjoy his edifying discourse. When I was absent lately for eight days, he came himself to visit me, and bade me come twice in the week to his table, and testified in the presence of his council that he was very fond of me and of the High-Ger- mans, and wished that they [the council] should feel the same.
CHAPTER XVII.
Concerning the Vocation of our Germans in this Place.
Besides the fact that the High-German Company has es- tablished a commerce in this place, in woollen and linen cloth and all conceivable wares, and has entrusted to me the super- intendence thereof, it is still further to be remarked, that we have also purchased thirty thousand acres of land in order to establish a High German colony. Meanwhile, in my newly laid-out city of Germanton, sixty-four households are already in a flourishing condition. In order to support these present inhabitants, as well as others who are arriving, the fields must be cultivated, and the lands cleared. Let one turn, however, in whichever direction he will, it is always true that: Itur in antiquam sylvam,' and all is overgrown with forest, so that I often wished for a few dozen stout Tyrolese who would have felled the thick ash-trees, which we have been obliged to do, little by little, for ourselves; whereat I pictured to myself that the very penance with which God punished the disobedience . of Adam, namely that he should eat his bread in the sweat of his brow, was also, in this land, meted out and given to us his descendants, for here it may be said: Hic opus, hic labor
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