a settlement in North America, situated at the mouth of a river on the gulf of Mexico. It was established by the French, and ceded to Great Britain in 1763; but has lately been taken by the Spaniards. W. Long. 87° 20'. N. Lat. 30° 22'.

PENNSILVANIA, one of the principal British colonies in North America, had its name from the famous Quaker William Penn, son of Sir William, commander of the English fleet in Oliver Cromwell's time, and in the beginning of Ch. II.'s reign, who obtained a grant of it in the year 1679; is bounded on the east by Delaware bay and river, and the Atlantic ocean; on the north by the country of the Iroquois, or five nations; and on the south and west by Maryland. Its extent, from north to south, is about 200 miles; but its breadth varies greatly, from 15, and even less, to near 200.

The air in Pennsylvania is sweet and clear. The fall, or autumn, begins about the 20th of October, and lasts till the beginning of December, when the winter sets in, which continues till March, and is sometimes extremely cold and severe; but the air is then generally dry and healthy. The river Delaware, though very broad, is often frozen over. From March to June, that is, in the spring, the weather is more inconstant than in the other seasons. In the months of July, August, and September, the heats would be almost intolerable, if they were not mitigated by frequent cool breezes. The wind, during the summer, is generally south-west; but in the winter blows for the most part from the north-west, over the snowy frozen mountains and lakes of Canada, which occasions the excessive cold during that season.

As to the face of this country, towards the coast, like the adjacent colonies, it is flat, but rises gradually to the Appalachian mountains on the west.

The chief rivers are three, Delaware, Susquehanna, and Skookum. The Delaware, rising in the country of the Iroquois, takes its course southward; and after dividing this province from that of New Jersey, falls into the Atlantic ocean between the promontories or capes May and Henlopen, forming at its mouth a large bay, called, from the river, Delaware Bay. This river is navigable above 200 miles. The Susquehanna rises also in the country of the Iroquois, and running south through the middle of the province, falls into the bay of Chesapeake, being navigable a great way for large ships. The Skookum has its source in the same country as the other two, and also runs Pennsylvania south, almost parallel to them; till at length turning to the eastward, it falls into the Delaware at the city of Philadelphia. It is navigable for boats above 100 miles. These rivers, with the numerous creeks and harbours in Delaware bay, capable of containing the largest fleets, are extremely favourable to the trade of this province.

As to the soil, produce, and traffic of Pennsylvania, we refer the reader to what has been said on these heads under New-York and the Jerseys, which is equally applicable to this province; and if there is any difference, it is on the side of this province. They have some rice here, but no great quantities; and some tobacco, but it is not equal to that of Virginia. From the premiums offered by the society of arts in London, it appears that the soil and climate of this province are looked upon as proper for the cultivation of some species of vines. The trade carried on from hence and the other colonies to the French and Dutch islands and Surinam, was greatly to the disadvantage of Britain, and very destructive to the sugar-colonies; for they take molasses, rum, and other spirits, with a great many European goods, from these foreigners; carrying them horses, provisions, and lumber in return, without which the French could not carry on their sugar-manufactures to that advantage they do.

New-York, the Jerseys, and Pennsylvania, were discovered, with the rest of the continent of North America, in the reign of Henry VII. by Sebastian Cabot, for the crown of England; but Sir Walter Raleigh was the first adventurer that attempted to plant colonies on these shores, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and, in honour of that princess, gave all the eastern coast of North America the name of Virginia. Mr Hudson, an Englishman, sailing to that part of the coast which lies between Virginia and New England, in the beginning of the reign of James I. and being about to make a settlement at the mouth of Hudson's river, the Dutch gave him a sum of money to dispose of his interest in this country to them. In the year 1608 they began to plant it; and, by virtue of this purchase, laid claim to all those countries which are now denominated New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; but there remaining some part of this coast which was not planted by the Hollanders, the Swedes sent a fleet of ships thither, and took possession of it for that crown; but the Dutch having a superior force in the neighbourhood, compelled the Swedes to submit to their dominion, allowing them, however, to enjoy the plantations they had settled. The English not admitting that either the Dutch or Swedes had any right to countries first discovered and planted by a subject of England, and part of them at that time possessed by the subjects of Great Britain, under charter from Queen Elizabeth and king James I., king Charles II., during the first Dutch war in 1664, granted the countries of New York, the Jerseys, and Pennsylvania, of which the Dutch had usurped the possession, to his brother James Duke of York; and Sir Robert Carr being sent over with a squadron of men of war and land-forces, and summoning the Dutch governor of the city of New Amsterdam, now New York, to surrender, he thought fit to obey the summons, and yield that capital to the English: the rest of the places in the possession of the Dutch and Swedes followed. Pennsylvania, followed his example; and these countries were confirmed to the English by the Dutch at the next treaty of peace between the two nations. The Duke of York afterwards parcelled them out to under proprietors; selling, in particular, to William Penn the elder, in 1683, the town of Newcastle, alias Delaware, and a district of twelve miles round the same; to whom, his heirs and assigns, by another deed of the same date, he made over all that tract of land from 12 miles south of Newcastle to the Whore-hills, otherwise called Cape Henlopen, now divided into the two counties of Kent and Sussex, which, with Newcastle district, are commonly known by the name of the Three Lower counties upon Delaware River. All the rest of the under-proprietors, some time after, surrendered their charters to the crown; whereby New York and the Jerseys became Royal governments; but Penn retained that part of the country which had been sold him by the Duke of York, together with what had been granted to him before in 1680-1, which now constitutes the province of Pennsylvania. As soon as Penn had got his patent, he began to plant the country. Those who went over from England were generally dissenters and quakers, whose religion is established by law here, but with a toleration of all other protestant sects. The Dutch and Swedes, who were settled here before Mr Penn became proprietor, choosing still to reside in this country, as they did in New York and the Jerseys, obtained the same privileges as the rest of his majesty's subjects; and their descendents are now in a manner the same people with the English, speaking their language, and being governed by their laws and customs.

Mr Penn, however, not satisfied with the title granted him by king Charles II. and his brother, bought the lands also of the Indians for a valuable consideration, or what they deemed such, (though 20 miles were purchased, at first, for less than an acre about Philadelphia would pay now), paying them in cloth, tools, and utensils, to their entire satisfaction; for they had not hands to cultivate the hundredth part of their lands, and if they could have raised a product, there was nobody to buy: the purchase, therefore, was all clear gain to them; and, by the coming of the English, their peltry trade became so profitable, that they soon found their condition much altered for the better; and are now as well clothed and fed as the European peasantry in many places.

Pennsylvania is one of the most flourishing colonies in North America, having never had any quarrel with the natives. Whenever they desire to extend their settlements, they purchase new lands of the sachems, never taking any by force; but the Indians now set a very high price upon their lands, in comparison of what they did at first, and will hardly part with them at any rate. In an estimate of the proprietary estate of the province, published above thirty years ago, we find, that the proprietaries, who alone can purchase lands here from the natives, had bought seven millions of acres for no more than 750l. Sterling, which the proprietaries afterwards sold at the rate of 15l. for every 100 acres. The Indian council at Onandago, however, disapproved of their deputies parting with so much land; and, in the year 1755, obliged the proprietaries to re-convey great part of the same to the Indians.

A dispute subsisted a long time between the proprietaries of this province and Lord Baltimore, proprietary of Maryland, about the right to certain lands; which was at last amicably adjusted, though greatly in favour of the Penns.

About the year 1704 there happened some alteration in the constitution of the province. The establishment that took place, and subsisted till the present troubles broke out, consisted of a governor, council, and assembly, each with much the same power and privileges as in the neighbouring colony of New York. The lieutenant-governor and council were appointed by the proprietaries Thomas and Richard Penn, with his majesty's approbation; but if the laws enacted here were not repealed within six months after they had been presented to the king for his approbation or disallowance, they were not repealable by the crown after that time.

Pennsylvania is divided into seven counties; four of which are called the Upper, and three the Lower. Of the upper, viz. Buckingham, Philadelphia, Chester, and Lancaster, the three first are the lands included in king Charles II.'s grant, and designed Pennsylvania; the lower, viz. those of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, were called Nova Belgia before the duke of York sold them, as we observed above, to Mr Penn. The upper counties end at Marcus Hook, four miles below Chester Town, where the lower begin, and run along the coast near 100 miles. Each of these counties had a sheriff, with a quarterly and monthly session, and assizes twice a-year.