Hanging Gardens, in antiquity. See BABYLON, p. 5.

PENNSYLVANIA, late 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. On the whole, the climate of this state differs not materially from that of Connecticut, except that on the west side of the mountains the weather is much more regular. The inhabitants never feel those quick transitions from cold to heat, by a change of the wind from north to south, as those so frequently experience who live eastward of the mountains and near the sea. The hot south-westerly winds get chilled by passing over the long chain of Allegany mountains.

Longevity, when tolerably ascertained, is doubtless the truest mark of the healthiness of any country; but this state, which has not been settled above 100 years, is not sufficiently old to determine from facts the state of longevity. Among the people called Quakers, who are the oldest settlers, there are instances of longevity, occasioned by their living in the old cultivated counties, and the temperance imposed on them by their religion. There are fewer long-lived people among the Germans than among other nations, occasioned by their excess of labour and low diet. They live chiefly upon vegetables and watery food, that affords too little nourishment to repair the waste of their strength by hard labour. Nearly one half of the children born in Philadelphia die under two years of age, and chiefly with a disease in the stomach and bowels. Very few Pennsylvania die at this age in the country.

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. As much as nearly one third of this state may be called mountainous; particularly the counties of Bedford, Huntingdon, Cumberland, part of Franklin, Dauphin, and part of Bucks and Northampton, through which pass, under various names, the numerous ridges and spurs, which collectively form what we choose to call, for the sake of clearness, the great range of Allegany mountains. There is a remarkable difference between the country on the east and west side of the range of mountains we have just been describing. Between these mountains and the lower falls of the rivers which run into the Atlantic, not only in this, but in all the southern states, are several ranges of stones, sand, earths, and minerals, which lie in the utmost confusion. Beds of stone, of vast extent, particularly of limestone, have their several layers broken in pieces, and the fragments thrown confusedly in every direction. Between these lower falls and the ocean is a very extensive collection of sand, clay, mud, and shells, partly thrown up by the waves of the sea, partly brought down by floods from the upper county, and partly produced by the decay of vegetable substances. The country westward of the Allegany mountains, in these respects, is totally different. It is very irregular, broken, and variegated, but there are no mountains; and when viewed from the most western ridge of the Allegany, it appears to be a vast extended plain. All the various strata of stone appear to have lain undisturbed in the situation wherein they were first formed. The layers of clay, sand, and coal, are nearly horizontal. Scarcely a single instance is to be found to the contrary. Every appearance, in short, tends to confirm the opinion, that the original crust, to which the stone was formed, has never been broken up on the west side of the mountains, as it evidently has been eastward of them.

The chief rivers are three, Delaware, Susquehanna, and Skoollkil. 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 Skoollkil has its source in the same country as the other two, and also runs 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 the articles NEW-YORK and the JERSEYS, since what is there said on those heads is equally applicable to this province; and if there is any difference, it is on the side of this province. They have Pennsylvania have some rice here, but in 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, failing 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 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 1682, the town of Newcastle, alias Delaware, and a district of 12 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 to him by the Duke of York, together with what had been granted to him before in 1630-1, 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 descendants 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 esteemed 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 paltry 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 savages, 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 40 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 reconvey 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 American war 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 Pennsylvania by the proprietors 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.

By the present constitution of Pennsylvania, which was established in September 1776, all legislative powers are lodged in a single body of men, which is styled, The general assembly of representatives of the freemen of Pennsylvania. The qualification required to render a person eligible to this assembly is, two years residence in the city or county for which he is chosen. The qualifications of the electors are, full age, and one year's residence in the state, with payment of public taxes during that time. But the sons of freeholders are entitled to vote for representatives, without any qualification except full age. No man can be elected as a member of the assembly more than four years in seven. The representatives are chosen annually on the second Tuesday in October, and they meet on the fourth Monday of the same month. The supreme executive power is lodged in a president, and a council consisting of a member from each county. The president is elected annually by the joint ballot of the assembly and council, and from the members of council. A vice-president is chosen at the same time. The counsellors are chosen by the freemen every third year; and having served three years, they are ineligible for the four succeeding years. The appointments of one third only of the members expire every year; by which rotation no more than one third can be new members.

With respect to population, Morse informs us, that in 1787 the inhabitants in Pennsylvania were reckoned at 360,000. It is probable they are now more numerous, perhaps 400,000. If we fix them at this, the population for every square mile will be only nine; by which it appears that Pennsylvania is only one fifth as populous as Connecticut. But Connecticut was settled nearly half a century before Pennsylvania; so that in order to do justice to Pennsylvania in the comparison, we must anticipate her probable population 50 years hence. These inhabitants consist of emigrants from England, Ireland, Germany, and Scotland. The Friends and Episcopalians are chiefly of English extraction, and compose about one third of the inhabitants. They live principally in the city of Philadelphia, and in the counties of Chester, Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery. The Irish are mostly Presbyterians. Their ancestors came from the north of Ireland, which was originally settled from Scotland; hence they have sometimes been called Scotch Irish, to denote their double descent. But they are commonly and more properly called Irish, or the descendants of people from the north of Ireland. They inhabit the western and frontier counties, and are numerous. The Germans compose one quarter at least, if not a third, of the inhabitants of Pennsylvania. They inhabit the north parts of the city of Philadelphia, and the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Dauphin, Lancaster, York, and Northampton; mostly in the four last. They consist of Lutherans (who are the most numerous sect), Calvinists, Moravians, Mennonites, Tunkers (corruptly called Dunkers), and Swing-felters, who are a species of Quakers. These are all distinguished for their temperance, industry, and economy. The Germans have usually 15 of 69 members in the assembly; and some of them have arisen to the first honours in the state, and now fill a number of the higher offices. Yet the lower class are very ignorant and superstitious. It is not uncommon to see them going to market with a little bag of salt tied to their horses' manes, for the purpose, they say, of keeping off the witches.

The Baptists (except the Mennonite and Tunker Baptists, who are Germans) are chiefly the descendants of emigrants from Wales, and are not numerous. A proportionate assemblage of the national prejudices, the manners, customs, religions, and political sentiments of all these, will form the Pennsylvania character. As the leading traits in this character, thus constituted, we may venture to mention industry, frugality bordering in some instances on parsimony, enterprise, a taste and ability for improvements in mechanics, in manufactures, in agriculture, in commerce, and in the liberal sciences; temperance, plainness, and simplicity in dress and manners; pride and humility in their extremes; innocence and intrigue; in regard to religion, variety and harmony; liberality, and its opposite, superstition and bigotry; and in politics an unhappy jargon. Such appear to be the distinguishing traits in the collective Pennsylvanian character.

Of the great variety of religious denominations in Pennsylvania, the Friends or Quakers are the most numerous. They were the first settlers of Pennsylvania in 1682 under William Penn, and have ever since flourished in the free enjoyment of their religion. They neither give titles nor use compliments in their conversation or writings, believing that whatsoever is more than yea, yea, and nay, nay, cometh of evil. They conscientiously avoid, as unlawful, kneeling, bowing, or uncovering the head to any person. They discard all superfluities in dress or equipage; all games, sports, and plays, as unbecoming the Christian. Swear not at all, is an article of their creed literally observed in its utmost extent. They believe it unlawful to fight in any case whatever; and think that if their enemy smite them on the one cheek, they ought to turn to him the other also. They are generally honest, punctual, and even punctilious in their dealings; provident for the necessities of their poor; friends to humanity, and of course enemies to slavery; strict in their discipline; careful in the observance even of the punctilios in dress, speech, and manners, which their religion enjoins; faithful in the education of their children; industrious in their several occupations. In short, whatever peculiarities and mistakes those of other denominations have supposed they have fallen into, in point of religious doctrines, they have proved themselves to be good citizens. Next to the Quakers, the Presbyterians are the most numerous. There are upwards of 60 ministers of the Lutheran and Calvinist religion, who are of German extraction, now in this state; all of whom have one or more congregations under their care; and many of them preach in splendid and expensive churches; and yet the first Lutheran minister, who arrived in Pennsylvania about 40 years ago, was alive in 1787, and probably is still, as was also the second Calvinistical minister. The Lutherans do not differ in any thing essential from the Episcopalians, nor do the Calvinists from the Presbyterians.

The Moravians are of German extraction. Of this religion there are about 1300 souls in Pennsylvania, viz., between 500 and 600 in Bethlehem, 450 in Nazareth, and upwards of 300 at Lititz in Lancaster county. They call themselves the United Brethren of the Protestant Episcopal church. They are called Moravians, because the first settlers in the English dominions were chiefly migrants from Moravia. See Hennutters, and Unitas Fratrum; and for the Mennonites, see Mennonites. They were introduced into America by Count Zinzendorf, and settled at Bethlehem, which is their principal settlement in America, as early as 1741. For the Tunkers, see Tunkers.

There are a great many literary, humane, and other useful societies, in Pennsylvania; more, it is said, than in any of the United Provinces. There are several universities and colleges at Philadelphia and other places: See Philadelphia. Lancaster, Carlisle, and Pittsburgh, are the chief towns after Philadelphia.

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.

In the Philosophical Transactions for 1757, there is an account of a copper spring in Pennsylvania. This spring rises from a copper mine, and will dissolve iron in less time by three-fourths than the waters of Wicklow in Ireland, lately described by Dr William Henry and Dr Bond. From the solution of iron in these waters, about half the quantity of pure copper is procured by melting it in a crucible: but though these waters melt iron sooner than the Irish waters, yet the solution does not produce so great a proportion of copper; for the pure copper procured from the solution of iron in the Irish waters is to the solution as 16 to 20.

In the neighbourhood of this spring, which supplies 800 hds. in 24 hours, are many ores of vitriol and sulphur; the water is of a pale green colour, of an acid, sweet, austere, inky, and nauseous taste. It is very heavy; for the hydrometer, which was immersed in it, stood at the same height as in a solution of one ounce fix drams of English vitriol in a quart of water. A very small quantity of the solution of potashes instantly precipitates the metallic parts of this water in three different colours; ochre at the top, green in the middle, and white at bottom; a clean knife kept in it a few minutes, is covered with a bright copper colour. But besides a large proportion of copper, this water contains also a large proportion of vitriol of iron. A pint of it exhaled by a slow fire left 400 grains of solid contents, which appeared to be chiefly taline; for 196 grains of it, dissolved and filtered, did not leave above four grains of indissoluble matter. It appears therefore, that the proportion of vitriolic parts in this water is six drams to a pint; consequently it is a stronger solution of vitriol than sea-water is of marine salt. So that, besides the copper to be obtained by a solution of iron, it will afford great quantities of vitriol, and the great plenty both of water and fuel will make the establishment of a copperas work extremely cheap and commodious. This water mixed with common water, is frequently used as an emetic and cathartic by the country people, and is found very efficacious in the cure of cutaneous disorders and sore eyes.

Amongst the other curiosities of this province may be reckoned another spring about 14 feet deep and about 100 square, in the neighbourhood of Reading. A full mill stream issues from it. The waters are clear and full of fishes. From appearances it is probable that this spring is the opening or outlet of a very considerable river, which a mile and an half or two miles above this place sinks into the earth, and is conveyed to this outlet in a subterranean channel. In the northern parts of Pennsylvania there is a creek called Oil creek, which empties into the Allegany river. It issues from a spring, on the top of which floats an oil similar to that called Barbadoes tar, and from which one man may gather several gallons in a day. The troops sent to guard the western posts halted at this spring, collected some of the oil, and bathed their joints with it. This gave them great relief from the rheumatic complaints with which they were affected. The waters, of which the troops drank freely, operated as a gentle purge.

There are three remarkable grottoes or caves in this state: one near Carlisle, in Cumberland county; one in the township of Durham, in Buck's county; and the other at Swetara, in Lancaster county. Of the two former there are no particular descriptions. The latter is on the east bank of Swetara river, about two miles above its confluence with the Susquehannah. Its entrance is spacious, and descends so much as that the surface of the river is rather higher than the bottom of the cave. The vault of this cave is of solid limestone rock, perhaps 20 feet thick. It contains several apartments, some of them very high and spacious. The water is incessantly percolating through the roof, and falls in drops to the bottom of the cave. These drops petrify as they fall, and have gradually formed solid pillars, which appear as supports to the roof. Thirty years ago there were ten such pillars, each six inches in diameter, and five feet high; all so ranged that the place they inclosed resembled a sanctuary in a Roman church. No royal throne ever exhibited more grandeur than this lusus naturae. The resemblances of several monuments are found indented in the walls on the sides of the cave, which appear like the tombs of departed heroes. Suspended from the roof is the bell (which is nothing more than a stone projected in an unusual form), so called from the sound that it occasions when struck, which is similar to that of a bell. Some of the stalactites are of a colour like sugar-candy, and others resemble loaf sugar; but their beauty is much defaced by the country people. The water, which percolates through the roof, so much of it as is not petrified in its course, runs down the declivity, and is both pleasant and wholesome to drink. There are several holes in the bottom of the cave, descending perpendicularly, perhaps into an abyss below, which renders it dangerous to walk without a light. At the end of the cave is a pretty brook, which, after a short course, loses itself among the rocks. Beyond this brook is an outlet from the cave by a very narrow aperture. Through this the vapors continually pass outwards with a strong current of air, and ascend, resembling at night the smoke of a furnace. Part of these vapors and fogs appear on ascending to be condensed at the head of this great alembic, and the more volatile parts to be carried off, through the aperture communicating with the exterior air before mentioned, by the force of the air in its passage.