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Show 6o S T A T E N I S L A N D. .is kept under; and de rived of thofe riches and advantages, which it would otherwife foon acquire. There have been fame attempts to remedy this defetl, but whether from the difficulty of diverting a thing out of a channel in which it has long flowed; or from want of propriety or perfeverance, in the meafures, I am unable to fay; but the truth is, they have not fucceeded. Upon the whole, however, this province may be called a rich one: during the prefent war it has raifed confiderable fupplies, having feldom had lefs than I ooo men in pay, with a leader (colonel Schuyler) at their head, who has done honour to his country by his patriotic and public fpirit: The paper currency of this colony is at about 70 per cent. dif-count, but in very good repute; and preferred by the Penfylvanians and New-Yorkers, even to that of their own pro-v111ces. On Wednefday the 9th of J nly, I crafTed over to Staten Iiland, in the province of New York; and travelled upon it about nine miles to the point which is oppo!ite New York city. In my way I had an opportunity of feeing the method of making wampum. This, I am perfuaded the reader knows is, the current money amongfl: the Indians. It is made of the clamfuell; a {hell, confifling within of two colours, purple and white; and in form not unlike a thick oyfl:er-lhell. The procefs of manufaCturing it is very fimple. It is firfl: clipped to a \Proper fize, which is that of a fmall oblong parallelepiped, then drilled, and afterward ground to a round fmooth furface, and poli!hed . The purple wampum is much more valuable than the white ; a very fmall part of the !hell being of that colour. At the point I embarked for New York; and, after a plea ... fant pa!fage over the bay, which is three leagues wide, and va .. . f!OU~ N E W Y 0 R K. 61 rious delightful profpects of rivers, illands, fields, hills, woods, 176o • ~he Narrows, New-York city, vellets failing to and fro, and Innumerable porpoifes playing upon the furface of the wa-ter, in an evening fo ferene that the hemifphere was not ruffled by a fingle cloud, arrived there about the fetting of the fun. . This city is fituated upon the point of a frnall ifland, lying open to the bay on one fide, and on the others included between the North and Eafl: rivers, and commands a fine profpeel: of water, the J erfeys, Long Iiland, Staten Ul and, and feveral others, which lie fcattered in the bay. It contains be~ ween 2 and 3 0 00 houfes, and 16 or 17,ooo inhabitants, IS· tolerably well built, and has feveral good houfes. The fireets are paved, and very clean, but in general they are narrow; there are two or three, indeed, which are fpaciou s and airy, particularly the Broad Way. The houfes in this fireet have mofl: of them a row of trees before them; which form an agreeable fhade, and produce a pretty effetl. The whole length of the town is fomething more than a mile; the breadth of it about half an one. The fituation is, I believe, efteemed healthy; but it is fubjeCl: to one great inconvenience, . which is ~he want of frelh water; fo that the inhabitants are obliged , to have It brought from fprings at fome diflance out of town. There are feveral public buildings, though but few that deferve attention. The coUege, when fini(hed, will be exceedingly handfome: it is to be built on three fides of a quadrangle, fronting Hudfon's or North river, and will be the moft beautifully fituated of any college, I believe, in the world. At prefent only one wing is finifhed, which is of fione, and co~fifl:s of twenty-four fets of apartments; each having a large fitting room, with a fl:udy, and bed ch amber. They. are o bliged to make ufe of fame of thefe apartments far a mafter's . l odge~ , I |