mentioned by Pastorius, in his traversing the original site of Philadelphia. And when Kalm was here in 1748, he speaks of grapevines in every direction, the moment he got without the bounds of the city; and in his rides to Germantown and Chester, &c. he found them all along his way. Thus numerous and various as they once were, it may be a question, whether, in the general destruction of the vines since, we have not destroyed several of peculiar excellence, since modern accidental discoveries have brought some excellent specimens to notice, -such as the Orwigsburg and Susquehannah. In 1685, William Penn, in speaking of his vineyard to his steward, James Harrison, writes: "Although the vineyard be as yet of no value, and I might be out of pocket, till I come, be regardful to Andrew Dore the Frenchman. He is hot, but I think honest." This, I presume, refers to the vigneron, and to the vineyard at Springetsbury. In another letter he writes to recommend Charles de la Noe, a French minister, who intends, with his two servants, to try a vineyard, and if he be well used, more will follow. In 1686, he writes to the same steward, saying, “All the vines formerly sent and in the vessel (now), are intended for Andrew (Dore), at the Schuylkill, for the vineyard. I could have been glad of a taste last year, as I hear he made some." Again he says, "If wine can be made by Andrew Dore, at the vineyard, it will be worth to the province thousands by the year,-there will be hundreds of vineyards, if it takes. I understand he produced ripe grapes by the 28th of 5th mo. from shoots of fifteen or sixteen mos. planting. Many French are disheartened by the Carolinas (for vines) as 'not hot enough!" About the time William Penn was thus urging the cultivation of the vine, his enlightened friend Pastorius, the German and scholar, was experimenting, as he expressly says, on his little vineyard in German town. How those vineyards succeeded, or how they failed, we have no data on which to found an explanation now. We behold, however, now, that Mr. E. H. Bonsall is succeeding with a vineyard among us; and at Little York the success is quite encouraging. The following description of the discovery and character of the Susquehannah grape, will probably go far to prove the superiority of some natural grapes once among us, or leave grounds to speculate on the possibility of birds conveying off some of Penn's abovementioned imported seeds. Another new and excellent grape has been discovered on the line of the new canal, beyond the Susquehannah. About a year ago, there were obtained some cuttings of a grapevine which was discovered by Mr. Dininger, on an island in the Susquehannah, called Brushy Island. The island upon which this vine was found is uninhabited and uncultivated, the soil alluvial, and subject to overflow. The vine runs upon a large sycamore, spreading through the top branches, to the height of forty or fifty feet from the ground, and appears to have grown with the tree, the root being from twenty to thirty feet from the tree. The wood, leaf, and early shoots very much resemble what is called Miller's Burgundy, also the fruit, in colour and flavour; but in size it is much larger. It was observed, that the fruit obtained in September, 1827, was a deep brown; that of the next season, some were brown and others a deep black. The difference was accounted for by Mr. Dininger, who stated that the brown bunches were those that were shaded from the sun by the thick foliage of the tree; but those exposed to the sun were black. Some of the bunches procured that season were very fine, and set closely upon the stem-fruit the size of the Powel grape, skin thin, no pulp, a sweet water, seed small, flavour equal to the celebrated Black Prince, and not inferior to any foreign grape, for the table. At the period in which this vine must have taken root, foreign grapes were little known in the United States, and then their cultivation was confined to the neighbourhood of the great Atlantic cities. None of the foreign varieties we have seen correspond in appearance with this fruit, for though the wood and leaf of Miller's Burgundy are so similar as scarcely to be distinguished apart, yet the bunches and fruit of that of the Susquehannah are much larger. Again we have many stories related through the country, by persons worthy of credit, of the delicious grapes found upon the islands of the Susquehannah. Some described as white, some red, black, purple, &c. without pulp, and all ripening in August and September. Charles Thompson used to tell, that the most luscious and excellent wild grape he ever tasted, grew in a meadow on the road to Chester. He thought the fruit so fine that he intended, at a proper season, to procure cuttings for its cultivation, but found the stupid owner had destroyed it, because it shaded "too much his ground!" OCCURRENCES OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE "The deeds of our fathers in times that are gone; WITH a view to preserve some of our local facts connected with the war of independence, expressed in a manner more moving and stirring to our feelings than those general terms by which our historians have generalised their facts, I had aimed to collect and preserve such individual and special incidents, as would bring back the former scenes and doings of our forefathers to our contemplation. With this purpose, I had gathered from several eyewitnesses, in graphic delineations, the things they saw and did, and especially of those occurrences which transpired while Philadelphia was held under the government and conquest of Gene. ral Howe and his army. I had gathered from the reminiscences of the aged, and the diaries of others of that day, several curious and unpublished facts; such as would surprise, stir, and interest the present genera tion.* But after all my preparation on this matter, fully equal to fifty pages, I find myself obliged to lay it aside from the present publication, for want of room. The following facts, chiefly concerning the British army, must suffice for the present article, to wit: THE ENTRY OF THE ARMY-AS TOLD BY CAPTAIN J. C. The grenadiers, with Lord Cornwallis at their head, led the van when they entered the city; their tranquil look and dignified appearance has left an impression on my mind, that the British grenadiers were inimitable. As I am relating the feelings and observations of a boy only ten years old, I shall mention many things, perhaps, not worth relating; for instance, I went up to the front rank of the grenadiers when they had entered Second street, when several of them addressed me thus: How do you do, young one,-how are you, my boy; in a brotherly tone, that seems still to vibrate on my ear; then reached out their hands and severally caught mine, and shook it, not with an exulting shake of conquerors, as I thought, but with a sympathising one for the vanquished. The Hessians composed a part of the vanguard, and followed in the rear of the grenadiers,— their looks to me were terrific,-their brass caps-their mustachios, their countenances, by nature morose, * Some of the facts were from the recollections of the late Colonel A. M'Lane, so enterprising in our "border war," along our lines; and some from the diary of a young lady in the midst of the martial doings, &c.—all spirited and warm from the heart, with the glow of a "good whig;" some also from the diary of a widow Friend, foreboding and sad with tory sympathies and fears. |