Part 9

A black Woodpecker with a red head, or the Picus pileatus, Linn. is frequent in the Pensylvanian forests, and stays the winter, as I know from my own experience. It is reckoned among those birds which destroy the maize; because it settles on the ripe ears, and destroys them with its bill. The Swedes call it Tillkroka, but all other woodpeckers, those with gold yellow wings excepted, are called Hackspickar in the Swedish language. I intend to describe them altogether more exactly in a particular work. I only observe here, that almost all the different species of woodpeckers are very noxious to the maize, when it begins to ripen: for by picking holes in the membrane round the ear, the rain gets into it, and causes the ear with all the corn it contains to rot.

October the 3d. In the morning I set out for Wilmington, which was formerly called Christina by the Swedes, and is thirty English miles to the south west of Philadelphia. Three miles behind Philadelphia I passed the river Skulkill in a ferry, beyond which the country appears almost a continual chain of mountains and vallies. The mountains have an easy slope on all sides, and the vallies are commonly crossed by brooks with crystal streams. The greater part of the country is covered with several kinds of deciduous trees; for I scarcely saw a single tree of the fir kind, if I except a few red cedars. The forest was high, but open below, so that it left a free prospect to the eye, and no under-wood obstructed the passage between the trees. It would have been easy in some places to have gone under the branches with a carriage for a quarter of a mile, the trees standing at great distances from each other, and the ground being very level. In some places little glades opened, which were either meadows, pastures, or corn-fields; of which latter some were cultivated and others not. In a few places, several houses were built close to each other. But for the greatest part they were single. In part of the fields the wheat was already sown, in the English manner without trenches, but with furrows pretty close together. I sometimes saw the country people very busy in sowing their rye. Near every farm-house was a little field with maize. The inhabitants hereabouts were commonly either English or Swedes.

All the day long I saw a continual variety of trees; walnut trees of different sorts, which were all full of nuts; chesnut trees quite covered with fine chesnuts; mulberries, sassafras, liquidambar, tulip trees, and many others.

Several species of vines grew wild hereabouts. They run up to the summits of the trees, their clusters of grapes and their leaves covering the stems. I even saw some young oaks five or six fathoms high, whose tops were crowned with vines. The ground is that which is so common hereabouts, which I have already described, viz. a clay mixed with a great quantity of sand, and covered with a rich soil or vegetable earth. The vines are principally seen on trees which stand single in corn-fields, and at the end of woods, where the meadows, pastures, and fields begin, and likewise along the enclosures, where they cling with their tendrils round the trees which stand there. The lower parts of the plant are full of grapes, which hang below the leaves, and were now almost ripe, and had a pleasant sourish taste. The country people gather them in great quantities, and sell them in the town. They are eaten without further preparation, and commonly people are presented with them when they come to pay a visit.

The soil does not seem to be deep hereabouts; for the upper black stratum is hardly two inches. This I had an occasion to see both in such places where the ground is dug up, and in such where the water, during heavy flowers of rain, has made cuts, which are pretty numerous here. The upper soil has a dark colour, and the next a pale colour like bricks. I have observed everywhere in America, that the depth of the upper soil does not by far agree with the computation of some people, though we can almost be sure, that in some places it never was stirred since the deluge. I shall be more particular in this respect afterwards. [26]

The Datura Stramonium, or Thorn Apple, grows in great quantities near all the villages. Its height is different according to the soil it is in. For in a rich soil it grows eight or ten feet high, but in a hard and poor ground, it will seldom come up to six inches. This Datura, together with the Phytolacca, or American Nightshade, grow here in those places near the gardens, houses, and roads, which in Sweden are covered with nettles and goose-foot, which European plants are very scarce in America. But the Datura and Phytolacca are the worst weeds here, nobody knowing any particular use of them.

Turnep-fields are sometimes to be seen. In the middle of the highroad I perceived a dead black snake, which was four feet six inches long, and an inch and a half in thickness. It belonged to the viper kind.

Late at night a great Halo appeared round the moon. The people said that it prognosticated either a storm, or rain, or both together. The smaller the ring is, or the nearer it comes to the moon, the sooner this weather sets in. But this time neither of these changes happened, and the halo had foretold a coldness in the air.

I saw to-day the Chermes of the alder (Chermes Alni) in great abundance on the branches of that tree, which for that reason looks quite white, and at a distance appears as it were covered with mould.

October the 4th. I continued my journey early in the morning, and the country still had the same appearance as I went on. It was a continual chain of pretty high hills, with an easy ascent on all sides, and of vallies between them. The soil consisted of a brick coloured mould, mixed with clay, and a few pebbles, I rode sometimes through woods of several sorts of trees, and sometimes amidst little fields, which had been cleared of the wood, and which at present were corn-fields, meadows, and pastures. The farm-houses stood single, sometimes near the roads, and sometimes at a little distance from them, so that the space between the road and the houses was taken up with little fields and meadows. Some of the houses were built of stone, two stories high, and covered with shingles of the white cedar. But most of the houses were wooden, and the crevices stopped up with clay, instead of moss, which we make use of for that purpose. No valves were to be met with in the chimneys, and the people even did not know what I meant by them. The ovens were commonly built up at some distance from the houses, and were either under a roof, or without any covering against the weather. The fields bore partly buck-wheat, which was not yet cut, partly maize, and partly wheat, which was but lately sown; but sometimes they lay fallow. The vines climbed to the top of several trees, and hung down again on both sides. Other trees again were surrounded by the ivy (Hedera quinquefolia) which with the same flexibility ascended to a great height. The Smilax laurifolia always joined with the ivy, and together with it twisted itself round the trees. The leaves of the ivy were at this time commonly reddish, but those of the vine were still quite green. The trees which were surrounded with them, looked at a distance like those which are covered with hops in our country, (and on seeing them from afar off, one might expect to find wild hops climbing upon the trees.) Walnut and chesnut trees were common near enclosures, in woods, and on hills, and at present were loaded with their fruit. The persimon was likewise plentiful near the roads, and in the woods. It had a great quantity of fruit, but they were not yet fit for eating, since the frost had not softened them. At some distance from Wilmington, I passed a bridge over a little river, which falls north into the Delaware. The rider pays here twopence toll for himself and his horse.

Towards noon I arrived at Wilmington.

Wilmington is a little town, about thirty English miles south-west from Philadelphia. It was founded in the year 1733. Part of it stands upon the grounds belonging to the Swedish church, which annually receives certain rents, out of which they pay the minister’s salary, and employ the rest for other uses. The houses are built of stone, and look very pretty; yet they are not built close together, but large open places are left between them. The quakers have a meeting-house in this town. The Swedish church, which I intend to mention in the sequel, is half a mile out of town eastwards. The parsonage is under the same roof with the church. A little river called Christina-kill passes by the town, and from thence falls into the Delaware. By following its banks one goes three miles before one reaches the Delaware. The river is said to be sufficiently deep, so that the greatest vessel may come quite up to the town: for at its mouth or juncture with the Delaware, it is shallowest, and yet its depth even there when the water is lowest, is from two fathoms to two and a half. But as you go higher its depth encreases to three, three and a half, and even four fathoms. The largest ships therefore may safely, and with their full cargoes come to, and from the town with the tide. from Wilmington, you have a fine prospect of a great part of the river Delaware, and the ships sailing on it. On both sides of the river Christina-kill, almost from the place where the redoubt is built to its juncture with the Delaware, are low meadows, which afford a great quantity of hay to the inhabitants. The town carries on a considerable trade, and would have been more enlarged, if Philadelphia and Newcastle, which are both towns of a more ancient date, were not so near on both sides of it.

The Redoubt upon the river Christina-kill, was erected this summer, when it was known that the French and Spanish privateers intended to sail up the river, and to attempt a landing. It stands, according to the accounts of the late Rev. Mr. Tranberg, on the same spot, where the Swedes had built theirs. It is remarkable, that on working in the ground this summer, to make this redoubt, an old Swedish silver coin of Queen Christina, not quite so big as a shilling was found at the depth of a yard, among some other things. The Rev. Mr. Tranberg afterwards presented me with it. On one side were the arms of the house of Wasa with the inscription: CHRISTINA, D. G. DE. RE. SVE. that is, Christina, by the grace of God, elected Queen of Sweden; and near this the year of our Lord 1633. On the reverse were these words: MONETA NOVA REGNI SVEC. or, a new coin of the kingdom of Sweden. At the same time a number of old iron tools, such as axes, shovels, and the like, were discovered. The redoubt, that is now erected, consists of bulwarks of planks, with a rampart on the outside. Near it is the powder magazine, in a vault built of bricks. At the erection of this little fortification it was remarkable, that the quakers, whose tenets reject even defensive war, were as busy as the other people in building it. For the fear of being every moment suddenly attacked by privateers, conquered all other thoughts. Many of them scrupled to put their own hands to the work; but forwarded, it by supplies of money, and by getting ready every thing, which was necessary.

October the 5th. It was my design to cross the Delaware, and to get into New Jersey with a view to get acquainted with the country; but as there was no ferry here to bring my horse over, I set out on my return to Philadelphia. I partly went along the high road, and partly deviated on one or the other side of it, in order to take more exact observations of the country, and of its natural history.

The maize, was sown in several places. In some its stalks were cut somewhat below the ear, dried and put up in narrow high stacks, in order to keep them as a food for the cattle in winter. The lower part of the stalk had likewise leaves, but as they commonly dry of themselves, the people do not like to feed the cattle with them, all their flavour being lost: But the upper ones are cut, whilst they are yet green.

The vallies between the hills commonly contain brooks: but they are not very broad, and require no bridges, so that carriages and horse can easily pass through them, for the water is seldom above six inches deep.

The leaves of most trees were yet quite green, such as those of oaks, chesnut trees, black walnut trees, hiccory, tulip trees, and sassafras. The two latter species are found in plenty on the sides of the little woods, on hills, on the fallow fields, near hedges, and on the road. The persimon likewise had still its leaves; however some trees of this kind had dropt them. The leaves of the American bramble were at present almost entirely red, though some of these bushes yet retained a lively green in the leaves. The Cornelian cherry likewise had already a mixture of brown and pale leaves. The leaves of the red maple were also red.

I continued my journey to Chichester, a borough upon the Delaware, where travellers pass the river in a ferry. They build here every year a number of small ships for sale. From an iron work which lies higher in the country, they carry iron bars to this place, and ship them.

Canoes are boats made of one piece of wood, and are much in use with the farmers, and other people upon the Delaware, and some little rivers. For that purpose a very thick trunk of a tree is hollowed out; the red juniper or red cedar tree, the white cedar, the chesnut tree, the white oak, and the tulip tree are commonly made use of for this purpose. The canoes made of red and white cedar are reckoned the best, because they swim very light upon the water, and last twenty years together. But of these, the red cedar canoes are most preferable. Those made of chesnut trees will likewise last for a good while. But those of white oak are hardly serviceable above six years, and also swim deep, because they are so heavy. The Liquidambar tree, or Liquidambar styraciflua, Linn. is big enough but unfit making canoes, because it imbibes the water. The canoes which are made of the tulip tree, scarce last as long as those of white oak. The size of the canoes is different, according to the purposes they are destined for. They can carry six persons; who however, must by no means be unruly, but sit at the bottom of the canoe in the quietest manner possible, lest the boat overset. The Swedes in Pensylvania and New Jersey near the rivers, have no other boats to go to Philadelphia in, which they commonly do twice a week on the market days, though they be several miles distant from the town, and meet sometimes with severe storms; yet misfortunes from the oversetting, &c; of these canoes are seldom heard of, though they might well be expected on account of the small size of this kind of boats. However a great deal of attention and care is necessary in managing the canoes, when the wind is somewhat violent; for they are narrow, round below, have no keel, and therefore may easily be overset. Accordingly when the wind is more brisk than ordinary, the people make for the land.

The common garden cresses grow in several places on the roads about Chichester, and undoubtedly come from the seeds, which were by chance carried out of the many gardens about that town.

The American brambles are here in great plenty. When a field is left uncultivated, they are the first plants that appear on it; and I frequently observed them in such fields as are annually ploughed, and have corn sown on them. For when these bushes are once rooted, they are not easily extirpated. Such a bush runs out tendrils sometimes four fathoms off its root, and then throws a new root, so that on pulling it up, you meet with roots on both ends. On some old grounds, which had long been uncultivated, there were so many bushes of this kind, that it was very troublesome and dangerous walking in them. A wine is made of the berries, as I have already mentioned. The berries are likewise eaten when they are ripe, and taste well. No other use is made of them.

October the 6th. The Chenopodium anthelminticum is very plentiful on the road, and on the banks of the river, but chiefly in dry places in a loose sandy soil. The English who are settled here, call it Wormseed and Jerusalem Oak. It has a disagreeable scent. In Pensylvania and New Jersey its seeds are given to children, against the worms, and for that purpose they are excellent. The plant itself is spontaneous in both provinces.

The environs of Chichester, contain many gardens, which are full of apple trees, sinking under the weight of innumerable apples. Most of them are winter fruit, and therefore were yet quite sour. Each farm has a garden, and so has each house of the better sort. The extent of these gardens is likewise not inconsiderable, and therefore affords, the possessor all the year long, great supplies in his house-keeping, both for eating and drinking. I frequently was surprized at the prudence of the inhabitants of this country. As soon as one has bought a piece of ground, which is neither built upon nor sown, his first care is to get young apple trees, and to make a garden. He next proceeds to build his house, and lastly prepares the uncultivated ground to receive corn. For it is well known that the trees require many years before they arrive to perfection, and this makes it necessary to plant them first. I now perceived near the farms, mills, wheels, and other instruments which are made use of in crushing the apples, in order to prepare cyder from them afterwards.

From Chichester I went on towards Philadelphia. The oaks were the most plentiful trees in the wood. But there were several species of them, all different from the European ones. The swine now went about in great herds in the oak woods, where they fed upon the acorns which fell in great abundance from the trees. Each hog had a wooden triangular yoke about its neck, by which it was hindered from penetrating through the holes in the enclosures; and for this reason, the enclosures are made very slender, and easy to put up, and do not require much wood. No other enclosures are in use, but those which are so like sheep hurdles. A number of squirrels were in the oak woods, partly running on the ground, and partly leaping from one branch to another; and at this time they chiefly fed upon acorns.

I seldom saw beach trees; but I found them quite the same with the European ones. Their wood is reckoned very good for making joiner’s planes of.

I do not remember seeing any other than the black Ants, or Formica nigra in Pensylvania. They are as black as a coal, and of two sorts, some very little, like the least of our ants, and others of the size of our common reddish ants. I have not yet observed any hills of theirs, but only seen some running about singly. In other parts of America, I have likewise found other species of ants, as I intend to remark in the sequel.

The common Privet, or Ligustrum vulgare, is made use of in many places, as a hedge round corn-fields and gardens, and on my whole voyage, I did not see that any other trees were made use of for this purpose, though the Englishmen here, well know that the hawthorn makes a much better hedge. The privet hedges grow very thick and close, but having no spines, the hogs, and even other animals break easily through them; and when they have once made a hole, it requires a long while before it grows up again. But when the hedges consist of spinose bushes, the cattle will hardly attempt to get through them.

About noon I came through Chester, a little market-town which lies on the Delaware. A rivulet coming down out of the country, passes through this place, and discharges itself into the Delaware. There is a bridge over it. The houses stand dispersed. Most of them are built of stone, and two or three stories high; some are however made of wood. In the town is a church, and a market-place.

Wheat was now sown every where. In some places it was already green, having been sown four weeks before. The wheat fields were made in the English manner, having no ditches in them, but numerous furrows for draining the water, at the distance of four or six foot from one another. Great stumps of the trees which had been cut down, are every where seen on the fields, and this shews that the country has been but lately cultivated.

The roots of the trees do not go deep into the ground, but spread horizontally. I had opportunities of observing this in several places where the trees were dug up; for I seldom saw one, whose roots went above a foot deep into the ground, though it was a loose soil.

About two English miles behind Chester, I passed by an iron forge, which was to the right hand by the road side. It belonged to two brothers, as I was told. The ore however is not dug here, but thirty or forty miles from hence, where it is first melted in the oven, and then carried to this place. The bellows were made of leather, and both they and the hammers, and even the hearth, but small in proportion to ours. All the machines were worked by water. The iron was wrought into bars.

To day I remarked, as I have since frequently seen on my travels in this country, that horses are very greedy of apples. When they are let into an orchard to feed upon the grass, if there are any apples on the ground, they frequently leave the fresh green grass, and eat the apples, which, however, are not reckoned a good food for them; and besides that, it is too expensive.

The red Maple, or Acer rubrum is plentiful in these places. Its proper situations are chiefly swampy, wet places, in which the alder commonly is its companion. Out of its wood they make plates, spinning-wheels, rolls, feet for chairs and beds, and all sorts of work. With the bark, they dye both worsted and linnen, giving it a dark blue colour. For that purpose it is first boiled in water; and some copperas, such as the hat-makers and shoe-makers commonly make use of, is added, before the stuff (which is to be dyed) is put into the boiler. This bark likewise affords a good black ink. When the tree is felled early in spring, a sweet juice runs out of it, like that which runs out of our birches. This juice they do not make any use of here, but in Canada, they make both treacle and sugar of it. Here is a variety of this tree which they call the curled Maple, the wood being as it were marbled within; it is much used in all kinds of joiner’s work, and the utensils made of this wood, are preferable to those made of any other sort of wood in the country, and are much dearer than those made of the wood of the wild cherry trees (Prunus Virginiana) or of black walnut trees. But the most valuable utensils were those made of curled black walnut, for that is an excessive scarce kind of wood. The curled maple was likewise very uncommon, and you frequently find trees, whose outsides are marbled, but their inside not. The tree is therefore cut very deep before it is felled, to see whether it has veins in every part.

In the evening I reached Philadelphia.

October the 7th. In the morning we crossed the Delaware in a boat to the other side which belongs to New Jersey, each person paying fourpence for his passage. The country here is very different from that in Pensylvania; for here the ground is almost mere sand, but in the other province it is mixed with a good deal of clay, and this makes the ground pretty rich. The discoveries which I made to day of insects and plants, I intend to mention in another work.