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SOME PROPOSALS For a Second Settlement in the Province of Pennsylvania.
WHereas I did about nine Years past, pro∣pound the selling of several Parts, or Shares of Land, upon that side of the Province of Pennsylvania, next Delaware-River, and setting out of a Place upon it for the building of a City, by the name of Philadelphia; and that divers Persons closed with those Proposals, who, by their ingenuity, industry and charge, have advan∣ced that City, from a Wood, to a good forwardness of Building (there being above One Thousand Houses finisht in it) and that the several Plantations and Towns begun up∣on the Land, bought by those first Undertakers, are also in a prosperous way of Improvement and Inlargement (insomuch as last Year, ten Sail of Ships were freighted there, with the growth of the Province, for Barbados, Jamaica, &c. Besides what came directly for this Kingdom) It is now my purpose to make another Settlement, upon the River of Susquehannagh, that runs into the Bay of Chesapeake, and bears about fifty Miles West from the Ri∣ver Delaware, as appears by the Common Maps of the Eng∣lish Dominion in America. There I design to lay out a Plat for the building of another City, in the most convenient place for communication with the former Plantations on the East: which by Land, is as good as done already, a Way being laid out between the two Rivers very exactly and conveniently, at least three years ago; and which will not be hard to do by Water, by the benefit of the River Scoalkill; for a Branch of that River lies near a Branch that runs into Susquehannagh River, and is the Common Course of the Indians with their Skins and Furrs into our parts, and to the Provinces of East and West-Jersy, and New-York, from the West and North-West parts of the Continent from whence they bring them.
And I do also intend that every one who shall be a Purchasser in this proposed Settlement, shall have a pro∣portionable Lot in the said City to build a House or Houses upon; which Town-Ground, and the Shares of Land that shall be bought of me, shall be delivered clear of all In∣dian pretentions; for it has been my way from the first, to purchase their Title from them, and so settle with their consent.
The Shares I dispose of, contain each, Three Thousand Acres, for 100 l. and for greater or lesser quantities, af∣ter that rate. The Acre of that Province is according to the Statute of the 33th of Edw. 1. And no Ac∣knowledgement or Quit-Rent shall be paid by the Purcha∣sers till five years after a Settlement be made upon their Lands, and that only according to the quantity of Acres so taken up and seated, and not otherwise; and only then to pay but one shilling per annum for every hundred Acres forever. And further, I do promise to agree with e∣very Purchasser that shall be willing to treat with me be∣tween this and next Spring, upon all such reasonable conditions, as shall be thought necessary for their ac∣commodation, intending, if God please, to return with what speed I can, and my Family with me, in order to our future residence.
To conclude, that which particularly recommends this Settlement, is the known Goodness of the Soyle, and Scituation of the Land, which is high & not Moun∣tainous; also the Pleasantness, and Largness of the Ri∣ver, being clear and not rapid, and broader then the Thames at London-bridge, many Miles above the place designed for this Settlement; and runs (as we are told by the Indians) quite through the Province, into which many fair Rivers empty themselves. The sorts of Tim∣ber that grow there, are chiefly Oake, Ash, Chesnut, Walnut, Cedar, and Poplar. The native Fruits are Paw∣paws, Grapes, Mulberys, Chesnuts, and several sorts of Walnuts. There are likewise great quantities of Deer, and especially Elks, which are much bigger than our Red Deer, and use that River in Herds. And Fish there is of divers sorts, and very large and good, and in great plenty.
But that which recommends both this Settlement in perticular, and the Province in general, is a late Pat∣tent obtained by divers Eminent Lords and Gentle∣men for that Land that lies North of Pennsylvania up to the 46th Degree and an half, because their Traffick and Inter∣course will be chiefly through Pennsylvania, which lies be∣tween that Province and the Sea. We have also the comfort of being the Center of all the English Colonies upon the Continent of America, as they lie from the North-East parts of New-England to the most Southerly parts of Carolina, being above 1000 Miles upon the Coast.
If any Persons please to apply themselves to me by Letters in relation to this affair, they may direct them to Robert Ness Scrivener in Lumber-Street in London for Philip Ford, and suitable answers will be returned by the first oppertunity. There are also Instructions prin∣ted for information of such as intend to go, or send Ser∣vants, or Families thither, which way they may pro∣ceed with most Ease and Advantage, both here and there, in reference to Passage, Goods, Ʋtensels, Building, Hus∣bandry, Stock, Subsistance, Traffick, &c. being the effect of their Expence and Experiance that have seen the fruit of their Labours.
William Penn.