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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Travels in Some Parts of North America

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Or what avails it, tho' fair freedom rear,
Her beauteous throne upon a fertile land,
If there ten thousands still the chain must wear,
And, unregarded, lift the suppliant hand!

1st Month, 18th.

I spent this day at Philadel-
phia

. In crossing the floating bridge at the upper
ferry, I observed the people engaged in a singular
kind of harvest, being employed in breaking up
and taking away large quantities of ice, to lay up
for summer use. Those who have never visited
warm climates, can scarcely conceive how pleasant
the use of ice is, for various purposes of the table,
in the summer season.

1st Month, 25th.

In crossing the Schuylkill on
the floating bridge, at the upper ferry, I passed a
Negro boy apparently about 12 years of age.
Round his neck an iron collar was locked, and
from each side of it an iron bow passed over his
head. His dress was a light linsey jacket and
trowsers, without hat, shoes, or stockings. Soon
after passing the boy, whom I supposed to be a
runaway slave, I met a person of whom I inquired
the reason of the boy is having so much iron about
him. The man replied that the boy was his, and
was so often running away that he had used that
method to prevent him.

1st Month, 29th.

After having passed several
days at Merion

, chiefly in writing to my family