from Philadelphia to Sunbury, in that part of the faid road which lies between the weft fide of the Broad Mountain, to Titworth's tavern.

XVI. For improving the road over Trent's Gap in Cumberland and York counties.

XVII. For improving that part of the road leading from Carlile into Shearman's valley, which extends over the North Mountain, and to crofs the fame, at or near Hurley's Gap.

XVIII. For improving the road leading up Juniata river, from the mouth of a small run on the fouth fide of Buffaloe Hill, in Greenwood township and Cumberland county, to the mouth of a small run, called Wild Colt run, in the faid township.

XIX. For improving the road from Spiker's to Cherry's Mill.

XX. For improving a road from the top of the Winding Ridge, on the Maryland Line, to the weft fide of Laure Hill, near Union Town.

XXI. For laying out and improving a road, beginning at or near the line dividing the counties of Lancaster and Chester, on the north-west fide of the Welch Mountain, in the Paxton road, and from thence to the road leading from Philadelphia to the borough of York, fo as to interfect the fame in the township of Bradford, Chefter county.

XXII. For laying out and improving a road

leading

leading from M'Call's or Newberry's Ferry, on the river Susquehannah, fo as to interfect the road leading from York Town to Peach Bottom Ferry, between William Dougherty's and Charles William Porter's on faid road.

XXIII. For improving that part of the State road leading from Bedford to Pittsburg, which extends from Turtle Creek to Pittsburg.

XXIV. For improving a road from Frankf town to Pittsburg.

XXV, For opening and improving a road from Wilkfbarre to Wyalufing.

XXVI. For improving the road from Fort Penn to the portage between Delaware river and Shohocking Creek.

XXVII. For improving the road from the Lehigh Water Gap, across the Matchunk Mountain, to interfect the Lescopeck road.

XXVIII. For improving the road from George Browne's through the little Gap of the Blue Mountain.

XXIX. For improving the road between Lewis towards Mifflin county, and Huntingdon Town.

XXX. For opening and improving a road. from Lewis Town to Penn's Valley.

XXXI. For opening the State road from Peach Bottom Ferry, on the river Susquehannah, to the Maryland line, towards the waters of Chriftiana.

ALL

ALL the contracts will be founded on actual furvey. The perfons making proposals will therefore be pleased to ftate, as accurately as they can, the prefent condition of the road, the opening or improvement of which they de-, fire to undertake; together with its courses, distances, and breadth; the specific improvements that are meant to be made by levelling the ground, removing ftones, and bridging creeks, or runs; and the names of the fureties to guarantee the due and faithful performance of the contracts for which they respectively apply. The proposals for improving the navigation of the rivers and creeks, muft, in like manner, ftate the prefent condition of the river or creek, to which the proposals refpectively refer; the obstructions in the ftream; and the specific improvements that are intended to be made by blowing rocks, erecting bridges and wing-walls, clearing fhoals, &c. For the conveniency of the perfons whose proposals fhall be accepted, the contracts and bonds will be prepared at this office, and tranfmitted for execution, to the Prothonotary of the county in which the contractors refpectively refide.

A. J. DALLAS,

Secretary to the Commonwealth.

LET

LETTER II.

MY DEAR SIR,

I PROCEED to anfwer, as well as I can, the rest of your queries on the fubject of America.

You ask me, what is the ftate of society in America, and whether European comforts and conveniences can be procured there? whether provifions are cheaper and more plentiful there, than in England?

America is a large place; and between the different states, there are strong fhades of difference; nor does a large town furnish the fame anfwer to your queries as the country.

In Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, the state of fociety is much the fame as in the large towns of Great Britain, fuch as Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester. The American towns I have juft enumerated, contain together about the fame number of inhabitants as the English towns just mentioned; that is, about 200,000. Bofton, in 1791, contained 18,038 inhabitants. New York, 33,131. Philadelphia, 42,520. Baltimore, 13,503. Richmond,

mond, 3,761. Alexandria, 2,748. Lexington, in Kentucky, 834. Since that year the increase has been equivalent to make 'P the aggregrate what I ftate.* New York, for instance, is a perfect counterpart of Liverpool: the fituation of the docks, the form of streets, the state of the public buildings, the infide as well as the outfide of the houses, the manners, the amusements, the mode of living among the expenfive part of the inhabitants-all thefe circumftances are as nearly alike, in the towns laft mentioned, as poffible. In all the American towns above noticed, there are theatres and affemblies. They are, in short precisely what the larger and more opulent provincial towns of Great Britain are. Hence alfo you may easily conceive, that European comforts and conveniences are not fcarce. In fact, you may find in Philadelphia or New York every article of that description ufually kept in the fhops in the English towns I have referred to, in equal plenty, but not indeed equally cheap. To the price of all articles of luxurious furniture (pictures, pier glaffes, carpets, &c.) add onethird to the English price, and you have the full American price. House-rent is alfo much the fame as in the places hitherto compared: if any thing, fomewhat dearer in America for houfes of

• At prefent Philadelphia contains about 70,000, New York about 40,000, Lexington 1,500 inhabitants.