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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
sent to England for a number of play-actors, singers, and musicians, who were actually
arrived; and as a just judgment on the Philadelphians for encouraging these children of
iniquity, they were now afflicted with the yellow fever." I told him, that more likely the sins of
the quakers had drawn down this judgment on the city of brotherly love, and that it was
now scourged for their hypocrisy, lying, canting, and other manifold iniquities.
Oct. 27th. - Very cold wind at N.W. In the evening snow.
Oct. 29th. - Favourable accounts from Philadelphia: the late cold weather has entirely stopped
the progress of the disorder.
November 26th.
Set out for Annapolis, and arrived there in health, the 29th, at five in the afternoon.
* * * * *
Annapolis, 17th December, 1793.
DEAR FRIEND,
The bay of Chesapeak is one of the largest in the world. From it's entrance, between capes Henry and
Charles, to the mouth of the Susquana, which forms the head of the bay, the distance is two hundred and
eighty miles, through which great extent of water the tide ebbs and flows. This bay receives into it's
bosom the following rivers; viz. the Patomac, the Rappahanock, the Patapsico, the York, the James, the
Severn, and the Elk, beside innumerable creeks, and small streams. On an inlet from this bay, about two
hundred miles from it's entrance from the Atlantic, stands Annapolis, the capital of the state of Maryland,
so called in honour of queen Anne, as appears from the following extract from their charter: -
"Anne, by the grace of God, queen of Great Britain, &c....
"To all, and singular, our faithful subjects within our province of Maryland, greeting.... Whereas there is
a pleasant and commodious place for trade ... laid out for a town, and port, and called Annapolis, in
honour of us."
This city was intended for the emporium of the province; and surely no spot ever seemed better
calculated for a town of trade and commerce. Far to the south, and in one of the most pleasant and
healthy situations in America; as the seat of government, being the greatest, and indeed then only
mercantile town in the province; the bay of Chesapeak, and adjacent rivers, wafting the tobacco and other
produce of the country to this mart at a trifling expense; a harbour where ships might ride at anchor in
perfect security, and where wharfs, with sufficient depth of water for a vessel of eight hundred tons,
might be formed with very little trouble: but unfortunately these advantages were rendered abortive by
the bite of a small insect; the worms are so troublesome in these waters, that a vessel lying in this harbour
during the summer months will be as full of holes as a honey-comb. Baltimore, a town on a similar inlet
from the bay, about thirty miles hence, being free from this plague, (by having a great proportion of fresh
water from the Patapsico in it's harbour) has drawn all the trade from the capital: the Annapolians
have now but one square-rigged vessel belonging to their port, while their rivals have many
hundreds, and drive a brisk trade to the four quarters of the globe.
Annapolis is whimsically laid out, the streets verging from each other, like rays from a centre. It is still
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