The greatest difference in the rising and falling of the barometer, is according to the observations made for several years together by Mr. James Logan, found at 28´´ 59 and 30´´ 78.
Here are three printers, and every week two English, and one German news-paper is printed.
In the year 1732, on the fifth of September, old style, a little earthquake was felt here about noon, and at the same time at Boston in New England, and at Montreal in Canada, which places are above sixty Swedish miles asunder.
In the month of November of the year 1737, the well known prince from mount Lebanon, Sheich Sidi came to Philadelphia, on his travels through most of the English American colonies. And in the same year a second earthquake was felt about eleven o’clock at night, on the seventh of December. But it did not continue above half a minute, and yet, it was felt according to the accounts of the gazettes at the same hour in Newcastle, New York, New London, Boston, and other towns of New England. It had therefore likewise reached several miles.
The count Sinzendorf[5] arrived here in [[57]]the December of the year 1741, and continued till the next spring. His uncommon behaviour persuaded many Englishmen of rank, that he was disordered in his head.
I have not been able to find the exact number of the inhabitants of Philadelphia. In the year 1746, they were reckoned above ten thousand, and since that time their number is incredibly encreased. Neither can it be made out from the Bills of mortality, since they are not kept regularly in all the churches. I shall, however, mention some of those which appeared either in the gazettes, or in bills printed on purpose.
| Year. | Dead. | Year. | Dead. | Year. | Dead. | ||
| 1730 | 227 | 1741 | 345 | 1745 | 420 | ||
| 1738 | 250 | 1742 | 409 | 1748 | 672 | ||
| 1739 | 350 | 1743 | 425 | 1749 | 758 | ||
| 1740 | 290 | 1744 | 410 | 1750 | 716 |
From these bills of mortality it also appears, that the diseases which are the most fatal, are consumptions, fevers, convulsions, pleuresies, hæmorrhagies, and dropsies.
The number of those that are born cannot be determined, since in many churches no order is observed with regard to this affair. The quakers, who are the most [[58]]numerous in this town, never baptize their children, though they take a pretty exact account of all who are born among them.
It is likewise impossible to guess at the number of inhabitants from the dead, because the town gets such great supplies annually from other countries. In the summer of the year 1749, near twelve thousand Germans came over to Philadelphia, many of whom staid in that town. In the same year the houses in Philadelphia were counted, and found to be two thousand and seventy six in number.