course of the river, would have power to harass the commerce, and in other respects to affect the welfare of the neighboring colony.1 Penn was desirous to possess these territories, as well on account of the security they afforded, as of the advantages to be derived from a hardy and labo rious population. The Duke of York held them as an appendage to his government, and, though reluctant to cede them, he could not resist the solicitations of the proprietary. He executed three deeds to Penn in August, 1682. The first, dated the twenty-first, releasing his right to the province; the others, dated the twenty-fourth, granting the town of Newcastle and the land lying within a circle of twelve miles about it; and the tract of land beginning at twelve miles south of Newcastle, and entending southward to Cape Henlopen. For the last tract, Penn cove nanted to pay the Duke and his heirs one-half of all the rents and profits received from it. These grants conveyed to the proprietary a fee simple estate in the soil, but no political right whatever. Holding in soccage as of the Duke's castle at New York, he owed fealty to, and was a subject of, that government. Whether he ever obtained from the crown political powers over this country is questionable. It is certain that, when the right he assumed became the subject of controversy, among the inhabitants of the province and territories, no grant of this nature was exhibited. These deeds were duly recorded in New York, and, by proclamation of the commander there, twenty-first November, 1782, to the magistrates on the west side of the Delaware, the rights of Penn under them were publicly recognized."

Penn having completed all arrangements for his voyage to America, after writing a beautiful letter to his wife and children, and another "to all faithful friends in England," accompanied by about one hundred passengers, mostly friends from Sussex, after a passage of about two months on board the ship Welcome, of three hundred tons burthen, came in sight of the American coast about Egg-Harbour in New Jersey on the 24th of October, and reached New Castle on the 27th. On the following day he produced his deeds from the Duke of York and received possession by the solemn" delivery of turf and twig and water and soyle of the River Delaware."2 He was received with demonstrations of gladness by the inhabitants, and at the Court House "made a speech to the old magistrates, in which he explained to them the design of his coming, the nature and end of government, and of that more particularly which he came to establish.3

"To form some idea of the proportion of the different sorts of people, on the west side of Delaware, about this time, or prior to William Penn's arrival, on the lands granted him, it may be noted, that the Dutch then had a meeting place, for religious worship, at Newcastle; the Swedes, three

one at Christeen, one at Tenecum, and one at Wicocoa, (now in the suburbs of Philadelphia.) The Quakers, as before observed, in the introduction, had three, viz.: one at Upland, or Chester; one at Shackamaxon, or about where Kensington now stands, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, and one near the lower falls of Delaware."1

1 Proud.

CHAPTER III.

FROM THE ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM PENN TO THE ERECTION OF LANCASTER COUNTY.

Penn went to Upland (Chester) on the 29th of October, [1682.] On his arrival there he changed its name. "This was a memorable event and to be distinguished by some marked circumstance. He determined, therefore, to change the name of the place. Turning round to his friend Pearson, one of his own society, who had accompanied him in the ship Welcome, he said, 'Providence has brought us here safe. Thou hast been the companion of my perils. What wilt thou that I should call this place?' Pearson said, 'Chester,' in remembrance of the city from whence he came. William Penn replied, that it should be called Chester, and that when he divided the land into counties, one of them should be called by the same name."1

From Chester Penn is said to have proceeded with some of his friends in an open barge, in the earliest days of November, to a place about four miles above the mouth of the Schuylkill, called Coaquannock, "where there was a high, bold shore, covered with lofty pines. Here the site of the infant city of Philadelphia had been established, and we may be assured his approach was hailed with joy by the whole population: the old inhabitants, Swedes and Dutch, eager to catch a glimpse of their future governor; and the Friends, who had gone before him, anxiously awaiting his arrival." 2

The following tradition connected with his arrival is given by Watson: "The Indians, as well as the whites, had severally prepared the best entertainment the place and circumstances could admit. William Penn made himself endeared to the Indians by his marked condescension and acquiescence in their wishes [1682]. He walked with them, sat with them on the ground, and ate with them of their roasted acorns and hominy. At this they expressed their great delight, and soon began to show how they could hop and jump; at which exhibition William Penn, to cap the climax, sprang up and beat them all! We are not prepared to credit such light gaiety in a sage Governor and religious chief; but we have the positive assertion of a woman of truth, who says she saw it. There may have been a very wise policy in the measure as an act of conciliation, worth more than a regiment of sharpshooters. He was then sufficiently young for any agility, and we remember that one of the old

journalists among the Friends incidentally speaks of him as having naturally an excess of levity of spirit for a grave minister."1

Penn immediately after his arrival despatched two persons to Lord Baltimore, to ask of his health, offer kind neighborhood, and agree upon a time of meeting the better to establish it. While they were gone on this errand he went to New York to pay his duty to the Duke, in the visit of his government and colony. He returned from New York towards the end of November.

To this period belongs the "Great Treaty," which took place at Shackamaxon, (now called Kensington), or more correctly Sachamexing, derived from Sakima or Sachem, the Delaware for a king or chief, and ing, the Indian termination indicating locality or the place where; the x before ing is inserted for euphony's sake. Thus Sakimaxing or Sachamering signifies the meeting place of chiefs. It seems to have been a place of resort for the Indians of different nations to consult together and settle their mutual differences and on this account it was probably selected by Markham and Penn3 after him as the place for holding their successive treaties. There were at least three Indian tribes present: The Lenni Lenape, living near the Delaware; the Mingoes from Conestogo, and the Shawnees from the Susquehanna. William Penn was accompa nied by a few friends.

"It is near the close of November, [1682], the lofty forest trees on the banks of the Delaware have shed their summer attire, the ground is strewed with leaves, and the Council fire burns brightly, fanned by the autumnal breeze. Under the wide branching elm the Indian tribes are assembled, but all unarmed, for no warlike weapon is allowed to disturb

1 The deponent referred to is the grandmother of Samuel Preston, Esq., formerly of Backs county. She died in 1774, at the age of 100 years, in full mind and memory. William Penn and sundry Indians were present at her marriage. She described Penn as of rather short stature, but the handsomest, best looking, most lively gentleman, she had ever seen. There was nothing like pride about him, but affable and friendly with the humblest in life.-Watson's Annals, I. 55.

2 W. Penn's letter to the Lords of Plantations, &c.

3 Mem. Hist. Soc. Pa. III. pt. 2. p. 183.

4 Compiled by Janney.

5 This tree was long revered by the colonists and Indians. During the revolutionary war the British general Sincoe, who was quartered at Kensington, so regarded it, that whilst his soldiers were felling the trees of the vicinity for fuel, he placed a sentinel under this, that not a branch of it might be touched. In 1810 it was blown down, and ups, and workstands, and other articles of furniture, were made from it, to be preserved as memorials. It was then ascertained to be two hundred and eighty-three years old, having been one hundred and fifty-five years old at the time of the conference.-Notice by Sir B. West, reported by R. Vaux, esq,, member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1825—p. 97—Clarkson.

The Penn Society of Philadelphia, at the suggestion of R. Vaux, esq., have erected a marble monument on the spot where the " Treaty Elm" stood, on the bank of the

the scene. In front are the chiefs, with their counsellors and aged men on either hand. Behind them, in the form of a half-moon, sit the young men and some of the aged matrons; while beyond, and disposed in still widening circles, are seen the youth of both sexes. Among the assembled chiefs there is one who holds a conspicuous rank: the Great Sachem Taminend, one of nature's noblemen, revered for his wisdom and beloved for his goodness. But see! a barge is approaching, bearing at its masthead the broad pennant of the Governor; the oars are plied with measured strokes, and near the helm sits William Penn attended by his Council-among them are Markham, his Secretary, Holme, SurveyorGeneral, Simcox, Haigue, Taylor and Pearson. On the river bank, waiting with others to join them, is Lacy Cock, the hospitable Swede, whose dwelling is near the treaty-ground. They are plainly dressed, and the proprietary is only distinguished from the rest by a sky-blue sash of silk network that encircles his waist. They land and advance toward the Council fire: the Governor, having his cousin Markham on the right, and his friend Pearson on the left, is preceded by some of his attendants, bearing presents, which they spread upon the ground.

"They pause when they approach the Council fire-Taminend puts on his chaplet, surmounted by a small horn, the emblem of kingly power, and then through an interpreter, he announces to William Penn that the nations are ready to hear him."

Penn, holding in his hand a roll of parchment, containing the confirmation of the treaty of purchase and amity, addressed them thus: "The Great Spirit who ruled the heavens and the earth, the Father of all men, bore witness to the sincerity of his wishes to dwell with them in peace and friendship, and to serve them with all his power. Himself and followers had met them unarmed, because their religion forbade the use of hostile weapons against their fellow creatures; they came not to injure others; that was offensive to the Great Spirit; but to do good, in which

Delaware, near the intersection of Hanover and Beach streets, Kensington. The monument bears the following inscriptions: