objected to it: Yet when the Conveniencies far exceed, the Scheme is
judg'd rational, and fit to be executed. Thus Inconveniencies have been
objected to that _good_ and _wise_ Act of Parliament, by virtue of which
all the _Newgates_ and _Dungeons_ in _Britain_ are emptied into the
Colonies. It has been said, that these Thieves and Villains introduc'd
among us, spoil the Morals of Youth in the Neighbourhoods that entertain
them, and perpetrate many horrid Crimes: But let not _private Interests_
obstruct _publick_ Utility. Our _Mother_ knows what is best for us. What
is a little _Housebreaking_, _Shoplifting_, or _Highway Robbing_; what
is a _Son_ now and then _corrupted_ and _hang'd_, a Daughter _debauch'd_
and _pox'd_, a Wife _stabb'd_, a Husband's _Throat cut_, or a Child's
_Brains beat out_ with an Axe, compar'd with this 'IMPROVEMENT and WELL
PEOPLING of the Colonies!'
Thus it may perhaps be objected to my Scheme, that the _Rattle-Snake_ is
a mischievous Creature, and that his changing his Nature with the Clime
is a mere Supposition, not yet confirm'd by sufficient Facts. What then?
Is not Example more prevalent than Precept? And may not the honest rough
British Gentry, by a Familiarity with these Reptiles, learn to _creep_,
and to _insinuate_, and to _slaver_, and to _wriggle_ into Place (and
perhaps to _poison_ such as stand in their Way) Qualities of no small
Advantage to Courtiers! In comparison of which 'IMPROVEMENT and PUBLICK
UTILITY,' what is a _Child_ now and then kill'd by their venomous Bite,
... or even a favourite _Lap Dog_?
I would only add, that this exporting of Felons to the Colonies, may be
consider'd as a _Trade_, as well as in the Light of a _Favour_. Now all
Commerce implies Returns: Justice requires them: There can be no Trade
without them. And _Rattle-Snakes_ seem the most _suitable Returns_ for
the _Human Serpents_ sent us by our _Mother_ Country. In this, however,
as in every other Branch of Trade, she will have the Advantage of us.
She will reap _equal_ Benefits without equal Risque of the
Inconveniencies and Dangers. For the _Rattle-Snake_ gives Warning
before he attempts his Mischief; which the Convict does not. I am
_Yours_, &c.
AMERICANUS.
OBSERVATIONS
CONCERNING THE INCREASE OF MANKIND, PEOPLING OF COUNTRIES, ETC.
Written in Pensilvania, 1751[39]
1. Tables of the Proportion of Marriages to Births, of Deaths to Births,
of Marriages to the Numbers of Inhabitants, &c., form'd on Observaions
[_sic_] made upon the Bills of Mortality, Christnings, &c., of populous
Cities, will not suit Countries; nor will Tables form'd on Observations
made on full-settled old Countries, as _Europe_, suit new Countries, as
_America_.
2. For People increase in Proportion to the Number of Marriages, and
that is greater in Proportion to the Ease and Convenience of supporting
a Family. When families can be easily supported, more Persons marry, and
earlier in Life.
3. In Cities, where all Trades, Occupations, and Offices are full, many
delay marrying till they can see how to bear the Charges of a Family;
which Charges are greater in Cities, as Luxury is more common: many live
single during Life, and continue Servants to Families, Journeymen to
Trades; &c. hence Cities do not by natural Generation supply themselves
with Inhabitants; the Deaths are more than the Births.
4. In Countries full settled, the Case must be nearly the same; all
Lands being occupied and improved to the Heighth; those who cannot get
Land, must Labour for others that have it; when Labourers are plenty,
their Wages will be low; by low Wages a family is supported with
Difficulty; this Difficulty deters many from Marriage, who therefore
long continue Servants and single. Only as the Cities take Supplies of
People from the Country, and thereby make a little more Room in the
Country; Marriage is a little more encourag'd there, and the Births
exceed the Deaths.
5. _Europe_ is generally full settled with Husbandmen, Manufacturers,
&c., and therefore cannot now much increase in People: _America_ is
chiefly occupied by Indians, who subsist mostly by Hunting. But as the
Hunter, of all Men, requires the greatest Quantity of Land from whence
to draw his Subsistence, (the Husbandman subsisting on much less, the
Gardner on still less, and the Manufacturer requiring least of all), the
_Europeans_ found _America_ as fully settled as it well could be by
Hunters; yet these, having large Tracks, were easily prevail'd on to
part with Portions of Territory to the new Comers, who did not much
interfere with the Natives in Hunting, and furnish'd them with many
Things they wanted.
6. Land being thus plenty in _America_, and so cheap as that a labouring
man, that understands Husbandry, can in a short Time save Money enough
to purchase a Piece of new Land sufficient for a Plantation, whereon he
may subsist a Family, such are not afraid to marry; for, if they even
look far enough forward to consider how their Children, when grown up,
are to be provided for, they see that more Land is to be had at rates
equally easy, all Circumstances considered.
7. Hence Marriages in _America_ are more general, and more generally
early, than in _Europe_. And if it is reckoned there, that there is but
one Marriage per Annum among 100 persons, perhaps we may here reckon
two; and if in _Europe_ they have but 4 Births to a Marriage (many of
their Marriages being late), we may here reckon 8, of which if one half
grow up, and our Marriages are made, reckoning one with another at 20
Years of Age, our People must at least be doubled every 20 Years.
8. But notwithstanding this Increase, so vast is the Territory of _North
America_, that it will require many Ages to settle it fully; and, till
it is fully settled, Labour will never be cheap here, where no Man
continues long a Labourer for others, but gets a Plantation of his own,
no Man continues long a Journeyman to a Trade, but goes among those new
Settlers, and sets up for himself, &c. Hence Labour is no cheaper now in
_Pennsylvania_, than it was 30 Years ago, tho' so many Thousand
labouring People have been imported.
9. The Danger therefore of these Colonies interfering with their Mother
Country in Trades that depend on Labour, Manufactures, &c., is too
remote to require the attention of _Great Britain_.
10. But in Proportion to the Increase of the Colonies, a vast Demand is
growing for British Manufactures, a glorious Market wholly in the Power
of _Britain_, in which Foreigners cannot interfere, which will increase
in a short Time even beyond her Power of supplying, tho' her whole Trade
should be to her Colonies: Therefore _Britain_ should not too much
restrain Manufactures in her Colonies. A wise and good Mother will not
do it. To distress, is to weaken, and weakening the Children weakens the
whole Family.
11. Besides if the Manufactures of _Britain_ (by reason of the
_American_ Demands) should rise too high in Price, Foreigners who can
sell cheaper will drive her Merchants out of Foreign Markets; Foreign
Manufactures will thereby be encouraged and increased, and consequently
foreign Nations, perhaps her Rivals in Power, grow more populous and
more powerful; while her own Colonies, kept too low, are unable to
assist her, or add to her Strength.
12. 'Tis an ill-grounded Opinion that by the Labour of slaves, _America_
may possibly vie in Cheapness of Manufactures with _Britain_. The Labour
of Slaves can never be so cheap here as the Labour of working Men is in
_Britain_. Any one may compute it. Interest of Money is in the Colonies
from 6 to 10 per Cent. Slaves one with another cost 30£ Sterling per
Head. Reckon then the Interest of the first Purchase of a Slave, the
Insurance or Risque on his Life, his Cloathing and Diet, Expences in his
Sickness and Loss of Time, Loss by his Neglect of Business (Neglect is
natural to the Man who is not to be benefited by his own Care or
Diligence), Expence of a Driver to keep him at Work, and his Pilfering
from Time to Time, almost every Slave being _by Nature_ a Thief, and
compare the whole Amount with the Wages of a Manufacturer of Iron or
Wood in _England_, you will see that Labour is much cheaper there than
it ever can be by Negroes here. Why then will _Americans_ purchase
Slaves? Because Slaves may be kept as long as a _Man_ pleases, or has
Occasion for their Labour; while hired Men are continually leaving their
masters (often in the midst of his Business,) and setting up for
themselves.--Sec. 8.
13. As the Increase of People depends on the Encouragement of Marriages,
the following Things must diminish a Nation, viz. 1. _The being
conquered_; for the Conquerors will engross as many Offices, and exact
as much Tribute or Profit on the Labour of the conquered, as will
maintain them in their new Establishment, and this diminishing the
Subsistence of the Natives, discourages their Marriages, and so
gradually diminishes them, while the foreigners increase. 2. _Loss of
Territory._ Thus, the _Britons_ being driven into _Wales_, and crowded
together in a barren Country insufficient to support such great Numbers,
diminished 'till the People bore a Proportion to the Produce, while the
_Saxons_ increas'd on their abandoned lands; till the Island became full
of _English_. And, were the _English_ now driven into _Wales_ by some
foreign Nation, there would in a few Years, be no more Englishmen in
_Britain_, than there are now people in _Wales_. 3. _Loss of Trade._
Manufactures exported, draw Subsistence from Foreign Countries for
Numbers; who are thereby enabled to marry and raise Families. If the
Nation be deprived of any Branch of Trade, and no new Employment is
found for the People occupy'd in that Branch, it will also be soon
deprived of so many People. 4. _Loss of Food._ Suppose a Nation has a
Fishery, which not only employs great Numbers, but makes the Food and
Subsistence of the People cheaper. If another Nation becomes Master of
the Seas, and prevents the Fishery, the People will diminish in
Proportion as the Loss of Employ and Dearness of Provision, makes it
more difficult to subsist a Family. 5. _Bad Government and insecure
Property._ People not only leave such a Country, and settling Abroad
incorporate with other Nations, lose their native Language, and become
Foreigners, but, the Industry of those that remain being discourag'd,
the Quantity of Subsistence in the Country is lessen'd, and the Support
of a Family becomes more difficult. So heavy Taxes tend to diminish a
People. 6. _The Introduction of Slaves._ The Negroes brought into the
_English_ Sugar _Islands_ have greatly diminish'd the Whites there; the
Poor are by this Means deprived of Employment, while a few Families
acquire vast Estates; which they spend on Foreign Luxuries, and
educating their Children in the Habit of those Luxuries; the same Income
is needed for the Support of one that might have maintain'd 100. The
Whites who have Slaves, not labouring, are enfeebled, and therefore not
so generally prolific; the Slaves being work'd too hard, and ill fed,
their Constitutions are broken, and the Deaths among them are more than
the Births; so that a continual Supply is needed from _Africa_. The
Northern Colonies, having few Slaves, increase in Whites. Slaves also
pejorate[40] the Families that use them; the white Children become
proud, disgusted with Labour, and being educated in Idleness, are
rendered unfit to get a Living by Industry.
14. Hence the Prince that acquires new Territory, if he finds it vacant,
or removes the Natives to give his own People Room; the Legislator that
makes effectual Laws for promoting of Trade, increasing Employment,
improving Land by more or better Tillage, providing more Food by
Fisheries; securing Property, &c. and the Man that invents new Trades,
Arts, or Manufactures, or new Improvements in Husbandry, may be properly
called _Fathers_ of their Nation, as they are the Cause of the
Generation of Multitudes, by the Encouragement they afford to Marriage.
15. As to Privileges granted to the married, (such as the _Jus trium
Liberorum_ among the _Romans_,) they may hasten the filling of a Country
that has been thinned by War or Pestilence, or that has otherwise vacant
Territory; but cannot increase a People beyond the Means provided for
their Subsistence.
16. Foreign Luxuries and needless Manufactures, imported and used in a
Nation, do, by the same Reasoning, increase the People of the Nation
that furnishes them, and diminish the People of the Nation that uses
them. Laws, therefore, that prevent such Importations, and on the
contrary promote the Exportation of Manufactures to be consumed in
Foreign Countries, may be called (with Respect to the People that make
them) _generative Laws_, as, by increasing Subsistence they encourage
Marriage. Such Laws likewise strengthen a Country, doubly, by increasing
its own People and diminishing its Neighbours.
17. Some _European_ Nations prudently refuse to consume the Manufactures
of _East-India_:--They should likewise forbid them to their Colonies;
for the Gain to the Merchant is not to be compar'd with the Loss, by
this Means, of People to the Nation.
18. Home Luxury in the Great increases the Nation's Manufacturers
employ'd by it, who are many, and only tends to diminish the Families
that indulge in it, who are few. The greater the common fashionable
Expence of any Rank of People, the more cautious they are of Marriage.
Therefore Luxury should never be suffer'd to become common.
19. The great Increase of Offspring in particular Families is not always
owing to greater Fecundity of Nature, but sometimes to Examples of
Industry in the Heads, and industrious Education; by which the Children
are enabled to provide better for themselves, and their marrying early
is encouraged from the Prospect of good Subsistence.
20. If there be a Sect, therefore, in our Nation, that regard Frugality
and Industry as religious Duties, and educate their Children therein,
more than others commonly do; such Sect must consequently increase more
by natural Generation, than any other sect in _Britain_.
21. The Importation of Foreigners into a Country, that has as many
Inhabitants as the present Employments and Provisions for Subsistence
will bear, will be in the End no Increase of People; unless the New
Comers have more Industry and Frugality than the Natives, and then they
will provide more Subsistence, and increase in the Country; but they
will gradually eat the Natives out. Nor is it necessary to bring in
Foreigners to fill up any occasional Vacancy in a Country; for such
Vacancy (if the Laws are good, sec. 14, 16,) will soon be filled by
natural Generation. Who can now find the Vacancy made in _Sweden_,
_France_, or other Warlike Nations, by the Plague of Heroism, 40 years
ago; in _France_, by the Expulsion of the Protestants, in _England_, by
the Settlement of her Colonies; or in _Guinea_, by 100 Years Exportation
of Slaves, that has blacken'd half _America_? The thinness of
Inhabitants in _Spain_ is owing to National Pride and Idleness, and
other Causes, rather than to the Expulsion of the Moors, or to the
making of new Settlements.
22. There is, in short, no Bound to the prolific Nature of Plants or
Animals, but what is made by their crowding and interfering with each
other's means of Subsistence. Was the Face of the Earth vacant of other
Plants, it might be gradually sowed and overspread with one Kind only;
as, for Instance, with Fennel; and were it empty of other Inhabitants,
it might in a few Ages be replenish'd from one Nation only; as, for
Instance, with _Englishmen_. Thus there are suppos'd to be now upwards
of One Million _English_ Souls in _North-America_, (tho' 'tis thought
scarce 80,000 have been brought over Sea,) and yet perhaps there is not
one the fewer in _Britain_, but rather many more, on Account of the
Employment the Colonies afford to Manufacturers at Home. This Million
doubling, suppose but once in 25 Years, will, in another Century, be
more than the People of _England_, and the greatest Number of
_Englishmen_ will be on this Side the Water. What an Accession of Power
to the _British_ Empire by Sea as well as Land! What Increase of Trade
and Navigation! What Numbers of Ships and Seamen! We have been here but
little more than 100 years, and yet the Force of our Privateers in the
late War, united, was greater, both in Men and Guns, than that of the
whole _British_ Navy in Queen _Elizabeth's_ Time. How important an
Affair then to _Britain_ is the present Treaty for settling the Bounds
between her Colonies and the _French_, and how careful should she be to
secure Room enough, since on the Room depends so much the Increase of
her People.
23. In fine, a Nation well regulated is like a Polypus; take away a
Limb, its Place is soon supply'd; cut it in two, and each deficient Part
shall speedily grow out of the Part remaining. Thus if you have Room and
Subsistence enough, as you may by dividing, make ten Polypes out of one,
you may of one make ten Nations, equally populous and powerful; or
rather increase a Nation ten fold in Numbers and Strength.[41]
And since Detachments of _English_ from _Britain_, sent to _America_,
will have their Places at Home so soon supply'd and increase so largely
here; why should the _Palatine Boors_ be suffered to swarm into our
Settlements and, by herding together, establish their Language and
Manners, to the Exclusion of ours? Why should _Pennsylvania_, founded by
the _English_, become a Colony of _Aliens_, who will shortly be so
numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will
never adopt our Language or Customs any more than they can acquire our
Complexion?
24. Which leads me to add one Remark, that the Number of purely white
People in the World is proportionably very small. All _Africa_ is black
or tawny; _Asia_ chiefly tawny; _America_ (exclusive of the new Comers)
wholly so. And in _Europe_, the _Spaniards_, _Italians_, _French_,
_Russians_, and _Swedes_, are generally of what we call a swarthy
Complexion; as are the _Germans_ also, the _Saxons_ only excepted, who,
with the _English_, make the principal Body of White People on the Face
of the Earth. I could wish their Numbers were increased. And while we
are, as I may call it, _Scouring_ our Planet, by _clearing America_ of
Woods, and so making this Side of our Globe reflect a brighter Light to
the Eyes of Inhabitants in _Mars_ or _Venus_, why should we, in the
Sight of Superior Beings, darken its People? Why increase the Sons of
_Africa_, by planting them in _America_, where we have so fair an
Opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Tawneys, of increasing the
lovely White and Red? But perhaps I am partial to the Complexion of my
Country, for such Kind of Partiality is natural to Mankind.
TO PETER COLLINSON[42]
Electrical Kite
[Philadelphia] Oct. 19, 1752.
SIR,
As frequent mention is made in public papers from _Europe_ of the
success of the _Philadelphia_ experiment for drawing the electric fire
from clouds by means of pointed rods of iron erected on high buildings,
&c., it may be agreeable to the curious to be informed, that the same
experiment has succeeded in _Philadelphia_, though made in a different
and more easy manner, which is as follows:
Make a small cross of two light strips of cedar, the arms so long as to
reach to the four corners of a large thin silk handkerchief when
extended; tie the corners of the handkerchief to the extremities of the
cross, so you have the body of a kite; which being properly accommodated
with a tail, loop, and string, will rise in the air, like those made of
paper; but this being of silk, is fitter to bear the wet and wind of a
thunder-gust without tearing. To the top of the upright stick of the
cross is to be fixed a very sharp-pointed wire, rising a foot or more
above the wood. To the end of the twine, next the hand, is to be tied a
silk ribbon, and where the silk and twine join, a key may be fastened.
This kite is to be raised when a thunder-gust appears to be coming on,
and the person who holds the string must stand within a door or window,
or under some cover, so that the silk ribbon may not be wet; and care
must be taken that the twine does not touch the frame of the door or
window. As soon as any of the thunder-clouds come over the kite, the
pointed wire will draw the electric fire from them, and the kite, with
all the twine, will be electrified, and the loose filaments of the twine
will stand out every way, and be attracted by an approaching finger. And
when the rain has wet the kite and twine, so that it can conduct the
electric fire freely, you will find it stream out plentifully from the
key on the approach of your knuckle. At this key the phial may be
charged; and from electric fire thus obtained, spirits may be kindled,
and all the other electric experiments be performed, which are usually
done by the help of a rubbed glass globe or tube, and thereby the
sameness of the electric matter with that of lightning completely
demonstrated.
B. FRANKLIN.
[NOTE.--The _Almanack_ for 1753 which follows is an exact facsimile of
the copy in the W. S. Mason Collection, here reproduced through the
kindness of Mr. Mason. See note [43].]
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes: (For "Poor Richard Improved" only)
As this section is intended to be a facsimile representation of the
original Poor Richards Almanack of 1753;
1. Inconsistencies in capitalization, column header names, punctuation,
typography and incomplete words have all been retained.
2. Black line page borders have been omitted, page breaks are indicated
for the reader as *(page break)*. A long ellipses line "--"
indicates a horizontal line across a single page dividing it into
sections.
3. Where the "Hymn" and "Article" texts "skip" pages, the first word
of the continued text has been retained for reference and placed
in [square brackets], excepting that words originally split between
pages have been joined and the next word selected as the marker word.
4. The original text used planet and aspect symbols not available in the
Latin-1 character set, these have been replaced with the name of the
planet or aspect enclosed in [square brackets] and spacing adjusted
accordingly.
5. Where Sun and Moon data tables were too wide to fit in this e-text
format, the table has been divided into "pieces". An arrow -->
indicates that the table or text immediately BELOW originally
appeared to the right.
* * * * *
Poor =RICHARD= improved:
----------------------
=BEING AN=
=ALMANACK=
=AND=
=_EPHEMERIS_=
=OF THE=
MOTIONS of the =SUN= and =MOON=;
=THE TRUE=
PLACES and ASPECTS of the PLANETS;
=THE=
=_RISING_= and =_SETTING_= of the =_SUN_=;
=AND THE=
Rising, Setting _and_ Southing _of the_ Moon,
=FOR THE=
YEAR of our =LORD= 1753:
Being the First after LEAP-YEAR.
Containing also,
The Lunations, Conjunctions, Eclipses, Judgment of the
Weather, Rising and Setting of the Planets, Length of
Days and Nights, Fairs, Courts, Roads, &c. Together
with useful Tables, chronological Observations, and
entertaining Remarks.
----------------------
Fitted to the Latitude of Forty Degrees, and a Meridian
of near fire Hours West from _London_; but may, without
sensible Error, serve all the NORTHERN COLONIES.
----------------------
By =_RICHARD SAUNDERS_=, Philom.
----------------------
----------------------
=_PHILADELPHIA_=:
Printed and Sold by =B. FRANKLIN=, and =D. HALL=.
*(page break)*
The Anatomy of Man's Body as govern'd by the
Twelve Constellations.
----------------------
[Aries]
The Head and Face.
[Gemini] [Taurus]
Arms Neck
[Leo] [Cancer]
Heart Breast
[Illustration]
[Libra] [Virgo]
Reins Bowels
[Sagittarius] [Scorpio]
Thighs Secrets
[Aquarius] [Capricorn]
Legs Knees
[Pisces]
The Feet.
_To know where the Sign is._
First Find the Day of the Month, and against the Day
you have the Sign or Place of the Moon in the 5th Column.
Then finding the Sign here, it shews the Part of the
Body it governs.
----------------------
_The Names and Characters of the Seven Planets._
[Sun] Sol, [Saturn] Saturn, [Jupiter] Jupiter, [Mars] Mars,
[Venus] Venus, [Mercury] Mercury, [Moon] Luna, [Head]
Dragons Head and [Tail] Tail.
----------------------
_The Five Aspects._