Gitt In the Cape to Refit his Shipes and In a bout three weekes he Got them all Ready for the Sea Again Nov 10th Thursday. Capt: Merry and Capt: Coffin were brought in to Gole and Capt: Coffins People Belonged to Nantucket,' and Merry of New London, they was Brought In by a french Letter of Marke Ship which Came from Cannady. 11th Fryday Monsieur Kersin with his fore Shipes of the Morning line and the three fregitts Sailed from the Cape with abought forty Sail of Merchantmen Under there Convoy 12th Satureday Capt: Cunningham & Capt: Kemsey with Morning the Jailor Came In and took a list of the prisoners they whare to Carry Down to Jamaica 1757 Nov 15, Tuesday Abought four a Clock we all Embarked on board the two flags of truses Capt' Cunningham and Kemsey, Except Capt: Murry the Gunner And boatswain who Got leve of the Govenner to Go to windward with a Dean which was there wose Name was Capt: Burchell. 16th Wednesday We sailed from the Cape and Got Down to Port Royal In Six Days. Morning. 1" August 1, 1757. Morton from Boston. Custom House, Philadelphia, Inward Entries. Coffin from Nantucket."-New York Gazette, etc., 21st Monday Abought four a Clock we Came to An AnAfternoon cour in Port Royal Under the Admirals Starn 1757 1 which was the Molbor" a Shipe of Ninety Guns She Sent her boat to Us for the Capt: And left an officer on board of Us till Capt: Cunningh" came Back from Admiral Coats 1 with orders to Send Us All on board of the Molborough, the man of wars men was all sent on board first then the Rest of Us was carryed on board before the Capt: And Officers on the Quarter Deck and ware Discharged Port Royal, Jamaica. on board flag y fragat Morning. Nov 22 Tuesday About Seven a Clock we all Left the flag of Truce And went Up to Kingston in a Werry and there met with Capt: Doughty and Capt: troy who Came Down with Capt Kemsey from the Cape In the Afternoon I met with Capt: Joseph Smith and Capt Thos Stevenson who Gave me An Envitation to Goe home to New York with them and being well Acquainted with Cap Stevenson I beged the favour of a Passage for my Brother James with him And Con Cluded to Goe with Capt: Smith my Self 2 1"December 12, 1757. We hear Admiral Coats in the West-Indies, has sunk the Warwick Man of War, lately taken from the English; and that he was very near taking the French Admiral in those Seas.”—New York Gazette, etc., December 12, 1757. August 1, 1757. Custom House, New York, Outward Entries. Sloop Margaret and Mary, Thomas Stephenson, for Spanish-Town." "August 29, 1757. Cleared for Departure. Sloop Margaret and Mary, Thomas Stevenson."-New York Gazette, etc. 24 Thirsday Went in company with Capt: Doughty Morning Down to port Royal to See Capt: Stevenson 1757 and whare all Invited on board of Capt: 9th M 24th Saturd Afterno Penn (This portion of page gone.) 30th Fryday Came Into Por And brought In with him Nin Laden with Sugars Cotton Coffee and Indigoe THE EARLY YEARS OF THE UNIVERSITY BARGE CLUB OF PHILADELPHIA. BY THE LATE JOHN B. THAYER. [This paper was prepared for and read at the semi-centennial of the University Barge Club, that was celebrated by a garden-party at The Lilacs in June of 1904. The club was organized April 25, 1854.] Boating upon the Schuylkill River has a history which dates back to the establishment of the Fairmount Water Works or to the construction of the dam by the Schuylkill Navigation Company. The river became by this means, in reality, a lake as far up as the Falls. Tradition says that in those days a number of Philadelphia gentlemen, among whom was Mr. Thomas Willing, maintained several pleasure barges upon the river for their amusement, rowing eight oars and even more. In the possession of the Undine Barge Club, at their up-river house, there is a spirited water-color picture purchased at the sale of the effects of Captain McMackin, a celebrated Delaware River steamboat captain of seventy years ago. The artist has drawn the river from a position on the western shore of the stream, opposite the point known as Turtle Rock. At this point, and extending to the Eastern shore, covering the river is represented a large flotilla of row-boats and barges, evidently the celebration of a boat race or regatta. These boats are some of them represented as having five oars upon a side. The picture is well worth the examination of any one interested in the early history of boating. Tradition further says that these early contests were accompanied by heavy betting, and that, in consequence of this, professionalism, that bane of all true sport, crept in; and that the amateur crews were reinforced or superseded by the hiring of the shad-boat fishermen of "Fish Town" on the Delaware River, now known as Ken sington. The sport fell into disrepute, and had disappeared from the river long prior to the writer's personal knowledge of the subject, which dates back from the year 1854. A few remarks may here be pertinent as to the appearance of the river at this period. The park legislation had not been enacted, but several public-spirited citizens, who foresaw the advantages to the city and its inhabitants in the establishment of a public park, purchased and conveyed to the city the Sedgely estate, known as Lemon Hill. All the rest of the present park was then in private ownership. There was no road of any kind along the east shore up to the Falls; and on the west shore only a short portion above the Columbia bridge of the west shore drive, then a common country road. There were numerous icehouses on both banks up to the Columbia bridge. The tow-path of the Schuylkill Navigation Company formed a pleasant walk for pedestrians who might desire to stroll along the river's bank and view its beauties. On the eastern bank large trees grew along the water's edge up to Laurel Hill. South Laurel Hill was still in possession of the Pepper family. On the west shore there was much beautiful foliage up to the Falls. The Sedgely estate, or a portion of it, had previously been called Pratt's Garden; and at one time, long prior to the period above mentioned, in anticipation of traffic to be derived from the coal and other merchandise carried by the canal, a wharf had been constructed along the eastern river front, where the boat-houses now stand. This had fallen into decay, but there still remained lines of pilings from a short distance below Turtle Rock down to a short canal which led from the river eastward to Morris and Tasker's foundry and rolling-mill, which lay south of the Sedgely estate, grounds and land. In the shelter of this canal an old Englishman, who is said to have been a sailor, and was known by no other name than that of Charlie, kept about a score of row-boats of various sizes, mostly batteaux, which in the summer time he hired to persons |