I have Spent most of this day for the first time with thy friend Kalm accompanied with B. Franklin, and I know not what to make of him, nor of his Journey to Canada, where, after the whole last winter Spent at a Swedish Woman’s House near Newcastle, he Spent near five Months, and dined many times at the Governors at Quebec, without Seeing during the 8 Months or more that he had been here, any one person that I could hear of, but B. Franklin and Jno. Bartram, and he talks of returning to Canada again, but on what business I cannot learn. The Swedes had a Colony Sent in this River under Christina their Queen, but because they were neglected by their own People at home, they were obliged to Surrender to the Low Dutch, who being attack’d by an English Fleet and army Surrendred to them about 1664, and the Same Lowlanders in 1672 recovering the Countrey again were obliged the Succeeding year to resign all their pretensions to it to the English. But the principal of these Actions were at the North River and New Amstel now called Hudsons River and New York. This Delaware was called the South River, and the Dutch in it built the town of Newcastle. The Swedes are not much encreased and in my time here (now above 50 years) are much Anglified as our Term is, nor if we had a War now with France Should we have any reason to apprehend the French in conjunction with the Swedes were they to joyn them, for B. Franklin found a way in 1747 to put the Countrey on raising above 120 Companies of Militia of which Philadelphia raised ten, of about a hundred men each with Some few Germans amongst them, and the women were So Zealous that they furnished ten pair of Silk Colours wrought with various Mottoes. The Serjeants had also Halberds &c. &c., but in all the rest Scarce one for they all vote for the Quakers purely to Save their own Money. Benjamin also was the Sole Author of two Lotteries that raised above Six thousand pounds of our Money to pay for the Charge of Batteries on the River. And tho’ we had now a war with France we Should be Secure against any common Attempt, as lying So far up the River. In short he is an excellent yet a humble man, and carried himself a Musket among the Common Soldiers. He is now also putting forward an Academy for the improvement of Youth, for which he is [has] already got Subscriptions for above five hundred pounds per annum for five years and has a full dependance of finding wayes to continue it for futurity. But I must here add that thou hast Seen my Tully of old Age of which he printed a thousand and of these I Sent over a dozen but they were taken in the first of the French War in 1744. He also Sent over to Wm. Strahan a Printer in or near Fleet Street 2 or 3 years after 300 of them (to whom he only directs to Wm. Strahan Printer in London) of which he has no further account but that they were received and would not Sell by reason that there was another version lately published which I suspect, and therefore I beg thee to find that Strahan and expostulate with him, but on a further thought I shall write to Jno. Whiston William’s Son at Boyles Head in Fleet Street and for the present bid thee [farewell.] Thy Affectionate