'^"^mm^ m^ m^ .i2>> ^r^iy ^tW^^ t^'j:>^- ^^ --^^ .;:l fi^- "3u r- •^>»'::k- ^3 ^i^ mmmm i>;5w^h^^lSI ,1*. A ' '>■ mmM^^ '■Mm 'W'^WU! BHIn^ ^ .WwwL. jlLIBRARY OF CONGRESS.'! 1^, [FORCE COLLECTION. J ^ |@H| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. i^wWw^ ^■^JSwm vvy -,Vw ..t,:^' is"r^jW«;LjT,W' '*i*i& n^ WmiM lJv^ ^wiwvL i iiif ^§ii©^^A|^ Mi>^S!!iafclW8. H^i tr 1 ^sPPIHHp! mm^m P ^■:ji^i^^sm4. AN HISTORICAL, TOPOGRAPHICAL, AND DESCRIPTIVE VIEW OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA. WITH AN APPENDIX, Containing a brief and comprehensive Sketch of THE PRESENT STATE OF MEXICO AND SOUTH AMERICA, AND ALSO OF THE NATIVE TRIBES OF THE NEW WORLD. COLLECTED, ARRANGED, AND DIGESTED, From the lest recent Authorities and original Communicatiom, BY E. MACKENZIE, Author of the History of Egypt, and Editor of the History of Northumberland, Autlior 01^^^^^^ Bi„g,;phy, iiatistic Tables, Modern Geography, &c. &c. Embellished and illustrated by a large correct Map, a Plan of the City of Washington, and seven fine Engravings. SECOND EDITION. Newcastle upon Tyne : i'EINTED AND PUBLISHED BY MACKENZIE AND DENT, ST. Nicholas's church-yard. 1819. / PREFACE. America, since she conquered her independence, has risen into importance with a rapidity unparal- leled in the history of mankind. In her plains and forests an industrious, enterprising, and intelligent population are daily creating new and extensive communities, and exhibiting the whole mystery of the generation as well as the growth of nations. The spectacle is imposing and instructive, notwith- standing the senseless ravings of animosity, or the affected sneers of a despicable enmity. This marvellous empire already embraces a range of territory above thirty times the extent of Great Britain ; and will, within one hundred and twenty years, if population increases in the same ratio as it has lately done, contain upwards of four hundred millions of human beings ! Yet, even then it would not be equally populous with England. Without IV PREFACE. supposing the intervention of some great and im- probable political convulsion, no rational argument can be assigned why the capital and population of the Americans should not progressively accumulate, until the boundless extent of their fertile and unoc- cupied land be brought into cultivation. ' Where,' exclaims a popular journalist, ' is this prodigious increase of numbers, this vast extension of dominion, to end? What bounds has Nature set to the progress of this mighty nation ? Let our jealousy burn as it may ; let our intolerance of America be as unreasonably violent as we please; still it is plain that she is a power, in spite of us, rapidly rising to supremacy ; or, at least, that each year so mightily augments her strength, as to over- take, by a most sensible distance, even the most formidable of her competitors. In foreign com- merce, she comes nearer to England than any other maritime power; and already her mercantile navy is within a few thousand tons of our own ! If she goes on as rapidly for two or three years, she must overtake and outstrip us.' But instead of viewing every step America ad- vances in renown with absurd and groundless dis- may, England ought to rejoice in the growing strength and happiness of her daughter, who has become respectable and glorious by exercising the virtues of her parent. Their interests, whether moral, political, or commercial, are inseparably PREFACE. V united;* and should hordes of barbarians again threaten the existence of liberty and civilization in the west of Europe, America may become the right arm of British strength, or perhaps the last asylum of British liberty. * AVhen the nation,' says Dr. Smollett, 'is enslaved by domestic despotism, or foreign dominion; when her substance is wasted, her spirit broken, and the laws and constitution of England are no more ; then these colonies, sent off by our fathers, may receive and entertain their sons, as hopeless exiles and ruined refugees. The writer has no intention of exhibiting emi- gration in a tempting and illusive point of view. Such attempts are certainly blameable, though their consequences are far from being alarming; for, under ordinary circumstances, the emigrants from any community must always bear a small propor- tion to the whole population. After all, says Dr. Smith, man is of all luggage the most difficult to be transported. ' In truth, he takes such root wherever he has been planted, that, long after al- most all nourishment has been extracted from it, we find him cling to the bare rocks, and rather * The eminent importance of the American trade is evinced by the fact, tliat of the whole exports from the United States in 1816, one half went to Great Britain and her dominions ; and in 1815 tlie amount of goods imported was eighty-six millions of dollars, of which seventy-one millions was imported from Great Britain and her dependencies ! VI PREFACE. wither than be torn away. It is in vain to remind him how bleak the sky, how scanty the nutriment, how exposed to tempests the position. We find him rebuilding his cottage upon the half-cooled lava which has swept all his possessions away, and obsti- nately refusing to quit a spot of earth which the perpetual conflicts of the elements hardly leave at rest for a day.' He knows all his privations, his sufferings, his risks; but he deems it all not too high a price for the endearing idea of Jiome — the love of country — and the thousand ties of society and friendship. Thus has Providence, by a power- ful instinct, provided against an excess of emigration. Let not the dissipated, the ambitious, the petu- lent, or the discontented, deceive themselves, and wander into other climates and situations in search of happiness. ' The wilds of America will yield no repose to their perturbed spirits. The fiends will migrate with them.' However, the industrious labourer, the mechanic, the farmer, the man of moderate capital, and the father of a family who feels solicitous about settling his children ; in short, all those who are prepared to encounter the numerous privations and inconve- niences of emigration, in order to enjoy the great and acknowledged advantages which America offers to adventurers, will find this work a Faithful AND Useful Guide. And this is extremely diffi- cult to obtain, notwithstanding^ the numerous, ex- PREFACE. Vll pensive, and valuable works recently published on the subject. Travellers and emigrants have viewed America with diiFerent feelings. Some observe every object with delight and admiration, while others experience all the chagrin of disappointment. It, however, has been the aim of the editor to com- pare with candour the contradictory evidence of different writers, and to draw such conclusions as the case seemed to justify. The editor has also paid particular attention to the rate of wages and of the markets, the expences of living, the comparative advantages of different states and settlements, and the cautions necessary to be observed by new settlers. The present state of the wealth and resources, and of the commercial regulations of the United States, is drawn entirely from authentic documents. The judicious reader will readily appreciate the attention and diligence employed in compiling this work, and acknowledge the value of the original matter which it contains ; and which embraces the substance of upwards of one hundred letter^s lately received by different individuals from their corres- pondents in America. Some gentlemen have been in the habit of collecting copies of interesting letters from the New World; and the liberality with which the editor has been favoured with the loan of their MSS. merits his best thanks, and will in the proper place be acknowledged. VIU PKEFACE. In collecting materials for this compilation, the editor has consulted every recent and valuable pub- lication on the present state of North America, and to which references will occasionally be made. Ex- clusive of the information derived through private channels, he has been most indebted to the following able and instructive works, viz. — Morse's American Geography. Maclure's Geology of the United States of America. Imlay and Filson's Account of Kentucky. Travels through the United States and Canada, by Isaac Weld, jun. Michaux's Travels in North America, 1802. Grey's Letters from Canada, 1806, 7, and 8. Lambert's Travels through Canada and the United States, 1808. Travels in North America in 1809, 10, and 11, by John Brad- bury, F. L. S. Travels in Canada and the United States in 1816-7, by lieutenant Hall, 14th light dragoons. Palmer's Journal of Travels in the United States of North America and in Lower Canada. Bristed's Resources of the United States. Mellish's Travels and Directory through the United States for 1818. Statistical View of the United States, by T, Pitkin, Representative from the State of Connecticut, 1817- Hints to Emigrants, by the Shamrock Society of New York, 181 6, A Year's Residence in the United States, by Mr. Cobbet, 1818. Morris Bivkbeck's Notes on a Journey in America, 1818. Letters from the Illinois, 1818. Fearon's Sketches in America, 1818. »^ CONTENTS. Page GENERAL View of America 1 North America . 10 South America . 18 Discovery and ancient popu lation of America Page 25 UNITED STATES. Boundaries 35 Cataracts 49 Extent . 36 Canals 52 Divisions 37 Forests 53 Climate 39 Swamps 54 Seasons 40 Mineralogy ib. Face of the Country ib. Minei'al Waters 64 Soil . 41 Botany ib. Agriculture . 42 Zoology 6S Rivers ib. Natural Curiosities IS STATES AND TERRITORIES , New England. Extent and Boundaries 80 Natural Productions 84 Face of the Country 81 Manners and Customs 86 Rivers 83 History New Hampshire. 89 Natural Geography . 93 Trade and Resources 96 Population 94 Religion . ib. Manners, &c. ib. Government ib. Chief Towns 95 Historv b 97 CONTENTS. Massachusetts. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Trade and Resources Page 100 ib. 102 ib. 109 Religion Education Government Islands History District (^ Maine Situation and Extent 11 6 Trade Natural Geography ib. Government Population and Manners 118 History Page 109 110 ib. Ill 112 118 ib. ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geograjjhy Population and Manners Vermont. 119 Chief Tovpns ib. Trade and Resources 120 Government 121 ib. ib. Rhode Island. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Trade and Resources 123 Education . ib. Religion 1 24 Government 125 History 127 Ccmnecticut. 127 128 ib. ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Education . 129 Trade and Resources ib. Religion 131 Government ib. History 133 New York. ISS 134- ib. ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Trade and Resources 136 Education . ib. Religion 138 Government 140 Islands 149 History New Jersey. 149 150 151 ib. 152 Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns 154 Trade and Resources ib. Education and Relig i55 Government 156 History 157 on 158 ib. ib. CONTENTS. ici Pennsylvcmia. S^ituation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Page 159 Trade and Resources 1 60 Education and Religion 1 64 Government 166 History Delaivare. Page 184 ib. 186 ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Canal Population . Chief Towns 188 Trade and Resources 189 Education . ib. Religion ib. Government 190 History State of Ohio. 190 ib. ib. ib. 191 Situation and Extent Natural Geography Divisions 191 Population . ib. Trade and Resources 1 95 Government Indiana. 206 ib. ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography 208 Towns, &c. ib. Government Maryland. 209 ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns 210 Trade ib. Education and Religion 212 Government 213 History Virginia. fil5 ib. ib. ^16 Situation an,d Extent Natural Geography Po))ulation and Manners Chief Towns Trade and Resources 217 Education ib. Religion 220 Government 222 History 224 Kentucky. 224 225 226 jb. Situation awd Extent Natural Geography Population and Manner.' Chief Towns 228 Trade and Resoiu'ces ib. Education and Religion ■I 229 Goveniment 231 History North Carolina. 236 237 ib, ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manner Chief Towns 239 Trade and Resource^ ib. Education and Religion s 241 Government 24a History 243 ib, 244 ib. 1 CONTENTS. South Carolina. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Page 246 Trade and Resources ib. Education and Religion 252 Government 254 History Georgia. Page 257 258 ib. 259 Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns Trade and Resources 260 Education ib. Religion 262 Government 263 History 265 266 ib. 267 ib. The Florida^ Tennessee. 269 Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief I'owns 272 Trade and Resources ib. Education and Religion 273 Government 274 History Louisiana. 274 275 ib. ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population and Manners Chief Towns 276 Trade and Resources ib. Religion 279 Government 280 History 283 ib. 284 ib. Upper Louimana . 287 Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population Mississippi. 288 Chief Towns ib. Trade and Resources 290 Government 291 ib. ib. Alibama Territori/. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population Towns 292 Commerce . ib. Government 294 History 295 Illinois. 295 296 ib. Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population 296 Towns ib. Government 299 History 299 300 ib. Situation and Extent Natui-al Geography population. Michigan. 301 Chief Towns ib. Manufactures and Commer 303 History 303 ce ib. 304 CONTENTS. xiu Situation and Extent Natural Geography Population Missouri Territory. Page 304 Chief Towns 305 Commerce . 306 Government North-west Territory. Situation and Extent 309 Population and Manners Natural Geogi'aphy ib. Towns Columbia Settlement .... Page 306 308 ib. 312 SIS 313 Columbia Territory. Situation and Extent 3l6 Georgetown Natural Geography 317 Population . 318 City of Washington ib. 328 Alexandria . ib. General Description of Wash- ington . . 329 State and Resources of the United States. Population 337 Post-office Establishment 415 Education, Arts, &c. S39 Federal Government 416 Manners and Habits 347 Territorial Governments 420 Religion 374 Judiciary 423 Public Lands 385 Revenue and Debt 425 Agi-iculture 388 War Department 428 Manufactures S95 Navy Department . 431 Commerce . 400 Mint Establishment 435 Canals and Turnpike Roads 413 Historical Summaiy 436 Advice to Emigrants. Directions respecting the Prices in Pennsylvania 477 Voyage 445 Kentucky 479 On the Preservation of Illinois 480 Health . 454 New England , 481 The best Mode of Settling 456 Civil Rights of Settlers 482 Prices of Land, Labour, Prospects of Emigrants 494 and Provisions 463 — Gentlemen ib. — at New York ib. — Farmers 504 Philadelphia . 470 — Merchants and Manufac- Alexandria 472 turers 531 Pittsburg ib. — Mechanics 5S3 Ohio . 473 — Labourei's 5S4> Albany 474 — Artists 542 Western Country ib. Conclusion 544: State of New York 477 ^ QONTENTS. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. Divisions ...... Canada. Extent 546 Climate and Seasons ib. Natural Geography 549 Population 551 Manners and Customs 552 Language 55^ Towns ib. Commerce . 562 New Brunswick . Nova Scotia Cape Breton Prince Edward's Island Newfoundland Bermudas Religion Government Military Force Revenue History District of Gaspe Remarks Page 545 563 ib. 565 ib. ib. 567 568 569 570 571 572 57S 575 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. Extent Climate 576 577 Language Education 587 ib. Face of the Country Rivers ib. ib. Cities Trade 588 59Q Lakes Mountains . 578 579 Religion Government 592 594 Botany and Zoology Mineralogy Natural Curiosities 580 581 582 Army Navy Revenue 595 597 ib. Population . Manners and Customs 583 ib. History 598 SOUTH AMERICA. Spanish Doinimons. Extent and Boundaries 606 Language 614 Zoology 607 Cities 6)5 Botany 608 Commerce . 631 Mineralogy 609 Government 635 Population . 611 History 636 Manners and Customs 612 CONTENTS. XV Portuguese Dominions. Extent and Boimdaries Mines Agriculture Population and Manners Chief Towns Page em 667 672 676 677 Trade and Commerce Government and Revenue Army History French Dominions Demerary Essequebo English Dominions. 691 Berbice 695 Surinam Page 685 687 ib. ib. 689 695 696 Paraguay Patagonia Islands ib. 699 NATIVE TRIBES 701 DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES, Map of the United States, To face Uie Title. Falls of Niagara 49 The Rock Bridge - • - - 75 Country round Pittsburg 177 Mount Vernon 224 City of Washington 319 Capitol of J^f%shington 320 Bank of the United States- 325 American Stage Waggon 416 GENERAL VIEW OF AMERICA. "PREVIOUS to entering upon a detailed description of the great American commonwealth, it will be proper to take a general view of the extensive continent of which it forms a part, and of the epochs of the various discoveries. America, or, as.it is frequently denominated by way of emi- nence, the New World, has, in many respects, been pecu- liarly favoured by nature; and seems destined, un the course of htimati affairs, to assume an important rank, both natural and political. The first circumstance that strikes us on viewing the New World is its immense extent. It constitutes a new hemisphere, larger than either Europe, Asia, or Africa, the three noted divisions in the ancient continent ; and is not much inferior in dimensions to a third part of the habitable globe. The division of this continent into two parts, called North and South Amei'ica, is strongly marked by the hand of nature, in a narrow isthmus, and by a great variety in the languages and manners of the original inhabitants. The general consi- deration of this quarter of the globe will, therefore, receive far more clearness and precision by being thus divided. Those authors who blend the whole into one description confound their topics bv a heterogeneous mixture. B 10 GENERAL VIEW The southern limit of the American continent is clearly esti- mated from the strait of Magellan ; but the northern extent is not ascertained with equal precision. Its limit may extend t© 80 deg., or perhaps to the pole. The journies of Hearne and Mackenzie have, indeed, imparted some idea of its confines on the Arctic ocean ; but Baffin's bay remains to be explored, except the late discovery ships have effected part of this desi- deratum in geography. Amidst existing uncertainties, it will, however, be sufficient to estimate the northern limit of America from the 72d deg. of north latitude; a space of 126 deg. In South America the greatest breadth is from cape Blanco in the west to St. Roque in the east, which, according to the best maps, is 48 deg. But in the north the breadth may be con)puted from the promontory of Alaska to the most eastern point of Labrador, or even of Greenland, which would add more than a third part of the estimate. In British miles the length of America may be estimated at 8800 ; and the breadth of North America at 4400, ajid that of the southern continent at B200. XORTH AMKllICA. Climate. — The climate of North America is extremely va- rious, as mav be conceived in a region extending from the vicinity of the equator to the arctic circle. In general, the heat of summer, and the cold of winter, are more intense than in most parts of the ancient continent. The predominant *\vinds ai-e here from the west ; and the severest cold is from the north-west. The middle provinces are remarkable for the unsteadiness of the weather, particularly the quick transitions from heat to cold. Snow falls plentifully in Virginia, but sel- dom lies above a day or two; yet after a mild, or even warm day, James river, where it is two or three miles in breadth, has in one night been clothed with ice, so as to be passed by travellers. Such suiprising alterations seem to proceed from the sudden change of the wind to the north-west. The pro- vinces of South Carolina and Florida are subject to unsuffera- ble heat, furious whirlwinds, hurricanes, tremendous thunder, OF AMERICA. 11 and fatal lightnings ; and the sudden changes of the weather are ahke pernicious to the human frame. A violent tuffbon happened near Charlestown in 1761, appeai'ing Uke a column of smoke, with a noise like thunder, ploughing the very beds of the rivers, and diffusing universal destruction throughout its progress. Few opportunities have yet arisen for accurate accounts of tlie climate in the western parts of North America. That of California seems to be in general moderate and plea- sant, though somewhat incommoded by the heat of summer. In lat. 59 deg. the land has a most barren and wintry appear- ance, even in June : the gloom is increased by frequent fogs, and the glaciers seem perpetual. Inland Seas. — Among the inland seas of North America may be mentioned the gulfs of Mexico, California, and St. Lawrence ; with Hudson's and Baffin's bays. Of all these seas the gulf of Mexico is the most celebrated, as lying in a more favourable climate, and presenting at its entrance that grand archipelago of North American islands called the West Indies. From this gulf a singular current sets towards the north-east: this current, called the gulf stream, passes to the banks of Newfoundland, and is supposed to proceed from the accumulation of waters by the trade wind. It is distinguished from other parts of the ocean by the gulf weed ; is eight or ten degrees warmer ; never sparkles in the night; and, when it arrives in cool latitudes, produces thick fogs. The trade wind, or diurnal sea breeze, is from the east and its collateral points, with little intermission, for nine months in the year. To the south of the gulf of Mexico is the bay of Honduras, well known in the annals of English commerce. The opposite shore presents the gulf of California, which seems an estuary of two large rivers. The gulf of St. Laurence is the well known estuary of a river of the same name, generally frozen from December to April. This noble gulf is closed by the island of Newfound- land, and b}^ numerous sand banks, particularly what is called the Great Bank. This celebrated fishing station is more than 400 miles in length, by about 140 in breadth ; the water being from £52 to 50 fathoms, with a great swell, and frequently a n GENERAL VIEW thick fog. The chief fishery begins on the 10th of May, and continues till the end of September ; the greatest number of cod fish taken by a single fisherman being 12,000, but the average is 7000 : the largest fish was four feet three inches in length, and weighed 46 pounds. More than 500 EngUsh vessels commonly fish on the bank. By a late regulation, the Americans are prohibited from fishing here; but permission is given to the subjects of Louis XVIII. There are also great fisheries on the banks which lie off the coast of Nova Scotia. Hudson's sea extends from the entrance westward 1050 British miles ; thus exceeding the Baltic in length as well as breadth. The shores are generally rocky and precipitous, and the climate almost the perpetual al.'ode of winter. Davis' gulf or sea may be considered as part of Hudson's j,ea, and proba- bly joins the Arctic ocean. Baffin's bay is 870 British miles in length, and nearly as much in breadth. Lakes. — The lakes Superior, iNIichigan, and Huron, consti- tute one large inland sea, which might be called the sea of Canada, or that of Huron. This exj)ansion of water is about 350 miles in length, and more than 100 at its greatest breadth. Lake Superior is not less than 1500 miles in circumference. The greatest part of the coast seems to consist of rocks and uneven ground. The water is pure and transparent ; and the bottom generally composed of large rocks. There are several islands, one of which called Mini)ng is about 60 miles in length : the savages suppose that these islands are residences of the Great Spirit. More than 30 rivers fall into this lake, some of them of considerable size. The chief fish are sturgeon and trout; the latter is caught at all seasons, and said to weigh from 12 to 50 pounds. This part of the sea of Canada opens into the lake Huron, by the straits of St. jMary, about 40 miles in length, and in some places only one or two miles in breadth ; with a rapide towards the north-west extremity, which may, however, be descended by canoes ; and the pros- pects are here delightful. The storms on this large expanse of water are as dangerous as those on the ocean, the waves breaking more quick, and running nearly as high. The OF AMERICA. IS circumference of that part called lake Huron is said to be about 1000 miles ; and on the northern side are some islands called Manatulan, implying the place of spirits. Another short strait leads into the third lake, called Michagan, also navigable for ships of any burthen. When the population of North America shall have diffused itself towards the west, these lakes may become the seats of flourishing cities, and of arts and sciences now unknown in Europe. Their latitude corresponds with that of the Black sea and the gulf of Venice ; nor are the rigours of the Baltic here to be apprehended. From the descriptions, it does not appear that these lakes are ever impeded with ice. The lake of Winnipeg or Winipic may also well aspire to the name of an inland sea : but it yields considerably to the great Slave lake, or rather sea, a recent discovery, trom which Mackenzie's river extends its course to the Arctic ocean. The Slave sea, according to Mr. Arrowsmith's maps, is about 200 miles in length, by 100 at its greatest breadth. The smaller lakes shall be briefly described in the divisions of territory to which they belong. It may here suffice to ob- serve, that there are probably above 200 lakes of considerable size in North America; a singularity which distinguishes it from any other portion of the globe. Rivers. — All the features of nature in America are upon a grand scale. The rivers are peculiarly noble. The source of the Mississippi has been traced to three small lakes above lat. 47 deg. and it enters the sea in lat. 29 deg. after a comparative course of about 2000 British miles. Nay, of late, the sources of the IMissouri (the chief stream) have been detected about 3000 British miles more remote. The account of this noble river shall be transcribed from a recent system of American geography, by Mr. Morse, who must have had several oppor- tunities of being; well informed. ' The Mississippi receives the waters of the Ohio and Illi- nois and their numerous branches from the east ; and of the Missouri and other rivers from the west. These mighty streams united are borne down with increasing majesty, through vast forests and meadows, and discharged into the U GENERAL VIEW gulf of Mexico. The great length and uncommon depth of this river, says Mr. Hutchins, and the excessive muddiness and salubrious quality of its water after its junction with the Missouri, are very singular. The direction of the channel is so crooked, that from New Orleans to the mouth of the Ohio, a distance which does not exceed 460 miles in a straight hne, is about 856 by water. * In the spring floods, the Mississippi is very high, and the current so strong, that it is with difficulty it can be ascended ; but this disadvantage is remedied in some measure by eddies, or counter currents, which are generally found in the bends close to the banks of the river, and assist the ascending boats. The current at this season descends at the rate of about five miles an hour. In autumn, when the waters are low, it does not run faster than two miles ; but it is rapid in such parts of the river as have clusters of islands, shoals, and sand banks. The circumference of many of these shoals being several miles, the voyage is longer, and in some places more dangerous, than in the spring. The merchandise necessary for the commerce of the Upper Settlements, on or near the jVIississippi, is con- veyed in the spring and .autumn, in balteaux, rowed by eighteen or twenty men, and carrying about 40 tons. From New Orleans to the Illinois the voyage is commonly performed in eight or ten weeks. A prodigious number of islands, some of which are of great extent, intersperse that mighty river. Its waters, after overflowing its banks below the river Ibber- ville on the east, and the river Kouge on the west, never re- turn w ithin them again, there being many outlets or streams bv which they are conducted into the bay of Mexico, more especially on the west side of the Mi'^sissippi, dividing the country into numerous islands. These singularities distinguish it from every other known river in the world. The island of New Orleans, and the lands opposite, are to all appearance of no long date, having evidently been formed by the mud and trees carried down the river, and having an appearance similar to the Delta in Egy])t. ' Nothing can be asserted with certainty respecting the length of the river. Its source is not knowp, but supposed to be OF AMERICA. 15 upwards of 3000 miles from the sea as the river runs. We only know that from St. Anthony's falls in lat. 45 deg. it glides with a pleasant clear current, and receives many large and tributary streams, before its junction with the Missouri, without greatly increasing the breadth of the Mississippi, though they do its depth and rapidity. The muddy waters of the Missouri discolour the lower part of the river, till it empties into the bay of Mexico. The Missouri is a longer, broader, and deeper river than the Mississippi, and affords a more extensive navigation ; it is, in fact, the principal river, contributiniT more to the common stream than does the Mis- sissippi. ' The slime, which the annual floods of the river Mississippi leave on the surface of the adjacent shores, may be compared with that of the Nile, which deposits a similar manure, and for many centuries past has insured the fertility of Egypt. When its banks shall have been cultivated, as the excellency of its soil and temperature of the climate deserve, its population will equal that of any other part of the world. The trade, wealth, and power of America may at some future period depend, and perhaps centre, upon the Mississippi. Whoever will for a moment cast his eye over a map of the town of New Origans, and the immense country around it, and view its advantageous situation, mwst be convinced that it, or some place near it, must in process of time become one of the greatest marts in the world. ' Tile Ohio is a most beautiful river. Its cun'ent gentle, waters clear, and bosom smooth and unbroken by rocks and rapids, a single instance only excepted. It is one quarter of a mile wide at fort Pitt ; 500 yards at the mouth of the great Kanaway ; 1200 yards at Louisville ; and the rapids half a mile in some iew places below Louisville; but its general breadth does not exceed COO yards. In some jjlaces its width is not 400 ; and in one place particularly j far below the rapids, it is less than 300. Its breadth in one place exceeds 1200 yai'ds; and at its junction with the Mississippi, neither river is more than 900 vartls wide' 16 GENERAL VIEW Mr. Morse states the precise measurement of the length of the Ohio, with all its windings, from fort Pitt to its junction with the Mississippi, amounting to 1188 miles. The inun- dations commonly begin with April, and subside in July. A vessel drawing twelve feet water might safely navigate from Pittsburg to the sea. Two great rivers unite to form the Ohio, namely, the Monongahela and the Allegany, both of them subservient to navigation. From this it appears that the Missouri is the chief river of what is called the Mississippi. Charlevoix has described the confluence as the grandest in the world. Each river is about half a league in breadth ; but the Missouri is the broadest and most rapid ; and Mr. Hutchins observes, that the natives still call it Meschasipi. The same author adds, that the Mis- soui'i ' affords a more extensive navigation, and is a longer, broader, and deeper river than the Mississippi.' The noble river of St. I^awrence is universally regarded as the second in North America, being not less than 90 miles wide at its mouth, and navigable for ships of the line as far as Quebec, a distance of 400 miles from' the sea. Near Quebec it is five miles in breadth ; and at IVIontreal from two to four. Though there be some rapids, yet this grand river may be considered as navigable to Kingston, and the lake Ontario, 743 niileg from the sea. It is difficult to define the precise source of the St. Lawrence, though that name be generally confined to the river issuing from lake Ontario; while the Nlgara, which flows from the lake Erie, is regarded as a dis- tinct stream. The length of the St. Lawrence may therefore be above TOO British miles, the breadth being the grand characteristic. The other chief rivers in North America are tMe Saskashawin, the Athabasca, the Unjiga or Mackenzie's river, the Rio Bravo, which Hows into the gulf of Mexico ; that of Albany, which joins Hudson's bay : Nelson river and Churchill river are also considerable streams which flow into that sea»; but their geo- graphy is far from being ])erfect. The same observation must be extended to the Oregan, or great river of the west, which OF AMERICA. 17 confined by a chain of mountains, runs south, till by a western bend it join the Pacific. But the discovery of the western re- gions of America may disclose some considerable streams in that quarter. Mountains. — The centre of North America seems to present a vast fertile plain, watered by the Missouri and its auxiliary streams. On the west, so far as discovered, a range of moun- tains proceeds from New Mexico in a northern direction, and joins the ridge called the Stoney mountains, which extend to the vicmity of the arctic ocean. The Stoney mountains are said to be about 3500 feet above their base, which may per- haps be 3000 feet above the sea. In general, from the ac- counts of navigators who have visited this coast, it seems to resemble that of Norway, being a wide alpine country of great extent ; while the shore, like that of Norway, presents innu- merable creeks and islands. This alpine tract, from the Stoney mountains and Mackenzie's river westwards to the source of the Oregan and Beering*'s strait, may perhaps contain the highest mountains in North America, when explored by the eye of science. On the north-east, Greenland, Labrador, and the countries around Hudson sea, present irregular masses covered with eternal snow, with black naked peaks, resembling in form the spires of the Alps, but of far inferior elevation, mountains generally decreasing in heiglit towards the pole. Mr. 'Mackenzie observes, that a high ridge passes soutlvwest from the coast of Labrador to the source of the Utawas, divid- ing the rivers that fall into the St. Lawrence and Hudson''s bay. The Stoney mountains run parallel with the Pacific ocean from Cook's entry to the river Columbia, where they are more distant from the coast and less elevated. The most celebrated mountains in North America are those called the Apalachian, passing through the territory of the United States from the south-west to the north-east. Accord- ing to the best maps, they commence on the north of Georgia, where they give source to many rivers running south to the gulf of Mexico ; and to the Tenessee and other rivers running north. There are several collateral ridges, as the Iron or Bald mountains, the White Oak mountains, and others ; the exte- C 18 GENERAL VIEW rior skirt on the north-west being the Cumbei-land mountain^- The Apalachian chain thence extends through the western territory of Virginia, accompanied with its collateral ridges, the breadth of the whole being often 70 miles, and proceeds through Pennsylvania ; then passes Hudson river ; and after- wards rises to more elevation, but seems to expire in the coun- try of New Brunswick. The chief summits appear to be in the province of New Hampshire, where the White mountains are by some reported to be 9000 feet above the sea. ' But it may well be affirmed that they cannot much exceed 4000 feet : and the glaciers of the Pyrenees at 9000 feet shew the futility of the calculation. The Apalachian cliain may thus extend about 900 geogra- phical miles, a length unrivalled by any European mountains, except the Norwegian alps. In no chain perhaps are the col- lateral ridges more distinct ; and a naturalist would at once pronounce that the central, or highest, must be granitic, the next schistose, and the exterior belts calcareous. The height of the chief summits does not appear to be precisely ascertain- ed, but probably does not exceed 3000 feet above the sea ; and they are often clothed with forests. The mountains in the isthmus, as well as tliose in the west- ern part of North America, are certainly of far superior eleva- tion : and in most maritime divisions of the old and new continents, the highest mountains are towards the west, as their most precipitous sides uniformly front the west and south. But of the isthmus, the kingdoju of Mexico, and California, the natural history and geography are far frcnii being clearly illustrated. Such are the most striking and peculiar features of nature in the North American continent. The botany, mineralogy, and zoology of this grand division of the New World, will be detailed when we come to exhibit the natural history of the United States. SOUTH AMERICA.* Climate. — The boundaries and extent of tiiis division of the new continent have been already explained. The climate of GF AMERICA. 19 the southern extremity, extending far beyond that of Africa, is exposed to all the horrors of the antarctic frosts ; and Terra del Fuego in the south lat. of 55 deg. seems exposed to the almost perpetual winter of Greenland in north lat. 70 deg. Patagonia, consisting mostly of open deserts and savannas, with a few willow trees on the rivers, seems to enjoy a tempe- rate but rather cool climate. On proceeding towards the north, the great chain of the Andes constitutes real zones and climates, which strangely contradict the theories of ancient geographers ; the chief inconveniences of the torrid zone being- extreme cold on the mountains, and extreme moisture in the plains. Near Callao the months of October and November form the spring. In Peru what is called summer is the dry season, often extremely cold ; and the rainy season is called winter. The former begins in May, which is nearly the be- ginning of winter in the lower parts, and continues till Novem- ])er, when the slight fogs, called winter in the vales, begin to disperse. On the mountains winter begins in December, which in the plains is the first month of summer; and a journey of four hours conducts the traveller from one season to another. At Quito, situated between two chains of the Andes, on a plain of remarkable elevation, the months from September to May or June constitute the winter, and the other months the sum- mer ; the former being exposed to almost constant rains, which are also frequent, but at longer intervals, during the summer season. At Carthagena the winter, or rainy season, extends, on the contrary, from May to November ; and the summer, or dry season, from December to April. At Panama the summer begins rather later, and ends sooner. At Lima, in a southern latitude corresponding with the northern of Cartha- gena, the heat is far more moderate ; and spring begins with December, winter with July : the sununer is in FelaniarVj the autumn in May. In general, the confined regions on the west of the Andes are dry, the clouds being arrested by their summits ; while the wide countries on the east of the chaiji arc exposed to tor- rents of rain, from the eastern or trade .winds blowing over the Atlantic. In Bra>:il the rainy season begins in March or 20 GENERAL VIEW April, and ends in August, when the spring begins, or rather the summer ; the distinction being only between wet and dry seasons. Lakes.-^No part of the globe displays so great a number of lakes as North America; and the southern part of the new continent is perhaps equally remarkable by their rarity. Many supposed lakes, as that of Zarayos or Sharayos, in the course of the river Paraguay, only exist during the annual inunda- tions, which are on a far grander scale than those of the Gan- ges, and may be said to deluge whole provinces. In the most northern part the lagoon of Macaraybo is remarkable, being a circular bason about 100 British miles in diameter, receiving numerous rivers and rivulets, and communicating with the sea by a considerable creek. The celebrated lake Parima, called also Paranapitinca, or the White sea, is represented by La Cruz as more than 100 British miles in length by 50 in breadth. This size, and even its existence, have been doubted, as it was the seat of the noted city El Dorado, the streets of which were paved with gold ; a fable which .seems to have arisen from a rock of talc reflecting, hke a mirror, the golden rays of the sun. In Amazonia and Brazil there do not appear to be any lakes of consequence. That of Titiaca, in the kingdom of Peru, is regarded as the most important in South America. Ulloa says that it is of an oval figure, the circumference about 240 miles ; and the depth 70 or 80 fathoms. It receives ten or twelve rivers and several rivulets; but the water, though not saline, is nauseous, being piv)bably tainted with sulphur or bitumen. It contains two kinds of fish, and is frequented by geese and Wild fowl. In an isle of this lake, Mango Capac, the founder of the Peruvian monarchy, rcjiortcd that the sun, his father, had placed him, with his sister, and consort, Oello ; and here a temple was dedicated to the sun, the most splendid in the kingdom, and profusely decorated with plates of gold and silver. On the Spanish invasion, these treasures are said to have been thrown into the lake. A few small lakes are found near the course of the river Parana; and towards the south of Chili there are some of considerable size. OF AMERICA. 21 Rivers. — The river of Amazons, so called from a female tribe inured to arms, discovered on its banks by the first navi- gators, but more properly by a native term, the Maranon, is celebrated as the most distinguished river, not only in South America, but in the whole world : and this reputation is no doubt just, when its magnitude is considered. The source is not yet absolutely ascertained. The original and proper Ma- ranon is supposed to be the Apurimac, which joins another large river west of the great lake Titicaca, south lat. 16 deg. 30 min. This noble river, in strugghng through the Andes, must afford many striking scenes still lost to scientific observa- tion. Ulloa calculates the course of the Maranon at 3300 miles ; but it is probably much more. Like the Missouri and St. Lawrence, the Maranon is discoloured with mud. The breadth at the Portuguese boundary is said to be a league, bur it is generally about two miles ; and no bottom is found at 103 fathoms. The effect of the tides is perceivable at the dis- tance of 600 miles, but Condamine thinks that the swell is occasioned by the progress of the tide the preceding day. The banks are generally crowned with vast forests of lofty trees, among which are many of a rare and medicinal nature. Ser- pents of prodigious size are found in the marshes, and alliga- tors are also common. It seems certain, from the disquisition of Condamine, that some female warriors still exist towards the north of this great river. After it has received the Shingu, the breadth from shore to shore cannot be discovered by the eye. Near its mouth the Bore rises from twelve to fifteen feet in height ; and the noise of this irruption is heard at the dis- tance of two leagues. The Rio de la Plata, or river of Silver, is the conjunct flood of the Paraguay, the Pilcomayo, the Parana, and the Urucuay. The main streams are the Paraguay and the Parana ; and it would seem that the latter is the longest and most considerable, rising in the great mine mountains of Brazil, lat. 19 ^^g--, and bending south, then west, till it receive the Iba Parana, after which it bends south-west till it is joined by the Paraguay, while the conjunct rivers are still called the l^arana by tlic na- tives, and the Rio de la I'Jnta by the Spaniards. The grand 22 GENERAL VIEW cataract of the Parana is in lat. 24 deg. not far from the city of Cuayra; but is rather a series of rapids, for a space of twelve leagues, amidst rocks of tremendous and singular forms. This noble river is also studded viih numerous islands; and the Spanish vessels navigate to the town of Assumption, about 1200 miles from the sea. The breadth of the estuary is such, that tlie land cannot be discovered from a ship in the middle of the stream. The third great river in South America is the Orinoco, of a most singular and perplexed course. According to La Cruz, it rises in the small lake of Ipava, north lat. 5 dcg. 5 min. ; and thence winds almost in a spiral form, until it enter the Atlantic ocean by an extended delta opposite to the isle of Trinidad ; but the chief estuary is considerably to the south- east of that island. Manv rivers of great size flow into the Orinoco; and in addition to its singular form, there are other remarkable peculiarities. There exists a communication be- tween die Orinoco, the Maranon, and the Black river ; a cir- cumstance so uncommon, that when it only had been asserted by Spanish authors, it was ]-ejected by geographical theorists as contrary to the usual course of nature. Little doubt can now remain concerning these wonderful inland navigations, thus prepared by the hand of nature, and which, in the pos- session of an industrious people, would render Guiana, or New Andalusia, one of the most flourishing countries in the world. The other rivers of South America are comparatively of small account, the chief being the IMagdalena, running north to the Caribbean sea ; and that of St. Francis, which waters a great part of Brazil. To the south of the great Parana there is the river IMendoza, and the Rio de los Sauzes, or river of Willows; followed in the furthest south by the Chulclau and the Gallegos, the last entering the Pacific opposite to the Ma- louin or Falkland islands. Mountains.— The mountains of South America constitute some of the grandest objects in natural geography, bemg not only the most lofty on the face of the globe, but intermixed witii volcanoes of the most sublime and terrific description. The extent is also prodigiou's, the Andes stretching in one hue OF AMERICA. 23 t>om the capes of Isidro and Pilares, in the southern extremity of the continent, to the west side of the gulf of Darien, a space of not less than 4600 miles, as they generally follow the wind- ings of the coast, at the medial distance of about 100 miles. The chief summits are near the equator, not far from the city of Quito. The highest part of the American alps is Chimborazo, about 100 miles south of Quito. It is computed to be 20,280 feet above the level of the sea. The next in height is supposed to be the volcano called Cotopasha, estinuited at about 18,600 feet, about 25 miles to the south-east of Quito. Humboldt, a French naturalist, says there are three remarkable chains of mountains, which proceed from west to east, parallel to the equator. Several branches extend northward from the great chain in the high plain of Quito. The greatest height in the province of St. Marta is 14,000 feet. Several mountains of this chain are pei'haps equal in height to Mont Blanc ; perpe- tually covered with snow, and often pouring from their sides streams of boiling sulphureous water -, and the highest peaks are solitary amidst mountains of little height. That of Merida is near the plain of Caracas, which is only 260 feet above the sea. The second chain divides the waters that fall into the Esquibo and Orinoco ; and is inhabited by a number of sa- vage tribes, little or not at all known in Europe. The third chain unites the Andes of Peru and Chili with the mountains of Brazil and Paraguay. "Between these three great ridges are, according to our au- thor, three immense vallies ; that of Orinoco, that of the river of Amazons, and that of the Pampas of Buenos Ayres, from 19 to 52 deg. south lat., all opening to the east, but shut on the west by the Andes. The middle valley, or that of the Amazons, is covered with forests so thick, that the rivers alone form roads ; while those of Orinoco and Pampas are savannas, or' grassy plains, with a few scattered palms ; and so level, that sometimes for 800 square leagues there is no inequality above eight or ten inches in height. On reviewing the grand physical features of the New World, its fine adaptation for commercial intercourse is very striking. 24 GENERAL VIEW ' The gulf of Mexico,' says Dr. Robertson, ' which flows in between North and South America, may be considered as a Mediterranean sea, which opens a maritime commerce with all the fertile countries by which it is encircled. The islands scattered in it are inferior only to those in the Indian archipe- lago, in number, in magnitude, and in value. As we stretch along the northern division of the American hemisphere, the bay of Chesapeake presents a spacious inlet, which conducts the navigator far into the interior parts of provinces no less fertile than extensive ; and if ever the progress of culture and population shall mitigate the extreme rigour of the climate in the more northern districts of America, Hudson's bay may become as subservient to commercial intercourse in that quar- ter of the globe, as the Baltic is in Europe. The other great portion of the New World is encompassed on every side by the sea, except one narrow neck, which separates the Atlantic from the Pacific ocean ; and though it be not opened by spa- cious bays or arms of the sea, its interior parts are rendered accessible by a number of large rivers, fed by so many auxili- ary streams, flowing in such various directions, that, almost without any aid from the hand of industry and art, an inland navigation may be carried on through all the provinces from the river de la Plata to the gulf of Paria. Nor is this bounty of nature confined to the southern division of America ; its northern continent abounds no less in rivers which are naviga- ble almost to their sources, and by its immense chain of lakes provision is made for an inland communication, more extensive and commodious than in any quarter of the globe. The countries stretching from the gulf of Dai-ien on one side, to that of California on the other, which form the chain that binds the two parts of the American continent together, are not destitute of peculiar advantages. Their coast on one side is washed by the Atlantic occixn, on the other by the Pacific. Some of their rivers flow into the former, some into the latter, and secure to them all the commercial benefits that may result from a communication with both." OF AMERICA. DISCOVERY AKD A>?CIENT POPULATION OF AMKHICA. America was first discovered by the Norwegians in the year 982, when these adventurers visited Greenland, which, it is now universally admitted, forms a part of this grand division of the earth. This was followed, in the year 1003, by the dis- covery of Vinland, which seems to have been a part of Labra- dor, or Newfoundland. The colony of Vinland was soon destroyed by intestine divisions ; but that in Greenland conti- nued to flourish till maritime intercourse was impeded by the encroaching shoals of arctic ice. Though the first Eui-opean colonies in America were thus lost, the Danes asserted their right by settlements on the western coast, called New Green- land, to distinguish it from the original colony on the eastern shores, or what is called Old Greenland. After this there seems a long pause, for no further discovery in America has hitherto been traced, by the utmost exertion of learned research, till the time of Colon. But the Portuguese discoveries in the fifteenth ccntur3^ had gradually enlarged knowledge and encouraged enterprise. The Canary islands appear to have been faintly known to the Spaniards about the middle of the fourteenth century : and the Normans of France, in the usual enterprising spirit of their progenitors, had made piratical excursions as far as these isles. Their discovery, so far to the west, proved an important motive to the further re- searches of Colon ; who was also instigated by the numerous Portuguese discoveries in Africa, where the cape of Good Hope had been seen by Diaz in 1486. Colon, or, as he is usually called, Columbus, sailed from Spain in quest of the New World on Friday the 3d day of August, 1492. On the 1st of October he was, by his reckon- ing, 770 leagues west of the Canai'ics. His men began to mu- tiny, and he was forced to promise to return in three days, if land did not appear. Fortunate presages soon arose, as land birds, a cane newly cut, a carved piece of wood, and the branch of a tree with fresh red berries. These and other symptoms 2 D 56 GENERAL VIEW induced Colon to order the ships to lie to in the evening of tlic 11th of October, in the certainty of seeing land on the approach of daylight. The night was passed in gazing expectation ; and a hght having been observed in motion, the cry of land! land! resounded from the headmost ship. With the dawn of Friday, October 12th, a beautiful isle appeared, two leagues to the north. Te Deuvi was sung with shouts of exultation, and every mark of gratitude and veneration to the admiral. Colon was the first who landed, to the great astonishment of the na- tives, who regarded their visitors as children of the sun, the astonishment on both sides being indescribable. The first dis- covery was one of the group called the Bahama isles, being the Cat island of our mariners. In his second voyage he discovered several of the Caribbee islands ; and in his third voyage he fell in with an island which he called Trinidad, and viewed the estuary of the Orinoco. He then returned to Hispaniola, or St. Domingo ; and in Oc- tober, 1500, was sent back to Spain in chains ! When Colon arrived at the West Indies, be conceived that he was in the neighbourhood of Japan ; and the name of India was imposed in a new and improper sense. The discovery of Vinland could scarce! v have been known to him ; and that of Greenland was so remote, that there was no room for a sug- gestion that this region formed a part of a prodigious continent. As to the Atlantis of Plato, and the ridiculous AVelsh tale of Madoc, which Southey has succeeded in rendering interesting, they cannot deprive Colon of one atom of his glory. Ojeda, an officer who had accompanied Colon in his second voyage, sailed to America with four ships in 1499, but disco- vered little more than Colon had done. One of the adven- turers was Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine man of science, eminently skilled in navigation, who perhaps acted as chief pilot, an oflice on such expeditions of high account, and pro- bably only inferior to that of commodore. On his return, Amerigo published the first description that had yet appeared of any part of the new continent: and the caprice of fame has assigned to him an honour above the renown of the greatest conquerors ; that of indelibly impressing his name upon this OF AMERICA. rt vast portion of the earth. It is idle to accuse his vanity, which never could have established such a claim : it was, on the con- trary, the ignorant and thoughtless gratitude of others, which alone could have imposed the appellation, from regard to the first man of letters who had disclosed this discovery to the ge- neral eye, as it seems before to have been concealed by jealousy and intrigue ; and the name is, at any rate, better than that of New Holland, or New South Wales, assigned in our own more enlightened times : nor do we esteem it any want of gratitude to Cook that no land has yet received its denomination from his name. As the titles of the three other quarters of the world spread, by mere accident, from small districts, so when the name of America was imposed there was not the most dis- tant idea of the prodigious extent of the territory ; and it was only understood that this appellation was given to a large island. If any continent were adjacent, it was understood to be the laroe land of India. Cabral, on his voyage to the East Indies in 1500, accident- ally discovered Brazil : and in 1513, Vasco Nugnez de Balboa descried, from the mountains of the isthmus, the grand Pacific ocean ; and he afterwards waded into the waves, and took pos- session of it in the name of the Spanish monarch. This disco- very seems to have terminated the vain expectation that America formed part of Asia. It seems unnecessary to trace with minuteness the other epochs of discovery in this quarter. In 1515 the continent was explored as far as Rio de Plata; but even in 1518 little was known concerning its western parts ; and twenty-six years had elapsed since the first voyage of Colon, before the existence was rumoured of the empires, or kingdoms, of Mexico and Peru. Plispaniola and Cuba still continued to be the chief seats of the Spanisli power. In 1519, Cortez, with eleven small vessels, containing G17 men, proceeded to the conquest of Mexico, vvhich was accomplished in 1521. Magalhaens, at the same time, having explored the Pacific ocean, the discovery of the western coast of America became a necessary conse- quence. After many reports concerning the riches of Peru, that country was at length visited in 1526 by Pizarro, at the 28 GENERAL VIEW head of 36 cavalry and 144 infantry : and' in ten years that empire was divided among his followers. In 1543 the first Spanish viceroy appeared in Peru. In North America the epochs of discovery were more slow. In 1497, Giovanni Gaboto, a Venetian, called by the Eng- lish John Cabot, who had received a commission from Henry VII., in the view of tracing a nearer passage to India, discovered Newfoundland, so called by his sailors; and in- spected the American shore as far as Virginia : but this land forming merely an obstacle to his wishes, he returned to England. In 1500, Corte de Real, a Portuguese captain, in search of a north-west passage, discovered Labrador, which he appears to have so called from the seeming industry of the natives. Florida was discovered by Ponce, a Spanish captain, in 1513. The powerful kingdom of France had hitherto taken no share in these discoveries ; but in 1524, Francis I. sent Vere- zano, a Florentine, who examined a great part of the coast of North America. In 1534, Francis I. sending a fleet from St. Maloes, to esta- blish a settlement in North America, Cartier the commander, on the day of St. Lawrence, discovered the great gulf and river to which he gave the name of that saint. In the followinsr year he sailed about 300 leagues up this noble stream to a great cataract, built a fort, and called the country New France. The Spanish captain Soto proceeded in 1539 from Cuba to complete the conquest of Florida. He travelled northward to about lat. 35 deg., but died in 1542, and was buried on the bank of the river Mississippi. In 1540, Jean de la Roque, lord of Roberual, a gentleman of Picardy, was appointed lieutenant-general of the new lands of Canada, Hochelaga, and Saguenay, who soon returned without success. Roberual again went in 1543. In 155G the French also attempted a settlement in Brazil. The industrious and venerable Hakluyt has published the accounts of these French voyages; and though merely a private clergyman, perhaps did more than any potentate to promote a similar spi- OF AMERICA. S9 rit in England. The other French voyages during this cen- tury were of little moment. It will now be proper to consider the progress of the chief settlements. In 1576, Frobisher, in search/ of a north-west passage, dis- covered the straits which retain his name. In 1578, Sir Humphrey Gilbert obtained a patent for set- tling lands in America ; and, in 1583, he discovered and took possession of the harbour of St. John and the country to the south, but was lost on his return. The voyage of Drake round the world served to kindle the enthusiasm of the English ; and Raleigh obtained a patent similar to that of Gilbert. Two small vessels dispatched by Raleigh in 1584 unfortu- nately bent their course to that country now called North Ca- rolina, instead of reaching the noble bays of Chesapeake or Delawar. They touched at an island, probably Ocakoki, si- tuated on the inlet into Pamlico sound ; and afterwards at Roanoke, near the mouth of Albemarle sound. These vessels returned to England, with two of the natives ; and Elizabeth assigned to this region the name of Virginia, an appellation which became laxly applied to the British settlements in North America, till it was confined to a different country from the original Virginia. In 1585, Raleigh sent a small colony, under the command of Sir Richard Grenville, who settled in the isle of Roanoke, a most incommodious and useless station, whence they returned in 1586. He made other unsuccessful attempts to colonize the country, and afterwards resigned his patent to some mer- chants, who were contented with a petty traffic. At the death of Elizabeth, 1603, there was not one Englishman settled in America ; and the Spaniards and Portuguese alone had formed any establishment on that vast continent. The venerable Hakluyt, anxious that his countrymen should partake of the benefit of colonies, procured an association of men of rank and talents for this purpose ; and a patent was granted by James I., April the 10th, 1606, that monarch be- ing wholly unconscious that he was about to establish an inde- pendent and mighty empire. The bay of Chesapeake was 30 GENERAL VIEW discovered in 1607 ; and the first lasting settlement was found- ed at James Town, in modern Virginia. Captain Smith, who afterwards published an account of his voyages, displayed re- maikable spirit and enterprise : yet the colony was about to return to England when lord J)elawar arrived in 1610 ; and though he remained only a short time, yet his prudent conduct firmly estabhshed the settlement. The discovery and progress of the other Enghsh settlements will be noticed when we come to the description of the different American states. Here it may be sufficient briefly to state the epochs of a iew other remarkable discoveries, rather uncon- nected with these settlements. In 1585, John Davis, an ex- perienced navigator, visited the western coast of Greenland, and explored the narrow sea, absurdly enough called Davis's strait, while it is as wide as the Baltic. On another voyage he proceeded as far north as the island of Disko, and the opposite shores of Greenland, which he named London coast. He ako discovered Cumberland strait ; and, upon the whole, the thi-ee voyages of this navigator are of great consequence. His fur- thest point of discovery appears to have been Sanderson"'s Hope, lat. 72 deg., whence turning to the west he was impeded by fields of ice. In 1607, Hudson made his first voyage ; and is said to have proceeded along the eastern coast of Greenland as far as lat 82 deg. ; but probably not above lat. 80 deg., or the furthest ex- tremities of Spitzbergen. On his voyage in 1610, Hudson discovered the straits which bear his name; and that inland sea, approaching the Baltic in size, which has, however, been called Hudson's bay. In 1616, some public-spirited gentlemen sent captain Bilot to attempt a north-west passage. William Baffin sailed with him as pilot: and this voyage is one of the most singular in the whole circle of geography. He is said to have proceeded in an inland narrow sea as far as 78 deg. ; though the accurate and learned Pinkerton doubts the fact. Some curious disco- veries have, however, been just made in the arctic seas by captain Ross, who fell in with a party of Indians that were so ignorant of the world, and the existence of other men, OF AMERICA. 31 as to suppose that the EngUsh had descended from the moon ! Mr. Hearne, under the direction of the Hudson's bay com- pany, in an expedition which lasted from the 7th of December, 1770, to the 30th of June, 1772, proceeded from Prince of Wales's fort, on the Churchill river, in lat. 58 deg. 471 min. north, and long. 94 deg. 7y min. west of Greenwich, to the mouth of the Copper-mine river, nvhich, according to some accounts, is in lat. 72 deg. north, and long. 119 deg. west Irom Greenwich ; but is laid down by others in lat. 69 deg. north, and long. 112 deg. west from Greenwich. But the Hudson's bay company, acting upon a contracted policy, did not render all those services to the subject of American geography which might have been expected. The enterprising spirit, however, of certain Canadian traders, afterwards united under the name of the North-west company, amply supplied the deficiency. Prior to the year 1789, they had extended their discoveries and establishments along the numerous lakes and rivers situ- ated north of that high tract of country which divides the Mississippi and Missouri waters from those which run towards the north and cast, to witliin a short distance of the Rocky mountains. In the summer of the year 1789, Mr. M'Kenzie made a voyage from fort Chepavyan, on the lake of the Hills, in lat. 58 deg. 40 min. north, and long. 110 deg. 30 min. west from Greenwich, by the way of the Hare river. Hare lake, and a river by which this lake discharges its waters, since called M'Kenzie's river, to the mouth of that river, where it falls into the North sea, in lat. 69 deg. 14 min. north, and long. 135 deg. west from Greenwich. Mr. M'Kenzie again, in the year 1793, penetrated from an estabUshment on the Peace river, in lat. 56 deg. 49 min. north, and long. 117 deg. 35 min. west from Greenwich, to the Pacific ocean, in lat. 52 deg. 24 min. north, and long. 128 deg. 2 min. west from Greenwich. By the discoveries above alluded to, and those occasionally made during the rapid settlement of the country and the pro- gress of enterprise, the principal divisions of this northern con- 5S GENERAL VIEW tinent have been explored and become known. The unknown and unexplored countries (except so far as the surveys made by navigators of the coast of the Pacific ocean, and the imper- fect accounts of the travellers who have ascended the Missouri, have furnished information) con)prehend the tract enclosed by this hne, containing, in breadth, 1000 miles, and in length about 1800 miles in a cUrect line ; and, by the way of the Missouri and Columbia livers, nearly twice that distance. In the year 1804, the American government sent out a corps of discovery undei- the command of captains Lewis and Clarke, of the army of the United States. They passed from the mouth of the Missouri, through the interior parts of North America, to the Pacific ocean, and have raateiially illustrated the geography of that river. Major Pike, in 1805, successfully explored the course of the Mississippi, and in a second expe- dition, penetrated the interior of Louisiana, surveying the whole of those majestic waters which rise in the rocky moun- tains of that district, and run westward into the Missouri and Mississippi. Tlie recent and splendid contributions of M. Humboldt to our scientific informalion respecting the equinoc- tial regions can hardly be ranked with the expeditions of dis- covery above mentioned ; but we shall not fail to avail ourselves of them in the progress of this work. Itihabitants. — The next topic which occurs is the ancient population ; but our knowledge of the American languages is still so imperfect, that the subject is involved in great doubts. None of the native nations of uiVmerica displays the smallest trace of the oblique eyes, and other remarkable features, by which the inhabitants of eastern Asia are distinguished. Far from this, l*allas, Lesseps, Tooke, and other skilful enquirers, have pronounced that tiie Ttchuks and Koriaks undoubtedly proceeded from America, as they have not one Asiatic li- neament. It is to be regretted that, neither in North nor South Ame- rica, have the languages been compared, analysed, and classed, as has been done with regard to the numerous tribes subject to Russia and Cliina. Hence, instead of solid knowledge, wc are over\vhehned w ith |)elty distinctions, and names without OF AMERICA. SS ideas. Upon one point only do investigators seem to be agreed, that the friendly and helpless people in the furthest north, called Esquimaux, are the same I'ace with the Samoieds of Asia, and Laplanders of Europe. These, with the Peruvians and Mexicans, Dr. Forster chuses to consider as strangers who have settled in America. 'The curious question concerning the population of America,'' Bays Pinkerton, 'can only be duly examined after the various dialects have been compared with those of Africa ; for to those of Europe or Asia they certainly bear no i-esemb!ance. To trace the population from the north of Asia, not to mention the positive contradiction of facts, would be an unnecessary restriction of the subject, as the progeny of so cold a latitude is ever found rare^ feeble, and unenterprising; while if we consider the proximity of Africa, and the many copper colour- ed nations which are there to be found, there will be little rea- son to hesitate concerning the progress of the Africans to America, as well as to New Holland. This resource alone remains ; for it has already been seen that the language of the Malays, who extended themselves so far to the east of Asia, has no connexion with that of the Americans Amidst the wonderous dreams of antiquaries, it is surprising that none has attempted to prove that the Mexicans and Peruvians were de- scendants of the Carthagenians, who fled to the Hesperides in their abhorrence of the Roman yoke.' Dr. Robertson has enumerated several strong reasons which render it highl}^ probable that America was not peopled from any civilised part of the ancient continent. He supposes that the Esquimaux proceeded from the north-west of Europe, and the other inhabitants of America from the north-east of Eu- rope. This supposition is corroborated by the ingenious cap- tain Burney, who considers Beering's strait not as the sejiaration of two great continents, but merelv as the entrance to a vast bay. Mr. Bailey, the astronomer, who, with captain Burnev, accompanied the celebrated Cook in his voyage of discovery northwai'd, also conceives that Beering's straits is an inland sea. This opinion of the actual junction of the Old and New World simplifies the question of how the latter was peopled ; E U GENERAL VIEW, &c. unless it be found, on investigating the American languages, that they have, as Mr. Pinkerton conjectures, originated in Africa. The present population of this immense continent does not probably exceed thirty-six millions; by which calculation North America will contain tzventy millions, and South Ame- rica sixteen millions. Having exhibited all the great features of American geo- graphy, it now remains to turn our attention to that most im- portant portion of the North American continent called the UNION. Observations which cannot with propriety be intro- duced in a General Vieii:, will be inserted when we come to treat of the respective states and territories that compose this eolossal empire, A DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL FEATURES, CLIMATE, AND NATURAL PRODUCTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. Boimdaries. JN the treaty of peace, concluded in 1783, the Hmits of the United States are thus defined : — ' And that all disputes which might arise in future on the sub- ject of the boundaries of the said United States may be pre- vented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and shall be their boundaries, viz. From the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, viz. That angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the source of St. Croix river to the highlands, along the said highlands, which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic ocean, to the north-westernmost head of Connecticut river ; thence down alonsr the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude ; from thence by a line due west on said latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy ; thence along the middle of the said river into lake Ontario, through the middle of said lake, until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and lake Erie ; thence along the middle of said communication into lake Erie, through the middle of said lake, until it ar- rives at the water communication between that lake and lake Huron ; thence through the middle of said lake to the water 36 VIEW OF THE communication between that lake and lake Superior ; thence through lake Superior northward of the isles Royal and Phil- lipeaux to the Long lake ; thence through the middle of said Long lake, and the water connnunication between it and the Jake of the Woods to the said lake of the Woods; thence through the said lake to the most north-wostern point thereof, and from thence, on a due west course, to the river Mississippi ; thence by a hue to be drawn along the middle of said river Mississi))i)i, until it .shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude. South, by a line to be drawn due east from the determination of the line last men- tioned, in the latitude ol" thirty-one degrees north of the equa- tor, to the middle of the river Apalachicola, or Catahouche ; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint river; thence straight to the head of St. iMary's river; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's river to the At- lantic ocean. East, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river St. Croix, from its mouth in the bay of Fundy to its source; and from its source directly north, to the aforesaid highlands, which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean from those which fall into the river St. Lawrence, com- prehending all islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due cast from the points where the aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on the one part, and East Florida on the other, shall respectively touch the bay of Fundy and the At- lantic ocean, excepting such isles as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of the said province of Nova Scotia.' Ea'tent. — The United States are situated between 25 deg. 60 min. and 49 deg. 37 min. north lat., and between 10 deg. cast and 48 deo-. 20 min. west lontf. from Washington. The most northern part is bounded by a line running due west from the north-west corner of the lake of the Woods, and the south- ern extremity is the outlet of the Rio del Norte. The eastern extremity is the Great Menan island, on the coast of Maine ; and the western extremity is cape Flattery, north of Colum- bia river, on the Pacific ocean. Their greatest extent, from iK)rth to south, is 1700 miles, and from east to west, 2700. UNITED STATES. 37 Their surface covers more than 2,500,000 square miles, or 1,600,000,000 acres In 1788, the number of square acres in the United States amounted to 283,800,000, of which only about 1,250,000 were cultivated ; and in 1808 to 600,000,000, of which about 2,500,000 were in a high state of cultivation. At the present time, the American writers estimate them at the enormous in- crease of 1,600,000,000 acres. Of this it can only be remark- ed, that the accession of Louisiana and the lands cleared westward hardly account for so vast an addition of territory. Divisions. — There appear to be now nineteen United States of North America, including Indiana, and six Territorial Gro- vernments, so called, as not being yet regularly organized into states, but under the general government of the Union ; dis- ti'ibuted into the following four grand divisions ; I. The Northern^ New England, or Eastern States. Vermont, | the District of Maine ; New Hampshire, j Rhode Island, Massachusetts, including j Connecticut. II. The Middle States. New York, | Delaware, New Jersey, | Ohio, Pennsylvania, j Indiana. III. The Southern States. Maryland, | South Carolina, Virginia, j Georgia, Kentucky, | Tennessee, Nortli Carolina, | Louisiana. IV. Territorial Governments. District of Columbia, Mississippi Territory, Missouri ditto. liUnois Territory, Michagan ditto. North-west ditto. 38 VIEW OF THK The followina; tahle will slunv tlu> oxteiU of torritorv witliin the rnion, aiul tlio iiuieaso of jx>piilation whic-h has t^iken plaee iluring twentv-jicvfii recent vears. Sufi's. T SouaiT .Miles. \uuil)cr of Inhabitants. 17 HO. iS17. Veniiont - 10,000 85,539 29(),450 Now Hampshire M.S(K) 141,885 30'^,733 Afaine \ J>!.750 9(>,540 318,()47 ^lassachusotts 1 8,500 378,787 5()4,39.^i Kbode Island - 1,700 (>8,8?^5 98, 7i21 Counoctkut _ 4,om) J2r>7,94() 319,5(>8 New Yurk _ 54,000 340.120 1,486,739 New Jersev - (j,500 184,139 345,82L> PoHnsylvania - 48,700 434,373 98().494 Delaware - - 1,800 59,094 108,334 Marvland - - 14,000 319,7.^>>8 50.'>,710 Virginia \ 75,000 747,610 1,347,49(5 Kentucky - J 5^2,000 (>83,753 North Camlina 4l),00t) 393,751 701,«J>4 South Carolina - 35>,7(X) i*40,073 5(i4,785 Georijia ■ (U.OOO 8L>,548 408,567 Wester; I Territories 1 35,()91 - - „ Di strict of Columbia 100 - . - 37,89.^2 Tennessee - - G3,000 I . . - 489,6.24 Ohio _ 45,000 . . - 394,752 Louisiana - _ 49,000 ■ _ _ _ 1 108,993 Indiaiia - 38,000 ... 86,734 jMississippi _ 55,000 _ - . 104,550 Illinois Territory ()().000 , - . - 39,000 Micliagan ditto 47,500 ' _ _ _ 9,743 Missouri ditto 1,987,000 " ' ' 68,794 Total - 1 Ji,81 4.550 1 3,9;e9,336 10,405,547 In estimating: the extent oi' such immense regions, accuracy is not attainable; but perhaps the above ciilculation may not be far \\om the truth. However, after making every reasona- ble dv.xluction, the survev before us offers matter tor reflectious UNITED si'A'n:s. 39 ihe nio»t ctjnsolatory and iinpressive. lOnglund contains one hundred and eighty persons to a scjiiare mile ; and wlien the territories at present comprehended in the L'nion shall lieeonie equally populous, the po|)iilation will amount to Jive hn/ul red miUioufi t while lew writers on Statistics have ventured to esti- mate the inhabitants of" Kurc^pe at tnore tiian one hundred and seventy millions. Tliis shews the futihty of the European roijal asscjciations for the purpose of impeding the march of knowledge, and of restoring the age of ignorance and supersti- tion. The people of the Western Hemisphere will soon be ([ualified, wliatever may happen in the Old World, to support and defend the ark of science and liberty. Climate. — The climate of the United territories, as already mentioned, is chiefly remarkable for sudden transitions from heat to cold, and the contrary. The wind from the north-east is violently cold, as it passes a wide expanse of the frozen con- tinent. In the plains on the east of the Apalachian chain the summer heats are immoderate; and in some places even ice will not preserve poultry or fish from putrefaction. Towards the mountains the climate is salutary, even in the southern states, as is evinced by the bloom of" the damsels in the buck settlements of Virginia. In the northern states the winter is longer and more severe than in England, hut the summer heat more intense. A north-east wind conmionly attends rain, while on the west side of the Apalachian mountains a south- west has that effect. In Georgia the winter is very mild, snow being seldom seen, and the east wind is there the warmest. This excessive heat of the plains must be regarded as one cause of that fatal pestilential malady called the yellow fever, which first appeared at Philadelphia in 1793, and has since too f"re([uently repeated its ravages in various cities oi" the com- monwealth. Several medical men have treated this subject with considerable care and ability^ but do not seem to have examined whether any similar disease was before known on the continent, and what method of cure was practised. Alzate, in his fugitive remarks on the natural history of Mexico, has mentioned an epidemical distemper, called in the Mexican lan- guage mailazahualt ; but at Vera Cruz, Carthagena, and other 40 VIEW OF THE places, known by the name of the black vomit, which is the chief scourge of the kingdom of Mexico. In 1736 and 1737 it swept away above one-third of the inhabitants of the capital ; and in 1761 and 176^ it almost depopulated the kingdom. Alzate thinks that this disorder proceeds from the bile mixing with the blood, the patient often bleeding at the nose and mouth ; and a relapse is extremely dangerous. He dissuades purgatives and bleeding, as when used for other disorders they superinduce the matlazahualt, which in Mexico always begun among the Indians, and was chiefly confined to them. May not this disorder be as much allied with the yellow fever as the black and yellow jaundice .'' The Spanish physicians might at any rate be consulted, as they have long been accustomed to the American maladies ; and it is hoped that this hint may not be unsubservient to the interests of humanity. Seasons. — The seasons in the United States generally cor- respond with those in Europe, but not with the equality to be expected on a continent; as, even during the summer heats, single days will occur which require the warmth of a fire. The latitude of Labrador corresponds with that of Stockholm, and that of Canada with France ; but what a wide difference in the temperature ! Even the estuary of the Delaware is generally frozen for six weeks every winter. Nor does the western coast of North America seem warmer than the eastern. The nume- rous forests, and wide expanses of fresh water, perhaps contri- bute to this comparative coldness of the climate, wiiich may gradually yield to the progress of population and industry. In fact, a favourable change in the climate is already very per- ceptible. In the oldest cultivated parts of the country, the cold in winter has sensibly decreased, the .sfjow has diminished, and the frosts are neither so severe nor of so long a continuance as formerly. Face of the Country. — The face of these extensive territories is not so minutely diversified as might have been expected, the features of nature being here on a larger and more uniform scale than in Europe. Nor are there any scenes of classical or historical reminiscence, which transport the mind to remote centuries, and impart a crowd of relative ideas. The abun- UNITED STATES. 41 dance of timber, and the diversity of the foliage, contribute greatly to enrich the landscape ; but it is here reputed a weed, and the planter seldom spares trees near his habitation, as the roots having no great room to spread or penetrate, they would be dangerous during a violent wind. ' What a beautiful country, not disgraced by a single tree,"* is an idea purely American. The landscape is less ennobled by lofty mountains than by rivers of great magnitude; and is frequently injured by the barren aspect of large fields, which have been exhausted by the culture of tobacco, and which scarcely produce a weed or a pile of grass. The northern provinces, called New Eng- land, are generally hilly, as they approach the skirts of the Apalachian chain, which has, by no unfit similitude, been called the spine of the United territory. The vales in these northern regions are thickly clothed with wood, and often pervaded by considerable rivers ; and many romantic cascades are formed by rivulets falling from the rocks, while towards the shore the land is level and sandy. In Virginia, a central state, the Blue mountains, and other ridges of the Apalachian, add great charms and variety to the prospect, which is further enlivened by many beautiful plants and birds, particularly the humming bird, sucking the honey of various flowers, and rapidly glanc- ing in the sun its indescribable hues of green, purple, and gold. Here a plain from 150 to 200 miles in breadth, reaching from the mountains to the sea, is studded with the villas of rich proprietors, the ancient hospitable country gentlemen of the United States. Similar levels appear in the Carolinas and Georgia. Beyond the Apalachian ridges extends another rich plain of amazing size, pervaded by the muddy waves of the Mississippi, which does not appear to be table land, but on nearly the same level with the eastern plain. In Kentucky the surface is agreeably waved with gentle swells, reposing on a vast bed of limestone ; and a track of about twenty miles along the Ohio is broken into small hills and narrow vales. Soil. — The soil, though of various descriptions, is generally fertile, often, on the east of ihe Blue mountains, a rich brown loamy earth, sometimes a yellowish clay, which becomes more and more sandy towards the sea. Sometimes there are consi- F 42 VIEW OF THE derable marshes, and what are' called salt meadows, and spots called barrens, which, even in the original forests, are foui\d to be bare of trees for a considerable space. On the west of the Apalachian chain the soil is also generally excellent ; and in Kentucky some spots are deemed too rich for wheat, but the product may amount to sixty bushels an acre : and about six feet below the surface there is commonly a bed of limestone. The vales in the northern states are also very productive. Agriculture. — In agriculture the Americans are well skilled, and are eager to adopt the advantages of English experience. It is computed that three-fourths of the inhabitants of the United States are employed in agriculture. This free and vi- gorous yeomanry may well be regarded as the chief glory of any state; and commerce will impart sufficient opulence to enable them to promote every possible improvement. In the year 1816, the value of agricultural products exported amount- ed to the sum oi fifty-three millions^ three hundred and fifty- four thousand dollars. But this subject must be reserved imtil we come to treat of the present state and resources of the UiiiiioN, when it will receive an attention commensurate with its vast importance. Rivers. — The chief rivers in the United States have already been described in the brief general view of North America ; but a few additional particulars may be here noticed, and an account given of those of a more confined course, which parti- cularly belong to the United territory. The Mississippi generally affords fifteen feet of water, from the mouth of the Missouri to that of the Ohio ; but, in time of Hushes, a 6rst-rate man-of-war may descend with safety. The mean velocity of its current may be computed to be four miles an hour. Its breadth is various, from one and a half to two miles : its mouth is divided into several channels, which continu- a!lv change their direction and depth. The Jrlcmsaw^ which runs into this mighty river, has been recently explored by major Pike, who computes its course, fro»n its junction with the Mis- sis^^ippi, about north lat. 84 deg. 10 min., to the mountains, at 1981 miles, and thence to its source, 192 additional miles. It receives several rivers, navigable for upwards of 100 miles. UxNITED STATES. 43 The Missouri, with its eastern branches, waters five-eighths of the United States. It rises in the Rocky mountains to the north-west of Louisiana, in north lat. 45 deg. 24 min., and reckoning from its most extreme branch, the Jefferson, joins the Mississippi after a course of above 3000 miles, in west long. 90 deg. and north lat. 39 deg., when, forming one mighty stream, they pursue their way conjointly to the gulf of Mexico. The Ohio, less subUme and majestic in its course than those already noticed, is also less interrupted in its navigation. Its general breadth is about 600 yards ; but it varies from 300 in the narrowest to 1200 in the widest part. The course of the Ohio, from fort Pitt to its junction with the Mississippi, fol- lowing all its windings, is, by Morse and other American geo- graphers, computed at 1188 miles. This river commences at the junction of the Alleghany and Monongehala rivers. It has been described as, beyond competition, the most beautiful river in the world : its meandering course through an immense region of forests ; its elegant banks, which afford innumerable delightful situations for cities, villages, and improved farms ; with its various other advantages, well entitle it to the name originally given it by the French of ' La belle Riviere.'' Since that period, the Ohio has greatly improved both in beauty and utility. The immense forests which once lined its banks have gradually receded; cultivation smiles along its borders; nu- merous villages and towns decorate its shores ; and it is not extravagant to suppose that the time is not far distant when its entire margin will form one continued series of villages and towns. Vast tx-acts of fine country have communication with the Ohio, by means of its tributary navigable waters ; extraor- , dinary fertihty, marks the river bottoms; and the superior excellence of its navigation has made it the channel through which the various productions of the most extensive and fertile parts of the United States are already sent to market. At its commencement at Pittsport, or Pittsbui'g, it takes a north-west course for about twenty -five miles; then turns gradually to west-south-west; and having pursued that course for about 500 miles, winds to the south-west for nearly 100 miles; then turns to the \\ e^t for about 2G0 miles more ; thence south-west 44 vip:w of the for 160, and empties itself into the Mississippi in a south di- rection, nearly 1200 miles below Pittsburg. In times of high freshes, and during the flow of ice and snow from the Alle- ghany and other mountains, vessels of almost any tonnage may descend this river : it is never so low but that it may be navi- gated by canoes, and other light craft, not drawing more than twelve inches water. The highest floods are in spring, when the river rises forty-five feet ; the lowest are in summer, when it sinks to twelve inches at the bars, ripples, and shoals, where waggons, carts, &c. frequently pass over. The largest stream that flows into the Ohio is the Tennessee river, whose remotest sources are in Virginia, north lat. 37 deg. 10 min. It runs about 1000 English miles south and south-south-west, receiving considerable accessions of minor waters on each side, and then turning circuitously northward, blends itself with the Ohio at about 60 miles from the mouth of that river. It is navigable for vessels of large burden to the distance of 250 miles from its junction with the Ohio. The Alleghany river rises in Pennsylvania, on the western side of the Alleghany mountains ; and after running about 200 miles in a south-west direction, meets tlie Monongehala at Pittsburg, and the united streams now form the Ohio. In this course it is increased by many tributary streams. Few rivers exceed the Alleghany for clearness of water and rapidity of current. It seldom fails to mark its course across the mouth of the Monongehala, in the highest freshes or floods, the water of the latter being verv muddy, that of the former very clear. In high floods, the junction of these rivers presents a pleasing- view ; the Monongehala flowing sometimes full of ice, the Al- leghany transparent and free. Its banks are delightfully in- terspersed with cultivated farms and increasing towns. In a course of 80 miles, however, from a place called Envalt's De- feat to Freeport, it is full of eddies, rapids, rocks, and other dangers, to avoid which requires the utmost attention. In some of the ripples the water runs at the rate of ten miles an hour; and a boat will go at the rate of twelve miles, \rithout any other assistance than the steering oar. The waters of this ^iver are recommended by the medical practitioners of Pitts- UNITED STATES. 45 burg, both for the purposes of bathing and of drinking ; but the pecuHar medicinal quaUties of the Alleghany water are, perhaps, more to be attributed to the faith of those who use it, than to any inherent character of superior salubrity. The Monongehala river rises at the foot of the Laurel mountain, in Virginia ; thence, through various meanderings, passes into Pennsylvania, receiving in its course the Cheat and Yougheogheny rivers, and many smaller streams. It has al- ready been stated that this river unites with the Alleghany at Pittsburg. Twelve or fifteen miles from its mouth, it is about 300 yards wide, and is navigable for boats and small craft, particularly in autumn and spring, when it is generally covered with what are called trading and family boats ; the foniier loaded with flour, cider, whiskey, apples, and various kinds of wrought materials; the latter carrying furniture, domestic utensils, and agricultui-al instruments, destined for Kentucky and New Orleans. Another principal river of North America, and the most considerable one in the eastern states, is the Connectmd. It rises in the highlands to the south of New Brunswick, in west long. 72 deg. and north lat. 45 deg. 10 min. After a lingering course of eight or ten miles, it has four separate falls ; and turning west, keeps close under the hills which form the northern boundary of the vale through which it runs. The Amonoosack and Israel rivers, two principal branches of the Connecticut, fall into it from the east, between the latitudes 44 and 45 deg. Between the towns of Walpole on the east, and Westminster on the west side of the river, are the Great falls. The whole river, compressed between two rocks, scarcely thirty feet asunder, shoots with amazing rapidity into a broad basin below. Over these falls, a bridge, 160 feet in length, was built in 1784, under which tlie highest floods may pass with- out difficulty. This is the first bridge that was erected over this noble river. Above Deerfield, in Massachusetts, it re- ceives Deerfield river from the west, and Millers river from the east; after which it turns westerly, in a sinuous course, to Fighting falls, and a little after tumbles over Deerfield falls, which are impassible by boats. At Windsor, in this state, it 46 TIEW OF THE receives Farmington river from the west; and at Hartford meets the tide. From Hartford it passes on in a crooked course, until it falls into Long island sound, between Saybrook and Lyme. The length of this river, in a straight line, is nearly 800 miles. It is from 80 to 100 rods wide, 130 miles from its mouth, where there is a bar of sand, which considerably ob- structs its navigation. On this beautiful river, whose banks are peopled almost, if not now entirely, to its source, stand numerous well-built towns. Charles River has its sources, five or six in number, in the state of Massachusetts, on the south-east side of Hopkinton and Holliston ridge. The main stream runs north-east, then north and north-eastwardly, round this ridge, until it mingles with Mother-brook. The river thus formed runs westward, passing over numerous romantic falls. Bending to the north- east and east, through Watertown and Cambridge, and pass- ing into Boston harbour, it mingles with the waters of the Mystic river at the point of the peninsula of Charlestown. It is navigable for boats to Watertown, seven miles. Taunton River rises in the Blue mountains, forming the principal drain of the country lying east of those mountains. Its course is about SO miles from north-east to south-west; and is navigable for vessels to Taunton. It finally empties into Narragauset bay, at Tiverton. The rivers Concord., Mystic^ Medford., Ipswich, and many others, contribute to the beauty and commercial interests of Massachusetts. To the state of New York belongs the noble stream called Hudson River, and frequently No7'th River. It rises in a mountainous country, between the lakes Ontario and Cham- plain. In its course, south-easterly, it approaches within six or eight miles of lake George; then, after a short course east, turns southerly, and receives the Sacondago from the south- west, within a few miles of the JNIohawk river. The course of the river thence to New York, where it empties itself into York bay, is almost uniformly south. Its whole length is about fioO miles. The banks of Hudson, or North river, especially on the western side, as far as the highlands extend, are chiefly rocky UNITED STATES. 47 cliffs. The passage through the highlands, which is sixteen or eiffhteen miles, affords a wild romantic scene. In this narrow pass, on each side of which the mountains tower to a great height, the wind, if there be any, is collected and compressed, and blows continually as through a bellows : vessels, in pass- ing through it, are often compelled to lower their sails. The bed of this river, which is deep and smooth to an astonishing distance, through a hilly, rocky country, and even through ridges of some of the highest mountains of the United States, must undoubtedly have been produced by some mighty con- vulsion of nature. The tide flows a few miles above Albany ; to which place it is navigable for sloops of eighty tons, and for ships to Hudson. About 60 miles above New York the water becomes fresh, and is stored with fish of various kinds. The advantages which this river affords to the inland trade of the state, and those which, by means of the lakes, it renders to the trade with Canada, are very great. These have been consi- derably enhanced since the invention of steam-boats, of which there are several, of amazing size, on this river, on which that memorable invention was first successfully tried, in the year 1807. Some of them, though equal in length to a ship of the line, travel through the Narrows, and along the whole course of this river from New York to Albany, 'at the rate of sevenx)r eight miles an hour, against wind and tide. The distance, it is said, has been run down the stream in seventeen hours : for- merly an uncertain voyage of three or four days, or even a week or two, according to the state of the winds and tides. The average time is twenty-four hours. Ferr3^-boats, propel- led by steam, and so constructed that carriages drive in and out at pleasure, may be observed at every large town on this fine river. These convenient vehicles are likely to supersede the use of bridges on navigable waters. They are, in fact, a sort of flying-bridge, with this advantage over the numerous and costly structures of that kind which now span the broad surface of the Susquehannah, in the interior of Pennsylvania — they do not require such expensive repairs; they may be secured from the effects of sudden floods ; and, what is of far more importance, they present no obstruction to navigation. 48 VIEW OF THE The growing population of the fertile lands upon the northern branches of the Hudson must annually increase the amazing wealth that is conveyed by its waters to New York. In al- most every point of view, this river is one of the greatest utility in the United States. The Ofiondago river rises in a lake of the same name, and, running westerly, falls into lake Ontario, at Oswego. With the exception of a fall, which occasions a portage of twenty yards, this river is navigable for boats from its mouth to the head of the lake ; thence batteaux go up Wood creek, almost to fort Stanwix, whence there is a portage of a mile to Mo- hawk river. Towards the head waters of this river salmon are caught in great quantities. The Mohawh river rises to the northward of fort Stanwix, about eight miles from Sable river, a water of lake Ontario, and runs southerly 20 miles to the fort; then eastward 110 miles, and, after receiving many tributary streams, falls into North river, by three mouths, opposite to the cities of Lausin- burg and Troy, from seven to ten miles north of Albany. This is a very fine river, and is navigable for boats nearly the whole of its course. Its banks were formerly thickly settled with Indians, but now cultivation and civilization have ren- dered its course a busy scene of mercantile pursuit and in- creasing population. The Delaware^ the Susquehannah^ Tyoga, Seneca, Genesse, and the north-east branch of the Allegfutny river, all belong to the state of New York ; and such is the intersection of the whole state, by the various branches of these and other rivers, that there are few places, throughout its whole extent, that are more than fifteen or twenty miles from a navigable stream. The river Savannah divides the state of Georgia from South Carolina, and pursues a course nearly from north-west to south-cast. The freshes of this river will sometimes rise from thirty to forty feet perpendicular above the actual level of the stream. The New Piscataqita, having four extensive branches, all of them navigable for small vessels, furnishes the commence- ment of a line, which, drawn from its northern head, until ipj UNITED STATES. 49 meets the boundary of the province of Quebec, divides New Hampshire from the province of Maine. The Merrimak, re- markable for two considerable falls, Amaskaeg and Fantiicket, bears that name from its mouth to the confluence of the Perni- gewasset and Winipisikee rivers, which unite in about lat. 43 deg. 30 niin. The first of these rivers forms the only port of New Hampshire. Great Bay spreads out from Piscataqua river, between Portsmouth and Exeter. Columbia River is the principal stream which has been ex- plored on the north-west coast of America. It is called, by the Indians, Tacoutche-Tesse, and is formed by innumerable streams from the Rocky mountains, rising between the 43d and 53d deg. of north lat. The principal stream has a course of 700 British miles to the ocean, which it enters at north lat. 46 deg. Cataracts. — Some of the chief wonders of this western he- misphere are foinid in its cataracts, or falls, which do not con- sist of single streams precipitated from hill to vale in picturesque beauty, as in the Alps, but of wiiole rivers tossed from broken mountains into immense basins below. The first in magni- tude are Tha Cataracts of Niagara, between the lakes Erie and On- tario, distant about eighteen miles from the town of Niagara, and sitL\ate upon a river of the same name. These falls may be regarded as presenting one of the most interesting of all the phenomena in the natui-al world. * At Queenston,'' says lieu- tenant Hall, ' seven miles from the falls, their sounds united with the rushing of the river, is distinctly heard. At the dis- tance of about a mile, a white cloud, hovering over the trees, indicates their situation: it is not, however, until the road emerges from a close country into the space of open ground immediately in their vicinity, that the white volumes of foam are seen, as if boiling up from a sulphureous gulf Here a foot-patli turns from the road to\vards a wooded cliff. The rapids are beheld on the right, rushing, for the sjXce of a mile, like a tempestuous sea. A narrow tract descends about sixty iect clown the cliff, and continues across a plashy meadow, 50 VIEW OF THE through a copse, encumbered with masses of" limcstouc ; extri- cated from which, I found myself on the Table Rock, at the very point Avhere the river precipitates itself into the abyss. The rapid motion of the waters, the stunning noise, the moun- tain clouds, almost persuade the startled senses that the rock itself is tottering, and on the point of rolling down into the gulf, which swallows up the mass of descending waters. I bent over it, to mark the clouds rolling white beneath me, as in an inverted sky, illumined by a most brilliant rainbow, — one of those features of softness which Nature delights to pencil amid her wildest scenes, tempering her awfulness with beauty, and making her very terrors lovely. ' There is a ladder about half a mile below the Table Rock, by which I descended the cliff, to reach the foot of the fall. Mr. Weld has detailed the impediments and difficulties of this approach, and M. Volney confesses they were such as to over- come his exertions to surmount then). A few years, however, have made a great change ; the present dangt-rs and difficulties may be easily enumerated. The first is, the ordinary hazard every one runs who goes up or down a ladder ; this is a very good one of thirty steps, or about forty feet ; from thence the path is a rough one, over the fragments and masses of rock which have gradually crumbled, or been forcibly riven from the cliff, and which cover a broad declining space, from its base to the river brink. The only risk in that part of the pilgrim- age, is tl)at of a broken shin from a false step. The path grows smooth as it advances to tlie fall, so that the undivided attention may be given to this im}X)sing spectacle. I felt a s-cnsation of awe as I drew near it, like that caused by the first cannon on the morning of battle. I passed from sunshine into gloom and tempest : the spray beat down in a heavy rain ; a violent wind rushed from behind the sheet of water : it was difficult to respire, and, for a moment, it seemed temerity to encounter the convuiMve Avorkings of the elements, and intrude into the dark dwellings of their power : but the danger is in appearance only ; it is possible to penetrate but a few steps ?K'bind the curtain, and in these few there is nohnzard; the UNITED STATES. &1 footing is good, and the space sufficiently broad and free: there is not even a necessity for a guide ; two eyes amply suf- fice to point out all that is to be seen or avoided.' The most stupendous of these cataracts is that on the British, or north-western side of the river Niagara, which, from its re- semblance to the shape of a horse-shoe, has received the appel- lation of ' the Great, or Horse-shoe fall ;' but this name is no longer strictly applicable. It has become an acute angle, and the alteration is estimated at about eighteen feet in thirty years. The height of this fall is 142 feet. But the two others (for there are three falls, owing- to the circumstance of small islands dividing the river Niagara into three collateral branches) are each about 160 feet in height. The largest has been reckoned at about 600 yards in circumference. The widtli of the island, which separates the ' Great falP from the next in magnitude, is estimated at about 3-50 yards. The second fall is said to be only five yards wide. The next island may be estimated at about thirty yards in size ; and the third, commonly called the *Fort Schloper fall,' is about 350 yards. According to these calculations, the islands l>eing included, the entire extent of the precipice is 1835 yards in width. It is supposed that the wa- ter carried down these falls amounts to no less a quantity than 670,255 tons per minute. A kind of white foam surrounds the bottom of ' Fort Schloper fall,' and rises up in volumes from the rocks : it does not, however, as at the Horse-shoe fall, ascend above in the form of a cloud of smoke and mist, but the spray is so abundant that it descends like rain upon the oppo- site bank of the river. The whirlpools and eddies immediately below are so dangerous as to render the narigation completely impracticable for six miles. The river Niagara, above the falls, however, is navigable by boats and canoes as far as fort Chippaway, which is about three or four English miles from them. But, on approaching nearer, the waters are in such a state of agitation, as to require the boat or canoe to be kept in the middle of the stream, and, without skilful management, would inevitably dash it to destruction. The middle of Sep- tember is considered as the most pleasant time of the year for the examination of these celebrated falls, the surrounding fo- ^ VIEW OF THE rests being richly variegated with the autumnal colouring. Ar this season the traveller is not exposed to the danger of meet- ing with noxious reptiles and insects of the country, which completely disappear in the chilly nights. St. Antlionijs Falls, in the river Mississippi, are situated about ten miles from the mouth of the river St. Pierre, which joins the Mississippi from the west. These falls were first discovered by Louis Hennipin, in the year 1680, and received their present name from that traveller, who was the first Eu- ropean ever seen by the natives in these parts. The river falls perpendicularly above thirty feet, and is about 250 yards in width. The lapids, which are below, in the space of about 300 yards, render the descent apparently greater when it is viewed at any considerable distance. These falls are so pecu- liarly situated as to be approachable without any obstruction from a hill or precipice ; and the whole surroimding scenery is singularly pleasing. The Cokez, or falls of the river Mohawk, between two and three miles fro)U its entrance into North liver, are a very great natural curiosity. The river, above the falls, is about 300 yards wide, and approaches them from the north-west in a rapid current, between the high banks on each side, and pours the whole body ofals water over a perpendicular rock of about 40 feet in height, which extends quite across the river like a mill-dam. The banks of the river, inunediately below the falls, are about 100 feet high. From a noble bridge, erected in 1794 and 175)-5, the spectator may have a grand view of the Cohez; but they have the most romantic and picturesque ap- pearance from Lausinburg hill, about five miles east of them. The river, immediately below the bridge, divides into thret- branches, whirh form several large islands. Canals. — The rivers and lakes of North America are in many places connected together by Caxals, which furnish an artificial assistance to the communication established in other instances by Nature. The principal interior canals, which have been already completed in the United States, are, the MlddL'nc.c canal, uniting the waters of the Merrimak river with the harbour of Bostim; and the canal Caroruklet, ex- UNITED STATES. 53 tending from Bayou St. John to the fortifications or ditch of New Orleans, and opening an inland communication with lake Pontchartrain. On the 17th of April, 1816, and the 15th 6f April, 1817, the state legislature of New York passed acts appropriating funds for opening navigable communications between the lakes Erie and Champlain and the Atlantic ocean, by means of ca- nals connected with the Hudson river. This magnificent un- dertaking is already begun, and promises to make effectual progress under the auspices of governor Clinton. We have before us, at this moment, the official report of the canal com- missioners ; but the extent and the capabilities of these works will be noticed at greater length, wheii we come to speak of the physical resources of the United States. Forests. — Aboriginal forests are so numerous throughout the United territory, that none seem to be particularly distin- guished. There does not appear to exist, on the whole conti- nent of America, any of those sandy deserts which are so remarkable in Asia and Africa. There is, on the contrary, an exuberance of water even in the most torrid regions ; which might be added as a proof of the theory that this continent has more recently emerged. Even the volcanoes in South America often pour down torrents of water and mud, and no where occur the sandy ruins of plains, after the fertile soil has been totally lost, or the rocky skeletons of ancient mountains. The large tract in the eastern part of Virginia and North Carolina, called the Dismal swamp, occupies about 150,000 acres; but it is entirely covered with trees, juniper and cypress on the more moist parts, and on the drier white and red oaks, and a variety of pines. I'hese trees attain a prodigious size ; and among them there is often very thick brushwood, so as to ren- der the swamp impervious, while other forests in North Ame- rica are commonly free from underwood. Cane reeds, and tall rich grass, soon fatten the cattle of the vicinity, which are taught to return to the farms of their own accord. In this swampy forest bears, wolves, deer, and other wild animals abound ; and stories are told of children having been lost, who have been seen, after many years, in a wild state of nature- 54 VIEW OF THE Some parts arc so dry as to bear a horse, while some are over- ik)wed, and others so miry that a man would sink up to the neck. A canal has been led through it ; and, even in the dry parts, water of the colour of brandy, as is supposed from the roots of the junipers, gushed in at the depth of three feet. In the northern part the timber supplies an article of trade, while in the southern rice is found to prosper ; and in the neighbour- hood none of these diseases are known which Imunt other marshy situations. Sivamjys. — Georgia presents a singular marsh, or in the wet season a lake, called Ekansanoko, by others Ouaquafenoga, in the south-east exti-emity of the province. This marshy lake is about 300 miles in circumference, and contains several large and fertile isles, one of which is represented by the Creek In- dians as a kind of paradise, inhabited by a peculiar race, whose women are incomparably beautiful, and are called by them daughters of the sun. These islanders are said to be a remnant of an ancient tribe, nearly exterminated by the Creeks. Such events may not have been uncommon among savage tribes ; and the more industrious people who erected the noted forts may have been passing, like the Mexicans, to a comparative state of civilization, when an unhappy defeat, by more savage tribes, extinguished their name and power. That the natives have no memory of such transactions is not matter of wonder, for their traditions can scarcely exceed a century or two at the utmost. Mineralogy. — This most important subject has not yet been illustrated in the manner it deserves. Every substance pre- cious to industry has been found in abundance ; and there is no doubt but that further researches will discover the more rare and beautiful productions of nature. Volney, who wrote on the climate and soil of America, makes a suppositious division of the United States into five distinct regions, — the granitic, the sandstone, the calcareous, the sea- sand, and river alluvions. The granitic conmiences at the mouth of the river St. Law- rence and ends at Long island. It is mixed with sandstone and limestone, in New Hampshire and Maine, except the White UNITED STATES. 55 mountains in New Hampshire, which are granite. The river Mohawk appears to be the dividing hnc of the granite and the sandstone ; but iu the river Siisquehannah some granite is found ; and at the base of the south-west chain of the White mountains in Virginia. The whole of the Apalacliian mountains are sandstone ac- cording to this arrangement ; and, towards the north-west, the sandstone ends in slate and marl. The Katskill mountains are of the same sandstone as the Blue ridge. The calcareous region commences at the west of the Apala- chian mountains, and runs to the Mississippi, and, as some have supposed, to the Rocky mountains. This stratum lies horizontally, at depths proportioned to the depositions of soil. The region of sea-sand runs along all the shore from Long- island to Florida. It is bounded towards the land side by a seam ©f granite, full of large mica, or rather talc ; and this boundary runs uninterruptedly along the coast from the Mest bank of the I'iver Hudson to the river Roanoke in North Ca- rolina ; its breadth is from two to six miles, its extent 500. This boundary generally marks the limits of the tide, and fre- quently occasions fails in the rivers. The land between the granite ridge and the sea varies in breadth from 30 to 100 miles, and is evidently sand recently brought by the ocean, whose limits were originally determined by this hill of granite. The bare rocks projecting into the sea are granite, which seems to indicate that the sand brought in by the sea merely covers rocks of this description. The region of the river alluvions extends from the granitic ridge to the base of the sandstone mountains ; iience it appears that the ridge of granite in the Apalacliian chain is narrow and lower than in the sandstone. Mr. Maclure has recently published much highly interesting information on this important department of science, arjd seems to have studied the geology of the United States with oreat success. According to this writer, throughout the greatest part of the northern and north-eastern states, the sea washes the primary rocks ; but at Long island there commences an alluvial formation, which, increasing in breadth as it stretches 56 VIEW OF THE southward, covers a great part of both the Caroliiias and Geor- gia, and almost the whole of the two Floridas and Lower Louisiana. This vast alluvial formation is bounded on the east by the ocean, and by a Hne commencing at the eastern end of Long island and pasglng through Philadelphia, Washington, Richmond in Virginia, Halifax in North Carohna, Columbia in South Carolina, Augusta on the Savannah, and thence to Nat- chez on the Mississippi. The tide water ends in all the rivers from the Mississippi to the Roanoke at the distance of from 30 to 120 miles from the western limits of the alluvial formation ; from the Roanoke to the Delaware, the tide penetrates through the alluvial, and is stopped by the primitive rocks. In all the northern and eastern rivers, the tiippi, there are about ten mines. The ore, which is a sulphuret, is found in detaclied masses of from one to five hundred pounds, in al- luvial deposites of gravel and clay, immediately under the soil ; and sometimes in veins or beds, in limestone. <^)ne of the mines produces annually about 245 tons of ore, yielding 6()§ percent. There are mines also at Perkiomen, in Pennsylvania, 24 miles from Philadelphia. Tlie ore is chiefly a sulphuret; but it i* accompanied by the carbonate, pliosphate, and molybdate. In Massacluisetts, there is a vein of galena, traversing primitive rocks, six or eight feet wide, and extending twenty miles from Montgomery to Hatfield. The ore aft'ords from 50 to GO per cent, of lead. Gold has only been found in North Carolina. It occurs in grains or stnall masses, in alluvial earths, and chiefly in the gravelly beds of brooks, in the dry season ; and one mass was found weighing 28 lb. In 1810, upwards of 1340 ounces of this gold, ecjual in value to 24,689 dollars, had been received at the mint of the United States. UNITED STATES. 61 Native silver, in small quantities, is met with at different places, but in no other form. Mercury and tin have not been found. Cobalt occurs near JVIiddletown in Connecticut ; and a mine of it was at one time worked. Manganese and anti- mony are found in several situations. Sulphuret of zinc is found in considerable quantity in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, arid Massachusetts. In New Jersey, a new va- riety of this metal has been discovered, in such abundance, that it promises to be a very valuable acquisition to the United States. It is a red oxide, composed, of oxide 76, oxigen 16, oxides of manganese and iron 8. It is reduced without diffi- culty to the metaUic state. The chromate of iron, both crystallized and amorpheus, oc- curs in different .situations; particularly near Baltimore, and at Hoboken, in New Jersey. This mineral is employed to furnish the chromic acid, which, when united with the oxide of lead, forms chromate of lead — a very beautiful yellow pig- ment, of which there is a manufactory at Philadelphia. It is sold under the name of chromic yellow, and is employed for painting furniture, carriages, &c. We have before noticed tiie vast extent of limestone of dif- ferent species that is spread over the United States ; and profes- sor Cleavelaiid of Bawdain College, in an Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology, emuuerates several varieties of the primitive liniestones in the eastern states, wjiich are used as marble in ornamental architecture and in sculpture ; but he remarks that the state of the arts has not yet caused them to be extensively quarried, or even sufficiently explored. Some of the Vermont marbles are as white as the Carrara, with a grain intermediate between that of the Carrara and Parian marbles. At Middlebury, in Vermont, during the years 1809 and 1810, 20,000 feet of slabs were cut by one mill, containing 65 saws; and the sales of marble, during the same period, amounted to about 11,000 dollars. In Rhode island it ie found snow while, of a fine grain, translucid, and perfectly re- sembles the Carrara marble. Gypsum, or plaster stone, is found in Virginia, Maryland, and Connecticut. It is very abundant in several parts of the 62 VIEW OF THE state of New York, particularly in Onondago and Madison counties ; also in the vicinity of Cayuga lake, whence, in 1812, 6000 tons of it were exported to Pennsylvania. In many parts of the United States, it has been found an important article of manure, in the cultivation of grasses, roots, and grain. Rock salt has not })itherto been discovered ; but there are numerous salt springs. These sometimes flow naturally ; but are more frequently formed by sinking wells in those places where the salt is known to exist, as in certain marshes and in salt licks, so called from liaving been formerly the resort of wild animals to liclc the clay impregnated with the salt. These springs are chiefly found in the country westward of the Al leghany mountains, near the rivers which flow into the Ohio. They occur also in the state of New York, near the Onondago and Cayuga lakes, associated with the great gypsum forma- tion already noticed. This brine is strong, and yields about S00,000 bushels of salt annually. The whole quantity of salt annually obtained from saline springs in the United States, ex- ceeds 600,000 bushels. Nitre of potash, or saltpetre, is met with in considerable abundance. Mr. Cleaveland gives the following description of the places where it is principally obtained. ' The calcareous caverns which abound in the state of Ken- tucky furnish large quantities of nitre. The earths which exist in these caverns, and which contain both the nitrate of potash and the nitrate of lime, are lixiviated ; and the lixivium is then made to pass through wood ashes, by the alkali of which the nitrate of lime is decomposed. Alter due evaporation, the nitre is permitted to crystallize. One of the most remarkable of these caverns is in Madison countv, on Crooked creek, about 60 miles south-east from j^exington. This cavern extends entirely through a hill, and affords a convenient passage for horses and waggons. Its length is 646 yards, its breadth is generally about 40 feet, and its average height alM)ut 10 feet. One bushel of the earth in this cavern commonly yields from one to two pounds of nitre; and the same salt has been found to exist at the depth of 15 feet : even the clay is impregnated with nitrate of lime. UNITED STATES. 63 ' Kentucky also furnishes nitre under a very different form, and constituting what is there called the rock ore, which is in fact a sandstone richly impregnated with nitrate of potash. These sandstones are generally situated at the head of narrow valleys which traverse the sides of steep hills. They rest on calcai'eous strata, and sometimes present a fi-ont from 60 to 100 feet high. When broken into small fragments, and thrown into boiling water, the stone soon falls into sand, one bushel of which, by lixiviation and crystallization, frequently yields 10 lb, and sometimes more than 20 lb. of nitrate of potash. The nitre obtained from these rocks contains little or no nitrate of lime, and is said to be superior for the manufacture of gun- powder to that extracted from the afore-mentioned earths. ' Masses of native nitre, . nearly pure, and weighing several pounds, are sometimes found in the fissures of these sandstones, or among detached fragments. Indeed, it is said that these masses of native nitre sometimes weigh several hundred pounds. Similar caverns occur in Tennessee, and in some parts of Vir- ginia and Maryland.' With the exception of the red oxide of zinc, and the native magnesia, discovered by Dr. Bruce, no simple minerals have hitherto been discovered in the United States that were not already known to exist in other parts of the world. There are some of the simple minerals, however, which are found in a state of great perfection, such as the cyanite, green tourmaline and rubellite, melanite, precious serpentine, garnet, and beryl. A mass of native iron has recently been found near Red liver in Louisiana. The form is irregular ; its length being three feet four inches, and its greatest bieadth two feet four inches — its weight exceeds 3000 lb. Its surface is covered with a blackish crust, and is deeply indented. It is very malleable and compact ; but is unequally hard, some parts being easily cut by a chisel, while others have nearly the hardness of steel. Its specific gravity is 740. It contains nickel, and is less easily oxidated than purifieci iron. This is rendered particu- larly interesting, by its containing in its interior octahedral crystals, which may be easily cut by a knife, and are striated 64 . VIEW OF THE like magnetic iron. The largest crystal is more than half an inch in length. Amethysts are found in Virginia ; but it is probable that the emerald mentioned by Mr. Jefferson is only a green crystal. No mineralogic discovery has been made in Georgia, besides a bank of oyster shells, 90 miles from the sea. Mineral Waters. — There are several mineral waters, of va- rious virtues, in different provinces of the United States, but none of distinguished eminence like Bath, or Aix-la-Chapelle. In the province of Vermont, or the Green mountain^ there is a remarkable sulphureous spring, which dries up in two or three years, and bursts out in another place. There are seve- ral mineral springs in Massachusetts, but little frequented, and there is another at Stafford in Connecticut. Those of Sarato- ga, in the province of New York, are remarkably copious, and surrounded with singular petrifactions. They are considerably frequented, as well as those of New Lebanon in the same country. New Jersey boasts of some chalybeate waters ; and near Isle creek in Pennsylvania on the river Alleghany, or Ohio, there is a spring which yields petroleum, said to be use- ful in rheumatic complaints. Two warm springs occur in Vir- ginia, one of them 112 deg. These are called the springs of Augusta ; but others more frequented are near the river Poto- mak. A bituminous spring was discovered on the estate of general Washington, which easily takes fire, and continues burning for some time. The salt springs in Kentucky also deserve mention ; and there are others in the province of Ten- nessee. In Georgia, near the town of Washington, there is a remarkable spring rising from a hollow tree, which is encrusted with matter probably calcareous. Botany. — A country that experiences on die one frontier the severity of the Canadian winters, and on the other basks in the full radiance of the West Indian summers, may naturally be expected to contain no small variety of native plants. So nu- merous and important indeed are they, as to render it impos- sible, in a work not devoted particularly to the subject, to notice them as they deserve ; we must therefore be contented UNITED STATES. 65 with the selection of such alone as, from their utility and beauty, have the strongest claim to our attention. The botany of these states, including the Floridas, or, in other words, of the whole region extending eastward from the Mississippi to the ocean, and southward from the river St. Lawrence with its lakes to the gulf of Mexico, may be divided into those vegetables which are common to the whole country, and those that occupy only particular parts. The most generally diffused species among the timber trees are the willow-leaved oak growing in the swamps ; the chesnut oak, which in the southern states attains an enormous size, and is almost as valuable for its sweet farinaceous acorns as for its wood ; the white oak ; the red and the black. Next to these in rank are two kinds of walnut, the black, and the white or hiccory, esteemed for its oily nuts. The chesnut and beech of Europe are also found abundantly in the American forests. The tulip tree and sassafras laurel, more impatient of cold than the preceding, appear as shrubs on the Canadian borders, rise into trees in the midland states, and on the warm banks of the Altahama attain the full perfection of statelifiess and beauty. The sugar maple, on the contrary, is seen only on the northern sides of the hills in the southern states, and increases both in size and frequency in the more bracing climate of the New England provinces. The sweet gum tree, the iron wood, the nettle tree, the American elm, the black poplar, and the tacca- mahacca, appear in every state of the Union wherever the soil is suitable, without being much affected by variety of climate. The light sandy tracts, both wet and dry, are principally inha- bited by the important and useful family of pines : of these the chief species are the Pennsylvanian fir, the common and the hemlock spruce fir ; the black, the white, and the Weymouth pine ; and the larch : nearly allied to which are the arbor vitae, and the juniperus virginiana, the red cedar of America. The smaller trees and shrubs that are dispersed in all parts of the United States, among a multitude of others, consist of the fol- lowing ; the fringe tree, the red maple, the sumach and poison oak, the red mulberry, the persimmon plum, and robinia pseu- dacacia, and the triple-thorned acacia. I 66 VIEW OF THE Such ot" the common herbaceous plants and low shrubs as arc best known to the generality of readers, from their introduction into the gardens of Great Britain, are the collinsonia, used by the Indians against the bite of the rattlesnake, several gay spe- cies of phlox, the thorn-apple, the Pennsylvanian lily and martagon, the biennial Oenothera, with many species of aster, monarda, and rudbeckia. The mountainous ridges are not sufficiently high to be rich in alpine plants ; their climate, however, is sensibly cooler than that of the plains, on which account those of the south are in- habited by the vegetables of Pennsylvania and the northern states, while the highlands of these abound in the plants of Canada. But the glories of the American flora are principally confined to Virginia and the southern states ; it is here that the unfad- ing verdure of the wide savannas, the solemn magnificence of the primeval forests, and the wild exuberance of the steaming swamps, offer to the astonished admiration of the botanist every thing that by colour, by fragrance, and by form, can delight the senses and fix the attention. Among the vegetables that inhabit the low shores of the Flo- ridas, Georgia, and South Carolina, may be distinguished the mangrove tree, the only shrubby plant that can flourish in salt water, the fragrant and snowy-flowered pancratium of Carolina, and the splendid lobelia cardinalis. The low ridges of calcareous soil running parallel with the rivers, and rising from the level savannas into extensive lawns and swelling hills, are generally covered with open or entangled woods, except where they have been converted into tillage by the industry of the inhabitants. In these rich tracts grow the lofty pahnetto, the evergreen oak, the sweet bay, the benzoe laurel, the common laurel, the white shading broom pine, and the red cedar. The strait silvery columns of the papaw fig, rising to the height of twenty feet, and crowned by a canopy of broad sinuated leaves, form a striking feature in this deli- cious scenery ; while the golden fruit and fragrant blossoms of the orange, here realize the ancient traditions of the groves of the Hesperides. Superior, however, to all these is the tower- . UNITED STATES. 67 Jng magnificence of the great magnolia: in this rich marley soil it rises above a hundred feet, Avith a perfectly erect trunk, supporting a shady conical head of dark green foliage : from the centre of the coronets of leaves that terminate the branches expands a large rose-shaped blossom of pure white, which is succeeded by a crimson one, containing the seeds of a beautiful coral red colour, and these falling from their cells remain for several days suspended from the seed-vessel by a silky thread, six inches or more in length, so that whether in this state or in blossom it is second to none for grandeur and beauty. The level plains by the sides of rivers, and therefore gene- rally in a flooded state during the whole rainy season, are called savannas. The trees that grow upon them are of the aquatic kind, such as magnolia glauca, or beaver tree, American olive, ' and gordonia lausianthus, silvered over with fragrant blossoms : these are generally either single, or grouped together into small open groves, while the larger part of the meadow is overgrown with long succulent herbage, intermixed with shrubs and plants ; the candleberry myrtle, with numerous species of azaleas, kal- mias, andromedas, and rhododendrons, arranged by the hand of nature into thickets and shrubberies entwined and over- arched by the crimson granadilla, or the fantastic clitoria, here display their inimitable beauties in full luxuriance. The sides of the pools and shallow plashes are adorned by the bright caerulean flowers of the ixia, the golden blossoms of the canna lutea, and the rosy tufts of the hydrangia, while the edges of the groves, and the dubious boundaries of the savannas, rising imperceptibly towards the forests, are fringed by innumerable gay varieties of the phlox, by the shrinking sensitive plant, the irritable dionaea, the glowing amaryllis ataraasco, and the im- penetrable ranks of the royal palmetto. The swamps are at all times, even in the height of summer, for the most part under water, and are distinguished from the rest of the country by the crowded stems of the cane, the light foliage of the tupelo tree, the taccamahacca, the fringe tree, and the white cedai*. This last is perhaps the most picturesque tree in all America : four or five enormous buttresses or rude pillars rise from the ground, and unite in a kind of arch at the €8 VIEW OF TH£ height of about seven feet, and from this centre there springs a straight column eighty or ninety feet high, without a branch : it then divides into a flat umbrella-sliaped top, covered with finely divided leaves of the most delicate green. This platform is the secure abode of the eagle and the crane ; and the oily seeds contained in its cones are the favourite repast of the par- roquets that are constantly fluttering around. Hundreds more of interesting plants yet remain, and we might go on to describe with unabated pleasure the profusion of various coloui'ed lupines and dwarf palmettos that relieve the dusky hue of the pine forests in which thev live ; the wild vines, the gourds, the bignonias, and other climbers that dis- play to the sun their fruits and glowing blossoms above the summits of tlie tallest trees; we might descnbe the tent-like shade of the plantanus, the regal splendour of the crimson- flowered horse-chesnut, and the humbler, less obtrusive, yet not less exquisite beauties of the meadia, the spigelia, and gaura ; but these our limits will not admit : it is enough for the present purpose to have sketched some of the characteristic features in the botany of a country, the most accessil)le of all the warmer climates to the investigation of European science. Zoology. — The domestic zoology of the United States nearly corresponds with that of the parent country, with some few shades of difference in size and colour. Amonfj the larger wild animals may be mentioned the bison, large herds of which used to be seen near the Mississip})i, and thev were once very numerous in the western parts of Virginia and Pennsyl- vania. The musk bull and cow only appear in the more western regions, beyond the Mississippi. Among the animals now lost are classed the mammoth, whose enormous bones are particularly (bund near the salt springs upon the Ohio ; and teeth of the hippopotamus are said to have been dug up in Long island : but the labours of a late French naturalist have evinced that such remains often belong to animals long since extirpated, and of which he has traced more than twenty kinds. The mammoth of America, though armed with tusks of ivory, has been su{)posed to be even five or six times larger than the -elephant ; but the bones are probably the same with those of UNITED STATES. 69 the supposed elephant found in Siberia. The moose deer are become extremely rare, and will probably in no long time be Utterly extirpated, as the wolf and boar have been in Britain. The black moose deer are said to have been sometimes twelve feet in height, while the species called the grey seldom exceed the height of a horse. Both have large palniated horns, weigh- ing thirty or forty pounds. Mr. Pennant mentions a pair that weighed fifty-six pounds, the length being thirty-two inches. The moose deer is only a large species of the elk, and is found in the northern parts of the United States ; while the rein deer inhabits the northern regions of British America. The Ame- rican stag rather exceeds the European in size, and is seen in great numbers feeding in the rich savannas of the Missouri and Mississippi, where there are also herds of that kind called the Virginian deer. In the northern states are two kinds of bears, both black ; but that carnivorous animal called the ranging bear is found in all the states, as is the wolf Several kinds of foxes are also seen : and the wolverine seems a kind of bear. The animal most dreaded is the catamount, or cat of the mountains, found in the northern and middle states, and is probably the same with the puma of Pennant, which he says is scnnelimes in North America called the panther. One killed in New Hampshire was six feet in length, and the tail three ; but the lengih of the leg did not exceed twelve inches. The coKgar- is about five feet in lenoth, and in the southern states is called the tio-er : but it is well known that the ferocious animals of the new con- tinent are totally different from those of the old, there beino- neither lions, tigers, leopards, nor panthers, in the whole extent of America. A German missionary, who resided twenty-two years in Paraguay, describes the tiger of that country as marked with black spots, sometimes on a whitish, sometimes on a yel- lowish ground ; and says that as the lions of Africa far exceed those of Paraguay, so the African tigers greatly yield in sii^^e to the American ; which may be just, as the royal tiger seems peculiar to Asia. But he adds that he has seen the skin of a tiger three ells and two inches in length, or equal to that of a large ox. This animal easily carries off a horse or an ox ; and 70 VIEW OF THE seems to exceed in size any American beast of prey admitted in the system of Buffon, whose fondness for theories is often to be lamented ; and bis Jag-iiar, or American tiger, seems only a diminutive species. Captains Lewis and Clerk frequently encountered the white and brown bear in the north-west inte- rior; an animal of a most ferocious description : they also saw herds of antelopes, buffaloes, and wolves. The lynx, the ocelot, and the margay, are smaller beasts of prey, of the cat kind. These and many other animals supply furs. The beaver is well known from the fur, and the singu- lar formation of his cabin, built in ponds for the sake of secu- rity ; but he seems to feed on the twigs of trees, and not on fish, as commonly supposed. I'his industrious animal is found in all the states, and is somewhat imitated by the musk rat, which likewise builds his hut in shallow streams. Some kinds of monkies are said to be found in the southern states. The morse, or sea cow, and the seal, used to frequent the northern shores; and the manati, common in South America, is said sometimes to appear on the southern coasts : thir> animal, which has fore feet like hands, and a tail like a fish, while the breasts of the female resemble those of a woman, seems to be the mer- maid of fable. Among the birds there are many kinds of eagles, vultures, owls, and numerous sorts called by European names, though generally diffei-ent in the eye of the naturalist. The bird called a turkey is peculiar to America, and abounds in the north. They were brought from Mexico to Spain, and from Spain to England about 1524 ; the African poultry, or mcleagrides of more ancient authors, bemg Guinea fowls. There are also birds which resemble the partridge, ptarmigan, and quail, of Europe. Virginia abounds with beautiful birds, among which is the humming bird, as already mentioned, while the wakon resembles the bird of paradise : and it may be conceived that vast varieties of aquatic birds crowd the numerous lakes and rivers, the largest being the wild swan, .which sometimes weighs thirty-six pounds. Upwards of one hundred and thirty American birds have been enumerated, and many of them described by Catesby, UNITED STATES. 71 Jefferson, and Cancer. The following catalogue is inserted to gratify the curious, to inform the inquisitive, and to shew the astonishing variety in this beautiful part of the creation. The Blackbird Razor-billed ditto Baltimore Bird Bastard Baltimore Blue Bird Buzzard Blue Jay Blue Grossbeak Brown Bittern Crested Bittern Small Bittern Booby Great Booby Blue Peter Bullfinch Bald Coot Cut Water White Curlew Cat Bird Cuckow Crow Cowpen Bird Sheldrach or Canvass Duck Buffels head ditto Spoon bill ditto Summer ditto Blackhead ditto Blue-winged Shoveller Little Brown Duck Sprigtail White-faced Teal Blue-winged Teal Pied-bill Dobchick Eagle Bald Eagle Flamingo Fieldfare of CaroUna, or Robin Purple Finch Bahama Finch American Goldfinch Painted Finch Crested Fly-catcher Black-cap ditto Little brown ditto Chattering PloverorKildeeRed-eyed ditto Crane or Blue Heron Finch Creeper Yellow-breasted Chat Cormorant Hooping Crane Pine Creeper Yellow-throated Creeper Goose Slorm Finch Goat Sucker of Carolina Gull Laughing Gull Dove Ground Dove Duck Ilathera Duck Round-crested ditto Canada Goose Hawk Fishing Hawk Pigeon Hawk Night Hawk 72 VIEW OF THE The Swallow-tailed Hawk Hangbird Heron Little white Heron Heath-cock Humming-bird Purple Jackdaw, or Crow Blackbird King Bird King-fisher Loon Lark Large Lark Blue Linnet Mock-bird Mow-bird Purple Martin Nightingale Noddy Nuthatch Oyster-catcher Owl Screech Owl Anier. Partridge, or Quail Pheasant, or Mountain Partridge Water Pheasant Pelican Water Pelican Pigeon of Passage White-crowned Pigeon Parrot of Paradise Paroquet of Carolina Raven Rice-bird Red-bird Summer Red-bird Swan Soree Snipe Red Start Red-\inged Starling- Swallow Chimney ditto Snow-bird Little Sparrow Bahama ditto Stork Turkey Wild Turkey Tyrant Crested Titmouse Yellow ditto Bahama ditto Hooded ditto Yellow Rump Towhe Bird Red Thrush Fox-coloured Thrush Little Thrush Tropic Bird Turtle of Carolina Water-wagtail Water-hen Water-witch Wakon Bird Whetsaw Large whitebellied Woodpecker Large red-crested ditto Gold-winged ditto Red-bellied ditto Hairy ditto Red-headed ditto Yellow-bellied ditto Smallest-spotted ditto Wren UNITED STATES. % Some of the frogs are of remarkable size ; and the tortoise, or turtle, supplies a delicious food, while the alligator is not unknown in the southern rivers. Of serpents Mr. Morse enu- merates near forty kinds found in the United territories ; Vir- ginia, in particular, producing great numbers. The rattlesnake is the largest, being from four to six feet in length, and is one of the most dreaded. Among the fish are most of those which are esteemed in Europe ; and among those that are peculiar may be mentioned that large kind of white trout found in the lakes. Natural Curiosities. — The natural curiosities of the United States are numerous, and have been investigated with that laudable attention, which has been particularly directed by the English towards such interesting appearances. The follomng account of the irruption of the Patomak through the Blue mountains is from the pen of Mr. Jefferson. ' The passage of the Patomak through the Blue ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature. You stand on a very high point of land. On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged along the foot of the mountain an hundred miles to seek a vent. On your left approaches the Patomak, in quest of a passage also. In the moment of their junction, they rush together against the mountain, rend it asunder, and pass off to the sea. The first glance of this scene hurries our senses into the opinion, that this earth has been created in time, that the mountains were formed first, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place particularly they have been dammed up by the Blue ridge of mountains, and have formed an ocean which filled the whole valley ; that continuing to rise, they have at length broken over at this spot, and have torn the mountain down from its summit to its base. The piles of rock on each hand, but particularly the Shenan- doah, the evident marks of their disruption and avulsion from their beds by the most powerful agents of nature, corroborate the impression. But the distant finishing which nature has given to the picture is of a very different character. It is a. true contrast to the fore ground. It is as placid and dehghtful as that is wild and tremendous. For the mountain being cloven 4 K 74 VIEW OF THE asunder, she presents to your eye, tlirough the cleft, a small catch of smooth blue horizon, at an hifinlte distance in the plain country, inviting you, as it were, from the riot and tumult roaring around, to pass through the breach, and participate of the calm below. Here the eye ultimately composes itself; and that way too the road happens actually to lead. You cross the Patomak above the junction, pass along its side through the base of the mountain for three miles, its terrible precipices hanging in fragments over you, and within about twenty miles reach Frederick town and the fine country round that. This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic. Yet here, as in the neighbourhood of the natural bridge, are people who have passed their lives within half a dozen miles, and have never been to survey these monuments of a war between rivers and mountains, which must have shaken the earth itself to its centre.*" In the township of Tinmouth in Vermont, on the side of a small hill, is a very curious cave. The chasm, at its entrance, is about four feet in circumference. Entering this you descend 104 feet, and then opens a spacious room, 20 feet in breadth and 100 feet in length* The angle of descent is about 45 de- grees. The roof of this cavern is of rock, through which the water is continually percolating. Ihe stalactites which hang, from the roof appear like icicles on the eves of houses, and are continually increasing in number and magnitude. The bottom and sides are daily incrusting with spar and other mineral sub- stances. On the sides of this subterraneous hall are tables, chairs, benches, &c, which appear to have been artificially carved. This richly ornamented room, when illuminated with the candles of the guides, has an enchanting effect upon the eye of the spectator. If we might be indulged in assigning the general cause of these astonishing ajipearances, we should conclude, from the various circumstances accompanying them, that they arise from water filtrating slowly through the incum- bent strata; and taking in Its passage a variety of mineral substances, and becoming thus saturated with metallic particles, gradually exuding on the surface of the caverns and fissures, in a quiescent state, the aqueous particles evaporate, and leave the mineral substances to unite according to their affinities. KlYGHAVED FOK MaCKEN^]J5'S ^-VaMEIUT Vli.^,\v Of'' nih, PorKi^lilD'CE, UNITED STATES. 75 At the end of this cave is a circular liolc, fifteen feet deep, ap- parently hewn out, in a conical form, enlarging gradually as you descend, in the form of a sugar loaf. At the bottom is a spring of fresh water, in contiiuml njotjon, like tlie boiling of a pot. Its depth has never been sounded. In the county of Rockbridge is a remarkable natural bridge of rock, from which the county takes its name. ' This bridge,' says Mr. Weld, ' stands about ten miles from Fluvanna river, and nearly the same distance from the Blue ridge. It extends across a deep cleft in a mountain, which, by some great con- vulsion of nature, has been split asunder from top to bottom, and it seems to have been left there purposely to afFoi-d a pas- sage from one side of the chasm to the other. The cleft or chasm is about two miles long, ajid is in some places upwards of 300 feet deep ; the depth varies according to the height of the mountain, being deepest where the mountain is most lofty. The breadth of the chasm also varies in different places : but in every part it is uniformly wider at the top than fowaj-ds thp bottom. That the two sides of the chasm were once united appears very evident, not pnly from projectirig rocks on the one side corresponding with suitable cavities on the other, but also from the different strata of earth, sand, clay, &c. being exactly similar from top to bottom on both sides : but by what great agent they were separated, whether by fire or by water, reinains hidden amongst those arcana of nature which we vainly endeavour to develope. ' The arch consists of a solid mass of stone, or of several stones cemented so strongly together that they appear but as one, This mass, it is to be supposed, at the time that the hill was rent gsunder, was drawn across the fissure, from adhering closely to one side, and being loosened from its bed of earth at the opposite one. It seems as probable, I think, that the mass of stone forming the arch was thus forcibly plucked fi"om one side, and drawn across the fissure, as that the hill should have remained disunited at this one spot from top to bottom, and that a passage should afterwards have been forced through it -'''^^ by water. The road leading to the bridge runs through a ' thick wood, and up a hill ; having ascended which, nearly at • ^ 76 VIEW OF THE the top, you pause for a moment at finding a sudden disconti- nuance of the trees at one side ; but the amazement which fills the mind is great indeed, when on going a few paces towards (he part which appears thus open, you find yourself on the brink of a tremendous precipice. You involuntarily draw back, stare around, then again come forward to satisfy yourself that what you have seen is real, and not the illusions of fancy. You now perceive that you are upon the top of the bridge ; to the very edge of which, on one side, you may approach with safety, and look down into the abyss, being protected from falling by a parapet of fixed rocks. The walls, as it were, of the bridge, at this side, are so perpendicular, that a person leaning over the parapet of rock might let fall a plummet from the hand to the very bottom of the chasm. On the opposite side this is not the case, nor is there any parapet ; but from the edge of the road, which runs over the bridge, is a gradual slope to the brink of the chasm, upon which it is somewhat dangerous to venture. This slope is thickly covered with large trees, principally cedars and pines. The opposite side was also well furnished with trees formerly, but all those which grew near the edge of the bridge have been cut down bv dif- ferent people, for the sake of seeing them tumble to the bot- tom. Before the trees were destroyed in this manner, you might have passed over the bridge without having had any idea of being upon it ; for the breadth of it is no less than eighty feet. The road runs nearly in the middle, and is fre- (juented daily by waggons. ' At the distance of a few yards from the bridge, a narrow path appears, winding along the sides of the fissure, amidst immense rocks and trees, down to the bottom of the bridge. Here the stupendous arch apfx-ars in all its glorj^ and seems to touch the very skies. To behold it without rapture, indeed, is impossible ; and the more critically it is examined, the more beautiful and the more surprising does it appear. The height of the bridge to the top of the parapet is 213 feet by admea- surement with a line ; the thickness of the arch 40 feet ; the span of the arch at top 90 feet ; and the distance between the abutments at bottom 50 feet. The abutments consist of a United states. 77 solid mass of limestone on either side, and, together with the arch, seem as if they had been chiselled out by the hand of art. A small stream, called Cedar creek, running at the bot- tom of the fissure, over beds of rocks, adds much to the beauty of the scene. * The fissure takes a very sudden turn just above the bridge, according to the course of the stream, so that when you stand below, and look under the arch, the view is intercepted at the distance of about 50 yards from the bridge. Mr. Jefferson's statement, in his notes, that the fissure continues straight, ter^ minating with a pleasing view of the North mountains, is quite erroneous. The sides of the chasm are thickly covered in every part with trees, excepting where the huge rocks of lime- stone appear. ' Besides this view from below, the bridge is seen to very great advantage from a pinnacle of rocks, about 50 feet below the top of the fissure ; for here not only the arch is seen in all its beauty, but the spectator is impressed in the most forcible manner with ideas of its grandeur, from being enabled at the same time to look down into the profound gulf over which it passes."* In Vermont there is a remarkable impendent ledge of rocks, about 200 feet high, on the west bank of the river Connecticut. Rattlesnake hill, in New Hampshire, presents a stalactitic cave ; and near Durham is a rock so poised on another, as to move with one finger ; a natural remain of a ruined hill, though in England it would be called druidical. The rivulet in Massa- chusetts, called Hudson''s brook, has excavated in a fantastic manner a large rock of white marble. The fails of the river Powow, in the same province, are not only curious in them- selves, but present many grotesque mills, and other monuments of industry; and a similar appearance occurs on the river Pautukit in Rhode island. In Connecticut is a cave which was for some time the retreat of Whaley and GofFe, two of the judges of Charles I. : and in the town of Pomfret is another, rendered remarkable by a humourous adventure of general Putnam. 78 VIEW OF THE In the province of New York a rivulet runs under a hill about 70 yards in diameter, forming a beautiful arch in the rock ; and there is a stalactitic cave in which was found the petrified skeleton of a large snake. The falls of the ]\f ohawk river, called Cohez, are more remarkable for the width of the stream, than from the height of the descent. There is a beau- tiful cascade in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, over a semicirr cular rock of marble. In Pennsylvania there are also some remarkable caves, one of which resembles a church with pillars and monuments. In the territory on the north-west of the Ohio, the savannas, or rich plains, extend for 30 or 40 miles without any tree ; they are crowded with deer, wild cattle, and turkeys, and often vi.sited by bears and wolves: but this dis- trict is chiefly remarkable for a number of old forts, of an ob- long form, with an adjoining tumulus or tomb. As the Mexicans have a tradition that they passed fi*om the north, these forts may perhaps be remains of their first residence, or of some nation which they subdued. In the western part of Maryland there are said to be some remarkable caves : and others occur in Virginia, particularly that called Madison's cave, on the north-west side of the Blue ridge, extending about 300 feet into the solid limestone. The blowing cave emits a strong current of air, particularly in frosty weather. In Ken- tuck}', the banks of the river so called, and of Dick's river, are sometimes 400 feet in height of limestone, or white marble ; and there are said to be caverns of some miles in length, thus rivalHng the celebrated cave in Carinthia. The territory on the south of the Ohio (Tennessee) presents a remarkable ledge of rocks in the Cumberland mountains, about 30 miles in length, and 200 feet thick, with a perpendicular face to the south-east. The xvhirl is more grand than the irruption of the Patomak through the Blue ridge : the Tennessee, which a few miles above is half a mile wide, contracts to 100 yards, and forces its way through this outer ridge of the Apalachian, forming a whirlpool by striking against a large rock. In Georgia the chief curiosity is a large bank of oyster shells, 90 miles from the sea, to which it runs nearly parallel : if the UNITED STATES. 79 river Savannah never passed in that direction, it is probable that the land has gained so far on the ocean. So late as the year 1771 there was an excellent harbour, which might receive one hundred ships in a good depth of water, at cape Lookout, North Carolina. It is now entirely filled up, and is solid ground. Such are the most striking features of nature in this exten- sive empire ; where, if there be no interesting objects of anti- quity, yet the lovers of the sublime and beautiful in the creation may find sufficient to contemplate and admire. PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL STATES AND TERRITORIES COMPREHENDED IX THE UNITED STATES. NEW ENGLAND. CEVERAL things are common to all the states east of New York. Their history, reHgion, manners, customs, and cha- racter; their climate, soil, productions, and natural history, are in many respects similar. These considerations have led to the following general description of New England. Eocfent. — This fine province is in length 350 miles, by a me- dial breadth of 140. Boundaries. — New England is bounded, north by Canada; east by Nova Scotia and the Atlantic ocean ; south by the At- lantic and Long island sound ; and west by New York. It lies in the form of a quarter of a circle. Its west line, begin- ning at the mouth of Byram river, which empties into Long island sound, at the south-west corner of Connecticut, latitude 41 deg., runs a little east of north, until it strikes the 45th de- gree of latitude, and then curves to the eastward almost to the gulf of St. Lawrence. Civil Divisions. — New England is divided into five states, viz. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode island, Connect!- VIEW OF THE UNITED STATES. 81 cut, and Vermont. These states are subdivided into counties, and the courvties into townships. Face of the Country, Mountains, S^c. — New England is a high, hilly, and in some parts a mountainous country, formed by nature to be inliabited by a hardy race of free, independent republicans. The mountains are comparatively small, running nearly north and south in ridges parallel to each other. Be- tween these ridges flow the great rivers in majestic meanders, receiving the innumerable rivulets and larger streams which proceed from the mountains on each side. To a spectator on the top of a neighbouring mountain, the vales between the ridges, while in a state of nature, exhibit a romantic appearance. They seem an ocean of woods, swelled and depressed in its surface like that of the great ocean itself. A richer, though less romantic view, is presented, when the vallies, by industrious husbandmen, have been cleared of their natural growth ; and the fruit of their labour appears in loaded orchards, extensive meadows covered with large herds of sheep and neat cattle, and rich fields of flax, corn, and the various kinds of grain. These vallies, which have received the expressive name of interval lands, are of various breadths, from two to twenty miles ; and by the annual inundations of the rivers which flow through them, there is frequently an accumulation of rich, fat soil, left upon their surface when the waters retire. There are four principal ranges of mountains passing nearly from north-east to south-west, through New England. These consist of a multitude of parallel ridges, each having many spurs, deviating from the course of the general range ; which spurs are again broken into irregular, hilly land. Tlic main ridges terminate sometimes in high bluff heads, near the sea cc^st, and sometimes by a gradual descent in the interior part of the country. One of the main ranges runs between Con- necticut and Hudson's rivers. This range branches, and bounds the vales through which flows the Housatonick river. The most eastern ridge of this range terminates in a bluff head at Meriden. A second ends in like manner at Willingford, and a third at New Haven. L 82 VIEW OF THE In Lyme, on tlie east side of Connecticut river, another range of mountains commences, forming the ©astern boundary of Connecticut vale. Tliis range trends northerly, at the dis- tance jTcneraiiv of about ten or twelve miles east from the river, and passes through Massachusetts, where the range takes the name of Ciiicabee mountain ; thence crossing into New Hamp- shire, at the distance of about twenty miles from the Massachu- setts line, it runs up into a very high peak, called Monadnick, which terminates this ridge of the range. A western ridge continues, and in about latitude 43 deg. 20 min. runs up into Sunipee mountains. About 50 miles further, in the same ridge, is Mooscoog mountain. A third range begins near Stonington in Connecticut. It takes its course north-easterly, and is sometimes broken and discontinued ; it then rises again, and ranges in the same di- rection into New Hampshire, where, in lat. 43 deg. 25 min., it runs up into a high peak, called Cowsawaskoog. The fourth range has a humble beginning about Hopkinton, in Massachusetts The eastern ridge ol" this range runs north, by Watertown and Concord, and crosses Merrimack river at Pantucket falls. In New Hampshire it rises into several high peaks, of which the AVhite mountains are the principal. From these White movuitains a range continues north-east, crossing the east boundary of New Hampshire, in lat. 43 deg. 30 min,, and forms the height of land between Kennebeck and Chau- diere rivers. These ranges of mountains are full of lakes, ponds, and springs of water, that give rise to numberless streams of various sizes, which, interlocking each other in every direction, and falling over the rocks in romantic cascades, flow meandering into the rivers below. No country on the globe is better wa- tered than New England. On the sea coast the land is low, and in many parts level and sandy. In the vallies, between the forenientioned ranges oi mountains, the land is generally broken, and in many places rocky, but of a strong rich soil, capable of being cultivated to good advantage, which also is the case with many spots even on the tops of the mountains. UNITED STATES. 8S Rivers. — The only river which will be described under New tlngland is Connecticut river. It rises in a swamp on the height of land, in lat. 45 deg. 10 min. After a sleepy course of eight or ten miles, it tumbles over four separate falls, and turning west, keeps close under the hills which form the north- ern boundary of the vale through which it runs. The Amo- noosuck and Israel rivers, two principal branches of Connecticut river, fall into it from the east, between the latitudes 44 and 45 deg. Between the towns of Walpole on the east, and Westminster on the west side of the river, are the great falls. The whole river, compressed between two rocks scarcely 30 feet asunder, shoots with amazing rapiditv into a broad bason below. Over these falls, a bridge IGO feet in length, was built in 1784, under which the highest floods may pass without de- triment. This is the first bridge that was ever erected over this noble river. Above Deerfield, in Massachusetts, it re- ceives Deerfield river from the west, and Miller's river from the east ; after which it turns westerly in a sinuous course to Fighting falls, and a little after tumbles over Deerfield falls, which are impassable by boats. At AVindsor, in Connecticut, it receives Farmington river from the west ; and at Hartford, meets the tide. From Hartford it passes on in a crooked course, until it falls into Long island sound, between Saybrook and Lyme. The length of this river, in a straight line, is nearly 300 miles. Its general course is several degrees west of south. It is from 80 to 100 rods wide, 130 miles from its mouth. At its mouth is a bar of sand which considerably obstructs the navigation. Ten feet water at full tides is found on this bar, and the same depth to Middleton. The distance of the bar fi-om this place, as the river runs, is 36 miles. Above Middleton are several shoals which stretch quite across the river. Only six feet water is found on the shoal at high tide, and here the tide ebbs and flows but about eight inches. About three miles below Middleton, the river is contracted to about 40 rods in breadth, by two high mountains. Almost every where else the banks are low, and spread into fine extensive meadows. In the spring floods, which generally happen in 84 VIEW OF THE May, these meadows are covered with water. At Hartford the water sometimes rises 20 feet above the common surface of the river, and having all to pass through the above-mentioned strait, it is sometimes two or three weeks before it returns to its usual bed. These floods add nothing to the depth of water on the bar at the mouth of the river ; this bar lying too far off in the sound to be affected by them. On this beautiful river, whose banks are settled almost to its source, are many pleasant, neat, well-built towns. It is navi- gable to Hartford, upwai'ds of 50 miles from its mouth ; and the produce of the covmtry, for 200 miles above, is brought thither in boats. The boats which are used in this business are flat-bottomed, long, and narrow, for the convenience of going up the stream, and of so light a make as to be portable in carts. They are taken out of the river at three different -carrying places, all of which make fifteen miles. Sturgeon, salmon, and shad are caught in plenty, in their season, from the mouth of the river upwards, excepting sturgeon, which do not ascend the upper falls ; besides a variety of small fish, such as pike, carp, perch, &c. Natural Productions.— The soil, as may be collected from what has been said, must be very various. Each tract of dif- ferent soil is distinguished by its peculiar vegetation, and is pronounced good, middling, or bad, from the species of trees which it produces ; and one species generally predominating in each soil, has originated the descriptive names of oak land : birch, beech, and chesnut lands; pine barren ; maple, ash, and cedar swamps, as each species happen to predominate. Inter- mingled with these predominating species are walnut, fii'S, elm, hemlock, magnolia, or moose w(X)d, sassafras, &c. &c. The best lands produce walnut and chesnut; the next, beech and oak ; the lands of the third quality produce fir and pitch pine ; the next, whortleberry and barberry bushes ; and the p(X)rest produces nothing but }X)or marsh v imperfiH-t shrubs, which is the lowest kind o'i siiff'nitex vegetation. Among the flowering trees and shrubs in the forests, are tho red flowering maple, the sassafras, the locust, the tulip tree, the chesnut, the wild cherry, prune, crab, sloe, pear, honey- UNITED STATES. 85 suckle, wild rose, dogwood, elm, leather tree, laurel, hawthorn, &c. which in the spring of the year give the woods a most beautiful appearance, and fill them with a delicious fragrance. Among the fruits which grow wild, are the several kinds of grapes, which are small, sour, and thick skinned. The vines on which they grow are very luxuriant, often overspreading the highest trees in the forests. These wild vines, without doubt, might be greatly meliorated by proper cultivation, and a wine be produced from the grapes equal, if not superior, to the celebrated wines of France. Besides these, are the wild cherries, white and red mulberries, cranberries, walnuts, hazle- nuts, chesnuts, butter nuts, beech nuts, wild plums and pears, whortleberries, bilberries, gooseberries, strawberries, &c. The soil in the interior country is calculated for the culture of Indian corn, rye, oats, barley, flax, and hemp, for which the soil and climate ai'e peculiarly proper ; buck-wheat, beans, peas, &c. In many of the inland parts wheat is raised in large quantities ; but on the sea coast it has never been cultivated with success, being subject to blasts. Various reasons have been assigned for this. Some have supposed that the blasts were occasioned by the saline vapours of the sea ; others have attributed them to the vicinity of barberry bushes ; but per- haps the sandiness and poverty of the soil may be as efficacious a cause as either of the others. The fruits which the country yields from culture are, apples in the greatest plenty ; of these cider is made, which consti- tutes the principal drink of the inhabitants ; also, pears of va- rious sorts, quinces, peaches, from which is made peach brandy, plums, cherries, apricots, &c. The culinary plants are such as have already been enumerated. New England is a fine grazing country ; the vallies between the hills are generally intersected with brooks of water, the banks of which are lined with a tract of rich meadow or inter- val land. The high and rocky ground is, in many parts, co- vered with honey-suckle, and generally affords the finest of pasture. It will not be a matter of wonder, therefore, that New England boasts of raising some of the finest cattle in the world ; nor will she be envied, when the labour of raising them S6 VIEW OF THE is taken into view. Two months of the hottest season in tht year, the farmers are emploved in procuring food for their cattle; and the cold winter is spent in dealing it out to them. Manners and Customf,: — New England is the most populous part of the United States; the greater proportion of which consists of a strong and Iicalthy yeomanry and cultivators of the soil. They arc almost universally of English descent. Learning, from the establishment of schools in every township, is very generally difFusf?d among all ranks of people ; so that a person who cannot read ajid write is rarely to be found. Like all people who are confined to a doniestic life, they have been accused of an impertinent inqaisHiveness. Their politics ren- der them independent, proud, and dictatorial ; from which ori- ginates that restless, litigious, complaining spirit, which forms a dark shade in the character of New Englandmen They have been depicted in the following manner by an American writer. ' The New Englanders arc generally tall, stout, and well- built. They glory, and jicrhaps with justice, in possessing that spirit of freedom, which induced their ancestors to leave their native country, and to brave the dangers of the ocean, and the hardships of settling a wilderness. Their education, laws, and situation, serve to in.spire them with high notions of liberty. Their jealousy is awakened at the first motion toward an invasion of their rights. They are indeed often jealous to excess ; a circumstance which is a fruitful source of imaginary grievances, and of innumerable groundless suspicions, and un- just complaints against government. But these ebullitions of jealousy, though censurable and productive of some political evils, shew that the essence of true liberty exists in New Eng- land ; for jealousy is the guardian of liberty, and a character- istic of free republicans. A law, respecting the descent of estates which are generally held in fee simple, which for sub- stance is the same in all the New lOngland states, is the chief foundation and protection of this liberty. By this law, the possessions of the father nic to be equally divided among all the children, excepting the eldest son, who has a double pf)r- tion. In this way is preserved that liappy mediocrity among UNITED STATES. 87 the people, which, by inducing economy and industry, removes from them temptations to luxury, and forms them to habits of sobriety and temperance. At the same time, their industry and frugality exempt them from want, and from the necessity of submitting to any encroachment on their liberties. ' The people of New England generally obtain their estates by hard and persevering labour : they of consequence know their value, and spend with frugality. Yet in no country do the indigent fare better. Their laws oblige every town to provide a competent maintenance for their poor, and the ne- cessitous stranger is protected and relieved from their humane institutions. It may in truth be said, that in no part of the world are the people happier, better furnished with the neces- saries and conveniences of life, or more independent than the farmers of New England. As the great body of the people are liardy, independent freeholders, their manners are, as they ought to be, congenial to their employment, plain, simple, and unpolished Strangers are received and entertained among them with a great deal of artless sincerity, friendly and un- tbrmal hospitality. Their children, those imitative creatures, to whose education particular attention is paid, early imbibe the manners and habits of those around them ; and the stranger, with pleasure^ notices the honest and decent respect that is paid hira by the children as he passes through the country. * As the people, by representation^ make their own laws and appoint their own officers, they cannot be oppressed ; and living under governments in which few have lucrative places, they have few motives to bribery, corrupt canvassings, or intrigue. Real abilities and moral character unblemished, are the qualifi- cations requisite in the view of most people for officers of public trust. The expression of a wish to be promoted is the direct way to be disappointed. ' The inhabitants of New England are generally fond of the arts, and have cultivated them with great success. Their col- leges have flourished beyond any others in the United States. The illustrious characters they have produced, who have dis- tmguished themselves in politics, law, divinity, the mathematics 88 VIEW OF THE and philosophy, natural and civil history, and in the fine arts, particularly in poetry, evince the truth of these observations. ' Many of the women of New England are handsome. They generally have fair, tVesh, and healthful countenances, mingled with nuicii female softness and delicacy. Those who have hai! the advantages of a good education (and they are consi- derably numerous) are genteel, easy, and agreeable in their manners, and are sprightly and sensible in conversation. Tliey are early taught to manage domestic concerns with neatness and economy. Ladies of the first rank and fortune make it a part of their daily business to superintend the affairs of the family. Employment at the needle, in cookery, and at the spinning wheel, with them is honourable. Idleness, even in those of independent fortune, is universally disreputable. The Momen in the countrv manufacture the greatest part of the clothing of their fat^iilies. Their linen and woollen cloths are strong and decent. Their butter and cheese is not inferior to any in the world. ' Dancing is the principal and favourite amusement in New England ; and of this the young people of both sexes are ex- tremely fond. Gaming is practised by none but those who cannot, or rather will not find a reputable employment. The gamester, the horse-jockey, and the knave, are equally despised, and their company is avoided by all who would sustain fair arid irreproachable characters. The odious and inhuman practices of duelling, gouging, cock-fighting, and horse-racing, are scarcely known here, ' The athletic and healthy diversions of cricket, foot-ball, quoits, wrestling, jumping, hopping, ibot-races, and prison- bass, are universally practised in the country, and some of them in the mos' populous places, and by people of almost all ranks. Squirrel-hunting is a noted diversion in country places, where this kmd of game is plenty. Some divert themselves with fox-hunting, and others with the more profitable sports of fishing and duck-hunting: and in the frontier settlements, where deer and fur game abound, the inhabitants make a lu- crative sport of hunting them. UNITED STATES. 89 ^ In the winter season, while the ground is covered with snow, which is commonly two or three months, sleighing is the general diversion. A great part of the families throughout the country are furnished with horses and sleighs. The young people collect in parties, and with a great deal of sociability, resort to a place of rendezvous, where they regale themselves for a few hours with dancing and a social supper, and then re- tire. These diversions, as well as all others, are many times carried to excess. To these excesses, and a sudden exposure to extreme cold after the exercise of dancing, physicians have ascribed the consumptions, which are so frequent among the young people in New England.' History. — New England owes its first settlement to religious persecution. Soon after the commencement of the reformation in England, which was not until the year 1534, the protestants were divided into two parties ; one the followers of Luther, and the other of Calvin. The former had chosen gradually, and almost imperceptibly, to recede from the church of Rome; Avhile the latter, more zealous, and convinced of the importance of a thorough reformation, and at the same time possessing much firmness and high notions of religious liberty, were for effect- ing a thorough change at once. Their consequent endeavours to expunge from the church all the inventions which had been brought into it since the days of the apostles, and to introduce the ' Scripture purity,' derived for them the name of Puritans. From these the inhabitants of New England descended. During the successive reigns of Henry VIII., Mary, Eliza- I beth, and James I., tlie protestants, and especially the puritans, ;., i"*^- ^-**'^ were the objects of bloody persecution ; and thousands of them ;^ '^ ^ - were either inhumanly burnt, or left more cruelly to perish in prisons and dungeons. In 1602, a number of religious people in the north of Eng- land, finding their ministers urged with subscription., or si- lenced, and themselves greatly oppressed with the commissary courts and otherwise, entered into a solemn covenant with each other, ' to walk with God and one another, in the enjoyment of the ordinances of God according to the primitive pattern,' whatever it might cost them. M m VIEW OF THE Among the ministers who entered into this association, was Mr. Robinson, a man of eminent piety and learning, and the father of New England. In 1608, Mr. Robt^rtson's church moved to Amsterdam in' Holland, and the next year to Leyden, where they hved in great friendship and harmony among themselves and their neighbours, until they removed in New England. As early as 1617, Mr. Robinson and his church meditated a removal to America. Their -motives for this were, to pre- serve the morals of their youth ; to prevent them, through want of employment, from leaving their parents, and engaging in business unfriendly to religion ; to avoid the inconveniences of incorporating with the Dutch; and to lay a foundation for propagating the gospel in remote piirts of the wm-id. Such were the true reasons of their removal. Their agents went to Enoland, and in 1611) obtained of ther Virginian company a patent oi" the noithern parts of Virginia ; but the king could not be prevailed upon to grant them liberty of conscience. However, at last he agreed to connive at their nonconformity. Mr. Brewster, a minister, headed the first band of adventurers, who on the 9th of November, after a dangerous voyage, arrived at cape Cod. It is alleged by the historians of the time, that the Dutch had bribed the master to create various delays, and to land them thus far north, to discourage them from venturing to the place of their destination. As they were not wit'niu the liniits of their patent, and con- sequently not under the jurisdiction of the Virginia company, they concluded it necessary to establish a separate government for themselves. Accordingly, before they landed, having on' their knees devoutly given thanks to God for their safe arrival', they formed themselves into a body pohtic, by a solemn con- tract, to which they all subscribed, thereby making it the basis of their government. They chose Mr. John Carver, a gentleman of piety and approved abilities, to be their governor for the first year. This was on the 11th of November. Their next object was to fix on a convenieut place for settle- ment. In doing this they were obliged to encounter numerous difficulties, and to suffer incredible hardships. Many of tliem- UNITED STATES. M •were sick in consequence of the fatigues of a long voyage — their provisions were bad — the season was uncommonly cold — the Indians, though afterwards friendly, were now hostile — and they were luiacquainted with the coast. These difficulties they surmounted ; and on the 31st of December they were all safely landed at a place, which, in grateful commemoration of Ply- mouth in England, the town which they last left in their native land, they called Plymouth. This is the first Enghsh town that was settled in New England. In some of their excursions in search of a suitable place for settlement, they found buried several baskets of Indian corn, to the amount of ten bushels, which fortunately sei'ved them for planting the next spring, and perhaps was the means of preserving them from perishing with hunger. They made diligent enquiry for the owners, whom they found, and after- wards paid the full value of the corn. Before the end of November, Susanna, the wife of William White, was delivered of a son, whom they called Peregrine-. He is supposed to have been the first child of European ex- tract born in New England. The whole company that landed consisted of but 101 souls. Their situation was distressing, and their prospect truly dismal and discouraging. Their nearest neighbours, except the na- tives, were a French settlement at Port Royal, and one of the English at Virginia. The nearest of these was 500 miles from them, and utterly incapable of aflbrding them relief in a time of famine and dansjer. To add to their distresses, a general and very mortal sickness prevailed among them, which swept off' forty-six of their number before the opening of the next spring. On the 3d of November, 1620, king James signed a patent incorporating the duke of Lenox, the marquisses of Bucking- ham and Hamilton, the earls of Arundel and Warwick, Sir Francis Gorges, with thirty-four others, and their successors, styling them, ' The council established at Plymouth in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and go- verning of New England in America."' To this council he granted all that part cf America which hes between the 40th 92 VIEW OF THE and 45th degrees of north latitude. This patent is the great civil basis of all the grants and patents by which New England was afterwards divided. The Plymouth council retained the power vested in them by the crowni until the year 1635, when they resigned their charter. Previous to this, however, the council had made se- veral grants of land to adventurers, who proposed to settle in New England. They granted New Hampshire to captain John Mason, in 1621 ; the province of Maine, to Sir R, Gor- ges, in 1622; and Massachusetts bay to Sir Henry Roswell and five others, in 1627. In defiance of every difficulty, the colony gradually increased in strength. The Indians were conciliated, several quaker and baptist refugees fled to within the Plymouth bounds, and in 1629 another company of Leydeners came over. New Eng- land now began to flourish ; and in forty years from this time, one hundred and twenty towns were settled and forty churches established. This rapid increase of the population was occa- sioned by the persecution of the puritans in England, and the inroads made upon the civil liberties of the subject ; and which' induced lords Brook, Say and Seal, the Pelhams, the Hamp- dens, and the Pyms, to obtain and settle upon large tracts of land in New England. The jealousy of the Dutch, and the successive plots of the surrounding Indians, in 1643 compelled the colonies of Ply- mouth, INIassachusetts, and New England, to enter into an alliance and confederacy for their mutual defence. Two com- missioners from each colony formed a congress, and were con- sidered as the representatives of ' The United Colonies of New England.' It is worthy of remark, that this arrangement seems to have been exactly copied in the confederation agreed upon by the United States in 1778. UNITED STATES. NEW HAMPSHIRE. Ji^EW HAMPSHIRE is situated between 42 deg. 42 min. and 45 deg. 13 min. north latitude, and 4 deg. 23 min. and 6 deg. 10 min. east longitude. Its greatest length is 182, and its greatest breadth 92 miles. Its area is 9800 square miles, containing 6,272,000 acres. Civil Divisions. — The state is divided into six counties, and 219 townships, of six miles square each. Natural Geography. — The state has about 15 miles of sea coast, from whence it extends in breadth, and is generally level towards the sea, rising gradually from 20 to 30 miles, when the mountains commence, and these are more lofty than in any other part of the United States ; the White mountains being visible 30 miles out at sea, and computed by Dr. Belknap at 10,000 feet, by Mr. Williams at 7800. There are several lakes in the state, but none of any great importance, except Winnipiseogee, near the centre, 24 miles long, and of unequal breadth, from 3 to 12 miles. It is full of islands, and being navigable in summer, and frozen over in winter, it proves a covjsiderable convenience to that part of the country. The principal river is Connecticut, which is the boundary line be- tween this state and Vermont. The Piscataqua is the boun- dary line, for a little way, between this state and the district of Maine ; and forms the harbour for the only shipping port in New Hampshire. There is a singular curiosity in the state called the Notch, which is a pass through the mountains, at one place only 22 feet wide ; and, being bounded by rocks al- most perpendicular and of great height, presents a scene strik- ingly picturesque. The soil, near the sea coast, is in some places sandy, but aear the banks of rivers generally good, as is likewise the case in the valleys among the mountains. The mountains are. 94 VIEW OF THE many of them, rocky and barren ; but others are fertile on the brows, and nearly all are covered with timber. The climate is healthy ; but the winters are long and severe, and -there are great extremes of heat and cold. Mr. Belknap has observed the tliermometer at 18 dcg. below 0, and in sum- mer it has risen to nearly 100 c]cg. : its average is about 48 or 50 deg. Snow lies on the ground from three to four months, and the use of sleighs, during that period, is general. The spring is rapid ; and the summer and fall are generally pleasant. Agriculture is the chief business of the state, and is well conducted. The principal products are beef, pork, mutton, poultry, wheat, com, and other grain ; butter, cheese, flax, hemp, hops, vegetables, apples, pears, &c. The minerals quoted are, ochres, isinglass, crystals, sul- phur, freestone, lead, black lead, and copper; but the most valuabte is iron, which is found in many places, and is wrought in considerable quantities. Population. — Tiie population of this state, in 1817, amount- ed to 296,450, being abore 30 to the square mile. Although this appears but a thin population, yet it is to be observed that a great part of the state is covered by mountains, wliidi are in- capable of cultivation. The sea coast, valleys, and fertile spots, are said to be thickly settled ; and these places have kept pace in improvement with the other New England states. Manners, &,'C. — The inhabitants are represented as hardy, robust, and active. They are in general well educated ; and the population is not mixed with negroes or foreigners from the different states of Europe. Education. — In the township of Hanover, in the western part of this state, is Dartmouth college, situated on a beautiful plain, about half a mile east of Connecticut river. It was named after the rio-ht honourable AVilliam oarl of Dartmouth, who was one of its principal benefactors. It was founded by Dr. Eleazer Wheelock in 1769. It is supported by a graiit of 80,000 aci'es of land. It has, in the four classes, about 130 students, under the direction of a president, two professors, and two tutors. It has twelve trustees, who are a body cor- porate, invested with the powers necessary for such a body. UNITED STATES. 95 The library is elegant, containing a large collection of the most valuable books. Its apparatus consists of a competent number of useful instruments, for making mathematical and philoso- phical experiments. There are three buildings for the use of the students ; one of which was erected in 1786, and is not yet finished. - It is 150 feet in length, and 50 in breadth, three stories high, and handsomely built. It has a broad passage running through its centre from end to end, intersected by three others. In front is a large green, encircled with a num- ber of handsome houses. Such is the salubrity of the air, that no instance of mortality has happened among the students since the first establishment of the college. At Exeter there is a flourishing academy, and at Portsmouth a grammar-school. All the towns are bound by law to sup- port schools. Chief' Toions. — Portsmouth is much the largest town in this state. It stands on the south-east side of Piscataqua river, about two miles from the sea, and contains about 6000 inha- bitants. The town is handsomely built and pleasantly situated. Its public buildings are a court-house, two churches for con- gregationahsts, one for episcopalians, and one other house for public worship. Its harbour is one of the finest on the conti- nent, having a sufficient depth of water for vessels of any bur- then. It is defended against storms by the adjacent land in such a manner, as that ships may securely ride there in any season of the year. Besides, the harbour is so well fortified by nature, that very little art will be necessary to render it im- pregnable. Its vicinity to the sea renders it very convenient for naval trade. A light-house, with a single hght, stands at the entrance of the harbour. ■Exeter is a pretty town, fifteen miles south-westerly from Portsmouth, on the south side of Exeter river. It has a har- bour of eight and a half feet water, and was formerly famous for ship-building. Dover Neck, which makes a part of the town of Dover, is situated between two branches of Piscataqua river, and is a fine, dry, and healthy situation ; so high as to command the neighbouring shores, and afford a very extensive and delightful prospect. 96 VIEW OF THE Concord is the seat of government, and contains 2050 inha- bitants. Dover contains 2062; Amherst, 2150; Hanover, 1920; Keene, 1645; Charleston, 1634; Durham, 1128; and there are three others, containing from 500 to 1000. Small villages and farm houses are numerous, and the coun- try is pretty well supplied with good roads, and some elegant bridges, of which the chief is across the Piscataqua, seven miles above Portsmouth. It is 2600 feet long, and cost 68,000 dollars. Trade and Resources. — By an act of congress, which passed in 1798, in New Hampshire, 3,749,061 acres of land were va- lued at 19,028,108 dollars. In 1814 and 1815, the value of houses and lands, as revised by the assessors, was 38,745,974 dollars, which is nearly at the rate of nine dollars per acre. The net revenue of New Hampshire, in 1815, was 92,316 dollars. The registered tonnage employed in foreign trade amounted to 24,532, and the enrolled coasting trade to 205 J |. The country people generally manufacture their own cloth- ing, and make considerable quantities of tow cloth for exporta- tion The other manufactures are ashes, maple-sugar, bricks, pottery, and iron ware. A great part of the surplus produce of this state is carried to Boston, which prevents it from making a great figure in the scale of exports ; the amount, in 1805, was 608,408 dollars, but it seldom exceeds half a million. All die export trade centres at Portsmouth. Religion. — The churches in New Hampshire are principally for congregationalists ; some for pi-esbyterians and baptists, and one for episcopalians. Ministers contract with their pa- rishes for their support. No parish is obliged to have a minis- ter ; but if they make a contract with one, they are obliged by law to fulfil it. Liberty is ever given to any individual of a parish to change their denomination ; and in that case they are liberated from their part of the parish contract. Government. — The government is founded upon a bill of rights, declaring that all men are born equally free and inde- peudent; and that all government originates from the people: that ^\cry man has a right to worship God according to the UNITED STATES. d1 dictates of his conscience : that all elections ought to be free ; and that every inhabitant of the state, having the proper qua- lifications, has an equal right to elect, and be elected, into office : that there shall be no hereditary rights, and that the press shall be free. The exercise of the government is vested in a legislature, consisting of a senate and house of representatives ; a governor and council to execute the laws; and a judiciary to promote justice between man and man. The senate consists of thirteen members, chosen annually by the people; each member must be possessed of a freehold estate of 200/. The representatives are apportioned according to the population, every town which has 150 rateable polls being entitled to one representative; having 450, they are entitled to two. They are also elected annually, and must be possessed of a freehold of 100/. The governor is in like manner elected annually, and must be pos- sessed of a freehold of 500/. There are five counsellers, who are chosen annually, who must be possessed of freeholds of 300/. The following extract from the constitution ought to be ge- nerally known. ' Knowledge and learning, generally diffused through a community, being essential to the preservation of a free go- vernment ; and spreading the opportunities and advantages of education through the Aarious parts of the country, being highly conducive to promote this end ; it shall be the duty of the legislators and magistrates, in all future periods of this go- vernment, to cherish the interest of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries and public schools, to encourage private and public institutions, rewards and immunities for the pro- motion of agriculture, arts, sciences, commerce, trade, manu- factures, and natural history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevo- lence, public and private charity, industry and economy, ho- nesty and punctuality, sincerity, sobriety, and all social affec- tions and generous sentiments, among the people.' History. — The first discovery made by the English of any part of New Hampshire, was in 1614, by captain John Smith, who ranged the sliore from Penobscot to cafx; Cod ; and in this 5 N 98 VIEW OF THE route discovered the river Piscataqua. On his return to Eng- land, he published a description of the country, with a map of the coast, which he presented to prince Charles, who gave it the name of New England. In 1621, captain John Mason obtained from the council of Plymouth, a grant of all the land from the river Naumkeag (new Salem) round cape Ann, to the river Merrimak, up each of those rivers, and from a line connecting the furthest sources of them inclusively, with all islands within three miles of the coast. This district was called Mariana. The next year, another grant was made to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Mason jointly, of all the lands between the Merrimak and Sagadahok, extending back to the great lakes of Canada. This grant, which includes a part of the other, was called Laconia. Under the authority of tiiis grant, in 1623, a settlement was made at Little harbour, near the mouth of the Piscataqua. In 1629, some planters from Massachusetts bay, wishing to form a settlement in the neighbourhood of Piscataqua, procured a general meeting of the Indians, at Squamscot falls, where, with the universal rnnscnf of their .mbjecfs, they piirchasofl of the Indian chiefs, for a valuable consideration, a tract of land comprehended between the rivers Piscataqua and INEerriraak, and a line connecting those rivers, drawn at the distance of about 30 miles from the sea coast. The same year, Mason procured a new patent, under the common seal of the council of Plymouth, of the above-menticMied Indian purchase. In 1635, the Plymouth company resigned their charter to the king ; but this resiguntiou did not materially affect the patentees under tluni), as the several grants to companies and individuals were mostly confirmed, at soine subsequent period, by charters from the croMU. In April, 1611, the principal settlers of Piscataqua, bv a formal instrument, resigned the jurisdiction of the whole to Massachusetts, on ctmdition that the inhabitants should enjoy the same liberties with liu-ir own people, and have a court of justice erected among them. The jiroperty of the whole patent of Portsmouth, and of one-third of that of Dover, and of all the imprfned lands therei.n, v,-as rt";ervi'd to the lords and gen UNITED STATES. 99 tlemen proprietors and their heirs for ever. These reservations were acceded to on the part of Massachusetts ; and what is extraordinary, and manifested the fondness of the government for retaining th«m under their jurisdiction, a law of Massachu- setts, declaring that none but church members should sit in the general court, was dispensed with in their favour. While they were united with Massachusetts, they were governed by the general laws of the colony, and the conditions of the union were strictly observed. During tliis period, however, they had to struggle with many difficulties. One while involved, toge- ther with Massachusetts, in a bloody war with the Indians ; and repeatedly disturbed with the warux disputes occasioned by the ineffectual efforts of Mason's heirs to recover the pro- perty of their ancestor. These disputes continued until 1679, when Mason's claim, though never established in law, was pa- tronised by the crown, and New Hampshire was erected into a separate government. In the year 1691, Mason's heirs sold their title to their lands in New England to Samuel Allan, of London, for 2750Z. ; and in 1692, colonel Samuel Allan was commissioned governor of New Hampshire. Eight years after, he came over to America to prosecute his claim, but died before the affair was concluded. The inhabitants about this time suffered extremely from the cruel barbarity of the Indians : Exeter, Dover, and the fron- tier settlements, were frequently surprised in the night ; the houses plundered and burnt ; the men killed and scalped ; and the women and children either inhumanly murdered, or led captives into the wilderness. The first settlers in other parts of New England were also, about this time, harassed by the Indians ; and it would require volumes to enumerate their particular sufferings. Although New Hampshire was under the jurisdiction of the governor of Massachusetts, yet they had a separate legislature. They ever bore a proportionable share of the expences and le- vies in all enterprises, expeditions, and military exertions, whe- ther planned by the colony or the crown. In every stage of the opposition that was made to the encroachments of the Bri- tish parliament, the people, who ever had a high sense of li~ 100 VIEW OF THE berty, cheerfully bore their part. At the commencement of hostilities, indeed, while their council was appointed by royal ma?idamus, their ardour was checked by these crown officers. But when freed from this restraint, they flew eagerly to the American standard when the voice of their country declared for war ; and their troops had a large share of the hazard and fatigue, as well as of the glory, of accomplishing the late revolution. MASSACHUSETTS. ifituation mid Extent. ]5^/[ASSACHUSETTS is situated be- tween 41 depulation is rapidly in- creasing, a separate government may probably be soon demanded. History. — The first settlement made in the province of Maine was about the year 1630. Disputes with the proprie- tors and the Massachusetts court, and war with the Indians, harassed the colonists so much, that in 1675 all the settlements were in a manner broken up and destroyed. Several rein- forcements arrived after this ; but the whole country, down to the year 1702, exhibited a continued scene of killing, burning, and destroying. Even so late as the year 1748, persons were murdered and captivated by the Indians in many of the towns on the sea coast. Since that time, the inhabitants have lived in peace, and their numbers and property are rapidly augmenting. UNITED STATES. 119 VERMONT. Situation and Extent. "V^ER^NIONT is bounded north, by Canada; east, by Connecticut ri- ver, which divides it from New Hampshire ; south, by Mas- sachusetts ; west, by New York. It is situated between 42 deg. 42 min. and 45 dcg. north lat , and 3 deg. 38 min. and 5 deg. 27 min. east long. It is 166 miles long, and its great- est breadth is 93 miles. Its area is about 10,000 square miles, or 6,400,000 acres. Natural Geography. — This state, on the east side of the mountain, is watered by Paupanhoosak, Quechey, Weld's, White, Black, and West rivers, which run from west to east into Connecticut river ; and west of the mountains by the river Lamoil, over which is a natural stone bridge, seven or eight rods in length, by Onion river and Otter creek, which empty by one mouth into lake Champlain, 20 or 30 miles south of St. John's. Otter creek is navigable for boats 50 miles. The lands adjacent are of an excellent quality, and are annually enriched by the overflowing of the water, occasioned by the meltinsf of the snow on the Green mountains. A chain of high mountains, running north and south, divides this state nearly in the centre between Connecticut river and lake Champlain. The height of land is generally from 20 to 30 miles from the river, and about the same distance from the New York line. The natural growth upon this mountain is hemlock, pine, spruce, and evergreens; hence it has always a green appearance, and on this account has obtained the de- scriptive name of Mons Ver, Green moiuitain. On some high parts of this mountain, snow lies till May, and sometimes till June. The country is generally hilly, but not rocky. It is finely watered, and affords the best of pasturage for cattle. On the 120 VIEW OF THE banks of the lakes, rivers, and rivulets, are interspersed many fine tracts of rlcli land. The heavy growth of timber, which is common throughout the state, evince the strength and fertility of the soil. Elm, black birch, maple, ash, and bass-wood, grow in the moist low ground ; and the banks of the rivers are timbered principally with white pine, intermingled with vales of beech, elm, and white oak. The inhabitants cultivate wheat, rye, barley, oats, Indian corn, &c. The corn, however, is frequently cut off by the early frosts, especially on the moun- tains and hills. That which grows on the banks of the rivers is not so frequently injured. Flax is raised in considerable quantities, and the soil is good for hemp! Potatoes, pumpkins, and garden roots and vegetables, grow here in great plenty. Large quantities of sugar, of a good quality and flavour, are: made from the sugar maple. Iron is found in abundance throughout the state. Lead, copperas, flint, and vitriol have been found ; and the west side of the state abounds with marble. This state is extremely healthy. Snow begins to fall com- raonly in the beginning of November, and is generally gone by the middle of April. During this season, the inhabitants usually enjoy a serene sky, and a keen, cold air. The ground is seldom frozen to any great depth, being covered with a great body of snow before the severe frosts begin. In the spring, the snow, in conmion, is gradually dissolved by the warm in- fluences of the sun. In this way the earth is enriched and moistened, and spring advances with surprising quickness. Population. — The population of Vermont in 1817 amounted to 296,450, which is above 29 persons to a square mile. Al- though it is off the sea coast, far from a market, and without any populous towns, yet its inhabitants have nearly doubled within the last 20 years. Manners. — IVIost of the inhabitants of this state consist of emigrants from Massachusetts and Connecticut, except one settlement formed by people from Scotland. The Vermonters are represented as being hardy, robust, full-featured, and florid in their complexions : as they are mostly all agriculturalists or mechanics, they are independent in their sentiments ; and their UNITED STATES. 121 wants being mostly supplied among themselves, they are not subject to great vicissitudes of fortune, and are generally wealthy in proportion as they are industrious. Chief Towns. — Bennington is the principal town in Vermont. It is situated in the south-west corner of the state ; near the foot of the Green mountain. Its public buildings are a church for congregationalists, a court-house, and jail. It has a num- ber of elegant houses, and is a flourishing town. Near the centre of the town is mount Anthony, which rises very high in the form of a sugar-loaf The assembly commonly hold their sessions at Windsor. Montpellier is the seat of government, and contains 1500 inhabitants; Bennington, 2250; Windsor, 2200; Rutland, 2130; Newbury, 2000 ; Manchester, 2000; Newfane, 1700; St. Albans, 1400; Middlebury, 1260; Burlington, 1100; St. Hero, 1000 ; Craftsbury, 1000 ; Brunswick, 1000. Trade and Resources. — The chief business of this state is agriculture ; and great quantities of beef, pork, butter, cheese, and wool, are raised for market. The principal manufactures are of a domestic kind, consisting of wool and flax for family use. Iron is manufactured, and also a considerable quantity of pot and pearl ashes. The principal external trade is with Canada, which, during the late war with Great Britain, was carried on to a great ex- tent. The state has likewise a convenient channel of commerce, through the medium of its rivers, with New York, Hartford, and Boston. The value of lands and houses in this state, as revised by the assessors in 1815, was 32,461,120 dollars; and the ave- nige value of land was 6 dollars 40 cents. In the same year, the gross amount of the customs was 245,195 dollars. Government. — The state is divided into twelve counties, and 245 townships of six miles square. In every township is a reserve of two rights of land, of 350 acres each ; one to be ap- propriated for the support of public schools, the other to be given in fee to the first minister who settles in the township. A part of the townships were granted by the governor of New Hampshire, and the other part by that of Vermont. In those 6 Q 129 VIVAV 01- Tin-, Unvnslujv< ijranltxi bv tho tn of iho ^vjvl in toixMjm juris ; in thos*' granUxi by the Uuor, a coUojjx^ rijiht. .u\il n riijht lor tho sup|x>rt ot* ivuuty 4jr.umu.Hr s<1uh>1s. ;uv ivs^nvixl. In thos*^ losorvations, lilvral pnnision »s made lor tl\o supjx>rt ot' tho j^vsjk^I. at\il lor tho ^uxMUiUum of conu^uM\ and coUogialc otiucation. Tho torrUorv ix^tujx^sinj; \onnont was louj; olaiuiiHl In the iuljomiuj; sUUos ot* New llaiupshin^ and New York; Init the inhabitmus wisbtxi it to Ikxxwio ax\ indejxnuient ^tHto iu 1777, and the O^yh tmuiMinin ftov*-, ;is tliey wert^ ealUxi. tvx>k a very active yiart in the war of the rt^vohition ; but linn did not sne- cctxJ in cstablishinsj their elaim of indojKMidemv till 1791, wlun they wer\' .HdmittixU a 1+ih state, into the Vnion. The vx>n- stitution was adoptixl in 17\V>, and \ enuont now sends t«»> souators and fovir rvpivsetitatives to cvnigrx^ss. The declaration of rijjlus is nearly the sinue as that of New Haiujvihire ; but tl\ey have an article declaring; that no tn.ilo bv>rn in the emuUry, i>r brvniijht over st^, can Iw held in Ixnvd- «gc at\er 5J1, and i><> fenwle alter IS yc^rs of agx\ Tho phm of giwernnient is legislative, exivutivc. and judi- cijury. Tho legislatiN-o pi>\cer is vested in ivprosontatives. ch«.">scn .*»iuuiallv ; every trtx^ male of iJl years ami upwarils. who paN's ta\t^, h.^iving a vote. The oxoc\itivo is vestixl in a p.>vemor, lioutei»;uU-gv>vernor, and council of twelve, chosou annually, in like m;uiner : and in orvler * that the tVooiloni of tho ciMiunonwoiilth m.ny W kept inviolate for ever/ a txnmcil of ceus4>r* is oIh^sou v>nix> in sovei\ years, w lu^se duty it is to soo ihai the cvMXstiiutitni luis Kxmi pnvservixi inviolate ; whether tho taxes have Iwon jviid. ;uk1 the public monies prv>}x>rly disjxvkxi ot\ whether the public servants haw done their duty, and tho laws IxxMi duly executed: and they art? omfx>weroil, if they judgo it mxx^ssju-y. to call a ix>n\xMUiiw, to moot l«o yeai"s alter their sitiiuj;, to revise and amend Uie constituuon. CJNITED STATEH. l??. KITODE ISLAND. Situation arid Exient. i^}l()])E ISLAND i» bounded on the north anrl cant hy tlie a>mmon- wcalth of Ma«»achusc'tth ;. on the sfiuth by the Atlantic; and on the west by Connecticut. The»e limitu comprefjcnd wJiat Jmn been called Rhode island and Providence plantations. It is situated between 41 de^. /i2 inin. and 42 deg. north lat., and Jj deg. and 5. deg, 50 rnin. cant Iwig., F>eing 45 mile» in length, anfJ 4'i in breadth, and amtainn 1700 square miles, or 1,0H8,(XXI acres. Natural Geoffraphi/. — Prcj^idence and Taunton rivers both fall inU) .Narragannett bay, the former on the we^t, the latter on the east side of Rhode island. Pro%idence river rises in Massachusetts, and is navigable as far as Providence, 80 miles from the s<;a. One branch (A' Taunton river pnxx^ds frora Winisjmokfct p^nds; the other risen within abr^ut a mile of Charles river. In its course, wjutherly, it parses by the tfjwn of I'aunton. from which it takes its name. It is navigable for •small vessels U> 'iaunton. Common tides rise alx>ut four feet. .N'arragan.sett bay Is 83 miles in length from .s'>uth U) north, and towards Newport alxiut 12 miles in breadth, including the islands which it embosr>ms, of which the principal are, Rhode island, Canonicut, Prudence, Patience, Hope, Dyer's, and Hog island. It receives the waters of Providence, Tauntrjn, and Patuxct rivers ; and contains five harlxjurs, f>esides thr>se of NewjTHjrt and Providence, Its banks are clad with settle- ments, and there are a numl>er of pretty little towns, the view of which from the water has a fine effect. In the tfjwn of Bristol is mount Hope, which is remarkable only on acajunt of its having been the seat of king Philip, and the place where he was killed, 124 VIEW OF THE The face of the country is agi'eeably uneven, some places being hilly, but not mountainous. It is, generally speaking, a country for pasture and not for grain. It, however, produces corn, rye, barley, oats, and flax, and culinary plants and roots in great variety and abundance. Its natural growth is the same as in the other New England states. The western and north-western parts of the state are but thinly inhabited, and are barren and rocky. In the Narragansett country, the land is fine for grazing. The people are generally farmers, and raise great numbers of the finest and largest neat cattle in America. They keep large dairies, and make butter and cheese of the best quality, and in large quantities, for exporta- tion, Narragansett is famed for an excellent breed of pacing horses. They are strong, and i-emarkable for their speed, and for their excellency in enduring the fatigues of a long journey. Iron ore is found in great plenty, and the state abounds with limestone and marble. Some copper ore and loadstone have also been found ; and there are several mineral springs, but of no great importance. The climate is salubrious and healthy ; but the winters are sometimes long and severe, commencing in November, and ending in March or April. There is a very short spring, but the summer and autumn are delightful. Volney remarks on this subject, ' Wei'e I obliged to select the most favourable spot in America as the place of my abode, my choice would fall upon the southern point of Rhode island.' Papulation. — The population of Rhode island in 1817 amounted to 98,721, which is 98 persons to a square mile. Manners. — The inhabitants of this state are generally pro- prietors of the farms they cultivate, and are therefore inde- pendent. The inhabitants of the towns ai'e merchants, manu- facturers, mechanics, seamen, and fishermen. The lands are not entailed, and hence there are no aristocracy, but indepen- dence is easily attained by industry. The women are said to be very polite and beautiful ; and the state being esteemed the Eden of America, is much resorted to by strangers, which gives a peculiar openness and urbanity to their manners. UNITED STATES. 125 There are still a few Indians scattered through the country ; but their ill-constructed and miserable huts exhibit but a small remove towards civilization. Chief Towns. — Nezcport is situated on the south-west point of Rhode island, in lat. 41 deg. 29 min. It extends about a mile from north to south, along Narragansett bay, and is about one-third of a mile in breadth, rising, as it proceeds from the water, by a considerable ascent. The streets cross one another at right angles, and are all well paved. The number of inha- bitants, by the census of 1810, was 10,071, and the number of houses is about 1600, chiefly built of wood, and painted white. The public buildings are, a state-house, academy, public li- brary, four baptist churches, two for congregational ists, and one each for episcopalians, quakers, Moravians, and Jews. The situation of this city is beautiful, and the salubrity of the -climate is proverbial, in consequence of which it becomes a great resort for strangers, particularly from the southern states, during the summer season. It is also noted for the excellent supply of provisions in its market, particularly offish, of which there is said to be 50 or 60 different kinds. The packets which ply between this place and New York, and Providence, are of great service to the city and to the public. They are generally under excellent regulations, and afford better accom- modations and travelling at a cheaper I'ate than is to be found in most places of the world. The distance from hence to New York is about 200 miles, which is often sailed in little more than 30 hours ; and the fare, including bed and provisions, is only nine dollars. From hence to Providence, 30 miles, it is one dollar. Newport is a favourable situation for commerce, and has one of the most safe and commodious harbours in the world. On the opposite side of the harbour is Goat island, on which there is a fort and military station. The trade of Newport is prin- cipally in shipping ; and there is a manufactory of cotton, and one of duck, both of which are said to be in a thriving state. Providence^ the capital of Rhode island, is beautifully situ- ated on the head of Narragansett bay, and is divided into two parts by the Providence river, over which there is a good 12G VIEW OF THE bridge, with a draw in it, to allow vessels to pass. The west side of the town is low, but the east side rises, by a rapid ascent, to a considerable elevation. The number of inhabit- ants, in 1815, was 11,600, and they are rapidly increasing. * In its appearance,' says a late English traveller, ' it com- bined the attractions of Southampton and Doncastcr. There are manufactories in the neighbourhood. All places of public social worship arc, in the state of New York, called churches ; not, as with our dissenters, chapels. In these states, the old JEnghsh distinction of "church," and "meeting-house,"" conti- nues. Here is an excellent market-house, a "icorkhoiac, four or five public schools, an university with a tolerable library, a public library, and an hospital. Several of the churches are very handsome : they, as well as many private houses, are built of wood, painted white, with green Venetian shutters, present- ing a neat elegance very superior to our smoky brick buildings. I have not seen a town in Europe or America, which bore the appearance of general prosperity equal to Providence. Ship and house-buildei-s were fully employed, as indeed were all classes of mechanics. Tlie residents arc native Americans.'' The college is situated on the hill, and commanding a fine view of the town, bay, shipping, and country for many miles round. The building is of brick, with a slated roof, 150 feet long, 46 wide, and four stories high ; and contains lodgings for upwards of 100 students. It has a valuable philosophical ap- paratus, and a library containing upwards of 3000 volumes. Pi-ovidence has a })retty extensive shipping trade, and sends very large ships to the East Indies and other distant parts of the world. The other principal towns are. South Kingston^ situated on the west side of Narragansett bay, nearly opposite Newport, and contains 3000 inhabitants. JBristol is pleasantly situated on the bay, about half way between Providence and Newport, and contains 16T8 inhabitants. It has a little shipping trade. Warreii is a flourishing little town, containing about 1600 in- habitants. It is on the west side of the bay, on the Warren river, and carries on a brisk coasting and foreign trade. Little Compfoii, East Greenwich, and Compton, arc also growing UNITED STATES. 127 towns. The state is supplied with good roads and bridges, some of which have been consti'ucted on an ingenious plan, and at great expence. No canals have yet been made, but se- veral are projected. Trade and Resources. — This state is very favourably situ- ated for commerce, of which it has a large share. The exports are grain, flax-seed, lumber, horses, cattle, beef, pork, fish, poultry, onions, butter, cheese, spirits, and cotton and linen goods. The imports are European aud India manufactures, West India produce, and logwood. The manufactures are cotton and linen goods, bar and sheet iron, steel, nails, anchors and other iron work for shipping, sail-cloth, paper, rum, &c. The cotton manufacture is ex- tending ; but it is yet in its infancy, and, being subject to a competition Avith the oi'ganized manufactures of Britain, it must be attended with a considerable degree of inconvenience, and pei'haps of risk. The writer above mentioned says, 'At Pautucket, four miles from Providence, are 13 cotton manufactories; six of which are on a large scale. They are not the property of individuals, but of companies. I visited three of these. They had excellent machinery ; not more than one half of which was in operation. Children from six to ten years of age, of both sexes, are paid 6,9. ^d. per week ; ditto eleven to sixteen, \Qs. per week ; women, \%s. ; men, '^Is. to "dls. 6d. Very few of the latter are employed. Several of the manufac- tories of this place are situated on a fine fall of water, 50 feet in length, and passing through several chasms in a rock which extends across the river.'' The value of houses and lands in Rhode island, as equalized by the assessors in 1815, was 20,907,766 dollars. The value of land was estimated at 89 dollars an acre. The gross amount of the duties of merchandise, at the same time, was 287,167 dollars. The registered tonnage in foreign trade was 29,019, and the tonnage employed in the coasting trade 539. . Education. — The state of education is said to be considera- bly behind that of the other New England states, but is im- proving. The chief seminary is the college at Providence, 128 VIEW OF THE already mentioned ; and there Is an academy at Newport, un- der good regulations, besides various seminaries throughout the state. Religion. — There is no distinction made on account of reli- gious opinions; but every man worships God in any way his conscience dictates, without interfering with his civil rights. There are several benevolent and useful societies in the state, among which may be noticed one ' for the abolition of the slave- trade, and for the improvement of the African race.' Government. — The state is divided into five counties and 30 townships. The legislature consists of a governor, deputy governor, ten senators, and a representative from each town- ship. They are chosen by the people twice every year, and they hold two sessions annually. History. — The men who fled from their native homes to Massachusetts, to avoid persecution for their religious senti- ments, were no sooner settled than they began to imitate their tyrants, by enforcing an uniformity of opinions. This induced Mr. Roger Williams, a minister, and twenty others to fly from their Christian brethren, and to seek an asylum amongst the more merciful Indians in Rhode island, about the year 1635. These fugitives built a village, which they called Providence, and were soon joined by many others, particularly quakers and baptists. But being destitute of a patent, or any legal autho- rity, Mr. Williams went to England as agent in 1643, and by the assistance of Sir Henry Vane, jun. obtained of the earl of Warwick (then governor and admiral of all the plantations) and his council, ' a free and absolute charter of civil incorpora- tion, by the name of the incorporation of Providence planta- tions in Narragansett bay.' This lasted until the charter granted by Charles II. in 1663, by which the incorporation was styled, ' The English colony of Rhode island and Provi- dence plantations in New England,' The free and liberal toleration established in this island soon brought it into a highly flourishing state. The inhabit- ants, during the revolution, acted with great spirit, and pro- duced the second general in the field. UNITED STATES. 129 CONNECTICUT. Situation and Extent. 'FHIS state is bounded on the north by Massachusetts ; on the east by Rhode island ; on the south by the sound, which divides it from Long island ; and on the west by the state of New York. It is situated between 41 and 42 deg. north lat., and 3 deg. 20 min. and 5 deg. east long. Its greatest length is 83 miles, and its greatest breadth 72. Its area is 4500 square miles, or 2,880,000 acres. Natural Geography. — The principal rivers in this state are, Connecticut, Housatonick, the Thames, and their branches. One branch of the Housatonick passes through a number of pleasant towns, and empties into the sound between Stratford and Milford. It is navigable twelve miles to Derby. A bar of shells at its mouth obstructs its navigation for large vessels. In this river, between Salisbury and Canaan, is a cataract, where the water of the whole river, which is 150 yards wide, falls about 60 feet perpendicularly, in a perfectly white sheet. A copious mist arises, in which floating rainbows are seen in various places at the same time, exhibiting a scene exceedingly Srand and beautiful. The Thames empties into Long island sound at New Lon- don. It is navigable 14 miles to Norwich landing. Here it loses its name, and branches into Shetucket on the east, and Norwich or Little river on the west. Little river, about a mile from its mouth, has a remarkable and very romantic ca- taract. A rock, ten or twelve feet in perpendicular height, extends quite across the channel of the river. Over this the whole river pitches, in one entire sheet, upon a bed of rocks below. Here the river is compressed into a very narrow chan- nel between two craggy cliffs, one of which towers to a consi- derable height. The channel descends gradually, is very crooked, and covei-ed with pointed rocks. Upon these the R 130 . VIEW OF THE water swiftly tumbles, foamiiig with the most violent agitation, 15 or 20 rods, into a broad bason which spreads before it. At the bottom of the perpendicular falls, the rocks are curiously excavated by the constant pouring of tlie water. Some of the cavities, which are all of a circular form, are five or six feet deep. The smoothness of the water above its descent; the regularity and beauty of the perpendicular fall ; the tremen- dous roughness of the other ; and the craggy, towering cliff which impends the whole, present to the view of the spectator a scene indescribably deliglitful and majestic. On this river are some of the finest situations for mill seats in New England, and those immediately below the falls, occupied by Lathrop''s mills, are perhaps not exceeded by any in the world. Across the mouth of this river is a broad, commodious bridge, in the Ibrm of a wharf, built at a great cxpence. Shetucket river, the other branch of the Thames, tumbles over many falls, and affords a vast mmtiber of mill seats. This river is fed by num])crless brooks from every part of the adja- cent country. At the mouth of Shetucket is a bridge of tim- ber, 124 feet in length, supported at each end by pillars, and kept up in the middle by braces on the top, in the nature of an arch. Naugatuk, Farmington, Mill, and West river, and North Haven river, are too small to merit a particular description. The face of the country is agreeably uneven. To the south the coast extends along the sound the whole length of the state, and has many fine inlets, which are highly advantageous to commerce. Towards the north-west the country swelk out into high, broken, hilly lands, but there are no mountains. This hilly country is said to be very romantic. The state is remarkably well watered, abounding in small streams. The soil is various, some parts being poor and sandy, and some very fertile ; generally speaking, there is a great deal of good land, and the state is remarkably well calculated for grazing. The climate is subject to great and sudden changes, passing to the extremes of heat and cold ; but it is very healthy, and the state abounds with remarkable instances of longevity. UNITED STATES. 131 Iron ore is found in the state in great abundance ; and kad, copper, and zinc, have also been discovered, though in no great quantities. Pit-coal has been found, but not in sufficient quan- tity to induce the inhabitants to dig lor it. There are a num- l)er of mineral springs in the state : the most important is in Lichfield county, which is highly impregnated with carbonic acid gas and sulphurated hydrogen gas, and is said to be very useful in curing various diseases, particularly dyspepsia, rheu- matism, and those of the cutaneous kind. Pajnilaiion. — The number of the inhabitants in this state in 1817 was 349,568, which is nearly 78 persons to a square mile. Manners. — The population of Connecticut consists of farm- ers, mechanics, manufacturers, ministers of religion, instructors of youth, doctors of medicine, and lawyers. There are no idle people to be seen, although it is said that too many are engaged in the learned professions ; and Connecticut sends out a full proportion of luminaries annually, to enlighten other states. The absence of want and poverty in this state, clearly evinces the evils that arise from the feudal system, and the law of pri- mogeniture. It contains no overgrown estates, and exhibits no revolting scenes of wretchedness and misery. The cultivators are a hardy, industrious race, whose labour is rewarded in * peace, and health, and sweet content.' It must, however, be confessed, that they have created evils which tend to embitter the happiness which a superficial ob- server might conclude they possessed. The clergy are nume-. rous, and constitute a kind of selfish, overbearing aristocracy; while their rage for theological disputation generates the worst passions amongst their flocks. This infatuation is, however, rapidly abating ; but it has probably been the origin of that litigious disposition, v/hich rages here as well as in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode island. Every trivial dispute must be settled according to law ; wiiich renders it an inviting profession. Chief Towns. — Hartford is a handsome city, the capital of Connecticut, and is, alternately with Newhaven, the seat of Icgislatioii for the state. It is situated on Connecticut river, at the head of sloop navigation, 50 miles above Long island 132 VIEW OF THE sound. It is regularly laid out, the streets crossing one ano ther at right angles ; but they are not paved. The city con- sists of about 400 houses, and contains between 3 and 4000 inhabitants. The public buildings are, the state-house, an elegant edifice, two congregational churches, and one episcopal church. The citizens carry on an active commerce, in all the products of the state, to the southern states and the West In- dies ; and they have a large share of country trade. Consi- derable manufactures are carried on with spirit, and are increasing. The markets are Avell supplied with wholesome provisions, which are sold at reasonable rates. Newhaven is a handsome city. The surrounding scenery is very fine, and the situation pleasant, and favourable for commerce. It is built on a considerable bay, on Long island sound, and covers part of a pretty extensive plain, having a river on each side of it. The streets cross one another at right angles, and there is a square in the middle, round which are the public buildings, which have a very handsome appearance. They are, the colleges, state-house, three congregational, and one episcopal church. The college is esteemed one of the best seminaries in the United States, and, by the citizens of New- haven, is considered the very best. The city contains nearly 6000 inhabitants, who carry on a very active trade with New York and the West Indies ; and they have established consi- derable manufactures, which are said to be in a thriving state. There are three other incorporated cities, viz. New London, Norwich, and Middletown. Nexo London is handsomely situ- ated on the Thames, and has an excellent harbour and exten- sive trade. It contains upwards of 3000 inhabitants, and has a bank, and three houses for public worship. Noriokh is on the same river, at the head of navigation, and has numerous manufactures and an extensive trade. It contains nearly 3000 inhabitants, and has a court-house, a bank, an insurance com- pany, an academy, and three places for public worship. Mid- dletown, situated on Connecticut river, 15 miles below Hartford, contains about 2000 inhabitants, and carries on a considerable trade. There is a bank, an insurance compan}', a court-house, and two places for public worship in the city, Lidifield is a UNITED STATES. 133 fine town, containing upwards of 4000 people. It is beauti- fully situated in an elevated part of the state, and has a court- house, meeting-house, and academy. W ethersfield is the oldest town in the state, and is remarkable for the culture of onions. The other villages are numerous, the whole state being studded with them, containing from 500 to 1500 or 2000 inhabitants ; among others may be mentioned Danhury^ Wmdham, Had- daniy and Tolland. The houses aie generally built of wood, on a handsome plan, and are painted white ; which gives the country an air of great cleanliness and neatness. This enter- prising little state first set the example of making turnpike roads in New England ; and these and other good roads are so abundant, that travelling is facilitated in all directions. There are a number of bridges in the state, some of them constructed at great expence, which are of great utility. Education. — Education is upon an excellent footing, and the school fund is more ample than that of any other state. The college at Newhaven, which is named Yale college, was found- ed in 1700. The present college edifice, which is of brick, was built in 1750, and is 100 feet long, and 40 feet wide, three stories high, and contains 32 chambers, and 64 studies, conve- nient for the reception of 100 students. The college chapel, which is also of brick, was built in 1761, being 50 feet by 40, with a steeple 125 feet high. In this building is the public library and the philosophical apparatus. The college museum, to which additions are constantly making, contains some great natural curiosities. Academies have been established at Greenfield, Plainfield, Canterbury, Norwich, Windham, and Pomfret. The law directs that a grammar school shall be kept in every county town throughout the state; but the great, poj>ular, and per- manent advantage on this branch, arises from the establishment of schools in every township, being an arrangement similar to the parish schools in Scotland, and which produced similar ef- fects ; a general diffusion of knowledge, ' steady habits,'' and sobriety of manners. Trade and Resources. — The farmers of Connecticut and their families are generally dressed in cloth of their manufac- 134 VIEW OF THE ture, which is substantial and good ; and there are considera- ble and very important manufactures, on a larger scale, throughout the state, viz. woollens, linens, cottons, leather of 6very description, hats, stockings, paper, wire, bells, soap, candles, oil, clocks and watches, earthen and stone ware, chaises, harness, &c. The state has a very considerable coasting and foreign trade. The exports are principally to the West India islands, consist- ing of live stock, timber, grain, fruit, fish, and provisions. The imports consist of manufactured piece goods of the finer kinds, wines, and groceries. The value of houses and lands, according to the I'eturn of the assessors in 1815, amounted to 88,534,971 dollars; the land being valued at 34 dollars per acre. The duties on mer- chandise was 247,283 dollars. There was employed in foreign trade 33,472 tons, and in the coasting trade 1G75. Religion. — In religion, the form of church government is generally congregational or prcsbyterian ; but every other form may be freely exercised without molestation, if it is not in direct variance with the general opinion. The episcopalians are respectable ; and the baptists are numerous. There is scarcely any other sect worth mentioning. Government. — The form of government is derived from the ancient charter; by which the legislative authority is vested in a governor, deputy governor, twelve assistants or counsellers, and tlie representatives of the people, styled the General As- sembly. They are divided into two branches, of which the goveinor, deputy governor, and assistants form one, and the representatives the other: and no law can pass without the concurrence of both. I'he governor and assistants are chosen annually ; and the representatives, who must not exceed two for each town, are chosen twice each year. The suffrage is iniiversal, every freeman who is of age having a vote, w-ithout regard to property. History. — The first grant of Connecticut Avas made by the Plymtjuth council, to the earl of Warwick, in 1630, and con- firmed by his majesty in council the same year. The year following, the earl assigned this grant to lord Say and Seal, UNITED STATES. 135 lord Brook, and nine others. No English settlements were attempted in Connecticut until the year 1633, when a number of Indian traders, having purchased of two principal sachems • a tract of land at the mouth of Little river in Windsor, built a house and fortified it, and ever after maintained their right of soil upon the river. The same year, a little before the arrival of the English, a company of Dutch traders came to Hartford, and built a house which they called the Hirse of Good Hope, and erected a small fort, in which they planted two cannon. The remains of this settlement are still visible on the bank of Connecticut river. This was the only settlement of the Dutch in Connecticut in those ancient times. In 1634, lord Say and Seal, &c. sent over a small number of men, who built a fort at Saybrook, and held a treaty with the Pequot Indians, who, in a formal manner, gave to the English their right to Connecticut river and the adjacent coun- try. In the year following, a number of persons came and settled in Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor. In the year 1637, the colonists took the field against the Indians. All the males of a whole tribe were killed, except a few that escaped ; and the women and children were sent to Bermudas, and sold for slaves ! Two years after, the first church was formed at Newhaven, the members of which had all things in common, and formed themselves into a civil court, which decided all things according to the law of Moses. The history of Connecticut exhibits the same intolerance, ignorance, and mistaken zeal, as that of their neighbours. They prohibited the use of tobacco, and persecuted the quakers. In 1662, this state obtained a charter from Charles II. ; but so ignorant were the Europeans of geography, that the patents often extended they knew not where ; and the people of Con- necticut construed their charter literally, and passing over New York, made purchases of land fi-om the Indians on the Dela- ware river, within their supposed limits, which they conceived extended to the South sea. But after many disputes, this state ceded to congress all their lands west of Pennsylvania, except a reserve of 20 miles square. 136 VIEW OF THE In 167S, the Jaws of the state were revised, printed, and every family was obliged to purchase a copy. They have since been judiciously revised and simplified. During the re- volution, the people were very active and suffered greatly. NEW YORK. SUimtinn and Extent. T'HIS interesting state is j^ituated be- tween 40 deg. 33 min. and 45 deg. north lat., and 3 deg. 43 min. east, and 2 deg. 43 min. west long. ; its extreme length, from east to west, being 340, and extreme breadth, from north to south, 317 miles ; but it is very irregular. The square contents amount to about 54,000 square miles, or 34,560,000 acres. This flourishing state is larger than both England and Wales, the extent of which is computed at 49,450 square miles. New York is bounded on the south-east by the Atlantic ocean; on the east by Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Ver- mont ; on the north by the 45tb degree of latitude, which di- vides it from Canada ; on the north-west by the river Iroquois, or St. Lawrence, and the lakes Ontario and Erie ; and on the south-west and south by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Natural Geography. — There is a vast variety in the face of the country. From the highlands, about 50 miles above New York, the state is hillv, in many places mountainous ; and the hills continue to the extremity of the state northward, and to Utica westward : from thence to its western extremity, nearly 800 miles, there is a most elegant country, rich and well wa- tered, having spurs of the Alleghany mountains on the one side, and on the other the lakes Ontario and Erie, two of the finest sheets of water in the world. The lakes are so nume- rous, and having been before described, the bare mention of UNITED STATES. ISTf the names of the most important must suffice in this place. Besides the large lakes, there are lake Champlain, lake George, Oneida, Onondago, Skeneateless, Owasca, Cayuga, Seneca, Canandagua, and Chataughque. The principal rivers are the Hudson, the Mohawk, the Oneida, and the Genesee. The head waters of the Alleghany, Susquehanna, and Delaware rivers, are also in the southern part of this state. The state abounds with iron ore and lead ; copper and zinc have been found in various places. Silver has been found, but in no great quantity. Marble abounds, and is of an ex- cellent quality. Freestone and slate are in plenty. Plaster of Paris is found in great variety, and is used with good effect as manure. Isinglass and sulphur are common in many places : and coal has also been found, but in no great quantity. The salt springs at Onondago are very strong, and produce an im- mense quantity of that useful article. There are many sul- phur springs, and several air springs, which last are probably the gas arising from the combustion of pit coal : there is a me- dicinal spring at Lebanon, which affords a pleasant bath, at the temperature of 72 deg., and is much frequented; but the most remarkable springs in this state, or indeed in the United States, are those of Ballston and Saratoga. These waters are highly medicinal, and are of great efficacy in dyspepsia and other complaints; and are much frequented in the summer season. The soil, in such an extent of country, must be various. The southern and eastern part is a dry gravel, mixed with loam, and is not very rich ; the mountainous part is pretty well adapted for grazing, and there are rich valleys on the rivers. The whole of the northern and western part is rich and fertile, except a small portion bordering on the state of Pennsylvania, which, however, is interspersed with fertile lands. The climate is various. In that part which lies to the south of the highlands, it is remarkably changeable ; it experiences all the vicissitudes of heat and cold, and sometimes a change of 80 degrees in the course of 24 hours. Among the moun- tains, and along lake Champlain, towards Canada, the winter* S 138 VIEW OF THE are long and severe, and the summers are sometimes very sultry and hot. In the western district, the climate is more temperate, and the winters are s;Ml)ject to a good deal of rain ; but the whole country is healthy, the neighbourhood of ponds and undrained morasses excepted. The winter commences about Christmas, and ends with February ; but March and April are sometimes cold months. Population. — The total population of this state in 1817 amounted to 1,486,739, which is 27 persons to a square mile. In 1790, the population was only 340,120, so that in 27 years it has been more than quadrupled. Manners and Customs. — The society in this state is very mucli mixed. To the west the majority are New Englanders ; while the city and southern part of the state, and along the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, are mostly of Dutch, Scottish, and Irish extraction. Kalm, in describing the Dutch in this state, observes, that this people ' are every where well known for their avarice and selfishness. They are unhospitable, and never disposed to oblige beyond a prospect of interest.' An American writer on this passage says, ' The design of the Dutch, in coming to this country, was not to improve their minds, nor to erect public seminaries of science, but to increase tlieir fortunes. Thus did their darhng passion, and the un- happy circumstance of their situation, debar them from emi- nence, or even progress, in the field of science. A want of schools and seminaries furnished with able instructors of their own nation ; their ignorance of the English language ; and their national pride, have all conspired to keep them in their native ignorance of every mental improvement. This will account for many unfavourable peculiarities in their man- ners and customs.' * It is not to be doubted,' continues this writer, ' that there are many bright geniuses among them, who, through the dif- ficulties of obtaining an education, have remained unpolished and unimproved. There are ;nany indeed who, by their assi- duous application, surmount every obstacle, burst through the cloud that overshadows them, and siiine with distinguished lustre in the first offices of church and state ; and their lustre UNITED STATES. 139 is brightened by being contrasted with the total darkness in which others are involved ; for, from the causes already as- signed, no people are so ignorant as the lower class. * Another cause of their unsociability and apparent reserve, in encouraging and associating with strangers, is their want of enterprise. Their neighbours, more enterprising, emigrate and reap the fruit of those advantages which their local situa- tion puts in their own power. This excites jealousy and rival- ship. The balance of this rivalship they see is against them. The preservation of their interest and of their dignity calls them to unite in opposing their rivals. But it is evident that their union and friendship, in this regard, have too often their prime source in interest, are continued through interest, and have interest for their ultimate object. The intended effect of this union is in a great measure lost, througli the natural jea- lousies and clashing iuterests of heads of families and their parties ; for although they are all combined by the general bond of national prejudice, national customs, and national reli- gion, they are split into numerous and warm parties. And among them, he who has tlie greatest interest and the strong- est party, not he who has the most merit, is the greatest man, the most honourable man, and the best qualified for public office. In their meetings, they are ever led to think and say the worst of their opponents, and recal all the little circum- stances of burlesque, malice, or mistake in them, which persons of more liberal sentiments would wish charitably to veil and bury in oblivion. Thus it is that the practice of slandering and injuring each other's characters becomeg common, and furnishes a great part of their daily conversation ; while that sweet and friendly intercourse which mends the heart, and that dignified and sensible conversation that improves the mind, are almost wholly neglected."* The labouring classes are generally well clothed, and have an air of independence and carelessness not usually seen in England. The dress of the genteeler classes is more slovenly and loose than that of men in the same rank in this country. The ladies are handsome, but have not that animated glow of Ijejilth which distinguishes the British fair. But this subject 140 VIEW OF THE will be considered more at length, when we come to draw a portrait of the American character. Chief Towns. — New York, the capital of the province, is situated on a promontory, on the extremity of York island, at the mouth of Hudson river, a noble and picturesque stream. The bay is about nine miles long, and three broad, without reckoning the branches of the rivers on each side of the town. From the ocean at Sandy Hook to the city is not more than 28 miles. The water is deep enough to float the largest ves- sels. Ships of 90 guns have anchored opposite the city. There they lie land-locked, and well secured from winds and storms ; and fleets of the g»-eatest number have ample space for mooring. New York is the first city in the United States for wealth, commerce, and population ; as it also is the finest and most agreeable for its situation and buildings. It has neither the narrow and confined irregularity of Boston, nor the monoto- nous regularity of Philadelphia, but a happy medium between both. When the intended improvements are completed, it will be a very elegant and commodious town. The Broadwa}^ and the Bowery road are the two finest ave- nues in the city, and nearly of the same width as Oxford street in London, The first commences fromthe Grand Battery, situate at the extreme point of the town, and divides it into two unequal parts. It is upwards of two miles in length, though the pavement does not extend above a mile and a quarter : the i-emainder of the road consists of straggling- houses, which are the commencement of new streets already planned out. The Bowery road commences at Chatham street, which branches off from the Broadway to the right, by the side of the park. After proceeding about a mile and a half, it joins the Broadway, and terminafes the ])lan which is in- tended to be carried into effect for the enlargement of the city. The houses in the Broadway arc lofty and well built. They are constructed in the English style, and differ but little from those of London a1 the west end of the town ; except that they are universally built of r&d. brick. In the vicinity of UNITED STATES. 141 the Battery, and for some distance up the Broadway, they are nearly all private houses, and occupied by the principal mer- chants and gentry of New York ; after which the Broadway is lined with large commodious shops of every description, well stocked with European and India goods, and exhibiting as splendid and varied a show in their windows as can be met with in London. There are several extensive book stores, print shops, music shops, jewellers, and silversmiths ; hatters, linen drapers, milliners, pastry cooks, coach-makers, hotels, and coffee-houses. The street is well paved, and the foot- paths are chiefly bricked. In Robinson street, the pavement before one of the houses, and the steps of the door, are com- posed entirely of marble. This fine street and the other principal ones are thus de- scribed by Mr. Mslish. ' Broadway is the finest street in the city ; and from its importance and great beauty, it merits a particular description. It commences at the Battery, on the south-west point of the city, and runs in a north-east direction about two miles aid a half, where it forms a junction with the Bowery road. Tie breadth of this street, inchiding the side pavements, is aboit 80 feet, and it is regular, during its whole length. It is ornamented with rows of poplar trees on each side, and a numbei of public buildings are situated on it, par- ticularly, the custon-house, trinity church, St. PauFs church, the city public buiUings, the mechanics'* hall, and the hospital. The street rises by i gradual ascent from the Battery, about half a mile, and is at its greatest elevation opposite the city buildings. Its coulse is through the highest part of the island. Greenwich street is next in importance : it rises also at the Battery, and, runnhg nearly due north upwards of two miles, connects the city wih the village of Greenwich. Pearl street is one of the most important in the city, in point of trade : it rises also near the Battery, and runs nearly parallel with the East river to Cherr; street ; from thence it runs to the north- ward, and falls into ^^Ihathara street. Cherry street is a conti- nuation of Pearl stret, and runs along the East river till it is terminated by a herd of the river. Bowery lane is upwards of 100 feet wide, risfs at Chatham street, and, connected with U% VIEW OF THE the Boston road, forms a junction with Broadway, as before mentioned. The other most important streets are Wall street, where the most of the banks and public offices are situated, Chatham-street, where the theatre is situated, Front street, Water street, and Broad street. * That part of the city which has been recently laid out on East river is constructed on a handsome plan, the streets cross- ing one another at right angles ; and there are several public squares. Of these there are by far too few in the city, and they hardly merit notice. The Battery before mentioned is a pretty piece of ground, and commands an elegant view of the bay, islands, narrows, and shipping ; but it is quite small, consisting of a few acres only.' A court-house on a large scale, and worthy of the improved state of the city, has recently been built at the end of the park, between the Broadway and Chatham street, in a style of mag- nificence unequalled in many of the larger cities of Europe. The exterior consists wholly of fine marble ornamented in a very neat and elegant style of architecture and the whole is surmounted by a beautiful dome, which fcrms a noble orna- ment to that part of the town, in which a^e also situated the theatre, mechanic hall, and some of the bea private houses in New York. The park, though not remarbble for its size, is, lioweA'er, of service, by displaying the surounding buildings to greater advantage ; and is also a relief o the confined ap- pearance of the streets in general. It coisists of about four acres, planted with elms, planes, willows, and catalpas ; and the surrounding foot-walk is encompassed 3y rows of poplars : the whole is inclosed by a wooden paling This city has its Vauxhall and Banelagh ; but they are poo* imitations of those near London. They are, however, pleaant places of recrea- tion for the inhabitants. The other public buildings are, the Federal hall, college, coffee-house, hospital, prison, bridewell. There are seven episcopal churches; five presbyterian, tw) Dutch, three me- thodist, two baptist, and two quaker neeting-houses ; one Grerman, one Lutheran, and one Frencl Calvinistic church ; one seceder and one Scots reformed churth ; one church each UNITED STATES. 140 for universalists, congregationalists, Moravians, and Africans; and one Jewish synagogue. There are thirty-one benevolent institutions in New York. Upwards of twenty newspapers are published in this city, nearly half of which are daily papers ; besides several weekly and monthly magazines and essays. A public library is also established here, which consists of about 10,000 volumes, many of them rare and valuable books. The building which contains them is situated in Nassau street, and tjie trustees are incorporated by an act of the legislature. There are also three or four public reading-rooms and circulating libraries, which are supported by some of the principal booksellers, from the annual subscriptions of the inhabitants. There is a mu- seum of natural curiosities in New York, but it contains no- thing worthy of particular notice. There are a number of schools in the city, and the college, in which two of the professors are Scotsmen, is reckoned a very excellent seminary of education. To the north of the city, near Greenwich, stands the state prison, modelled upon the plan of that of Philadelphia ; and it is said to be one of the most benevolent institutions ever established in any country. The water side is lined with shipping, which lie along the wharfs, or in the small docks called slips, of which there are upwards of twelve towards the East river, besides numerous piers. The wharfs are large and commodious, and the ware- houses, which are nearly all new buildings, are lofty and sub- stantial. The merchants, ship-brokers, &c. have their offices in front on the ground floor of their warehouses. These rano^es of buildings and wharfs extend from the Grand Battery, on both sides of the town, up the Hudson and East rivers, and encompass the houses with shipping, whose forest of masts gives a stranger a Uvely idea of the immense trade which this city carries on with every part of the globe. New York ap- pears to him the Tyre of the new world. An intelligent English traveller thus describes his first im- pressions on landing in New York. ' I have walked alone through the streets, for the purpose of forming an independent judgment. Every object is new. I hardly dare trust myself 144. VIEW OF THE in forming conclusions : one most cheering fact is indisputable, the absence of irremediable distress. The street population bears an aspect essentially different from that of London, or large English towns. One striking feature consists in the number of blacks, many of whom are finely dressed, the females very ludicrously so, showing a partiality to white muslin dresses, artificial flowers, and pink shoes. I saw but few well-dressed white ladies, but am informed that the greater part are at pre- sent at the springs of Balstan and Saratoga. The dress of the men is rather deficient in point of neatness and gentility. Their appearance, in con)mon with that of the ladies and chil- dren, is sallow, and what we should call unhealthy. Our friend D tells me that to have colour in the cheeks is an infallible criterion by which to be discovered as an Englishman. In a British town of any importance, you cannot walk along a lead- ing street for half an hour without meeting with almost every variety of size, dress, and appearance among the inhabitants; whilst, on the contrary, here they seem all of one family ; and though not quite a " drab-coloured creation,"" the feelings they excite are not many degrees removed from the uninteresting sensations excited by that expression. The young men are tall, thin, and solemn : their dress is universally trowsers, and very generally loose great coats. Old men, in our English idea of that phrase, appear very rare. ' Churches are numerous and handsome: the interior of one which I have just visited in Broadway is truly elegant, being fitted up with more taste, splendour, and, I presume, expence, than many in London. Several hotels are on an extensive scale ; the City Hotel is as large as the London Tavern ; the dining, and some of the private rooms, seem fitted up regard- less of expence. The price of boarding at this establishment is, I understand, cheaper than 'where I reside. The shops (or stores, as they are called) have nothing in their exterior to re- commend them : there is not even an attempt at tasteful dis- play. The linen and woollen drapers (dry good stores, as they are denominated) leave quantities of their goods loose on boxes in the street, without any precaution against theft. This practice, though a proof of their carelessness, is also an UNITED STATES. 145 evidence as to the political state of society worthy of attention. Masses of the population cannot be unemployed, or robbery would here be inevitable. A great number of excellent pri- vate dwellings are built of red painted brick, which gives them a peculiarly neat and clean appearance. In Broadway and Wall street trees are planted by the side of the pavement. The city-hall is a large and elegant building, in which the courts of law are held. In viewing this structure, I feel some objections which require farther observation either to remove or confirm. Most of the streets are dirty : in many of them sawyers are preparing wood for sale, and all are infested with pigs, — circumstances which indicate a lax police. ' Upon the whole, a walk through New York will disappoint an Englishman : there is, on the surface of society, a careless- ness, a laziness, an unsocial indifference, which freezes the blood and disgusts the judgment. An evening stroll along Broadway, when the lamps are alight, will please more than one at noon-day. The shops then look rather better, though their proprietors, of course, remain the same : their cold indif- ference may by themselves be mistaken for independence, but no person of thought and consideration will ever concede to them that they have selected a wise mode of exhibiting that dignified feeling. I disapprove most decidedly of the obse- quious servility of many London shopkeepers ; but I am not prepared to go the length of those in New York, who stand with their hats on, or sit or lie along their counters, smoking segars, and spitting in every direction, to a degree offensive to any man of decent feelings. * The prevalence of Dutch names tells me I am here a stranger ; but this impression is often counteracted by viewing the immense quantities of British manufactured goods, with which the shops are crowded, as also the number of English works which are advertised, and such placards as " Hone's Riot in London," " Prince's Russia Oil," " Reeves and Wood- yer's Colours," and " Day and Martin's Blacking." ' Another traveller observes, ' The situation of New York I should reckon very healthy ; yet it is sometimes dreadfully afflicted with sickness ; which circumstance, I am rather in- 7 T 146 VIEW OF THE dined to tliink, arises from a defect in the police, wliich docs not seem to be conducted in a manner becoming the wealth and splendour of this fine city. The buildings are, in many places, too crowded : many of the wharfs are ill constructed, and some of the docks project into the city, especially from the East river, to the great annoyance of the inhabitants. The common sewers are incomplete, and there is no supply of fresh water to sweeten and purify the streets; but, beyond all, they have adopted the system of sinking necessaries, which accumulates such a collection of latent filth, that the steams of it are some- times perceptible at two miles distance."* The commerce of New York is of great importance, and is in a high state of prosperity and progressive improvement. There are frequently about 600 vessels in the harbour at one time. The monies collected in New York, for the national treasury on the imports and tonnage, have for several years amounted to one-fourth of the public revenue. The popula- tion at present is estimated at 120,000 ; though in the year 1697 it only amounted to 4302. The number of deaths is at least one fhirfieth, whereas the deaths in London are only al)out a Jjftieth part of its population. It must, however, be observed, that suicides are much more numerous in New York than in London. There are about 4000 negroes and people of colour in New- York, 1700 of whom are slaves. These people are mostly of the methodist persuasion, and have a chapel or two of their own, with preachers of tlieir colour ; though some attend other places of worship, according to their inclination. Albany is the seat of government of the state of New York, and is situated on the west side of the Hudson river, at the head of tide water, 180 miles from the sea. It runs nearly a mile along the river, and about half a mile back from it. The city is divided into streets, some of which are spacious, but others rather narrow and irregular. They are, however, pretty convenient, and there is a line of excellent wharfs and warehouses. The houses amount to about 1500, and the in- habitants to nearly 12,000. The houses are mostly built of brick, and many of them are elegant. The state-house stands UNITED STATES. 147 on an elevated situation at the head of State street, and is a very handsome building, with most splendid and convenient apartments for the legislature to meet in. The old state-house is also in State street, and is occupied by the several different public oifices. The other public buildings are the arsenal, powder-house, city library, three banks, ten churches, two market-houses, two masonic lodges, a theatre, and Cook''s reading-room, an institution probably better supplied with newspapers, and other periodical publications, than any other in the United States. The city is well supplied with water. There are two excel- lent springs three miles to the westward, from whence it is conveyed in pipes to every part of the city. Lots in the prin- cipal streets are as high as in New York, and the rent of houses and stores is in proportion. This being the great mart, in which the trade of an extensive back country centres, it is well supplied with provisions ; but the outlet to the great commercial city. New York, is so easy, by the fine river Hud- son, that all articles which can be easily shipped are kept pretty high. The principal manufactures of Albany are those of grain, brewing, and distilling. There are no manufactories of cloth in the city, but there are several in the neighbourhood, and there is a disposition in the citizens to encourage them, though apparently against their interest, the trade of the city being almost wholly commercial. The principal trade is by the river, on which is sent down grain and provisions, timber, malt liquors, and spirits ; and they receive in return groceries, dry goods, hardware, and crockery, to supply a great part of the country. American manufactured glass, however, begins to make a prominent appearance in the warehouse ; and they will, no doubt, feel the advantage of other articles of American manufacture soon. Albany, from its situation, must be always a place of extended commerce. At present it sufx'ers by the re-action of an overstrained foreign commerce ; but that will be but temporary. Internal manufactures and commerce, be- ing once organized, will more than compensate for the loss of the other. 148 VIEW OF THE The citizens of Albany are very mixed. The original set- tlement was by the Dutch, and their descendants form a very proniiuent part of the society. Of Scottish settlers there are a great many, and the rest are principally New Englanders. In such an assemblage, we may naturally look for industry and enterprise, and a general attention to education and the im- provement of the mind, all of which are very perceptible in the citizens. There are good mechanics in all tlie different branches. The schools are numerous ; the library and read- ing-room have been already noticed. Two newspapers are published, each twice a week, which have a pretty extensive circulation. That the place is healthy, appears in the counte- nances of the ladies, many of whom are handsome, with beau- tiful florid complexions. That it is cold in winter is indicated by the general use of stoves, and the quantities of fuel that are collected for sale. Hudson is of modern construction, and consists of one very long street. The houses are of wood or brick ; many of them built with taste, and all spacious and commodious. Shops and warehouses are numerous, and there are several large inns. It has every appearance of a thriving settlement ; and its si- tuation is elevated and advantageous for commerce. There are several large brick warehouses near the wharfs for the re- ception of goods ; and a great many small vessels sail continu- ally upon the river between this town and New York. Ship- building is carried on here ; and vessels of 3 or 400 tons come into the harbour. The population of this flourishing place is at present estimated at about 5000. Skenectady is 16 miles north-west of Albany, in Albany county, situated on the banks of the Mohawk river. The -town is compact and regular, built principally of brick, on a rich flat of low land, surrounded with hills. The windings of the river through the town and the fields, which are often overflowed in the spring, afford a beautiful prospect about harvest time. As it is at the foot of navigation on a long river, which passes through a very fertile country, and is the medium of all the western trade through the lakes, that comes down the Hudson, it must grow rich in proportion as the country UNITED STATES. 149 west of it populates. It at present contains between 6 and 7000 inhabitants. The other most important towns and villages are Newhirg, PougJikeepsie^ Troy, Lansingburgh, and Waterford, on the Hudson ; Ut\ca, Herkimer, and Rome, on the Mohawk ; and Skeneateless, Geneva, Canandagna, and Biiffalo, to the west- ward. The houses are generally substantially built, and are a good deal similar to those in the New English states. The roads, bridges, and canals are numerous, and of great im- portance. Trade and Resources. — The manufactures of the state are considerable and increasing ; particularly the articles of glass, ashes, iron ware of various descriptions, leather of all kinds, hats, carnages, paper and printing, pottery ware, umbrellas, mathematical and musical instruments. From what has been said of New York, it will be seen that the commerce of this state is very extensive. The internal revenue in 1815 amounted to 1,223,231 dol- lars, and the value of houses and lands to 273,120,600 dollars ; land being valued at Ql dollars per acre. The increase of the value of property in this state, in the course of fifteen years, has been from 100,000,000 to 270,000,000. In 1815, the gross amount of duties on merchandise was 14,867,311 dollars. The registered tonnage employed in fo- reign trade was 180,664, and the tonnage in the coasting trade 2240. Education. — There are many flourishing academies and grammar schools, lately established in the state; but many parts of the country are either unfurnished with schools, or the schools which they have are kept by low ignorant men. King's college, in the city of New York, was principally founded by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants of the province, assisted by the general assembly, and the corpo- ration of Trinity church, in the year 1754, a royal charter be- ing then obtained, incorporating a number of gentlemen therein mentioned, by the name of " The Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the City of New York, in America ;" and granting to them and their successors for ever, 150 VIEW OF THE amongst various otlier rights and privileges, the power of con- ferring all such degrees, as are usually conferred by cither of the English universities. The building consists of an elegant stone edifice, three complete stories high, with four stair-cases, twelve apartments in each, a chapel, hall, library, museinn, anatomical theatre, and a school for experimental philosophy. It is situated on a dry gravelly soil, about 150 yards from the bank of Hudson"'s river, which it overlooks; commanding a most extensive and beautifid prospect. This college is now called Columbia college, and, since the revolution, has been placed under the superintendence of 24 trustees. There are several academies in the state. One is at Flat- bush, in King's county, on Long island, four miles from Brooklyn ferry. It is situated in a pleasant, healthy village. The building is large, handsome, and convenient, and is called Erasmus hall. I'here is another very flourishing academy at East Hampton, on the east end of Long island. Besides these, the state can boast of several excellent grammar schools. There is one at Kingston, in Ulster county; one at Goshen, in the county of Orange ; two at Albany ; one at Skenectady ; one at Lansingburgh ; and another at West Chester. There are also schools erected in many parts of the state, which are maintained by the voluntary contributions of the parents. Religion. — A lute writer thus expresses himself upon this interesting topic. ' There is no state religion, and no govern- ment prosecution for conscience sake. The presbyterian and episcopalian, or church of England, sects take the precedence in numbers and in respectability. Their ministers receive from 2 to 8000 dollars per annum- All churches are well filled : they appear the fashionable places for display ; and the sermons and talents of the minister offer never-ending subjects of interest when social converse has been exhausted. The perfect cqunlity of all sects seems to have deadened party feel- ing : controversy is but little known. The great proportion of attendants at any particular church appear to select it either because they are acquainted with the preacher, or that it is frequented by fashionable company, or their great grandmo- ther went there bet'ore the revolution, or because (what will UNITED STATES. 151 generally have a greater weight than all these reasons) their interest xoill he pi'omotcd by so clo'mg. * Licences are not necessary for either the preacher or place of meeting. According to the constitution of the state of New York, no minister of the gospel, or priest of any denomination, can ever hold any civil or military office or place within the state. In 1806, a law was passed, authorising any rehgious denomination to appoint trustees, for the purpose of superin- tending the temporal concerns of their respective congregations. These trustees become by that act a body corporate, and ca- pable of all legal transactions, on behalf of the congregation : they are allowed, on the part of the whole, to hold estates, which may produce 3000 dollars annually. The episcopahans differ, I believe, in nothing from their established brethren in England, except that they do not form a part of the state : they have their bishops, &c. as in Great Britain. Ministers of all parties are generally ordained : they are exempt from mili- tary service.' Government. — The government of the state is vested in a governor, lieutenant-governor, senate, and house of representa- tives. The governor and lieutenant-governor are elected for three years, the senators for four, and the assembly-men are chosen annually. The necessary quulifilcations for the electors are, six months residence in the state previous to the election ; the possession of a freehold of 20/. value, or to have rented a tenement of the value of 40.5. yearly ; and to have been rated on the polls, and actually paid taxes to the state. Islands. — Long island, a part of the state of New York, is" chiefly occupied by farmers : their populous capital affords ^ ready market for produce. This island in length is 120, and in breadth 12 miles. It is divided into counties, two of which retain the names of royalty ; the first being called King's, and the second Queen's county — such irjveterate tyrants are ancient customs. The west end has a good soil, and is in a state of moderate cultivation : the east has g considerable portion of sandy plains. The introduction of gypsum, and other im- provements in their mode of agriculture, have much increased the annual produce. Within the last 14 years, farms have 152 VIEW OF THE risen in value 25 per cent. Land is worth from 3Z. Is. 6d. to 33/. 15,?. per acre. A choice of farms may now be purchased in this island at from 15Z. ISs. to 22/. 10s. per acre, including necessary buildings. Farmers do not live extravagantly : few of them have money in reserve. The high price of labour, indifference of the soil, and general want of capital, must cause a long continuance of this state of things. The agriculturist, who alone can, in this island, entertain rational hopes of profit, must have sons that will work, and be himself among the fore- most by labouring with their own hands. Their being no tax upon horses, their labour is preferred, and mules and asses arc seldom if ever used. This interesting island, which is called the garden of Ame- rica, is separated from the city of New York by East river, which, at the ferry, is about one-third wider than the Thames at Greenwich. Statcn island lies nine miles south-west of the city of New York, and forms Richmond county. It is about 18 miles in length, and between six and seven in breadth. The land, in general, is hilly and uneven ; but there is some good level ground on its southern extremity. York island is 13 miles long, and from one to two miles wide. The port and. city of New York is situated on its southern end, and is closely built from shore to shore. This is a most delightful district ; and the scenery, particularly on the margin of the East river, is pleasing and diversified. It is thickly studded with country seats and gardens ; and the fruit is so plentiful, that people are at liberty to pull apples, &c. on the road side. As most of the genteel families have country retreats, where they reside during the hot or sickly season, beautiful and handsome seats are rapidly multiplying, and the value of property increasing. History. — Hudson river was first discovered by Henry Hud:-on, an Englishman, who sold his claim to the Dutch. A few years after, several merchants in Holland joined and built a fort near Albany, which they called fort Orange. In 1615, a fort was built on the site of the present city. But, in 16G4, the colony was surrendered to colonel NicoUs, who landed at UNITED STATES. 15S the head of 300 British soldiers. The name of the city was now changed from New Amsterdam to New Vork, and fort Orange was called Albany, in honour of his royal highness James duke of York and Albany. In the year 1673, the Dutch retook this settlement ; but it was restored at the peace in the following year. The English had happily succeeded in retaining the friendship of the six Indian tribes inhabiting the territory west of Albany ; but in the winter of 1690, the French sent 200 soldiers and a party of Indians to attack Skenectady, in order to detach the confe- derate tribes from the British interest. For twenty days they marched through the snow, carrying their provisions on their backs. Such was the extreme distress to which they were re- duced, that they had thoughts of surrendering themselves pri- soners of war. But their scouts, who were a day or two in the village entirely unsuspected, returned with such encouraging accounts of the absolute security of the people, that the enemy determined on the attack. They entered, on Satiu-day night about eleven oVlock, at the gates, which were found unshut ; and, that every house might.be invested at the same time, di- vided into small parties of six or seven men. Tlie inhabitants were in a profound sleep, and unalarmed, until their doors Avere broke open. Never were people in a more wretched consternation. Before they were risen from their beds, the enemy entered their houses, and began the perpetration of the most inhuman barbarities. No tongue can express the cruel- ties that were committed. The whole village was instantly in a blaze. Women with child were ripped open, and their in- fants cast into the flames, or dashed against the posts of tlie doors. Sixty persons perished in the massacre, and 27 were carried into captivity. The rest fled naked towards Albany', through a deep snow which fell that very night in a terrible storm ; and 25 of the fugitives lost their limbs in the flight, through the severity of the frost. The news of this dreadful tragedy reached Albany about break of day, and universal dread seized the inhabitants of that city, the enemy being re- ported to be 1400 strong. A party of horse was inunediately dispatched to Skenectady, and a few Mohawks then in town, U 154 VIEW OF THE fearful of being intercepted, were with difficulty sent to apprise their own castles. In 1709, this province expended large sums in preparations to reduce Canada; but not being properly seconded by the English government, the enterprise was abandoned. In the following year, governor Hunter arrived with 3000 Germans, who had fled fioin a religious persecution, which opened the road for emigration from that part of Europe. Excepting internal disputes between the episcopalians and presbyterians, and struggles against the extension of the French interest amongst the Indians, nothing material occurred in this state until the revolution. NEW JERSEY. Situation and Extent. ]VEW JERSEY is situated between 39 deg. and 41 deg, 20 min. north lat., and 1 deg. 30 min. and 3 deg. 5 min. east long. It is bounded on the east by Hudson's river and the sea; on the south by the sea; on the west by Delaware bay and river, which divide it from the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania ; and on the north by a line drawn from the mouth of Mahak- kamak river to a point in Hudson's river in lat. 41 deg. Its length is 145 miles, and its breadth GO. It contains 6500 square miles, being 4,160,000 acres. Natural Geography. — The state extends along the sea-coast upwards of 100 miles, which, with the exception of the high- land of Never Sink, is low and sandy ; but it is more elevated and more diversified towards the interior. The northern part swells out into high lands, and, towards the extremity of the state, there are considerable mountains. The principal rivers UNITED STATES. 155 have been already noticed, and there are no other of any note, though small streams are numerous, and supply the state abundantly with mill seats. The climate is strikingly different in the different sections of the state. In the northern part there is clear settled weather, and the winters are excessively cold, but the whole is very healthy : in the southern part, particularly towards the extre- mity, the climate approaches to that of the southern states, and is subject to very sudden changes. About one-fourth part of the state is sandy and barren: there are in the southern parts extensive pine barrens, and cedar swamps. Large tracts of salt meadow run. along Dela- ware bay, and the rivers which fall into the Atlantic. Along the rivers and small streams in the interior of the state there is much good land ; and the hilly district abounds with fertile valleys. The state abounds with minerals ; producing iron, lead, copper, gypsum, coal, and slate ; and there are several useful clays and ochres. Population.— 1^\\Q population of New Jersey in 1817 amounted to 345,822, which is above 53 persons to a square mile. Manners^ S^c. — The inhabitants of this state are a collection of Low Dutch, Germans, Engli^i, Scotch, Irish, and New Englanders, or their descendants. National attachments and mutual convenience have generally induced these several kinds of people to settle together, which has tended to preserve their peculiar national manners, customs, and character. Religion has also contributed to render this difference more striking ; the presbyterian, the quaker, the episcopalian, the baptist, the German and Low Dutch Calvinist, the methodist, and the Moravian, have each something peculiar in their worship, dis- cipline, or dress. Besides, the people in West Jersey trade to Philadelphia, and of course imitate their fashions, and im- bibe their manners. The inhabitants of East Jersey trade to New York, and regulate their fashions and manners according to those of New York: so that the difference in regard to fashions and manners between East and West Jersey, is nearly 156 VIEW OF THE as great as between New York and Philadelphia. On the whole, the people of this state are in general sober, frugal, and industrious ; though not remarkable for activity and in- telligence. Chief Toicns. — Trenton is the capital of New Jersey, and is situated on the Delaware river, 30 miles from Philadelphia, and ^Q from New York. It is a handsome little town, con- taining about 200 houses^. The public buildings are the state- house, a court-house, an episcopal church, a presbyterian church, a quaker meeting-house, and methodist meeting-house. Trenton bridge, which crosses the Delaware, being one of the most elegant in the United States, merits a particular descrip- tion. It consists of five arches of 194 feet span each, built of white pme, and supported on strong stone piers : the whole length is 970 feet, the breadth 36. The arches are elevated over head by substantial rafters, and the platform, or carriage way, is suspended by these arches, and forms a plane the whole length of the bridge. Above the top of the arches the roof is covered in, so as to secure the whole from the weather ; and the carriage way is divided into two sections, each of which is appropriated to travellers in one direction. At the entrance, passengers are directed to take tlie road on the right hand. Upon the whole, this is a very elegant piece of architecture. It was commenced in 1804, and is the plan of a mechanic of the name of Burr. In the neighbourhood of this state are se- veral pleasant seats, finely situated on the banks of the Dela- ware, and ornamented with taste and elegance. Burlington extends three miles along the Delaware, and is 20 miles above Philadelphia by water, and 17 by land. The river is here about a mile wide, and under shelter of Mitthmi- cunk and Bui-lington islands, affords a safe and convenient harbour. Part of the city is built upon the latter island, which is connected by bridges and causeways with the main land. The principal streets are spacious and ornamented with trees. Here is an excellent jail, a court-house, and two mar- ket-houses. This port is well situated for trade; but is to» near the opulent city of Philadelphia to admit of any consider- able increase. UNITED STATES. 157 Perth Amboy took its name from James Drummond, earl of Perth, and Ambo, the Indian word for point ; and stands on a neck of land included between Raritan river and Arthur Kull sound. Its situation is high and healthy. It lies open to Sandy Hook, and has one of the best harbours on the con- tinent. Vessels from sea may enter it in one tide, in almost any weather. Great efforts have been made, and legislative encouragements oifered, to render it a place of trade, but with- out success. It was formerly the capital of East Jersey. Brunswiclc is an incorporated city, containing about 3000 inhabitants. The greater part of it is low, and it is not very handsome, but seems to be improving. It was originally set- tled mostly by Dutch people, and there are three Dutch churches. The other public buildings worthy of notice are, the court-house and academy ; which last is said to be a very thriving seminary. The lands in the neighbourhood appear rough and rocky ; but they raise pretty good crops, particu- larly of grass, which has, throughout the whole of this district, flourished very much of late, in consequence of the application of plaster of Paris. Nexoarlc is a beautiful town, regularly laid out in broad streets, on a fine plain, and contains nearly 2000 inhabitants. The public buildings are two places for public worship, a court-house, and academy. Considerable manufactures are carried on here, particularly of leather. The inhabitants have likewise a pretty extensive inland trade ; and have a bank to facilitate their commercial operations. The country is well cultivated in the neighbourhood, and Newark is remarkable for the goodness of its cyder, of which a large quantity is made annually. Six miles from Newark is Elizabethtotcn, containing two churches and an academy. It is a pretty little place, and the land in its neighbourhood is fertile and well cultivated. Trade and Resources. — This is neither a manufacturing nor a commercial state. Though many attempts have been made to encourage the trade at Amboy and Burlington, yet the merchants of New York and Philadelphia continue to be the factors for New Jersey. The principal articles of manufacture 158 VIEW OF THE are iron, leather, glass, and paper, of which large quantities are exported. But the resources of the state consist mostly of agricultural produce ; though the unenterprising habits of the farmers prevent the adoption of new and useful improvements. The produce of the state is wheat, rye, barley, oats, Indian corn, potatoes and other vegetables, and a vast quantity of fruit ; and butter and cheese are made in great quantities, for the supply of the New York and Philadelphia markets. The value of houses and lands, by the returns of the as- sessors in 1815, was 98,612,083 dollars ; the average value of land being 35 dollars per acre. The internal revenue amounted to 211,705 dollars; the gross amount of duties upon merchandise was only 17,666 dollars, the tonnage em- ployed in foreign trade 2465, and in the coasting trade 2668. Education. — The general dissemination of knowledge through the state has not been attended to according to its impoitance. There are numerous seminaries for the higher branches of li- terature ; but the state seems defective in common schools. Reiigion. — The presbyter! an s, quakers, and baptists, arc very numerous in this state. There are also many that belong to the episcopalian, Moravian, methodist, and ])utch reformed churches. But, according to the law, none are compelled to attend or support any worship contrary to their own judgment. Govey^nment. — The state is divided into 13 counties and 100 townships. The government is vested in a governor, le- gislative council, and general assembly. The council consists of one member, and the assembly of three n)embers, from each county, chosen annually by the people. The governor is chosen annually by the coimcil and assembly. T he qualifi- cation for a voter is 50/. The state is prospering, and in- creasing in population and wealth. '• H'tstonj. — The first settlers of New Jersey were a nuinber of Dutch emigrants from New York, who came over between the years 161 4< and 1620, and settled in the county of Bergen. Next after these, in 1627, came over a colony of Swedes and Fins, and settled on the river Delaware. The Dutch and Swedes, though not in harmony with each other, kept posses- won of the country many years. UNITED STATES. 159 In March, 1634, Charles II. granted all the territory, called by the Dutch New Netherlands, to his brother the duke of York, who, in 1674, had this grant confirmed by a new patent. In the same year, New Jersey was divided : West Jersey was granted to the assigns of lord Berkeley, and East Jersey to Sir G, Carteret. In the following year, a factory was settled at Salem in West Jersey, and these were the first English settlers in West Jersey. In 1682, East Jersey was sold to 24 pro- prietors ; which division caused so much confusion, that the proprietors surrendered the government to the crown in 1702, in which state it continued till the revolution. PENNSYLVANIA. Situation and Extent. nPHIS fine state is situated between 39 deg. 43 min. and 42 deg. north lat., and 2 deg- 20 min. east, and 3 deg. 30 min. west long. It is bounded on the east by Delaware river ; on the north by the parallel of 42 deg. north lat., which divides it from the state of New York ; on the south by the parallel of 39 deg. 43 min. 18 sec. north lat., which divides it from the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia ; and on the west by a me- ridian line, drawn from the termination of 5 degrees of longi- tude, from a point on Delaware river, near Wilmington, in the parallel of 39 deg. 43 min. 18 sec, to intersect the parallel of 42 deg. This line divides the state from a part of Virginia, the Western Territory (so called), and from a tract of land, 20 miles square, which was confirmed to Connecticut by con- gress. The north-west corner of Pennsylvania extends about one mile and a half inio lake Erie, and is about 20 miles west of the old French fort at Presque isle. This state is 320 miles 160 VIEW OF THE long from east to west, and 162 miles broad ; and contains 48,700 square miles, being 31,168,000 acres. Natural Geograpliy. — The face of the country is remarka- bly diversified. The south-east part, to the distance of about 60 or 70 miles from Philadelphia, is an undulating country, swelling in some places into considerable hills ; but it is not mountainous. The mountainous region then commences, and extends across the country about 120 miles. The mountains are generally in long chains, running north-east and south-west. Between the chains, the country is rough and hilly ; but there are many fine rallies, and the whole abounds with picturesque scenery. To the north and west of the mountains, the coun- try is elevated, abounding with hills, valleys, and rich scenery, which continue about 120 miles, to the extremity of the state. The country is remarkably well watered. Lake Erie is si- tuated on the north-west, and the Delaware bay on the south- east, by both of which there are fine outlets, the one affording direct and speedy communication with the Atlantic ocean, the other communicating with it by the more advantageous course of the river St. Lawrence ; while it is a link in the chain of an inland navigation, extending through the lakes upwards of a thousand miles. To the south-west the state communicates with the Ohio, having an outlet, through the Mississippi, to the gulf of Mexico ; and from the middle there is an outlet through the Susquehannah to the Chesapeake bay. The Delaware is the principal river of this state. From the mouth of Delaware bay, at cape Henlopen, t» Philadelphia, is reckoned 118 miles. So far there is a sufficient depth of water for a 74 gun ship. From Philadelphia to Trenton falls is 35 niiltfs. This is the head of sloop navigation. The river is navigable, for boats that carry eight or nine tons, 40 miles further, and for Indian canoes, except several small falls or ptirtages, 150 miles. At Easton it receives the Lehigh from the west, which is navigable 30 miles. The tide sets up as high as Trenton falls, and at Philadelphia rises generally about six miles. A north-east and east wind raises it higher. On cape Henlopen stands the light-house, with a few other houses. Opposite the light-house, on the Jersey shore, 12 UNITED STATES. 161 miles, is cape May. Between these capes is the entrance into Delaware bay. The entrance into the river is 20 miles further up, at Bombay Hook, where the river is four or five miles wide. From Bombay Hook to Reedy island is 20 miles. This island is the rendezvous of outward bound ships in au- tumn and spring, waiting for a favourable wind. This river is generally frozen one or two months in the year so as to pre- vent navigation. At Philadelphia it is about a mile broad. The banks are level and covered with wood ; and the lands rise to a considerable height at a distance, affording in some places pretty good views. The Schuylkill rises north-west of the Kittatinny mountains, through which it passes into a fine champaign country, and runs, from its source, upwards of 120 miles in a south-east di- rection, and falls into the Delaware three miles below Phila- delphia. It is navigable from above Reading, 85 or 90 miles, to its mouth. There are three floating bridges thrown across it, made of logs fastened together, and lying upon the water. The Lehigh rises among the mountains, between the Dela- ware and Susquehannah, and running a very crooked passage, emerges from the mountains about 50 miles from its source, and from thence runs through a fine country 30 miles, during which it is navigable to Easton, where it falls into the Delaware. The Susquehannah is a noble river, and appears on the map like a large crooked tree, with numerous branches. The head waters of the eastern branch are numerous, and rise in the state of New York, not far from the waters of the Mo- hawk river. Passing into the state of Pennsylvania, it makes a remarkable bend, called appropriately the Big Bend; from thence it makes a stretch into New York, and passing to the westward, about 40 miles, turns again to the southward, and passes into the state of Pennsylvania, where it forms a junction with the Tioga river at Tioga point. It then runs a south- east course, about 70 miles ; when making a sudden bend, at a right angle, it runs a south-west course, about 80 miles, and unites with the western branch at Northumberland. The river is now nearly half a mile broad, and flows through the mountains, nearly a south course of 40 miles, to where it re- X 162 VIEW OF THE ceives the Junita river. From thence it makes a considerable bend to the eastward, and running about 10 miles, it emerges from the mountains above Harrisburg ; and keeps a south-east course alx)ut 80 miles, when it falls into the Chesapeake bay. The Tioga river has its head waters partly in Pennsylvania, and partly in New York, where some of the streams approach within a few miles of the waters of the St. Lawrence. These all unite in New York state, towards the Painted Post, and run a south-east course of nearly 40 miles_, to the junction with the Susquehannah. The western branch of the Susquehannah is formed by many streams, beyond the Alleghany mountains, some of them approaching within a few miles of the waters of the St. Law- rence, and others within a few miles of the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi, and runs a very circuitous course, upwards of 200 miles, principally among the mountains, to its junction with the east branch. The Junita river rises on the Alleghany mountains, near the head waters of the Conemaugh, a branch of the Ohio, and passing through the mountains to the eastward, by a very serpentine course, it falls into the Susquehannah as aforesaid, its length being nearly 200 miles. The length of the Susquehannah, from the Chesapeake bay to the head of the eastern branch, is upwards of 450 miles; and the whole river, including its branches, waters a country nearly 200 miles square. It is navigable for large vessels only a few miles, and there are many islands, rocks, and falls, which obstruct the navigation for boats ; but it is presumed that these can be removed, and that, by the aid of some locks and canals, it can be rendered navigable, almost to the source of the eastern branch. The western branch is navigable for boats nearly 150 miles, and the Junita river nearly 120. From this short account, the importance of improving the navigation of this fine river will be readily infen-ed. The Alleghany river rises on the highest land in the state, to the westward of the mountains, within a few miles of the head waters of the Genesee river, and the western branch of the Susquehannah. It is here called Oswaya creek, and runs UNITED STATES. 163 a north-west course into the state of New York, and, passing again into the state of Pennsylvania, it receives the waters of Conewongo creek and Chataughque lake. From thence it runs a winding course, but generally south-west, to Franklin, where it receives the waters of French creek. From thence it runs a circuitous course about 100 miles^ receiving in its pro- gress many tributary streams, particularly Toby's creek and Kishkemanetas rivers, and at Pittsburg forms a junction with the Monongahela, which together constitute the Ohio. The Alleghany is a navigable river, and the navigation is continued through French creek to Waterford, from whence there is a portage of only 14 miles to lake Erie. The naviga- tion is extended into the country 20 or 25 miles, by the Kish- kemanetas I'iver. The Monongahela rises in Virginia, near the Laurel moun- tains, and, running by a meandering course about 70 miles, passes into this state ; soon after which it receives the waters of Cheat river. From thence it continues, by a serpentine course, but nearly in a northern direction, about 60 miles, where it forms a junction with Yoxhiogeni, and thence runs north-west about 14 miles to Pittsburg. It is navigable in large boats to Brownsville and Morgantown, 100 miles from its mouth; and from thence by small boats 40 miles farther. The western branch is also navigable in high water. The Yoxhiogeni I'ises in Maryland, and runs a course east of north, about 40 miles before it passes into this state. From thence it runs a north-west course, and, passing the Laurel hill and Chesnut ridge, forms the junction with the Mononga- hela above mentioned ; its whole length being about 100 miles. The soil to the east Of the mountains is generally good, and a considerable part of it is bedded on limestone, Among the mountains the land is rough, and much of it poor ; but there are a great many rich and fertile valleys. To the west of the mountains the soil is generally excellent. The climate is very various. On the east side of the Alle- ghany mountains it is pretty similar to Jersey, already de- scribed. It is, in comm(m with the other countries east of the mountains, subject to great and sudden changes; but it is 164 VIEW OF THE considered more settled than immediately on the sea-board, and is perfectly healthy. The winter commences about the 20th of December, and the spring sets in about two weeks earlier than at New York. Among the mountains there is a sharp atmosphere, with a clear, settled sky. There is frost almost every month in the year in some places ; and the ex- tremes of heat and cold are considerable. The winters may be reckoned a month longer than to the eastward. The whole region is healthy. — The country beyond the mountains has a temperate climate, with a considerable portion of cloudy wea- ther; and the winters are more humid and mild than on the Atlantic. The agriculture of the state has improved rapidly, and is in an advanced state. The staple article is wheat, of which the quantity manufactured into flour annually is immense. It is reckoned the best in the United States, and surpassed by none in the world. The mountainous district is pretty much ap- plied to raising stock. The breetl of horses is reckoned the best in the United States. Sheep have of late greatly in- creased, and thrive remarkably well. All the grains, grasses, and roots comn^on to the other states thrive here. The stock of fruit, particularly peaches, is excellent ; and some progress has of late been made in the cultivation of the vine. This state is well supplied with iron ore ; and coal abounds in many places, particularly in the western country. Slate is found in several places ; and marble and freestone, of an ex- cellent quality, are found in great abundance. Limestone is also in great plenty ; and some copper and lead have been found, but not in sufficient quantity to be wrought. There are many mineral springs in the state. Population. — The population of this state in 1817 amounted to 986,494, which is above 20 persons to a square mile. Manners, &)C. — A late writer, in speaking of tlie mai^ners of the citizens of Philadelphia, says, ' The habits of the people are marked by caution and secresy. Although the eyes and ears of a stranger are not insulted in the openness of nooi)-day with evidence of hardened profligacy, I have, nevertheless, reason to believe in its existence to a very great extent ; though UNITED STATES. 165 perhaps there is no Philadelphia parent would say to me what a respectable inhabitant of New York did : " There is not a father in this city but who is sorry that he has got a son." ' There is, of course, here no rank of society correspondent to the peerage, or the " hmit-ton,"" in England ; but there are many who keep carriages, have truly elegant houses, and su- perb furniture. These are called of the "first class;" and although they have not the pomp or the titles, they have the pride of an aristocracy. The small and middling tradesmen do not make mucli exertion, live easily, save no money, and appear to care nothing about either the present or future. If they find business getting bad, they do, what is called, " sell out," and pack up for the •' back country." The labourer and mechanic are independent, not in purse, but in condition. Neither they nor their master conceive that any obligation is conferred by employing them. They live well, and may al- ways have a dollar in their pockets. Men are here indepen- dent of each other : this will shew itself even in half an hour's walk through the streets of Pliiladelphia. ' The dress of the gentlemen is copied from the fashions of England ; that of the ladies from France, — who very modestly believe, and indeed have no hesitation in declaring, that they combine the excellences of the French and the English charac- ter, without possessing the defects of either. For myself; I can trace no resemblance to the former, unless it consist in kid gloves and artificial flowers ; nor to the latter, except in a fondness for lady Morgan's writings, and an admiration of lord Wellington's achievements. Covdd American ladies be content to despise instead of copying the vanity of their coun- trymen, and take a few practical lessons from the English female in the management of domestic concerns, and the culti- vation of their minds, then indeed their fine forms might be- come peculiarly interesting, at least to the man of sense.' About one-third of the Inhabitants are friends and episcopa- hans, chiefly of English extraction. The Irish are mostly presbyterians, and are very numerous : they inhabit the west- ern and frontier counties. The Germans compose at least one-fourth of the whole population of the state : they are ge- 166 VIEW OF THE nerally employed in agriculture, and are distinguished for ni- dustry and frugality ; but the poorer class are extremely ignorant and superstitious. They mostly reside in the neigh- bourhood of Philadel})hia. Mr. Fearon says he ' passed through an extensive, fertile, well-cultivated, and beautiful tract of land, called the " Great Valley." Farms in this district ai'e chiefly owned by Dutch and Germans, and their descendants. They consist of from 50 to 200 acres, each acre worth 200 dollars (4oZ.), and are cheaper at that price than the 50 cent and dollar and half lands, which encumber other parts of the eastern states. The substantial barns, fine private dwellings, excellent breed and condition of live stock, and superior cultivation of the " Great Valley," place it decidedly in advance of the neighbouring lands, and put it fairly in competition with Old England. The proprietors are wealthy. They have the reputation of being practical opponents of the desolating system of paper money, by keeping their hard cash safely locked up in their ^' old coutitri/''' boxes. Be this as it may, their property, un- like that of their fellow citizens on the sea-side, has not va- nished into air by the late mighty political changes. They have been blessed by heaven with excellent land and good markets ; and although their progress in the acquirement of *' this world's goods" has not been like the rise of Jonah"'s gourd, neither has it shared the fate of that transitory plant."* Chief Toxons. — Philadelphia is situated between the Dela- ware find Schuylkill rivers, about four miles above their junc- tion. It is laid out on an elegant plan, with streets crossing one another at right angles, and extends between the two rivers, being upwards of two miles in length from east to west, and a little more than one mile in breadth. There are large suburbs to the north and south, on the Delaware river, called the Northern Liberties, Kensington, and Southwark ; and these extend upwards of a mile to the north, and half a mile south of the city, making the extreme length on the Delaware river nearly three miles. But the city is closely built to the westward only about a mile ; the buildings on the remaining part, towards the Schuylkill, being very thinly scattered. It UNITED STATES. 16Tf is, however, rapidly filling up in that direction. High or Market street is about 100 feet broad, and running the whole length of the city, is terminated by the Schuylkill bridge to the west. A street of equal breadth, called Broad street, crosses it in the middle, where there is a large area, called Centre square, on which the Mater works are built. The streets running parallel to High street are named after various trees said to have been found on the ground on which they are laid out. To the north are Mulbeny, Sassafras, and Vine ; to the south, Chesnut, Walnut, Locust, Spruce, Pine, and Cftdar. The cross streets are numbered according to situation from the rivers, thus, Front, Second, Third, and .so on, to Thirteenth, on the Delaware side; and from Front to Eighth, on the Schuylkill side. Mulberry street is 60 feet wide, and all the other streets ai'e 50. It was the intention of the bene- volent projector of the city that Front street, on the Delaware, should have been the eastern boundaiy, and that the space between that and the river should have been converted into public ground, useful and ornamental to the city ; but this elegant plan has given way to the avidity for commercial gain and this spot is now thicklv built up with wharfs, warehouses, and dwelling houses ; which form a street on the low ground along the margin of the river, called Water street. In the original plan there were a great number of public squares, but several of them have also been infringed upon, tiiough there are still many left, which are very ornamental to the city. An English writer observes that the city, on approaching it by water, looks extremely well ; which impression is, however, dissipated on coming nearer, ' as nothing is visible from the water but confused heaps of wooden storehouses, crowded upon each other, the chief of which are built upon platforms of artificial gi'ound, and wharfs which project a considerable way into the river. The wharfs are of a rectangular form, and built of wood ; they jut out in every direction, and are well adapted for the accommodation of shipping, the largest merchant vessels being able to lie close alongside them. Be- hind these wharfs, and parallel to the river, runs Water street. This is the first street which you usually enter after landing. 168 , VIEW OF THE and it does not serve to give a stranger a very favourable opi- nion either of the neatness or commodiousness of the public ways of Philadelphia. It is no more than 30 feet wide ; and immediately behind the houses, which stand on the side far- thest from the water, a high bank, supposed to be the old bank of the river, rises, which renders the air very confined. Added to this, such stenches at times prevail in it, owing in part to the quantity of filth and dirt that is suffered to remain on the pavement, and in part to what is deposited in waste houses, of which there are several in the street, that it is really dreadful to pass through it. It was here that the mahgnant yellow fever broke out in the year 1793, which made such terrible ravages ; and in the summer season, in general, the street is found extremely unhealthy.' The city is composed almost wholly of brick houses, covered with slate or shingles ; and they are generally ornamented with marble steps, w ith soles and lintels for the doors and windows ; which form an elegant contrast with the brick, and add much to the beauty of the buildings. Some of the public buildings are wholly composed of marble, and otliers are much orna- mented with it, which gives the city an elegant and even mag- nificent appearance. The public buildings are very numerous. The bare men- tion of a few of them will be sufficient to convey an idea of the importance of the city. The state-house, with the court- houses and philosophical hall adjoining, the dispensary, alms- house, hospital, jail, carpenter's hall, college, academy, library, two theatres, four banks, five quaker meeting-houses, six pres- byterian churches, three episcopal churches, four Roman ca- tholic churches, three methodist ehurches, and one each for German Calvinisls, German Lutherans, Swedish Lutherans, Moravians, baptists, unitarians, Jews, and universalists. The State-house is remarkable as being the place from whence tlie independence of the United States was first pro- claimed ; and the legislature of the United States held their meetings in the adjoining buildings, while Philadelphia was the seat of the general government. Wlien the legislature of Pennsylvania continued at Philadelphia, they held their meet- UNITED STATES. 169 ings in the state-house ; but the seat of government has been removed to Lancaster, and that building now contains Peale's museum. There are three market-houses in the city, the principal of which is i$^' High street. It is a very handsome building, about a quarter of a mile in length, and is well supplied with provisions. The price of provisions is somewhat cheaper than in New York, Beef, mutton, and veal, may be quoted at from 6 to 8 cents per pound; and, generally speaking, all other articles of domestic production may be quoted as one- fifth cheaper than in the latter city. The markets are large and well supplied : the chief is in Market street. The time of sale is from daylight to two ©""clock from the 1st of April to the 1st of September, and from daylight to three o'clock the remainder of the year. No butchers are allowed to kill in the city, nor are live cattle to be driven to the city markets. The water-works of this city are excellent. The building which contains the reservoir is in the Centre square, being the most elevated ground in the city. It occupies a square of 60 feet ; from the middle there is a circular tower, 40 feet in dia- meter, and 60 feet high, which contains the reservoir; and this tower is terminated by a dome, which gives it a very handsome appearance. The water is conveyed to this building from the Schuylkill, a distance of nearly a mile, through a cir- cular brick tunnel, of six feet diameter, having a fall of six inches towards the Schuylkill. The water is received from the Schuylkill into a substantial basin and canal, and from thence is raised by a steam engine to the level of the aqueduct, which conveys it to the Centre square. It is there received into another basin, and thence, by another steam engine, is elevated to the circular tower, from whence it issues through wooden pipes, in all directions, to supply the city. The whole expence of the Morks was about 150,000 dollars (33,750/. sterling.) The work was undertaken by the corpo- ration, who raised the funds partly by a tax, and partly by loan, allowing the subscribers to the loan six per cent, interest 8 Y 170 VIEW OF THE for their money, and the use of the water free for three years, for every 100 dollars subscribed. The city is supplied with water by contract, and the con- tractor is obliged to supply three millions of gallons per day, if required. The annual expence is six thousand dollars for one million of gallons per day ; and for any additional quantity, up to two millions, the expence is at the rate of half that sum 'J.'he engine is 40 horse power, and can raise, if necessary, four millions and a half of gallons per day ; so that the' supply must be abundant for evei'y purpose. The water is soft and good : but it is not filtered, and is, of course, sometimes muddy, though never so much so as to ren- der it unfit for use ; and it is al wavs wholesome. It is of great importance to these works that they are the property of the public, and not subject to individual speculation, in consequence of which the supply is liberal, and there are fountains in every street, to which the whole public have access. The water can be used for watering the streets, or extinguishing fires, as often as may be necessary ; while every householder, bv paying a reasonable compensation, can have a hydrant in any part of his premises tliat he pleases, even to the attic story. In short, this water is a great hixuiy, and is of incalculable advantage to the health, as it certainly is to the convenience and comfort of the community. The supply of cities with water is a subject of great im- portance ; and it is to be hoped that the inhabitants of other places in the United States will profit by the laudable example set them by the citizens of Philadelphia, and the happy effects which have resulted from it. The power of the steam engine, properly applied, can send water to any city, and cities are generally sufficiently ojnilent to bear the expence. The PiiiLADKLPiiiAX HOSPITAL, for its airiness, for its am- venient accommodation for the sick and infirm, and for the neatness exhibited throughout every part of it, cannot be sur- passed by any institution of the kind in the world. The plan of the building is in the form of the letter H. It is two stories high, and underneath the whole are cells for lunatics. Per- UNITED STATES. 171 sons labouring under any disorder of body or mind are received into this hospital, excepting such as have diseases that are contagious, and of a malignant nature ; such patients, how- ever, have the advice of the attending physicians gratis, and are supplied with medicine from the hospital dispensary. The hospital stands within the limits of the city, but it is more than a quarter of a mile removed from any of the other buildings. There are spacious walks within the inclosure for such of the patients as are in a state of convalescence. The Bettering house, which is under the cai'e of the overseers of the poor, stands in the same neighbourhood, somewhat farther removed from the houses of the city. It is a spacious building of brick, with extensive walks and gardens. The poor of the city and neighbourhood are here furnished with employment, and comfortably lodged and dieted. Du- ring the severity of the winter season, many aged and reduced persons seek refuge in this place, and leave it again on the re- turn of spring. Whilst they stay there, they are under very little restraint, and go in and out when they please: they must, however, behave orderly. The poor-laws are administered by sixteen citizens, who are chosen annually by the corporation.^ to superintend the provi- sion for the poor. They are empowered, with the approbation of four aldermen and two justices, to levy an assessment not exceeding, at any one time, 100 cents (4*. Qd.) on 100 dollars (22/. lO.y.), or one per cent. ; nor more than three dolla'rs per head, on every free man not otherwise rated. The average annual number of paupers supported in alms-houses of this city is 1600 ; the expence of keeping them 70,000 dollars a year ; the produce of the poor-tax for the city and county of Philadelphia 100,000 dollars. The jail is a spacious building of common stone, 100 feet in front. It is fitted up with solitary cells, on the new plan, and the apartments are all arched, to prevent the communication of fire. Behind the building are extensive yards, which are secured by lofty walls. This prison is well regulated. Its object is to receive the vicious, and, if possible, to reclaim the^n to virtue; and is an admirable contrast to the sanguinary pu- in VIEW OF THE nishraents of old governments, who, for even pecuniary of- fences, send them off to the other world to be reclaimed there. This instit,ution does not admit offenders till after conviction, when they are received from the different parts of the state. It is hence called the State-prison. When a criminal is re- ceived, his name is put upon the record, or, to use a commer- cial idea, he becomes a partner in the concern, and an account < is accordingly raised for him in the books. Inquiry is then made what he can do ; if he can work at any trade, he is taken to the apartment where that branch is carried on, and has his task assigned him. If he can work at no trade, he is sent to saw marble. As a stimulus to industry, the convicts get credit in the books for the proceeds of their labour, and are debited with the expence of the'u: board and clothing, which, however, is not very expensive, as every thing is conducted upon an economical plan ; and when they are released, should their earnings be more than the expence of maintenance, the balance is paid to them. Almost every trade is carried on in the prison ; and the in- stitution is so organized that every necessary of life is attended to by the convicts themselves : baking, cooking, scrubbing the rooms, and so on ; and every thing is kept remai'kably clean. The food is wholesome and nutritive, consisting of Indian meal, bread, and meat. The drink is molasses and water ; and no spirituous liquors are admitted within the walls of the prisoit. There is a separate apartment for the reception of female convicts, where the various parts of female labour are carried on, and it is otherwise under the same system of management as that for the males. This benevolent institution is inspected twice every week by twelve persons appointed for that purpose, who are chosen annually from amongst the citizens of Philadelphia. Nor is it a difficult matter to procure these men, who readily and vo- luntarily take it upon them to go through the troublesome functions of the office without any fee or emolument wlij^tever. They divide themselves into committees ; each of these takes it in turn, for a stated period, to visit every part of the prison ; UNITED STATES. 173 and a report is made to the inspectors at large, who meet toge- ther at times regularly appointed. From the report of the committee an opinion is formed by the inspectors, who, with the consent of the judges, regulate the treatment of each indi- vidual prisoner during his confinement. This is varied accord- ing to his crime, and according to his subsequent repentance. ' The keeper," says a late traveller, ' accompanied me into every apartment, giving, as we proceeded, the most full expla- nations. The scene was novel, and I had almost said delight- ful ; but a recollection that I was viewing the consequences of vicious pursuits, checks the expression, and draws a tear for the weakness of humanity : yet I could not but be pleased, and highly so, on drawing a comparison between what I saw here, and what I have witnessed in the London prisons. Here, instead of the prisoners passing their time in idleness, or in low debauchery and gaming, all was sobriety, life, and activity. A complete manufacturing town was in fact collected within the narrow precincts of these otherwise gloomy walls. The open court was occupied by stone-cutters, chiefly negroes. It would appear, on first seeing this department only, that these wei-e either more vicious, or more hardly dealt with in the courts of law, than their white coUntrymen. But the true reason of their numbers in the yard is, that few of them being mechanics, they are set to labour upon those things for which they are fitted, and which they can undertake with little previous in- struction. The rooms in which the mechanic arts are carried on have a very great proportion of whites, so that crime would by no means seem to be monopolized by our darker brethren. The produce of the labour of prisoners nearlv supports the whole of this extensive establishment. Some have earned a sufficiency by their own work to enable them to commence business on the expiration of their term of confinenient. Those who conduct themselves with industry and proprietv receive a remission of part of their sentence. Seveial have become ho- nest and useful members of society. When the jailor spoke to the prisoners, they addressed him with confidence, but with proper respect. He is a plain intelligent man, libeially, though not profusely paid for his services. To have ofFert^i him mo- ^'''^ VIEW OF THE insult. A\ hat a contrast does such a man afford to our prison- han those oyer who,n they tyrannize. One fact, in connection Willi the prison, I have omitted to mention; and as it is a cbaractenstic trait of national character, it ought to be record- ed-„-hite criminals will not eat with the negroes, the latter tlieretore liave a separate table ! ! ! ; The medical reputation of the gentlemen connected with tl)is eslabushment would be highly estimated in the first Eu rojiean cities.'' The Jibrary, founded by Franklin about the year 1731, now contains more than 14,000 volumes in all the various branches ot literature, a piiilosophical apparatus, and a good beginning owards a collection of natural and artiHcial curiosities, besides ianded property of considerable value. The buildino- is ele- gant and commodious, and has a statue of Franklin hi front, the donation of the late Mr. Bingham. The library is divided into shares of 40 dollars each; but the number is unlimited, i he subscribers are at present upwai'ds of 500. Besides the purchase ot the share, each subscriber pays two dollars annu- ally, to the suppoi-t of the institution. ^ The library is open every day, except Sunday, from two o clock to sunset, and the subscribers may either read in the library, or be accommodated m ith books to read in their houses 'Ihe rule relative to strangers and non-subscribers is very libe- r^l I'hey may have the use of the books in the library, while 11 IS open, free of expence, or, on depositing the value, may borrovv books and peruse them at home, on paying a small sum for the use of them. Peak's museum contains an extensive collection of the cu- riosities usual in such establishments, divided into three de- partments. The maimnoth skeleton complete is a most tremendous object. There are several quart bottles filled ^vith aslies of the paper called ' Continental money.' This wa-, the circulating medium of the revolution, and by the raeans of which they carried on that glorious struo-o-Ie. Vlere IS i alieyrai.d s oath ../ allegiance to the United States in his UNITED STATES. 175 own hand writing ! a cake of portable soup, which was sent from England in 1775, for the use of the British array ! Penn's curtains ; and a scrap of poetry called ' The Cow Chase,' in the hand writing of the gallant and interesting An- dre, written a few years before his execution. The portraits in this establishment are very numei'ous, including those of Americans of great, clown to those of very limited celebrity ; also, the likenesses of Paine, Arthur O'Conner, and Dr. Priestley. The style of their execution is but little creditable to the talents of the artist (Mr. Peale), and would seem to be below the standard of his ability, if we judge at least from the specimen which he has given m a fine portrait of Napoleon, after David ; where, by the way, he has committed the error of substituting an American horse, marked by the very long- shaggy hair near the hoofs, by which they are distinguished. The painting of the Anaconda, which was exhibited in Spring Gardens, is now here, at the house of Mr. Earl. It is cer- tainly a first-rate production. — Mr. Sully's collection of paint- ings is small, but select. They are chiefly of his own execution. — The Academy of Fine Arts is a highly i-espectable institu- tion, which, without the pretence and puff of its sister esta- blishment in New York, possesses a most decided superiority. There are numerous excellent paintings, and a hall of statuary, in which are some fine specimens of ^ enus, the Gladiator, Apollo, Sec. This city is under great obligations to the quakers, who have given a tone to the manners of the people, different from what is to be found in most other places of equal extent. They are industrious and sober; and, though sufficiently commer- cial, they do not conduct their business in the same dushijig style which is done by some commercial cities; but confine themselves within bounds, and secure what thcv gain. Edu- cation is on an excellent footing : besides the larger seminaries, there arc numerous academies and schools throughout the city. The arts and sciences have been long cultivated. A Philoso- phical Society was established in the year 17C9, and they have pubhshed several volumes of their transactions. The other societies of greatest importance are, the College of Physicians, 176 VIEW OF THE instituted for tlie purpose of promoting medical, anatomical, and clicniical kno\\ledge ; the Pennsylvanian Society for pro- moling the Abolition of Slavery, and the Relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in Bondage; the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; the Agricultural Society; Premium Society; a Society for alleviating the Miseries of public Prisons; Hu- mane Society; Marine Benevolent Society; St. Andrew's So- ciety ; Scots Thistle Society ; St. Patrick's Society ; Hibernian Society ; St. George's Society ; Welsh Society ; French Be- nevolent Society ; (Tcrman Society. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is established here, and there are 15 or IG lodges of free-masons The police of the city is said to be better regulated than that ol" any other on the continent. It appears to be much better than New York. There are pubhc scavengers, who clean the streets at stated times, and the side pavenients are generally washed every morning. These are broad, and generally well paved with brick ; and, the streets being lined with rows of trees, a walk through the city in a summer morning is delight- ful. The city is elevated 50 or 60 feet above the river, in consequence of which there is an ample descent for the water ; and the streets are w^ell supplied with connnon sewersj which serve to carry off the filth ; and they are kept sweet by the supply of fresh water from the water-works, which is constant- ly pouring into them from every part of the city. This sup- ply of water also keeps the streets pure by running a!ong the gutters, so that almost every street has a little stream on each .side of it; and this circumstance, though apparently trivial, is probably of more importance than is generally imagined. There are fourteeH constables and two high constables, whose business it is to perambulate the streets, which they do with a mace in their hands, and to examine all suspicious look- ing persons. If such refuse to give a satisfactory account of themselves, tliey are taken before the mayor. There are S6 watchmen wh.o cry the hoiu- (to imitate which, subjects the offender to immediate imprisonment), and six other who visit their boxes to see that they perform their duty. The whole are under the direction of a captain^ who attends to receive E^GIFLVl^TED FOB IVlACKEJfZJE'S AMERICA "V^EEWof the C'©IU:^TRT roand PlTTSBl^RG UNITED STATES. 177 vagrants, rioters, and thieves. Watchmen are paid fourteen dollais (63*.) per month, ^urteen-pence extra for every lamp under their care, and are supplied with a great coat : they are fined for neglect of duty. The cost for lighting and watching Philadelphia is 25,000 dollars per annum. Circumstances have recently occurred, which, if true in all particulars, would prove the magistracy to be as corrupt as that of London in the days of Fielding. The manufactures of this city are rising into great import- ance. The principal are leather of every description, a great variety of wood and iron work, ships, ropes, fermented and distilled liquors, earthen ware, tin plate, hats, stockings, and a vast variety of cloths of various descriptions. The printing business is better established here than in any other place on the continent, and gives employment to a great number of pa- per-mills, and all classes connected with the book trade: printers, type-founders, engravers, bookbinders, and booksel- lers and stationers. The accommodations in the inns and taverns of this city are very indifferent : but strangers usually go to private boarding houses, of which there are nearly 2000. It is only since the year 1779 that any public amusements have been suifered; the old corporation being mostly quakers. There are now two theatres and an amphitheatre. The new theatre is tolerably handsome, and well supported. The population of this city in 1817 was estimated at 130,000 ; and still new buildings were erecting in different parts of the suburbs The next considerable place in this province is Pittsburg, distant above 350 miles from Philadelphia. It is the gate of the western empire, and has risen into importance with a ra- pidity almost unparalleled. It is situated at the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers, the junction of which forms the Ohio. It extends about three quarters of a mile along the Alleghany river, and about half a mile along the Monongahela. The site of the town is narrow, being hem- med in by hills to the eastward, about half a mile from the Z 178 VIEW OF THE Alleghany river ; but there is room for it to extend along that river two miles. Tlie town was first laid out in 1765 ; but was surveyed and laid out on a new plan in 1784. The plan was meant to ac- connnodate the town to botli rivers; but it is by no means so well designed as it might have been. The streets are gene- rally too narrow, and they cross one another at acute angles, which is both hurtful to the eye and injurious to the buildings. The value of the situation may be determined by a notice of the progress of the town. In 1800 it contained 2400 inhabit- ants; in 1807 it contained about 500 houses; and in 1810 it contained 11 stone buildings, 283 of brick, and 473 of frame and log : making in all 767 ; and the number of inhabitants was 4768. Pittsburg has, of course, nearly doubled its popu- lation in ten years ; and there is every probability that this ratio will continue for a considerable time to come : so that Pittsburg will in all probability become one of the largest towns in America. ' This town,' says Mr. Fearon, ' is interesting in several points of view : from its natural situation, being at the termi- nation of two, and the commencement of a third river, which has a direct communication with the ocean, though at the al- most incredible distance of 2500 miles ; its scenery, which is truly picturesque ; its exhaustless possession of that first-rate material for manufactories, coal; its original situation as an early military post, and remarkable for two defeats of the Bri- tish, more especially that of general Bradock by the French and Indians, in which the great Washington first distinguished himself, though but a youth and only a militia colonel ; and lastly, its present importance as being the connecting link be- tween nerv and old America; and though it is not at present a " Birmingham,"" as the natives bombastically call it, yet it cer- tainly contains the seeds of numerous important manufactories. The published accounts of this city are so exaggerated and out of all reason, that strangers are usually disappointed on visit- ing; it.' Agricultural produce finds here a ready and an advantage- ous market. Farming, in this neighbourhood, is not the most UNITED STATES. 179 profitable mode of employing capital ; but it is here, as in all other parts of the union, an independent mode of life. The farmer must labour hard with his own hands. The 'hclj>'' which he pays for will be dear, and not of that kind to be re- lied on, in the mode of its execution, as in England. This may not proceed from a worse state of character, but a differ- ence in condll'ion, as compared with our working class. They are paid about fourteen dollars per month, and board. In many instances they expect to sit down with tlie master, to live as well, and to be upon terms of equality with every branch of the family ; and if this should be departed from, the .scythe and the sickle .will be laid down in the midst of harvest. There is a class of men throughout the western country, called ' merchants,' who, in the summer and autumn months, collect Hour, butter, cheese, pork, beef, whiskey, and every species of farming produce, which they sent in flats and keel-boats to the New Orleans market. The demand created by this trade, added to a large domestic consumption, insures the most re- mote farmer a certain market. Some of these speculators have made large fortunes. In the coal hills, tlie mineral is found in a horizontal posi- tion, lying at present above level. It is worked by adits or openings into the side of the hills, which draw off the water. The stream being boarded over, the coal is wheeled out in bai'rows, and tripped from an overhanging stage into one-horse waggons. The waggons are without wheels, and the horses, if blind, are preferred, the hijls being so steep, that in case of the least start, nothing can save them from destruction. Rain falls here almost incessantly. The smoke is also ex- treme, giving to the town and its inhabitants a very sombre aspect ; though it is said to be very healthy. The diseases are bilious remittent fevers, rheumatic among the aged, a few cases of bronchocele which affects the theroid gland of females, and inflammatory sore throat in wet weather. Medical aid is easy of attainment, though not always of the most valuable kind. There is of doctors, as of lawyers, too large a supply, and of course many of them very inefficient. A physician here is also a surgeon, prepares his own medicines, and practises in 180 VIEW OF THE every department of the profession : generally they are neither so well educated, nor in such respectable circumstances, as our medical men. Besides the supply of the town and country round with ma- nufactures, Pittsburg has a vast export trade, principally down the Ohio. As the greater part of the manufactures are in a progressive state of improvement, workmen can hardly go wrong by coming to this place. They are sure of work and good wages at all times. The following new branches of ma- nufacture might be establishefl to advantage : chaise and chair making, upholstery, piano-fortes and other musical instru- ments, stocking frames ; and the following are susceptible of augmentation : cotton and wool spinning and weaving, and stocking-making The manufacturing interest of Pittsburg is that of the United States. Many of the manufactories originated during the late war, and all of them flourished during its continuance. At present they are generally upon the wane. A document was issued fi*om their committee in 1817, setting forth their distress in the strongest language — from which it would appear to equal that of our manufacturing classes, even during the ■worst period of their sufferings. Mr. Ephrim Portland, the prothonotary of this town, })resented Mr. Fearon with the fol- lowing list of manufactories up to January, 1818, published by the authority of the committee. UNITED STATES. 181 Manu/adories in and near the city of Pittsburgh in the State of Pennsylvania, in the Year 1817. Manufactures. Number of Men employed. Yearly Amount. Dollars. 1 Augur-maker _ _ - 6 S,500 1 Bellows-maker _ - . 3 10,000 18 Blacksmiths . . _ 74 75,100 3 Brewers . _ _ _ 17 72,000 3 Brush-makers - _ - 7 8,600 1 Button-maker _ _ - 6 6,250 2 Cotton-spinners and carders - S6 25,518 11 Copper-smiths and tin-plate- 1 workers - _ - J 100 200,000 7 Cabinet-makers - - - 43 40,000 1 Cumer - _ _ . 4 12,000 2 Cutlers - - - - 6 2,400 4 Iron-founders _ _ - 87 180,000 3 Gun-smiths and bridlebit makers 14 13,800 2 Flint-glass manufacturers 82 110,000 3 Green (window) ditto - 92 130,000 2 Hardware - - - - 17 18,000 7 Hatters - _ . _ 49 44,640 1 Locksmith - - ' - 7 12,000 1 Linen - - - _ 20 25,000 7 Nail 47 174,716 1 Paper . _ _ _ 40 23,000 1 Pattern . . _ . 21 1,500 3 Plane - - . . 6 57,600 1 Patten .... 5 8,000 1 Rope manufacturer 8 15,000 1 Spinning machine 6 6,000 1 Spanish Brown _ . _ 2 6,720 1 Silver plater ... 40 20,000 2 Steam-engine-makers 70 125,000 6 Saddlers - - - . 60 86,000 5 Silversi"iths and watch-menders 17 12,000 It KDuoe and boot - - _ 109 120,000 7 Tanners and curriers 47 58,800 4 Tallow-chandlers 7 32,600 4 Tobacconists - . - 28 21,000 5 Waggon-makers - - - 21 28,500 2 Weavers _ - - _ 9 14,562 3 Windsor chair - - - 23 42,600 2 Woollen . - - - 30 17,000 1 Wire-drawer ... 12 6,000 1 White Lead ... ■ 6 40,000 Total number of workmen, 1280.- —Ditto, amount. 1,896,396 Dollar 3. 182 VIEW OF THE Mr. Fearon, when at Pittsburg, says, ' At Messrs. Page and Bakcweirs glass warehouse I saw chandeliers and numerous articles in cut glass of a very splendid description ; among the latter was a pair of decanters, cut from a London pattern, the price of which will be eight guineas. It is well to bear in mind, that the demand for these articles of elegant luxury lies in the western states ! the inhabitants of eastern America beinjr still importers from the "old country." What interesting themes of reflection arc offered by such facts to the philosopher as well as to the politician ! Not thirty years since, the whole right bank of the Ohio was termed the " Indian side." Spots in Tennessee, in Ohio, and Kentucky, that within the life time of even young men, witnessed only the arrow and the scalp- ing-knife, now present to the traveller articles of elegance and modes of luxury which might rival the displays of London and Paris ; while, within the last half century, the beasts of the forest, and man more savage than the beast, were the only inhabitants of the whole of that immense tract peculiarly de- nominated the ••' Western Country ;" which is now partially inhabited, and promises soon to be generally so, by man — ci- vilized man, possessed of the arts and the pursuits of civilized life. It is already the refuge of the oppressed from every other nation. May it become the seat of enlightenment, of private virtue and public liberty ; and it may then, hut not till thm, expect to rank among the greatest, the most powerful, and the most respected of the nations of the earth ! * The rapid and unexampled progress of this country, pre- sents a valuable and an extraordinary political lesson to the world at large. It shews us what a nation way become when the principles of its government are cheap and liberal, when its resources are called forth, and its powers expanded by the means of a system emanating from the people, and not re- pressed by establishments whose only recommendation is their antiquity, nor compelled to contribute towards the support of a system which deprives them of the legitimate reward of their industry. I3ut to retuni to less speculative and more practical detail. UNITED STATES. 183 « The state of trade Is at present dull ; but that there is a great deal of business done must be evident from the quantity of " dry goods" and " grocery stores,'' many of the proprietors of which have stocks as large as the majority of London retail dealers. They are literally stuffed with goods of English ma- nufacture, consisting of articles of the most varied kind, from a man's coat or a lady's gown, down to a whip or an oyster knife. Rents, of course, vary according to situation : houses in the best stands fur business are from 400 to 800 dollars per annum; others are from 150 to 350: two rooms, or a very small house a short distance from town, would be 80 dollars per annum. ' It is difficult to form a judgment whether there is an open- ing in any of the present established businesses. One fact strongly in favour of the stability of the town is, tluit there has not been a daiikruptcij in it for three years ! ! ! a singular con- trast this with New York, in which the last published list of insolvents contained upwards of 400 names.' Laneas.ter is situated on a fertile plain, 62 miles to the west- ward of Philadelphia. It is built on a regular plan, the streets crossing one another at right angles. The houses are mostly constructed of brick, but ome few are of stone. The inha- bitants amount to 5405, and are mostly of German origin. The public buildings are seven places for public worship, a court-house, jail, and market-house ; and there is a poor-house, a very humane institution, situated on the Conestoga creek, a mile from the town. The principal manufactures are fire-arms, particularly . I'iile-barrelled guns ; and there are several lan- yards, distilleries, and breweries. This is, at present, the seat of government for Pennsylvania, but, by an act of the legisla- ture, it is to be removed to Harrisbuig ; and 39,000 dollars have been appropriated to erect public buildings there. Harrishurg is situated on the east branch of the Susque- hannah, 97 miles from Philadelphia. It is handsomely laid out on the plan of Philadelphia, having four streets running- parallel with the river, named Front, Second, and so on ; and these are crossed by others at right angles, called Mulberry, Chesnut, Market, Walnut, Locust, and Pine. The houses 184 VIEW OF THE are mostly built of brick, and have a good appearance, and the town is rapidly increasing, particularly since the act of legisla- ture constituting it the seat of government for the state. The inhabitants of the township amount to 2287. There is an ele- gant court-house and stone jail built ; and the public buildings for the accommodation of the state government, now erecting, will be the most elegant structures in the state. Harrisburg was laid out in 1785, and has made great progress ever since ; and from its commanding and central situation, it will, in all probability, become one of the largest inland towns in America. Carlisle is situated on a large plain, having .somewhat the appearance of Lancaster. It is regularly laid out, with streets crossing one anolhei* at right angles ; and contains, by the last census, 2401 inhabitants. The houses are partly built of brick and partly of wood, and have a very respectable appear- ance. The public buildings are, a college, a court-house, jail, and five places for public worship. The college is named Dickenson, in honour of a gentleman of that name who was its founder, and is esteemed an excellent seminary of learning. Its funds are about 10,000 dollars in certificates, and the state made a grant in su})port of it, of 10,000 acres of land. A philoso])hical apparatus, and library, consisting of nearly 3000 volumes, are attached to it. Dr. Nesbit, a Scots gentleman of high estimation, was several years president of this college. There are a principal and three professors, and the students amount to abov^c one hundred. Vo7-k and Reading- are also considerable towns, -and are in- creasing in wealth and population. Trade and lie.wurccs. — Pennsylvania is said to be one of the m-eatest manufacturing states in the Union. Domestic manu- factures are general throughout the state; but there are many manufactures on a large scale, some of which may be enume- rated. Of iron there are about SO furnaces, besides numerous forges, slitting mills, and trip hammers. Of wood, all sorts of furniture, and implements of husbandry. Of leather, boots, shoes, saddles, bridles, harness, &c. Of wool, a variety of cloths, stockings, and hats. Together with a variety of other UNITED STATES. 185 articles, such as malt liquors, spirits, glass, ashes, maple-sugar, musquets, powder, shot, balls, cannon, bells, &c. &c. The exports consist principally of grain, flour, iron utensils, flax-seed, soap and candles, lumber, beef, pork, &c. The principal articles of export to Britain are grain and flour, and some cotton from the southern states. The imports consist of East and West India and China goods ; wine, gin, &c. from the continent of Europe ; and manufactures from Britain ; of which the quantity imported is immense, and is yearly increas- ing. The value of imports is about 12,000,000 dollars annu- ally, of which those from Britain are a full half; from M'hence we may infer the utility of the trade to both countries, and the importance of a good understanding between them. According to the report of the assessors, the value of houses and lands in this state in 1815 was estimated at 346,633,889 dollars ; the land being valued at 29 dollars an acre. The gross amount of duties on merchandise in the same year was 7,267, 4-50 dollars. There were 77,199 tons of shipping em- ployed in foreign trade, and 650 tons of small vessels employed in the coasting trade. Education. — There are four colleges, besides a number of academies, in this state. A large tract of land is appropriated for the establishments of free schools ; yet many of the Ger- mans and Irish are extremely ignorant. Religion. — We have already mentioned the prevailing sects in this province, which consist of quakers or fi'iends, presbyte- rians, episcopalians, German Lutherans, and Moravians. The latter are of German extraction, and ai-e collected in distinct societies under peculiar laws. Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Litiz are their principal settlements. The tunkers, dippers, or tum- blers, are a harmless sect of German baptists. The men wear the White Friars' dress, and the women that of the nuns ; and both, like them, take the vow of celibacy. When they br^ak this vow and marry, they are obliged to leave their cells and live amongst the married people : they mostly reside at Ephrata, in the county of Lancaster. The Mennonists are also Germans ; they reside at Germantown. 2 A 186 VIEW OF THE Government. — The civil government is Tested in a legisla- ture, consisting of a senate and house of representatives. The senators are chosen for four years, and the representatives an- nually, by the people. The executive authority is vested in a governor, who is also elected by the people, and holds his office for three years. The constitution declares, ' That all men arc born equally free and independent ; that all power is inherent in the people ; that all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no man can of right be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship, or to maintain any mi- nistry, against his consent; that no human authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of con- science, and that no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment, or modes of worship ; that elec- tions shall be free and equal ; that trial by jury shall be invio- late ; that no law shall ever be made to restrain the liberty of the press; that the people shall be secure against all unwar- rantable searches, and excessive bail shall not be required ; that the legislature shall provide by law for the establishment of schools throughout the state, in sucli a manner as the poor may be taught gratis , the arts and sciences shall be promoted,' All this is certainly very excellent in theory ; but a late in- telligent traveller, who examined the pohtical machine of this state with great attention, gives a very unfavourable opinion of the mode of its operation. It appears that the governor has the gift of from forty to lift)' offices, amongst whicli are those of recorder, alderman, and indeed every minor as w^ell as im- portant civil occupation. Tiie office is therefore an object of severe contest; and each of the diffei-ent contending parties endeayour to secure the choice of inspectors of the ballot to their own friends, as upon this thev judge of the result of' the general election ! The whole state is divided into 37 counties, and upwards of 500 townships. History. — Pennsylvania was granted by king Charles II. to William Penn, son of the famous admiral Penn, in considera>- UNITED STATES. 187 tion of his father's services to the crown. Mr. Penn''s petition for the grant was presented to the king in 1680 ; and after considerable delays, occasioned by lord Baltimore's agent, who apprehended it might interfere with the Maryland patent, the charter of Pennsylvania received the royal signature on the 4th of March, 1681. To secure his title against all claiais, and prevent future altercation, Mr. Penn procured a quit-claim deed from the duke of York, of all the lands, covered by his own patent, to which the duke could have the least pretensions. This deed bears date, August 21, 1682. On the 24th of the same month, he obtained from the duke, by deed of feoffment, Newcastle, with twelve miles of the adjacent territory, and the lani'.."i south to the Hoarkills. In December following, Mr. Ptrnn effected an union of the lower counties with the province of Pennsylvania. The first frame of government for Pennsylvania is dated in 168". By this form, all legislative powers were vested in the governor and freemen of the province^ in the form of a provin- cial council, and a general assembly. The council was to con- sist of 72 members, chosen by the freemen ; of which the governor, or his deputy, was to be perpetual president, with a treble vote. One-third of this council went out of office every year, and their seats were supplied by new elections. The general assembly was at first to consist of all the free- men, afterwards of 200, and never to exceed 500. In 1683, Mr. Penn offered another frame of government, in which the number of representatives was reduced, and the governor vested with a negative upon all bills passed in assem- bly. By several specious arguments, the people were per- suaded to accept this frame of government. Not long after, a dispute between Mr. Penn and lord Balti- n)r)re required the former to go to England, and he committed the administration of government to five commissioners, taken from the council. In 1686, Mr. Penn i-equired the commis- sioners to dissolve the frame of government ; but not being able to effect his purpose, he, in 1688, appointed captain John Bakewell his deputy. From this period, the proprietors usu- ally resided in England, and administered the government bv 188 VIEW OF THE deputies, wlio were devoted to their interest. Jealousies arose between the people and their governors, which never ceased till the late revolution. The primary cause of these jealousies was an attempt of the proprietary to extend his own }X)wer, and abridge that of the assembly ; and the consequence was incessant disputes and dissensions in the legislature. In 1693 the king and queen assumed the government in their own hands ; and three years after, a new form of govern- ment was established. In 1701, the proprietor, Mr. Penn, granted a charter of privileges, which continued till the revo- lution. The Indians, about the same time, confirmed the gi'ants of land made to the proprietors in former years. Al- though the government of the proprietaries was abolished at the revolution, yet they still possess many large tracts of ex- cellent land. DELAWARE. Situation and Extent. 'pHE state of Delaware is situated between 38 deg. 29 min. and 39 deg. 47 min. north lat., and 1 deg. 15 min. and 1 deg. 56 min. east long. It is bounded on the north by the territorial line, which divides it from Pennsylvania ; on the east by Delaware river and bay ; on the south by a due east and west line, from cape Henlopen in lat. 38 deg. 30 min. to the middle of the peninsula, which line divides the state from Worcester county in Maryland; and on the west by Maryland, from which it is divided by a line drawn from the western termination of the southern boundary line, northwards up the said peninsula, till it touch or form a tangent to the western part of the periphery of the above-mentioned territorial circle. Its greatest length UxNITED STATES. 189 is 100 miles, and greatest breadth 37 ; its area being about 1800 square miles, or about 1,152,000 acres. Natural Geography. — The face of the greater part of the country is level, abounding with swamps and stagnant water ; but tovvard the northern part it is more elevated, and near its extremity there is a considerable chain of hills. There are numerous creeks in the state, but no rivers of consequence. The principal one is Brandywine creek, which falls into the Delaware at Wilmington, and on which there arc numerous mills and manufactories. The soil, in the southern part, is low and sandy, and en- tirely free of stones ; in tlie northern part it is more diversified, and mixed with clay and loam. The climate partakes of the configuration of the country. The southern part has a humid atmosphere, often foggy and unwholesome ;. but it is mild and temperate in winter. The northern part is agreeable and healthy. The greater part of the inhabitants of this state are devoted to agricultural })ursuils, and they have rendered it very pro- ductive. The principal produce is wheat, rye, Indian corn, barley, oats, and flax. Grasses are abundant, and thrive very luxuriantly, furnishing food for many cattle ; and every sort of vegetable, common to the states already described, thrive well here. Canal. — A canal was projected across this state and part of Maryland, to form a junction between the Delawai-e and Che- sapeake, and it is ])artly cut ; but the work was stopped for want of funds. It may probably be well that it is so ; for it was projected on too small a scale, and, in process of time, will probably give way to one that will admit of sloop navigation. There cannot be a finer situation for a canal. Tlie distance between the Delaware and Chesapeake is only about 18 or 20 miles, and the country is nearly level, so that few locks will be requisite ; and were a canal cut, it would form a connection between two of the finest rivers in America, and be a link in the chain of an internal navigation of vast extent. l^piilation, Sj-c— The population of this state in 1817 was 108,83^, which is CO persons to a square mile. There are no 190 VIEW OF THE obvious characteristical differences between the inliabitants of this state and the Penns3lvanians. Chief Towns. — There are no towns of much importance in this district. Dover, in the county of Kent, is the seat of go- vernment. It stands on Jones^ creek, a few miles from the Delaware river, and consists of about 100 houses, principally of brick. Four streets intersect each other at right angles, in the centre of the town, whose incidencies form a spacious pa- rade, on the east side of which is an elegant state-house of brick. The town has a lively appearance, and drives on a considerable trade with Philadelphia. Wheat is tlie principal article of export. The landing is five or six miles from the town of Dover. Newcastle, Wilmi7ig'tonf Lezcistown, and Gcorgctoxon, are lively, thriving little towns. Trade and Resources. — Flour is the principal manufacture carried on in the state. The mills on Brandy wine creek are in great perfection, giving employment to upwards of 600 hands; and they manufacture upwards of half a million of bushels an- nually. The other articles consist principally of iron, paper, and lumber. In these a very extensive trade is carried on, principally witii the other states and the West Indies. The value of houses and lands in this state in 1817 was 14,493,fi20 dollars, the land being valued at 13 dollars per acre. '^I'he gross revenue was 43,282 dollars. There were 7543 tons of shipping employed in foreign trade, and 742 in the coasting trade. Ediication. — A very considerable fund is appropriated by the state lo the support of schools, which are pretty numerous, and there are two floiu-ishing academies ; one at Wilmington, and the other at Newark. ReUg^ion. — Presbyterianism is the principal religion in this state. The episcopalians are also numerous; and there are some quakers, baptists, and members of the Swedish church. Govei^imcnt. — Delaware is divided into three counties and 24 districts, called hundreds. The constitution guarantees e(jual rights to all the citizens, without regard to property or religious opinions. The government is vested in a governor, a senate, and house of representatives, which are elected by UNITED STATES. 191 ballot, and 'every xohite freeman, of the age of 21, who has resided in the state two years next before the election, shall enjoy the right of an elector. The sons of persons so qualified shall, betwixt the ages of 21 and 22, be entitled to vote, though they have paid no taxes.' History. — This state was first settled by a colony of Swedes and Finns about the year 1627 ; but in 1655 they were dis- possessed by the Dutch. After the capture of New York by the English, the authority of the Dutch was superseded ; and this state in 1674, which was then called the Nexv Netherlands^ was granted by Charles II. to his brother the duke of York, who sold it to William Penn. The three counties which con- stitute this state were therefore considered as part of Penn- sylvania until the revolution, when it was declared an inde- pendent state. STATE OF OHIO. Situation and Extent. 'PHIS state is bounded on the north by lake Erie and Michigan terri- tory ; on the south and south-east by the Ohio river ; on the east by Pennsylvania ; and on the west by the Indiana terri- tory. It extends from north lat. 38 deg. 30 min. to 39 deg. 57 min., and from 3 deg. 25 min. to 7 deg. 87 min. west long. Its length is 228 miles, and its breadth 227 ; its square con- tents about 45,000 square miles, or 28,800,000 acres. Natural Geography. — That fine river the Ohio has been already desci'ibed. It is 795 miles from Pittsburg to the falls, and its medium breadth is 650 yards. It receives the waters of very considerable rivers between the fall and the Mississippi, viz. on the Kentucky side, Salt river, navigable 50 miles; Green river, navigable 160 miles; Cumberland river, naviga- 192 VIEW OF THE ble 300 or 400 miles ; and Tennessee river, navigable 1200 or 1400 miles: on the Indiana side, Blue river, navigable 40 miles; and the Wabash, navigable upwards of 200 miles. The velocity of the current depends upon the quantity of wa- ter, which is exceedingly various. In spring and fall, particu- larly in spring, it rises to the astonishing height of from 40 to 60 feet, when the velocity is augmented in proportion. The greatest velocity seems not to exceed four miles an hour. The Ohio abounds with a great variety of fish, among which are catfish, pike, perch, and sturgeon ; and on the banks are great numbers of wild turkies, geese, ducks, pheasants, partridges, &c. The Miami of the lakes runs through the northern part of the state, and appears to be a very interesting river, with rich banks. It rises in the Indiana territory, a little beyond the state line, where there is a portage of eight miles only to the AVabash. It continues a north-east course to fort Defiance, where it is joined by the Au Glaise river, a considerable stream from the southward, which rises near the head of the Great Miami. From fort Miami the river runs a north-east course of 60 miles, when it falls into lake Erie, through Miami bay. The bay extends about 12 miles into the interior of the coun- try ; is from half a mile to three miles wide, and deep enough for vessels of 30 or 40 tons. The river is navigable for long- boats more than 100 miles. The section of country bounding on the Ohio river, from 25 miles on either side of Cincinnati, and extending back about 100 miles directly north, to the late Indian boundary line, (which, according to treaty, is now extin- guished,) is generally an excellent body of land, and is well settled, though but small improvements are yet made, except in a few particular places near towns. The land is closely timl)ered, except near the head waters of the two Miamis, where there is a beautiful champaign country. The prairies, or natural meadows, are here of considerable extent. Grazing is tlie chief occupation of the inhabitants. The price of land varies veiy much, according to situation and the proximity of townsliips. Farms which are called improved can be bought at from 8 to 30 dollars per acre : the iviprovemcnis often con- UNITED STATES. 193 sist of the erection of rough log buildings, and about from 12 to 20 acres under middling cultivation. Buildings are in- cluded in the price per acre. The next class of farms have from 20 to 50 acres under cultivation : the proportion of arable and wood is about two-thirds, of meadow and pasturage nearly equal proportions. Any of the land is here capable, by cul- ture, of being turned into meadow. Limestone abounds : coal and iron have not yet been discovered, except in the eastern part of the state. There are large prairies in Ross county, on the north branch of Paint creek, near Chillicothe ; these prairies are from five to eight miles square : in them there is not a shrub to be seen. They produce a grass growing thick, and about four feet high, which makes excellent fodder : it is similar to Massachusetts upland grass, and is there called English hay. These prairies are filled with herds of cattle fattening for the Baltimore and Philadelphia markets, which are sold in this state, on the hoof, for about three dollars per hundred weight. The chief ex- pence of pasturage consists in a man's wages to look after the herds, twice a week, giving them salt, &c. The banks of the Ohio are generally heavily timbered. The principal kinds of timber are oak, hickory, walnut, mulberry, chesnut, ash, cherry, locust, sugar-tree, &c. ; and the syca- more, towering above the whole, grows here to an astonishing size. ' I noticed,"" says Melish, ' the remains of a very large sycamore tree in the neighbourhood of Pittsburg, and I saw most surprising specimens on the banks of this river. I did not measure any of them ; but the editor of the Pittsburg Na- vigator, to whose testimony full faith may be given, mentions that he measured several from 10 to 16 feet in diameter. A gentleman from Marietta told him that he knew of one 60 feet in circumference, and that, in the hollow of another, he had turned himself round, with a pole in his hand 10 feet long. Into the hollow of another 13 men rode on horseback, in June, 1806, and the fourteenth was only prevented by the skittish- ness of his horse !' The trees produced by the best class of land are honey- locust, black walnut, and beech; by second quality, sugar- 9 2 B 194 VIEW OF THE tree, sycamore or butter-wood, and white-wood, used for building and joiners'* work ; the third quahty produces oak. Tliroughout this state there is httle under or brush-wood, caused by the height and spreading tops of the trees, which prevent the sun penetrating to the ground, and noui-ishing in- ferior articles of vegetation. With regard to the seasons, they are said to have severe winters of from three to four months, witli a keen dry air, and cloudless sky ; during summer excessive heat, (thermometer in the shade, 80 to 96 deg.) with heavy dews at night ; springs, cold and heavy rains; autunms, fine, followed by '•Indian summer,'' which is truly delightful. In this state there is scarcely an elevation which can be called a hill, with exception of slight bluifs on the margin of rivers. The dreary monotony of limited views of such endless uniformity produces sensations of the most depressing melancholy. The atmosphere, after a hot day, causes head-aches, which frequently terminate in an intermittent fever. A man's being sick, (the term applied to every species of illness,) is as common in this country, as being in distress is in Enolaud. ' In regard to healthiness of situa- tion,"" says a late writer, ' there is considerable variety, as the appearance of the inhabitants will in some measure indicate ; though as a general characteristic, I would say, there is a want of sound regular health, at least if our English ideas of ruddy cheeks are to be taken as a criterion. The people are of a tall, vanity aspect, and seem, even during their most active occu- pations, to be the victim? of fever and ague. ' Of the existence of minerals, and to what extent and va- riety, at present but little is known. Judging from the beds of the rivers, and quality of the water, I should presume that coal must be abundant. Salt is found in several sijtuationSa particularly on the Kenhaway. The common order of the strata is, first, sandstone, then limestone, argillaceous schist, and coal. The wild animals are neither numerous nor trou- blesome ; though the wolf and the squirrel are still depreda- tors: but the sport afforded in capturing them, and the addition which the flesh of the latter makes to the family ' UNITED STATES. 195 stock of provisioas, compensate for their lawless invasions qf the rights of property.' Ohio is a new settled country, and has long been the fa- vourite district to which the current of emigration has been directed. We have hitherto avoided giving any particular direction or advice to the emigrant, as we intend to reserve this subject, and to make it a distinct article. We, will, how- ever, in this place give some account of the different districts into which this state is divided, and an enumeration of the chief towns in each. Districts. Chief Towns. Connecticut Reserve, Warren. Steubenville District, Canton, New Lisbon, Steuben- ville, St. Clairsville. Zanesville District, New Philadelphia, Coshocton, Zanesville, Marietta District, Marietta. Ohio Company's Purchase, Athens, Galliopolis. Chillicothe District, Newark, Worthington, New Lancaster. Virginia Military Lands, Franklinton, Chillicothe, Zenia, West Union, Williamsburg, ' Symraes"' Purchase, Lebanon, Deerfield, HamiltoDj Cincinnati. Cincinnati District, , Dayton. Symmes' Purchase is one of the most judicious that has ever been made in the state of OJiio. It lies between the two Miami rivers, about 20 miles in breadth ; and extends from the Ohio into the interior of the country, about SO miles. It eontains one of the best bodies of land in the whole state, and is now nearly settled up. Land is consequently pretty high, and may be rated at five dollars per acre, uncleared. In this purchase, like that by the Ohio company, there is a reserve for a school, and another for a church. The Cincinnati District is situated to the westward of Symmes' purchase, and the United States land^ffice is in Cin- 196 VIEW OF THE cinnati. This district is partly in the Indiana territory, but mostly in the state of Ohio, and contains a body of most ex- cellent land. It is bounded on the Avest by a line drawn from opposite the mouth of Kentucky river, to where the Indian north boundary line intersects the western line of the state of Ohio, and contains about 3000 square miles. These two districts constitute what is called the Miami cmmtfy, which, in point of soil, climate, and natural advan- , tages, is probably inferior to none in the United States, and few are equal to it. The soil of this district is reckoned, upon the whole, as the besr in the stale of Ohio. It is rated, in the state books, in this way : in 100 parts, 6 are first rate, TO se- cond rate, and 24 third rate land. The face of the country is agreeably uneven, but not mountainous ; and the country lias a plentiful supply of useful minerals, particularly iron. There are also several mineral springs. The whole of this country has been settled up in little more than 20 years, and it will afford an idea of the value of the country to state, that the inhabitants, of course mostly all emi- grants, now amount to nearly 40,000. Hamilton county, a small district, consisting of little more than 300 square miles, contains upwards of 15,000, being more than 50 to the square mile. The town of Cincinnati is elegantly situated on a first and second bank on the north side of the Ohio river, along which it extends nearly half a mile, and as far back in the country. The site of the town is elevated from 70 to 120 feet above low water mark, and is never overflowed. The land and water around it exhibit a very handsome appearance. The Ohio is here three quarters of a mile wide; and Licking river, a con- siderable stream in Kentuckv, falls into it right opposite. The streets of Cincinnati are bioad, crossing one another at right angles; and the greater part of the houses being of f)rick, it has a very handsome appearance. The streets, however, are not yet paved, except the side walks, on which account they are unpleasant in muddy weather ; but that is an evil which will soon be reme derable crops of cotton are raised, though only for domestic use. Towns. — The principal town is Vincennes, on the Wabash. It is an old settlement, and the inhabitants are mostly of French extraction; they amounted, by last census, to 670. Trade. — As the inhabitants make nearly all their own cloth- ing, they have little external trade. What little they have is down the river to New Orleans. Government. — The constitution or government in this new country is similar to that of the other neighbouring states, — excellent in theory, but too often vile and corrupt in practice. It declares, in pompous language, that all men are free ; but if their skins be black, they are not included in this declara- 2 D 210 VIEW OF THE tion, slaves being necessary for the ease and comfort of the frceuien of Indiana. We will now proceed to view the Southern States of the Uniox, agreeably to the arrangement we have adopted. MARYLAND. Sitiuxtion and Extent. 'THIS state is situated between 38 and 39 deg. 43 min. north lat., and 2 deg. east and 2 deg. 30 min. west long. Its extreme length from east to west is 212 miles, and its extreme breadth from north to south is 123 ; but it is very irregular. It is computed to contain about 14,000 square miles, or 8,960,000 acres, of which about one-fourth is water. Natural Geog^raphy. — The face of the country is remarka- bly variegated. It is bounded on the south-west by the river Patomak to its extremity ; and the fine Chesapeake bay, with its numerous waters, passes through the middle of it. On the east side it presents a coast of about 35 miles to the Atlantic ocean : the eastern shore is low, level, and sandy. The coun- try continues to rise by a very gentle ascent, but is- generally level to Baltimore ; it then swells out into a liilly country, and the western part stretches across the mountains. The Chesapeake bay has already been noticed ; but it merits a more particular description, from its vast importance to this state, and indeed to the United States generally. This bay is formed by the outlet of the Susquehaniiah river, where it re- ceives French creek, and a number of smaller streams; it is there about seven miles broad, and so continues to near the branch that leads up to Baltimore ; from thence it assumes various breadths, from ten to fifteen miles, during a course downwards of about 70 miles, to near the Patomak river: UNITED STATES. , Sll from thence it stretches out to 25 or SO miles, during a passage of 90 miles more, and finally passes into the Atlantic ocean by an outlet of 20 miles broad : the whole course, from north to south, is nearly 200 miles, and it receives in its passage the whole waters of this state, nearly the whole of the eastern part of Virginia, a great part of those of Pennsylvania, and some of Delaware ; exhibiting, upon the whole, a greater confluence of waters than is to be seen in the United States, or almost m the world. The principal rivers in Maryland that run into this bay, besides the Susquehannah and Patomak, are the Patapsco and Patuxent, on the west side; and on the east side, Elk river. Sassafras, Chester, Choptank, Nanticoke, and Foco- moke, the last of which issues out of Cyprus swamp. There are numerous islands in the bay, and tlie waters abound with various kinds of fish. The state is generally well watered, and abounds with mill-seats. The soil is very various, and a great portion of it is but poor: towards the eastern shore it is low and sandy, abound- ing with swamps : in the interior there are many fertile spots ; but the greater part of the land is poor until you pass the first rido-e of mountains, where there is a fertile valley of twelve or fourteen miles broad : from thence the soil is pretty much as- similated to the mountainous district of Pennsylvania. The climate is as various as the soil: the eastern part is pretty similar to Delaware, indicated by a pale, sickly colour in the inhabitants. It improves as the land gets hilly, and among the mountains is delightful, the summers being cooled by fine breezes, while the winters are tempered by a southern latitude, which renders them much more mild than to the northward. Maryland is well supplied with iron ore, and some coal lias been found, but not in sufficient quantity to make it an object of importance. This is the first state in which there is a material difference of agriculture from the northern states: still, however, the staple crop is wheat ; but they raise a considerable quantity of tobacco, and some cotton, though none of the latter for ex- portation. AH tiie other grains, grasses, and roots, that grow 212 VIEW OF THE in the northern state, flourish here ; and the sweet potatoe, a root belonging to a warm climate, comes to c^)nsiclcrable maturity. Population. — According to the returns made in 1817, the population of this state amounted to 50^,710, which, when the proportion of \\ ater is subtracted, will be about 45 persons to a square mile. Manners, S^-c. — The inhabitan's of this state are distin- guished for that gaiety, extravagance, and hospitality, which is usually exhibited by slave masters; but this character is only applicable to the inhabitants of the most populous dis- tricts. Those who resile in the more remote parts of the state ' live (says an American writer) very retired and unsocial lives. The effects of this comparative solitude are visible in the countenances, as well as in the manners and dress, of the country people. You observe very little of that cheerful sprightliness of look and action which is the invariable and genuine offspring of social intercourse. Nor do you find that attention paid to dress, which is common, and which decency and propriety have rendered necessary, among people who are liable to receive company almost every day. Unaccustomed, in a great measure, to these frequent and friendly visits, they often suffer a ncG-lio-ence in their dress which borders on slo- venliness. There is ap[xirentlv a disconsolate wildness in their countenances, and an indolence and inactivity in their whole behaviour, which are evidently the effects of solitude and sla- very. As the negroes perform all the manual labour, their masters are left to saunter away life in sloth, and too often in ignorance. These observations, however, must in justic-e be limited to the people in the country, and to those particularly whose poverty or parsimony prevents their spending a part of their time in populous towns, or otherwise mingling with the world.' The Baltimorians lay claim to a superior re])utation for en- terj)rise and bravery ; and, it must be confessed, they appear entitled to it, judging from their shipping, much of which is engaged in hazardous pursuits, together with the speculative ''mprovements of their town, and their having, by superior ac- UNITED STATES. 21S tivity, supplanted Philadelphia in part of the western country trade ; yet the merchants of this city are said to be deficient in capital. Of their bravery, history will speak when recording their gallant and successful defence of their city, though at- tacked by the combined naval and military forces of England. Chief Towns. — Baltimore stands on the north side of the river Patapsco, which may rather be regarded as a creek of the great bay of Chesapeake, and has rapidly risen to its pre- sent consequence. The situation is rather low, but it has been rendered by art tolerably salubrious. A creek divides it into two parts, Baltimore town and Fell's point, to the latter of which vessels of 600 tons can sail ; but only small vessels can come up to the town. ' The bason, as it is called, is very capacious, and capable of holding 2000 sail. At the commencement of the American war, Baltimore was but an inconsiderable village ; but such has been the rapidity of its growth, that it is now the fourth commercial city in the United States. The houses are mostly built of brick, and many of them are elegant: the principal public buildings are, thirteen places of public worship, a court-house, a jail, three market-houses, a poor-house, the exchange, theatre, observa- tory, assembly-rooms, and library. The manufactures of Bal- timore are considerable, and consist chiefly of ships, cordage, iron utensils, paper, saddlery, boots and shoes, hats, wool and cotton cards, &c. In the adjoining country there are nume- rous mills, furnaces, and forges, which contribute much to the trade of the city. There are several religious sects, the most numerous of which are Roman catholics. Episcopalians, baptists, presby- terians, methodists, aud quakers, have each a respectable num- ber of partisans; and an unitarian church is now building. The architecture of several of the churches displays first-rate talent ; and it seems not a little surprising, that such ability should have been overlooked by the conductors of the national buildings at Washing-ton. Although this citv 70 veavs ago consisted of only ten houses, it now contains 60,000 inhabitants ; and as it is the emporium of the state, it must necessnrilv increase in wealth and import- 214 VIEW OF THE ance. A great portion of the export trade is flour, much of which is received from the state of Pennsylvania, through the medium of the Susquehannah river; and the citizens have a brisk trade in importing and reshipping foreign articles, parti- cularly West Indian produce — rum, sugar, and coffee, A great portion of the imports are manufactured goods from Britain, and, having the supply of an immense back country, this is an increasing trade. JMany of the people in the western states give Baltimore the preference to Philadelphia ; it is 50 miles nearer to Pittsburg than the latter city, which has a na- tural tendency to secure a preference ; and the inhabitants of Maryland, who seem to a})preciate the importance of this trade, have acted with a laudable zeal in making good roads. The trade of Baltimore is facilitated by three banks, having all ample capitals. One is a branch of the bank of the United States. The affairs of the city are under the management of a city council, consisting of two branches, and a mayor. The police seems to be under good regulations, and the streets are kept very clean, which secures good health to the citizens. Educa- tion is pretty well attended to ; and the citizens are said to be hospitable and industrious. The men rank as correct men of business. North and cast of the town the land rises, and affords a fine prospect of the town and bay. Belvidera exhibits one of the finest landscapes in nature. The town, the point, the shipping both in the bason and at FelFs point, the bay as far as the eye can reach, rising ground on the right and left of the harbour, a grove of trees on the declivity at the right, a stxeam of water breaking over the rocks at the foot of the hill on the left, all conspire to complete the beauty and grandeur of the prospect. Annopolis is the capital of Maryland, and the wealthiest town of its size in America. It is situated just at the mouth of Severn river, J30 miles south of Baltimore. It is a place of httle note in the commercial world. The houses, about 300 in number, are generally large and elegant, indicative of great wealth. The design of those who planned the city, was to have the whole in the form of a circle, with the streets, like UNITED STATES. 215 radii, beginning at the centre where the stadt-house stands, and thence diverging in every direction. The principal part of the buildings are arranged agreeably to this awkward plan. The stadt-house is the noblest building of the kind in America. There is a college, a theatre, and two places of public worship in the city. It has a harbour, though no great commerce ; but, being a pleasant place, it is the residence of a great many wealthy people. FredericMown is a large inland town, containing a court- house, jail, academy, market-house, and seven places of public worship. The inhabitants ai-e about 6000 ; and the town has considerable manufactures and inland trade. Hagerstown, situated beyond the mountains, contains 2100 inhabitants. Besides these, there are a greater number of smaller towns and villages, containing from 100 to 1000 inhabitants. A great number of the farm-houses are built of wood, and they are not so substantial, nor so elegant, in general, as those in Pennsylvania. Trade, ^c. — The value of houses, lands, and slaves, in this state, in 1815, was estimated at 122,577,573 dollars; the land being valued at 20 dollars per acre. The trade and manufactures of this state have been noticed in the account of Baltimore. The duty on merchandise in 1815 produced 4,202,463 dollars. The tonnage employed in foreign trade amounted to 88,161, and in the coasting trade to 8529. Education. — There are considerable funds appropriated to the support of education. There are five colleges, and a number of very respectable academies in the state, and com- mon schools in every county. Religion. — The Roman cathoUcs, who were the first settlers in Maryland, are the most numerous religious sect. Besides these, tliere are protestants, episcopalians, English, Scotch, and Irish presbyterians, German Calvinists, German Luther- ans, friends, baptists, methodists, Mennonists, Nicolites, or new quakers. * Government. — The state is divided into 19 counties. The civil government is vested in a governor, senate, and house of 216 VIEW OF THE delegates, all chosen annually. The qualification to vote for delegates is a freehold of 50 acres of land, or property to the value of 30^. currency. The principles of government are si- milar to those of Pennsylvania. History. — Maryland was granted by Charles I. to Cecilius Calvert, baron of Baltimore, in Ireland, June 20, 1632. The government of the province was, by charter, vested in the pro- prietary ; but it appears that he either never exercised these powers alone, or but for a short time. The hon. Leonard Calvert, esq., lord Baltimore's brother, was the first governor, or lieutenant-general. His lordship evinced his wisdom, and the liberality of his religious opinions, by providing for the free exercise of all other religious opinions in the colonv. In 1642, one Ingle excited a rebellion, and three years passed before order was restored. Under the government of Cromwell, the exercise of the Roman catholic religion was restrained ; which must have been felt extremely oppressive, as the first and prin- cipal inhabitants wei'e Catholics. In 1692, the protestant re- ligion was established by law. At the commencement of the revolutionary war, the state was declared to belong to the citi- zens, who delegated five of their number to the first congress. The state constitution was framed in 1776, which, with a few trifling amendments, still continues. When the independence of the United States was acknowledged by England, Henry Harford, esq., the natural son and heir of lord Baltimore, pe- titioned the legislature of Maryland for his estate; but his petition was not granted. Mr. Harford estimated his loss of quit-rents, valued at twenty years purchase, and including arrears, at 259,488/. 5*., dollars at 7*. 6d ; and the value of his manors and reserved lands at 327,441/. of the same money. UNITED STATES. 217 VIKGINIA. Situation and Ecdent. VIRGINIA* is situated between 36 deg. 30 min. and 39 deg. 43 min. north lat., and 1 deg. east and 6 deg. 25 min. west long. The extreme length of the state from east to west is 442 miles, and the extreme breadth from the North Carolina line to the Penn- sylvania line is 235 ; but it may be observed that there is a small part of the state that stretches along the banks of the Ohio, to the west of Pennsylvania, about 60 miles long, and on an average 10 broad; and there is another small part, about 55 miles long and 12 broad, to the east of the Chesa- peake. The area is computed at 75,000 square miles, being nearly as large as the whole island of Britain, computed at 77,243. The number of acres in Virginia is 48,000,000. Natural Geography. — The face of the country is somewhat assimilated to Pennsylvania, including Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. The eastern part extends along the sea coast about 115 miles, of which the outlet of the Chesapeake, al- ready noticed, occupies 20 ; and this elegant confluence of waters, so often referred to, forms a great variety in this part of the state. From the sea coast to the head of the tide wa- ters, about 100 miles, the country is mostly level, and abounds with swamps. From thence to the mountains it is agreeably uneven, and affords delightful prospects. The mountainous district is about 100 miles in breadth, and the ridges continue, as in Pennsylvania, to range from north-east to south-west. Beyond the mountains the country is much variegated, here sweUing out into considerable hills, there subsiding into agree- * The geography of this imi>ort:vnt stjite h;is been ably illustrated in Mr. Jeffer- son's Notes, written iu 1781. 'I'hough many ;iltcrations have been made in the circumstances of the state since that time, still this work contains njuch valuable and interesting information. 10 2 E 218 VIEW OF THE able vallies ; and so continues to the Ohio, about 60 miles. The Alleghany chain is the ridge which divides the waters of the Atlantic from the IVIississippi, and its summit is more ele- vated above the ocean than that of the others : but its relative height, compared with the base on which it stands, is not so great, because the country rises behind the ."successive ridges like steps of stairs. The wiiole of the Atlantic rivers have be^ already noticed ; the others are but few. The state is watered to the westward by the Ohio upwards of 240 miles, and the Great Sandy river forms the boundary, for upwards of 100 miles, between it and Kentucky. The most important river to the westward is the Great Kanhaway, ' a river of considerable note for the fertility of its lands, and still more, as leading towards the head waters of James river. Nevertheless, it is doubtful whether its great and numerous falls will admit a navigation but at an expence to which it will require ages to render its inhabitants equal. The great obstacles begin at what are called the great falls, 90 miles above its mouth, below which are only five or six rapids, and these passable, with some difficulty, even at low water. From the falls to the mouth of Greenbriar is 100 miles, and thence to the lead mines 120. It is 280 yards wide at its mouth.' The little Kanhaway is 150 yards wide at the mouth, and is navigable for 10 miles only. The Shenandoah river rises in the interior of the country, and running a north-east course, of about 250 miles, through the great Limestone valley, parallel to the mountains, falls into the Patomak just above the Blue ridge. The jimction of the rivers, and the passage through the Blue ridge, is said to be one of the finest scenes in nature, and has been described in our general view of the United States. There are a great variety of minerals and mineral springs in the state. Iron is very plentiful, and several mines of lead have been opened. Some copper, black-lead, and precious stones have been found, and in one instance gold Mas disco- vered. Limestone is plentiful, and coal is abundant at Rich- mond, iu some places among the moimtains, and in the western UNITED STATES. 219 country. Of the mineral springs, the warm and hot springs and the -sweet spring, are the most remarkable. They are situated near the sources of James river, at the fpot of the Al- leghany mountains, about 43 miles apart. They are now well known, and much resorted to. There are sulphur springs in several places ; and on the Kanhaway river, 67 miles from its outlet, there is a very remarkable air spring. The soil in the low part of the state is sandy, except on the banks of the rivers, wiiere it is very rich. Between the head of the tide-waters and the mountains, it exhibits a great variety, and a considerable portion is good. Among the mountains there is a great deal of poor land, but it is interspersed with rich vallies. Beyond the mountains the soil is generally rich and fertile. The climate of Virginia is very various, and is subject to great and sudden changes. In the greater part of the country below the head of the tide-waters, the sunmiers are hot and sultry, and the winters mild. From thence to the foot of the mountains the air is pure and elastic, and both summers and winters are several degrees of temperature below the low country. Among the mountains, the summers are delightful, though sometimes the heat is very great. To the westward the climate is temperate, the summers being cooler and the winters warmer than on the sea coast, Except in the neigh- bourhood of stagnant Vt'aters in the low country, Virginia has, upon the whole, a healthy climate. The state has of late been considerably improved by roads, but in that branch much remains to be done. The canal con- templated by Mr. Jefferson between the waters of the Chesa- peake and Albemarle sound has been cut. It is 16 miles in length, and answers a most valuable purpose. Considerable improvements have been made upon the navigation of the Shenandoah river ; and there are several very important roads and canals projected. The principal branches of agriculture for exportation are wheat and tobacco ; and the farms produce in plenty, Indian corn, rye, barley, buck-wheat, &c. Hemp and flax are abun- dant, and considerable quantities of cotton are raised in the 220 VIEW OF THE southern part of the state. Indigo is cultivated with success, and the silk-worm is a native of the country, though not much attended to. The fields likewise produce potatoes, both sweet and common, turnips, parsnips, carrots, pumpkins, and ground nuts ; and of grasses, there are clovers, red, wjiite, and yellow, timothy, ray, greensward, blye grass, and crab grass. The orchards abound in fruit; apples, pears, peaches, quinces, cherries, nectarines, apricots, almonds, and plums. The do- mestic animals thrive well, horses, cows, sheep, hogs, poultry ; and there is a great variety of wild game. Population. — The population of this state in 1817 amounted to 1,347,496, which is 18 persons to a square mile. Manners., Sfc. — The character of the Virginians has been often described ; but all writers agree in ascribing most of their errors and crimes to the system of slavery established amongst them. An English writer says, that ' the climate and external appearance of the country conspire to make them in- dolent, easy, and good-natured ; extremely fond of society, and much given to convivial pleasures. In consequence of this, they seldom show any spirit of enterprise, or expose themselves willingly to fatigue. Their autliority over their slaves renders them vain and imperious, and entire strangers to that elegance of sentiment which is so peculiarl}- character- istic of refined and polished nations. Their ignorance of man- kind and of learning exposes them to manv errors and preju- dices, especially in regard to Indians and negroes, whom they scarcely consider as of the human species ; so that it is almost impossible, in cases of violence, or even murder, committed upon those unhappy people by any of the planters, to have the delinquents brought to justice; for either the grand jury refuse to find the bill, or the petit jury bring in their verdict, not guilty. ' The display of a character thus constituted will naturally be in acts of extravagance, ostentation, and a disregard of eco- nomy : it is not extraordinary, therefore, that the Virginians outrun their incomes; and that having involved themselves in difficulties, they are frequently tempted to raise money by bills of exchange, which they know w ill be returned protested, with UNITED STATES. 221 10 per cent, interest. The public or political character of the Virginians corresponds with their private one: they are haughtv and jealous of their liberties, impatient of restraint, and can scarcely bear the thought of being controled by any superior power. ' The women are, upon the wliolc, rather handsome, though not to be compared with our fair countrywomen in England. They have but few advantages, and consequently are seldom accomplished ; this makes them reserved, and unequal to any interesting or refined conversation. They are immoderately fond of dancing, and indeed it is almost the only amusement they partake of: but even in this they discover great want of taste and elegance, and seldom appear with that gracefulness and ease which these movements arc so calculated to display. Towards the close of an evening, when the company are pretty well tired of country dances, it is usual to dance jigs'; a prac- tice originally borrowed, I am inlurmed, from the negroes. These dances are without any method or regularity. A gen- tleman and lady stand up, and dance about the room, one of them retiring, the other pursuing, then perhaps meeting, in an irregular fantastical manner. After some time, another lady gets up ; and then the first lady must sit down, she be- ing, as they term it, cut out. The second lady acts the same part which the first did, till somebody cuts her out. The gentlemen perform in the same manner. The Virginian la- dies, excepting their amusements, and now and then a party of pleasure into the woods to partake of a barbacue, chiefly spend their time in sewing and taking care of their families. They seldom read, or endeavour to impi'ove their minds. However, they are in general good housewives ; and though they have not, I think, quite so much tenderness and sensibility as the English ladies, yet they make as good wives, and as good mo- thers, as any in the world."' This character was drawn from personal observation, and, in general, appears to be just. ' The young men," another traveller observes, ' generally speaking, are gamblers, cock-fighters, and horse-jockies. To hear them converse, you would imagine that the grand point of all science was properly to fix a gaff, and touch, with dcxte- 5i22 VIEW OF THE rity, the tail of a cock while in coiubat. He who u on the last match, the last game, or the last horse-race, assumes the airs of a hero or German potentate. The ingenuity of a Locke, or the discoveries of a Newton, are considered as infinitely in- ferior to the accomplishments of him who knows when to shoulder a blind cock, or start a fleet horse."" A spirit for lite- rary enquiries, if not altogether confined to a few, is, among the body of the people, evidently subordinate to a spirit of gaming and barbarous sports. At almost every tavern or or- dinary on the public road there is a billiard table, a backgam- mon table, cards, and other implements for various games. To these public houses the gambling gentry in the neighbour- hood resort, to hill fhne, which hangs heavily upon them ; and at this business they are extremely expert, having been accus- tomed to it from their earliest youth. The passion for cock- fighting, a diversion not only inhumanly barbarous, but infinitely beneath the dignity of a man of sense, is so predo- minant, that they even advertise their matches in the public newspapers This dissipation of manners is the i'ruit of indo- lence and luxury, which arise from the system of xVfrican slavery. Chief Toivns. — Richmond is handsomely situated on James river, immediately below the falls. It is a large elegant city, consisting of more than 1200 houses, and contains about 10,000 inhabitants. The state-house stands on an eminence, and is considered the handsomest building in the state, having spacious apartments for the meetings of the legislature, and commodious rooms for the transaction of the public business of the state. The other public buildings are, the court-house, jail, and theatre, two places for public worship, a free mason's hall, and three tobacco warehouses. Richmond is situated in a fertile healthy country, and is well supplied with provisions; and it is flourishing in manufactures and commerce. There is an armoury in the neighbourhood, said to be the best in the United States. The city is remarkably well situated for mill- seats ; some of the finest flour-mills in the state have lately been erected, and the quantity of flour manufactured annually is immense. There are also rolling and slitting mills, oil-mills, UNITED STATES. 223 and several others; and several extensive distilleries and breweries. Richmond carries on a considerable trade, princi- pally in tobacco and flour, with many places of the United States, particularly New York, which in i-eturn supplies it with dry goods and groceries. The inhabitants here, like those in the sea-ports, are mostly dressed in British manufactures, and are very gay. Gambling is the favourite diversion of the peo- ple, and is constantly practised without the smallest degree of secresv. ' On alighting at a tavern,' says Mr. Weld, ' the landlord immediately asked what game was most congenial to my inclinations, as he could conduct me, according to my wish, either to a faro, hazard, or billiard table. These apartments are always crowded with gamesters, and the doors are only shut to exclude the lowest order of the people, who, however, contrive to find a similar amusement at some petty house of accommodation. The taverns being thus infested is a disagree- able circumstance to a traveller who is blest with a different bent of inclination, as every room is considered coimnon, and the place where a stranger wishes to seclude himself from the eye of public observation, is always the most frequented.' Norfolk is a large town, containing nearly the same number of inhabitants as Richmond. It is a place of very extended commerce, principally in flour and tobacco, and its commerce and population will probably continue to encrease for a long period. Mr. Jefferson remarks, in his Notes, ' that it will probably be the emporium for all the trade of the Chesapeake bay and its waters, and a canal of eight or ten miles will bring to it all that of the Albemarle sound and its waters.' But it is to be observed, that the Chesapeake bay and its waters are navigable a long way into the interior of the country, in conse- quence of which, probably no single town or city will be the emporium for all the trade ; it will be divided among .many. We accordingly find numerous towns upon these waters, of which the following may be noticed. On Rappahannoc, Urbanna, Port Roynl, Falmouth. Fre- dericksburg is situated on the south-west side of this river. It is regularly laid out, the streets crossing one another at right angles, and consists of about 300 houses, containing about 224 VIEW OF THE 1600 iiiliabitants. The principal public buildings are an epis- copal church, an academy, court-house, and jail. It cames on a considerable trade, principally in flour and tobacco. On Patoniak and its waters, Dumfries^ Colchester, Winches- ter^ Staunton. On York river and its waters, Yor\\ Nen-castle, Hanover. On James river and its waters, Portsmouth, Hampton, Siif- Jblk, SmithJieM, WiUiamsburg', Manchester, Charlottesville. Petersburg is situated on this river, immediately below the falls, and is a place of considerable wealth and importance, carrying- on a great trade in tobacco and flour, a considerable portion of which is with New York. The population, in 1800, was J20J34 free people and 1481 slaves. The population is said to be composed principally of Irish people, and they are distinguished for frank liberal manners, and high-spirited patriotism. The principal public buildings are, two places lor public worship, a court-house, jail, and free mason's hall. The market is well supplied with provisions ; and there are numerous mills in and about the town. There is no very important town in the western part of the state. Wheeling, on the Ohio, will probably increase more than any other. Trade and Resources. — The interior trade of this state was never of much importance. The manufactures are mostly of the domestic kind ; and such is the attachment of the Virgi- nians to agriculture, that there is no doubt they will continue for a considerable time to exchange the raw material for the nianufactui'e of foreign nations. The value of houses, lands, and slaves, in this state in 1815, by the assessors' return, was 263,737,099 dollars ; the average value of land being estimated at 4 dollars 15 cents per acre. The "TOSS revenue arisirin; from duties on merchandise was 1,254,144 dollars. The shipping employed in Ibreign trade amounted to 31,152 tons, and in the coasting trade to 6549 tons. Education. — There are two colleges in the state; one of them the college of William and Mary, very liberally endowed. There are several academies and schools in each county ; and UNITED STATES. 925 there are numerous teachers in private families, as tutors. The means, in short, for educating the weaUhy are ample, and extensively applied ; but the system seems to be defective, so far as the mass of the peojjle are concerned, and thai im- portant branch deserves the early attention of an enlightened legislature ; as the pride, the independence, and the indo- lence of one class, and the thoughtlessness and poverty of the other, present formidable obstacles to the progress of knowledge. Religion. — The first settlers in this state were English epis- copalians, and they seemed to emulate the bigotry and intole- rance of their presbyterian brethren in New England. But the vigilance and activity of the government in supporting the established church beiJ;ot securitv and indolence in the clergy ; people of various religious opinions began to creep into the state ; and, within a century, the episcopalians found them- selves subdued by superior spirit and determination. Aw act passed the Virginia assembly, in the beginning of 178G, in which it is declared, that, being ' well aware that Al- mighty God hath created the mind free ; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy Au- thor of our religion, who being Lord over both body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions in either, &c. Be it therefore enacted by the general assembly. That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious wor- ship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, re- strained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his "religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by arguments to maintain their opinions in matters of religion ; and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."* The episcopalians, or, as Mr. Jefferson calls them, the ' Anglicans,'' have, comparatively, but few ministers among them ; and these few, when they preach, which is seldom more than once a week, preach to very thin congregations. The 226 VIEW OF THE presbyterians, in proportion to their numbers, have more mi- nisters, who officiate oftener, and to larger audiences. The baptists and niethodists are generally supplied by itinerant preachers, who have large and promiscuous audiences, and preach almost every day, and often several times in a day. The bulk of these religious sects are of the poorer sort of peo- ple, and many of them are very ignorant, (as is indeed the case with the other denominations,) but they are generally a moral, well-meaning set of people. They exhibit much zeal in their worship, which appears to be composed of the mingled effu- sions of piety, enthusiasm, and superstition. Government. — The following are the outlines of the form of state government : ' The executive powers are lodged in the hands of a go- vernor, chosen annually, and incapable of acting any more than three years in seven. He is assisted by a council of eight members. The judiciary powers are divided among several courts. Legislation is exercised by two houses of assembly ; the one called the House of Delegates, composed of two mem- bers from each county, chosen annually by the citizens pos- sessing an estate for life in 100 acres of uninhabited land, or 25 acres with a house and lot on it, or a house or lot in some town. The other, called the Senate, consisting of 24 members, chosen quadrenially by the same electors, who, for this pur- pose, are distributed into 24 districts. The concurrence of both houses is necessary to the passing of a law : they have the appointment of the governor and council, the judges of the superior courts, auditors, attorney-general, treasurer, register of the land-oflice, and delegates to congress."* The state is divided into an eastern and western district, and 90 comities. History. — We have already noticed the first settlement of Virginia. On the arrival of lord Delaware in 1610, the colony acquired permanency and respectability, whijh was further increased by a young gentleman named Rolf, who married the daughter of an Indian chief In 1621, the company of pro- prietors obtained a charter for settling the government of the state ; but shortly after, the king and company quarrelled. UNITED STATES. 227 and, by a mixture of law and force, the latter were ousted of all their rights, without retribution, after having expended 100,000/. in establishing the colony, without the smallest aid from government. King James I. took the government into his own hands. Both sides had their partisans in the colony : but the people of the colony in general thought them- selves little concerned in the dispute. But they did not re- main so long. The northern parts of their ccmntry were granted away to the lords Baltimore and Fairfax, the first of these obtaining also the rights of separate jurisdiction and go- vernment. And in 1650, the parliament, considering itself as standing in the place of their deposed king, and as having succeeded to all his powers, without as well as within the realm, began to assume a right over the colonies, passing an act for inhibiting their trade with foreign nations. This suc- cession to the exercise of the kingly authority gave the first colour for parliamentary interference with the colonies, and produced that fatal precedent which they continued to follow after they had retired, in other respects, within their proper functions. When this colony, therefore, which still maintain- ed its opposition to Cromwell and the parliament, was induced, in 1651, to lay down their arms, they previously secured their most important rights, by a solemn convention. This convention was, however, infringed by subsequent kings and parliaments, until the revolution, which the Virgi- nians supported with great energy and success. They still maintain great influence in the public councils, and have thereby incurred the jealousy of their neighbours. VIEW OF THE KENTUCKY. Situation and Extent, JJ^ENTUCKY is situated between 36 deg. 30 min. and 39 deg. north lat., and 5 and 12 deg. west long. Its greatest length is 328 miles, and its greatest breadth 183. Its area is 52,000 square miles, or 33,280,000 acres. Natural Geography. — The face of the country is generally uneven, some of it rough and hilly ; and towards the east there are considerable spurs of the Alleghany mountains, which di- vide the state from Virginia. The Ohio river washes the state to the north and north-west, 874 miles ; and the Mississippi on the west, 57; the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers pass partly through it. Big Sandy river forms the boundary line a ccmsiderable way on the east; and Licking river, Kentucky river, llolling river, and Green river, are all very considerable streams. There is a vast variety of small streams, and the state has the appearance of being well watered ; but in some places it is not. The stratum under the soil is limestone, throughout the whole state : it has a great depth, and seems to be chequered witii innumerable fissures, which let the w-ater pass. On this account, there are some places where water is not to be found in summer, and the greater part of the rivers have worn down their beds irom 100 to 300 feet below the surface of the earth. From the circumstance of the rivers being so confined between high banks, they roll down their waters to a great depth in freshets : it is no uncommon thing for the Kentucky river to rise from 40 to 50 feet. The state is said to be rather defective in iron, the most useful of all the metals : but there are, notwithstanding, nu- merous iron forges. Marble is found in the state, but is not plentiful : coal is found in some places ; and a few specimens of lead, copperas, and alum have been found : limestone is a UNITED STATES. 229 most plentiful commodity. There are various mineral spi'ings, but the most useful are the salt spi-ings ; though they are now of less importance, since the discovery of the valuable salt springs upon the Kanhaway. The soil in this state has all the gradations from the very best to the very worst; but there is, upon the whole, a great body of good soil in the state. T!ie general character is chalk, covered with a stratum of vegetable earth from eio-ht to twelve feet in depth. A want of water in the summer season is much felt, except in the vicinity of great rivers and their principal dependent streams. Indian corn is raised here in vast abundance, and almost without labour. Stock of various kinds is raised for the New Orleans, southern, and Atlantic markets. Pork is well fed, and of excellent quality. Beef is also of good quality, and the stock has received considerable attention by the mixture of English breeds. The climate is more steady than in the eastern states, and is upon the whole favourable. Heat and cold do not go to ex- tremes; the thermometer in summer being seldom above 80 degrees, or in winter below 25. The climate is said to agree well with English constitutions. Poptdation. — The population of this state in 1817 amounted to 683,753, which is rather more than 13 persons to a square mile. In 1790, the population was estimated at 73,677. As the emigrations are still going on, and likely to continue, i)ar- ticularly from the southern states, the inhabitants will vet greatly increase, though probably not so rapidly as heretofore. The insecurity of the land-titles, and the slave trade, are so many barriers in the way with the people from the northern states, from whence there is the gi'eatest degree of emigration ; and there being so much fine land to the westward, a numbei- of the poorer people will go there, where they can get land cheap. However, it is to be presumed that this latter circum- stance will have a tendency to improve the morals of the state, as it will purge it of many of the pioneers. Manners^ S^c. — The character of the inhabitants of this state is always represented in a most unfavourable light. A late 230 VIEW OF THE traveller, who viewed tlie United States as the garden of Eden, and the people as the elect of the earth, confesses that the vices of gaming and swearing are carried to a most inconceivable height. ' At Frankfort,' says he, ' I saw a vagabond in the penitentiary, who had picked out his neighbour's eyes ; and a man who sailed down the river with us told me he saw a fieht, in which the combatants grappled one another with their teeth : one lost his lip, and the other his nose. In Kentucky, and indeed in the western country generally, there is a vast ma- jority of civil, discreet, well-disposed people, who will hold the lawless and disobedient in check, and in time correct the mo- rals of the whole. Slavery is no doubt hurtful to society, but it is probably more ameliorated in this state than in any other part of the world. Indeed, so much is this the case, that the blacks are generally as well fed, and nearly as well clothed, as the white people ; and it is questionable whether they work so hard. A gentleman of very excellent information told me that lie did not think the produce of their labour was equal to their maintenance. To me it appeared that they were better fed, better lodged, and better clothed, than many of the peasantry in Britain. Still, however, slavery, under any amelioration, is a bitter draught ; and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of it, it Is no less bitter on that account. The insecurity of land titles has also been much against the state, not only by preventing emigrants of property from going to it, but also by encouraging litigation, a most baneful circumstance in any country ; but it is to be remarked that the legislature have lately taken measures to ])lace this business on a solid and respectable form, ' Being sprung from the state of Vii-ginia, the manners of that people have given the tone to those of this state, which appears in a spirit of high independence, quick temper, and frank eenerosity. The only serious evil that I had to com- plain of in my journey through the country arose from the proneness of many of the natives to swearing. This vice is too conunon ; and though 'tis true that "it will neither break a man's leg, nor pick his pocket," yet it may stun his ears most unmercifully. This was literally the case with me: I UNITED STATES. 231 found the country as bad, in that respect, as Ireland itself. Indeed, it appears to me that there is a considerable similitude between the Irish people and the Virginians, in more i-espects tlian this : frank, affable, polite, and hospitable in a high de- gree, they are quick in their temper, sudden in their resent- ment, and warm in all their affections."* Another Enghsh traveller says, ' I do not feel myself com- petent to confirm or deny the general claim of the Kentuckians to generosity and warmth of character ; of their habits I would wish to speak with diffidence ; tliat tliey drink a great deal, swear a great deal, and gamble a great deal, will be apparent to a very brief resident. The barbarous practice of ^'-ow^-v??^, with which they are charged, I have not seen occur, though I have good reason to believe in its existence. They have also another practice, nearly akin to this, called "gander-pulling.'''' This diversion consists in tying a live gander to a tree or pole, greasing its neck, riding past it at full gallop, and he who suc- ceeds in pulling off the head of the victim, receives the laurel crown. I think I have heard of a similar pastime as practised in Holland ; but these are not to be taken as unmixed charac- teristics. ' On leaving Kentucky, I have to regret that so much re- mains to be done for the habits of the people, and to feel from my soul the most sincere sorrow, that men who can form a theoretic constitution, in Avhich it is declared, that " men when they form a social compact are equal ; that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emoluments or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services ; that all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship God according to the dictates of their consciences ;'''' I cannot, I say, but feel sorrow that men who can in theory lay down such principles, can in their practice continue, and even boast of the most demoralizing habits, treat their fellow crea- tures like brute beasts, and buv and sell human beings like cattle at a fair.'' Chief' Towns. — Lexington is the seat of justice of Fayette county, and is situated in the heart of a most beautiful country, on a branch of Elkhorn river. It is one of the earliest settle- 232 VIEW OF THE ments in the western country, and is coeval with the battle ot Lexington, the news of which having reached the early settlers, they conferred on it the present name. It has since flourished in a wonderful degree, and now contains 4327 inhabitants. By the census of 1800, it contained 2400, so that it has nearly doubled its population in 10 years; and as it is increasing in manufactures and wealth, and the adjoining country rapidly settling up, there is every probability that it will increase in the same ratio for a considerable time to come. Lexington has a very neat court-house, market-house, jail, four churches, and a bank. There is a very excellent seminary of learning, under the management of special trustees, which is supported by about 70,000 acres of land ; and there is a public library, a valuable establishment, with a youth's library attached to it. Three newspapers are published in the town, and papers are received by mail from all quarters of the union. There are a number of valuable manufactories ; and a steam-mill was re- cently put in motion, which is of great advantage to the town and neighbourhood. There are f()ur principal taverns, all under cood management, and there are about 30 retail stores, and two book-stores. The pruicipal manufactures of Lexington are of hemp, to which the labour of the black people is well adapted, and of which the country yields amazing crops, at the low price of four dollars per cwt. ; being at the rate of 18/. sterling per ton. There are thaT'en extensive rope-walks, five bagging manufactories, and one of duck. The manufactures of hemp alone are estimated at 500,000 dollars. The other principal manufactories are, eight cotton factories, three woollen manu- factories, and an oil-cloth factory. The other professions are, masons and stone-cutters, brick-makers, carpenters, cabmet- makers, coopers, turners, machine-makers, smiths, nailors, copper and tin-smiths, brass-founders, gun-smiths, silver- smiths, watch-makers, tanners, curriers, saddlers, boot and shoe-makers, butchers, bakers, hrewers, distillers, stocking- makers, dyers, tailors, tobacconists, soap-boilers, candle-mak- ers, brush-makers, potters, painters, confectioners, glovers and breeches-makers, straw-bonnet-makers, and hatters. As thi^ UNITED STATES. 233 place is rapidly increasing, manufactures are so of course; workmen are mostly always in demand, the more so as indus- trious journeymen very soon become masters. ' The woollen manufactory,' says a recent traveller, ' the steam grist-mill, and a glass-house, are on a tolerably large scale : the two former are said not to pay the proprietors. In the main street, English goods abound in as great 'profusion us in Cheapside. A first-rate shop sells every thing; keeps a stock of from 20 to 80,000 dollars ; annual returns may be 50,000 dollars, upon half of which they give from 6 to 18 months' credit. Some of their goods they import direct from England, but more commonly purchase at Philadelphia ; their journey for which purpose, to and from that city, occupies them three months : goods average 50 days in arriving. A house at Pittsburg advances money in payment of carriage, and attends to the receipt of the goods by waggon and their shipment by boats, for which the dealer here pays 5 per cent, commission. The credit which they receive at Philadelphia is from six to seven months; but they can seldom pay at the specified time, and are then charged 7 per cent, interest. Shopkeeping has been very profitable, but it certainly is now over-done : all complain that ti-ade is extremely dull. I re- mark what appears to me an universal and most important error in all the stores, — too large a stock : by this means, tradesmen, in every country, are exposed to lose as much as by bad debts. Some of the best-informed inhabitants are of opinion that cotton, woollen, linen, and stocking-making would succeed, if large capital, with competent and varied skill, were employed ; but in these opinions I place little confidence. ' The imports are, nearly every description of English goods, and some French and India : these are received via New Or- leans, Baltimore, or Philadelphia ; chieflv the tM'o latter cities. The exports are flour, beef, pork, and butter. The town contains two chartered banks and one unchartered, all in re- spectable credit ; a branch of " The United States' Bank" is also just established there ; the paper money system has gone beyond all bounds throughout the western countrv. Specie 2 G 234 VIEW OF THE of the smallest amount is rarely to be seen, and the little which does exist is chiefly cict Spanish dollars, wliich are di\ ided into bits of 50, 25, and 12^ cents. Notes of S\d., 6hd., 13J., and 2,y. Qd. are very common ; indeed they constitute an important part of the circulating niedium."* ' Tlie town is built upon the model of Philadelphia ; and vshould it ever become as large, which I think not improbable, its whole appearance will be more pleasing. Tiiere are five churches belonging to methodists, episcopalians, presbyt^rians, quakers, and baptists : two others, large in size and handsome in appearance, are now erecting. The school-house, when the whole plan is completed, will be a fine and extensive structure. In the first apartment, on the ground-floor, the I^ancasterian plan is already in successful operation : I counted 150 scholars, among whom were children of the most respectable persons in the town ; or, to use an Amej"ican phrase, " of the first stand- ing." The school-house is, like most establishments in this-' country, a joint stock concern. The terms for education, in the Lancasterian department, arc, to share-holders, 11*. 3d. per quarter ; others, 13*. 6d. There are in the same building three (jther departments (not Lancasterian) ; two for instruc- tion in history, geography, and the classics ; and the superior dejuirtmcnt for teaching languages. Males and females are taught in the same rooms, but sit on opposite sides. The terms for the historical, &c. department are, to share-holders, ,^2.9. 6d. per quarter; others, 27*. There were present 21 males and 19 females. In the department of languages, the charge is, to share- holders, 36*. per quarter; others, 45*. Teachers are paid a yearly salary by the company : these men are, I believe, New Englanders, as are the schoolmasters in the western country generally. ' I also visited a poor half-starved, civil schoolmaster : he has two miserable rooms, for which he pays 22*. 6d. per month : the number of scholars, both male and female, is 28 : the terms for all branches 13*. 6d. per quarter : he complains of great difficulty in getting paid ; and also of the untameable insubordination of his scholars. The superintendant of the UNITED STATES. 235 Lancasterian school informs me, that they could not attempt to put in practice tlie greater part of the punishments as di- rected by the founder of that system.' Since part of the works were pubhshed, from which the abovt account is extracted, the population of this place has greatly irv- creased, and at present amounts to about 10,000. But this rapid advance cannot continue, as property is as high here as in Philadelphia, and all occupations are filled. The future progress of this town, though certain, must be gradual. The country for 20 miles round Lexington is remarkably bieautiful and fertile, and will probably become very populous. Louisville is situated opposite the fiills of the Ohio, on an elevation of 70 feet above the river, and extends along .it from Bear Grass creek nearly half a mile. Its breadth is about half that distance. It is regularly laid out, with streets crossing one another at right angles ; but the principal buildings are confined to one street. It consists of about 250 houses, many of them handsome brick buildings. Being a place of great resort on the river, it has an ample nuvnber of taverns and stores. Except the manufacture of ropes, rope-yarn, and cot- ton-bagging, which are carried on with spirit, there are no other manufactures of importance at Louisville, and the trades- men are such as are calculated for the country. Tlie px'ice of labour here is nearly the same as at Cincinnati. Some articles of provision are dearer, this being a more convenient port for shipping than any above it. Flour sells for 5 dollars 50 cents per barrel ; meal 50 cents per cwt. Boarding is from 1 dollar 25 cents to 2 dollars per week. Louisville, being the princi- pal port of the M'estern part of the state of Kentucky, is a market for the purchase of all kinds of produce, and the quan- tity that is annually shipped down the river is immense. ' As to the state of society,' observes Melish, ' I cannot say much. The place is composed of people from all quarters, who are principally engaged in commerce; and a great num-^ ber of the traders on the Ohio are constantly at this place, whose example will be nothing in favour of the young ; and slavery is against society every where. There are several 236 VIEW OF THE schools, but none of them are under public patronage; and education seems to be but indifferently attended to. Upon the whole, I must say, that the state of public morals admits of considerable improvement here ; but indeed I saw Louisville at a season when a number of the most respectable people were out of the place. Those with whom I had business were gentlemen, and I hope there are a sufficient number of them to check the progress of gaming and drinking, and to teach the young and the thoughtless, that mankind, without virtue and industry, cannot be happy." This town is favourably situated for trade, being the con- necting link between New Orleans and the whole western country. It must soon take the lead of Lexington in extent of population, as it has already done in the rapid rise of town property, the increase of which since the year 1814 is said to have been 200 per cent. The population of this town is from 4 to 5000. Good brick buildings are fast increasing. One of the hotels (Gwathway's) is said to be rented at 6000 dollars per annum : from 150 to 200 persons dine at this establish- ment daily. About every tenth house in the main street is a doctor's : yet this place is said to be improving in health. The prevalent diseases are fever and ague ; besides which, the common disorders of this state are, consumption, pleuri.sy, typhus, remittent and intermittent fevers, rheumatism, and dysentery. Besides these towns, there are seven containing 400 inhabit- ants and upwards, viz. Beardstown, 821; Winchester, 538; Russelville, 532; Georgetown, 529; Versailles, 488; Dan- ville, 432 ; Newport, 413 : there arc ten containing from 200 to 400; and thirteen containing from 100 to 200. Trade and Resources. — The trade of this state has become of some importance. In 1816, there were shipped 30,000 hogsheads of tobacco, 80,000 barrels of flour, aiid above a million gallons of whiskey. The export of cordage, yarn, and bagging, has materially decreased in consequence of European competition. There is a class of tradesmen who purchase agricultural produce, and then convey it to Orleans. UNITED STATES. 2^7 The value of houses, lands, and slav^es, in 1815, was esti- mated at 87,018,837 dollars, the land being valued at 4 dol- lars per acre. Education. — The legislature of Virginia made provision for a college in Kentucky, and endowed it with very considerable landed property. The state of education is improving. The terms are various : the best is 45^. per annum, including board. Schoolmasters of talent and respectability are in demand in Kentucky. Instances exist of their realising from 700 to 1400 dollars per annum. Religion. — The baptists are the most numerous sect in this state. There are also several presbyterian congregations, and some few of other denominations. But rational religion is at a very low ebb among the Kentuckians. Government. — This state is divided into 54 counties. The government consists of three parts ; legislative, executive, and judiciary. The legislature consists of a house of representa- tives, the members of which are chosen annually ; and a se- nate, of which the members are elected for four years, one fourth being chosen every year. Every free male above 21 years of age has a vote for the representatives, and also for the governor, who is elected for four years, and is ineligible to fill that office for seven years thereafter. The judiciary is vested in a supreme court, and such inferior courts as may be ap- pointed by law, and the judges hold their offices during good behaviour. The constitution declares, among others, the fol- lowing fundamental principles: all power is inherent in the people; all men have a right to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences; all elections shall be free and equal ; trial by jury shall be held sacred ; printing presses shall be free. Historf/. — The first white man we have certain accounts of, who discovered this province, was one James M'Bride, who in company with some others, in the year 1754, passing down the Ohio in canoes, landed at the mouth of Kentucky river, and there marked a tree, with the first letters of his name, and the date, which remains to this day. These men reconnoitered tlie country, and returned home with the pleasing news of their 238 Vll-nV OF THE discovery of the best tract of land in Norlli America, and pro- bably in the world. From this period it remained concealed till about the yeaV 17(J7, when one John Finley and some others, trading with the Indians, travelled over the fertile re- gion now called Kentucky, then but known to the Indians by the name of the Dark and ]31oodv Grounds, and sometimes the Middle Ground. This country greatly engaged Mr. Fin- ley''s attention. Some time after, disputes ansing between the Indians and traders, he was obliged to decamp ; and returned to his place of residence in North Carolina, where he commu- nicated his discovery to colonel Daniel Boon and a few more, who conceiving it to be an interesting object, agreed in the year 17C9 to undertake to explore it. After a long fatiguing march, over a mountainous wilderness, in a westward direction, they at length arrived upon its borders ; and from the top of an eminence, with joy and wonder, descried the beautiful landscape of Kentucky. Here they encamped, and some went to hunt provisions, while colonel JJoon and John Finley made a tour through the cotmtry, which they found far exceeding their expectations, and returning to camp, informed their com- panions of their discoveries. ]kit in spite of this promising beginning, this company, meeting with nothing but hardships and adversity, grew exceedingly disheartened, and was plun- dered, dispersed, and killed by the Indians, except colonel Boon, who continued an inhabitant of the wilderness until the vear 1771, when he returned home. About this time, Kentucky had drawn the attention of se- veral gentlemen. Dr. Walker of Virginia, with a number more, made a tour westward for discoveries, endeavouring to find the Ohio river ; and afterwards he and general Lewis, at fort Stanwix, purchased from the Five Nations of Indians the lands lying on the north side of Kentucky. Colonel Henderson, of North Carolina, beirig informed of this country bv colonel Boon, he and some other gentlemen held a treaty with the Cherokee Indians at Wataga, in jNIarch, 1775, and then purchased from them the lands lying on the south side of Kentucky river, for goods, at valuable rates, to the amount of 6000/. specie. UNITED STATES. 239 Soon after this purchase, the state of Virginia took the alarm, and disputed colonel Henderson's right of purchase, as a private gentleman of another state, in behalf of himself. However, for his eminent services to this country, and for having been instrumental in making so valuable an acquisition to Virginia, that state Avas pleased to reward him with a tract of land at the mouth of Green river, to the amount of 200,000 acres; and the state of North Carolina gave him the hke quantity in Powefs valley. In 1790, Kentucky was, with consent of Virginia, formed into a separate state, and adopted a state constitution, which Avas revised and amended in 1799. The state was admitted into the union in 1792, and sends two senators and six repre- sentatives to congress : the latter are now to be nearly doubled, in consequence of the increase of }X)pulation. NOKTH CAROLINA. Situation and Extent. ]Sf ORTH CAROLINA is situated between north lat. 33 deg. 47 min. and 36 deg. 30 min., and 1 deg. east and 6 deg. 45 min. west hmg. Its greatest length, from east to west, is 472, and its greatest breadth, from north to south, is 188 miles. It con- tains 49,000 square miles, 31,360,000 acres. Natural Geography. — The face of the country is much di- versified. To the east and south-east, there is a sea coast of nearly 300 miles, indented with a great number of bays, the ]irincipal of which are Albemarle and Pamlicoe sounds, which receive the greater part of the rivers. On the outside of these sounds are some of the most remarkable capes in America, cape Hatteras, and cape Lookout, and to the southward is cape Fear. The whole country below^ the head of tide water,. 240 VIEW OF THE about 100 miles into the interior, is low and sandy, abounding in swamps, and presents an evident appearance of having been at one period overflowed by the sea. The country from the head of the tide waters, towards the mountains, is agreeably uneven, and much improved in value. Among the mountains it is exactly similar to the state of Virginia ; but being a few degrees to the south, the value of the country is improved, and the seasons in that district are deliohtful. o The state is, upon the whole, well watered. The rivers fall into the Atlantic ocean, and have been all noticed. It is sup- posed that the state is well supplied with valuable minerals, particularly in the mountainous district. Iron ore is very plentiful, and gold has been found in considerable quantities. Tliere are various mineral springs. The soil of North Cai'olina is very similar to that of Virgi- nia. The low part of the state, which is a considerable portion of it, is low, sandy, and barren, abounding in pine trees ; and the swamps, which are very large, produce cedars and bay trees. There are, in this district, good tracts of meadow land along the rivers, which are well cultivated, and produce abun- dantl}' . From the head of the tide waters to the mountains, the soil improves, and is very vai-ious. The mountainous dis- trict is very similar to that in Virginia. The climate in the low country is subject to great and sud- den changes, and is often unhealthy in the fall. Generally, the winters are mild, but very changeable. The spring is early, but subject to occasional frosts. The summers are hot and sultry, and the autumns are serene and beautiful ; but the exhalations from the decaying vegetable matter in the marshes and swamps are very injurious to health. In tlie upper coun- try, the weather is more settled, and, being free from swamps, is healthy. Among the mountains, the climate is remarkably pleasant. The country is generally covered with herbage of various kinds, and a species of wild grass. It abounds with medicinal plants and roots. Among others are the ginseng, Virginia snake root, Seneca snake root, an herb of the emetic kind, like the ipecacuanha; lion's heart, which is a sovereign remedy for UNITED STATES. 241 the bite of a serpent, A species of the sensitive plant is also found here : it is a sort of brier, the stalk of which dies with the frost, but the root lives through the winter, and shoots again in the spring. The lightest touch of a leaf causes it to turn and cling close to the stalk. Although it so easily takes the alarm, and apparently shrinks from danger, in the space of two minutes after it is touched, it perfectly recovers its former situation. The mucipula veneris is also found here. The rich bottoms are overgrown with canes. Their leaves are green all the winter, and afford an excellent food for cattle. They are of a sweetish taste, like the stalks of green corn, which they in many respects resemble. Population. — The number of inhabitants in this state amounted in 1817 to 701,224, which is about 14^ persons to a square mile. Manners, 8^c. — The state of society is somewhat similar to Virginia. The inhabitants are mostly farmers and planters, and their frankness and hospitality are mixed up with all the vices that distinguish slave masters. Temperance and indus- try are not to be reckoned among their virtues. Their time is usually consumed in drinking, idling, and gaming. Even the Sunday is devoted to the convivial visitings of the white inha- bitants, and the noisy diversions of the negroes. The women, except in some of the populous towns, have very little inter- course with each other, and are almost entirely destitute of the bloom and vivacity of the north. Time that is not employed in study or useful labour, in every country, is generally spent in hurtful or innocent exer- cises, according to the custom of the place, or the taste of the parties. The citizens of North Carolina, who are not better employed, spend their time in drinking, or gaming at cards or dice, in cock-fighting, or horse-racing. Many of the interludes are filled up with a boxing match ; and these matches fre- quently become memorable by feats oi gouging. The delicate and entertaining diversion, with propriety called gouging, is thus performed. When two bowers are wearied with fighting and bruising each other, they come, as it is called, to close quarters, and each endeavours to twist his 11 2 H VIEW OF THE fore-fii)gers in the ear-locks of his antagonist. When these are fast clenched, the thumbs are extended each way to the nose, and the eyes gently turned out of their sockets. The victor, for his expertness, receives shouts of applause from the sportive throng ; while his poor eyeless antagonist is laughed at for his misfortune. * The general topics of conversation among the men," says an Amei'ican, ' when cards, the bottle, and occurences of the day do not intervene, arc negroes, the jn-ices of indigo, rice, tobacco, &c. They appear to have as little taste for the sci- ences as for religion. Political enquiries, and philosophical disquisitions, are attended to but by a few men of genius and industry, And are too laborious for the indolent minds of the people at large. Less attention and respect are paid to the women here, than in tliose parts of the United States where the inhabitants have made greater progress in the arts of civi- lized life. Indeed, it is a truth, confirmed by observation, that in proportion to the advancement of civilization, in the same proportion will respect for the women be increased ; so that the progress of civilization in countries, in states, in towns, and in families, may be marked by the degree of attention which is paid by husbands to their wives, and by the young men to the young women.' Cluef Towns. — Neiobern is situated at the confluence of the Nuse and Trent rivers, on a level point of land, somewhat re- sembling Charleston, South Carolina ; and it carries on a con- siderable trade with other places in the state, and the West Indies. The population is about 4000, of whom above one half are slaves. Wihmnirton is the most connnercial town in the state. It is situated at the junction of the two branches of cape Fear river, iJ5 miles from the sea; and, being the place of depot for a large back country, it carries on a considerable trade, foreign and domestic. The town contains about 2000 inhabitants. The houses are mostly built of wood, and the town has suffer- ed severely fit)m fire at various times. Edcnton, on Albemarle sound, is one of the oldest towns in the state, and was formerly the scat of the royal governors. UNITED STATES. 243 It is favourably situated for trade, but is low and unhealthy. It contains about 750 inhabitants. The other towns of most note are, Washington, Tarbo- roiigh^ and Hillsbo?-ongh, on the Tar river ; Hal'ifax^ on the Roanoke ; Sakm, on the Yadkin ; Morgantown, on the Ca- tawba ; and Beaiiford, near cape Lookout. The population of these places is from about 300 to 700 ; and there are many villages containing from 100 to 300. The roads and bridges are yet in an imperfect state, and much remains to be done to make travelling comfortable. Trade and Resources. — The inhabitants produce on their farms every necessary of life. The principal commodities for sale are, tar, turpentine, pitch, rosin, timber, bees'* wax, corn, cotton, and tobacco. Almost every family in the country manufacture their own clothing, so that the Bi'itish trade to this state is not great, nor important. The greater part of it is carried on through the medium of Charleston, or the north- ern states. The value of houses, lands, and slaves in this state, in 1815, amounted to 93,723,031 dollars, tlie land being estimated at two dollars and a half per acre. The duties on merchandise were 357,804 dollars. There were, at the same time, 25,826 tons employed in foreign trade, and 3234 in the coasting trade. Education, — The North Carolinians are in general so much absorbed in dissipated pursuits, that tlie improvement of their minds is usually neglected. Considerable efforts have, how- ever, been made to place education on a respectable footing. A university has been founded, and endowed by the state ; and there are several respectable academies. But the most import- ant branch, that which has for its object the general diffusion of knowledge, has been neglected until of late. In 1808, how- ever, an act passed the legislature to establish common schools througliout the state, which, if followed up, will produce good effects. Religion. — Previous to the revolution, most of the inhabit- ants of this state professed themselves of the episcopal church ; but when the clergy emigrated in consequence of their attach- ment to England, the people never thought it necessary to Stm VIEW OF THE have their places filled up. There is now very little appear- ance of religion existing. The baptists and methodists have indeed sent a number of missionary preachers into various districts, and in some instances they have been tolerably suc- cessful. The Moravians have several flourishing settlements in this state, and a number of Irish presbyterians have settled in the western parts. Government. — The legislative authority is vested in a senate and house of commons, together styled the General Assembly, and chosen annually. Senators must be possessed of 300 acres of land ; representatives of 100. The electors of sena- tors must be possessed of 50 acres of land ; and of representa- tives a freehold in some town. The executive is vested in a governor, elected by the general assembly, and he is not eligi- ble to serve more than three years in six. He is assisted by a council of state, consisting of seven persons, elected by the a.s- sembly annually. The judiciary consists of a supreme court, a court of equity, and a court of admiralty. The judges are appointed by the assembl}'. This state is divided into eight districts and 60 counties. History. — The history of North Carolina is less known than that of any of the other states. The first permanent settle- ment was made about the year 1710, by a number of Palatines from Germany, who had been reduced to circumstances of great indigence by a calamitous war. The proprietors of Ca- rolina, knowing that the value of their lands depended on the strength of their settlements, determined to give every possible encouragement to such emigrants. Ships were accordingly provided for their transportation ; and instructions were given to governor Tynte to allow 100 acres of land for every man, woman, and child, free of quit-rents for the first ten years ; but at the expiration of that term, to pay one penny per acre, annual rent for ever, according to the usages and customs of the province. Upon their arrival, governor Tynte granted them a tract of land in North Carolina, since called Albemarle and Bath precincts, where they settled, and flattered themselves with having found, in the hideous wilderness, a happy retreat from the desolations of a war which then raged in Europe. UNITED STATES. S45 In the year 1712^ a dangerous conspiracy was formed by the Coree and Tuscorora tribes of Indians, to murder and expel this infant colony. They managed their conspiracy with great cunning and profound secresy. They surrounded their principal town with a breast-work, to secure their fami- lies. Here the warriors convened to the number of 1200. From this place of rendezvous they sent out small parties,'- by different roads, who entered the settlement under the mask of fiiendship. At the change of the full moon, all of them had agreed to begin their murderous operations the same night. When the night came, they entered the houses of the planters, demanding provisions, and pretending to be offended, fell to murdering men, women, and children without mercy or dis- tinction. One hundred and thirty-seven settlers, among whom were a Swiss baron, and almost all the poor Palatines that had lately come into the country, were slaughtered the first night. Such was the secresy and dispatch of the Indians in this expe- dition, that none knew what had befallen his neighbour until ' the barbarians had reached his own door. Some few, how- ever, escaped, and gave the alarm. The mihtia assembled in arms, and kept watch day and night, until the news of the sad disaster reached the province of South Carolina. Governor Craven lost no time in sending a force to their relief. The assembly voted 4000/. for the service of the war. A body of 600 militia, under the command of colonel Barnwell, and 366 Indians of different tribes, with different commanders, march* ed with great expedition through a hideous wilderness to their assistance. In their first encounter with the Indians, they killed 300, and took 100 prisoners. After this defeat, the Tuscororas retreated to their fortified town, which was shortly after surrendered to colonel Barnwell. After this, the infant colony remained in peace, and conti- nued to flourish under the general government of South Caro- lina, till about the year 17^9, when the proprietors vested their property and jurisdiction in the crown, and the colony was erected into a separate province, by the name of North CaroUna, and its present limits established, by an order of George II. In 1785, the inhabitants of the counties of Suili- 246 VIEW OF THE van, Washington, and Greene, erected themselves into a new state, by the name of tlic New State ofFranldin ; but, after many warm disputes, which lasted nearly three years, their pretensions to independence were relinquished. North Caro- lina was greatly distinguished for spirit, activity, and bravery, during the revolutionary war. SOUTH CAEOLINA. Situation and Extent. T'HIS state is situated between north lat. 32 dog. 6 min. and 35 deg., and west long. 1 deg. 30 min. and 6 deg. 25 min. Its extreme length from east to west is 236, and breadth from north to south 210 miles ; and it is computed to contain an area of 82,700 square miles, being 20,928,000 acres. Natural GeograpJty. — Soutii Carolina has a sea coast on the Atlantic, extending nearly 200 miles, to which all its rivers flow. The angle of the coast is from north-east to south-west; and nearly parallel with this, at about 120 miles from the coast, the first high land commences. The whole of the inter- mediate space is nearly a continued level, the angle of ascent being so trifling, that the rise at the extremity does not exceed 15 or 20 feet. From the commencement of the high lands the face of the country is variegated, and agreeably uneven, swell- ing sometimes into considerable hills ; and this continues to the north-west extremity of the state, where it is bounded by the mountains. The state is remarkably well watered. I'he Savannah river forms the boundary line between it and Georgia, through its whole course. This river has been noticed ; besides which there are — UNITED STATES. 247 Santee, the largest river in South Carohna, is formed by two very large streams, the Congeree and Wateree, in the in- terior of the country. Thence running upwards of 100 miles, in an east-south-east direction, it divides, and falls into the Atlantic ocean by two channels not far apart. The Wateree rises at the foot of the mountains in North Carolina, where it is denominated the Catawba, and, pursuing a south-east course, is joined by many tributary streams, and forms a junction with the Congeree, upwards of ^00 miles from its source. The Congeree rises also in North Carolina, within a few miles of the Catawba, and pursues a south-east course about 70 miles, vvhen it crosses the state line, and runs due south about 50 miles; it then runs south-east about ISO miles, and forms the junction aforesaid. In its passage through South Caroli- na, it receives a great many tributary streams, some of which are large rivers, particularly the Tyger, Enneree, and Reedy rivers. The Great Pedee is a fine flowing river ; next to the San- tee, the largest in South (Carolina. It rises in North Carolina among the mountains, and has in that state the name of Yad- kin river. From thence it continues a south-east course, and after being joined by large tributary streams, particularly Little Pedee, Lynch's creek, and Black river, it falls into the sea, 12 miles below Georgetown. Its whole length is upwards of 300 miles, and it waters an extensive tract of country. It is navigable for sea vessels to Georgetown, and for smaller vessels 100 miles higher up. It flows with a strong current. Its banks are said to be fertile; but in the low country aie very unhealthy. Cooper and Ashley river, which form a junction at Charles- ton. Cooper river rises about 50 miles north-north-west of Charleston, not far from the Santee river. It is a mile wide, nine miles above Charleston, and is navigable to its source, from whence there is a canal to the Santee. Ashley river rises to the north-west of Charleston, and derives its principal im- portance from the circumstance of its forming part of the har bour of that city. 248 VIEW OF THE Edisto river rises near the extremity of the low country, and runs a south-east course, including its windings, of 150 miles, when it enters into the Atlantic, by two principal channels, called north and south Edisto. The space between them forms the Edisto island. Cambahee river rises near Edgefield court-house, and run- ning a south-east direction, upwards of 130 miles, falls into St. Helena sound. Coosaw river rises in Orangeburg district, and running a south-east course, through Black swamp, falls into Broad river, which last is an arm of the sea, in some jilaces seven or eight miles broad, and forms, at Beaufort, one of the finest harbours in the United States. Beaufort and St. Helena islands are formed by the confluence of these rivers and inlets ; and there is a spacious entrance by Port Republican, formerly termed Port Royal. The whole of the low country presents an even regular soil, formed by a blackish sand, and pretty deep in those places where there are no stones. Seven tenths of it is covered with pines of one species, which, as the soil is drier and lighter, grow loftier and not so branchy. In some places they are in- terspersed with oaks. The pine barrens are crossed by little swamps, in the midst of which generally flows a rivulet; and they have different degrees of fertiUty, indicated by the trees that grow on them. In the upper country, the most fertile lands are situated upon the borders of the rivers and creeks ; the lands that occupy the intermediate spaces are much less fertile. The latter are not much cultivated ; and those who occupy them are obliged to be perpetually clearing them to obtain more abundant harvests. The forests are chiefly com- posed of oaks, hickory, maples, and poplars. Cliesnut-trees da not begin to appear for 60 miles on this side of the mountains. Michaux, who travelled through this country in 1803, says, * Columbia is about 120 miles from Charleston. For the whole of this space, particularly from Orangeburg, composed of 20 houses, the road crosses an even country, sandy and dry during the summer; whilst in the autumn and winter it is so UNITED STATES. 249 covered with water in several places, for the space of eight or ten miles, that the horses are up to their middles. Every two or three miles we met with a miserable log-house upon the road, surrounded with little fields of Indian corn, the slender stalks of which are very seldom more than five or six feet high, and which, from the second harvest, do not yield more than four or five bushels an acre. In the mean time, notwithstand- ing its sterility, this land is sold £lt the rate of two dollars per acre."* The extensive and dreary forests called pine barrens, which abound in this state, are thus described by Mr, Lambert, an English traveller : * On entering the road leading from Charleston to Savannah,' says he, ' I never felt myself more disposed for gloomy reflections. A habitation is seldom seen, except at intervals of 10 or 12 miles, or when you approach a savannah or swamp ; for the plantations are all settled a con- siderable distance from the road, and paths of communications are cut through the woods ; so that, in travelling through the southern states, you are enveloped in almost one continued forest. A contrary practice is adopted in the northern and middle states, where a succession of farms, meadows, gardens, and habitations, continually meet the eye of the traveller ; and if hedges were substituted for rail fences, those states would very much resemble some of the English counties. ' The pine barrens are without any stones on their surface, for 80 miles or more from the sea. The land rises by an al- most imperceptible ascent to that distance, where the elevation is said to be near 200 feet above the level of the ocean, and forms the boundary between the middle and lower parts of the state. Through this tract of country the pine barrens have little or no underwood, some species of shrub oak excepted, the ground being generally covered with coarse wild grasses. This is probably not its natural appearance, but is caused by the custom of burning the dry grass in the spring, in order to hasten early pasturage, at the same time destroying the young shrubs, which would otherwise shoot up and form a thick un- derwood between the pines. From this practice, the forests frequently exhibit on each side the road a dismal appearance, 2 I J850 VIEW OF THE from the jxreat number of trees lialf burnt and scorclied and blacked by the fire ; others lyuig on the ground, or ready to fall with the first high wind ; and in several places it is rather hazardous travelling in stormy weather. Almost every week the driver of the stage coach has to cut away large trunks or branches that have fallen across the road ; or, if there is an opening sufficiently wide among the trees, he chooses rather to go round than trouble himself to use his axe. ' The pines are chiefly of the pitch and yellow species, and grow to the height of 100 feet and more, with a handsome straight stem, two-thirds of which, upwards, are free from branches. They make excellent masts and timber for vessels, and yield abundance of pitch, tar, rosin, and turpentine. The stumps of several which have been cut down were covered with the resinous matter that had been extracted from the top by the heat of the sun. Where the soil improves, which is sometimes the case even in the midst of these barrens, the eye is relieved from the monotonous solemnity of the lofty pine, by a variety of other trees, consisting principally of live oak; red, white, and chesnut oaks; hickory, elm, beech, maple, &c. and numerous shrubs, plants, and flowers. In several places, natural hedges are formed of the shrubs and underwood that escape the ravages of fire ; these are intermin- gled with a variety of flowers, among which the honeysuckles, woodbines, and yellow jessemines are most conspicuous. When I passed, they were in full blossom, and the flowers at once pleased the eye, and impregnated the air with their delightful odours. ' As I proceeded on my journey, the pine trees, which have their branches towards their summits, formed a complete grove over my head, and almost excluded the sky from my view : in the morning this shady walk was extremely pleasant, but as the day began to close I would willingly have preferred a less gloomy retreat. Every step I took was still the same, and nothing disturbed the solemn silence of the forest, save the whistling murmurs of the wind, the skipping of a few deer across the road, and the rustling of the black snakes amid the grass and fallen branches of the trees. Now and then, indeed. UNITED STATES. 251 the crash of an enormous pine tree tumbling to the earth would ruffle the stillness which prevailed, and arouse me from a reve- rie of thought into which I had fallen, as I pensively measured my steps through the gloomy wildeniess ; but the soimd, after reverberating for a few seconds, died away in distant murmurs through the woods, and all was again silent.' The climate in the low country is materially different from that in the upper country, the former being much less conge- nial to health than the latter. The summers are exceedingly hot and sultry, and the heat abates but little, except in the evenings and mornings, till past the middle of October. From the first of July to that period, the country is in many places subject to much sickness, particularly bilious fevers, agues, &c. The fall weather is generally beautiful, and continues till past Christmas ; the average temperature is greater than an Eng- lish summer. The winters are generally mild, and there is very little frost, but the weather is sometimes subject to great and sudden changes. The spring commences about the mid- dle of Februar}', and they have often green peas in the market by the middle of March ; but the weather intermits very much till about the first of May, when it gets steadiiy warm^ and continues increasing with the season till September, when it begins to abate. Almost every person who can afford it, re- moves to a more healthy situation during this period, and a vast number go to the northern states in summer, and return in the fall. The period of going north is mostly from the middle of May till the middle of July, and of returning, from the middle of October till the middle of November. The anxiety that prevails during that period is extreme ; and when it is over, the inhabitants congratulate one another with the full prospect of 10 or 11 months being added to their exist- ence. In the upper country, the summers are much more temperate, and being removed from the swamps, there is no sickness. Towards the mountains, the climate is delightful The principal mineral is iron, which, indeed, is found in great plenty in all the states ; and gold, silver, and copper ores have been found here. Marble lias been found in some fe^' 252 VIEW OF THE places, and also black lead. There are several valuable mine- ral springs in the state. Population. — The population of this state in 1817 amounted to 564,785, which is upwards of 17 persons to a square mile. Manners, Sfc. — The character of the Carolinians has been well described by a late traveller. He acknowledges that the planters are hospitable, bijt always in want of money. < When they receive cash in advance,' says he, ' for their crops of cot- ton or rice, it is immediately squandered awav in the luxuries of fashion, good eating or drinking, or an excursion into the northern states ; where, after dashing about for a month or two, with tandems, curricles^ livery servants, and outriders, they frequently return home in the stuf^-e coach, with scarcely dollars enough in their pocket to pay their cxpences on the road. If their creditors of ten or a dozen years standing be- come clamorous, a small sum is perhaps paid them in part, unless the law interferes, and compels them to pay the whole debt and as much for costs. Thus the planter proceeds in his career of extravagance, which in the midst of his riches ren- ders him continually poor. AVith an estate worth 200,000 dollars, he Ims seldom a dollar in his pocket but what is bor- rowed upon an anticipated crop : hence it may be truly said, that he lives only from hand to mouth. * Unlike the farmer and merchant of the northern states, who ai*e themselves indefatigably employed from morning to night, the Carolinian lolls at his case under the shady piazza before his house, smoking scgars and drinking sangoree; while his numerous slaves and overseers are cultivating a rice swamp or cotton field with the sweat of their brow, the pro- duce of which is to furnish their luxurious master with the means of figuring away for a few months in the city, or an ex- cursion to the northward. Property thus easily acquired is as readily squandered away ; and the Carolinian, regarding only the present moment for the enjoyment of his pleasures, runs into extravagance and debt. ' The merchants, traders, and shopkeepers of Charleston are obliged to lay a profit, frequently of 150 to 200 per cent. UNITED STATES. 253 and more, upon their goods, for the long credit which the gen- try are accustomed to take. Where they meet with good pay- ments, they seldom fail to realize an independent fortune, for they sell nothing under 50 per cent., even for ready money : but it often happens that, after they retire from business, they have a number of debts to collect in.' ' The Carolinians,' observes our author, * are particularly expert at rifle-shooting ; and articles, instead of being put up at vendue, are often shot for, with rifles, at a small price each shot, which is a more useful and honourable mode than the practice of raffling adopted in the lower country. This me- thod of disposing of goods is worthy of imitation in England, and would soon render the people excellent marksmen. ' In the southern states, the incomes of the planters and farmers are various, ranging from 80,000 to 40 dollars. Very few, however, receive incomes of the magnitude of the former sum. Many receive from 12,000 to 20,000 dollars per an- num ; but the majority of the planters are only in the annual receipt of from 3000 to 6000 dollars.' Like all other inhabitants of a warm climate, the Carolinians arrive sooner at maturity than the natives of colder regions. They possess great quickness and vivacity of genius ; but the ladies are pale and languid, though the softness and delicacy of their appearance and manners render them very engaging. * There is perhaps no instance,' says Mr. Morse, ' in which the richer class of people trespass more on propriety than in the mode of conducting their funerals. That a decent respect be paid to the dead, is the natural dictate of refined humanity ; but this is not done by sumptuous and expensive entertain- ments, splendid decorations, and pompous ceremonies, which a misguided fashion has here introduced and rendered neces- sary. In Charleston and other parts of the state, no persons attend a funeral any more than a wedding, unless they are particularly invited. Wine, punch and all kinds of liquors, tea, coffee, cake, &c. in profusion, are handed round on these solemn occasions. In short, one would suppose that the reli- gious proverb of the wise man, " It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting," would be unintel- 254 VIEW OF THE ligible and wholly inapplicable here, as it would be difficult to distinguish the house of mourning from the house of feasting. ' The Jews in Charleston, among other peculiarities in bu- rying their dead, have this : After the funeral dirge is sung, and just before the corpse is deposited in the grave, the coffin is opened, and a small bag of earth, taken from the grave, is carefully put under the head of the deceased ; then some pow- der, said to be earth brought from Jerusalem, and carefully kept for this purpose, is taken and put upon the eyes of the corpse, in token of their remembrance of the holy land, and of their expectations of returning thither in God's appointed time."* Chief Towns. — Charleston is built upon a level sandy soil, and is elevated but a few feet above the height of spring tides. The streets extend east and west between the Ashley and Cooper rivers ; and others intersect at right angles from north to south. From its open exposure to the ocean, it is subject to storms and inundations, which affect the security of its har- bour. The city has also suffered much by fires : the last, in 1796, destroyed upwards of 500 houses, and occasioned 300,000/. sterling damage. The number of dwelHng-houses, public buildings, and ware- houses, &c. at present in Charleston, is estimated at 5000. With the exception of Meeting street. Broad street, and the Bay, the streets are in general narrow and confined. They are all unpaved ; and in blowing weather whirlwinds of dust and sand fill the houses, and blind the eyes of the people. The foot paths are all constructed of bricks ; but a few years ago not even this convenience existed. The houses in the streets near the water side, including that part of the town between Meeting street and the street called East Bay, are lofty and closely built. The bricks are of a peculiar nature, being of a porous texture, and capable of re- sisting the weather better than the firm, close, red brick of the northern states. They are made in Carolina, and ai-e of a dark brown colour, which gives the buildings a gloomy appearance. The roofs are tiled or slated. In this part of the town the principal shopkeepers and merchants have their stores, ware- UNITED STATES. ^55 houses, and counting-houses. Houses here bear a very high rent : those in Broad and Church streets for shops, let for up- wards of 300/. per annum ; those along the Bay with ware- houses let for 700/. and more, according to the size and situa- tion of the buildings. The shipping, as at New York, lie along the wharfs, or small docks and slips along the town. The houses in Meeting street and the back parts of the town are many of them handsomely built ; some of brick, others of wood. They are in general lofty and extensive, and are sepa- rated from each other by small houses or yards, in which the kitchens and out-offices are built. Almost every house is fur- nished with balconies and verandas, some of which occupy the whole side of the building from top to bottom, having a gal- lery from each floor. They are sometimes shaded with Vene- tian blinds, and afford the inhabitants a pleasant cool retreat from the scorchino; beams of the sun. Most of the modern houses are built with much taste and elegance ; but the chief aim seems to be, to make them as cool as possible. The town is also crowded with wooden buildings of a very inferior de- scription. Three of the pubhc buildings, and the episcopal church of St. Michael, are situated at the four corners formed by the intersection of Broad and Meeting streets, the two principal avenues in Charleston. The principal public buildings, besides those which have been already enumerated, are, the exchange, a large respecta- ble building situated in the East Bay, opposite Broad street ; a poor-house ; a college, or rather grammar-school ; a theatre ; and an orphan-house. This latter building is worthy of the city of Charleston. It contains about 150 children of both sexes, and the annual expence for provision, clothing, firewood, &c. is 14,000 dollars, which is defrayed by the legislature of the state of South Carolina. The market of Charleston is well supplied, and the expence of living nearly the same as at New York. The population is reckoned about 28,000, of whom 20,000 are negroes and people of colour. S56 VIEW OF THE There are a great number of Jews settled in Charleston ; and they live principally in King street, where their shops are crowded together, and exhibit as motley a collection of clothing and wearing apparel as can be found in Houndsditch or Hag- fair. They are sufficiently numerous to have a synagogue : and one company of the volunteer militia is formed entirely of Jews. They are, as is the case in most countries, monied people : and on their sabbaths the young Jewesses walk out in fine flowing dresses, that would better suit the stage or ball-room than the street. Of the traders and shopkeepers settled in Charleston, a great number are Scotch, who generally acquire considerable pro- perty, by close and persevering habits of industry ; after which, they most commonly return to their native country. There are also several Irish traders, but their number is far inferior to the Scotch. There are no white servants in Charleston. Every kind of work is performed by negroes and people of co- lour. The importations of Africans into the States ceased by law on the 1st of January, 1808. This caused, about the time of the prohibition, a rise in the price of slaves, who are usually disposed of by auction. During the wars of the French revolution, Charleston was the medium of the greatest part of that trade which has been carried on between the French West India islands and the mother country, under the neutral flag of the United States. The number of vessels that entered the port of Charleston in 1801 amounted to 1274, of which 875 belonged to that port; the rest were chiefly British vessels. At the time the embargo reached Charleston, the number of vessels in port were, ships 78, brigs 42, schooners and sloops 85 ; total 205. Columbia, on the Congeree river, 120 miles from Charles- ton, is the seat of government, and is a place of considerable trade. The number of its houses does not exceed 200 , they are almost all built of wood, and painted grey and yellow ; and, although there are very few of them more than two sto- ries high, they have a very respectable appearance. The in- habitants of the upper country, who do not approve of sending UNITED STATES. 257 their provisions to Charleston, stop at Columbia, where they dispose of them at several respectable shops established in the town. Georgetown is situated at the confluence of Podee and Black rivers 12 miles from the sea, and contains about 2000 inhabit- ants. It is the only sea port in South Carolina, except Charleston, and lias a considerable trade, particularly in rice, of which it is said that the lands in its neighbourhood produce 30,000 tierces annually. The houses are mostly built of wood, and are but indifferent. The principal public buildings arc, a court-house, jail, an episc-opal church, a presbyterian church, one for baptists, one for n^thodists, and a flourishing academy. Trade ajid Resources. — While agriculture is so much at- tended to, and the means of engaging in it so easy, it is not surprising that few direct their attention to manufactures. Some years ago a cotton manufactory was established near Statesborough, which bid fair to rise into consideration. It was, howt?ver, soon perceived that the price of labour was too great to permit its goods to stand any competition with those of similar qualities imported fix)m Great Britain : consequently the proprietors were obliged to discontinue their operations. A numerous population and scarcity of lands must first be ex- perienced in a country before its inhabitants will resort to ma- nufactures, while a more eligible mode of subsistence exists. In the upper country, however, necessity has obliged the in- habitants to provide for their respective wants from their own resoui'ces, in consequence of the difliculty and expence of con- veying bulky articles from the sea coast into the interior. The traveller tliere soon becomes accustomed to the humming mu- sic of the spinning-wheel and the loom. Cottons and woollens of various descriptions are made in sufficient quantities for domestic use ; and if we except the articles of salt and sugar, the people in the upper parts of the state may be cxjnsidered independent of foreign support ; for carpenters, smiths, ma- sons, tannei's, shoemakers, sadlers, hatters, millwrights, and other tradesmen, are conveniently situated throughout the country ; and the materials necessary for their respective pro- • fessions are met with iij abundance. 2 K ■ - 258 VIEW OF THE In every part of this state cotton is produced. Rice and Indian corn also grows in abundance in the low swampy dis- tricts, and quantities of tobacco are annually exported from Charleston, The total value of lands, houses, and slaves, in 1815, was estimated at 123,416,512 dollars, the average value of land being stated at 8 dollars per acre. The gross duties of mer- chandise were 1,4C(),90T dollars. The shipping employed in foreign trade amoinited to 12,580 tons, and in the coasting trade to 287 tons. Education. — The operation of slavery to so great an extent produces, of course, the same effects here as in other places; but the ])eople have considerably improved in education and morals since the revolution. It was customary, for a long pe- riod, for the more wealthy planters to send their sons to Eu- rope for education ; and even now they frequently send tliem to the northern states ; but the practice is gradually declining, and the desire has become general to have respectable semina- ries in the state. A college has been founded, and very re- sjiectably endowed, at Columbia; and thex'e are several other collejies and academies throu'^hout the state. The towns are pretty well supplied with common schools ; but they are de- fective in the country ; and this branch of education, being the basis of the morality of the s^iite, deserves the early attention of the legislature. Religion. — The state of religion is nearly the same as in North Carolina. The high country is mostly settled by pres- byteriuns, bajjtists, and metho^lists ; but upon the sea coast, the inhabitants generally profess to be episcopalians. ■ Government. — South Carohna is divided into S6 judiciary districts, and some of the.se are subdivided into parishes. The civil govermuent is, like that of the other states, legislative, ex- ecutive, and judiciary. The legislative power is vested in a general assembly, consisting of a senate and house of repre- sentatives. The senators are chosen for four years, and one- half vacate their seats every two years : they must be 35 years of age, and possessed of a freehold estate of the value of 300/. sterling, clear of debt ; and the electors must be possessed of UNITED STATES. 259 50 acres of land, or a town lot, or have paid a tax of three shillings sterling. The representatives must be 21 years of age, and be possessed ot" a freehold estate of 1501. clear of debt ; and the electors must have the same qualifications as for senators. The executive government is vested in a go- vernor, chosen for two years, by the legislature ; and the qua- lifications 16 fill that office are, that he be 30 years of age, and be possessed of 1500/, sterling. The judges of the superior courts, comniissloners of the treasury, secretary of state, and surveyor-general, are all elected by the legislature, Histortf. — In liiiQ^.^ Charles II. granted to lord Clarendon, and others, a tract of land extending from north lat. 29 deg. to 36 deg. 31 min., and from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, which they called Carolina. The first permanent settlement was made at Charleston, under their direction, in 1669, for the government of which the famous Mr. Locke drew up a constitution. It was aristocratical and impracticable, though very ingenious in theory. Three classes of nobility were to be established, viz. barons, cassiques, and landgraves. The first to possess twelve, the second twenty-four, and the third forty-eight thousand acres of land, which was to be unalienable. During the continuance of the proprietary government, a period of .50 years (reckoning from 16C9 to 1719), the colony was involved in perpetual quarrels. Oftentimes they were harassed by the Indians, sometimes infested with pirates, fre- quently invaded by the French and Spanish fleets, constantly uneasy under their injudicious government, and quarrelling with their governors. But their most bitter dissensions weru respecting religion. The episcopalians, being more numerous than the dissenters, atteippted to exclude the latter from a seat in the legislature. These attempts so far succeeded, that the church of England, by a majority of votes, was established by law. This illiberal act threw the colony into the utmost con- fusion, and was followed by a train of evil consequences, which proA ed to be the principal cause of the revolution. Notwith- standing; the act establishin"- the church of England was re- pealed, tranquillity was not restored to the colony. A change of goyernmeHt was generally desired by the colonists. They 260 VIEW OF THE found that they were not sufficiently protected by their pro- prietary constitution, and effected a revolution about the year 1719, and the government became regal. In 1728, the proprietors accepted iI2,500/. sterhngfrom the crown, for the property and jurisdiction, except lord Gran- ville, who reserved his eighth of the property, which has never 3et been formally given up. At this time the constitution was new modelled, and the territory, limited by the original char- ter, was divided into North and South Carolinas. From this period the colony began to flourish. It was protected by a government, formed on the plan of the English constitution ; and between the years 1763 and 1775, the number of inhabit- ants was more than doubled. South Carolina took an early and decided part in the strug- gle for independence, and sent delegates to the first congress. In 1790, she adopted the present state constitution; and now sends two senators and eight representatives to congress^ G E R G I A. Situation and Extent. r^EORGlA is situated between north lat. 80 deg. 30 min. and 35 deg., and west long. 3 deg. 50 min. and 9 deg. 5 min. Its extreme length from north to south is 305 miles, and its extreme breadth i^59. Its area is about 64,000 square miles, or 40,960,000 acres. Natural Gi'o^'raph?/.— This state, like the Carolinas, is na- turally divided into two districts, the upper and the lower; of which the boundary is remarkably well defined. Augusta is on this line, on the Savannah river, from whence it passes to the westward by Louisville, and, at the extremity of the state, passes the FUnt river, about the latitude of 32 deg. The re- UNITED STATES. 2fil spective portions are so much assimilated to Soutli Carolina, that it is unnecessary to describe them here. The state has a sea coast of 100 miles, whicli is indented with bays and inlets, and studded with islands, well known by the name of Sea islands. In the southern part there is a portion of Eolcefa- noke swamp, one of the most ronmrl00 miles. St. Marys river rises in Eokefanoke swamp, and running about 100 miles bv a very crooked course, but east upon the whole, forms the boundary between the United States and East Florida, during its whole passage, and falls into the sea at St. ]\Iary*'s, where it forms a good harbour. The soil and climate are both assimilated to South Carolina. There is a. great proportion of good land in upper Georgia, and the sea islands are numerous and rich. Lower Georgia, being farther to the south, is a little warmer than South Ca- rolina. Population. — The number of inhal)itants in Georgia in 1817 amoinUcd to 408,567, which is nearly 6^ persons to a square mile. In 1790, the population did not exceed 64,000 persons. Manners, ^r. — No general chari>cter will apply to the inha- bitants at large. Collected from different parts of the world, as interest, necessity, or inclination led them, their character and manners must of course partake of all the varieties which distinguish the several states and kingd(MT)s from whence they pame. There is so little uniformity, that it is difficult to trace any governing principles among them. An aversion to labour UNITED STATES. 268 is too predominant, owing in part to the relaxing heat of the climate, and partly to the want of necessity to excite industry. An open and friendly hospitalit}', particularly to strangers, is an ornamental characteristic of a gi*eat part of this people. Their diversions are various. With some, dancing is a fa- vourite amusement. Othws take a fancied pleasure at the gaming table, which, however, frequently terminates in the ruin of their happiness, fortunes, and constitutions. In the upper counties, horse-racing and cock-fighting prevail, two cruel diversions imported from Virginia and the Carolinas, froin whence those who practise them principally emigrated. But the most rational and universal amusement is hunting ; and for this Georgia is particularly well calculated, as the woods abound with plenty of deer, racoons, rabbits, wild tur- kies, and other gan)e ; at the same time, the woods are so thin and free from obstructions, that you may generally ride half sj^cd in the chace, without danger. In this amusement plea- sure and profit are blended. The exercise, more than any other, contributes to health, and fits for activity in business and expertness in war ; the game also affords them a palatable food, and the skins a profitable article of commerce. Cldef To'ions. — Savannah is situated in 32 deg. 3 min. north latitude, on a high sandy bank, or bluff, on t])e south side of the Savannah river, 17 miles from the sea. The city is laid out on an elegant plan, and i.s about a mile in length from east to west, and about a quarter of a mile in breadth. It consists of 30 streets, 16 squares, and 6 lanes, containing about 1000 houses, and 5.500 .inhabitants ; of whom about 2-500 are slaves. The public buildings are, a court-house, jail, academy, bank- office, and five places for public worship. There has lately been built a very handsouje exchange, with a spire and obser- vatory, from whence vessels niay be seen out at sea 10 or 1^ miles. The situation of Savannah is favourable both for health and commerce. The bluff on which it is built is from 50 to 70 feet high, so that there is a fine descent to the river. This bluff is a bed of very fine sand ; and by digging wells about CO or 70 feet deep, a suj)})ly of excellent water is procured, probably a filtration Worn the river. The streets are broad S64 VIEW OF THE and airy, and the city, being only 17 miles frofirt the sea, fre- quently enjoys a sea breeze, whicii is cool and refreshing in' the summer season. The houses are mostly built of wood, and stand separate from each other, divided by court yards, except in two or three streets, where they are close built, many of them with brick, and contain several shops and stores. One large range of brick buildings stands near the market-place, and at a dis- tance has the appearance of an hospital. The principal street is that called the Bay, where there are several very good houses of brick and w(X)d. Some contain booksellers"', groceiV, and drapers' stores ; others are private dAvellings. This range of buildings extends nearly three quarters of a mile along the town ; «nd opposite to it is a beautiful walk or mall, planted with a double row of trees, the same as those at Charleston. This agreeable promenade is situated near the margin of the height or bluff upon which the town stands; and the mer- chants'' stores, warehouses, and wharfs, foi- landing, housings and shipping of goods, are built immediately below, along the shore, formin": in some decree a sort of lower town. From the hedght there is a fine commanding view of the Savannah river as far as the sea, and for several miles above the town. About the centre of the walk, and just on the verge of the cliffy stands the cxcharige, a large brick building, which contains some public offices ; and an a.ssembly room, where a concert and ball are held once a fortnight during the winter. Augusta is situated on a handsome plain, on the south side of Savannah river, 127 miles from Savannah, and contains about 2400 inhabitants, of whom above one half are slaves. The public buildings are, two churches, an academy, a court- house, jail, a market-house, and several public warehousesv The town is at the head of large boat navigation, and carries on a very extensive and profitable tr.ide, both with Savannah and the back country. Many of the merchants are wealthy, and import their goods ; and the greater part of the others purchase in New York. The town was originally settled by emigiants from Scotland : but the society is now very mixed, and probably those of Irish extraction are the most numerous. UNITED STATES. 265 The inhabitants are in general well-informed, and have a con- siderable taste for literature. They are affable in their de- portment, and polite and hospitable to strangers. The country round Augusta is agreeably diversified, and well cultivated. Thp whole plain on which Augusta stands is remarkably fertile ; and towards the south-west, the country rises into considerable hills, interspersed with fertile plains, re- markably favourable for the culture of cotton; and the cotton plantations are in a very thriving state. This is reckoned the boundary between the high and low country. The falls in the river are three miles above Augusta, and inimediately on leaving the town for the westward, the great contrast between this and the low countJ'y is seen : in place of swamps, marshes, and sandy deserts, the sei)ses are gratified by high rising grounds, rich verdure in the woods, and clear streams of water. The river is here 500 yards broad, and very deep. Besides Savannah and Augusta, there is, on the Savannah river, a little town called Petersburg ; and in the interior, be- tween the Savannah and Ogeeche, is WasMngton. Botli these are thriving places. On the great Ogeeche, there are, besides Louisville, Sparta and Greensburg. On the Altahania and its waters, Darien, a new seaport, Milledgeville, the new seat of government, and Athens, the seat of a college. On St. Mary's river is the towi^ of St. Mary's, at the southern extre- mity of the state. Trade and Resources. — The valuation of the property of the state of Georgia, subject to the direct tax, amounts to 57,746,771 dollars, 16 cents, of which considerably more than one half is raised on the valuation of slaves. The exports in 1810, were 2,424,631. The chief articles of export are live stock, maize, rice, tobacco, indigo, flour, sago, tar, naval stores, canes, leather, deer skins, snake root, myrtle, and bees wax. The imports consist of foreign merchandise, brought directly from France and England ; and also from ISew York and Philadelphia. The New England states furnish butter, chee'se, fish, potatoes, onions, apples, cyder, shoes, and New England rum. Between St. Mary's and the neighbouring island of 12 2 L S>66 VIEW OF THE Amelia, an active smuggling trade was carried on during the late war. English merchandise was landed there, and after- wards sold as Spanish to the Americans. Education. — A great degree of attention has been paid in Georgia to education ; and very considerable funds have been appropriated to the support of it. The college at Athens is amply endowed, and provision is made for establishing and keeping up an academy in every county in the state. In the towns, there are very good common schools ; but the state is yet defective as to the establishment of these most useful se- minaries throughout the country. It should be mentioned, however, that in this, and all the southern states, the popula- tion is too thin to admit of the establishment of schools upon the plan of the townships of the northern states. By looking at the census, it will be seen, that in this state, for example, a township of six miles square, or 36 square miles, only contains about 112 persons ; from which if we deduct the proportion of black- people, it leaves only 75 ; and this number would wA be sufficient to support a school. On the other hand, there is much waste land, and those districts that are settled up, often contain much more than this proportion ; sometimes, indeed. a sufficient number for the purpose mentioned. The constitution declares, that ' arts and sciences shall be promoted, in one or more seminaries of learning ; and the le- gislature shall give such further donations and privileges to those already established, as may be necessary to secure the objects of their institution.' Religion. — On the subject of religion, it is declared, that ' no person within the state shall, upon any pretence, be de- prived of the inestimable privilege of worshipping God in a manner agreeable to his own conscience, nor be compelled to attend any place of worship, contraiy to his own faitli and judgment ; nor shall he ever be obliged to pay tythes, taxes, or any other rates, for tiie building or repairing any place of worshiji, or for the maintenance of any minister or ministry, contrary to what he believes to be right, or hath engaged to do. No religious society shall ever be established in this state in preference to any other : nor shall any person be denied the UNITED STATES. 2CT enjoyment of any civil right, merely on account of religious principles.' . Government. — The state is divided into 24 counties, and these compose two judiciary districts. The civil government is vested in an assembly, consisting of a senate and house of representatives, a governor, and a judiciary. The assembly are elected annually, and all free white persons, who are of age, and who have paid taxes, have a vote. The governor is appointed for two years by the legislature. The judges are elected by the legislature for three years. History. — The settlement of a colony between the rivers Savannah and Altahama, was meditated in England in 1732, for the accommodation of poor people in Great Britain and Ireland, and for the further security of Carolina. Private compassion and public spirit conspired to promote the benevo- lent design. — Humane and opulent men suggested a plan of transporting a number of indigent families to this part of America, free of expence. For this purpose they applied to the king, George II. and obtained from him letters patent, bearing date June 9th, 1732, for legally carrying into execu- tion what they had generously projected. They called the new province Georgia, in honour of the king, who encouraged the plan. A corporation, consisting of 21 persons, was con- stituted by the name of the trustees, for settling and establish- ing the colony of Georgia, which was separated from Carolina by the river Savannah. — The trustees having first set an ex- ample themselves, by largely contributing to the scheme, un- dertook also to solicit benefactions from others, and to apply the money towards clothing, arming, purchasing utensils for cultivation, and transporting such poor people as should con-^ sent to go over and begin a settlement. They did not confine their charitable views to the subjects of Britain alone, but wisely opened a door for the indigent and oppressed protestants of other nations. To prevent a misapplication of the money, it was deposited in the bank of England. The trustees for Georgia granted land as a military fief, and established such regulations as proved most pernicious to the growth and prosperity of the colony. Besides the large 268 VIEW OF THE sums expended for its settlement by these gentlemen, 36,000/; was granted by parliament for the same purpose. A number of Scotch and German labourers were sent over ; but all the hopes of the corporation were vain. Their injudicious regula- tions and restrictions — the wars in which they were involved with the Spaniards and Indians — and the frequent insurrections among themselves, threw the colony into a state of confusion and wretchedness too great for human nature long to endure Their oppressed situation was represented to the trustees by repeated complaints ; till at length, finding that the province languished under their care, and weary with the complaints of the people, they, in the year 1752, surrendered their charter to the king, and it was made a royal government. Great had been the expence which the mother country had already in- curred, besides private benefactions, for supporting this colony ; and small have been the returns yet made by it. The vestiges of cultivation was scarcely perceptible in the forests, and in England all commerce with it was neglected and despised. At this time the whole annual exports of Georgia did not amount to 10,000/. sterling. In the yesH- 1740, the Rev. George Whiteficld founded an orphan house academy in Georgia, about 12 miles from Savan- nah. — For the support of this, in his itinerations, he collected large sums of money of all denominations of Christians, both in England and America. He afterwards made his assignment of the orphan-house in trust to the countess of Huntingdon. Soon after liis death a charter was granted to his institution in Georgia, and the Rev. Mr. Percy was appointed president of the college. Mr. Percy accordingly came over to execute his office, but, unfortunately, on the 80th of May, 1775, the orphan-house building caught fire, and was entirely consumed, except the two wings. From the time Georgia became a royal government, in 1752, till the peace of Paris, in 1763, she struggled under many diffi- culties, arising from the want of credit, friends, and the frequent molestations of enemies. The good effects of" the peace were sensil)ly felt in the province of Georgia. From this time it began to flourish, under the fatherly care of governor Wright. 1 UNITED STATES. 269 During the late war, Georgia was over-run by the British troops, and the inhabitants were obhged to flee into the neigh- bouring states for safety. The sufferings and losses of her citizens were as great, in proportion to their numbers and wealth, as in any of the states. Since the peace, the progress of the population of this state has been astonishingly rapid. Its growth in improvement and population has been checked by the hostile irruptions of the Creek Indians. THE FLORIDAS. 'pHE Floridas has now become a province of the United States ; and must prove an invaluable acquisition, whether we consider the cecession in a natural, or political point of view. It has been effected by a master-piece of policy, and must cause some agitations in many of the European cqurts. The American government dispatched agents to visit the states in South America, which were shaking off the Spanish yoke, and lest this should be a precursor to the acknowledgment of their independence, Spain agreed to surrender the Floridas. This event was also no doubt accelerated by a party of the American army, by way of employing themselves, seizing upon the key of this country, which shewed, that whenever the order was issued, its conquest could be easily effected. What makes this bargain more valuable to the States, is, that the purchase- money is to be paid by the government to its own citizens for past injuries received from Spain. What the consequence of this immense addition of empire and sea-coast may be, it would not be difficult to conjecture. Commanding the gulf of Mexico, and brought now into the neighbourhood of the West India islands, and with a powerful and growing navy, these colonies would fall within tjie grasp 270 VIEW OF THE of America, or be revolutionized at the beginniiig of the very first war that may comment between the two countries. At least, the soil and climate of the Floridas are so excellently si- tuated for the growth of West India produce, that the enter- prising citizens of the United States will soon become powerful competitors with the English planter in the markets of Europe. Florida is bounded on the north by Georgia, on the east by the Atlantic, on the south by the gulf of Mexico, and on the west by the Mississippi. East Florida extends much fur- ther south than West Florida ; the gulf of Mexico washing the western coast from 25 to 30 deg. north lat. ; whereas the most southern part of West Florida is in north lat. 29 deg. 30 min. The form of East Florida is triangular, the base towards the north being 160 miles in breadth from east to west, near the southern extremity about 40, and about 350 from north to south. Along the coasts the bays of small islands are nume- rous. The soil near the sea coast is sandy and barren, but further inland it improves. The productions are chiefly rice and indigo. West Florida is about 320 miles from east to west, and from 40 to 80 in width from north to south ; on the west it is bounded by the river Mississippi, and on the east by Appalachicola. The country is pleasant, and the soil is exceedingly fertile, so that the inhabitants have sometimes two or three harvests of maize in the same year. Towards the coast it is flat, but rises gradually into hills, which are covered with verdure and large trees, such as white and red oak, mul- berry, magnolia, pine, hiccory, cypress, red and. white cedar, &c. Orange and lemon trees grow here without cultivation, and produce better fruit than in Spain and Portugal. They have also vines, which yield grapes equal in size and flavour to the best muscadine; and thev have abundance of other fruits of excellent flavour. The cabbage tree furnishes a food that is pleasant and wholesome. Cotton is produced in great plenty; as well as flax and hemp. Among tlie richer productions of the country we may reckon cochineal and indigo. The coasts furnish oysters and amber. The rivers abound in fish, but are molested by alligators. In the western parts are nume- rous herds of cattle and flocks of sheep : hogs also, whose UNITED STATES. ' 271 flesh acquires an excellent flavour from the acorns and ches- tnuts on which they feed, are numerous. In the forests and deserts are found several species' of wild beasts, and also a variety of birds. In summer the air is very hot, but in seve- ral places it is pure and wholesome ; the winter is commonly temperate, though the cold sometimes destroys the orange trees. The rivers are covered with ice. The pi'incipal town in West Florida is Pensacola, and in East Florida St Augustine. The population of West Florida is very inconsiderable; Mobile and Pensacola together not containing above 1500 souls. The interior of East Florida is little known, and only inhabited by a few Creeks or Seminols. — The town of St. Augustine in East Florida is less healthy than some have supposed it to be ; but the climate, and also the general appearance of the country, would be much im- proved, if industry and labour were bestowed upon it, and the inland marches properly drained. This country is said to been discovered by Sebastian Cabot in the year 1496, 18 years before it was known to the Spani- ards; but received its name from John Ponce, who, sailing from Porto Rico in 1513, landed here in April, when the country appeared in full verdure and bloom. Florida has frequently changed its master; in 1564, the French took pos- session of some part of it, but they were driven from their settlements in the follovving year by the Spaniards, who then began to form establishments for themselves. In the year 1763 Florida was ceded to Great Britain in exchange for the Havannah, which had been taken from the Spaniards. Whilst the English were in the possession of it they divided it into two governments, viz. East and West Florida, separated by the Appalachicola. During the American war, both the Flo- ridas were reduced by the Spaniards, and guaranteed to the crown of Spain by the definitive treaty of 1783. This country has now added more splendour to the star spangled banner of the United States, 272 VIEW OF THE TENNESSEE. Situation and Extent 'pHE state of Tenessee is situated be- tween 35 deg. and 36 deg. 30 mln. of north lat. and 4 deg. 26 min. and 13 deg. 9 min. west long, from Washington. It is bounded on the north hy the states of Kentucky and Virginia ; south by the states of Mississippi and Georgia, and the Aiibama territory ; east by North Caro- lina, and west by the river Mississippi. The boundary line on the south side is the parallel of 35, on the north side the parallel of 36, 30, and on the east the Alleghany mountains, which separate the state from North Carolina. Its lengtli from east to west is 445 miles, and its breadth from north to south 104. Area 63,000 square miles, or 40,320,000 acres. Natural Georaphy. — The state of Tennessee is marked by bold features. It is M'ashed by the Mississippi on the west, and the fine rivers Tenessee and Cumberland, pass through it by very serpentine courses. The western part is mostly level, the middle, like Kentucky, hilly but not mountainous ; the eastern part, known by the name of East Tennessee, is wholly among the mountains. These mountains are a continuation of the ridges which pass through the northern states, and are said to be very beautiful ; the country among them forming the most delightful residence of any in the state, in consequence A Am Ji^^' ^^.''iy^QO. :^b y^ ^."^^.^Si^acL^c ?£Ci'&L- QUDCJ ^__ — DCJCJDQD «»¥r*'J DDD_ DDCQ, JmMJL cccococ O CUUClf « n nn.^S O 'o nrir UNITED STATES. 519 in 1798, became a permanent law, to prevent the destruction of voung fish by wears or dams. it is a prevaiUng opinion throughout the United States, that thedimate of the district of Washington is unhealthy; but this opinion is not formed on good grounds, for it is certain, that in no season is it visited by habitual or endemical disease. The best proof of the salubrity of a place is the longevity of its inhabitants. During autumn bilious fever sometimes pre- vails; but, at this season, it is common to other parts of the United States. In winter chronical diseases often occur, occa- sioned by the sudden changes of weather, which check perspi- ration; but these are not confined to this city. In July the heat is often oppressive; but it is believed, on good grounds, that the chmate has been improved by the clearing of the country, and that the extremes both of heat and cold are now less violent than formerly. During the last ten years, the average depth of the snow has not exceeded eight or ten inched, though it was much greater in the memory of persons still living. Populatio7i.— The population of the territory of Columbia in 1800 was 14,093; in 1810 it amounted to 24,023; that of the city was 82o8; of Georgetown, 4948; of Alexandria, 7227 ; of Washington county, exclusive of towns, 2135 ; that of Alexandria county, 1325. In 1817 Georgetown and Washington were supposed to contain 20,000 inhabitants, and the whole district 30,000. C% of Washington. The city of Washington is situated on the Patomak, at the confluence of this river with its eastern branch, which formerly bore the name of Annakostla, in lat. 38 deg. 55 min. north, and in long. 76 deg. 53 min. from Greenwich. From Washington to Philadelphia the distance is 144 miles. To Baltimore, 43 To Richmond, - - - - - ^^^ To Annapolis, . - - - - 40 320 . VIEW OF THE The meridional line which passes through the capitol was drawn by Mr. Ellicot. The longitude was calculated by Mr. Lambert. It is scarcely possible to imagine a situation more beautiful, healthy, and convenient, than that of Washington. The gen- tly undulating surface produces a pleasing and varied effect. The rising hills on each side of the Patomak are truly pic- turesque; the river is seen broken and interrupted by the sinuosities of its course, and the sails of large vessels gUding through the majestic trees which adorn its banks, give addi- tional beauty to the scenery. The site of the city extends from north-west to south-east about four miles and a half, and from north-east to south-west about two miles and a half. The houses are thinly scattered over this space ; the greatest number are in the Pennsylvania avenue between the capitol arid the president's house, from the latter towards Georgetown, and near the barracks and navy- yard on the eastern branch. The pubhc buildings occupy the most elevated and convenient situations, to which the waters of the Tiber creek may be easily conducted, as well as to every other part of the city not already watered by springs. The streets run from north to south, and from east to west, cross- ing each other at right angles, with the exception of fifteen, named after the different states, and which run in an angular direction. The Pennsylvania street, or avenue, which stretches in a direct line from the president's house to the capital, is a mile in length, and 160 feet in breadth ; the breadth of the narrowest streets is from 90 to 100 feet. The plan of this city, of which we have given an engraving, is universally admired. The most eligible places have been selected for public squares and public building. The capitol is situated on a rising ground, which is elevated about 80 feet above the tide water of the Patomak, and 60 or 70 above the intermediate surface. This edifice will present a front of 650 feet, with a colonnade of 260 feet, and 16 Corinthian columns 31 }j feet in height. The elevation of the dome is 150 feet ; the basement story 20 ; the entablement 7 ; the parapet 6^ ; the centre of the building, from the east to the west portico, is UNITED STATES. 8^1 S40 feet. The ceiling is vaulted, and the whole edifice is to be of solid masonry of hewn stone, which, in appearance, re- sembles that known by the name of the Portland stone. The centre, or great body of the building, is not vet commenced, but the two wings are nearly iinished. The north wing, which contains the senate chamber, has the form of a segment, with a double-arched dome, and Ionic pillars. It is adorned Avitli portraits of Louis XVI. and Mary Antoinette. Under the senate chamber are commodious rooms for the library, and the judiciary courts of the United States. The south wing, containing the hall of representatives, and rooms for transact- ing business by committees, is of a circular form, adorned with 24> Corinthian pillars, behind which are galleries and lobbies for the accommodation of those wlio listen to the debates. The foundation was laid in 1794, the north wing was finish- ed in 1801, the south wing in 1807. The interior was origi- nally of wood, which soon decayed ; and to substitute stone, it became necessary to change the whole arrangement. This magnificent edifice is the joint composition of several artists ; Thornton, Latrobe, Hallet, and Hatfield. The post-office is a large brick building, situated at about equal distances from the president's house and the capitol. Under the same roof is the patent-office, and also the national library, for the use of members of congress. In the first of these departments are upwards of 900 specimens of native me- chanical genius. This would appear to afford decisive proof, that Ameiicans are not deficient in inventive talent. Tiie library is small, consisting of but 3000 volumes ; but it is se- lect and well chosen, and includes various classes of literature, having been the propci'ty of iMr. Jefferson, for which he ob- tained from the United States 20,000 dollars. The former library, containing from 7 to 8000, was destroyed by our cn- llghtcncd countrymen. So great lias been, at some periods, the depreciation of property in this city, that in 1802, what had originally cost 200,000 dollars, was sold for 25,000. This decay cor.tinued to go on, until the visit of general Ross, and the subsequent signature of peace : since that time it seems U) liave risen, like the ph(x:nix from the flames, and is once more 2 S SJ22 VIEW OF THE partially increasing in prosperity. There are now a number of two and three story brick buildings, none of which are un- inhabited; and also some small wooden houses, though, ac- cording to the original plan, none were to be built less than three stories high, and all to have marble steps. But the childish folly of this scheme was soon subverted by the natural course of events ; and though the existence of ' lower orders,^ even in the capital of the republic, may not accord with the vanity of its legislators, they ought to be told, that neither prosperity nor population can be possessed by any nation with- out a due admixture of the natural classes of society. The pi-esident's house consists of two stories, and is 170 feet in length, and 85 in breadth. It resembles Leinster- house, in Dublin, and is much admired. Even the poet Moore styles it a ' grand edilice,"" a ' noble structure.^ The view from the windows fronting the river is extremely beautiful. One of the objects embraced by the original plan was the establishment of a university, on an extensive scale, for the whole Union. A communication was made on this subject by the president to the congress in 1817. The public offices, the treasury, department of state, and of war, are situated in a line with, and at the distance of 450 feet from, the president's house. These buildings, of two stories, have 120 feet in front, GO in breadth, and 16 feet in height, and are ornamented with a white stone basement, which rises six or seven feet above the surface. It was originally proposed to form a communication between these offices and the house of the president, a plan which was afterwards abandoned. The jail consists of two stoi-ies, and is 100 by 21 feet. The infirmary is a neat building. There are three commodious market-places, built at the expence of the corporation. The public buildings at the navy-yard are the barracks, a ■work-shop, and three large brick buildings li)r the reception of naval stores. The barracks, constructed of binck, are 600 feet in length, 50 in breadth, and 20 in height. At the head of the barrack-yard is the colonel's house, which is neat and com- modious. The work-shop, planned by Latrobe, is 900 feet in length UNITED STATES. 323 The patent office, constructed according to the plan of J. Hoban, esq. (who gained the prize for that of the president's house,) consists of three stories, and is 120 feet long, and 60 feet wide. It is ornamented with a pediment, and six Ionic pilasters. From the eminence on which it stands, the richly wooded hills rise on every side, and present a scene of un- equalled beauty. The inhabitants of the city fonn a body, politic and corpo- rate, under the title of 'Mayor and Couticil of Washington.' The council, consisting of 12 members, not under 25 years of age, is elected annually by the free white male inhabitants aged 21 or upwards, who have paid taxes the year preceding the election, and is divided into two chambers, the first of which has seven, and the second five members. The fines, penalties, and forfeitures imposed by the council, if not exceeding 20 dollars, are recovered, like small debts, before a magistrate ; and if greater than this sum, by an action of debt in the dis- trict-court of Columbia. In 1806, the corporation passed an act to establish an infirmary, for which the sum of 2000 dollars was appropriated, and trustees appointed for the superinten- dence of this establishment. In August, 1810, a sum not ex- ceeding 1000 dollars was appropriated, for the support of the infirm and diseased ; and the corporation have allotted certain squares (numbered 109 and 1026) for places of interment, which are situated at a proper distance from the populous part of the city. Two dollars are the price of a grave. The canal, which runs through the centre of the city, com- mencing at the mouth of the Tiber creek, and connecting the Patomak with its eastern branch, is nearly completed. Mr. Law, (brother to the late lord Ellenborough,) the chief pro- moter of this undertaking, proposes to establish packet-boats, to run between the Tiber creek and the navy-yard, a convey- ance which may be rendered more economical and comfortable than the hackney-coach. This canal is to be navigable for boats drawing three feet water. If the nett profits exceed 15 per cent, on the sum expended, the excess is to be paid to the mayor and city council. 324 VIEW OF THE The Patomak bridge was built under the direction of a company, or board of commissioners, and the funds were raised by a subscription consisting of 2000 sliares, at 100 dollars per share. The expences of the work amounted to 96,000 dollars, and consequently the real value of a share was 48. The bridge, which is covered with planks of white and yellow pine, is a mile in length, and is supported by strong piles, from 18 to 40 feet, according to the depth of the water. A neat rail- ing separates the foot from the horse-way. By means of a simple crank and pulley, the draw-bridge, for the passage of vessels, is raised by the force of one individual. The tolls are high : a four-horse carriage, 1 j dollar ; a two- horse carriage, 1 dollar; a four-horse waggon, 62 1 cents; a two-horse waggon, Slh ; a gig, ^dh ; a horse, 18^ ; a man, 6^. The toll of 1810 amounted to 9000 dollars. The inte- rest of the stock has risen to eight per cent. After the lapse of 60 years, the corporation will be dissolved, and the bridge become the property of the United States. It was an unfortunate circumstance, that, in planning this city, some provision was not made for preserving the fine trees which covered the soil, in those situations where they would have been useful or ornamental. The whole of the natural wood has been cut down, and its place is very poorly supplied by some few Lombardy poplars, which afford neither shade nor shelter. This is an error which nothing but time can repair. The patent oflice is under the direction of Dr. Thornton, a native of the West Indies, now a citizen of the United States, who has a salary of 2000 dollars per annum. To obtain a patent for an art or machine, the inventor, if a citizen of the United States, declares upon oath, before a justice of the county where he resides, that he believes himself to be the true inventor ; and he gives a description of this art or ma- chine, and the use to which it is applied, accompanied, if ne- cessary, with a drawing, in a letter addressed to the secretary of state of the United States ; and this description is inserted in the patent, for which the sum of 30 dollars is paid to the i UNITED STATES. 325 treasury department. If the applicant is not a citizen of the United States, he must declare on oath, that he has resided therein more than two years. The copy-right of books, prints, maps, &c. is secured by depositing a copy thereof in the clerk's office of the district court, where the author or proprietor re- sides. This is recorded and published in one or more news- papers, during four weeks, commencing within two months of the date of the record. The right is thus secured, for the space of 14 years, to the citizens or residents of the United States ; and by a renewal of those formalities, it is extended to their executors, administrators, and assigns, for another term of 14 years. The patents issued from the 1st of August, 1790, to the 1st of January, 1805, were 698 ; and the amount received at the treasury department for patents, from 1801 to 1809 inclusive, was upwards of 27,000 dollars. Exclusive of the bank of the United States, there are seven banks in the district of Columbia. The Marine Insurance Company of Alexandria was incorporated in 1789, with the power of having a capital of 12,500 shares, at 20 dollars a share, or 250,000 dollars. By an act of the city council, in December, 1804; the pub- lic schools of the city are placed under the direction of a board of thirteen trustees, seven of whom are elected annually by the joint ballot of the council, and six by individuals who contri- bute to the support of the schools. The net proceeds of taxes on slaves and dogs, of licences for carriages, and hacks for orr dinaries and taverns, for selling wines and spirits, for billiard tables, for hawkers, and pedlars, for theatrical and other pub- lic amusements, are employed for the education of the poor of the city. There are two academies in the city, under the direction of the corporation, which were established by the voluntary con- tributions of the inhabitants, and are supported by the corpo- ration. In these two seminaries there are generally from 120 to 150 scholars, including those who pay for their tuition. The houses are large and commodious, and were intended to be the germ of a national university, in conformity to the plan described in the last will of general Washington. There are, di» VIEW OF THE besides, twelve or more schools in ditlerent parts ol' the citVr where the terras of tuition are under five dollars per quarter. The aitholic colleije of Ge«irgeto\vn, whiih was tivetcd, and is supported, by subscription, commenced in the vear 1790, under the direction of the incorporated catholic clergy of the state of A[arvlanil. It is a fine brick building, consisting of three stories, in length 153 feet, and 06 in breadth, and is fit- ted for the rcceptiiMi of 200 students. The terms of tuition areas follows: Students above twelve years of age pay J250 dollars; and under that age, 200; those who attend the classes pay 2o0, owing to extraordinary expences, and some particular indulgencies. The payments are made half-yearly in advance. To be admitted as a pensioner, the student must be a Roman catholic. If a protestant, he boards in a house convenient to the ct)llege, where he enjoys equal advantages with the catholics, except as to admission to the instruction and exercises of the Roman religion. The students are in- structed in the English, French, L;itin, and Greek languages ; in gxjoorraphy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and the different branches of classical education. Public examinations are hoklen four times a year. A free sehtH)l has been lately established by subscription, to be conducted accoiding to the plan of Mr. Lancaster, who has engaged to send two masters from England for its superin- tendence and direction. A public library has been lately established, by the sub- scription of 200 individuals, at twelve doUai-s each ; and the directors of this association have obtained an act of incorpora- tion, with powers suitable to the direction of the establishment, Mr. Boyle, a painter from Baltimore, collects objects of natural history, to form a museum. There is no reading-room at Washington, which is perhaps owing to the profusion of newspapers received tiiere by mem- bers of congress, from all parts of the Union. In 1817, seven ne^v^^pape^s were published in the district. In one of these, the Niif'wnal Intelligencer, the acts, and sometimes the opi- nions, of the government are first communicated to the public; and it is owintr to this circumstance, that, in Europe, it is ge- UNITED STATES. 327 nerally considered as the organ of the executive authority. This paper is published thrice a week. Other two are on the same scale ; two appear weekly, and two daily. Of societies there are, the Humane Society, the Washington Whig Society, two mason lodges, the Columbian Institute founded in 1817, and the Columbian Agricultural Society. This last consists of 200 members, who pay one dollar a year each, which is expended in premiums for the best cattle, cloth, flannels, stockings, carpets, &c. The American Society for Colonising Free People of Colour was established in the end of 1816. Its object is to procure a situation on the western coast of Africa, to which free people of colour may, with their own consent, be transported. There are different sects, and a great variety of religious opinions, but no dissension The annual salary of a clergyman at Washington is about 1000 dollars, with a small mansion and lot of land, — a provision wjiich is said to be inadequate to the support of a family; and it is probably owing to this cir- cumstance, that two clergymen, the one a presbyterian, and the other a baptist, iiave clerkships in the treasury department. The laws of Virginia and Maryland, in relation to the clergy, admit of no external badge or distinction of their order in the ordinary intercourse of life, but only in the exercise of their sacred functions in their respective places of divine worshij). Elsewhere, and at other times, it is as impossible to distinguish them from the crowd, as to reco;;ni/,e their places of worship, which are without steeple, cross, bell, or other distinctive sign of rehgious appropriation. By an act of December, 1792, for the suppression of vice, and p mishing the disturbers of reli- gious worship, persons offending in these respects are liable to fine and imprisonment, and to be bound over to good behavi- our. For profane swearing ;m.d drunkenness, the penalty is 83 cents; and for labourmgon Sunday, 1 dollar and 75 cents, applicable to all persons, and especially to apprentices, servants, and slaves. For adultery (of which there is scarcely an ex- ample) the punishmeijt is ^0 d< with their own eyes, and hear with their own ears, without which, though possessed of the best intentions, they must often be in error. News- UNITED STATES. 331 paper communications, letters, and agents, are but substitutes, and sometimes very poor ones ; besides which, I conceive that mere expedients should not be admitted in national legislation. Unless the city increases with a rapidity unsanctioned by the , most sanguine anticipation, the American law-makers will be half a century behind what they would become by a residence in New York or Philadelphia. Another objection to Wash- ington may suggest itself to some minds, in its neighbourhood to Virginia. The " Virginian dynasty,*" as it has been called, is a subject of general, and I think very just complaint throughout other parts of America. This state has supplied four of the five presidents, and also a liberal number of occu- pants of every other government office. The Virginians very modestly assert, that this monopoly does not proceed from corrupt influence, but is a consequence of the buoyancy and vigour of their natural talent. Without entering into the controversy, whether or not seventeen states can supply a de- gree of abihty equal to that of Virginia single-handed, I must express my want of respect for a state in which every man is either a slave-holder, or a defender of slavery — a state in which landed property is not attachable for debt— a state in which human beings are sold in the streets by the public auctioneer, are flogged without trial at the mercy of their owner or his agents, and are killed almost without punishment; -yet these men dare to call themselves democrats, and friends of liberty ! — from such democrats, and such friends of liberty, good Lord deliver us i' A late intelligent traveller, (lieutenant Hall,) speaking of the city and the proposed university, says, ' The plan sup- poses an immense growth ; but even if this were attainable, it seems doubtful how far an overgrown luxurious capital would be the fittest seat for learning, or even legislation. Perhaps the true interest of the Union would rather hold Washinpton sacred to science, philosophy, and the arts ; a spot in son)e de- gree kept holy from commercial avarice, to which the members of the different states may retire to breathe an atmosphere un- tainted with local prejudices, and find golden leisure for pur- suits and speculations of pubhc utility. Such fancies would 332 VIEW OF THE be day dreams elsewliere, and are so perhaps here ; but Ame- rica is young in the career of knowledge ; she has the Hght of tbrmer ages, and the sufferings of the present to guide her ; she lias not crushed the spirits of the many to build up the tyranny of the few, and the eye of imagination may dwell upon her smilingly.' The ground of Washington was originally the property of private individuals, who, by an arrangement with the govern- ment, ceded one half to the public, in consideration of the en- hanced price of the other, by virtue of this cession. Four thousand five hundred lots, each containing 6i265 superficial feet, are the property of the nation, and have been estimated at 1,500,000 dollars. Some of these lots have been sold at 45 cents per foot, though the common price is from 8 to 15 cents, depending on the advantages of situation. Near the centre market several have been purchased at 25 cents. The ori- ginal price of lots was from 200 to 800 dollars each, which shows that their value has considerably diminished. This has been owing to different causes, and particularly to the project of some eastern members of congress to transfer the seat of government to some other place. The value of this property has also suffered by litigation. In 1804, several purchasers refused to pay to the conmiissioners of the government the sums stipulated in the deed of sale, which were to be dis- (f'harged, according to agreement, at certain fixed dates. In consequence of this refusal, the commissioners ordered the lots to be sold to the highest bidder, and they were repur- chased by the former proprietors for one-tenth of the original cost ; by which circumstance the government experienced a loss of 70,000 dollars. The supreme court, to whom the case was submitted, decided in favour of the pi*oprietors, alleging,' that, as a remedy had been sought in the sale of the lots, thfe government could not have recourse to another, and it also became responsible for the expences of the law-suit, amounting to 2000 dollars. The ])ropnetors united in support of their mutual interests, which were defended by the ablest lawyers, except the attorney-general, who stood alone in the behalf of file (lovcrnment, UNITED STATES. 333 A house, con'feisting of three stories, 26 feet in front, and 40 feet deep, completely finished, costs from 4000 to 6000 dollars. A house of two stories, of the same length and breadth, is va- lued at from 3000 to 4000 dollars. The rate of house-rent is proportioned to the expence of the materials of its construction, and tiie advantages of its situa- tion. Bricks cost from 5| to 6^ dollars per thousand. Their dimensions, as fixed by an act of the corporation, are 9|, 4f , 2| inches. Calcareous stone, of a bluish colour, is brought from the neighbourhood of Georgetown, and purchased at a cheap rate. Unslacked lime costs from 2 to 2i dollars per barrel. Wood is cheap ; pine and oak are brought from the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. A good bricklayer is paid at the rate of three dollars for every thousand bricks. Some of the houses are covered with slate, though generally with boards, called shingles, the use of which ought to be prohibited, on account of their combustible nature. Wood is chiefly employed for fuel, and oak and hickory are preferred, which are sold at the rate of four dollars per cord, except during an unusually se- vere winter, when the price has been from six to seven dollars. By an act of the corporation, a cord of wood must be eight feet in length, four in bi'eadth, and ' well stowed and packed.' A good dray-horse can be purchased at Washington for 60, a saddle-horse for 130, and a milch-cow for 35 dollars. The whole exports for the district of Columbia, for the year ending 30th September, 1817, were 1,768,658 dollars, of which 1,689,102 were domestic produce, and 79,556 foreign. The inhabitants of Washington are social and hospitable. Respectable strangers, after the slightest introduction, are in- vited to dinner, tea, balls, and 'evening parties. Tea parties have become very expensive, as not only tea, but coffee, negus, cakes, sweetmeats, iced creams, wines, and liquors, are often presented; and, in a sultry summer evening, are found too palatable to be refused. In winter, there is a succession of family balls, where all this species of luxury is exhibited. Both sexes, whether on horseback or on foot, wear an um- brella in all seasons: in summer, to keep off the sun-beams; SU VIEW OF THE in winter, as a shelter from the rain and snow ; in spring and autumn, to intercept the dews of the evening. I'ersons of all ranks canter their horses, which movement fatigues the animal, and has an ungraceful appearance. At dinner, and at tea parties, the ladies sit together, and seldom mix with the gen- tlemen, whose conversation naturally turns upon political suh- jects. In ahnost all houses toddy is offered to guests a few minutes before dinner. Gentlemen wear the hat in a carriage with a lady as in England. Any particular attention to a lady is readily construed into an intention of marriage. Boarders in boarding-houses, or in taverns, sometimes throw off the coat during the heat of summer; and in winter the shoes, for the purpose of warming the feet at the fire ; customs which the climate only can excuse. In summer, invitation to tea parties is made verbally by a servant, the same day the party is given ; in winter, the invitation is more ceremonious. The barber arrives on horseback to perform the operation of shaving ; and here, as in Europe, he is the organ of all news and scandal. On the subject of manners, Mr. Fearon says, ' Tea parties, and private balls, are now very frequent. Mr. Bagot, the English ambassador, and his lady, are particularly assiduous in their attentions to all classes, and maintain a strict conform- ity with the habits of the place. Their cards of invitation are left at my boarding-house for difi'eient gentlemen every day. The speaker (Mr. Clay) gives public periodical dinners. A drawing-room is held weekly at the president's house : it i« generally crowded. There is little or no difficulty in getting introduced on these occasions. Mr, Munroe is a very plain, practical man of bu.siness. The custom is shaking, and not the degrading one of kissing, hands. Conversation, tea, ice, music, chewing tobacco, and excessive spitting, afford employ- ment for the evening. The dress of the ladies is very elegant, though that of tiic gentlemen is too frequently rather ungen- tle manly. ' The theatre is a miserable building. I have attended se- veral representations in it by t!ie same company which I saw- when in Pittsburgh. Incledon has been here— the Washing- tun critics think him too vulgar, and also an indifferent singer f UNITED STATES. 335 ' In this city I witnessed also the exhibitions of Sema Sama^ the Indian juggler, from London. My chief attention was directed to the audience ; their disbelief of the possibility of performing the numerous feats advertised, and their incon- ceivable astonishment at witnessing the actual achievement, appeared extreme, — approaching almost to childish wonder and astonishment. ' The few private families to which I have had introductions, do not evince a more accurate knowledge of that English word comfort than I have remarked elsewhere; indeed, I would class them a century inferior to Boston, and half a century behind New York. Tlie boarding-houses and inns partake of the same characteristics. I first applied at the chief, which is Davis"'s Indian Queen tavern : most of the door-handles are broken ; the floor of the coffee-room is strewed with bricks and mortar, caused by the crumbling of the ceiling ; and the character of the accommodations is in unison with this unor- ganised state of things : the charges are as high as at the very first London hotel.' In the summer of 1814, this metrf>polis was taken possession of by an English naval and land force, which set fire to the capitol, president's house, public offices, and navy-yard. The moveable property destroyed at the latter place has been esti- mated at 417,743 dollars; the loss sustained in buildings and fixtures at 91,425 ; the expences of rebuilding at 62,370 ; in all, 571,538 dollars. The loss sustained by the partial de- struction of the capitol, president's house, and other public edifices, has been estimated at 460,000 dollars ; in all, 1,031,538 dollars. The superintendent of the public build- ings, in his report, dated the 29th of October, 1814, gave the following statement of their cost down to the date of their de- struction : — North wing of the capitol, including the foundation walls of both wings, and of the centre or main building, and of alterations ^nd repairs, 457,388 dollars. South wing of the capitol, _ - - 329,77't President's house, 334,334 Public offices, 93,6 IS Total, 1,215,109 dollars. 336 VIEW OF THE, &c. * Upon a second visit to the capitol,'' says Mr. Fearon, ' I explored nearly all its recesses. Marks of the late conflagra- tion are still very apparent, while the walls bear evidence of public opinion in relation to that transaction, which seems to have' had the singular fate of casting disgrace upon both the Americans and British. Some of the pencil drawings exhibit the military commander hanging upon a tree ; others repre- sent the president running off without his hat or wig ; some, admiral Cockburn robbing hen-roosts: to which are added such inscriptions as, " The capital of the Union lost by cow- ardice;" "Curse cowards;" "A sold the city for 5000 dollars;" "James Madison is a rascal, a coward, and a fool;" " Ask no questions," &c.' An English emigrant, in a letter to the editor, after repro- bating in severe terms the Gothic barbarity of general Ross, exultingly observes, that the Englishmen employed in repair- ing the damages he effected were nearly as numerous as those that followed him. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE PRESENT STATE AND RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES. OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES. 'PHE enumeration or census of the inhabitants is made every ten years. The heads of families, or free persons of six- teen years of age, are obliged to render a true account, on pain of forfeiting the sura of twenty dollars ; and as a check upon the returns, a schedule of the local enumeration is exhibited in some public place. A return is made, onoalh, to the secre- tary of state of the United States; and a copy is filed by the clerks of the districts, or of the superior courts. Neglect of duty, or misrepresentation on the part of the marshal or secre- tary, is punished by a fine of 800 dollars ; on that of the as- sistant, 200. The act providing for the last census (1810) allowed nine months for its execution, comn»encing the 1st of August of the same vear, which was afterwards extended to eleven months. The whole expence of the enumeration has been estimated at 40,000 dollars. The following estimate of the population of the British American colonies in 1753, inserted in Marshall's Life of Washington, was deduced from militia rolls, poll taxes, bills of mortality, and other documents considered as correct. 15 ' %V 338 VIEW OF THE Nova Scotia, - - 5,000 inhabitants. New Hampshire, - - 30,000 Massachusetts Bay, - 220,000 Rhode Island, - - 3.5,000 Connecticut, - - 100,000 New York, - - 100,000 The Jerseys, - - - 60,000 Pennsylvania and Delaware, 250,000 Maryland, - - 85,000 Virginia, - - 85,000 North Carolina, - - 45,000 South Carolina, - - 30,000 Georgia, - - 6,000 Total, - 1,051,000 The population of the United States territory, at different periods, was as follows: In 1753, 1,051,000; in 1780, 2,051,000; in 1790, 3,929,326; in 1800, 5,308,666; in 1810, 7,239,903. The increase in the first ten years was 1,878,326; in the second, 1,379,340; of the last, 1,931,237. It appears that the population has more than doubled every twenty years since the }X!riod of the first American establish- ments. According to the enumeration of 1810, there were — Males. Females. Difference. Free whites, under 10 years of age, 1,035,278 981,426 53,852 of 10, and under 16, 468,183 448,324 19,859 of 16, and under 26, 547,597 561,668 14,071 of 26, and imder 45, 572,347 544,156 28,191 of 45, and upwards, 364,736 338,378 26,358 The number of free people of colour is stated to be 186,446 The number of slaves, _ - - 1,191,364 In Europe, generally, the proportion of marriages to the population has been estimated at 1 to 120; that of births, 1 to 27 ; and tliat of deaths, 1 to 30. In the United States, the marriages are as 1 to 30 ; the births as 1 to 20 ; and the deaths as 1 to 40. The yearly births have been estimated at 51 per 100 ; the yearly deaths at 2* per 100. The popula- UNITED STATES. 339 tion of the city of New York was ascertained with great ex- actness in 1805, and the number of male white inhabitants was 35,384 ; of females, 36,378. The annual augmentation of slaves is about 2^ per 100. Of 7,239,903, the whole po- pulation in 1810, 1,191,364 were slaves, and 186,446 free persons of colour. The slaves belong chiefly to Maryland, Virginia, Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky, in which states, taken collectively, they form nearly one-third of the popula- tion. In Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, there are no slaves, and very few in Rhode Island and Connecticut. By the last census, there were but 108 in the former, and 310 in the latter place. The whole number of slaves, in ] 800, was 896,849 In 1810, - - . , 1,191,364 Increase in ten years, - 294,515 It appears from the different enumerations made according to the popuhtion acts of congress, that the increase is at the rate of three per cent, per annum ; in other words, that the population doubles every 23 years ; and it is probable that it will preserve this rate of increase for a hundred years and more, owing to the immense extent of country yet unpeopled. In 1810, it amounted in round numbers to 7,000,000; in 1833, it will be 14.000,000; in 1856, 28,000,000; in 1879, 56,000,000; in 1902, 112,000,000; in 1925, 224,000,000. This last number, scattered over a territory of 3,000,000 of square miles, would average about 70 to each mile, a popula- tion similar to that of Massachusetts proper, and about the ave- rage of Europe. ON THE STATE OF EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND THE ARTS. The progress of the Americans has been greater in the use- ful arts than in the fine arts, or the sciences, though their ad- vances in the latter are respectable, considering the shortness of their career. The state of knowledge and education gene- rally have been mentioned in the course of the work, 340 VIEW OF THE The education of youth, which is so essential to the well- being of society, and to the developement of national wealth, has always been a primary object of public attention in the United States. Since the year 1800, especially, great addi- tions have been made to the number of schools and academical institutions; to the funds for supporting them, and to all the means for providing instruction, and disseminating information. In 1809, the number of colleges had increased to 25, that of academies to 74. Those institutions are incorporated by the legislature of each state, and are subject to its inspection, though placed respectively under the direction of boards of trustees. In the western states congress have reserved 640 acres of the public land in each township for the support of schools, besides seven entire townsliips of 213,040 aci'es each, two of which are situated in the state of Ohio, and one in each of the states and territories of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missis- sippi, and Louisiana. In the state of New York, in 1811, the fund for common schools, subject to the disposal of the legis- lature, amounted to half a million of dollars, giving an annual revenue of 36,000 dollars. The school fund of the state of Connecticut amounts at present to a very large sum. — Since the year 1800 the number of American students of me- dicine, graduating in foreign countries, has considerably dimi- nished, the medical schools of Philadelphia and Nev/ York having acquired a high reputation. The period of college study is four years. Several medical journals are published at Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Baltimore; and there are American editions of the most celebrated medical works of Europe. New publications of celebrity, in all departments of literature, are immediately republished ; and a quarto volume, which costs two guineas in London, may be purchased in America, in a neat octavo form, for the same number of dol- lars. The Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews are regularly republished, and circulated to a great extent. 'J'hroughout the New P^ngland States the schools are supported by a public tax, and are under the direction of a committee. In these se- minaries the poor and the rich are educated together, and are UNITED STATES. 341 taught reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and geography. In other parts of the Union also, schools are provided for the education of the poorer class. The system of Lancaster has been lately adopted in different places. Various societies have been lately established for the advancement of knowledge ; particularly of those branches which are connected with agri- culture, arts, and manufactures. The American Philosophical Society at Philadelphia has already published six volumes on scientific subjects. An Athenaeum, on the plan of that of Li- verpool, has been lately established at Boston. In the space of ten days a subscription of 40,000 dollars was collected for the use of this establishment. The American xVcademy of Arts and Sciences at Boston has published one volume of Transactions. The New York Society for the promotion of agriculture, arts, and manufactures, has published four vo- lumes. The Philadelphia Society for promoting agriculture has published two. The Georgetown Society has published one on husbandry and rural affairs. The Americans have already given proofs of a taste for painting. The names of West, Copely, Trumbull, Stewart, Vanderlyn, Jarvis, Wood, Allston, Leslie, Peale, Sully, Morse, Earle, and Todd, the first eight historical and land- scape, the last portrait painters, are well known in Europe. Academies for the cultivation of the fine arts have been lately established at Philadelphia and New York. Plaster casts of the principal antique statues, with a few pictures, have been procured from Paris for both institutions. Those of the latter were presented by the emperor Napoleon, on his being ap- pointed a member. The liberal spirit which fosters these establishments does great honour to citizens, most of whom are merchants. The museum at Philadelphia has been lately enriched with a variety of objects in natural history, of winch the most strik- ing is the skeleton of the mammoth. Within a {"ew years the soil and productions of the United States have become the subject of philosophical research, and lectures on chemistry, mineralogy, and botany, are delivered in the cities of Phila- delphia, New York, and Boston, 842 VIEW OF THE The number of copies which are sold of public works of va- rious kinds affords one of the most striking ])rool"s of th? pro- gress of knowledge; and the newspaper press is the great organ of communication in America. In this description of literature the United States are entitled to take precedence of all other countries, at least so far as relates to number. In the bcginnii)g of the year 1810 there were 364 newspapers in the United States, /J5 of which were printed daily, IC thrice a week, 33 twice, and 262 weekly. Before the American revo- lution there were but nine newspapers in the United States. In the state of New York there are 100 printing establish- ments, and 70 gazettes. The annual aggregate amount of newspapers is estimated at 25,200,000. The following table will show the number in each state : New Hampshire, - *12 North Carolina, 10 Massachusetts, - - 38 South Carolina, 10 Rhode Island, . 7 Georgia, - - - 13 Connecticut, ■* 11 Kentucky, 17 Vermont, - - It Tennessee, 6 New York, - 66 Ohio, 14 Pennsylvania, - 71 District of Columbia, 4 Delaware, - Indiana territory, 1 Maryland, - 21 Mississippi do. 1 New Jersey, - 8 Orleans, - - - 10 Virginia, - - •24 Louisiana, 1 In the month of May, 1817, tlie whole number of newspapers in the United States was about 500, the number printed weekly, 250,000. In 1792, the whole number of newspapers in Great Britain and Ireland was 213. The expeditions under Lewis and Clarke, and major Pike, have made valuable additions to geography ; and the vessel now (May, 1819) ready to sail on a voyage of discovery, shews the anxiety of the government to promote the interests of sci- ence. The congress has also ordered a trigonometrical and maritime survey of the American coast. In mechanics the Americans have Ix^en particularly inven- tive. The number of patents issued at the patent office, from UNITED STATES. 343 the 1st of January, 1812, to the 1st of Januar}', 1813, amounted to 235. The machinery of flour-mills has several ingenious contrivances not known in Europe. The machines for making cotton cards, and for the manufacture of nails, are no less useful to the country than creditable to the inventors. Two Americans are candidates for the prize of a million of francs, offered by the French government for the best machine for spinning flax. The saving of manual labour by one of the American machines is said to be four-fifths, but the conditions of the prize require nine-tenths. The ginning machine, for separating cotton from the seed, has been of incalculable value in reducing the cost of cotton by a vast saving of manual la- bour. The method employed of lighting the interior of Ame- rican merchant vessels, and vessels of war, by means of cylin- ders of glass placed in the deck, is found to be very useful at sea. A new apparatus for the distillation of salt water on board of vessels at sea, invented by major Lamb of New- York, has been found so superior to the contrivances formerly in use, that it has been adopted by the English navy board for the public ships. The American machinery for making boots and shoes by means of iron wire or nails has been lately employed in England ; and an idea may be formed of its eco- nomical advantages from the circumstance of its being able to furnish a pair of shoes in a quarter of an hour. Perhaps, of all the American inventions, the application of steam to inland navigation is the most splendid, and promises to be the most useful, especially to the country which gave it birth. Steam-boats now ply on the Hudson, Delaware, Patomak, Savannah, Ohio, Mississippi, and nearly all the other navigable streams in the United States. Boats of 150 feet in length, and 30 to 50 in breadth, are propelled at the rate of eight or ten miles an hour in still water. The slowness of navigation on the great rivers by sails and oars renders the steam-boat invaluable. Among otlier purposes, it is employed to tow large vessels against the wind and current, and it is used as a ferry-boat at New York and other ports. The ste^im frigate, constructed at New York according to the plan of the late Mr. Fulton, is 14^ feet long, 55 feet broad, and 344 VIEW OF THE has an engine of 120 liorse p)\ver, moving with a velocity backwards or forwards at the rate of three miles and a half an hour. The wheel is placed in the centre, and is protected by the sides, which are six feet in thickness ; in other parts they are four and a iialf. This frigate is to carry J3() cannon, and is considered as impregnable. The steam-engine of Evans, now employed in the United States, is considered both more economic^il and more simple than that of ^Va^t and Bolton. The Americans excel in the erection of bridges ; and in ship-building they are now decidedly superior to the European nations, even to those most renowned for skill in maritime affairs. I'heir public buildings are not numerous, because they are yet but young as a nation. Even foreigners admit, however, that the capitol at ^Vttshington, the bank of Penn- sylvania, and the city-hall of New York, are very fine edifices. The last was lately finished, and cost 538,000 dollars. The coin of the United States rivals that of France or of England in neatness of execution. Dramatic exhiliitions have made a rapid progress in the United States within the last ten years. Twenty years ago, great struggles were made against this species of recreation. The clergy of various denominations petitioned several state legislatures to suppress theatrical amusements, as immoral and profane. In Connecticut this opposition had complete success. The principal theatre of that state, in the city of Hartford, was converted into a church, and actors are still subject to ex- communication. In Massachusetts the church and the stage for a long time maintained a doubtiul struggle. Plays were interdicted, but recitations or lectures were allowcxl ; and the players, obliged to accommodate their proceedings to this ab- surd restriction, announced plays imder the name of lectures. Thus a tragedy or comedy was ailvertised Ih sucli terms as these : ' A Moral Lecture ; the affecting History of Jane Shore, as narrated in dialogue bv the celebrated Howe ;"■ * The entertaining tale of the Poor Soldier, as told in song and dia- logue by the facetious O'Keefe.' By a spirited effort, how- ever, in the legislature, the laws against plays were abolished ; and a theatre was erected in Boston in the year 1798. About UNITED STATES. 345 1808, great improvements were made in the style of building and decoration in the American theatres, which began then to rival the theatres of the old world. All the liest new pieces on the British stage are transmitted to America with great rapidity ; and in dresses, decorations, and style of criiicLsm, a great similarity obtains between the two countries. There are slight differences, however, in the customs of the audience. Ladies and gentlemen are never expected, as a point of etiquette, to wear full dress in the best boxes. It is usual for females to sit in the pit in the southern states, but in the northern and middle states they are never permitted to be seen there. The passion for spectacle, and for the exhibition of horses and elephants on the stage, is as prevalent in America as in London. In propriety of decora^ tion and costume the AmericariS are particularly defective; they dress with great splendour, but seldom correctly. The late celebrated Mr. Cooke, who died in America, remarked that the Americans timed their applauses better than any peo- ple in the world. With respect to original plays they are very deficient; and, indeed, this species of production cannot be expected to thrive in a country where all the branches of au- thorship lie under great discouragement. Besides, the ma- nagers can procure plays without difficulty from England, and have nothing to pay for the copyright ; yet many plays have been written and acted with success in America. The pay of authors is governed by the same rules as in England, but there is a great preference given to plays from the mother-country ; and the sterling dramas of the English stage, especially the works of Shakespeare, seldom fail to bring full houses The celebrated actors on the American stage have almost exclusively emigrated from England. The first of any decided reputation was the late Mr. Hodgkinson, ori- ginally from Bath, who was excellent in every variety of the scene, from the highest tragedy to the lowest farce. The late Mrs. Warren, celebrated as Miss Brunion in Covent-Garden, was the female wonder of tragedy in Anaerica for many years; and two comedians, lately deceased, by the names of Twaits and Harwood, were long at the head of the comic department. 2 X *J46 VIEW OF THE Mr. Fennel was a very deserving tragedian, and for some years contested the palm of superiority with Mr. Cooper, who remained master of the field, and at present takes the lead in the American drama. Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Blissot, Mr. Ber- nards, Mrs. Hilson, and Mrs. Darby, all from England, also enjoy a high rank at present on the American boards. Mr. John Howard Payne, the young tragedian known in Europe and America under the title of the American Roscius, is the only native who has ever enjoyed a very high degree of suc- cess. His first appearance at New York, February 24, 1809, at the age of sixteen, pi'oduced an effect equalled by a similar debut a short time before in England. The pay given to the best regularly engaged actors does not exceed from 30 to 40 dollars per week. The benefits of such performers may pro- duce them from 800 to 1500 dollars in addition. Mr. Cooper receives 125 dollars weekly, and half the profits of every se- venth night, on his regular engagement at New York. When he travels, of course the profits vary with the attraction; sometimes he has received 3000 dollars for thirteen nights'" performance. Mr. Howard Payne has gained for 526 succes- sive nights'' performance in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Rich- mond, above 5000 dollars. The English language is .spoken with as great puritv by the different classes of society in America as by the corresponding classes in England ; while tlie strongly-marked dialects of Scotland and England, and even of the English counties, the source of so many barbarisms and corruptions, have no paral- lel in the United States. A Yorkshire or Lancashire peasant is scai'cely intelligible to a Londoner ; but in no district of America, not even in the extreme west, where savage and ci- vilized life mingle, is there a language spoken not perfectly intelligible to an English ear. There are, however, some peculiar phrases in general use, which may properly be called Americanisms. The following is given as a specimen from Mr. Mellish : ' I was diverted,' says he, ' by a dialogue between the two drivers, in which the word i>'uess occurred so frequently, that I could hardly hear any thing else. " I guess this string's not long enough/* UNITED STATES. M1 << O yes, I guess it is."" *' O yes, I gu£ss I'll make it do.'' *' There, — I guess you have fixed it.'" " Yes, I guess you guess right."""' But the departure of the learned from the pure idioms of the English language is not considerable. When the antipathy against this country ran high during the American revolution, it was proposed to drop the use of the English tongue and chuse another, when a wag recommended the adoption of the Hebrew. Of all foreign countries, it is only in America that the choice productions of English genius are sought after and appreciated. On the continent of Europe nothing but English works of sci- ence and practical utility are extensively known, as in fact it is these alone which, in any language, can be thoroughly un- derstood by foreigners. Courses of lectures on English litera- ture are to this day read in continental universities, in which none of the distinguished authors who have appeared within the last 50 years are ever mentioned. Long before the title of an English woi'k, in Some untranslated quotation from a re- view, is announced at Leipsig, at Paris, or at Rome, it is re- printed at Boston, Philadelphia, or New York, and read on the banks of the Ohio or Mississippi. This community of language the American ought also to prize as one of his noblest privileges, since it affords him access to a literature more ad- vanced than his own can be in the nature of things ; and if it be his first boast that he is the countryman of Washington and Franklin, it .should be his second, that his forefathers were countrymen of Shakespeare and Milton, and ' that Chatham"'s language is his mother-tongue."' MANNERS AXD HABITS. The people of the United States have not that uniform cha- racter which belongs to ancient nations, upon whom time, and the stability of institutions, have imprinted a particular and individual character. The general physiognomy is as varied as its origin is different. English, Irish, German, Scotch, French, and Swiss, all retain something of the first stamp, which belongs to their ancient country. A marked distinction, 348 VIEW OF THE however, exists between the inhabitants of the maritime and , commercial towns, and those of the country. The former perfectly resemble the citizens of the great towns of Europe. They have all the luxury and vices of an advanced civilization. Those of the country, who lead an agricultural life, enjoy all that happiness which is procured from the exercise of the so- cial virtues in their primitive purity. Their affections are constant; felicity crowns the conjugal union; respect for pa- ternal authority is sacred ; infidelity on the part of the wife is almost unknown ; divorce is rare ; m.endicity and theft un- common. An Englishman mav easily })e distinguished by his gait and appearance from an American. The latter have a heavy, lounging, indifferent kind of manner, indicative of ease and carelessness. ' Their whole appearance,'' savs a judicious ob- server, ' is sallow, and what we should call unhealthy. Our friend D tells me that to have colour in the cheeks is an infallible criterion by which to be discovered as an English- man. In a British town of any importance, you cannot walk along a leading street for half an hour without meeting with almost every variety of size, dress, and appearance among the inhabitants; whilst, on the contrary, here they seem all of one family; and though not quite a "drab-coloured creation," the feelings they excite are not many degrees renmvcd from the uninteresting sensations generated by that expression. The young men are tall, thin, and solemn : their dross is uni- versally trowsers, and very generally loose great coats. Old men, in our English idea of that phrase, appear very rare.'' In such an extensive country, partaking of very different local circumstances, the manners and morals of the comnumity must exhibit a great variety. Generally speaking, every state has its own peculiar features: and the subjects alluded to have been noticed in the view of the various states and territories. There is a material difference in point of character between the people of the northern states and those to the southward ; there also exists a considerable spirit of rivalry, jealousy, and oppo.sition between them. The former (speaking in general terms) are a plain, honest, and industrious people; regular UNITED STATES. 849 in their habits, punctual in their payments, and strongly at- tached to agricultural and commercial pursuits. But the southern planter acquires his wealth not by the sweat of his brow like the New Englander, but by the labour of his ne- groes. He lolls at his ease in the shady retreat, drinking, smoking, or sleeping, surrounded by his slaves and overseers, who furnish him with the luxuries of life, without the neces- sity of his leaving the piazza. The northern merchant, on the contrary, is strenuously exerting himself from morning till night; exercising his faculties, expanding his mind, and en- larging his ideas by continual intercourse with people of every nation, and correspondence in every quarter of the globe. The planter is deprived of these opportunities of mixing with the world, and acquiring an extensive knowledge of the inte- rests of trade. Hence he supposes, that to raise a crop and sell it sufficiently benefits the country; nor can he conceive what difference it will make, whether it is taken away in a ship of his own nation or that of a foreign state. He also looks upon the merchant or trader with contempt, as a mere plodding fellow who is making a fortune by his assistance; he even hates him, when by careful industry and economy the merchant can leave off business, and becomes, by the aid of his superior wealth and abilities, a more important personage in society than himself". Such are, in all probability, the causes which have created the existing spirit of rivalry, jealousy, and opposition, between the northern and southern states; and which, if not quickly extirpated, may one day or otlier occa- sion a separation of the Union. The higher and middling classes of the Americans, who reside chiefly in the large towns or their neighbourhood, live, generally speaking, in a more luxurious manner than the same description of people in England. Not that their tables are more sumptuously furnished on particular occasions than ours ; but that their ordinary meals consist of a greater variety of articles, many of which from too frequent use mav, perhaps, become pernicious to the constitution. The constant use of segars by the young men, even from an early age, jnay also tend to impair the constitution, and create a stimulus bevond 350 VIEW OP THE that which nature requires, or is capable of supporting. Their dread of the yellow fever has induced a more frequent use of tobacco of late years ; but it is now grown into a habit that will not be easily abandoned. The other classes of the com- munity, who reside in the interior and back part of the coun- try, are often obliged to live upon salt provisions the greatest part of the year, and sometimes on very scanty fare ; besides which, they generally dwell in miserable log huts, incapable of defending them effectually from the severity of the weather. Those who have the means of living better are great eaters of animal food, which is introduced at every meal; together with a variety of hot cakes, and a profusion of butter : all which may more or less tend to the introduction of bilious disorders, and perhaps lay the foundation of those diseases which prove fatal in hot climates. The effects of a luxurious or meagre diet are equally injurious to the constitution, and, together with the sudden and violent changes of the climate, may create a series of nervous complaints, consumption, and debility, which in the states boi-dering on the Atlantic carry off at least one-third of the inhabitants in the prime of life. The general mode of hving for those who do not keep house, is at hotels, taverns, or private boarding-houses. There are generally two public apartments, one for a sitting, the other a dining room. The lady of the house presides ; the other ladies, who are boarders, being placed on her left. The hours are, — breakfast, eight o'clock ; dinner, half past three ; tea, seven ; supper, ten. American breakfasts are celebrated for their prolusion ; presenting eggs, meat of various kinds, fish, and fowls. The charge is usually two dollars per diem, ex- clusive of wine. The Americans are much addicted to dissipation. Mecha- nics and tradesmen swallow daily an enormous (juantity of spirits, so that a temperate man will, even in the morning, feel the smell of liquor emitted from almost every ])erson he meets in the streets. Even in the country, peaches grow in such profusion that In-andy is made at a small expence ; and a*i almost every house is furnished with a still, inebriation is verv common. Those who can resist the teujptations to in- UNITED STATES. 351 temperance possess great advantages over their less prudent tieighboiirs. Mr. Lambert gives the following account of dram-drinking, which he received from general Bradley. ' A gum-tickler is a gill of spirits, generally rum, taken fasting. A phlegm-cutter is a double dose just before breakfast. An ant'tfogmatic is a similar dram before dinner. A gall-breaker is about half a pint of ardent spirits. When they enquire how such-a-one does, the answer is, " Oh, he is only drinking gum-ticklers .'" If he is drinking plilegm-cutters, or antifogmatics, the case is not so good, and he is soon expected to get to gall-breakers ; but if he is drinking the latter, they consider him as a lost sheep, — say it is all over with him, — and pity his desperate case. Indeed, a man seldom lives above six months after he has commenced the gall-breaking dram ! Rum, brandy, or gin sling, is a common beverage for travellers through the States ; and the stage-coachmen, in the course of a journey, take " a special good quantHy of it."" Sometimes it consists only of the liquor and water, sweetened with sugar, and drank cold ; but in general it is made of milk, with ginger or nutmeg grated into it.' Another traveller says, that in New York vast quantities of ' Yankee' rum are sold. ' All spirits,' he continues, ' are com- monly drunk mixed with cold water, without sugar. The price per glass, at the dirtiest grog-shops, is two-pence, where the liquor is of the most inferior description. At the more respectable, for a superior quality three-pence halfpenny. At what are called taverns and porter-houses, establishments si- milar to our second-rate public houses, six-pence halfpenny. The size of the glass is half a gill. It is estimated that there are 1500 spirit-shops in this city ; a fact opposed to my first impressions of American habits, which, on the point of sobrie- ty, were favourable, judging from the absence of broils and of drunkards in the streets : but more attentive observation, aided by the information of old residents, enables me to state that the quantity of malt-liquor and spirits drunk by the inhabit- ants of New York, much exceeds the amount consumed by the same extent of English population. The beastly drun- 352 VIEW OF THE kard is a character unknown here; yet but too many are throughout the day under the influence of hquor, or what is not inappropriately termed "■ half and half!" a state too pre- valent among the labouring classes and the negroes. Many date the source of this to the extremes of the climate. Ano- ther and a leading cause is, that numbers of the lower orders are European emigrants. They bring their habits with them. They are here better employed and better paid than they were in the country which gave them birth ; and they partake too largely of the infirmities of our nature to be provident during the sunshine of prosperity."' Duels are very frequent throughout the States, and all at- tempts to prevent them have hitherto failed. At New York, a law was passed to prohibit the sending of challenges, and the fighting of duels, under severe penalties ; but it answered no other end than to produce a smart piece of satire on the sub- ject of duels. A slight provocation produces a challenge, and if the parties consider themselves of what is called 'equal standing," that is, of families and in worldly cii'cumstances of equal respectability, they rarely decline the combat ; and the Americans being generally good shots, and as remarkable for their cool deliberation as, too frequently, for deadly malignity, it is seldom that both parties escape with life. The Americans are uncommonly jealous of their indepen- dence; and although this be a useful feeling, its excess is productive of very serious evils. In schools, no species of correction is allowed, subordination being as foreign to the comprehension of the vouth as to that of the aged. Servants also feel themselves independent of their employers. This may be attended with some advantages: it may please when contrasted with the degrading slavery of the European world ; but it is not free from serious and pecuhar evils. It increases selfish feelings and pursuits; it individuahzes society, and prevents a developement of those social qualities which are of important benefit to, as well as the greate>it ornament of our nature. Servants are usually engaged by the week. Enquiry as to character is not practised. Blacks and whites are seldom kept UNITED STATES. S53 in the same house. In the middle and southern states they are chiefly blacks; and, though held in the most degraded estimation, do almost as they please. Servants are called ' helps :'' if you call them servants they leave you without notice. Englishmen often incur their dis- pleasure by negligence in continuing to use this prohibited word. ' The difference, however,' observes a I'ecent writer, * would appear merely verbal ; for indeed I should misrepre- sent the impi'essions I have received on the subject, if 1 stated that the Americans reality shewed more feeling, or were more considerate in their conduct towards this class of society than the English : every one who knows them will, I think, pro- nounce the direct contrary to be the case. A friend of mine, the other day, met with a rebuff at his hotel, which taught him the necessity of altering — not his ideas indeed, but his words. Addressing the female " help," he said, " Be kind enoujrh to tell your mistress that I should be glad to see her." " MiT mistress. Sir ! I tell you I have no mistress, nor master either. I will not tell her. Sir, I guess ; if you want Mrs. M you may go to her yourself, I guess. I have no mis- tress, Sir. In this country there is no mistresses nor masters ; I guess I am a woman citizen." The term " boss" is substi- tuted for that of master: but these, I would remark, are not ,the only instances in this country of the alteration of names, while things remain the same : indeed some very absurd, and even indelicate changes have been made which cannot well be connnunicated on paper.' A traveller to whom we have frequently referred says, 'When the vessel in which I sailed from England had anchored at New York, a boy procured us two hackney coaches, from a distance of about a quarter of a mile. I offered him an English shilling, having no other small coin in my possession. He would not take so little ; " For as how I guess it is not of value. I have been slick in going to the stand right away." This was said with a tone of independence, which, although displeasing to my pride, was not so to my judgment. Mr. Adams satisfied the young republican by giving him half-a- dollar, (2,9. 3of anarchv ; tear out the bowels of society ; revert to the rude con- UNITED STATES. 363 dition of untutored nature, and let the strongest govern. We have never ceased to cherish and to inculcate those opinions which are most consonant to the civil and social state. We have remonstrated iigainst distinctions, at once impolitic and unjust, between native and adopted citizens ; but have not our remonstrances and efforts been in vain ? No zeal, no exertions, no services, however disinterested, unremitted, or great, have been sufficient to shield us from an epi- thet which, while it poisons the social and impairs the enjoyment of political life, must ultimately terminate in the ruin of the repub- lican party in this city. Alas ! has our republic turned upon itself, and in the short period of a few years from the adoption of the constitution ?' ' Resolved unanimously, that 500 copies of the above address and resolution be printed in hand-bills, for the benefit of our fel- low republican and adopted citizejis. 'ARCHIBALD TAYLOR, Chairman. 'S. DEMPSEY, Secretary.' Nothing can excite in the mind of an emigrant such surprise and indignation as this ridiculous and selfish antipathy to strangers, which must originate in the most contracted views. Liberal minded men must, in America as in other countries, be above such prejudices; but we here speak of the general sentiment. Some excuse, however, may in this case be made for the Americans, as many strangers join their community chiefly to escape the consequences of their dishonesty in their native land : but the national dislike to strangers is shewn in instances where this cannot possibly be admitted as an excuse. The celebrated Mr. Emmett, notwithstanding his high re- putation at the American bar, is often mentioned with con- tempt, as being a foreigner. A similar accusation was brought against the amiable general Hamilton ; and such sentiments are always rapturously applauded in the public forum of New York, where young men of talent exercise their oratorical powers. In all infant colonies, each individual is so dependent upon his neighbour, that self-interest breaks down minor feelings.; but in old settled parts, this check does not operate. Hence it is that in Pennsylvania there exists between the Americans of 364 VIEW OF THE Irisli and of German extraction the most deadly animosity. In the niind of a German American, the term ' Irishman' is one of the mo>t foul reproaches with which the range of his ideas supplies him. Indeed, Irishmen, as well as Dutchmen, are very generally despised ; and it is a high offence to insi- nuate to an American that he is not of English descent. Yet his jealousy of Englishmen is as great as his contempt for the natives of other countries. Some travellers, possessing a name and property, have met with a liberal reception, and have not therefore noticed this trait in the American character ; for in no country are riches more sought after and esteemed than in America. The Americans are very covetous of the few titles which are allowed by the laws. In Massachusetts a vote is peculiarly valuable, because an office there makes a man honourable du- ring life. This and other titles are always ostentatiously pub- lished. But man is the same in all countries. The following extract from the ' lioston Sentinel,' of August 27tb» 1817, will illustrate this idea. ' Dinner to Mr. Adams. — Yesterday a public dinner Avas given to the Hon. John Q. Adams, in the Exchange coffee-house, b}' his fellow-citizens of Boston. The Hon. Wm. Gray presided, assisted by the Hon. Hai-rison Gray Otis, George Blake, Esq. and the Hon. Jonathan Mason, vice-presidents. Of the guests were, tlie Hon. Mr. Adams, late president of the United States, his Excellency Go- vernor Brooks, his Honour J A. Gov. Phillips, Chief Justice Parker, Judge Story, President Kirkland, (Jen. Dearborn, Con). Hull, Gen". Miller, several of the reverend clergy, and many public officers, and strangers of eminence.' Negj-o slavery has spread its baleful influence over a great part of the Union. Some writers, particularly Englishmen, wiio would wish to represent the states as a second Arcadia, have offered an apology for this detestable practice, by con- tending that it formed i\ part of the -policy of the colonial sys- tem : but tliis excuse does not apply to the nezv states ; for the congress has resigned the inhabitants of these vast regions as victims of its demoralizing effects. The native Indians present. UNITED STATES. 365 of course, nothing but a picture of mere savage life ; and the poor negroes suffer even more than commonly falls to the lot of their oppressed and degraded condition. What a foul stain upon the republic, professing, as it does, the principles of liberty and equal rights, that, out of twenty states, there should be eleven in which slavei-y is an avowed part of their political constitution ; and that in those called free (New Eng- land excepted) the condition of blacks should practically amount to slavery ! Like the Greeks of old, they talk of free- dom, while the degraded Helot is within their doors. Upwards of one million seven hundred thousand negroes are still held as slaves in the United States ; for, though slavery has been abolished by a law of the general government in 1803, an(* also by most of the eastern and middle states, yet that ' Droadest foulest blof upon a nation professing Christianity, is still tolerated, and prevails over a very large portion of the Union ; corrupting and debasing the public morals, and communicating its depraving influence to both the slave and his master. Besides the negroes, there are upwards of 200,000 free people of colour ; both these classes, however, acquire oc- casionally an admixture of the blood of the white population, and the mestizos are gaining fast in number upon the blacks. The great body of slaves are to be found in the southern states..^ The experience of all history proves that the structure of society in slave-holding countries is unfavourable to internal peace at all times, and still more so to security and strength in the season of foreign warfare. Besides, a slave is ignorant of the very elements of industry, which is the basis of all social prosperity. While in bondage he only obeys the impulse of another's will, he is actuated by no other motive but the dread of the lash; whereas, when made free, he must think, plan, provide for himself and family, and perform all the duties of a citizen. It is necessary to make a slave a man, before he is made a free man. The slave, recently liberated, has expe- rienced only the most laborious and disagreeable of the occur-- pations of a citizen ; and not having learned any forecast, is unwiUing to toil when free. The emancipated negroes of Massachusetts prove, that such an order of beings have not 366 VIEW OF THE the capacity to avail themselves of the benefits of civil liberty. For in that state, where slavery is abolished by law, and which consequently opens an asylum to fugitive slaves from the neighbouring states, the negroes do jwi keep up their stock of population, by the help both of native breeding and runaway importation ; so improvident, so helpless, and so deficient in all those habits of steady and useful industry, which are essen- tially necessary to obtain a competent support for themselves and a growing family, have they been rendered by a long con- tinuance in slavery. The treatment of the negroes throughout the slave states is as villainous as can be well imagined ; and although they are themselves not insensible to the evils of their condition, they do not seem to feel it so acutely as might be anticipated, or as the man of common humanity would feel on their account. This, however, is natural enough, and easy to account for. As the body is enslaved, the mind becomes degraded, and loses a sense of its own dignity, and of the value of independence. A distinguished writer has most justly observed, that *if there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independence with one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slave.'' Even in Cincinnati, people retain slaves in violation of the spirit of the Ohio constitution, by first purchasing them, an^ then binding them as apprentices. Some are so base as to take these negroes down the river at the approach of the expi- ration of their apprenticeship, and sell them at Natchez Jbr life ! An English traveller, seeing above thirty boats and keels pass down the Mississippi at Natchez, says, ' A great many coloured people, particularly females, being in these boats, I concluded that they were emigrants, who had proceeded thus far on their route towards a settlement. The fact proved to be that fourteen of the flats were freighted with human beings for sale. They had been collected in the several states by slave-dealers, and shipped from Kentucky for a market. They were dressed up to the best advantage, on the same principle that jockeys do horses upon sale. The following is a specimen of advertisement on this subject : — UNITED STATES. 367 "TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD *'Will be paid for apprehending and lodging in jail, or delivering to the subscriber, the following slaves, belonging to JOSEPH IRVIN, oi Iberville -.-^ "TOM, a very light Mulatto, blue eyes, 5 feet 10 inches high, appears to be about 35 years of age, an artful fellow — can read and write, and preaches occasionally. "CHARLOTTE, a black wench, round and full faced, tall, straight, and likely — about 25 years of age, and wife of the above- named Tom. " These slaves decamped from their owner's plantation, on the night of the 14th September inst. "WILLIAM KENNER & Co."' But perhaps the estimation in which the unfortunate ne- groes are held by the free-born Americans, will be best illus- trated by the following official document, published at New Orleans. 'CITY COUNCIL OF NEW ORLEANS. ' Ail ordinance in relation to slaves in the city and snhurhs of New Orleans, as also in the iieighbovrhood thereof, and to no other per- sons herein mentioned. ' The city council ordains as follows : * Art. 1. No slave or slaves within tlie city and suburbs of New Orleans, and the neighbourhood thereof, shall have, hold, occupy, reside or sleep in any house, out-house, building, or enclosure, other than his or her owner's, or his or her owner's representatives, or of the person whom he is or they are serving for hire, without first obtaining a ticket or tickets from his, her, or their owner or owners, expressly describing the place which such slave or slaves is or are allowed respectively to occupy, reside, or sleep in ; and specifying also the time during which the aforesaid permission or permissions is or are granted ; and every slave, holding, occupying, residing or sleeping in any house, out-house, building, or enclosure, without obtaining the permission aforesaid, shall be committed to the jail by any officer of police, or any other white person, there to receive twenty lashes, on a warrant from the mayor, or from a jus- tice of the peace, unless the owner or owners of such slaves shall previously pay a fine of five dollars for each of them, with all costs and charges. 868 VIEW OF THE * Art. 6. The assemblies of slaves for the purpose of dancing or other merriment, shall take place only on Sundays, and solely in such open or public places as shall be appointed by the mayor ; and no such assembly shall continue later than sunset ; and all slaves who shall be found assembled together on any other day than Sun- day, or who, even on that day, shall continue their dances after sunset, shall be taken up by the officers of police, constables, watchmen, or other white persons, and shall be lodged in the pub- lic jail, where they shall receive from 10 to 25 lashes, on a warrant from the mayor or a justice of the peace; the clauses specified in the preceding article against all owners or occupants of houses or lots, forming or tolerating such assemblies on their premises, being in full force against them. ' Art. 7. i^'o person giving a ball to free people of colour shall, on any pretext, admit or suffer to be admitted to said ball any slave, on paialfi/ of a fine from 10 to 50 dollars; and any slave admitted to any such ball shall receive 1 5 lashes. ' Art. 8. Every slave, except such as may be blind or infirm, who shall walk in any street or open place with a cane, club, or other stick, shall be carried to the police jail, where he shall receive 25 lashes, and shall moreover forfeit every such cane, club, or other stick, to any white person seizing the same ; and every slave car- rying any arms whatever, shall be punished in the manner pre- scribed by the Black Code of this state. ' Art. 9. If any slave shall be guilty of whooping or hallooing any where in the city and suburbs, or of making any clamorous noise, or of singing aloud any indecent song, he or she shall, for each and every svich offence, receive at the police jail, on a warrant from the mayor, or any justice of the peace, a number of 20 laslies or stripes ; and if any such offence be committed on board any vessel, the master or commander thereof shall forfeit and pay a sum of 20 dollars for every such offence. 'Art. 10. Every slave who shall be guilty of disrespect toivards any white person, or shall insult any free person, shall receive 30 lashes, upon an order from the mayor, or justice of the peace. 'Art. 13. The present ordinance shall be printed in the usual gazettes, and shall moreover be published by drum-beat, within the city and suburbs, twice every week during fifteen days, and once every month after that time. 'Approved, October 15th, 1817- 'J- SOUL IE, Recorder. 'Nov. 3. 'AUG. MACARTY, Mayor/ UNITED STATES. 369 What points out very forcibly the degrading effects of sla- very upon the mind is, that the Americans, even in worship- ping the common Father of all, refuse to permit the approach of coloured people. They are obliged to have churches of their own. In Philadelphia, ' the three " African churches," as they are called, are for all those native Americans who are * black, or have any shade of colour darker than white. These persons, though many of them are possessed of the rights of citizenship, are not admitted into the churches which are visit- ed bv whites. There exists a penal law, deeply written in the minds of the whole white population, which subjects their co- loured fellow-citizens to unconditional contumely and never- ceasing insult. No respectabihty, however unquestionable — no property, however large — no character, however unblemished — will gain a man, w^iose body is (in American estimation) cursed with even a twentieth portion of the blood of his Afri- can ancestry, admission into society ! ! ! They are considered as mere Pariahs — as outcasts and vagrants upon the face of the earth !" The diversity of laws in separate states, by which acts con- sidered as a crime in one part are not punishable in another, and also many confused impressions of right and wrong, gene- rate much evil, while the state of the bankrupt laws, and an immense and complicated paper currency, are universal and increasing evils; each of these having opened an extensive field to the calculations of avidity and the speculations of ihe dishonest. The lisl of insolvencies is enormous. Failure in trade, so far from being a cause of loss, or a subject of shame, is generally the means of securing a fortune ; and so callous upon this subject has the public mind become, that no kind of disadvantage or disgrace attaches to the individual, who takes, therefore, little pains to disguise tlie source of his wealth. Although pauperism has not arrived at English maturity, nor does it often attract the public eye, yet it does exist, and that to a great extent, which may be seen in governor Clinton's most able address to the New York legislature. He there re- marks, ' Our statutes relating to the poor are borrowed from the English system. And the experience of that country, as 3 A 870 VIEW OF THE ■well as our own, shows that pauperism increases with the aug- mentation of the funds a])pliccl to its relief. This evil has pi'ocecded to such an alarming extent in the city of New York, that the burdens of heavy taxation which it has imposed, me- nace a diminution of the population of that city, and a depre- ciation of its real property. The consequences will be very injurious to the whole state ; for the decay of oui- great market will be felt in every department of productive labour. Under the present system the fruits of industry are appropriated to the wants of idleness ; a laborious poor man is taxed for the support of an idle beggar; and the voice of mendicity, no longer considered degrading, infects a considerable portion of our population in large towns. I am persuaded that tlie sooner a radical reform takes place, the better. The evil is contagious, and a prompt extirpation can alone prevent its pernicious extension.' To pauperism may be added lotteries, which are nume- rous in all the states ; and in many the English exploded ini- quity of insurance, and *• little goes,'' exist in full operation. To such an extent is this scandalous mode of gaming carried, that one traveller mentions a lottery, when he was in the Illi- nois, for building a presbyterian church ! The 'scheme' was preceded by a long address ujjon the advantages of religion, and the necessity of supporting Christianity by purchasing tickets in this lottery ! All these drawbacks upon the general character of the Ame- ricans are the natural result of the materials of which they are composed. The first civilized population of the States were emigrants from the several European nations, particularly England ; the most respectable class of which were those wlio fled from religit)us persecution ; no inconsiderable number of transports; and the rest were, as emigrants ever are, — the most enterprising, the most needy, but by no means the most intelligent of their native country. Such then were the seeds of American society ; let us look at the circumstances in which these men were placed ; in a country where civilization had made no progress ; where every man, both in mind and body, was fully occupied in obtaining the bare means of subsistence ; UNITED STATES. 871 and where their relative situation towards tlie natives of the soil was calculated to deaden every just, benevolent, and hu- mane sentiment. As society advanced, indeed, the whole po- pulation no longer remained ' hewers of wood and draAvers of water.' Classification commenced ; but still those whose views, means, or habits could be mental, were extremely limited iu number. They left Europe at a dark period, not themselves the finest specimens of the national picture ; even those amongst them who had leisure for literary objects, met with obstacles at every step — the want of books, the want of so- ciety, and of communication with learned individuals or of scientific bodies. There was besides no history attached to their country ; they lived indeed in a new world, ' which was endeared to them by no recollections, and which could neither excite nor gratify their curiosity, by the records of the past.' The first accessions of strength from the ' old country,'' fur- nished little besides an increase of the manual labour. The colonial government introduced some men of information: public education was attended to ; riches increased ; the slave- trade was encouraged ; negroes were introduced in every American colony ; the extermination of Indians went on, the invaders gradually seizing on their country. Literature was now in some respects advancing, though the colonists depended for their mental as well as bodily clothing upon the mother country ; English, Dutch^ Irish, Scotch, Germans, and their several descendants, were becoming to speak one language, and have one common Interest, They were, as colonists ever and necessarily are, inferior to the parent country in the first class of its intelligence, but above its grosser ignorance. So- ciety had at this time acquired stability. The Revolution now took place. This struggle, chiefly in consequence of Paine's * Common Sense,' terminated in a ' Declaration of Indepen- dence.' The friends of liberty in Europe now crossed the Atlantic to fan their darling flame. Others also emigrated of a more dubious character : America became the receptacle for speculators and fortune-hunters, for adventurers and base and demoralized characters of every shade and description. The peaceful pursuits of agriculture were exchanged for those of 372 VIEW OF THE the sword ; society was iihifted fiom its base, and every thing became di?-organized. Peace was at length proclaimed, but it failed to bring with it those halcyon days, of which the olive- branch is generally considered the precursor. America was now a chaos, bankrupt alike, it was feared, in morals and in finances; and it required all the coolness and ability of Wash- ington to preserve the public peace. A reversion of the prin- ciples of the federal union seemed to become necessary, in order to increase the powers of government. This question gave rise to two parties, who still foster in their breasts the most implacable hatred. Those who advocated a reversion of the constitution took the name of Federalists^ and their oppo- nents that of Democrats. America, in the mean time, in her political capacity, was making rapid advances towards taking her standing as a first- rate power. Her internal resources were boundless; her geographical situation secured her from attack during the weakness, as it were, of" infancy ; her population went on in- creasing in a ratio not paralleled in modern limes, but easily to be accounted for upon well-known principles of political economy. At this time it was that the disturbed state of Eu- rope threw into her hands the carrying trade of the world, and enabled her to erect a mercantile marine, only second to that of Great Britain. This unexpected, and iinpreparcd-for influx of wealth, demoralized, while it enriched ; with the peo- ple, there was no preparation, no pupillage, no gradation, no step from the primitive log-house to the splendour of the pa- lace. European luxury and vice, unadorned by European knowledge, and not ameliorated by European habits of refine- ment, rapidly overspread the land, and produced their natural and unavoidable consequences. The pursuits of the whole people assumed also a hazardous and speculative cast ; oppor- tunities for indulging which were constantly presented by the disturbed state of European commerce, and by their own vast unpeopled continent. The means of living were in the hands of every man, with the occupation of but one-fourth part of his time. They were in possession of political and domestic case, the sources, or the value of which, their want of reflection UNITED STATES. 373 prevented them from estimating; and having at once the means, the lime, and the opportunity of gratifying their pas- sions, or indulging their indolence, they have not pursued learning beyond their school-books. Thus, neglecting to en- courage any pursuits, either individually or collectively, which may be called mental^ they appear, as a nation, to have sunk into habits of indolence and indifference; they are neither lively in their tempers, nor generous in their dispositions. Looking fairly therefore at all these circumstances, we ought not to be surprised to find that American tJieory is at least two centuries in advance of American practice. We have usually connected with our ideas of republicanism and unpolished manners, a simplicity and honesty of mind which more than compensate for all minor defects. That we should not meet with even an approach to these characteristics in America is by no means extraordinary, when we reflect upon their origin and the materials from which their present charac- ter is derived. Upon the whole, it will be seen that the Americans are not possessed of a superior degree of intelligence and moral feel- ing. With regard to information, men are almost upon a dead level, that gradation of intellect which exists in England being unknown. The American labourers possess more intel- ligence than those of the same class in England ; but the mid- dle ranks fall short, from the causes before mentioned, of our standard. What is here said relative to the character of the inhabitants of America, does not apply to the circumstances of the coun- try. As to America generally, it possesses some most im- portant advantages, among which are to be enumerated, an extensive and, in parts, a very fertile country— a population not filled up — and, above all, a reasonable and a cheap go- vernment. These give to the poor man a recompense for his labour proportionate to his deserts : they also open numerous sources for the valuable employment of capital; and they give a solid satisfaction, as to the future., in the mind of a man of family or of property, which it is impossible to derive from a an VIEW OF THE contemplation of the present condition, and the present policy, of any of the old governments. In forming an esthnatc of the American character, it is ne- cessary to take into the account the prejudice and the interests of those who have undertaken to enlighten us on the subject. Some emigrants, in order to increase the population in their neighbourhood, and consequently the value of their property ; and others from a deep-rooted dislike to the governments un- der which they have suffered, describe America as a political elysium, and its inhabitants as exempt from the faihngs and vices that they imported from Europe. Others again, in tra- velling through the States, exclaim that all is barren. An in- telligent traveller met an Englishman in New England. ' My fellow-coimtryman,'' says he, ' was so full of the importance and superiority of England, that any thing American did not, in his eyes, seem worthy of notice. A man passed us on horseback without bowing or speaking; mij J'neml exclaimed, " There, you see they have neither manners nor common sen.se in this country ; if we were in England, you know, and a man passed the stage, he would bow and say. How do you do ?"" To this gentleman the old story was strictly applicable of two Englishmen and an American travelling in a stage from Boston. They indulged their patriotism by abusing every thing Ame- rican. The butter was not so good as the English — nor the beef — nor the mutton — nor the peaches — nor the laws — nor the people — nor the climate — nor the country. Their fellow- traveller was displeased, but he remained silent. At length there came on a tremendous storm of thunder and lightning. He then burst forth, boiling with rage, " There, d you ! I guess that that thunder and lightning is as good as any you liave in England."' ' RELIGION. An estimate has been lately made of the ])roportion of churclu'S and clergymen to the population, by the rev. Mr. Beecher, in his Address to the Charitable Society for the edu- UNITED STATES. 375 cation of pious young men for the ministry of the gospel. This author proceeds on the assumption that there should be a regular pastor for every 150 families or 1000 souls. The present ratio in the New England states is one to every 1500 pei'sons. In Great Britain and Ireland, the proportion of ministers to the number of souls is found to be one to every 800 or 900. An American population of eight millions would, of course, require 8000 ministers ; but the whole number of regular well educated ministers does not exceed 3000. In New York, the actual number of pastors is about 500, the popukition of a million would require double this number. In New Jersey, there is a deficiency of at least 50 pastors. In Pennsylvania and Delaware the deficiency is very considerable. Virginia, with a population of 974,000, has but 60 regular ministers, consequently, 914,000 persons are without adequate religious instruction. The situation of Maryland is similar to that of Virginia. With respect to the state of religion in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, no accurate information was obtained. North Carolina, with a population of 555,500, which would require 550 clergymen, has but 20. South Carolina, with a popula- tion of 415,000, has but 36 ministers. Georgia has but ten clergymen. Mr. Beecher's enumeration, it is to be observed, includes only regularly educated clergymen ; but there are, besides, a number of itinerant preachers in the United States, and many persons among the different sects, who officiate occasicmally as religious teachers, though they derive their subsistence from other professions. The same author informs us, that one-third of all ministers who receive a regular collegiate education in the United States, are educated at Harvard and Yale colleg-es. The highest clerical stipend in the United States is 5000 dollars, with a dwelling-house, and the fees of marriage, which, though voluntary, are always liberal. The common salary of a respectable clergyman in New York, Philadelphia, and Bal- timore, is 2500 dollars ; and the value of the house and fees varies from 300 to 500 dollars and upwards. In the country 376 VIEW OF THE the stipend is much lower. In the state of Connecticut it sel- dom exceeds 1000 dollars per annum, but with a house and small glebe, and occasional presents. This affords a very de- cent support to a clergyman, and enables him to give his sons a college education. The principal religious denominations in the United States are, congregationalists, presbyterians, episcopalians, friends or quakers, methodists, baptists, German Lutherans, Dutch re- formed, Roman catholics, Moravians, Mennonists, jumpers, universalists, and shakers. If the whole population were divided into twelve parts, three of these would be Calvinists, chiefly of the congregational and presbyterian sects ; two bap- tists ; two methodists ; one episcopalians and Lutherans ; the rest include persons of many various forms of belief, and a considerable number who follow no religious profession. Of the Congreg-ationaUsts, a few years since, there were 1000 congregations in New England, and 200 in the middle and southern states, with 120 ministers and candidates for the ministry. Their system of church discipline is derived chiefly from that which was established in 1700, and is known by the namei of the Say Brook Platform. Each church chuscs- its own minister, but is associated with others for mutual advan- tage, and the termination of disputes. Meetings are held for this pur}X)se twice a year. Presbyterians. — In the year 1810 there were 772 congrega- tions of presbyterians, with 434 ministers, and a number of licentiates. This denomination prevails in the middle and southern states. Their highest ecclesiastical court is styled the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, under which are synods, presbyteries, and church sessions. In 1810 there were five synods and 36 presbyteries. At Princeton there is a theological school for Calvinists, well endowed, with a good library. The Episcopalians., befoie the revolution, were obliged to send their preachers to England for ordination, at the average expence of 100/. sterling each. Dr. Chemeler, in his appeal V) the public in behalf of the church of England, stated, *that, of 52 who went home for orders, only 42 returned in safety, UNITED STATES. 377 owing to sickness, or the accidents of the voyage.' This ab- surd regulation kept many of the churches unprovided with clergymen. In the year 1808, the number of episcopalian churches in New England was 65, that of ministers, 48 ; in the middle states, 68 churches, and 66 ministers ; in the southern, 105 diurches, and 101 ministers; in all, 238 churches, and 215 ministers. The churches are under the general direction of the Convention of the Protestant Episco- pal Church, which is composed of two houses ; the one of bishops, the other of delegates, consisting of clergymen and laymen. Of the Quakers or Friends there were about 400 congrega- tions some years ago, and chiefly in tiie middle states. In the northern there are few, except in Rhode island. In North Carolina there is a quaker settlement at New Garden, and congregations at Pasquotank and Wood creek. Methodists. — The number of methodists in 1809 amounted to 159,500. They are more numerous in the middle and southern than in the northern states. Their churches are as- sociated under the title of the United Societies of the Method- ist Episcopal church. The whole country is divided into religious districts and circuits ; the former under the direction of a presiding elder, the latter under the inspection of an iti- nerant preacher; both of whom are appointed at the annual conference. The seeds of methodism were first sown in this country by the celebrated AVhitefield. It is believed that this sect is increasing very considerably. Baptists. — In the year 1793, there were 45 baptist associa- tions in the United States, 103.^ churches, 1291 ministers, and 73,471 members. In May, 1817, the general convention of the baptist denomination in the United States held their first triennial meeting at Philadelphia ; and in their report the number of churches and of members was thus estimated: 2727 churches; ministers, 1936; members in fellowship, 183,245. In the state of New York the number of churches was 321, of members, 23,558; in Kentucky, 421 churches, and 22,432 members; in Georgia, 202 churches, and 16,834 members; in Virginia, 314 churches, and 11,838 members. 3 B 378 VIEW OF THE Lutherans. — In the states of New York and Pennsylvania, the Lutherans, chiefly of German origin, have a hundred con- gregations ; the German Calvinists nearly the same number. Several of the clergymen of this denomination have distin- guished themselves by their literary and scientific attainments; the late Dr. Muhlenburg of Lancaster, as a botanist, Dr. Kunzie of New York, as an oriental scholar and mathemati- cian, Mr. Melsheimer of Pennsylvania, as an etymologist. The Dutch Reformed church, under the name of the Re- formed Synod of New York and new Jersey, consists of about 80 congregations. The canons of Dordrecht are adopted as a rule of discipline, and the Heidelbui-g Catechism as the rule of faith. Roman Catliolics. — This denomination is more numerous in Maryland and in Louisiana than in any of the other states. The Roman catholics of Maryland are chiefly of Irish, those of Louisiana of French origin. Some years ago, the number in Maryland was 75,000. In Baltimore there is an archbishop and four bishops, and three churches; in Boston, a church and a bishop; in New York, two churches and a bishop; in Philadelphia, four churches and a bishop; in Bardstown, one ; in Kentucky, one ; in Louisiana, one, \A\h two canons, and 25 curates, who receive each about 500 dollars a year. Moravians^ or United Brethren. — In the year 1788, the number of this denomination was about 2000. Their princi- pal establishments are at Bethlehem and Nazareth in Pennsyl- vania, at Hope in New Jersey, and at Wachovia, on the Yadkin rivei", in North CaroVina. In the last state they pur- chased 100,000 acres of land from lord Granville. They are styled the United Brethren of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The first person of this sect arrived in the United States in 1741, under the protection of count Zinzendorf At Bethlehem, in Pennsylvania, the Moravians have a large society, occupying a number of farms^ There is a great hall in which all daily assemble for the purpose of public worship. The single men and women have each a separate dwellings. The latter are occupied in various domestic employments, — in fancy and ornamental works, and occasionally in musical UNITED STATES. 379 practice under the direction of a superintendent. The walls of the large hall where the society dine are adorned with paintings, chiefly Sciipture pieces, executed by members. Va- rious branches of .trade and manufacture are carried on, the profits of which go to the general stock, from which all are supplied with the necessaries of life. Their whole time is spent in labour and in prayer, except an hour in the evening, Avhich is allotted for a concert. Marriage is contracted in a singular manner. The young man who has an inclination to marry makes application to the priest, who presents a young woman designated by the superintendent as the next in I'ola- tion for marriage. Having left the parties together for an hour, the priest returns, and if they mutually consent to live together, they are married the next day ; if otherwise, each is put at the bottom of the list, containing, perhaps, 60 or 70 names, and, on the part of the girl, there is no chance of mar- riage, unless the same young man should again feel disposed for matrimony. When united, a neat habitation, with a plea- sant garden, is provided, and their children, at the age of six, are placed in the seminary. If either of the parents die, the other returns to the apartment of the single people. In the Moravian establishment there is a tavern with large and excel- lent accommodations. There are Moravian establishments also in South Carolina, at Bethania, Salem, and other places on the Moravian branch of the river Yadlin. Universalists. — We have not been able to procure any esti- mate of the number of persons of this persuasion. They form two divisions ; the followers of Dr. Chinery, and those of Mr. John Murray. Shakers. — The first of this sect came from England in 1774. Their number is inconsiderable. Their principal establish- ments are at Nisqueunah, and New Lebanon, in the state of New York ; at Enfield in Connecticut, and at Canterbury in New Hampshire. The Tunkers, a sect in Pennsylvania, took their origin from a German, who, weary of the busy world, retired to a solitary place about 50 miles from Philadelphia, where he formed a colony on a river iiamed Euphrates. Their religiov.^ 380 VIEW OF THE practices resemble those of the quakers, none but those who feel the divine influence having a right to preach and exhort. The women live separate from the men, and never associate except for the purpose of public worship, or public business. Divine service is performed twice a day ; and the whole time, except a few hours given to sleep, is spent in labour and in prayer. They hold as injurious the doctrine of original sin, and deny the eternity of future punishment ; though they admit of a hell and a paradise. They believe that the souls of Christians are employed in the next world in the conversion of those who left this without enjoying the light of the gospel. In their conduct they show a stoical indifference to the good and evil of life. They never complain or retaliate, even when insulted or robbed of their propertv. The dress of both sexes consists of a long white hooded gown, a coarse shirt, and thick shoes. The men wear wide breeches resembling those of the Turks ; and never cut the beard, which, in some, reaches to the waist. Their food consists of vegetables only, the produce of their own labour, which is deposited in a common stock for the wants of the society. Sandeiimnians. — Of this sect there is a small society at Portsmoutli, in New Hampshire. Mennonisis, who derive their name from Simon Menno, a German baptist, live in Pennsylvania. In the year 1770, their number amounted to 4000, forming thirteen churches, and 40 conff relations. In New England clerical gentlemen have an astonishing hold upon the minds of men : the degree of reverential awe for the sanctity of their office, and the attention paid to the external forms of religion, approach almost to idolatry : tiiese feelings are, perhaps, never encouraged without becoming the substitute of real religion, and expelling the active and mental principles of Christianity. A man who values his good name in Boston, hardly dare be seen out of church at the appointed hours ; — this v, culd be viewed as a heinous crime by men who would consider the same individuaKs cheating his creditors as of small import. Indeed, throughout the whole of the United States, thei-e exists a kind of cold indifference in matt-ers rela- UNITED STATES. 381 tive to reli^on, as far as concerns discussion and controversy. Every man is expected quietly to choose one of the churches ; and when that is done, he must abide by it as solemnly and as regularly as he does his segar, his rum, and his business. Whatever degree of religious intelligence exists, is conjined to tlie clergy ; who, perhaps, have lost no advantage by the abo- lition of a state religion. Religious fanaticism is very general in the States, and is carried to a degree of extravagance almost inconceivable in this country. We have before us some account of Camp Meetings, which ai'e occasionally held in different states ; but the description is too indecent and gross to bear repetition. We will, however, as a specimen of these improprieties, relate a few such like occurrences from the pen of two recent and respectable travellers. ' The Sunday after my arrival at Savannah,' says Mr. Lambert, ' I was passing a methodist meeting, and was in- duced, by the vehemence of the preacher, to go in and hear his discourse. He uttered such terrible imprecations upon sinners unless they were born again in faith, that one half of his congregation were groaning and weeping in the most piti- able manner. Such an assemblage of wretched looks, and pale, ghastly countenances, I never before saw ; diey seemed, indeed, to have suffered severe castigation for their sins even in this world. Instead of benefiting by the mild and consolatory pre- cepts of Christianity, these people appeared to be lost in a sea of doubt and perplexity; and seemed to think of nothing but everlasting damnation, unless perchance they construed a grip- ing of the bowels into the workings of divine grace,'' Another writer describes the mode in which the artful and designing impose upon the ignorant and unwary in the fol- lowing; words : — ' Having heard that American methodists were distinguished for an extreme degree of fanatical violence in their religious exercises, I visited the African church, (all houses of religious assembly being denominated churches,) in which were none but blacks ; and in the evening, " Ebenezer church,'"' in wjiich 382 VIEW OF THE were only whites. As the latter jwssessed all the characteris- tics of the former, witii considerable additions of its own, to that only it is necessary that I should call your attention. I went at eight o'clock in the evening. The door was locked ; but tlie windows being open, I })laced myself at one of them, and saw that the church withhi was crowded almost to suffo- cation. The preacher indulged in long pauses, and occasional loud elevations of voice, which were always answered by the audience with deep groans. When the prayer which followed the sermon had ended, the minister descended from the pulpit, the doors were thrown open, and a considerable number of the audience departed. Understanding, however, that something was yet to follow, with considerable difficulty I obtained ad- mission. Tlie minister had departed, the doors were again closed, but about four hundred persons remained. One (ap- parently) of the leading members gave out a hymn, then a brother was called upon to pray : he roared and ranted like a maniac ; the male part of the audience groaned, the female shrieked ; a man sitting next to me shouted ; a youth stand- ing before me continued for half an hour bawling, " Oh Jesus ! come down, come down, Jesus ! my dear Jesus, I see you ! bless me, Jesus ! Oh ! oh ! oh ! Come down, Jesus !"" A small space farther on, a girl about eleven yeare of age was in convulsions : an old woman, who I concluded was her mother, stood on the seat, holding her up in her arms, that her exta- cies might be visible to the whole assenjbly. In another place there was a convocation of holy sisters, sending forth most awful yells. A brother now stood forward, stating, that, "allhoui,h numbers had gone, he trusted the Lord would that night work some signal favours among his dear lambs." Two sisters advanced towards him, refusing to be comforted, " for the Lord was with them :"" another brother prayed — and another. " Brother Macfaddin''' was now called upon, and he addressed them with a voice which might rival a peal of thun- der, the whole congregation occasionally joining responsive to his notes. The madness now became threefold increased, and such a scene presented itself as I could never have pictured to UNITED STATES. 389 my imagination, and as I trust, for the honour of true religion and of human nature, I shall never see again. Had the inha- bitants of Bedlam been let loose, they could not have exceeded it. From forty to fifty were praying aloud and extemporane- ously at the same moment of time : some were kicking, many jumping, all clapping their hands and crying out in chorus, " Glory ! glory ! glory ! Jesus Christ is a very good friend ! Jesus Christ is a very good friend ! Oh God ! oh Jesus ! come down ! Glory ! glory ! glory ! Thank you, Jesus ! thank you, God ! Oh, glory ! glory ! glory ! ! !" Mere ex- haustion of bodily strength produced a cessation of madness lor a few minutes. A hymn was given out and sung; pray- ing then recommenced ; the scene of madness was again acted, with, if possible, increased efforts on the part of the performers. One of the brothers prayed to be kept Jrom enthusiasm ! A girl of six years of age became the next object of attention. A reverend brother proclaimed that she " had just received a visit from the Lord, and was in awful convulsions — so hard was the working of the spirit !'' This scene continued for some time ; but the audience gradually lessened, so that by ten o'clock the field of active operations was considerably con- tracted. The w'omen, however, forming a compact column at the most distant corner of the church, continued their shriek- ings with but little abatement. Feeling disposed to get a nearer sight of the beings who sent forth such terrifying yells, I endeavoured to approach them, but was stopped by several of the brethren, who would not allow of a near approach to- wards the holy sisterhood. The novelty of this exhibition liad, at first sight, rendered it a subject of amusement and in- terest ; but all such feelings soon gave way to an emotion of melancholy horror, when I considered the gloomy picture it represented of human nature, and called to mind that these maniacal fanatics were blaspheming the holy name of Christi- anity. Notwithstanding my warm love of liberty, 1 felt that, were I an absolute lawgiver, I would certainly punish and re- strain men who thus degraded their nature, who set so wicked an example of rehgious blasphemy, and so foully libelled the name and character of revelation. .8S4i VIEW OF THE * I have since understood that one of the female converts upon this occasion had been turned away from her situation the previous evening for stealing fiye dollars. ' A gentleman informed me that he was at " Ebenezer" a £ew days since, when the preacher stopped in the midst of his discourse, and directed those among his audience who were for King Jesus to stand up. Numbers of men and women imme- diately rose, shouting " I am for Jesus." " I am for Jesus." " I am for King Jesus.'' " Oh, that I could press him to my bosom !" " There he comes." " I am for King Jesus." I 000 1,657,000 Products of Vegetables. Wheat, flour, and biscuit. . 13,687,000 Indian corn and meal. - 1,939,000 Rice, - - - - - - 1,544,000 Rye, oats, pulse, potatoes, 627,000 17,797,000 Tobacco, _ - - _ - 1,514,000 Cotton, - - - _ " 3,080,000 22,391.000 All other Agricultural Products. . Indigo, - _ - - - - 5,000 Flax-seed, > _ - - - 455,000 Maple sugar, _ _ - - - 13,000 Hops, - - - - - - 7,000 Poultry, flax, mustard. - - 7,000 Sundries, - - _ 20,000 507,000 Total amount, - - 24,555,000 The value of the flour exported in the year ending 30th Septem- ber, 1817, was 17,751,376 dollars; of the cotton, 22,627,614; to- bacco, 9,230,020; rice, 2,378,880; timber and lumber of all descriptions, 3,381,349; pot and pearl ashes, 1,967,243. The value of the whole products of agriculture, in all the states, was estimated to amount to 511,000,000 dollars yearly. The value of houses, lands, and slaves, as revised and equal- ised by the principal assessors in 1814 and 1815, was stated at UNITED STATES. 395 1,902,296,961 dollars, exclusive of Louisiana. Such calcula- tions cannot be made with great precision ; but they afford a sufficient data for ascertaining the progress of the States, and estabhshing the quota of taxes which each ought to pay to- wards the support of the general government. MANUFACTURES. The restrictive commercial regulations of Europe, and the late war with England, gave a great stimulus to American manufactures, and their progress during the course of a few years was almost incredible. Many new branches were intro- duced, and these which had been already established were car- ried to a much greater extent. The principal cause of the neglect of manufactures formerly was the great profits afforded by agriculture, with the high price of labour. All the mate- rials for manufactures are found in America. Fuel is inex- haustible; the ores of the most useful metals are in great abundance, and dyes of all kinds are procured from the vege- table and mineral kingdoms. In the year 1809, the secretary of the treasury unfolded the resources of the country in rela- tion to the raw material, and proposed various means for the promotion of manufactures, protecting and prohibitory duties, drawbacks, premiums, bounties, encouragement to new inven- tions, arrangements for facilitating pecuniary remittances, &c. In 1810, the secretary of the treasury of the United States presented to congress a report on the manufactures, in which the following are mentioned as being adequate to the con- sumption of the United States : — Manufactures of wood, or those of which wood is the principal material; leather, and manufactures of leather; soap and tallow candles; spermaceti oil and candles ; flax-seed oil ; refined sugar ; coarse earthen ware; chocolate and mustard; snuff and hair-powder. The following branches are mentioned as being firmly established, supplying, in several instances, the greater, and in all, a con- siderable portion of the consumption of the United States: viz. Iron, and manufactures of iron ; manufactures of cotton, wool, and hats made of flax ; manufactures of paper, printing 39« VIEW OF THE types, printed books, playing cards ; of hemp and gunpowder, window-glass, jewellery, and clocks ; of lead, wax candles, Straw bonnets and hats, spirituous and malt liquors. The ships, and vessels of more than twenty tons, built in the United States from 1801 to 1807, measured, at an average, 110,000 tons a year, giving a value of more than six millions of dollars. Two-thirds of these vessels were registered for the foreign trade ; the other third for the coasting trade and fisheries. The annual exportation of furniture and carriages amounted to 170,000 dollars; the annual exportation of pot and pearl ash was 7400 tons. The annual value of manvifac- tured articles from leather was estimated at twenty millions of dollars. The greatest portion of soap and tallow is of domes- tic manufacture. The whole annual value of manufactures was estimated by the secretary of the treasury at eight millions ©f dollars. In 180!i, there were but four cotton mills in the United States; in 1809, the number was 87, and most of them water mills. In 1811, there were 80,000 spindles run- ning. The capital employed in this kind of manufacture amounted to 4,800,000 dollars ; in the cotton singly to 3,600,000 pounds, and valued at 7iiO,000 dollars ; the yarn spun to 2,880,000 pounds, valued at ,'5,240,000 dollars. The number of men employed was 503,000, with 500 women and children. In some places cotton yarn is offered for exportation. The art of printing cotton and calico is carried to great perfection at Philadelphia, by means of rollers moved by water, which stamp 10,000 yards a day. The wool of the United States has been greatly improved by the introduction of the Merino, or Spanish race of sheep, which is now seen all over the coun- try. The Paula and Negritti bteed, and that of the Escurial and Infantado, were procured in 1802; tlie whole number imported till 1801 amounted to 5000. The first were sold at 1000, and even 1500 dollars ; but they gradually fell, during that period of time, to 25 and 30 dollars each. The price of the wool was from three-quarters to two dollars per pound. Various manufactories of fine woollen have been estabhsheil within the last seven years. In the state of New Jersey, UNITED STATES. 397 county of Essex, there are ten woollen manufactories^ contain- ing 3600 spindles, capable of manufacturing cloth to the amount of 650,000 dollars per annum. The woollen manu- factory at Danville, on the Susquehannah, after its first esta- blishment in 1809, gave a net profit to the company of 40 per cent, on the capital. The broad cloth manufactured near Wilmington, on the Delaware, is said to be equal to the best quality imported from England. The number of fulling mills, in 1810, was 1630 ; that of wool-carding machines, going by water, 1835; the number of looms returned 830,000. In 1810, twelve millions of pounds weight of sheep"'s wool were wrought into goods. Manufactories of flax have been lately established in different states ; one near Philadelphia produces annually 72,000 yards of canvas ; another, 500,000 yards of cotton bagging, sailcloth, and coarse linen. The next important branch of manufactures are the metals. In 1810, the furnaces, forges, and bloomeries of the United States amounted to 530, of wKich the state of New York fur- nished 69- The annual value of iron and its manufactures was estimated by the secretary of the treasury (M. Gallatin) at twelve or fifteen millions of dollars. The average value of imported metal in bar iron and steel was four millions. The Franconia iron-works in New Hampshire, established in 1810, employed a capital of 100,000 dollars. The Vergennes iron- works in Vermont promise to be very important. The price of bar iron at this establishment is 140 dollars per ton ; the ore three dollars; charcoal, four dollars and a half per hun- dred bushels. Nineteen thousand muskets are annually made at the two public armories of Springfield and Harper's Ferry. There is now a considerable surplus of small arms. In 1810, the quantity of gunpowder prepared annually amounted to 1,450,000 po\mds; the number of gunpowder mills was 207. The manufactory of gunpowder at Brandywine furnishes 225,000 pounds annually ; two, others, near Baltimore, 450,000 pounds. The salt springs of Onondago, Cayuga, &c. in the state of New York, furnish 700,000 bushels of salt per annum, valued at 200,000 dollars ; those of the western S98 VIEW OF THE states and territories an equal quantity. The AVabash saline, belonging to the United States, gives 130,000 bushels, which is sold there at 75 cents per bushel. Tlie manufactories of refined sugar have kept pace with tlie increase of population ; in 181C, the annual quantity was estimated at five millions of pounds, valued at one million dollars. The manufactories of candles and spermaceti oil at the town of Nantucket, New Bedford, and Hudson, su})ply the domestic consumption, and furnish annually for exportation 2G0,000 pounds of candles, and 44,000 gallons of oil. In 1810, the annual quantity of dis- tilled ardent spirits amounted to 23,720,000 gallons. Brandy is made from peaches, whisky from rye and maize, and a spirit also from cyder. Whitemore's machine for making wool cards has excluded the importation of this article. The machine for making nails, now in opei'ation at EUicofs Mills and other parts of the United States, cuts 12,000 nails in a minute. The manufactories of cotton, wool, copper, brass, nails, and glass, belonging to Baltimore, are valued at two millions of dollars. The manufactories of New York, in 1811, were es- timated at thirty millions of dollars, twelve millions of which were produced by domestic industry. There are ten glass manufactories, which produce annually 5,800,000 feet of win- dow glass, valued at 1,200,000 dollars; ten sugar refineries, the manufactures of which are valued at 500,000 dollars ; 50 cut-nail factories, the manufactures valued at 300,000 dol- lars. In 1805, the foreign articles re-exported amounted to 15,384,883 dollars ; in 1810, to 6,313,715 dollars, while the domestic had increased to nearly 11,000,000. The state of Ohio, which, 24 years ago, was a wilderness, frequented only by savages, in the year 1810 manufactured two millions of yards of woollen, flaxen, and cotton cloth ; one million of gallons of whisky ; thirteen millions of pounds of sugar ; with other articles, forming two millions and a quarter of dollars. From the 5th of October to the 5th of May, 1811, a period of seven months, 800 boats passed the falls of tlic Ohio, laden with the productions and manufactures of this country. UNITED STATES. 399 The following Table eschibits the Value of each Species of Manufacture^ according to tlie Returns of the Marshals and Secretaries of the States and Territories. Dollars. 1. Goods manufactured by the loom from cotton, wool, flax, hemp, and silk, - . . 39,497,057 2. Spun goods of the same materials, - - 2,052,120 3. Instruments and machinery manufactured, 186,650 Carding, fulling, and floor cloths stamped by machinery, - - 5,957,816 6,144,466 4. Hats of wool, fur, &c. and of mixtures, - 4,323,744 5. Manufactures of iron, _ - - 14,364,526 6. Manufacturesof gold, silver, setwork,mixedmetals,&c. 2,483,912 7. Manufactures of lead, _ _ _ 325,560 8. Soap, tallow, candles, wax, and spermaceti, spring and whale oil, - - - - 1,766,292 9- Manufactures of hides and skins, - - 17,935,477 10. Manufactures from seeds, - - - 858,509 1 1 . Grain, fruit, and case liquors, distilled and fermented, 1 6,528,207 12. Dry manufactures from grain, exclusively of flour, meal, &c. - _ _ _ 75,765 13. Manufactures of wood, - _ _ 5,554,708 14. Manufactures of essences and oils, of and from wood, 179,150 15. Refined or manufactured sugar, - - 1,415,724 16. Manufactures of paper, pasteboard, cards, &c. 1,939,285 17. Manufactures of marble, stone, and slate, - 462,115 18. Glass manufactures, - _ _ 1,047,004 19. Earthen manufactures, - - - 259,720 20. Manufactures of tobacco, - - - 1,260,378 21. Drugs, dye stuffs, paints, and dyeing, - 500,382 22. Cables and cordage, _ - _ 4,243,168 23. Manufactures of hair, - _ - 129,731 24. Various and miscellaneous manufactures, - 4,347,601 Total, - 127,694,602 The articles which have been considered as (Jf a doubtful nature, in relation to manufactures, are work done by cotton presses, wheat-mills, grist-mills, fulling-mills, mills for pearled barley, wind-mills, clover-seed mills, horse-mills, hemp-mills. 400 VIEW OF THE mahogany saw-mills, common saw-mills, maple tree, sugar camps, cane planters' sugar-works, also molasses, rosin and pitch, pot and pearl ashes, slate quarries, brick kilns, tiles, salt-petre caves, indigo works, red ochre, yellow ochre, fishe- ries, lime-kilns, plaster of Paris mills, tobacco hogsheads. The total value of manufactures exported in 1812 was esti- mated at 1,841,000 dollars, and in 1817 at 2,847,693 dollars. COMMEKCE. Mr. Pitkin, in his invaluable work upon the Statistics of the United States, has given the most ample information on this important subject ; and to which we refer such of our readers as wish to obtain a minute and detailed account of the rise and progress of the different branches of trade. Another Ameri- can writer says, * In commerce and navigation, the progress of the United States has been rapid beyond example. Besides the natural advantages of excellent harbours, extensive inland bays, and navigable rivers, it has been greatly in favour of their commerce, that it has not been fettered by monopolies or exclusive privileges. Goods or merchandise circulate through all the states free of duty, and a full drawback, or restitution of duties of importation, is granted upon articles exported to a foreign port, in the course of the year in which they have been imported. Conmierce is considered by all those engaged in it as a most honourable employment. In the sea-port towns, the richest members of society are merchants. Youths of sixteen are sent abroad as factors, or supercargoes, to every commercial country, intrusted with tiie management of great concerns. Stimulated by the prospect of independence, they Study the manufactures and markets of foreign states; the quality, value, and profits of every commercial aricle ; while the youth of other countries, of the same age and rank, have not formed a thought of a provision for future life. Maritime and commercial business is executed with more celerity and less expence than in any other country. Vessels in the ports of the United States are laden and unladen in the course of a few days ; whilst in those of other countries, as many months UNITED STATES. 401 are required for the same purposes, owing to tedious regula- tions and less enterprise. Merchant vessels are built and pre- pared for sea in the course of four or five months, and they sail faster than those of any other country. We have seen it announced in an American newspaper, that, on the 11th of April, 1814, a ship w^as launched at Vergennes, on lake Cham- plain, of 150 feet keel, measuring 500 tons ; the timber of which was cut down in the forest the 2d of March preceding. The Peacock, of 18 guns, was built at New York in 18 days. The Wasp, at Portsmouth, in 20 days. The Superior, of 64 guns, on lake Ontario, in 30 days The schooners constructed at Baltimore, and known by the name of " pilot-boat schoon- ei's,'''' have often sailed with a cargo from an Ainerican to an English or French port in 17 or 18 days. The American seamen are extremely active and enterprising. Sloops of 60 tons, and eleven men, have sailed from Albany, (160 miles up the Hudson's river,) to the coast of China. The first of this description which arrived there was believed by the natives of the country to be the long-boat of a large merchant vessel, which they vainly looked for during several days. Nantucket sloops of 80 tons, with ten men, double cape Horn, and pur- sue the whale fishery in the South Seas. With similar vesi- sels, numerous voyages have been made from the port of New York to the cold regions of southern Georgia, for the skins and oil of seals and sea-elephants. The American whaleme^i, after visiting the south-western coast of New Holland, and California, the Malouin, or Falkland, and other isles, touch for refreshments at the Cape of Good Hope, at the Sandwich islands^ or ports of Chili. A commerce with the Fegee islands has been carried on by small vessels in trifling articles of hard- ware, which they exchanged for sandal-wood ; and with this article they proceeded to Canton, where it was sold for the purpose of incense in religious ceremonies, at the rate of 400 dollars per ton. The American pilot-boats have lately visited the ports of Santa Fe, Caraccas, and Buenos Ayres, for the commerce in dollars and raw materials. Without any pre- vious knowledge of routes, winds, tides, or harbours, the American whalemen and pilot -boat seamen have visited every 3 E 402 VlteW OF THE Coast, and, to the astonishment of Europe, have made shorter voyages than old and experienced navigators. Falkland's island, which seemed too remote and romantic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting place in the progress of their victorious industry. " No sea but M'hat is vexed with their fisheries, no climate that is not wit- ness to their toils." Since the commencement of the war in 1812, the American public and private armed vessels have visited every sea, from Kumschatka to the Irish channel, and have captured British merchant ships at the very mouths of British harbours. The great injury done to the commerce of England during that war, notwithstanding her powerful navy, bears strong testimony to the activity and enterprise of Ame- rican seamen. More than ITOO of her vessels were captured during the course of the war; and it has been stated, that only one out of three American vessels employed in conmierce were taken by the English during the same period. The state of European warfare, from the year 18()2 to 181 ii, gave to America alm.ost all the carrying trade, or freight of the commercial world, valued at ten per cent, upon the capital. The United States also gained five per cent, by exchange, so that the annual profits of commerce and foreign navigation have been estimated at fifteen per cent, upon the capital.' Summary of the Value of Exports from each State in 1817. STATKS. Doinc'3tic. Foreign. Total. New Hampshire, 170,599 20,825 197,424 Vermont, 91'3,2()1 913,201 Massachusetts, 5,908,416 6, 009,581 11,927,997 Rhode Island, 577,911 372,556 950,467 Connecticut, 574,290 29,849 6o4,139 New York, 13,660,733 5,046,700 1S,707,433 New Jersey, 5,849 5,849 Pennsylvania, 5,538,003 3,197,589 8,735,592 Delaware, 38,771 6,(83 44,854 Maryland, 5,887,884 3,0^6,046 8,933,930 District of Columbia, 1 ,689.1 02 79,556 1 ,768,658 UNITED STATES, 4013 STATES. Domestic. Foreign. Total. Virginia, 5,561,258 60,204 5,621,442 North Carolina, 955,211 1,369 956,580 South Carolina, 9,944,343 428,270 10,372,613 Georgia, 8,530,831 259,883 8,790,714 Ohio, 7,749 7,749 Louisiana, 8,241,254 783,558 9,024,812 Michigan territory, 64,228 64,228 Mississippi do. 43,887 43,887 These exports in 1817 were : — Domestic. Foreign. To the northern countries of Europe, 3,828,563 2,790,408 Dominions of the Netherlands, 3,397,775 2,387,543 do. of Great Britain, 41,431,168 2,037,074 do. of France, 9,717,423 2,717,395 do. of Spain, 4,530,156 3,893,780 do. of Portugal, 1,501,237 333,586 To all other countries, 3,907,178 5,198,283 68,313,500 19,358,069 In the year 1808, the tonnage of the United States was 1,227,000, and the number of seamen 50,000. In 1816, the tonnage amounted to 1,372,218. In the same year, the ton- nage of vessels built in the states amounted to 131,667. In 1815, there was employed in the foreign trade 700,035 tons of American vessels, and 212,501 of foreign vessels, of which 142,710 tons belonged to Britain. The proceeds of the customs in 1811 was 36,303,231 dol- lars ; but in 1816 it fell to 27,569,769 dollars. The nett re- venue of 3260 post-offices in 1816 amounted to 155,579 dollars. The extent of the post roads was 48,976 miles. 101 VIEW OF THE Duties payable by Laic on all Goods, Wares, and Merclian- dise, impoi'ted into the United States of' America, commenc- ing on the SOth June, 1816. Alum, I dollar per cwt. Ale, beer, and porter, in bottles, 15 cents per gallon. Ale, beer, and porter, imported otherwise than in bottles, 10 do Almonds, 3 cents per lb. Anchors, 1 dollar 50 cents per cwt. Animals imported for breed, free. Antimony, regulus of, do. Apparatus, philosophical, instruments, books, maps, charts, statues, busts, casts, paintings, drawings, engravings, speci- mens of sculpture, cabinets of coins, gems, medals, and all other collections of antiquities, statuary, modelling, painting, drawing, etching, or engraving, specially imported by order, and for the use of any society, incorporated for philosophi- cal or literary purposes, free. Arms, fire and side, and muskets, 20 per cent, ad val. Articles imported for the use of the United States, free. Brass wire, and articles of which brass is the material of chief value, 20 per cent, ad val. Brass, old, free. Bristles, 3 cents per lb. Blank books, 30 per cent, ad val. Bonnets and caps for women, 30 do. Boots, 1 dollar 50 cents per pair. Bottles, black glass quart, 1 dollar 44 cents per gross. Bristol stones, or paste work, and all articles composed wholly or chiefly of gold, silver, pearl, and precious stones, Ih per cent, ad val. Buckles of all kinds, 20 do. Buttons, and button moles, 20 do. Brushes, 30 do. Burrstones, unwrought, free. Bullion, and gold and silver coin, free. (.'abinet wares, and all manufactures of wood, 30 per cent, ad val. Cables and cordage, tarred, 3 cents -per lb. UNITED STATES. 405 Candles of tallow, 3 do. of wax and spermaceti, 6 do. Cannon, 20 per cent, ad val. Carriages of all descriptions, and parts thereof, 30 do. Cards, playing, 30 cents per pack. Canes, walking sticks, and whips, 30 per cent, ad val Capers, 30 do. Cassia, Chinese, 6 cents per lb. Cheese, 9 do. China ware, 20 per cent, ad val. Chocolate, 3 cents per lb. Cinnamon and cloves, 25 do. Clay, unwrought, free. Coal, 5 cents per heaped bushel. Cocoa, 2 do. per lb. Coffee, 5 do. i^' Cordage, untarred, yarns, twines, packthread, and seines, 4 do. Comfits, or sweetmeats, preserved in sugar or brandy, 30 per cent, ad val. Copper and brass in plates, pigs, and bars, suited to the sheathing of ships, free. Copper, articles manufactured of, or of which copper is the material of chief value, 20 per cent, ad val. Copper rods, bolts, spikes, or nails, and composition rods. bolts, spikes, or nails, 4 cents per lb. Copper, in any shape, for the use of the mint, free. Copper, old, fit only to be re manufactured, free. Copperas, 100 cents per cwt. Cork tree, bark of, manufactured, free. Cotton, 3 cents per lb. Cotton manufactures of all descriptions, or of which cotton is the material of chief value; and on cotton twist, yarn, or thread, as follows: for 3 years next. ensuing the 30th June, 1816, a duty of 25 per cent, ad val. Cotton, after the expiration of tiie 3 years aforesaid, a duty of 20 do. ' . Cosmetics, 30 do. Clothing ready made, 30 do. 406 VIEW OF THE Currants, 3 cents per lb. Cutlery, 20 per cent, ad val. Drugs for dyeing, and materials for composing dyes, not sub- ject to other rates of duty, 7^ do. Duck, Russia, not exceeding 52 archeens each piece, 2 dollars per piece. Duck, Ravens, do. 1 dollar 25 cents do. Duck, Holland, do. 2 dollars 50 cents do. Earthenware, 20 per cent, ad val. Embroidery, 7^ do. Epaulettes, 7| do. Fans, 30 do. Feathers, and other ornaments for head dresses, 30 do. Figs, 3 cents per lb. Fish, foreign caught, 100 cents per quintal. Fish, mackerel, 1 dollar 50 cents per barrel. Fish, salmon, 200 cents do. all other pickled, 100 do. Flowers, artificial, 30 per cent, ad val. Floorcloths, painted, 30 do. Furs, of every kind, undressed, free. Glass, window, not above 8 by 10 inches, 2 dollars 50 cents per 100 square feet. Glass, not above 10 by 12, 2 dollars 70 cents do. Glass, above 10 by 12, 3 dollars 25 cents do. Gold leaf, 15 per cent, ad val. Goods, wares, and merchandise, not free, and not subject to any other rate of duty, 15 do. Glue, 5 cents per lb. Gunpowder, 8 do. Gum Arabic, and gum Senegal, 7^ per cent, ad val. Hairpowder, 8 cents per lb. Hats or caps of wool, fur, leather, chip, straw, or silk, SO per cent, ad val. Hemp, 15 per cent, ad val. Hides and skins, raw, free. Indigo, 15 cents per lb. Iron or steel ware, not exceeding No. 18, 5 do. UNITED STATES. 407 Iron or steel ware, over No. 18, 9 do. Iron sheets, rods, and hoops, 2 dollars 5(3 cents per cvvt. Iron bars and bolts, excepting iron manufactured by rolling, 45 cents do. Iron bars and bolts when manufactured by rolling, and on anchors, 1 dollar 50 cents do. Iron, cast, and all manufactures of which iron is the material of chief value, 20 per cent, ad val. Jewellery, 7| do. Laces, 7^ do. of gold and silver, Ih do. Lace veils, lace shawls, or shades of thread or silk, 7h do. Lapis calarainaris, free. Leather, and all manufactures of leather, or of which leather is the material of chief value, 30 per cent, ad val. Lead in pigs, bars, or sheets, 1 cent per lb. Lead, manufactures of, or of which lead is the chief article, 20 per cent, ad val. Lead, red and white, dry, or ground in oil, 3 cents per lb. Mace, loo cents per lb. Mats of gi-ass or flags, 30 per cent, ad val. Millinery of ail sorts, 30 do. Molasses, 5 cents per gallon. Mustard, 30 per cent, ad val. Nails, 3 cents per lb. Needles, 2r' per cent, ad val. Nutmegs, 60 cents per lb. Ochre, dry, 1 cent per lb. in oil, 1 ^ cent. Oil, olive, in cask, 25 cents per gallon. Oil, spermaceti, foreign fishing, 25 do. Oil, whale and other fish, do. 15 do. Olives, and sallad oil, 3o per cent, ad val. Paper of every description, '30 do. Paper hangings, 3; • do. Parchment and pasteboards, 30 do. Pewter manufactures, 2 do. old, free. 408 VIEW OF THE Pepper, 8 cents per lb. Perfumes, washes, balsams, 30 per cent, ad val Pimento, 6 cents per lb. Pickles, 30 per cent, ad val. Pins, 20 do. Plums and prunes, 3 cents per lb. Plaster of Paris, free. Porcelain and glass manufactures, other than window glass, and black quart bottles, 20 per cent, ad val. Precibus stones and pearls of all kinds, set or not set, 7 j do. Prussian blue, 20 do. Raisins, Muscatel, and raisins in jars and boxes, 3 cents per lb Raisins, other kinds of, 2 do. Rags of anv kind of cloth, free. Saddles, bridles, and harness, 30 per cent, ad val. Salt, 20 cents per bushel of o^ lb. Saltpetre, 1\ per cent, ad val. Sail or hempen cloth, except Russian and German linen, and duck, 20 do. Segars, 2 dollars 50 cents per lOOO. Shoes and slippers of silk, 30 cents per pair. Shoes and slippers of leather, 25 do. Shoes and slippers for children, 15 do. Shot manufactured of lead, 2 cents per lb. Specimens in natural history, botany, mineralogy, anaton)ical preparations, models of machinery, and other inventions, plants, and trees, free. Silver ware, 1\ per cent, ad val. lace, 11 do. Snuff, 12 cents per lb. Spirits from grain, first proof, 42 cents per gallon. Spirits from grain, second proof, 45 do. Spirits from grain, third prool", 48 do. Spirits from grain, fourth proof, 52 do. Spirits from grain, fifth proof, GO do. Spirits from grain, above fifth proof, 75 do. From other materials, first and second proof, 38 do. From other materials, third proof, 42 do. UNITED STATES. 409 From other materials, fourth proof, 48 do. From other materials, fifth proof, 57 do. From other materials, above fifth proof, 70 do. Spikes, 2 Cents per lb. Steel, 1 dollar per cwt. manufactures, or of which steel is the article of chief value, 20 per cent, ad val. Stockings of wool or cotton, 20 do. Stoneware, 20 do. Soap, 3 cents per lb. Sugar, brown, 3 do. white, clayed, or powdered, 4 do. lump, lO do. loaf, and sugar-candy, 12 do. Sulphur, or brimstone, free. Tallow, 1 cent per lb. Teas from China in ships or vessels of the United States, Tea, Bohea, 12 cents per lb. Tea, Souchong, and other black, 25 do. Tea, imperial, gunpowder, and gomee, 50 do. Tea, hyson, and young hyson, 40 do. Tea, hyson, skin, and other green, 28 do. Teas from any other place, or in any other than ships or ves- sels of the United States, Tea, Bohea, 14 do. Tea, Souchong, and other black, 34 do. Tea, imperial, gunpowder, and gomee, 68 do. Tea, hyson, and young hyson, 56 do. Tea, hyson, skin, and other green, 38 do. Tin manufactures, or of which tin is the material of chief value, 20 per cent, ad val. Tin in pigs or bars, free. Tobacco manufactured other than snuff and segars, 10 cents per lb. Types for printing, 20 per cent, ad val. Umbrellas and parasols, or sticks and frames for either, 30 per cent, ad val. Vellum, 30 do, 18 3 F 410 VIEW OF THE Wafers, 30 do. Wares, gilt, plated, and japanned, 20 per cent, ad val. Watches, gold, silver, and other, and pai'ts of watches, Tj do. Wearing apparel, and otiier personal baggage in actual use, and the implements or tools of trade of persons arriving in the United States, free. Wines, Madeira, Burgundy, Champaigne, Rhenish, and To- kay, loo cents per gallon. Wines, Sherry and St. Lucar, 60 do. Wines, on other wine not enumerated, when imported in bottle* or cases, 70 do. Wines, Lisbon, Oporto, and other Avines of Portugal and Sicily, 50 do. Wines, Teneriffe, Fayal, and other wines of the Western islands, 40 do. Wine, all other, when imported otherwise than in cases and bottles, 25 do. Whiting and Paris white, 1 cent per lb. Wood, unmanufactured, of any kind, free. Wood, Nicaragua, Barilla, Brazil-wood, Brazilletto, red-wood, cam-wood, fustic, log-wood, and other dye-woods, free. Woollen manufactures of all descriptions, or of which wool is the material of chief value, excepting blankets, woollen rags, and worsted or stuff goods, after the 30th June, 1816, un- til the 30th June, 1819, pay a duty of 25 per cent, ad val. Wood, on the same after June, 1819, 20 do. Zinc, teutanague, or spelter, free. A commercial treaty, formed between England and the United States, was signed the 3d of July, 1815, to remain in force during four years, according to which each country is to enjoy reciprocal freedom of commerce. No higher duties to be imposed than those which extend to all other nations, in relation to articles imported and exported, and the vessels which carry them to be subject to the same duties, and en- titled to the same bounties. Drawbacks to a foreign nation to be regulated by the parties respectively. The trade with the East Indies* to be free for American vessels, which are to UNITED STATES. 411 be treated as vessels of the most favoured nation, entitled to go from one port to another with the original cargo, or part thereof, and to touch for refreshments at the Cape of Good Hope, the island of St. Helena, or other places in the African or Indian seas. The American trade to be excluded from the West Indies ; and the privilege of fishing, and of drying the fish within the British jurisdiction, granted by the treaty of peace of 1783, to cease entirely. With regard to consuls, the laws and statutes of each country to be strictly observed. The consul to be approved or admitted by the government to which he is sent, but subject to its laws, and punishable for illegal or improper conduct ; or to be sent back, the offended government assigning to the other the reasons for this proceed- ing; each country reserving, at pleasure, particular places free from consular residence. The contracting parties to put an end to hostilities with the Indians, and to restore them all the possessions, rights, and privileges, which they enjoyed in 1811, provided they observe a peaceable conduct. An act concernino; the navig-ation of the United States, sanctioned by congress the 1st of March, 1817, and to operate from the 1st of October following, is as follows : No goods, wares, or merchandise, are to be imported into the United States from any foreign port or place, except in vessels of the United States, or in foreign vessels truly and wholly belonging to the citizens or subjects of that country of which the goods are the growth, production, or manufacture, or from which such goods, wares, or merchandise, can only be, or most usually are, first shipped for transportation. But this regula- tion is not to extend to the vessels of any foreign nation which has not adopted a similar regulation. The infringement of this act to involve the forfeiture of the vessel and cargo. 2. The bounty and allowance granted to the owners of boats and vessels engaged in the fisheries to be paid to those only of which the officers, and at least three-fourths of the crew, are citizens of the United States, or persons not the subjects of •any foreign prince or state. The proof to be exhibited to the collector of the district to which the boat or vessel belongs 3. No goods, wares, or merchandise, to be imported in foreign 412 VIEW OF THE vessels from one port of the United States to another. 4. A duty of 50 cents per ton to be paid upon every ship or vessel of the United States which shall be entered in the district of one state from that of another. The exceptions are : 1. An adjoining state on the sea-coast, or a navigable river or lake. 2. Coasting vessels going from Long island, in the state of New York, to the state of Rhode island, or the contrary, with a cargo taken in one state to be delivered in another. 3. Ves- sels having a license to trade between the different districts, or to carry on the bank or whale fisheries more than once a year. 4. If it be proved, to the satisfaction of the collector, that three-fourths of the crew arc American citizens, or persons not the subjects of any foreign prince or state, the duty to be only six cents per ton. 5. Every ship or vessel entered in the United States from any foreign port or place, of which the officers, and at least two-thirds of the crew, are not proven to be American citizens, or persons not the subjects of any fo- reign prince or state, to pay 50 cents per ton. In a circular letter, issued from the treasury department, for the purpose of explaining and enforcing this measure, ' the term country is considered as embracing all the possessions of a foreign state, of which the productions and manufactures may be imported into the United States in vessels owned by the citizens or sub- jects of such state, without regard to their place of residence within its possessions.' Gold and silver coin and bullion are not considered as goods, wares, and merchandise ; and may be imported in foreign vessels, without regard to tlie place of production or coinage. The chambers of commerce of the ports of the United States receive and pass gold and silver coin at the rates established by the banks. Bills of exchange drawn upon any part of Eu- rope, and returned protested for non-payment, are paid on demand, with 9.0 per cent, of damages, at the current exchange then given for bills on the place drawn upon. Bills of ex- change drawn upon any of the West India islands, Newfound- land, or the foreign possessions in America, and returned protested for non-payment, are subject to ten per cent, da- mages on demand, with the amount of the bill. When no UNITED STATES. 413 special agreement exists, the following commissions are charged : Inland Commissions. — On sales, exclusive of storage, two and a half per cent. ; on returns from a state to any part of the United States, two and a half per cent. Foreign Commis- sions. — On sales, exclusive of storage, five per cent. ; on re- turns, if in produce, five ; on returns, if in cash or bills, two and a half; on making insurance, one half; on recovering losses, two and a half; on outfit of vessel, five ; on soliciting and procuring freight, five ; on collecting freight, two and a half. In 1817, the value of flour and wheat exported was 17,968,000 dollars; the produce of the forests, 6,484,()U0 dollars ; the cotton of domestic growth, 22,628,000 dollars ; the tobacco, 9,511,000 dollars; and the produce of the sea, 1,671,000 dollars. CANALS AND TURNPIKE ROADS. The United States possess the advantages of inland naviga- tion in a remarkable degree. Many of the large rivers are navigable almost to their sources, and some of them, which have their efflux at points remote from one another, are only separated by short portages at particular parts of their course. Several of the rivers have a sufficient depth of water generally for boats, but have their channels obstructed by rocks and falls at certain places. By running canals over the spaces where these portages and obstructions occur, the most distant sections of the Union may be united by a system of water communications; and where this is impracticable, the trans- portation of commodities may still be much facilitated by forming good roads. This subject occupied much attention in the early part of Mr. Jefferson's administration ; and Mr. Gallatin, at the request of the senate, drew up a report on this subject, which was presented to that body in 1808. The outlines of the plan of internal communication suggested in the report are as follows : 1. Canals from north to south, in a direction parallel to the sea-coast, which would open a communication for sea- vessels 414 VIEW OF THE from Massachusetts to North Carolina, extending along all the principal capes, except cape Fear, a distance of more than two-tliirds of the Atlantic coast. The expence is estimated at three millions of dollars. 2. A great turnpike road from Maine to Georgia, extending along the Atlantic coast, a distance of IGOO miles. The ex- pences are calculated at 8000 dollars per mile, making, with the former charge, 7,800,000 dollars. 3. A communication from east to west across the mountains, between the Atlantic and western rivers ; and, for this pur- pose, to improve the navigation of the great Atlantic rivers, by constructing parallel canals and locks when necessary. The expence is estimated at 1,500,000 dollars. It is also proposed to form four turnpike roads froiii the four great western rivers, the Alleghany, Monongahela, Kenhawa, and Tennessee, to the nearest corresponding Atlantic rivers, to the Susquehannah, or Juniata, the Patomak, James river, and either the Santee or Savannah. The distance of each route is about 100 miles, which, at the estimated expence of 7000 dol- lars per mile, (the road being through a mountainous country,) amounts to 2,800,000 dollars. The construction of a canal along the falls of the Ohio is also recommended, and a com- pany has lately been incorporated for carrying it through. The construction of roads to Detroit, St. Louis, and New Or- leans, is also recommended, of which the cost is estimated at 200,000 dollars ; the whole expence of all this extent of com- munication amounting to 4,800,000 dollars. 4. Inland navigation, in a northern and north-western direc- tion, between the Atlantic sea-coast aiid the great lakes, and the St. Lawrence, of which the expence is estimated at 12,600,000 dollars. The chain of mountains known by the name of Alleghany, or Apalaches, of which the mean breadth is somewhat more than 100 miles, and their elevation about 3000 feet above the level of the sea, render a direct communi- cation impracticable; but, on the north, it can easily be formed by the circuitous route of the Mohawk valley and lake Onta- rio; and, on the south, by the way of Georgia and the rivers which open on the gulf of Mexico. The expence of the in- UNITED STATES. 415 land navigation between the North river and lake Champlain is estimated at 800,000 dollars ; canals from the North river to lake Ontario at 2,200,000 dollars; canals along the falls and rapids of Niagara, opening a sloop navigation from lake Ontario to the upper lakes as far as the extremities of lake Michigan, a million of dollars; in all, four millions of dollars. The whole amount for general improvements is estimated at 16,000,000 dollars; aixl for those of a local nature, at 3,400,000; making an aggregate of twenty millions of dol- lars. It has been suggested, that, in time of peace, this great plan could easily be executed by the annual appropriation of two millions of dollars of the existing revenues for the space of ten years. Of' Turnpike Roads. — Since the year 1800, a great number of turnpike roads have been formed, particularly in the north- ern, eastern, and the middle states. The capital of all the turnpikes and canals in the United States, in 18<)9, was 11,500,000 dollars ; that of toll bridges, 5,600,000 dollars. In 1813 the post-master-general of the United States was au- thorised, by an act of congress, to contract for the regular transportation of the mail in steam-boats, provided that the expence do not exceed what is paid for it by stages on the ad- jacent post-roads, taking into consideration distance, expedi- tion, and frequency. In 1801, there were 957 post-offices; in 1809, 2000. At the former period, the length of post-roads was 21,840, at the latter, 34,000 miles. In 1801, the amount of the yearly transportation of mails in the United States was 3,057,964 miles; in 1809, 4,962,516. The post-roads, with- in this interval, have increased nearly 45 per cent., and the establishment of mail coaches nearly 70 per cent. POST-OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT. The general post-office is established at Washington, the seat of the federal government, and is under the direction of a post-master-general, who is authorised to establish branches in such places as he may deem expedient. Iii his report it is observed, that the expences of the office, in 1808 and 1809, 416 VIEW OF THE during the suspension of foreign commerce, had exceeded the amount of postage due to the United States, by nearly 7000 dollars, which was defrayed out of the proceeds of previous years. The two great postage roads are, 1. That which extends from Robinstown, on the north-eastern extremity of the coast of the United States, to St. Mary's, on the south-eastern ex- tremity; and, 2. The road which extends from Washington to New Orleans. The length of the first is 1733, that of the second, 1233 miles. The mail travels on the great roads at the rate of from 60 to 120 miles a day ; on the cross roads its progress is about 40 miles in the same time. The followincf regulations concerning this establishment were adopted by an act of the American congress, on the 9th of April, 1816. Bates of Postage. — Letter of one sheet. MUes. 30 Cent& 6 80 10 150 12§ 400 18^ 25 Any greater distance. Double letter, the double of those rates. Triple letter, the triple. Miles. The yearly transportation of the mail in stages amounts to 2,411,760 Ditto on sulkies and on horseback, 3,180,892 Total, 5,592,652 Averaging one office to fifteen miles and a half of post-road. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The president and vice-president of the United States are elected for the term of four years, commencing on the 4th day of March, and necessarily remain at Washington during the session of congress ; but, during the recess, they retire to their usual places of residence. The president, when at the seat of government, lives in the house destined for him, which is fur- UNITED STATES. 417 nished at the expence of the nation. The vice-president, who is president of the senate, has no similar mark of distinction, but lodges at an inn, or private house, like other members of congress. The yearly salary of the former is 25,000 dollars ; that of the latter 5000 only ; but he is not subject to any ex- traordinary expence, while the president, according to esta- blished custom, spends more than his salary in the expences of his table. In case of the death, resignation, or removal of the president from office, his powers devolve upon the vice-president. The president is commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and also of the militia, when called into actual service. lie is authorised to require, when he thinks proper, the written opinion of any of the chief officers of the executive de- partments, upon any subject which has relation to the duties of their respective offices. Except in cases of impeachment, he is authorised to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States. He is empowered, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to make treaties, to appoint ambassadors, ministers, and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all military and other officers, whose appointments are not otherwise provided for by law. His appointment or decision must be approved by two-thirds of the senators present in congress. He has also power to fill up vacancies during the recess of the senate, which, during the next session, are submitted to their decision. On extraordinary occasions, he may convene or adjourn either or both bouses of conoress. He is authorised by usage, though not by the constitution, to suspend, annul, or revoke the powers of a minister, consul, or other officer, without the advice of the senate, and even without giving any reason for such suspension or removal. The president himself, or any other officer of the United States, may be removed from office for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours, for which they must previously be impeached and convicted. 3 G 418 VIEW OF THE All commissions are signed by the president and secretary of state. The national council is composed of these two officers, and the heads of the treasury, war, navy, and post-office esta- blishment. The CoJ2gress of the United States, in whom all legislative powers are vested, consists of a senate and house of represen- tatives. The members of the Jiouse of representatives are chosen by the people every second year. They must have attained the age of 25, and been citizens of the United States during the same space of time, and inhabitants of the state in which they are elected. The number of representatives for the year 1815 is 187, or nearly one representative for every 40,000 persons, according to the last census. When the number shall amount to 200, it is so regulated, that there shall not be more than one for every 50,000 persons. Vacancies are filled by writs of election, issued by the exe- cutive authority. The house of representatives choose their speaker and other officers, and have the sole power of impeachment. The senate is composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature of that state for the term of six years ; and the seats are so vacated, that one-third are chosen every second year. A senator must be 30 years of age, nine years a citizen of the United States, and an inhabitant of the state in which he is elected. The present number of senators is 38. The president of the senate has no vote, unless the votes be equally divided. The senate has the sole power of trying all impeachments. In case of the trial of the chief magistrate, the chief justice is to preside. Senators and members of the house of representatives re- ceive a compensation of eight dollars per day during the ses- sion, besides travelling expences, fixed at the rate of a day's pay for every 20 miles. UNITED STATES. 419 Pay of the Officers of the General Government. — In pursu- ance of a resolution of congress, of the 27th of April, 1816, the secretary of state is required to compile and print, once in every two years, a register of all officers and agents, civil, mi- litary, and naval, in the service of the United States, exhibit- ing the amount of compensation, pay, and emoluments allowed to each, the state or country in which he was born, and the place of employment. The secretary of the navy is to furnish the name, force, and condition of all the ships and vessels be- longing to the United States, and the place and date of their construction. This register is to be made up to the last day of September of each year, before the opening of the new con- gress. Five hundred copies are to be printed, and to be dis- tributed among the members of congi-ess and heads of the departments of the general government. This work is entitled, A Register of Officers and Agents. Civil, Military, and Naval, in the service of the United States, on the 30th of September, (1816 ;) together with the names, force, and condition of all .the Ships and Vessels belonging to the United States, and when and where built. Dollars per an. Dollars per an. President of the United Additional Accountant, 2,000 States, - - 25,000 Superintendent-general of Vice president, - 5,000 military supplies, 3,000 Secretary of state, 5,000 Secretary of navy, 4,500 Secretary of the treasury, 5,000 Three navy commission- CoraptroUer, - 3,500 ers, each, - 3,500 Auditoi-, - - 3,000 Accoimtant of navy, 2,300 Register, - 3,000 Postmaster-general, 3,000 Treasurer, - 3,000 Secretaiy of senate, 3,000 Commissioner of revenue, 3,000 Clerk of house of repres. 3,000 Commissionerofland office, 3,000 Commissioner of claims, 2,000 Secretary of war departm. 4,500 Superintendent of Indian Paymaster-general, 2,500 trade, » - 2,000 Accountant, - 2,000 Dollars per an. The governors of the four territories, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan, each, - - . 2,000 The secretaries, each . - ► . 1,000 420 VIEW OF THE Dollars per an. Chief justice, - - - _ _ 4,000 Six associate justices, - - - - 3,500 Attorney-general, . - - - 3,000 Clerk, .-,.._ fees, &c. Seven ambassadors to the following states : — England, France, Russia, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden, each 9000 dollars, with an allowance of 9000 for outfit. Six secretaries of legation, each 2000 dollars. Dollars per an. Consul at London, - > _ - 2,000 Consul in France, ----- 2,000 Consul-general in Denmark, _ _ - 2,000 Consul-general in Barbary, - - - 4,000 Three consuls ditto, each _ - - - 2,000 Director of the mint, - - _ - 2,000 Commissioners of loans, five in number, whose pay is from 500 to upwards of 2000 dollars. Each has two or three clerks. Their pay varies from 500 to 1000 dollars. Collectors of customs, 98 in number, with salaries proportionate to the trade of the place, from 150 to upwards of 7000 dollars. TERRITOKIAL GOVERNMENTS. By the constitution and certain laws of the t"ongress of the United States, a territory cannot be admitted into the Ameri- can union until its population amounts to 60,000 free inhabit- ants. In the mean time, it is subject to a provisional form of government prescribed by law, which, though not emanating entirely from the choice of the inhabitants, still does not de- prive them of the personal rights and privileges of freemen. The administration of the government of the territory is en- trusted to a governor, appointed by the president and congress, and invested with extensive powers, similar to thcjse of a Eu- ropean viceroy, for the protection of the interests of the United States, and particularly the observance of strict faith towards the Indians, in the exchange of commodities and the purchase of their lands. The act or ordinance of congress, of the 13th July, 1787, for the government of the territory north-west of the river Ohio, has served as a model for the organization of UNITED STATES. 421 The temporary governments of new territories established since that epoch. Governor. — By this act, the congress reserved to itself the power of appointing a governor for the term of three years, unless revoked before the expiration of that time, who is to reside in the district, and have therein a freehold estate of 1000 acres of land. Secretary. — The secretary, also appointed by congress for the term of four years, with a commission liable to be revoked, was likewise obhged to reside in the district, and to have a freehold estate therein of 500 acres of land. His duty is to keep and preserve the public records, the acts and laws of the legislature, and the proceedings of the governor in his execu- tive department, and to transmit authentic copies of all these documents, every six months, to the secretary of congress. The judicial autlwrity is vested in a court consisting of three judges, whose commissions continue in force during good behaviour. Any two of them form a court with a com- mon law jurisdiction. It is required that each judge shall reside in the district, and be proprietor of a freehold estate of 500 acres of land, while in the exercise of his office. The go- vernor and judges are authorised to adopt and put in force in the district, such laws of the original states, criminal and civil, as they may think suited to its circumstances, which are to continue luitil the organization of the general assembly, unless disapproved of by congress. The governor, who is command- er-in-chief of the militia, is empowered to appoint and grant commissions to all officers therein, except general officers, who are appointed and commissioned by congress. The governor is authorised to appoint such magistrates and other civil offi- cers, in each county or township, as he might judge necessary, until the organization of the general assembly, by which their powers and duties are to be regulated and defined. He is also authorised to make proper divisions of the district into counties and townships, for the execution of civil and criminal process. The free white male inhabitants of full age, as soon as their number amounts to 5000, are authorised to elect re- presentatives in their counties or townships, to represent them 422 VIEW OF THE in the general assembly of the territory, in the proportion of "■ one representative for every 500 inhabitants, until tlieir num- ber exceed 26 ; after which, their number and proportion are regulated by the legislature. To be eligible to this office, the person must have been a citizen of one of the United States, and a resident in the district, and if he has resided three years therein, the quality of citizen is dispensed with; but in either case, he must be proprietor, in fee simple, of 200 acres of land within the territory. To be an elector, the following qualifi- cations are required : he must be a freeholder in the district, of 50 acres of land, a resident thereof, and a citizen of one of the states, or, what is considered as equivalent, resident for two years therein. The representatives are elected for the terra of two years; and in case of death, or removal from office, their place is supplied for the residue of the term by a writ from the governor to this effect. The general assembly, or legislature, consists of a governor, legislative council, and a house of representatives. The legislative council to consist of five members, elected for five years, unless sooner removed by congress, three of whom form a quorum. The members of the council are nominated in the following manner : The re- presentatives, after their election, assemble at a certain place indicated by the governor, and nominate ten persons, residents in the district, each possessed of a freehold of 500 acres of land, whose names are returned to congress, by whom five are appointed to serve as members for the council for the term of five years ; and vacancies, in consequence of death or removal from office, are supplied by two persons nominated by the house of representatives, one of whom is appointed and com- missioned by congress for the rest of the term. All bills, after having passed by a majority in the house, and also in the council, are referred to the governor for his assent, without which they remain without effect. This general assembly is convened, prorogued, and dissolved by the governor, who is obliged to take an oath or declaration of fidelity before the president of congress, and himself to recpiire the same of all officers appointed in the district. The legislature and council are authorised to elect, by joint ballot, a delegate to congress, UNITED STATES. 423 with the right of debating, but not of voting therein, during this temporary government. JUDICIARY. The judiciary system of the United States is as follows: The supreme court of the United States consists of a chief judge, and six associate judges. This court holds a session annually, at the city of Washington. The states of the Union form districts, (with the exception of Massachusetts and Ten- nessee, each of which is divided into two,) 20 in number, and in every one of these districts there is a court named the Dis- trict Court, except the state of New York, which has two, and East and West Tennessee, which have but one. These courts are held four times a year, at the two principal towns of the district alternately, except in the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland, wliere they are always held at the chief town of each. The United States are also divided into seven dis- tricts, and in each division there is a circuit court, which is held twice a year, under the direction of a judge of the su- preme court, or the associate judge residing within the district, and the judge of that district where the court is holden. The clerk of each district court is also clerk of the circuit court within the district. The courts are created and organized by the legislature. The federal judges are appointed by the ex- ecutive, with the approbation of the senate, and are not to be removed from office during good behaviour. The judges, after their appointment, allot themselves as they think proper, at the session succeeding their appointment; otherwise, they are allotted by the president of the United States until another allotment is made. The district and territorial judges are obliged, by act of congress, to reside within their districts, and not to exercise the profession or employment of attorney or lawyer. The infraction of this act constitutes a high misde- meana ir. There is an attorney -general of the United States, who is the public prosecutor before the supreme court. In each disirit I there is also an attorney and marshal, appointed by, and remuvable at the pleasure of the president. The su- 424. VIEW OF THE pernumerary marshals and district attorneys have be«n dis- continued. The district attorney is the pubUc prosecutor before the circuit and district courts. The marshal attends these courts, in relation to which he has the powers of a she- riff. The clerks of the courts are appointed by the respective courts. Men in the profession of the law are very numerous in the States, and are, in general, well supported. This arises from the prevalence of a litigious spirit, which extends from the towns to the country, and has even reached new establishments in the bosom of the woods. This unfortunate disposition is thus described by an accurate and faithful observer, the late judge Cooper, in his ' History of the First Settlements in the Western Counties of New York :'' — ' The Scotch succeed in the woods, or elsewhere, being frugal, cautious in their bar- gams, living within their means, and punctual in their en- gagements. If a Scotsman kills a calf, he will take the best part of it to market, and husband up the price of it; if he consumes any part at home, it will be the coarsest and the cheapest. The American will eat the best part himself, and if he sells any, will lay out the money upon some article of show. The odds are, that when the Scotsman buys a cow, he pays ready money, and has her for a low price. The Ameri- can pays with his note, gives more, and is often sued for the payment. When this happens, his cause comes to be tried before the squire, and six jurors empannelled. Here much pettifogging skill is displayed. If the defendant has address enough to procure a note, bond, or other matter to be offered in set-off, he perhaps involves his adversary in costs to the amount of three or four dollars, and gains celebrity for his dexterity and finesse. This cunning talent, which they call outwitting, gives him such reputation and lead, that he stimds fair to be chosen a petty town-officer. It is to be regretted that so mischievous a spirit of litigation should be encouraged by some of the justices, who, ibr the sake of a paltry fee, for- get the great duty of their office, that of preserving peace ; and that it .should have increased, as it has done of late years, to a shameful extent. I have known more than 100 precepts UNITED STATES. 425 issued in one day by some of these squires. A magistrate who becomes so ready an instrument of contention, may be considered as a Uving calamity. Some, however, I have known of a quite diffe»ient stamp, who have carried the spirit of peace-making and benevolence so far, as to leave their own business, and travel miles for the sake of reconciling parties, and putting an end tc quarrels, and who sought for no other reward than the satisfaction of doing good."" PUBLIC REVENUE ASD NATIONAL DEBT. In time of peace the revenue of the United States is derived from two sources : 1st, From indirect taxes, or duties on ton- nage, and on goods, wares, and merchandise, at the time and place of their importation. 2d, From the sale of public lands. In a state of free commercial intercourse, the first formed the great source of revenue, and was more than adequate to all the wants of the government ; but in a state of war, the sup- ply from this source was greatly diminished, and recourse was had to other sources ; — to treasvu'y notes, loans, internal taxes, and an increase of duties on imported articles. The plan of finance proposed at the commencement of the war was to pro- vide for the expences of the war by loans, and to make the yearly revenue sufficient to defray the ordinary expences of the government, to pay the interest of the existing debt, and that of future loans. But tbe commercial restrictions, the stoppage of payment in specie by the banks, and its exporta- tion and concealment, destroyed the circulation of notes, para- lyzed the fiscal operations of the government, and obliged it to have recour.se to new taxes. In the summer of 1813, duties were laid on the following articles, to commence 1st January, 1814; and for the purpose of collecting them, each state was divided into collection districts : 1. Duties on licences for stills and boilers. 2. Duties on carriages for the conveyance of persons. 3. Duties on licences to retailers of foreign merchandise, wines, and spirituous liquors. 3 H 426 VIEW OF THE 4. Duties on sales by auction. 5. Duties on refined suoar. 6. Duties on stamped paper of a certain description. In the session of 1814-15, duties were laid on the following manufactured articles : pig-iron, castings, bar and rolled iron, naijs, candles, hats, caps, umbrellas and parasols, paper, cards, saddles and bridles, boots and shoes, beer, ale, and porter, leather, plate, jewellery, and on household furniture, gold and silver watches. After the termination of the war, the most of these duties were repealed ; those remaining in 1817 were on licences for stills and boilere, on licences to retailers, on car- riages, on refined sugar, on sales by auction, on stamp paper and bank notes. On the 2d Aiigust, 1813, a direct tax of three millions was laid on ' lands, houses, and slaves,' on the same plan as the direct tax imposed in 1798. The lands and houses with their improvements, and the slaves, were to be enumerated and va- lued by the respective assessors, at the rate each of them was worth in money. The proportions allotted to each state being determined by a fixed scale, anv state was at liberty to assume and pay its proportion without submitting to the valuation. Several states assumed their proportions in this way. Dollars. The net revenue for 1815 is stated to be - 4-9,532,852 of which tliat derived from customs, 36,303,251 The revenue for 1816', - - - 36,743,574 of which that derived from customs, 27,569,769 The direct tax and internal duties have been abolished, and the permanent annual revenue is estimated at 24,500,000 Namely,— Customs, - - 20,000,000 Internal revenue, - 2,500,000 Publiclands, - - 1,500,000 %■ Bank dividends, and incidental rec. 500,000 24,500,000 The expenditure for the support of the civil govern- ment, and the army and navy, - - 11,800,000 Sinking fund, - - - - 10,000,000 21,800,000 UNITED STATES. 427 Progress of the Debt. — The debt of the United States, created by supplies, forced loans, and paper money, during the revolutionary war in 1783, amounted to forty-two millions of dollars ; the annual interest to nearly two millions and a half. The debt contracted by each individual state was as- sumed by congress, and made a part of the national debt, which was to be redeemed by the proceeds of national do- mains ; and the interest of several species of stock, transferred to the United States, and appropriated by law for this pur- pose, under the direction of the commissioners of the sinking fund. According to a report of the secretary of the treasury of the 28th February, 1816, the public debt, on the 12th of FebrtTJ' ary, 1816, amounted to 123,630,692 dollars, consisting of 1. The public funded debt before the war, .38,33.5,832 2. Tiie public funded debt contracted since, 6'8,374',7445 3. Floating outstanding debt, - - 16,920,115 123,630,691 The sum set apart as a sinking fund since 1803 was an an- nual appropriation of eight millions of dollars, arising from the sale of public lands, from the interest. of the debt previously extinguished, which is paid to the commissioners, in whose name the stock remains, and of as much from the proceeds of the duties of customs as makes up the balance. The amount of debt redeemed, up to 1st January, 1814, under this system, was 33,873,463 ; and the interest on this debt, which was ' passed to the credit of the commissioners in 1813, as part of the sinking fund, was 1,932,107. On the 3d March, 1817, an act was passed, appropriating ten millions annually as a sinking fund, and discontinuing the practice of paying interest on the discharged debt to the com- missioners. A further special appropriation was made for that year, amounting to nine millions, with an advance upon the next year of four millions, so that, after paying the annual interest of the debt, (amounting to about six millions,) there would be paid off seventeen millions of the debt in 1817. VIEW OF THK WAE DEPAUTMENT. In 1801, the regular army of the United States was reduced to a few thousand mcn^ who were chiefly employed in the gar- risons and at points on the frontiers. The militia, consisting of the adult males from 18 to 45 years of age, with the excep- tion of clergymen, public functionaries, &rc., formed the mili- tary force of the country. In 1808, rules and regulations were drawn up for the armies of the United States. The president was authorised to call upon the executive govern- ment of the several states, to organize and equip their respec- tive proportions of a hundred thousand militia, and a million of dollars were appropriated to their pay and subsistence. The president has also the power of selecting any number for actual service, and of apportioning the field-olficers among the respective states and territories. The officers are appointed by the state constitutional authorities. The militia have the same pay and subsistence as the regular army, and the pericxl of their service is limited to six months from the time of their arrival at the place of destination. In the same year, an ad- ditional mihtary force was raised tor the term of five years, consisting of five regiments of infantry, one of riflemen, one of artillery, and one of light di-agoons. During the recess of the senate, the president was authorised to appoint the inferior, but not the general officers, and such appointments were after- wards to be submitted to the senate for their advice and con- sent. The annual sum of 200,000 dollars was appropriated for arms and military equipments, to be distributed according to the regulations of each state or territorial legislature. In 1812, a bounty of sixteen dollars was given to each able-bodied man recruited for five years, with three months^ additional pay, and 160 acres of land to non-commissioned officers and soldiers who shoiJd have faithfully performed their duty. At this time an additional military force was raised, consistijig of ten regiments of infantry, two of artillery, and one of Ught dragoons. Laws were passed for the better organization of the army, with an increase of pay. Twenty additional rcgi- UNITED STATES. 429 ments of cavalry were raised, and two dollars allowed to the recruiting officer for each man enlisted. It was eftacted in June, 1813, that five of the regiments authorised to he raised might be engaged during the period of the war. In the month of August following it was enacted, that the widows and orphans of the militia killed in war should be entitled to a pension of half-pay for the space of five years. Disabled and non-commissioned officers were to be placed on the pension list. An advance of 24 dollars was granted to each recruit on account of pay, in addition to the existing bounty of sixteen dollars, together with 160 acres of land. The pay of the private soldier was raised from six to eight dollars per month ; the premium for recruiting officers was also increased from two to four dollars. The militia-men were authorised to enlist into the regular service, without providing substitutes. Re- cruits were at liberty to serve during five years, or till the end of the war, with the same bounties of money and land. The president of the United States was authorised to raise ten ad- ditional companies of rangers for the protection of any state or territory threatened with invasion by the Indians, to be armed and organized as he might think proper, subject to the rules and articles of war, and entitled to the same compensation as persons serving in the military establisimjent. It was also enacted, that the president might accept the services of volun- teers, not exceeding 50,000 in number, who might be orga- nized and clothed as artillery, infantry, or cavalry, except that the latter were to furnish horses at their own expence ; other- wise to be treated as regular troops. A law was also passed for the organization of a corps of artificers, to be attached to the quarter-master-generaPs department, and subject to the orders of its officers. This corps to be selected by the general from the privates of the army, or engaged from among the citizens by the superintendaut for the space of three years. Thirty thousand dollars were voted for the expences of this corps. The militia were not to be subject to corporal punish- ment ; stoppage of pay and rations were to be substituted for whipping, and the fines were to be collected by the marshal. By a law passed in 1808, no person can be a commissioned or 46e-' VIEW OF THE staff-officer who is not a citizen of the United States, or of one of their territories. In April. 1814, an act was passed to call" forth the niihtia to execute tlie laws of the Union, to suppress insurrections, and repel invasions. In New York, 20,000 men were raised by a species of classification ; the rich being to furnish quotas of men in proportion to the extent of their fortune. A man worth 10,000 dollars was to furnish one sol- dier; one worth double this sum to furnish two; and so on progressively. It was calculated that an army of 50,000 men might be recruited in this way in the course of a year, and this species of conscription met with general approbation. In' July, 1814, the executive government of certain states were invited to hold in readiness for immediate service a corps of 93,500 men, under the laws of the 28th of February, 1795, and 18th April, 1814. The detail for militia service under this requisition was as follows: State of New Hampshire, S500 troops; Massachusetts, 10,000; Rhode Island, 500; Connecticut, 3000; New York, 13,500 ; New Jersey, 6000; Pennsylvania, 14,000; Delaware, 1000; Maryland, 6000; Virginia, 12,000; North Carolina, 7000; South Carolina, 5000;' Georgia, 3500; Kentucky, 3500; Tennessee, 2500; Louisiana, 1000; Missis.sipj)i territory, 500. . A military acndcmy was established at ^Vest point, in the state of New York, in 1809, with the view of supplying a corps of engineers. The present academical staff is composed of a superintendent of the academy, who is the senior officer of engineers ; a professor of natural and experimental philoso- phy, of mathematics, of engineering ; a teacher of the French language, and of drawing; a surgeon, chaplain, and professor of ethics. The number of cadets authorised by law is 250, and there Avas this number in the school in 1816. The expences of the army, in 1810, were about two millions ; in 1813, they were increased to more than fourteen millions; and the expenditure for 1814 was estimated at more than twenty-four millions and a half The nfditary establishment of this last year, including rangers, sea-fencibles, and troops of all descriptions, officers and men, consisted of 63,422. In the yearly expence is included ordnance, fortifications, the Indian UNITED STATES. 431 department, and permanent appropriation for Indian treaties, and for arming and equipping the militia. By an act of congress of the 3d of March, 1815, the mih- tary peace estabUshment was reduced to 10,000 men, consist- ing of tlie following proportions of artillery, infantry, and riflemen. 1. Artillery, 52 companies, or 8 battalions, making 8200 men. 2. Light artillery, 10 companies, or one regiment of 660 men. 3. Infantry, 80 companies, or 8 regiments, 5440 men. 4. Riflemen, 10 companies, or one regim^ent of 680 men. Total, 9980. The chief oflicers are two major-gene- rals, with one aid-de-camp each ; four brigade inspectors ; four brigade quarter-masters. The departments preserved are, the ordnance department; the purchasing department; the pay department ; the office of judge advocate ; the hospi- tal department ; and military academy. The United States are divided into two military divisions, that of the north and of the south, each of which is subdivided into military de- partments. NAVY DEPAETMENT. The American navy is a recent creation. In 1801, it con- sisted of only 20 vessels. Its first success was gained in 1805, in the bombardment of Tripoli. Mr. Warden describes its progress and present state as follows. 'In 1806 and 1807, a number of gun-boats was built and equipped for the protection of the coast and harbours. In 1809, the marine corps was formed, and privates were enlisted for the term of five years. In 1812, the subject of a naval system of defence was discussed by congress; and, in conse- quence of the resolutions then adopted, all the frigates were equipped and put into actual service, and the gun-boats were distributed in the harbours of the maritime frontier. In 1814, laws were passed to construct, under the president's direction, four 74 gun ships, six of 44, a like number of sloops of war, and 50 barges, for the defence of the ports and harbours ; and armed vessels for the service on the lakes. More than three millions of dollars were voted for this purpose ; besides a hun- 432 VIEW OF THE dred thousand for the construction of a dock-yard, or great naval estabHshment, on the right bank of the Hudson or North river, just above the high lands, which form a natural defence. ' By another law, 500,000 dollars were appropriated for the construction of floating batteries, and 250,000 for the pur- chase of liulks to be sunk in different harbours for their better security. ' The government, at this period, availed itself of the newly discovered invention of the steam-fngatc, which will probably form an era in the history of warlike operations, as.it may enable a nation, with small maritime resources, to resist the most powerful naval force. This immense battery, construct- ed under the direction of the late IVIr. Fultcm, was launched at New York in the month of October, 1814. It measures 145 feet on deck, with 55 feet in breadth of beam, and draws only eight feet water. The machinery by which it moves back- ward or forward is placed in the centre, and is so defended by a side of six feet in thickness, that it cannot be injured by the enemy's shot; while, by means of tubes which vomit forth volumes of boiling water, and sharp-edged instruments moving along its sides in contrary directions, the vessel bids defiance to the courage of the boldest boarders, and is considered by good judges as impregnable. ' At the declaration of war against England in June, 1812, the whole naval force consisted of seven frigates, a few sloops of war, and other smaller vessels. In May, 1813, the Ame- rican navy consisted of nine frigates, carrying from 3C to 44? guns ; three ships, one block-ship, four brigs, four schooners, one yacht, four hired schooners, two bloek-sloops, twelve barges, and 160 gun-boats, besides the vessels for the service on the lakes ; on lake Ontario, a ship, a brig, and ten schooners, a bomb and a 24 gun ship on the stocks ; on lake Erie, three sloops, four gun-boats, and two sloops of war building. The English squadron captured on lake Erie was purchased by the government for the sum of 255,000 dollars, which was distri- buted as prize-money among the captors. 'The American navy, in January, 1815, consisted of 28 ships of war, from 10 to 74 guns, of which seve«i were cap- UNITED STATES. tured from the enemy. The naval force on lake Ontario con- sisted of 19 vessels, from one to 44 guns, of which two were captured from the English. On lake Erie there were 12 ves- sels, from one to 18 guns, five of which were captured in one engagement. On lake Champlain there vvere 10 vessels, from eight to 24 guns, four of which were also taken from the Eng- lish. The whole number of barges and schooners, 92 ; that of gun-boats, 122. ' On the 29th of April, 1816, the American congress voted a million of dollars a year, during eight years, for the construc- tion of nine ships, not to carry less than 74 guns each ; 12 not to carry less than 44 each, including a 74, and three 44 gun ships, by the act of January, 1813 ; together with three steam- batteries for the defence of the ports and harbours. ' None but citizens of the United States, or persons of co- lour, natives of the country, are to be employed as seamen after the war. Naturalized citizens are not to be received on board of the private or public vessels after this period, unless they produce to the commander of public ships, or the col- lector of customs, authentic certificates of naturalization ; and by the resolution of congress of the 27th April, 1816, they must declare where they were born, or from what foreign land they came.' State of the American Navy in \SVt^J'roni the Official Accounts. . When Names and Force. built or Where built. State and condition. captured. Independence 74 1814 Boston, In good order Franklin 74 1815 Philadelphia, In service Washington 74 1816 Portsmouth, Chippewa 74 Sacket's Harbour, On the stocks Ne?v Orleans 74 Platisburg 74 Constitution 44 1797 Boston, Hull in good ord. Guerriere 44 1814 Philadelphia In service Java 44 Baltimore, Wants repairs United States 44 1797 Philadelphia, In service Superior 44 — Sacket's Harbour, Constellation 36 1797 Baltimore, In service 19 3 I 434 VIEW OF THE 1 When Names and Force. | built or Where built. State and conditioru captured. Congress SG _^ Ports. N. H. Macedonian S6 1812 England, Hull in good ord. Mohawk 32 1814 Sacket's Harbour, In good order Coiifiancc General Pike qp c. 1814 1813 Hull good 24 Saratoga 24 — Vergennes, Tn good order Cyanne 24 c. 1815 Repairable Lawrcjice 20 1813 Erie, Sunk Detroit 18 Erie 18 — Baltimore, In service Hornet 18 1815 Wants repjiiring Jefferson 18 — Sacket's Harbour, In good order Jones 18 Madison 18 Oneida 18 — Much decayed Niagai-a 18 1813 Ei'ie, Receiving vessel Ontario 18 1809* Baltimore, In service Peacock 18 1813 New York, Fulton 1st 1815 Steam frigate in ordinary Boxer 16 c. 1815 Hartford, . In service Linnet 16 1814 In good order Saranac 16 1815 In service Stflph 16 1813 Sacket's Hai-bour, Queen Charlotte Ticonderaga 14. 1813 1814 Sunk 14 Alert storeship c. 1814 In service The Asp, Despatch, 2 guns ; Enterprise, bomb ; Firebrand schooner, 6; Hornet schooner, 6; Lynx, 5; Nonsuch, 6; and Porcupine, 1, are in service. The Lady of the Lake, 1, in good order; the Spitfire and Vesuvius bombs are con- demned. The Vengeance unfit for service. There were four 74's on the stocks, besides frigates and smaller vessels. Those ships in italics are on tlie lakes, and are not consi- dered as making a part of the navy. UNITED STATES. 435 THE MINT ESTABLISHMENT, — THE MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES, — AND THE NATIONAL BANK. In 1792, the American congress passed an act for establish- ing a mint, and regulating the coins of the United States, in which it was declared, that, three years after the commence- ment of the American coinage, all foreign coins should cease to be a legal tender, except Spanish milled dollars, and parts thereof: and the infraction of this law was punished by a fine of ten dollai's, and the forfeiture of the illegal money. The copper purchased and coined from the commencement of the institution to the 1st of January, 1809, amounted to 823,333 pounds, troy weight, and was valued at 266,854 dollars, the rate being seven pennyweights to a cent. The total value of gold, silver, and copper coins, was 8,346,146 dollars. The net amount chargeable to the coinage of gold, silver, and cop- per, including the cost of lots, building, machinery, &c. was 350,082 dollars. A Table of the Coins of the United States. Denominations. Weight in Grains. Gold Coins. — Eagle, 270 Half eagle, 135 Quarter eagle, 672 Silvei- Coins. — Dollai% 4l6 Half dollar, 208 Quarter, 104 Value in Dollars. Cents. 10 5 2§ 1 100 o§ 50 oi 25 Dollars. Cents. 4 44 18§ ierlands, 40 4 10 Pound Sterling of Great Britain, Livre tournois of France, Florin, or guilder, of the United Netherlands, Pound Sterling of Ireland, A national bank was chartered on the 10th April, 1816, the capital to consist of thirty millions of dollars. The affairs of this corporation have not prospered, and in 1818 a committee of congress examined their proceedings ; and such regulations 436 VIEW OF THE have been adopted as may perhaps avert the evils which Eng- land is suffering from the exorbitant power and bad manage- ment of our national bank. HISTORICAL SUMMARY. We have before noticed the earliest and chief historical epochs of the United States, and have detailed the historv of each distinct state. It therefore only remains to glance fit the principal events which terminated in the independence of the Union, and which has indicated its progress towards a high rank in the scale of nations. The northern colonies of New England had shewn repeated symptoms of their original spirit of opposition to authority. The peace of 1763, after a war of immense expence, was crowned by the cession of Canada, and the consequent annihi- lation of the French power in North America. Canada was acquired at the price of about fifty times its real value ; and the acquisition of Canada Mas the loss of America: so incapa- ble is human prudence of presaging events, and so often does Providence effect objects l)y the very means which men em- ploy to avert them ! For the colonies were not only thus delivered from constant fear and jealousy of the French, which bound them to the protection of the parent country, but the vast expenditure of that splendid and absurd war oc- casioned such an increase of taxation, that the country gentle- men of England were easily induced to wish that a part of it might be borne by the colonies. No sooner, therefore, was peace concluded, than the British parliament adopted the plan of taxing the colonies ; and, to justify their attempts, declared that the money to be raised was to be appropriated to defray the expence of defending them in the late war. The first attempt to raise a revenue in America appeared in the memorable stamp act^ passed March 22, 1765, whereby it was enacted, that certain instruments in writing, as bills, bonds, S:c. should not be valid in law, unless drawn on stamped paper, on which a duty was laid. UNITED STATES. 437 Immediately as this act was published in America, it raised a general alarm. The people were filled witli apprehensions at an act which they supposed to be an attack on their con- stitutional rights. The colonies, therefore, petitioned the king and parliament for a redress of the grievance, and at the same time entered into associations for the purpose of prevent- ing the importation and use of British manufactures until the obnoxious act should be repealed. This spirited and unani- mous opposition of the Americans produced the desired effect ; and on the 18th of March, 1766, the stamp act was repealed. The news of the repeal was received in the colonies with uni- versal joy, and the trade between them and Great Britain was renewed on the most liberal footing. The parliament, however, by repealing this act, so odious to their American brethren, by no means intended to lay asidjB the scheme of raising a revenue in the colonies, but merely to alter the mode. Accordingly, the next year they passed an act, imposing a certain duty on glass, tea, paper, and painters^ colours; articles which were much wanted, and not manufac- tured in America. This act, as might reasonably have been expected after what had passed, kindled the resentment of the Americans, and excited a general opposition to the measure, so that parliament thought it adviseable, in 1770, to take off these duties, except three-pence a pound on tea. Neverthe- less, this duty, however trifling, kept alive the jealousy of the colonists, and their opposition to parliamentary taxation conti- nued increasing from day to day. It will be easily conceived that the inconvenience of paying the duty was not tlie sole nor even the principal cause of the opposition : it was the principle, which, once admitted, would have subjected the colonies to unlimited parliamentary taxa- tion, without the privilege of being represented. The colonies, therefore, entered into measures for encouraging their own manufactures and home productions, and for retrenching the use of foreign superfluities, while the importation of tea was prohibited. In the royal and proprietary governments, and in Massachusetts, the governors and people were in a state of continual warfare. Assemblies were repeatedly called and 438 , VIEW OF THE suddenly dissolved : employing the time while sitting in slating grievances and framing renionstrances. As if to inflame these discontents, an act of parliament was passed, ordaining, that the governors and judges should receive their salaries of the , crown ; thus rendering them independent of the provincial as- semblies, and removeable only at the pleasure of the king. Xn 1773, the spirit of the Americans broke out into open violence. The Gaspee, an armed schooner belonging to his Britannic majesty, had been stationed at Providence, in llhode island, to prevent smuggling. The vigilance of the com- mander irritated the inhabitants to such a degree, that al>out 200 armed men boarded the vessel under favour of the night, compelled the officers and crew to go ashore, and set fire to the schooner, A reward of 500/., offered by government for apprehending any of the persons concerned in this daring act, produced no effectual discovery. Nor did the attempt to evade the lesolution of the colonies, by introducing teas thrchigh the East India company, succeed. In Massachusetts, a party of men, dressed like Indians, boarded the tea ships, and discharged the cargoes into the water. Tiiis induced government to shut the port of Boston, and to pass several acts to repress this growing spirit of op- position. All these steps, however, far from intimidating, rather exas- perated the Americans, by confirming them in their former apprehensions of the evil designs of government, and served only to unite the colonies in a more determined opposition. A correspondence of opinion, in respect to these acts, pro- duced an uniformity of proceedings in the colonies. The people generally concurred in tiie proposition for holding a congress, in order to concert measures for the preservation of their rights. Deputies were accordingly appointed, and met at Philadel[)hia on the 26th of October, 1774. It was on the 19th of April, 1775, that the first blood was drawn in this unhappy civil war, at Lexington and Concord in New England. This was occasioned by general Gage sending a body of troops to destroy some military stores that were at Concord. They succeeded in their design, but were UNITED STATES. 4m extremely harassed and forced to a quick retreat. Immedi- ately after, numerous bodies of the American militia invested the town of Boston, in which general Gage and his troops were. In all the colonies they prepared for war with the ut- most dispatch ; and a stop was almost every where put to the exportation of provisions. The continental congress met at Philadelphia on the 10th of May, 1775, as proposed, and soon adopted such measures as confirmed the people in their resolu- tions to oppose the British government to the utmost. In the mean time, a body of provincial adventurers, amount- ing to about 240 men, surprised the garrisons of Ticonderago and Crown point. These fortresses were taken without the loss of a man on either side ; and the provincials found in the forts a considerable number of pieces of cannon, besides mor- tars, and sundry kinds of military stores. However, the force of Great Britain in America was now augmented, by the arri- val at Bosfon from England of generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, with considerable reinforcements. On the 17th of June, 1775, a bloody action took place at Bunker's Hill, near Boston, in which the king''s troops had the advantage, but with the loss of 226 killed, and more than 800 wounded, including many officers. But after this action, the Americans inunediately threw up works upon another hill, opposite to it, on their side of Charlestown neck ; so that the troops were as closely invested in that peninsula as they had been in Boston. About this time, the congress appointed George Washington, esq. a gentleman of large fortune in Vir- ginia, of great military talents, and who had acquired consi- derable expeiience in the command of different bodies of provincials during the last war, to be general and commander- in-chief of all the American forces. During these transactions, the royal army at Boston was reduced to great distress for want of provisions ; the town was bombarded by the Americans, and general Howe, who now commanded the king''s troops, which amounted to upwards of 7000 men, was obliged to quit Boston, and embark for HaU- fax, leaving a considerable quantity of artillery and some stores behind. The town was evacuated on the 17th of March, 440 VIEW OF THE 1776, and general Washington immediately took possession of it. On the 4th of July following, the congress pubhshed a solemn declaration, in which they assigned thoir reasons for withdrawing their allegiance from the king of Great Britain. In the name, and by the authority of the inhabitants of the United Colonies, they declared that they then were, and of right ought to be, ' free and independent States C that they were absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the kingdom of Great Britain was totally dissolved ; and also that, as free and independent states, they had full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. They likewise published articles of confederation and perpe- tual union between the united colonies, in which they assumed the title of ' The United State* of America.' An attack upon Charlestown was ably repelled by the Ame- ricans under general Lee; but the British, under general Howe and his brother vice-admiral lord Howe, compelled the Americans to evacuate Long island, from whence their retreat was conducted with great address by general Washington. New York was soon after abandoned, several forts were lost, the British troops covered the Jerseys, and the period for ser- vice in the American army had expired. This was the crisis of American danger. But their army being recruited by vo- lunteers, Washington, in the night of the 25th of December, 1776, amidst snow, storms, and ice, crossed the Delaware, and surprised a brigade of Hessians at Trenton ; and while the British were preparing to attack him at this post, he, by a happy stroke of generalship, retreated in the night, carried the British post of Princetown, and resumed his former position. In September, 1777, after two actions between the armies of general Howe and general Washington, in both of which the former had the advantage, the city of Philadelphia surren- dered to the king's troops. But an expedition, that had for some time been concerted, of invading the nortliern colonies by way of Canada, proved extremely unsuccessful. The UNITED STATES. 441 icemmand of this expedition had been given to Ueutenant- general Burgoyne, a very experienced officer. He set out from Quebec with an army of near 10,000 men, and an extra- ordinary fine train of artillery, and was joined by a considera- ble body of the Indians. For some time he drove the Americans before him, and made himself master of Ticonde- rago ; but at lengtli he encountered such difficulties, and was so vigorously oppased by the Americans under Gates and Arnold, that after two severe actions, in which great numbers fell, general Burgoyne and his army of 5600 men were obliged to lay down theii' arms, October 17, 1777. After several affairs, by which the animosity of the Ameri- cans to the British government was increased, the British army found it necessary to evacviate Philadelphia. General Howe returned to England, and vvas succeeded in the com- mand of the army by general Clinton. By this time the Bri- tish ministers began to be alarmed at the fatal tendency of the war ; but the congress refused to treat with the commissioners which his majesty sent to settle all disputes, and the war con- tinued with unabated animosity. The emissaries of France had long been actively employed in forming and widening the breach between America and England; and, in 1778, that country openly espoused the American cause. Shortly after, Spain and Holland joined the confederacy, and co-operated with the Americans. In the mean time, lord Cornvvallis gained some advantages in Caro- lina ; but, by a well-concerted scheme, general Washington suddenly suri'ounded his army, which was obliged to capitu- late ; and this event may be considered as the closing scene of the continental American war. The war against the colonies, which had never been popular in Britain, had now become so unsuccessful and expensive, that the government was compelled to listen to the public voice. Accordingly, the treaty of peace was signed on the SOth November, 1782; by which the independence of the United States was solemnly acknowledged, after a struggle of seven years ; while that between Spain and the United Pro- vinces cpntinned, with some intermissions, for about 60 years: 3 K 442 VIEW OF THE but the profuse expence of modern warfare counterbalances Its brevity. The constitution of the United States having been found imperfect, a new plan was subniitted to the several states, and received their approbation. On the 30th of April, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated president of the United States. The firmness with which that illustrious man opposed the insolence and impositions of the venal directory of France, added much to the glory of his name and the prosperity of his country. When Bonaparte, flushed with victory, contemplated the ruin and ultimate subjugation of Britain, and to effect which declared it in a state of blockade, the British ministry, in reta- liation, published certain orders, declaring the ports of France and her dependencies to be blockaded. In this state of things the trade of the United States suffered, by the hostile powers, several vexatious interruptions. Yet the American govern- ment shewed a marked partiality to France, and became ex- tremely clamorous against Great liritain, accusing her naval officers of impressing their seamen, whom the latter claimed as British subjects. This dispute, in some instances, occasioned hostilities between the ships of the two powers. In order to avoid the insults which the American flag had suffered, con- gress passed a non-intercourse act, by which a stop was put to all trade with foreign powers ; but this absurd and impolitic measure was, in a short time, abandoned. After much discussion between the governments of England and the United States, the former revoked the obnoxious orders in council ; but before the intelligence of this concilia- torv measure reached America, Mr. Maddison, the president, had issued a declaration oi' war against England, dated the ISthof June, 1812; and circumstances appeared so favour- able to success, that he persisted in his resolution to try the fortune of war. The Americans commenced the war by fitting out a great number of privateers, and sending an army to invade Canada. But as the Canadians refused to listen to the revolutionary proclamation of the American geneml. Hull, he was obliged UNITEP STATES. 443 to surrender with his whol& army. Various other attempts were made by the Americans upon Canada, in which the su- perior discipline and tactics of the Enghsh soldiery compen- sated for want of numbers, and ensured the defeat of the invaders, who were also much incommoded by the Indians, that had for some time been in a state of warfare with the United States. The spirit of the Americans was, however, supported by some successes which their ships obtained over the British, in which they certainly displayed the skill and gallantry of their progenitors. The war lingered for some time, until the peace of Paris placed a strong body of veterans at the disposal of the English ministry. The British ships of war now blockaded the ports of the United States, kept the whole coast in continual alarm, sailed up the Chesapeake and Delaware, imposed contributions upon several towns, and even penetrated to Washington, the seat of government. A similar attempt was made upon Baltimore, but failed. However, the Americans were unsuccesslul upon the lakes, except on lake Champlain, where the whole British squadron was captured. But this war, so hurtful to both parties, was at last happily terminated by a treaty of peace signed by the English and American commissioners at Ghent. Before the signing of this treaty was known in America, a body of about 5000 English troops made an unsuccessful attack upon New Orleans, and suffered the loss of Sir Edward Pakenham, about 60 officers of rank, and 2600 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners. According to a statement published by the war depart- ment, the aggregate number of militia, in 1816, amounted to 748,566. The following comparative view of the loss of the American and British armies, in the last war, is extracted from Nike's Weekly Register. American : — Killed, 1422 ; wounded, 8044 ; killed and wounded, 4466 ; missing, 555 ; prisoners, 4687 ; total, 9888. British :— Killed, 2809 ; wounded, 5393 ; killed and wound- ed, 8202; missing, 251; prisoners, 2434; total, 11,387- 441 VIEW OF THE, &fc. British National Vessels captured during the War. British national vessels captured, - 66 Carrying, in all, guns, - - 910 In those cases M^here the force of the contending parties is cer- tainly known, it appears, in the aggregate, that The British fought - 6l5 guns. Americans, - 5QQ General balance in favour of the British, 16 But the difference between the Essex, 46, and the Alert, 26, being deducted, for the affair between them does not de- serve the name of a battle, 20 And the real advantage on the side of the British was 36 American National Vessels captured or destroyed during the War. American government vessels captured, 25 Carrying in all, - - - 350 guns. From those cases where the force of tlie contending parties is certainly known, these aggregates appear : The British fought, - 1.97 guns. Americans, - - 142 In favour of the British, 55 Recapitidation. American national vessels captured or destroyed by the British, - - - - - 350 guns p. AA. n±( destroyed at Washington city, to pre- £-ssex, ^*— J*; vent them from falling into the ene- Argus, lb— .!<, I ^y.g j^^^jg^ ^g Adams, 24 — 28, destroyed at Hampden as above, 28 Wasp, 18—22, lost, - - - - 22 Two vessels on lake Ontario, lost, - - 16 Grand total, - - 492 ADVICE AND DIRECTIONS TO EMIGRANTS. ^jyE will now proceed to give some plain and useful instruc- tions to such of our countrymen as may hereafter emi- grate to the United States of America, ajid which will fall under the following heads, viz. 1. Directions respecting the voyage. 2. Precautions for preserving the health in a new climate. 3. On the best mode of settling. 4. The prices of land, labour, and provisions. 5. The rights and duties of a permanent settler. 6. The prospects of various classes of emigrants. These particulars comprise every thing necessary to be known by the adventurer, and will be detailed with strict impartiality and a minuteness commensurate with their im- portance. I. DIRECTIONS RESPECTING THE VOYAGE. It is always advisable, before embarking for a long voyage, to have all business transacted in good time, so as to spare a few days, which may be devoted to friendship and an atten- tion to the little necessai'ies that may be requisite on the voyage. It is not always in a person's power to choose a captain, al- though a good deal of the comfort of the passage depends upon this choice. The chief requisites are, that he be a good M6 VIEW OF THE seaman ; attentive, careful, and active in the management of his vessel : and of these circumstances, and indeed all others relative to the passage, you must satisfy yourself before setting out, for there is no use in making complaints at sea. It is still more difficult to make choice of sociable fellow-passengers. A ship is like a stage-coach, it must accommodate all comers; and one surly fellow may molest a whole ship''s company. But a person, by having resources of his own, may make him- self, in a great measure, indej)endent of other people ; and it will be well, before going on board, to take measures to ac- complish that desirable object. For this purpose, a small library of books will be found very entertaining, and if you have any turn for the study of mathematics and drawing, you will have a good opportunity to practise on board ; and a case of mathematical instruments, and a box of paints, will be ne- cessary. Choice of a Vessel. — A ship is preferable to a b^g, as the sea motion in the former will be less felt, and the accommoda- tions are generally superior. The English ships in the Ame- rican trade are not equal to those in other trades; whilst, on the contrary, the best American vessels are in the British trade; so that it is well to select an American ship, the s(f/e age of which will be according to the quality of the timber and the building, and these can only be known by persons very conversant in those subjects. There are certain ships of esta- blished reputation, a few of which go to the port of London, j^i)d a greater number to Liverpool. From the port of Liver- pool there are a very considerable number of first-rate ships for Philadelphia, Boston, and New York ; among the latter is what are called the * Packet Line.' One of these vessels sails punctually on the first of every month from Liverpool. The charge for passage is, in the cabin, 45 guineas, which includes wine, and indeed almost every luxury; in the steerage, 9^. exclusive of every thing but water. The house of Crapper, Benson, and Co. (it Liverpool, are the agents for these ships, which are first-rate in every respect, and all their commanders are men of great experience. There are several others of ^ superior class : but it would be judicious in every person to UNITED STATES. 447 jnake minute enquiries as to the character of the ship and captain with which they propose engaging ; for it should be known thdt there are some very indifferent American ships, which go to both Liverpool and London, and particularly the ktter port. A regular trader is generally to be preferred to a chance ship. The prices (with the exception of the packet ships) will vary according to circumstances ; for the cabin from 30 to 45, and for the steerage from 7 to 10 guineas. It should be remarked that even this is a subject of barter. A few ships sail from Bristol and Greenock for New York — the Fanny from the latter port is rather celebrated. A passage from Havre, in France, to America, is often to be obtained much cheaper than from this country. Should a large party engage the same vessel, they would act prudently to procure an extra boat, for in case of accident or shipwreck, the two ship-boats would not be found sufficient ; and upon such me- lancholy occurrences the crew commonly escape, and the pas- sengers are lost. Cabin passengers, 'i\\o\.\c^\ supplied by the captain, would find a small private stock desirable. A plum cake, soda pow- ders, a few good apples and oranges (the latter will keep if not previously bruised, and if each orange is carefully rolled in paper), preserves of several kinds, and cider, which will be found particularly pleasant at sea. Steerage passengers should provide for 70, though they may not be out more than 50 days. They are compelled by law to take 80 lbs. of meat. A variety will be advisable; say 30 lbs. of beef, 20 of ham, 20 of tongue, 10 of bacon : herrings are pleasant, and salt cod particularly soj when eaten with egg-sauce ; 50 lbs. of bread, of the best bis- cuit, and loaves cut in slices and toasted : rusks will be found very pleasant in tea: 30 to 40 lbs. of flour; a few pounds o'f oatmeal; ditto of rice; ditto of groats; ditto of arrow-root; 10 lbs. of cheese; 100 lbs. of potatoes. H^eaismall net bag to boil them in : this will prevent confusion with the cook, and also their being exchanged for others of, perhaps, an infe- rior quality. 5 lbs. of cotfVe, ground^ and kept corked in a bottle, for the purpose of excluding the atmospheric air : 1 lb. 448 VIEW OF THE of tea; 14 lbs. of sugar: a small quantity of spirits, of wine, and bottled porter : the latter, mixed with an equal quantity of water, with sugar and nutmeg, will be found very agreea- ble. Have a definite understanding for the quantity of water per day. A filtering machine can be bought at 79, Titchfield- street, London, for 20*. Eggs to be kept in bran, and fre- quently turned. 10 lbs. of butter. Milk will keep, if boiled, and mixed with sugar, in the proportion of 2 lbs. to the quart. If the articles enumerated under the head Cabin passengers can be afforded, they would be found particularly pleasant. If there are females in the party, there should be some fowls. A few tin articles for the purposes of'cooking, &c. In choosing a birth, either in the cabin or steerage, the middle of the vessel, or as near to it as can be procured, is desirable, on account of the ship's motion being; there less felt. Books will be an occasional, and but an occasional, relief to the monotony of a sea voyage. Those of a light and amusing character are the most suitable. Reading for more than half an hour at any one time produces the head-ache, and sensibly affects the eyes. Medicines are an important article of sea stores: they should be in pills, and taken frequently, with great exactness, at stated periods, and in as small quantities as can possibly produce the effect. Steerage passengers should have a specific agreement with the captain tor the use of th€ place of convenience : this is an important consideration, and great inconvenience is sometimes experienced by such persons in being denied this. A fiute, a violin, and a pack of cards, iire pleasant companions. A short time after setting sail, the passengers generally get sea-sick. This complaint, though lightly esteemed, because not dangerous, is often very severe while it lasts, and, if treated improperly, it may cause a relaxation of the stomach, that will be very troublesome. While the sickness continues, people have qn aversion to all kinds of food and drink. Many abstain from bot* three or four days. This is a bad plan. The stomach should never be allowed to get entirely empty. A little chicken broth or water gruel should be freely used ; and people should go upon deck as .soon as possible. Breath- UNITED STATES. Ud ing the foul air of the cabin or steerage promotes the disease; wliereas exercise and free air on deck reheve it. A little soda water will at this time be very exhilirating ; and as soon as the stomach is so far cleansed as to keep free from retching, a little Peruvian bark will be very beneficial as a restorative. Care should be taken to guard against costiveness, a very trouble- some complaint at sea. Attention to diet and exercise will often prevent it ; but where that fails, a Httle laxative medi- cine, such as rhubarb, cream of tartar, or castor oil, should be resorted to. But as sea-sickness is viewed with considerable alarm by people unaccustomed to the sea, particularly females, we will enter into this subject more at large. This disorder, so far from being injurious to asthmatic and consumptive people, has, in general, a beneficial effect ; and the instances in which it has proved fatal are extremely rare. It appears to be a spasmodic affection of the stomach, occa- sioned by the alternate pressure and recess of its contents against its lower internal surface, according as the rise and fall of the ship oppose the action of gravity. The motion of the Atlantic ocean between Great Britain and America produces sea-sickness with the greatest violence, as the waves have an uninterrupted freedom of action, which causes that regular vacillation that renders the head giddy, A person feels less inconvenience from the disorder in a small vessel on the wide ocean, on which the slightest motion of the waves makes a strong impression. He is also less exposed to it in a larye vessel deeply laden, as the waves, in this case, scarcely affect the vessel. It is in ships of an ordinary size, and which carry but a light cargo, that the passenger suffers most from the sea-sickness. The sooner it takes place after embarkation, the continuance of it becomes the more probable. It does not always cease immediately on landing, but in some cases continues for a considerable time. Many methods of preventing, or at least of mitigating this disorder, have been I'ecommended, of which the most effica- cious appear to be the following ; 8 L i.30 VIEW OF THE 1. Not to go on board immediately after eating, and not to eat, when on board, any large quantity at a time. 2. To take much exercise, with as little intermission as pos- sible ; as indolent passengers are always the greatest sufferers from the disorder. 3. To keep much upon deck, even when the weather is stornjy ; as the sea breeze is not so apt to affect the stomach as the impure air of the cabin, rendered so for want of proper circulation. 4. Not to watch the motion of the waves, particularly when strongly agitated with tempest. 5. To fix the eye steadily on the mast, cabin, or some other object on deck. This is an excellent method for preventing this disorder. 6. Carefully to shun all employments by which the mind may be harassed, as reading, studying, gaming, &c., and to seek all opportunities of mental relaxation. 7. To drink occasionally liquids containing carbQs. to 54^. per week. To carry on this trade as a master, and with a reasonable prospect of success, would require a capital of from 500Z. to 2000/. The profits are large. Moderate credit are received ; long credit is given. Booksellers'" shops here are extensive. Old works are scarce. Standard works are not so; such as Shakespeare, Milton, Blair, and Johnson. Theological works (those only which are orthodox) are common, and much in request. Hartley, Priestley, and the religious writings of Locke, are scarce. English novels and poetry form the primary articles of a bookseller's business. They arc quickly reprinted. Walter Scott, Miss Owenson, Moore, Miss Edgeworth, Miss Porter, and Lord Byron, are favourites. The late Scotch novels have been very much read. The Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews are reprinted by Messrs. Kirk and jNIercien of this city, English Tory writerfi are neither unknown nor unpo- pular. Booksellers deal in stationery and various fancy arti- cles. Their stocks are large, but, what we should call in England, ill assorted. American editions of many British writings are loxver in price, but not cheaper than those issuing from the London press, the size as well as quality of paper being reduced. Folio is diminished to quarto, quarto to oc- tavo, and octavo to (duodecimo. The American edition, for instance, of 'Lalla Rookh,' bears no comparison to that of UNITED STATES. 469 Messrs. Longman and Co. Common stationery is of Ameri- can manufacture ; the superior, of British. Books pay upon importation 30 per cent.; printing types, 20; paper, 30; wafers, 30 ; playing cards, 30. Native binding is generally plain and common : many of the fine London pocket editions, bound, have been recently imported. A capital of from 1000/. to 10,000/. would be required in this business. Printers are paid 2/. 5*. per week, but employment cannot be depended upon : a great portion of the work is done by boys. Stereotyping is pi-actised. The Lancasterian system of education is confined to free schools. One or two boarding seminaries exist in New York Jbr ladies separately ; but in general males and females, of all ages, are educated at the same establishment. The effect of this practice is not what might have been anticipated. Ame- rican females are even more distant and reserved in their man- ners than English : the sexes seem ranked as distinct races of beings, between whom social converse is rarely to be held. Day-schools are numerous: some of them respectable, none large. A teacher, that is, an usher, at any of these establish- ments, is a situation not worth the attention of the poorest man. The emigrant proprietors of seminaries are Scotch and Irish : an instance has not occurred of a respectable English schoolmaster establishing himself here. Two English ladies have recently commenced a boarding-school for females only : they have been moderately successful. A capital of from one to five hundred pounds is essential : lor a day-school none is required. The dead languages, music, surveying, drawing, dancing, and French, are taught at the superior schools : the latter is rather generally understood, and in some measure ne- cessary, French families being more frequently met with here than in England. At some of the academies plays are occa- sionally acted. The charges at several seminaries are, for arithmetic, reading, and writing, per annum, 40 dollars ; for geography, philosophy, and the French language, 60; for Greek, Latin, and the mathematics, 80 dollars : these amounts are exclusive of board. 470 VIEW OF THE Rents depend much upon situation. In the skirts of the town, a very small house, one story high, the front rooms of a moderate size, the -back less, but suited for a bed, and with one room in the attic story, is from 152/. to 14/. per annum. A mechanic who has a family can have two small rooms for 18/. a year. Many houses have closets between their rooms, which serve for a bed, or sometimes are used as a pantry. It is also no uncomn\on occurrence for temporary beds to be laid out in dining-rooms and parlours: being, of course, removed sufficiently early in the morning to prevent inconvenience. Garrets generally have no plaistered ceiling. A very small bouse, in a situation not convenient for business, containing in all six rooms, is worth from 75/. to 80/. a year; a similar house, in a better situation, 95/. to 105/. ; a ditto in a good street for business, 130/. to 140/.; a ditto in first-rate retail situation, 160/. to 200/. per annum : but this is the smallest class of houses. A first-rate private liouse is from 800/. to 350/. per annum : were it appropriated to business, the rent would be higher. Of a house in that part of the Broadway which is first-rate for retail trade, the rentof a shop and cellar only is 292/. 10.9. ; the u})per part of the house lets for 247/. 10.9. Ground lots for building, even in the subui-bs, are enor- mously dear. Ph/Ia\eek. Thus it ap- UNITED STATES. 4^5 pears that an iiiclustrious, healthy, sober man, may save two days' wages each week, or one-third of his income. There are indeed few so provident ; but those who can r«sist tlie tempta- tions to drink, may live well and save money. We could extend this article to a {jreat lenMh : but too many particulars would only tend to perplex the anxious en- quirer ; and the preceding will afford a good criterion for judging of the encouragement offered to the labouring classes in the States, which have been very properly and emphatically termed, ' Tlie poor Man's Country.' Much of the foregoing information is derived from a fjentleman who devoted his at- tention to the subjert, and whose correctness in matters of fact has never been disputed. We cannot, hoAvever, close without quoting the prices as given by Mr. Cobbett, whose informa- tion on this, as Avell as on every other subject, will be differ- ently estimated by different people. ' Every man may see what this country is. But I should suppose these facts were enough : The common day wages for a common lalwurer is a dollar. Beef is Sd. (English money) a pound ; mutton, 2i(/. ; lamb, 4t/. ; veal, 4(/. ; hog-meat, 5d. ; flour (the best), 2^d. ; spirits, about 2.y. a gallon ; sugar, ?ialf the English price ; tea, soap, candles, the same; tobacco and salt, about an eighth part of the English price ; shoes, cheaper than in England by one-third ; linen and woollen, the same price as in England; all India goods, half the Englisli price; malt, half' the price ; hops, a third part of the price of hops in England ; sweet oil, a tJiird part ; claret wine, ten-pence (English money) a quart, while in England it is six or eight shillings ! cheese, butter, eggs, all for tzoo-thirds, at most, of the English price. Journeymen tradesmen earn, on an ave- rage, about a dollar and three-quarters a day ; or 7ime sMU lings, English money. It is then impossible that any, but the sick, lame, or lazy, should be unfortunate.' The Shamrock Society of New York, in their Hints to Emigrants, say, * Industrious men' need never lack employ- ment in America. Labourers, carpenters, masons, bricklayers, stonecutters, blacksmiths, turners, weavers, farmers, curriers, tailors, and shoe-makers, and the useful mechanics generally. 476 VIEW OF THE are always sure of work and wages. Stonecutters now receive, in this city, (New York,) two dollars a day, equal to nine shillings sterling ; carpenters, one dollar and eighty-seven and a half cents ; bricklayers, two dollars ; labourers, from one dollar to one and a quarter; others in proportion. At this time, (July, 1816,) house-carpenters, bricklayers, masons, and stonecutters, are paid three dollars per day in Petersburgh, Virginia. The toAvn was totally consumed by fire about a year since, but it is now rising from its ashes in more elegance than ever. Mechanics will find ample employment there for perhaps two years to come.' It is customary in America for mechanics to work from sun- rise to sun-set. This time appears oppressively long to an Englishman, and it is certainly an impolitic arrangement, the necessity for which no longer exists. But then in the northern states mechanics, in general, take too much relaxation in win- ter, during which the money accumulated in a toilsome sum- mer is too often squandered away. In the southern states, the heat of the climate renders frequent intervals of rest abso- lutely necessary. The Americans are peculiarly handy. They know and can do a. little of every thing. In this case, thoy have greatly the advantage of an English labourer, who has to learn a great deal before he can expect the same wages that are paid to a native. In the dexterous use of the spade we certainly sur- pass them ; but then the spade is very little used in the States, the plough being introduced wherever it is possible. Price of Land. — The price of land is various, according to situation and quality. Tlie United States lands, as before stated, are 2 dollars per acre on credit, or 1 dollar 6-i cents cash ; but purchases can often be made of individuals on bet- ter terms, particularly from those who hold very large tracts. The land tax on a large tract is heavy, and after paying it a few years, without getting any return, the holders, particularly non-residents, are glad to sell out at any price. This circum- stance, connected with that of the United States holding such large tracts of land at a low price, will always operate against land speculations orv a large scale. The only mode m which a UNITED STATES. 477 land trade can be profitable is to purchase a tract for cash, subdivide it into farms of different sizes to accommodate dif- ferent settlers, and dispose of them at fair prices as soon as possible. In this way the land trade is fair and honourable, being exactly similar to that of buying any other commodity by wholesale, and selling it by retail ; the public are accom- n)odated, and the land-dealer has his certain reward. In any other way speculations in land are hazardous. Good lands rise in value certainly: but such as speculate in them on a large scale, with a view of making money, will in all probabi- lity be disappointed; for the accumulation of interest, and the operation of the land-tax, will be found, generally, to amount to more than the rise on the lands. New York. In Long Island and the vicinity of New York, land is rising rapidly in value. Land is worth from 3Z. 7^. 6d. to 34/. per acre. Farmers do not succeed very well, from the indifference of soil, high price of labour, and general want of capital. The breed of horses is good, but not large : one fit for a waggon is worth 22/. 105. ; a saddle or drawing horse, 35/. ; gig horse, 33/. 15.9. to 5Ql. 5s. ; carriage ditto, 90/ to 120/. ; fine riding ditto, 90/. to 120/. Cows are worth — lean, 9/.; fat, 11/. 5s. to 13/. 10*. Pigs are sold, per pound, alive; the present price is 7^. ; sheep, 9*. They are very small : an entire car- case is not much larger than a Leicestershire leg of mutton. A sheep, when. fattened for market, is 13*. 6d. A good farm cart is worth 7/. to 9/. ; a ditto waggon, 22/. to 23/. ; a farmer's man-servant, 24/. to 30/. per year , a ditto woman, 12/. to 16/. Early wheat is cut in the middle of July. The wheat and rye harvest is completed by the end of August ; buck-wheat, in October; Indian corn, ditto; oats, middle of August; grass, from 1st to the end of July. The seed for winter, rye and wheat, is sown from end of August to end of September. Pennsi/lvania. There are good farms within 20 miles of Philadelphia, which can be purchased at fi-om 80 to 100 dollars per acre, buildings 478 VIEW OF THE included. Limestone land will sell for 200 dollars. In a farm of 200 acres, the proportion may be estimated at IM) acres of ploughing, 50 of meadow, 10 of orchard, and 50 of wood land. The latter, near the city, is worth 3 to 400 dollars per acre. A farm of the above description is worth, if within five miles of the capital, 20,000 dollars ; at from 20 to 40 miles' distance, 10,000 dollars. Uncleared lands, in remote parts of the state, vary in price from half a dollar to 20 lioUars per acre. Tl"ie Pennsylvanian horse is a medium between our saddle and heavy cart horses, and is well suited for most purposes. They are worth from 50 to 150 dollars (11/. 2*. Qd. to 33/. 7*. 6J.). A farm waggt)n will cost 100 to 120 dollars (22/. 10*. to 27/.) ; a family ditto, 70 to 90 dollars; ditto with s})rings, 150 dollars; neat gig, 300; best ditto, 450; a farm cart, 50 dollars. The annual expence of keeping a family waggon and horse is about 50 dollars. AV ell-improved land will produce, on an average, 25 bushels of wheat per acre (a farmer within eight miles of the city has raised 40) ; ditto of Indian corn, 25 to 50. AVheat is sold at from 160 to 220 cents (7-9. 8d to %s. \\d.) per bushel ; Indian corn, 80 to 100 cents (3,?. Id. to 4.9. Qd.) ; oats, 40 to 55 cents (1.?. O^'?. to 2.9. 5if/.): they are lighter than the English. Meadows are usually ploughed in rotation, and planted with Indian corn. Orchards are also put under the plough, grain not being considered as injurious to the fruit. A good milch cow, four years old, is worth 5/. 13*. 6t7. Sheep are much smaller than ours. Half-blood Merino are 11*. 3rf. ; three- quarters blood, 13*. 6(/. ; full ditto, 22*. (id. ; rams are 4/. 10*, to 11/. 2*. Qd. ; pigs four weeks old are 2*. 6d ; a sow and ditto, 1/. 11*. 6U to 2/. 14*. ; a hog of 100 pounds, 1/. 11*. Qd. to 2/, 5*. ; a yoke of oxen, 15/. 15*. to 28/. 10*, Pittshuriy. I^and in the neighbourhood of Pittsbui'g is worth 100 dol- lars per acre. At a distance of from five to twenty miles, tracts of from 100 to 500 acres, containing meadow, pasturage, arable, and part covered with wood, have been recently sold UNITED STATES. 4^9 at from 20 to 50 dollars per acre. Wheat brings a dollar a bushel; Indian corn, 75 cents a bushel. A four year old cart-horse is worth from 20 to 30 dollars ; a gig ditto, 50 to 100 ; a saddle ditto, 20 to 150 ; a farmer's waggon, 100 dol- lars; a family ditto, from 50 to 70; cart, 50. Sheep are from one to thiee dollars; live hogs from 2^f?. to 4§d. a pound ; a good roasting pig, 4^. 6d. Wool is but little in demand since the termination of the war. Clean Merino is worth here 5s. 8d. to 6*5. 9^?. per pound ; fleece, 3*. 5d. ; half- bred, 25. 3d. ; quarter, 21i. A brick house, two stoi'ies high, containing ten rooins, may be built, with good management, in the country for 4000 dollars (900/.), as the bricks can be made upon the land, and the ' help' boarded in the house. In towns, a similar building will cost 6000 dollars (1350/.) exclu- sive of the ground, which, in particular situations, as of all towns that promise well,, is dearer than the most choice spot in the city of London ! KenfiicJi'jj. The price of lands in this state depends on a variety of cir- cumstances, such as the convenience of shipping produce, the contiguity of the same to some populous town, the quality of the land, its water privileges, and the permanency of such streams. A general estimation may be made as follows: — Those within 5 miles of its capital are from 20 to 40 dol- lars per acre; 5 to 10 miles, 10 to 20 dollars; 10 to 15 miles, from 5 to 15 dollars. This statement supposes no improvements to have been made on the land. Such land is computed to produce from 50 to 75 bushels of Indian corn per acre, and very frequently 100 bushels when well tilled. As wheat requires land not so rich, its produce is less, being from 20 to 30 bushels per acre ; 80 to 40 of oats ; 20 to 30 of rye; 1000 to 1500 pounds of tobacco, and aboiit the same quantity of hemp, may be taken as fair averages, although frequently a much greater quantity is produced. ' The price of good field negroes is now about 800 dollars. The annual expence of such hands may be estimated at from 75 to 100 dollars ; ditto for clothing, at from 12 to 15 more ; — say toge- 480 VIEW OF THE ther 87 to 115, or an average of 100 dollars per annum. Their provisions differ but little from hired white servants/ In general, farmers command a ready cash .sale for their pro- duce. The old custom of carrying it to the New Orleans market is nearly superseded by the creation of a new order of tradesmen, who are a medium between the western farmer and the Orleans merchant. Ohio. In the state of Ohio, the United States' lands sell at two dollars per acre. ' Taxes on wild land,"* says Fearon, ' are, on first-rate 2 dollars per hundred acres; 1^ dollar on second- rate ; one dollar on third-rate. There is also a county-tax of half the above amounts, as the case may be. These taxes of 6*. dd. to VSs. Qd. on an hundred acres are certainly very small, at least with our English ideas of taxation and of pro- duce ; yet you would be astonished to witness the numerous lots of land which are sold at auction in all the states on ac- count of non-payment of taxes. I have seen lists in the news- papers, and at the taverns, which could not contain less in each than four hundred names of defaulters, whose property was to be transferred to the highest bidder.' Well-prepared land in this state produces, per acre, 30 bushels of wheat ; 50 to 75 of Indian corn ; 50 to 75 of rye. Horses are worth from 40 to 100 dollars (9/. to 22/. 10.?.) Cows, (four years old,) 12 to 20 dollars (54.y. to 90.5.) The yearly wages of a labouring man is from 58/. 10*. to 65/. ; of a woman, 31/. 10*. Illinois. Private sales at the land-office are here, as in all other parts of the Union, fixed at 2 dollars, or 1 dollar 64 cents for prompt payment. The public sales by auction have not, for the most choice tracts, exceeded six dollars per acre : the old French settlements are from 1 to 50 dollars per acre. The land-tax is levied on the same principle as described in Ohio. The military bounty lands in this state amount to 3,500,000 acres. They are appropriated to the soldiers who were en- UNITED STATES. 481 gaged in the late war, and are frequently sold by them in the eastern states, for a quarter and a half dollar per acre. In- dian corn (maize) is the leading article of produce. There are some fields of 500 acres, cultivated in common by the peo- ple of a whole settlement. Wheat is abundant, except where the soil is too rich. Flax, hemp, oats, potatoes, and cotton are also productive, giving very considerable crops. The French have made excellent wine from a wild grape, which grows here luxuriantly. Indian corn produces, with moderate care, and in a favourable soil, 50 to 70 bushels per acre; wheat, 20 to 30 ; barley, 20 to 30 ; oats, 30 to 50 ; tobacco, 10 to 13 hundred. Indian corn sells from ISd. to 16^^. per bushel ; wheat, 3^. 4>ld. ; oats, 19^d. ; tobacco, 20*. 3c?. per hundred. The price of horses is from 13/. lO*. to 18/. ; cows, 4)1. to 51.; a good sow, 2/. 14*.; beef is sold at 225. 6d per hundred ; pork, 15.9. 9^. to 18*. Labourers are paid 2*. 3d. per day, and board. Clothing and groceries are extremely dear. Indian corn is gathered in November. Wheat is cut in June, and housed in July. Pork for exportation is killed in December. Freight from Shawnee town to Louisville (dis- tance 307 miles) is 5s. per cwt. ; from Louisville, 1*. 8d. ; /rom Shawnee to New Orleans, (distance 1130 miles,) 4*. 6d. ; from New Orleans, 20*. Sd. ; Shawnee to Pittsburg, (distance 10l3 miles,) 15*. dd.; from Pittsburg, 4*. 6(1 This vast disproportion in charge of freight is produced by the difference in time, in navigating iiy and doion the streams of the Ohio and Mississippi. A log cabin of two rooms can be raised for 11/. 5s. to 16/. ; a frame house, lO to 14 feet square, for 130/. to 15'v)/. ; a log kitchen, 7/. to 8/. ; a log stable, 7/. to 9/. ; a barn, 18/. to 22/. ; fencing, 13c/. per rood ^ ditching, in prairie land, 16cZ. to 2*. per rood. New England. Arable land, in the immediate neighbourhood of Boston, is worth from 50 to 100 dollars per acre (11/. 2*. Qd. to 22/. 5*.), farm-house and buildings included. The same quantity of land, at from 8 to 30 miles from Boston, brings from 20 to 30 dollars ; — ^meadow and pasturage, from ^0 to 30 dollars ; or- 81 3 P 482 VIEW OF THE chard ditto, 50 to 100 dollars per acre. Wood land, mar towns, is, of course, more valuable than any other, its worth also increasing yearly. Moderate-sized farms usually contain all the different kinds of land, in, of course, varied propor- tions. Plaister of Paris is used for manure. There are some rich farmers in the New England states, but generally it is not mi occupation by which more than a living can be obtained. Gentlemen-farmers do not make more than iVom two to three per cent, of their capital. The more wealthy farmers, from 20 to 40 miles from Boston, own large pastures, at the distance of from 30 to GO miles from their residence ; and in the mountainous parts of New Hampshire and Vermont, cattle and sheep are fattened for the Boston market. V. THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF A PERMANEKT SETTLER. A person who lands in America with the intention of set- tling, ought, as soon as possible, to acquire a correct notion of the laws and duties required of him by the society which he ■has adopted. This subject is explained with considerable clearness by the committee of the Shamrock Society, and which we will therefore present to our readers. ' Before any other step towards forming a settlement, the stranger should take the proper measures for acquiring citizen- ship ; and the advantages of this are important and obvious, independent of its conferring political privileges. Without it you will remain exempted, indeed, by mild laws, from wrong; but destitute of some valuable positive rights. The alien, in .most of the states, is not entitled to hold any lands, can ob- tain no office under the state, nor participate in the shipping interest of the country. ' It is fit the emigrant should be distinctly apprised (for it will conciliate his attachment and gratitude to the country of his adoption) that no where in the world is a well-conducted foreiajner received into the bosom of the state with equal libe- rality and readiness as in America. When, on the 4th of July, 1776, the congress unanimously adopted a Declaration of Independence, and delivered their country from the-domi- UNITED STATES. 483 • nion of tlie king of England, this. was one of the complaints alleged against him : " He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners."" The same liberal fee^ . ing has pre\ ailed in the government of the United States, from that memorable day to this, with one exception, during the administration of president Adams. The stranger, however, is certainly exposed to incidents which may lead him to doubt the truth of this assertion. He may light upon an ignorant, a prejudiced, or illiberal wretch, who will manifest an ill will towards him, because he is a foreigner, and perhaps revive British and royalists' taunts in a new form: but these, the scum of a country, are totally insignificant when compared with the mass of the people. The best men in America have always been ready to welcome the valuable, emigrant, the stx'anger of moral and industrious habits. An author, eminent as a statesman, a scholar, and philosopher, speaking in his Discourse to the Philosophical Society of New York, of the advantages which Cicero boasted that Rome had derived from Athens, adds — " We are perhaps more favoured in another point of view. Attica was peopled from Egypt; but we can boast of our de-. scent from a superior stock — I speak not of families or dynas- ties ; 1 refer to our origin from those nations where civilization, knowledge, and refinement, have erected their empire, and where human nature has attained its greatest perfection. An- nihilate Holland, Great Britain, Ireland, France, and Ger- many, and what would become of civilized man .'' This country, young as it is, would be the great Atlas remaining to support the dignity of the world. And, perhaps, our mingled descent from various nations may have a benign influence upon genius. We perceive the improving effects of an analo- gous state upon vegetables and inferior animals. The extra- ordinary character which the United States have produced may be, in some measure, ascribed to the mixed blood of so many nations flowing in our veins : and it may be confidently said, the operation of causes, acting with irresistible effect, will carry, in this country, all the improvable faculties of human 484 VIEW OF THE nature to tlie highest state of perfection." (See Clintori's In- troductory Discourse.) ' You will, however, observe, that the privilege of citizen- ship is not granted without proper precautions; to secure that, while the worthy are admitted, the unworthy should, if practicable, be rejected. You will from hence deduce the importance of good moral habits, even to the acquisition of political rights. ' The steps to be taken by a foreigner preparatory to, and for the purpose of his being naturalized, are these : — '1st. He must, at least five years before he can be admit- ted a citizen of the United States, report himself at the office of one of the courts of record, within the state or territory where he may be; and in that report set forth his name, birth-place, age, nation, and prior allegiance, together with the country which he has left to come into the United States, and the place of his intended settlement. In general, foi'ms of this report will be furnished by the clerk of the court, who will also give a certificate under the seal of the court, that the report has been made and filed. This certificate must be' carefully kept, for the purpose of being produced at the time of application for admission to citizenship. ' This step of reporting one's arrival is indispensable, and ought to be taken as soon as possible, because the five years of probation begin to be counted only from the date of the report ; and the time which a foreigner may have previously spent in the country cannot be rendered of any service towards his na- turalization. '2d. At least three years before the alien can be natu- ralized, he must appear before some one of the courts of re- cord, within the state or territory where he may be, and there declare, on oath, that it is in good faith his intention to become a citizen of the United States ; to renounce, for ever, all alle- giance and fidelity to any sovereign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty whatever; and particularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereign, whereof he may, at the time, be a citizen or subject. This oath, or affirmation, which roust have been made at leastxhree years before the admission UNITED STATES. 485 or citizenship, may be made at any convenient time after the report of arrival. Indeed, it is sometimes made on the same day, so as to save trouble, and prevent disappointment from future negligence or forgetfulness. For another reason that will be presently pointed out, the sooner it is done the safer and the better. The clerk of the court also gives a certificate that this oath or affirmation has been duly made, which, like the former, must be carefully kept, for the purpose of being produced at the time of applying for naturalization. '3d. At this period, the applicant, after producing both those certificates, must declare on oath, or affirmation, before some of the same courts, that he will support the constitution of the United States. He must also satisfy the court (which cannot be done by the affidavit of the applicant himself, and is usually done by the affidavits of two respectable citizens, who know and can testify to the facts) that he has resided within the United States five years at least, and within the state or territory where he applies to be admitted at least one year, and that during such time he has behaved as a man of good moral character, attached to the principles of the constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. The clerk will thereupon make out a certificate of naturalization, under the seal of the court; which should be carefully kept, and ready to be produced whenever it may be requisite. * The liberality of congress has extended the benefits of this admission to citizenship beyond those who perform these re- quisites; for the children of a person so naturalized, beinc under age, and dwelling in the United States at the time of their parents'" naturalization, also become citizens And still further, if any alien who shall have regularly reported himself, and made oath or affirmation declaratory of his intentions, (which, as we have seen, must precede his own admission by three years,) should unfortunately die before he was actually naturalized, his widow and children would thenceforth be con- sidered as citizens of the United States, and be entitled to all rights and privileges as such, upon taking the oaths prescribed 4i86 VIEW OF THE by law. Tliis provision, therefore, furnishes a very strong inducement for losing no time in taking the oath declaratory of the party's intention. ' In the interval between the emigrant's choosing a place of abode, and completing the five years of probationary residence, which must elapse before he can become a citizen of the United States, he will do well to familiarise himself with the state of parties, and acquire a correct knowledge of our constitutions of civil government. He will become a respectable and capa- ble citizen in proportion to his information and virtue. Libe- rality and justice are the leading principles of our government, which, as it secures liberty and property, and neither make.s nor suffers religious distinctions, better deserves the fidelity of good men than the tyrannical governments of Europe. Our's maintains the rights of the people; their's, the absolute power of princes. ' No emigrant ought to stay more than one week in the country, without endeavouring to procure the constitution of the United States, and, at least, that of the state in which he means to reside. The Federal Constitution, and those of the several states, are printed and bound together in a neat pocket volume, with the Declaration of Independence, and form a Political Bible, well deserving the study of every reflecting republican. ' The greater part of our state constitutions were formed soon after the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed by congress. By them are regulated the internal local relations of citizens in each state; they constitute the main guards of our freedom. The general government (whose constitution was formed by delegates from twelve states, assembled in con- vention at Philadelphia, in 1787) has the sole direction of our foreign affairs, and the mutual relations of the states. The government of the United States is administered by a presi- dent and vice-president, elected for four years ; by a senate of two members from each state, elected for six years; by a house of representatives, chosen for two years by the people; and by judges, &c. appointed according to law. The senators UNITED STATES. 48^ are elected by the states, and this feature of the constitution is deemed federal; the representatives are elected by the people, and here the constitution is more particularly national. ' In each of these states there is a governor and two legisla- tive branches chosen by the people, or their representatives, according to each constitution. The governor in each state is, by virtue of his office, commander-in-chief of the militia of the same. * When the federal constitution was formed, it was laid be- fore the people, who, in each state, chose a convention to adopt or reject it. It was debated in every convention with uncom- mon ardour, and finally adopted in 1788. - The speeches made on those occasions shed streams of light on the science of government, and its just division of power : neither foreign- ers nor natives can read them too carefully. ' During the discussion of the federal constitution, advocates of some of its most federative provisions were called Federal- ists. But when it was adopted it became the law to all, and was in all its parts sincerely agreed to by all ; those opposite terms, therefore, ceased to be properly applicable any longer. Yet a political party seized hold of the epithet, which was merely occasional, and have made it perpetual. They are called Federalists to this day, without any reference to the origin of the term ; the opposite party are known as Republi- cans or Democrats, terms significant of their attachment to popular government. The federal party, on the contrary, or, to speak more correctly, many of their leaders, are thought to have a leaning towards aristocracy. * We ought never to be the slaves or dupes of mere names ; and it will become the duty of a good citizen to act with one party or the other, as far as he thinks its means more lionour- able, and its objects more just. * When the federal party were in power, a law was passed authorising the president of the United States to send friendly aliens out of the country, on mere suspiciort, without th6 In- tervention of judge or jury ! This is remembered as the Alien Act, Moreover, citizenship could not be then acquired without a previous: residence of fourteen years. 488 VIEW OF THE *0n the 4th of March, 1801, a democratic administration came into power ; president Jefferson having been chosen in- stead of Mr. Adams. The acts of the government soon ma- nifested a more hberal spirit. The following passage from Mr. Jeff*erson"'s message to congress, December 8, 1801, had its influence on, or harmonised with, the general opinion as to the impolicy (to say the least) of the inhospitable acts which we have just mentioned : — " I cannot omit recommending a revival of the laws on the subject of naturalization. Considering the ordinary chances of human life, a denial of citizenship under a residence of fourteen years is a denial to a great proportion of those who ask it, and controls a policy pursued from their first settlement by many of the states, and still believed of consequence to their prosperity, &c. &c. Shall oppressed humanity find no asylum on this globe ? The constitution, indeed, has wisely provided that, for admission to certain offices of important trust, a resi- dence shall be required sufficient to developc character and design. But might not the general character and capabilities of a citizen be safely communicated to every one manifesting a bona fide purpose of embarking his life and fortunes perma- nently with us .?■" 'Let us not be suspected of indulging in narrow prejudices, of inflaming party feeling, or saying that one set of politicians are exclusively the friends of aliens, another entirely hostile ; we have given you specimens of the policy of each. The sen- timents of Mr. Jefferson, just cited, reflect great credit on his head and heart. So far, however, from inviting aliens to plunge into politics, we dissuade them from it , it is their duty to be modest observers of parties and principles ; it is their part to form ojiinions, but not to meddle ; to see, but not to touch; to look on, but not to Interfere; until having been five years spectators of the busy and Important movements of a nation of freemen, they may become actors in their turn, under the solemn obligation which citizenship imposes. * The source of every blessing, and itself the most A'aluable of all which America offers to the emigrant, is a degree of civil and political liberty more ample, and better secured, in UNITED STATES. 489 this republic than any where in the whole world besides. The persecutions of kings and priests, and the denial of rights, which drove a freedom-loving race from'' Europe to these shores, the same continue to operate to the present day. This is all to our gain ; for they who escape from the dungeons of tyranny there, will here be zealous to support the noble edifice of liberty ; while the private welfare of each man, fairly pur- sued, forms the benefit of all, and constitutes the public good. ' The principles of liberty which are embodied in our frame of government and in our laws, branch out likewise through every department of society, mould our manners, and deter- mine the character even of our domestic relations. They have the effect of producing, generally, in the deportment of individuals,, who know neither superiors nor inferiors, a cer- tain degree of ease and dignity, that is equally removed from serviUty and arrogance. It is one of the practical results of those principles, that the poorer classes in this community are more civilized, more polite and friendly, though not so sub- missive, as persons of the same fortunes ia Europe. They are also usually followed l)y impartial justice in the equal dis- tribution of family property. Hence opulence is rarely seen to accumulate in one branch, while others languish in g^iteel beggary. As there is no where an aristocratic establishment, the amplitude of the community is never broken up into little compartments, envious and contemptuous of each other. — Every man's range of occupation is extended, while every state is held worthy of respect. Honest industry no where derogates, but the facility of providing for a family is every where enlarged. ' Nothing is more worthy of regard than the contrast be- tween the general demeanour of Europeans living here, and what is alleged of the same people, and others similar to them, whilst under the yoke of transatlantic governments. In New York city alone are supposed to be not less than twelve thou- sand Irish, and the number of all other foreigners may proba- bly be as many. The other great cities of the United States have an equal proportion according to their population ; and emigrants from the old world are settled, and in progress of a Q 490 VIEW OF THE settlement, every where throughout the Union ; yet here they are never accused of sedition, or rebellion, »r conspiracy against the government. They are never disarmed by a mili- tary force; and no magistrate trembles when they provide themselves with ammunition. They are, indeed, the most strenuous supporters of the government; and it is evident that a couniry may exist in the utmost good order, peace, and prosperity, under such a system of law as they are willing to maintain with their lives. It is manifest, therefore, that if the laws were in Europe what tiiey are here, Europe need not drive her children into exile. The same men who are called rebels there, are esteemed and tranquil citizens here, without having changed their nature or their sentiments. But here the law is made by the majority for the good of the great number; and for this reason it is essentially equal and impar- tial. It prohibits nothing but what is in itself morally wrong/ Hence, there are fewer laws, and fewer transgressions; but Avhen a real transgression happens, an offended community is always prompt to support the law ; for it then vindicates its own decision, and its own safety. * You then, who left the abject condition of European sub- jects; who will never encounter tlie persecution of kings^ lords, or hierarchies ; who are now beyond the fantastic ty- ranny of those governments that exterminate catholics in one country, and connive at the massacre of protestants in another ; what more is requisite to engage your love and veneration df the free constitution of America, than to remember what you were, what you have witnessed, what you have suffered, and to reflect on what you are about to become, and the blessings you have it in your power to enjoy .''' Such is the representation made by this Irish society as an encouragement for their countrymen to emigrate. By the tenor of the foregoing pages, it will be understood that we consider the United States as the best country in the world for a poor labouring man ; though the ardent and enlightened lover of freedom must not expect to find that pure and disin- terested patriotism, in men holding official situations, which he may have expected. UNITED STATES. 491 In die account given of tlie different states, the various plans of government which they have adopted are noticed. * In most of the state-governments,'' says Mr. Cobbett, ' the election is annual for the house of representatives. In some, the governor and the senate are elected for a longer period, not exceeding Jour years in any case. But, in some, the whole, governor, senate, and representatives, are elected AN- NUALLY ; and this last appears now to be the prevailing^ taste. The suffrage^ or qualifications of electors, is very va- rious. In some states every free man, that is, every man who is not bondman or slave, has a vote. In others, the payment of a tax is required. In others, a man must be worth a hun- dred pounds. In Virginia a man must be aj'reeholder. * In Virginia, and the states where negro slavery exists, the slaves are reckoned amongst the population in apportioning the seats in the general congress. So that, the slaved do not vote ; hut their owners have votes for them. * * * * * The right of suffrage in America is, however, upon the whole, sufficient to guard the people against any general and long- existing abuse of power; for, let it be borne in mind, that here the people elect all the persons who are to exercise power; while, even if our Reform were obtained, there would still be two branches out of the three, over whom the people would have no direct controul. Besides, in England, Ireland, and Scotland, there is an established church ; a richly endow- ed and powerful hierarchy ; and this, which is really a fourth branch of the government, has nothing to resemble it in Ame- rica. So that, in this country, the whole of the government may be truly said to be in the hands of the people. The people are, in reality as well as in name, represented. ' The consequences of this are, 1st, That, if those who are chosen do not behave well, they are not chosen a second time, 2d, That there are no sinecure placemen and place Avomen, grantees, pensioners without services, and big placemen who swallow the earnings of two or three thousand men each. 8d, That there is no military staff to devour more than the whole of a government ought to cost. 4th, That there are no proud and insolei>t grasping borough-mongers, who make the people m VIEW OF THE toil and sweat to keep them and their families in luxury, 5th, That seats in the congress are not. like stalls in Smithfield, bought and sold, or hired out. 6th, That the members of congress do not sell their votes at so much a vote. 7th, That there is no waste of the public money, and no expences occa- sioned by the bribing of electors, or by the hiring of spies and informers. 8th, That there are no shootings of the people, and no legal inurders committed, in order to defend the go- vernment against the just vengeance of an oppressed and in- sulted nation; but all is harmonv, peace, and prosperity. Every man is zealous in defence of the laws, because every man knows that he is governed by laws, to which he has really and truly given his assent.' The same writer afterwards observes, 'But, it is not the name of republic that secures these, or any other of tlie bless- ings of freedom. As gross acts of tyranny may be committed, and as base corruption practised, under that name as under the name of absolute monarchy.. , And it becomes the people of America to guard their minds against ever being, in any case, amused with names. It is tlie fair representation of the people that is the cause of all the good ; and, if this be ob- tained, I, for my part, will iiever quarrel with any body about names.' He continues, * On the subject of taxes and priests, I will address myself more immediately to my old neighbours at iBotley, and endeavour to make them understand what Ame- rica is as to taxes and priests. Worried, my old neighbours, as you. are by tax-gatherers of all descriptions, from the coun- ty-collector, who rides in his coach and four, down to the petty window-peeper, the little miserable spy, who is con- stantly on the look-out for you, as if he were a thief-catcher and you were thieves ; devoured as you aie by these vermin, big and little, you will with difficulty form an idea of the state of America in .jliisitfespect. It is a state of such blessediaess, when comparved with the state of things in England, that I despair of being able to make you fully comprehend what it is. Here a-man naay make new -windows, or shut up old win, dsm^. aepfteu.asj^e plesses, without being compelled under a UNITED STATES. 498 penalty to give notice to some insolent tax-gathering spy. Here he may keep as many horses as he likes, he may ride them or drive them at his pleasure, he may sell them or keep them, he may lend them or breed from them ; he may, as fa^ as their nature allows, do the same with regard to his dogs ; he may employ his servants in his house, in his stables, in his garden, or in his fields, just as he pleases; he may, if he be foolish enough, have armorial bearings on his carriage, his watch-seals, on his plate, and, if he likes, on his very buckets and porridge pots; he may write his receipts, his bills, his leases, his bonds, and deeds upon unstamped paper; his wife and daughters may wear French gloves and lace, and French and India silks ; he may purchase or sell lands, and may sue at law for his rights: and all these, and a hundred other things, without any dread of the interloping and insolent in- terference of a tax-gatherer or spy of any description. Lastly, when he dies, he can bequeath his money and goods and houses and lands to whomsoever he pleases ; and he can close his eyes without curses in his heart against a rapacious band of placemen, pensioners, grantees, sinecure holders, staff-offi- cers, borough-jobbers, and blood-money spies, who stand ready to take from his friends, his relations, his widow, and his children, a large part of what he leaves, under the name of a tax upon legacies. * But you will ask, " Are there no taxes in America .?" Yes ; and taxes, or public contributions of some sort, there must be in every civilised state ; otherwise government could not exist, and without government there could be no security for property or persons. The taxes in America consist principally of custom duties imposed on goods imported into the country. During the late war, there were taxes on several things in the coun- try ; but they were taken off at the peace. In the cities and large towns, where paving and lamps and drains and scaven- gers are necessary, there are, of course, direct contributions to defray the expence of these. There are also, of course, county rates and road rates. But as the money thus raised is em- ployed for the immediate benefit of those who pay, and is ex- pended amongst themselves and under their own immediate 494. VIEW OF THE inspection, it does not partake of the nature of a tax. Tfie taxes or duties on goods imported j'ield a great sum of money ; and, owing to the persons employed in the collection being appointed for their integrity and ability, and not on accomit of their connection witli any set of bribing and corrupt bo- rough-mongers, the wliole of the money thus collected is fairly applied to the public use, and is amply sufficient for all the purposes of government. The army, if it can be so called, costs but a mere trifle. It consists of a few men, who are ab- solutely necessary to keep forts from crumbling down, and guns from rotting with rust. The navy is an object of care, and its support and increase a cause of considerable expence. But the government, relying on the good sense and valour of a people, who must hate or disregard themselves before they can hate or disregard that which so manitiestly promotes their own happiness, has no need to expend much on any spe- cies of warlike preparations. The government could not stand a week if it were hated by the people; nor, indeed, ought it to stand an hour. It has -the hearts of the people with it, and therefore it need expend nothing in blood-money, or in secret services of any kind. Hence the cheapness of this govern- ment ; hence the small amount of the taxes ; hence the ease and happiness of the people."" VI. THE PUOSPECTS OF VARIOUS CLASSES OF EMIGRANTS. We have, in the preceding sections, endeavoured to give a general idea of the circumstances respecting which emigrants must feel the greatest anxiety ; and will now proceed to detail the advantages and disadvantages that may attend different classes of emigrants, such as gentlemen, farmers, merchants and manufacturers, mechanics, labourers, artists, &c. 1. Gentlemen. America is not the country of gentlemen. Perhaps atiother century will elapse before this class of society becomes nume- rous. Here every one is employed in some business, or in superintending some improvement. Yet as some, possessed UNITED STATES. 495 of a competency, may in these eventful times wish to emigrate, and secure their property and their safety in the United States, we will here notice the advantages which they may expect to enjoy. As these are in a great measure proportioned to the expences of house-keeping, it will be necessary to enter into this subject more in detail. Mr. Fearon recommends to the man of small property, who intends living upon the interest, and wants to remove to a cheaper country than England, to pause before the object of his choice be America. This writer has given the following statement of Mr. H ""s (an English emigrant) expences for six months, ending the 1st of March, 1818; but which does not appear to be very extravagant: — ' This family consists of thirteen : Mr. H , Mrs H , three Misses H sixteen years of age and upwards, two ditto younger, four boys four to twelve years of age, one wo- man servant, one girl. ' They occupy the whole (store excepted) of an excellent house in Market-street, Philadelphia ; in it there ax'e 13 rooms, kitchen included, and three cellars. The rent is 500 dollars per annum. The following account is for the first six months of their residence in the United States. It includes rent, and what little clothes the females may have found necessary to purchase, in consequence of the difference of American fti- shions ; also about 100 dollars for travelling expences. Their style of living is extremely plain, respectable, and economical. 1817, Dollars. Cents. 'Sept. 1st to 8th. One week's board and lodg- ing at a boarding house - 80 Sept. 8th. Wood for firing - 19 7f> Wine and sph-its - - - 9 50 Other expences - - - 199 6 Wood (firing) - - - 21 18 Other expences - - - - - 149 2 Wood (firing) - - - 39 39 Shoes . - - - . 25 50 Other expences - - - . - 221 36 Schooling (for two 1 boys) - - 15 65 496 VIEW OF THE Wine and spirits Aurora newspaper Schooling (eldest boy) Wood (firing)* Ditto ditto Other expences Schooling (for two boys) Dollars. ( Cents. 15 5 21 50 50 39 50 388 37 12 Total, 1st Sept. 1817, to March, 1818 1313 79 'This account does not include the expenditure for house- hold furniture: they have paid for Scotch carpeting, yard wide, (commonest qualities) 170 cents per yard ; stair carpet- ing, narrow, strong, and common, of domestic manufacture, 100 cents per yard ; oil-cloth, yard wide, 175 cents per yard ; Windsor chair, 216 cents each ; fancy rush bottoms, light and genteel, 375 cents each."* But the celebrated Cobbett enters into this subject with his usual precision and boldness; and which we will beg leave to offer in his own strong and impressive language. ' In the great cities and towns,' says he, ' house rent is very high-priced ; but then nobody but mad people live there ex- cept they have business there, and then they are paid back their rent in the profits of that business. This is so plain a matter, that no argument is necessary. It is unnecessary to speak about the expences of a farm-house ; because the farmer eats, and very frequently wears, his own produce. If these be high-priced, so is that part which he sells. Thus both ends meet with him. * I am, therefore, supposing the case of a man, who follows no business, and who lives upon what he has got. In Eng- land lie cannot eat and drink and wear the interest of his mo- ney ; for the borough-mongers have pawned half his income, and they will have it or his blood. He wishes to escape from this alternative. He wishes to keep iiis blood, and enjoy his money too. He would come to America; but he does not know whether prices here will not make up for the robbery of UNITED STATES. 497 the borough-villains ; and he wishes to know too what sort of society he is going into. ' The price of house-rent and fuel is, when at more than three miles from New York, as low as it is at the same dis- tance from any great city or town in England. The price of wheaten bread is a third lower than it is in any part of Eng- land. The price of beef, mutton, lamb, veal, small pork, hog-meat, poultry, is one-half the London price ; the first as good, the two next very nearly as good, and all the rest far, very far, better than in London. The sheep and lambs that I now kill for my house are as fat as any that I ever saw in all my life; and they have been running in wild ground, wholly uncultivated for many years, all the summer. A lamb, killed the week before last, weighing in the whole thir- ty-eight jx)unds, had five pounds of loose fat and three pounds and ten ounces of suet. We cut a pound of solid fat from each breast ; and after that it was too fat to be pleasant to eat. My flock being small, forty, or thereabouts, of some neigh- bours joined- them; and they have all got fat together. I have missed the interlopers lately : I suppose the " Yorkers'" have eaten them up by this time. What they have fattened on except brambles and cedars, I am sure I do not know. If any Englishman should be afraid that he will find no roast beef here, it may be sufficient to tell him, that an ox was killed, last winter, at Philadelphia, the quarters of which weighed fzco thousand, two hundredy and some odd pounds, and he was sold to tuf. BUTCHiai for one thousand three Jinn- dred dollars. This is proof enough of the spirit of enterprise, and of the disposition in the public to encourage it. I believe this to have been the fattest ox that ever was killed in the world. Three times as much money, or perhaps ten times as much, might have been made if the ox had been shewn for money. But this the owner would not permit; and he sold the ox in that condition. I need i)ardly say that the owner was a qiiaker, New Jersey had the honour of jiroducing this ox, and the owner*'s name wa? Job Tyler. ' That there must be good bread in America is pretty evi- dent from the well known fact, that hundreds of thousands of 3 11 498 VIEW OF THE barrels of flour are, most years sent to England, finer than any that England can }3roduce. And having now provided the two principal articles, I will suppose, as a matter of course, that a gentleman will have a garden, an orchard, and a cow or two ; but if he should be able (no easy matter) to find a gen- teel country-house without these conveniences, he may buy butter, cheaj)er, and upon an average better, than in England. The garden stuff, if he send to New York for it, he must buy pretty dear ; and, faith, he ought to buy it dear, if he will not have some planted and preserved. ' Cheese, of the North river produce, I have bought as good of Mr. Stickler of New York as I ever tasted in all my life; and, indeed, no better cheese need be wished for than what is now made in this country. The average price is Id. a pound (English money), which is much lower than even middling cheese is in England. Per)iaps, generally speaking, the cheese here is not so good as the better kinds in England; but there is none here so |X)or as the poorest in England. Inieed the people would not eat it, which is the best .security against its being made. Mind, I state distinctly, that as good cheese as I ever tasted, if not the best, was oi American pro- duce. I know the article well. Bread and cheese dinners have been the dinners of U good fourth of my life I know the Cheshire, Gloucester, Wiltshire, Stilton, and the Parme- san ; and I never tasted better than American chee.se, bought of Mr. Stickler, in Broad-street, New York. And this cheese Mr. Stickler informs me is nothing uncommon in the county of Cheshire in Massachusetts; he knows at least a hundred persons himself that make it equally good. And indeed why should it not be thus in a country where the pasture is so rich ; where the sun warms every thing into sweetness ; where the cattle eat the grass close under the shade of the thickest trees, which we know they will not do in England. Take any fruit which has grown in the shade in England, and you will find that it has not half the sweetness in it that there is in fruit of the same bulk grown in the sun. But here the sun sends his heat down through all the boughs and leaves. The manufacturing of cheese is not yet generally brought, in this UNITED STATES. 499 country, to the English perfection ; but here are all the mate- rials, and the rest will soon follow. ' Groceries, as they are called, are, upon an average, at far less than half the English price. Tea, sugar, coffee, spices, chocolate, cocoa, salt, sweet oil, all free of the borough-mon- gers'' taxes and their pawn, are so cheap as to be within the reach of every one. Chocolate, which is a treat to the rich in England, is here used even by the negroes. Sweet oil, raisins, currants, all the things from the Levant, are at a fourth or fifth of the English price. The English people, who pay enormously to keep possession of the East and West Indies, purchase the produce even of the English possessions at a price double of that which the Americans give for that very produce ! AVhat a hellish oppression must that people live under ! Candles and soap (quality for quality) are half the English price. Wax candles (beautiful) are at a third of the English price. It is no very great piece of extravagance to burn wax candles constantly here; and it is frequently done by genteel people who do not make tlVeir own candles. ' Fish 1 have not mentioned, because fish is not every where tp be had in abundance. But any where near the coast it is ; and it is so cheap, that one wonders how it can be brought to market for the money. Fine black-rock, as good, at least, as cod-fish, I have seen sold, and in cold weather too, at an English farthing a pound. They now bring us fine fish round the country to our doors, at an English three-pence a jx^und. I believe they count fifty or sixty sorts of fish in New York market as the average. Oysters, other shell-fish, called clams. In short, the variety and abundance are such that I cannot describe them. ' An idea of the state of plenty may be formed from these facts: nobody but the free negroes who have families ever think of eating a sheep's head and pluck. It is seldom that oxen's heads are used at home, or sold, and never in the coun- try. In the course of the year, hundreds of calves' heads, large bits and whole joints of meat, are left on the shambles at New York, for any body to take away that will. They ge- nerally fall to the share of the street hogs, a thousand or two ^>00 VIEW OF THE of which aro constantly fatting in New York on the meat and fish flung out of the houses. 1 shall Ix; told, that it is only in liot weather that the shambles are left thus garnished. Very true; but are the shambles of any other country thus gar- nished in hot weather ? Oh, no ! If it were not for the superabundance, ail the food would be sold at some price or other. 'After bread, flesh, fish, fowl, butter, cheese, and groceries, comes fruit. Apples, pears, cherries, peaches, at a tenth part of the English price. The other day I met a man going to market with a waggon load of winter pears. He had high boards on the sides of the waggon, and his waggon held about 40 or 50 bushels. I have bought very good apples this year for four-pence halfpenny (English) a bushel, to boil for little pigs. Besides these, strawberries grow wild in abundance ; but no one will take the trouble to get them. Huckle-berries in the woods in great abundance, chesnuts all over the coun- try. Four-pence halfpenny (English) a quart for these latter. Cranberries, the finest fruit for tarts that ever grew, are bought for about a dollar a bushel ; and they will keep, flung down in the corner of a room, for five months in the year. As a sauce to venison or mutton, they are as good as currant jelly. Pine apples in abundance, for several months in the year, at an average of an English shilling each Melons at an average of an English eight-pence. In short, what is there not in the way of fruit ? All excellent of their kinds, and ali for a mere trifle compared to what they cost in England. ' I am afraid to speak of drink, lest I should be supposed to countenance the common use of it. IJut protesting most decidedly against this conclusion, I proceed to inform those who are not content with the cow for vintner and brewer, that all the materials for making people drunk, or muddle-headed, are much cheaper here than in England. Beer, good ale, I mean, a* great deal better than the common public-house beer in England ; in short, good, strong, clear ale is, at New York, eight dollars a barrel ; that is, about fourteen English pence a gallon. Brew yourself, in the country, and it is about seven English jX'nce a gallon ; that is to say, less than two-pence a UNITED STATES. 501 quart. No borough-mongers' tax on malt, hops, or beer ! Portugal wine is about half the price that it is in England. French wine a sixth part of the English price. Brandy and rum about the same in proportion ; and the common spirits of the country are about three shillings and six-pence (English) a gallon. Come on, then, if you love toping; for here you may drink yourselves blind at the price of six-pence. ' Wearing apparel comes chiefly from England, and all the materials of dress are as cheap as they are there ; for, though there is a duty laid on the importation, the absence of taxes, and the cheap food and drink, enable the retailer to sell as low here as there. Shoes are cheaper than in England ; for, though shoe-makers are well paid for their labour, there is no borough-villain to tax the leather. All the India and French goods are at half the Enghsh price. Here no ruffian can seize you by the throat and tear off* your suspected handker- chief. Here Signor Waithman, or any body in that line, might have sold French gloves and shawls without being tempted to quit the field of politics as a compromise with the government ; and without any breacli of covenants, after being suffered to escape with only a gentle squeeze. ' Household furniture, all cheaper than in England. Ma- hogany timber a third part of the English price. The dis- tance shorter to bring it, and the tax next to nothing on importation. The woods here, the pine, the ash, the white- oak, the walnut, the tulip-tree, and many others all- excellent. The workman paid high wages, but no tax. No borough- villains to share in the amount of the price. ' Horses, carriages, harness, all as good, as gay, and cheaper than in England. I hai'dly ever saw a rip in this country. The hackney coach horses and the coaches themselves, at New York, bear no resemblance to things of the same name in London. The former are all good, sound, clean, and handsome. What the latter are I need describe in no other way than to say, that the coaches seem fit for nothing but the fire and the horses for the dogs. ' Domestic servants ! This is a weighty article : not in the cost, however, so much as in the plague. A good man ser- 502 VIEW OF THE vant is worth thirty pounds sterHng a year ; and a good wo- man servant, twenty pounds sterhng a year. But this is not all ; for, in the first place, they will hire only by the month. This is what they, in fact, do in England ; for there they can quit at a month's warning. The man will not wear a hvery, any more than he will wear a halter round his neck. This is no great matter ; for as your neighbour's men are of the same taste, you expose yourself to no humiliation on this score. Neither men nor women will allow you to call them servants, and they will take especial care not to call themselves by that name. This seems something very capricious, at the least; and as people in such situations of life really are servants, ac- cording to even the sense which Moses gives to the word, when he forbids the working of the man servant and the maid servant, the objection, the rooted aversion, to the name, seems to bespeak a mixture of false pride and of insolence, neither of which belong to the American chai-acter, even in the lowest walks of life. I will, therefore, explain the cause of this dis- like to the name of servant. When this country was first set- tled, there were no people that laboured for other people; but as man is always trying to throw the working part off his own shoulders, as we see by the couduct of priests in all ages, negroes were soon introduced. Englishmen, who had fled from tyranny at home, were naturally shy of calling other men their slaves ; and therefore, " for more grace," as Master Matthew says in the play, they called their slaves servants. But though I doubt not that this device was quite efficient in quieting their own consciences, it gave rise to the notion, that slave and servant meant one and the same thing, a conclusion perfectly natural and directly deducible from the premises. Hence every free man and woman have rejected with just dis- dain the appellation of servant. One would think, however, that they might be reconciled to it by the conduct of some of their superiors in life, who, without the smallest apparent re- luctance, call themselves "Public Servants," in imitation, I suppose, of English ministers, and his holiness the pope, who, in the excess of his humility, calls lumself, "the Servant of the Servants of the Lord." But perhaps the American do- UNITED STATES. 503 mestics have observed that " Public Servant*" really means master. Be the cause what it may, however, they continue most obstinately to scout the name of servant; and though they still keep a civil tongue in their head, there is not one of them that will not resent the affront with more bitterness than any other that you could offer. The man, therefore, who would deliberately offer such an affront must be a fool. But there is an inconvenience far greater than this. People in ge- neral are so comfortably situated, that very few, and then only of those who are pushed hard, will become domestics to any body. So that, generally speaking, domestics of both sexes are far from good. They are honest ; but they are not obe- dient. Thev are careless. Wanting frequently in the greater part of those qualities, which make their services conducive to the neatness of houses and comfort of families. What a dif- ference would it make in this country, if it could be supplied with nice, clean, dutiful English maid servants ! As to the men, it does not much signify; but for the want of the maids, nothing but the absence of grinding taxation can compensate. As to bringing them with you, it is as wild a project as it would be to t)"y to carry the sun-beams to England. They will begm to change before the ship gets on soundings ; and before they have been here a month, you must turn them out of d )ors, or they will you. If, by any chance, you find them here, it may dp ; but bring them out and keep them you can- not. The best way is to put on your philosophy ; never to look at this evil without, at the same time, looking at the many good things that you find here. Make the best selec- tion you can. Give good wages, not too much work, and re- solve, at all events, to treat them with civility. * However, what is this plague compared with that of the tax gatherer ? What is this plague compared with the con- stant sight of beggars and paupers, and the constant dread of becoming a pauper or beggar yourself? If your commands are not obeyed with such alacrity as in England, you have, at any rate, nobody to command you. You are not ordered to *' stand and deliver" twenty or thirty times in the year by the insolent agent of borough-mongers. No one comes to forbid 504 VIEW OF THE you to open or shut up a window. No insolent set of conimis- sioners send their order for you to dance attendance on them, to shew cause why they should not double-tax you ; and when you have shewn cause, even on your oath, make you pay the tax, laugh in your face, and leave you an appeal from them- selves to another set, deriving their authority from the sanw source, and having a similar interest in oppressing you, and thus laying your property prostrate beneath the hoof of an in- solent and remorseless tyranny. Free, wholly free, fi-om this tantalizing, this grinding, this odious curse, what need you care about the petty plagues of domestic servants; ? ' However, as there are some men and some women, who can never be at heart's ease unless they have the power of do- mineering over somebody or other, and who will rather he slaves themselves than not have it in their power to treat others as slaves, it becomes a man of fortune, proposing to emigrate to America, to consider soberly whether he or his wife be of this taste ; and if the result of his considerations be in the affirmative, his best way will be to continue to live un- der the borough-mongers, or, which I would rather recom- mend, hang himself at once.' 2. Farmers. The next class of emigrants which we will notice comprises all those who may devote their attention to agriculture. Many Europeans, possessed of a small capital, commence farming upon their arrival in America, although they have been accus- tomed to some other employment, and consequently cannot be supposed to be very ckpert in their new occupation. If such experience much difficulty in the commencement, they ought to recollect that this would also, in some degree, be the case even in their own country. The emigrant who goes to America with the intention of applying himself to farming, should take with him some seed wheat of the best kinds ; ar\d if he can procure it, perhaps the Syrian wheat (Triticum compuslfum ) might be worth a trial. It has a much better chance of answering in America than in England, and particularly south of 40 degrees of latitude UNITED STATES. 505 Also a small quantity of lucerne, salntfoin, and vetches ; either the seeds or the roots of tlie two former, but the roots would be preferable. It might also be advisable to take a small bag of hay seeds from some of the best meadows. Farming im- plements can be had in any part of the United States, well adapted to the different purposes for which they are wanted. In determining a situation, he has the choice of any climate, from latitude 29 to 44 degrees, comprehending the regions suitable for the culture of sugar, cotton, and grain. If his views are governed by the determination to adopt any particu- lar culture, he will of course settle in the region suitable : if sugar, he will go south of 31i deg. ; if cotton, south of 36 deg. ; for corn, the most agreeable is from 36 deg. to 41 deg., as further north the severity and length of the winters render the climate less desirable. A farmer, on settling in America, ought not rashly to set up his opinions or former practices against those of the old settlers. Many things, which may appear to him at first to be wrong or unnecessary, will be found, on farther experience, both right and expedient ; but if he cultivates the good-will of his neighbours, and follows their advice, he will not go wrong. He will soon find the succession of crops and the mode of cultuie vary much from what he has experienced in England ; and that a differently modified climate, and a sun more nearly vertical, greatly change the order of the things to which he has been accus- tomed. He will find his rye harvest to commence in June, and that of his wheat soon after ; the oats follow next ; and afterwards, if he have a meadow, his grass will be ready for the scythe; then come his potatoes, and lastly his Indian corn. If the emigrant purchases and settles upon what is called wild land, one of his first cares ought to be to plant a peach and apple orchard ; and he ought to plant the two sorts alternate, say one peach betwixt two apple trees, and not' plant the apple trees less than SO feet asunder. The peach tree soon comes to maturity, and is short lived : they will become of little value by the time the apple trees are in want of room. In the woody region, the axe is for some time the chief im- plement in the hands of the settler, and he feels a considerable 22 3 S 506 VIEW OF THE degree of repugnance at the destruction of so much fine tim- ber ; but this soon subsides. If he has courage to proceed as far west as the lUinois, the North-west territories, or to the west of the Mississippi, the prairies afford him the means of settling without much trouble. In the early part of the settlement of the rich countries be- yond the Alleghanies, agues were very prevalent ; and it will perhaps be found, that all countries in a state of nature are liable to this disease in the proportion of their fertility, which has a tendency to produce it, from the vast quantity of vege- table matter which goes to decay in autumn. As this applies generally in those regions, the new settler has no means of avoiding the consequence, but by precautions and preventives; but as it has also a local influence, he may, by a judicious choice of a situation, render himself and family less liable to its attacks. As the first settlers have the choice of the whole country, it is very natural that they should adopt the alluvial of the rivers, both on account of the superior fertility of the soil^ and the facilities it gives to the transportation of produce : and many, in so doing, sacrifice their health to their apparent interest. It must be admitted, that some of the valleys in which the rivers flow are as healthy as the uplands ; but this depends on whether the river overflows its banks or not, or on the existence or non-existence of stagnant water in the neigh- bourhood. As to precautions, the emigrant is apprised that in these countries the dews are very copious, and begin to fall even before sunset. Let him avoid, as much as possible, ex- posufe either to this or rain ; or if unavoidably exposed, he must take off his wet clothes as soon as possible ; and if he h^s flannel shiits, in order to change after copious perspiration, he will find benefit in them. An important consideration in this respect is the (quality of the water used in his family : of course the purer this is the better. The settler cannot be ex- pected to be capable of analysing it ; but he may discover the presence of sulphur, iron, an acid> or an alkah, by tests always in his power to procure. Sulphur may be detected by laying a piece of bright silver in the water, which turns black if that substance is held in solution. A little of the inner bark of UNITED STATES. 507 any of the oaks, infused in a glassful, turns the water black, if iron is present. Paper, stained blue by the petals of almost any flower of that colour being rubbed upon it, turns green by being dipped in water impregnated with alkali ; or red, if an acid. The settler who is accustomed to malt liquor may, with very little trouble, brew his own ale. Barley is cultivated west of the Alleghanies , and hops grow wild in abundance. The use of this beverage is supposed to be a preventive to the ague. Almost every family has a supposed cure for this complaint ; and every one who visits or sees those affected has a favourite remedy, all differing from each other ; but the physicians, in the Western country, treat it with bark and laudanum : of these the emigrant ought to lay in a sufficiency to administer to his family in case of need. It has already been observed, that the emigrants to this country are almost of every nation in Europe ; but it is a re- markable and striking fact, that the Germans, Dutch, and Swiss, succeed much better than those from any other country. This is not so much owing to greater industrv or economy, as to the more judicious mode they adopt in settling. In gene- ral, before these people emigrate, they form associations, lay down their plans, and send an agent over in whom they can confide. He purchases for them a suitable extent of land, and prepares the way : when their arrangements are made, they move over in one body. This system has always been followed by these people, and the consequences are visible in almost every part of the United States ; but more particularly in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, in all parts of which they are in possession of the best lands. The appearance of comfort, ease, and independence, exhibited by one of these little colonies, is so visible, that the traveller who does not perceive it at first sight must be very deficient in discernment. Some of the colonies of this kind, besides the tie of common interest, have another bond of union, which is a similarity of sentiment and belief in their religious opinions ; this, in some instances, has operated as a cause for regulating their system of colonisation • but perhaps that which has most 508 VIEW OF THE generally influenced them is the circumstance of their language not being the general language of the United States, — an in- convenience much less felt by a colony than by an isolated family. But let the cause be what it may, the effect is very manifest, and may be easily accounted for. In the early set- tlement of any particular district of new country^ its progress in improvements is slow, until a grist and saw-mill are erected ; after which the change is very rapid. Every planter in the vicinity, by the aid of the saw-mill, is able to erect a handsome frame-house. The grist-mill enables him to convert his wheat into flour fit for a market, and he boldly engages and employs hands to assist him in converting forest into fields, yielding luxuriant crops. These two kind of mills are the most neces- sary objects in a new colony ; but there are many others, such as roads, bridges, &c. all of which are much sooner effected by a colony having an union of interest, and of course an union of action. Mr. Birkbeck, in his letters from the Illinois, says, ' I am fully convinced, that those who are not screwed up to the full pitch of enterprise had better remain in Old England, than attempt agriculture, or business of any kind (manual operations excepted) in. the Atlantic States. Emigrants from Europe are too apt to linger in the eastern cities, wasting their time, their money, and their resolution. They should push out westward without delay, where they can live cheaply until they fix themselves. Two dollars, saved in Pennsylvania, will pur- chase an acre of good land in the Illinois. The land Carriage, from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, is from seven to ten dollars per cwt, (100 lb.) Clothing, razors, pocket-knives^ pencils, mathematical instruments, and light articles in general, of con- stant usefulness, ought to be carried even at this expence ; and books, which are scarce, and much wanted in the west. Good gun-locks are rare, and difficult to procure. No heavy implements will pay carriage. A pocket compass is indispen- sable for every stranger who ventures alone into the woods of America; and he should always carry the means of lighting a fire; for the traveller, when he starts in the morning on a wilderness journey, little knows where next he may lay his UNITED STATES. 509 head. Tow rubbed with gunpowder is good tinder. A few biscuits, a phial of spirits, a tomahawk, and a good blanket, are necessary articles. Overtaken by night, or bewildered, if thus provided, you will be really comfortable by your blazing fire ; when without them you would feel dismal and disconso- late. A dog is a pleasant and useful fellow-traveller in the back woods. You should make your fire with a fallen tree for a back log, and lie to leeward, with your feet towards it. The smoke flying over will preserve you from the damp air and musquitoes. Tie your horse with a long rein to the end of a bough, or to the top of a young hickory tree, which will allow him to graze or browse ; and change his position, if you awake in the night.' In a letter to a friend, this enterprising speculator says, ' Make an effort, and extricate yourself and family completely, by removing into this country. If you can honourably make your escape, with the means of transmitting yourself hither, and 100/. sterling to spare, — don't hesitate. In six months after I shall have welcomed you, barring accidents, you shall discover that you have become rich, for you shall feel that you are independent; and I think that will be the most de- lightful sensation you ever experienced ; for you will receive it multiplied as it were by the number of your family, as your troubles now are. It is not, however, a sort of independence, that will excuse you from labour, or afford you many luxuries, that is, costly luxuries. I will state to you what I have learnt, from a good deal of observation and intjuiry, and a little expe- rience; then you will form your own judgment. In the first place, the voyage — That will cost, to Baltimore or Philadel- phia, provided you take it, as no doubt you would, in the cheapest way, twelve guineas each, for a birth, fire, and water, for yourself and wife, and half price or less for your children ; besides provisions, which you will furnish. Then the journey — Over the mountains to Pittsburs", down the Ohio to Shaw- nee town, and from thence to our settlement, 50 miles north, will amount to five pounds sterling per head. If you arrive here as early as May, or even June, another five pounds per head will carry you on to that point, where you may take 510 VIEW OF THE your leave of dependence on any thing earthly but voiir own exertions. At this time I suppose you to have remaining one hundred pounds (borrowed probably from English friends, who rely on your integrity, and who may have directed the interest to be paid to nie on their behalf, and the princij)al in due season. We will now, if you please, turn it into dollars, and consider how it may be disposed of. A hundred pounds stei'ling will go a great way in dollars. With 80 dollars you will '* enter a quarter section of land ;*' that is, you will pur- chase at the land-office 160 acres, and pay one-fourth of the purchase money, looking to the land to reward your pains with the means of discharging the other three-fourths as they become due, in two, three, and lour years. You will build a house with 50 dollars, and you will find it extremely comfort- able and convenient, as it will be really and truly yoins. Two horses will cost, with harness and plough, 100. Cows, and hogs, and seed corn, and fencing, with other expences, will require the remaining 210 dollars. This beginning, humble as it appears, is affluence and splendour compared with the original outfit of settlers in general. Yet no man remains in poverty, who possesses even moderate industry and economy, and especially of time. You would of course bring with you your sea-bedding and store of blankets, for you will need them on the Ohio ; and you should leave England with a good stock of wearing apparel. Your luggage must be composed of light articles, on account of the costly land-carriage from the eastern port to Pittsburg, which will be from seven to ten dollars per 100 lb. nearly six-pence sterling per pound. A few simple medicines of good quality are indispensable, such as calomel, bark in powder, >castor oil, calcined magnesia, and laudanum : they may be of the greatest importance on the voyage and journey, as well as after your arrival. Change of climate and situation will produce temporaiy indisposition ; but with prompt and judicious treatment, which is happily of the most simple kind, the complaints to which new comers are liable are seldom dangerous or difJieult to overcome.' In conformity to our foregoing remark,- this writer remarks that emigrants with small capitals are liable to great inconve- UNITED STATES. 511 nience, unless they hiive u particular situation provided for them by some precursor on whom they can depend. Money is powerful in this country in purchasing land, but weak iri providing the means of living, except as to the bare necessaries of life. Thus the travelling expences of emigrants are heavy, in addition to the waste of thne in long peregrinations. Mr. (.'obbett says, ' There are some, and even many, farm- ers, who do not work themselves in the fields. But they all attend to the thing, and are all equally civil to their working people. They manage their affairs very judiciously. Little talking. Orders plainly given in few words, and in a decided tone. This is their only secret. * The cattle and implements used in husbandry arc cheaper than in England ; that is to say, lower priced. The wear and tear not nearly half so much as upon a farm in England of the same size. The climate, the soil, the gentleness and docility of the horses and oxen, the lightness of the waggons and carts, the lightness and toughness of the wood of which husbandry implements are made, the simplicity of the harness, and, above all, the ingenuity and handiness of the workmen in repairing and in making shift ; all these make the implements a matter of very little note Where horses are kept, the shoeing of them is the most serious kind of expence. ' The first business of a farmer is, here, and ought to be every where, to live well : to live in ease and plenty ; to " keep hospitality," as the old English saying was. To save money is a secondary consideration ; but any English farmer, who is a good farmer there, may, if he will bring his industry and care with him, and be sure to leave his pride and insolence (if he have any) along with his anxiety, behind him, live in ease and plenty here, and keep hospitality, and save a great parcel of money too. If he have the jack-daw taste for heap- ing little round things together in a hole or chest, he may fol- low his taste. I have often thought of ray good neighbour, John Gater, who, if he were here, with his pretty clipped hedges, his garden-looking fields, and his neat homesteads, would have visitors from far and near ; and, while every one would admire and praise, no soul would envy him his posses- 512 VIEW OF THE sions. Mr, Gater would soon have all these things. The hedges only want planting; and lie would feel so comfortably to know that the Botley parson could never again poke his nose into his sheep-fold or his pig-stye. However, let me hope, rather, that the destruction of the borough-tyranny will soon make England a country fit for an honest at)d industrious man to live in. Let me hope that a relief from grinding taxa- tion will soon relieve men of their fears of dying in poverty, and will thereby restore to England the "hospitality*" for which she was once famed, but which now really exists no where but in America.' Perhaps there are no modern publications that have made so deep an impression on the minds of British farmers than Birk beck's ' Notes on a Journey in America,' and the ' Letters from the Illinois.' We have not made much use of the writ- ings of this gentleman, because we think they are calculated to deceive and decov. ' You do indeed,' says a writer addressing Birkbeck, ' describe difficulties and hardships ; but then you overcome them all with so much ease and gaiety, that you make them disregarded by your English readers, who, sitting by their fire-sides, and feeling nothing but the gripe of tiie boi'ough-mongers and the tax-gatherer, merely cast a glance at your hardships and fully participate in all your enthusiasm. You do indeed fairly describe the rugged roads, the dirty hovels, the fire in the woods to sleep by, the pathless ways through the wildernesses, the dangerous crossings of the rivers ; but there are the beautiful meadows and rich lands at last; there is the fine freehold domain at the end ! There are the giants and the enchanters to encounter ; the slashings and rib- roastings to undergo; but then there is at last the lovely lan- guishing damsel to repay the adventurer.' ' The fact is,' says another writer on America, ' that by his (Birkbeck's) style and manner he has so captivated many of his readers (Americans excepted), that they begin to feel the conveniences and establishments of civilized life a sourse of misery, instead of an advantage. There is, moreover, some- , thing very imposing in the circumstance, that a man of his talents and property should be perfectly satisfied with the UNITED STATES. 513 change, notwithstanding all its attendant privations. This certainly has its weight, but having once taken the step he has done, I would merely suggest (without pretending to enter very deeply into the recesses of the human mind) a few consi- derations, why any man, under his circumstances, would na- turally look with a very lenient eye upon all defects, and where even a mole-hill in the way of excellence existed, feel inclined to magnify it into a mountaia. In leaving England he evidently turned his back upon it for ever. He vyas dis- gusted with the government, and hardly any extent of disap- pointment would probably induce him to place himself in the humiliating situation of returninff. He has oone into ihe wil- derness — purchased a large quantity of land — has made his final election — has reasonable hopes of the speculation proving profitable — would not be disappointed with having neighbours natives of his ozvn countrit/, and similar to himself in property and in information — must desire that the value of his lands should advance as largely and as rapidly as possible ; which can only be effected by emigration being directed to that point, and he having no claim to the character of a superhuman be- ing, would not feel his sense of importance lessened by being the founder of a large English colony. Taking these consi- derations into our calculation, and reflecting upon tjieir neces- sary/ effect on the mind of any man so circumstanced, we may be supplied with an explanation of much that is contained in the " Notes on a Journey to Illinois." ' Mr. Cobbett has entered into an able examination of Mr. Birkbeck"'s account of America, which, notwithstanding his esteem for the writer, he thinks will prove both injurious to the interests of English farmers who are captivated by it, and to the character of the United States. « Persons,' he observes, 'of advanced age, of settled habits, of deep-rooted prejudices, of settled acquaintances, of contracted sphere of movement, do not, to use Mr. George Flower's expression, " transplant well."" Of all such persons farmers transplant worst; and of all farmers, English farmers are the worst to transplant. Of some of the teajs, shed in the Illinois, an account reached me several months ago, through an eye-witness of perfect veracity, 3 T 514, VIEW OF THE and a very sincere friend of freedom and of you, and whose information was given me, unasked for, and in the presence of several Englishmen, every one of whom, as well as myself, most ardently wished you success. ' It is nothing, my dear sir, to say, as you do, in the preface to the "Letters from the Illinois,"" that, "as little would I encourage the emigration of the tribe of grumblers, people who are petulent and discontented under the every-day evils of life. Life has its petty miseries in all situations and cli- mates, to be mitigated or cured by the continual efforts of an elastic spirit, or to be borne, if incurable, with cheerful pa- tience.> But the peevish emigrant is perpetually comparing the comforts he has quitted, but never could enjoy, with the privations of his new allotment. He overlooks the present good, and broods over the evil with habitual perverseness ; whilst in the recollection of the past, he dwells on the good only. Such people are always bad associates, but they are an. especial nuisance in an infant colony." ' Give me leave to say, my dear sir, that there is too much asperity in this language, considering who were the objects of" the censure. Nor do you appear to me to afford, in this in- stances, a very happy illustration of the absence of that peevish- ness, which you perceive in others, and for the yielding to which you call them a nuisance; an appellation much too harsh for the object and for the occasion. If you, with all your elasticity of spirit, all your ardour of pursuit, all \our compensations of fortune in prospect, and all your gratifica- tions of fame in possession, cannot with patience hear the wail- ings of some of your neighbours, into what source are they to dip for the waters of content and good humour.'' * It is no "every-day evil"" that they have to bear. For an English farmer, and, more especially, an English farmer"'s wife, after crossing the sea and travelling to the Illinois, witK the consciousness of having expended a third of theu* substance, to purchase, as yet, nothing but sufferings ; for such persons to boil their pot in the gipsy fashion, to have a mere board to eat on, to drink whisky or pure water, to sit and sleep under ft. shed far inferior to their English cow-pens, to have a mill al UNITED STATES. ~ 515 twenty miles distance, an apothecary's shop at a hundred, and a doctor no where ; these, my dear sir, are not, to such people, " every-day evils of life." You, though in your little " cabin,'* have your books, you have your name circulating in the world, you have it to be given, by and by^ to a city or a county ; and if you fail of brilliant success, you have still a sufficiency of fortune to secure you a safe retreat. Almost the whole of your neighbours must be destitute of all these sources of comfort, hope, and consolation. As they now are, their change is, and must be, for the worse; and as to the future, besides the un- certainty attendant every where on that which is to come, they ought to be excused if they, at their age, despair of seeing days as happy as those that they have seen. ' It were much better for such people not to emigrate at all ; for while they are sure to come into a state of some degree of suifering, they leave behind them the chance of happy days ; and, in my opinion, the certainty of such days. ' But leaving this matter for the present, if English farmers must emigrate, why should they encounter unnecessary diffi- culties? Coming from a country like a garden, why should they not stop in another somewhat resembling that which they have lived in before.-^ Why should they, at an expence amounting to a large part of what they possess, prowl two thousand miles at the hazard of their limbs and lives, take women and children through scenes of hardship and distress not easily described, and that too to live like gipsies at the end of their journey for at least a year or two, and, as I think I shall show, without the smallest chance of their finally doing so well as they may do in these Atlantic states ? Why should an English farmer and his family, who have always been jog- ging about a snug homestead, eating regular meals, and sleep- ing in warm rooms, push back to the Illinois, and encounter those hardships which require all the habitual disregard of comfort of an American back- woodsman to overcome ? Why should they do this ? The undertaking is hardly recf)ncileable to reason in an Atlantic American farmer who has half a dozen sons, all brought up to use the axe, the saw, the ch- i^el, and the hammer from their infancy,, and every one of whom is 516 VIEW OF THE plougliman, carjienter, wheelwright, and butcher, and can work from sun-rise to sun-set, and sleep, if need be, upon the bare boards. What then must it be to an English farmer and his family of helpless mortals ? Hel[)less, I mean, in this scene of such novelty and such difficulty. And what is his wife to do ; she who has been torn from all her relations and neighbours, and from every thing that she liked in the world, and who perhaps has never, in all her life before, been ten miles from the cradle in which she was nursed? An Ameri- can farmer mends his plough, his waggon, his tackle of all sorts, his household goods, his shoes: and, if need be, he makes them all. Can our people do all this, or any part of it ? Can they live without bread for months ? Can they live without beer ? Can they be otherwise than miserable, cut off, as they are, from all intercourse with, and hope of hearing of, their relations and friends? The truth is, that this is not transplantivg^ it is tem'iy^g up and flinging aicaiy. ' Society ! What society can these people have ? 'Tis true they have nobody to envy, for nobody can have any thing to enjoy. But there may be, and there must be, mutual com- plainings, upbraidings ; and every unhappiness will be traced directly to him who has been, however unintentionally, the cause of the unhappy person"'s removal. The very foundation of your plan necessarily contained the seeds of discontent and ill-will. A colony all from the same country was the very worst project that could have been fallen upon."* Mr. Cobbet then proceeds, in a strain of powerful irony, to ridicule Birkbeck's imiiginary plans of happiness in the Illinois. * In such a situation,' says he, ' with so many circumstances to annoy, what happiness can an English family enjoy in that country, so far distant from all that resembles what they have left behind them ? " The fair enchantress, Liberty," of whom you speak with not too much rapture, they would have found in any of these states, and in a garb too by which they would have recognised her. Where they now are they are free in- deed ; but their freedom is that of the wild animals in your woods. It is not J'reedom^ it is no government. The gipsies in England are free ; and any one, who has a mind to live in UNITED STATES. 517 a cave or cabin in some hidden recess of our Hampshire forests, may be free too. The English farmer in the Illinois is indeed beyond the reach of the borough-mongers ; and so is the man that is in the grave. When it was first proposed, in the Eng- Hsh ministry, to drop quietly the title of King of France in the enumeration of our king's titles, and when it was stated to be an expedient likely to tend" to a peace, Mr. Windham, who was then a member of the cabinet, said, " As this is a measure of safety, and as, doubtless, we shall hear of others of the same cast, what think you of going under ground at once .'''" It was a remark enough to cut tlie liver out of the hearers ; but Pitt and his associates had no livers. I do not believe that any twelve journeymen or labourers in England would have voted for the adoption of this mean and despicable measure. ' If, indeed, the Illinois were the only place out of the reach of the borough-grasp ; and if men are resolved to get out of that reach ; then I should say, Go to the Illinois by all means. But as there is a country, a settled country, a free country, full of kind neighbours, full of all that is good, and when this country is to be traversed in order to get at the acknowledged hardships of the Illinois, how can a sane mind lead an English farmer into the expedition ? * It is the enchanting damsel that makes the kniaht encoun- ter the hair-breadth escapes, the sleeping on the groimd, the cooking with cross-sticks to hang the pot on. It is the prairie, that pretty French word, which means green grass bespangled with daisies and cowslips ! Oh, God ! what delusion ! And that a man of sense; a man of superior understanding and talent ; a man of honesty, honour, humanity, and lofty senti- ment, should be the cause of this delusion ! I, my dear sir, have seen prairies many years ago, in America, as fine as yours, as fertile as yours, though not so extensive. I saw those prairies settled on by American loyalists, who were car- ried, with all their goods and tools, to the spot, and who were furnished with four years' provisions, all at the expence of England ; and who had the lands given them, tools given them, and who were thus seated down on the borders of creeks, which gave them easy communication with the inhabited plains 518 VIEW OF THE near the sea. The settlers that I particularly knew were Connecticut men. Men with famihes of sons. Men able to do as much in a day, at the works necessary in tiieir situation, as so many Englishmen would be able to do in a week. They began witli a shed; then rose to a log house; and next to a fraine house ; all of their own building. I have seen them manure their land with sahnoil caught in their creeks, and with pig-eons' caught on the land itself. It will be a long while before ybu will see such beautiful corn-fields as I saw there. Yet nothing but the danger and disgrace which at- tended their return to Connecticut prevented their returning, though there they must have begun the world anew. I saw them in their log huts, and saw them in their frame houses. They had overcome all their difficulties as settlers ; they were under a government which required neither tax nor service from them ; they were as happy as people could be as to ease and plenty ; but still they sighed for Connecticut ; and especially the women, young as well as old, though we, gay fellows with worsted or silver lace upon our bright red coats, did our best to make them happy by telling them entertaining stories about Old England, while we drank their coffee and grog by gallons, and eat their fowls, pigs, and sausages, and sweetmeats by wheelbarrow loads; for though we were by no means shy, their hospitality far exceeded our appetites. I am an old hand at the work of settling in wilds. I have, more than once or twice, had to begin my nest and go in, like a bird, making it habitable by degrees ; and if I, or if such people as ray old friends above mentioned, with every thing found for them and brought to the spot, had difficulties to undergo, and sighed for home even after all the difficulties were over, what must be the lot of an English farmer's family in the Illinois!''' This experienced writer next gives his own ideas on the mode of settling proper for an English farmer. ' All this,' he says, ' I told you, my dear sir, in London just before your departure. I begged of you and Mr. Richard Flower both, not to think of the wildernesses. I begged of you to go to within -a day's ride of some of these great cities, where your ample capital and your great skill coiUd not fail to place you UNITED STATES. 519 upon a footing, at least, with the richest amongst the most happy and enlightened yeomanry in the world ; where you would find every one to praise the improvements you would introduce, and nobody to envy you any thing that you might acquire. Where you would find society as good, in all re- spects, as that which you had left behind you. Where you would find neighbours ready prepared for you far more gene- rous and hospitable than those in England can be, loaded and pressed down as they are by the inexorable hand of the bo- rough-villains. I offered you a letter^ (which, I believe, I sent you) to my friends the Pauls. " But,'" said I " you want no letter. Go into Philadelphia, or Bucks, or Chester, or Montgomery county ; tell any of the quakers, or any body else, that you are an English farmer, come to settle amongst them ; and I'll engage that you will instantly have friends and neighbours as good and as cordial as those that you leave in England." ' At this very moment, if this plan had been pursued, you would have had a beautiful farm of two or three hundred acres. Fine stock upon it feeding on Swedish turnips A house overflowing with abundance ; comfort, ease, and, if you chose, elegance, would have been your inmates; libraries, public and private, within your reach ; and a communication with England much -mure quick and regular than that which you now have even with Pittsbu;g. ' You say that " Philadelphians know nothing of the West- ern countries " Suffer me th- n to say, that you know nothing of the Atlantic states, which indeed is the only apology for your saying that the Am^M'icans have no mutton fit to eat, and regard it only as a I'nng fit for dogs. In this island every farmer has sheep. J kill fatter lamb than I ever saw in Eng- land, and the fattest mutton I saw, I saw in company with Mr. Harline in Philadelphia market last winter. At Brighton, near Boston, they produ' - d, at a cartle show this fall, an ox of tzvo titiouiiund seven Uimdred pounds weight, and sheep much finer than you and I saw at the Smithfield show in 1814. Mr. Judge Lav^ lence, t)f this county, kept for seven years an average of five hundred Mermos on his farm of one 520 VIEW OF THE hundred and fifty acres, besides raising twenty acres of corn and his usual pretty large proportion of grain ! Can your Western farmers beat that ? Yes, in extent, as the surface of five dollars beats that of a guinea. ' I suppose that Mr. Judge Lawrence's farm, close by the side of a bay that gives him two hours of water carriage to New York ; a farm with twenty acres of meadow, real prairie ; a gentleman's house and garden ; barns, sheds, cider-house, stables, coach-house, corn-cribs, and orchards that may pro- duce from four to eight thousand bushels of apples and pears; I suppose that this farm is wortii three hundred dollars an acre ; that is, forty-five thousand dollars, or about twelve or thirteen thousand pounds. ' Now then let us take a look at your estimate of the ex- pences of sitting down in the prairies. ' Copy from my Memorandum Book. ' Estimate of money required for the comfortable establishment of my family on Bolting house, now English prairie ; on which the first instalment is paid. About 720 acres of woodland, and 720 prairie — the latter to be chiefly grass : — Dollars. Second instalment, August, 1819, 720 dollars; Third, Au- gust, 1820, 720 dollars; Fourth, August, 1821, 720 dollars 2160 DweUing-house and appurtenances - - - - 4.500 Other buildings - - 1 500 46'80 rods of fencing, viz. 3400 on the prairie, and 1280 round the woodland - - - - - - 1170 Sundry wells, 200 dollars; gates, 100 dollars; cabins, 200 dollars 500 100 head of cattle, 900 dollars; 20 sows, &c. 100 dollars; sheep, 1000 dollars 2000 Ploughs, waggons, &c. and sundry tools and implements 270 Housekeeping until the land supplies us - - - 1000 Shepherd one year's wages, herdsman one year, and sun- dry other labourers ..__-- 1000 One cabinet maker, one wheelwright, one year, making furniture and implements, 300 dollars each - - 60^^ UNITED STATES. 521 Dollars. Sundry articles of furniture, iron-mongery, pottery, glass, &c. 500 Sundries, fruit trees, SiC. - -- - - - 100 First instalment already paid - - - - - 720 Five horses on hand worth - - - - - 500 Expence of freight and carriage of linen, bedding, books, clothing, &c. - - - - - - - 1000 Value of articles brought from England - - - 4500 Voyage and journey _._-_- 2000 23,820 L5359 sterling. Allow about 600 dollars more for corn and seed 141 L5500 ' So here is more than one-third of the amount of ^Ir. Judge" Lawrence's farm. To be sure, there are only q^bout 18,000 dollars expended on land, buildings, and getting at them ; but what a life is that which you are to lead for a thousand dollars a year, when two good domestic servants will cost four hundred of the money ? Will you live like one of the yeomen of your rank here ? Then, I assure you, that your domestics and groceries (the latter three times as dear as they are here) and crockery -ware (equally dear) will more than swallow up that pitiful sum. You allow six thousand dollars for buildings. Twice the sum would not put you, in this respect, upon a footing with Mr. Lawrence. His land is all completely fenced, and his grain in the ground. His apple trees have six thousand bushels of apples in their buds, ready to come out in the spring ; and a large part of these to be sold at a high price to go on ship-board. But what is to give you his market ? What is to make your pork, as soon as killed, sell for nine or ten dollars a hundred, and your cows at 45 or 50 dollars each, and your beef at seven or eight dollars a hun- dred, and your corn at a dollar and wheat at two dollars a bushel? ' However, happiness is in the mind ; and if it be necessary for the gratification of your mind to inhabit a wilderness, and be the owner of a large tract of land, you are right to seek 3 U 522 VIEW OF THE and enjoy this gratification. But for the plain, plodding En^- Ksh farmer, who simply seeks safety for his little property, with some addition to it for his children ; for such a person to cross the Atlantic states in search of safety, tranquillity, and gain in the Illinois, is, to my mind, little short of madness. Yet to this mad enterprise is he allui*ed by your captivating statements, and which statements become decisive in their effects upon his mind, when they are reduced to figures. This, my dear sir, is the part of your writings which has given me most pain. You have not meant to deceive ; but you have first practised a deceit upon yourself, and then upon others. All the disadvantages you state ; but then you ac- company the statement by telling us how quickly and how easily they v/ill be overcome. Salt, Mr. Huhne finds, even at Zanesville, at two dollars and a half a bushel ; but you tell us that it will soon be at a quaiter of a dollar. And thus it goes all through. * I am happy, however, that you have gi^'en us figures iu your account of what an Engli.sh farmer may do with two thousand pounds. It is alluring, it is fallacious, it tends to disappointment, misery, ruin, and broken hearts ; but it is open and honest in intention, and it affords us the means of detecting and exposing the fallacy. Many and many a family have returned to New England after having emigrated to the west in search of fine estates. They, able worknien, exem- plary livers, have returned to labour in their native states, amongst their relations and old neighbours ; but what are our poor ruined countr^fmen to do when they become pennyless? If I could root my country from my heart, common humanity would urge me to make an humble attempt to dissipate the charming delusions, which have, without your perceiving it, gone forth from your sprightly and able pen. and which delu- sions are the more dangerous on account of your justly high and well-known character for understanding and integrity. ' The statement to which I allude stantis as follows, in your tenth Letter from the Illinois. ' A capital of 2000/. sterling, (8889 dollars,) may be invested on a section of such land, in the followincr manner, viz UNITED STATES. 5Uii Dollars. Purchase of the land, 640 acres, at 2 dollars per acre 12S0 House and buildings, exceedingly convenient and comfort- able, may be built for .... 1500 A rail fence round the woods, 1000 rods, at 25 cents per rod 250 About 1 800 rods of ditch and bank, to divide the arable into 10 fields, at 35^ . . . . 600 Planting 1800 rods of live fence . . . 150 Fruit trees for orchard, &c. . . . . 100 Horses and other live stock . . . . . 1500 Implements and furniture .... 1000 Provision for one year, and sundry incidental charges 1000 Sundry articles of linen, books, apparel, implements, &c. brought from England . Carriage of ditto, suppose 2000 lbs. at 1 dollars per cirt. Voyage and travelling expences of one person, suppose 8889 Note. — The first instalment on the land is 320 dollars, therefore 960 dollars of the purchase money remain in hand, to be applied to the expences of cultivation, in addition to the sums above stated. Expenditu7-e of first Year. Breaking up 100 acres, 2 dollars per acre . . 200 Indian com for seed, 5 barrels (a barrel is five bushels) 10 Planting ditto . . . . 25 Horse-hoeing ditto, one dollar per acre . 100 Harvesting ditto, 1§ dollar per acre . . . 150 Ploughing the same land for wheat, 1 dollar per acre 100 Seed wheat, sowing, and harrowing . . . 175 Incidental expences . , . . . 240 ' 1000 Produce of first Year. 100 acres of Indian corn, 50 bushels (or 10 barrels) per acre> at 2 dollars per barrel .... 2000 Net produce 1000 Expenditure of second year. Breaking up 100 acres for Indian corn, with expences on that crop ...... 485 Harvesting and threshing wheats 100 acres . . 350 524. VIEW OF THE Dollars. Ploughing 100 acres for wheat, seed, &c. 275 Incidents ...... 290 1400 Produce of second year. l60 acres Indian corn, 10 barrels per acre, 2 dollars per barrel ..... 2000 100 acres wheat, 20 bushels per acre, 75 dollars per barrel . . . . 1500 3500 Net produce 2100 Expenditure of third year. Breaking up 100 acres as before, with expences on crop of Indian corn ..... 485 Ploughing 100 acres wheat stubble for Indian corn . 100 Horse-hoeing, harvesting, &c. ditto . . . 285 Harvesting and threshing 100 acres wheat , . 350 Dung-carting 100 acres for wheat, after second crop of In- dian corn ...... 200 Ploughing 200 acres wheat, seed, &c. . . 550 Incidents ...... 330 2309 Produce of third year. 200 acres Indian cwn, 10 barrels per acre, 2 dollars per barrel ..... 4000 100 acres wheat, 20 bushels per acre, 75 dollars per barrel . • . . . 1500 5500 Net produce 3200 Expenditiire of fourth year. As the third . . . . . . 2300 Harvesting and threshing 100 acres more wheat . 350 Additional incidents . . . - 50 2700 Produce of fourth year. 200 acres Indiati corn, as above . . 4000 200 acres wheat .... 3000 7000 Net produce 4300 UNITED STATES. sm Summary. First year Second .... Third .... Fourth . . . . Housekeeping and other expences for four years Expences. Produce. Dollars. Dollars. 1000 2000 1400 3500 2300 5500 2700 7000 18,000 4000 11,400 Net proceeds per annum .... l650 Increasing value of land by cultivation and settlements, half a dollar per annum on 640 acres . . 320 Annual clear profit 1979 *' Twenty more: kill 'em ! Twenty more: kill them too !" No : I will not compare you to Bobadil ; for he was an inten- tional deceiver ; and you are unintentionally deceiving others and yourself to?. But really there is in this statement some- thing so extravagant, so perfectly wild, so ridiculously and staringly untrue, that it is not without a great deal of difficulty that all my respect for you personally can subdue in me the temptation to li'eat it with the contempt due to its intrinsic demerits, ' I shall notije only a few of the items. A house, you say, " exceedingly convenient and comfortable, together with farm buildings, ma} be built for 1500 dollars." Your own intend- ed house you estimate at 4500, and your out-buildings at 1500. So th£t if this house of the farmer (an English farmer, mind) and his buildings are to be "exceedingly convenient and comfortaMe" for 1500 dollars, your house and buildings must be on a scale, which, if not perfectly princely, must savour a good deal of aristocratical distinction. But this if relieves us; for even your house, built of pine timber and boards, and covered with cedar shingles, and finished only as a good plair farm-house ought to be, will, if it be thirty-six feet front, t!iirty-four feet deep, two rooms in front, kitchen and wash-house behind, four rooms above, and a cellar be- 5^6 VIEW OF THE neath; yes, this house alone, the bare empty house, with doojs and windows suitable, will cost you more than six thou- sand dollars. I state this upon good authority. I have taken thfc estimate of a building carpenter. " What carpenter .'*''■' you will say. Why, a Long Island carpenter, and the house to be built within a mile of Brooklyn, or two miles of New York. And this is giving you all the advantage, for here the pine is cheaper than with you ; the shingles cheaper ; the linif and stone and brick as cheap or cheaper ; the glass, iron, leaci, brass, and tin, all at half or a quarter of the prairie pnce; and as to labour, if it be not cheaper here than with you, men would do well not to go so far in search of high wages ! ' Let no simple Englishman imagine that here, at and near New York, in this dear place, we have to pay for the boards and timber brought from a distance; and tha: you, the happy people of the land of daisies and of cowslip,, can cut down your own good and noble oak trees upon the spot, on your own estates, and turn them into houses without any carting. Let no simple Englishman believe such idle stories as this. To dissipate all such notions, I have only to till him, that the American farmers on this island, when they luve buildings to make or repair, go and purchase the pine timber and boards, at the very same time that they cut down theii own oak trees, and cleave up and burn thenV as fire-wood ! This is the uni- versal practice in all the parts of America taat I have ever seen. What is the cause.? Pine wood is cieaper, though bought, than the oak is without buying. Tais fact, which nobody can deny, is a complete proof that you gain no advan- tage from being in woods, as far as building is concerned. And the truth is, that the boards and plank, which have been used in the prairie, have actually been brought from the Wa- jpash, charged with ten miles rough land carriage: how far they may have come down the Wabash I cannot tell. ' Thus then tlie question is settled, that buiHing must b^ cheaper liere than in the Illinois. If, there! ore, a house, 36 by 34 feet, cost here 6000 dollars, what can a inan get there for 1500 dollars ? A miserable hole, and no more. But here UNITED STATES. 527 are to be farm buildings and all in the 1500 dollars"' worth ! A barn, 40 feet by 30, with floor, and with stables in the sides, cannot be built for 1500 dollars ; leaving out waggon- house, corn-crib, cattle-hovels, yard fences, pig-sties, smoke house, and a great deal more ! And yet you say that all these, and a farm-house into the bargain, all "exceedingly comfortable and convenient," may be had for 1500 dollars ! ' Now you know, my dear sir, that this is said in the face of all America. Farmers are ray readers. They all understand these matters. They are not only good, but Impartial judges ; and I call upon you lo contradict, or even question, my state- ments, if you can. ' Do my eyes deceive me .'' Or do I really see one hundred and fifty dollai's put down as the expence of " planting one thousand eight hundred rod of live fence P"" That is to say, three-quarters of a cent, or three-quarters of an English half- penny a rod ! The "enchantress. Liberty,"" must have had you wholly to herself here ; or rather she must have taken the pen out of your hand, and written this item herself; for so great a liberty with truth never was taken by any mortal be- ing. What plants ? Whence to come .'' Drawn out of the woods, or first sown in a nursery ? Is it seed to be sown .'' Where are the seeds to come from ? No levelling of the top of the bank; no drill; no sowing; no keeping clean for a year or two : or all these for three-quarters of a cent a rod, when the same works cost half a dollar a rod in England ! Oh, monstrous tale ! To dwell upon such a story is to insult the good sense of the reader. My real opinion is, that you will never have any thing worthy of the name of a live fence in the prairies ; and that the idea only makes part of a delu- sive dream. No labourer in America will look at a rod of your banks for three-quarters of a cent. ' Manure, too ! And do you really want manure then ? And where, I pray, are you to get manure for 100 acres? But supposing you to have it, do you seriously mean to tell us that you will carry it on for two dollars an acre ? The carry- ing on, indeed, might perhaps be done for that ; but who pays for the tilling and for the spreading.? Ah, my dear siri I 528 VIEW OF THE can well imagine your feelings at putting down the item of dung-carting, trifling as you make it appear upon paper. You now recollect my words when I last had the pleasure of seeing you, in Catherine-street, a few days before the depar- ture of us both. 1 then dreaded the dung-cart, and recom- mended the TuUian system to you, by which you would have the same crops every year without manure ; but, unfortunately for my advice, you sincerely believed your land would be al- ready too rich, and that your main difficulty would be, not to cart on manure, but to cart off the produce !'' Having thus cut up the Transalleghanian romance, he pro- ceeds to notice an item or two of the produce. * The farmer,' savs he, 'is to have 100 acres of Indian corn the first year. The minds of you gentlemen who cross the Alleghany seem to expand, as it were, to correspond with the extent of the horizon that opens to your view ; but I can assure you, that if you were to talk to a farmer on this side of the mountains of a field of corn of a hundred acres during the first year of a settlement, with grassy land and hands scarce, you would frighten him into a third-day ague. In goes your corn, how- ever ! "Twenty more: kill 'em !" Nothing but ploughing: no harrowing : no marking : and only a horse-hoeing, during the summer, at a dollar an acre. The planting is to cost only a quarter of a dollar an acre. The planting will cost a dollar an acre. The horse-hoeing in your grassy land, two dollars. The hand-hoeing, which must be well done, or you will have no corn, two dollars ; lor in spite of your teeth, your rampant natural grass will be up before your corn, and a man must go to a thousand hills to do half an acre a day. It will cost two dollars to harvest a hundred Inishels of corn ears. So that here are about 400 dollars of expences on the corn alone to be added. A trifle, to be sure, when we are looking through the Transalleghanian glass, which diminishes out-goings and mag- nifies in-comings. However, here are 400 dollars. ' In goes the plough for wiiat ? " In him again ! Twenty more !" But this is in October, mind. Is the corn off.? It may be; but where are the four hundred waggon loads of corn stalks ? A prodigiously fine thing is this forest of fodi UNITED STATES. 529 der, as high and as thick as an Enghsh coppice. But though it be of no use to you, who have the meadows without bounds, this coppice must be removed, if you please, before you plough for wheat ! * Let us pause here tiien ; let us look at the battalion who are at work ; for there must be Uttle short of a Hessian batta- lion. Twenty men and twenty horses may husk the corn, cut and cart the stalks, plough and sow and harrow for the wheat ; twenty two-legged and twenty four-legged animals may do the work in the proper time ; but, if they do it, they must work well. Here is a goodly group to look at, for an English farmer, without a penny in his pocket ; for all his money is gone long ago, even according to your own estimate ; and here, besides the expence of cattle and tackle, are 600 dollars, in bare wages, to be paid in a month ! You and I both have forgotten the shelling of the corn, whicli, and putting it up, will come to 50 dollars more at the least, leaving the price of the barrel to be paid for by the purchaser of the corn. ' But what did I say .? Shell the corn } It must go into the cribs first. It cannot be shelled immediately. And it must not be thrown nito heaps. It must be put into cribs. I have had made out an estimate of the expence of the cribs for ten thousand bushels of corn ears: that is the crop; and the cribs will cost 570 dollars ! Though, mind, the farmer's house, barns, stables, waggon-house, and all, are to cost but 1500 dollars ! But the third year our poor simpleton is to have 200 acres of corn ! " Twenty more: kill 'em !" Ano- ther 570 dollars for cribs ! ' However, crops now come tumbling on him so fast, that he must struggle hard not to be stifled with his own super- abundance. He has now got 200 acres of corn and 100 acres of wheat, which latter he has indeed had one year before ! Oh, madness ! But to proceed. The hands to get in these crops and to sow the wheat, first taking away 200 acres of English coppices in stalks, will, with the dunging for the wheat, require, at least, fifty good men, and foity good horses or oxen, for thirty days. Faith ! when farmer Simpleton sees dl this (in his dreams I mean), he will think himself a farmer 2.0 5 X 530 VIEW OF THK of the rank of Job, l>erore Satan beset that example ol' patientf, so worthy of imitation and so seldom imitated. * Well, but Simpleton must bustle to get in his wheat. /??, indeed ! What can cover it but the canopy of heaven ? A barn ! It will, at two English waggon loads of sheaves to an acre, require a barn a hundred feet long, fifty feet wide, and twenty-three feet high up to the eaves ; and this barn, with two proper floors, will cost more than seven thousand dollars. He will put it in stacks ; let him add six men to his battalion then. He will thrash it in the field -, let him add ten more men ! Let him, at once, send and press the Harmonites into his service, and make Rapp march at their head ; for never will he by any other means get in the crop ; and even then, if he pay fair wages, he will lose by it. ' After the crop is in and the seed sown, in the fall, what is to become of Simpleton's men till corn ploughing and planting time in the spring.? And then when the planting is done, •what is to become of then;i till harvest time ? Is he, like Bayes in the Rehearsal, to lay them down when he pleases, and when he pleases make them rise up again .■' To hear you talk about these crops, and at other times to hear you advising others to bring labourers from England, one would think you, for your own part, able, like Cadmus, to make men start up out of the earth. How would one ever have thought it pos- sible for infatuation like this to seize hold of a mind like yours ? * When I read, in your Illinois Letters, that you had pro- pared horses, ploughs, and other things, for putting in a hun- dred acres of corn in the spring, how I pitied you ! I saw all your plagues, if you could nt>t see them. I saw the grass choking your plants ; the grubs eating them ; and you turn- ing from the sight with all the pangs of sanguine baffled hope I expected you to have ten busiiels, instead of fifty, upon an acre?. I saw your confusion, and participated in your mortifi- cation. From these feelings I was haj)pily relieved by the Journal of our friend Huhne. who informs the world, and our countrymen in particular, that you had not, in -Tuly last, any »*<>rn at all growijig. UNITED STATES. 531 ' Thus it is to reckon one's chickens before they are hatched : and thus the Transalleghanian dream vanishes. You have been deceived. A warm heart, a Uvely imagination, and I know not what caprice about repubhcanism, have led you into sanguine expectations and wrong conclusions. Come, now, confess it like yourself; that is, like a man of sense and spirit ; like an honest and fair-dealing John Bull. To err belongs to all men, great as well as little ; but to be ashamed to confess error belongs only to the latter ."■ 3. Merchants mid Manufacturers. There is not now any great scope for mercantile specula- tions ; though those who possess a large capital, and could become importers, might succeed; particularly those who un- derstand the principles of business. The manufacturers in America have long struggled against numerous difficulties, in consequence of the government feeling averse from granting high prohibitory duties, which would operate to cause an injurious re-action upon the trade of the country. The general arguments against manufactures are, that their encouragement will enhance the price of clothing: that this will operate as a heavy tax upon the whole community, for the benefit of but a few : that the revenue of the United States would be materially injured, as its chief supply is from duties on imports : that iu an extensive country, with but a scanty population, it is most beneficial to direct the mass of labour to the clearing of new lands, and other agricultural pursuits: that by so doing they will make greater and more rapid ad- vances in extent of population and amount of national wealth, tlian by drawing oft' a part of their capital and labour, and devoting it to purposes of manufacture ; more especially while most of the articles wanted can be imported from England 30 to 50 per cent, cheaper than it is possible for them to be pro- duced within the Union : that as labour is so high and land so cheap, there is an ever-existing inducement for men to leave factories, and free themselves from masters, to become lords of their own domain : and that this has been uniformly found tc» 532 VIEW OF THE be the case, — the slow advance of manufactures, and tl^e con- sequent high price of the articles, having been a natural result of the situation of the comitry : that, in a word, it is the true interest of America to continue supplying Europe with raw material and with agricultural produce, both of which find there a certain market, wliile labour is from 25 to 50 per cent. higher than in England, and from 50 to 75 more than on the European continent. On the manufacturers'' side of tliis truly great national ques- tion is Mr. De Witt Clinton, governor of New York : in a speech which has had few equals in comprehensive and philo- sophic views, addressed to the legislature, he makes the fol- lowing able reflections : ' The excessive importation of foreign fabrics Avas the signal of ruin to institutions founded by enterprising industry, reared by beneficial skill, and identified with the general welfare. The raw materials of iron, woollen, and cotton manufactures are abundant, and those for the minor and auxiliary ones, can, in most cases, be procured at home with equal facility. No- thing is wanting to destroy foreign competition but the steady protection of the government, and the public spirit of the country. High duties, and prohibiting provisions applied to foreign productions, afford the most efficient encouragement to our manufactures : and these measures appertain to the legiti- mate functions of the national government. But much may be done by the state government, by liberal accommodations, by judicious exemptions, and by the whole Aveight of its influ- ence ; and much more may be accomplished by the spirit of the community. For I am persuaded, that if every citizen who adopts the fabrics of other nations, would seriously consi- der that he is notonly paying taxes for the support of foreign governments, hut that he participates in undermining one of the main pillars of our productive industry, he would imitate the honourable practice which you have this day evinced in favour of American manufactures.' Upon the whole, it seems that it is not now the interest of the United States, artificially to encourage the growth of ma- nufactures, by granting them peculiar advantages. It appears UNITED STATES. 53^ at any rate certain, that in the present state of things, none could engage in the cotton or woollen establishments witlwut a certainty of loss. ' In a great many trades or professions,' says the writer of the Emigrant's Guide, ' the emigrant who has a capital, and a trade or profession, may not meet with much difficulty, if he act with caution. Much in this case depends on making a judicious choice in determining where to establish his business. In most trades, the country beyond the Alleghany mountains, say Ohio, Kentucky, or Tennessee, hold out greater advan- tages than the rest of the Union ; the profits in business being greater, and the expence of living much less : the climate also is more suitable to European constitutions, as the extreme be- twixt the heat of summer and cold of winter is much less than in the Atlantic states. In some trades he may be expected to keep journeymen, perhaps Americans ; from whom he is ad- vised not to exact that servility of deportment expected from subordinates in other countries. He may be faithfully served without it. He loses nothing by this, as those who are his employers or customers will make no such exactions from him.' 4. Mechanics. On landing, the emigrant who is too poor to enter into bu- siness himself must of course seek employment. * The com- modity he has to dispose of,"" says the above-mentioned writer, ' is labour, for which he wants a market. So much of this iis daily brought into the sea-ports, by the arrival of emigrants, that they are always over-stocked ; he must look for a better chance: — this chance the country will afford him. If his trade or profession be such as is followed in a city, he may re- main two days before he goes into the country ; if unsuccess- ful in his enquiries for work, he ought not to remain longer. During his stay, he ought to enquire amongst those of his own profession, where he may hope to obtain employment ; it is very likely they may furnish references which will be very useful to him. In travelling, this man ought not to be sparing in his enquiries ; he is not in the least danger of receiving a rude or an uncivil answer, even if he should address himself 534 VIEW OF THK to a squire (so justices are called). It Is expected, in America, that every man shall attend to iiis own concerns ; and if a man who is out of work asks for employment, it is considered as a very natural thing. ' He ought to make his situation and profession known at the taverns where he stops, and rather to court than to shun conversation with any that he may find assembled there. He will sekiom or never meet with a repulse, as it gives them an opportunity of making inquiries respecting the " old country^'' (the term usually applied to the British islands). >' Should he fail in procuring employment at his own busi- ness, he has all the advantages of the agriculturist. The countries west of the Alleghany mountains afford the greatest advantages, of any part of the United States, to emigrants of this description ; and when they arrive at the head of the Ohio, the facility of descending that river opens to them a vast field, in which labour must, for ages to come, find a good market, as the vast tract of fine land yet unsettled will induce such an avidity for farming, that labourers, or men who have trades or professions, will adopt that hne of life whenever they can raise the means of puichasing land. For this reason a very long time must elapse before there can be such a redun- dancy of labour as to reduce its value." Mechanics may form their own judgment from the preced- ing statements. Weavers, stocking-makers, and others, ac- quainted only with the cotton, woollen, hardware, and linen manufactures^ would find employment very difficult to obtain. Those whose trades are of the first necessity ^^ill do well. In the western country mechanics complain of the difficulty which they experience in gcXiing paid for their labour, much of what they receive being given them in orders upon shops for neces- saries and clothing; the extra price charged by the store- keeper, under these circumstances, causing a clear loss to some amount. 5. Labourers. This class of emigrants are alraast sure to obtain the means of subsistence; but they have some difficulties to encounter.. UNITED STATES. 535 The following contains Mr. Cobbett's opinion on this subject, which exhibits a lively picture of the advantages enjoyed by the American poor, though perhaps it is overcharged. * Labour is the great article of expence upon a farm ; yet it is not nearly so great as in England, in proportion to the amount of the produce of a farm, especially if the poor-rates be, in both cases, included. However, speaking of the positive wages, a good farm-laboui-er has twenty-five pounds sterling a year and his board and lodging ; and a good day-labourer has, upon an average, a dollar a day. A woman servant, in a farm-house, has from forty to fifty dollars a year, or eleven pounds sterling. These are the average of the wages through- out the country. But then, mind, the farmer has nothing (for really it is not worth mentioning) to pay in poor-rates, which in England must always be added to the wages that a farmer pays ; and sometimes they far exceed the wages. ' It is too of importance to know what sort of labourers these Americans are; for, though a labourer is a labourer, still there is some difference in them ; and these Americans are the best that I ever saw. They mow four acres of oats, wheat, rye, or barley in a day, aiul, with a cradle, lay it so smooth in the swarths, that it is tied up in sheaves with the greatest neatness and ease. They mow two acres and a half of grass in a day, and they do the work weU. And the crojjs, upon an average, are all, except the wheat, as heavy as in Iilngland. The English farmer will want nothing more tlian these facts to convince him, that the labour, after all, is not so very dear. ' The causes of these performances, so far beyond those in England, is, first, the men are tall and well built ; they arc bony rather than fleshy ; and they live, as to food, as well as man can live. And, secondly, they have been educated to do much in a day. The farmer here generally is at the head of his " boys,"'"' as they, in the kind language of the country, are called. Here is the best of examples. My old and beloved friend, Mr. James Paul, used, at the age of nearly sixty, to go at the head of his mowers, though his fine farm was his own, and though he might, in other respects, be called a rich man ; and I have heard that Mr. Elias Hicks, the famous quaker 536 VIEW OF THE preacher, who lives about nine miles from this spot, has this year, at seventy years of age, cradled down four acres of rye in a day. I wish some of the preachers of other descriptions, especially our fat parsons in England, would think a little of this, and would betake themselves to " work with their hands the things which be good, that they may have to give to him who needeth," and not go on any longer gormandizing and swilUng upon the labour of those who need. 'Besides the great quantity of work performed by the American labourer, his skill, the versatility of his talent, is a great thing. Every man can use an axe, a saw, and a ham- mer. Scarcely one who cannot do any job at rough carpen- tering, and mend a plough or a waggon. Very few indeed who cannot kill and dress pigs and sheep, and many of them oxen and calves. Every farmer is a neat butcher ; a butcher for market; and, of course, " the boys" must learn. This is a great convenience. It makes you so independent as to a main part of tlie means of housekeeping. All are ploughmen. In short, a good labourer here can do any thing that is to be done upon a farm. * The operations necessary in miniature cultivation they are very awkward at. The gardens are ploughed in general. An American labourer uses a spade in a very awkward manner. They poke the earth about as if they had no eyes ; and toil and muck themselves half to death to dig as much ground in a day as a Surrey man would dig in about an hour of hard work. Banking, hedging, they know nothing about. Tiicy have no idea of the use of a bill-hook, which is so adroitly used in the coppices of Hampshire and Sussex. An axe is their tool, and with that tool, at cutting down trees or cutting them up, they will do ten times as much in a day as any other men that 1 ever .''aw. Set one of these men on upon a wood of timber trees, and his slaughter will astonish you. A neighbour of mine tells a story of an Irishman, who promised he could do any thing, and whom, tiierefore, to begin with, the employer sent into the wood to cut down a load of wood to burn. He staid a long while away with the team, ;md the farmer went to him fearing some accident had UN'iTEiD STATES. 537 happened, "What are you about all this time?"" said the farmer. The man was hacking away ait a hickory tree, but had not got it half down ; and that was all he had done. An American, black or white, would have had half a dozen trees cut down, cut up into lengths, put upon the carriage, and brought home, in the time. ' So that our men, who come from England, must not ex- pect that, in these common labours of the country, they are to surpass, or even equal, these " Yankees," who, of all men that I ever saw, are the most active and the most hardy. They skip over a fence like a greyhound. They will catch you a pig in an open field by racing him down ; and they are afraid of nothing. ' An American labourer is not regulated, as to time, by clocks and watches. The sun, who seldom hides his face, tells him when to begin in the morning and when to leave off at night. He has a dollar, a whole dollar for his work ; but then it is the work of a whole day. Here is no dispute about hours. " Hours were made for slaves," is an old saying ; and really they seem here to act upon it as a practical maxim. This is a great thing in agricultural affairs. It prevents so many disputes. It removes so great a cause of disagreement. The American labourers, like the tavern-keepers, are never servile, but always civil. Neither boobishness nor meanness mark their character. They never creep and fawn, and are -never rude. Employed about your house as day-labourers, they never come to interlope for victuals or drink. They have no idea of such a thing : their pride would restrain them if their plenty did not ; and thus would it be with all labour- ers, in all countries, were they left to enjoy the fair produce of their labour. Full pocket or empty pocket, these American labourers are always the same men : no saucy cunning in the one case, and no base crawling in the other. This too arises from the free institutions of government. A man has a voice because he is a man, and not because he is the possessor of money. And shall I never see our English labourers iti this happy state ? 3 Y * 5dS VIEW OF THE ' Let those English farmers, who love to see a poor wretched labourer stand trembling before them with his hat off, and who think no more of him than of a dog, remain where they are ; or go off, on the cavalry horses, to the devil at once, if they wish to avoid the tax-gatherer ; for they would here meet with so many mortifications, that they would, to a cer- tainty, hang themselves in a month."' According to this account, these American labourers are a wonderful set of fellows. They surpass our Englishmen amazingly ; for we have no instance, in this country, of an old quaker, at seventy years of age, cradling down four acres of land in a day ; nor can our ablest rustics mow two acres and a half of grass in a day. Even although their time be not regulated by clocks and v.atches, and they continue at work while the «un is above the horizon, yet there is a point beyond which human exertion cannot be repeatedly strained. Connected with this subject, we will also give this popular writer's remarks on American pauperism, because it is com- pletely at variance with Bristed's account, and in many parti- culars differs from the view we have given of the subject. ' It is notorious,'' lie says, ' that whatever may be the num- ber of persons relieved by poor-rates, the greater part of them are Europeans, who have come hither, at different periods and under circiunstances of distress, different, of course, in degree. There is, besides, a class of persons here of a description very peculiar; namely, the free negroes. Whatever may have been the motives which led to their emancipation, it is very certain that it has saddled the white people with a charge. These negroes are a disorderly, improvident set of beings; and the paupers, in the country, consist almost wholly of them. Take out the foreigners and the negroes, and you will find that the paupers of New York do not amount to a hun- dredth part of those of Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, or London, population for population. New York is a sea port, and the only great sea port of a large district of country. All the disorderly crowd to it. It teems with emigrants; but even there, a pauper who is a white native American is a great rarity. UNITED STATES. 5S9 * But do the borough-villains think that the word pauper has the same meaning here that it has under their scorpion rod ? A pauper under them means a man that is able and willing to work, and who does work like a horse ; and who is so taxed, has so much of his earnings taken from him by them to pay the interest of their debt, and the pensions of them- selves and their wives, children, and dependents, that he is actually starving and fainting at his work. This is what is meant by a pauper in England. But at New York, a pauper is, generally, a man who is unable, or, which is more fre- quently the case, unwilling to work ; Avho is become debilitated from a vicious life ; or who, like borough-mongers and priests, finds it more pleasant to live upon the labour of others than upon his own labour. A pau})er in England is fed upon bones, garbage, refuse meat, and " substitutes for bread."" A pauper here expects, and has, as much flesh, fish, and bread and cake as he can devour. How gladly would many a little tradesman, or even little farmer, in England, exchange his diet for that of a New York pauper ! * Where there are such paupers as those in England, there are beggars ; because Avhen they find that they are nearly starved in the former character, they will try the latter in spite of all the vagrant acts that any hell-born funding system can engender. And who ever saw a beggar in America .? " I have !" exclaims some spy of the borough-mongers, who hopes to become a borough-monger himself. And so have I too. I have seen a couple since I have been on this island. * * * But there are different sorts of beggars too as well as of pau- pers. In England a beggar is a poor creature, with hardlv rags (mere rags) sufficient to cover its nakedness, so far even as common decency requires. A wretched mortal, the bare sight of whom would freeze the soul of an American within him. A dejected, broken down thing, that approaches you bare-headed, on one knee, with a trembling voice, with " Fray bestow your charity, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake have compassion upon a poor soul ;" and if you toss a halfpenny into his ragged hat, he exclaims in an extacy, " God Al- mighty bless your honour !" though you perhaps be but a 540 VIEW OF THE shoe-black yourself. An American beggar, dressed very much hke other people, walks up to you as boldly as if his pockets were crammed with money, and, with a half smile that seems to say he doubts of the propriety of his conduct, very civilly asks you, if you can help hivi to a quarter of a dollar. He mostly states the precise sum, and never sinks below silver. In short, there is no begging, properly so called. There is nothing that resembles English begging even in the most distant degree. ^ As to the poor-rates, the real poor-rates, you must look to the country. In England the poor-rates equal in amount the rent of the land ! Here I pay, in poor-rates, only seven dol- lars upon a rent of six hundred \ And I pay my full share. In short, how is it possible that there should be paupers to any amount, where the common wages of a labourer are six dollars a week ; that is to say, twenty-seven shillings sterling ; and where the necessaries of life are, upon an average, of half the price that they are in England ? How can a man be a pauper, where he can earn ten pounds of prime hog-meat a , day, six days in every week ? I was at a horse-race, where I saw at least five thousand men, and not one man in shabby clothes. ' But some go back after they come from England ; and the consul at New York has thousands of applications from men who want to go to Canada ; and little bands of them g-o off to that fine countrij very often. These are said to be dis- appointed people. Yes, they expected the people at New- York to come out in boats, I suppose, carry them on shore, and give up their dinners and beds to them ! If they will work, tliey will soon find beds and dinners : if they will not. ithey ought to have none. What, did they expect to find here the same faces and the same posts and trees that they left be- hind them ? Such foolish people are not worthy notice. The lazy, whether male or female, all hate a government under which every one enjoys his earnings, and no more. Low, poor, and miserable as they may be, their principle is precisely the same as that of borough-mongers and priests ; namely, to live without labour on the earnings of others. The desire to UNITED STATES. 541 live thus is almost universal; but with sluggards, thieves, bo- rough-mongers, and priests, it is a principle of action. Ask a priest why he is a priest. He will say (for he has vowed it on the altar !) that he believes himself called by the Holy Ghost to take on him the care of souls. But put the thing close to him ; push him hai'd ; and you will find it was the benefice, the money, and the tithes, that called him. Ask him what he wanted them for. That he might live, and live too without work. Oh ! this work ! It is an old saying, that if the devil find a fellow idle, he is sure to set him to work ; a saying the truth of which the priests seem to have done their utmost to establish.'' A writer on America, who is by no means an extravagant advocate for emigration, says, ' The classes of British society who would be benefited by an exchange of country, are, I conceive, first, that large and much injured body of men who are here chained to the country and the political system, which oppresses and grinds them to the earth, — I mean our extreme poor. They would not be in America a week, before they would experience a rapid advance in the scale of being. Instead of depending for subsistence upon charity soup, occa- sional parochial relief, and bowing with slavish submission to the tyrant of the poor-house , they would, if industrious and willing to labour, earn 4^. CtZ. to 6*. 9^. a day, have meat at least seven times in the week, and know " no one who could make them afraid." The second class would be tlie mechanics, in branches of first necessity, with the general exclusion, how- ever, of those acquainted with the British staple manufactures of cotton and woollen only ; but for others, whose earnings here are under 30,?. a week, or whose employment is of that precarious nature, that they cannot reasonably calculate, by the exercise of prudence and economy, on laying by any thing for what is called " a rainy day,"" or on making a provision for old age — for such persons as these, particularly if they have^ or anticipate the having ajmaily^ emigration to America will certainly advance thejr pecuniary interests, though it may not enlarge their mental sphere of enjoyments. To these two classes, I would further ad.d that of the small farmer who has 542 VIEW OF THE a family, for whom he can now barely provide the necessaries of life, and concerning a provision for whom, when his own grey hairs are approaching to the grave, he can look forward with but little confidence or satisfaction ; to such a man, if he should have one hundred pounds clear, that is, after paying all his expences of removal, &c., America decidedly offers in- ducements very superior to those afforded by this country. Such a father would there feel himself relieved from a load of anxiety, the weight of which upon his spirits, and its influence in repressing his exertions, he is perhaps himself scarcely aware of, till he feels the difference by comparison when he has shaken it off in the New World ; — but still to every pro- posed emigrant, even of these classes, I would say, that he must not expect to find either the country full of gold, or its inhabitants as agreeable or as sociable as the perhaps unequal- led people of England. He must prepare too for many pri- vations, and should previously have the niind of his family, particularly that of the mother of his children, so entirely in unison with his own, that they can all have the fortitude and good sense necessary to bear under the numerous privations they will certainly be subjected to, keeping in mind the sub- stantial advantages they will enjoy, and setting off present evil against their future and increasing prosperity, which, in such a country, with a soil yet uncultivated, and in the in- fancy of its resources, may be considered as almost insured to them.' (J. ArtistSy 6^c. * The artist,"" says Fearou, ' may succeed, but the probability is that he will not do so. I know instances on both sides, where perhaps equal talent has been possessed. A Mr. Shiels, a portrait-painter, who was a fellow-passenger of mine in the Washington, has been eminently successful in New York; ]\f r. , who arrived about the same time, has been un- able to procure his boarding expences. Generally, I should not anticipate, judging from the character and habits of the people, that, at least, the superior arti^t would find it to his advantage to emigrate. The lawyer and the doctor, and. UNITED STATES. 513 turning to another class, the clerk and the shopman, will find no opening in America/ Several have succeeded well in the business of engraving, and of piano-forte making ; nor is there much doubt of the success of any artist who joins ingenuity with steadiness and perseverance. Several instances of great success might be quoted; but such cases occur also in all civilized European countries where circumstances are favourable to the develope- ment of talent. A literary man will not meet with any encouragement, the American library being imported, and newspaper editors hav- ing no inducement to occupy their talents upon any topics beyond extracts from English papers, advertisements, and shipping intelligence. ' Lawyers,' says the writer quoted above, ' are as common here as paupers are in England. Indeed, for those friends I see no kind of opening. Professional men literally swarm in the United States. An anecdote is told of a gentleman walk- ing in Broadway : a friend passing, he called " Doctor," and immediately sixteen persons turned round to answer to the name. This is even more characteristic of lawyers. At al- most every private door, cellar, or boarding-house, a tin plate is displayed, bearing the inscription "Attorney at Law." Clerks are not in demand in this or any other occupation. There are here no very large concerns, and most men are ca- pable of attending to their own business. A shopman or clerk, who would receive in London his board and a salary of from 30/. to 100/. sterling per annum, would here experience great difficulty in gaining a situation ; and if fortunate enough to obtain one, he would not receive more than from 31 to 7 dollars per week, exclusive of board and lodging. The causes which generate so great a number of " legal friends," lie be- yond the sources of my penetration. Perhaps we may date the frequency of litigation to the intricacy of the profession, which is bottomed on Enghsh practice ; while the cheapness • of college instruction, and the general diffusion of moderate wealth among mechanics and tradesmen, enable them to gra- tify their vanity by giving their sons a learned education. 544 VIEW OF THE, &c. This also opens the door to them for an appointment ; and. by the way, the Americans are great place-hunters."* From the tenor of these remarks, it is evident that the poor man will be most benefited by emigration, Man does not transplant easily. In the land of his nativity he acquires as- sociations, and forms connexions that are pleasing and profit- able. The surrender of these advantages requires great resolution, and, where hope is blasted, his disappointment must be severe. The emigrant will, no doubt, find much ig- norance, illiberality, and selfishness mixed up in the American character : but on the other hand, he will find a country pos- sessed of the most enlightened civil and political advantages ; a people reaping the full reward of their own labours ; a peo- ple not paying tythes, and not subjected to heavy taxation without representation; a people with a small national debt; a people without spies and informers; a people without an enormous standing army ; a people in possession of an extent of territory capable of sustaining an increase of millions and tens of millions of population ; and a people rapidly advancing towards national wealth and greatness. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. -rS^^t^.,] npHOSE parts of North America which still belong to Great Britain are extensive, and of considerable importance, though so thinly peopled, and in such a disadvantageous cli- mate, that thev sink into insignificance when compared with the great and flourishing colony belonging to Spain, or with the territories of the United States. Divisions. — The chief of these possessions is Canada, now divided into two provinces, called Upper and Lower Canada, the former being the western division, on the north of the great lakes or sea of Canada ; while the lower division is on the river St. Lavrrence towards the east, and contains Quebec, the capital, and tlie chief city of our remaining settlements. On the east of Canada, to the south of the river St. Law- rence, is Nova Scotia; which in 1784 was divided into two provinces, that of Nova Scotia in the south, and New Bruns- wick in the north. What is called New Britain comprehends the most northern parts towards Hudson's bay, and the coast of Labrador. The large island of Newfoundland ; that called Cape Breton ; and the neighbouring isle St. John ; complete the chief denomina- tions of British territory. The regions around Hudson''s bay, with Labrador and Greenland, are, from the intense severity 3 Z 546 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. of the climate, declared free by nature. The present short description shall therefore only comprise Canada, and the other British provinces in the south, which form actual pos- sessions or colonies. CANADA. Extent. rpHIS country is computed to extend from the gulf of St. Lawrence, and the isle of Anticosti, in the feasl, to the lake of Winnipeg in the west, or from long. 64f dfeg. to 97 deg. West from London, 33 degrees, which in that latitude may be about 1200 geographical miles. The breadth, fVom the lake of Erie in the south, or lat. 43 deg., may extend to lat. 49 deg., or 360 geographical miles; but the medial breadth is not above 200. CliirUtte and SeasoJis. — Mr. Weld, who is a great adrtirer of ice, depicts the Canadian climate in the most favourable coloui-s, and would persuade us that, though considerably fbtther to the north, it is at least equal to that of New Eng- land. But even by his account the extremes of heat and cold are amazing; the thermometer in July and August rising to 96, while in winter the mercury freezes. The snow begins in November ; and in January the fix)st is so intense that it is impossible to be out of doors for any time without the risk of what is called a frost-bite, which endangers the limb : and the wat-m intervals only increase the sensation and the jeopardy. But winter, as in Petersburg, is the season of amusement; and the sledges, drawn by one or two horses, afford a pleasant and speedy conveyance. Several stoves are placed in the hall, whence flues pass to the apartments; and there are double windows and doors. On going abroad, the whole body is co- BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 547 vered with fufs, except the eyes and nose. In May the thaw generally comes suddenly, the ice on the river bursting with the noise of cannon, and its passage to the sea is terrific, espe- cially when a pile of ice crashes against a rock. Spring is sqni^er, and vegetation instantoneoug. The month pf Sep- tember is one of the most pleasant. Mr. Gray, a recent traveller in this country, gives the follow- ing picturesque and amusing account of a Canadian winter: — ' A Canadian winter is truly a subject of curiosity to the natives of Britain, or of any of the southern countries of Eu- rope. It presents a view of nature perfectly new, and a va- riety of phenomena so highly interesting, that they cannot fail to arrest the attention of any one at all conversant in natural philosophy. ' In Canada there cannot well be said to be more thajQ two seasons of the year, summer and winter. The earth hath scarcely laid aside her mantle of snow, when you begin to feel the force of summer heat; and although the weather in Sep- tember is mild and pleasant, it partakes more of the summer than of the autumn of temperate climates. The season of ve- getation seems kindly prolonged, till surprised in a manner at once by the return of winter, without much of what may be called autumn weather. Frost is felt in October; but tjiie sun still retains enough of power to make the weather, during the day, tolerably warm. During the month of November the frost becomes daily more severe, and snow begins to fall. ' There is something very awful and terrific in a Canadian snow storm, A heavy fall of snow is generally accompanied by a violent gale of wind, which driving along the snow with immense velocity, and forming a thousand eddies and turn., ings, according to the inequalities of the surface, and resist- ance consequent thereon, you are able to form an idea of th^ velocity of the wind — it becomes, as it were, visible. The most severe snow storms they experience in Canada come from the north-east, the frozen regions of Hudson's bay and Labrador. ' The range of the thennoraeter in Canada is very extensive. The heat in summer runs into as great an extreme as the cold 548 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. in winter. The range, during the last twelve months, has been no less than 120 degrees; and what is not a little sur- prising, it has reached 60 degrees pi-ecisely, on each side of the freezing point (32). In summer the thermometer rose to 92, and in winter it fell to 28 below zero. I have been told, that the cold has been known in this country to freeze nier- curv, the thermometer having fallen below 40 under zero. *The effects of frost in this country are with difficulty guarded against, and are really in themselves very curious. I made an experiment which, to most people, will appear very surprising. I burnt my hand with a coin iron. This may seem incredible ; but a little explanation will convince you of the truth of what I have asserted, ' In one of those very cold mornings we had in the month of January, when the thermometer had fallen near 60 degrees below the freezing point, I put my hand to a piece of iron that had been exposed to the frost in the open air all night. At first, I felt the sensation arising from extreme cold ; in a few seconds I felt the sensation of heat ; and it soon became so strong, and so painful, that I was as glad to quit my hold as if it had been a hot iron. Indeed, I found that I had kept it too long, because the part that had been in contact blistered in the same manner it would have done had it been a hot iron, and it was cured in the same way. No surgeon in England, had he been called in, could have suspected that it was not the effect of coming in contact with a hot iron. In truth, heat was the cause of the wound ; and you will readily allow that I am correct, when I have explained to you a few circumstances. ' Burning by a hot iron is produced by the heat, or what is technically called caloric, passing in such quantity, and with such rapidity, into the part in contact with the iron, that the continuity and arrangement of the part is destroyed. Burning with a coM irort arises from the lieat passing in such quantity, and with such rapidity, out of' the part of the body in contact with the cold iron, as to produce the same effect. Heat, in both cases, is the caqse; and its going 'into the body /row the iron, or into tlie 'wonj'rom the body, does not alter the nature of the effect. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 549 * There is another effect very frequently produced by cold in this country, which bears no analogy (as in the preceding example) to any thing produced by external heat; and a dreadful effect it is — I mean frost-bitten. 'When the weather is very coUl, particularly when accom- panied by a smart wind, instances of })eople he'mg ^ost-hitte7i frequently occur. Not a season passes without some of the sentinels being frost-bitten on their posts. Sometimes their hands and face, sometimes their feet, are affected ; and a mor- tification of the part generally follows, if the proper remedy is not applied in time. The remedy will seldom be applied if you are attacked in the dark, which is often the case with those who travel at night, as well as with sentinels. Their OWN feelings do not inform them of the presence of the enemy ; and they are not likely, in the dark, to have him discovered by other people. He insidiously makes a breach; and, if he can keep his ground but for a short time, it is in vain after- wards to think of dislodging him. In the towns, during the day, there is less danger, l)ecause you will be stopped by the first person who observes tlie symptoms. This is readily and easily done, as the part frost-bitten becomes white, while the rest of the face is very red. ' In so critical a moment, people do not stand on any cere- mony, as you may suppose. They know you are not con- scious of your situation ; and they also know, that before they could convince you that you are frost-bitten, and on the point of losing your nose perhaps, it might actually be too late to apply the remedy; they instantly take a handful of snow, and either rub the part themselves, or make you do it. ' It certainly is enough to startle a stranger, to see a person, perfectly unknown to you, come running up, with a handful of snow, calling out, " Voitr nosi\ Sir, — ijour nose, — you are frost-bitten ;" and without further ceremony, either themselves rubbing it without mercv, or making you do so.'' Rivers. — The great river St. Lawrence has been already described in the general view of North America. The Utawas is the most important of all its tributary streams, issuing from various lakes, towards the centre of Canada ; its waters are of 550 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. a bright greenish colour, while the St. Lawrence is muddy. Many rivers of smaller consequence flow into the river St. Lawrence from the north. Lalces. — The large lakes have been also already mentioned: there are many others of which the enumeration \yould be te- dious; and some diffici|lty arises from the want of any precise boundary in the north of Canada. Moimiains. — Nor have the mountains been exami : he can neither occupy them, nor keep them in repair. The other lots are generally too small to supply the BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 553 expences of a family, or enable their owners to support that state of respectability in the country which their father did ; so that, instead of one respectable and wealthy head of a fa- mily, who could protect and assist the younger branches, giving them a good education, and putting them forward in the world, you have half a dozen poor dispirited creatures, who have not energy or power to improve either their lands or themselves. Without great industry, and some capital, new lands cannot be brought into cultivation, nor can those already cleared be made very productive. The French law supposes that matrimony is a co-partner- ship; and that, consequently, on the death of the wife, the children have a right to demand from their father the half of his property, as heirs to their mother. If the wife''s relations are not on good terms with the father, a thing that sometimes happens, they find it no difficult matter to induce the children to demand a partage, or division, which often occasions the total ruin of the father, because he loses credit, equal, at least, to his loss of property, and often to a greater extent. His powers are diminlslied, and his children still have a claim on him for support. One effect of this law, and not one of the least material, is, that the affection between parents and children is likely to be destroyed by it: and, in fact, it is remarked, that in this coun- try the instances of unfeeling conduct between parents and children are extremely frequent, and a spirit of litigation is excited amongst them. The wife being by marriage invested with a right to half the husband's property, and being rendered independent of him, is perhaps the remote cause that the fair sex have such influence in France; and in Canada, it is well known, that a great deal of consequence, and even an air of superiority to the husband, is assumed by them. The English and American settlers in Canada preserve the manners and customs of their respective countries. A great proportion of the inhabitants of Upper Canada are natives of Scotland ; who, by their habits of industry, economy, and perse- verence, seem peculiarly fitted for improving this fine country. 24, 4 A 554 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. When the navigation of tlie St. Lawrence becomes imprac- ticable, little business is done by the merchants, who then ap- propriate a considerable part of their time to amusements. It is necessary to do something to give a little variety to the sameness of a, six months' winter. They have parties of plea- sure in town, and parties of pleasure in the country, in which are dancing, music, and the social enjoyments of conviviality. In winter, when wheel carriages can no longer be used, a sort of sledge, called a carhle, is substituted. It passes over the snow without sinking deep. It is placed on what thev call runners, which resemble in form the irons of a pair of skaits, and rise up in front in the same manner, and for the same purposes. The cariole is generally from nine to twelve inches above the snow. Some, called high runners, are about eighteen inches The body of the cariole varies in shape, ac- cording to the fancy of the owner. It is sometimes like the body of a phaeton, sotnetimes like a chair or gig, sometimes like a vis-a-vis, and sometimes like a family coach or chariot. The cariole, in short, is the name for all sorts of vehicles used in winter, from a market cart up to a state ooach. The gene- rality of them are light, open carriages, drawn by one horse. The snow, after being trodden on for some time, becomes compact enough to bear the horse, and gives very little resist- ance to the cariole. It is, however, a very unpleasant convey- ance, from the constant succession of inequalities which are formed in the snow by the carioles. These inequalities the Canadians call cahots (from the French word cahoter, to jolt) ^ and they certainly are very well named, for a traveller is jolted as if he crossed a field w ith very deep furrows and high narrow ridffcs. ' In all countries,'' says Gray, ' people pass their leisure hours pretty much alike; that is, they dedicate them (o amusement. In Canada, as most of their whiter hours are leisure hours, there is, of course, some ingenuity necessary to give such variety to their amusements as may prevent them from becoming insipid by frequent repetition. Hence, in Quebec and Montreal, to the regtdar town parties are added irregular country parties. Pic-mc feasts, where every one BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 555 carries with him a ready-dressed dish, are very common ; and as the place of rendezvous is generally a iew miles out of town, tlie ladies and gentlemen have the pleasure of a little cariol'mg before dinner ; the roads, it is true, are often abominably bad, being a constant succession of cahots, in which they are jolted most unmercifully ; not to say any thing of carioles being very frequently upset, and their contents, ladies, gentlemen, soup, poultry, or roast beef, tumbled into the snow, to the no small amusement of the rest of the party. It is also any thing but excessively pleasant^ after having dined, danced, supped, and passed the evening in festive glee, enlivened by the song and the catch, to drive home in the njiddle of the night, let the wind blow, and the snow drift, as much as they please. Be- sides, there sometimes come on such dreadful storms, that neither man nor horse can shew their face to them. The consequence is, that the party remain all night ; the fiddlers again strike up the merry dance, and the whist players cut for partners; what cannot be cured must be endured. Daylight comes at last, and enables the party to take the road home- ward without the danger of losing their way, which most pro- bably would have been the case with some of them had they attempted it in the course of the night. The little hardships, disasters, or inconveniences, of these country parties, give a zest, however, to the more elegant amusements of the town.' When it is necessary to deviate from the beaten track, or to cross the woods or fields, snow-shoes are used. They are made of a kind of net-work, fixed on a frame, shaped like a boy's paper kite; they are about two feet long, and eighteen inches broad, and therefore take in so much of the surface of the snow, that they sink but a very few inches. The military in Canada are all provided with snow-shoes, and are marched out on them, that it may be no novelty in case of their taking the field in winter. For the same reason they are sometimes encamped amongst the snow. Could the husbandman, the labourer, and all those whose trade or professitm in Canada lead them to work in the open air, follow their occupations all the year round, it certainly would be of great c^dvantage to t^e country, ai^d to the people. 556 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. At present, a great proportion of the people are obliged to live twelve mouths on six months' work, which implies their receiving double wages. This is certainly the case ; wages are very high ; 4.?., 5s. y to ds. a day are given, according to the kind of work, and merit of the workman. The idleness of their winter life has other bad effects. It generates habits prejudicial to exertion ; so that, even in summer, they do not perform so much work as men who are in habits of industry all the year round ; and the desire they evince for spirituous liquors is strong and ruinous. Yet, under all these disadvan- tages, Canada, as well as Russia, may become £j great, trading, and populous country. Language. — The French language is still retained by the descendants of the French settlers in Lower Canada. It is evidently the interest of the British government, as well as of the Canadians, that the English language only should be spoken ; but the means of effecting this desirable change have been strangely neglected. English schools have indeed been established in some parts of the country ; but few or none of the Canadians have ever sent their children to them. Tozcns. — Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec in the year 1608, deserves immortal honours for the judiciousness of his choice. It ever has been considered, and ])robably ever Avill be considered, as the capital of the Canndas. It certainly is the key of the river St. Lawrence, which contracts suddenly opposite to the city, being only about a mile in breadth ; and widens immediately above the city. The grand battery of Quebec is opposite to the narrowest part of the river, and is an extensive range of very heavy ordnance, which, if properly served, must destroy any vessels which might attempt to pass, or come near enough to injure the town. The river opposite to Quebec is about 100 feet in depth, and affords good an- chorage: for a considerable way above Quebec it is navigable for ships of any size. The site of Quebec seems to have been destined by nature for the capital of an empire. Above the island of Orleans, the St. Lawrence expands, and a bason is formed by the junction of a x-iver called the St. Charles, which takes its BRITISH NORTH AMERICA,- 557 course throujih a plain, separated from the great river by a ridge of high land, about nine miles in length, from a place cailed cape Rouge, to cape Diamond. The general breadth of this ridge is from one to two miles. Cape Diamond is a bold promontory, advancing into the river St. Lawrence, of an elevation of 350 feet above the river, ne^irly perpendicular ; and the bank the whole way to cape Rouge is nearly of the isame elevation, rising from the river almost perpendicular: the ridge slopes towards the north till it reaches the valley through which the river St. Charles runs. This ridge of land has every appearance of having been an island, surrounded by the great river. On the north-east, or lower end of the peninsula, Quebec is situated ; and the line of its fortifications runs from tlie river St. Charles, across, to the top of the bank which overlooks the St. Lawreace ; the distance is about half a mile : and from the line of fortification to the point of cape Diamond the distance is about a quarter of a mile : within this space stands the city of Quebec. It consists of an Upper and Lower Town : the Ujiper Town is much elevated above the Lower Town, and separated from it by a line of steep rocks. Formerly the river St. Lawrence, at high water, came up close to these rocks; but as the tide rises and falls here about fifteen feet, it gave an opportunity of taking from the river a considerable space ; wharfs were built at low water mark, and even at some places beyond it, and the intermediate ground filled up to such a height that it remained dry at high water. Upon this situa- tion streets were laid out, and houses built. They are of con- siderable breadth, and the houses are large and commodious; those next the river have attached to them very extensive warehouses, and vessels come close to the wharfs to discharge their cargoes. The Lower Town is not included Jn the fortifications, but the passes to it are commanded by the batteries in the line of fortification which surrounds the Upper Town ; so that the approach by land to the Lower Town will hardly be attempted by an enemy. The communication from the Lower Town to the Upper Town is by a winding street ; ^t the top of which 558 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. is a fortified gate. At the entrance of tliis gate is a large area, in which is situated tiie house (dignified w ith the title of a pa- lace) in which the bishops of Quebec formerly resided : >it present it is used for public offices, and accommodates the su- preme council and house of assembly. Beyond the palace is the grand battery. To the left, not far from the entrance of the gate, is another area or square ; and on the side next the river is the Chateau de St. Louis, in which the governor re- sides. Opposite to the chateau, on the other side of the square, is the English church, a very elegant building; and the court house, where elegance is not so conspicuous. On the north side of the square is a very handsome building, erected for, and used as a tavern, hotel, and assembly room. From the area of the market-place different streets diverg-e, leading to the different gates of the city. , There are three nunneries in Quebec, tlie Hotel Dieu, the Ursuhnes, aud the General Hospital. The nuns here are not so useless, however, as those in the south of Europe ; they employ themselves in teaching young girls reading and needle- work. No where do the Roman catholics and protestants live on better terms than here. Tliey go to each other's mar- riages, baptisms, and burials without scruple ; nay, they have even been known to make use of the sau)e church for religious worship, one party using it in the forenoon, and the other in the afternoon. The monasteries are mostly extinct, and many of the catholic clergy are distinguished for intelligence and liberality. There are few objects of curiosity in Quebec. The houses are generally of stone; small, ugly, and inconvenient. A large garrison is maintained, but 5000 s(jldiers would be ne- cessary to man the works. The inhabitants ai'e supposed to be 10,000, about two-thirds being French ; and the })resence of the governor, courts, and garrison, conspire to render it gay and lively. The Upper Town of Quebec being very elevated, enjoys fine air, and a most commanding view of the surrounding country. ' I have seen most of the fine views of Europe,"* writes Mr. Gray ; * and I can safely say, they do not surpass, BRITISH NORTH AMERICA* 559 perhaps they do not equal, that from the flagstaff of Quebec on cape Diamond. The majestic St. Lawrence under your feet, receiving the waters of the river St. Charles, and forming the bason of Quebec, from three to four miles across; — further on you see the river dividing itself into two branches, forming the beautiful island of New Orleans;— on thb opposite side of the great river, a finely wooded country, terminating at point Levi, conceals the course and bed of one of the branches of the river;— the, island of Orleans, the falls of Montmorency, strike the observer; and the villages of Beauport, Charle- bourg, and Lorette, appear at a distance, and render the woods in which they are embosomed more interesting. The eye follows the northern branch of the St. Lawrence till it is lost amongst the distant mountams. To the southward you look over a level country for upwards of sixty miles, till the view is bounded by mountains. This extensive tract is still in a great measure in a state of nature; — nothing to be seen but the stately forest in all its majesty. It is difficult to imagine a more happy blending of art and nature;— villages, country houses, cottages, corn fields, — are combined with primeval woods, fine rivers, beautiful islands, magnificent waterfalls, towering hills, and lofty mountains.' Commerce has made, and will continue, Quebec as the first city in the Canadas ; perhaps it may become the first in Ame- rica, for it has a much more extensive communication with the interior of America than the new city of Washington, or any other city in America. Neither the Patomak, Chesapeake, Delaware, nor Hudson''s river, are at all to be compared to the St. Lawrence, either in magnitude or extent of back country. It is worthy of notice, that a person may go from Quebec to New Orleajis, at the mouth of the Mississippi, by water the whole way, except about the space of one mile from the source of the Illinois river, to the source of a river which falls into lake Michigan. o Montreal is situated on an island ; but the island is so large in proportion to the water which surrounds it, that you are not sensible of its insularity. A branch of the river Utawas, which fulls into the St. Lawrence above Montreal, takes a northerly 560 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. direction, and forms the island, which is about 30 miles in length by 10 in breadtli. The city of Montreal is situated near the upper end of it, on the south side of the island, at the distance of about 180 miles from Quebec. Montreal was once surrounded by a wall, which served to defend it against any sudden attack from the Indians; but as tins is now no longer to be dreaded, the wall is about to be removed, that the town may be enlarged with the greater fa- cility. The St. Lawrence comes close to the town on the south side, where there is a great depth of water, but vessels have much difficulty to get at it. Montreal may be said to be a handsome town. Its streets are regular and airy, and contain many handsome and commo- dious houses. It is fully as large and as populous as Quebec, containing about 10,000 people, the great mass of whom are Canadians. Its suburbs, too, are extensive. It has suffered greatly from fire at different times, and the precautions taken to prevent the spreading of conflagration exceed even those of Quebec ; for, in addition to the roofs being generally covered with tinned plates, the windows have outside shutters, covered with plate iron. The island of Montreal is wholly in a state of cultivation ; and it is surrounded by a country generally cultivated. What adds much to its consccjuence is, its being situated near the embmicluirc of several rivers, which bring doAvn from the coun- tries through which they flow a great deal of very valuable produce. Although the St. Lawrence is navigable for large vessels as high up as Montreal, yet the navigation above Quebec is at- tended with so many inconveniences, that in general it is found more advantageous lor the vessels to stop at Quebec, and for such of their cargoes as come from Montreal, to be brought down in river craft. The chief trade is in furs. The north-west company con- sists of a number of merchants associated for the purposes of trading with the Indians in furs. They formed the associa- tion in tlie year 1784; and have carried on the trade with great spirit and success. Those who manage the concerns of BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 561 the company reside in Montreal ; they receive a compensation for their trouble, besides their share of the profits of the con- cern. From Montreal they send up the country large quanti- ties of goods, to be bartered with tlie Indians for furs. For the conveyance of these goods, and for bringing back the furs, they have employed, generally, about 50 canoes, and upwards of 1000 people ; such as canoe-men (styled voyageicrs )^ guides, clerks, &c. The capital employed in this trade, in goods alone, is upwards of 100,000/. At the grand egress of the river St. Lawrence, on the lake Ontario, near what is called the lake of a thousand islands, stands the town of Kingston^ more remarkable from its position than any other circumstance. The forts of Niagara and De- troit belong to the southern side of the boundary. The little to\vn of Trois Rivieres, or Three Rivers, stands between Quebec and Montreal, and is chiefly remarkable for the resort of the savages : but though it contains little more than 250 houses, it is considered as the third town in British America. Sorelle was founded in 1787 for the American loyalists, but contains only 100 scattered houses : it is at the distance of fifteen leagues from Montreal towards Quebec ; and the chief business is ship-building. York, the capital of Upper Canada, is a small pleasant town, containing a good many frame houses; but the land is rather low and unhealthy in its neighbourhood. Newark contains about 500 inhabitants, and many of the buildings are hand- some, being composed of brick and stone. It has two churches, a jail, and academy ; six taverns, and about 20 dry-goods stores, where every article can be had on as good terms as in Montreal. The fort here is garrisoned with 500 men, of the 41st regiment ; and the remainder of the regiment are distri- buted along the banks of the lake. Queenstotvn contains about 300 inhabitants : it has six stores and several taverns, and a considerable trade along the lakes. Maiden, at the west end of lake Erie, consists of about 100 houses, and has a gar- rison, and a great trade with the Indian tribes. Manujuctures. — A variety of articles for domestic purposes, which used formerly to be imported from Britain, are now 4 B 568 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. manufactured in Canada; particularly stoves, bar-iron, and cooking utensils ; also leather, hats, soap, and candles. Ca- nada has always been famous for the manufacture of snuff; and a quantity of sugar, and coarse linens and woollens for home consumption, are also manufactured. Commerce. — Wheat is the most considerable article of ex- portation from Canada; upwards of one million bushels have been exported in one year ; not half that quantity, however, was exported on an average of five years ending in 1805. The next articles of consequence in the Ust of exports are, flour and biscuit. The average amount of flour for five years, ending 1805, was 19,822 barrels at 42,?. Qd. per barrel, 42,123/. lls^M. The fur trade of Canada, in point of value and of import- ance to Great Britain, is nearly equal to any other branch of the Canada trade. The duty paid in England on furs and skins, imported from Canada, amounted, per annum, on an average of four years, ending 1806, to 22,053/. The lumber trade is of more real value to Britain, because timber is of more real use in society. The corn trade is, perhaps, more valuable to the Canadians than the fur trade ; but the trade in furs employs a great number of people, and a large capital. The north-west company, who have entirely monopolized to themselves the fur trade, are a self-created company, not ac- knowledged by government, but who have united their capital and exertions for their mutual benefit. As they have at pre- sent no competitors in the north-west territory, they have the trade in their own power in a great measure : but they are obliged to pay a considerable price for the skins, because the Indians have been so long accustomed to the trade, that they have long ago learned that a beaver skin is worth more than a two-penny knife, or a six-penny trinket. When the Berlin and Milan decrees threatened to shut all the ports of Europe against Britain, the government took some pains to introduce the cultivation of hemp into Canada, a measure which promises to become very successful. But the produce of the forests are articles of the greatest import- ance amongst the exports of Canada. Staves are exported to BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 563 a great amount, and some very handsome ships are annually built by contract at Quebec and IMontreal. A quantity of fish, and pot and pearl ashes, is also exported ; but as has been observed, the export of furs is of the most advantage. Besides the north-west company, another company which trades to the south-west, and is generally termed the Michili- mackinack company, has been lately established. The Hud- son"'s bay company conduct their business on a very narrow scale, and with little benefit to the pubhc, which has induced both Mr. Burke and Mr. Mackenzie to condemn the monopoly they hold. The latter gentleman has given a most interesting account of this curious trade. The total exports from Quebec alone in 1808 amounted to 895,949^., and the number of vessels cleared from the custom- house was 334, equal to 70,275 tons, and navigated by 3330 seamen. In the year 1806 the tonnage was only 33,996; *^hich clearly shows the natural amelioration of the country, arising from the embargo in America. The principal imports are spirits, wines, tobacco, sugar, salt, and provisions for the troops. Manufactured articles arc also imported to a great amount from England. Religion. — The religion is the Roman catholic ; but the British settlers follow their own modes of worship. There are only twelve clergymen of the church of England, including the bishop of Quebec ; while the catholic clergy are 126. Government. — By an act passed in 1791, a legislative coun- cil and an assembly are appointed for each of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, having power to make laws with the consent of the governor; but the king may declare his dissent at any time within two years after receiving any bill. The legislative council is to consist of seven members for Up- per Canada, and fifteen for the Lower province, summoned by the governor under the king's authority, and nominated du- ring their lives, except forfeited by an absence of four years, or by paying allegiance to a foreign power. The house of assembly is to consist of fifty members from Lower Canada, and sixteen from Upper Canada, chosen by the freeholders in 564, BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. the towns and districts. These councils are to assemhle at least once every year; and the house of assemhly continues four years, except in case of prior dissolution. The ,o:overnor, together M'ith such of the executive council as sliall be ap- pointed by the king for the affairs of each province, are to be a court of civil jurisdiction for hearing and determining ap- peals; subject, however, to such appeals from their sentence as heretofore existed. All lands in Upper Canada are to be granted hereafter in free and common soccag-e; and also in Lower Canada where the grantee shall desire it, subject ne- vertheless to alterations by an act of the legislature. British America is superintended by an officer styled Governor-gene- ral of the four British Provinces in North America, who, be- sides other powers, is commander-in-chief of all the British troops in the four provinces, and the governments attached to them, and Newfoundland. Each of the provinces has a lieu- tenant-governor, who, in the absence of the governor-general? has all the powers requisite to a chief magistrate. The policy of giving Canada such a form of government is very questionable. But the iMiglish are so f md of their con- stitution, that they think it is only necessary to shew it to all the world, and it must be accepted with joy. The impossibi- lity of establishing in an instant a free constitution, amongst an ignorant and superstitious people, is not considered. And how can legitimate Frenchmen, the descendants of men who never formed a correct idea themselves of the nature of civil and religious liberty, impress it on the minds of their children ? or how can men who can neither read nor write, which is the case with many of the members of the house of assembly, dis- charge the important duties of a legislator .'' This fact, which is stated by travellers of respectability, of itself evinces that it was too soon to give the French Canadians a share of the go- vernment. If Upper and Lower Canada had but one house of assembly, the English party would ajways have the ascen- dancy ; but Canada being divided into two provinces, and the French Canadians in Lower Canada forn)ing the majority, the government of the country is virtually placed in their hands. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 565 A union of the two provinces, in government, laws, and lan- guage, would be equally advantageous to the colonists and the mother country. MilUarTtj Force. — In Lower Canada there are about 60,000 militia. They are mustered at stated periods ; and, in the towns, they are clothed and armed, and have learned the business of soldiers so well, that they are fit to be brigaded with the troops of the line. In the late war their courage and conduct were excellent; which, no doubt, arose from their haired to the inhabitants of the United States. But, notwithstanding their quiet and inoffensive habits, it is doubtful how they would act in case Canada was invaded by the I'l-ench, for whom they must have a natural predilection. Revenue. — The civil list, including the whole civil expendi- ture of the province of Lower Canada for 1806, amounted to 36,213/. 11.9. 8i<7. sterling; but of this sum the province paid only 16,227/. 14.?. Off?., as appears by the accounts laid before the house of assembly ; the remainder was paid out of the military chest, from funds raised by draughts on the British government. The military establishment, with repairs of forts, &c. is stated at 100,000/. ; and the like sum for presents to the savages, and salaries to officers employed among them for trade, &c. in Upper Canada. But the advantages of the com- merce are thcmght to counterbalance these expences. History.- — When we reflect on the number of years this country has been in the posscssic^n of Europeans, we cannot help being surprised that it should still retain so much of its original rudeness : it is now about 260 years since it was taken possession of by the Fiench. The infant colony seems to have been very much neglected by Old France, who did not by any means watch over it with a motherly care. From the year 1535, when Quel>ec was first discovered, to the year 1664<, a period of 120 years, the government and trade of Ca- nada were in the possession of private merchants holding un- a f(X)iing with their enemies. Besides the troops in the city of Quebec, the French had 10,000 men encamped at Beauport, within a few miles of Quebec. If an arrangement had taken place with these troops, that they should attack WoHe at the moment the garrison sallied forth, his little army must have been cut to pieces. To this error we owe Quebec. General Montcalm, as well as the brave Wolfe, fell in the engagement : very dif- ferent, however, must have been their feelings in their last moments. The conduct of the Frenchman, in rashly sacrific- ing his troops and the interests of his country, could not bear reflection. Wolfe saw his troops triumphant ; they had beaten the enemy : he died in the arms of victory. General Montgomery, in the winter of 1775, besieged Que- bec with an American army, and, when reinforced by general Arnold, attacked the city by assault on the night of the 31st BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 667 December. They were repulsed ; — the general and two of his aids-de-camp were killed. The blockade continued during the winter : but on the arrival of troops from England in the spring, the siege was raised, and the Americans driven out of the province. The different attempts and their failures, lately made by the Union to separate Canada from Great Britain, are well known ; and will tend, it is probable, to weaken those prepos- terous desires for conquest, which seem to actuate the Ameri- can government. GASPE. Before closing this account of Canada, it may be proper to mention a part of it separately. It is called the ' Inferior dis- trict of Gaspe ;' and is situated to the southward of the river St. Lawrence, from cape Chat downwards, and comprehends a considerable extent of country on the west coast of the gulf of St. Lawrence, in which are found two deep bays, viz. Gasp6 bay and Chaleur bay. The district of Gaspe has a governor appointed by the king, and there is an inferior court of king's bench for the de- cision of such civil suits as do not exceed 20/., and to take cognizance of criminal matters that are not capital. At pre- sent, the population, reckoning resident settlers only, is not more than 3500. In the summer time, a great many more are attracted for the purpose of carrying on the fishery, wliich is done in all its different stages. The bays and coasts of Gaspe abound with codfish, salmon, and many other sorts of fish. There are several fishing stations along the coast ; those of most importance are at Perce and Chaleur bay. The trade employs annually about a dozen square-rigged vessels, besides a great many small craft. Fish, to the value of 60,000/. a year, including what is sent to Quebec to be re-shipped for the West Indies, and elsewhere, or used in the country, are cured and sent to a market. The greatest part, however, is sent di- rect from Gaspe to the West Indies or Mediterranean. 568 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. EKMAKKS. From the preceding description, an opinion may be formed respecting the present state of British America. Upper Ca- nada will no doubt soon become a thickly settled country. Most of the emigrants to these extensive regions are Scotch, Irish, and natives of the United States. The climate is mild, the land in genera! fertile, and the tenure easy. The laws also appear fair and equal ; but there is a good deal of underhand management and intrigue, and neither independence of senti- ment, nor freedom of speech or of the press, are encouraged. Indeed, they can hardly be tolerated in a country where the government depends for support upon the military, who are of course jealous, haughty, and overbearing. It is, however, impossible that this state of things should last; and accordingly a very powerful opposition has lately been made to the unconstitutional conduct of the governor. This spirit of resistance will naturally gather strength as the population increases; and the separation of this part of the British empire from the mother country is perhaps not far dis- tant. The encouragement lately offered by our commercial regulations, for the exportation of agricultural products from Canada, will no doubt operate so as to produce a temporary acquiescence to the mandates of government ; but if any at- tempts to domineer despotically be persisted in, the result is obvious. The British ships might block up the navigation of the St. Lawrence against the inhabitants of Upper Canada; but the grand canal, which is intended to join the lakes with the Hudson river, will offer a still more eligible outlet for the produce of this country. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 569 NEW BEUNSWICK. 'pHE ancient province of Nova Scotia was granted by James I. to his secretary Sir William Alexander, afterwards earl of Stirling; and the origin of the title of baronets of Nova Scotia is well known. It was afterwards seized by the French, who seem indeed to have been the first possessors, and by whom it was called Acadie ; but it was surrendered to Eng- land by the treaty of Utrecht, 1713. In 1784, it was divided into two provinces. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In the former there are two considerable bays, and a river of some length, called St. John's ; while that of St. Croix divides New Brunswick from the province of Main, belonging to the United States. The river of St. John is navigable for vessels of 50 tons about 60 miles, and for boats about 200 ; the tide flowing about 80. The fish are salmon, bass, and sturgeon : and the banks, enriched by the annual freshes, are often fertile, level, and covered with large trees. This river affords a common and near route to Quebec. There are many lakes, among which the Grand lake is 30 miles long, and about nine broad. The great chain of Ajjalachian mountains passes on the north- west of this province, probably expiring at the gulf of St. Lawrence. The capital is Frederick-town on the river St. John, about 90 miles from its estuary. St. Ann's is almost opposite ; and there are some other settlements nearer the bay of Fundy, with a fort called Howe. The chief products are timber and fish. 4 C 090 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. NOVA SCOTIA. '17HIS province is about 300 miles in length, by about 80 of medial breadth, being inferior in size to New Brunswick. There are several considerable rivers, among which that of Annapolis is navigable fifteen miles, for ships of 100 tons. The bay of Fundy, between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, extends 50 leagues inland; the ebbing and flowing of tlie tide being from 45 to 60 feet. It is called by the French Acadie, has New England and the Atlantic ocean to the south and south-west, and the river and gulf of St. Lawrence to the north and north-east. Thougii it lies in a very favourable part of the temperate zone, it has a winter of an almost insup- portable length and coldness, continuing at least seven months in the year : to this immediately succeeds, without the inter- vention of any thing that may be called spring, a summer of a heat as violent as the cold, though of no long continuance ; and they are wrapped in the glot)m of a perpetual fog, even long after the summer season- has commewced. In most parts, the soil is thin and barren, the corn it produces is of a shrivel- led kind like rye, antl the grass intermixed with a cold spongy moss. However, it is not uniformly bad ; there are tracts in Nova Scotia which do not yield to the best land in New Eng- land. The capital is Halifax, on the bay of Chebucto, well situated for the fishery, witii communications by land and wa- ter with other parts of this province, and New Brunswick. There is a good harbour, where a small squadron of ships o€ ■war, emj)loyed in protecting the fishing vessels, is laid up in the winter. The town is entrenched, with forts of timber, and is said to contain 15 or 16,000 inhabitants, a superior popula- tion to that of Quebec. Shelburne, towards the south-west, once contained 600 families ; Guisbury about 250. The har- bour of Annapolis is excellent; but it is an inconsiderable BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 571 hamlet. There are many forests. The Micmacs, an Indian tribe o( about 300 fighters, dwell to the east of Halifax. Sup- plies of grain are sent frani Britain ; from whence also are ex- ported to these provinces linen and woollen cloths, and other articles, to the amount of about 20,000/. : and the returns are timber and fish worth about 50,000/. The chief fishery is that of cod, near the cape Sable coast. Near cape Canco there are remarkable cliffs of white gypsum. About 23 leagues from the cape is the isle de Sable, or of Sand, consisting wholly of that substance, mixed with white transparent stones, the hills being milk-white cones, and some 146 feet above the sea. This strange isle has ponds of fresh water; with junipers, blueberries, and cranberries, and some grass and vetches, which serve to support a few horses, cows, and liogs. The bay of Fundy presents an infinite variety of picturesque and sublime scenery ; and the bore rises to the height of 70 feet. ISLAND OJb CAPE BRETOX. 'THIS island is attached to the province of Lower Canada, though divided from Nova Scotia only by a strait of one mile in breadtli. It is about 100 miles in length ; and, ac- cording to the French authors, was discovered at a very early period, about A. D. 1500, by the Normans and Bretons, who navigated these seas; and, being supposed a part of the conti- nent, was called Cape Breton, a name absurdly retained. They did not, however, take possession of it till 1713, when they erected fort Dauphin : the harbour being found difficult, Louisburg was built in 1720, the settlers being chiefly froiki Europe, as the Acadians, or French of Nova Scotia, did not choose to leave that country. In 1745, Cape Breton was taken by some troops from New England, and has since re 572 BRITISH NORTH x\MERICA. mained subject to the British crown. The climate is cold and foojgy, not only from the proximity oK Newfoundland, but from numerous lakes and forests. The soil is chieriy mere moss, and has been found unfit for agriculture. The chief towns are Sidney and Louisburg; the whole inhabitants of the isle do not exceed 1000. The fur trade is inconsiderable, but the fishery very important, this island being esteeried the chief scat; and the value of this trade, while in the French possession, was computed at a million sterling. There is a very extensive bed of coal in this island, in a horizontal direc- tion, not more than six or eight feet below the surface ; but it has been chiefly used as bal'ast : in one of the pits a fire was liuidled by accident, and remains unextinguished. The island of St. .lohn is at no great distance to the west of Cape Breton, being about 60 miles in length by '30 in breadth, and is attached to the province of Nova Scotia. The French inhabitants, about 4000, surrendered, with Cape Breton, in 1745. It is said to be fertile, with several streams. A lieu- tenant-governor resides at Charlotte town ; and the inhabitants of the island are computed at 5000. PEINCE EDWARD'S ISLAND. fpHIS island is situated in the gulf of St. Lawrence, near the coast of Nova Scotia. It is about 120 miles long, and much intersected by arms of the sea, along which is a thinly scattered population, estimated at about 7 or 8000. The lands of this island were granted in the year 1767, in several large lots, of which a great proportion fell into the hands of persons ^yho entirely neglected their improvement. This place has lately attracted much attention from the patriotic exertions of the earl of Selkirk, who, in order to turn the current pf BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 573 emigration from the Highlands of Scotland to the United States, conceived the plan of forming a settlement here, where the Highlanders might continue their old customs, and enjoy all the pleasures that arise from the proud spirit of clanship. About 800 of these people, accordingly, reached the island August, 1803, under the superinteiidance of this young no- bleman. Each settler was allowed, at a moderate price, from 50 to 100 acres. This colony has not disappointed the ex- pectations of the founder, and seems to promise a desirable re- treat to the superfluous population in the Highlands, and also to constitute a vaUiable barrier to the British possessions in America. NEWFOUNDLAND. •T^HIS island was discovered by Sebastian Cabot in 1496, who also founded the prior claim of England to the North American shores as far south as Florida. This discovery, like that of Columbus and others, was unintentional, the design being merely to penetrate to the East Indies. Those authors who wonder that no colonists were sent, only shew their igno- rance of the intentions of the first navigators ; as at that period there was not one man in P^urope who could have formed the smallest idea of the benefits of a colony. It was the success of the Spanish colonies, allured by gold alone, that, towards the end of the sixteenth century, enlarged the ideas of mankind; but, even then, Raleigh"'s transcendant mind held out gold to all his followers, as the sole inducement. The island of New- foundland is about 320 miles in length and breadth, the shape approaching to a triangle. It seems to be rather hilly than mountainous, with woods of birch, small pine, and fir ; yet on the south-west side there are lofty head-lands. The country 574 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. has scarcely been penetrated ahovc 30 miles; but tl)ero are numerous ponds and morasse=«, uitli some ary barrens. The great fishery on the banks of Newfoundland begins about the 10th of May, and continues till the end of September. The cod is either dried for the Mediterranean ; or what are called mud-fish, barrelled up in a pickle of salt, for the English mar- ket. These, banks and the island are environed with constant fog, or snow and sleet ; the former supposed by some to be occasioned by the superior warmth of the gulf stream from the West Indies. The fishery is computed to yield al)out 300,000/. a year, from the cod sold hi the cathohc countries. The island of Newfoundland, after many disputes with the French, was ceded to England 1713, the French having per- mission to dry their nets on the northern shores; and in 1763 it was stipulated that they might fish in the gulf of St. Law- rence; and the small isles of St. Pierre and Miquelon were ceded to them. The French, by the treaty 1783, were to en- joy their fisheries on th^ northern and western coasts, the in- habitants of the United States having the same privileges as before their independence ; and the preliminaries of October, 1801, confirm the privileges granted to the French. The chief towns are St. John in the south-east, with Pla- ccntia in the south, and Bonavista in the east; but not above 1000 families remain during the winter. In the spring a small squadron is sent to protect the fisheries and settlements, the admiral being also governor of the island, its sole consequence depending on the fishery; and there are two lieutenant-go- vernors, one at St. John's, another at Placentia. These dreary shores are strongly contrasted by the Bermu- das, or Sonuner islands, lying almost at an equal distance be- tween Nova Scotia and the AVest Indies; but as they are nearer to the coast of Carolina than to any other land, it seems more proper to arrange them here than under any other division. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 575 BERMUDAS, OR SOMMER ISLANDS. 'T^HEY are four in number, and were discovered by the Spaniards under John Bermudas, in 1527; but being afterwards neglected by them, they were again disclosed by the ship'wreck of Sir George Summer in 1609 ; which event seems to have induced Shakespeare to describe them as ever vexed with storms. Another poet, Waller, who resided there seme time, on his being condemned for a plot against the par- liament in .1643, describes them in very different colours, a,s enjoving a perpetual spring. In 1725, the benevolent and eccentric bishop Berkeley proposed to erect a college in these islands for the conversion of the savage Americans ! It ap- pears that the largest island, called Bermuda, resembles a hook, the jjreat sound frontino' the north. The length is about 35 geographical miles, the breadth seldom two. The other isles are St. George's, St. David''s, and Somerset ; with several islets, and numerous rocks. The town of St. George contains about 500 houses, built of a soft free-stone, probably like that of Bath ; the inhabitants being about 3000, and those of all the isles perhaps about 9000. There is a governor, council, and general assembly ; the religion being that of the church of England. The people are chiefly occupied in building light ships of their cedars, in which they trade to North America and the West Indies. It would appear that these remote isles were iminhabitedwhen settled by the Eng- lish; but a good history and description of the Bermudas might afford a pleasing addition to the geographical library. •Mr. Morse says that the blacks are here twice as numerous as the whites; and that a gTeat part of their trade consists in carrying salt to America. Tlie women are said to be hand- some, and both sexes fond of dress, which is j'erhaps more laudable than the opposite extreme. spjMsn NORTH AMERICA. .--k::;:;.^::<^;^<;;; Extent. nnHE Spanish dominions in North America arc more important, in every respect, than those they hold in the southern half of the new continent. Yet jealousy of the English, and recently of the government of the United States, has long prevented any precise intelligence re- specting these regions from appearing. Recourse, therefore, must unavoidably be had to authorities which might, in any other case, be deemed imperfect, dubious, or antiquated. Of this wide region the chief part is distinguished by the name of Mexico, or New Spaix ; the provinces, in ascending from the south to the north, being Veragua, Costa Rica, Ni- caragua, Honduras (with the Mosquito shore claimed by the English), Guatimala and Verapaz, Chiapa, Tabasco, and the peninsula of Yucatan, Guaxaca, Mexico proper, including subdivisicms : with New Gallicia, Biscay, and Leon. What is called the empire of Mexico was in truth only a moderate kingdom, about GOO miles in length by 140 in breadth. Nay, the repiblic of Tlascala was within 60 miles of the capital. The provinces further to the north are Cinaloa and others on the gulf of California, with that large Chersonese itself: New Mexico includes the most northern central settlements on the Rio Bravo. SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 577 Climate. — In California epidemical distempers seem to be frequent ; but the country has not been sufficiently examined by scientific observers. Moisture seems to predominate in the isthmus; but not to such a degi-ee as in the South American province of Darien, where it may be said to rain for nine months in the year. The rains, however, temper the extreme heat, which would otherwise predominate in this climate. Vio- lent storms are not unfrequent, and sometimes the lightning seems to rise from the ground. The maritime districts of Mexico are, however, hot and unhealthy, so as to occasion much perspiration even in January. The inland mountains, on the contrary, will sometimes present white frost and ice in the dog days. In other inland provinces the climate is mild and benign, with some momentary snow in winter ; but no ar- tificial warmth is found necessary, and animals sleep all the year under the open sky. There are plentiful rains, generally after mid-day, from April till September, and hail-storms are not unknown. Thunder is frequent; and the earthquakes and volcanoes are additional circumstances of terror. Face of the Country. — The face of the country is rather mountainous than plain, except towards the shores ; but the mountains are interspersed with delightful vales, and the soil is generally fertile. Rivers. — ^The streams in the isthmus are of a short course, and little remarkable in any respect. The principal river of Spanish North America is, beyond all comparison, the Rio Bravo, called also del Norte, or of the northern star. The course of this important river, so far as its sources can yet be conjectured, may be about 1000 British miles ; but its whole circuit probably exceeds that of the Danube. The nature of the shores, and the various appearances and qualities of the waters, have not been illustrated. Next in consequence would seem to be the Rio Colorado, on the east of the Bravo, whose comparative course may be about 700 British miles. Towards the west is a large river which flows into the Vermillion sea, or gulf of California, also called by D'Anville Colorado^ with the addition de las Mar- tyres ; but the main stream seems rather to be the Rio Grande 2.5 4 D 678 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. d^ los Apostolos, barbarous appellations imposed by the Jesuits who had settlements in California. The course of this river may be computed at 600 British miles. Among the rivers of the isthmus may be mentioned those of Palmas, of Panuco, Ta- basco, Sumasinta, St. Juan, all flowing into the gulf of Mexico. Those which join the Pacific seem mere rivulets ; till, in the vicinity of Mexico, the mountains rather tend to the east, and the streams of Yopez, and Zacatula, join the Pacific ocean. That of Guadalaxara rises to the west of Mexico; and being considered as passing through the lake of Chapala, will thus join the Pacific after a comparative course of 350 British miles. Lakes. — The chief lake in Spanish North America, so far as yet explored, is that of Nicaragua, which is about 170 British miles in length, north-west to south-east, and about half that breadth. This grand lake is situated in the province of the same name, towards the south of the isthmus, and lias a great outlet, the river of St. Juan, to the gulf of Mexico, while a smaller stream is by some supposed to flow into the Pacific. In the hands of an enterprising people this lake would supply the long wished for passage, from the Atlantic into the Pacific, and in the most direct course that could be desired. Nature has already supplied half the means; and it is probable that a complete passage might have been opened, at half the expence wasted in fruitless expeditions to discover such a passage by the north-west, or the north-east. This speculation must de- pend on circumstances ; but if a passage were once opened, the force of the ocean would probably enlarge it; and a tri- bute at this new sound would be a considerable source of re- venue. Among the more northern lakes, that of Mexico is not only celebrated,, but of considei-able extent, being, accord- ing to the best maps, more than 30 British miles in length, north to south, if tW port called Chalco be included. To- wards the west in this part, where the isthmus begins to en- large, there are several lakes, the principal being that of Chapala, which is about 60 British miles in length by 20 in breadth. The north-western parts have been little explored, })ut probably contain some Jakes of considerable extent. SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 579 Mountains. — The whole of the Spanish territories in North America may be regarded as mountainous. The grand chain of the Andes seems to terminate on. the west of the gulf of Darien in South America, but by others is supposed to extendi to the lake of Nicaragua. Even this extension would totally differ in its direction from the Andean range, as bending north-west, then south-west, then again north-west, so that the main range seems here lost, or passes through the Caribbean sea in the isles of Mosquit(js and others towards Jamaica; while the mountains in the south of the isthmus, as far as the lake of Nicaragua, must be regarded as only a brai>ch, declin- ing much in height, till it finally expire at that lake. In this point of view the ranges passing fron) north to south must be regarded as spurs of the main chain ; but as on the one hand orology is confounded by minute and various appellations given to portions of the same range, so it may be equally perplexed by too extensive appellations, which, as in the case of the Taurus of the ancients, can onh^ impart confused and errone- ous ideas. The Mexican mountains seem to coijsist of gneiss, granite, &c., while the grand chain of the Andes has a most peculiar character, being composed of argillaceous schistus. The ridge of Canatagua passes north and south, between the provinces of Veragua and Panama. It is followed in the for- mer province by the range called Urraca, and the volcano of Varu ; and by several ridges in Costa Rica. To the north of the lake of Nicaragua the main ridges often pass east and west; and the Sierra of Yucatan north-east. The chief summit of Nicaragua seems to be the Mamatombo. The volcano of Guatimala raged furiously during the earth- quakes which ruined that great city in 1773. In the ancient kingdom of Mexico, which extended from near the lake of Chapala in the north, to Chiapa on the river Tabasco in the south, the summits rise to a gi'eat height, as being the central parts of a range wholly unconnected with the Andes. Their direction has not been laid down with care or intelligence, more attention having been paid to the numerous volcanoes, than to other grand features. D'Auteroche observes that the mountain of Orisaba is said to be the highest in Mexico; and 580 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. its snowy summit is visible from the capital, a distance of 60 miles. This celebrated mountain is to the south-east of Mex- ico, not far from the road to Vera Cruz : it became volcanic in 1545, and continued for 20 years ; since which time there has been no appearance of inflammation. Though the summit be clothed with perpetual snow, the sides are adorned with beau- tiful forests of cedars, pines, and other trees. The detached mountains called by the Mexicans Popacatepec, and Iztacci- huatl, are also to the south-east of the capital, at about 30 miles distance, being both volcanic. The crater of the former is said to be half a mile wide, and celebrated for ancient erup- tions. Both are covered with perpetual snow. There are many other volcanoes in this singular province ; while others are only remarkable for height, as the mountain of Tlascala^ the Tentzon, Toloccam, and others; the range now extending in a north-west direction towards Cinaloa, and being called th6 Sierra Mada, or Mother range, and the Shining mountains. It is afterwards, according to the best maps, joined by a ridge running north-west from Louisiana ; and after this junction passes through the north-west to the proximity of the arctic ocean, while the centre of North America consists of extensive and fertile plains. The construction of the Mexican mountains has not been examined by any geologist Among the substances basalt seems clearly indicated ; and some others will be mentioned irt the mineralogy. There are nun)crous forests on the sides of the mountains; and the peninsula of Yucatan is particularly abundant in lo<»;wood trees., ' Botany and Zoology. — Our information respecting the ve- getable productions of Mexico is very imperfect. It, however, produces several native plants of great value ; among which may be mentioned a s[)ecies of Indian fig upon which the co- chineal insect delights to feed, the true jalap, and the two trees that yield the fragrant gum resins known in commerce by the names of balsam of Capavi and Tolu. The shores of the bays of Honduras and Campechy have been celebrated from their very first discovery for their immen.se forests of mahogany and logwood ; and the neighbourhood of Guatimala is distinguished SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 581 for its indigo. The guayacum, the sassafras and tamarind, the cocoa nut palm, the chocolate nut tree, and a variety of others, which are better known as natives of the West Indian islands, enrich and adorn these fertile provinces. The pine apple grows wild in the woods, and the shallow rocky soils are inhabited by the various species of aloe and euphorbia. A few Mexican plants have been introduced into European gardens, among which may be noticed the salvia fulgens, glowing with its crim- son blossoms, the splendid dalilia, the elegant striated sisyrin- chium, the gigantic helianthus, and the delicate mentzelia. Among the most singular animals is the Mexican or hunchback dog, a kind of porcupine, and some others de- scribed by several naturalists. What is called the tiger seems a species of panther, and sometimes grows to a great size, though Buffon, ever fond of theory, assert that American ani- mals are generally small. In South America it attains the length of a large ox, as appears from the testimony of Dobriz- hoffer ; but Clavigero says that the largest quadruped is the danta, anta, or tapir, about the size of a middling mule, being amphibious. The bison is found in New Mexico; and the musk cattle may perhaps extend as far. In California there are said to be wild sheep. The birds of New Spain are parti- cularly numerous and curious. Mineralog^y. — The mineralogy of the Spanish empire in North America is equal, if not superior, to that of Peru, and the other southern provinces. Even in the northern parts na- ture has disclosed her treasures : there is abundance of eold found in the province of Sonora ; and California is supposed to contain rich minerals. The silver mines in New Spain, though they do not contend with Potosi, have long maintained great celebrity. Those of Socotecas, or Zacatecas, are parti- cularly distinguished. The produce of the Mexican mines has by some been computed at ten millions yearly ; but the whole amount of the American mines probably does not ex- ceed seven millions and a half; of which it cannot be supposed that North America produces more than two-thirds. The ancient Mexicans found gold in many of their rivers ; and sil- ver was dug up, but little esteemed. The chief silver mines 582 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. are now to the nortli-we&t of the capital, where there is a town called Luis de Fotosi, more than 200 British miles from Mex- ico. These mines are said to have been discovered soon after those of Potosi, 1545 : they are in a considerable range of mountains, which give source to the river of Panuco. Con- cerning the nature of these mines, and the manner of working them, the Spanish writers seem to be silent. Copper is said to abound in some districts to the west of the capital , and tin is also mentioned among the Mexican mine- rals. Mercury is likewise reported to have been found in Mexico, and there was a celebrated mine in Peru ; but both seem to be now exhausted, as the chief supply is from Spain. Amber and asphalt likewise occur in New Spain : and among the precious stones a few diamonds, with amethysts and tur- quoises, but the list is imperfect, and perhaps erroneous. The mountains also produce jasper, marble, alabaster, magnet, steatite, jad, talc. The stone called tetzontli, red and porous, was used in building, being perhaps a kind of tufa. The itzli is semi-transparent, of a glassy substance, and generally black, but also found white and blue : it was used in mirrors, and also for shai-p inslruments, being the same called pietra del Gallnazzo in South America, the obsidian or volcanic glass of modern mineralog\'. There are several mineral waters of various qualities, sid- phurcous, vitriolic, and aluminous; and some springs of great heat ; but none seem paj'ticularly distinguished. Natural Cui-'iosities. — Besides the volcanoes, there are many natural curiosities, one of the most remarkable being the Poute de Dios, or Bridge of God, resembling the natural bridge in the territory of tiie United States. It is about 100 miles south-east from Mexico, near the village of Molcaxac, over a deep river called the Aquetoyaque, and is constantly passed as a highway ; but it seems uncertain whether the river have worn the passage through a rocky mountain, or the fragment be part of a fallen hill detached by an earthquake. There are many romantic cataracts, among which must be mentioned those of the river Guadalaxara, between the city of the same name and the lake of Chapala. The Hoating gardens in the SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 583 lake of Mexico were artificial curiosities, the bottom being formed of intertwisted willows. Population. — The population of all the Spanish provinces of North America, exclusive of Florida and Louisiana, has been estimated at about six millions; of whom the natives, called Indians, are supposed to amount to three milhons; and the Spaniards and inhabitants of mixed races are computed at other three, of which the Spaniards may constitute one-third. The small-pox is remarkably fatal ; and the black vomit, which is allied to the yellow fever of the United States, acts at intervals with the ravages of a pestilence. The number of priests, monks, and nuns, is also injurious to population, which, however, appears upon the whole to liave greatly increased. The population of America, before the European conquest, appears to have been greatly exaggerated, as usual tn every case of the like nature; and from rough calculations, offered even by classical authors, perhaps four-fifths may be always deducted. That this is the case at least with the discoverers of new countries, may be judged from our own enlightened --times, in which the English voyagers to Otaheite supposed the inhabitants to exceed 100,000, when, upon actual enumeratioil, there were found little more than 16,000. It is probable that when America was discovered, the whole population, including the West Indies, did not exceed four millions. Besides the usual mistakes, there was an additional source of exaggeration, as the Spanish conquerors, like knights-errant, covmted hun- dreds by thousands ; and the oriental vein of hyperbole, intro- duced by the Moors, has tainted the early Spanish authors. If we allow that a hundred or two of Europeans could subvert a mighty American empire, we must imagine that its armies were small, as well as cowardly and unskili'ul. Manners and Customs. — For hospitality, generosity, doci- lity, and sobriety, the people of New Spain exceed any nation perhaps on the globe : but in national energy or patriotism, enterprise of character, and independence of soul, they are perhaps the most deficient. Yet there are men who have dis- played bravery to a surprising degree; and the Europeans 584 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. who are there, cherish with delight the idea of their gallaht ancestry. Their women have black eyes and hair, fine teeth, and are generally brunettes. They are all inclining a little to en-bon-point, but none, or few, are elegant figures. Their dresses are generally short jackets and petticoats, and high- heel shoes, without any head-dress ; over this they have a silk wrapper which they always wear, and when in the presence of men affect to bring it over their faces ; but near the Atlantic s^nd the fron^tiersof the United States, there are several ladiesl who'wear the gowns used in France and England, which they conceive to be more elegant than their ancient costume. The lower cla,ss of the men are generally dressed in broad brimmed Hijts, short coats, lar^ waistcoats and small clothes, always open at the knees, owing to the greater freedom it gives to the limbs on horseback, a kind of leather boot or wrapper bound round the leg. The boot is of a soft pliable leather, but not coloured. In the eastern provinces the dragoons wear over this wrapper a sort of jack-boot made of seal leather, to which are fastened the spurs by a rivet, the gaffs of which are some- times near an inch in length. But the spurs of the gentlemen and officers, although clumsy to our ideas, are frequently or- namented with raised silver work on the shoulders, and the strap embroidered with silver and gold thread. They are al- ways ready to mount their horses, on which the inhabitants of the internal provinces spend nearly half the day. This de- scription will apply generally for the dress of all the men of the provinces for the lower class ; but in the towns, amongst the more fashionable ranks, they dress after the European or United States mode, with not more distinction than we see in pur cities from one six montlis to another. Both men and women have remarkably fine hair, and pride themselves in tlie display of it. Their amusements are music, singing, dancing, and gam- bling: the latter is strictly prohibited, but the prohibition is not much attended to. The dance of is performed by one man and two women, who heat time to the music, which is soft and voluptuous, but sometimes changes to a lively gay air, while the dancers occasionally exhibit the most indelicate SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 585 gestures. The whole of this dance is calculated to impress a stranger with the idea of an insulated society of once civilised beings, but now degenerated into a medium state, between the improved world and the children of nature. The fandango is danced in various fig-ures and numbers. The minuet is still danced by the superior class only. The music made use of is the guitar, violin, and singers, who, in the first described dance, accompany the music with their hands and voices, having always some words adapted to the music, wiiich are generally of such a tendency as would, in Europe, occasion every lady to leave the room. Their games ai'e cards, billiards, horse-racing, and cock- fighting, the first and last of which are carried to the most ex- travagant lengths, the parties losing and winning immense sums. At every town of consequence is a public walk, where the ladies and gentlemen meet and sing songs, which are al- ways on the subject of love, or the social board. The females have fine voices, and sing in French, Italian, and Spanish, the whole company joining in the chorus. In their houses the ladies play on the guitar, and generally accompany it wi».h their voices. They either sit down on the carpet cross-legged, or loll on a sofa. To sit upright in a chair appears to put them to great inconvenience; and although the better class will sometimes do it on the first introduction of strangers, they soon demand liberty to follow their old habits. In their eat- ing and drinking they are remarkably temperate. Early in the morning you receive a dish of chocolate and a cake ; at twelve you dioe on several dishes of meat, fowls, and fish ; after which you have a variety of confectionary, and indeed an elegant dessert: then drink a few glasses of wine, sing a few songs, and retire to take the siesta, or afternoon nap, which is done by rich a.id poor ; and about two o'clock the windows and doors are all closed, the streets deserted, and the stillness of midnight reigns throughout. About four o'clock they rise, wash, and dress, and prepare for the dissipation of the night. About eleven o'clock some refreshments are offered, but few take any, except a little wine and water, and a little candied sugar. 4 E 686 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. The government have multipHed the difficulties for Euro peans mixing with the Creoles, or Mestis, to such a degree, that it is difficult for a marriage to take place. An officer wishing to marry a lady not from Europe, is obliged to ac- quire certificates of the purity of her descent for 200 years back, and transmit them to the court, when the license will be returned ; but should she be the daughter of a person of the rank of captain or upwards, this nicety vanishes, as their rank purifies the blood of the descendants. The general subjects of the conversation of the men are women, money, and horses, which appear to be the only ob- jects, in their estimation, worthy of consideration. Having united the female sex with their money and their beasts, and treated them too much after the manner of the latter, they have eradicated from their breasts every sentiment of virtue, or of ambition to pursue the acquirements which would make them amiable companions, instructive mothers, or respectable members of society. Their whole souls, with a few exceptions, like the Turkish ladies, are taken up in music, dress, and the little blandishments of voluptuous dissipation. Fmding that the men only require these as objects of gratification to the sensual passions, they have lost every idea of the feast of rea- son and the flow of soul which arise from the intercourse of two refined and virtuous minds, whose inmost thoughts are -open to the inspection and admiration of each other, and whose refinements of sentiment heighten the pleasures of every gratification. Such is the character of the Spaniards in North America, as given by a recent traveller in that country. Those of the an- cient Mexicans have been described by many authors, but a few singularities may be here mentioned. A peculiar feature of the Mexican language was, that a termination indicating respect might be added to every word. Thus, in speaking to an equal, the word father was tail, but to a superior tatzin. They had also reverential verbs, as appears from Aldama's IVIexican grammar. Tiius, as cowai'ds are always cruel, the most ferocious people in the w^orld were at the same time also the most servile and obsequious. Their wars were constant SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 587 and sanguinary ; and their manners, in general, corresponded with this barbarous disposition : the principal warriors cover- ing themselves with the skins of the sacrificed victims, and dancing through the streets. The dress was a loose cloak, and a sash girt round the naked waist. From the ancient paintings it appears that the under lip was pierced to receive an ornament of gold. This custom La Perouse and others have observed on the north-west coast of America, The year was divided into eighteen months, each of twenty days ; and five days were added, which were dedicated to festivity. They cultivated maize and some roots ; but their agriculture was rude, and they were strangers to the use of money. On the death of a chief, a great number of his attendants were sacrificed. Language. — Of the Mexican language grammars and dic- tionaries have been published in the country ; and from the few specimens contained in European publications, it appears to differ radically from the Peruvian. The words frequently end in tl ; and are besides of a surprising and unpronouncea- ble length, resembling in this respect the language of the sa- vages in North America, and some of the African dialects ; but strongly contrasted with those of Asia, in which the most poHshed, as the Chinese, are monosyllabic. According to Clavigero, the Mexican tongue wants the consonants b, t,J] gy r, and s ; in which respect only, though unobserved by that author, it strictly coincides with the Peruvian ; except that the latter, instead of the ,?, is said to want the z, a mere difference of enunciation. But the Peruvian is a far superior and more pleasing language, though some modifications of the verbs be of extreme length. The wild, enthusiasm of Clavigero com- pares the Mexican with the Latin and Greek ; though as like as he to Herodotus. Some of the words are of sixteen sylla- bles. Their poetry consisted of hymns, and of heroic and amatory ballads. They had also a kind of dramas; but from the specimen produced, they do not seem to have been supe- rior to those of Otaheite. Education. — There are several laudable institutions in the Spanish settlements for the education of the natives, and some 588 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. colleges or universities; but the fanatical spirit of the instruct- ors renders such foundations of little value. Cities. — The chief city of New Spain, and all Spanish Ame- rica, is Mexico, celebrated for the singularity of its situation. In a beautiful -vale surrounded with mountains the lake of Tezcuco is joined on the south to that of Chalco by a strait, on the west side of a tongue of land, the whole circuit of these lakes being about 90 miles. In a small isle to the north of this junction, and upon the west side of Tezcuco, rose the old city of Mexico, accessible by several causeways raised in the shallow waters; but on the east side there was no communica- tion except by canoes. It is said by Robertson, from recent Spanish documents, to contain 150,000 inhabitants; of which probably a third part is Spanish. The most recent account of this remarkable city seems to be that given by Chappe ITAu- teroche, who ^^sited it in 1769, and informs us that it is built upon a fen, near the banks of a lake, and crossed by numerous canals, the houses being all founded on piles. Hence it would seem that the waters of tjie lake have diminished, so as to leave a fenny access on the west. The ground still yields in many places ; and some buildings, as the cathedral, have sunk six feet. The streets are wide and straight, but very dirty ; and the houses, resembling those in Spain, are tolerably built. The chief edifice is the viceroy's palace, which stands near the cathedral in a central square, but is rather solid than elegant. Behind the palace is the mint, in which more than a hundred workmen are employed, as the owners of the mines here ex- change their bullion for coin. The other chief buildings are the churches, chapels, and convents, which are very numerous, and richly ornamented. The outside of the cathedral is unfi- nished, as they doubt the foundations; but the rail round the high altar is of solid silver, and there is a silver lamp so capa- cious that three men can get in to clean it; while it is also en- riched with lions'" heads, and other ornaments, in pure gold. The images of the virgin, and other saints, are either solid silver, or covered with gold and precious stones. Besides the great central square, there are two others, each with a fountain in the middle. ^ To the north of the town,' savs the writer SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. 589 above mentioned, 'near the suburbs, is the public walk, or Alameda. A rivulet runs all round it, and forms a pretty large square, with a bason and Jet (Teau in the middle. Eight walks, with each two rows of trees, terminate at this bason, like a star ; but as the soil of Mexico is unfit for trees, they are not in a very thriving condition. This is the only walk in or near to iMexico ; all the country about it is swampy ground, and full of canals. A few paces off, and facing the Alameda, is the Queriiadero ; that is the place where they burn the Jews, and other unhappy victims of the awful tribunal of inquisition. The Quemadero is an enclosure between four walls, and filled with ovens, into which are thrown over the walls the poor wretches who are condemned to be burnt alive; condemned by judges professing a religion whose first precept is charity.' The Spanish inhabitants are commonly clothed in silk, their hats being adorned with belts of gold and roses of diamonds; for even die slaves have bracelets and necklaces of gold, silver, pearls, and gems. The ladies are distinguished for beauty and gallantry. Mexico, though inland, is the seat of vast commercti between Vera Cruz on the east, and Acapulco on the west; and the shops display a profusion of gold, silver, and jewels. In magnificent regularity it yields to few cities even on the ancient continent. Gage, w hose authority is used by the most recent writers of all countries in the defect of other materials, says that in his time, 1640, there were sup- posed to be 15,0.00 coaches, some of them adorned with gold and gems ; the people being so rich that it was supposed that one half of the families kept equipages. Santa Fe., the capital of New Mexico, is situated on a small stream which empties into the Rio del Norte, on the eastern side, at the foot of the mountains which divide the waters of that river from the Arkansaw and Red rivers of the Missis- sippi, in 36 deg. north lat. and 109 deg. west long. It is of a long rectangular form, extending about one mile from east to west on the banks of the creek. In the centre is the public square, one side of which forms the flank of the soldiers'' square, which is closed, and in some degree defended by found towers in the angles which flank the curtains ; another 690 SPANISH NORTH AMERICA. side of the square is formed by the palace of the governor, his guard houses, &c. ; another is occupied by the priests and their suite ; and the fourth by the chapitones, who reside in the city. The houses are generally only one story high, with flat roofs, and have a very mean appearance on the outside; but some of them are richly furnished, especially with plate. The population is estimated at 3600. Acapuico was a celebrated port on the south of Mexico, en« grossing the chief Indian trade over the Pacific; while Car- thagena, in South America, on the Caribbean sea, was a centre of European traffic. Both were in unhealthy situa- tions, as Mexico itself; for, by a fatal error, the Spaniards, Dutch, and other Europeans, have in Asia and America founded cities on plains, in imitation of those in their own countries, while high situations ought to have been selected. Mechoacan is a fair commercial town ; and Merida, the ca- pital of the peninsula of Yucatan, is a bishopric, and the residence of the governor of the province. Old Vera Cruz was burnt by the buccaneers, and a more atlvantageous position selected for the new city. It contains one church and three monasteries, and is enclosed with ruinous fortifications : lying to the south-east of Mexico, and the common port for Eu- ropean goods, where a Spanish fleet used to arrive every two years, taking in return silver and other treasures. On the north are barren sands, and on the west bogs that have been drained. Guaxaca exports excellent wool and perfumes. St. Leon and Granada are both situated on the large lake of Ni- caragua, where the chain of the Andes is supposed to termi- nate, even by those who carry its extension to the utmost limit. Even the inferior cities contain, as Robertson observes, a superior population to those of any other European nations in America, that of Angelas being computed at 60,000, and of Gnadalaxara 30,000, exclusive of Indians. Trade, o found in the sand of many rivers that flow into the j\Iaranon. But the state of the mines of Buenos Ayres, as published by Helms, will convey a com- plete idea of this subject ; and it thence appears that the silver mines are there far more productive than those of gold, except the produce retiirned to St. Jago de Catagoita, about 30 miles to the south of Fotosi. Those of silver being more numerous, and more easily worked, have excited the chief attention of the indolent colonists. The celebrated mountain of Potosi has presented, for two centuries and a half, inexhaustible treasures of silver; while the gold seems thinly scattered by nature, and has no where been discovered in such enormous masses. Hence, if the noted plain of Cineguilla in North America be excepted, there is hitherto no example of any gold mine eminently rich, far less rivalling the proud reputation of Potosi. This mountain, of a conic form, is about J20 British miles in circumference, and perforated by more than 300 rude shafts, through a firm yel- low argillaceous schistus. There are veins of ferruginous quartz, interspersed with what are called the horn and vi- treos ores. Of a peculiar dark reddish colour, this mountain rises void of all vegetation, blasted by the numerous furnaces, which in the night form a grand s})ectacle. This surprising mine was discovered, 1545, by Hualpa, a Peruvian, who in pursuing some chamoys pulled up a bush, and beheld vmder the root that amazing vein of silver afterwards called la ricOy or the rich. He shared this discovery with his friend Huauca, who revealed it to a Spaniard liis master ; and the mine was formally registered 21st xVpril, 1545. Another celebrated mine is that of mercury, indispensible in amalgamating the precious metals. While Mexico is supplied from Spain, Peru has the native product of Guancavelica, a district and town not far to the south-west of Lima, near the «;rcat bend of the old Maranon. Thie cinnabar had been used by the Peruvians as a red paint ; and the quicksilver was first detected about 1567. The mine is now so large that there are said to be streets, and chapels Ay here mass is celebrated. SOUTH AMERICA. 611 This mineral seems also to be in argillaceous scbistus of a pale red. Flatina is chiefly found in the mines of Choco and Barbacoas, in the viceroyalty of New Granada. Tin, according to Helms, is found at Chayanza and Paria ; and there are also several mines of copper and lead. The chief copper mine was at Aroa; but the colonies are mostly supphed from the mines of Cuba. Among the otlier minerals may be mentioned the gal- linazo stone, so called from its black colour, being a volcanic glass or obsidian, sometimes confounded with the Inca stone or mirror of the Incas, both being used as looking-glasses. According to Ulloa, the Inca stone is of a leaden colour and soft, being probably a marcasite or pyritical mixture, not yet analyzed. In the time of the Incas emeralds were also com- mon, chiefly on the coast of Manta, and in the government of Atacames, where it is said tliat there are mines which the In- dians will not reveal, as they must encounter the labour of working them. The river of Emeralds flows from the Andes to the north of Quito : and others of inferior quality are found near Bogota, where are the chief modern mines of Peruvian emeralds, justly preferred to all others, since those of Egypt have been neglected. Those found in the tombs are worked into spheres, cylinders, cones, and other figures, and pierced with great precision ; but in what manner this was accom- plished remains unknown. According to Ulloa, rubies have also been observed in the jurisdiction of Cuenza. It is unne- cessary to mention the abundance of sulphur, bitumen, and vitriol, or sulphate of iron, commercially called copperas. Popnlation. — It is probable that the population of the Spa- nish possessions in South America is about 9,000,000. The use of spirituous liquors, and the small pox, with another en- demial disease, which acts at intervals like a pestilence, ob- struct the increase of the natives. The Spaniards and Creoles are far more numerous in New Spain than in South America, where it is probable they do not exceed 2,000,000. The ne- groes may constitute about a twentieth part of the population. As the Spaniards have no settlements in Africa, their colonies were chiefly supplied by the Dutch and English; but since 612 SOUTH AMERICA. the abolition of the slave trade in Englftiid, the Portugueso and Spaniards have carried slaves to their own settlements. Manners and Customs. — Among the native nations, the Peruvians are by far the most interesting, having in some in- stances advanced nearer to civilization than the Mexicans. The llama, whicii may be called a small camel, had been ren- dered subservient to their industry; and their buildmgs, erected of stone, still remain, while of the earthen edifices of the Mexicans, even the ruins have perished. The history of the Peruvian monarchsis indeed vague and unsatisfactory, the noted quipos somewhat resembling the wampum of the North Americans, being brief and transitory records. The government of the Incas was a kind of theocracy, and the in- habitants revered a divine descent, not claimed by the Mexican monarchs. The religion of the Peruvians was that of love and beneficence ; while the Mexicans seem, in their cruel rites, to have been wholly influenced by the fear of malignant deities. Some sacrifices of the smaller animals, and offerings of fruits and flowers, formed the chief rites of Peruvian superstition. The Mexican monarchy was founded by the sword, the Pe- ruvian by superiority of wisdom ; and the captives taken in war were not immolated, but instructed in the arts of civiliza- tion. An excellent writer justly pronounces, that the Pe- ruvians had advanced far beyond the Mexicans, both in the necessary arts of life, and in such as have some title to the name of elegant. Manures and irrigation were not unknown, though a kind of mattock formed the chief instrument of agri- culture. Their edifices were sometimes of bricks hardened in the Sim ; but others were constructed of large stones, the walls, however, never exceeding twelve feet in height. The great roads between Cuzco and Quito are indeed slight and perisha- ble when compared with European exertions; yet become wonderful, when estimated with the other parts of savage America. Their weapons and ornaments also display no small degree of skill, particularly in cutting and piercing eme- ralds, a gem of great hardness. Amidst all these laudable qualities, it is to be regretted, that superstition led them to sacrifice numerous victims on the death of a chief; and a fa- SOUTH AMERICA. 613 vourite monarch was sometimes followed to the tomb by a thousand slaughtered servants. Had the conquest of America been effected by the Spaniards at a period like the present, when European warfare has lost half its ferocity, the Peruvian monarchy might have been respected and preserved, for in the other parts of South America there is a superabundance of the precious metals to satiate the utmost wish of avarice. Whe- ther the ruling people be chiefly cut off, or from the mere de- pression of slavery, it is impossible to discover in the manners of the Peruvian natives any marks of their ancient advance- ment. The methodical tyranny exercised over them is very severe. They are reduced to become even the slaves of slaves ; for the Spaniards encourage their negroes to treat them with the greatest insolence ; and they politically keep up a rancour, now grown inveterate, between these two races of people. They are forbidden, under the severest penalties, to marry, or to have an unlawful intercourse together. Division is the great instrument to which the Spaniards trust for the preser- vation of their colonies. The native Spaniard alone has all the lucrative offices, civil, ecclesiastical, and military. He de- spises the Creolian. The Creohan hates and envies him. Both condemn and maltreat the Indians, who, on their side, are not insensible of the indignities they suffer. The blacks are encouraged to trample on the Indians, and to consider their interests as altogether opposite ; while the Indians, in their nominal freedom, look with an envious disdain upon the slavery of the negroes, which makes them their masters. What is extraordinary, the Spaniards, not consent with re- ducing this unhappy nation imder so cruel a yoke, as if they thought it nothing unless they were thoroughl- sensible of its weight, suffer the Indians to celebrate an annual festival, in which plays are represented, commemorating the overthrow of their own state. These are acted with all the horrid and auriefl it for ever in its bosom ; SOUTH AMERICA. 619 but the same wave whicli destroyed the city, drove a little boat by the place wliere the man stood, into which he threw him- self, and was saved. Whilst this town subsisted, it contained about 3000 inha- bitants of all kinds, had five convents, and possessed the finest port of all Peru. Here were the rich warehouses furnished with all the goods of Europe, which being landed by the gal- leons at Porto Bello, were brought over land to Panama, and thence transported bv the armadillo, or fleet, with a convoy of three men of war reserved for this pur|X)se. To this port ar- rived the annual ship from Acapulco, loaden with all the pro- ducts of the east ; from Chili it received vast quantities of corn, dried beef and pork, leathei', tallow, plank, and several sorts of woollen goods, particularly carpets like those of Turkey. From the southern ports of Peru were brought sugars, wine and brandy, naval stores, cacoa, Virginia wool, and tobacco. From Mexico it had pitch and tar, woods for dyeing, and that balsam which we improperly call of Peru, since it comes from Guatimala. The province of Quito is perhaps one of the most singular and interesting countries in the universe. The valley of Quito is situated 1460 toises above the level of the sea, which is higher than the tops of the most elevated mountains of Pyre- nees. A double range of mountains' surround this delightful valley ; though under the equator, an eternal spring reigns in this favoured spot; the trees are perpetually clothed with lux- uriant foliage, and loaded with fruits of every species; it abounds with animals, the wool of which is employed in the manufacture of stuff's, which form its principal article of com- merce with Peru. They likewise manufacture in this city cotton cloth, equal in fineness, to that which they receive fi'om England. The province every where abounds with mines of gold, silver, copper, and other metals ; there are also several mines of quicksilver, rubies, amethysts, emeralds, rock crystal, and of beautiful marble of different qualities. The labouring classes of ti)e inhabitants of the city of Quito are industrious, and have attained to considerable perfection in many arts and manufactures, particularly in those of woolleri 630 SOUTH AMERICA. and cotton cloths, which they dye bkie, and dispose of in the dift'crent cities and villages of Peru. The number of the in- habitants of this city is estimated at 50,000, of which the ma- jority are Mestizes, the offspring of native Indians and S})a- niards. It is governed by a president, and in it is held the supreme court of justice: it is likewise a bishop's see. The inequalities of the ground on which it stands are so great, as to render the use of carriages inadmissible. The houses are constructed of brick, and seldom exceed two stories in height. Hut this fertile and smiling country is not the abode of safety and tranquillity. '■ Unfortunate people !"' says the elo- quent Marninntel, when speaking of the inhabitants of Quito; ' Unfortunate people ! whom the fertility of this deceitful land has drawn together; its flowers, its fruits, and its luxuriant harvests, cover an abyss underneath their feet. The fecundity of the soil is produced' by the exhalations of a devouring fire; its increasing fertility forebtxles its ruin, and it is in the very bosom of abujidancc that we behold engtilphed its thoughtless and happy possessors."' M. Humboldt, who visited the city of Quito in 1802, de- scril>es the effects produced in its vicinity by the dreadful eartlicjuake which occurred in 1797. 'Quito,' says this tra- veller, ' is a handsome city, but the atmosphere is always cloudy ; tht neighbouring mountains are only covered with a scanty verduiv, and the cold is very considerable. The tre- mendous earthquake of February, 1797, which flesolated the whole province, and swallowed ivp from 35 to 40,000 indivi- duals, was also fatal to the inhabitants of this capital. Such was the change produced bv it on the temperature of the air, that ReaunMr's thermometer, which at present fluctuates from 4 to 10 deg., and rarely ascends to 16 deg. or 17 deg., con- stantly stood, previous to that catastrophe, at 15 or 16 deg. Since this period, likewise, the jirovince under consideration has been constantly sul)ject to more or less violent shocks; and it is not im probable that all the elevated parts of it form a single volcario. The mountains of Cotopaxi and Pinchincha are only small summits, of which the craters form the different Amnels, all terminating in the same cavity. The earthquake SOUTH AMERICA. 621 of 1797 unfortunately affords but too convincing a proof of the justness of this hypothesis, since, during that dreadful occur- rence, the earth opened in all directions, and ejected sulphur, water, &c. Notwithstanding the recollection of this afflicting event, and a probability of a recurrence of similar dangers, the inhabitants of Quit(} are said to be gay, hvely, and amiable; their city is the abode of luxury and volnptuousness, and in no other place can there be displayed a more decided taste for amusements of every description.' Cusco, the capital of the ancient empire, is still a very con- siderable city ; it is at a good distance from the sea, and situ- ated in the mountainous part of the country : it has not less than 40,000 inhabitants, three parts Indians, who are very in- dustrious and ingenious. .Though little instructed in the art, a taste for painting prevails, and some performances of the In- dians of Cusco and Quito have met with applause in Italy. An incredible quantity of pictures are painted here, and are dispersed all over Peru and Chili. They have here likewise manufactures of bays and cotton, and they work largely in leatiier. Neta Grenada. — This viceroyalty was established in 1718. It comprehends Terra Firma, Panama, Veraguay, to which has also been added thS province of Quito. This immense di- vision presents a great variety of surface. Terra Firma, though on the coast, is the most unpleasant and most un- healthful country in the torrid zone : yet the plain grounds are remarkably fertile, and pi'oduce corn enough when culti- vated, all kinds of the tropical fruits, rich drugs, cacoa, vanilla, indigo, pimento, guaiacum, .sarsaparilla, and balsam of Peru. No country abounds moi*e in rich and luxuriant pasturage, or has a greater stock of black cattle. Their rivers have rich golden sands ; their coasts have good pearl fisheries ; and their mines formerly yielded great quantities of gold : but at present they are neglected or exhausted ; so that the principal wealth of this kingdom arises from the commerce of Carthage- na; and what treasure is seen there is mostly the return for European commodities which are sent from that port to Santa Fe, Popayaq, and Quito. Its chief city is Panama. 62!^ SOUTH AMERICA. The city (.f Panama is situated upon one of the best har- bours, in all respects, of the Suuth seas. Ships of burden lie safe at some distance from the town ; but smaller vessels come up to the walls. In the bay is a pearl fishery of great value. The town, one of the largest in America, is said to contain 5000 houses, elegantly built of brick and stone, disposed in a semicircular form, and enlivened with the spires and domes of several churches and monasteries. . It is covered on the land side with an agreeable country, diversified with hills, valleys, and woods. The town stands upon a dry and tolerably healthful ground, and has a great and pi'ofitable trade with Peru, Chili, and the western coast of Mexico, chiefly for pro- visi.)ns of every sort, both of the animal and vegetable kinds; corn, wine, sugar, oil, with tallow, leather, and Jesuits'* bark. In the neighbourhood of this city they raise nothing; and yet, by traflic and tnen- convenient situation, there are few cities more abundantly supplied with all things for necessity, conve- nience, or luxury. Their trade with the Terra Firma and with Europe is carried on over the isthmus of Darien, and by the river Chagra. Carthaflvna is the second town of consideration in Terra Firma, and stands upon a peninsula, that encloses one of the best defended harbours in all Spanish America. The town itself is well fortified, and built after the elegant fashion of most of the Spanish American towns, with a square in the middle, and streets running every way regularly from it, and others cutting these at right angles. This town has many rich churches and convents , that of the Jesuits is particularly magnificent. Here it is that the galleons on 'their voyage from Spain put in first, and dispose of a considerable part of their caiffo ; which from hence is distributed to St. Martha, the Caraccas, Venezuela, and most of the other provinces and towns in the Terra Firma. Viceroyalty uf La Plata. — This portion of South America may be said to consist of four distinct and grand divisions ; viz. that of Buenos Ayres ; the government of Paraguay pro- per, and Tucuman ; the audiency of Charcas, or the detached provinces adjoming Peru ; with New ChiU, or the provinces SOUTH AMERICA. 623 of Chili which lie to the east of the Andes, and do not belong to the presidency of St. Jago. The province of Buenos Ayres, which is sometimes called after the Rio de la Plata, comprises a vast space of territory on the banks of the great river of La Plata. The eastern part is crossed by the Uraguay, and it contains a number of moun- tains, particularly in the interior: the other part is an im- mense plain, which extends to the bases of the Andes, and is in many parts impregnated with salt and nitre. Since the period when this province was separated from Peru, and united to the new viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, (1778,) agriculture, manufactures, and trade, have made an incredible progress. Its piosperity is likewise considerably promoted by its excellent climate, its vast extent, and wonder- fully fruitful soil, which is intersected by a multitude of large and small rivers, whose streams not only serve for the purpose of irrigation and interior circulation, but also to maintain, by means of their common influx into the Rio de la Plata, an in- tercourse with the ocean ; and its maritime communications ai'e aided by the excellent harbours of Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, Maldonado la Colonia, and the bay of Barragau. Buenos Ayres is the capital of the whole province of the river La Plata. Its site is very handsome. From the north side may be seen the river, the width of which is beyond the reach of the eye. The environs consist of nothing but exten- sive and beautiful fields, always covered with verdure. The port is always exposed to the winds, on account of which ves- sels cannot approach very near to the town ; while the boats or small craft which go to it, are obliged to make a detour, and enter a stream which empties itself into the main river ; the water in this is two or three fathoms deep ; but when the tide has ebbed in the great river, the branch in question can- not be entered. Buenos Ayres is the residence of a viceroy and a bishop, and may be considered as the second city of South America. It is supposed to contain 3000 houses, and 40,000 inhabitants. This cit} is now the grand emporium of all the connnerce or' the provinces of Peru ; and the goods are convej'ed thither iii 621' SOUTH AMERICA. waggons drawn by liorses. The conductors travel in caravans, on account of the Pampas Indians, who are very troublesome to travellers. This city is watered by several large rivers, all of which empty themselves into that of La Plata. It has a fine square surrounded with superb buildings, and a fortress on the river, which is the residence of the governor. The streets are perfectly regular, with loot-paths on each side. That the climate of Buenos Ayres is very salubrious, ap- pears from the proportion of the births to the deaths; and consequently the city has not been improperly named. In June, July, August, and September, however, fogs arise from the river, which affect the lungs and breast. The vehement winds too which blow i'rom the pampas, or plains, and are therefore called pamperos^ prove very troublesome to the inha- bitants. Neither in the city of Buenos Ayres, nor in Tucu- man, does any snow ever fall : sometimes it freezes a little, so as to cover the water with a thin coating of ice, which is col- lected and preserved with great care, lor the purpose of cool- ing their liquors. Formerly the citizens of Buenos Ayres had no country houses ; and, except peaches, none of the finer sorts of fruit were produced there. At present, there are few persons of opulence but have villas, and cultivate in their gardens all kinds of fruit, culinary plants, and flowers. The houses ure in general not very high ; but most of them are built in a light and beautiful manner, and their interior exhibits great neatness and an abundant supply of good furniture. The city is well supplied with provisions ; of fresh meat, in parti- cular, there is so great an abundance, that it is frequently dis- tributed gratis to the poor. The river water is rather muddy, but it soon becomes clear and drinkable by being kept in large tubs or earthen vessels. Of fish too thei-e is great abundance. At Buenos Ayres, the men as well as the women dress after the Spanish mode; and the fashions of Cadiz are ge- nerally copied here, but usually some years after their pre- valence in the mother country. The ladies m Buenos Ayres arc reckoned the most agreeable and handsome of all South America. SOUTH AMERICA. 625 Until the year 1747, no regular post was established either in Buenos Ayres, or the whole province of Tucuman, not- withstanding the great intercourse and trade with the neigh- bouring provinces: but, in 1748, the viceroy Don Andonaegui instituted regular posts. In the villages round Buenos Ayres, it is not uncommcn to meet with people in their eightieth year, who still retain the full vigour and health of middle age. Epidemics or other dangerous diseases are wholly unknown ; and were not the peasants, and those }:)ersons whose avocations expose them to such hazards, liable to so many dangerous casualties from the cattle and horses, people of an hundred years old, or upwards, would be nothing remarkable in this country. Monte Video is a town upon the river of La Plata, about 60 miles from its mouth. It has a large and convenient harbour, and the climate is mild and agreeable. The markets are plen- tifully supplied with fish and meat at a very cheap rate. Its principal trade is in leather. Don Pernetti has given a curious picture of the Spaniards of Monte Video. To sleep, talk, smoke a segar, and ride on horseback, are the occupations in which they pass three-fourths of the day. The great abundance of provisions gives facility to their idleness ; besides which, there are amongst them many persons of property, so that they all appear anxious to live in style, and have nothing to do. The women, during the whole of the morning, sit on stools in their entrance halls, having under their feet, first, a cane mat, and over that a piece of the stuff made by the Indians, or a tiger"'s skin. They amuse themselves with playing on a guitar, or some similar instrument, which they accompany with their voice, while the negresses prepare the dinner. In these countries jealousy does not disturb either sex. The men publicly acknowledge their illegitimate children, who be- come the heirs of their fathers. There is no shame attached to bastardy ; because the laws so far authorise promiscuous in- tercourse, as to grant to the children which result from it the title of gentlefolks, 27 4 K 69,0 SOUTH AMERICA. The women, though covered by a veil in public places, live at home with as much freedom ^ to say the least of it, as females do in France ; they receive company as they do in France ; and do not suffer themselves to be pressed to dance, sing, or play on the harp, guitar, or mandoline. In this respect they are much more complaisant than French women, if we may credit the assertion of Don Pernctti. When they are not oc- cupied in dancing, they sit continually on the stools already mentioned, which they sometimes place outside the door. The men are not allowed to sit among them unless they are invited, and such a favour is considered as a great familiarity. At Alonte \ idco, a hvely and very lascivious dance is much practised : it is called calcnda ; and the negroes, as well as the mulaitoes, whose constitutions are sanguine, are excessively f(Mid of it. This dance was introduced in America by the ne- groes who were imported from the kingdom of Ardra, on the coast of Guinea; and the S})aniards have adopted it in all their establishments. It is, however, so indecent, as to shock and astonish those who have not been in the habit of seeing it performed. The accounts which have been given of this licen- tious recreat'wn are so different from what is conceived in Eu- rope, that a particular detail of them would resemble a story of La Fontaine, rather than a matter of fact. The common people, in which are included the mulattoes and negroes, wear, instead of a cloak, a piece of stuff, in stripes of different colours, which appears like a sack, having only a hole at top for the admission of the head ; it hangs over the arms down to the wrist, and reaches, both before and behind, down to the calf of the len; ; it is fringed all round at the bot- torn. The men of every class wear it when they ride on horseback, and find it n)uch more convenient than the common cloak. The governor shewed one of these habiliments to Messrs. Bougainville, Pernetti, &c., which was embroidered with gold and silver, and had cost him upwards of 300 pias- tres. The same dresses are made at Chili, in such a style as to cost 2000 ; and it is from that country that they have been imported at Monte Video. This dress is known by the name SOUTH AMERICA. 627 of poncho or cho7iy : it secures the wearer from rain, is not ruffled by the wind, and not only serves him for a coverlid at night, but also for a carpet when he rests in the fields. Paraguay. — The subdivisions of this great province are very imperfectly known. The upper part of the country, which lies along the rivers of Paraguay, Pilcoraayo, and V^er- mejo, consists of fine plains, watered by a great number of ri- vulets, agreeable hills, and thick forests ; but the lower part contains a series of barren or swampy countries, in which there are large saline plains. To the east of Parana, the ground is hilly. The state of the towns in Paraguay is but little known. Assundon, in English Jssumption, is the capital of the pro- vince: it is situated 84iO miles from Buenos Ayres, on the river of Paraguay. Though the residence of a bishop and a governor, it is but thinly inhabited. Nccmhoucou is a pretty town, situated, according to M. cPAzzara, 99 miles from the town of Assumption. Couroitguati, another town mentioned by dAzzara, is 108 miles east-north-east of Assumption. Tucuman. — Tucuman is a very extensive province; its length by the post roads is about 1580 miles, of which 1306 are very fruitful soil, and 2Ti waste ; the first part is passable with waggons, but in the latter only saddle-beasts are employed. The principal towns in this province are, the Salta of Tu- cuman, which is the residence of a governor, and is situated in a very fertile valley ; Jujui, Ilioja, San Fernando, Saint Jaques de TEsterro, San Miguel, and Cordova. Cordova is the residence of u bishop, and the best town in the province. It lies on a small sandy plain, between a thick forest and the Rio Primero, and foi'ms nearly a regular square. The houses in general have only one story, but are tolerably good, and are neatly and solidly constructed. The city con- tains three men''s, and an equal number of women's convents, called ' Collegios ;"■ one of which has the title of ' University,' and formerly belonged to the Jesuits. Many wealthy indivi- duals reside here, who carry on a lucrative trade in mules. They purchase the young foals in the neighbourhood of Bue^ nos Ayres, Santa Fe, and Corrientes, bringing them up at first 628 SOUTH AMERICA. in their own fields, from which at a more advanced growth they remove them to those near Salta, and sell them a year and a half or two years afterwards, to the mule-dealers from Peru at eight or ten piastres the head. Sant lago del Estero is a poor place, which lies on a river of the same name, in a marshy country that is frequcntlv over- flowed. The inhabitants pass for the best soldiers in the whole province ; but, with the exception of some mule-dealers, live in great poverty. Exclusive of a magnificent Jesuits' college, that would lodge the whole place with convenience, there arc nothing but miserable huts in the town. The women belong- ing to it make very good woollen carpets, but unfortunately there is not much demand for them. St. Miguel is situated in a most beautiful country, amongst fertile plains of figs and citrons, vying with the pomegranate and lively orange trees. The inhabitants carry on a good trade in mules, particularly those destined for draught, which are wanted for the land-carriage to Euenos Ay res and Jujui; and the vehicles so employed are also constructed here. They are a sort of lofty two- wheeled caravan, railed round with cane, and covered on the ovUside with ox-hides. Salta del Tiicuman lies in an extremely fenny situation ; it is scarcely possible to dig three feel without finding water; and, on the other hand, the vale of Lerma, at whose issue the city is situated, is beautifully covered with meadows and fields. Salta does not probably contain mt)re than 2000 inhabitants, yet it is of considerable importance on account of its extensive trade in mules, but more particularly its great annual fair, which is held in the months of February and jNlarch, and at- tracts an extraordinary number of strangers. The sellers from Buenos Ayres, Cordova, Santa Fe, Corrientes, &c., and the purchasers out of Peru, come hither in crowds; and there are often seen at that period about Salta, C0,000 mules, and 4000 horses, all of which go to Peru. This fair would in all probability be still more briUiant, were it not held in the rainy months, when the neighbourhood is scarcely better than a vast morass, and the number of strangers, who are obliged to take up a temporary residence outside the town, can hardly find s^ SOUTH AMERICA. 629 spot of ground whereon to fix their tents. It is not improba- ble but to these marshy exhalations may be attributed the hi- deous goiters with which the female sex is here so frequently afflicted. As beautiful as the women are, and distinguished for their fine complexions, and particularly the fine growth of their hair, no sooner have they attained their twenty -fifth year, than their necks progressively increase in size, till they at length attain to a most disgusting protuberance ; and in order to conceal this deformity, these poor women envelope them- selves up to the chin in a thick handkerchief. Charcas. — This audiency is divided into several large pro- vinces. The climate, in general, is hot and moist ; and the soil very fertile. Great part of this region is inhabited by hordes of Indians, some of whom are on friendly terms with the Spaniards, and others are so barbarous that they eat their enemies. Santa Cruz de la Sierra is the capital of the province of that name. It is a modern built place, for the old town, which was more towards the south, is destroyed. It is a large city, well peopled, and has a governor and a bishop; the latter, however, resides at Misque Pocona. La Plata is the capital of the province of Chuqidsaco, and was first called La Plata on account of a famous silver mine, which was in the mountain of Porco, near the city in question, and from which the Incas derived immense sums. The nobi- lity of this place are the most distinguished of any in Peru, and they still retain many privileges. Tlie number of the in- habitants is about 14,000, amongst whom are many Spaniards. This city is the residence of an archbishop, whose authority extends over the whole viceroyalty. There are several other large towns in this audiency, which do not merit a particular description. Potosi. — This corregidory contains the famous silver mines which have been so often mentioned. These mines afforded, between the years 1545 and 1648, the enormous sum of 80,000,000 of pounds sterling; and they are still far fron) ex- haustion. The metal continues to be abundant, though the piost accessible part has been taken away, and the Spaniards 630 SOUTH AMERICA. will not give themselves the trouble to sink these mines very deep, because there arc in Peru, and even in the vicinity of Potosi, many others which can be more easily worked. The city or town of Potosi contains, according to Helms, 100,000 souls, inclusive of slaves; but other writers state the numbei's at not more than 50,000. AVe ought, however, to prefer the testimony of Helms, because he resided many years •in that country. Potosi is the seat of the administration of the mines, and the tribunals that relate thereto : it is the cen- tre of a very considerable commerce, which is conveyed by the river Pilcomayo. Ch'iU proper. — This division of Spanish America is in length from north to south between 1500 and 1650 miles; and its width from east to west about 240 miles, which comprises the chain of the Andes. It is bounded to the west by the Pacific ocean, to the north by Peru, to the east by Tucuman, and to the south by the countries of Magellan. It is separated from all these regions by the Andes. The climate of Chili proper is temperate and salubrious, its soil fertile, and it always has a clear sky. The cold of winter is moderate, and the heat of summer is cooled by the winds that blow from the sea and the Andes. It contains every metal, semi-metal, and mineral, that has hitherto been dis- covered. Sant lagv^ the capital of the whole kingdom of Chili, is si- tuated in 38 deg. 40 min. 11 sec. south lat., and is 90 miles from the port of Valparayso. The town is said to be more than three miles in circumference. The streets intersect each other at right angles, and some of them are tolerably wide, and three-quarters of a mile long. Its population is estimated at 30,500 souls. Some of the edifices in Sant lago are worthy of mention, on account of their magnificence, though the rules of architecture have not been exactly observed in their con- struction : the principal are, the mint, the new cathedral, and some churches, though there are several splendid houses be- longing to individuals. These all consist only of a ground floor, though the apartments are capacious and lofty. This manner of building, which is, as has been observed, adopted SOUTH AMERICA. 631 fit)m the fear of earthquakes, is probably in the end more convenient, salu])vious, and even more magnificent, than the European method of building several floors above each other. Sant lago is the residence of a captain-general, who is like- wise the civil magistrate of the kingdom of Chih ; of a bishop, who enjoys a large revenue, and a still greater degree of re- spect; of a supreme tribunal, an university, and a college of nobles. There are twelve monasteries and seven nunneries in this capital. The manner of living at Sant lago exhibits all the charac- teristics of gaiety, hospitality, and good nature, which so ad- vantageously distinguish the Spaniards in the New World, as well as in Europe. The women there are handsome brunettes, but a Gothic dress rather disfigm-es them. The conversation in the first circles of the town seems to partake of the simpli- city and freedom which prevail in the country parts of Europe. Dancin-jc and music are here, as well as throughout America, the favourite amusements of both sexes. Tlie luxury of dress and equipages is carried to a great height ; but in the furnish- ing and fitting up of houses, more regard is had to pomp than to neatness and elegance. The town of La Conception having been overwhelmed by the sea, in consequence of an earthquake, a new one has been built at some distance from the shore, which is indiscriminately called La Mocha, or New Conception. The inhabitants are about 10,000 in number. It is the residence of an intendant and a military connnander, and the authority of tliese two officers extends over the province of La Conception, which comprises the south of Chili ; but its limits are not precisely known. Commerce.— 1^\\Q inhabitants of these immense territories have, during three centuries, groaned under the severest des- potism, so that connnerce has been injured, agriculture neg- lected, and the exertions of industry paralysed, and in a great measure rendered abortive. Galleons, and afterwards reeister- ships, were exclusively permitted to carr^^ out Eiu'opcan mer- chandise to the colonies, and in return brought back the gold and silver drawn from the mines of the New World, which the 632 SOUTH AMERICA. indolent Spaniards saw with perfect apathy go to enrich the neighbouring commercial nations. Spain did not, however, succeed in her projects of monopoly ; as the other European nations, which were prohibited by the most severe laws from entering any of her colonial ports, ne- vertheless contrived, with a boldness and perseverance equal to the importance of the object they had in view, to supply these countries with every article of which they might stand in need. In particular, our own merchants, as well as those of Holland, employed by turns gold and the force of arms to counteract the vigilance of the Spanish g^iiarda castas, stationed along the coast, to prevent such con^^^raband traffic. The idea was in- deed equally absurd and impolitic to endeavour to shut out the one lialf of the world from all connection with the other. From these and other circumstances, few advantages have liitherto been derived from the precious metals, either by America herself, or the mother country ; since the former is not permitted to exchange her gold and silver for those com- modities of which she may stand in need, and the latter is at no pains to supply those wants. In 1778, Galvez, at that time minister of American affairs, endeavoured to produce some changes in their absent colonial system. Under his administration, thirteen principal ports in Old Spain were successively permitted to engage in a free trade with the colonies. Since this period, the manufactures of Old Spain have been greatly improved and multiplied : the linens of Navarre and of Arragon, the cloths of Segovna, the silks of Valencia, besides various other articles, render the Spanish commerce less dependent on foreign importations. From 1778 to 1788, the number of free ports in the mother country had been increased from seven to twelve. The ex- portalions of Spanish merchandise had also, during the same period, been more than quintupled, the exports of foreign products in Spanish bottoms more than tripled, and the im- ports from America in return augmented by more than nine- tenths. From a table given by Mr. Bourgoing, it appears that the total value of the imports from South America, during 1788. SOUTH AMERICA. 633 amounted to 22,667,320/. 9s., and the total of the exports to 7,493,933/. 5s. ; so that the imports exceed the exports by 15,173,387/. is. From various authorities, it appears certain, that Spain has, since 1788, exported to South America more wines, fruits, and manufactured productions, than formerly ; it is equally certain, that she has also since imported a greater quantity of tobacco, sugar, coffee, and other commodities, from her Ame- rican possessions, though these are still far from having ob» tained that degree of perfection of which they are susceptible; that, in short, the intercourse between the mother country and her colonies has become much greater than at any former pe- riod. Previous to 1778, twelve or fifteen vessels only were engaged in the colonial trade, and these never performed more than one voyage in the course of three years; but in 1791, 89 ships cleared out from different Spanish ports for South America. It is not easy to ascertain the exact quantity of gold and silver drawn by Spain from the mines in her American colo- nies. Part of these metals is converted into current coin at Lima, Santa Fe, Carthagena, and especially in Mexico ; but a part is also sent under the form of ingots, either clandes- tinely or legally, to the mother country. The most accurate information respecting this matter is, perhaps, to be found in the statement given by M. Helms, which makes the produce almost FIVE MILLIONS, in 1790, nearly three of which were in Mexico. The following are the official registers of the coinage in Spanish America, from the first day of January to the last day of December, 1790 : In Gold. In SUver. Total. At Mexico, 628,044. 17,435,644 18,063,688 piastres. At Lima, 821,168 4,341,071 5,162,239 At Potosi, 299,846 3,983,176 4,283,022 At St. Jago, 72l',754 146,132 867,886 Total 2,470,812 25,906,023 4 L 28,376,835 . 634 SOUTH AMERICA. To account for the great difference of produce from tlie mines of Mexico, and from those of Peru, Chili, and Buenos Ayres, Mr, Hehns alleges the following reasons: 1. Because the kingdom of Mexico is much more populous than any other of the American provinces. 2. It is scarcely half the distance from the mother countr}^, whence it is enabled the better to enforce obedience to the laws and regulations, habits of indus- try, good police, and economy. 8. The want of royal and private banks in Peru, where every thing is still in its primi- tive and chaotic state. And, lastly, on account of the great encouragement which the industrious miner readily obtains in Gvei'y commercial house of Mexico. If, concludes Helms, the provinces of Peru, Chili, and Buenos Ayres, were in a similar favourable situation as that of Mexico, there is no doubt that in Peru alone, on account of its incomparably richer and more numerous gold and silver mines, four times the quantity of these noble metals might be obtained, and perhaps a still greater proportion, than what Mexico affords at present. Since the discontinuance of the galleons, and of the great fairs at Panama and Porto Bello, the commerce of Peru has been augmented bv the arrival of merchant vessels from Spain by the way of cape Horn. Vet, according to Helms, the freedom of the trade has overstocked the market with Spanish goods. From the viceroyalty of La Plata hides and tallow form a considerable article of ex)X)rt. In 179-, there were shipped to the Spanish ports alone 825,000 hides; and in 1798 there were collected in Buenos Ayres and Mont6 Video a stock of three millions of hides. The tea^ or herb of Paraguay, con- stitutes a principal branch of the trade of that country. Of this plant theie are sent to Peru alone about 100,000 parcels, called arrobes, each weighing 25 lbs. of 16 oz. to the lb. ; and the price of the arrobe is equal to 28 French livres, or 1/. 3*. M. sterling, whicli makes the total value of this merchandise sent to Peru, 116,606/. 13^-. A-d. The people boast of innumerable virtues which tiiis tree possesses : it is certainly aperient and diuretic ; but the other qualities attributed to it are doubtful. The Chapetons^ or European Spaniards, do not make much use of this drink; I SOUTH AMERICA. 635 but the Creoles ai'e passionately fond of it, insomudi that they never travel without a supply of the herb ; they never fail to drink an infusion of it at every meal, preferring it to all sorts of food, and never eating till they have taken this favourite beverage. Instead, however, of drinking it separately, as we drink tea in Europe, they put the plant in a calabash, mounted with silver, which they call viate : they add sugar to it, and pour on it hot water, which they drink oif directly without waiting for a maceration, because the liquor would then be- come as black as ink. In order not to swallow the fragments of the plant which swim at the surface, they use a silver pipe, the top of which is perforated into a number of small holes, through which they suck the liquor without drawing in the plant. A whole party is supplied with the tea by handing round the same pipe and bowl from one to another, and filling the vessel up with water as fast as it is drunk out. The re- pugnance of Europeans to drink after all sorts of people, in a country where siphylitic diseases are very prevalent, had caused the introduction of small glass pipes, which had begun to get into use at Lima in the time of Frezier. On an average of five years, ending in 1799, the total value of imports into Peru, taken at the European invoice prices, was 32,397,4)53 piasters. The exports in the produce of the pountry amounted, in an average of five years, ending in 1789, to 31,386,357 piasters. We have no late returns of the state of the exports and im- ports of Spanish South America; but from various circum- stances it may safely be concluded, that the commerce of these colonies is nearly doubled. Goveimrncnt. — Spanish America is, or rather was, divided into FOUR viceroyalties, of unequal dimensions : \\z. That of Mexico, or New Spain, comprehending New Galli?- cia. New Biscay, New Navarre, New I^eon, New Mexico, the Floridas, ai)d the two Californias. That of New Grenada, comprehending Terra Firms,, P^» jfiama, V^eraguay, and the province of Quito. That of Lima, comprehending Peru and Chili, 636 SOUTH AMERICA. And that of La Plata, or Buenos Ayres, comprehending Paraguay, Tucuman, and a part of the former Peru. In order to facilitate the administration of justice, these pro- vinces were divided into audiencies^ which were again subdi- vided into partidos. They were also divided into military districts, which were under the authority of captains-general, governors, and commanders. ' The viceroys maintained a splendid court, though their power was extremely limited, from the authority possessed by the "judges, and from their not being permitted to interfere with the colonial treasures, or the miUtary or marine forces. The military department was much neglected in all the Spanish possessions ; the militia being found sufficient to keep the Indians in subjection; and the marine was confined to ten corvettes, or arn)ed galleons, stationed along a coast extending from 9 to 12,000 miles ! All colonial affairs are finally referred to the cotmcil of the Indies, which holds its sittings at Madrid, and of which the minister of the Indies is the perpetual resident. History. — Peru and Mexico were the only countries in Amt'rica that deserved the name of civilised kingdoms. Three citizens of Panama, Francis Pizarro, Almagro, and Ferdinand Locques, a priest and a man of considerable fortune, undertook the conquest of Peru. Pizarro, after a tedious navigation of two years, landed on the northern extremity of Peru ; but was obliged to return without effecting any thing considerable. But, having obtained the approbation of the Spanish govern- ment, he again proceeded to the conquest of Peru, with 180 men. The empire of Peru was at that time governed by a race of kings, which they called Incas, and which, claiming descent from the sun, were respected as divinities. When Pizarro landed, the unusual appearance of his men caused a general alarm. As usual in frightful rumours, new superstitions be- gin, or old ones are revived, to increase the confusion. There subsisted a tradition amongst the Peruvians, that one of their ancient princes had a dream, which he ordered carefully to bq SOUTH AMERICA. 637 recorded. He imagined that he saw a man clothed all over even to his feet, with a long beard, leading in his hand an ani- mal, such as he had never seen before ; and that at the same time he was clearly informed of the will of the gods, that such a man should rule that country. A Spaniard, whom Pizarro had sent upon an embassy to Atabalipa, as soon as he was dis- covered leading his horse upon some occasion that made him dismount, agreed so well witli this dream, that it is incredible how soon it spread into the the remotest parts of the country, and with how great a terror it struck the whole nation. Atabalipa, the reigning Inca, sent ambassadors to Pizarro; and even went out to meet him with a vast number of attend- ants, to whom he gave the strictest charge upon no account to offer the least injury to the strangers, as they were those of whom his predecessor had foretold, and of the same divine ori- ginal, children of the sun. But Pizarro, who advanced with other notions to the interview, soon convinced him that a con- trary caution was more necessary. They met near a celebrated temple, the Spaniards drawn up in order of battle, and a party in ambuscade. This circumstance leaves us in no doubt as to the designs of Pizarro, The first person who addressed him- self to the Inca was father Vincent, a friar, who was not ashamed to make his character the instrument of so base a crime. He advanced with a cross in his hand, and began a most unseasonable discourse upon the birth and miracles of Christ, exhorting him to become a Christian, on the pain of eternal punishment. Then he spoke with equal eloquence of the emperor of the Romans, pressing him with the same strength of argument to become a subject of that emperor ; threatening him, in case of obstinacy, that God would harden his heart as he did Pharaoh's, and then punish him with the plagues of Egypt ; with other miserable stuff, worse inter- preted. The Inca, though utterly astonished at a matter so unaccountable, behaved with decency and gravity, telling him, that he believed that he and his companions were children of the sun ; recommended himself and his subjects to their pro- tection ; and made no doubt but they would behave to them in a manner worthy the offspring of so beneficent a deity. 638 SOUTH AMERICA. Whilst these discourses continued, the Spanish soldiers, whose least business to Peru was to hear sermons, observing a considerable quantity of gold in the neighbouring temple, had their zeal immediately stirred up, and a party of them began to pillage it. The priests made some opposition. A disturb- ance ensued, and a great noise, which so alarmed our adven- turing apostle, that he let fall his cross and breviary in his fright, and turned his back upon his intended proselyte. Those Spaniards who were not concerned in the pillage, seeing him fl}', either that they judged the heathens had offered their priest some violence, or that Pizarro made use of this signal to them to fall on, immediately drew their swords, attacked the guards and attendants o£ the Inca, defenceless through a reli- gious obedience to their sovereign's command, and, with every circumstance of the most deliberate and shocking bai'barity, slaughtered 5000, which was near the whole number of the Indians, who fell without any anxiety for their own lives, pressing forward with all the zeal and officiousness of a most heroic loyalty to the chair of their prince, to expire at his feet ; and as fast as one set of his supporters were slain, the others succeeded with eagerness to supply their places, and share their fate. The Inca was at last dragged down, and made a prisoner, by an act of the most unparalleled treachery, exe- cuted with a cruelty tliat has hardly any example and can ad- mit of no excuse. The plunder of his camp, rich beyond the idea of any European of that time, was their reward. The valuable ornaments and furniture amassed by a long line of magnificent kings, with the hallowed treasures of the most venerated temples, were given up as a ransom for the Inca. But still Pizarro detained him a prisoner ; and divided his innnense spoils with the soldiers of Almagro, who having now joined him, his force was considerable ; and all were elated with the golden prospects that were opened before them. But this vast treasure, the capital object of all their labours and villanies, no sooner came into their possession, but in its con- sequences it was very near being the utter ruin of their affairs. It is said, and not improbably, that the whole exceeded the sum of IjoOOjOtK)/. sterling, a sum vast at the present tim^J SOUTH AMERICA. then it was a prodigy. On a dividend, after deducting a fifth for the emperor, and the shares of the chief commanders and officers, each private soldier had about 2000/. English money. They had now made a fortune even beyond their imaginations ; but the soldiery was ruined, the greatest part of the army in- sisted upon being discharged, that they might enjoy their for- tunes in quiet. This proposal ill suited with the ambitious views of the commanders. Almagro was for proceeding in the usual way to enforce obedience by the s'everity of military discipline ; but Pizarro opposed him. ' Let them go,' says he ; ' they cannot do us better service : here we shall have them mutinous and cowardly soldiers, at home" they will act for us as recruiting officers with great success ; for when it shall be seen that com- mon soldiers, of so little merit as they, have made such large fortunes, we shall not long want better men to supply their places.' The desire of the soldiers was complied with, and as many as chose to go, who were no inconsiderable number, departed. In due time, the sagacious prophecy of Pizarro was accom- plished, and their army never wanted reinforcements. In the mean time, the unfortunate Atabalipa, the greatness of whose ransom only convinced the Spaniards of the necessity of never releasing him, endeavoured to take advantage of his captivity, to know the genius and manners of this people. Amongst all their accomplishments, there was none he so much admired as the art of reading and writing. This ap- peared almost incomprehensible to him, though he saw clearly the use of it. He was at a loss to know whether he should consider it as a natural endowment, or an acquisition of art. To discover this, he one day desired a soldier to write tlie name of God upon his nail : he carried this about the army, desired several to explain it, which they all did, to his wonder and satisfaction. At last he shewed it to Pizarro, but Pizan-o blushed, and could make nothing of it. The Inca then per- ceived it was no natural gift, but owing to education ; the want of which he thus discovered in Pizarro, and slighted him for it. This mortified the general, and his disgust, joined to 640 SOUTH AMERICA. his natural cruelty and a jDolicy he thought he saw in the pro- ceeding, made him hasten the fate he had some time before determined for his unhappy prisoner. That nothing might be wanting to the boldness and atrociousness of their barbarity, they proceeded against him by way of trial and by the forms of law. A charge was exhibited, digested under several heads. 1st, For being an idolator. 2dly, For having many concubines. 3dly, For wasting the treasures of the kingdom, and raising taxes since the coming in of the Spaniards. And, lastly, For the murder of his brother Huescar. An attorney-general was appointed to manage the accusation, and an advocate appointed from amongst themselves assigned for his defence. In vain did the more numerous and better part of the army protest against this proceeding, and lodge an appeal to Spain ; in vain did they allege their want of power to judge a foreign prince for any crimes, and the absurdity of the crimes with which this prince was charged. Before such judges, and with such an advocate to defend him', the Inca was condemned to be burned alive. To complete this violation and mockery of all laws, human and divine, the same father Vincent, who had so sig- nalised himself upon a former occasion, was sent to comfort and instruct him in his last moments. The chief argument which he used to convert him to Christianity was, that, on his embracing the faith, instead of being burned, his sentence should be mitigated to strangling. The prince submitted to baptisn), and was immediately strangled in prison. ■ Pi/.arro gave the final stroke to his hardened and shameless villainy, by giving him a magnificent funeral, and going into mourning. The death of the Inca induced the Peruvians to take arms against the Spaniards, who were obliged to listen to a treaty. During this interval of peace, Pizarro founded the famous city of Lima. But having received reinforcements, he recom- menced the war, and took Cusco, the capital of the empire. After this, the Peruvians again revolted, and besieged Cusco with 200,000 men, which was defended by Pizarro with a garrison of TO men till he was relieved by Almagro. The conquerors, w ho had quarrelled respecting the division of the SOUTH AMERICA. 641 plunder, had recourse to arms, and Plzarro was routed and fled with about 100 followers. But this man, with the most consummate cunning, recovered the shock, defeated the brave but credulous Almagro, who, at the age of 73 years, fell a vic- tim to the barbarous policy of his fellow adventurer. Whilst this civil war raged, the reigning Inca took a very extraordinary resolution. He disbanded his troops and retired to the mountains ; ' because,' says he, ' whilst we are in arms, their fear of us will be the means of uniting the Spaniards ; but if we disperse, they will certainly destroy each other."* A resolution this, which at first view has something masterly, but it is only when viewed in one light. It was also very ruinous to the Peruvians, that, happening to be divided amongst themselves when the Spaniards came in, they suffered them to interfere in their parties ; but it was of yet worse con- sequence that, when the Spaniards were afterwards divided, they interfered themselves in the Spanish parties. Ahiiagro and Pizarro had armies of Indians, by which those people were habituated to obey them, and to be interested in their success : this, joined to the want of any regular plan of defence on the part of their king and commanders, subdued that em- pire to Pizarro. But having achieved so great a conquest, it only made Pizarro acquainted with other great tracts which were rich, and might be added to them. He followed the tracks of Almagro into Chili, and reduced a considerable part of the country. OrcUana, one of his commanders,- passed the Andes, and sailed down to the mouth of the river of Amazons ; an immense navigation, which discovered a very rich and de- lightful country ; but, as it is mostly flat, and therefore not abounding in minerals, the Spaniards then, and ever since, neglected it. Pizarro, not content with a territory upwards of 800 leagues long, and of a prodigious breadth, riches such as none of the kings of his country had ever possessed, a jurisdiction little less than royal, and an absolute security from the extinction of the only person who had any pretensions against him, took a resolution entirely to cut ofl' all that had ever adhered to his rival. Not satisfied with putting many to death, he-issued a 4 M 642 SOUTH AMERICA. proclamation, inhibiting, under the same penalty, that any person should harbour, or even relieve an Almagrian with the necessaries of life. This party was yet numerous, though dis- persed and lurking about the country. The heads of them, findmg Pizarro implacable, entered into a conspiracy to mur- der him. They did not want adherents in the city, so that they found means of concealing themselves until their plot should be ripe for execution ; but by some means Pizarro dis- covered their designs, and suffered them to know he had dis- covered them. Alarmed at this information, they saw nothing could happen but death at any side. Twelve of the chiefs marched into the streets at noon-day, with their swords drawn, crying out, ' Long live the king ! but let the traitor die;"* and, crossing the great square of Lima, made directly to Pizarro's palace ; the rest followed in different parties. The people all the while suspended, and in that inactive amazement which the execution of a bold and sudden enterprise generally in- spires, made no opposition. The conspirators secured the avenues ; and Pizarro, not alarmed until he was surrounded by his ertemies, fell utider their swords, after having sold his life dearly. When Pizarro had fallen, the natural son of Almagro was proclaimed governor. Shortly after, Vaca di Castro, who was appointed governor by the emperor, arrived, by whom young Almagro was defeated, taken, and beheaded. The severity, inflexibility, and disinterestedness, of the new governor, re- duced the Spaniards to an entire subjection. But in the end disputes arose, and the colony became unsettled. Gonzalo, the brother of Pizarro, availed himself of the general discon- tent, and set himself at the liead of a party, by which he ac- quired the government of Peru. Refusing to return to his allegiance, Peter tie la Gasca, the governor of ^Mexico, landed in Peru with a strong force, defeated the insurgents, and exe- cuted Gonzalo and his cissociates. Thus fell the last of those that had a share in the reduction of the Peruvian empire. The new governor, having by necessary severities quieted his province, took effectual care to heal its disorders by the arts of pcticc, and to complete what Castro had been obliged SOUTH AMERICA. 643 to leave unfinished. He settled the civil government, the army, and the mines, upon such a basis as made the province worthy to be plundered by future viceroys. He carried over two millions to the royal treasury, paid all his debts, and sate down as poor in Spain as he had left it. The reduction of the great empires of Peru and Mexico makes almost the only thing worth insisting upon in the Ame- rican history. A few skirmishes with a savage people, and some voyages and discoveries' exactly resembling each other, changing only the names and situations, is matter which con- tains very little of either ctniosity or instruction. But as the convulsions that lately agitated Europe have also reached and affected the regions of South America, and portend some im- portant change, it becomes necessary to notice these interesting movements. In the month of June, 1806, a squadron under Sir Home Popham, having on board general Beresford and 1100 troops, appeared in the river La Plata, and after a feeble resistance from the Spaniards, took possession oi" Buenos Avres. This town, at the time of its capture, possessed in its treasury and warehouses a large cjuantily of specie and valuable merchan- dise, belonging to the public companies or to the king of Spain, which was reasonably deemed fair booty to the conquerors, and a great part of which, to the amount of more than a mil- lion of dollars, was almost immediately embarked in the Nar- cissus, and dispatched, with intelligence of the success of the expedition, to England. Two hundred thousand dollars re- mained in the royal treasury, and the property in the public depots was estimated to amount to two or three millions. The proceedings of Sir Home Popham and general Beres- ford were attended with a sense of honour and equity, highly gratifying to the feelings of Englishmen, Private property was held sacred by them. That part of the shipping in the river which consisted of coasting vessels, freighted with mer- chandise belonging to individual proprietors, and which was supposed worth nearly a million and a half of dollars, was de- livered up with the most scrupulous and honourable correct- ness. Besides this security of private property, guaranteed in 644 SOUTH AMERICA. the capitulation, and by a proclamation which speedily followed, the free exercise of religion was allowed to the inhabitants ac- cording to the established modes, the possession of their civil rights and immunities, and their forms of municipal and judicial administration were continued ; heavy duties were taken off, or mitigated ; a free tiade was granted to them as it was enjoyed by the iniiabitants of Trinidad, wliosc happiness under liis Bri- tannic majesty's government was held forth as an example of what might result to his new subjects of Buenos Ayres : — all were invited to join in ]3romoting the public order and tran- quillity, which the troojis were in no instance suffered to mo- lest ; and the grand object of the new possessors appeared to be, to create that happy state of the public feeling, with respect to the government, which might supersede all exercise of vio- lence, and which would flow from mild authority, and lead to ■willing obedience. After these arrangements, every thing appeared very quiet ; but Puiridon, one of the municipality, and colonel Liniers, a French officer in the Spanish service and on his parole, were actively employed in . organizing an insurrection. Favoured by the weather, several thousands of armed men entered the town in different directions ; and, avoiding an open engage- ment, joined the inhabitants in annoying the British troops from the churches and the tops of the houses. General Be- resford, after a spirited resistance against the most overwhelm- ing numbers, agreed to evacuate the town, and that his troops should be embai'ked for England as prisoners of war : but, contrary to the terms of capitulation, they were marched up the country. Sir Home Popham, after this disaster, made an unsuccessful attack upon Monte Video. He" next landed a detachment, ■which reduced the harbour and peninsula of jNIaldonado ; a place which, from its strength and situation, was well calculated for assembling the ships and troops that were expected from England. On the 5th of January, 1807, Sir Samuel Auchmuty landed with a strong force at Maldonado ; and, after refreshing his troops, sailed, with a squadron under admiral Sterling, to the SOUTH AMERICA. 645 attack of Monte Video; which, after a vigorous sie_o;e, was gallantly carried b)' storm. This victory was followed by the arrival of general Whitlock, with a strong reinforcement; and who immediately pi'oceeded, with the fleet under admiral jNIurray, to attempt the re-captiu-e of Buenos Ayres. The troops were landed about 20 miles from the town ; but being unprovided with guides, and the commissary department being also improperly conducted, much fatigue and delay en- sued; which gave the Spaniards time to collect their forces, and to strengthen their defences. The Spaniards'" advanced posts were gallantly attacked and defeated. The troops, how- ever, on entering the town, experienced the most determined resistance, being opposed by a heavy and continued fire of musketry from the tops and windows of the houses ; the doors of which were barricadoed in so strong a manner, as to render them almost impossible to force. The streets were intersected by deep ditches, in the inside of which were planted cannon, pouring showers of grape on the advancing columns ; this was accompanied by musketry, hand-grenades, bricks, and stones, from the tops of all the houses ; every householder, with his negroes, defended his dwelling, which was in itself a fortress : yet in defiance of this opposition, several columns took the im- portant positions appointed them, though with the loss of 2500 men, in killed, wounded, and prisoners. After a pause, gene- ral Whitlock signed a treaty with general Liniers, the Spanish commander, whereby the British agreed to evacuate Monte Video, with all their other conquests in the La Plata, within two months from the date of the treaty. Thus ended the impolitic attempt to add these vast and po- pulous colonies to the crown of Great Britain. Had the Bri- tish proclaimed the independence of this country, the result might have been very different : or even had they been content to hold Monte Video, from which commanding the trade of the interior, Buenos Ayves would, in the end, have found it necessary to come to terms of accommodation, highly to the advantage of British commerce. The disposition to emancipate South America was first com- municated to a British minister in the beginning of 1790, when 646 SOUTH AMERICA. the measure was proposed to Mr. Pitt by general Miranda. It met, from that minister, with tlie most cordial reception; and, as the dispute respecting Nootka Sound was then subsist- ing, it was resolved, if Spain did not prevent hostilities by submission, to carry the plan into immediate execution. When an accommodation was effected, and peace at last decreed, Mr. Pitt still assured the general, that the scheme of emancipating South America was a measure that would not be lost sight of, but would infiillibly engage the attention of every minister of this country. The man by whom this important suggestion was made, and in whose breast the scheme of emancipation, if not first conceived, seems at least to have been first matured, is a native of Caraccas in South America; descended from one of the principal families of the country. At the early age of seven- teen, he repaired to Spain, and, by the influence of his family, obtained a commission in the Spanish army. Early smit by the love of letters, he was anxious to proceed to France for the prosecution of his education ; but permission was denied him ; and he was forced to bring the masters, whom he could not procure in Spain, from France at liis own charges. It is an anecdote not imworthy of record, that when the inquisition ordered his books to be taken from him and burnt, he applied to count O'Reilly, inspector general of the Spanish aituy, to see if the order could not be recalled ; but the inspector told him, that all he could do was to condole with iiim, for that the same misfortune had happened to himself. When France and Spain resolved to take a share in the war which was carried on between Great Britain and her American colonies, it happened that Miranda was in that part of the Spanish army which was destined to co-operate with the French. Acting thus, and conversing with the members of a more enlightened nation than any he had yet seen, the ideas of the young American received that improvement after which he aspired ; and, in a scene where the cause of liberty was the object of all men's zeal and enthusiasm, and in a country the situation of which in so many respects resembled his own, a similar destiny for this last was naturally presented to his SOUTH AMERICA. 647 wishes. So deeply was the impression struck, that he has de- dicated to this one design ahnost the whole of his hfe, and has been the prime mover in every scheme that has been proposed for the emancipation of the Spanish colonies in America. At the termination of the American war, he resigned his situation in the service of Spain, and repaired to Europe, with a view to study the institutions of the most enlightened nations, and to draw from them instruction for the benefit of his native country. For this purpose, lie came first to Givat Britain, and proceeded afterwards to Prussia, xVustria, Italy, Greece, and a part of Turkey. He then proceeded to Russia, where he met with prince Potemkin at Cherson, whose notice he at- tracted ; and by him was introduced to the empress at Kiow. A native of Spain, travelling in search of knowledge, and im- proved by it, appeared to her in the light of a phenomenon. She invited him to remain in Russia; for, in Spain, she said, he would be burnt; — Spain was not a country for him. When Miranda opened to her, in reply, the views to which he had devoted himself in behalf of his country, she manifested the strongest interest in the accomplishment of his scheme, and assured him, in case of his success, she would be the foremost to support the independence of South America. She trans- mitted a circular letter to her ambassadors in Europe, to afford him her imperial protection every where ; and gave him an in- vitation to draw upon her trensury for his personal support. It was after this tour through Europe, in which Miranda spent several years, that he returned, by the way of France, to England ; and being, by his friend governor Pownal, intro- duced to Mr. Pitt, proposed to him the plan, of which the submission of Spain on the question at issue prevented the ex- ecution. At the time when the prospect was thus, for an in- definite period, closed upon him in England, and the first promising movements of liberty in France were attracting the curious from every quarter of the world, Miranda returned to witness the great scenes that were there passing, and to obtain, if possible, from France, in her new.situation, the same favour to South America, which in her old she had bestowed upon the United States. By his companions in arnas, whom he had 648 SOUTH AMERICA. recently known In America, he was speedily drawn into some connexion with the great leaders at that time in public affairs , and when the revolution was first called upon to draw the sword, he was invited and prevailed upon to take a command in her armies. It was while he was serving with Dumourier in the Nether- lands, that the scheme for revolutionising Spain and her colo- nies was first conceived hv the republican leaders. But Miranda thought the republicans were proceeding too hastily, and refused his co-operation. During some years subsequent to this occurrence, the matter was sunk in oblivion amid the violent struggles which agitated Europe. Many months had not elapsed when the reign of Robespierre began ; and Mi- randa, with so many other virtuous men, were buried in the dungeons of the revolution. Though tried, and clearly ac- quitted by the revolutionary tribunal, which declared that not a shadow of siispicion attached to him, he was still detained in prison, and escaped the guillotine only by one of those acci- dents by which so many others were delivered up to it. About the same time, or a little after, jNIiranda was met at Paris by deputies and commissioners from Mexico, and the other principal provinces of South America, who had been sent to Europe for the purpose of coiK-erting with him the measures to be pursiujd for accomplishing the independence of their country. It was decided accordingly, that Miranda should, in their name, again repair to England, and make such offers to the British government as, it was hoped, might induce it to lend thevn the assistance requisite for the great object of their wishes ; and it accorded with the plans of j\Ir. Pitt, at that time, to enter with promptitude into the scheme proposed for the emancipation of South America. The pro- posal was, that North America should furnish 10,000 troops, and the British government agreed to find money and ships. But the ])resideiit Adams declined to transmit an immediate answer, and the measure was, in consequence, postponed. In the beginning of 1801, during lord Sidmouth's adminis- tration, the project was again revived. The })lans of govern- ment to be rcconunended to the people of South America, SOUTH AMERICA. 649 were considered and approved ; even the military operations were sketched and arranged ; and tlie preparations far ad- vanced for the expedition. The preliminaries, however, of the peace of Amiens were signed ; and the measure was put off to a future opportunity. When war was again declared against France in 1803, the bu- siness of South America formed one of the principal designs of ministers ; and measures were taken to carry it into effect, the moment that the peace which still subsisted with Spain should be broken. This event did not occur till 1804, when Mr. Pitt was again at the head of administration. The measure was now prosecuted with zeal ; lord Melville and Sir Home Pop- ham were employed in arranging with general Miranda the whole details of procedure ; when the execution was again suspended by the affairs of Europe, and by the hopes and ex- ertions of the third coalition. The prospect thus appearing shut upon them in Europe, the South American exiles from the provinces of Caraccas and Santa Fe, residing in the United States of America, and in the island of Trinidad, pressed general Miranda, and at last pre- vailed upon him, to quit his residence in this country, and make an effort in their behalf through the medium of America alone. But on arriving theie, the public aid of the govern- ment was refused, lest offence should be given to France. The hesitating and wavering policy of the British court also deprived Miranda of the succours he expected from the go- vernor of Trinidad. He sailed from Trinidad on the 24th of July, with nine ships of war, and arrived on the 2d of August off the city of Coro, where his troops were landed under cover of the vessels, and with very slight resistance. Coro was taken by assault, and some other trifling advantages were gained ; but the pro- gress of this enterprising general was soon checked by an irre- sistible force. Most of his adherents were taken, and he him- self with difficulty escaped. This expedition, however, revived and strengthened the desire of independence, which had been long cherished in the Spanish colonies; and which received additional stimulus, 28 4 N 650 SOUTH AMERICA. from the degraded and hopeless state the mother country ex- hibited. This disposition was first evinced in the latter end of 1809, by the deposition of the archbishop of La Plata, who held the liighest civil authority in La Paz ; and the formation of a de- mocratic government. This was followed by a movement of the inhabitants of the Caraccas, who seized their public func- tionaries, and forced them on board ship. The revolutionary spirit spread rapidly through the vast regions of Terra Firma, and reached the western confines of the continent. At Quito, upwards of 4000, of all sexes and ages, perished in the strug- gle; but the revolutionists at Jast triumphed. The adherents of Old Spain, however, which comjjrehended all the regular troops, and most of the priests and civil officers, formed a strong party, and kept possession of several important places. When the Spanish nation rose in arms against the usurpa- tion of , Bonaparte, they were enthusiastically seconded by the South Americans. But the Cortes treated their generous fel- low citizens in the colonies with neglect and contempt. They even manifested unequivocal symptoms of drawing tighter the bonds in which they had long been kept. The emissaries of Bonaparte in the colonies were thus enabled to form a strong party. Besides this, there were two other parties ; one of in- dependents, and a party desirous of retaining their allegiance to Ferdinand. AVhile the people of the Caraccas were still angry and dis- appointed by the imbecility, tyranny, and impolicy of the re- gency, intelligence arrived that all who had countenanced or adhered to tlie late revolutionary proceedings were proclaimed traitors ; and that the ports were to be in a state of blockade till the province should acknowledge, not merely Ferdinand VIL, but that the regency at Cadiz were his only true and legitimate representatives. In order to support this bold and obnoxious measure, the regency, to complete the proofs of their folly and imbecility, dispatched a lawyer of the name of Catavania, who, afraid to take up his abode in the Caraccas, came no further than Porto Rico; and from thence issued \m SOUTH AMERICA. 651 proclamations, which were impotent, and of no avail in any other respect, but in provoking and alienating the colonists. That party in the Caraccas, which had long entertained the design of separating the province from the mother country, now conceived that the time was arrived when they could easily and safely carry their design into execution ; for this purpose, they summoned a general congress of delegates from all the principal towns and districts which were favourable to their views. This congress met at Caraccas on the 2d of March, 1811. As it was still necessary, for some time at least, to preserve the appearance of loyalty and attachment to their sovereign, they took the oath of fidelity to Ferdinand VII., and declared their wish and resolution to continue con- nected and in amity with the mother country. At this con- juncture Miranda made his appearance; he had been long ambitious to bring about and secure the independence of the Spanish colonies ; hitherto his attempts had not been success- ful ; he was therefore eager to avail himself of these circum- stances and events so favourable to his plans; and having procured himself to be elected for one of the most inconsidera- ble towns in the province, his influence and spirit soon began to manifest themselves. Before he appeared to animate and direct the insurrection, it had been marked with great mildness and moderation ; and the movers and first leaders of it were content in cautiously and gradually advancing towards the at- tainment of the objects they were desirous to attain and secure. Far different was the character of the insurrection, and the behaviour of the leading members of the congress, after Mi- randa gained access to it. One of the first fruits of this change of character appeared in the deputies, who so lately had renewed their oath of fide- lity to Ferdinand, abjuring his authority; declaring them- selves, and their country at the same time, absolved from all dependence upon or allegiance to the crown of Spain ; while they constituted the provinces, of which they were deputies, into free and independent states, under the title and designa- tion of the limited provinces of Venezviela. 652 SOUTH AMERICA. A civil war with all its horrors and cruelties now com- menced : each party proscribed the other, and inflicted the most summary punishment on those who fell into their power. Many persons were arrested and thrown into prison on suspi- cion ; some were banished ; others put to death ; and in short all those scenes which characterised and disgraced the com- mencement of the French revolution, were acted iu the Carac- cas, W'ith equal violence and ferocity, though in a more confined theatre. The European and Creole families in general, natu- rally were disposed to resist these proceedings ; they of course felt the power and vengeance of Miranda and his partisans. Valencia, which is principally inhabited by old Creole families, at the commencement of the insurrection, had sent deputies to the congress ; but afterwards disapproving of their proceedings, and especially of the declaration of independence, it deserted the party of Miranda. To punish it for this defection, he marched against it with a large body of troops, and inflicted on its inhabitants a most severe punishment. These disturbances and violent proceedings naturally alarm- ed the governors of the neighbouring provinces. On their first breaking out, the viceroy of Santa Fe de Bogota ordered, in the most strict and peremptory manner, that all communi- cation should be closed and cut off between his government and the insurgents. But his efforts to guard the provinces subject to his jurisdiction from the spreading and overwhelm- ing evil were unavailing. In them the same causes existed, which had existed in the Caraccas, and produced there a sepa- ration from the mother country and a civil war : one party were afraid and suspicious of their magistrates and governors, as attached to the French interest ; while another party were desirous of shaking off the authority of Spain. Under such circumstances, great caution, prudence, and moderation were necessary in order to preserve the public peace : unfortunately these qualities did not exist. On the contrary, the corrcgidor of Sooono, actuated by a rash and violent spirit, ordered the troops under his command to fire upon the populace, who had assembled, unarmed, but mutinous. Thus was the spark set SOUTH AMERICA. 653 to the inflammable materials, which had been long accumulat- ing. The insurrection broke out and spread rapidly. The inhabitants of the neighbouring district, having learnt the outrage which the corregidor had committed against the peo- ple of Socono, came into the town in great numbers; and having compelled him to take refuge in a convent, starved him into surrendering. The town now threw off its depend- ance and allegiance; appointed a junta; and transmitted to the government of Santa Fe an account and vindication of its proceedings. Nearl}' at the same time, the populace of the capital of this province had manifested strong symptoms of disaffection and tumult ; the viceroy therefore, unable to put down by force of arms the insurgents of Socono, consented that they should establish a junta, of which he was appointed the president. For a very short time after these proceedings iii Santa Fe, the insurgents appeared disposed to retain the show of allegiance to Ferdinand VII. : but an event which took place at Quito, and which excited universal detestation throughout Spanish America, made them throw aside the mask, and avow their determination to be free and independent of the crown of Spain. This event, so fatal to the cause and character of the mother country, was the massacre at Quito of a great number of the principal Creoles of that city, by a body of troops under the direction and in the service of the viceroy of Lima. As soon as intelligence of this massacre reached Santa Fe, the viceroy was deprived of his situation and authority, both as president of the junta and governor of the province. In order to follow the revolutionary course regularly and completely, the ancient name of New Granada was changed into Cundina- marca. The insurgents of this province, however, still stop- ped short of the proceedings of those of the Caraccas; for though they abjured the provisional governments of Spain, they aciknowledged Ferdinand VII. as their legitimate sove- reign : this remnant of loyalty so much displeased the insur- gents of the Caraccas, that they remonstrated with them on the subject, declaring that they will acknowledge no form of government but what they make for themselves. 654 SOUTH AMERICA. The events which liave occurred in the province of Buenos Ayres afford another proof and example of the mischief and evil which have resulted from this revolutionary spirit The town of Buenos Ayres had many peculiar causes of complaint against the government of Spain, besides causes which ope- rated on her, as well as on the rest of Spanish America. The greatest number of its inhabitants are merchants : of course the absurd restrictions placed upon the commerce of her colo- nies by Spain were severely felt by them ; and as the articles which they export are chiefly of a perishable nature, whatever suspends or interrupts commerce must fall heavily on them. Suffering from these circumstances, they had frequently com- plained of the monopoly of the mother country, as pressing on them with peculiar severity ; nor were the other inhabitants of Buenos Ayres without their grievances and cause of complaint against the mother country. Creoles of the oldest families, and of the highest rank and character, saw themselves de- prived of the offices of the state, in order that they might be filled by men of very doubtful character, of mean rank, and destitute of talents, from old Spain. In short, at Buenos Ayres, as in every other part of Spanish America, the conduct of the government of Spain was the. same : it is difficult to pronounce or ascertain whether it was more unjust or impolitic ; whether it was more calculated to injure the colonies or the mother country ; whether it was the result of extreme folly or of extreme wickedness, or of both combined. It is not to be wondered at, that in the town of Buenos Ayres the revolution was brought about and completed with- out any difficulty or resistance. The viceroy either perceiving objection and resistance useless, or disposed to coincide with the principles and views of the insurgents, gave up his autho- rilv quietly; but it was otherwise in the other parts of the province : they did not feel so acutely and extensively as Bue- nos Ayres the oppression of the mother country ; nor were the inhabitants in general so much inclined to the principles on which the revolutionists of Buenos Ayres acted. This differ- ence of opinion and conduct was principally visible at Monte Video ; the town recognised the regency of Cadiz ; a civil war SOUTH AMERICA. 65S commenced between it and Buenos Ayres ; and while the lat- ter besieged Monte Video by land, Monte Video, aided by the Spanish marine, the presence and influence of which had at first induced it to acknowledge the regency at Cadiz, threat- ened Buenos Avres from the river. In the midst of this civil war, the British admiral and the British nuvai officers on that station, had a difficult and delicate task to execute : they were applied to by both pin ties, but very judiciously declined tak- ing part with either; contenting themselves with protecting the British ships and merchants. Besides jMonte V^ideo, Cordova, another town in the viceroy- alty of Buenos Ayres, about 500 miles from it, in the interior, becan}e the scene of a counter-revolution, under Liniers and other adherents of Spain. On many accounts this counter-re- volutionary party was dreaded by the insurgents of Buenos Ayres ; the leader of it, Liniers, was a person of great influ- ence and considerable talents, he also was deservedly popular at Buenos Ayres. Many attempts were made to gain him over, but these faiUng, a large body of troops was dispatched from Buenos Ayres against Cordova : on their approach, the leaders of the counter-revolution, apprehensive either that the people were not able to cope with regular forces, or suspicious of their steadiness and attachment, precipitately fled, and at- tempted to reach the frontiers of Peru. In this attempt, however, they did not succeed : they were pursued and taken ; and, without even the form of trial, put to immediate death. Liniers surrendered himself; but this did not save his life: two days after his surrender, he was shot through the head. In the mean time, the viceroy of Lima, having received in- formation of the revolutionary proceedings at Buenos Ayres, determined to crush them if possible ; for this purpose he raised a considerable army, and marched towards the Andes. The army sent from Buenos Ayres to attack Cordova heard of the approach of the viceroy while they were at that city ; and having completely succeeded in the object for which they were sent, their leader resolved to advance and meet the vice- roy of Lima. The hostile armies met at Suipacha, in the be- ginning of November, 1810; an action took place, and the 656 SOUTH AMERICA. insurgents were victorious: the consequence and the reward of their victory was, the possession of Potosi, and of the greater part of the vipper provinces. The army of Peru, however, though defeated, was not destroyed, nor even greatly weakened or discouraged: they ralUed; and on the 10th of June, 1811, completely defeated and dispersed the army of Buenos Ayres at Desaguedro. But the state of the Spanish provinces in America Avas such, that no permanently beneficial effects to the counter-revolu- tionists could arise from their victories ; for while they were pursuing or defeating one hostile armv, another rose up: the victorious army of Peru were prevented from pursuing th^ir advantage, and regaining possession of the country which they had lost in November, 1810, by the intelligence that an insur- rection had broken out at Arequipa on the South sea, against which it was judged expedient that they should immediately proceed. In the mean time, the war between Buenos Ayres and Monte Video continued, and was carried on with great exer- tion and implacability. We have already mentioned that the English wisely preserved a strict neutrality ; at the same time they conducted themselves in such a manner, as for st>me time to prevent the hostilities from becoming violent and cruel. For a considei-able length of time, Buenos Ayres seemed to gain ujXMi Monte Video ; although the latter, by her superi- ority at sea, and consequent command of the navigation of the river, frequently distressed Buenos Ayres very much. In the beginning of 1811, affairs took a different turn and assumed a different aspect. The regency sent out Elio, an officer of ma- rine, a man of great activity and resolution, but of a violent temper and character : he at first attempted to persuade the junta of Buenos Ayres to receive and recognise him, as viceroy of the province ; failing in this attempt, he attacked their ships, destroyed their commerce, menaced the city itself with bombardment, and threatened to call in a Portuguese army from the Brazils to assist him in his designs, and in the sup- port of his authority, lie did not, however, content himself with these open and spirited measures ; he had also recourse i SOUTH AMERICA. 657 to intrigue, and contrived to introduce or secure partisans in Buenos Ayres itself. The junta found themselves in a most critical and perilous situation ; threatened by a hostile army from without, and surrounded within by men whom they could not trust, and who were ready to betray the city into the power of Elio. In this emergency they recalled an army which they had sent to the Portuguese frontier of Paraguay, and sent it against Monte Video ; and banished all Europeans who could not find security for their good behaviour. After this the war languished. Several affairs took place, but nothing decisive occurred. At length, the government of Buenos Ayres succeeded in establishing a respectable marine, which was put under the command of one Brown, an English- man. But subsequently this adventurer betrayed his trust, and sailed to the West Indies. However, the principal enemy of this I'epublic was now unexpectedly subdued from another quarter, for an army of Portuguese took possession of Monte Video. The partisan Artigas on this moved around the sur- rounding country, from which he collected subsistence for his army. At 'length, when the Bourbons were restored to the thrones of Spain and France, Ferdinand sent a formidable expedition under Morilla to deliver South America. But although the royal general commanded a body of veterans, he failed in re- ducing the more high-minded patriots, who foiled him in several engagements. However, having received some rein- forcements, he succeeded in capturing the city of Carthagena, when he obeyed the mandates of his master, by sacrificing hundreds of the patriots, without distinction of age or sex. But this cruelty only tended to unite and exasperate the peo- ple, who flew to arms in every direction, and the victorious general found himself blockaded in this city. After a despe- rate conflict, he extricated himself, and retired into winter quarters. In the mean time, thousands of gallant men, particularly Englishmen, whom peace had left without employment, flocked to the independent standard, and strengthened the army of Boliver. Admiral Biron also was hidefatigable in organising 4 O 658 SOUTH AMERICA. the Venezuelian fleet, which rode triumphant on the coast, and even carried the terror of the patriotic arras to the entrance of the harbour of Cadiz. In few instances durst the Spaniards engage the repubhcan vessels, which were mostly manned by English and American seamen. The government of Buenos Ayres now found themselves at iiberty to adopt measures in furtherance of the seneral cause • and accordingly an army was equipped and sent to liberate Chili, which had been subdued by an expedition sent from Spain. They were met on the frontiers by the royal army, and a battle took place: but the enthusiasm of the patriots was irresistible ; the royalists were defeated and dispersed and the fine province of Chili was instantly liberated. Early in January, 1818, the hostile armies in the north of South America again came into contact, and the bloody Mo- rilla was defeated near Calaboya, into which place he retired. He afterwards retreated upon Sombrero, followed by the victo- rious ]3oliver, who again defeated him in two actions, and then blocked him up in a most exposed and unhealthy position. The royalists made a most vigorous effort to extricate their main army ; but a reinforcement of 3500 men were met upon their march, and the whole were either killed or taken. Such is the situation of the princi})al armies at present ; and from the weakness and unpopularity of the Spanish government, the insubordination manifested by the troops, and the formida- ble supplies of men and arms procured bv the patriots in Eng- land and Ireland, there remains but little doubt that the next campaign will establish the independence of the South Ameri- cans upon a firm basis. During llie successful career of Boliver in 1817, Sir Gregor Macgrcgor took Amelia island ; but the government of the United Staler^ refused to recognise his authority, and this con- quest was abandoned. The geneial then returned to England. purchased a great quantity of military stores, and raised a strong body of men, with which he again sailed to the scene of action. At Jam.'iica he was joined by great part of a dis- banded legiment, and from hence he proceeded to Porto Bello, ■vhicli he took bv surprise However, in a short time, either SOUTH AMERICA. 659 thi'oiigh negligence or treachery, he in hb turn was surprised by the Spanish troops, and narrowly escaped on board of a vessel. Macgregor at the present is at Aux Cayes, with a fine brig and 120 men. The revolution in Peru first broke out in La Paz, and afterwards in El Cusco, the ancient city of the Incas. But the patriots seem safe on the side of the South seas, being protected by lord Cochrane, one of the most able and gallant warriors that ever drew a sword. Lord Cochrane has commenced that teasing sort of warfare for which he is so well qualified, and by which he kept the whole French coast in the Mediterranean seas in a state of alarm and anxiety all last war. His movements are made with the rapidity of an eagle ; he has scarce pounced upon the place and made it his victim, before he replumcs his wing and descends upon another, carrying all before him. His lord- ship''s vessels, although heavy in guns, are light in their hulls, and incapable of laying alongside of batteries ; therefore his attacks are more diversions and excursions for phmder, to ac- custom his men to harass and be harassed, than any serious desire of occupying the place he assails. He is incessantly training his men to the use of the pike, tomahawk, and broad- sword, determined when he meets with an old Spanish ship, to' attempt her by boarding at once, the sides of his ship being too weak for withstanding a cannonade. It is not forgotten by his men, that his lordship, in the Speedy brig of 14 guns and 45 men,, boarded and carried the Elgama Spanish frigate of t52 guns and 300 men, and they prognosticate they will be now equally successful. The squadron of his lordship bombarded Lima three times, with a hope of inducing the Spanish squadron to come out and give the attack, but the wily Dons chained their ships to the shore, and very quietly saw the houses knocked to pieces and the inhabitants killed, over their own mast heads. During the last attack, a gun vessel, mounting six carronades, pushed out of the harbour, and attempted to cover a ship of 400 tons burthen, whose cables had been cut by the shot from the O'Higgins, and was drifted into the open bay. Lord Coch- 660 SOUTH AMERICA. rane, in command of the boats of his squadron, captured the ship and sent lier off' to sea ; he then made a dash at the gun vessel, a!id succeeded in bringing her off when she had taken sliclter within pistol shot of a twelve gun battery ; on board of the vessel wcj'o 212 men, in the boats with his lordship 42, and several of them boys. The loss on his part was 17 killed and wounded. Tlie gun vessel, coppei-ed and schooner-rigged, was innnediately manned and commissioned by a lieutenant. The merchant ship was taken out to sea, her cargo was found to be very valuable, and she had in boxes nearly two million dollars, these were removed, a party of men sent on board, with a lieutenant, who has proceeded to the general rendezvous for more guns and hands ; she is called the Nostra del Carmen, and is in effect a trading frigate, will mount ii6 guns, and be a fine cruiser. His lordship harangued his men, a motley crew of English, Spanish, mulattoes, and Americans, and distributed to each 100 dollars per man, saying he would trust to fortune for his share at a future day ; the enthusiasm of his crews is only ex- celled by the state of discipline they are in. His lordship has burnt and destroyed six small armed vessels, and upwards of 20 traders, previously taking out of them every thing of value ; he has also destroyed several small batteries on the coast and watch-towers. He is in dailv expectation of the arrival of a frigate from the United States, formerly a British East India- man; it is said she carries 64 guns and 500 men, and will bring with her 15,000 stand of arms, and a complete battering train of artillery , thus a competent force awaits the arrival of old Spain's lazarettos and sinking hulks, of whom his lordship speaks Avith the greatest contempt. Attached to lord Coch- rane's squadron, and spread over an extent of coast of more than 500 leagues, are 40 small half-decked vessels with a gun in the bow, commanded by petty officers, and about 20 men in each ; these effectually enforce the blockade of the ports, and are known to have taken several valuable prizes. A writer in the Edinburgh Review says, that in looking around for bairiers to resist the spirit of military aggrandise- ment in Europe, and resources to supply those the channel of SOUTH AMERICA. 661 which are closed upon us, every eye, we believe, will rest on South America. ' A country,' he proceeds, ' far surpassing the whole of Europe in extent, and still more perhaps in na- tural fertility, which has been hitherto unfortunately excluded from the beneficent intercourse of nations, is, after a few pru- dent steps on our part, ready to open to us the immense re- sources of her territory, of a population at present great, and likely to increase with most extraordinary celerity, and of a position unparalleled on the face of the globe for the astonish- ing combination of commercial advantages which it appears to unite. From the maturity for some beneficent change, which circumstances and events have for a series of years been work- ing in those magnificent regions, and from the mighty effects they are capable of yielding for the consolation of afflicted hu- manity, it seems as if that Providence, which is continually bringing good out of evil, were about to open a career of happi- ness in the new world, at the very moment when, by the mys- terious laws of its administration, it appears to have decreed a period of injustice and calamity in the old. 'For the mighty benefits to be expected from a just and wise arrangement of the affairs of Spanish America, we are not left to the results of ? peculation, clear and unambiguous as they are ; we can appeal to experience and to fact. We have the grand experiment of North America before us, which the inhabitants of the South are so ambitious to imitate. The states of North Aiiierica v/ere our own colonies, and they had been always beneficently administered ; yet has their indepen- dence been far more profitable to us than their subjection, What is the result with regard to commerce alone ? — the very extraordinary fact, that for several past years we have export- ed more goods of British growth and manufacture to the United States of America, than to the whole of Europe taken together. If such are the benefits resulting from the prospe- rity of the United States, how^ many times greater will be those which must necessarily flow from the prosperity of South America? How many times more extensive is the country which the Spanish Americans possess ? That country, from enjoying a much greater diversity of cUmate compared with <)62 SOUTH AMERICA. Europe than North America, is much more richly provided" with those commochties tor which Europe presents the most eager demand. Of tlie soil of South America, a great part is much more favourable to cultivation, much more fruitful, and clwircd by nations who had made some progress in civilization. Of all the countries in the world, South America possesses thie most important ativantagcs in respect to internal navigation, being intersected in all directions by ujighty rivers, which will bear, at little cost, the produce of her extensive provinces to the ocean. If the population of the United States, amounting perhaps to 6,000,000 souls, afford so extraordinary a demand for British comniodities, Avhat may not the population of South America, extending already to no less than 16,000,000, be expected to afford ^ It is no doubt true, that the moral and intellectual habits of the people of South America are not so favourable to improvement as were those of North America. Their industry has been cramped, — their minds have been held in ignorance by a bad government ; hence they are indo- lent and superstitious. But remove the cause, and the effects will cease to follow. So sweet are the fruits of la[)our, where- ever the 1 ibourer enjoys them unimpaired, that the motives to it are irresistible, — and his activity may be counted upon with the certainty of a law of nature. The deduction, therefore, is so very small which, on this score, it will be requisite to make, that a very subordinate proportion of the superior advantages in soil and climate which the South American enjoys, will suf- fice to compensate the better habits with which the inhabitant of the United States commenced his career. * In respect to wants, the two countries eminently resemble one another. From the immense extent of uncultivated soil, which it will require many ages to occupy, the whole bent of the population will l)e turned to agriculture; and it will be their interest, mv\ t))*'ir desire, to draw almost the whole of the fnanufactured gooilsj which their riches will enable them to consume, fiom other countries. The country to which the greater part of this prodigious demand will come, is unques- tionably Great Britain. So far l>efore all other countries, in respwt to manufacturing advantages, docs slie stand, that SOUTH AMERICA. 66^ W€re the circumstances of Europe much more likely to encou- rage industry than unhappily thev are, we could meet with no rival ; and as we supply North America, so could we South, on terms which would infallibly draw to us the greater part of her custom. 'In enumerating, however, the advantages of a commercial nature, which would assuredly spring from the eniancipatioji of South America, we have not yet noticed the gTeatest per- haps of all, — the mightiest event, probably, in favour of the peaceful intercourse of nations, which the physical cuxum- stances of the globe present to the enterprise of man : — we mean, the formation of a navigable passage across the isthmus of Panama, — the junction of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is remarkable, that this magnificent undertaking, pregnant with consequences so impoitant to mankind, and about which so little is known in this country, is so far from being; a ro- mantic and chimerical project, that it is not only practicable but easy. The river Chagre, which falls into the Atlantic at the town of the same name, about eighteen leagues to the westward of Porto Bello, is navigable as tar as Cruzes, within five leagues of Panama. But though the formation of a canal from this place to Panama, facilitated by the valley tlirough which the prescAt road passes, appears to present no vei'y for- midable obstacles, there is still a better expedient. At the distance of about five leagues from the mouth of the Chagre, it receives the river Trinidad, which is navigable to Embarca- dero ; and from that place to Panama is a distance of about 30 miles, through a level country, with a fine river to supply water for the canal, and no diMiculty to counteract the noble undertaking. The ground has been surveyed, and not the practicabihty only, but the facility of the work, completely ascertained. In the next place, the important requisite of safe harbours, at the two extremities of the canal, is here sup- plied to the extent of our utmost wishes. At the mouth of the Chagre is a fine bay, which received the British 74 gun ships, in IT-tO, when captain Knowles bombarded the castle of ,St. Ijorenzo; and at tlie other extremity is /the famous harbour 664 SOUTH AMERICA. of Panama. Nor is this the only expedient for opening the important navigation between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Further north is the grand lake of Nicaragua, which, by itself, almost extends the navigation from sea to sea. Into the At- lantic ocean it falls by a navigable river, and reaches to within three leagues of the gulf of Papagayo in the Pacific. Mr. Jeffery's tells us, it was the instruction of the king of Spain to the governor of St. John's castle, not to permit any British subject to pass either up or down this lake; "for if ever the English came to a knowledge of its importance and value, they would soon make themselves masters of this part of the country." ' We are tempted to dwell for a moment upon the prospects which the accomplishment of this splendid, but not difiicult enterprise, opens to our nation. It is not merely the immense commerce of the western shores of America, extending almost from pole to pole, that is brought, as it were, to our door ; it is not the intrinsically important, though comparatively mode- rate branch of our commerce, that of the South sea whalers, that will alone undergo a complete revolution, by saving the tedious and dangerous voyage round cape Horn : — the whole of those immense interests which we hold deposited in the re- gions of Asia, become augmented in value, to a degree which, at present, it is not easy to conceive, by obtaining direct access to them across the Pacific ocean. It is the same thing as if, by some great revolution of the globe, our eastern possessions were brouglit nearer to us. The voyage across the Pacific, the winds both for the eastern and western passage being fair and constant, is so expeditiovis and steady, that the arrival of the ships mav be calculated almost with the accuracy of a mail coach. Immense would be the traffic wiiich would immedi- ately begin to cover that ocean, by denomination Pacific. All the riches of India and of China would move towards America. The riches of EurDpe and of AiDcrica would move towards Asia. Vast depots would be formed at the gicat commercial towns which would immediately arise at the two cxtren)ities of the central canal ;-- the goods Mould be in a coiw^c of" pcrpe- SOUTH AMERICA. 665 tual passage from the one depot to the other; — and would be received by the ships, as they arrived, which were pi'epared to convey them to their ultimate destination. ' Is it too much to hope, that China and Japan themselves, thus brought so much nearer the influence of European civili- gation — much more constantly and powerfully subject to its operation — would not be able to resist the salutary impression, but would soon receive important changes in ideas, arts, man- ners, and institutions ? The hope rests, at least, on such strong foundations, that it seems to rise even to a certainty ; — and then what glorious results might be expected for the whole of Asia, that vast proportion of the earth, m Inch, even in its most favoured parts, has been in all ages condemned to semi- barbarism, and the miseries of despotic power ? One thing, at least, is certain, that South America, which stands so much in need of industrious inhabitants, rhaps the finest in the world, and a variety of other fruits. There are few towns of any consequence in the inierior. Those that have been formed owe their settlement to the mines, and amongst which Tejuco is the m^si considerable. Tcjuco being situated in a sterile district, which produces nothing for the maintenance of its inhabitants, in number about ()Q00, depends, for a supply of provisions, on farms si- tuated several leagues distant. At no place are there seen a greater proportion of indigent people, particularly of females. Yet, notwithstanding the idleness of the inhabitants, Tejuco may be called Houri^shlng, on account of the circulation of pro- perty created I)y the diamond works. The annual sum paid by government for the hire of negroes, salaries of officers, and various necessaries, such as nitre and iron, does not amount to less than !>5,00()/. ; and this, added to the demands of the in- habitants of the town and its vicinity, occasions a considerable trade. The shops arc stocked with English cottons, baizes, and cloths, and other manufactured goods ; also hams, cheese, butter, porter, and other articles of consumption. Mules fronri Bahia and Rio de Janeiro come loaded with them. SOUTH AMERICA. 685 Trade and Commerce. — Since the establishment of the treaty of commerce between the British government and that of Bra- zil, the contraband trade has been almost done away ; for the duties are now much reduced, and the accommodation which the judge and subordinate officers of the custom-house are disposed to allow is such, as to render that nefarious practice unnecessary. ' s Iron and steel are articles for which there is a general and constant demand. The smiths prefer Swedish iron, as they have been always accustomed to it, and do not know hov to heat and work the English. The next article to be mentioned is salt, in which the Brazilians are by no means nice. It is made and loaded at one or two places on the coast ; but that which is most esteemed comes from the Cape de Verd islands : that brought from Liverpool is generally used in the sea-ports. Common woollens, baizes, and some stout fine cloths, particu- larly blue and black, are generally worn ; also kerseymeres. Cotton goods of almost every description, especially if low priced, meet with ready sale. Hats of all sorts (particularly dress-hats), and boots and- shoes of English manufacture, have of late been sold in great quantities : the leather is much pre- ferable to that made in Brazil. Common and finer earthen- ware, and glass; some sorts of fine and coarse hardware; some plated goods, as candles now begin to be used instead of lamps. Bottled porter, Cheshire cheese, butter, cheap furni- ture, tin-plate, brass, lead in various shapes, shot of all sizes, gunpowder, drugs, some philosophical instruments, books, low-priced paper, watches, telescopes, salt provisions, as hams, tongues, and barrelled pork, low-priced sadlery, and, most of all, India and other goods fit for the African coast. Marble mortars, mirrors, and many fancy articles of less note. Silk and cotton hosiery, fashionable dresses for ladies, particularly fine stockings and shoes. It is to be observed, that the mother country still continues to send oil, wine, brandy, linens, cottons, some silk, and a variety of articles of inferior consequence. India goods, con- sisting chiefly of cottons, are sent from the Malabar coast, and China goods are in great plenty. From North America are 686 SOUTH AIMERICA. im}x>rted flour, salt provisions, turpentine, tar, staves, house- hold furniture, &c. Naval stores, clotliing for sailors, arms, &c. may be said to l>e generally in demand. The staple articles of trade from JLJrazil apd the river Plate wh ch are most in demand in England, when its n)arkets are not oversto<;ked, are cotton, coffee, hides, tallow of gootl qua- lity, horns, hair, fur-skins, and feathers. Sugar caimoL be enumerated among them, as existing colonial regulations pre- vent it from being generally used : but Brazil is well calcuhtted for growing it, havirjg every ajnvenience of situation, and all the materials requisite for machinery. To the above may be added some wood ; that beautiful species called jacaranda, Ijere denominated rose-wood, is subject ta so high a duty in this country, that it cannot l)e generally introduced for cabinet use, that from the East Indies excepted. Indigo is in general iiaferior. Rice of excellent quality is cultivated to great ex- tent. Tobacco, it is to be hoped, will be better cured, to suit the EngUsh market; for no where can a soil and climate be found more favourable to tlje production of that plant than in Brazil. Since the emigration of the court IVom Lisbon, Rio dc Ja- neiro may be truly called the niart of South America, ami is likely to become a general depot of goods from the four quar- ters of the globe: yet its conunerce to Africa, to India, and the islands in the Indian sea belonging to the- orown ©f Portu- gal, as well as its intercourse with China, has scarcely been entered into. So many tli.sap|K»intments, cau.sed by the ji)oli- tical events in the mother country,, and so unexpected an in- flux of goods from England, occasioned such a stagnation in Gonunercial dealings, that tlie opulent merchants were deter- mined not to speculate. When trade shall have resumed its regular channel. Rio de Janeiro will, no doubt, be a graml and general market for the produce of all the ancient Portu- guese possessions : it will be a kind of hall-way house between Europe and India, and every description of Asiatic produce will be4bund in its warehouses. Braijil, freed from colonial uestrictions,, will soon become doubly |K>pulous ; its gold, in- stead q£ being^ ttiansported to foreign countries as heretofore, SOUTH AMERICA. 687 will circulate among the inhabitants ; and, under a wise legis- lature, it is reasonable to liope, that in twenty years this great country will rise in prosperity more than any other in the same space of time. Government: — The government of this important country is at present directed by the prince regent of Portugal, who has not yet evinced any disposition to return amidst the stormy politics of Europe. The country is divided into captaincies^ over each of which a governor presides, who has a military force to support his measures. Several useful regulations and important improvements have been made in the government, since the emigration of the Portuguese court. Bevemte. — A fifth upon all gold obtained m the mines, and ten per cent, upon the products of the land, form the principal branches of the revenue. The duties upon imports and ex- ports are also considerable. Armij. — The military establishment of Brazil is considerable compared with the population. Every Portuguese and Cre- ole, besides a great number of free blacks, are enrolled in the militia, which, aided by the nature of the country, might offer a formidable opposition to an invading enemy. History. — The discovery of the Brazils was merely acci- dental. It was first settled by convicts ; but afterwards ad- venturers of different descriptions joined the colony, which was increased by the importation of slaves from Africa. In a short time, the whole sea coast, upwards of 2000 miles, was in some measure settled. But when Portugal fell into the power of Spain, the Dutch, who had revolted from the tyranny of that power, turned their arms upon Brazil : and they would have overrun the whole, if D(m Michael de Texiera, the archbishop, had not taken arms, and at the head of his monks and a few scattered forces, put a stop to the torrent of the Dutch conquest. He made a gallant stand until succours arrived ; and then resigned the commission with which the public necessity and his own virtue had armed him, into the hands of a person appointed by authority. By this stand be saved seven of the captainships, or provinces, out of fburteen, into which Brazil is divided ; the rest fell into the hands of 688 SOUTH AMERICA. the Dutcli, who conquered and kept them with a bravet-y and conduct, which would deserve more applause if it had been , governed by humanity. The famous cajitain, prince Maurice of Nassau, was the person to whom the Dutch owed this conquest, the establish- ment of their colony there, and that advantageous peace which secured them in it. But as it is the genius of mercantile peo- ple to desire a sudden profit in all their designs; and as this colony was not under the immediate inspection of the States, but subject to the company called the West India company, the latter acted in such a manner as compelled the prince to resign. The impolitic economy and severity of the company at length encouraged the Portuguese, who reconquered the Brazils ; but not till after a struggle in which the States dis- played great vigour, though too late. Since this struggle for the sovereignty of Brazil, nothing remarkable occurred in its history, except a feeble attempt of the Creoles to throw off the Portuguese yoke, until the arrival of the court from Portugal in 1807. The adoption of this measure, in any case of extreme necessity, had frequently been suggested. But at the period of" the Frencli invasion, the prince regent evinced the most extreme reluctance to quit the shores of that country he had so long governed ; though lord Strangfordwas indefatigable in his attempts to confirm the resolution of the court, and was perpetually contrasting the independence and glory of the new empire in South America, with the abject vassalage and contemptible insignificance wjjich alone could be expected were the prince to remain in Europe. At last, Bonaparte's declaration, that the house of Braganz.i had ceased to reign, removed every objection ; and according- ly, on the morning of the 29th of November, the Portuguese fleet sailed out of the Tagus, with the whole of the royal fa- mily of Braganza, and a considerable number of failiiful counsellors, and respectable and opulent adherents. The Ht-et consisted of eight sail of the line and four large frigates, and several other vessels of war, besides a number of Brazil ships, and amounted in all to 36 sail, containing about 18,000 Portuguese subjects. As they passed through the British SOUTH AMERICA. 689 squadron, a reciprocal salute was fired, and the spectacle was, in several respects, grand and interesting. On the arrival of the court at Rio de Janeiro, several public measures were suggested by the conde de Linhares, and adopted by the prince regent, that have eminently tended td accelerate the progress of improvement in this grand division of South America, which seems destined to form one of the most wealthy, populous, and powerful empires on earth. An unsuccessful attempt was lately made at Pernambuco to revolutionize the Brazils: but although it failed, the example of the patriots in the neighbouring countries must tend to keep alive the desire for independence, which the imbecile and stu- pid court at Rio de Janeiro is little calculated either to sooth or to repress. FEENCH DOMINIONS. T^HE French settlements in Guiana were first formed about the year 1635, and extend from the mouth of a small river called Amano on the west, to another called Aracara on the east; though recently the limit was attempted to be ex- tended, at the expence of the Portuguese, to the estuary of the Maranon. On the south the line seems arbitrary ; but the whole extent does not exceed 350 British miles in length, by 240 in breadth. The chief town is on a small isle called Cayano, whence the whole territory is commonly styled Ca- yenne. The soil and climate in general seem unexceptiona- ble; but the situation of the town being ill chosen, in a swampy isle, its disadvantages have been laxly ascribed to the whole possession. The inland parts remain obstructed by t^iick forests and underwood , and during the rains many 4 S G90 SOUTH AMERICA. parts are inundated. The dry season is from June till Octo- ber, and the heaviest rains in our winter months. Different French companies were formed, but successively failed in their attempts to improve this colony. The Enghsh took it in 1667, and it was afterwards taken by the Dutch in 1676, but at peace restored to the French. In 1688, the co- lonists undertook a plundering expedition, which failing, gave a severe shock to the prosperity of the colony, which has ever since languished at Cayenne. Soon after the peace of 1763, the French court made vigorous efforts to give importance to this settlement. Twelve thousand men, engaged in France as labourers, were landed ; but as no habitation or proper provi- sion had been made for them, ten thousand of these wretched beings in consequence perished, and the survivors demanding to return to Europe, were unwillingly brought back. About a million sterling was uselessly expended on this enterprise. The fugitive planters, who had fled from St, Domingo at the revolution, have, however, done some good to the colony. Cayenne was recently occupied by a Portuguese garrison, but restored to France in 1814. The first production of Cayeime was arnotto, a red dye. Cotton, indigo, and sugar, Avere next introduced ; and, in 1721, coffee was brought from Surinam. Twelve years after, they planted cocoa. In 1763, the population and production stood thus: 500 whites, who employed 1500 negroes and 1200 native Indians, and produced about 260,000 lbs. of ar- notta, 80,000 lbs. of sugar, 18,000 lbs. of cotton, 27,000 lbs. of coffee, 92,000 lbs. of cocoa, and this is still nearly tlie situation of the colony. The cultivation of indigo, which at one time w^as carried on successfully, has greatly fallen off. Cayenne pepper is the most noted protluct of this country ; and, the inhabitants using it to excess, a considerable quantity is always imported from Peru. The town contains about 1200 white inhabitants, exclusive of the garrison. During the French revolution, several eminent men w^ere banished to this inhospitable colony. SOUTH AMERICA. 691 ENGLISH DOMINIONS. 'pHESE valuable possessions in Guiana, which Great Bri- tain recently obtained, were originally settled by the Dutch. English Guiana is situated to the north-west of the French settlement. The length, south-east to north-west, is about 350 British miles along the shores of the Atlantic ; but the breadth only 160. It is divided into three different go- vernments, Surinam, Berbice, and Essequebo, which it may be proper to notice separately, after taking a general view of the whole. Climate. — Some have reported the climate of Guiana to be mild and wholesome, in consequence of receiving the trade wind fresh from the ocean. All the disorders known in hot countries are, however, very prevalent. Animals. — The laubba, about the size of a large cat, is pe- culiar to this part of America. Snakes are numerous. The aboma, when full grown, is 30 feet in length, and three feet in circumference ai the middle of the body. The red and yellow mackaw are aLo peculiar to Guiana. The galvanic eel is often found in the river Essequebo. This country likewise abounds with tliose dangerous animals and tormenting insects that usually inhabit the hot regions of South America. Botany. — In consequence of the swampy soil and moist at- mosDuere of this region, a egetation presents a vigour and wild exuberance perhaps without parallel. Here are two peculiar species of palni, the annotta, the quassia, several medicinal plants, and fatal poisons. The silk-cotton-tree of Guiana ge- nerally grows to the height of 100 feet. Its trunk is about twelve feet in circumference. The trunk is often made use of for canoes, which are formed by hollowing them with fire, Damerarij. —This province derives its name from the river so called. Its extent of sea coast is nearly 100 miles, running SOUTH AMERICA. west and by north, and west : it is bounded on llie east by Berbice, and to the westward by Essequebo. The river, at its entrance, is nearly a mile and a half broad, and has a bar four miles without of mud, over which no vessel drawing more than nine feet, can pass until half flood : but at high water and spring tides, there are eighteen feet on this bar. Within the entrance is a battery called Eort William Frederic, mount- ing eighteen heavy pieces of cannon. Haifa mile east from it is a block-house, which has a commanding view of the sea, and a communication by signal with Berbice, which gives im- mediate notice of any vessel being off the coast. The river Demerary is navigable for large vessels about 100 miles above its mouth. It is settled for nearly another 100 miles further inland. At that distance are cataracts, or rapids, which obstruct navigation ; but which, on account of the ro- mantic mountainous scenery around, are occasionally visited by parties of pleasure. This settlement was formed by the Dutch in 1663; but four years afterwards they were expelled by the English, whose descendants form part of the colony. It was resumed by the Dutch in 1676. Demerary was first considered a de- pendency of Essequebo ; but in 1774, having extended itself to a surprising degree, and offering a superior harbour to the other, it was determined to make tliat the residence of the go- vernor, and capital of the two colonies : for that purpose the town of Stabroek was commenced a!)out a mile from the fort, and on the same side the river; whilst a commandeur, or de- puty governor, was now appointed for the Essequebo. Seven years after this change, an English privateer took possession of the two colonies, in the name of his Britannic majesty ; such was the weak state in which Holland left her colonies. The British commanders at Barbadoes were on the eve of sending troops to the garrison, in order to fortify them, when informa- tion was received that the English, in their turn, had been obliged to capitulate to a French corvette. In 1783, at the general peace, the colonies were ceded to the Dutch. During the late war, these, with the other possessions of the Dutch 'ii\ the West Indies, were entirely neglected. SOUTH AMERICA. 693 In 1795, the burghers joined with the rangers and a body of Indians in subduing the bush negroes, who had become very troublesome. In the following year, the colony surren- dered to an expedition dispatched by Sir Ralph Abercromby, in conformity to a secret application from several opulent planters. The British capital now invested in the colonies made them of serious importance, and a grand object with the mercantile and monied interest of Great Britain to retain ; the mere claims on them being estimated, at the time of the peace of Amiens, at ten millions sterling. Yet, notwithstand- ing these possessions were^ given up, and on the 3d of Decem- ber were taken possession of by the Batavian troops, the go- vernor, v/ho evinced the most ostentatious dislike to the British, inflicted many serious evils upon the colony ; which, however, were but of short continuance, as, on the renewal of the war, the British flag once more waved over these colonies, which were ceded in perpetuity to England, at the peace of Paris, in 1814. The origin of Stabroek has been already explained. It is the principal seat of exchange for the produce of all the coun- tries adjacent to the Demerary and Essequebo, and is situated on the east side of the river Demerary. Its site is low and level. It has an oblong form, being about one-fourth of a mile broad, and one mile long. The principal streets are quite straight, with carriage roads. A navigable canal on each side of the town, which fills and empties with the tide, affords a sreat convenience to those houses which are not &i- tuated near the water side. The population in Stabroek con- sists of about 1500 whites, 2000 free people of colour, and 5000 negroes. Dutchmen, and other foreigners, differ in some points of their living and household economy from the English. Their general hour of rising is with the sun, about a quarter before six, when they make their appearance in a morning gown and slippers, in ihe portico or piazza of the house, where a female negro is in waiting M'ith the coffee equipage. After a Dutch planter has taken a dish or two of strong coffee, with little or no sugar in it, the yonge, or boy, brings him his pipe, tobacco, 694. SOUTH AMERICA. and flask of gin : with these he enjoys himself till between nine and ten o'clock, when he is visited by the baas, or over- seer of the estate, who reports pnjgress, and receives orders. He then dresses himself, and calls for a glass of water and a napkin to wash his hands and face with. About ekven o'clock, the Dutchman sits down to a table covered with various kmds of animal food, vegetable scriips, and fruit. Pepper-pot, a soup flavoured with the juice of the bitter cassada, and made pungent with red and green pepper, is a constant concomiiant. Madeira wine and water, and malt liquor, are substituted for tea. After this, he orders his horse and pays a visit to some of his neignbours, or rides round the estate to see the negroes at work ; in either of which cases a negro boy follows him on foot, with a pouch of segais and a sticl< of fire. It is his constant practice, wheth&r on horsebr.ck, walking, or rii'ing in a carriage, to smoke, and be supplied through the mefiinm of a servant. He dines about three or four o'clock, and, after taking a portion of claret, retires I'or his afternoon's nap, where he sleeps away the fatiguts of the day. He grows tired of the hammock towards evening, when he comes down and takes his coffee, after which, a walk round tlie buildings, to enquire into the state of the negroes and their work, concludes the day. The general hour for retiring to rest in the country, is about eight or nine o'clock ; the inter- mediate lime between this and sunset is occupied by smoking and drinking gin. The populaiion presents a strange mixture of Europeans. Dutch, Germans. Prussians, Russians, Swedes, Danes, Spa- niards, French, and Americans, may be incorporated as one- third of the wiiite population, and Groat Britain claims the other two. All national enmity seems to be forgotten, while the pursuits of the motley group are directed unanimously lo climbing the ladder of fortune. When an European arrives, be finds it necessary to provide himself with a housekeeper, or mistress. The choice he has an opportunity of making is va- rious ; a black, a tawney, a mulatto, or a mestee ; one of which can be purchased for 100/. or 150/. sterling, fully competent to fulfil all the duties of her station : some of them are so SOUTH AMERICA. 695 much educated as to be able to read and write. They are tasty and extravagant in their dress; but when once an at- tachment takes place, it is inviolable. They embrace all die duties of a wife, except presiding at table ; so tiar decorum is maintained, and a distinction made. They employ themselves in needle-work, and other domestic affairs. Their usefulness in preserving the arts and diffusing the habits of cleanliness is felt and allowed by all, there being very few civilized Eu- ropean women. The produce cleared from the port of Demerary, since the last establishment of the British custom-house, is as follows, viz. — From the 5th of January, 1806, to the 5th of January, 1807, in 221 vessels, 19,337 hogsheads, 474 tierces, and 801 barrels of sugar; 4722 puncheons and 17 hogsheads of rum ; 23,604 bales and 2 bags of cotton; 12,390,102 pounds of coffee ; and 1694 casks of molasses. Essequeho. — Nine miles west of the Demerary is the river Essequebo, which at its mouth, commencing from Borasierri, and extending to Kapoeja creek, is 21 miles broad ; the for- mer serves as a boundary to the two colonies. The navigation here is very dangerous ajid difficult, even for small craft, which arises from banks of sand running in different directions across the entrance. Many estates and settlements are already made on its banks, and it is also the residence of several timber-cut- ters and brick -makers, the soil for which is particularly good. The settlements of Essequebo and Demerary, from their conjunction with each other, arc under the directions of one governor, though two distinct colonies : but each has its court of justice and subordinate officers. Berhice. — Berbice river is at the mouth a mile and a half broad, and in the centre is an island called Crab island. A bar of sand five miles without the river, running from east to west, prevents vessels drawing more than fourteen feet from entering the river; this navigation is more dangerous than that of the Demerary, from the obstructions to it being of sand. Berbice, by the old boundary, is bounded on the east by the Devil's creek, and on the west by Abarry creek, which se- 696 SOUTH AMERICA. parates that colony from Demerary. The river Berbice is shallow, but broad ; nearly an hundred plantations have been formed on its banks. The directors of the colony obtain from it chiefly sugar. It also supplies cotton, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and a dyeing stuff called rokou. The goods carried thither are the same as those traded with in the rest of the West Indies. Neto Amsterdam, the name of the town, is built on the south side of the Canje :iver, running- in that direction up the banks of the Berbice a mile and a half, with the houses facing the water. The houses are different from those of Stabroek : they are not more than a story and a half high, very long and narrow, with galleries on either side, for the purpose of walk- inff and sniokinij in the shade. When Surinam capitulated to the British in August, 1799, it conceded to Berbice the tract of country between the Devil's creek and the Courintine. This addition of territory was a favourable circumstance for Berbice. The sea coast, extend- ing nearly 50 miles, and the west bank of the Courintine, were immediately surveyed and laid out into regular allot- ments. British capital, industry, and perseverance, had ac- complished, in eight years, what would not have been done by any other means in half a centuiy. Surinam. — This valuable settlement is bounded on the east by the river Marawina, and on the west by the river Courin- tine: it is about 150 miles from east to west, and 60 from north to south. The river, from which it derives its name, has sand banks at its mouth, over which there is about three fathom water at high tide ; but above these banks the water is much deeper, and the river na\ igable for large vessels above 90 miles up the country. This colony was first settled in 1634 by the English and a party of French. In 1667, it was taken by the Dutch, when 1200 of its oldest inhabitants removed to Jamaica. The pros- perity of this colony has been much impeded by the inhuman wars carried on by the settlers against the Maroon negroes. Since it was taken by the English, peace and commerce have flourished. SOUTH AMERICA. 697 The principal town in Surinam, and the capital of the Eng- lish Guiana, is Pariniar'ibo, situated on the right side of the river Surinam, at about 16 or 18 miles from its mouth. It is built on a sand-reef, well arranged, and the streets include beautiful alleys of orange and lemon trees. The houses are of wood, and have no chimnies ; the kitchens, for coolness sake, are detached ; it is a town far advanced in the arts of civilised life, above a mile in length, wide in proportion, and swarming already with an ever-thickening crowd of many-coloured^ inha- bitants. The population of Parimaribo is estimated at 18 or 20,000 persons. Of these, the larger half, at least 10,000 persons, are negro and mulatto slaves. The free people of colour are supposed to be about 4000. There are from 2 to 3000 German and Portuguese Jews ; and about 1800 English and Dutch Europeans. The number of temporary residents, as in all sea ports, varies with the season. The products of this settlement, in 1775, amounted to 822,905/. ; but the present amount is above four times this sum. The population, at the same period, amounted to 100,000. Since the possession of this and the adjoining set- tlements was guaranteed by treaty to Great Britain, several regulations have been established, highly advantageous to the trade of Holland, and favourable to tlie Dutch colonists. English Guiana is rising rapidly into consequence. Several millions sterhng have recently been employed in forming new plantations, and in facilitating the communication between the different settlements. Nor is it at all improbable, but that, at no very distant period, this fertile country may excel the West Indies in riches, population, and political consequence. 30 4 T 698 SOUTH AMERICA. PARAGUAY. T^HE wide regions so called, and which border on the Ura- guay, is celebrated as the seat of the wonderful labours of the Jesuits, who established their power both over the bodies and the minds of the inhabitants of this province. In 1767, the Jesuits were driven from America by order of the king of Spain, and their unfortunate converts degraded to the same footing as the other indigenous inhabitants of the country. PATAGONIA. T^HE aspect of this country is very singular. There is an immense tract of territory impregnated with nitre, about 600 miles in length and 150 wide, on the south and west of the river Parana, and even to the junction of the Paraguay; all the springs and rivulets being more or less saline. No productive mines have yet been discovered, except some of silver, near Mendoza, at the bottom of the Andes. The rivers that wash this country all come from the high moun- tains of Yacanto, or Sacanto, Champachin, and Achala on the west of Cordova, v/hich are little inferior in height to the Andes of Chili, and are a kind of branches of those of Peru, That part of the Andes which lies west of Mendoza is of a vast height, and always covered w ith snow ; and there are nu- merous volcanoes in the southern part of the Andes, as that of St. Clement, lat. 46 deg., and others in a continued progress to lat. 31 deg. SOUTH AMERICA. 699 The Patagonians are represented to be a large and robust race. Both men and women are dextrous riders. They sub- sist chiefly by hunting, in which they are assisted by dogs. They eat raw flesh, and, liite most miserable savages, have little regard for cleanliness. ISLANDS. Margaretta. nTHIS mountainous island, situated opposite the city of Cumana in the Caraccas, is sup- posed to be a volcanic production. It is about 30 leagues in circumference, and is celebrated as being one of the first dis- coveries of Columbus. Juan Fernandez, — Juan Fernandez lies to the Avest of South x\merica, about 300 miles from the coast of Chili. This ro-nantic isle, diversified with woods and water, with crai ■;¥ liills and fertile spots, is famous for having given rise to the celebrated romance of Robinson Crusoe. It appears that Alexander Selkirk, a seaman and a native of Scotland, was put nshore, and left in this solitary place by his captain, where he lived some years, and was discovered by Woodes Rogers in 1709. Chiloe. — There are two remarkable archipelagos towards the southern extremity of this continent : that styled the gulf of Chonos, or the archipelago of Guaytecas ; and that called the gulf of the Holy Trinity, or the archipelago of Toledo. The most remarkable isle in the former is that of Chiloe, about 140 British miles in length by 30 in breadth, but almost di- vided in the middle by bays or creeks. The chief harbour is Chacao on the north, and at Calbuco there is a corregidor, nominated by the president of Chili : there are also two mo- 700 ' SOUTH AMERICA. nasteries and a clmrch. The isle uf Chiloe is said to be well peopled with Spaniards, mulattoes, and converted savages. Terra del Fuego. — This island, although never visited by European navigators but in the summer months, is described as among the most dreary and desolate spots on the habitable earth, and the \''^^^' inhabitants upon it as the most miserable and destitute of the human race. Falklatid Islands. — There are two islands of this name, each about 40 miles square. The soil and climate do not appear to be good ; but there is a considerable variety of fowls and fish, and the plants seem somewhat to resemble those of Canada. In 1704, commodore Byron was sent to take possession of these islands, whicli were undoubtedly first discovered by the English ; and a little establishment was made at a place called Port Egmont; but being found of little or no value, they were in a lew years ceded to Spain. Fernando de Norhonha. — Tiiis small Portuguese island is situated nearly four degrees southward of the line, and is about 15 miles in length and five or six in breadth. It is remarka- ble on account of a very lofty peak, supposed to be about 700 feet above the level of the sea. It is a bare rock or column of granite, nearly perpendicular, but slopes a little to its base to- wards the north. Tii'e soil of this island is fruitful ; and it possesses a good open bay, with good anchorage in ten fathoms water, which is protected by a fort built upon an adjoining clifF. Put as this island is singular in its natural appearance, so it is perhaps no less remarkable for being the only inhabited spot, of similar extent, on the surface of the globe, where no women are allowed to come, it being allotted to male criminals, who, with a small garrison and a number of priests, compose the whole population. Perhaps also there is not any equal body of men on earth, that exhibit at once so much holy mummery, and so much human depravity. This island, from being almost in the direct track of vessels trading from Europe^ to the Brazils, and its vicinity to the main land ot" South America, woidd, if possessed by a naval power, disturb the whole commerce of this part of the continent. DESCRIPTION OF TflE NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. nPHE aborigines of America, throughout the whole extent of the two vast continents which they inhabit, and amongst the infinite number of nations and tribes into which they are divided, differ very httle from each other in their manners and customs; and they all form a very striking picture of the most distant antiquity. By taking a general view of the whole, the pecuharitics that distinguish the most important tribes will be more easily perceived and understood. The people of America are tall, and straight in their limbs beyond the proportion of most nations : their bodies are sti'ong ; but of a species of strength rather fitted to endure much hard- ship, than to continue long at any servile work, by which they are quickly t:onsumed; it is the strength of a beast of prey, rather than that of a beast of burthen. Their bodies and heads are flattish, the effect of art ; their features are regular, but their countenances fierce ; their hair long, black, lank, and as strong as that of a horse. The colour of their skin a reddish brown, admired amongst them, and improved by the constant use of bear's fat and paint. When the Europeans first came into America, they found the people quite naked, except those parts which it is common for the most uncultivated people to conceal. Since that time, they have generally a coarse blanket to cover them, which they buy from us, The whole fashion of their lives is of a piece ; 702 NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. hardy, poor, and squalid ; and their education from their infancy is solely directed to fit their bodies for this mode of life, and to form their minds to inflict and to endure the greatest evils. Their only occupations are hunting and war. Agriculture is left to the women. Merchandise they contemn. When their hunting season is past, which they go through with much patience, and in w'hich they exert great ingenuity, they pass the rest of their time in an entire indolence. They sleep half the day in their huts, they loiter and jest among their friends, and they observe no bounds or decency in their eating and drinking. Before we discovered them, they had no spirituous liquors ; but now, the acquirement of these is what gives a spur to their industry, and enjoyment to their repose. This is the principal end they pursue in their treaties; and from this they suffer inexpressible calamities ; for, having once be- gun to drink, they can preserve no measures, but continue a succession of drunkenness as long as their means of procuring liquor lasts. In this condition they lie exposed on the earth to all the inclemency of the seasons, which wastes them by a train of the most latal disorders; they perish in rivers and marshes; they tumble into the fire; they quarrel, and very frequently murder each other ; and, in short, excess in drink- ing, which with us is rather immoral than destructive, amongst this uncivilised people, who have not art enough to guard against the consequence of tiieir vices, is a public calamity. The few amongst them, who live free from this evil, enjoy the reward of their temperance in a robust and healthy old age. The character of the Indians is striking. They are grave even to sadness in their deportment upon any serious occasion ; observant of those in company ; respectful to the old ; of a temper cool and deliberate ; by which they are never in haste to speak before they have thought well upon the matter, and are sure the person who spoke before thein has finished all he had to say. They have therefore the greatest contempt for the vivacity of the Europeans, M'ho interrupt each other, and frequently speak all together. Nothing is more edifying than their behaviour in their public councils and assemblies. Every man there is heard in his turn, according as his years, his NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. 703 wisdom, or his services to his country, have ranked him. Not a word, not a whisper, not a murmur, is heard from the rest while he speaks. No indecent condemnation, no ill-timed applause. The younger sort attend for their instruction. Hefe-they learn the history of their nation ; here they are in- flamed with the sonffs of those who celebrate the warlike ac- tions of their ancestors ; and here they are taught what are the interests of their country, and how to pursue them. There is no people amongst whom the laws of hospitality are more sacred, or executed with more generosity and good- will. Their houses, their provision, even their young women, are not enouoh to oblige a ouest. To those of their own na- tion they are likewise very humane and beneficent. But to the enemies of his country, or to those who have privately offended, the American is implacable. He conceals his senti- ments, he appears reconciled, until by some treachery or sur- prise he has an opportunity of executing an horrible revenge. No length of time is sufficient to allay his resentment : no dis- tance of place great enough to protect the object : he crosses the steepest mountains, he pierces the most impracticable forests, and traverses the most liideous bogs and deserts for several hundreds of miles, bearing the inclemency of the sea- sons, the fatigue of the expedition, the extremes of hunger and thirst, with patience and cheerfulness, in hopes of surprising his enemy, on whom he exercises the most shocking barbarities, even to the eating of his flesh. To such extremes do the Indians push their friendship or their enmitv ; and such in- deed in general is the character of all strong and uncultivated minds. Notwithstanding this ferocity, no people have their anger, or at least the shew of their anger, more under their command. From tlieir infancy they are formed with care to endure scoffs, taunts, blows, and every sort of insult patiently, or at least with a composed countenance. This is one of the principal objects of their education. They esteem nothing so unworthy a man of sense and constancy, as a peevish temper, and a proneness to sudden and rash anger. And this so far has an effect, that quarrels happen as rarely amongst theili when they 704. NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. are not intoxicated with liquor, as does the chief cause of all quarrels, hot and abusive language. But human nature is such, that, as virtues may with proper management be en- grafted upon almost all sorts of vicious passions, so vices natu- rally grow out of the best dispositions, and are the consequence of those regulations that produce and strengthen them. This is the reason that, when the passions of the Americans aro roused, being shut up, as it were, and converging into a nar- row point, they become more furious ; they are dark, sullen, treacherous, and unappeasable. A people who live by hunting, who inhabit mean cottages, and are given to change the place of their habitation, are sel- dom very religious. Some appear to have very little idea of God. Others entertain better notions : they hold the existence of the Supreme Being, eternal and incorruptible, who has power over all. Satisfied with owning this, which is tradition- ary amongst them, they give him no sort of worship. There are indeed nations in America, who seem to pay some religious homage to the sun and moon ; and, as most of them have a notion of some invisible beings, who continually intermeddle in their affairs, they discourse .much of demons, nymphs, fairies, or beings equivalent. Though without religion, they abound in superstitions; as it is common for those to do, whose sub- sistence depends, like theirs, upon fortune. Great observers of omens and dreams, and pryers into futurity with great eagerness, they abound in diviners, augurs, and magicians, whom they rely much upon in all affairs that concern them, whether of health, war, or hunting. Their physic, which may be rather called magic, is entirely in the hands of the priests. The loss, of any one of their people, whether by a natural death or by war, is lamented by the whole town he belongs to. In such circumstances, no business is taken in hand, however important, nor any rejoicing permitted, however interesting the occasion, until all the pious ceremonies due to the dead are performed. These are always discharged with the greatest solemnity. The dead body is washed, anointed, and painted, so as in some measure to abate the horrors of death. Then the women lament the loss with the most bitter cries, and the NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. 705 most hideous howlings, intermixed with songs, which celebratB the great actions of the deceased, and those of his ancestors. The men mourn in a less extravagant manner. The whole village attends the body to the grave, where it is interred, ha- lted in their most sumptuous ornaments. With the body of the deceased are placed his bow and arrows, with Avhat he va- lued most in his life, and provisions for the long journey he is to take: for they hold the immortality of the soul universally, but their idea is gross. Feasting attends this, as it does every solemnity. After the funeral, they who are nearly allied to the deceased conceal themselves in their huts for a considerable time, to indulge their grief. The compliments of condolence are never omitted, nor are presents wanting upon this occasion. After some time, they revisit the grave ; they renew their sor- row ; they new clothe the remains of the body, and act over again the solemnities of the first funeral. Of all their instances of regard to their deceased friends, none is so striking as what they call the feast of the dead, or the feast of souls. The day of this ceremony is appointed in the council of their chiefs, who give orders for every thing which may enable them to celebrate it with pomp and magni- ficence. The riches of the nation are exhausted on this occa- sion, and all their ingenuity displayed. The neighbouring people are invited to partake of the feast, and to be witnesses of the solemnity. At this time, all who have died since the last solemn feast of that kind are taken out of their graves. Those who have been interred at the greatest distance from the villages are diligently sought for, and brought to this great rendezvous of carcases. It is not difficult to conceive the horror of this general disinterment. ' Without question,"' says Lafitau, ' the opening of these tombs displays one of the most striking scenes that can be conceived ; this humbling portrait of human misery, in so many images of death, wherein she seems to take a pleasure to paint herself in a thousand various shapes of horror, in the several carcases, according to the de- gree in which corruption has prevailed over them, or the manner in which it has attacked them. Some appear dry and withered ; others have a sort of parchment upon their bones ; 4 U 706 NATIVE TRFBES OF AMERICA. some look as if they were baked and smoked, without any ap- pearance of rottenness; some are just turning towards the point of putrefaction ; whilst others are all swarming with worms, and drowned in corruption. I know not which ought to strike us most, the horror of so shocking a sight, or the tender piety and affection of these poor people towards their departed friends ; for nothing deserves our admiration more, than that eager diligence and attention with which they dis- charge this melancholy duty of their tenderness; gathering up carefully even the smallest bones ; handling the carcases, dis- gustful as they are, with every thing loathsome; cleansing them from the worms, and carrying them upon their shoulders through tiresome journies of several days, without being dis- couraged by their insupportable stench, affd without suffering any other emotions to arise, than those of regret, for having lost persons who were so dear to them in their lives, and so lamented in their death.' This strange festival is the most magnificent and solemn which they have ; not only on account of the great concourse of natives and strangers, and of the pompous reinterment they give to their dead, whom they dress in the finest skins they can get, after having exposed them for some time in this pomp ; but for the games of all kinds which they celebrate upon the occasion, in the spirit of those which the ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated upon similar occasions. In this manner do they endeavour to sooth the calamities of life, by the honours they pay their dead ; honours which are the more cheerfully bestowed, because in his turn each man expects to receive them himself. Though amongst these sa- vage nations this custom is impressed with strong marks of the ferocity of their nature; an honour for the dead, a tender feeling of their absence, and a revival of their memory, are some of the most excellent instruments for smoothing our rug- ged nature into humanity. In civilised nations ceremonies are less practised, because other instruments for the same purposes are less wanted ; but it is certain a regard foi- the dead is an- cient and universal. NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. 707 Though the women in America have generally the laborious part of the economy upon themselves, yet they are far from being the slaves they appear, and are not at all subject to the great subordination in which they are placed in countries where they seem to be moi'e respected. On the contrary, all the honours of the nation are on the side of the women. They even hold their councils, and have their share in all delibera- tions which concern the state ; nor are they found inferior in the part they act. Polygamy is practised by some nations, but it is not general. In most they content themselves with one wife ; but a divorce is admitted, and for the same causes that it was allowed amongst the Jews, Gi'eeks, and Romans: No nation of the Americans is without a regular marriage, in which there are many ceremonies ; the principal of which is, the bride's presenting the bridegroom with a plate of their corn. Incontinent before wedlock, after marriage the chastity of their women is remarkable. The punishment of the adultress, as well as that of the adulterer, is in the hands of the husband himself; and it is often severe, as inflicted by one who is at once the party and the judge. Their marriages are not fruit- ful, seldom producing above two or three children, but they are brought forth with less pain than our women suffer upon such occasions, and with little consequent weakness. Probably, that severe life, which both sexes lead, is not favourable to procreation. And the habit unmarried women have of pro- curing abortions, in which they rarely fail, makes them more unfit for bearing children afterwards. This is one of the rea- sons of the depopulation of America ; for whatever losses they suffer, either by epidemical diseases or by war, are repaired slowly. Almost the sole occupation of the American is war, or such an exercise as qualifies him for it. His whole glory consists in this ; and no man is at all considered until he has increased the strength of his country with a captive, or adorned his house with a scalp of one of its enemies. When the ancients resolve upon war, they do not always declare what nation it is they are determined to attack ; that the enemy, upon whom they really intend to fall, may be off his guard. Nay, thej 708 NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. even sometimes let years pass over without committing any act of hostility, that the vigilance of all may be unbent by the long continuance of the watch, and the uncertainty of the clanger. The day appointed for their departure being arrived, they take leave of their friends ; they change their clothes, or what- ever moveables they have, in token of mutual friendship ; their wives and female relations go out before them, and attend at some distance from the town. The warriors march out all drest in their finest apparel, and most shewy ornaments, regu- larly one after another, for they never march in rank. The chief walks slowly on before them, singing the death song, while the rest observe the most profound silence. When they come up to their women, they deliver up to them all their finery, put on their worst clothes, and then proceed as their commander thinks fit. The qualities in an Indian war are vigilance and attention ; to give and to avoid a surprise ; and patience and strength, to endure the intolerable fatigues and hardships which always attend it. The nations of America are at an inuncnse distance from each other, with a vast desert frontier, and hid in the bosom of hideous, and almost boundless forests. These must be traversed before they meet an enemy, who is often at such a distance as might be supposed to prevent either quarrel or danger. But, notwithstanding the secresy of the destination of the party that first moves, the enemy has frequent notice of it, is prepared for the attack, and ready to take advantage in the same manner of the least want of vigilance in the aggres- sors. Their whole art of war consists in this : they never fight In the open field, but upon some very extraordinary oc- casions; not from cowardice, for they are brave; but they despise this method, as unworthy an able warrior, and as an affair in which fortune governs more than prudence. The principal things which help them to find out their enfflnies, are the smoke of their fires, which they smell at a distance al- most incredible ; and their tracks. In the discovery and distin- guishing of which, they are possessed of a sagacity equally astonislilng ; for the}' will tell in the footsteps, which to us NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. 709 would seem most confused, the number of men that have passed, and the length of time since they have passed ; they even go so far as to distinguish the several nations by the dif- ferent marks of their feet, and to perceive footsteps where we could distingnish nothing less. A mind diligently intent upon one thing, and exercised by long experience, will go lengths at first view scarcely credible. When they discover an army of their enemies, their way is to throw themselves flat on their faces among the withered leaves, the colour of which their bodies are painted to resemble exactly. They generally let a part pass unmolested; and then, rising a little, they take aim, for they are excellent marksmen, and setting up a most tremendous shout, which they call the war-cry, they pour a storm of musket-bullets upon the enemy ; for they have long since laid aside the use of arrows : the party attacked returns the same cry. Every man in haste covers himself with a tree, and returns the fire of the adverse party, as soon as they raise themselves from the ground to give the second fire. After fighting some time in this manner, the party which thinks it has the advantage rushes out of its cover, with small axes in their hands, which they dart with great address and dexterity ; they redouble their cries, intimidating their enemies with menaces, and encouraging each other with a boastful dis- play of their own brave actions. Thus being come hand to hand, the contest is soon decided ; and the conquerors satiate their savage fury with the most shocking insults and barbari- ties to the dead, biting their flesh, tearing the scalp from their heads, and wallowing in their blood like wild beasts. The fate of their prisoners is severe and cruel. The people of every village shew their attachment to their friends by their barbarous treatment of these unhappy victims. After mourn- ing for the loss sustained in the war, they rush into an extra- vagance and frenzy of joy for their victory. In the mean time, the fate of the prisoners remains unde- cided, until the old men meet, and determine concerning the distribution. It is usual to offer a slave to each house that has lost a friend ; giving the preference according to the greatness 710 NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. of the loss. The person who has taken the captive attends him to the door of the cottage to which he is deUvered, and with him gives a belt of wampum, to shew that he has fulfilled the purpose of the expedition, in supplying the loss of a citizen. They view the present which is made them for some time ; and, according as they think him or her, for it is the same, proper or improper for the business of the family, or as they take a capricious liking or displeasure to the countenance of the victim, or in proportion to their natural barbarity or their resentment for their losses, they destine concerning him, to receive him into the family, or sentence him to death. If the latter, they throw away the belt with great indignation. Then it is no longer in the power of any one to save him. The na- tion is assembled, as upon some gi'eat solemnity. A scaffold is raised, and the prisoner tied to the stake. Instantly he opens his death-song, and prepai'es for the ensuing scene of cruelty with the most undaunted courage. On the other side, they prepare to put it to the utmost proof, with every torment which the mind of man, ingenious in mischief, can invent. They begin at the extremities of his body, and gradually ap- proach the trunk. One plucks out his nails by tlw) roots, one by one; another takes a finger into his mouth, and tears oft' the flesh with his teeth ; a third thrusts the finger, mangled as it is, into the bole of a pipe made red-hot, which he smokes like tobacco. They then pound his toes and fingers to pieces between two stones; they cut circles about his joints, and gashes in the fleshy parts of his limbs, which they sear imme- diately with red-hot irons, cutting and searing alternately ; they pull off this flesh, thus mangled and roasted, bit by bit, devouring it with greediuess, and smearing their faces with the blood, in an enthusiasm of horror and fury. Wlien they have thus torn off the flesh, they twist the bai*e nerves and tendons about an iron, tearing and snapping them ; whilst others are employed in pulling and extending the limbs them- selves, in every way that can increase the torment. This con- tinues often five or six hours together. Then they frequently unbind him, to give a breathing to their fuiy, to think what new torments they shall inflict, and to refresh the strength of NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. 711 the sufferer, who, wearied out with such a variety of unheard- of torments, often falls immediately into so profound a sleep, that they are obliged to apply the fire to awaken him, and re- new his sufferings. He is again fastened to the stake, and again they renew their cruelty : they stick him all over with small matches of wood that easily takes fire, but burns slowly ; they continually run sharp reeds into every part of his body ; they drag out his teeth with pincers, and thrust out his eyes; and lastly, after having burned his flesh from the bones with slow fires ; after having so mangled the body that it is all but one wound ; after having mutilated his face in such a manner as to carry nothing human in it ; after having peeled the skin from the head, and poured a heap of red-hot coals or boiling water on the naked skull; they once more unbind the wretch, who, blind and staggering with pain and weakness, assaulted and pelted upon every side with clubs and stones, now up, now down, falling into their fires at every step, runs hither and thither, until one of the chiefs, whether out of compassion or weary of cruelty, puts an end to his life with a club or a dag- ger. The body is then put into the kettle, and this barbarous employment is succeeded by a feast as barbarous. The women, forgetting the human as well as the female na- ture, and transformed into something worse than furies, act their parts, and even outdo the men, in this scene of horror. The principal persons of the country sit round the stake, smoking and looking on without the least emotion. What is the most extraordinary, the sufferer himself, in the little inter- vals of his torments, smokes too, appears unconcerned, and converses with his torturers about indifferent matters. In- deed, during the whole time of his execution, there seems a contest between him and them which shall exceed, they in in- flicting the most horrid pains, or he in enduring them with a firmness and constancy almost above human. They are governed by a council of elders ; but business of consequence is determined in a general meeting of the whole tribe. Murder is either revenged, or compromised by the parties concerned ; and each family claims a full right of judg- 712 NATIVE TRIBES OF AMERICA. ment relative to crimes committed in the same cabin. The Indians that have had a long intercourse with Europeans seem to be greatly degenerated, both in physical and mental qualities. Those of different nations, and from different parts of America connected with Canada, come annually to Quebec, to Montreal, and to other military posts, to receive the pre- sents which the gove<"nments annually distribute amongst them ; and they are thus described by a recent traveller : — ' Conceive to yourself a parcel of men, women, and children, huddled together under a wigwam, formed of pieces of wood, seven or eight feet in length, the ends fixed in the ground, and meeting at the top, form a kind of sloping frame, which is covered with the bark of the birch-tree, to keep out the in- clemencies of the weather — a very poor covering indeed. They are half naked, xoliolly covered with dirt and oily paijits, and swarming with vermin ; diminutive, and weakly in their persons and appearance ; and having a physiognomy, in which you look in vain for traces of intelligence. I do not mean to say that they are without the reasoning faculty, but they cer- tainly are very stupid. I understand that their numbers de- crease every year, — if they were wholly extinct, I do not think that human nature would be a great sufferer by it.^ The ravages occasioned amongst the aborigines of America by the effect of spirituous liquors and the small-pox, added to the gradual encroachments of civilized states, must, at no very distant period, annihilate the whole race. Several tribes have already become extinct ; and others, once very powerful, are much reduced. The Society of Friends, in the United States, have lately sent proper persons amongst the IncUans, in order to teach them the arts of agriculture and civihzed life. Those who resign the practice of war and hunting, and apply them- selves to the culture of the soil, may preserve the existence of a part of the native race, long after their peculiar habits aiv lost and forgotten. FINIS. Printed b'j Mackenzie and Dr Xaccasilc. ¥ mL, ,;,^vw^y^ - V ¥- v^>vv*'vV^-*'^y^ ^,/\iv ^wr TU^^^,^Mt, » :"*«V'. 'tiyiiL.vW^; kfVijl- .i..M.ti.^.^ . '^^ " mm-^j^- ''*■ y V. ' ,^ ■• - ' - ~ w ;^w:;w!^wv-,v>^:-w^, v^u^w.i/^ wV,^ ^^S^ .'VwWi'N -^ ^'S^lf^-I^- LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 290 997 7 RMI '.m: &'"< ^^ir"-T*§?^-