52 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



sion, any more than the universal use of swine flesh, 

 which I remarked above; with more reason the cause 

 may be taken to be the swamps and the amount of 

 standing water in the country. 



Richmond has not always had the honor, which fell 

 to it four years since, of being the seat of government 

 of the state of Virginia. Before the founding of Wil- 

 liamsburg, Jamestown, now in ruins, was the capital 

 of the province. But after the settlement of the in- 

 terior progressed more and more, it was found con- 

 venient to desert Williamsburg also and to establish the 

 seat of government at Richmond, 60 miles to the west. 

 Even now it is tedious enough for the delegates from 

 the more distant counties of this extensive province to 

 travel hither for the Assembly ; for Virginia, what with 

 the land beyond the mountains (to which, next after 

 New York, it makes the largest claim), is of greater 

 compass than any of the United States, and numbers 

 72 counties.* But that part lying to the east of the 

 mountains is in itself of great extent, in length some 



* Virginia, in the year 1783, included the following coun- 

 ties : Accomac, Amelia, Amherst, Albemarle, Augusta, Bed- 

 ford, Berkeley, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buckingham, Caroline, 

 Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Culpepper, Cumberland, 

 Dinwiddie, Elizabeth City, Essex, Fairfax, Farquier, Fluvan- 

 nah, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Greenbrier, Hallifax, 

 Hampshire, Hannover, Henry, Henrico, James City, Kentucke, 

 King George, King and Queen, King William, Lancaster, 

 Loudon, Louisa, Lunenburg, Meklenburgh, Middlesex, Monan- 

 ghahela, Montgomery, Nansemond, New-Kent, Northampton, 

 Northumberland, Norfolk, Ohio, Orange, Pittsylvania, Pow- 

 hattan, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince 

 William, Richmond, Rockingham, Rockyridge, Shenandoah, 

 Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Sussex, Washington, 

 Warwick, Westmoreland, Isle of Wight, Williamsburgh, York. 



