2 Climate, Seasons, &c. [Part I. 



12. The situation of Long Island is this : it is about 

 130 miles long, and, on an average, about 8 miles broad. 

 It extends in length from the Bay of the City of New 

 York to within a short distance of the State of Rhode 

 Island. One side of it is against the sea, the other side 

 looks across an arm of the sea into a part of the State of 

 New York (to which Long Island belongs) and into a 

 part of the State of Connecticut. At the end nearest 

 the city of New York it is separated from the site of 

 that city, b}' a channel so narrow as to be crossed by a 

 Steam-Boat in a few minutes; and this boat, with ano- 

 ther near it, impelled by a team of horses, which works 

 in the boat, form the mo{le of conveyance from the Island 

 to the city, for horses, waggons, and every thing else. 



13. The Island is divided into three counties ; King's 

 county. Queen's county, and the county of Sutfolk. 

 King's county takes off the end next New York city, for 

 about 13 miles up the island; Queen's county cuts off 

 another slice about thirty miles further up ; and all the 

 rest is the county of Suffolk. These counties are divided 

 into townships. x\nd, the municipal government of Jus- 

 tices of the Peace, Sheriffs, Constables, &c. is in nearly 

 the English wav, with such differences as I shall notice 

 in the Second Part of this work. 



14. There is a ridc/e of hills, which runs from one 

 end of the Island to the other. The two sides are flats, 

 or, rather, very easy and imperceptible slopes towards 

 the sea. There are no rivers, or rivulets except here 

 and there a little run into a bottom M-hich lets in the sea- 

 water for a mile or two as it were to meet the springs. 

 Dryness is, therefore, a great characteristic of this Island. 

 At the place where I live, which is in Queen's county, 

 and very nearly the middle of the Island, crosswise, we 

 have no water, except in a well seventy feet deep, and 

 from the clouds ; yet, we never experience a want oi 

 water. A large rain-water cistern to take the run from 

 the house, and a duck-pond to take that from the bam, 

 afford an ample supply ; and I can truly say, that *.<■ 

 to the article of water, I never was situated to please 

 me so well in ray litis before. The rains come about 

 once in fifteen days ; they come in abundance for aboat 

 twenty-four hours : and then all is fair and all u dry 



