s.SO 



VIRGINIA. 



There are some excellent native grapes, the culture 

 of which will claim greater attention, since the 

 winters have been found too severe for the foreign 

 vine. Few countries possess greater facilities for- 

 manufacturing : the raw material of almost every 

 kind, labour sufficiently cheap and abundant, inex- 

 haustible supplies of fuel, and water power without 

 limit. Yet, with all these advantages, planting 

 and farming will long be the favourite pursuits. In 

 the northern and north-western parts of the state, 

 and in some of the principal towns, valuable manu- 

 factories are established of cotton and woollen 

 cloths, glass, iron, &c. The Kenawha salt-works 

 produce annually about 1,000,000 bushels, and those 

 of the Holston about 100,000. 



By the census of 1830, the free white population 



mounted to 694,300 



frpp coloured. . . 47,348 



staves, .... 469.757 



Total. 



. 1,211,405 



In 1800, the free white males numbered . 514,2*0 

 free coloured, . . . 20,124 

 stares, 354,796 880,200 



Increase in thirty years, 331,205 



Or t hirt y-sevpn and a half per cent 



In the same period, the free whites increased 

 180,020, or 35 per cent. ; the free coloured persons 

 27,224, or 135 per cent. ; and the slaves, 123,961, 

 or 36 per cent. For the ten years preceding the 

 census of 1830, the rate of increase of the whole 

 population diminished considerably, and the relative 

 increase of the several classes varied from the fore- 

 going results. On the whole population, the rate 

 was reduced from 37^ to 13} per cent. ; on the 

 free white, from 35 to 15 per cent. ; on the free 

 coloured, from 135 to 28^ per cent. ; and on the 

 slaves from 36 to 10J per cent. It is to be observed, 

 however, that while the black population of the 

 whole state has been diminishing, when compared 

 with the white, the reverse is true in respect to 

 Eastern Virginia, which is peculiarly the slave re- 

 gion ; for, while, in 1790, there was in that district 

 a majority of 25,000 whites, the slaves and free co- 

 loured population outnumbered them at every suc- 

 cessive census, until, in 1830, the excess was up- 

 wards of 81,000. The facts thus exhibited show 

 that Western Virginia, which contains compara- 

 tively few slaves, has rapidly increased its white 

 population in the last ten years, the rate of increase 

 amounting to 25 per cent ; while on the eastern 

 side of the mountains, the increase of the whites, 

 in the same period, did not exceed 7*- per cent. 



In 1831, the number of Episcopalian ministers 

 in the state, including two bishops, was fifty-nine, 

 churches, fifty-eight, and 2840 communicants. In 

 the same year, the Presbyterians numbered ninety- 

 four ministers, of whom fourteen were licentiates ; 

 105 churches, and 7950 communicants : the Metho- 

 dists, 131 ministers, and 39,058 communicants, of 

 whom 4731 were coloured people : the Baptists, 

 236 ministers, including twenty licentiates, 370 

 churches, or congregations, and 45,703 communi- 

 cants, of whom it is conjectured that one half are 

 blacks : the Catholics, five ministers, and ten con- 

 gregations ; but the number of lay members is not 

 ascertained. It will be perceived that the Baptists 

 and Methodists are the most numerous sects in the 

 state ; and the estimate does not include a consi- 

 derable, number of separatists from both commu- 

 nions. Besides these there are Friends, Lutherans, 

 Dunkers, Unitarians, Jews, &c. &c., scattered through 

 the state, whose numbers are not accurately known. 



The pre&bytcrians have a theological seminary in 

 Prince Edwf.rd. and the episcopalians one iir.ir 

 Alexandria, both of which institutions have flour- 

 ished by private liberality. 



According to the official return for 1831, the ef- 

 fective military force of the state was as follows : 



General staff, ..... 103 



Cavalry. ..... 7.07S 



Artillery, ..... 5,733 



Grenadiers, infantry of the line, &c. . 88,578 



Making, in the aggregate, . . 101,488 



being about one out of every seven of the white 

 population. 



History. The earliest settlement in all North 

 America was made in Virginia, by Sir Walter Ra- 

 leigh, in 1587 ; and Virginia, named in honour of 

 the so called Virgin Queen, Elizabeth, was long 

 the appellation by which the whole of this coast 

 was known. About the beginning of the seven- 

 teenth century, the colonists were involved in 

 deadly contests with the natives. (See the follow- 

 ing cut for a representation of the costume of ad 

 aboriginal Virginian.) Captain Smith, the most 



efficient leader of the colony, was taken prisoner, 

 and about to be put to death by king Powhatan, 

 when his daughter Pocahontas (q. v.) interceded, 

 and obtained for him life and liberty. The final 

 departure of captain Smith from the colony, in 1G09 

 was followed by the disasters which always attended 

 even the temporary absence of that extraordinary 

 man. Riot and insubordination terminated in famine 

 and extreme suffering, insomuch that on the arrival 

 of Gates, Somers, and Newport, who were des- 

 patched from England about six months after 

 Smith's return to that country, only sixty survivors 

 remained out of a flourishing colony of 500 souls. 

 Discouraged by misfortune, this miserable remnant 

 determined to abandon the scene of their calami- 

 ties, and had actually embarked for England, when 

 they were met by Lord Delawar, who prevailed on 

 them to return, and recommence their career at 

 Jamestown. For ten years after this event, the 

 colony continued to advance in prosperity, and con- 

 siderably extended its limits. Its stability and do- 

 mestic happiness were greatly increased by the in- 

 troduction, in 1620 and 1621, of 160 females of 

 humble fortunes and spotless character, who became 

 wives to the planters, at the moderate price, fixed 

 by the London company, of 150 pounds of tobacco. 

 About the same time, another event occurred, the 

 ultimate consequences of which it is difficult to fore- 



