Ill 



or in that parallel ; 23 are in the midlands, between 

 the tide waters and Blue rid^e of mountains : 8 be- 

 tween the Blue ridge and Alleghaney ; and 8 westward 

 of the Alleghaney. 



The state by another division, is formed into parish- 

 es, many of which are commensurate with the coun- 

 ties : but sometimes a county comprehends niore than 

 one "parish, and sometimes a parish more than one 

 county. This division had relation to the religion of 

 the state, a parson of the Anglican church, with a fixed 

 salary, having been heretofore established in each par- 

 ish. The care of the poor was another object of the 

 parochial division. 



We have no townships. Our country being much 

 intersected with navigable waters, and trade brought 

 generally to our doors, instead of our being obliged to 

 go in quest of it, has probably been one of the causes 

 why we have no towns of any consequence. Williams- 

 burgh, which till the year 1760, was the seat of our 

 government, never contained above 1800 inhabitants ', 

 and Norfolk the most populous town we ever had, con- 

 tained but 6000. Our towns, but more properly our 

 villages or hamlets, are as follows : 



On James river and its waters, Norfolk, Portstnouth, 

 Hampton, Suffolk, Smithfield, Williamsburgh, Peters- 

 burgh, Richmond, the seat of our government, Man- 

 chester, Charlottesville, New London. 



On York river and its waters, York, Newcastle, Han- 

 over. 



On Rappahannock, Urbanna, Port royal, Fredericks- 

 burgh, Falmouth. 



On Patowmac and its waters, Dumfries, Colchester, 

 Alexandria, Winchester, and Staunton. 



On Ohio, Louisville. 



There are other jdaces at which, like some of the 

 foregoing, the laws have said there shall be towns ; but 

 JVatwe has said there shall not, and they remain un- 

 worthy of enumeration. jYorfotk will probably be the 

 emporium for all the trade of the Chesapeak bay and 

 its waters; and a canal of 8 or 10 miles will bring to 



