GEORGIA. 



i.ttescallcd, avoided all commi}:ture with the Tartars, and 

 have diitinguilhed themfelvcs as the moil numerous and 

 T owerful body of the mountaineers of Caucafiis, now for 

 greatcft part fubjecl to the protecting authority of 

 ifiia. The inliabitants of Georgia, when it was one king- 

 .11, were Chrirtians, but fince the year 1639, they were 

 nded with Mahometans ; the king of Periia having con- 

 quered and divided the country into two provinces or king- 

 doms, and having obhged the people to embrace the Maho- 

 rrxtxii religion. But fmce they have been under the protcc- 

 *: in of Ruffia, they have again avowed themfelves Chrif- 

 ns, following in part the rights of the Armenian, and in 

 u t thofe of the CJreek church. They are reprefented as 

 _■ moil traftable Chriftians of the Eaft. The Georgians 

 eel in the ufe of the bow, and are reputed to be the bed 

 ^diers in Afia. Tlie women are celebrated for their beauty, 

 ;i though they are verj- handfome they love to adorn tliem- 

 I -Ives with paint, and are not in high eilimation for their mo- 

 liily. As the country produces ilrongwine, the Georgians 

 are addicted to intoxication, and the women, as well as the 

 men, indulge freely in the ufe of brandy. The men, it is 

 laid, have no virtue but courage ; fathers fell their children, 

 and fometimes their wives. According to the laws of war 

 in Turkev, any province which, revolts is given up to pillage, 

 and the inhabitants are reduced to flavery. In confequence 

 of this cuftom, which prevails throughout Afia, Georgia 

 r.nd Circaflia fupply the market of Conilantinople with 

 iiaves ; though it is faid, that the Circaffians alone have the 

 l.onour of being admitted into the bed of the fultan. This 

 ; :pply of female flaves is continually furnilhed by the 

 \ -fgues Tartars, who, iituated between the Cafpian and 

 1 lack feas, between Georgia and Circaflia, are perpetually 

 ^. war with thefe two provinces. They carry over to the 

 < ..lern coadof the Elack fea the flaves they have taken, and 

 \\ them to the Turkilh merchants, who come tliither at 

 .:ed times for this traillc. The inliabitants of this fame 

 all, likewife, lei/eon their countrymen in the neighbour- 

 - ^ villages, and iell them ; and children have been fome- 

 tinies fold by their parents. See CiRCASsiA. 



The air of Georgia is dry, very warm in fummer, and 

 very cold in winter. Fine weather commences in the month 

 of May, and continues till tlie end of November. The 

 i oil is extremely fertile, provided the ground be watered. 

 The bread and fruits are excellent ; and the pallures feed 

 a great number of cattle, fat and lean. The game is of 

 excellent flavour, and the wild hogs are delicate. The in- 

 habitants make wine, which they fell into Armenia and Per- 

 iia, efpecially to Iipahan, for the king's table, bilk forms 

 .a confiderable brancli of trade to Erzerum ; though the in- 

 habitants are unacquainted with the bell method of winding 

 it. In this province there are only four confiderable towns ; 

 oi/z. Tefflis, Gori, SurenandAh. See Persia. 



Georgi.a., one of the United States of America, 

 fitualed between 31 and 35" N. lat. and between 5" and 16 

 W. long. ; extending in k-ngth about 600 mile;"., and in 

 breadth 250; and bounded on the call by the Atlantic 

 ccean ; S. by Eall and Weft Floridas ; W. by the river 

 Miiliiippi ; N.E. and N. by South Carolina, the Tenneflee 

 itate, or by lands ceded to tlie United States by South Caro- 

 fina. Its population is eftimatcd, by the cenfus of 1790, at 

 82,548 perfons ; of whom 29,264 were flaves : but the num- 

 ber has fmce been much augmented. The fettlement of a 

 colony between the rivers Savannah and Alatamaha became 

 the fubjecl of contemplation in England in the year 1732, 

 » with a view to the accommodation of poor people in Great 

 Britain and Ireland, and for tlie farther fecurity of Carolina. 

 The benevolent and humane pre poftd to raife a fund for con- 

 veying indigent emigrants to this part of America, free of 



expence. Their generous projeiS was encouraged by letters 

 patent obtained from his majefty George II. in June 1-32; 

 and, in honour of the king, the new province was called 

 " Georgia." A corporation was eftablillied for fettling the 

 colony, which was to be feparated from Carolina by the 

 Savannah ; and a large fum of money was raifed for the pur- 

 pofe of carrying the liberal and humane defign into execu- 

 tion. tJeneral Oglethorpe was felefted for condudlino- the 

 emigrants, about 116 in number, to their new abode ; and 

 foon after theii- arrival, in the commencement of the year 

 1733, they m.arked the fpot, on which Savannah now ftands, 

 as the molt proper for the foundation of their fettlement. 

 Accordingly they proceeded to ereft a fort, and a number 

 of fmall liuts, for their defence and accommodation. A 

 treaty of amity was concluded between the fettiers and their 

 neighbours, the Creek Indians ; and various regulations were 

 framed, for their future government. The number of new 

 fettiers from the Highlands of Scotland and from Germany 

 gradually increafed ; fo that in the courfe of three years,. 

 Georgia received above 400 Britifli fubjecls, and about 170 

 foreigners. Afterwards feveral adventurers from Scotland, 

 Germany, and Switzerland followed their countrymen, and 

 contributed to encourage the hopes of the truftees as to the 

 permanence and profperity of the colony. Several towns 

 were built, and, in 1739, more than 6co people were em- 

 ployed in trading with the Indians for furs and ikins. Never- 

 thelefs, in 174T, the Englifli government received informa- 

 tion that icarcely a fixth part remained of the number of per- 

 fons who had migrated to Georgia ; and thofe that continued 

 were fo much difcouraged, that they feemed to be defirous 

 of fixing in a more favourable fituation. It was thus found 

 that the fyftem of government, which had been formed for 

 this colony, was highly injudicious and altogether inconfiilent 

 with its profperity. The tirft ufe which the proprietors of 

 Georgia made of the unlimited powers with which they were 

 inverted, was to eftablifli a fyllem of legiflation that made 

 them abiolute mafters, not only of the police, juftice, and 

 finances of the country, but even of the lives and eftates of 

 the inhabitants. As great inconveniences had been found to 

 arife in other colonics from large pofTelFion?, it was thought 

 proper in Georgia to allow each family only 50 acres of 

 land ; which they were not permitted to mortgage, or to 

 difpofe of by will to their female ilTue. This lall regulation, 

 however, which made the males only capable of inheritance, 

 was foon abohlhed ; but other reilriclions of a difcouragiug 

 nature ftill remained. No man was permitted to leave the 

 province without a licence. If any of the lands granted bv 

 the truftees were not cultivated, cleared, and fenced round 

 with a wooden fence, or pales fix feet high, within 18 years 

 from the date of the grant, fuch part vas to revert to the 

 truftees for the benefit of the colony. It was forbidden to 

 ufe negroes, to import rum, and to trade with the Indians 

 without a fpecial licence obtained for this purpofe. Under 

 thefe reftraints the province languiihed, and the people 

 complained ; till at length the truftees, in the year 1752, 

 furrendered their charter to the king, and it was made a 

 royal government. From this time, till tlie peace of Paris 

 in 1763, the province ftrugg'ed under many difficulties; 

 arifing from the want of credit with friends, and from the 

 frequent moleftations of enemies. The good effects of this 

 peace were fenfibly felt, and its annual exports, which in 

 1752 amounted to no more than about ic.coc/. fterling, 

 were very much augmented ; and its population and agricul- 

 ture proportionally increafed ; though under fome checks and 

 interruptions from difputes and wars with the Creek Indians. 

 But fince a treaty of peace and friendftiip with the Creek 

 nation was concluded in 1790, theftateof Georgia has beeit. 

 ragidly advancing in everj- kind of improvement. 



Since 



