GEORGIA. 



Siace the revolution, Georgia lias been divided into coun- 

 ties, comprehended under two diltrifts, iiiz. the ITpper and the 

 Lower; the former includes 15 counties, viz. Montgomery, 

 Walhington, Hancock, Greene, Franklin, Oglethorpe, 

 Elbert, Wilkes, Lincoln, Warren, Jefferfon, Jackfon, 

 Bullock, Columbia, and Riclimond ; the latter contains nine 

 counties, vis. Camden, Glynn, Liberty, Chatham, Bryan, 

 M'Into(h, Ethngham, Scriven, and Burke. The principal 

 towns are Augulla, formerly the feat of government. Sa- 

 vannah, the former capital of the ilate, Sunbury, Brunfwick, 

 Fredcrlea, Walhington, and Louifville, which is the metro- 

 polis of the flute, and where its records are depofited. The 

 principal rivers which water Georgia, are Savannah, which 

 feparales it from South Carolina, Ogeechee, which runs 

 parallel with the former, and Alatamaha, which runs parallel 

 with the others. Befides thefe and their numerous branches, we 

 might mention Turtle river. Little Sitilla, Great Sitilla, 

 Crooked river, and St. Mary's, which forms a part of the 

 ibuthern boundary of the United States. The rivers in the 

 middle and weilern parts, belonging to the " Georgia Weil- 

 ern territory,'' will be noticed in another place. All thefe 

 rivers contain a plentiful fupply of various forts of fifh, as 

 rock, mullet, whiting, Ihad, trout, drum, bafs, cat fidi, 

 whiting, brim and ilurgeon ; and the bays and lagoons afford 

 oyilers, and other (hell fifh. The chief lake, or marfh, in 

 this Hate, is Ekanfanoka, called by fonie Ouaquaphenogaw, 

 which is -^00 miles in circumference. The eailern part of the 

 ftate, between the mountains and the ocean, and the rivers 

 Savannah and St. Mary's, compreliendiiig a trad of country 

 more than 120 miles from N. to S., and from 50 to 80 E. 

 and W., is level without a hill or ilone. At the dillance of 

 about 40 or 50 miles from the fea-board, or falt-niarlh, the 

 land gradually rifes to mountains. The vail chain of the 

 Alleo-hany or Appalachian mountains terminates in Georgia, 

 60 miles S. of its northern boundary. From the bale of this 

 mountain fpreads a widely extended plain, of the richefl 

 foil, and in a latitude and climate well adapted to the culture 

 of moll produclions either of the foiith of Europe or of the 

 Eafl Indies. In the low country, near the rice fwanips, 

 bilious complaints and fevers are very general during the 

 yiioulhs of July, Auguft, and September ; and at the ap- 

 proach of this iickly feafon, the rich planters, with their 

 families, remove either to the fea-iflands or to a more elevated 

 fituation, for the benefit of the air. In the winter and 

 fpring, pleurifies, peripneumonies, and other inflammatory 

 diforders, produced by colds, are common, and frequently 

 fetal. The winters in Georgia, however, are mild and plca- 

 fant ; Tnow is feldom feen, nor is vegetation interrupted by 

 fevere frolls. In the hilly country, commencing about 50 

 miles in fome parts, and in others about 100 miles from the 

 fea, the air is pure and falubrious, and the water good and 

 abundant. From Jure to September the mercury in Fahren- 

 heit's thermometer flutluates from 76° to 90 ; and in winter 

 from 40° to 60°. The moll prevailing winds are S.W. and E.; 

 and in winter N. W. The E. windj is warmell in winter and 

 coolefl in fummer ; the S. wind in fummer and autumn is 

 damp, fultry, and infalubrious. In the S.E. parts of the 

 Hate, the trade winds impart their agitation to the atmofphere, 

 and ferve to purify and meliorate it. In the lowlands rice is 

 cultivated ; and in the interior and hilly parts, wheat and 

 Indian corn, and the other productions common to the 

 northern ilates, are the objeAs of agricultural attention. 

 Rice is at prefent the ftaple comm.odity of this (late ; and 

 tbe other cliief articles of produce are tobacco, wheat and 

 indigo. Georgia alfo yields cotton, filk, corn, potatoes, 

 oranges, tigs, olives, pomegranates, &c. The forellsconfiil 

 •of oak, hickory, mulberry, pine, cedar, &c. The whole 

 cwall is bordered with iflands, of which the principal are Skid- 



away, Waffaw, OfTabaw, St. Catherines, Sapelo, fredcrlea, 

 Jekyl, Cumberland, &c. Th?fe iflands are furrounded by- 

 navigable creeks, between which and the main land is a J 

 large extent of falt-marfli at a medium four or five ■ 

 miles broad, fj-onting the whole flate, and interfefte'd with 

 creeks, which admit a general inland navigation, between 

 the iflands and the main land, from the N.E. to the S.E. 

 corners of tlie flate. The entrances of rivers flowing 

 between tliefe iflands, form capacious harbours from three to 

 eight miles broad ; coniinunicatuig with eacii other by 

 parallel fait civeks. The iflands in their natural 'flate are 

 covered v.ith pine, oak, hickory, live oak, and jed cedar. 

 Tile foil is grey, formed by a mixture of fand and black 

 mould ; and a confiderable part of it is very rich, ^nd yields, 

 by cultivation, good crops of indigo, corn, cotton, and po- 

 tatoes. The foil of the main laud, adjoining the marfhes and 

 creeks, referables that of the iflands ; except that, which , 

 borders on tlie creeks and river that penetrate far into tha j 

 interior of the country, and which furniflies the valuable rice | 

 fwamps. 'I'he foil between the rivers, at a greater dillance,. ' 

 clianges from a grey to red colour ; and flill more remotely, 

 into tiie mulatto kind, conflfting- of a black and red earth. 

 This fort of land is generally ilrong, and yields large crops of 

 wheat, tobacco, corn, &c. This foil is fucceeded by 

 another, nearly black, and very rich. This fucceffion of 

 different foils is uniform and regular, intermixed with occa- 

 llonal veins of different forts ; and ftrctches, in the order 

 above-mentioned, acrofs tliis flate nearly parallel with the 

 fea-coafl, and extends through the feveral ftates, nearly in 

 the fame diredlion, to the banks of Hudfon river. The cul- 

 ture of cotton is now fo much an objeft of attention in this 

 flate as to aflbrd a reafonablc expedlation, that the ftates of 

 South Carolina and Georgia may, in a few years, be able to 

 raife more than 10 millions of pour.da annually for exporta- 

 tion. With proper attention, moil of the tropical fruits would 

 flourifh in this flate. The fouth-weilern part of this flate, 

 and the adjoining parts of E. and W. Florida, will, it is 

 conjedlured, at fome future period, become the vineyard o£ 

 America. The chief ai-ticles of export are rice, tobacco, 

 indigo, fago, lumber, naval {lores, leather, deer fkins, 

 fnake root, myrtle and bees wax, corn, and live flock. 

 The value, in flerling money, of the exports of Georgia, in 

 the year 1755, was 15,744/.; in 1772, 121,677/. > '" I79'» 

 value in dollars, 491,472; in 1792, 458,973; in 1793, 

 501,383; in 1794, 676,154; in 1796, 950,158; and in 

 1801, 1,854,951. In 1790, the tonnage employed in this 

 Hate was 28,540, and the number of American feamen was 

 11,225. ^" return for her exports, Georgia receives Wefl 

 India goods, teas, wines, clothing, and dry goods of all 

 kinds : from the northern ftates, cheefe, fifli, potatoes, 

 apples, cyder, and fhots. The imports and exports are 

 principally to and from Savannah, -which has a fine harbour, 

 and is the chief emporium of the flate. 



The difpofition and cliarafter of the inhabitants, collefled 

 from various parts of the world, are very much diverfified ; 

 they are charged with indolence, whicli is attributed partly 

 to the relaxing heat of the climate, and partly to the want ol 

 motives, neceffary for exerting indiiflry ; they are praifed for 

 their friendlini'fs and hoipitality to llrangers. Their diver- 

 fions are dancing, horfc-racing, cock-fighting, and chiefly 

 hunting. They are reproached with an addiftednefs to 

 gaming. 



The diflx^rent religious fefls of this flate are Baptitl^, 

 Methodifls, Prefbyterians, Epifcopahans, Roman Catholics, 

 Quakers, and Jews. The two firtl are the mofl numerous,- 

 and inhabit the upper part of the flate. The Epifcopalians 

 and Prefbyterians arc about equal in number ; and the Ca- 

 tholics and Jews have each of them one church. The civil 



con- 



