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he has iflue, William Frederick, hereditary prince, a general 

 in the Britifh army, married Feb. 21, 1816, to the grand 

 duchefs Anne, fifter to the emperor of Ruflia; and Frederick. 



United States, comprehend an extenfive portion of 

 North America, fituated between 25° 50' and 49° 37' 

 N. lat., and between 10° E. and 48° 20' W, long, from 

 Wartiington. The moft northern part is bounded by a line 

 running due W. from the N.W. comer of the Lake of the 

 Woods, and the fouthern extremity is the outlet of the 

 Rio del Norte. The eaftern extremity is the great 

 Menan ifland, on the coaft of Maine, and the weftern is 

 Cape Flattery, N. of Columbia river, on the Pacific ocean. 

 The greateft extent of the country from N. to S. is 1650 

 miles, and from E. to W. 2700. The area is about 

 2,379,350 fquare miles, or 1,522,784,000 acres. The 

 population by the lad cenfus was 7,239,903, being lefs than 

 tliree to each fquare mile of territory, fo that every in- 

 habitant has nearly 200 acres of land. The United States 

 are bounded on the E. by the Atlantic ocean, and the 

 Britifh province of New Brunfwick ; on the N. by the 

 Britifh pofTeflions of Lower and Upper Canada, and the 

 large unfettled country to the weftward of thofe provinces ; 

 on the W. by the Pacific ocean ; on the S.W. by the 

 Spanifh internal provinces and the Rio del Norte ; and on 

 the S. by the gulf of Mexico and Florida. In the definitive 

 treaty of peace between the United States and Britain, exe- 

 cuted at Paris on the 3d of September, 1783, the northern 

 and eaftern boundaries are defcribed as follows, iiis. 

 " From the N.W. angle of Nova Scotia ; -u/z. that angle 

 which is formed by a line drawn due N. from the fource of 

 St. Croix river to the Highlands ; along the faid High- 

 lands which divide thofe rivers that empty themfelves into 

 the river St. Lawrence, from thofe which fall into the 

 Atlantic ocean, to the north-wefternmoft head of Con- 

 nefticut river ; thence down along the middle of that river, 

 to the 45th degree of N. lat. ; from thence by a line due 

 weft on faid latitude, until it ftrikes the river Iroquois or 

 Cataraquy ; thence along the middle of faid river into lake 

 Ontario, through the middle of faid lake until it ftrikes the 

 communication by water between that lake and lake Erie ; 

 thence along the middle of faid communication into lake 

 Erie, throiigh the middle of faid lake until it arrives at the 

 water communication between that lake and lake Huron ; 

 thence along the middle of faid water communication 

 into lake Huron ; thence through the middle of faid lake 

 to the water communication between that lake and lake 

 Superior ; thence tlirough lake Superior northward of the 

 ifles Royal and Pljilipeaux, to the Long Lake ; thence 

 through the middle of faid Long Lake and the water com- 

 munication between it and the Lake of the Woods, to the 

 faid Lake of the Woods ; thence through the faid lake to the 

 moft north-weftern point thereof, and from thence on a due 

 weft courfe to the river Miffiffippi. Eaft by a line to be 

 drawrt along the middle of the river St. Croix, from its 

 mouth in the Bay of Fundy to its fource, and from its fource 

 direftly N. to the aforef^aid Highlands which divide the 

 rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean from thofe which 

 fall into the river St. Lawrence ; comprehending all iflands 

 within twenty leagues of any part of the Ihores of the 

 United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due E. 

 firom the points where the aforefaid boundaries between 

 Nova Scotia on the one part, and Eaft Florida on the other, 

 ftiall refpeftively touch the bay of Fundy and the Atlantic 

 ocean ; excepting fuch iflands as now are, or heretofore have 

 been, within the limits of the faid province of Nova Scotia." 



As to the country weft of the Lake of the Woods, it is 

 evident that the commifBoners were of opinion, that it 

 ihould be part of the territory of the United States, as 



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high as a line to be run due W. from the N.W. corner of 

 that lake until it reached as far W. as the Miffiffippi ; 

 which was at that period the weftern boundary of the 

 United States. Subfequent events have annexed the whole 

 of Louifiana to the country, fo that the northern boundary 

 of it behoves to be afcertained, as it was poflefTed by 

 France ; but the country never having been fettled, the 

 boundary has not been accurately defined. The beft 

 courfe, fays Mr. Melifli, in the conftruftion of his map, 

 has appeared to be to run the boundary line due W. 

 from the N.W. corner of the Lake of the Woods 

 to the gulf of Georgia, and thence along that gulf, 

 and the ftraits of Juan de Fuco, to the Pacific ocean. 

 As die French were the firft fettlers in Louifiana, 

 maps founded on their claims furnifh evidence as to the 

 weftern limits of Louifiana of undifputable authority, and 

 fix the boundary line on the W. fide of the Rio del Norte, 

 to the Rio Salado, correfponding to the Rio Puerco of 

 more modern maps : and it is continued along that river 

 nearly to its fource. From thence it pafTes to the E. of 

 Santa Fe, to between the 37th and 38th degrees of N. lat., 

 where it crolTes the Rio del Norte, and is fo continued to 

 about half a degree W. of that river ; then along that river 

 to its fource, where the limits of Louifiana are undefined. 

 Towards the Pacific ocean, we have no very correft data, 

 fays Mr. Melifh, for forming an opinion as to the bounda- 

 ries. The following view of the fubjeft, he fays, is the 

 refult of the beft information that can be obtained. 



The Miffouri and its waters are unqueftionably part of 

 the United States territory, in virtue of the purchafe of 

 Louifiana ; and it is prefumed, that the title is equally un- 

 queftionable as to the Columbia and its waters, to a line 

 dravsm due W. from the N.W. corner of the Lake of the 

 Woods. This includes the Multnomah on the S., but 

 leaves the queftion undetermined in the unexplored country 

 between that river and the bay of St. Francifco. From the 

 lateft accounts, it appears that the Spaniards have no fettle- 

 ments above that bay, and probably will have none, fo that 

 the country may be confidered virtually a part of the 

 United States territory, provided they fhould confider it of 

 importance to take poffcffion, and fettle it. 



The face of the country in the United States prefents 

 every variety. The north-eaftern part on the coaft is 

 broken and hilly ; and is remarkably indented with nume- 

 rous bays and inlets. Towards the S., and along the gulf 

 of Mexico, the land is level and fandy, interfperfed with 

 many fwamps, and numerous iflands and inlets. At the 

 outlets of many of the rivers, there is a large portion of al- 

 luvial land, which is particularly the cafe along the Mif- 

 fiffippi. Beyond the head of tide waters, there is a tole- 

 rably rich and agreeably uneven country, which extends to 

 the mountains. The mountainous diftrift, on the Atlantic 

 fide of the country, is about 150 miles in breadth, and 1200 

 miles in length ; extending in large ridges from N.E. to 

 S.W. Thefe ridges are generally known by the name of 

 the Allegany mountains, and are of various elevations, from 

 2000 to 4000 feet. The higheft point feems to be the 

 White Hills, in New Hampfhire, which rifes to the elevation 

 of nearly 90GO feet. Beyond the mountains we have a view 

 of the great valley of the Miffiffippi and its tributary 

 ftreams, prefenting a body of the fineft land in the world, 

 and poffeffing great natural advantages. To the weftward 

 of this valley are the mountains of Louifiana, prefenting 

 features Angularly bold and grand. The rocky mountains, 

 in particular, are very majeftic ; and the vaft variety pro- 

 duced by the ^reat mafs of waters forming the tributary 

 ftreams of the Miffouri and Columbia, muft render the fce- 

 nery in that region Angularly interefting. Beyond thefe the 



principal 



