UNITED STATES. 



ble is abundant, and forms the bed of the White river for 

 300 mik-s. In the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and in 

 Other places, the benefit derived from the marble quarries is 

 ver)- confiderablf. Quickfilver, zinc, faltpetre, and fulphur, 

 are plentiful. Upper Louifiara affords great quanlities of 

 antimony, and the whole weftern territory abounds with falt- 

 fprings. The foil in this extenfive country is various. On 

 the Atlantic coalt, to the N. and E., it is ftony, and towards 

 the S. fandy ; but in both fituations, intermixed with much 

 alluvial land. Towards the mountains the foil improves, 

 and is in many places very fertile. On the mountains it is 

 light and thin, but in the valleys rich. Beyond the moun- 

 tains, in the valleys of Ohio, Miffiffippi, and MifTouri, feve- 

 ral trafls of land are exceedingly rich and firtile. Towards 

 the .S.W. parts of the Miffouri territory, the foil is light, 

 thin, and fandy. The mountainous region to the N.W. is 

 fimilar to the Allegany mountains, but the hills are more 

 lofty, and the foil more variable. Beyond thefe mountains 

 there is much good (oil, as far as the Pacific ocean. 



The produce confills of every variety that can be named ; 

 wheat, maize, rye, oats, barley, rice, and other grain ; 

 apples, pears, cherries, peaches, grapes, currants, gooleber- 

 ries, plums, and other fruit, and a vait variety of vegetables. 

 Lemons, oranges, and fomc oth-r iropical fruits, are raifed 

 in Louifianaand fomeof the other fouthern countries. Hops, 

 flax, and hemp are abundant. Tobacco is an article of ex- 

 tenfive cultivation in Virginia, Maryland, and other dif- 

 triifls. Cotton is a ftaple commodity m the fouthern ftates. 

 Indigo is produced in Louifiana, and fugar is a commodity 

 much cultivated in that country, and in fome places along the 

 Atlanticcoafi. The northern and eaftern dates, and thenioun- 

 tains in the interior, are fine grazing countries, and furnifli a 

 great number of cattle and flieep, and abundance of butter 

 and cheefe. The Merino breed of fheep have been intro- 

 duced, and are faid to thrive as well as they do in Spain. 

 Horfes for draught and faddle abound, and fomeof them are 

 excellent, particularly in Pennfylvania. Other domeftic 

 animals, as ailcs, goats, hogs and dogs, are plentiful. Of 

 tame fowl, the United States have turkeys, geefe, ducks, 

 common poultry, pigeons, peacocks, and guinea fowls. 

 The wild animals arc numerous ; among which may be enu- 

 merated the billon or wild ox, moofc, deer, bear, wolf, fox, 

 lynx, panther, weafel, ermine, martin, mink, otter, opof- 

 fum, hare, fquinel, moufc, bat, rat, beaver, feal, &c. 

 The game and wild fowl peculiar to the country are turkeys, 

 phcafant?, partridges, woodcocks, fnipes, wild fwans, wild 

 geefe, wild ducks, pigeons, teal, plovers, widgeons, rail, 

 &c. The other birds are eagles, hawks, vultures, turkey- 

 buzzards, darlings, blue birds, red birds, humming-birds, 

 &c. Ot fifties, thefe ftates have the whale, dolphin, por- 

 poife, grampus, fl<atc, ftiark, fturgeon, cod, flounder, perch, 

 whiting, falmoii, trout, roach, ftiad, drum, black fifti, and 

 many others, with which the feas, interior lakes, and rivers 

 abound. Among the amphibious reptiles we may reckon the 

 tortoife, frog, lizards of various fpecies, the alligator, 3:c. 

 To the clnfs of ferpents belong the fnakes and vipers, which 

 abound in tiie United States. Of natural timber the United 

 States have various kinds ; but fomc of the mod ufeful are 

 the elm, cherry, locuft, oak, beech, pine, cedar, cyprefs, 

 willow, hick<iry, a(h, walnut, chefniit, birch, maple, &c. 



The climate mud vary in the different parts of the United 

 States. In the N.E. parts the winters are very cold, and the 

 fummers hot, changing as you proceed fouthward. In the 

 S.E. and along the gulf of Mexico, the fummers arc very 

 hot, and the winters mild and pleafant. Among the moun- 

 tains it is cold towards the N., and temperate in the S. Be- 

 yond the mountains, in the rich v.iUcys of Ohio, Miffiflippi, 



Vol. XXXVII. 



and Miftburi, the cUmatc is temperate and delightful, till we 

 approach the Rocky mountains, when it is fubjeft to ex- 

 tremes, the winters being very cold. The climate muft be 

 chilled among mountains coiiftantly covered wi h fnow. Weft 

 of thefe mountains the climate chai.gts, uni . we reach the 

 ftiores of the Pacific ocean, where it relcmLltb that of the 

 wedern parts of Europe. The prevailii.g v.u.d; are from 

 the weft, and as they pafs over a wide expanle of water, 

 they cool the air in fummer, and in winter deluge the coun- 

 try with frequent rain. 



The hijiory of the United States has been already given, 

 during the rife and progrefs, and to the termination of that 

 difpute which feparated them from this country, under 

 America. From the time of their firft. fettlement to July 

 1776, they continued to be Britifti colonies; but in that 

 month Congrefs declared them to be independent ftates. At 

 this period their number was thirteen, and they contained 

 about three millions of inhabitants. Since that time they 

 have increafed in an aftonilhing degree, and now amount to 

 nineteen dates, and five territories, containing, by the cen- 

 fus of 1810, 7,239,903 inhabitants: and it is faid by 

 Melifti (1816) that about 253,400 maybe added as the 

 annual increafe fince that year. This writer obferves, that 

 the progrefs of agriculture, mamifaftures, and the mechanic 

 arts, is more remarkable than that of the population. At 

 the period of the revolution the fettlements were almoft; 

 wholly confined to the eadward of the mountains, and prin- 

 cipally along the fca-board, depending on Britain for manu- 

 factures, and many of the necedaries of life. The fettle- 

 ments now extend acrofs the Miffiflippi, the interior being 

 duddcd with towns, villages, and farm-houfes ; and abound- 

 ing with grift-mills, fuUing-miUs, carding and roving raa- 

 ehines, paper-mills, cotton-mills, iron founderies and forges, 

 tan-works, glafs-works, in fuch profufion, and increafing 

 fo rapidly, that the internal manufaftures will foon be fuffi- 

 cient not only to fupply the demand at home, but to furnidi 

 vad quantities of cotton yarn and cloth, and of hemp arti- 

 cles, for exportation. The edimated amount of manufac- 

 tures in 1810, was 120,000,000 dollars. The increafe fince 

 that time has been fo great, that they may be now edimated 

 at upwards of 200,000,000. The United States have hereto- 

 fore exported flour, wheat, Indian corn, rice, aflies, cotton, 

 indigo, tobacco, timber, fi(h, live-ftock, tar, turpentine, &c. 

 In 1812, the amount was 45,294,043 dollars. They have 

 imported dry goods, groceries, tea, coffee, fugar, wine, 

 brandy, &c. In 181 2, the amoun*; 0; the m ports was 

 nearly equal to the exports. The date of commerce, it is 

 faid, is rapidly changing from external to internal trade. 



The government of the United States is a federal repubhc. 

 Each ftate has a conftitution for the management of its in- 

 ternal affairs, and they are all formed into one united body 

 by the " federal conftitution." By this conftitution the Ic- 

 giflative power is veiled in a congrefs of delegates from the 

 feveral dates, divided into two diftindt bodies, the " fenatc," 

 and " houfe of reprofentativcs." The nu mbers of the latter 

 are elefted every two years by the people, and the lenators 

 are eledled every fix years by the ftate legillatures. The 

 executive power is veiled in n prefident ^ which fee), cliofen 

 every four years, by a number of delegates in each ftate, 

 appointed in fuch manner as the ftate legillatures may ilireft, 

 and eqjialto the number of members which they refpeCtively 

 fend to both branches of congrefs. The ct)iidilution gua- 

 rantees for ever freedom of fpeech and liberty of the prefs. 

 In the eye of the law all the inhabitants are equal. All miift 

 bear arms, or pay an equivalent ; and all are equally intercfted 

 in the defence of the country. The military ftrcnglh of the 

 country is a wcU-difciplmed militia; and here is alfo an in- 

 3 V crcafing 



