422 NEW-YORK. 



9400 inhabitants, who are a motley mixture of many nations, but 

 principally of Dutch descent. The houses were at first mostly built 

 on the margin of the river, in the old Dutch style, with the gable ends 

 facing the streets. The principal part of the city at present extends 

 back from the river, and the houses are generally finished in the 

 modern style. The wells of the city contain no good water, and the 

 inhabitants make use of that from the river. The principal public 

 buildings are a state house, city hall, hospital, and nine or ten places 

 of religious worship. It is well situated for trade, being the staple 

 of an extensive and flourishing country. But Albany is strongly 

 rivalled, by the new city of Hudson, which is situated about 30 

 miles lower down the river. This has been distinguished as one of 

 the most thriving commercial towns in the United States. The first 

 house was built in 1784, and in 1800, the city contained 3664 inhabi- 

 tants. The river is nearly a mile wide opposite the town, and may 

 be navigated by the largest merchant vessels. The advantageous 

 situation, joined to a spirit of industry and enterprise in the people, 

 can hardly fail to render this city in the course of a few years rich and 

 important. The presem population is upwards of 4000. The other 

 considerable towns are Brooklyn, opposite New-York, Schenectady 

 on the Mohawk, Utica, on the same river, Poughkepsie, Troy and 

 Lansingburg on fhe Hudson. 



Commerce, manufactures... .The situation of New-York, with 

 respect to foreign markets, has decidedly the preference to any of 

 the states. It has at all seasons of the year a short and easy access to 

 the ocean. It commands the trade of a great proportion of the best 

 settled and best cultivated parts of the United States. The commo- 

 dities in which they trade are wheat, flour, barley, oats, beef, and 

 other kinds of animal food. Their markets are the same with those 

 which the New-Englanders use; and these are spread over all the 

 commercial parts of the globe. They used to take almost the same 

 sort of commodities from England with the inhabitants of Boston. 

 At an average of three years, their exports were said to amount to 

 526,000/. and their imports from Great Britain to 531,000/. The ex- 

 ports from this state in 1791, amounted to 2,505,465 dollars; in 1795, 

 to 10,304,580 dollars; in 1802, to 13,792,276 dollars; in 1807, to 

 26,357,963 dollars; and in 1810, to 17,242,230 dollars. 



The city of New- York contains a great number of people who are 

 employed in the various bi'anches of manufactures, viz. wheel car- 

 riages of all kinds, loaf sugar, bread, beer, shoes and boots, sad- 

 dlery, cabinet-work, cutlery, hats, clocks, watches, mathematical and 

 musical instruments, ships, and every thing necessary for their equip- 

 ment. A glass work and several iron works have been established. 



GovERNMENT....By the constitution of the stale of New-York, esta- 

 blished in 1777, and revised in 1801, the supreme legislative power 

 is vested in two separate and distinct bodies of men : the one called 

 " The Assembly of the State of New-York," consisting of seventy 

 members annually chosen by ballot ; and the other, " The Senate of 

 the State of New-York," consisting of twenty-four, for four years, 

 with an annual rotation of one-fourth. These together form the le- 

 gislature, and meet once at least in every year for the dispatch of 

 business. The supreme executive power is vested in a governor, 

 who continues in office three years, assisted by a council of revision 

 in the ratification of laws; and a council of appointment, in appoint- 

 ing to offices. Every male inhabitant of full age, who possesses a 



