UNITED STATES. 497 



year 1763, a considerable body of Acadians removed hither, having 

 been expelled from their former abode in Nova Scotia by the Eng- 

 lish, for taking part with their countrymen in the war which had 

 just commenced. But while this territory remained under the domi- 

 nion of the French, no improvements were made worth noticing, 

 either in building or cultivating the soil; for they excel more in 

 over-running a country that has been improved by others, than iu 

 clearing and cultivating a wilderness. 



The general face of the country, to the south and south-west, is an 

 extensive level of wide savannas, and forests of towering timber, con- 

 sisting of most of the species that are useful for fuel or architecture; 

 among which the pine, the red and white cedar, are the most con- 

 spicuous. Towards the north-east the" face of the country is rather 

 more broken, being penetrated by spurs of the Allegheny mountains. 

 In the northern part the timber is principally oak, hickory, walnut, 

 &c. The soil is generally very rich, and, where it has been culti- 

 vated, produces great crops of grain, cotton, indigo, and tobacco of 

 a superior quality. 



Government, divisions, and population ...This territory is go- 

 verned in the same manner as the two preceding ; application has 

 been made to congress for the admission of the southern part into 

 the union as an independent state. It is divided into eleven counties, 

 and had in 1810 a population of 40,352 inhabitants, two-fifths slaves. 

 The population now exceeds 50,000. 



Rivers. ...The territory is well watered by rivers, though in some 

 districts it is deficient of smaller streams. On the west it is washed 

 by the Mississippi above 400 miles. The Tennessee has its course 

 a considerable distance through the northern part ; at the Muscle 

 Shoals it is only a few miles from the head waters of the Tombigbee, 

 and at some future period will form a most important connection in 

 the outlet to the ocean, for the state of Tennessee, the south-west- 

 ern corner of Virginia, and the north-eastern portion of this territo- 

 ry. The Yazoo rises in the north-west, and after a course nearly- 

 south-west, enters the Mississippi near the walnut hills ; it is navi- 

 gable for large boats a number of miles, and has its course through 

 a large body of rich lands, famous for a speculation which takes its 

 name from this river. The Tombigbee or Tumbekby runs nearly a 

 south course through the centre of the territory ; it receives the 

 Alibama coming from the north-east, and rising in the northern part 

 of Georgia. After their junction, which is at fort Stoddard, about 

 twenty miles above the Florida line, they take the name of Mobile 

 river and discharge into the bay of the same name. The sloop navi- 

 gation extends to fort Stephens, about seventy miles above Mobile? 

 and for boats it is navigable several hundred miles further. The other 

 rivers are, the Pascagoula and Pearl, to the west of the Mobile and 

 the Chatahouchy on the east; the latter is the boundary between 

 Georgia and East Florida. 



Climate, soil and productions. ...The climate of the country 

 may be called fine. From observations made in the southern part it 

 does not appear to have greater extremes of heat than is experienced 

 in the states much farther north. In July 1807, the mercury in Fah- 

 renheit's thermometer did not rise above 94°-, the mean heat of that 

 month was 86°. From the same observations it appears that the 

 greatest degree of cold in the year 1808 was in February ; the ther- 

 mometer then sinking to 43°. Vegetation commences from the mid- 



