EAST AND WEST FLORIDA. 



SITUATION AND EXTENT. 



Mi lei. Degrees. Sq. Mile*. 



Length 600 ~> . \. . C 80 and 9 1 West longitude. } „ nnn 

 Breadth 400 J betWeen J 25 and 32 North latitude. J 6 °' 00 ° 



Bound aries... .This country is bounded by Georgia on the north; 

 fey the Mississippi territory on the west ; by the gulf of Mexico on 

 the south ; and by the Bahama Straits on the east. 



Rivers... .The principal of these in East Florida is the St. John's; 

 including its turnings and windings, it is supposed to run a course of 

 more than 300 miles. The Apalachicola separates east from West 

 Florida. The Nassau, St. Nicholas, Corelia, St. Pedro, Asilla, Vil- 

 ches, and St. Marks, are among the other most considerable streams* 



Metals, minerals. ...This country produces iron ore, copper, 

 quick-silver, and pit-coal : amethysts, turquoises, and other precious 

 stones, it is said, have also been found here. 



Climate, soil, produce. ...The climate is little different from that 

 of Georgia. The soil is various in different parts. East Florida near 

 the sea, and forty miles back, is fiat and sandy. But even the country 

 round St. Augustine, in all appearance the worst in the province, is 

 far from being unfruitful ; it produces two crops of Indian corn a year; 

 the garden vegetables are in great perfection ; the orange and lemon 

 trees grow here, without cultivation, to a large size, and produce 

 better fruit than in Spain and Portugal. The inland country, towards 

 the hills, is extremely rich and fertile ; producing spontaneously the 

 fruits, vegetables, and gums, that are common to Georgia and the 

 Carolinas, and is likewise favourable to the rearing of European pro- 

 ductions. This country also produces rice, indigo, and cochineal : 

 mahogany grows on the southern parts of the peninsula, but inferior 

 in size and quality to that of Jamaica. 



Animals. ...Horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs, are numerous, espe- 

 cially in the western part of this country. Among the wild animals 

 are the buffalo, panther, wild-cat, otter, racoon, flying squirrel, 

 opossum, armadillo, and several kinds of serpents. Birds are in 

 great variety, and numerous ; and the rivers abound in fish, but are, 

 at the same time, infested with voracious alligators. 



Chief towns. ...The chief town in West Florida is Pensacola, 

 north latitude 30° 22', west longitude 87° 20' ; which is situated 

 within the bay of the same name, on a sandy shore that can only be 

 approached by small vessels. The road is, however, one of the best 

 in all the gulf of Mexico ; in which ships may lie in safety against 

 any kind of wind, being surrounded by land on every side. 



Vol. II. 3 X 



