YORK. 
787 
the lieutenant-governor of the province, a battery, and two 
blockhouses, which together protect the entrance of the har¬ 
bour. The space between the garrison and the town is 
wholly reserved for the use of government. The harbour of 
York is nearly circular, and formed by a very narrow pen¬ 
insula stretching from the western extremity of the township 
of Scarborough, in an oblique direction, for about six miles, 
and terminating in a curved point, nearly opposite the gar¬ 
rison ; thus inclosing a beautiful basin, about a mile and a 
half in diameter, capable of containing a great number of 
vessels, and at the entrance of which ships may lie in safety 
during the winter. The formation of the peninsula itself is 
extraordinary, being a narrow slip of land, in several places 
not more than 60 yards in breadth, but widening towards its 
extremity to nearly a mile. It is principally a bank of sand, 
with a very little grass upon it. The widest part is very cu¬ 
riously intersected by many large ponds, that are the con¬ 
tinual resort of great quantities of wild fowl. A few trees 
scattered upon it greatly increase the singularity of its ap¬ 
pearance. It lies so low that the wide expanse of Lake On¬ 
tario is seen over it. The termination of the peninsula is 
called Gibraltar Point, where a block-house has been erected. 
The eastern part of the harbour is bounded by an extensive 
marsh, through part of which the river Don runs, before it 
discharges itself into the basin. No place in either province 
has made so rapid a progress as York. In the year 1793, the 
spot on which it stands presented only one solitary Indian 
wigwam. In the ensuing spring, the ground for the future 
metropolis of Upper Canada was fixed upon, and the build¬ 
ings commenced under the immediate superintendance of 
the late general Simcoe, then lieutenant-governor. In the 
space of five or six years it became a respectable place, and 
rapidly increased to its present importance : it now contains 
a population of 2500 souls. The parliament of the province 
annually holds its sittings here, as do all the courts of justice. 
Considerable advances have also been made in the com¬ 
merce, general opulence, and consequent amelioration of its 
society. Being the residence of the chief officers of govern¬ 
ment, both civil and military, many of the conveniences and 
comforts of polished life are to be met with. A newspaper 
is printed once a week, and indeed at Kingston also. The 
lands of the adjacent townships, for several miles round, are 
in a high state of cultivation, so that the market of the town 
is always well supplied. The pressure of the late war has 
been considerably felt here, as it was captured by the Ame¬ 
rican army on the 27th April, 1813. They held it, how¬ 
ever, but a few days ; but in that time the government-house, 
and all the public buildings and stores, were burnt, after re¬ 
moving so much of their contents as could be conveniently 
carried off. 
YORK, a county of the United States, in Maine, bounded 
north by Oxford county, north-east by Cumberland county, 
south-east by the Atlantic, and west by New Hampshire. 
Chief towns, York and Alfred. Population 41,877. 
YORK, a seaport of the United States, and capital of York 
county, Maine. It contains a court-house and a jail. The 
courts for the county are held alternately here and at Alfred. 
A little business is carried on here in the fisheries. The ship¬ 
ping belonging to this port in 1816, amounted to 1432 tons; 
67 miles north-north-east of Boston. Population 3046. Lat. 
43. 16. N. 
YORK, or Yorktown, a township of the United States, 
in West Chester county. New York; 45 miles north of New 
York. Population 1924. 
YORK, a county of the United States, on the south side 
of Pennsylvania, bounded north-east by the Susquehanna, 
which separates it from Dauphine and Lancaster counties, 
south by Maryland, west by Adams county, and north- 
north-west by Cumberland county. Population 31,958. 
YORK, a borough of the United States, and capital of 
York county, Pennsylvania, on Codorus creek. It is a 
pleasant and flourishing town, regularly laid out, and con¬ 
tains a court-house, a jail, a market-house, an alms-house, a 
register’s office, an Episcopal academy, and eight houses of 
public worship, one for Episcopalians, one for English Pres¬ 
byterians, one for German Presbyterians, one for German 
Lutherans, one for Roman Catholics, one for Methodists, one 
for Friends, and one for Moravians. A large part of the houses 
are handsomely built with brick. A number of the public 
buildings are spacious and elegant. The surrounding country 
is fertile and very pleasant; 48 miles north of Baltimore, and 
85 west of Philadelphia. Population 2847. Lat. 39. 58. 
N. long. 76. 40. W. 
YORK, a township of the United States, in York county, 
Pennsylvania. Population 1640. 
YORK, a county of the United States, on the east side of 
Virginia, bounded north by York river, east by Chesapeak 
bay, south by Elizabeth City, Warwick, and James City 
counties, and west by James City county. Chief town, 
Yorktown. Population 5187. Slaves 2931. 
YORK, a short and navigable river of the United States, 
in Virginia, formed by the union of the Pamunky and Matta- 
pony. It flows into the Chesapeak, opposite Cape Charles. 
YORK, a township of the United States, in Belmont 
county, Ohio. Population 1349.—2. A township of Mont¬ 
gomery county, Ohio. 
YORK, a district of the United States, in the north part 
of South Carolina. Population 10,032, including 3164 
slaves. 
YORK, a post town and capital of the United States, in 
York district, South Carolina; 30 miles north of Columbia. 
YORK BAY, a bay on the south-west coast of the island 
of St. Vincent; 2 miles north-west of Kingston Bay. 
YORK BAY, a bay formed by the union of the East and 
Hudson’s rivers, below New York. It is formed by the con¬ 
fluence of East and Hudson’s rivers, and embosoms several 
small islands, of which Governor’s island is the principal. 
It communicates with the ocean through the Narrows, between 
Staten and Long islands, which are scarcely 2 miles wide. 
The passage up to New York, from Sandy Hook, the point 
of land that extends furthest into the sea, is safe, and not above 
20 miles in length. The common navigation is between the 
east and west banks, in about 22 feet water. The light¬ 
house at Sandy Hook is in Lat. 40. 30. N. and long. 74. 2. W 
YORK, Cape, the north-east projection of New Holland, 
consisting of a double point, one of which is situated Lat. 
10. 37. S. long. 141. 36. E.; the other in Lat. 10. 42. S. 
YORK, Fort, a fortress at the mouth of Nelson’s river, 
in Hudson’s bay. Lat. 57. 2. N. long. 92. 46. W. 
YORK, Haven, a post village of the United States, in 
York county, Pennsylvania. 
YORK ISLAND, a small island, near the east coast of the 
island of Antigua, about half a mile north-north-east of 
Frier’s Head. 
YORK ISLAND, one of the Gallipagos islands, in the 
Pacific ocean. 
YORK ISLANDS, three small islands in the South Pacific 
ocean, near York Cape, on the north coast of New Holland. 
YORK MINSTER, a lofty promontory on the coast of 
Terra del Fuego, so called by captain Cook in 1774. It 
forms the north-west point of entrance into Christmas Sound. 
Lat. 55. 26. S. long. 70. 25. W. 
YORK, Point, a cape in the straits of Magellan. Lat. 
53. 39. N. long. 73. 32. W. 
YORK ROAD, a road for ships in the straits of Magellan, 
near the coast of Patagonia. The only danger of sailing in¬ 
to the bay, that is formed by two points in this road, arises 
from a reef that runs off to about a cable’s length from the 
western point, which, once known, may be easily avoided. 
To anchor in this bay, it is safest to bring York Point east- 
south-east; Batchelor’s river north by west half west; the 
west point of the bay or reef north-west half west; and St. 
Jerom’s sound west-north-west, at the distance of half a mile 
from the shore. There is good watering about a mile 
up Batchelor’s river, and good wooding all round the bay, 
where the landing also is, in all parts, very good. There is 
plenty of celery, cranberries, muscles, and limpets, many 
wild-fowl, and some fish, but not enough to supply a ship’s 
company with a fresh meal. Lat. 53. 39. S. long. 73. 
52. W. 
YORKSHIRE, 
