most agreeable months are April, May, the first half of June, September, and part of October. The birds of passage begin to return about the middle of March. Cherries are ripe by the 25th of May; and wheat is commonly reaped before the middle of July.

Rivers.-The Susquehannah river rises in the state of New York, from the lakes Otsego and Otego, and runs across the state of Pennsylvania, to its outlet at the head of the Chesapeak bay, where it is more than a mile across. In its course it receives several important streams. The Tioga river, which runs eastwardly from the Alleghany mountains, joins it at Tioga Point, in latitude 41° 57', three miles south of the boundary line. The western branch of the Susquehannah rises near the Connemagh branch of the Alleghany river, passes through the whole range of Alleghany mountains, and unites with the eastern at Sunbury, in latitude 41°, from which it is navigable for boats of 40 tons to the distance of 140 miles. The Juniata branch rises in the great chain of mountains, through which it winds a considerable distance; and after a course of 180 miles, unites its waters with the Susquehannah, about 15 miles above Harrisburg. The Juniata is navigable from Bedford to its mouth, a distance of 150 miles. On the east side this river receives the Swetara, and Conostoga, each running in a south-west course of about forty miles. The former is boatable to the distance of fifteen miles from its mouth. The Tioga branch is boatable fifty miles; but the Susquehannah itself is not navigable for more than twenty miles for ships of any burden, owing to the rapidity of the current, and numerous small rocks, that in many places reach the surface, or rise above it. If this river were navigable for boats, it would be of great utility, as the source of the east branch is in the Mohawk country, above 700 miles from the outlet in the Chesapeak.

Delaware River.-Ships of the line of 1200 tons ascend to Philadelphia, 120 miles from the sea, sloops of 90 tons to Trenton, 35 miles higher; boats of eight tons ascend 100 miles nearer its source, and Indian canoes 150; so that the whole length of boat navigation is 255 miles. The width of the river at Philadelphia is about a mile. The tide which reaches as high as the falls of Trenton, flows at the rate of four miles an hour, and rises six feet. The Shuylkill branch descends from the

north-west side of the Kittatiny, or Blue Mountains, and after a south-easterly course of 120 miles, it unites with the Delaware, six miles below Philadelphia. The Leheigh, another branch, rising near Wilkesbarre, takes a course of 75 miles through the Blue Mountains, and is boatable 30 miles from its mouth at Easton.

The Alleghany river traverses the north-western parts of the state. Towards the north it crosses the line of boundary, passes through a part of the state of New York, and re-entering Pennsylvania, holds on a course of 180 miles to its junction with the Monongahela, at Pittsburgh, where it is 400 yards in width. The current runs at the rate of two miles an hour, when the waters are at a moderate height, but at double this rate during the spring floods. On the 11th of November 1810 the waters rose thirty-seven feet above the common level, which was more than five feet higher than the flood of 1807-8, which was the highest that had been seen for twenty or thirty years.

The Monongahela river, which waters the south-western parts, issues from the Laurel mountains in Virginia, and runs first in a north-east, and afterwards in a north-west direction, to its junction with the Alleghany, at Pittsburg, where it is 450 yards in width, and sufficiently deep in the spring and fall for the passage of ships of 400 tons bnrden. The mean velocity of the current is about two miles an hour, and nearly double when the waters are at their greatest elevation. In May 1807 they rose at Brownsville forty feet above the common level, and carried away a number of grist mills; but this was an extraordinary circumstance. The mean height of water affords a boat navigation to Morgantown, a distance of 100 miles.

The counties of Huntingdon, Bedford, Centre, and Bellefonte, abound with springs, small rivers, and creeks.

Minerals.-Iron ore is found in great quantity, in different parts of the counties of Mackearse, Potter, Armstrong, Huntingdon, Bellefonte, Centre, and Bedfort; iron sand, which gives iron equal in quality to the best Swedish, in Chester county, and on Hedgehill, in Buck's county; brown scaly iron ore, or brown oxide of iron, in a cavern at Messenburgh; also near Lancaster, and at Jenkington, in Montgomery county; copper ore, said to be of a rich quality, was lately discovered in Mifflin township, in Columbia county; 'it is also found at Perkiomen; native copper

in Adam's county; lead ore, in Perkiomen Creek, twenty-four miles from Philadelphia, which is said to yield 20 per cent. of this metal, and to contain a small portion of silver. This ore is also found in the bald eagle valley, and on the Conostoga creek, nine miles from Lancaster. Black lead, or plumbago, is found in Buck's county, in considerable quantity. Basaltes, of a regular form, are found at Flourtown, thirteen miles from Philadelphia. Adamantine spar, in a rock of granite, at Chestnut hill, nine miles from the city of Philadelphia. Flint is common near Easton and Reading. Slate, of a good quality, is found on the banks of the Delaware, in Wayne county, seventy-five miles from Philadelphia, and at Northampton and other places near the Shuylkill, where it is employed to cover houses. Freestone and limestone is everywhere abundant; fibrous limestone, of the color of amber and semi-transparent, in Cumberland valley, fifteen miles from Bedfort; marble, black and white, in Scheigh and Northampton counties; black, with white specks, at Aaronsburg, in Nothumberland county; talc, or soapstone, of which chimneys and stoves are made, in the counties of Chester and Montgomery. Coal, of an excellent quality, abounds in the western parts, on the western branch of the Susquehannah, near Wyoming; on the Alleghany, Juniata, and Monongahela streams, towards the sources of the Leheigh, in the county of the same name, and on the Schuylkill, near Norristown. A species of blind coal, or anthracite, has been lately found in Luzerne county, which, for printers' ink, paint, &c. is said to be preferable to lamp or ivory black; yellow earth, or brown ochre, near Fort Allon, in Northampton county.

which gives this state the third rank in the state of population. The three last enumerations were made according to law; the two first by estimate. The influence of the Quakers at that period prevented the establishment of a poll-tax, or an incorpora23.-VOL. II.

F

ted militia, by means of which the number of inhabitants would have been more exactly ascertained.

According to the census of 1810,

There were under sixteen,

Between sixteen and forty-five,

Above forty-five,

-

Diseases. The most general diseases are rheumatism and pleurisy. The first very common in the interior parts, where, at the age of eighteen or twenty, it becomes chronic, and refuses to yield to any remedy except change of climate, which generally restores the patient to health. The goitre is said to prevail in a slight degree in the neighbourhood of Pittsburg. In the Bald Eagle valley, in Mifflin county, situated about 200 miles northwest of Philadelphia, a fever, accompanied with black vomiting, proved fatal to many of the inhabitants during the season of autumn and part of the winter of 1799. The weather was unusually dry, and the disease was supposed to be generated by the miasms of the numerous ponds of this low valley. In the autumns of 1793 and 1797, the city of Philadelphia was visited by yellow fever; at the former period between 3000 and 4000, and at the last more than 1200 persons fell victims. The bill of mortality in this city, in 1808 and 1809, as ascertained by the board of health, was as follows: In 1808, adults 1046, children 1229; in 1809, adults 1023, children 981. The greatest number of deaths was in July and August. Though the sudden changes at Philadelphia be unfavorable to longevity, yet several persons have lived to the age of 100 years. In 1792 and 1793 two persons died, the one 105, the other 108 years and 9 months. In 1782 died Edward Drinker, aged 103 years,

The Constitution of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania was established by the general convention held at Philadelphia in 1776, and was amended in the year 1790. The legislative power is vested in a General Assembly, consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. The Senators are elected in districts for four years; the latter in counties for one only, by free electors of 21 years of age, who, before the election, shall have resided two years within the state, and during which they have paid state or county-tax. The senators are divided into four classes, one of which is renewed yearly. It is fixed that their number shall never be less than one-fourth, nor greater than one-third of

the number of representatives. A senator must have attained the age of twenty-five years, and have been both a citizen and inhabitant of the state four years next preceding his election, and the last year an inhabitant of the district for which he is chosen. No person can be a representative who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, been a citizen and inhabitant of the state three years next preceding his election, and the last year an inhabitant of the city or county for which he is chosen, unless he shall have been absent on public business. The number of representatives can never be less than 60, nor greater than 100. Any officer may be impeached for misconduct before the General Assembly. The Executive Power is vested in a governor, who is elected by the citizens for the term of three years. He must be thirty years of age, and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the state seven years next before his election, unless absent on public business. He is incapable of holding the office more than nine years out of twelve; nor can he be charged with any other public employment. The Governor is commander-in-chief of the army and navy, except when called into the actual service of the United States. He has power to convene the General Assembly on extraordinary occasions; to remit fines and forfeitures, and grant reprieves and pardons, except in cases of impeachment; he has also power to return a bill presented for his approbation, which does not become a law unless afterwards approved of by two-thirds of the house. The annual meeting of the General Assembly is on the first Tuesday of December. In the 9th and last article of the constitution, it is declared, that all power is, inherent in the people; That every man has a natural right to worship God according to his conscience: That no person who acknowledges the being of a God, and a future state of rewards and punishments, shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under the commonwealth: That elections shall be free and equal; the trial by jury inviolate; the press unshackled; the people secure in their persons, houses, papers, and possessions, from unreasonable searches and seizures: That no law invalidating contracts, and no ex post facto law shall exist: That citizens have the right of petition, redress, and remonstrance, are entitled to bear arms in their own defence, and to emigrate from the state at pleasure.