Carver has mentioned a clay of this fort that he saw above St. Antho ny's falls. Marl, chalk, gypfum, and ocres, are found in various parts.

"With refpect to climate in Kentucky you experience a greater temperature of air than in any country in which I ever travelled, Fahrenheit's thermometer feldom falling below 35 degrees in winter, nor rifing above 80 in fummer. The approach of the seasons is gradual, The fummer continues moftly to the middle of October. "The autumn, or mild weather, generally continues until Christmas, when we have fome cold and froft until February, when fpring approaches, and by the beginning of March feveral fhrubs and trees begin to fhoot forth their buds; by the middle of the month, the buck-eye or horse-chefnut is clad in its fummer's livery; and by the middle of April the fo, liage of the forefts is completely expanded; which is a fortnight earlier than the leaves are shot in Virginia and Maryland. Cumberland is proportionally more temperate than North-Carolina, as Kentucky is than Virginia.”

STATE

STATE OF

NORTH-CAROLINA.

THIS

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES.

HIS State is fituated between 35° 50′, and 36° 30′ north-latitude, and 1 and 6° 30' weft-longitude from Philadelphia. Its length is about three hundred miles, and its breadth one hundred and twenty; it therefore contains about thirty-four thousand fquare miles. It is bounded on the north, by Virginia; on the east, by the Atlantic ocean; on the fouth, by South-Carolina and Georgia; and on the west, by a chain of mountains a few miles to the weftward of the Great Appalachian mountains. This chain of mountains, taking the whole for a part, has occasionally been called the Great Iron mountain, All that vaft country which lies on the west of the Iron mountain, was furrendered to the United States by the State of North-Carolina in the year 1789. It has fince been erected into a feparate government, commonly called the Territory South of Ohio, or the Tenneffee government.

The charter limits of North-Carolina were a line, beginning on the fea fide, at a cedar stake, at or near the mouth of a little river on the fouthern extremity of Brunswick county, and running thence a north-west course through the boundary-house, in latitude 33° 56′ to latitude 35°, and on that parallel weft as far as is mentioned in the charter of King Charles II. to the original proprietors of Carolina, viz. to the South Sea. Their northern line begins on the fea coaft in Latitude 36° 30', and runs due weft to the termination of the southern line. This line ftrikes the Miffiffippi fifteen miles below the mouth of the Ohio. Thefe limits were afcertained and confirmed agreeably to an order of George II. in council. Great-Britain, by the treaty of 1763, which was made with France and Spain, surrendered her claim to all the territory weftward of the Miffiffippi; and thofe na

tions, by the fame treaty, granted to Great-Britain the free navigation of the Miflilippi. By the treaty of 1783, between Spain and Great-Britain, his Catholic Majefty exprefsly confirms the former treaty of 1763, except fuch parts as are there excepted; confequently he confirms to Great-Britain the navigation of the Miffiffippi; and Great-Britain, on her part, yields to the United States her entire right to the navigation of the fame river. But fince Spain now claims the exclufive navigation of the Miffiffippi, which he had formerly furrendered, it is very probable that the United States to whom North-Carolina has ceded her western territory, may claim the lands on the west side of the Miffiffippi, which were within the original charter bounds of that State.

CLIMATE.

The western hilly parts of this State are as healthy as any of the United States. The country is fertile, full of fprings and rivulets of pure water. The air is ferene a great part of the year, and the inhabitants live to old age, which cannot fo generally be faid of the inhabitants of the flat country. Though the days in fummer are extremely hot, the nights are cool and refreshing. Autumn is very pleasant, both in regard to the temperature and ferenity of the wea ther, and the richness and variety of the vegetable productions which the feafon affords. The winters are fo mild in fome years, that autumn may be faid to continue till spring. Wheat harvest is in the beginning of June, and that of Indian corn early in September.

In the flat country, near the fea coaft, the inhabitants, during the fummer and autumn, are fubject to intermitting fevers, which often prove fatal, as bilious or nervous symptoms prevail. These fevers are feldom immediately dangerous to the natives who are temperate, or to ftrangers who are prudent. They, however, if suffered to continue for any length of time, bring on other diforders, which greatly impair the natural vigour of the mind, debilitate the conftitution, and terminate in death. The countenances of the inhabitants du ring these seasons have generally a pale yellowish caft, occafioned by the prevalence of bilious fymptoms. They have very little of the bloom and freshness of the people in the northern States.

It has been obferved that more of the inhabitants, of the men efpecially, die during the winter by pleurifies and peripneumonies, than during the warm months by bilious complaints. Thefe p'euri Les are brought on by intemperance, and by an imprudent exposure

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to the weather. Were the inhabitants cautious and prudent in thefe respects, it is alledged by their phyficians, that they might in general escape the danger of these fatal difeafes. The ufe of flannel next to the skin during the winter is reckoned an excellent preventative of the diseases incident to this climate.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SEA COAST, &c.

North-Carolina, in its whole width, for fixty miles from the fea, is a dead level. A great proportion of this tract lies in forest, and is barren. In all the champaign country, marine productions are found by digging eighteen or twenty feet below the furface of the ground. The fea coast, the founds, inlets, and the lower parts of the rivers, have uniformly a muddy, foft bottom. Sixty or eighty miles from the fea, the country rifes into hills and mountains.

The feveral rivers in this State are the Chowan, formed by the confluence of the Meherrin, Nottaway, and Black rivers; all of which rife in Virginia. It falls into the north-weft corner of Albemarle found, and is three miles wide at its mouth, but narrows fast as you afcend it.

The Roanoke, a long rapid river, formed by Staunton river, which rifes in Virginia, and Dan river, which rifes in South-Carolina. The low lands on this viver are fubject to inundations. It is naviga ble only for fhallops, nor for thefe, but about fixty or seventy miles, on account of falls, which in a great measure obstruct the water communication with the back country. It empties, by feveral mouths, into the fouth-west end of Albemarle found. The planters on the banks of this river are fuppofed to be the wealthiest in North-Carolina. One of them, it is faid, raises about three thousand barrels of corn, and four thousand bushels of peas, annually.

The Cufhai is a small river, which empties into Albemarle found, between the Chowan and the Roanoke.

Pamlico, or Tar, a river which opens into Pamlico found: its courfe is from north-west to fouth-eaft. It is navigable for veffels drawing nine feet water to the town of Washington, about forty miles from its mouth; and for fcows or flats, carrying thirty or forty hogfheads, fifty miles farther, to the town of Tarborough. Beyond this place the river is inconfiderable, and is not navigable.

The Neus, a river which empties into Pamlico found below Newbern;

bern; it is navigable for fea veffels about twelve miles above the town of Newbern; for fcows fifty miles; and for fmall boats two hundred miles.

The Trent river, from the fouth-weft, which falls into the Neus at Newbern, is navigable for fea veffels about twelve miles above the own, and for boats thirty.

There are feveral other rivers of lefs note, among which are the Pafquotank, Perquimins, Little river, Alligator, &c. which dif charge themselves into Albemarle found. All the rivers in NorthCarolina, and, it may be added, in South-Carolina, Georgia, and the Floridas, which empty into the Atlantic ocean, are navigable by any vessel that can pass the bar at their mouth. While the watercourfes continue wide enough for veffels to turn round, there is generally a fufficient depth of water for them to proceed.

Cape Fear, more properly Clarendon river, opens into the sea at cape Fear, in about latitude 33° 45'. As you afcend it, you pafs Brunswick on the left, and Wilmington on the right. The river then divides into north-east and north-west branches, as they are called. It is navigable for large veffels to Wilmington, and for boats to Fayetteville, near ninety miles farther. This river affords the best navigation in North-Carolina.. Yadkin river rifes in this State, and running fouth-eastwardly, croffes into South-Carolina, where it takes the name of Pedee, and paffes to the fea below Georgetown.

The rivers of this State would be much more valuable, were it not that they are barred at their mouths. This circumstance, and the coaft furnishing no good harbours, will prevent the State from building large fhips, for which they have an abundance of excellent timber. Several causes have been affigned for all the harbours and rivers being barred, fouth of the Chesapeak. Some suppose the bars are formed by the current of the long rivers throwing up the fands, where their rapidity terminates; others with more probability say, that a bank is thrown up by the gulf stream, which runs near these fhores.

The banks of the rivers in this, and the other neighbouring States, often overflow after great rains, which does much damage to the plantations. A gentleman on the fpot afferts, that he has seen the water thirty feet below the banks of the river, just after it had been ten feet above them. This is owing to the narrowness of the mouths of the rivers, which do not afford a fufficient chann