The Prefident of the United States in locating the feat of the city, prevailed upon the proprietors of the foil to cede a certain portion of the lots in every fituation, to be fold by his direction, and the proceeds to be folely applied to the public buildings, and other works of public utility within the city. This grant will produce about fifteen thousand lots, and will be fufficient, not only to erect the public buildings, but to dig the canal, conduct water through the city, and to pave and light the ftreets, which will fave a heavy tax that arifes in other cities, and confequently render the lots confiderably more valuable.

The grants of money made by Virginia and Maryland being fufficient, few of the public lots were fold, till the 17th day of September, 1793, when the demand was confiderable, as the monied men in Europe and America had turned their attention to this great national object.

At the close of the year 1792, most of the streets were run, and the fquares divided into lots. The canal was partly dug, and the greatest part of the materials provided for the public buildings, which are entirely of freestone polished, and are now carrying on with all poffible expedition. Several private houses were erected, and a great many proprietors of lots were preparing to build. The city now makes a noble appearance, many of the public buildings being in great forwardnefs, or finished, and a great number of houses built. In the month of June laft, eleven thousand artificers, befides labourers, were employed in the different works.

The public lots in the city of Washington open a large field for fpeculation in America, and there is every probability of their being run up to an enormous price, as the public buildings are advanced; for although lands in America, from their quantity, are less valuable than thofe in Britain, yet lots in cities generally fell high.

STATE

STATE OF

VIRGIΝΙΑ.

SITUATION, EXTENT, &c.

THIS State is fituated between 0° and 8° weft longitude from

Philadelphia, and 36° 30′, and 40° 30' north latitude. Its length is about four hundred and forty-fix miles, and its breadth two hundred and twenty-four. It is bounded on the eaft by the Atlantic, on the north by a line of latitude, croffing the eastern fhore through Watkins's Point, being about 37° 57′ north latitude; from thence by a straight line to Cinquac, near the mouth of the Potonrack ;. thence by the Potomack, which is common to Virginia and Maryland, to the first fountain of its northern branch; thence by a meridian line, paffing through that fountain till it interfects a line running eaft and weft, in latitude 39° 43' 42 4" which divides Maryland from Pennfylvania, which was marked by Meffrs. Mason and Dixon; thence by that line, and a continuation of it weftwardly to the completion of five degrees of longitude from the eastern boundary of Pennsylvania, in the fame latitude, and thence by a meridian line to the Ohio; on the weft by the Ohio and Miffifippi, to latitude 36° 30′ north; and on the fouth by the line of latitude laft-mentioned. By admeafurements through nearly the whole of this laft line, and fapplying the unmeasured parts from good data, the Atlantic and Miffiffippi are found in this latitude to be feven hundred and fifty-eight miles diftant, equal to 13° 38′ of longitude, reckoning fifty-five miles and three thousand one hundred and forty-four feet to the degree. This being our comprehenfion of American longitude, that of their latitude, taken between this and Mafon and Dixon's line, is 3° 13′ 42 4′′, equal to VOL. III. about

about two hundred and twenty-three miles, fuppofing a degree of great circle to be fixty-nine miles, eight hundred and fixty-four feet as computed by Caffini. These boundaries include an area fomewhat triangular, of one hundred and twenty-one thousand five hundred and twenty-five fquare miles, whereof, seventy-nine thousand six hundred and fifty lie weftward of the Allegany mountains, and fifty-feven thousand and thirty-four weftward of the meridian of the mouth of the Great Kanhawa. This State is therefore one third larger than the islands of Great-Britain and Ireland, which are reckoned at eighty-eight thoufand three hundred and fifty-fever square miles.

Thefe limits refult from, rft, The antient charters from the crown of England. 2d, The grant of Maryland to Lord Baltimore, and the fubfequent determinations of the British court as to the extent of that grant. 3d, The grant of Pennfylvania to William Penn, and a compact been the General Affemblies of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Pennsylvania as to the extent of that grant. 4th, The grant of Carolina, and actual location of its northern boundary, by confent of both parties. 5th, The treaty of Paris of 1763. 6th, The confirmation of the charters of the neighbouring States by the Convention of Virginia at the time of conftituting their Commonwealth. 7th, The ceffion made by Virginia to Congress of all the lands to which they had title on the north fide of the Ohio

CLIMATE.

In an extenfive country, it will be expected that the climate is not the fame in all its parts. It is remarkable that, proceeding on the fame parallel of latitude wefterly, the climate becomes colder in like' manner as when you proceed northwardly. This continues to be the cafe till you attain the fummit of the Allegany, which is the highest land between the ocean and the Miffiffippi, From thence, defcending in the fame latitude to the Miffiflippi, the change reverfes; and, if we may believe travellers, it becomes warmer there than it is in the fame latitude on the fea fide. Their teftimony is ftrengthened by the vegetables and animals which fubfift and multiply there naturally, and do not on the fea coaft. Thus catalpas grow fpontaneously on the Miffiffippi, as far as the latitude of 37°, and reeds as far as 38. Parroquets even winter on the Scioto, in the 39th degree of latitude.

The

The fouth-west winds, east of the mountains, are most predominant. Next to thefe, on the fea coaft, the north-eaft, and at the mountains, the north-weft winds prevail. The difference between these winds is very great. The north-eaft is loaded with vapour, infomuch that the falt manufacturers have found that their chrystals would not shoot while that blows; it occafions a diftreffing chill, and a heavinefs and depreffion of the fpirits. The north-weft is dry, cooling, elaftic, and animating. The eaft and fouth-eaft breezes come on generally in the afternoon. They have advanced into the Country very fenfibly within the memory of people now living. Mr, Jefferfon reckons the extremes of heat and cold to be 98° above and 6° below o, in Fahrenheit's thermometer.

That fluctuation between heat and cold, fo deftructive to fruit, in the spring season, prevails less in Virginia than in Pennsylvania; nor is the overflowing of the rivers in Virginia fo extensive or fo frequent at that feafon, as thofe of the New-England States; because the fnows in the former do not lie accumulating all winter, to be diffolved all at once in the spring, as they do fometimes in the latter. In Virginia, below the mountains, fnow seldom lies more than a day or two, and seldom a week; and the large rivers feldom freeze over. The fluctuation of weather, however, is fufficient to render the winters and fprings very unwholefome, as the inhabitants during thofe feafons have to walk in almoft perpetual mire,

The months of June and July, though often the hotteft, are the most healthy in the year. The weather is then dry and less liable to change than in Auguft and September, when the rain commences, and fudden variations take place.

On the fea coaft, the land is low, generally within twelve feet of the level of the fea, interfected in all directions with falt creeks and rivers, the heads of which form fwamps and marshes, and fenny ground, covered with water in wet feafons. The uncultivated lands are covered with large trees and thick underwood. The vicinity of the fea, and fait creeks and rivers, occafion a conftant moisture and warmth of the atmosphere, fo that although under the fame latitude, one hundred or one hundred and fifty miles in the country, deep fnows, and frozen rivers frequently happen, for a fhort feafon, yet here fuch occurrences are confidered as phenomena; for thefe reafons, the trees are often in bloom as early as the last of February; from this period, however, L 2

4T

till

till the end of April, the inhabitants are incommoded by cold rains, piercing winds, and fharp frofts, which fubje&t them to the inflammatory diseases, known here under the names of pleurify and pe ripneumony.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, &c.

The whole country below the mountains, which are about one hundred and fifty, fome fay two hundred miles from the fea, is level and seems from various appearances to have been once washed by the fea. The land between York and James rivers is very level, and its surface about forty feet above high water mark. It appears, from obfervation, to have arifen to its prefent height, at different periods far diftant from each other, and that at thefe periods it was washed by the fea; for near York-town, where the banks are perpendicular, you firft fee a ftratum, intermixed with fmall fhells, refembling a mixture of clay and sand, and about five feet thick; on this lies horizontally, fmall white fhells, cockle, clam, &c. an inch or two thick; then a body of earth fimilar to that first mentioned, eighteen inches thick; then a layer of fhells and another body of earth; on this a layer of three feet of white fhells mixed with fand, on which lay a body of oyfter fhells fix feet thick, which are covered with earth to the furface. The oyfter shells are fo united by a very strong cement that they fall, only when undermined, and then in large bodies, from one to twenty tons weight. They have the appearance on the fhore of large rocks.*

These appearances continue in a greater or lefs degree in the banks of James river, one hundred miles from the fea; the appearances then vary, and the banks are filled with fharks' teeth, bones of large and finall fish petrified, and many other petrifactions, fome resembling the bones of land and other animals, and alfo vegetable fubftances. Thefe appearances are not confined to the river banks, but are foen in various places in gullies at confiderable distances from the rivers. In one part of the State for feventy miles in length, by finking a well, you apparently come to the bottom of what was formerly a watercourfe. And even as high up as Botetourt county, among the Allegany mountains, there is a tract of land, judged to be forty thoufand acres, furrounded on every fide by mountains, which is entirely co

* General Lincoln.