Washington county, and a place of considerable importance, lying in the centre of a rich limestone valley. HANCOCK, on the bank of Potomac river, contains two churches, an academy, and about five hundred inhabitants. CUMBERLAND, one hundred and seventy-eight miles west of Baltimore, is on the Potomac, at the mouth of Wills creek. It contains a bank, a market, five churches, a courthouse, and about two thousand inhabitants. The situation is in a varied and wild region, among the mountains, where coalmines abound. The railroad to Baltimore affords daily communication with that city and the intermediate places. It is the seat of justice of Allegany county, and the eastern termination of the great western road of the United States called the Cumberland road. ELLICOTT'S MILLS, ten miles southwest from Baltimore, is situated in a wild and picturesque region, and owes its existence as a village to the waterpower, which is employed in numerous manufactures, and to the railroad which here crosses the Patapsco, on a fine aqueduct of stone. It stands on the boundary line of Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties. bound it on either side. The stream which winds below, and sometimes rises to overflow a great part of the valley, threatens to undermine and tear away this light and elegant structure. Ample space, however, is left between the piers for the passage of the water, even at the highest floods; and the work has suffered but occasional and partial injuries, from the severest weather and floods. The road is thirty-three miles in length, and one of the most important portions of the great line of travelling from north to south, especially during the time when congress is in session. The commerce of Maryland is so dependent on the harbor of Baltimore, that it is well for the state that it possesses the important quality of being accessible at all seasons of the year. Even when impeded by ice, it never freezes so thick that it may not easily be opened by strong steam icebreakers and towboats, which are kept in readiness for the purpose. Ships of the largest class can come up to the wharves in the lower harbor; and at Canton they have twenty-six feet water. "The soil of the state," says Hunt's Magazine, "except in a few portions of it, is well adapted to agriculture. It The Viaduct of the Baltimore and has numerous never-failing streams, with Washington Railroad. One of the most gradual falls at suitable distances, parstriking objects in the state is the great ticularly in the vicinity of Baltimore. viaduct on which the Baltimore and For manufacturing purposes, and comWashington railroad crosses the valley mercial pursuits, Maryland is not exof the Patuxent. A passenger travel-celled by any other state in the Union. ling over it in a car has little opportunity to judge of the nature, extent, difficulty, and cost of the construction. The view from the summit is so extensive, and the valley below is seen so nearly under his feet, that the most careless observer must be aware that he is moving at an unusual height above the surface, and that the road is sustained by a long and narrow, though lofty fabric. To an observer, however, from below, or from a point on either side, the scene is of a more impressive description. A lofty and elegant arched bridge extends across a deep and wild chasm, forming a narrow but solid and level path, for the long and heavy trains of cars which pass over it, between the natural banks that The great American Mediterranean sea, whose borders she skirts, will be a wall of defence about her in time of war, as an invading foe would scarcely withdraw himself from the ocean-field, in this improved age of invention, lest his retreat might be intercepted when he found it necessary to retreat; and the bosom of that sea will in early aftertime waft treasures upon it, that, whether in the character of imports or exports, will add to her riches. Nature has incontestably provided for this result; and the founders of Baltimore (not that anything like prescience is to be ascribed to them, even as regards the state of improvements as they exist at present) so located it, that it becomes a point of vice versa. concentration, whence again all the travel | especially apples and peaches, some of diverges, if economy as to distance be which are very superior in quality. considered, whether the direction be Melons, of every variety, are abundant from north to south, or east to west, and everywhere. Tobacco is cultivated in The near proximity of the eleven of the counties, but principally seat of national government is no draw-in Prince George, Culvert, Charles, St. back upon, but adds to, her value; and should congress in its wisdom authorize the establishment of a national bank, where is there a city, all matters in reference to other banks and places considered, more eligible and safe, for the present, than Baltimore? "Nearly all the great prominent agricultural productions of the United States are grown in Maryland, except cotton, sugar, and rice; and each year further developments are made in reference to some exotics. If there were agricultural societies, and fairs held, as in some of the eastern states, where the choice productions of the earth could be exhibited, and competent persons appointed to pronounce upon them and award premiums, it would act as a great stimulant to enterprise, aside from the profits immediately resulting to the grower. So with live stock, of all descriptions; but these subjects are somewhat neglected by the present tillers of the soil, and those of politics have, to too great an extent, usurped their places. Some fifteen or twenty years since, when Maryland was luxuriating in a more palmy sunshine of favors than at present, such exhibitions were not unfrequent, and politics slept there may be a recurrence of a similar prosperous period. Mary's, Anne Arundel, and Montgomery. More than nine millions of pounds were raised in Prince George, and twelve millions in all the counties afterward named, in the year 1839. Good horses, mules, neat-cattle, sheep, and swine, are raised in every county, but Frederick excels in this branch: in this county, according to the census of 1840, there were then 11,259 horses and mules, 24,933 neat-cattle, 26,309 sheep, and 54,049 swine. The bacon of this county is preferred to any other, bringing at Baltimore from one quarter to one half cent. more per pound. All the counties produce wool; but the yield is not large-not above three hundred thousand pounds per annum, which was the amount in 1840 for the whole state. Frederick county gave of this fifty-nine thousand pounds. In butter and cheese, also, this county exceeds the others. The forest-trees of the middle states abound in all the counties of this state. The best woods for fuel are the oaks, hickory, beech, and dogwood. Oak commonly sells in Baltimore at from four to five and a half dollars per cord, and the others at from five to seven dollars. Pine is abundant, but neither the white nor the pitch-pine. The hem"Corn, wheat, and oats, thrive kindly lock has its southern boundary in the in every county. Rye is not so gener-west parts of Maryland, excepting a ally cultivated; the western counties appear more congenial to its growth. Buckwheat, barley, and pulse, are not so specially attended to. The yield of flaxseed is only middling, compared with that of other grains." Potatoes are of excellent flavor, and the crops fair, but not equal to the demand. Small parcels of sweet-potatoes come to Baltimore, chiefly from the southern and eastern counties. Hay is the growth of the western shore, and is chiefly timothy, with some clover. It never exceeds home-consumption. Fruit is better adapted to the same counties, small district in the Allegany mountains in Virginia. In New England the bark of this tree, there so common, is much used in tanning. The oak of this state is excellent for shipbuilding, being inferior only to the live-oak. The celebrated dam across the Kennebeck river, in Maine, is built of oak from Maryland. It was cut in Baltimore county near a stream flowing into the Chesapeake. Among the plans for internal improvement is one for a canal through that stream to Havre de Grace. Cedar and locust are abundant in some parts of the lower counties, and are exported in great quantities to the eastern states for shipbuilding, with oak timber. The cedar and locust of Maryland are also in demand for railroads. The amount of exports annually made from the numerous navigable branches of the bay, it is impossible to ascertain, and difficult to estimate. Mineral-springs are coramon in the west, and the waters of some, which have been analyzed, are found to contain sulphate of magnesia, sulphate of lime, muriate of soda, muriate of lime, carbonate of lime, &c. STATISTICS.-The population of the state of Maryland, according to the cen sus of several successive dates, has been as follows: Whites. Free Cold Persons. Slaves, 1800 221,998 Tota 319,728 8,043 103,036 19,987 107,707 349,654 33,927 111,502 380,546 39,730 107,398 407,350 52,912 102,873 445,913 62,078 89,737 470,019 418,763 73,943 89,800 582,506 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS. 318,204 Coal abounds, principally in Allegany county, and it is mostly of the bituminous kind. The Chesapeake and Ohio Years. canal, from the falls at Georgetown, 1790 208,647 along the Potomac, was made chiefly 1810 235,117 for the purpose of bringing this coal to 1820 260,222 market. The cost of this work has been 1830 291,093 very great, and anexpected difficulties 1840 were found in the way of the western 1850 terminus, along the mountainous region Wheat where the coal-beds are situated. The Corn Frostburg coal-basin, according to the Oats report of the state geologist, Professor Rye Ducatel, is forty miles long and five Buckwheat Potatoes miles wide, containing 86,847 acres. The coal, being fifteen yards in depth, Each cu must be in amount more than six thou- The Lonaconing iron region is in the same county, and is estimated to contain three thousand millions of tons of ore, or one thousand millions of tons of crude iron. for . . 47,858 1,058,901 3,541,433 bush, value $2,655OSS 8,356,565 3,579,950 919,468 | 3923 1 Tobacco 21,916,012 lbs. Hay Hemp. 1.400 211,75) 1,095,877 1,100,000 Many companies have been formed and incorporated for several years, the working of the coal and iron raines. Some of them have commenced operations with success. The mines at Elkridge Hone yield iron of superior qual ity, adapted to fine castings. This and other varieties of ore from the vicinity of Baltimore, yield from about thirtyfive to fifty per cent. of iron. Bog-ore is found in Worcester county, and has Factories-Cotton 15 been wrought to some extent. twenty-nine per cent. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. It THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA was ceded | description are compiled from several to the United States in 1790, and made authentic works. the seat of government in 1800. has ever since been the capital of the Union, and under the government of congress. A spot was selected on the Potomac river, at the head of navigation for ships-of-war (where the navyyard has since been established), and with a surface deemed favorable for the foundation of a city. A more beautiful site for a city could hardly be obtained. From a point where the Potomac, at a distance of two hundred and ninety-five miles from the ocean, and flowing from northwest to southeast, expands to the width of a mile, extended back an almost level plain, hemmed in by a series of gradually-sloping hills, terminating with the heights of GeorgeThe extent of territory was ten miles town; the plain being nearly three miles square, with the Potomac river flowing in length from east to west, and varying through it, and including the mouth of from a quarter of a mile to two miles in the eastern branch of that river, where breadth; bounded on the east by the the water is deep, and the shores favor- eastern branch of the Potomac, where able to the site of a navyyard. The are now the navyyard and the congresland on the east side of the Potomac sional cemetery, and on the west by the was ceded to the United States govern- Rock creek, which separates it from ment by Maryland, and that on the west Georgetown. The small stream from side by Virginia; but the latter has been the north, over which the railroad bridge recently ceded back to Virginia, after now passes on entering the city, emplong experience of the inconveniences tied into a bay or inlet of the Potomac arising from being under the jurisdiction about four hundred feet wide, which of congress, who have so many, and jutted in from the west to within a quarmore extensive interests in their care. ter of a mile of the Capitol hill, and The city of Alexandria, lately included nearly divided the plain. Not far from in the federal district, is expected to de- the head of this, and south of the Capirive special benefits from her restoration tol hill, a small stream took its rise in a to Virginia Washington and George-large number of springs, and emptied town are the only towns now belonging into the river at a place now called to it; and these lie so contiguous to each Greenleaf's point, formed by the interother, that they have almost the appear-section of the eastern branch with the ance of one continued city. The district of Columbia is bounded north and east by Maryland, and south and west by Potomac river. It is eight miles long, and about one and a half broad. The capitol stands in latitude 76° 55′ 30′′ west from Greenwich. The surface is undulated, and the soil poor. The navyyard is in the eastern part of the district, about one mile from Capitol hill; and from the latter, nearly to the falls of the Potomac, extend Washington and Georgetown, making a striking display when seen from the river below. Railroad cars have communication with Baltimore several times a day, and steamboats ply on the Potomac and down the bay. Some portions of the following Potomac, and was known as Jones's creek. There is a stream above Georgetown, which has always been called Goose creek; but from a certificate of a survey now preserved in the mayor's office at Washington, dated 1663, it appears that the inlet from the Potomac was then known by the name of Tiber, and probably the stream from the north emptying into it bore the same name; so that Moore did injustice to the history of the place, and confounded streams, when he wrote the well-known line And what was Goose creek once is Tiber now." By the same survey it appears that the land comprising the Capitol hill was called "Rome," or "Room," two names which seem to have foreshadowed the |