viKUURAPHICAL, HISTORICAL 
 
 STATXSTXCAX. 
 
 REPOSITORY. 
 
 BY WJLLMM BMBY, 
 
 ,i a Map, and Statistical account of Louisiana; Emigrant's Guide; Toui- from Ntw-Yo 
 to Detroit ; Meraoiv on Florida j and Universal Geographical Dictionary. 
 
 VOL. I.— No. I. 
 SEPTEiaBEB, 1824. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 BUSHED BY THE AUTHOB> AT NO, 2 NORTH SEVENTH STUEEJ 
 William Drown, Print'. J 
 
 1S21, 
 
The Reader is desired to observe, that in Table No. 4. 
 page 56, the levels of the Susquehanna and Tioga rivers from 
 Harrisburg to Newtown, are merely estimated relatively, and 
 not calculated from actual measurement. «? 
 
 Error to be Corrected. -t 
 
 For Captain H. Bestody, in page 61, read Captain H. Bertody. 
 
 y^/f 
 
 i> 
 

GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, 
 
 STATXSTZCAZ. 
 
 REPOSITORY 
 
 BY WILLIJIM DARBY, 
 
 Authoi' of a Map, and Statistical account of Louisiana ; Emigrant's Guide ; Tour from KewvYorU 
 to Detroit; Memoir on Florida ; and Universal Geographical Dictionary. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, NO. 2 NORTH SEVENTH STREET. 
 William Brown, Printer. 
 
 1824. 
 
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 VOL. L— No. L 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 SECTIOK I." 
 
 Geographical view of the mountains and rivers of Pennsylvania. 
 
 SECTIOir II. 
 
 Historical retrospect of English discovery and colonization in North America 
 from 1496 to 1606. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 View of the various routes by which a canal communication may be form- 
 ed between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 
 
 Notice of Shriver's account of surveys and examinations, with remarks and 
 documents, relative to the projected Chesapeake and Ohioj and Ohio and 
 Lake Erie canals. 
 
^ 
 
 3^ 
 
 
 
 
 v: 
 
 
 %» 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 1^ IN presenting to the public eye the first Number of the 
 
 Ilepository, it may not be irrelevant to enter with some more 
 minuteness into the vievvs intended to be embraced than has 
 been done in the original Prospectus. As proposed, the work 
 will be subdivided into three parts : 
 
 Sect. I. This section will be appropriated to subjects 
 purely Geographical ; in which, however, that term will be 
 considered as taken in its most extensive sense, including 
 Natural and Political Geograph}^. It is intended to present 
 the reader with geographical sketches of any part of the world, 
 which, from particular causes, may claim a peculiar and in- 
 stantaneous attention : such attention is generally excited by 
 war, political revolution, or recent discovery. These are in- 
 exhaustible sources of interest, which, in their occurrence, en- 
 force, stimulate, and localize curiosity. They are sources of 
 intellectual reflection, which, when ceasing to flow, or becom- 
 ing partially exhausted in one quarter, open copiously in some 
 other region of our ever changeful earth. The task of the editor 
 v/ill be to watch the progress of those changes, and point out 
 to his reader the result. 
 
 Though the scope of this section is thus expressed in gene- 
 ral terms, the pages of the Repository will be, in great part, 
 employed to delineate the particular Natural and Political Geo- 
 graphy of the United States. As usually described in com- 
 mon geographical systems, the various subdivisions of the earth 
 are represented as mere skeletons. The student from such 
 treatises derives no more real knowledge of the capabilities of 
 any country, than he could obtain of the character of an indi- 
 vidual by being informed of his height and weight. 
 
 Geography, as a science, is moral. The interest we feel in 
 tracing the features, developing the resources, and in scanning 
 the improvements of any given portion of the earth, must arise 
 from the character of the people who inhabit its surface. In 
 this respect, not alone the territory of the United States, but 
 all America, is gaining daily more to arrest the attention of 
 the statesman and philosopher. 
 
 The Geography of the United States is a vast outline, 
 tolerably traced, but the shades of colouring remain a void, 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 except in a few instances. The intrinsic value of statistical 
 knowledge can only be known from its application in augment- 
 ing the sum of general prosperity by pointing out. the springs 
 of general resource. This invaluable pursuit has only recently 
 assumed the character of a science, and, as such, is yet con- 
 fined to a few countries, and is every where imperfect. The 
 editor anxiously desires to become enabled to dedicate his en- 
 tire time and attention to the undertaking he now places be- 
 fore the public, and in aid of which he solicits patronage. His 
 own individual fitness or unfitness to do justice to an enter- 
 prise, involving so many details, on three of the most digni- 
 fied objects of human study, can be only known from the exe- 
 cution of his enterprise. The importance of the subjects needs 
 no farther amplification ; the issue is left to the candour, 
 generosity, and discernment of an enlightened public. 
 
 Similar observations may be made respecting every other 
 section of this continent. Cities, towns, states, and even em- 
 pires are rising with a rapidity which mocks the regular pro- 
 gress of geographical record. A periodical publication, there- 
 fore, in which every such object would meet prompt notice, 
 must produce great public benefit. 
 
 Important as it may be as a moral and physical science, geo- 
 graphy derives its highest value as an aid to human history. 
 In this respect our views of nations are clear and decisive in 
 proportion as we possess a comprehensive knowledge of their 
 locality. Under the general head of Geography, in the Repo- 
 sitory, will be included, all that appertains to either natural 
 feature or natural production. With this latitude must be em- 
 braced every object relating to countries, either in a state of 
 nature, or as improven by art.* 
 
 Sect. II. This section will be Historical, and dedicated 
 principally to record the leading events of the present or pass- 
 ing time ; but, as many instances must occur, when to judge of 
 the existing, we are compelled to review the anterior state of na- 
 tions, the Historical sketches will be often retrospective beyond 
 what can be considered the present age. It would be vain, 
 however, in this place, to anticipate the course necessary to 
 pursue respecting objects, the importance or extent of which 
 can only be shewn by time. 
 
 In conducting the Repository, many very subtantial reasons 
 have induced me to open the work with Pennsylvania; the 
 first two volumes, consisting of six numbers, or 384 octavo 
 
 * See pag'e 9. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 pages each, will therefore be appropriated to give a view of 
 the geographical features ; the natural productions ; improve- 
 ments of every species ; and the civil and political History of 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 In order, to develop clearly, the history of Pennsylvania, 
 it is indispensable to take a retrospective survey of the ante- 
 cedent colonial establishment of England in North America. 
 This investigation leads to a review of the colonial history of 
 Virginia, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New-Haven, 
 Rhode Island, Maryland, New-Jersey, Delaware, and New- 
 York, previous to the date of the first charter of Pennsylvania. 
 
 In my public Historical Lectures, in Philadelphia and New- 
 York, I have uniformly proceeded on the principle, that to 
 understand our national, it was imperatively necessary to have 
 carefully studied our colonial history; and that to comprehend 
 the latter with adequate accuracy, the colonies must be exa- 
 mined in connection. 
 
 The preliminary matter must of course be treated of briefly, 
 as accessary to the main subject, the history of Pennsylvania. 
 The early events however, in the establishment of New-Jer- 
 sey, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, were so blended 
 as to superinduce considerable detail on the three former co- 
 lonies, in order to trace the progress of the latter with perspi- 
 cuity. 
 
 Myself a native of Pennsylvania, I had at various periods 
 travelled extensively over its surface; but having conceived 
 the design of becoming its historian, I have availed myself of 
 every opportunity to examine those parts I had not formerly 
 visited. 
 
 From the 2d of March, 1823, until the 25th of June, 1824, 
 I was employed in travelling, most of the time in the interior 
 of Pennsylvania. My object was an examination of those parts 
 of the state I had not previously visited. In all my geogra- 
 phical disquisitions I have written, as far as in my power, from 
 actual observation. Employed as I have been, in such labour 
 for neai'ly 30 years, from governments, as such, I have not 
 received the aid of one cent, and very little patronage from 
 individuals directly connected with governments. It was from 
 the liberalty of individuals in private life, that my support has 
 been, and I expect will continue to be drawn. Once more my 
 appeal is made to the public. Six numbers form a volume, 
 and consequently, two volumes will be published annually. 
 The subscribers are only bound to continue their patronage to 
 one volume ; the execution of which will fully test the talents 
 of the author to do justice to his subject. 
 
6 INTRODirCTlOIs. 
 
 Should the Repository be continued, and adequately execu- 
 ted, it is obvious that a few years must render its volumes a 
 source of material for that literary desideratum, a general his- 
 tory of the United States. 
 
 Each volume will have prefixed a map of such- parts of the 
 United States, as are more particularly treated of; and will 
 have annexed a copious index. The Map of Pennsylvania will 
 attend the first, and that of New-Jersey will be included in 
 the second volume. 
 
 I have adopted, when treating on mountains, System as a ge- 
 neric term, and Chain as specific. This is indispensable re- 
 specting the great central mountains of the United States. 
 Considered as a system, this great mountain mass is compos- 
 ed of several lateral ridges. These ridges literally extend 
 like links of a chain. Broken by rivers or creeks, or otherwise 
 interrupted, they are still continuous, to a great or lesser dis- 
 tance. Allegany is rendered inapplicable as a distinctive name 
 of the system from being applied to one of its chains.* 
 
 I know of no former attempt to give a philosophical analysis 
 of the mountains of the United States, and from the existing 
 and strengthening spirit of canal and road improvement, I am 
 acquainted with no branch of geography of more national im- 
 portance. It is a subject on which, in conducting my Reposi- 
 tory, I shall lose no opportunity to collect and record accurate 
 information. 
 
 The mountain chains of Pennsylvania have a grandeur of 
 appearance, and a mass of mineral wealth, which combine to 
 give them interest to the geographer, and natural historian. 
 The inexhaustible stores of iron ore and mineral coal in and 
 near the chains traversing this state, are in themselves objects 
 of primary magnitude, and leading elements in every statisti- 
 cal review of its most essential natural resources. It is there- 
 fore, the more necessary to obtain detailed and correct con- 
 ceptions of features forming so deeply and prominently apart 
 of the geography, and so permanently influential on the im- 
 provement and prosperity of the state. 
 
 European geographers have, very correctly, adopted differ- 
 ent terms to designate the spaces drained by rivers discharged 
 into oceans, and those of their minor branches ; for the former. 
 Basin is used, for the latter, Valley. This nomenclature I have 
 also adopted, and consequently say Basin of Delaware, and 
 Valley of Schuylkill ; Basi^i of Mississippi, and Valley of 
 Ohio ; and use a similar distinction wherever necessary. In 
 my public Lectures, and geographical disquisitions generally, 
 
 * See note, page 12. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 7 
 
 I have made use of the term Atlantic slope, as a collective 
 name for that part of the United States, and British provinces, 
 the rivers of which are discharged into the Atlantic ocean. 
 
 Rivers are, of all natural tracts in the physiognomy of any 
 country, those that most directly enhance intercommunication. 
 It is a narrow and contracted view of canal or road creation, in 
 such a country as that of the United States, to consider it of 
 local interest. No canal, or road traversing any state, can have 
 its resulting benefits confined to that particular political section. 
 Any correct delineations given of any river, must consequently 
 have not a local, but a national value. This is in a high degree 
 true as respects the Susquehanna and the Ohio, and their con- 
 fluents. The success of the sublime experiment made in the 
 state of New-York, has lessened the incredulity of the human 
 mind, and induced men to inquire into the practicability of con- 
 structing canals in places formerly overlooked, and have been 
 led to engage in such undertakings with physical means, deem- 
 ed hitherto as entirely inadequate. The national legislature has 
 been at length influenced by this revolution in public senti- 
 ment, and has instituted a series of inquiry which, whether 
 the projected canals are undertaken or not, must produce re- 
 sults greatly overbalancing in value any attendant expense.^ 
 It is much to be hoped that these surveys may be extended to 
 the Susquehanna, in all its branches. Few are aware of the 
 immense field of improvement which may be opened by the 
 channel of this magnificent stream. Should the canal route 
 by the Potomac and Ohio, that by the Susquehanna and Se- 
 neca lake, or either be completed, the eff'ects will be felt to the 
 most remote extremes of the United States, and links of ada- 
 mantine strength formed to secure the integrity of our con- 
 federacy. The epoch of such a consummation may be hailed as 
 a jubilee, and it may then be said truly, " the mountains have 
 disappeared." Their towering summits may indeed remain, 
 to give richness and splendour to the scenery, but their moral 
 and political efl'ects will have ceased. 
 
 Sect. III. In this department the subjects will be purely 
 Statistical, and dedicated to the descriptions and notices of pub- 
 lic improvements and discoveries, more especially those in the 
 United States. Under this head will be ranged all matter re- 
 lating to canals, roads, bridges, important post-office regula- 
 tions, manufactories, mineralogical operations — and in fine, 
 upon every object connected with the advance or retrograda- 
 tion of society, in the cultivation of those sciences, or the 
 
 • See Section III. of this number. 
 
8 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 practice of those arts conducive to the promotion of individual 
 comfort or aggregate force. In the performance of such an 
 enterprise, our mite, however humble, will be given to aid in 
 the development of national, sectional, and individual re- 
 source. 
 
 In every department of the Repository, the far greatest part 
 of the matter will be original composition. It is not my in- 
 tention to make the statistical section of my miscellany a col- 
 lection of scraps. When any public improvement is either 
 completed or proposed, such information as I can procure on 
 the subject shall be placed on record ; and with such geogra- 
 phical explanation, as to render the statistical matter intelli- 
 gible. 
 
 It is inutile to detain the reader by farther explanations. A 
 specimen of the Repository is before the public in this num- 
 ber. The general principles of the publication have been de- 
 veloped ; and it may be safely asserted that no existing perio- 
 dical paper in the United States can answer its purposes. An 
 adherence to the general plan, it must to be obvious, will save 
 the reader the fatigue of perusing indigested document. The 
 Repository will assume an aspect the opposite of a Register; 
 as in the latter, state papers form the body of the work, whilst 
 in the former, their substance is preserved, but reduced in 
 magnitude, and presented in the more inviting shape of his- 
 torical narration. 
 
 Recent treatises on subjects connected with those of the 
 Register will be, when their existence is made known to the 
 editor, noticed at the close of each number. Tlie general scope 
 of such woi'ks will be laid before his readers when criticism 
 shall be in his power by perusal. 
 
 A copious index will close each volume, and be published 
 with the last number. The index will be appended to the 
 volume, and printed on an extra sheet ; consequently, each 
 volume will contain nearly, if not altogether 400 pages. 
 
 Thus I have placed before its reader the intended character 
 of the Repository. It cannot escape the least observing, that 
 much labour and active research must be called into requisi- 
 tion to fulfil its promise. The difficulties of performance, nor 
 incapacity of execution can be pleaded as an excuse for ineffi- 
 ciency, but candour will excuse many imperfections in a novel 
 and incipient undertaking. With the utmost confidence in, the 
 liberality of that public whose generous indulgence I have so 
 oftend experienced, I now launch into the performance of my 
 arduous enterprise. 
 
 WILLIAM DARBY. 
 
 Philadelphia, August 14th, 1824. 
 
DARBY'S 
 
 REPOSITORY. 
 
 VOL. I. SEPTEMBER, 1824. N° I. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 GEOGRAPHICAL VIEW OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 To preserve perspicuity, we are compelled, in geographical 
 disquisitions, to precede the natural by a description of arti- 
 ficial subdivision. This method is indispensable, as references 
 are perpetually necessary from the former to the latter. In 
 the Repository the arrangement will be as follows : 
 
 Name^ origin of. 
 
 Natural position^ as respects latitude, longitude, and conti- 
 guous states, territories, &c. 
 
 Extent^ Boundaries^ and Political^ or other conventional subdi- 
 visions. 
 
 Natural features — Mountains — Their range ; elevation ; com- 
 ponent matter ; geological formation, and mineral produc- 
 tions. 
 
 Rivers — Their course ; area they respectively drain ; their 
 contained facilities or obstructions to navigation. Vegetable 
 and mineral productions generally. 
 
 Climate and Seasons — Their effects on vegetable life, and on 
 the navigation of rivers and canals. How influenced by 
 relative elevation ; exposure ; contiguity to land or water, 
 and by other general or local causes. 
 
 Artijiciul features — Cities, towns, roads, canals, bridges, ma- 
 nufactories of every description; colleges, schools, churches, 
 and charitable establishments. 
 Vol. I,— B No. 1. 
 
10 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. [Seft. 
 
 As far as practicable, the subject matter will follow in re- 
 gular order, as it is the desire of the Editor to render his 
 work as easy of reference as within his power. 
 
 In accordance with previous notice, the first two volumes of 
 the Repository will be occupied with Pennsylvania, and such 
 other parts of the United States, the civil history of which is 
 closely blended with that of the primary subjects of disquisi- 
 tion. A similar course will be continued, should any other 
 great section of the United States be taken up in the future 
 volumes of the Repository. 
 
 It is in general extremely difficult to trace civil history up 
 to the period of writing. So complicated are the details of 
 the passing moment, and so conflicting the evidence upon 
 which is to be established, the truth of facts alleged to have 
 occurred, that much caution must be exercised by that jour- 
 nalist whose pages will contain only real history. The editor, 
 therefore, begs leave to recur to an expression used in his ori- 
 ginal Prospectus, — ••' No statement xvill be made in any depart- 
 ment^ until the subject matter has assumed the stamp of cer~ 
 taintyy 
 
 It will, of course, be obvious, that the thread of history 
 must, in every instance, be broken before reaching the time of 
 publication ; and it will, however, be equally evident, that as 
 it progresses, the Repository must be constantly accumulating 
 treasures of historical fact. 
 
 Pennsylvania. This name is derived from the surname 
 of William Penn, and Sylvan, woods ; and means, literally, 
 Penn's woods. Though at the epoch when the name was im- 
 posed, the real features of the country it was in future to de- 
 signate, were in great part unknown, to those who were its 
 authors, no term could be more appropriate. Few, if any, 
 regions of equal extent, and in one continuous body, ever 
 bore, in a state of nature, a more dense forest. Pennsylvania 
 was an expanse of woods, in the strictest acceptation of the 
 word. 
 
 As now limited, Pennsylvania extends from N. Lat. 39° 43' 
 to N. Lat. 42° 16' ; and from 2° 20' E. to 3° 36' W. from 
 Washington City.* 
 
 * Prom the operation of causes, which will be shewn in the sequel, Penn- 
 sylvania has assumed a local extent very different from the charter of its 
 political creation. Its laws and the liberty of its inhabitants were the fruits 
 ©f design ; its boundaries, in some measure, that of accident. 
 
1824.] Geographical Viexv of Pennsylvania. 11 
 
 Pennsylvania is bounded in common with Delaware, 
 from the Delaware river by a circular line, around 
 New Castle county, to the N. E. limits of Ccecil Miles. 
 county, Maryland, ----- ^ 24 
 
 Due north to the N. E. angle of Maryland, - - 2 
 
 Along the northern limit of Maryland, ■*> - 203 
 
 In common with Virginia, from the N. W. angle of 
 
 Maryland to the S. W. angle of Greene county, 59 
 
 Due north, in common with Ohio, and Brooke coun- 
 ties of Virginia to the Ohio river, . _ . 64 
 
 Continuing the last noted limit, in common with Ohio 
 
 to lake Erie, -------51 
 
 Along the S. E. shore of Lake Erie to the western 
 
 limit of New-York, 39 
 
 Due south along Chatauque county of New-York to 
 
 N. Lat. 42% - - - ' - - - - 19 
 
 Thence due east in common with New- York, to the 
 
 right bank of Delaware river, - - - - 230 
 
 Down the Delaware to the N. E. angle of the state 
 
 of Delaware, - - - ^ - - ^ 230 
 
 Having an entire outline of - = - - 961 
 
 The greatest length of Pennsylvania, is due west, from 
 Bristol on the Delaware river, to the eastern border of Ohio 
 county in Virginia, through 356 minutes of longitudf , along 
 N. Lat. 40° 09'. This distance, on that line of liiUtude, is 
 equal to 315 American statute miles. 
 
 The greatest breadth 176 miles, from the Virginia line to 
 the extreme northern angle on Lake Erie. 
 
 General breadth, 188 miles. 
 
 The area of Pennsylvania has been variously stated, but 
 probably never very accurately determined. In both Morse's 
 and Worster's Gazetteers, the superficies is given at 46,000 
 square miles.* Other authorities vary, but I find from com- 
 
 * On the large state map, by Melisb, the area is given at 43,950. From the 
 peculiar manner of collecting and collating the materials for Melish's map, we 
 ought to consider it the best authority as to the extent of the state it repre- 
 sents ; but it yields to the test of actual calculation, and gives to the state 
 neai'ly one-fifteenth too little area. The error arose, no doubt, from using 
 the common, but very inaccurate mode of estimating curve superficies by 
 maps. The surface being curved, if the smallest county in Pennsylvania was 
 calculated by its length and breadth on a map, the quotient would be rather 
 the area of the base, than that of the curve superficies. Every county being 
 thus subject to a small decrement, the aggregate of the whole would yield an 
 amount considerably too small. A measurement of the whole state, on such 
 principles, would be liable to similar error. 
 
 From placing a much too implicit confidence in the state map, I gave th« 
 
 r 
 
12 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. [Seft. 
 
 paring the best maps, and from calculating the rhumbs, and 
 parts, occupied by the state, that Pennsylvania includes above 
 47,000 square miles. Rejecting the fractional excess, and 
 using that curve superficies, the state will contain thirty mil- 
 lion and eighty thousand statute acres. 
 
 The mountains of Pennsylvania, obtrude themselves at the 
 first glance on a map, as the most prominent of its natural 
 features. No even tolerably good survey having ever been 
 made of the mountains of this region, and many important 
 chains having been entirely omitted, a lucid classification is" 
 attended with great difficulty. Some of the collateral chains 
 hitherto overlooked, I have supplied from personal observa- 
 tion ; but no doubt much remains to be added or rectified, by 
 future research. 
 
 The structure and position of its mountains, has given to 
 Pennsylvania an aspect peculiar to itself. The Appalachian* 
 system in the United States, generally extends in a direction, 
 deviating not very essentially from south-west to north-east ; but 
 in Pennsylvania, the whole system is inflected from that course, 
 and passes the state in a serpentine direction. Towards the south 
 boundary, the mountains lie about north north-east, gradually 
 inclining more eastwardly as they penetrate northwards ; and 
 in the central counties, many of the chains lie nearly east and 
 west ; but as they extend towards the northern border of the 
 state, they again imperceptibly incline to the north-east, and 
 enter New-York and New- Jersey in nearly that direction. 
 
 The inlluence ^f the mountains in modifying the general 
 features, is very obvious, far beyond, where any chains or 
 ridges are sufficiently elevated to be classed as parts of the 
 Appalachian system. It will be, however, shewn in the pro- 
 gress of this review, that the mountain system is very much 
 too greatly restricted, not alone in Pennsylvania, but also in 
 Maryland, Virginia, New-York, and New-Jersey. 
 
 Without attending to minor claims, the mountains of Penn- 
 sylvania, advancing from the south-east to north-west, are as 
 follows : 
 
 Though omitted in most maps, a chain enters the south 
 boundary of York county, and cut by the Susquehanna river, 
 
 area of Pennsylvania, in my Geographical Dictionary, 43,950 square miles; 
 but from a rigid calculation, I now find a very materia! difference between 
 the real area and that taken from this map. 
 
 After considerable labour, I have found the area of Pennsylvania above 
 47,000 square miles, but have assumed that round sum as more convenient^ 
 and more easily remembered, than a number incumbered with fractions. 
 
 * Tlie term Appalachian is cei-tainly preferable to that of Allegany, if for 
 no other reason than, that the latter, particularly in Pennsylvania, is applied 
 to one of the chains of the system. 
 
1824.] Geographical View of Pennsylvania. 13 
 
 rises in, and traverses Lancaster county between Pequea and 
 Octorara creeks ; and between the sources of the Conestoga 
 and Brandywine, separates for a short distance, Lancaster 
 and Chester counties. Continuing between Berks and Ches- 
 ter, it is interrupted by the Schuylkill above Pottstown. Ris- 
 ing again, and stretching north-east, forms first, the boundary 
 between Montgomery and Berks ; thence between Lehigh and 
 Bucks, and separating Northampton from Bucks, reaches the 
 Delaware, Pursuing a north-east course through New-Jer- 
 sey, separating Sussex from Huntingdon, Morris, and Bergen 
 counties, enters New-York between the sources of the Wal- 
 kill and Passaic rivers ; and extending, in broken ridges, 
 through the south-east part of Orange county, forms the High- 
 lands near West Point. 
 
 The almost uniform neglect of professed geographers re- 
 specting this strongly marked feature, attests the infancy of 
 the science in the United States. After having formed the 
 celebrated masses on both sides of the Hudson between New- 
 burg and West Point, the ridge continues north-east, separat- 
 ing Putnam from Dutchess counties. Inflecting to the north, 
 and forming the separating ridge between the waters of the 
 Hudson and Housatonic rivers, stretches through the eastern 
 part of Dutchess, Columbia, and Rennssalaer counties. Along 
 the two latter, however, the ridge under review, forms, in 
 reality, the separating boundary between New- York and Mas- 
 sachusetts ; and entering the south-west angle of Vermont, 
 continues through that state, by the name of Green Moun- 
 tains, into Lower Canada. Thus prominent and continuous, 
 from the Susquehanna to the north-east, this part of the Ap- 
 palachian system is equally so through Maryland, Virginia, 
 and North Carolina. Passing over Harford, Baltimore, Anne 
 Arundel, and Montgomery counties, in Maryland, it forms 
 falls in the Potomac, twelve miles above Georgetown, and ex- 
 tends into Virginia in Fairfax county. Varying in distance 
 from twenty to thirty miles the Great Kittatinny or Blue Ridge, 
 and the ridge we have been tracing, traverses Virginia into 
 North Carolina. Leaving Virginia in Henry, and entering 
 North Carolina in Stokes county ; with its farther range I 
 am unacquainted, but have no doubt but that it is distinctly 
 continued over the Carolinas and Georgia into Alabama^ 
 Though the structure of the Atlantic slope, decidedly evinces 
 a conformity to the Appalachian system, far below the south- 
 east mountain, it is the terminating continuous ridge towards 
 the Atlantic ocean. 
 
 North-west from, and nearly parallel to, the South moun- 
 tain, another very remarkable ridge traverses New-Jersey and 
 
:il4 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. [Sep*; 
 
 Pennsylvania, and similai* to the former, the latter is unknown 
 in either of these states, by any general name. Its continua- 
 tion in New-York is designated by the Shawangunk. Be- 
 tween the Susquehanna and Potomac, it is termed relatively, 
 the South mountain ; and in Virginia and the Carolinas, it 
 forms the Blue ridge ; and entering the north-west part of 
 Georgia, is gradually lost amongst the sources of Chatahoo- 
 che river. 
 
 To preserve perspicuity, I have adopted, or rather extend- 
 ed the name Blue Ridge, into Pennsylvania and New- Jersey. 
 This very remarkable chain of the Appalachian system enters 
 Pennsylvania, on its southern line, and stretching north be- 
 tween Adams and Franklin counties, reaches the southern 
 angle of Cumberland, where it turns to north-east, and tx- 
 tending towards the Susquehanna, separates Cumberlaiid from 
 Adams and York counties. About six miles below Harris- 
 burg, the Blue Ridge, is pierced or broken by the Susque- 
 hanna, and again rising below the mouth of Swatara, crosses 
 the southern angle of Dauphin ; thence known as the Cone- 
 wago hills, separates Lebanon from Lancaster county, enters 
 Berks, and reaches the Schuylkill at Reading. Continuing 
 through Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, the Blue 
 Ridge passes Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, is again in- 
 terrupted bv the Delaware, below the latter town. Extending 
 through Sussex county, the Blue Ridge enters New-York, and 
 is finally terminated in the Shawangunk, on the west side of 
 Hudson river, and amongst the branches of the Walkill. 
 
 In one respect, the South-east mountain and Blue Ridge, in 
 Pennsylvania and New-Jersey, differ from other sections of 
 the Appalachian system. The two chains we have noticed, 
 are formed of links more detached, than are those more re- 
 mote from the Atlantic ocean ; but, otherwise in respect to 
 component matter, range, and vegetation, are in every place 
 well marked sections of the general system. The very une- 
 qual elevation of their various parts, may, perhaps, be also 
 adduced, as a characteristic of the South-east niountain and 
 Blue Ridge. The former does not, it is prcivihle, in any part 
 of Pennsylvania or New-Jersey, rise to 1000 fcvn above the 
 level of the Atlantic ocean, whilst in New-York, at the High- 
 lands, some of the peaks, particularly Butterhiil, exceeds 1500 
 feet elevation above tide water ; and in Massachusetts and 
 Vermont, towers to near 30Cu feet. If taken generaUy, the 
 Blue Ridge, in Pennsylvania and New-Jersey, is nioie elevat- 
 ed than the South-east mountain, yf t no pardcular part ot the 
 former rises to an equal elevation with the Highlands, on 
 either bank of the Hudson. 
 
1824.] Geographical Viexu of Pennsylvania. 15 
 
 In Maryland, the Blue Ridge assumes a very distinctive as- 
 pect, and separating Frederick and Washington counties, is 
 broken by the Potomac at Harper's ferry, below the mouth of 
 Shenandoah. This fine chain crosses, and adorns Virginia, 
 and North and South Carolina. In one remarkable circum- 
 stance, the Blue Ridge stands alone amongst the mountain 
 chains of the United States. From the Susquehanna, to the 
 north-west angle of South Carolina, in a distance of upwards 
 of 500 miles, it everv whe/e forms a county demarcation. 
 
 The third, and in some respects the most remarkable chain 
 of Pennsylvania, is the Kittatinny. Known by divers local 
 names, the Kittatinny, in a survey advancing from south-west 
 to north east, first rises distinctively in Franklin county, and 
 like other chains in the southern margin of Pennsylvania, 
 ranges a little east of north ; but inflecting more to the north- 
 east, extends to the Susquehanna, separating Cumberland and 
 Perry counties. Five miles above Harrisburg, the Kittatinny 
 is interrupted by the Susquehanna. Broken also, by the Swa- 
 tara, the Schuylkill, the Lehigh, and Delaware, the Kittatinny 
 enters New-Jersey, through which it passes into New-York, 
 and forms, by its continuation, the Catsbergs. The general 
 aspect of the Kittatinny is much more continuous than any 
 other mountain chain of Pennsylvania. It is, however, very 
 far from being uniform in elevation, varying from 800, toper- 
 haps 1500 feet above tide water. 
 
 North-west from the Kittatinny, though more elevated, the 
 chains are much less distinctly defined. Between the Kitta- 
 tinny mountain, and the north branch of Susquehanna river^ 
 the intermediate country is in a great part composed of high 
 rugged mountains, and narrow, deep, and precipitous valleys. 
 This is the most sterile and least improvable part of Pennsyl- 
 vania ; but it is the region producing the most extensive 
 masses of Anthracite coal, known on the globe. 
 
 The confusion in the natural arrangement of the Anthra- 
 cite* section of Pennsylvania, is more apparent than real. 
 The Kittatinny mountain and Susquehanna river, lie nearly 
 parallel upwards of seventy miles ; distant from each other 
 about 25 miles. The intervening space is filled by lateral 
 chains, rising in many places, far above any part of the Kit-' 
 tatinny.' Amongst these chains, two are worthy of particular 
 notice, and serve, pre-eminently to elucidate the very peculiar 
 topography of interior Pennsylvania. 
 
 Bedford and Franklin counties are separated by a chain, 
 
 * I haye taken the liberty to introduce this term for the country under re- 
 view, descriptive of its most abundant and most valuable mineral production. 
 
16 Geographical Viexv of Pennsylvania. [Sept. 
 
 there known, as Cove mountain. With a change of name, to 
 Tuscarora mountain, the latter chain separates Franklin from 
 Huntingdon, and Perry from Mifflin, and reaches the Susque- 
 hanna nearly opposite the southern extremity of Northumber- 
 land county. Rising again below the Mahantango river, and 
 broken into vast links, the chain divides into nearly equal 
 parts, the space between the Kittatinny mountains and the 
 main branch of Susquehanna river. Broad mountain passed 
 on the road, from Easton and Bethlehem to Berwick, is one 
 of the great links of this central chain.* With its extension 
 north-east, towards the Delaware, I am unacquainted. 
 
 More accurate surveys would, it is more than probable, 
 identify. Sideling hill, of Bedford county. Jack's mountain, of 
 Huntingdon and Mifflin, and the central chains of Union, Co- 
 lumbia, and Luzerne counties. The chain which rises on 
 both banks of the Susquehanna, in Luzerne, is amongst the 
 most interesting features, not only in the United States, but 
 the world. The very peculiar structure of this valley will be 
 noticed more appropriately, when treating of the rivers of 
 that part of Pennsylvania. In the present instance, it is the 
 mountains we have before us, and to which our attention is 
 directed. Below Sunbury, a chain commences, or if my sup- 
 position is correct, is continued up the Susquehanna, along its 
 left shore ; this chain is crossed by the river above Danville, 
 and again above Catawissa. From the latter place, the chain 
 stretches to the north-east, through Columbia, enters Luzerne 
 by the name of Nescopeck mountain, and mingles ultimately 
 with other chains, and is terminated towards the southern an- 
 gle of Wayne county. Nearly parallel to the Nescopeck, and 
 with a comparatively narrow intervening valley, another chain 
 leaves the Susquehanna, above the borough of Northumber- 
 land, and traversing Northumberland and Columbia counties, 
 enters Luzerne, and is broken by the Susquehanna sixteen 
 miles below Wilkes-Barre. Skirting the left bank about eight 
 miles, it is again crossed by the river, and continuing its 
 course north-east, passes about two and a half miles from and 
 opposite Wilkes-Barre, Preserving its course north-east, it is 
 for the third and last time, crossed by the Susquehanna, above 
 the mouth of Lackawannock creek, ten miles above Wilkes- 
 Barre, and stretching towards the Delaware, is lost in Wayne 
 county. Beyond the main branch of Susquehanna, to the 
 
 * Broad mountain I found considerably more elevated than Kittatinny. 
 When on the highest part of the eastern slope of the former, the Blue Kidge 
 was distinctly visible to an immense distance over the latter. I am inclined 
 to consider the summit of Broad mountain elevated at least 2500 feet above 
 tide water. 
 
1824.] Geographical View of Pennsylvania, 17 
 
 north-west, the chains lie nearly parallel to those south-east 
 from that river. The structure of the country, on both sides 
 of the Susquehanna nearly the same. The yet discovered 
 mines of Anthracite coal, advancing from south-east to north- 
 west, cease, in the chain immediately opposite Wilkes-Barre. 
 
 To the eye, the region included between the west branch of 
 Susquehanna, and the Potomac, bears a strong analogy to that 
 between the west and north branches of Susquehanna, but a 
 minute scrutiny exposes a great change advancing south-west 
 towards the borders of Maryland. Soil and vegetation both 
 differ materially. The beech, hemlock, and sugar-maple fo- 
 rests, are succeeded, in the valleys, by oak, hickory, and elm. 
 Thus far the entire drain of Pennsylvania is into the Atlantic 
 ocean. The chain called the Allegany, forms, in the southern 
 parts of Pennsylvania, the dividing ridge between the Atlan- 
 tic slope and the valley of Ohio. 
 
 Allegany mountain has, no doubt from this circumstance, 
 received its pre-eminence amongst the mountain chains of 
 Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Only about sixty 
 miles of its range in the former state, however, does separate 
 the sources of the streams of the two great natural sections, 
 the Atlantic Slope and Ohio valley. The Allegany chain 
 leaving Allegany county, in Maryland, separates Bedford and 
 Somerset counties, and extending in a northerly direction, also 
 separates the north-west part of Bedford from the south-east 
 part of Cambria county. At the extreme northern angle of 
 Bedford, the Allegany turns to north-east, and is thence drain- 
 ed on both sides by the tributary streams of the Susquehanna. 
 Discharging the waters of the west branch to the north-west, 
 and those of the Juniata and Bald Eagle rivers to the south- 
 east ; the Allegany reaches the west branch of Susquehanna 
 at the mouth of Bald Eagle river. 
 
 Here, once more, the defect of our maps are strikingly ap- 
 parent. Lycoming county is delineated as if no mountain 
 chains traversed its surface. This is not the fact, though too 
 little is known of that part of Pennsylvania, to admit a clas- 
 sification of its mountains. If I was to hazard a conjecture, 
 I should make the chain which crosses the Susquehanna in 
 Bradford county, near to, and below Towanda, the continua- 
 tion of the Allegany. It may be remarked, that it is only in 
 a few places east of, and those immediately in its spurs, that 
 bituminous coal has been hitherto discovered in Pennsylvania 
 on the Atlantic slope ; whilst this mineral abounds north-west 
 from the Allegany chain. This locality of bituminous coal 
 
 Vol. I.— C No. 1. 
 
18 Geographical Vieru of Pennsylvania. [Sept, 
 
 prevails across the whole state, and is found from near Tow- 
 anda, in Pennsylvania, into Maryland.* 
 
 How far, and to what extent, the bituminous coal forma- 
 tion, spreads into Virginia, I am unable to determine. The 
 Allegany chain may, in the existing state of our mineralogi- 
 cal knowledge, be viewed as the limit between the two species 
 of coal in Pennsylvania. 
 
 Whatever may be the elevation of its summit, the base of 
 the Allegany chain, between Bedford, and Somerset, and Cam- 
 bria counties, constitutes the height of land between the Ohio 
 river and Atlantic tides ; and forms also, a similar demarca- 
 tion in Maryland. This circumstance is entitled to our serious 
 notice, from this region being the intended route of the Che- 
 sapeake and Ohio canal. The summit level, or Cumberland 
 1-oad, as given by Mr. Schriver, is 2825 feet. 
 
 As a mountain chain, the Allegany yields in grandeur of 
 scenery, and in elevation above its base, to not only the Broad 
 mountain, but to many other chains of the Appalachian sys- 
 tem. 
 
 - Chesnut Ridge is the next chain west of the Allegany ; the 
 two chains extending nearly parallel, and about twenty miles 
 asunder. Though comparatively humble in respect to eleva- 
 tion, Chesnut Ridge is one of the most extended chains of the 
 system to which it appertains ; reaching by various local 
 names over Virginia, into Tennessee, and most probably into 
 Alabama. As placed on our maps, Chesnut Ridge enters 
 Pennsylvania at the north-west angle of Maryland, and rang- 
 ing a little east of north, forms the boundary between Union 
 and Somerset ; thence between Westmoreland and Somerset, 
 and finally between the north-east angle of Westmoreland and 
 the south-west of Cambria county. At the extreme north- 
 east angle of Westmoreland, the Chesnut Ridge reaches the 
 Kiskiminitas river ; and as delineated, its termination. So 
 far from being so in nature, this chain preserves its identity 
 through the state farther north than any other chain of the 
 Appalachian system. 
 
 Laurel Hill is the last chain of the system in Pennsylvania. 
 What has been already observed respecting the comparatively 
 depressed chains nearest the Atlantic ocean, may be repeated 
 
 * In June 1823, I visited Towanda, and was thei'e informed, that bitumi- 
 nous coal of the best quality, and in great quantity, had been discovered in 
 the mountain valleys south-west from that place. In September and October, 
 of the same year, I travelled over Allegany county, in Maryland, and found 
 bituminous coal of very superior quality, in common use in the vicinity of the 
 Allegany ridge. It is first seen near Frostburg, eleven miles from Cumber- 
 land ; it, however, abounds in the vicinity. Some of the strata I examined^ 
 and found thera about an average of five feet, and in secondai'y formation. 
 
1S24.] Geographical View of Pennsylvania. 19 
 
 respecting the Chesnut Ridge, and the Laurel Hill ; that, 
 though not very elevated, they nevertheless exist as well 
 defined mountain chains. The latter is a very extended branch 
 of the system, reaching from the northern part of Pennsylva- 
 nia into Alabama. This chain traverses Virginia by various 
 names ; separates Vii'ginia from Kentucky as Cumberland 
 mountain ; traverses Tennessee, and penetrates Alabama under 
 the latter term ; and interrupted by Tennessee river, it forms 
 the Muscle Shoals, and is imperceptibly merged into the cen- 
 tral hills of Alabama. Like many others, this very lengthen- 
 ed chain is delineated defectively in every map of Penn- 
 sylvania I have seen. Similar to Chesnut Ridge, Laurel Hill 
 is terminated, on our maps, near the Kiskiminitas, though in 
 reality extending to near the south boundary of New- York. 
 
 In addition to the great chains we have been surveying, 
 many of minor importance might be noted ; but we have 
 deemed a view of the most striking parts sufficient. 
 
 If engrouped into one view, the mountains of Pennsylva- 
 nia exhibit many very interesting points of observation. The 
 Appalachian system is here upwards of one hundred and fifty 
 miles wide. The particular chains do not average more than 
 three miles, if so much, in breadth. 
 
 Before proceeding farther in our review, I may be permit- 
 ted to observe, that mountains are considered as the superla- 
 tive of hills. In not only Pennsylvania, but in the Appala- 
 chian system generally, hills and mountains are not only spe- 
 cifically, but generically distinct features of nature. If this 
 was not the case, the slope would, in most cases, gradually 
 rise from the mouths to the sources of rivers, and no regular 
 ranges of elevated ground could be found crossing the streams 
 obliquely. According to common opinion, the mountains of 
 the United States form the dividing ridge between the waters 
 of the Atlantic slope, and those of the Mississippi and St. 
 Lawrence basins. So far, however, are the mountains from 
 constituting the separating line of the waters, that the real di- 
 viding ridge, if it can be so called, crosses the mountains dia- 
 gonally.* 
 
 The Appalachian system is formed, as we have seen, by a 
 number of collateral chains, lying nearly parallel ; each chain 
 is again formed by ridges, which interlocking, or interrupted 
 by rivers, extend generally in a similar direction with the 
 chain to which they particularly appertain. The chains diiFer 
 materially from each other in elevation and in continuity. In 
 some of the chains, at each side of the system, the parts are 
 
 * See the maps. 
 
20 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. [Sept. 
 
 of very unequal height above their bases, and of tide water. 
 The South-east mountain and Blue Ridge are prominent ex- 
 amples.* 
 
 The attendant map, coloured to exhibit the formations geo- 
 logically, will save much verbal description, and paint to the 
 eye the structure of Pennsylvania. By a reference to the 
 geological map, it will be seen that the rock formations obey 
 neither the mountain system nor river valleys. 
 
 In the correct solution of anjr question arising out of the 
 advance or distribution of population, the determination of 
 the real surface covered with mountains, would afford extreme- 
 ly satisfactory element. As far as my own personal observa- 
 tion, and the present state of our geographical knowledge af- 
 ford data, I have estimated the extent of mountain base in 
 Pennsylvania; and on the best maps, carefully measuring 
 every chain, the entire length produced, amounts to a small 
 excess above 2250 miles. If the latter sum is, however, taken, 
 and three miles allowed for the mean breadth of the chains, 
 the mountain area will be 6750 square miles, or very nearly 
 one-seventh part of the superficies of the state. 
 
 Before examining the formations, the component soils and 
 rocks, we proceed to view the river valleys of Pennsylvania. 
 The state is drained by the Delaware, Susquehanna, Ohio, 
 Potomac, and Genessee rivers, and at the extreme north-west 
 angle by lake Erie. 
 
 The respective river basins, or rather the sections included 
 in Pennsylvania, are of very unequal extent. Delaware, Sus- 
 quehanna, and Ohio, include an immense proportion of the 
 whole state, and subdivide it naturally into the eastern, mid- 
 dle, and western river sections. 
 
 The following tables give the respective area of each, and 
 also the smaller sections of Potomac, Gennessee, and Erie. 
 
 Delaware river drains the counties of 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sqi 
 
 lare Miles. 
 
 Acres. 
 
 Berks, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 
 950 
 
 608,000 
 
 Bucks, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 
 640 
 
 409,600 
 
 Chester -1, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 
 550 
 
 352,000 
 
 Delaware, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 . 
 
 
 180 
 
 115,200 
 
 Lebanon I, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 . 
 
 
 40 
 
 25,600 
 
 Lehigh, 
 
 - 
 
 . 
 
 - 
 
 
 360 
 
 230,400 
 
 Luzerne, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 
 180 
 
 115,200 
 
 Montgomery, 
 
 lount carried over, 
 
 
 450 
 3350 
 
 288,000 
 
 ,4n 
 
 2,144,000 
 
 
 * See 
 
 page 
 
 12- 
 
 15. 
 
 
 
1824] 
 
 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. 
 
 21 
 
 Amount brought forward, 
 Northampton, - - - 
 
 Philadelphia, - - - 
 
 Pike, . . - - 
 
 Schuylkill |, ... 
 
 Wayne, _ . - - 
 
 Susquehanna drains 
 
 Adams f » - - - 
 
 Bedford 3, . . . 
 
 Bradford, - - - 
 
 Cambria f > - 
 
 Centre, . - - 
 
 Chester ■!» - - 
 
 Clearfield ^®q, 
 
 Columbia, 
 
 Cumberland, 
 
 Dauphin, - - - 
 
 Franklin |j - - 
 
 Huntingdon, 
 
 Indiana ^Vj - - - 
 
 Lebanon ■g'l - - - 
 
 Luzerne -j^, 
 
 Lycoming, - - - 
 
 M^Kean^, - 
 
 Mifflin, 
 
 Northumberland, 
 
 Perry, . - - 
 
 Potter |, - - - 
 
 Schuylkill -f, 
 
 Susquehanna, 
 
 Tioga, 
 
 Union, . - - 
 
 York, - - - - 
 
 Gennssee drains \ of Potter, 
 
 Potomac drains 
 
 Adams |> - - 
 
 Bedford |, - 
 
 Franklin |» - 
 Somerset ^, 
 
 Square Miles. 
 3350 
 1100 
 
 120 
 
 850 
 
 500 
 
 790 
 
 Acres. 
 
 2,144,000 
 
 704,000 
 
 76,800 
 544,000 
 320,000 
 505,600 
 
 6710 
 
 4,294,400 
 
 he counties of 
 
 
 350 
 
 224,000 
 
 1000 
 
 640,000 
 
 1260 
 
 806,400 
 
 330 
 
 211,200 
 
 1460 
 
 934,400 
 
 180 
 
 111,200 
 
 1450 
 
 928,000 
 
 630 
 
 403,200 
 
 630 
 
 403,200 
 
 550 
 
 352,000 
 
 280 
 
 179,200 
 
 1280 
 
 819,200 
 
 80 
 
 51,200 
 
 280 
 
 179,200 
 
 1920 
 
 1,228,800 
 
 2510 
 
 1,606,400 
 
 380 
 
 243,200 
 
 910 
 
 582,400 
 
 500 
 
 320,000 
 
 550 
 
 352,000 
 
 750 
 
 480,000 
 
 300 
 
 192,000 
 
 910 
 
 582,400 
 
 1180 
 
 755,200 
 
 600 
 
 384,000 
 
 1120 
 
 716,800 
 
 21,390 
 
 13,685,600 
 
 ', - 1 50 
 
 96,000 
 
 220 
 
 140,800 
 
 630 
 
 403,200 
 
 560 
 
 358,400 
 
 180 
 
 115,200 
 
 1590 
 
 1,017,600 
 
22 
 
 -Geographical View of Pennsylvania. 
 
 Square Miles. 
 Lake Erie drains | of Erie county, 380 
 
 [Sept. 
 
 Acres. 
 
 243,200 
 
 Ohio river 
 
 drains the counties 
 
 of 
 
 
 Allegany, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 _ 
 
 810 
 
 518,400 
 
 Armstrong, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 1010 
 
 646,400 
 
 Beaver, 
 
 ' 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 690 
 
 441,600 
 
 Butler, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 850 
 
 544,000 
 
 Cambria |, - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 800 
 
 512,000 
 
 Clearfield -j'^. 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 160 
 
 102,400 
 
 Crawford, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 1040 
 
 665,600 
 
 Erie 1, 
 
 - ■ 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 380 
 
 243,200 
 
 Fayette, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 900 
 
 576,000 
 
 Greene, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 640 
 
 409,600 
 
 Indiana -j^, - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 680 
 
 435,200 
 
 Jefferson, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 1280 
 
 819,200 
 
 M^Kean |, - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 1140 
 
 729,600 
 
 Mercer, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 880 
 
 563,200 
 
 Potter 1, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 520 
 
 204,800 
 
 Somerset -y, 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
 - 
 
 800 
 
 512,000 
 
 Venango, 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
 - 
 
 1200 
 
 768,000 
 
 Warren, 
 
 - 
 
 . 
 
 - 
 
 900 
 
 576,000 
 
 Washington, 
 
 - 
 
 . 
 
 - 
 
 900 
 
 576,000 
 
 Westmoreland, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 ' 
 
 1180 
 
 755,200 
 
 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 16,760 
 
 10,598,400 
 
 
 
 
 Delaware drains, 
 
 
 _ 
 
 . 
 
 6,710 
 
 4,294,400 
 
 Susquehanna, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 21,390 
 
 13,685,600 
 
 Gennessee, - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 150 
 
 96,000 
 
 Potomac, 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 1,590 
 
 1,017,600 
 
 Ohio, - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 16,760 
 
 10,598,400 
 
 Lake Erie,* 
 
 
 
 
 380 
 
 243,200 
 
 
 46,980 
 
 29,935,200 
 
 Without reference to the comparatively minor river sections 
 of Potomac, Genessee, and Erie, the surface of Pennsylvania 
 is subdivided into three river valleys, Delaware, Susquehanna, 
 
 * This aggregate still falls short of the real area of Pennsylvania, though 
 considerable allowance is made for the superficies of the southern and cen- 
 tral irregular counties. The estimates are made in round numbers, therefore 
 the fractions do not, in many cases, exactly agree with each other. 
 
1824.] Geographical View of Pen7isylvania. 23 
 
 and Ohio. The respective area is rendered sensible to the 
 eye by the maps prefixed to this number. 
 
 The range of the rivers of Pennsylvania is one of the most 
 interesting subjects in all physical geography. It may be as- 
 sumed as a general principle, that the mountain streams par- 
 ticularly, either flow north-east or south-west, along the moun- 
 tain valleys, or directly at right angles to that course, through 
 the mountain chains. The conformity of the river courses to 
 that of the mountains, is in a striking manner obvious in the 
 Delaware and Susquehanna. 
 
 The Delaware rises by two branches in the western spurs 
 of the Catsbergs. The Cookquago to the north-west, and the 
 Popachton to the south-east, flow from their sources south- 
 west, about fifty miles, draining Delaware county in New- 
 York. Reaching within about five miles from the north-east 
 angle of Pennsylvania, the Cookquago turns to south-east, 
 and continuing that course five or six miles, receives the Po- 
 pachton. The united streams maintain a south-east course, 
 fifty miles, to the mouth of the Nevisink, and northern extre- 
 mity of New-Jersey. The Delaware here touches, and vT-ashes 
 the north-west foot of the Kittatinny chain, along which it 
 turns to the south-west, thirty-five miles, to the mouth of 
 Broadhead's creek, from Pike and Northampton counties. 
 Winding to the south, the Delaware, below the entrance of 
 Broadhead's creek, breaks through the Kittatinny, and enters 
 the fine valley between that chain and the Blue Ridge. At the 
 north-west base of the latter, at Easton, the river again forms 
 a mountain pass, and five miles farther down, another through 
 the South-east mountain. At the south-east base of the lat- 
 ter chain, this river once more assumes a south-east course 
 after having meandered through the Kittatinny valley about 
 thirty miles. 
 
 At Trenton, thirty-five^ miles below the South-east moun- 
 tain, the Delaware passes the primitive ledge, and meets the 
 tide ; and five miles below, near Bristol and Bordentown, 
 again turns to south-west. Passing along or near the primi- 
 tive rock, this now widening stream continues about forty 
 miles, receiving near Philadelphia, the Schuylkill from the 
 north-west. Forming its last great bend, five or six miles be» 
 low Newcastle, the bay of Delaware opens into the Atlantic 
 ocean in a south-east direction. 
 
 The entire length of the Delaware is, by comparative courses, 
 from the Catsbergs to the Atlantic ocean, three hundred and 
 ten miles, not quite one half being tide water. Though roll- 
 ing over numerous rapids, no cataracts, in the proper mean- 
 ing of the term, interrupt the navigation of the Delaware,, 
 
24 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. [Sept. 
 
 which at times of moderately high water, reach, by both con- 
 stituent branches, into New- York. The general course is, 
 with a trifling deviation, to the west, south, and north ; the 
 sources of the Cookquago and Popachton, being yery nearly in 
 similar longitude with Cape May. When viewed on a map, 
 the various sections of this river have the appearance of hav- 
 ing been arranged artificially : the two lower bends strongly 
 proving the geological influence of the mountain system.* 
 Though but little elevated above the ordinary surface of the 
 country through which it passes, the great primitive ledge 
 pursues a direction remarkably similar to that of the Appala- 
 chian chains. From Bristol to its terminating bend below New- 
 castle, the Delaware river flows down the south-east margin 
 of the primitive, separating the sandy shores of New-Jersey 
 from the micaceous soil of Pennsylvania and Delaware. 
 
 Like every other primary stream of the Atlantic slope, the 
 navigation of the Delaware is less facile than in the early 
 stage of settlement,! but admits vessels of considerable draft 
 to the foot of its lowest rapid ; and ships of the largest class 
 to near the mouth of the Schuylkill. 
 
 Similar to the Susquehanna and the Potomac, the Delaware 
 receives nearly all its large tributary streams from the north- 
 west. Of these confluents only two, the Lehigh and Schuyl- 
 kill, are of considerable magnitude. 
 
 From the position of their valleys as channels of intercom- 
 munication, and from the mineral treasures found along their 
 mountain sources, the Schuylkill and Lehigh have already be- 
 come of great importance. The Lehigh rises by various 
 mountain branches in Northampton, Pike, Wayne, and Lu- 
 zerne counties ; uniting below Stoddartsville, and forming a 
 small hut precipitous river current, which pouring first to the 
 south-west, gradually turns south, and south-east passes 
 Mauchchunk village, and winding between mountain masses, 
 finally breaks through the Kittatinny, and continuing to the 
 south-east meets the north-west base of the Blue Ridge at Al- 
 lentown. Jiere it turns to the north-east along the base of 
 the latter chain, and passing Bethlehem joins the Delaware at 
 Easton. The Lehigh is truly a mountain torrent ; there is 
 
 * See page 12. 
 
 •j- No adequate attention, in the United States, has yet been paid to this 
 veiy serious fact. It is well attested by historical record, that agriculture, 
 by opening the soil to the action of rains and consequent floods, must annu- 
 ally increase the impediments to navigation in tide water rivers. The incre- 
 ment of alluvial deposit, is always first and most sensibly felt, ^t the point of 
 admixture between the down stream and ocean tide. The means of obviat- 
 ing this evil must, in the lapse of no great time, become a prominent subject 
 of statistical inquiry. 
 
1824.] Geographical Vietv of Pennsylvania, 25 
 
 no other stream of equal length in the United States which 
 presents so great difference of level between the points of 
 source and discharge. 
 
 In a conoparative course, it is about twenty-five miles from 
 Stoddartsville to Mauch Chunk, and the fall in the intermediate 
 distance 845 feet. Ten miles in a direct line below Mauch 
 Chunk, the Lehigh passes the Kittatinny, and falls 245 feet in 
 that short space. From the Lehigh Water Gap, or passage 
 through the Kittatinny, to its junction with the Delaware^ it 
 falls 205 feet, in a comparative course of thirty-five miles. 
 The entire fall from Stoddartsville to Easton, 1210 feet ; com- 
 parative course seventy miles. From the junction of its con- 
 stituent branches below Stoddartsville to its extreme source, 
 about fifteen or twenty miles, giving an entire comparative 
 length to the Lehigh, of near 100 miles. The fall above Stod- 
 dartsville, probably amounts to 500 feet ; and if so, this rapid 
 river falls upwards of 1700 feet in 100 miles ; and what may 
 be considered in a peculiar manner remarkable, no actual ca- 
 taract worthy notice, exists in all its course. Above the Water 
 Gap, the bed of the Lehigh lies at the base of steep or preci- 
 pitous mountains, rising in most places from the margin of the 
 stream. The scenery is in a peculiar manner wild, bold, pic- 
 turesque, and romantic. Below the Kittatinny, the features 
 of nature are less grand along the banks, but still follow, in a 
 rich succession of strongly contrasted and elegant landscape. 
 The varied character of its shores is preserved to its final 
 egress into its recipient at Easton, and at all future time this 
 river will afford an ample reward to the traveller. 
 
 The Lehigh is now rendered navigable by dams, and fall- 
 ing locks for some distance above Mauch Chunk.* This 
 very useful and arduous work has been effected by the Le- 
 high Coal and Navigation Company, under the direction of 
 Messrs. White and Hazard, the superintending engineers. The 
 discovery of Anthracite coal, made in the vicinity, led to the 
 improvement of the river navigation. By reference to the 
 maps, it will be seen, that the coal strata between the Lehigh 
 and Schuylkill, are in the transition or inclined region of rocks. 
 It may be observed that rivers flowing over transition rocks, 
 are, in most instances, very much impeded by rapids, but very 
 seldom have perpendicular falls. Real cataracts almost uni- 
 formly exist in secondary formation. 
 
 The Schuylkill rises in and drains about the five-eighths of 
 Schuylkill county. Formed by two branches, which unite im- 
 
 * A detailed description of this navigation will be given in a future num- 
 ber of the Repository. 
 
 Vol. I.—D No. t. 
 
26 Geographical View of Pennsylvania, [Seft. 
 
 mediately above and pass through the Kittatinny mountain 
 seven miles south-east from Orvvicksburg. Below the Water 
 Gap, or passage through the Kittatinny, the Schuylkill turns 
 to nearly south, in which direction it continues through the 
 Blue Ridge at Reading, after having received Maiden creek 
 from the north- east, and the Tulpehocken above that town, from 
 the north-west. Below the Blue Ridge this river again winds 
 to south-east, passes the South-east mountain above Potts- 
 town, and receiving the Perkiomen and some lesser creeks 
 from the north, crosses the primitive ledge above, and joins 
 the Delaware below Philadelphia. 
 
 The entire length of the Schuylkill, by comparative courses, 
 is about one hundred miles, twenty above and eighty below 
 the Kittatinny mountains. 
 
 A strong resemblance is perceivable between the Schuylkill 
 and the Lehigh, though the scenery along the former is less 
 rugged than that which skirts the latter stream. Flowing 
 from the same mountain valley, the soil and mineral produc- 
 tions are in a great measure similar on the two rivers. The 
 subject will be more amply noticed in a subsequent part of 
 the Repository ; but I may here observe, that in the distribu- 
 tion of the Anthracite coal, very great diversity exists be- 
 tween the situation of the mass on the Mauch Chunk moun- 
 tain, and any other with which I have been made acquainted, 
 in either the basins of Delaware or Susquehanna. That on 
 the Mauch Chunk lies in an immense body on the ridge of 
 the mountain, with little of any inclination to the horizon, and 
 with a very thin stratum of incumbent earth. The mines on 
 the Schuylkill, and those near Wilkes-Barre, dip like the other 
 accompanying incumbent and decumbent strata. 
 
 The Schuylkill is now navigable by canals and locks to 
 Reading, and will soon be so to the coal mines, ten miles 
 above Orwicksburg. The Union Canal Company is employed 
 also in completing a connection between the Susquehanna and 
 Schuylkill, by the Swatara and Tulpehocken valleys. 
 
 The Susquehanna, in many other respects remarkable, is 
 peculiarly so as rising on the central secondary formation, and 
 piercing the mountains obliquely, and reaching the Atlantic 
 tides, after having passed all the intermediate formations. This 
 immense stream enters Pennsylvania by two great branches, 
 the Susquehanna proper, and the Chemung or Tioga. I have 
 often had occasion to observe, that every river had its own in- 
 dividual physiognomy. This observation applies, in a very 
 striking manner, to the Susquehanna. The general bends of 
 the latter stream conform, in an astonishing degree, to those 
 of the Delaware ; and a comparative view on a map must con- 
 
1824.J Geographical View of Pennsylvania. 27 
 
 vince every mind that some general structure of the country- 
 through which they flow, must have modified and directed the 
 respective courses of those two rivers.. Below their junction 
 at Tioga Point, the united streams of the Susquehanna and 
 Chemung flow a little south of east, fifteen miles, to the foot 
 of the Appalachian system, below Towanda. Leaving the 
 secondary, and entering on the transition, the now considera- 
 ble stream turns to south-east, and following that general 
 course fifty miles, breaks through several chains, and finally 
 at the mouth of. the LackaM-^annock, nine miles above Wilkes- 
 Barre, enters the Wyoming valley, and turns to south-west; 
 continuing the latter course near seventy miles down the 
 mountain valleys to Northumberland and Sunbury, and to the 
 mouth of the West branch. In the entire distance from Tioga 
 Point to Sunbury, the Susquehanna receives no tributary 
 stream of forty miles direct length ; the Towanda, Wyalus- 
 singyTunkhannock, Lackawannock, Fishing Creek, and some 
 lesser branches, are mere mountain creeks, rapid, but not more 
 than from twenty- five to fifty-five miles general course. 
 
 Including all its higher north-east branches, the Susque- 
 hanna is peculiar in the structure of its valleys. Wide bot- 
 toms of two, and sometimes three stages, spread along the 
 convex side of the bends, whilst mountains of more or less 
 elevation, rise on both sides of these spreading vales. Exu- 
 berant fertility is, at a single step, followed by rocky and ste- 
 rile steeps. The natural timber of the bottoms in a great mea- 
 sure different from that on the mountains. In the former, sugar- 
 maple, black walnut, elm, beech, and others trees indicative of 
 a productive soil abound ; on the slopes of the mountains, 
 pine, oak, and chesnut, and above the Lawahannock, hem- 
 lock, are the prevalent timber trees. As a navigable stream, 
 the Susquehanna is vnuch less interrupted by rapids or dan- 
 gerous shoals, than from the tortuous course it pursues through 
 an extensive mountain system could be expected. It is also 
 remarkable, that where the various branches of this river pass 
 the respective chains, rapids seldom, and perpendicular falls, 
 no where exist. 
 
 The Western branch is, in all its extent, a river of Pennsyl- 
 vania. Rising far within the secondary formation, its extreme 
 western source in Indiana, reaches within less than thirty-five 
 miles from the Allegany river, at Kittanning. Flowing north- 
 east about seventy miles across Clearfield, it receives the Sin- 
 namahoning from the north-west in the south-west angle of 
 Lycoming county. Below its junction with the Sinnamahon- 
 ing, the West branch continues north-east fifteen miles, and 
 thence to south-east twenty miles, to the mouth of Bald Eagle 
 
28 Geographical Viezu of Fennnylvania. [Sept, 
 
 creek from Centre county. Below Bald Eagle, the course is 
 a little north of east, thirty-five miles, to Pennsborough, re- 
 ceiving in the intermediate distance, from the north, Pine 
 creek, Lycoming, and Loyalsock. From Pennsborough the 
 course is nearly south, twenty-five miles, to the mouth of the 
 North-east branch, and thirty-five from thence to that 
 of the Juniata. It may be observed that this long southern 
 reach of the Susquehanna has its counterpart in the Delaware. 
 About eight miles below the entrance of Juniata, the Susque- 
 hanna, having again assumed a south-eastern course, passes 
 the Kittatinny mountains ; and ten miles below that chain, the 
 Blue Ridge. Maintaining the latter course sixty miles below 
 the Blue Ridge, this great river is lost in the tides of Chesa- 
 peake bay.* 
 
 Juniata, the south-west branch of Susquehanna, rises in and 
 drains the northern part of Bedford county. The sources of 
 the Juniata are in the eastern slopes of the Allegany chain ; 
 and flowing twenty miles nearly east, passes Bedford, and 
 breaking through several mountain chains, turns abruptly to a 
 course a little east of north, forty miles, receives the Franks- 
 town branch below and near the borough of Huntingdon, in 
 Huntingdon county. The general course of Frankstown 
 branch is from the north-west to south-east, and below their 
 junction, the united streams follow that course fifteen miles, 
 breaking through Jack's mountain. Again inflected to north- 
 east, the Juniata leaves Huntingdon and enters Mifflin county, 
 and pursuing that direction near thirty miles, passes Lewis- 
 town, and again winding to south-east, breaks through Shade 
 mountain into Tuscarora valley. Crossing that valley, in a 
 course of ten miles, reaches the north-west base of Tuscarora 
 mountain, down which it flows about ten miles, where, near 
 Millerstown, it pierces the latter mountain, and once more 
 turning to south-east, enters on Perry county, over which it 
 flows fifteen miles, where it finally mingles with the Susque- 
 hanna. 
 
 Like every other branch of the Susquehanna, the Juniata 
 is as remarkable for its rapids as for its exemption from per- 
 pendicular fails. Though originating in, and having its entire 
 course amongst craggy mountains, it is navigable, at high 
 water, to near Bedford. In speculative opinions on the means, 
 
 * It was an observation of the late Mr. Latrobe, that Chesapeake Bay itself 
 was only the continuation of the Susquehanna, below the head of tide water. 
 If this geographical, or rather h)'drographical principle is correct, then the 
 Patapsco, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and .Tames Rivers, are 
 confluents of the Susquehanna, whicli, with such extension, would constitute 
 the largest river of the world in proportion to length of course. 
 
1824.] Geographical View of Pennsylvania. 29 
 
 and most suitable route, to form a water communication be- 
 tween the Chesapeake basin and the valley of Ohio, the Ju- 
 niata has been conspicuously held in view. In such investi- 
 gations, relative height above the ocean is a most important 
 element. Ttie close of this article will shew the general dif- 
 ference of level between the sources and mouths of the Penn- 
 sylvania rivers, as far as they have been ascertained with any 
 adequate precision. 
 
 Potomac, though drawing but a very trivial part of its wa- 
 ters from Pennsylvania, demands attention in this sketch, 
 from the probability that its channel may be chosen by the 
 general government, as a canal route between the Atlantic 
 slope and Ohio valley. The Potomac is a real mountain river, 
 deriving its sources from nearly the highest table land of the 
 Appalachian system. The extreme western fountain of the 
 north branch of Potomac, is in the south-east slopes of the 
 Allegany or Backbone chain, N. Lat. 39° 10'. Flowing north- 
 east along the foot of Allegany to the mouth of Savage creek, 
 or rather river, thirty-five miles, the Potomac turns to south- 
 east through Will's mountain into Cumberland valley, which 
 it crosses about ten miles, where it is again turned to north-east 
 by another lateral chain. Continuing north-east twenty miles, 
 reaches the town of Cumberland. At the latter place occurs 
 another abrupt bend, through a mountain pass, into the South 
 Branch valley. The latter stream is of much greater magni- 
 tude than that of the Potomac proper. Rising by numerous 
 creeks in Pendleton county, Virginia, as far south as N. Lat. 
 38° 20'. In a general comparative course of one hundred 
 miles, the South branch becomes a fine navigable river. Be- 
 low the mouth of the South branch, the Potomac gradually re- 
 assumes a north-east direction, which it preserves, about thirty 
 miles, to Hancock's town, where it turns to south-east, and 
 pierces Sideling hill chain, and in a few miles lower down the 
 Kittatinny, entering the Great Conococheague valley. From 
 Hancock's town to the entrance of Conococheague creek, the 
 course of the Potomac is a little south of east twenty-five 
 miles. Below the latter creek, the river inclines to south-east 
 by south, twenty-five miles, to the north-west base of the Blue 
 Ridge, and mouth of Shenandoah. 
 
 Rising in, and draining Augusta county, in Virginia, the 
 South branch of Shenandoah rises below N, Lat. 38°. Aug- 
 mented by innumerable mountain streams, it flows from Au- 
 gusta, over Rockingham and Shenandoah, into Frederick 
 county, where joined by the North branch, and continuing a 
 general course of north-east, over Frederick and JelFerson 
 counties, unites with the Potomac at Harper's ferry, after a 
 
30 Geographical View of Pennsylvania. [Sept, 
 
 comparative course of about one hundred and fifty miles. At 
 their junction, the volume of the Shenandoah yields very lit- 
 tle in magnitude to that of the Potomac. The united waters 
 immediately break through the Blue Ridge, and continuing 
 South-east about fifty miles, mingles vi^ith the Chesapeake tides 
 at Georgetown, within the District of Columbia. The gene- 
 ral comparative course of the Potomac above tide water, is, 
 by the south branch, about two hundred, by the Potomac pro- 
 per, one hundred and fifty, and by the Shenandoah one hun- 
 dred and sixty miles. "* 
 
 Like those of the Delaware and Susquehanna, the great 
 confluents of the Potomac are from the right bank. Savage 
 river and Will's creek, from Allegany ; Conococheague, from 
 Washington ; and Monocacy from Frederick county in Ma- 
 ryland, are comparatively trivial, when compared with the 
 branches of Potomac derived from Virginia. 
 
 At Cumberland, Potomac reaches within five, and at Han- 
 cock's town, within two miles of the south boundary of Penn- 
 sylvania. The extent of the Potomac valley included, in that 
 state, is given in the table, page 22. 
 
 Leaving the Atlantic slope, and viewing a general map of 
 the United States, we at once perceive a great river valley, 
 stretching from Pocahontas county, Virginia, over western 
 Pennsylvania, into New- York. This valley extends nearly 
 due north and south, at an angle of about forty-five degrees, 
 to the range of the Appalachian mountains, and reaches from 
 N. Lat. 38° 30', to N. Lat. 42' 20'. The extremes giving 
 source to two rivers ; that of the north to the Allegany, and 
 that of the sovith to the Monongahela. These two streams 
 flowing directly towards each other, meet at Pittsburg, very 
 nearly at the middle point of the valley. Their united water 
 taking the name of Ohio, turns to the west, or rather north-west, 
 as far as the entrance of Big Beaver river. With a very par- 
 tial exception, western Pennsylvania is drained by the Alle- 
 gany and Monongahela. 
 
 Though the lower part of its course is but little inclined 
 west of south, the general bends of the Allegany conform, in 
 a very striking manner, to the structure of the Delaware, Sus- 
 quehanna, and Potomac, and gives another conclusive proof 
 of the extension of the Appalachian system far beyond where 
 it protrudes elevated mountain chains. Having its source in 
 Potter county, in Pennsylvania, and interlocking with the 
 head branches of the Susquehanna and Genessee, the Allegany 
 
 * These courses are comparative, and fall, in general result, nearly one- 
 half short of that by the particular bends. 
 
1824.] Geographical Viexv of Pennsylvania. 32 
 
 flows north-west about fifty miles, into Cataraugus county. 
 New- York. Abruptly turning to south-west, and preserving 
 that general course nearly one hundred miles, and receiving 
 French creek from the north-west, it thence bends to south- 
 east forty miles, to the mouth of the Mahoning. About the 
 middle of the latter course. Clarion river and Red Bank 
 creek, two large branches, enter from the north-east. From 
 Mahoning to Pittsburg, the general course is again south-west 
 about fifty miles. 
 
 Kiskiminitas, a very considerable accessory stream of the 
 Allegany river, rises in the mountain valley between the Alle- 
 gany and Chesnut Ridge chains, and flowing north-west, 
 breaks through Chesnut Ridge and Laurel Hill, and after a 
 comparative course of seventy-five miles, unites with the Al- 
 legany, near midway between the mouth of Mahoning and 
 Pittsburg. 
 
 Mahoning and Red Bank creeks, have their sources in Ches- 
 nut Ridge, and with each, a course of about thirty-five miles; 
 the former north-west, and the latter south-west, join the Al- 
 legany in Armstrong county. Clarion river"^ has interlocking 
 sources with those of Sinnemahoning and the Allegany river. 
 The Red Bank rises in the same region with Clarion river and 
 Sinnemahoning; and Mahoning with Red Bank and the west 
 branch of Susquehanna. 
 
 In point of surface drained, Kiskiminitas is the largest con- 
 fluent of the Allegany, and having interlocking sources with 
 those of the west branch of Susquehanna, Juniata, and Yough- 
 iogany, seems to oiFer to the eye the most facile link of in- 
 tercommunication between the valleys of the Ohio and Sus- 
 quehanna, north of the Potomac. 
 
 Allegany river receives but two confluents of moment from 
 the right; those are French and Conewango creeks. The latter 
 rises in Chatauque county. New- York, by three branches, the 
 Chatauque, Casadauga, and Conewango. These unite in New- 
 York, and forming a navigable stream, assumes a south course, 
 enters Warren county, Pennsylvania, and falls into Allegany 
 at the town of Warren, after a comparative course of forty 
 miles. 
 
 French creek has its source in the extreme south-west an- 
 gle of New- York, and increased by numerous branches from 
 Erie and Crawford counties, Pennsylvania, forms a navigable 
 river at Meadville. Flowing to the south-east from Mead- 
 
 * Toby's creek, as formerly designated, I am informed, is known in tlie 
 county it drains, by the name of Clarion river. The change is in every re- 
 spect an improvement, as a stream of more than seventy miles comparative 
 course, cannot with any propriety be called a creek. 
 
32 Geographical Fieiv of Pennsylvania. [Sept. 
 
 vilie, twenty-five miles, French creek is lost in Allegany river, 
 at Franklin, in Venango county. The entire comparative 
 course of French creek is about eighty miles. 
 
 There is no other feature in the hydrography" of the United 
 States more remarkable than the country from which Cha- 
 tauque and French creek have their sources. The extreme 
 north-west waters of the former, flow from within three, and 
 those of the latter from within five miles, of the margin of 
 Lake Erie. This very important fact will be more particu- 
 larly noticed, and its bearing on navigable communication 
 shewn, in the sequel. 
 
 Taken as in a state of nature, the Allegany and its branches 
 are the recipients of the northern part of the great western 
 basin of Pennsylvania, and are but little impeded by falls^ 
 though rapid as to current, from the declivity of their plane 
 of motion. 
 
 The Monongahela, formed by two branches, the Mononga- 
 hela proper, and Cheat river, rising in Pocahontas, Randolph^ 
 Harrison, Lewis, Monongahela, and Preston counties, of Vir- 
 ginia, unite two miles within the south boundary of Pennsyl- 
 vania. The general length, above Pennsylvania, about one 
 hundred miles, in nearly a north course. Preserving the lat- 
 ter direction, sixty miles in Pennsylvania, and receiving the 
 Youghiogany from the south-east, the Monongahela mingles 
 with the Allegany at Pittsburg, and form the Ohio. 
 
 The various branches of the Monongahela, which derive 
 their sources from the western chains of the Appalachian S3's- 
 tem, sim.ilar to the Potomac, claim a more than ordinary share 
 of attention, as presenting the connecting links of a proposed 
 line of canal improvement. Cheat river flows from the north- 
 western slope of Allegany mountain, and draining the eastern 
 part of Randolph county, passes Chesnut Ridge, enters Pres- 
 ton county, and there a navigable stream continues north, to 
 within five miles from the south boundary of Pennsylvania. 
 Turning to the west through Laurel Hill, and thence north- 
 west, crosses the south line of Pennsylvania, and unites with 
 Monongahela. 
 
 Youghiogany rises in the extreme south-western angle of 
 Maryland, between the sources of Potomac and Cheat rivers. 
 Pursuing a northern course over Maryland into Pennsylvania, 
 and augmented by Castleman's river, its northern branch, the 
 Youghiogany, turns to north-west, and breaking through Ches- 
 nut Ridge and Laurel Hill, joins the Monongahela at M'Kees- 
 port, eighteen miles above Pittsburg. This is a fine mountain 
 stream, which in all seasons, except in periods of long drought, 
 contains more than suflicient water for a supply of the most 
 
3824.] Geographical View of Pennsyhania. 33 
 
 capacious canal ; general comparative course, about one hun- 
 dred miles ; thirty in Maryland, and seventy in Pennsylvaniao 
 The Youghiogany heads with the Cheat branch of Mononga» 
 hela, with the north branch of Potomac, and by Castleman's 
 river, with Juniata and Kiskiminitas. Should the Chesapeake 
 and Ohio Canal be seriously undertaken, the channel of the 
 Youghiogany, from relative position, presents the most direct 
 route to unite the waters of the Potomac with those of Mo- 
 nongahela.* 
 
 At Pittsburg, the Ohio is formed, as we have seen, by 
 the confluent waters of Allegany and Monongahela. The 
 former is the principal stream, flowing with a more rapid cur- 
 rent than its rival. From Pittsburg to Beaver river, the Ohio 
 pursues a north-west course twenty-five miles; thence wind- 
 ing to the west twenty miles, in which it leaves Pennsylvania, 
 and enters Ohio. Within the latter state, the Ohio river in- 
 flects to a course a little west of south, seventy miles, reach- 
 ing in that direction, nearly the same latitude with the south 
 boundary of Pennsylvania. The peculiar courses of the Mo- 
 nongahela and Ohio, forms one of the most remarkable inter- 
 mediate peninsulas presented by the topography of the United 
 States. The two streams flow in very nearly opposite direc- 
 tions ; the intervening space from thirtyfive to forty miles 
 wide, and with a mean length of sixty miles. Though hilly 
 rather than mountainous, this peninsula is elevated to from 
 600 to 1000 feet in the dividing line of its waters, above 
 the adjacent rivers. A number of creeks, none of which can 
 exceed a comparative course of twenty-five miles, are pour- 
 ed from the interior spine into the respective recipientSb 
 The dividing ridge, is evidently continued north of Ohio 
 river, broken by that stream a few miles below Pittsburg* 
 The northern extension is continued, inflecting between the 
 western sources of Allegany, and the eastern sources of Big 
 Beaver river, and is finally lost on the south-eastern shores of 
 Lake Erie ; the southern, stretching between the confluents 
 of Ohio and Monongahela rivers, mingles with the Appala- 
 chian chains, between the sources of the latter and Little Ken- 
 hawa. This ridge is the western buttress of the upper basin 
 of Ohio, and affords a very striking example of the real dif- 
 ference between a chain of hills and one of mountains. 
 
 The descent from the rivers to the Western ridge of Penn- 
 sylvania is so gradual, and the hills scattered in such promis* 
 cuous winding, through the sources of the streams, that an 
 ascent of six or seven hundred feet, in a few miles, is imper-* 
 
 * See Sertion in 
 
 Vol. L--t»*F. No. l. 
 
34 Geographical View of Penjisyhania. [Sejtv 
 
 ceptible ; on the contrary, the mountain chains extend in re- 
 gu'ar lines uninfluenced, in their direction, by the water 
 courses, and are abrupt and steep in their declivities. The 
 mountains seem to have existed previous to the rivers, whilst 
 the hills apj)ear to have been formed by ithe abrasion of water. 
 
 Big Beaver, the first river which enters Ohio, pours its cur- 
 rent from the north, and falls into its recipient, twenty-five miles 
 below the confluence of the Allegany and Monongahela. Big 
 Beaver is formed by the Mahoning, Shenango, Neshanock, and 
 Conequenessing creeks. The Shenango rises in Ashtabula 
 county of Ohio, and Crawford of Pennsylvania, within twelve 
 miles from the south-east shore of Lake Erie, interlocking 
 sources with those of Grand river, Coneaut, and French creek, 
 and pursuing a nearly south course over Mercer, receives the 
 Conequenessing from the north-east, and entering Beaver 
 county, unites with the Mahoning, and forms Big Beaver. 
 
 The Mahoning is In reality the main branch ; rising in Co- 
 lumbiana, Stark, Trumbull, and Portage counties, Ohio ; its 
 course is first nearly north, thirty miles, to near Warren in 
 Trumbull. Winding to south-east, it pursues that course 
 thirty-five miles, entering Pennsylvania in the south-west an- 
 gle of Mercer, and joining the Shenango at N. Lat. 41°, about 
 two miles within Beaver county. Below the junction of the 
 Mahoning* and Shenango, Big Beaver flows a little east of 
 south, twenty miles, into Ohio river. Conequenessing is the 
 eastern constituent stream of Beaver, draining the peninsula 
 between the Alleganv, Ohio, Big Beaver, and Shenango rivers. 
 
 The valley ot Big Beaver is nearly circular, and about se- 
 venty miles diameter ; area 3850 square miles. It is worthy 
 of remark, that the general courses are nearly on a direct north- 
 west line ; of the Youghiogany, below the mouth of Castle- 
 man's river, Monongahela and Ohio, from the mouth of Yough- 
 iogany to that of Big Beaver ; and the latter and Mahoning, 
 to about three miles above Warren. This range of navigable 
 water is upwards of one hundred and thirty miles direct, and 
 from one hundred and eighty to two hundred miles, follow- 
 ing the sinuosities of the streams. 
 
 The sources of the Mahoning interlock with those of the 
 Tascarawas branch of Muskingum, and Cayahoga, and Grand 
 river, of Lake Erie.f 
 
 We have thus completed a general delineation of the moun- 
 
 * The confused nomenclature of the rivers and mountains of the United 
 States, strike the geographer at every step. In the inclosed sketch, we have 
 found two vivers Mahoning, within fifty miles of each other. Such repeti- 
 tions are frequent, and produce an oppressive perplesity. 
 
 t See Section III. 
 
1824.] History of Pennsylvania, 35 
 
 tain chains and river valleys of Pennsylvania, and extended 
 our sketches sufficiently, to give the connections with the ad- 
 jacent states. This is only to draft the skeleton of the natu- 
 ral geography of the region under review. It remains to examine 
 the component rocks of the mountain chains ; the formation of 
 the mountains and valleys ; the relative slope and height of 
 the mountains and valleys ; and the facilities afforded to na- 
 tural and artificial transportation by land and water. The 
 geographical section of this number can be only considered 
 as a preface, or introduction to the much more important in- 
 quiry which is to follow in the numbers immediately subse- 
 quent to the present. 
 
 SECTION II. 
 
 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 Circumstances of a peculiar nature and primary interest, 
 are interwoven, not only into the colonial history of Pennsyl- 
 vania, but also into that of the parent state, which produced 
 the existence of sucli a colony. As a colony, it was establish- 
 ed under the influence of, and direct emigration of men insti- 
 gated by motives, in many respects essentially different from 
 those which led to any other English, or indeed any other Eu- 
 ropean colony in America. The primeval character of its 
 founders gave colour and texture to its institutions, and to the 
 social features of societv- Pennsylvania continues to exhibit 
 much of the pristine materials of its structure, admixed with 
 other substances more or less discordant. To catch those in- 
 termingling shades, and to delineate their varieties with truth 
 of design and justice of colouring, is the duty of the histo- 
 rian. I enter upon the execution of the task, with that unde- 
 finable anxiety which all men must feel who engage to per- 
 form an enterprise of such magnitude. 
 
 Long habituated to consider a competent knowledge of our 
 colonial, as indispensable to a due comprehension of our in- 
 dependent history, I first open that of Pennsylvania, by biiefly 
 developing the causes, and tracing the events, which preceded 
 and produced, her political situation and importance, at the 
 epoch of that revolution which eventuated in creating the 
 United States. 
 
 It is also a due consideration of the dependence of the in- 
 dividual colonial history of Pennsylvania upon that of her 
 
36 History of Fennsi/lvania, {Bzrt. 
 
 more ancient sister colonies, that has induced me to preface 
 the latter by a brief sketch of the former. 
 
 The English North American colonies were founded upoK 
 very dissonant principles, and were of three species : 
 
 First, Royal grants, ruled immediately by governors, whose 
 authority emanated from the crown, and who personally re- 
 presented the king. 
 
 Second, Royal proprietary grants, governed in the name of 
 the proprietary. 
 
 Third, Voluntary associations of individuals, who, from the 
 outset of their establishment, were ruled by goi'ernors of their 
 own choice, and who never submitted to royal negative, either 
 direct or indirect. 
 
 The colonies founded under royal grants were, in many re- 
 spects, proconsular ; for although, in every instance, sooner or 
 later, the colony assumed self-legislation, the royal represen- 
 tative retained the power of absolute veto. 
 
 Qf the proprietary royal grants, Maryland and Pennsylva- 
 nia, were very prominent examples. Indeed, in the latter, the 
 extremely complex provisions of its charter, laid the solid 
 fouhdation for that series of perpetually recurring disputes 
 between the proprietary governors and the provincial assem- 
 blies, which distracted the government during the period of 
 its existence as a colony. The vague expressions, also, of 
 both charters, involved the proprietaries, and people of Penn-* 
 sylvania and Maryland, in an embittered contest respecting 
 their mutual limits, which endured upwards of seventy years, 
 and gave birth to rancorous feelings, which have not yet en- 
 tirely subsided. The governor's power of inqualified nega-^ 
 tive, was more frequently used ; particularly in money bills, 
 in Pennsylvania, than in any other English North American 
 colony ; and as will be seen in the sequel, in a great measure 
 nullified the best provisions of the charter. In all the colo- 
 nies, where it could be exercised, the veto of the representa- 
 tives of the crown, contributed more than all other causes, to 
 create and foster amongst the colonists, an inveterate spirit of 
 suspicion and resistance. The English North American co- 
 lonies, although in some respects proconsular, were not, how- 
 ever, provinces formed by assumption or conquest. The ori- 
 ginal adventurers, and more especially, those who removed to 
 America under the authority of a charter, brought with them 
 all the rights of Englishmen. The value of those immuni- 
 ties were known and cherished. The crown of England, and 
 its minions in America, seem to have been constantly insti- 
 gated by a spirit of encroachment. Thus, exertions of power 
 on one hand, and sterp resistance to its advances on the other. 
 
1824.] History of Pennsylvania. Sf 
 
 created the germ of revolution, at the earliest epoch of En- 
 glish settlement on the North American coast. Deriving 
 from the parent country, their language, laws, religious creeds, 
 and their literature, the early settlers in America, and their 
 posterity, were naturally inclined to love and venerate their 
 fellow subjects in Europe, and to view their common govern- 
 ment as the highest effort of human wisdom ; but these con- 
 ciliatory sentiments were stifled, by perpetually recurring acts 
 of aggression on the part of those sent to govern the colonies. 
 
 " Courage, wisdom, integrity, and honour, are not to be 
 measured by the sphere assigned them to act in, but by the 
 trials they undergo, and the vouchers they furnish : and if so 
 manifested, need neither robes or titles to set them off"* 
 
 Upon these principles, no department of civil history de- 
 mands from mankind such profound attention as the Anglo- 
 American colonial. In these early establishments, the an- 
 cient Saxon free institutions were implanted, guarded, and 
 flourished, whilst fading or expiring in Europe. It affords, to 
 a well regulated mind, a cheerful retrospect to scan, the pro- 
 gress of new formed societies, amongst the members of whom 
 the most exalted principles of ethics, jurisprudence, and legis- 
 lation, were not alone preserved, but received a more solid 
 sanction in the hearts of men from contrast, with their retro-, 
 gradation in their pristine seats. 
 
 With such general views of our subject, we enter on a sue-, 
 cinct survey of those English colonies which were planted 
 previous to the date of the charter of Pennsylvania. 
 
 When America was first discovered by Europeans, the peo- 
 ple of that part of the earth, and their rulers, seem to have, 
 with one accord, considered the newly found regions the pro- 
 perty of the first who could disembark on its shores. In a 
 struggle for division of so rich a prize, Spain, Portugal, Eng- 
 land, and France, were the most conspicuous competitors. 
 Expeditions were sent out under the authority of each of these 
 governments. Henry VII. then king of England, sent to 
 America, in May 1497, John Cabot, who, with his son Sebas- 
 tian, discovered, and coasted North America, from New- 
 foundland to the point of Florida. The Cabots were the first 
 individuals recorded in history, who, under the authority of 
 any European government, visited the south-east coasts of 
 North America. There still, however, exists strong evidence, 
 that, as simple fishermen, the Basques, or Bretons, from the 
 north-west part of France, had visited the coasts of Green- 
 
 * Benjamin Franklin's Historical Review of the Constitution and Govern- 
 ment of Pennsylvania, p. 5. 
 
38 History of Pennsylvania, [Sept. 
 
 land and adjacent parts, before any discoveries were made of 
 the same places, by national authority. During the long pe- 
 riod which intervened, from the voyages of the Cabots to the 
 actual colonization by both, the English and French nations 
 seem to have preserved a nearly equal pace in the career of 
 discovery. 
 
 An examination of the intermediate history of England will 
 afford solid reasons why the govei-nment and people of that 
 kingdom did not sooner avail themselves of their claims in 
 North America. Under the Tudors, neither the population 
 or resources of England, were adequate to distant coloniza- 
 tion, or even commercial exertion ; and to physical weakness 
 were superadded political and religious contention. 
 
 The immense treasures in gold and silver procured from 
 America, by the Spaniards, also tended to retard the northern 
 nations of JEurope from forming establishments on the oppos- 
 ing part of the newly discovered continent. Every nation 
 considered America as a seat of mines, and when unable to 
 procure the precious metals, disregarded every other advan- 
 tage. Although slighted nationally, North America attracted 
 the individual attention of many Englishmen, in the early part 
 of the sixteenth century. In 1502, Hugh Elliott and Thomas 
 Ashurst, merchants of Bristol, with some other associates, ob- 
 tained letters patent from Henry VII, with the avoM'^ed inten- 
 tion of colonizing the newly discovered regions. The origi- 
 nal of this patent in Latin, is preserved in Hazard's collections. 
 It was the first English governmental grant respecting any 
 part of America ; but fell useless, no ostensive steps being 
 ever taken to carry its provisions into effect.* 
 
 The French were more attentive to North America, than 
 were the English at this early period ; and the former, much 
 sooner than the latter, perceived the true source of wealth of- 
 fered, by the then, very imperfectly known wilds of the re- 
 cently discovered continent. In 1504, the Breton and Nor- 
 man fishermen, had a regular trade and establishments on 
 Newfoundland, which at that time included the whole coast 
 from Labrador to Florida.f The Bretons and Normans, how- 
 
 * The actual want of population at that tirrt^, in all Europe, but more par- 
 ticularly in the northern parts, opposed an insuperable barrier to coloniza- 
 tion. In 1500, it is rendered probable, from concurrent circumstances, that 
 the English crown did not include, under its subjection, three millions of 
 people. Nautical skill and commercial enterprise were also still more con- 
 tracted, than were the number of inhabitants. The discoverers of North 
 America, under English authority, were Italians ; no English seaman of that 
 age appears to have been competent to the execution of such an enterprise. 
 
 f When the Cabots discovered North America, they gave to the parts they 
 visited, the name of Newfoundland, which it retained until superseded by 
 
1824.] History of Pennsylvania. 39 
 
 ever, only visited the north-east parts, along the coast of the 
 island of Newfoundland and vicinity. 
 
 John Denys, a native of Rouen, sailed, in 1506, from Hon- 
 fleur to the Gulf of Newfoundland, and on his return to France, 
 drew a map of that inland sea, its islands, and adjacent shores. 
 
 Denys was followed, in 1508, by Thomas Aubert, from 
 Dieppe. The latter was the discoverer of the St. Lawrence 
 river, and the country now called Lower Canada. On his re- 
 turn to Europe, Aubert carried with him some of the native 
 savages. 
 
 The Baron of St. I^ery, in 1524, made some abortive at- 
 tempts at colonization in North America. The failure of St. 
 Lery's design, and many other adverse causes, gave a check 
 to French enterprize, and prevented actual colonization on the 
 part of that nation in New France, for upwards of eighty 
 years afterwards. Though without settlements by land, ne- 
 vertheless the French fisheries flourished, and the knowledge 
 of the country by that people, became annually more accurate. 
 
 The events of a voyage made by a Florentine, John Ver- 
 rezzana, in the service of Francis I. king of France, are very 
 imperfectly known. From the scanty records on the subject, 
 it appears, that in 1524, Verrezzana reached the south-east 
 coast of North America, and visited its shores from Florida 
 to Nova Scotia. This discoverer was lost, and with him, in 
 in great part, the notes of his operations. 
 
 Though suspended in their efforts to either colonize or pur- 
 sue their researches in America, the views of the French were 
 constantly directed towards this continent. In 1534, Philip 
 Chabot, admiral of France, represented so strongly to the 
 king, the multiplied advantages which Spain was then deriv- 
 ing from her colonies, that James Cartier of St. Maloes, by 
 royal commission, sailed from that port, April 20th, on a voy- 
 age of discovery, with two small ships and one hundred and 
 twenty men. In his first voyage, Cartier sailed round the 
 
 that of Virginia, imposed by Queen Elizabeth in 1584. At a subsequent pe- 
 riod to the discoveries of the Cabots, the Spaniards discovered the south- 
 west sections of the same coast, and named it Florida. Newfoundland and 
 Florida, therefore included all the coast of North America betvi^een the mouths 
 of the Mississippi and St. Lawrence. The extremes on the Atlantic ocean, 
 still retain their original appellations, whilst the intermediate space has been 
 parcelled, and variously designated. 
 
 It is a real subject of regret, that either Virginia or Florida, had not pre- 
 vailed, and been preserved over the whole Atlantic coast now in the United 
 States. They are both fine sonorous names, and certainly preferable, as ge- 
 neral terms, to the awkward expression United States. Either of the former 
 would have been distinctive; the latter applies vaguely, to any combination 
 of states into oii ■ general confederacy, and always demands circumloGUtion^ 
 to render its partic«ki' application definite. 
 
40 Jtiistwy of Pennsylvania i [SEjpt. 
 
 island of Newfoundland, discovered and named the bay des 
 Cbaleurs, on the continent, and having afterwards reached N* 
 Lat. 51', on the Labrador coast, returned to Europe. 
 
 In his second voyage, 1535, Cartier penetrated the St. Law- 
 rence as high as the island of Hochelaga, now Montreal, and 
 having treacherously seized some of the natives, returned with 
 them to France. Though disgraced by his conduct towards 
 the savages of America, Cartier appears to have been the first 
 individual from the north-west of Europe, who conceived an 
 idea of the true wealth to be derived from the regions he baa 
 explored. He represented, in his report to the king, the great 
 advantages which were offered by the fur trade alone ; how- 
 ever, not having gold and silver mines in his list, no notice 
 was taken of his representations. 
 
 Nearly forty years had elapsed, from the discoveries made 
 by the Cabots, before any serious attempt was made by the 
 English nation to avail itself of the claim. In 1536, a gen- 
 tleman of London, at his own risk, though countenanced by 
 the king, Henry VIII. , undertook a voyage to America. This 
 adventurer, by the name of Hore, was accompanied by one 
 hundred and twenty persons, of whom twenty-five or thirty 
 were men of education and character. Hore's expedition was, 
 in a peculiar manner, unfortunate. After having visited Cape 
 Breton and some other places in the gulf of St, Lawrence, the 
 party were reduced to the utmost extremity of want and 
 wretchedness ; many were literally starved. Falling in with 
 a French fishing vessel, they seized her, and took from her as 
 much provision as enabled the survivors to return to Europe. 
 The facts attending this voyage, it has been observed, prove^ 
 that the English were then utterly ignorant of the inexhausti*^ 
 ble stores of fish to be found in those seas ; and that upwards 
 of thirty years after a regular fishery had been established by 
 the French, that the English had not attempted a participa- 
 tion in that rich source of wealth and subsistence. From the 
 sequel it will be seen, that strong reasons concur to support 
 the conclusion, that the voyage of Hore contributed to turn 
 the immediate attention of the English nation to the American 
 seas. In 1548, the English fisheries had become an object of 
 national legislation. In that year, an act of parliament was 
 passed, to prohibit the exaction, from English fishermen and 
 mariners, going in the service of the fishery at Newfoundland, 
 of money, fish, or other reward^ by any officer of the admi- 
 ralty, under any pretext whatever. This was the first act of 
 the English parliament relative to America.* 
 
 ♦ Hakluyt, vol, I. p. 531— UI. p. 131, 132. Chalmers, vol. I. p. 9. Holmes' 
 Annals, vol. I. p. 94. 
 
1824] History of Pennsyhania. 41 
 
 Carlier made his third voyage in 1541. Similar to that of 
 England, the French government were inattentive to the va- 
 lue of the recently discoveried territories in America ; but 
 many respectable individuals of both nations, renewed from 
 time to time, projects of permanent colonization. The third 
 voyage of Cartier was undertaken at the expense of Francis 
 de la Roque, lord of Roberval, a gentleman of Picardy. Ro- 
 berval was appointed by the king of France, captain-general, 
 and viceroy of Canada, and its dependencies, with full powers. 
 Cartier as deputy captain-general, was sent out by Roberval, 
 The former, on August 23d, 1541, landed on Newfoundland, 
 where he was, by appointment, to meet his principal. Rober- 
 val not arriving immediately, Cartier sailed alone to Canada, 
 where he remained near two years, and built a temporary fort 
 near where Quebec now stands. In the mean time, Roberval 
 not arriving in America, Cartier sailed on his return to Eu- 
 rope. Meeting Roberval on the coast of Newfoundland, Car- 
 tier disregarded his orders, and continued his voyage. Ro- 
 berval proceeded to Canada, where he spent the winter of 
 1542-3, and returned to Europe in the spring of 1543. Fran- 
 cis I. the patron of Roberval, died in 1547, and with him ter- 
 minated, for upwards of fifty years, any attempt at settlement 
 in North America by the French. Unaided by his govern- 
 ment, Roberval, accompanied by his brother, left France, with 
 an intention to proceed to Canada, and was never again heard 
 of. 
 
 So many disasters, and the distracted condition of France, 
 under the expiring house of Valois, prevented any effective 
 attention of the nation to Canada, until 1598. In that year, 
 the Marquis de la Roche received from Henry IV. a commis- 
 mission to conquer Canada, and other countries not possessed 
 by any christian prince. 
 
 Twenty years before the date of the grant to de la Roche, 
 Sir Humphrey Gilbert had received one of a similar import 
 from Queen Elizabeth. In 1583, after repeated disappoint- 
 ments, Gilbert sailed to the island of Newfoundland, of which 
 he took formal possession. On the 29th of August, his largest 
 vessel, with all its crew, was lost near Cape Race ; and on his 
 voyage towards England, this excellent, but ill-fated adven- 
 turer was himself, and all his crew, lost on the 9th of Sep- 
 tember. 
 
 The grant to Gilbert was renewed in 1584, on May 25th, 
 in favour of his maternal brother. Sir Walter Raleigh. The 
 grant of 1584, expressly gave authority to Raleigh, to disco- 
 ver and conquer such heathenish and barbarous lands, as ai'e 
 not possessed by any christian prince or people. Under the 
 Vol. I.— F No. 1 = 
 
42 Sistory of Pennsylvania]- [Sept,^ 
 
 authority of Raleigh, Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlow, 
 sailed from England, in order to explore that part of North 
 America called, by the Spaniards, Florida. Passing through 
 the West Indies, Amadas and Barlow having reached the 
 American coast, and examined its bays and rivers, as far 
 Korth as the mouth of Roanoke, retui'ned to Europe in Sep- 
 tember 1584. The report of their discoveries was so seduc- 
 tive as to induce the queen to give the name of Virginia to 
 the new acquisition to her dominions. Virginia continued for 
 upwards of fifty years afterwards, to designate in the English 
 maps, the whole coast from Florida to Labrador, and except 
 the island which still bears that name, superseded the term 
 Newfoundland, imposed by the Cabots. 
 
 Richard Grenville as general, and Ralph Lane as governor, 
 were deputed, with seven ships, to proceed to Virginia, by Sir 
 Walter Raleigh, in 1585. The object of this expedition was 
 to plant a colony. The fleet left Plymouth, April 9th, and 
 on the 25th of August reached the mouth of Roanoke, the 
 point of destination. Governor Lane was left there with one 
 hvmdred and ten persons, to commence settlement, and Gren- 
 ville returned to England. This was the first attempt to form 
 an actual establishment on the continent of America, made by 
 the English nation ; and failed, as in 1586, those of the colo- 
 nists who had survived, were found by Sir Francis Drake, in 
 so deplorable a situation, as to induce that commander, with 
 the written request of Governor Lane, to re-convey them back 
 to England. Some feeble exertions were subsequently made 
 to restore the establishment, but were abortive. A few days 
 after the departure of Sir Francis Drake, Grenville arrived, 
 with three vessels, at Roanoke, but finding the place abandon- 
 ed, left fifteen men to retain possession, and sailed to Europe. 
 Early in 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh, anxious to preserve his 
 colony, sent out three vessels and a company of one hundred 
 and fifty people, incorporated under the title of " The county 
 of Raleigh in Virginia," and with John White, constituted as 
 governor. The legislative authority was vested in the go- 
 vernor and twelve assistants. 
 
 In one of his voyages, Sir Richard Grenville had discover- 
 ed the mouth of Chesapeake bay, into which the colony of 
 1587 was directed to enter ; but by some unexplained ma- 
 nagement of Fernando, their principal naval commander, these 
 devoted people were landed on Roanoke island on the 22d of 
 July. The new colonists found the bones of one man in one 
 of the houses left by Lane's party ; deer was found feeding, 
 and melon vines clambering along the walls of the deserted 
 buildings; but the fifteen men left by Grenville were gone 
 
1824.] History of Pennsylvania. AZ 
 
 forever ! a melancholy presage of the fate of the present co- 
 lony. 
 
 On the 27th of August, 1587", the governor sailed to Eng- 
 land in quest of supplies, but of the wretched people left be- 
 hind, no trace was ever since known. Thus closed the efforts 
 of Sir Walter Raleigh, as to American colonization. No pe- 
 riod in the sixteenth century, could have been more inauspi- 
 cious to colonization than 1587. The nation was then in war 
 with Spain ; without disciplined troops ; a navy scarcely de- 
 serving a name, when contrasted with the formidable fleet .of 
 its adversary ; and the Duke of Parma encamped at Dun- 
 kirk with an army of fifty thousand veterans. In such a pos- 
 ture of affairs, neither ships, seamen, and above all, experienced 
 naval commanders, could be permitted to engage in any enter- 
 prise except national defence. Such men as Howard, earl of 
 Effingham, the two Drakes, Hawkins, Frobisher, and Sir 
 Walter Raleigh, were too precious at home, to have then en- 
 gaged in any distant expedition. The danger was imminent 
 and pressing, and though absolute conquest, it is probable, 
 could not have crowned the invaders, if their fleets and ar- 
 mies could have reached the English shores ; yet such a shock 
 must have produced lasting national deterioration. The Ar- 
 mada entered the English channel in May, where, battered by 
 storms, and harassed by the light vessels and superior sea- 
 manship of the English, was finally defeated, and almost anni- 
 hilated. When danger is past, nations, like individuals, re- 
 tain the impression, and continue measures of precaution, and 
 stand ready to oppose a recurrence. This feeling of appre- 
 hension fully accounts for the neglect of a far distant colony, 
 eighteen years after the defeat of the Armada. 
 
 In France, the house of Valois expired in 1589, by the 
 death of Henry III. who was assassinated at Orleans, and 
 Henry de Bourbon, as Henry IV. succeeded to the throne. A 
 long series of civil and religious tumult was gradually follow- 
 ed by peace and prosperity, in France. As the arts of agri- 
 culture and commerce revived, individual enterprise was rous- 
 ed, and Canada again assumed its share of national attention. 
 The American fisheries, about the termination of the 16th 
 century, had commenced to engage the avidity of all western 
 Europe, and after an interval of more than forty years, a 
 French fleet, in 1591, sailed from St. Maloes to Canada. The 
 same year George Drake, an Englishman, sailed up the St. 
 Lawrence, and on his return published an account of his voy- 
 age, Drake's representations, produced strong and immediate 
 effects. Sylvester Wyatt, in 1594, found amongst vessels 
 
44 History of Pennsylvania. [Sept. 
 
 of different other nations, above fifty English in St. Law- 
 rence. 
 
 Under the grant from Henry IV. the Marquis de la Roche 
 sailed from France to Canada, with a colony of convicts. Suc~ 
 cess corresponded with the moral material of his crews ; the 
 plan proved abortive, de la Roche regained his native country 
 to die of a broken heart. M. de Chauvin followed de la 
 Roche in 1600, and was the first individual who imported Ca- 
 nadian furs into France. Chauvin made a second voyage in 
 1^01 ; and whilst preparing for a third in 1603, died suddenly 
 in France. 
 
 The impression on the public mind in England, by the fatal 
 issue of ail attempts made under Raleigh's patent, and by the 
 oppi,-essive war with Spain, v/ere imperceptibly effaced, and in 
 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold had the spirit to attempt, and 
 the honour to produce, a revival of English adventure to 
 America. In the summer of that year Gosnold, in a small 
 vessel and about thirty men, reached the shores of what is 
 now Massachusetts. This active naval officer left Eng- 
 land, by consent of Sir Walter Raleigh and his associates, and 
 attempted a colony on Elizabeth islands. The stores and men 
 were landed, but their obvious weakness created discontent 
 and fear ; the enterprise was relinquished, and the little colony 
 reimbarked. This was the first attempt made by any Euro- 
 pean nation to obtain settlement in what is now designated 
 New England. 
 
 American colonization, at this period, was supported by 
 the able pen of Richard Hackluyt, who entered, with zeal 
 ■and sound judgment, into the investigation of plans of dis- 
 covery and settlement. By the active influence of this gen- 
 tleman and others, and permission of Sir Walter Raleigh, 
 the mayor and aldermen, and some wealthy merchants of Bris- 
 tol, fitted out a small vessel of fifty tons, the Speedwell, and 
 a bark of twenty-six tons, called the Discoverer, both com- 
 manded by Martin Pring. The object of this voyage was to 
 more effectually than had been hitherto done, discover and ex- 
 amine the northern shores of Virginia. "^ Pring sailed from 
 Milford Haven, April 10th, 1603, and reached the American 
 coast amongst the islands of Penobscot bay. After ranging 
 the shores to Massachusetts bay, Pring returned to Europe 
 in August. 
 
 At the same period in which Pring was employed on the 
 northern section of Virginia, Bartholomew Gilbert visited the 
 
 ^ * Now New England. It has been shewn, that in the eai-ly periods of Eng- 
 lish colonization in North Araericu, the name of Virginia was extended inde- 
 finitely. See p. 42. 
 
W24.3 History of Pennsylvania. 45 
 
 more central parts, in search of the lost colony of Sir Walter 
 Raleigh. Gilbert made the coast between Hudson and Dela- 
 ware bays, about N. Lat. 40, and rashly going on shore with 
 four of his principal men, were all destroyed by the savages. 
 The fate of their leaders intimidated the surviving crew, who 
 immediately set sail for Europe, without having, in any man- 
 ner, fulfilled the objects of their voyage. 
 
 November 3d, 1603, an event occurred, which places in a 
 strong light, the vagueness of English and French claims in 
 North America. Henry IV. granted to Pierre du Gast sieur 
 du Monts, a patent for that American territory extending from 
 N. Lat. 40° to 46°, with a commission of Lieutenant General 
 of that portion of country ; and with power to conquer, colo- 
 nize, and rule it, and to christianize the natives. The king of 
 France soon after, granted to this officer and his associates, a 
 monoply of the fur and peltry trade, in the province of Aca- 
 dia and Guif of St. Lawrence. In the same year of Du Monts' 
 patent, Samuel Champlain, a native of Brouage in France, 
 sailed up the St. Lawrence river, and made many extensive 
 and important discoveries. 
 
 The fisheries around Newfoundland had already become 
 highly valuable ; more than two hundred sail of vessels, and 
 above ten thousand men were engaged in that business. 
 
 The Sieur du Monts, with Champlain as his pilot, and at- 
 tended by M. Poutrincourt and a number of other volunteer 
 adventurers of respectability, embarked in two vessels for 
 America. He made first the coast of Nova Scotia, then Aca- 
 dia, and anchored in Port Rosignol, now Liverpool. Coasting 
 l-ound Cape Sable, the immense bay of Fundy was explored. 
 Poutrincourt fixed his residence at N. Lat. 44° 30', where he, 
 on a fine bay, established a village, to which he gave the name 
 of Port Royal. This place is now the town of Anapolis, and 
 was the first French settlement in North America. 
 
 By the joint exertions of Du Monts and Champlain, the ri- 
 vers, bays, and inlets of both sides of the bay of Fundy, and 
 part of Maine, were discovered during this voyage. Du 
 Monts wintered 1604-5, at the mouth of the Schoodick, now 
 St. Croix, on a small island, at present the north-east limit of 
 the United States, on the Atlantic coast.* 
 
 In 1605, the seat of the French colonial government, if it 
 then deserved the title, was fixed at Port Royal. This was 
 two years before the establishment of the English colony at 
 Jamestown, and four before the French settlement at Quebec. 
 
 • When the United States and British commissioners settled that part of 
 the boundary, in 1798, the ruins of Du Monts' fort was discovered. 
 
4^ History of Pennsylvania. [Sep*^ 
 
 The two nations were each, however, emulous of discovery 
 and colonization. The Earl of Southampton and Lord Arun- 
 del, in 1605, fitted out a small vessel to attempt a south-west 
 passage, and gave the command to George Weymouth, who 
 appears, from his operations, to have had, even for that period, 
 a very inaccurate knowledge of the North American coast. 
 He made land in about N. Lat. 41° 50', and coasting thence 
 north, discovered the mouth of a large river, supposed to be 
 the Penobscot, up which he sailed for some distance, and in 
 July set sail on his return to England. 
 
 One hundred and nine years had now elapsed since the dis- 
 coveries first made on the south-east coast of North America, 
 by the Cabots. Though England and France, in the interim, 
 occasionally prosecuted voyages of discovery ; and though 
 both nations, in the beginning of the 17th century, pursued 
 their fisheries with activity, neither, if we except the trifling 
 French fort at Port Royal, had a single fortress or factory on 
 shore. We have seen that as early as 1577, that the fisheries 
 employed 150 French vessels, 100 from Spain, 50 from Eng- 
 land, and 50 from Portugal. According to Joseph Childs, 
 the Newfoundland fisheries, as those on the North American 
 coast were designated, then employed 10,000 seamen.* The 
 English nation, destined ultimately to become the ruling- 
 power, in that part of the North American seas, islands, and 
 continent, now the United States and Canada, were, during 
 the 17th and the early part of the 18th century, much less ac- 
 tive than its rivals, particularly France. At, and for a century 
 before the epoch of actual colonization, English enterprise was 
 in great part exhausted in abortive attempts to find a north- 
 west passage to China and India. The rage for discovering 
 mines of the precious metals, was then also at its height. Ra- 
 tional projects of colonization, founded on a commercial and 
 agricviltural basis, had not been then conceived by any nation 
 of Europe, much less by England. 
 
 Local, domestic, and political causes were, however, most 
 efficacious in preventing England and France from emulating 
 Spanish and Portuguese enterprise in America. In England, 
 the long vigorous, successful, and politic administration of 
 Elizabeth, was, with all its beneficial effects, inadequate to 
 heal all the wounds inflicted by a century of anarchy, civil 
 war, or misgovernment which preceded her reign. The re- 
 sources of France, and the chivalrous gallantry of its people, 
 were employed, during almost the whole of the century, in 
 either wars of ambition, national defence, or civil tumult. 
 
 * See page 45. 
 
1824.) Statistics. 47 
 
 Henry IV. as late as 1^00, had merely succeeded in se- 
 curing his crown by force of arms, and had yet obtained little 
 leisure to cultivate the arts of peace. 
 
 In both nations, finances, able seamen, and commercial 
 knowledge were wanting ; and to these moral, were superadd- 
 ed physical impediments to foreign colonization, arising from 
 deficiency of population. Though thus retarded^ nevertheless, 
 the germ of national force existed, and the spirit to give that 
 force effect, was annually gaining intelligence by means of the 
 press, and preparing for that long and embittered rivalry in 
 America, which gave ascendancy to English over French 
 power on this continent. 
 
 SECTION III. 
 
 STATISTICS. 
 
 This department of the Repository, agreeable to the origi- 
 iial plan, shall be appropriated to that branch of statistics most 
 immediately connected with geography. The articles also of 
 Section III. in the two first volumes, will be generally such as 
 arise from and tend to illustrate the subjects of the Geogra- 
 phical ami Historical departments. 
 
 Probably, for a protracted future period, a water communi- 
 cation through our mountains, will form a vital question of 
 internal politics. The solution of this gigantic problem, like 
 that of a north-west passage to China and India, may call into 
 action the most enthusiastic feelings, and excite the highest 
 exertions of individual talent. It has been said, with meta- 
 physical correctness, that " no unproductive exertion can be- 
 made." Such has been thus far the result of speculation on 
 canal navigation from the Atlantic rivei's to the illimitable re- 
 gions of the west. Calculations on practicability decried be- 
 fore experiment, as extravagant, have eventuated in joining 
 Lake Erie to Hudson river. With all, however, already exe- 
 cuted, national enterprise seems to be only awakened to the 
 importance of the object. The people of the United State*, 
 as a nation, in assuming a high rank amongst the families of 
 mankind, are also awarding a part of their resources, mental 
 and physical, to the creation of new means of internal asso- 
 ciation. 
 
 In such a political course, pre-eminence is not attained and 
 preserved by the mere possession of independence, but rests 
 on the basis of intellectual and physical improvement j upon 
 
48 jS'tatistics, [Sept 
 
 the conception and execution of designs unprecedented for 
 magnitude and utility. The canals of New-York, colossal 
 as they are as examples of human abour, are only fine as spe- 
 cimens of what remains to be performed by consolidated na- 
 tional force. That man deserves the grateful meed of a public 
 benefactor, who enlists his talents and fortune in tracing the 
 incipient plans necessary to the development of such struc- 
 tures. 
 
 Amongst the plans of internal improvement agitated in our 
 general councils at the last session of Congress, 1823-4, one 
 was a projected canal and lock union of the Atlantic waters 
 with those of Lake Erie, by the route of Potomac, Mononga- 
 hela, Ohio, Big Beaver, and either the Cayahoga or Grand 
 river. =^ In the execution of this line of artificial navigation, 
 the whole United States is deeply concerned, but more espe- 
 cially so, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Mr. 
 James Schriver of Uniontown, Fayette county, Pennsylvaniaj 
 deserves much credit for his services in the early develop- 
 ment of the geographical features of the country intended to 
 be traversed. This gentleman, early in 1824, published In 
 Baltimore, a pamphlet under the following title : 
 
 " Account of Surveys and Examinations, with remarks and 
 documents relative to the projected Chesapeake and Ohio, 
 and Ohio and Lake Erie canals." 
 
 * The last session of Congress, appropriated one hundred and sixty-three 
 thousand dollars, for internal improvement, almost the whole of which is to 
 be expended in experiments — such as surveys, examination for routes of ca- 
 nals, &c. We subjoin a list of the acts of appropriation with the respective 
 amounts annexed. 
 
 An act authorising the President to cause surveys and estimates to be made 
 ^or such routes for Roads and Canals, as he may deem of importance in a com- 
 mercial or military point of view, or for the transportation of the United 
 ,States' mail. — The sum appropriated, §30,000. 
 
 An act for making experiments with a view to the improvement of the na- 
 vigation of the rivers Ohio and Mississippi. — The sum appropriated, ^75,000- 
 
 An act to make a road in the Michigan territory, from Detroit to the Ohit 
 !5tate line. — Length of the road seventy miles. — Sum appropriated, ^20,000. 
 
 An act to make a i-oad in the Territory of Arkansas, from Memphis, in 
 Tennessee, to Little llock — distance one hundred and sixty miles.- — Sura ap- 
 propriated, gl5,000. 
 
 An act to make a road in the territory of Florida, from Pensacola to St- 
 Augustine — distance three hundred and sixtv-five miles.— Sum appropriated, 
 ^20,000. 
 
 The same act authorises the survey of routes for roads, from Cape Sable tc 
 the Suwaney I'iver, and from Cape Florida to St. Augustine.— Sura appropri 
 ated, g3,000. 
 
 These acts were all reported by the committee, of which our worthy re- 
 presentative, Mr. Hemphill, is chairman ; and it will be found upon an exami- 
 nation of these acjts, that scarcely a more judicious distribution of these 
 funds could have been adopted. — U. S, Gazette, Jiily 26, 1824, 
 
49 
 
 in- 
 
 jar 
 
 of 
 
 I at 
 in- 
 si- 
 ;e- 
 ne 
 ;ct 
 
 it- 
 US 
 to 
 
 Cl- 
 
 to 
 le 
 le 
 
4i 
 
 tl 
 m 
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 c 
 
 t: 
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 t 
 
1824.1 /Statistics. 49 
 
 This publication would deserve serious notice, if it contain- 
 ed nothing of value beyond its motto, which in few but clear 
 and energetic words, thus depicts the reciprocal interests of 
 the east and west sections of the United States : 
 
 " For my own part, I wish sincerely, that every door to that 
 country, (the west,) be set wide open, that the commercial in- 
 tercourse with it, may be rendered as free and easy as possi- 
 ble. This, in my judgment, is the best, if not the only ce- 
 ment, that can bind those people to us for any length of time 
 — and we shall, I think, be deficient in foresight, if we neglect 
 the means of effecting it." — Washington. 
 
 In addition to this text, upon which volumes might be writ- 
 ten, Mr. Schriver's pamphlet contains a mass of judicious 
 observation and instructive document, which are calculated to 
 give ample reward to the statistical inquirer. 
 
 The number is few, who have duly weighed the entire im- 
 portance of this subject ; the following estimate, will serve to 
 exhibit the comparative extent of that country of the west, the 
 moral weight of which is in a state of rapid development. The 
 whole land surface of the earth is, in round numbers : 
 
 Asia, - - 10,000,000 
 
 Europe, .--_.. 3,000,000 
 
 Austral Asia and Polynesia, - - 4,000,000 
 
 Africa and contiguous islands, - - 8,000,000 
 
 North America and contiguous islands, 9,000,000 
 
 South America and contiguous islands, 6,000,000 
 
 40,000,000 
 
 Considered as capable of sustaining dense and cultivated 
 population, at least fifteen millions of square miles may be de- 
 ducted for unproductive tracts, leaving twenty-five millions 
 for that part of the earth on which highly civilized society 
 can exist. 
 
 The already organized states and territories of the United 
 States, extend over one million one hundred and thirteen thou- 
 sand square miles. Of this expanse, at least one million is 
 capable of giving support to a very compact general popula- 
 tion. This reduced area is, ^ve see, equal to one-twenty-fifth 
 part of the civilized habitable earth. In this estimate is ex- 
 cluded all the widely extended wastes of the west towards the 
 sources of Missouri and Columbia rivers, and Pacific ocean. 
 
 Vol. I.— G No. 1. 
 
afeirrmitr iil'llie piojfilnl lanol irom ih<' 
 OMMO JiimH- I" J^KR iSJilB 
 
50 iSiattstks. [Swr. 
 
 At the census of 1820, the actually organized states and ter- 
 ritories stood thus relatively : 
 
 Square Miles. Inhabitants. 
 
 Alabama, - . . - 51,770 . 143,000 
 
 Arkansaw, Territory of, - 100,000 14,273 
 
 Connecticut, - - - 4,750 275,248 
 
 Columbia, District of, - lOO 33,039 
 
 Delaware, - - - - 2,120 72,749 
 
 Florida, Territory of, - - 54,000 10,000 
 
 Georgia, ... - 58,000 340,749 
 
 Illinois, ... - 58,900 55,211 
 
 Indiana, . - - - 34,000 147,178 
 
 Kentucky, - - - - 37,680 564,317 
 
 Louisiana, - - - - 48,220 153,407 
 
 Maine, . - - - 35,000 297,839 
 
 Maryland, - - - - 11,000 407,350 
 
 Massachusetts, - - - 7,250 521,725 
 
 Michigan, with N. W. Territory, 174,000 10,000 
 
 Mississippi, - . - 45,760 75,448 
 
 Missouri, - - - - 62,870 66,586 
 
 New-Hampshire, - - 8,030 244,155 
 
 New-Jersey, - - - 6,857 277,575 
 
 New- York, - - - 46,000 1,372,812 
 
 North Carolina, - - - 48,000 63-8,829 
 
 Ohio, - . - - 38,260 581,434 
 
 Pennsylvania, - - - 47,000 1,049,458 
 
 Rhode Island, - - - 1,580 83,059 
 
 South Carolina, - - - 24,000 502,758 
 
 Tennessee, - - - - 40,000 422,813 
 
 Vermont, - - - - 8,278 235,764 
 
 Virginia, . . - - 63,000 1,065,304 
 
 Total, 1,116,419 9,662,010 
 
 Turning our eye to a map of the United States, we behold 
 the foregoing area, naturally subdivided into two great sec- 
 tions, separated by a wide system of mountains. Taken in 
 its utmost extent, the Atlantic slope only spreads over two 
 hundred and sixty thousand square miles, leaving in the con- 
 nected interior basins of St. Lawrence and Mississippi, or 
 rather that of the Gulf of Mexico, the prodigious extent of 
 seven hundred and forty thousand square miles. The interior 
 section, therefore, exceeds that along the Atlantic ocean as 
 three to one nearly. If we advert to the immense excluded 
 tracts, towards the Pacific, the comparative estimate we have 
 made is very much too favourable to the Atlantic slope. 
 
1824.] Statistics. Si 
 
 In the distribution of population, at the period of the last 
 census, we have some most striking document. The Atlan- 
 tic states, east of Pennsylvania, inclusive, contained 4,367,480 
 inhabitants. Western states, including those from the Cana- 
 dian lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and west of the Appalachian 
 mountains, had, at the same period, 2,233,767. The states 
 along the Atlantic ocean was peopled by the residue, 3,062,066. 
 The elements of the respective masses present very inte- 
 resting subjects of reflection to the philosopher and politician. 
 Of the great mass of 6,601,247, found in the north-eastern 
 states from Pennsylvania inclusive, and those of the west and 
 south-west, only 370,000 were slaves; whilst of 2,233,767 
 inhabitants in the south-western Atlantic states, more than 
 1,160,000 were slaves. 
 
 The practical application of such data, may enable existing 
 statesmen to avail themselves of present advantage, and pre- 
 vent future evil. It is within the scope of the recollection of 
 the middle aged part of the existing generation, when the ba- 
 sin of the Mississippi was, with very partial exceptions, an 
 howling waste; in 1820, more than two millions, and now, 
 (1824,) no doubt, above two millions five hundred thousand 
 people inhabit this immense surface. In great part composed 
 of free whites, and by the canals of New-York connected by 
 water communication with the north-eastern Atlantic states, a 
 flood of congenerous population will pour south-west. It is 
 not, however, the present, but the future locality of popula- 
 tion with which we are concerned in this inquiry. I have 
 shewn, that if only the area included in the organized states 
 and territories is taken into the estimate, more than two-thirds 
 of the productive soil of the United States is in the basin of 
 the Gulf of Mexico. When in the state of Ohio, in the early 
 part of this year, I ascertained, that the existing population 
 exceeds seven hundred thousand, or above eighteen to the 
 square mile. A general population equal to Ohio, over 740,000 
 square miles, would yield an aggregate of thirteen millions 
 three hundred and twenty thousand. Hamilton county of 
 Ohio, in 1820, contained seventy-nine to the square mile ; 
 such density of population on 740,000 square miles, would 
 present a grand total of upwards of sixty millions- 
 Let no man dare trifle with experience. In 1790, the en- 
 tire civilized inhabitants on that part of the United States on 
 the basins of the Canadian sea and Gulf of Mexico amount- 
 ed to about 100,000 ; in the subsequent ten years, they in- 
 creased to upwards of 500,000; and in 1810, exceeded one 
 million. From 1810 to 1820, this rapidly accumulating mass 
 more than doubled. It is perfectly safe to assume fifteen 
 
52 Statistics. [Sept. 
 
 years as a period within which the inhabitants of the region 
 we have been reviewing, will increase two-fold. Allowing 
 two and a half million for the present, such ratio of accumu- 
 lation would give, in 1870, twenty millions, or but little above 
 twenty-seven to the square mile. We may therefore, without 
 danger of presumption, assert, that before another half cen- 
 tury has elapsed, an immense preponderance of population 
 will be in the west. The mind swells with a momentous fu- 
 turity. The rapidity of change deceives the senses, mocks 
 the legislator, and outruns the geographer. States, cities, 
 towns, and farms, rise before the astonished traveller. The 
 ntioment is at hand when political power must follow physical 
 force. A revolution in our domestic relations is gradually 
 withdrawing the centre of wealth and moral force towards an 
 interior region, where society must possess more attributes of 
 cohesion than in any other region of equal extent on earth. 
 
 It is only necessary to turn our eye to a map of the United 
 States, to trace the walls which enclose the. population of the 
 basin of the Mississippi and contiguous places, and confine 
 them to two points of commercial egress. Nature provided 
 the overwhelming volume of the Mississippi, and the genius 
 of one man has added another by artificial means. Unless 
 other channels are opened, New- York and New-Orleans must 
 be the emporia of the almost interminable regions of interior 
 North America. In the formation of a great central line of 
 canal improvement, when its moral, political, and fiscal bene- 
 fits are taken into the estimate, difficulties ought to stimulate 
 to action, and expense disregarded. Nations rush to wars of 
 ambition, without calculating consequences; but when the 
 most invaluable public works are proposed, every trivial ex- 
 penditure is scrupulously examined. 
 
 Politicians are too seldom statesmen, and even national legis- 
 lation founded too much on the affairs of the moment, without 
 prospective view. The whole nation is now at an enormous 
 expense to build legislative halls and palaces for the officers 
 of government ; edifices which the slightest foresight, the 
 most cursory survey of territory, must convince every unpre- 
 judiced mind, are doomed, at no very distant day, to remain 
 untenanted, if the present order of things continue to operate. 
 Despotism carried the court of Russia from Moscow to the 
 swamps of the Neva, and despotism continues it there ; but 
 in the United States, the people have retained in their own 
 hands the despotism of legislation, and the choice of the spot 
 whei-e the national councils are to be held ; and conseqviently 
 the seat of general legislation must approach that of popula- 
 tion. This is not an idle indulgence of hypothesis, it is indue- 
 
1824.] Statistics. Si 
 
 tion from the previous facts of our history, and from the very- 
 nature of the human mind. 
 
 We have before us a territory exceeding two-thirds of the 
 entire national domain, and a territory which, in less than 
 forty years, has gained from about twenty thousand to one 
 and a half million of inhabitants. It may startle any mind 
 undisciplined to reflection on the subject, to be told, that in 
 less than another forty years, at least fifteen millions of inha- 
 bitants will exist on the great central valley of the United 
 States ; and that before the termination of this century, this 
 region will contain an immense majority of the people of the 
 United States. 
 
 The fearful anticipation does not rest here. It is not alone 
 the residents in the expansive basin of the Mississippi which 
 will be bound together by the silken cords of mutual interest 
 and affection. If we turn to that artificial river which has al- 
 ready almost received its aliment from Lake Erie, we at once 
 behold the adamantine link, which unites the north-east to the 
 south-west sections of our country. De Witt Clinton has re- 
 ceived, and will continue to receive the meed of the highest 
 admiration, and the most embittered calumny, for the execu- 
 tion of this work ; a work which can only perish with the 
 world, of which it forms one of the finest features; and a 
 work which insures the immortal fame of its illustrious pro- 
 jector. When the rubbish and scaffolding of the human cha- 
 racter have alike crumbled to dust, and when the foul pas- 
 sions of his own age have been buried in the grave of the ex- 
 isting generation, then will the name of De Witt Clinton stand 
 in history, stable as the mountains of his own native state, 
 mocking the ravages of time. 
 
 Much, however, as have been said and written on the great 
 Western Canal of New- York, the most important effect it can 
 produce, has been generally overlooked. The deteriorating 
 effects of slavery in the southern states have been hitherto 
 considerably counteracted by a constant emigration from the 
 north-eastern states. The moment the canal into Lake Erie is 
 completed, the tide of emigration must change its course, and 
 rush upon western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, 
 Illinois, and Missouri. 
 
 To remove the impediments imposed to intercourse between 
 sections of so much reciprocal consequence, is a labour truly 
 national. The fortune of that statesman is enviable, whose 
 name will be associated with the completion of canal naviga- 
 tion, more than two thousand five hundred feet above the 
 ocean tides. To expatiate on the grandeur of such designs 
 
54 Statistics. [Sbpt. 
 
 is to lessen the effect, and to dilate on their utility is to insult 
 the understanding of the reader. 
 
 The unprecedented increase of the human species in the 
 United States, has been considered as the most interesting 
 fact in modern history ; but is not the peculiar moral means, 
 and the unequalled local advantages of this increasing body, 
 a still more important subject of reflection? Does not the 
 spectacle of social happiness transcend mere numerical mass ? 
 Reply to such queries is spontaneous. In all the vigour of 
 youth, and with the recorded wisdom of ages, the United 
 States smile at labours beyond the strength of nations in po- 
 litical decrepitude. 
 
 By reference to the appended profile maps and tables, it will 
 be seen, that the great spine of the Appalachian system, or 
 rather the dividing line of the rivers of the Atlantic slope and 
 those of the Mississippi basin, rises by a very gradual ascent 
 from the Mexican Gulf to the source of Tennessee, Great 
 Kenhawa, Roanoke, and James river. Here appears to be the 
 highest table land in the United States, between the Atlantic 
 slope and the basins of St. Lawrence and Mississippi. From 
 this elevated tract, the dividing ridge maintains a nearly equal 
 height from North Carolina, over Virginia and Maryland, 
 into Pennsylvania. The summit level in Maryland, between 
 the sources of Potomac and Youghiogany rivers, lies 2486 
 feet above the Atlantic tides. Advancing north-east from the 
 latter level, the mountain system imperceptibly depresses, 
 crossing Pennsylvania, and in New-York between the sources 
 of Tioga branch of Susquehanna and Seneca lake, has sunk 
 to 885 feet above tide water. The Newtown and Seneca 
 level, though thus depressed, nevertheless lies 465 feet above 
 that of the New-York canal near Rome ; the latter being only 
 420 feet above tide water in Hudson river. 
 
 It remains an undetermined problem, whether the sources 
 of the West Branch of Susquehanna admits of any pass to 
 the branches of Allegany river, more depressed than that be- 
 tween Tioga river and Seneca lake. From any data yet pro- 
 cured, the pass from Newtown to the head of Seneca lake is 
 the lowest summit level from Rome, in New-York, to the 
 western part of Georgia. 
 
 Rising therefore on the intermediate table land, the sources 
 of the Chesapeake rivers flow from those of the Mississippi 
 and St. Lawrence basins, at various heights, from eight hun- 
 dred and sixty-five to two thousand five hundred feet. In this 
 sketch, the extreme elevations of the mountains are not taken 
 into view, regard being solely paid to those influential on the 
 formation of canal navigation. It is remarkable, that advanc- 
 
m 5 
 
 L. Et„ Zn.l ' ^ i 
 
 JPn.fi?, J/,,/, uf tiLj. Liaiul iajud or .V.Yc'rk ii,. 
 
 ii<rnt Jlhiun' to Lii. 
 
 JV?4 
 
 Troi\U Map ihmv Tlola.lUo Lah: E^ie by the tovM of -ffu. Vruiy 
 
 m. 
 
 I 
 
 •^ 
 
 eT 
 
 I 
 
 Tro/Ue. -new ofleyeh irom, Fotomac R . „t Q,forq,'tm,',i to Lake J 
 
 m2 
 
 Ohio I^evd. 
 
 B-Me Mq} from Jtidtmond Tbrg. iothe Tnaivffi of Gmtt Kmhawc 
 
 N?l 
 
 Wo iigi/S 
 
 ^vdeMtp -ti-om Mehncmime<).io-B,A Ttimitli of firt^. Kt 
 
1824.] 
 
 /Statistics. 
 
 55 
 
 ing south-west from Rome, in New- York, that nature appears 
 to oppose mcreasing difficulties to the execution of canal im- 
 provement, by the gradual rise of the dividing ridge. 
 
 The following tables and annexed profile maps have been 
 constructed to illustrate the subjects treated of in the third sec- 
 tion of this number. 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 Table of the ascents and descents from tide water in James river to 
 the mouth of Great Kenhawa, by the route of Jamestown, Craig's 
 creek, Sinking creek, and Great Kenhawa. Profile map No. 1. 
 was constructed from this table. 
 
 Richmond up James river to 
 
 Miles. 1 
 
 
 Feet. ] 
 
 
 
 
 
 mouth of Craig's creek, 
 
 
 200 
 
 Rises 
 
 
 925 
 
 Up Craig's creek to mouth of 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 John's creek, 
 
 49 
 
 249 
 
 do. 
 
 345 
 
 1270 
 
 Highest spring tributary to 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Craig's creek, 
 
 8^ 
 
 2571 
 
 do. 
 
 228 
 
 2498 
 
 Lowest point on dividing ridge, 
 
 oi 
 
 
 do. 
 
 53 
 
 2551 
 
 Highest spring tributary to Sink- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ing creek, 
 
 01 
 
 258 
 
 Falls 
 
 42 
 
 2509 
 
 Mouth of Sinking creek, 
 
 34 
 
 292 
 
 do. 
 
 924 
 
 1585 
 
 Down Great Kenhawa to mouth 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 of Greenbriar river, 
 
 55 
 
 347 
 
 do. 
 
 392 
 
 1333 
 
 Bowyer's Ferry, 
 
 46 
 
 393 
 
 do. 
 
 403 
 
 930 
 
 Kenhawa at the foot of the Great 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Falls, 
 
 21 
 
 414 
 
 do. 
 
 341 
 
 589 
 
 Ohio river at the mouth of Great 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Kenhawa, 
 
 94 
 
 508 
 
 do. 
 
 108 
 
 481 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 Table of the ascents and descents from tide water in James river 
 to mouth of Great Kenhawa, by the route of James, Jackson's, 
 Greenbriar, and Great Kenhawa rivers. Profile map No. 2. was 
 constructed from this table. 
 
 Richmond up James river to 
 mouth of Craig's creek. 
 
 Mouth of Dunlap's creek, above 
 that of Jackson's river. 
 
 Lowest point on dividing ridge 
 
 Mouth of Howard's creek into 
 Greenbriar river, near Lewis- 
 burg in Greenbriar county. 
 
 Mouth of Greenbriar river, 
 
 Bowyer's Ferry, 
 
 Foot of Great Falls, 
 
 i Mouth of Great Kenhawa, 
 
 Miles. 
 
 Rises 
 
 Feet. j 
 
 
 200 
 
 3 
 
 925 
 
 25 
 
 225 
 
 do. 
 
 313 
 
 1238 
 
 16 
 
 241 
 
 do. 
 
 1240 
 
 2478 
 
 12 
 
 253 
 
 Falls 
 
 838 
 
 1640 
 
 50 
 
 303 
 
 do. 
 
 713 
 
 1 333 
 
 46 
 
 349 
 
 do. 
 
 403 
 
 930 
 
 20 
 
 369 
 
 do. 
 
 341 
 
 589 
 
 94 
 
 463 
 
 do. 
 
 108 
 
 481 
 
L. Uru: L-vfl 
 
 T-rM. il,:i' •'! 1I„_ f.,<„„l lMn.,1 Of- y.Y„rk- ir„m All;,,,, 1o BlMllo 
 
 'BvtSUMap -iWmi h'„Ji„i,ii„ni,q.f„l}ir II,,,,, Ih lit' . (fre/ii, Kb,],,,,,., hv il„ ,„„t, „i r,rmesS.6mgs 6: SinHy &. aniGmtSmhtua. 
 
55 
 
 /Statistics. 
 
 [Sbpt. 
 
 No. 3. 
 
 Table of the ascents and descents from tide water in Potomac river 
 at Georgetown, to Lake Erie at the town of Cleveland, by route 
 of Potomac, Youghiogany, Monongahela, Ohio, Big Beaver, and 
 Cayahoga rivers. Profile No. 3. was constructed from this table. 
 
 Georgetown to Great Falls, 
 
 Miles. 
 
 Rises 
 
 Feet. 1 
 
 
 12 
 
 
 143 
 
 Harper's Ferry-^ 
 
 40 
 
 52 
 
 do. 
 
 39 
 
 182 
 
 Shenandoah Falls, 
 
 H 
 
 ^n 
 
 do. 
 
 43 
 
 225 
 
 Cumberland, 
 
 130| 
 
 188 
 
 do. 
 
 312 
 
 537 
 
 Mouth of Savage creek. 
 
 31 
 
 219 
 
 do. 
 
 446 
 
 983 
 
 Summit level. 
 
 14 
 
 233 
 
 do. 
 
 1503 
 
 2486 
 
 Mou th of Deep creek, a branch of 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Youghiogany river, 
 
 16 
 
 249 
 
 Falls 
 
 342 
 
 2144 
 
 Down Youghiogany river to 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Smithfield, on U. S. road, 
 
 22A 
 
 271-1 
 
 do. 
 
 739 
 
 1405 
 
 Connelsville, 
 
 37i 
 
 309 
 
 do. 
 
 507 
 
 898 
 
 Mouth of Youghiogany, 
 
 40 
 
 349 
 
 do. 
 
 87 
 
 811 
 
 Pittsburg, 
 
 18 
 
 367 
 
 do. 
 
 11 
 
 800 
 
 Mouth of Big Beaver river, 
 
 30 
 
 397 
 
 do. 
 
 106 
 
 694 
 
 Up the latter to foot of Falls, 
 
 1| 
 
 3984 
 
 Rises 
 
 12 
 
 706 
 
 Head of Falls, 
 
 2-1 
 
 401 
 
 do. 
 
 44 
 
 750 
 
 Warren, 
 
 50 
 
 451 
 
 do. 
 
 104 
 
 854 
 
 Summit level between the sources 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 of Big Beaver and Cayahoga 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 rivers. 
 
 10 
 
 461 
 
 do. 
 
 53 
 
 907 
 
 Level of Lake Erie at the mouth 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 of Cayahoga river at Cleve- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 land, 
 
 60 
 
 521 
 
 Falls 
 
 342 
 
 565 
 
 No. 4. 
 
 Table of ascents and descents from the level of tide water in Dela- 
 ware river, to the level of Lake Erie at Buffaloe, by the route of 
 the Schuylkill, Union Canal, Susquehanna, and Chemung or 
 Tioga river, Newtown creek, Seneca lake and outlet, and the 
 Grand Canal of New-York, from Montezuma to Buflfaloe. 
 
 Philadelphia to Reading, 
 
 Miles. 
 
 Rises 
 
 Feet. I 
 
 
 55 
 
 
 186 
 
 Summit level between Tulpe- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 hocken and Swatara, 
 
 34 
 
 89 
 
 do. 
 
 310 
 
 496 
 
 Susquehanna at the mouth of 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Swatara, 
 
 34 
 
 123 
 
 Falls 
 
 220 
 
 276 
 
 Harrisburg, 
 
 13 
 
 135 
 
 Rises 
 
 10 
 
 286 
 
 Sunbury, 
 
 50 
 
 185 
 
 do. 
 
 200 
 
 486 
 
1824.] 
 
 S'tatistics, 
 
 57 
 
 No. 4. (^CoJitiJiiied.") 
 
 Brought over, 
 
 Miles. 
 
 
 Feet. 1 
 
 
 185 
 
 
 486 
 
 Wilkes Barre, 
 
 60 
 
 245 
 
 Rises 
 
 100 
 
 586 
 
 Tioga Point, 
 
 60 
 
 305 
 
 do. 
 
 189 
 
 775 
 
 Newtown, 
 
 20 
 
 325 
 
 do. 
 
 51 
 
 826 
 
 Summit level, between the Tioga 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 river at Newtown and Seneca 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lake, 
 
 7 
 
 332 
 
 do. 
 
 59 
 
 885 
 
 Head of Seneca Lake, 
 
 13 
 
 345 
 
 Falls 
 
 445 
 
 440 
 
 Outlet of Seneca Lake, 
 
 35 
 
 380 
 
 do. 
 
 
 440 
 
 Montezuma on the Great Canal, 
 
 20 
 
 400 
 
 do. 
 
 69 
 
 371 
 
 Commencement of Rochester 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 level, 
 
 63 
 
 463 
 
 Rises 
 
 126 
 
 497 
 
 Along do. to the locks at Lock- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 port, - - . . 
 
 65 
 
 528 
 
 do. 
 
 68 
 
 565 
 
 Here commences the Erie Level, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 which extends into that lake. 
 
 31 
 
 559 
 
 
 
 
 No. 5. 
 
 Table of ascents and descents from tide water in the Hudson river 
 at the city of Albany, to the level of Lake Erie, by the route of 
 the Great Western Canal of New-York. 
 
 Albany to Schohaiue creek. 
 
 Miles. 
 
 Rises 
 
 Feet. 1 
 
 
 42 
 
 
 286 
 
 Rome level at Herkimer, 
 
 28 
 
 70 
 
 do. 
 
 132 
 
 418 
 
 Along that level. 
 
 65 
 
 135 
 
 
 
 
 Montezuma, 
 
 38 
 
 173 
 
 Falls 
 
 45 
 
 rtwr. 
 
 Lyons, 
 
 24 
 
 197 
 
 Rises 
 
 61 
 
 434 
 
 Rochester level, 
 
 58 
 
 255 
 
 do. 
 
 65 
 
 499 
 
 Along that level. 
 
 66 
 
 321 
 
 
 
 
 Lake Erie level at Lockport, 
 
 
 
 
 66 
 
 565 
 
 Along that level to Black Rock 
 
 
 
 
 
 and into Lake Erie, 
 
 31 559 
 
 
 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 The twenty miles of canal, extending from the vicinity o£ 
 Reading towards Philadelphia, were opened for use on the 5th 
 of July last. The ceremony of commencing the first complete 
 canal navigation in Pennsylvania, was conducted with all due 
 solemnity, by a deputation from the board of managers of the 
 Vol. I.— H No. 1. 
 
58 Statistics, [Sept. 
 
 Navigation Company ; accompanied by a numerous party of 
 citizens from Reading and neighbouring places, a committee 
 from the Union Canal Company, and several members of the 
 city councils of Philadelphia. About 7 o'clock A.M. three 
 barges, the Thomas Oakes^ the Stephen Girard^ and the De 
 Witt Clinton^ left the town of Reading having on board near 
 three hundred persons, and proceeded through the pond form- 
 ed by the dam at Lewis' Falls, to the entrance of the canal. 
 Horses were there immediately attached with towing lines to 
 the boats, and for the first time within the state of Pennsyl- 
 vania, complete canal navigation was exhibited. 
 
 This auspicious event excited a strong feeling of pleasure in 
 the adjacent country, thousands flocked to enjoy a sight a few 
 years past they little expected ever to witness. — U, S. Gazette^ 
 July mh^ 1824. 
 
 This is in every respect the age of bold design, and not un- 
 frequently successful experiment. The project of a tunnel, or 
 arched carriage way under the Thames, at London, has been 
 seriously agitated, and except its novelty we see nothing ex- 
 travagant in the plan. If both were alike novel, a bridge over 
 the water would in most cases be conside/ed a mucib more 
 difficult undertaking, than a tunnel underneath. To their 
 ignorance, or neglect of the fact, that water would rise to its 
 own level, the ancients stood indebted for their aqueducts j may 
 not bridges in numerous instances instances owe their exist- 
 ence to a far less excusable ignorance amongst the moderns ? 
 
 Subaquatic tunnels would oppose no obstacle to navigation, 
 nor be liable to interruption by frost j and if well cotistruct- 
 ed in the first instance, much less exposed to injury than 
 bridges. 
 
 Staffordshire — Grand Trunk^ or Trent and Mersey Canal. 
 
 The additional tunnel through Harecastle Hill, was com- 
 menced last month. It is calculated to occupy the labour of 
 five years, during which several hundred men must be em- 
 ployed. The expense has been estimated at a guinea an inch, 
 (forward). The distance being about one mile and three 
 quarters, or 2880 yards, which alone will make 103,680 
 guineas. The total expense has been calculated at a quarter 
 of a million sterling. Shafts will be sunk and steam engines 
 erected for raising the earth, Sec. at different points of eleva- 
 tion- — the tunnel averaging about seventy yards in depth from 
 the surface of the hill. The Grand Trunk Canal was begun 
 in 1767, and finished in 1777, and such is the richness of the 
 
1824.] Statistics, ■ 59 
 
 company, and the business of the canal, that the cost is no 
 object compared to the advantages to be gained. — London New 
 Monthly Magazine for June^ 1824. 
 
 The above Canal is about 100 miles in length, and over- 
 comes a fall of 642 feet by 75 locks, and has already one tun- 
 nel through Harecastle Hill 2888 yards in length, 9 feet wide 
 and 12 feet high, another at Preston-on-the-hill of 1241 yards, 
 at Barton of 5/2 yards, at Saltersford another of 350 yaids, 
 and at Hermitage of 130 yards. It has several reservoirs to 
 feed the summit covering together about 220 acres, and there 
 are a number of railways and branch cuts connecting the ca- 
 nal with mines and quarries. The boats used are 80 feet long 
 and 6 feet wide, and the locks 7 feet wid6. The rates of ton- 
 nage are a penny-half-penny per ton per mile, and the articles 
 carried upon it are coals, salt, pottery wares, lime, gypsum, 
 slates, and agricultural products. The Shares originally 100/. 
 each, sold as high as 2280/. each in May 1824. 
 
 Perhaps no two experiments ever made have been success- 
 ful against more obstacles, or productive of more beneficial 
 results than those of steam boats, and the canals of New- York. 
 The following extracts exhibit a few of the practical effects. 
 
 In the latter days of July past, several gentlemen arrived in 
 New- York, from New-Orleans, Mobile and Blakely, by way 
 of Pittsburg, and Lake Erie. Those from Louisiana ascend- 
 ed the Mississippi, and those from Alabama travelled by land 
 to Nashville in Tennessee ; thence proceeded by the Cumber- 
 land and Ohio rivers to Pittsburg in steam boats. From the 
 latter place they passed in stages to Detroit, where they em- 
 barked in the elegant steam boat Superior, Captain Bunker, 
 for Buffaloe; thence by Erie canal to Albany, and down the 
 Hudson to New- York. 
 
 These travellers state the very interesting fact, that one third 
 of the passengers in the steam boat Superior, were from the 
 Gulf of Mexico, preferring this route, from the south to the 
 north, as being the cheapest, the most comfortable, and by far 
 the most pleasant. It must indeed be a most delightful tour 
 in the warm season, affording an opportunity of viewing some 
 of the finest and most variegated scenery in the United States, 
 comprising the rivers Mississippi, Ohio, and the Hudson, Lake 
 Erie, the falls of Niagara, and the Great Western Canal, the 
 most stupendous work of modern times. 
 
 It is probable that this route will be, after the Great West* 
 ern Canal is completed, chosen as part of the fashionable tour 
 from the south. — National Gazette j August 2^, 1824. 
 
60 Statistics. [Sept. 
 
 Mr. F. A. Stewart, commission merchant, No. 88, Coffee 
 House Slip, New- York, received, August 7th, 1824, bills of 
 lading, and a note of consignment, of a cargo of Onondago 
 salt and kelp, to be shipped on board the ship Ontario, calcu- 
 lated for catial and river navig-ation. She is schooner rigged, 
 and clears from the port of Syracuse,* for New- York, and 
 thence to Hartford, Connecticut. Her cargo consists of the 
 common fine salt of Salina, manufactured by the Syracuse com- 
 pany, by the process of solar evaporation; and of coarse salt, 
 made at Boynton rocks, by a low degree of heat. The kelp is 
 also a valuable article for our market. — National Gazette^ Au- 
 gust llth^ 1824. 
 
 The tolls on the New- York Western Canal received this 
 year, from the opening of the navigation to the first of August, 
 amount to ^130,000; nearly ^90,000 more than was received 
 in a similar period of last year, and within ^70,000 of the en- 
 tire sum calculated on by the canal commissioners, in their last 
 Report. 
 
 Lumber now reaches Albany at ^4 per 1000 feet. Mer- 
 chandize which formerly cost ^30 per ton from the city of 
 New-York to the interior, now reaches its destination, in half 
 the time, at ^6 per ton. 
 
 West gypsum in stone (unpulverised) has been sold at Al- 
 bany at ^3 per ton, and Nova Scotia at ^4 50 cents. Coarse 
 Onondago salt, at 5S^ and fine at 40 cents per bushel. — Na- 
 tional Gazette^ August 12thj 1824. 
 
 Inland Navigation. — -It is with pleasure we notice the arri- 
 val from Mauch Chunk of a boat laden with 326 barrels of 
 flour and twenty tons coal. The flour was manufactured on 
 the north-east branch of the Susquehanna. And this arrival 
 is an interesting fact, inasmuch as it is the first experiment of 
 bringing the trade of that river to Philadelphia by means of the 
 improved navigation of the Lehigh. The freight of this flour 
 from Mauch Chunk to Philadelphia, a distance of 140 miles, 
 was 30 cents per barrel. 
 
 It is also gratifying to state that the Lehigh Company have 
 sent down to this city the present season 150 boats carrying 
 230,000 bushels of coal, and that the regular shipments from 
 Mauch Chunk now amount to 3000 bushels per day. 
 
 * Syracuse is situated on the Great Western Canal at the head of Ononda- 
 go lake, about 50 miles west from Utica. At Syi'acuse a branch canal leaves 
 the main trunk, and i)assing- by Salina, enters by several locks into Onondago 
 lake. The works erected near Syracuse for making' salt by evaporation stand 
 on alluvial flats, and are very extensive. 
 
1824.] S'tatzstics] 61 
 
 Lehigh coal is now reduced to 25 cents per bushel, at Phi- 
 ladelphia. 
 
 An article in a Boston paper states, that so low was the pre- 
 mium of insurance, on the ship Edward Newton and her cargo, 
 that it would require the profit arising from an insurance of 
 eighty-six millions of dollars, to cover the loss which the 
 offices would have obtained, had the whole been insured. This 
 fact shows the low rate at which insurance can be effected ; 
 and the destruction of the ship shows how many dangers be- 
 set a vessel upon the ocean. — With these facts in view, we 
 marvel that a cent of property is ever suffered to leave the 
 wharf, without being covered by an insurance. 
 
 By a letter from the commander. Captain H. Bestody, dated 
 St. Philip de Benguela, March 12th, 1824, the fine ship 
 Edward Newton of Boston, was burnt on the 20th of Febru- 
 ary, in the Atlantic ocean, at south latitude 29°, longitude east 
 from Greenwich 10° 30'. — National Gazette, August 3d, 1824. 
 
 To the prudent advice hinted in the foregoing extract may 
 be added the unaccountable and culpable neglect of farmers 
 not insuring their houses and barns. It is not too much to say, 
 that more than ^20,000 would not cover the loss this season 
 in farm houses and barns, by fires occasioned by lightning, 
 which stands on record in the Philadelphia papers. These 
 losses become still more distressing by that of human life to 
 swell the calamity in many instances. 
 
 Two modes present themselves, one to avert, the other to 
 remedy this evil. A cheap rod of iron, answers the former, 
 and insurance, the latter purpose ; and yet where the lives of 
 a family and their means of subsistence are at stake, how much 
 are those not only prudent, but really humane precautions 
 neglected. 
 
 On Friday and Saturday, July 30th and 31st, 1824, owing to 
 the muddy state of the water, the operation of pumping at 
 Fair Mount was suspended. This afforded an opportunity of 
 ascertaining the quantity drawn from the reservoir for the use 
 of the city, and it was found to amount on Saturday, to two 
 million one hundred thousand gallons. The usual consump- 
 tion in warm weather, is 1,900,000 gallons a day; in cold 
 weather, 1,250,000 gallions. 
 
 The mean of those extremes amounts to 1,540,000 gallons. 
 The population actually supplied with hydrant water exceeds 
 very little if any 70,000 persons, or upwards of 22 gallons to 
 each individual. The entire number of inhabitants in Fhila- 
 
62 'S'tatistics, [Sept. 
 
 delphia and Liberties, by the census of 1820, was 108,809 ; 
 the present number, it is probable, exceeds one hundred and 
 twenty thousand. An aquatic expenditure of l,57'5,OO0 gal- 
 lons, would therefore admit an individual supply of more 
 than 13 gallons to the whole inhabitants of Philadelphia, 
 Southwark, Spring Garden, the incorporated Northern Liber- 
 ties and Kensington. 
 
 FOR THE NATIONAL GAZETTE. 
 
 Mr. Edkor. — Mr. Randolph says that Philadelphia is in a 
 state of atrophy, because it has neither water power nor coal. 
 It is without capital too, according to that gentleman's printed 
 speech, and can never possess foreign commerce. 
 
 To show what these idle assertions are worth, I send you 
 the following statistic view of Philadelphia ; it has been prepar- 
 ed for a Guide of this city now in the press of Messrs. Carey 
 and Lea. S. B. 
 
 STATISTIC VIEW OF PHILADELPHIA. 
 
 NATIONAL DEBT. 
 
 The whole amount of the debt of the United States on the 
 1st of January, 1824, was g90,451,834 24 cents — of this sum 
 ^43,509,211 52 cents are held in Philadelphia, thus diveded : 
 
 Owned by its citizens and corporate bodies - 29,182,499 50 
 Owned by foreigners 14,326,712 02 
 
 S43,509,211 52 
 
 Our own citizens receive an annual interest on this 
 
 debt of - - - - - - - 1,700,668 11 
 
 And foreigners - 743,915 43 
 
 g2,444,583, 54 
 
 The annual interest on the ivhole debt of the United 
 
 States 5,642,724 95 
 
 Of which, as is shown above, Philadelphia receives 2,444,583 54 
 
 or very near one half oi the whole. 
 
 New -York receives for her citizens and foreigners 1,338,950 39 
 
 Boston •• 1,178,357 74 
 
 Baltimore 208,365 16 
 
 BANK OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 Philadelphia holds in the capital stock of the Bank of the 
 United States, 37,269 shares, valued according to the present 
 price at ^122 per share, and amount to ^4,545,818. The an= 
 
1824.] Statistics. 63 
 
 nual dividend received in this city on that stock at the present 
 low rate of dividend, is ^186,345. 
 
 Shares, 
 
 New- York holds in this stock - - . - - 40,289 
 
 Massachusetts 27,837 
 
 Bahimore .---...- 38,490 
 
 COMMERCE. 
 
 Philadelphia is the third, if not the second importing and ex- 
 porting city in the Union, as will be seen below. I say the 
 second, because the official accounts for Massachusetts, which 
 stand next in amount to New- York, comprehend the great 
 commercial towns of Salem, Newburyport, &c. the trade of 
 which, when subtracted from that of the state, would proba- 
 bly leave Boston helow Philadelphia. 
 
 The comparative view of the commerce of the four princi- 
 pal districts stands thus for the last year : 
 
 New-York imported ^29,42 1,342 00 
 
 Philadelphia 13,696,770 00 
 
 The whole state of Massachusetts - - 17,607,160 00 
 
 Baltimore - - 4,946,179 00 
 
 New- York exported - . - - . §19,038,990 00 
 
 Philadelphia 9,617,192 00 
 
 The whole state of Massachusetts - - 13,685,239 00 
 
 Baltimore 5,030,228 00 
 
 The tonnage of Philadelphia stood thus on the 31st of De- 
 cember, 1824: — Permanent, enrolled, licensed, &c. 84,927' 
 tons ; since which more than 10,000 tons have been added. 
 There were built this last spring, as I am informed, 15 vessels, 
 measuring 5000 tons. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 Philadelphia paid postage on letters last year - g77,048 00 
 
 New-York - 92,89100 
 
 Boston -.-.-... 49,923 00 
 
 Baltimore - - - - - - - 41,442 00 
 
 INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 The exertions of Philadelphia have far exceeded those of 
 anif city in the Union, for the promotion of internal improve- 
 ment. It must be remembered that, vast as are the efforts of 
 the state of New- York, the city of New- York has had no other 
 agency in them than loaning money on good security and on 
 interest, whereas the advances made by the citizens of Phila- 
 delphia have been hazarded upon their own responsibility, and 
 exceed in amount the estimated cost of the celebrated canals 
 
64 Statistics. [Sept. 
 
 of New- York. The gross amount of the several objects are 
 alone given here ; but they are taken from correct data. 
 
 In bridges over the river Schuylkill - - - 425,000 00 
 
 Stock in Schuylkill Navigation, Union Canal, Lehigh, 
 
 Chesapeake and Delaware Canal - - - 3,700,000 00 
 Turnpikes to Columbia and other places constructed 
 
 with City Capital— Water Works at Fair Mount 2,600,000 00 
 
 §6,725,000 00 
 
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 The average annual expenses of the state government of 
 Pennsylvania, are about ^325,000 including interest on her 
 debt. Philadelphia pays ^260,000 of these expenses, or four 
 fifths of the whole. 
 
 REAL AND PERSONAL ESTATE. 
 
 Not having at hand the last triennial assessment, I avail 
 myself of that of 1817 ; a year of considerable depression, and 
 I omit to take any account of the many valuable additions since 
 made in splendid public and private edifices. 
 
 The city and suburbs (or county) are officially returned at 
 ^55,418,579, which must be doubled, because the value put 
 on real estate by assessors, is never more than half the mar- 
 ket price. 
 
 The real estate was then se-ven years ago - - 1 10,837,158 
 
 Bank Stock, including that held in United 
 
 States Bank _ . - . 15,000,000 
 
 Insurance Stock . - . . 4,200,000 
 
 Shipping 4,000,000 
 
 Other personal estate, such as merchandize, 
 stock in manufactories, bonds and mort- 
 gages out of the city. City Stock, plate, 
 furniture, all equal at least to one half 
 the real estate, including ^25,000,000 of 
 United States Stock held in Philadelphia^ 55,000,000 
 
 78,200,000 
 
 gl89,037,158 
 
 DIVISION OF FIVE MILLIONS AMONG THE SPANISH CLAIMANTS. 
 
 To the foregoing items, I add, as an evidence of the foreign 
 coinmerce and enterprize of our citizens, the share paid to 
 Philadelphia out of the awards on the Spanish claims, as com- 
 pared with other commercial districts. The statement is from 
 an intelligent gentleman at Washington. 
 
1824.] Statistics. 65 
 
 Philadelfihia receives -.,--- 1,250,000 
 
 New- York - - - - - - - - 1,000,000 
 
 Baltimore - - 700,000 
 
 All New England 1,750,000 
 
 South of Potomac - - - - • . - 300,000 
 
 !S5,000,000 
 
 This very valuable table was inserted in the National Ga- 
 zette of July 3d, 1824, and now published in Carey and Lea's 
 " Philadelphia in 1824," for which it was originally compiled. 
 By the liberal permission of Messrs. Carey and Lea, it is in<- 
 serted in the Repository. Such information cannot be too 
 widely disseminated. 
 
 Connectiofi of the Ohio and Lake Erie. 
 
 We noted, about the beginning of August, the dispositions 
 which had been made by the board of engineers of the United 
 Stated to prosecute the surveys of the route of the contem- 
 plated canal to connect the waters of the Ohio with those of 
 the Chesapeake. The whole line, our readers will recollect, was 
 stated to have been divided into three sections, to each of 
 which a brigade of topigraphical engineers and surveyors were 
 allotted — and that the board itself subsequently proceeded 
 from Pittsburg to the Big Beaver river (one of the tributaries 
 of the Ohio) for the purpose of examining into the practicabi- 
 lity of connecting the waters of Lake Erie with those of the 
 Ohio. We have now before us information from the latter 
 quarter as late as the 12th of August, at which time the Board 
 had extended its examination as far west as the mouth of Grand 
 river, Emptying into Lake Erie. It was on its return from 
 that point, and would proceed to Ashtabula and Conveyant ; 
 thence to examine the communication from the Conveyant 
 river, by the lake of the same name, to French Creek, a branch 
 of the Allegany river. 
 
 The members of the board have been almost incessantly on 
 horseback, and have, it is believed, concluded their examina- 
 tions of the connections between the Beaver and the Cayuhoga 
 and Grand rivers. The country embraced in this section has 
 been found to possess an extraordinary character. On the 
 ground where the streams take their rise (both those that 
 fall into the lake and those of the Ohio) it is flat and swampy 
 for many miles in extent ; so much so that the roads through 
 it, have either to be raised considerably by throwing the earth 
 from the sides to the middle, or by causeways of logs— -as, 
 otherwise, the deep mud would absolutely render them im- 
 VoL. I.-=I No. 1. 
 
66 Statistics. [S^vr. 
 
 passible. From this extreme flatness the small streams appear 
 in some instances at a loss Avhich way to run — whether to take 
 to the Lake or the Ohio. The Cayuhoga is spoken of as a 
 peculiar river. Taking its rise in the neighbourhood of the 
 Lake, it runs thence south for some distance, when it takes a 
 bend and returns to the lake at Cleveland, where it is of con- 
 siderable size. The examinations of the board have ascer- 
 tained the important fact that the whole of the waters of the 
 Cayuhoga may be thrown into a branch of the Mahoning, and 
 thence, by the Beaver into the Ohio; and this junction may 
 be effected by a cut of three-fourths of a mile in length, and 
 of seventeen feet at its greatest depth. 
 
 The character of the country examined is such that there 
 appears to be in the summer season as great, if not a greater 
 supply of water on the summit than at a considerable distance 
 down on either side. The country is found to be badly water- 
 ed — many mills were passed at which there was not a drop of 
 running water, and to meet with a spring was a matter of rare 
 occurrence. — Baltimore American. 
 
 From the foregoing it would appear that the waters of the 
 Cayuhoga may be diverted from its natui'al course into Lake 
 Erie and made to flow into Ohio, and consequently may 
 be used as a feeder to a canal in either direction. A want of 
 running water in the latter part of summer, and beginning of 
 autumn, is not peculiar to the section of country between the 
 Ohio river and Lake Erie. Almost all western Pennsylvania, 
 and great part of Ohio, though abounding in springs, the eva- 
 poration is so great when the thermometer exceeds 75° as in 
 a great measure to exhaust the streams. — Ed. Rep. 
 
 Union of the Atlantic and Pacijic Oceans. 
 
 The most stupendous in conception, and most important in 
 its results upon the interests of all mankind, is that of a canal 
 to connect the two great oceans which bathe the opposing 
 coasts of America. This subject has been the theme of spe- 
 culation ever since civilized man set his eye upon the long 
 irregular isthmus which joins the two wide spreading extremes 
 of this continent. It is only, however, recently that the sub- 
 ject has assumed an aspect calculated to arouse attention to an 
 immediate inquiry into the practicability of its execution. 
 That inquiry we may hope will lead to the only effectual inci- 
 pient step to a further advance ; that is, a survey of the whole 
 Isthmus. 
 
 In the present state of geographical science, doubt and dark- 
 ness reigK over the geography of that part of America. The 
 
i824.3 Statistics. 67 
 
 following communication made its appearance not very long 
 since in the Baltimore Federal Gazette, and deserves notice as 
 containing many very judicious reflections. 
 
 " To open a communication by canal between the Atlantic 
 and Pacific Ocean, is an enterprise that has been long spoken 
 of, long an object of speculation ; one that has occupied the 
 attention of able writers, and which if accomplished upon even 
 what might be deemed a moderate scale of capacity and ex- 
 pense, would present to all nations new and extraordinary fa- 
 cilities for trade, and confer on the nation through whose terri- 
 tory the canal of navigation would pass, benefits almost beyond 
 the reach of human anticipation, and certainly incalculable in 
 point of revenue, and of political as well as commercial 
 power. 
 
 Now that the riches of the New World are thrown open to the 
 Old — now that the emancipated inhabitants of Mexico and the 
 southern portion of the New, can carry on commerce with the 
 Old World, and with the United States, unfettered by unnatural 
 and oppressive restrictions, and to the advantage of all, there 
 only seems wanting a junction of the waters of the Atlantic 
 and Pacific by canal, to give to trade that light and life, that 
 spur and impetus, which the Omnipotent seems to have con- 
 templated in his works, and which it would also seem was re- 
 served for the present generation to promote, and if not to 
 enjoy to the widest extent, at least to impart and secure to pos- 
 terity. 
 
 A canal such as that alluded to must, in a short time from 
 the period of its comlpetion, change the whole face of com- 
 merce, open sources of wealth heretofore unknown, turn trade 
 into channels now unexplored or unthought of, and finally 
 expand the mind, meliorate the condition, and improve the 
 moral state of man. 
 
 A work so important in its objects, so honourable in its na- 
 ture, and promising to be so vast in useful results, belongs to 
 the Republic of Colombia. — To this republic, first amongst 
 the new states, in order, in constitutional liberty, in heroic 
 suffering and public virtue, belongs the actual achievement of 
 an enterprise which would appear to have been hitherto little 
 more than the waking dream of the philosopher, or romantic 
 project of the engineer, but which we have at last reason to be- 
 lieve, is easy of accomplishment, and on the verge of execution. 
 
 A gentleman with whom we have conversed, who has tra- 
 velled much in Colombia, who has made surveys of different 
 parts of that country, and who, from education, intimacy vnth 
 science, and general intelligence, is well qualified to decide on 
 the subject, prefers a communication between the two seas unit- 
 
&8 Statistics. [Sept, 
 
 ing the rivers Atrato and St. Juan de Chirambira to any other 
 route that has been yet mentioned or explored. He has, indeed, 
 nearly satisfied us, that a junction cannot take place either by 
 the lake Nacaragua or by the river Chagress. — The latter is to 
 be considered as beyond a doubt impracticable. The oceans be- 
 ing here divided by a ridge of at least three thousand feet above 
 the level of either sea, and as to the route by the Nicaragua, 
 it is to be observed, that this lake lies many hundred feet above 
 the level of the ocean ; that all extra or superfluous waters are 
 invariably carried oif by the river St. Johns, w^hich though the 
 only outlet, has ever proved adequate to drain the freshes of 
 the lake ; that the river itself runs with great rapidity ; that it 
 would require an immense sum to lock or dam it for the pur- 
 poses of navigation ; that even were this done, it is appre- 
 hended the opening a junction across the neck of land divid- 
 ing the lake of Leon from the Pacific, would drain the upper 
 lake, Nicaragua, below the level of its union with the head of 
 the river St. Johns, and thus render the intended communica- 
 tion by this route altogether hopeless. We present these 
 points of consideration briefly as possible, from a variety of 
 data before us, but, we trust, sufficiently clear for all the objects 
 of a newspaper communication. 
 
 The local circumstances attendant upon tke proposed plan 
 of junction by the rivers Atrato and St. Juan de Chirambira, 
 are of a totally different character, and could we wonder at 
 any neglect or mal-administration, distinguishing the Spanish 
 government from all others in the civilized world, we should 
 express our astonishment, that a w'ork so easy of execution, 
 and of such, we might say, unbounded utility, should have 
 been left unattempted to the times in which we live. The 
 plan of the projected union between the two seas is, it will be 
 seen, simple and easy, for nature has made it so. 
 
 The Atrato taking its rise about the middle of the fifth de- 
 gree of North latitude, and of the 77th. of longitude West 
 from London, runs smoothly and not rapidly, nearly a north 
 course about five hundred miles, till it empties itself into the 
 Gulf of Darien, one hundred and forty miles south-west of 
 Carthagena. In the whole of its course it is clear of obstruc- 
 tion of any kind, with deep water, except on its bar, which has 
 only seven feet, but this is fully sufficient for large steam- 
 boat navigation. 
 
 The St. Juan de Chirambira also has its rise about five hun- 
 dred miles in the interior, but takes a different direction from 
 the Atrato, and empties itself into the Pacific at Chirambira 
 Bay, where there is a good harbour. This river is also of easy 
 navigation, with deep water, and in running its course it ap- 
 
1824.)- Statistics, ' > 69 
 
 preaches within four miles of the Atrato, at about eighty miles 
 from the head of the latter, the ground between being a dead 
 level — so much so, that the overflowing of either river inun- 
 dates the intervening plain, and on such occasions boats have 
 actually passed from one river to the other. 
 
 Thus a canal of four miles, to the cutting of which there is 
 neither the obstruction of rock, river or mountain, unites the 
 Atlantic and Pacific oceans for all the important uses of large 
 steam-boat navigation ! 
 
 Should a particular branch of the Atrato be used, near to 
 the place of the proposed junction, locks in some place would 
 be necessary, but whatever route may be fixed upon, the work 
 presents neither natural difficulty, nor the necessity of a very 
 large expenditure, whilst the consequences promise to be such 
 in utility and magnitude as to defy calculation. 
 
 To the United States and to Europe the benefit would be of 
 Vast import ; it would bring the Pacific and even China, com- 
 paratively home to our doors. A merchant, in the event of 
 such a canal being completed, could, to Lima for instance, have 
 a cargo out, and a return, in less time than is now occupied in 
 the voyage out, independent of the decrease of risk, the con- 
 sequent saving of insurance, and diminution in the expense of 
 freightage. Besides, new sources of trade would be opened, 
 and articles which now never pass Cape Horn, either way, 
 would become valuable objects of traffic. However, to enter 
 into a full examination of this part of the subject, would take 
 more time and room than we can devote to this article, though 
 sufficiently impressed with its interest and importance. 
 
 But if the benefits to commerce and to nations generally 
 would be so great, what incalculable advantages would not 
 such a communication bestow on the Republic of Colombia! 
 — what a spring of industry would it not give to her people — 
 what a mine of wealth would it not open to her merchants— 
 what a scope of power would it not place in the hand of her 
 government ! It is only in this latter point, perhaps, that the 
 undertaking is to be viewed with jealousy, for it is evidently 
 calculated to insure her influence, approaching to command, 
 over the trade of the Pacific — the Pacific, which seems destin- 
 ed by nature for steam-boat navigation, and which is touched 
 at so many distant and important points by the Republic of 
 Colombia, It would also give her unexampled weight in com- 
 mercial treaties with foreign powers, and an immense revenue 
 from even a very small transit duty. Indeed to make the na- 
 vigation profitable, the duty ought certainly to be very small. 
 The fine city of Carthagena now languishing, occasioned by 
 the dearth of produce in its immediate neighbourhood and the 
 
70 Statistics, [Septo 
 
 opening the port of Santa Martha, might be thus saved from 
 impending ruin, for should the now contemplated canal by the 
 Atrato be cut, Carthagena, from its vicinity to the mouth of 
 that river, its position, commanding the entrance of the Gulf 
 of Darien, and its safe harbour, would become the emporium 
 of the trade to the Pacific, from Europe and the United States, 
 and that important fortress of the republic, which now begins 
 to put on the appearances of decay, would soon assume all the 
 spirit and prosperity of commercial greatness. 
 
 We might, from the materials in our possession, enlarge 
 much more and shew still further how variously the proposed 
 canal would benefit Colombia and all nations, but we have 
 said enough to gratify curiosity, and sufficient to awaken in- 
 terest on a subject of unquestionably great importance to the 
 world." 
 
 The writer of this document, like many others, has indulg- 
 ed in expressions derogatory to the Spanish government in 
 America, without perhaps duly weighing the peculiar circum- 
 stances under which that government was placed: and also, 
 in applying to the colonial system of Spain in America, what 
 is general, or universally due to all systems of colonial depen- 
 dence. It is probable that the most ruinous circumstance pecu- 
 liar to the Spanish colonies, was the spreading of a limited 
 population over too wide a surface. I have already in this 
 number, remarked the scarcity of population in Europe at the 
 epoch of the discovery of America.* In addition to the con- 
 fined source of emigration, the Spanish colonists were spread 
 along the continent and islands of America, from N. lat. 40* 
 to S. lat. 33*, or over upwards of five thousand miles from 
 north to south, and on above five millions of square miles. 
 On all this vast area, embracing the finest climates of the 
 earth, and concentrating in many places the most valuable na- 
 tural productions — but man, the most valuable of all, was want- 
 ing. In the neighbourhood of Mexico, where condensed popu- 
 lation and wealth have put it in their power, the inhabitants 
 have done more than has been ever done in any other place by 
 a people labouring under colonial restriction .f When civil 
 
 * See page 38, note. 
 
 f The mountain valley in which the city of Mexico stands, has been com- 
 pared to the bottom of a reversed saucer. In its natural state this elevated 
 basin was liable to occasional and destructive floods, by which the city of 
 Mexico was frequently inundated. To remedy this inconvenience, the Mexi- 
 cans have cut a canal of desiccation through the mountains and led the'surplus 
 water into the river Tula. "The Desague" {Drain') says Humboldt, "is in 
 its actual state (1803,) undoubtedly, one of the most gigantic hydraulical 
 works ever executed by man." 
 
 The Desague of Mexico will be amply noticed in a future number of thr 
 
1824.] 6'tatistks. 71 
 
 liberty is once secured, the face of affairs will no doubt assume 
 another and infinitely more favourable aspect. The resources 
 of the various Spanish nations will be developed with a rapidity 
 which must astonish the inhabitants themselves. 
 
 To cut the isthmus, is, however, not simply to enhance the 
 power and resources alone of the nation over whose territory 
 the canal is made, but such a work must change the whole 
 commercial relations of the world. It is an enterprise of the 
 highest import to the free nations of both Americas ; and as 
 no direct geographical view has ever been given of that part 
 of America over which the proposed connection is to be made, 
 it is my intention to devote a share of the Statistical part of 
 the Repository to that object. Bardn Humboldt, in his politi- 
 cal essay on New Spain , noticed the different routes by which 
 a canal could be formed, but entered into no general descrip- 
 tion of the Isthmus. In the actual state of geographical science 
 no completely satisfactory detail can be made, but enough is 
 known to admit the subject to be brought forward in a more 
 connected form than has been done hitherto. 
 
 No very definite idea has been conveyed by the term Isth- 
 mus of Darien, or Panama. The narrow strip of land between 
 the Gulf of Panama of the Pacific, and the Caribbean sea, an 
 arm of the Atlantic, presents the nearest approach of the waters 
 of those vast oceans j but, with very unequal width, extending 
 from south-east to north-west upwards of 1500 miles, the im- 
 mense Isthmus affords several points where the distance from 
 the Atlantic to the Pacific is evidently within the scope of canal 
 enterprise without any very onerous expense. This wiir be 
 more clearly understood from the following geographical view. 
 
 If we extend the great American Isthmus, on the east to 
 the mouth of the Atrato river, and on the west to the Gulf of 
 Tehuantepec, and river Chimalapa and Guasacualco, it reaches 
 from half a degree east to eighteen degrees west from Wash- 
 ington city. The bottom of the Gulf of Darien and mouth of 
 the Atrato, is in N. lat. 8° 30', the Gulf Tehuantepec in N. lato 
 16° 20', and the mouth of the Guasacualco river in N. lat. 
 17° 30'. 
 
 Within these geographical limits spread two vast penin- 
 sulas, containing together, more than three hundred and fifty 
 thousand square miles, and discharging into the Gulf of 
 Mexico and Caribbean sea numerous rivers, many of which 
 are of considerable magnitude, and length of course. 
 
 Repository ; it is alluded to in this place to shew, that where obstacles were 
 not insurmountable, the Spanish colonists in America were not that indolent 
 race they have been supposed. The parent state was in reality chargeable 
 with thwarting every laudible undertaking, and what parent state has ever 
 acted with uniform liberality towards its colonies ? 
 
72 Statistics. [Sept. 
 
 It may be premised, that in the present, as in almost every 
 other instance, the geography of the mountains is most defec- 
 tive. In all our maps of North America, the great central 
 chain of Anahuac, in Mexico, is extended to the south-east, 
 and connected with the chains of the Andes in South America. 
 I have been for upwards of twenty years of opinion that this 
 arrangement was radically wrong, and almost the reverse of 
 fact. One very general law of construction seems to prevail 
 in the mountain systems of America ; the chains extend in 
 lateral ridges in one general direction. This I have already 
 shewn is strikingly apparent in the Appalachian system. As 
 far as we possess correct information, the same regularity of 
 structure prevails in the great chains west of the basin of the 
 Mississippi ; and in those of the Brazils, and Andes of South 
 America. In all these chains their range seems uninfluenced 
 by the contiguous oceans or rivers. If my hypotheies respect- 
 ing the mountains of Guatimala be correct, their range is 
 nearly north-west and south-east, leaving deep intervening 
 valleys. Also, that similar to other American mountains those 
 of Guatimala are of very unequal elevation, admitting pass- 
 ages not very elevated, from ocean to ocean. We see by re- 
 ference tO/the profile maps prefixed to this number, that the 
 Appalachian admits two passes from the Atlantic into Lake 
 Erie one, less than nine hundred, and the other only five hun- 
 dred and sixty-five feet above tide water in the latter ocean. 
 That similar and much less elevated passes exist in Guatimala 
 and Colombia, I trust will be seen in the course of this me- 
 moir. 
 
 Another very important element in the investigation of this 
 subject, is that of the respective levels of the Atlantic and 
 Pacific oceans. The trade winds and current of rotation, it 
 is well known, produce that immense whirlpool in the Atlantic 
 Ocean, to a part of which opposite the south-east coast of 
 North America has been given the name of Gulf Stream. 
 Between South America and Africa, and within the tropics, 
 the surface of the Atlantic ocean flows regularly westward. 
 Separated by Cape St. Rocque, S. lat. 5°, this vast ocean cur= 
 rent is divided : the northern section inclined to the north- 
 west by the coast of South America, is carried into the Carib- 
 bean sea. Again urged forward in the same direction by the 
 general range of the Isthmus, the accumulated flood pours into 
 the Gulf of Mexico between Yucatan and Cuba ; and again 
 escapes into the Atlantic between Cuba and Florida, 
 
 (To be Continued.) 
 
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