Civil Divifions, Population, &c.] New-Jerfey is divided into 13 count ties, which are fubdivided into 94 townships or precincts, as follows:

In 1784, a cenfus of the inhabitants was made by order of the legislature, when they amounted to 140,435, of which 10,501 were blacks. Of thefe blacks, 1939 only were flaves; fo that the proportion of flaves to the whole of the inhabitants in the ftate, is as one to feventy-fix The population for every fquare mile is eighteen.

In 1738, the number of inhabitants in New-Jersey was 47,369; of which 3,981 were flaves. In 1745, there were 61,403 inhabitants in the colony, of which 4606 were flaves. The average annual increase of inhabitants in New-Jersey fince the year 1738, has been 2219, exclufive of emigrations.

Since the peace of 1783, , great numbers of the inhabitants have emigrated to the country weft of the Allegany Mountains. The increase of inhabitants in the ftate must be fmall fo long as thefe emigrations fhall continue;

continue; and they will probably continue as long as there are unfettled lands within the limits of the United States, on which emigrants can more easily fubfift by agriculture, than in their native state.

Face of the Country, Mountains, Soil and Productions.] The counties of Suffex, Morris, and the northern part of Bergen, are mountainous. The South mountain, which is one ridge of the great Allegany range, croffes this state in about latitude 41°. This mountain embofoms fuch amazing quantities of iron ore, that it may not improperly be called the Iron Mountain. The Kittatinny ridge paffes through this ftate north of the South mountain. Several fpurs from thefe mountains, are projected in a fouthern direction. One paffes between Springfield and Chatham. Another runs weft of it, by Morristown, Bafkinridge and Vealtown. The. interior country is, in general, agreeably variegated with hills and vallies. The fouthern counties which lie along the fea-coaft, are pretty uniformly flat and fandy. The noted Highlands of Navefink and Center Hill, are almost the only hills within the diftance of many miles from the feacoaft. The Highlands of Navefink are on the fea-coaft near SandyHook, in the township of Middletown, and are the firft lands that are difcovered by mariners as they come upon the coaft. They rife about 600 feet above the furface of the water.

As much as five-eighths of most of the fouthern counties, or one-fourth of the whole ftate, is a fandy barren, unfit for cultivation. The land on the fea-coaft in this, like that in the more fouthern ftates, has every appearance of made grund. The foil is generally a light fand; and by digging, on an average, about fifty feet below the furface, (which can be done, even at the diflance of twenty or thirty miles from the fea, without any impediment from rocks or ftones) you come to falt marfh. The gentleman who gave this information adds, I have feen an oyfter-fhell that would hold a pint, which was dug out of the marfh, at fifty feet deep in digging a well.' About feven years fince,' continues my informer, at Long Branch, in the county of Monmouth, in the banks of the At lantic, which were greatly torn by a great rife of the sea in a violent easterly form, was difcovered the fkeleton of fome huge carnivorous animal. The country people who firft faw it had fo little curiofity, as to fuffer it to be wholly destroyed, except a jaw tooth which I faw. This was about two and an half inches wide, five inches long, and as many deep. The perfon who helped to take it out of the bank, affured me there was one rib feven feet four inches, and another four-feet long.'- -To account for thefe curious phenomena is not my bufinefs. This is left for the ingenious naturalift, who has abilities and leifure to compare facts and appearances of this kind, and who probably may thence draw conclufions which may throw much light on the ancient hiftory of this country.

This flate has all the varieties of foil from the worft to the beft kind. It has a greater proportion of barrens than any of the ftates, if we except North-Carolina; and even than this, if we include the premature State of Franklin. The good land in the fouthern counties lies principally on the banks of the rivers and creeks. The foil, on thefe banks, is generally a ftiff clay; and while in a state of nature, produces various fpecies of oak, hickory, poplar, chefnut, afh, gum, &c. The barrens produce little elfe

-but

but shrub oaks and white and yellow pines. There are large bodies of falt meadow along the Delaware, which afford a plentiful pafture for cattle in fummer, and hay in winter; but the flies and musketoes frequent these meadows in large fwarms, in the months of June, July and Auguft, and prove very troublesome both to man and beaft. In Gloucefter and Cumberland counties are feveral large tracts of banked meadow. Their vicinity to Philadelphia renders them highly valuable. Along the fea-coaft the inhabitants fubfift principally by feeding cattle on the falt meadows, and by the fish of various kinds, fuch as rock, drum, fhad, perch, &c. black turtle, crabs and oysters, which the fea, rivers, and creeks afford in great abundance. They raife Indian corn, rye, potatoes, &c. but not for exportation. Their fwamps afford lumber, which is eafily conveyed to a good market.

In the hilly and mountainous parts of the ftate, which are not too rocky for cultivation, the foil is of a ftronger kind, and covered in its natural state with ftately oaks, hickories, chefnuts, &c. &c. and when cultivated produces wheat, rye, Indian corn, buck-wheat, oats, barley, flax, and fruits of all kinds common to the climate. The land in this hilly country is good for grazing, and the farmers feed great numbers of cattle for New-York and Philadelphia markets; and many of them keep large... dairies.

The orchards in many parts of the ftate equal any in the United States, and their cyder is faid, and not without reafon, to be the beft in the world. It is pretty certain that it cannot be furpaffed in goodness. It is only to be regretted that too many of the inhabitants make too free a ufe of it, to the injury not only of their healths, but of their reputations; and that the pernicious practice of distilling it, and thereby rendering it ftill more prejudicial, is prevailing. It is pity that the bleffings of bounteous heaven should thus, by their abuse, be turned into curfes.

The markets of New-York and Philadelphia receive a very confiderable proportion of their fupplies from the contiguous parts of New-Jerfey. And it is worthy of remark that thefe contiguous parts are exceedingly well calculated, as to the nature and fertility of their foils, to afford thefe fupplies; and the intervention of a great number of navigable rivers and creeks renders it very convenient to market their produce. These fupplies confift of vegetables of many kinds, apples, pears, peaches, plumbs, trawberries, cherries, and other fruits-cyder in large quantities, and of the best quality, butter, cheese, beef, pork, mutton, and the lesser

meats.

Se

Trade.] The trade of this state is carried on almost folely with and from thofe two great commercial cities, New-York on one fide, and Philadelphia on the other; though it wants not good ports of its own. veral attempts have been made by the legiflature, to fecure to the state its own natural advantages, by granting extraordinary privileges to merchants, who would fettle at Amboy and Burlington, two very commodious ports. But the people having long been accuftomed to fend their produce to the markets of Philadelphia and New-York, and of courfe having their correfpondencies eftablished, and their mode of dealing fixed, they find it difficult to turn their trade from the old channel.

Befides,

Befides, in these large cities, where are fo many able merchants, and fo many wants to be fupplied, credits are more easily obtained, and a better and quicker market is found for produce, than could be expected in towns Jefs populous and flourishing. Thefe and other causes of the fame kind, have, hitherto, rendered abortive the encouragements held out by the legiflature.

New-York and Pennfylvania, however, not contented with the privi lege of being the factors and carriers for this state, charge it with the fame duties they do their own citizens. This heavy and unreasonable tax upon the people, together with the lofs they fuftain in dealing with a depreciated paper currency, occafions the balance of trade to be against the ftate in almost every respect.

The articles exported, befides thofe already mentioned, are, wheat, four, horfes, live cattle, hams, which are celebrated as being the best in the world, lumber, flax-feed, leather, iron in great quantities, in pigs and bars, and formerly copper ore was reckoned among their most valuable exports; but the mines have not been worked fince the commencement of the late war.

The imports confift chiefly of dry and Weft-India goods, and teas from the Eaft-Indies.

Manufactures and Agriculture.] The manufactures of this ftate have hitherto been very inconfiderable, not fufficient to fupply its own confumption, if we except the articles of iron, nails and leather. A fpirit of induftry and improvement, particularly in manufactures, has however greatly increafed in the two laft years. Moft of the families in the country, and many in the populous towns, are clothed in ftrong, decent homefpun; and it is a happy circumftance for our country, that this plain AMERICAN drefs is every day growing more fashionable, not only in this, but in all the caftern and middle states.

In Trenton and Newark, are feveral very valuable tan-yards, where leather, in large quantities, and of an excellent quality, is made and exported to the neighbouring markets. Steel was manufactured at Trenton in time of the war, but not confiderably fince. In Gloucefter county is a glafs-houfe. Paper-mills, and nail manufactories, are erected and worked to good advantage in many parts of the flate. Wheat alfo is manufactured into flour to good account, in the western counties, where it is the ftaple commodity. But the iron manufacture is, of all others, the greateft fource of wealth to the ftate. Iron works are erected in Gloucefter, Burlington, Morris, and other counties. The mountains in the county of Morris, give rife to a number of ftreams neceffary and convenient for thefe works, and at the fame time furnish a copious fupply of wood and ore of a fuperior quality. In this county alone are no less than feven rich iron mines, from which might be taken ore fufficient to fupply the United States; and to work it into iron are two furnaces, two rolling and flitting mills, and about thirty forges, containing from two to four fires each. Thefe works produce annually about 540 tons of bar iron, 800 tons of pigs, befides large quantities of hollow ware, fheet iron, and nail rods. In the whole ftate, it is fuppofed there is yearly made about 1200 tons of bar-iron, 1200 do. of pigs, 80 do. of nail rods, exclufive of hollow ware, and various other caftings, of which vaft quantities are made.

Early