Boundaries.] BOUNDED north, by Virginia; eaft, by the Atlantie

by the Miffifippi *.

Ocean; fouth, by South-Carolina and Georgia; west,

Rivers.] Chowan river is formed by the confluence of three rivers, viz. the Meherrin, Nottaway and Black rivers; all of which rife in Virginia. It falls into the north-west corner of Albemarle found, and is three miles wide at its mouth, but narrows faft as you afcend it.

Roanoke is a long rapid river, formed by two principal branches, Staunton river, which rifes in Virginia, and Dan river, which rifes in NorthCarolina. This river is fubject to inundations, and is navigable but for fhallops, nor for thefe but about 60 or 70 miles, on account of falls, which in a great measure obftruct the water communication with the back country. It empties, by feveral mouths, into the fouth-weft end of Albemarle found. The planters on the banks of this river are fuppofed to be the wealthiest in North-Carolina. One of them, it is faid, raifes about 3000 barrels of corn, and 4000 bushels of peas annually.

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

Pamlico or Tar river opens into Pamlico found. Its courfe is from north-west to fouth-eaft. It is navigable for veffels drawing nine feet water to the town of Washington, about 40 miles from its mouth; and for

*The charter limits of North-Carolina are a line beginning on the fea fide, at a cedar ftake, at or near the mouth of a little river, (being the fouthern extremity of Brunswick county) and running thence a north-west course through the boundary houfe, in lat. 33° 56′ to lat. 35°, and on that parallel weft as far as is mentioned in the charter of King Charles II. to the original proprietors of Carolina, viz. to the South Sea. Their northern line begins on the fea coaft in lat. 36° 30, and runs due weft to the termination of the fouthern line. This line ftrikes the Miffifippi 15 miles below the mouth of the Ohio. Thefe limits were afcertained and confirmed agreeably to an order of George II. in council in the Great-Britain, by the treaty of 1763, gave up her claim to all territory to the weftward of the Milifippi, and the courts of France and Spain, at the fame time, gave her the free navigation of the Miifippi. By the treaty of 1783, Great-Britain yielded her intereft in that river to the United States. But fince Spain nor claims the exclufive right of navigating the Miffifippi, which right he had given up by the treaty of 1763 as abovementioned, North Carolina refumes ker claim to the lands beyond the Milifippi, included within the limits of her original charter.

year

scows

fcows or flats, carrying 30 or 40 hogfheads, 50 miles further, to the town of Tarborough. Beyond this place the river is inconfiderable and is not navigable.

Neus river empties into Pamlico found, below Newbern. It is navigable for fea veffels about 12 miles above the town of Newbern; for fcows 50 miles, and for small boats 200 miles.

Trent river, from the fouth-weft, falls into the Neus at Newbern. It is navigable for fea veffels about 12 miles above the town, and for boats thirty.

There are feveral other rivers of lefs note, among which are the Pafquetank, Perquimins, Little River, Alligator, &c. which difcharge themfelves into Albemarle found. All the rivers in North-Carolina, and, it may be added, in South-Carolina, Georgia, and the Floridas, which empty into the Atlantic Ocean, are navigable by any veffel that can pafs the bar at their mouths. While the water courfes continue broad enough for vessels to turn round, there is generally a fufficient depth of water for them to proceed.

Cape Fear river opens into the fea at Cape Fear, in about lat. 33° 45′As you afcend it, you pafs Brunswick on the left, and Wilmington on the right. The 'river then divides into north-east and north-weft branches, ás they are called. It is navigable for large veffels to Wilmington; and for boats to Fayetteville, near 90 miles farther. This river affords the beft navigation in North-Carolina. Yadkin river rises in this flate, and running fouth-eaftwardly, croffes into South-Carolina, where it takes the name of Pedee, and pafles to fea at George-town.

Pelifon, Holftein, Noley Chuckey, and Frank rivers, are all branches of the Broad Tennefee, falling into it from the north-eaft. This noble river croffes the parallel of 35° north latitude into the state of Georgia, just before it paffes through Cumberland or Laurel Mountains. The paffage of the river through thefe mountains, occafions a remarkable whirl. The river, which a few miles above is half a mile wide, is here compressed to the width of about 100 yards. Juft as it enters the mountain, a large rock projects from the northern fhore in an oblique direction, which renders the bed of the river ftill narrower, and caufes a fudden bend; the water of the river is of courfe thrown with great rapidity againft the fouthern fhore, whence it rebounds around the point of the rock, and produces the whirl, which is about 80 yards in circumference. Canoes have often beeri carried into this whirl, and efcaped without damage. In lefs than a mile below the whirl, the river fpreads into its common width, and, except mufcle fhoals, flows beautiful and placid, till it mingles with the Ohio.

Sounds, Capes, Inlets, Swamps, &c.] Pamlico found is a kind of lake or inland fea, from 10 to 20 miles broad, and nearly roo miles in length. It is feparated from the fea, in its whole length, by a beach of fand hardly a mile wide, generally covered with fmall trees or bufhes. Through this bank are feveral fmall inlets, by which boats may pafs. But Ocre cok inlet is the only one that will admit veffels of burden into the districts of Edenton and Newbern. This inlet is in lat. 35° 10, and opens into Pamlico found, between Ocrecok ifland and Core bank; the land on the north is called Oerecok; and on the fouth Portsmouth. A bar of hard fand croffes this inlet, on which, at low tide, there are 14 feet water. Six

miles within this bar, is a hard fand fhoal, called the Swab, lying across the channel. On each fide of the channel are dangerous fhoals, fometimes dry. There is from 8 to 9 feet water at full tide, according to the winds, on the Swafh. Common tides rife 18 inches on the bar, and 10 on the Swafh. Between the bar and the Swath is good anchoring ground, called the Upper and Lower Anchorages. Ships drawing 10 feet water do not come farther than the firft anchorage, till lightened. Few mariners, though acquainted with the inlets, choofe to bring in their own veffels, as the bar often fhifts during their abfence on a voyage. North of Pamlico found, and communicating with it, is Albemarle found, 60 miles in length, and from 8 to 12 in breadth.

Core found lies fouth of Pamlico, and communicates with it. These founds are fo large when compared with their inlets from the fea, that no tide can be perceived in any of the rivers which empty into them, nor is the water falt even in the mouths of these rivers.

ter.

Cape Hatteras is in lat. 35° 15'. In old charts the fhoals of this cape are marked as having in fome places only 3, 4 and 5 feet water upon them. Experienced pilots and mariners, however, now fay that there is in no place, after you get two miles from the land, lefs than nine feet waThe beft channel for veffels is about a league and a half from the land at the cape, having in no place, at this distance, less than two and a half fathoms of water. Veffels from the northward, by difplaying a jack from the fore top-maft, are ufually boarded by a pilot from the fand. Some of the pilots carry branches, and fome good ones carry none. This cape has been dreaded by mariners failing fouthward when they have been in large veffels; for if they come within 20 miles of the land at the cape, it is in fome places too fhoal for them; if they ftand further off they are in danger of falling into the Gulph Stream, which would fet them 3 or 4 miles an hour northward. It is obfervable that violent ftorms of rain and gufts of wind, are uncommonly frequent around this cape.

Cape Lookout is fouth of Cape Hatteras, oppofite Core found, and has already been mentioned as having had an excellent harbour entirely filled up with land fince the year 1777.

Cape Fear is remarkable for a dangerous fhoal, called, from its form, the Frying-pan. This fhoal lies at the entrance of Cape Fear river.

Difmal Swamp fpreads over the whole tract of country which lies between Pamlico and Albemarle founds, and needs no other description than is conveyed by its name. There is another large fwamp north of Edenu ton, which lies partly in this ftate, and partly in Virginia.

This fwamp is owned by two companies; the Virginia company, of which General Washington is a member, hold 100,000 acres; and the North-Carolina company, who hold about 40,000 acres. It is in contemplation to cut a canal through this fwamp, from the head of Pafquetank, to the head of Elizabeth river, in Virginia, 12 or 14 miles in length.

Civil Divifions.] This ftate is divided into 8 diftricts, which are fubs divided into 58 counties, as follows:

Diftricts.

Thefe five diftricts, beginning on the Virginia line, cover the whole ftate weft of the three maritime diftricts before-mentioned; and the greater part of them extend quite across the ftate from north to fouth.

Principal Towns.] Newbern, Edenton, Wilmington, Halifax, Hillfborough and Fayetteville, cach in their turns have been confidered as the capital of the ftate. At prefent they have no capital. The convention which met to confider the new conftitution, fixed on a place in Wake county to be the feat of government, but the town is not yet built.

NEWBERN is the largest town in the ftate. It ftands on a flat, fandy point of land, formed by the confluence of the rivers Neus on the north, and Trent on the fouth. Oppofite the town, the Neus is about a mile and a half, and the Trent three quarters of a mile wide. The town contains about 400 houses, all built of wood, excepting the palace, the church, the gaol and two dwelling houfes, which are of brick. The palace is a building erected by the province before the revolution, and was formerly the refidence of the governors. It is large and elegant, two ftories high, with

two

two wings for offices, a little advanced in front towards the town; thefe wings are connected with the principal building by a circular arcade. This once handsome and well furnished building is now much out of repair. One of the halls is used for a dancing, and another for a school room which are the only prefent ufes of this palace. The arms of the king of Great-Britain ftill appear in a pediment in front of the building. The Epifcopal church is a small brick building, with a bell. It is the only house for public worship in the place. A rum diftillery has been lately erected in this town. It is the county town of Craven county, and has a courthouse and goal. The court-houfe is raifed on brick arches, fo as to render the lower part a convenient market-place; but the principal marketing is done with the people in their canoes and boats at the river fide.

EDENTON is fituated on the north fide of Albemarle found, and has about 150 indifferent wood houfes, and a few handfome buildings. It has a brick church for Epifcopalians, which for many years has been much neglected, and ferves only to fhew that the people once had a regard, at least, for the externals of religion. Its local fituation is advantageous for trade, but not for health. It is the county town of Chowan county, and has a court-house and goal. In or near this town lived the proprietory, and the firft of the royal governors.

WILMINGTON is a town of about 180 houses, fituated on the east fide of the eastern branch of Cape Fear river, 34 miles from the fea. The courfe of the river, as it paffes by the town, is from north to fouth, and is about 150 yards wide.

In 1786, a fire broke out, fuppofed to have been kindled by negroes, and confumed about 25 or 30 houfes. The town is rebuilding flowly. A printing-office was established here in 1788.

WASHINGTON and TARBOROUGH are two flourishing, trading towns on Tar river. About 130 fmall veffels enter annually at the customhoufe for this river.

HILLSBOROUGH is an inland town, fituated in a high, healthy, and fertile country, 180 miles north of the weft from Newbern. It is fettled by about 60 or 70 families, and has an academy of 60 or 80 ftudents, under the care of fuitable inftructors, and patronized by the principal gentlemen in the ftate, who have been liberal in their donations.

Face of the Country, Soil, and Productions.] North-Carolina, in its whole width, for 60 miles from the fea, is a dead level. A great proportion of this tract lies in foreft, and is barren. On the banks of fome of the rivers, particularly of the Roanoke, the land is fertile and good. Interfperfed through the other parts, are glades of rich fwamp, and ridges of oak land, of a black, fertile foil. In all this champagne country, marine productions are found by digging 18 or 20 feet below the furface of the ground. The fea coaft, the founds, inlets, and lower parts of the rivers, have uniformly a muddy, foft bottom. Sixty and eighty miles from the fea, the country rifes into hills and mountains, as described under this head in South-Carolina and Georgia.

That part of North-Carolina which lies weft of the mountains, a tract about 500 miles in length, eaft and weft, and upwards of roo in breadth, (except the Cumberland barrens, and fome broken lands) is a fine fertile country, watered by the broad Tennessee, and abounds with

oaks,