תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

eighty-three Proteftant families to New-York. But through the fordid views of fome perfons in power, who aimed at a fhare in the intended grant, the fettlement was never made.

We have already mentioned, in the history of the United States, fome of the most important events that have taken place in this ftate fince the revolution. To be more particular is inconfiftent with my defign. I fhall conclude this hiftory, with a lift of the governors of New-York, after having mentioned that,

In 1787, the legislature of this ftate ceded to the commonwealth of Maffachusetts, all the lands, with their jurifdiction, weft of a meridian that shall be drawn from a point in the north boundary line of Pennfylvania, eighty two miles weft from the Delaware; (excepting one niile along the east fide of Niagara river) and alfo ten townships between the Chenengo and Owegy rivers, referving the jurifdiction to the ftate of New-York. This ceffion was made to fatisfy a claim of Massachusetts, founded upon their original charter.

A Lift of Governors from the year 1664 to the present time.

Names of Governors. Began to govern. Names of Governors. Began to govern.

Nicolls

1664

Burnet

1720

[blocks in formation]

NEW JERSEY,

SITUATION and EX TENT.

Miles.

Length 160

Between

Breadth 52

39 and 41° 24′ North Latitude.

The body of the ftate lies between the meridian of Philadelphia, and 1o Eaft Longitude.

Boundaries.] BOUNDED eaft, by Hudfon's river and the fea;

by fea; weft, by Delaware bay and river, which divide it from the ftates of Delaware and Pennfylvania; north, by a line drawn from the mouth of Mahakkamak river, in latitude 41° 24′ to a point in Hudfon's river in latitude 41°. Containing about 8320 fquare miles, equal to 5,324,800 acres.

Bays, Fonds, Rivers, &c] New-Jersey is washed on the east and fouth eaft by Hudfon's river and the ocean; and on the weft by the river Delaware.

The most remarkable bays are, Arthur Kull, or Newark bay, formed by the union of Pofaik and Hakkenfik rivers. This bay opens to the right and left, and embraces Staten-Ifland. There is a long bay, formed by a beach, four or five miles from the fhore, extending along the coaft north-eaft and fouth-eaft, from Manafquand river, in Monmouth county, almoft to Cape May. Through this beach are a number of inlets, by which the bay communicates with the ocean.

On the top of a mountain, in Morris county, is a lake or pond, three miles in length, and from a n.ile to a mile and an half in breadth, from which proceeds a continual fream. It is in fome places deep. The wafer is of a fea-green colour; but when taken up in a tumbler, is, like the water of the ocean, clear and of a crystaline colour.

The rivers in this ftate, though not large, are numerous. A traveller, in paffing the common road from New-York to Philadelphia, croffes three confiderable rivers, viz. the Hakkenfak and Pofaik between Bergen and Newark, and the Raritan by Brunfwick. The Hakkenfak rises in Bergen County, runs a fouthwardly courfe, and empties into Newark bay. At the ferry, near its inputh, it is 460 yards wide, and is navigable fifteen miles.

Fofaik is a very crooked river. It rifes in a large fwamp at Morris county. Its general courfe is from W. N. W. to E. S. E. until it mingles with the Hakkenfak at the head of Newark bay It is navigable about ten miles, and is 230 yards wide at the ferry. The cataract in this river is one of the greateft natural curiofities in the ftate. The river is about forty yards wide, and moves in a flow, gentle current, until coming within a fhort diftance of a deep cleft in a rock, which croffes the channels, it defcends and falls above feventy feet perpendicularty, in one entire fheet. One erd of the cleft, which was evidently made by fome violent convulfion in nature, is clofed, at the other, the water rushes out with

incredible

incredidle fwiftnefs, forming an acute angle with its former direction, and is received into a large bafon, whence it takes a winding courfe through the rocks, and spreads into a broad, fmooth stream. The cleft

is from four to twelve feet broad. The falling of the water occafions a cloud of vapours to arife, which, by floating amidst the fun beams, prefents to the view rainbows, that add beauty to the tremendous fcene. The western bank of this river, between Newark and the falls, affords one of the pleasantest roads for a party of pleafure in New-Jersey. The bank being high, gives the traveller an elevated and extenfive view of the oppofite fhore, which is low and fertile, forming a landscape picturefque and beautiful. Many handfome country-feats adorn the fides of this river; and there are elegant fituations for more. Gentlemen of fortune might here difplay their tafte to advantage. The fish of various kinds with which this river abounds, while they would furnish the table with an agreeable repaft, would afford the fportfman an innocent and manly

amujement,

Raritan river is formed by two confiderable streams, called the north and fouth branches; one of which has its fource in Morris, the other in Hunterdon county. It paffes by Brunswick and Amboy, and mingles with the waters of the Arthur Kull found, and helps to form the fine harbour of Amboy. It is a mile wide at its mouth, 250 yards at Brunswick, and is navigable about fixteen miles. At Raritan Hills, through which this river paffes, is a finall cascade, where the water falls fifteen or twenty feet, very romantically between two rocks. Oppofite the lower part of the town of Brunswick, is a remarkable declivity in the bed of the river, not perceptible however in its current. Below this declivity, a twenty gun fhip may ride fecurely at any time of tide, while no farther up than oppofite the main-freet of the town, the river is fordable with horfes and carriages at low water. The tide, however, rifes fo high, that large fhallops pafs a mile above the ford; fo that it is no uncommon thing to fee veffels of confiderable burden riding at anchor, and a number of large river craft lying above, fome dry and others on their beam ends for want of water, within gunshot of each other.

Befides these are Cefarea river, or Cohanfey creek, which rises in Salem county, and is about thirty miles in length, and navigable for veffels of an hundred tons to Bridgetown, twenty miles from its mouth.

Mullicas river divides the counties of Gloucester and Burlington, and is navigable twenty miles for yeffels of fixty tons.

Maurice river rifes in Gloucefter county. runs fouthwardly about forty miles, and is navigable for vessels of an hundred tons, fifteen miles, and for fhallops ten miles farther.

Alloway creek, in the county of Salem, is navigable fixteen miles for fhallops, with feveral obftructions of drawbridges. Ancocus creek, in Burlington county, is aifo navigable fixteen miles. Thefe, with many other fmaller ftreams, empty into the Delaware, and carry down the duce which their fertile banks and the neighbouring country afford.

pro

That part of the ftate which borders on the fea, is indented with a great number of small rivers and creeks, fuch as Great Egg harbour, and Little Egg harbour rivers, Navefink, Shark, Matiricung, and Forked rivers, which, as the country is flat, are navigable for fall craft, almoft to their fources.

[ocr errors]

Civil

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

[blocks in formation]

In 1784, a cenfus of the inhabitants was made by order of the legiflature, when they amou ted 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-Jerfey 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-Jerfey fince the year 1738, has been 2219, exclusive of emigrations.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

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 small so long as thefe emigrations fhall continue ;

« הקודםהמשך »