INDIANA. I 6 NDIANA, fo called, is a tract of land lying on the Ohio river, in the state of Virginia, ceded to William Trent and twenty two others, Indian traders, by the Shawanefe, Delaware, and Huron tribes, as a compenfation for the loffes the former had fuftained by the depredations of the latter, in the year 1763. This ceflion was made in a congress of the reprefentatives of the Six nations, at Fort Stanwix, by an indenture, figned the 3d of November, 1768, witneffing, That for and in confideration of £.85,916 10 8, York currency, (the fame being the amount of the goods feized and taken by faid Indians from Trent, &c.) they did grant, bargain, fell, &c. to his majesty, his heirs and fucceffors, for the only use of faid William Trent, &c. all that tract or parcel of land, beginning at the foutherly fide of the little Kanhaway creek, where it empties itself into the river Ohio; and running thence fouth-eaft to the Laurel Hill; thence along the Laurel Hill until it ftrikes the river Monongahela; thence down the stream of the faid river according to the feveral courfes thereof, to the fouthern boundary line of the province of Pennsylvania; thence weftwardly along the courfe of the faid province boundary line as far as the fame fhall extend; thence by the fame course to the river Ohio, and then down the river Ohio to the place of beginning, inclufively.' This indenture was figned by fix Indian chiefs, in prefence of twelve witnesses. Since the Indians had an undisputed title to the above limited territory, either from pre-occupancy or conqueft; and their right was exprefsly acknowledged by the above deed of ceffion to the crown, it is very evident that Mr. Trent, in his own right, and as attorney for the traders, hath a good, lawful, and fufficient title to the land granted by the faid deed of conveyance. This matter was laid before congrefs in the year 1782, and a committee appointed to confider it, who, in May, reported as follows: On the whole, your committee are of opinion, that the purchases of Colonel Croghan and the Indian company, were made bona fide for a valuable confideration, according to the then usage and cuftoms of purchafing Indian lands from the Indians, with the knowledge, consent and approbation of the crown of Great Britain, the then government of New York and Virginia, and therefore do recommend that it be Refolved, That if the faid lands are finally ceded or adjudged to the United States in point of jurifdiction, that congrefs will confirm to fuch of the faid purchafers who are, and fhall be, citizens of the United States, or either of them, their refpective fhares and proportions of faid lands, making a reasonable deduction for the value of the quit-rents reserved by the crown of England.' KENTUCKY. [Belonging, at prefent, to the State of Virginia.] SITUATION and EXTENT. Miles. Length 250 Breadth 200 S Boundaries.] B Between 36° 30' and 39° 30′ North Latitude. OUNDED north-weft, by the river Ohio; weft, by Cumberland river; fouth, by North Carolina; east, by Sandy river, and a line drawn due fouth from its fource, till it ftrikes the northern boundary of North Carolina. Civil divifion.] Kentucky was originally divided into two counties, Lincoln and Jefferfon. It has fince been fubdivided into feven, which follow: Chief town. Counties. Jefferson, Fayette, Bourbon, Mercer, Chief towns. LOUISVILLE, Counties. Nelfon Bardstown, As most of thefe counties are very large, it is probable that fubdivifions, will continue to be made, as population increases. Rivers.] The river Ohio washes the north-western fide of Kentucky, in its whole extent. Its principal branches, which water this fertile tract of country, are Sandy, Licking, Kentucky, Salt, Green, and Cumberland rivers. Thefe again branch in various directions, into rivulets of different magnitudes, fertilizing the country in all its parts. At the bottoms of thefe water-courfes the lime-ftone rock, which is common to this country, appears of a greyish colour; and where it lies expofed to the air, in its natural ftate, it looks like brown free ftone. On the banks of thefe rivers and rivulets, this ftone has the appearance of fine marble, being of the fame texture, and is found in the greatest plenty. Sandy, Liking and Kentucky rivers ride near each other, in the Cumberland Mountains. Of thefe, Sandy river only breaks through the mountains. This river conftitutes a part of the eastern boundary of Kentucky. Liking river runs in a north-weft direction, upwards of 100 miles, and is about 100 yards broad at its mouth. Kentucky is a very crooked river, and after running a course of more than 200 miles, empties into the Ohio by a mouth of 150 yards broad. Salt river rifes at four different places near each other. The windings of this river are curious. The four branches, after a circuitous courfe around a fine tract of land, unite; and after running, about 15 miles, empty into the Ohio, 20 miles below the falls. Its general courte is weftward--its length about 90 miles--and at its mouth is 80 yards wide. Green river perfues a weftward courfe upwards of 150 miles, and by a mouth 80 yards wide, falls into the Ohio, 120 miles below the Rapids. Cumberland Cumberland river interlocks with the northern branch of Kentucky, and rolling round the other arms of Kentucky, among the mountains, in a fouthern courfe, 100 miles-then in a fouth-western courfe for above 200 more-than in a fouthern and fouth-western courfe for about 250 more, finds the Ohio, 413 miles below the Falls. At Nafhville, this river is 200 yards broad, and at its mouth 300. The river is about half its courfe, pafles through North Carolina. Thefe rivers are navigable for boats almoft to their fources, without rapids, for the greatest part of the year. The little rivulets which chequer the country, begin to leffen in June, and quite difappear in the months of Auguft, September, and October. The autumnal rains, however, in November, replenish them again. The method of getting a fupply of water in the dry feafon is by finking wells, which are easily-dug, and afford excellent water. The want of water in autumn, is the great complaint. Mills that may be supplied with water, eight months in a year, may be erected in a thoufand different places. Wind mills and horfe mills may fupply the other four months. The banks of the rivers are generally high and compofed of lime-ftone. After heavy rains the water in the rivers rifes from 10 to 30 feet. Springs. There are five noted falt springs or licks in this country; viz. The higher and lower Blue Springs, on Licking river, from fome of which, it is faid, iffue streams of brinish water-the Big Bone lick, Drennon's licks, and Bullet's lick, at Saltburgh. The laft of thefe licks, though in low order, has fupplied this country and Cumberland with falt at 20 fhillings the bufhel. Virginia currency; and fome is exported to the Illinois country. The method of procuring water from thefe licks, is by finking wells from 30 to 40 feet deep. The water drawn from thefe wells is more ftrongly impregnated with falt than the water from the fea. A ftraight road, 40 feet wide, has been cut from Saltfburg to Louifville, 24 miles. Face of the country, foil and produce.] This whole country, as far as has yet been discovered, lies upon a bed of lime-ftone, which in general lies about fix feet below the furface, except in the vallies, where the foil is much thinner. A tract of about 20 miles wide, along the banks of the Ohio, is hilly, broken land, interfperfed with many fertile fpots. The rest of the country is agreeably uneven, gently afcending and defcending at no great distances. The angles of afcent are from 8 to 24 degrees, and fometimes more. The vallies in common are very narrow, and the foil in them is very thin, and of an inferior quality: and that along the afcending ground is frequently not much better; for where you see a tree blown up, you find the roots clinging to the upper parts of the rock. The foil, on thefe agreeable afcents, (for they cannot be called hills) is fufficiently deep, as is evident from the fize of the trees. The foil is either black or tinged with a lighter or deeper vermillion, or is of the colour of dark afhes. In many places there are appearances of potters clay, and coal in abundance. The country promifes to be well fupplied with wholesome, well-tafted water. In Nelfon county, north-west of Rolling fork, a branch of Salt river, is a tract of about 40 miles fquare, moftly barren, interfperfed with plains and ftripes of good land, which are advantageous fituations for railing cattle, as the neighbouring barrens Dd z are are covered with grafs, and afford good paftures. The lands eaft of Nolin creek, a branch of Green river, are in general of an inferior quality; but the banks of Green river afford many defirable fituations. Towards the head waters of Kentucky river, which interlock with the water of Cumberland and Sandy rivers, and the whole country eastward and fouth-eaftward as far as the Holftein river, is broken, mountainous, and almost impenetrable; and from the defcription given by hunters, it is much doubted whether it will ever be practicable to make a paffable road from Kentucky acrofs to Winchester, in Virginia, on the east fide of the mountains, which, on a ftraight line, is not perhaps more than 400 miles, and the way now travelled is 600. No country will admit of being thicker fettled with farmers, who confine themselves to agriculture, than this. But large ftocks of cattle, except in the neighbourhood of barrens, cannot be raised. Elkhorn river, a branch of the Kentucky, from the fouth-eaft, waters a country fine beyond defcription. Indeed, the country caft and fouth of this including the head waters of Licking river, Hickman's and Jef famine creeks, and the remarkable bend in Kentucky river, may be called an extenfive garden. The foil is deep and black, and the natural growth, large walnuts, honey and black locuft, poplar, elm, oak, hickory, fugar tree, &c. Grape vines, running to the tops of the trees; and the furface covered with clover, blue grafs, and wild rye. On this fertile tract, and on the Licking river, and the head waters of Salt river, are the bulk of the fettlements in this country. The foil within a mile or two of Kentucky river is generally of the third and fourth rates; and as you advance towards the Ohio, the land is poor and hilly. Dick's river runs through a great body of firft rate land, abounding with cane, and affords many excellent mill feats. Salt river has good lands on its head waters except that they are low and unhealthy, but for 25 miles before it empties into the Ohio, the land on each fide is level and poor, and abounds with ponds. Cumberland river, fo much of it as paffes through Kentucky, traverfes, fome few parts excepted, a hilly poor country. Green river overflows its banks a confiderable way up, at the feafon when the Ohio fwells, which is in April. This fwell in Green river, occafions several of its large branches to overflow, and cover the low grounds with water, leaves and vegetable fubftances, which in fummer become noxious and unhealthy. Its banks are fine and fertile. There is a great body of good land near the falls or rapids in the Ohio, called Bare grafs; but the climate is rendered unhealthy by ponds of stagnant water, which may be eafily drained. This country in general is well timbered. Of the natural growth which is peculiar to this country, we may reckon the fugar, the coffee, the papaw, and the cucumber tree. The two laft are a foft wood, and bear a fruit of the fhape and fize of a cucumber. The coffee tree refembles the black oak, and bears a pod, which enclofes good coffee. Befides thefe there is the honey locuft, black mulberry, wild, cherry, of a large îze, buckeye, an exceedingly foft wood-the magnolia, which bears a beautiful bloffom of a rich and exquifite fragrance. Such is the variety and beauty of the flowering fhrubs and plants which grow fpontaneously in this country, that in the proper feafon the wilderness appears in blof fom. The accounts of the fertility of the foil in this country have, in fome inftances, exceeded belief; and probably have been exaggerated.-That fome parts of Kentucky, particularly the high grounds, are remarkably good, all accounts agree. The lands of the firft rate are too rich for wheat, and will produce 50 and 60, and in fome inftances, it is affirmed, 100 bushels of good corn, an acre. In common, the land will produce 30 bushels of wheat or rye an acre. Barley, cats, cotton, flax, hemp, and vegetables of all kinds common in this climate, yield abundantly. The old Virginia planters fay, that if the climate does not prove too moist, few foils known will yield more and better tobacco. In the rivers are plenty of buffalo and catfish of uncommon fize, fal· mon, mullet, rock, perch, garfish, eel, fuckers, funfish, &c.-Trout, fhad and herrings have not been caught in the western-waters. Swamps are rare in Kentucky; and of courfe the reptiles which they produce, fuch as fnakes, frogs, &c. are not numerous. The honey-bee may be called a domeftic infect, as it is not found but in civilized countries. This is confirmed by a faying which is faid to be common among the Indians, when they see a swarm of bees in the woods, Well, bro thers, it is time for us to decamp, for the white people are coming.' The quadrupeds, except the buffalo, are the fame as in Virginia and Carolinas. Climate.] Healthy and delightful, fome few places in the neighbourhood of ponds and low grounds excepted. The inhabitants do not experience the extreme of heats and cold. Snow feldom falls deep, or lies long. The winter, which begins about Christmas, is never longer than three months, and is commonly but two, and is fo mild as that cattle can fubfift without fodder. Chief Towns.] LEXINGTON, which stands on the head water of Elkhorn river, is reckoned the capital of Kentucky. Here the courts are held, and business regularly conducted. In 1786, it contained about 100 houses and several stores, with a good affortment of dry goods. It must have greatly increased fince. LEESTOWN is weft of Lexington on the eastern bank of Kentucky river. It is regularly laid out, and is flourishing. The banks of Kentucky river are remarkably high, in fome places 3 and 400 feet, compofed generally of ftupendous perpendicular rocks; the confequence is, there are few croffing places. The beft is at Leeftown, which is a circumstance that must contribute much to its increase. Louifville ftands on the Kentucky fide of the Ohio, oppofite Clarkfville, at the falls, in a fertile country, and promifes to be a place of great trade. Its unhealthinefs, owing to ftagnated waters back of the town, has confiderably retarded its growth. Befides these there is Bardstown, in Nelfon county, and Harrodsberg, in Mercer county, both on the head waters of Salt river; Danville, Boonsborough and Granville are alfo increafing towns. Population and Character.] It is impoffible to ascertain, with any degree of accuracy, the prefent number of inhabitants; owing to the nume rous |