The committee appointed by act of affembly to divide the districts into counties, were directed to lay them as nearly 40 miles fquare as was practicable, due regard being paid to fituations, natural boundaries, &c.

As the lower country was originally fettled by people from Europe under the proprietary government and influence, all the then counties were divided into parishes. And even now, although the old counties are done away, the boundaries altered, and new ones established, the divifion of parishes fubfifts in the three lower diftricts, the people choose their fenators and reprefentatives by parishes, as formerly. But in the middle and upper diftricts, which were fettled by people of various nations from Europe, but principally by northern emigrants, parishes are hardly known, except perhaps in Orangeburgh diftrict. in thefe districts the people vote in small divifions as convenience dictates.

Chief Towns.] CHARLESTON is the only confiderable town in South Carolina. It is fituated on the tongue of land which is formed by the confluence of Afhley and Cooper rivers, which are large and navigable. Thefe rivers mingle their waters immediately below the town, and form a fpacious and convenient harbour, which communicates with the ocean at Sullivan's inland, feven miles fouth-eaft of the town. In thefe rivers the tide rifes, in common, about five feet. The continued agitation which this occafions in the waters which almoft furround Charleston, and the refreshing fea breezes which are regularly felt, render Charleston more healthy than any part of the low country in the fouthern ftates. On this account it is the refort of great numbers of gentlemen, invalids from the Weft India Islands, and of the rich planters from the country, who come here to spend the fickly months, as they are called, in queft of health and of the focial enjoyments which the city affords. And in no part of America are the focial bleffings enjoyed more rationally and liberally than in Charlefton. Unaffected hofpitality-affability-eafe in manners and addrefs-and a difpofition to make their gueft welcome, eafy, and pleafed with themfelves, are characteristics of the refpectable people of Charleston.

The land on which the town is built is flat and low, and the water brackifh and unwholefome. The inhabitants are obliged to raife banks of earth as barriers to defend themselves against the higher floods of the fea. The ftreets from caft to weft extend from river to river, and running in a ftraight line not only open beautiful profpects each way, but afford excellent opportunities, by means of fubterranean drains, for removing all nuifances and keeping the city clean and healthy. Thefe itreets are interfected by others, nearly at right angles, and throw the town into a number of fquares, with dwelling houfes in front, and office-houses, and little gardens behind. Some of the ftreets are conveniently wide, but most of them are much too narrow, especially for fo populous a city, in fo warm a climate. Befides there being a nursery for various difeafes from their confined fituation, they have been found extremely inconvenient in cafe of fires, the deftructive effects of which have been frequently felt in this city. The houfes which have been lately built, are brick, with tiled roofs. Some of the buildings in Charleston are elegant, and most of them are neat, airy, and well finished. The public buildings are an exchange, flate house, armoury, poor houfe, two large churches for Epifcopalians, two for Congregationalists or Independents, one for Scotch Prefbyterians,

two

two for the Baptifts, one for the German Lutherans, one for the Methodifts, one for French Proteftants-befides a meeting houfe for Quakers, and two Jewish fynagogues, one for the Portuguese, the other for the German Jews. There are upwards of a thousand Roman Catholics in Charleston, but they have no public building for worship.

In 1787, there were 1600 houfes in this city, and 9600 white inhabitants, and 5400 negroes; and what evinces the healthinefs of the place, upwards of 200 of the white inhabitants were above 60 years of age.

Charleston was incorporated in 1783, and divided into 13 wards, who choose as many wardens, who, from among themselves, elect an intendant of the city. The intendant and wardens from the city council, who have power to make and enforce bye laws for the regulation of the city.

BEAUFORT, on Port Royal island, is the feat of justice in Beaufort diftrict. It is a pleasant, thriving little town, of about 50 or 60 houses, and 200 inhabitants, who are diftinguished for their hofpitality and politenefs.

GEORGE-TOWN, the feat of juftice in George-town district, stands on a fpot of land near the junction of a number of rivers, which, when united in one broad ftream, by the name of Pedee, fall into the ocean 12 miles below the town. Befides thefe, are Puryfburgh, Jackfonfborough, Orangeburgh, Wynnfborough, Cambridge, Camden and Columbia, the intended capital of the state, which are all inconiderable villages of from 30 to 60 dwelling houses.

General face of the Country.] The whole ftate, to the diftance of 80 miles from the fea, is level, and almost without a ftone. In this distance, by a gradual affent from the fea coaft, the land rifes about 190 feet. Here commences a curiously uneven country. The traveller is constantly afcending or defcending little fand hills, which nature seems to have difunited in a frolic. If a pretty high fea were fuddenly arrefted, and transformed into fand hills, in the very form the waves exifted at the moment of transformation, it would prefent the eye with just such a view as is here to be seen. Some little herbage, and a few small pines grow even on this foil. The inhabitants are few, and have but a fcanty fubfiftence on corn and sweet potatoes, which grow here tolerably well. This curious country continues for 60 miles, till you arrive at a place called The Ridge, 140 miles from Charleston. This ridge is a remarkable tract of high ground, as you approach it from the fea, but level as you advance north-weft from its fummit. It is a fine, high, healthy belt of land, well watered, and of good foil, and extends from the Savannah to Broad river, in about 6° 30' weft longitude from Philadelphia. Beyond this ridge, commences a country exactly refembling the northern states. Here hills and dales, with all their verdure and variegated beauty, present themselves to the eye. Wheat fields, which are rare in the low country begin to grow common. Here Heaven has bestowed its bleffings with a moft bounteous hand. The air is much more temperate and healthful than nearer to the fea. The hills are covered with valuable woods-the vallies watered with beautiful rivers, and the fertility of the foil is equal to every vegetable production. This, by way of diftinction, is called the upper country, where are different modes and different articles of cultivation;

where

where the manners of the people, and even their language, have a different tone. The land ftill rifes by a gradual afcent; each fucceeding hill overlooks that which immediately precedes it, till, having advanced 220 miles in a north-west direction from Charleston, the elevation of the land above the fea-coaft is found by menfuration, to be about 800 feet. Here commences a mountain country, which continues rifing to the western terminating point of this state.

Soil and productions.] The foil may be divided into four kinds, first, the Pine barren, which is valuable only for its timber. Interspersed among the pine-barren, are tracts of land free of timber, and of every kind of growth but that of grafs. Thefe tracts are called Savannas, conftituting a fecond kind of foil, good for grazing. The third kind is that of the fwamps and low grounds on the rivers, which is a mixture of black loam and fat clay, producing naturally canes in great plenty, cyprefs, bays, &c. In thefe fwamps rice is cultivated, which conftitutes the staple commodity of the state. The high-lands, commonly known by the name of oak and hiccory lands, conftitute the fourth kind of foil. The natural growth is oak, hiccory, walnut, pine, and locuft. On thefe lands, in the low country, are cultivated, Indian corn, principally; and in the back country, befides these, they raise tobacco in large quantities, wheat, rye, barley, oats, hemp, fax, cotton, and filk*.

At the distance of about 110 miles from the fea, the river swamps for the culture of rice terminate, and the high lands extend quite to the rivers, and form banks in fome places, feveral hundred feet high from the furface of the water, and afford many extenfive and delightful views. Thefe high banks are interwoven with layers of leaves and different colored earth, and abound with quarries of free ftone, pebbles, flint, chryftals, iron ore in abundance, filver, lead, fulphur and coarse diamonds.

It is curious to obferve the gradations from the fea coaft to the upper country, with refpect to the produce-the mode of cultivation, and the cultivators. On the islands upon the fea-coaft, and for 40 or 50 miles back (and on the rivers much farther) the cultivators are all flaves. No white man, to speak generally, ever thinks of fettling a farm, and improving it for himself without negroes. If he has no negroes, he hires himfelf as overfeer, to fome rich planter, who has more than he can or will attend to, till he can purchase for himself. The articles cultivated, are corn and potatoes, which are food for the negroes; rice and indigo, for exportation. The foil is cultivated almoft wholly by manual labor. The plough, till fince the peace, was fcarcely ufed, and prejudices ftill exift against it. In the middle fettlements negroes are not fo numerous. mafter attends perfonally to his own bufinefs, and is glad to use the plough to affift his negroes, or himself, when he has no negroes. The foil is not rich enough for rice. It produces moderately good indigo weed; no tobacco is raised for exportation. The farmer is contented to raise corn, potatoes, oats, poultry, and a little wheat.-In the upper country, many men have a few negroes, and a few have many; but generally fpeaking, the farmers have none, and depend, like the inhabitants of the

The

* See the nature of the foil more particularly defcribed under this head in the defcription of Georgia.

northern

northern ftates, upon the labor of themselves and families for fubfistence. The plough is ufed almoft wholly. Indian corn, wheat, rye, potatoes, &c. are raifed for food, and large quantities of tobacco, and some wheat, and indigo for exportation.

Manufactures.] in the middle, and efpecially in the upper country, the people are obliged to manufacture their own cotton and woollen clothes. and moft of their hufbandry tools; but in the lower country the inhabitants for thefe articles depend almost entirely on their merchants. It is a fact to be lamented, that manufactures and agriculture, in this and the two adjoining ftates, are yet in the firft ftages of improvement.

Conftitution.] In 1776, a temporary form of government was agreed to by the freemen of South Carolina, affembled in congrefs; and on the 19th of March, 1778, it was eftablifhed by an act of the legislature. By. this conftitution, the legislative authority is vefted in a general affembly, to confift of two diftinét bodies, a fenate, and a house of reprefentatives. These two bodies, jointly by ballot, at their every first meeting, choose a governor and lieutenant governor, both to continue for two years, and a privy council. (to confift of the lieutenant-governor and eight other perfons) all of the proteftant religion.

The governor and lieutenant-governor must have been refidents in the ftate for 10 years, and the members of the privy-council 5 years, preceding their election, and poffefs a freehold in the state of the value of at least ten thousand pounds currency, clear of debt.

The governor is eligible but two years in fix years, and is vefted with the executive authority of the ftate.

The fenate are chofen by ballot, biennially, on the last Monday in November-thirteen make a quorum. A fenator must be of the protestant religion-muft have attained the age of 30 years-must have been a refident in the fate at least 5 years: and muft poffefs a freehold in the parish or district for which he is elected, of at least £.2000 currency, clear

of debt.

The laft Monday in November, biennially, two hundred and two perfons are to be chofen in different parts of the ftate, (equally proportioned) to reprefent the freemen of the state in the general affembly, who are to meet with the fenate, annually, at the feat of government, on the first Monday in January.

All free whitemen of 21 years of age, of one year's refidence in the ftate, and poffeffing freeholds of 50 acres of land each, or what fhall be deemed equal thereto, are qualified to elect reprefentatives.

Every fourteen years the reprefentation of the whole ftate is to be proportioned in the most equal and just manner, according to the particular and comparative ftrength and taxable property of the different parts of

the fame.

All money bills for the fupport of government, muft originate in the house of reprefentatives, and fhall not be altered or amended by the fenate, but may be rejected by them*.

Minifters of the gospel are ineligible to any of the civil offices of the ftate.

*This is in imitation of the British conftitution, while the reasons for this imitation do not exift.

The