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fhelter a fquadron of fhips through the winter. The town has an entrenchment, and is ftrengthened with forts of timber. It is commodioufly fituated for the fishery. ANNAPOLIS ftands on the east fide of the Bay of Fundy, and has one of the finest harbours in the world. ST. JOHN'S is a new fettlement at the mouth of the river of the fame name. the conclufion of the war, there have been large emigrations of the refugees from the United States of this province. They have built several new towns, the largest of which is SHELBURNE, which is said to contain 9000 inhabitants.

Since

Hiftory and Government.] Notwithstanding the forbidding aspect of this country, it was here that fome of the first European fettlements were made. The first grant of land in it, was made by James I, to his fecretary William Alexander, who named it Nova Scotia, or New Scotland.Since that time it has frequently changed from one private proprietor to another, and repeatedly from the French to the English. At the peace of Utrecht it was confirmed to the English, under whose government it has ever fince continued.

SPANISH DOMINIONS.

EAST AND WEST FLORIDA.

Miles.

Length 600 Between

Breadth 130

25° and 31° North Latitude.

5° and 17° Weft Longitude from Philadel phia.

Boundaries.] BOUNDED north, by Georgia; eaft, by the Atlantic

Ocean; fouth by the Gulf of Mexico; weft by the Miflifippi: lying in the form of an L.

Rivers.] St John's and Indian rivers, which empty into the Atlantic Ocean; Seguana, Apalachicola, Chatahatchi, Efcambia, Mobile, Pafcagoula and Pearl rivers, all of which rife in Georgia, and run southerly into the Gulf of Mexico.

Climate.] Very little different from that of Georgia.

Soil and productions.] There are, in this country, a great variety of foils. The eaftern part of it, near and about St. Augustine, is far the most unfruitful; yet even here two crops of Indian corn a year are pro duced. The banks of the rivers which water the Floridas, and the parts contigious, are of a fuperiour quality, and well adapted to the culture of rice and corn, while the more interiour country, which is high and pleafant, abounds with wood of almost every kind; particularly white and red oak, pine, hiccory, cypress, red and white cedar. The intervals be tween the hilly part of this country are extremely rich, and produce fpon

taneoufly

taneously the fruits and vegetables that are common to Georgia and the Carolinas. But this country is rendered valuable in a peculiar manner, by the extensive ranges for cattle.

Chief Towns.] ST. AUGUSTINE, the capital of E. Florida, is fituated on The fea coaft-is of an oblong figure, and interfected by four streets, which cut each other at right angles. The town is fortified with bastions, and enclofed with a ditch. It is likewise defended by a castle, called Fort St. John, which is well appointed as to ordnance. The north and fouth breakers, at the entrance of the harbour, form two channels, whofe bars have eight feet water.

The principal town in Weft Florida is PENSACOLA. It lies along the beach, and, like St. Auguftine, is of an oblong form.-The water-approach to the town, except for fmall veffels, is obftructed by a low and fandy fhore. The bay, however, on which the town ftands, forms a very commodious harbour, and veffels may ride here fecure from every wind.

Hiftory.] The Floridas have experienced the viciffitudes of war, and frequently changed masters, belonging alternately to the French and Spaniards. It was ceded by the latter to the English at the peace of 1763, During the laft war it was again reduced by the arms of his Catholic Majefty, and it was guaranteed to the crown of Spain by the late definitive treaty. Its first discoverer was Sebastian Cabot, in 1497.

LOUISIANA.

Boundaries.] BOUNDED by the Mififippi caft; by the Gulph of

finitely north.

Mexico fouth; by New Mexico weft; and runs inde

Rivers.] It is interfeded by a number of fine rivers, among which are the Natchitoches, which empties into the Miffifippi at Point Coupee, and the Adayes or Mexicano river, emptying into the Gulph of Mexico.

Capital.] NEW ORLEANS. It ftands on the eaft fide of the Mislifippi, 105 miles from its mouth, in latitude 30° 2' north. In the beginning of the laft year it contained about 1100 houfes, feven-eighths of which were confumed by fire, in the space of five hours, on the 19th of March, 1788. It is now faft rebuilding. Its advantages for trade are very great. Situated on a noble river, in a fertile and healthy country, within two weeks fail of Mexico by fea, and still nearer to the British, French and Spanish Weft-India iflands, with a moral certainty of its becoming the general receptacle for the produce of that extenfive and valuable country on the Miffifippi and Ohio, are fufficient to ensure its future growth and commercial importance.

Religion, &c] The greater part of the white inhabitants are Roman Catholics. They are governed by a viceroy from Spain, and their num

ber is unknown.

Climate, Soil and Produce.] Louifiana is agreeably fituated between the extremes of heat and cold. Its climate varies as it extends towards the north. The fouthern parts, lying within the reach of the refreshing

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breezes from the fea, are not scorched like those under the fame latitudes in Africa; and its northern regions are colder than thofe of Europe under the fame parallels, with a wholefome ferene air. To judge of the produce to be expected from the foil of Louifiana, let us turn our eyes to Egypt, Arabia Felix, Perfia, India, China and Japan, all lying in correfponding latitudes. Of thefe, China alone has a tolerable government; it must be acknowledged they all are, or have been, famous for yet their riches and fertility. From the favourableness of the climate, two annual crops of Indian corn, as well as rice, may be produced; and the foil, with little cultivation, would furnish grain of every kind in the greatest abundance. Their timber is as fine as any in the world, and the quantities of live oak, afh, mulberry, walnut, cherry, cypress and cedar, are aftonifhing. The neighbourhood of the Miflifippi, befides, furnishes the richest fruits in great variety; the foil is particularly adapted for hemp, flax and tobacco; and indigo is at this time a staple commodity, which commonly yields the planter three or four cuttings a year. In a word, whatever is rich and rare in the most defirable climates in Europe, feems to be the fpontaneous production of this delightful country. The Miffifippi furnishes in great plenty feveral forts of fifh, particularly perch, pike, fturgeon and eels.

Hiftory. The Miffifippi, on which the fine country of Louifiana is fituated, was first discovered by Ferdinand de Soto, in 1541. Monfieur de la Salle was the firft who traverfed it. He, in the year 1682, having paffed down to the mouth of the Miffippi, and furveyed the adjacent country, returned to Canada, from whence he took paffage to France.

From the flattering accounts which he gave of the country, and the confequential advantages that would accrue from fettling a colony in thofe parts, Louis XIV. was induced to establish a company for the purpofe. Accordingly a fquadron of four veffels amply provided with men and provifions, under the command of Monfieur de la Salle, embarked, with an intention to fettle near the mouths of the Miffifippi. But he unintentionally failed 100 leagus to the weftward of it, where he attempted to establish a colony; but, through the unfavourablenefs of the climate. most of his men miferably perished, and he himself was villainoufly murdered, not long after, by two of his own men. Monfieur Ibberville fucceeded him in his laudable attempts. He, after two fuccefsful voyages, died while preparing for a third. Crozat fucceeded him; and in 1712, the king gave him Louifiana. This grant continued but a fhort time after the death of Louis XIV. In 1763 Louisiana was ceded to the king of Spain, to whom it now belongs.

NEW

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SOUNDED north, by unknown lands; eaft, by Louifi

Boundaries-ana; fouth, by Old Mexico and the Pacific Ocean;

weft, by the ocean.

Divifions.

Subdivifions

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California, a peninsula, St. Juah.

Climate, foil and productions.] The climate of this country, if we may judge from its fituation, must be very agreeable. Towards the clofe of the last century, the Jefuits, who had great merit in exploring the neglected province of California, and in civilizing its rude inhabitants, feem ftudiously to have depreciated this country, for political reafons, by reprefenting the climate as fo difagreeable and unwholefome, and the foil as fo barren, that nothing but their zealous endeavours to convert the natives, could have induced them to fettle there. The falfehood of this reprefentation, however, has fince been detected, and a very favourable accouut has been given of the climate and foil. A valuable pearl fishery has been found on its coafts, and mines of gold have been discovered. of a very promifing appearance. In California, there falls in the morning a great quantity of dew, which, fettling on the rofe-leaves, candies, and becomes hard like manna, having all the fweetness of refined fugar, without its whiteness. There is alfo another very fingular natural production. In the heart of the country there are plains of falt, quite firm, and clear as cryftal, which, confidering the vast quantities of fish found on its coafts, might render it an invaluable acquifition to an industrious nation.

Inhabitants and character.] The number of inhabitants, as far as can be known, do not exceed 300,000. The characteristics of the Californians, are stupidity and infenfibility; want of knowledge and reflection; inconftancy, impetuofity, and blindnefs of appetite; an exceffive floth, and abhorrence of all labour and fatigue; an exceffive love of pleasure and amusement of every kind, however trifling or brutal; pufillanimity; and, in fine, a moft wretched want of every thing which conftitutes the real man, and renders him rational, inventive, tractable, and useful to himself and fociety.

Hiftory] Cortes, the great conqueror of Mexico, difcovered the ex tenfive peninfula of California in the year 1536, after enduring incredible hardships, and encountering dangers of almost every fpecies. During a long period it continued to be fo little frequented, that even its form was unknown, and in moft maps it was represented as an island. Sir Francis Drake was the first who took poffeffion of it in 1578, and his right was confirmed by the principal king or chief in the whole country.

OLD

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Boundaries-BOUNDED north, by New Mexico, north-eaft, by the

Gulph of Mexico; fouth-eaft,by Terra Firma; fouthweft, by the Pacific Ocean; divided into the three following audiences,

viz.

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Climate, foil and productions.] Mexico, lying principally in the torrid zone, is exceffively hot. This country is mountainous in the interior parts, but along the eastern shore it is flat and marshy, and is overflowing in the rainy feafons, which renders it very unhealthy. The trees are clothed with perpetual verdure, and blossom and bear almost the whole year round. The cotton and cedar-trees, and those which bear the cocoa, of which chocolate is made, abound here. Mexico, like all the tropical countries, is rather more abundant in fruit than in grain. Pine-apples, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, citrons, figs, &c. are here in great plenty and perfection. Mexico produces alfo a great quantity of fugar, efpecially towards the Gulf of Mexico.

The chief mines of gold are in Veragua and New Granada, bordering upon Darien and Terra Firma. Thofe of filver, which are much more rich, as well as numerous, are found in feveral parts, particularly in the province of Mexico.

The mines of both kinds are always found in the most barren and mountanous parts of the country; nature making amends in one refpect for defects in another.

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Of the gold and filver which the mines of Mexico afford, great things have been faid. Those who have enquired most into the fubject compute the revenues at twenty-four millions of money; and this account is bably juft, fince it is well known that this, with the other Spanish provinces is South America, fupply the whole world with filver.

The Spanish commerce in the article of cocoa is immenfe. It grows on a tree of a middling fize, which bears a pod about the fize of a cucumber, containing the cocoa. It is faid that a fmall garden of cocoas, produces to the owner 20,000 crowns a year.

Inhabitants, character and government.] The prefent inhabitants of Mexico may be divided into whites, Indians and negroes. The whites are born in Old Spain, or they are creoles, that is, natives of Spanish America. The former are chiefly employed in government and trade, and have nearly the fame character with the Spaniards in Europe; only a

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