brown than the body. Its tail is compofed of four or five feathers, which are three times as long as its body, and which are beautifully fhaded with green and purple. It carries this fine length of plumage in the fame. manner as the peacock does his, but it is not known whether like him it ever raises it to an erect pofition.

The WHETSAW is of the cuckow kind, being, like that, a folitary bird, and scarcely ever seen. In the summer months it is heard in the groves, where it makes a noise like the filing of a saw, from which circumftance it' has received its name.

The HUMMING-BIRD is the smallest of all the feathered inhabitants of the air. Its plumage surpasses defcription. On its head is a small tuft of jetty black; its breaft is red; its belly white; its back, wings and tail of the finest pale green : small specks of gold are scattered over it with inexpreffible grace and to crown the whole, an almost imperceptible down foftens the feveral colours, and produces the most pleasing shades.

Of the Snakes which infest the United States, are the following, viz.

The THORN-TAIL SNAKE is of a middle fize, and of a very venomous nature. It receives its name from a thorn, like a dart, in its tail, with which it inflicts its wounds.

The JOINT SNAKE is a great curiofity. Its fkin is as hard as parchment, and as fmooth as glafs. It is beautifully freaked with black and white. It is fo ftiff, and has fo few joints, and thofe fo unyielding, that it can hardly bend itself into the form of a hoop. When it is ftruck, it breaks like a pipe ftem; and you may, with a whip, break it from the tail to the bowels into pieces not an inch long, and not produce the least tingture of blood. It is not venomous.

The Two-HEADED SNAKE. Whether this be a distinct fpecies of fnakes intended to propagate its kind, or whether it be a monftrous production, is uncertain. The only ones I have known or heard of in this country, are, one taken near Champlain in 1762, and one preferved in the Museum of Yale College, in New-Haven.

The fnakes are not fo numerous nor fo venomous in the northern as in the fouthern ftates. In the latter, however, the inhabitants are furnished

with a much greater variety of plants and herbs, which afford immediate relief to perfons bitten by these venomous creatures. It is an obfervation worthy of perpetual and grateful remembrance, that wherever venomous animals are found, the GoD of nature has kindly provided sufficient antidotes against their poison.

Of the astonishing variety of INSECTS found in America, we will mention

To these may be added the infect, which of late years has proved fo deftructive to the wheat in many parts of the middle and New-England States, commonly, but erroneously, called the Heffian Fly.

The ALLIGATOR is a fpecies of the crocodile, and in appearance one of the ugliest creatures in the world. They are amphibious, and live in and about creeks, fwamps, and ponds of stagnant water. They are very fond of the flesh of dogs and hogs, which they voraciously devour when they have opportunity. They are alfo very fond of fish, and devour vast quantities of them. When tired with fishing, they leave the water to bask themselves in the fun, and then appear more like logs of half rotten wood thrown afhore by the current, than living creatures; but upon perceiving any veffel or perfon near them, they immediately throw themselves into the water. Some are of fo monftrous a fize as to exceed five yards in length. During the time they lie baking on the fhore, they keep their huge mouths wide open till filled with musketoes, flies, and other infects, when they fuddenly shut their jaws and fwallow their prey.

The alligator is an oviparous creature. The female makes a large hole in the fand near the brink of a river, and there depofits her eggs, which are as white as thofe of a hen, but much larger and more folid. She gene

rally lays about an hundred, continuing in the fame place till they are all depofited, which is a day or two. She then covers them with the fand, and the better to conceal them, rolls herself not only over her precious

depofitum, but to a confiderable distance. After this precaution, the returns

to the water, and tarries until natural instinct informs her that it is time to deliver her from their confinement; fhe then goes to the spot, atyoung tended by the male, and tearing up the fand, begins to break the eggs; but fo carefully that scarce a fingle one is injured, and a whole fwarm of little alligators is feen crawling about. The female then takes them on

her

her neck and back, in order to remove them into the water; but the watchful birds of prey make use of this opportunity to deprive her of fome, and even the male alligator, who indeed comes for no other end, devours what he can, till the female has reached the water with a few remaining; for all those which either fall from her back, or do not swim, she herself eats; so that of fuch a formidable brood, happily not more than four or five escape.

Thefe alligators are the great deftroyers of the fish in the rivers and creeks, it being their most safe and general food. nor are they wanting in address to fatisfy their defires. Eight or ten, as it were by compact, draw up at the mouth of a river or creek, where they lie with their mouths open, whilft others go a confiderable diftance up the river, and chase the fish downward, by which means none of any bignefs efcape them. The alligators being unable to eat under water, on feizing a fish, raise their heads above the surface, and by degrees draw the fish from their jaws, and chew it for deglutition.

Before the setting in of winter, it is faid, not without evidence to fupport the affertion, that they fwallow a large number of pine knots, and then creep into their dens, in the bank of fome creek or pond, where they lie in a torpid ftate through the winter without any other fuftenance than the pine knots.

The GUANA, the GREEN LIZARD of Carolina, the BLUE-TAILED LIZARD, and the LION LIZARD are found in the southern states, and are thought to be species of the fame genus, with the crocodile and alligator.

In the little brooks, and swamps in the back parts of North Carolina, is caught a small amphibious lobfter, in the head of which is found the eye ftone.

Population, Charater, &c.] From the best accounts that can at present be obtained, there are, within the limits of the United States, three millions, eighty three thoufand, and fix hundred fouls. This number which is rapidly increafing both by emigrations from Europe, and by natural population, is compofed of people of almost all nations, languages, characters and religions. The greater part, however, are defcended from the English; and, for the fake of diftinction, are called Anglo-Americans.

The natural genius of Americans, not through prejudice we would charitably fuppofe, but through want of information, has fuffered in the defcriptions of fome ingenious and eloquent European writers.

The Count de Buffon has endeavoured to fupport the theory, That on this fide the Atlantic, there is a tendency in nature to belittle her productions.' This new and unsupported theory, has been applied, by the Abbe Raynal, to the race of whites tranfplanted from Europe. Mr. Jefferson has confuted this theory; and by the ingenuity and abilities which he has fhewn in doing it, has exhibited an inftance of its falsehood*

The

* Although the Abbe, in a later edition of his works, has withdrawn his cenfure from that part of America inhabited by Federo-Americans; yet he has left it in its full force on the other parts, where it is equally inapplicable, if we

confider

The affertion of the Abbe Raynal, that "America has not yet produced one good poet, one able mathamatician, one man of genius in a fingle art or a single science *,' produced the following reply from Mr. Jefferfon.

• When we shall have existed as a people as long as the Greeks did before they produced a Homer, the Romans a Virgil, the French a Racine and Voltaire, the English a Shakspeare and Milton, fhould this reproach be ftill true, we will enquire from what unfriendly caufes it has proceeded, that the other coutries of Europe, and quarters of the earth, shall not have inscribed any name in the roll of poets. In war we have produced a WASHINGTON, whofe memory will be adored while liberty fhall have votaries. whofe name will triumph over time, and will in future ages affume its juft ftation among the most celebrated worthies of the world, when that wretched philofophy fhall be forgotton which would arrange him among the degeneracies of nature. In phyfics we have produced a FRANKLIN, than whom no one of the prefent age has made more important discoveries, nor has enriched philofophy with more, or more ingenious folutions of the phenomena of nature. We have fuppofed Mr. RITTENHOUSE fecond to no aftronomer living: that in genius he must be the first, because he is self-taught. As an artist he has exhibited as great proofs of mechanical genius as the world has ever produced. He has not indeed made a world; but he has by imitation approached nearer its Maker than any man who has lived from the creation to this day. As in philofophy and war fo in government, in oratory, in painting, in the plaftic art, we might fhew that America, though but a child of yefterday, has already given hopeful proofs of genius, as well of the nobler kinds, which aroufe the beft feelings of man, which call him into action, which fubftantiate his freedom, and conduct him to happiness, as of the fubordinate, which ferve to amufe him only. We therefore fuppofe, that this reproach is as unjust as it is unkind, and that, of the geniufes which adorn the present age. America contributes its full fhare. For comparing it with thofe countries, where genius is most cultivated, where are the most excellent models for art, and fcaffoldings for the attainment of fcience, as France and England for inftance, we calculate thus. The United States contain three millions of inhabitants; France twenty millions; and the British iflands ten. We produce a Washington, a Franklin, a Rittenhouse. France then fhould have half a dozen in each of thefe lines, and GreatBritain half that number, equally eminent. It may be true, that France has-we are but juft becoming acquainted with her, and our acquaintance fo far gives us high ideas of the genius of her inhabitants. It would be injuring too many of them to name particularly a Voltaire, a Buffon, the conftellation of Encyclopedifts, the Abbe Raynal himself, &c. &c. therefore have reason to believe she can produce her full quota of genius.

We

The

confider the accumulated preffure of flavery, fuperftition and ignorance, under which the inhabitants are held. Whenever they fhall be able to throw off their Shackles, and act themselves, they will doubtless fhew that they are like the reft of the world.

* Hift. Philof. P. 92. ed. Meaftrich, 1774.

The prefent war having fo long cut off all communication with GreatBritain, we are not able to make a fair eftimate of the ftate of fcience in that country.'

The Literature of the United States is very flourishing. Their progress in the art of war, in the fcience of government, in philofophy and aftronomy, in poetry, and the various liberal arts and sciences, has, for fo young a country, been aftonishing. Colleges are inftituted in all the ftates north of North-Carolina, excepting Delaware; and liberal provision is making for their establishment in the others, Thefe colleges are generally well furnished with libraries, apparatus, inftructors and students.

The two late important revolutions in America, which have been fcarcely exceeded fince the memory of man, I mean that of the declaration and establishment of independence, and that of the adoption of a new form of government without bloodshed, have called to historic fame many noble and diftinguished characters, who might otherwise have flept

in oblivion.

But while we exhibit the fair fide of the character of Federo-Americans, we would not be thought blind to their faults.

A European writer has juftly obferved, that if there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, figning refolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves.'

Much has been written of late to fhew the injuftice and iniquity of enflaving the Africans; so much as to render it unneceffary here to fay any thing on that part of the fuhject. We cannot, however, forbear introducing a few observations respecting the influence of flavery upon policy, morals and manners. From repeated and accurate calculations, it has been found, that the expence of maintaining a flave, efpecially if we include the purchase-money, is greater than that of maintaining a free man; and the labour of the free man, influenced by the powerful motive of gain, is at least twice as profitable to the employer as that of the flave. Befides, flavery is the bane of induftry. It renders labour, among the whites, not only unfafhonable, but difreputable. Induftry is the offfpring of neceffity rather than of choice. Slavery precludes this neceffity; and indolence, which strikes at the root of all focial and political happiness, is the unhappy confequence.

Thefe obfervations, without adding any thing upon the injuftice of the practice, fhew that flavery is impolitic. Its influence on manners and morals is equally pernicious. The negro wenches in many, perhaps I may fay in moft inftance, are nurses to their mistreffes children. The Infant babe, as foon as it is born, is delivered to its black nurse, and perhaps feldom or never tastes a drop of its mother's milk. The children, by being brought up, and conftantly affociating with the negroes, too often imbibe their low ideas, and vitiated manners and morals; and contract a negroifh kind of accent and dialect, which they often carry with them through life. A mifchief common, in a greater or lefs degree, in all the fouthern states, at which humanity and decency blufh, is the criminal in

tercourfe between the whites and blacks. The enjoyment of a negro or mulatto woman,' fays a traveller of obfervation, is fpoken of as quite a common thing. No reluctance, delicacy, or shame, appear about the

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matter,