ment. Their diversions are various. With fome, dancing is a favorite amuseOthers take a fancied pleasure at the gaming table, which, however, frequently terminates in the ruin of their happiness, fortunes, and conftitutions. In the upper counties, horfe racing and cock fighting prevail, two cruel diverfions imported from Virginia, and the Carolinas, from whence those who practife them principally emigrated. But the most rational and univerfal amusement is hunting; and for this Georgia is particularly well calculated, as the woods abound with plenty of deer, racoons, rabits, wild turkies, and other game; at the fame time the woods are fo thin and free from obftructions, that you may generally ride half fpeed in the chace, without danger. In this amufement pleasure and profit are blended. The exercise, more than any other, contributes to health, and fits for activity in business, and expertnefs in war; the game alfo affords them a palatable food, and the skins a profitable article of commerce. Religion.] In regard to religion, politics and literature, this state is yet. in its infancy. In Savannah is an Epifcopal church, a Prefbyterian church, a Synagogue, where the Jews pay their weekly worship, and a German Lutheran church, supplied occafionally by a German minister from Ebenezer, where there is a large convenient Stone church, and a fettlement of fober industrious Germans of the Lutheran religion. In Augufta they have an Epifcopal church. In Midway is a fociety of Chriftians, established on the congregational plan. Their meeting house was burnt by the British, 1778; fince which they have erected a temporary one in its room. Their ancestors emigrated in a colony from Dorchester, near Boston, about the year 1700, and fettled at a place named Dorchester, about 20 miles fouthweft of Charleston, South Corolina. In 1752, for the fake of a better climate, and more land, almoft the whole fociety removed and fettled at Midway. With few interruptions, occafioned by the deaths of their ministers, and the late war, in which they greatly fuffered, they have had a preached gofpel conftantly among them. They, as a people, retain in a great meafure, that fimplicity of manners, that unaffected piety and brotherly love, which characterised their ancestors, the first fettlers of New England. The upper counties are fupplied, pretty generally, by Baptist and Methodist minifters. But the greater part of the state, is not suppled by minifters of any denomination. Conflitution] The numerous defects in the prefent conftitution of this ftate, induced the citizens, pretty univerfally, to petition for a revision of it. It was acordingly revised, or rather a new one was formed, in the courfe of the last year, nearly upon the plan of the conftitution of the United States, but has not yet been adopted by the state. The fate of literature.] The literature of this ftate, which is yet in its infancy, is commencing on a plan which affords the most flattering profpects. It feems to have been the defign of the legislature of this itate, as far as poffible, to unite their literary concerns, and provide for them in common, that the whole might feel the benefit, and no part be neglected or left a prey to party rage, private prejudices and contentions, and confequent ignorance, their infeparable attendant. For this purpofe, the literature of this ftate, like its policy, appears to be confidered as one ob*See Jackfon's Conflitution of the American States, published by order of Congress,-printed for Mr. Stockdale. ject, and in the fame manner fubject to common and general regulations for the good of the whole. The charter containing their prefent fyftem of education, paffed in the year 1785. A college, with ample and liberal endowments, is inftituted in Louifville, a high and healthy part of the country, near the center of the state. There is also provision made for the inftitution of an academy, in each county in the state, to be fupported from the fame funds, and confidered as parts and members of the fame inftitution, under the general fuperintendence and direction of a prefident and board of trustees, appointed, for their literary accomplishments, from the different parts of the state, invested with the customary powers of corporations. The inftitution thus compofed, is denominated The University of Georgia.' That this body of literati, to whom is intrufted the direction of the general literature of the ftate, may not be fo detatched and independent, as not to poffefs the confidence of the state, and in order to fecure the attention and patronage of the principal officers of government, the governor and council, the fpeaker of the house of affembly, and the chief juftice of the state, are affociated with the board of trustees, in some of the great and more folemn duties of their office, fuch as making the laws, appointing the prefident, fettling the property, and inftituting academies. Thus affociated, they are denominated The Senate of the University,' and are to hold a stated, annual meeting, at which the governor of the ftate prefides. The fenate appoint a board of commiffioners in each county, for the particular management and direction of the academy, and the other schools in each county, who are to receive their inftructions from, and are accountable to the fenate. The rector of each academy is an officer of the university, to be appointed by the prefident, with the advice of the trustees, and commiffioned under the public feal, and is to attend with the other officers at the annual meeting of the fenate, to deliberate on the general interefts of literature, and to determine on the course of inftruction for the year, throughout the univerfity. The prefident has the general charge and overlight of the whole, and is from time to time to vifit them, to examine into their order and performances. The funds for the fupport of their inftitution, are principally in lands, amounting in the whole to about fifty thousand acres, a great part of which is of the best quality, and at prefent very valuable. There are alfo nearly fix thoufand pounds fterling in bonds, houfes, and town lots in the town of Augufta. Other public property to the amount of £.1000, in each county, has been fet apart for the purposes of building and furnishing their refpective acadamies. The funds originally defigned for the support of the orphan house, are chiefly in rice plantations and negroes. As the countefs of Huntingdon has not, fince the revolution, expreffed her intention concerning them, they lie at present in a very unproductive fituation. Ilands.] The whole coaft is bordered with islands, affording, with few interruptions, an inland navigation from the river Savannah to St. Mary's. The principal islands are Skidaway, Waffaw, Offabaw, St. Catharine's, Sapelo, Frederica, Jekyl, Cumberland and Amelia. Indians.] The MUSKOGEE OF CREEK Indians inhabit the middle parts of this state, and are the most numerous tribe of Indians of any within the limits of the United States. Their whole number is 17,280, of which 5,860 are fighting men. Their principal towns lie in latitude 32o and longitude 11° 20' from Philadelphia. They are fettled in a hilly but not moutainous country. The foil is fruitful in a high degree, and well watered, abounding in creeks and rivulets, from whence they are called the Creek Indians. The SEMINOLAS, a divifion of the creek nation, inhabit a level, flat country on the Appalachicola and Flint rivers, fertile and well watered. The CHACTAWS, or flat heads, inhabit a very fine and extensive tract of hilly country, with large and fertile plains intervening between the Alabama and Miffifippi rivers, in the western part of this ftate. This nation have 43 towns and villages, in three divifions, containing 12,123 fouls, of which 4,041 are fighting men. The CHICASAWs are fettled on the head branches of the Tombeckbe, Mobile, and Yazoo rivers, in the north-west corner of the state. Their country is an extenfive plain, tolerably well watered from springs, and of a pretty good foil. They have 7 towns, the central one of which is in latitude 34° 23', and longitude 14° 30' weft. The number of fouls in this nation have been reckoned at 1725, of which 575 are fighting men. Hiftory.] The fettlement of a colony between the rivers Savannah and Alatamaha, was meditated in England in 1732, for the accommodation of poor people in Great-Britain and Ireland, and for the further fecurity of Carolina. Private compaffion and public spirit confpired to promote the benevolent defign.-Humane and opulent men fuggefted a plan of transporting a number of indigent families to this part of America, free of expence. For this purpose they applied to the King, George the IId. and obtained from him letters patent, bearing date June 9th, 1732, for legally carrying into execution what they had generously projected. They called the new province GEORGIA, in honour of the King, who. encouraged the plan. A corporation, confifting of 21 perfons, was conftituted by the name of trustees, for fettling and establishing the colony of Georgia, which was feparated from Carolina by the River Savannah. The trustees having first fet an example themfelves, by largely contributing to the scheme, undertook alfo to folicit benefactions from others, and to apply the money towards clothing, arming, purchafing utenfils for cultivation, and tranfporting fuch poor people as thould confent to go over and begin a settlement. They did not confine their cha ritable views to the fubjects of Britain alone; but wifely opened a door for the indigent and oppreffed proteftants of other nations. To prevent a mifapplication of the money, it was depofited in the bank of England. About the middle of July, 1732, the trustees for Georgia held their first meeting, and chofe Lord Percival prefident of the corporation-and ordered a common feal to be made.- In November following, 116 fettlers embarked for Georgia, to be conveyed thither free of expence, furnished with every thing requifite for building and for cultivating the foil. James Oglethorpe, one of the trustees, and an active promoter of the fettlement, embarked as the head and director of these settlers. They arrived at Charleston early in the next year, where they met a friendly reception from the governor and council. Mr. Oglethorpe, accompanied by William Bull, fhortly after his arrival, vifited Georgia, and after recon reconnoitring the country, marked the fpot on which Savannah now ftands, as the fitteft to begin their fettlement. Here they accordingly began, and built a small fort; a number of fmall huts for their defence and accommodation. Such of the fettlers as were able to bear arms, were embodied, and well appointed with officers, arms, and ammunition. A treaty of friendship was concluded between the fettlers and their neighbours, and the Creek Indians, and every thing wore the afpect of peace and future profperity. In the mean time the trustees for Georgia had been employed in framing a plan of fettlement, and establishing fuch public regulations as they judged moft proper for anfwering the great end of the corporation. In this general plan they confidered each inhabitant both as a planter and a foldier, who must be provided with arms and ammunition for defence, as well as with tools and utenfils for cultivation. As the strength of the province was their chief object in view, they agreed to establish fuch tenures for holding lands in it as they judged most favourable for a military establishment. Each tract of land granted was confidered as a military fief, for which the poffeffer was to appear in arms, and take the field, when called upon for the public defence. To prevent large tracts front falling in procefs of time into one hand, they agreed to grant their lands in tail male in preference to tail in general. On the termination of the eftate in tail male, the lands were to revert to the truft; and fuch lands thus reverting were to be granted again to such persons, as the common-council of the truft fhould judge moft advantageous for the colony; only the truftees in fuch a cafe were to pay fpecial regard to the daughters of fuch per fons as had made improvements on their lots, efpecially when not already provided for by marriage. The wives of fuch perfons as fhould furvive them, were to be, during their lives, entitled to the manfion -house, and one-half of the lands improved by their hufbands. No man was to be permitted to depart the province without licence. If any of the lands granted by the trustees fhall not be cultivated, cleared, and fenced round about with a worm fence, or pales, fix feet high, within eighteen years from the date of grant, fuch part was to revert to the truft, and the grant with refpect to it to be void. All forfeitures for non-refidence, high-treafon, felonies, &c. were to the trustees for the ufe and benefit of the colony. The ufe of negroes was to be abfolutely prohibited, and alfo the importation of rum. None of the colonists were to be permitted to trade with Indians, but fuch as fhould obtain a special licence for that purpose. Thefe were fome of the fundamental regulations eftablished by the truftees of Georgia, and perhaps the imagination of man could fcarcely have. framed a fyftem of rules worfe adapted to the circumftances and fituation of the poor fettlers, and of more pernicious confequence to the profperity of the province. Yet, although the trustees were greatly mistaken, with refpect to their plan of fettlement, it must be acknowledged their views were generous. As the people fent out by them were the poor and unfortunate, who were to be provided with neceffaries at their public ftore, they received their lands upon condition of cultivation, and, by their perfonal refidence, of defence. Silk and wine being the chief articles intended to be raised, they judged negroes were not requifite to thefe pur pofes. pofes. As the colony was defigned to be a barrier to South-Carolina, against the Spanish fettlement at Auguftine, they imagined that negroes would rather weaken than ftrengthen it, and that fuch poor colonists would run in debt, and ruin themfelves by purchafing them. Rum was judged pernicious to health, and ruinous to the infant fettlement. A free trade with Indians was confidered as a thing that might have a tendency to involve the people in quarrels and troubles with the powerful favages, and expofe them to danger and deftruction. Such were, probably, the motives which induced thofe humane and generous perfons to impose fuch foolish and ridiculous restrictions on their colony. For by granting their small eftates in tail mail, they drove the fettlers from Georgia, who foon found that abundance of lands could be obtained in America upon a larger scale, and on much better terms. By the prohibition of negroes, they rendered it impracticable in fuch a climate to make any impreffion on the thick forefts, Europeans being utterly unqualified for the heavy task. By their discharging a trade with the weft-Indies, they not only deprived the colonifts of an excellent and convenient market for their lumber, of which they had abundance on their lands, but also of rum, which, when mixed with a fufficient quantity of water, has been found in experience the cheapest, the most refreshing, and nourishing drink for workmen in fuch a foggy and burning climate. The trustees, like other diftant legiflators, who framed their regulations upon principles of fpeculation, were liable to many errors and mistakes, and however good their defign, their rules were found improper and impracticable. The Carolinians plainly perceived that they would prove infurmountable obstacles to the progrefs and profperity of the colony, and therefore from motives of pity began to invite the poor Georgians to come over Savannah river, and fettle in Carolina; being convinced that they could never fucceed under fuch impolitic and oppreffive restrictions. Befides the large fums of money which the trustees had expended for the fettlement of Georgia, the parliament had alfo granted during the two laft years .36,000 towards carrying into execution the humane purpose of the corporation. But after the reprefentation and memorial from the legiflature of Carolina reached Britain, the nation confidered Georgia to be of the utmost importance to the British fettlements in America, and began to make ftill more vigorous efforts for its fpeedy population. The first embarkations of poor people from England, being collected from towns and cities, were found equally idle and ufelefs members of fociety abroad, as they had been at home. An hardy and bold race of men, inured to rural labour and fatigue, they were perfuaded would be much better adapted both for cultivation and defence. To find men poffeffed of these qualifi cations, they turned their eyes to Germany and the Highlands of Scotland, and refolved to fend over a number of Scotch and German labourers to their infant province. When they published their terms at Inverness, an hundred and thirty Highlanders immediately accepted, them, and were tranfported to Georgia. A township on the river Alatamaha, which was confidered as the boundary between the British and Spanish territories, was altted for the Highlanders, on which dangerous fituation they fettled, and built a town, which they called New Invernefs. About the fame time an hundred and feventy Germans embarked with James Oglethorpe and |