imagination this bold youth as he thus saved his life. His name stands far above all the rest, a monument of hardihood, of rashness, and of folly.'

Natural Stone Walls.-On the Missouri, at the distance of about one hundred miles from the Great Falls, are the natural stone walls which have thus been described by Lewis and Clarke:

'We came to a high wall of black rock rising from the water's edge on the south, above the cliffs of the river: this continued about a quarter of a mile, and was succeeded by a high open plain, till three miles further a second wall, two hundred feet high, rose on the same side. Three miles farther, another wall of the same kind, about two hundred feet high and twelve thick, appeared to the north. These hills and river cliffs exhibit a most extraordinary and romantic appearance. They rise in most places nearly perpendicularly from the water to the height of between two and three hundred feet, and are formed of very white sandstone, so soft as to yield readily to the impression of the water, in the upper part of which lie imbedded two or three horizontal strata of white freestone insensible to the rain, and on the top is a dark rich loam, which forms a gradually ascending plain, from a mile to a mile and a half in extent, when the hills again rise abruptly to the height of about three hundred feet more.

In trickling down the cliffs, the water has worn the soft sandstone into a thousand grotesque figures, among which, with a little fancy, may be discerned elegant ranges of freestone buildings, with columns variously sculptured, and supporting long and elegant galleries, while the parapets are adorned with statuary. On a nearer approach, they represent every form of elegant ruins; columns, some with pedestals and capitals entire, others mutilated and prostrate; and some rising pyramidically over each other till they terminate in a sharp point. These are varied by niches, alcoves, and the customary appearances of desolated magnificence. The illusion is increased by the number of martins that have built their globular nests in the niches, and hover over these columns; as in our country they are accustomed to frequent large stone structures.

'As we advance, there seems no end to the visionary enchantment that surrounds us. In the midst of this fantastic scenery are vast ranges of walls, which seem the productions of art, so regular is the workmanship. They rise perpendicularly from the. river, sometimes to the height of one hundred feet, varying in thickness from one to twelve feet, being equally broad at the top as below. The stones of which they are formed, are black, thick, and durable, and composed of a large portion of earth, intermixed and cemented with a small quantity of sand, and a considerable proportion of talc or quartz.

These stones are almost invariably regular parallelopipeds of unequal sizes in the wall, but equally deep, and laid regularly in ranges over each other like bricks, each breaking and covering the interstice of the two on which it rests. But though the perpendicular interstice is destroyed, the horizontal one extends entirely through the work. The stones, too, are proportioned to the thickness of the wall in which they are employed, being largest in the thickest walls. The thinner walls are composed of a single depth of the parallelopiped, while the thicker ones consist of two or more depths. These walls pass the river at several places, rising from the

water's edge much above the sandstone bluffs, which they seem to penetrate; thence they cross in a straight line, on either side of the river, the plains over which they tower to the height of from ten to seventy feet, until they lose themselves in the second range of hills. Sometimes they run parallel in several ranges near each other; sometimes intersect each other at right angles, and have the appearance of walls of ancient houses or gardens.'

63

PART II.

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY.

CHAPTER I.-POLITICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS.

UNITED STATES. The territory of the United States extends from twentyfive to fifty-four degrees north latitude, and from sixty-six degrees forty-nine minutes to one hundred and twenty-five degrees west longitude; comprising one million eight hundred and thirty-two thousand three hundred and fifteen square miles. It is bounded north by Russia and British America; east by the Atlantic and British America; south by the Atlantic, the gulf and territory of Mexico, and west by Mexico, Texas, and the Pacific ocean. This extent of country is divided into twenty-six states, six territories, and the district of Columbia. The states are familiarly classed under the Eastern or New England, the Middle, the Southern, and the Western states. The first division comprehends Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; the second, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland; the third, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana; the fourth, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Arkansas and Missouri. The territories are Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Oregon. There are no territorial governments in the Missouri and Oregon territories. The whole extent of inhabited country includes more than eight hundred thousand square miles; and the whole population is seventeen million sixty-eight thousand one hundred and twelve.

1. NEW ENGLAND STATES.

Maine. This state is bounded north and north-west by Lower Canada; east by New Brunswick; west by New Hampshire, and south by the AtlanThe north-eastern boundary is yet in dispute. Maine is divided into 18 counties.* The towns are about four hundred in number; Augusta is the capital. The other principal towns are Portland, Brunswick, Bath, Wiscasset, Bangor, Castine, Hallowell, York, Saco, Kenne

For a list of the counties in this and the other states, with their population, see the statistical tables at the end of the volume.

bunk, Eastport, Machias, Belfast, Gardiner, and Waterville. The chief rivers are the Saco, Penobscot, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Walloostook and Allagash, head streams of the St. John, and the St. Croix. Among the mountains are Bald, Ebeeme, Spencer and Katahdin. The lakes are Moosehead, Umbagog, Chesuncook, and Sebago. Mount Desert is the largest of the islands with which the coast is strewn. The bays are Portland, Passamaquoddy, Casco and Penobscot. Population, five hundred and one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.

New Hampshire is situated between forty-two degrees forty-one minutes and forty-five degrees eleven minutes north latitude, and between seventy degrees forty minutes, and seventy-two degrees twenty-three minutes west longitude. It is bounded on the north by Lower Canada; south by Massachusetts; east by Maine and the Atlantic ocean, and west by Connecticut river, which separates it from Vermont. Its extreme length from north to south, is one hundred and sixty-eight miles; and its greatest breadth from east to west, ninety miles; containing an area of nine thousand four hundred and ninety-one miles. This state is divided into ten counties. Portsmouth is the largest town, but Concord is the seat of gov ernment. The number of towns in the state is two hundred and 33, and besides those mentioned the principal are Dover, Exeter, Amherst, Hanover and Haverhill. The chief rivers are the Connecticut, Merrimac, and Piscataqua; the mountains are the Monadnock, Sunapee, Kearsarge, Carr's, and Moosehillock. The White mountains are the most elevated in this state, and the highest east of the Mississippi. The lakes are Winnipiseogee, Squam, Ossipee, Newfound, Spafford's, and Connecticut; Umbagog lies partly in this state, and partly in Maine. The population by the last census was two hundred eighty-four thousand five hundred and seventy-four.

Vermont is bounded on the west by lake Champlain and New York; south by Massachusetts; east by the Connecticut river, and north by Lower Canada. It is situated between forty-two degrees forty-four minutes, and forty-five degrees north latitude; and between seventy-one degrees thirtythree minutes, and seventy-three degrees twenty-six minutes west longi tude. It is one hundred and fifty-seven miles in length; its breadth is ninety miles on the north line, and forty on the south. It is divided into thirteen counties, and two hundred and forty-five towns. None of the towns are very large. Montpelier is the seat of government. Among the chief towns are Middlebury, Bennington, Montpelier, Brattleboro', Burlington, and Windsor. The rivers, all of which are small, are Lamoille, Onion, Otter, White, and Missisque; the west bank of the Connecticut forms the eastern boundary of the state. The mountains are Ascutney, Killington's Peak, Camel's Rump, and Mansfield, peaks of the Green mountains. The population in 1840 was two hundred and ninety-one thousand nine hundred and forty-eight.

Massachusetts is bounded east by the Atlantic; west by New York; north by Vermont and New Hampshire, and south by Connecticut, Rhode Island and the Atlantic. It lies between forty-one degrees fifteen minutes and forty-two degrees fifty-four minutes north latitude; and between sixty-nine degrees fifty-four minutes and seventy-three degrees thirty minutes west longitude. It is one hundred and eighty miles long from east to west;

and ninety-six miles broad from north to south. Its area includes seven. thousand and eight hundred square miles. The rivers are Connecticut, Merrimac, Charles, Concord, Blackstone, Miller's, Chickopee, Deerfield, Westfield and Housatonic. The mountains are Saddle mountain, Tagkannuc, Holyoke, Tom and Wachuset. This state is divided into fourteen counties and three hundred and seven towns. Boston is the capital. Salem and New Bedford are next in size and importance; Lowell, Taunton, Springfield, and Waltham are extensively engaged in manufactures; Nantucket, Newburyport, Plymouth and Marblehead are fishing and commercial ports. Worcester, Northampton, and Pittsfield are pleasant inland towns. The population in 1840 was seven hundred and thirty-seven thousand six hundred and ninety-nine.

Connecticut is bounded north by Massachusetts; east by Rhode Island; south by Long Island sound, and west by New York. It lies between forty-one degrees and forty-two degrees two minutes north latitude; and between seventy-one degrees twenty minutes and seventy-three degrees fifteen minutes west longitude. Its length is eighty-eight miles, and its average breadth about fifty-three; its area is four thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight miles. It is divided into eight counties. Hartford, New Haven, Middletown, New London, Norwich and Bridgeport are incorporated cities; Danbury, Guilford, Killingworth, Newtown, Stamford, Ston ington and Waterbury are boroughs. Hartford and New Haven are the seats of the state government; and the legislature holds its sessions alter nately at the two places. The principal rivers are the Connecticut, Housa tonic, Thames, Farmington and Naugatuck. The greatest elevations are a continuation of the Green mountains. The population of this state is three hundred and ten thousand and fifteen.

Rhode Island is bounded west by Connecticut; south by the Atlantic ocean; north and east by Massachusetts. It lies between forty-one and forty-two degrees north latitude; and between seventy-one degrees eight minutes and seventy-one degrees fifty-two minutes west longitude. The average length of the state from north to south is about forty-two miles; its mean breadth about twenty-nine miles; its whole area, including Narraganset bay, comprises one thousand one hundred and twenty-five miles. It contains five counties, and thirty-one towns. Providence is the capital, and in population and wealth the second town in New England. Newport, Bristol, Pawtucket and Warwick are the other chief towns. Pawtucket is the only river of any importance; the Pawtuxet is also the seat of a number of manufactories. The islands are Rhode Island, Conanicut, Prudence and Block. Narraganset bay extends more than thirty miles into the state. The population is one hundred and eight thousand eight hundred and thirty.

II. MIDDLE STATES.

New York is bounded east by Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut; north by lake Ontario and the river St. Lawrence; west by Pennsylva nia, lake Erie and Niagara river; south by New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Its length is three hundred and forty, its breadth three hundred and four miles; and, including Long island, it contains forty-six thousand and