virtuous principles, intelligent understandings, and skilful industry she now enjoys, and the united republic of America may bid defiance to faction and conspiracy, and become the admiration of ages.

For a minute description of this vast interior, see the numerous Geographies, with their Atlasses, now in use throughout the United States.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A BRIEF GEOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE UNITED STATES.

Boundaries.-The United States are bounded on the north, and northwest, by Upper and Lower Canada, and New-Brunswick; southeast by the Atlantic Ocean; south by the Gulf of Mexico; and west by New Mexico in part, and partly by the Pacific Ocean.

Rivers and Lakes.-If you cast your eye over the map of North-America; you will there see the United States intersected, and watered by the largest and most numerous lakes and rivers, that are to be found in any other country, on the whole habitable globe. Among the former may be seen those vast lakes, or inland seas, that divide the United States from Canada; with numerous others of a minor class. And among the latter may be seen the grand and majestic St. Lawrence, that conveys the vast waters of the great lakes into the gulf of its own name; also, the vast waters of the Mississippi, that conveys the numerous rivers and streams of the west into the Gulf of Mexico. Among the numerous streams upon the Atlantic coast, may be seen the Kenebec, the Merimac, the Connecticut, the Hudson, the Delaware, Potowmac and James, together with the numerous small streams, of the southern states, with the majestic rivers that fall into the Gulf of Mexico through the Floridas.

These vast and numerous rivers and streams not only serve to fertilize the country; but they afford the facili ties of internal commerce, to a degree not known in any other country. This intercourse may be greatly improved by the following canals.

Canals.--The Great Canal of New-York, now in forwardness, between Albany, and Buffalo, will connect the Hudson with Lake Erie; from Lake Erie, this

chain of connection will extend through Lake Superior, into the Lake of the Woods on the north, with all the vast region with which they are surrounded. By a short canal from the head waters of the Chicago, to the head of the Illinois, the same communication may be extended through Lake Michigan, over to the Mississippi, and from the Mississippi to the head waters of the Missouri, and thus the trade of all this vast interior may be brought to pass through the Great Canal to Albany, and from thence to New-York, which will render her the London of America.*

The facility of transporting goods from New-York through this channel, throughout this vast interior, will be greatly improved, and the conveyance even to the head wa ters of the Mississippi and Missouri, will become much easier and cheaper than from New-Orleans, even by steam-boats up the Mississippi. One more canal from the head waters of the Cayahoga to the head waters of the Muskingum, would bring the trade of the majestic Ohio, with its numerous tributary streams, into Lake Erie, and thus through the Great Canal to Albany and New-York. To effect this canal, Congress have appropriated 200,000 acres of public lands to be specially applied, when necessary. Another canal from the head waters of the Miami of the Lake, or the St. Mary's, to the head waters of the Wabash, would greatly promote the great current of this vast interior commerce. Congress have also appropriated 100,000 acres of land to effect this canal, and 100,000 more to effect the canal between the Illinois, and the Chicago. All these canals are practicable, and will undoubtedly be entered upon as soon as the Great Canal is accomplished.

Soil and Productions.- Under this head may be classed all the variety that are to be found upon the whole

*This Great Canal will ultimately prove one of the strongest bonds of union between the eastern and western states that our country affords, and thus its political advantages may be rendered equal to its commercial.

habitable globe. The soil of the United States is rich and fertile, generally, throughout their whole extent, except upon the high mountains, and the sand banks of the south. The productions of the northern and middle states are wheat, rye, Indian corn, or maize, barley, oats, tobac co, culinary vegetables, apples, pears, plumbs, peaches, &c. hemp, flax, and some cotton. South of 35 deg. cotton, rice, indigo, sugar-cane, figs, pomgranates, oranges, &c. grapes are among the spontaneous productions of the United States, and in great abundance; hops, west of the Alleghana, and they flourish under culture throughout. May not the tea-plant flourish in Florida, and Louisiana? and may not the coffee-tree be transplanted into that climate with as much success, as it was transplanted from Africa into the West-Indies in the 17th century?

Three objects demand the immediate attention of the American cultivators, viz. the bee, the grape, and the silk-worm; all which might be rendered very productive in the United States.

Mines and Minerals.-The limits of this work will not permit me to pursue this interesting subject, in all its extensive ramifications; suffice it then to say, that no country abounds with a greater variety of the most useful metals and minerals, such as iron, lead,* copper, coal, &c. than the United States; but more particularly throughout the interior; and no people on earth have more extensive conveniences to render them productive.

Salines.-These are more numerous, and extensive in the United States, than are to be found in any other country, and exceed every thing of the kind, excepting the extensive salt mines of Poland: they may be ranked among the striking evidences, that God originally designed this country to become the theatre of a numerous population;

* The lead mine in Missouri, now worked by Mr. Austin, is calculated to produce $20,000 per annum.

and we ourselves are witnesses that he is fast accomplishing his purpose. The salines of Louisiana are said to surpass those of the interior east of the Mississippi, both in number and extent, and are sufficient for the use of the whole United States under any degree of population.

Natural Curiosities.-Under this head may be ranked the vast inland seas of the United States; the Falls of Niagara, and of St. Anthony; the passage of the Potowmac through the Blue Ridge of the Alleghany; the Hanging Bridge, and Blowing Cave, &c. in Virginia, and numerous other caves throughout the interior; the Gates of the Rocky Mountains,* Cataracts of the Missouri,† &c.

Mountains.-Under this head may be ranked the range of mountains that divide the rivers which fall into the Atlantic, from those that fall into the Mississippi, known by the name of the Applachian, or Alleghany Mountains; these mountains are called the back-bone of the United States, and extend in a range with the sea-coast, nearly the whole length of the United States.

The Rocky Mountains of Louisiana range extensively through that vast interior, and divide the waters of the Mississippi from the waters of the great Pacific, as the Alleghany does the waters on the east, from the Atlantic. They may be considered as a continuation of the Andes of South-America, and extend as far north as the Frozen Ocean.

East of the Rocky Mountains, lies the Cheppewan range, which extends from the arctic circle, down into Mexico, and forms the high table land of that kingdom. Branches

* Here the river Missouri passes through an elevation of rocks, about 1200 feet perpendicular from the surface of the water, and the waters are compressed within the compass of 150 yards, for the space of more than five miles; and for more than three miles a man cannot stand between the foot of the rock and the water.

This cataract falls more than 300 feet in a few miles, in passing over these purpendicular falls.