The Scioto is a larger river than either of the preceding, and opens a more extenfive navigation. It is paffable for large barges for two hundred miles, with a portage of only four miles to the Sandusky, a good navigable ftream that fails into the lake Erie. Through the Sandusky, and Scioto lies to the most common pafs from Canada to the Ohio and Miffiffippi; one of the moft extenfive and ufeful communications that is to be found in this cuuntry. Prodigious extenfions of territory are here connected; and, from the rapidity with which the western parts of Canada, lake Erie, and the Kentucky coun tries are feuling, we may anticipate an immenfe intercourfe between them. The lands on the borders of the middle ftreams, from this circumference alone, alide from their natural fertility, mult be rendered very valuable. The flour, corn, flax, hemp, &c. railed for exportation in that great country between the lakes Huron and Ontario, will find an outlet through lake Erie and thefe rivers, or down the Miffippi. The Ohio merchant can give a higher price than thofe of Quebec for thefe commodities, and they may be tranfported from the former to Florida and the Weft-India islands, with less expenfe, rifk, and insurance, than from the latter; while the expense from the place of growth to the Ohio will not be one fourth of what it would be to Quebec, and much less than even to the Oneida lake. The ftream of Scioto is gentle, and no where broken by falls: at fome places, in the fpring of the year, it overflows its banks, thus providing for large natural rice, plantations. Salt fprings, coal mines, white and blue clay, and free-flone, abound in the country adjoining this river.

The Little Miami is too fmall for batteaux navigation. Its banks are good land, and fo high as to prevent, in common, the overflowing of the

water.

The Great Miami has a very ftony channel, and a swift stream, but no falls. It is formed of feveral large branches, which are paffable for boats a great diflance. One branch comes from the weft, and rifes in the Wabafk Country: another rifes near the head waters of Miami river, which runs into lake Erie; and a fhort portage divides another branch of Sandusky river. It allo interlocks with the Scioto.

The Wabash is a beautiful river, with high and fertile banks. It empties into the Ohio by a mouth two hundred and feventy yards wide, one thousand and twenty miles below Fort Pitt. In the fpring, fummer, and autumn, it is paffable for batteaux drawing three feet water, four hundred and twelve miles, to Ouitanon, a fmall French fettlement, on the weft fide of the river; and for large canoes one hundred and ninety-feven miles farther, to the Miami carrying place, nine miles from Miami village. This village ftands on Miami river, which empties into the fouth-well part of Lake Erie. The communication between Detroit, and the Illinois, and Ohio countries, is up Miami river to Miami village, thence, by land, nine miles, when the rivers are high; and from eighteen to thirty when they are low, through a level country to the Wabash, and through the various branches of the Wabafn to the places of deflination.

A filver mine has been discovered about twenty-eight miles above Quitanon, on the northern fide of the Wabash. Salt fprings, lime, free-ftone, blue, yellow, and white clay, are found in plenty upon this river.

The rivers Avafe and Kafkafkias empty into the Miffifippi from the north eaft; the former is navigable for boats, fixty, and the latter, about one hundred and thirty miles. They both run through a rich country, which has extenfive meadows.

No. 26.

Between the Kafkafkias and Illinois rivers, which are eighty-four miles apart, is an extenfive tract of level, rich land, which terminates in a high ridge, about fifteen miles before you reach the Illinois river. In this delightful vale are a number of French villages, which, together with thofe of St. Genevieve and St. Louis, on the weftern fide of the Miffippi, contained in 1771, ose thousand two hundred and feventy-three fencible men.

One hundred and feventy-fix miles above the Ohio, and eighteen miles above the Missouri, the Illinois empties into the Miffiffippi from the northeaft by a mouth four hundred yards wide. This river is bordered with fine meadows, which in fome places extend as far as the eye can reach this river furnishes a communication with lake Michigan, by the Chicago river, between which and the Illinois are two portages, the longeft of which does not exceed four miles. It receives a number of rivers, which are from twenty to hundred yards wide, and navigable for boats froin fifteen to one hundred and eighty miles. On the north-western fide of this river is a coal mine, which extends for half a mile along the middle of the bank of the river, and about the fare diflance below the coal mine are two falt ponds, one hundred yards in circumference, and several feet in depth. The water is ftagnant, aud of a yellowish colour; but the French and natives make good falt from it. The foil of the Illinois country is, in general, of a fuperior quality its natural growth confills of oak, hiccory, cedar, mulberry, &c. hops, dying drugs, mediciual plants of feveral kinds, and excellent wild grapes. As far back as the year 1769, the French fettlers made one hundred and ten hogfheads of frong wine from thefe grapes.

There are many other rivers of equal fize and importance with those we have been defcribing, which are not fufficiently known for accurate deferipti

ons.

Antiquities, Curiofities, &c.

THE number of old forts found in the Kentucky country are the ad

miration of the curious, and a matter of much fpeculation; they are moftsy of an oblong form, fituated on ftrong, well chofen ground, and contiguous to water when, by whom, and for what purpofes thefe were thrown up, is uncertain; they are undoubtedly very ancient, as there is not the leaf visible difference in the age or fize of the timber growing on, or within thefe forts, and that which grows without; and the old natives have loft all tradition refpecting them. Dr. Cutler, who has accurately examined the trees on thefe forts, and which he thinks, from appearances, are the fecond growth, is of opinion that they must have been built upwards of one thousand years ago; they must have been the efforts of a people much more devoted to labour than the prefent race of Indians; and it is difficult to conceive how they could be conftructed without thefe of iron tools. At a convenient diftance from thefa always ftands a fall mound of earth, thrown up in the form of a pyramid, and feems in fome meafure proportioned to the fize of its adjacent fortification. On examination, they have been found to contain a chalky fubliance, fupposed to be bones, and of the human kind.

Under this head we may mention the extenfive meadows, or, as the French call them, Prairie, which anfwers to what, in the fouthern States, are called Savannas. They are a rich plain, without trees, and covered with grais; fome of thefe, between St. Vincennes and the Miffiffi, are thinly or for ✓ les in extent. In palling them, as far as the eye can teach, there is not a VJ. IV.

Y y

tree to be feen; but there is plenty of deer, wild cattle, bears, and wolves, and innumerable flocks of turkies; these with the green grafs, form a rich and beautiful profpect.

The pots eftablifhed for the protection of the frontiers are as follow: Franklin, on French creek; Harmar, at the mouth of the Muskingum ; Stuben, at the rapids of the Ohio; Fayette, Hamilton, Knox, Jefferfon, St. Clair, Marietta, and St. Vincennes.

Government, &c.

By an ordinance of Congrefs, paffed on the 13th of July, 1787,

this country, for the purposes of temporary government, was erected into one diflrict, fubject, however, to a divifion, when circumftances fhall make it expedient.

In the fame ordinance it is provided, that Congrefs fhall appoint a governor, whofe commiffion fhail continue in force three years, unless fooner revoked.

The governor muft refide in the district, and have a freehold eftate therein, in one thousand acres of land, while in the exercife of his office.

Congrefs, from time to time, are to appoint a fecretary, to continue in office four years, unlefs fooner removed, who must refide in the diflrict, and have an eftate of five hundred acres of land, while in office.

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The bufinefs of the fecretary is, to keep and preferve the acts and laws of the legislature, the public records of the district, and the proceedings of the vernor in his executive department; and to tranfmit authentic copies of fuck acts and proceedings, every fix mouths, to the fecretary of Congrefs.

The ordinance provides, that Congrefs fhall appoint three judges, poffeffed each of five hundred acres of land in the diftrict in which they are to refide, and to hold their commiflions during good behaviour, any two of whom fhall form a court, which fhali have a common law jurifdiction. The governor and judges are authorised to adopt and publifh in the diftrict, fuch laws of the original States, criminal and civil, as may be neceffary and best fuited to the circumftances of the diftrict, to report them to Congrefs; and, if approved, they fhall continue in force till the organization of the General Affembly of the diftrict, who fhall have authority to alter them. The governor is to command the militia, and appoint and commiffion their officers, except general officers, who are to be appointed and commiffioned by Congrefs.

Previoufly to the organization of the affembly, the governor is to appoint fuch magillrates and civil officers as fhall be deemed neceffary for the prefervation of peace and order.

So foon as there fhall be five thousand free male inhabitants of full age in the diftrict, they fhall receive authority to elect reprefentatives, one for every five hundred free male inhabitants, to reprefent them in the General Affembly; the reprefentation to increafe progrellively with the number of free male inhabitants till there be twenty-five reprefentatives; after which, the number and proportion of the reprefentatives fhall be regulated by the legiflature. A reprefentative muft poffefs, in fee fimple, two hundred acres of land, and be a refident in the diftri&t; and must have been a citizen of the United States, or a refident in the district, three years preceding his election. An elector muft have fifty acres of land in the diftrict, must be a refident, and have been a citizen of one of the States, or muft poffefs the fame frechold, and have been

two years a refident in the diftri&t. The reprefentatives, when duly elected, are to continue in office two years.

The General Allenbly, or Legiflature, shall confift of the Governor, Legillative Council, and Houfe of Reprefentatives. The Legiflative Council fhall confift of five members, to continue in office five years, unless fooner removed by Congrefs; three make a quorum. The council are to be thus appointed the governor and representatives, when met, fhall nominate ten perfons, refidents in the district, each poffeffed of a freehold of five hundred acres of land, and return their names to Congrefs, who fhall appoint and commiffion five of them to ferve as afore said.

All bills paffed by a majority in the House and in Council, fhall be refer red to the governor for his affent; and no bill, or legiflative act whatever, fhall be of force without his affent. The governor fhall have power to convene, prorogue, and diffolve the General Affembly, when, in his opinion, it hall be expedient.

The legiflature. when organized, fhall have authority, by joint ballot, to elect a delegate to Congrefs, who fhall have a feat in Congrefs, with a right of debating, but not of voting, during this temporary government.

"AND for extending the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the bafis whereon thefe republics, their laws and conilitutions, are erected; to fix and eflablifh thofe principles as the bafis of all laws, conftitutions, and governments, which for ever hereafter fhall be formed in the faid territory; to provide alfo for the establishment of ftate and permanent government therein, and for their admiflion to fhare in the federal councils, on an equal footing with the original States, at as early periods as may be confiftent with the general intereft: It is hereby ordained and declared, by the authority, aforefaid, That the following articles fhall be confidered as articles of compact, between the original States and the people, and the States in the faid territory, and for ever remain unalterable, unless by common confent, to

wit:

"Art. I. No perfon, demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, fhall ever be molefted on account of his mode of worship or religious fentiments in the faid territory.

"Art. II. The inhabitants of the said territory fhall always be entitled to the benefits of the writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury, of a proportionate reprefentation of the people in the Legiflarure, and of judicial proceedings, according to the courfe of the common law all perfons fhall be bailable, unless for capital offences where the proof fhall be evident or the prefumption great all fines fhall be moderate, and no cruel or unusual punithment fhall be inflicted; no man fhall be deprived of his liberty or property but by the judgment of his peers, or of the law of the land; and fhould the public exigencies make it neceffary for the common preservation to take any perfon's property, or to demand his particular fervices, full compenfation fhall be made for the fame; and in the juft prefervation of rights and property, it is underflood and declared, that no law ought ever to be made, or have force in the faid territory, that fhall in any manner whatever interfere with, or af fect, private contracts or engagements bona fide, and without fraud previoufly formed.

"Art. III. Religion, morality and knowledge, being neceffary to good government and the happiness of mankind, fchools and the means of educati on fhall for ever be encouraged; the utmolt good faith fhall always be obfer. ved towards the Indians; their lands and property fhall never be taken from

them without their confent; and in their property, rights and liberty, they thall never be invaded or disturbed, urlefs in just and lawful wars, authorised by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity fhall from time to time be made, for preventing wrongs being done to them, and for preferving peace and friendship with them.

"Art. IV. The faid territory, and the States which may be formed there". in, fhall for ever remain a part of this confederacy of the United States of America, fubject to the articles of confederation, and to fuch alterations therein as fhall be conftitutionally made; and to all the acts and ordinances of the United States, in Congreis affembled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants and fettlers in the faid territory fhall be fubject to pay a part of the federal debts contracted, or to be contracted, and a proportionable part of the expenfes of government, to be apportioned on them by Congrefs, according to the fame common rule and meafure, by which apportionments thereof fhall be made on the other States, and the taxes for paying their proportion fhall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the district, or diftricts, or new States, as in the original States, within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress affembled. The legislatures of thofe diftricts or new States fhall never interfere with the primary difpofal of the foil by the United States, in Congrefs affembled, nor with any regulations Congress may find necellary for fecuting the title in fuch foil to the bona fide purchafers. No tax fhall be impofed on lands the property of the United States; and in no cafe fhall non-refident proprietors be taxed higher than refidents. The navigable waters leading into the Miffifippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the fame, fhall be common highways, and for ever free, as well to the inhabitants of the faid territory, as to the citizens of the Untied States in general, and thofe of any other States that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impoft, or duty.

"Art. V. There fhall be formed in the faid territory, not less than three, nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as foon as Virginia fhall alter her act of cellion, and confent to the fame, shall become fixed and established as follows, viz. The western State in the faid territory fhall be bounded on the Miffifippi, the Ohio, and Wabash rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Poft Vincent due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada, and by the faid territorial line to the lake of the Woods and the Miffifippi. The middle State fhall be bounded by the faid direct line, the Wabash from Poft Vincent to the Ohio; by the Ohio by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the faid territorial line, and by the faid territorial line. The caftern State fhall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennfylvania, and the faid territorial line; provided, however, and it is further underflood and declared, that the boundaries of these three States shall be subject so far to be altered, that if Congrefs hereafter fhall find it expedient, they fhall have authority to form one, or wo States, in that part of the faid territory which lies north of an eaft and weft line drawn through the foutherly bend or extreme of late Michigan; and when any of the said States fhall have fixty thousand free inhabitants therein, fuch State fhall be admitted by its delegates into the Congrefs of the United States, on an equal footing with the original States in all refpects whatever; ad fhall be at liberty to form a permanent conflitution and flate government provided, the corffitution and government fo to be formed fhall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in thefe articles; and fo far as it can be conillent with the general intereft of