this place the river runs over a rocky bottom, and the defcent is fo gradual, that the falls does not probably in the whole exceed twenty feet. In fome places we may obferve it to fall a few feet. When the ftream is low, empty boats only can país and repass this rapid; their lading must be transported by land but when high, boats of any burthen may pats in fafety. Excepting this place, there is not a finer river in the world for navigation by boats. Belides this, Kentucky is watered by eight imalier rivers, and many large and fmal creeks.

Licking river, beading in the mountains with Cumberland river, and the norin branch of Kentucky, runs in a north-west direction for upwards of one hundred miles, collecting its filver !treams from many branches, and is about an hundred yards broad at its mouth.

Red river heads and interlocks with the main branch of Licking, and flows ows in a fouth-weft courfe into Kentucky river, being about fixty miles long, and fixy yards wide at its mouth.

Kentucky river, rifes with three heads, from a mountainous part of the courtry; its northern branch interlocks with Cumberland; runs half way in a wellerly direction, and the other half north-wefterly. It is amazingly crooked upwards of two hundred miles in length, and about one hundred and fifty yards broad.

Elkhorn, is a mall river which empties itfelf into Kentucky in a northweft-by-well courfe is about fifty miles long, and fifty-yards broad at the mouth.

Dick's river, joins the Kentucky in a north-well direction; is about fortyfive miles long, and forty-five yards wide at its mouth. This river curiously heads and interlocks its branches with Salt river, Green river, and the waters of Rockcastle river.

Salt river, riies at four different places near each other. The windings of this river are curious, rolling its freams round a fpacious tract of fine land, and uniting aloft fifteen miles before they approach the Ohio, and twenty miles below the fails. It is amazingly crooked, and runs a western courfe near ninety-miles.

Green river, interlocking with the head of Dick's river, as mentioned above, is also amazingly crooked; it keeps a western courfe for upwards of one hundred and fifty miles, and is about eighty yards wide at its mouth, which is about two hundred and twenty miles below the fails.

Cumberland river, interlocks with the northern branch of Kentucky, as aforefaid, and rolling round the other arms of the Kentucky among the mountains, in a fouthern course for one hundred miles, then in a fouth-weitern course for above one hundred miles, then in a fouthern and fouth-western course for about two hundred and fifty more, finds the Ohio four hundred and thirteen miles below the falls. At Nashville this river is two hundred yards broad. and its mouth three hundred, having paffed through the territory fouth of the Ohio, about half its courfe.

The Great Kanhowa, or New rivers, rifes in North-Carolina, runs in a northern and north-wellern course, for upwards of four hundred miles, and finds the Ohio four hundred miles above the falls. It is about five hundred yards wide at its mouth. Thefe two rivers are juft mentioned, being beyond the limits of this State. They run contrary courfes, are exceeding large, and it is worth notice, that Clisch, Holftein, Nolachucky and French-Broad rivers, take their rife between thefe two, or rather weftward of New river, fome of them rifing and interlocking with it; and when they meet, form

what is called the Tenneffee river, which runs a western course, and finds the Ohio twelve miles below Cumberland river; it is very large, and has fpacious tracts of fine land.

Thefe rivers are navigable for boats almoft to their fources, without rapids, for the greatest part of the year. Frequent rains in the latter end of the autumn produce floods in the Ohio, and it is an uncommon feafon when one of thofe floods does not happen before Chriftimas. If there is much frofly weather in the upper parts of the country, its waters generally remain low until they begin to thaw. But if the river is not frozen over, which is not very common, there is always water fufficient for boats of any fize, from November until May, when the waters generally begin to fubfide; and by the middle of June, in most feafons, they are too low for boats above forty tons, and these must be flat-bottomed. The froft feldom continues fo long as the middle of February, and immediately upon its breaking, the river is flooded ; this flood may in a degree fubfide, but for no length of time and it is from that period until May, that the boats generally come down the river. The diflance of defcending is in proportion to the heighth of the water; but the average diflance is about eighty miles in twenty-four hours, and from fixty to one hundred are the extremes; fo that the mean time of going in a flat-bottomed boat from Pittsburgh to the rapids is between eight and nine days, and about twenty days more to New Orleans; which will make a paffage from Pittsburgh to that place nearly a month.

The little rivulets which chequer this country begin to leffen in June, and quite difappear in the months of Auguft, September and October; the autumnal rains, however, in November replenish them again. The method of getting a fupply of water in the dry feafon is by finking wells, which are afily dug, and afford excellent water. The want of water in autumn is the great complaint. Mills that may be fupplied with water eighth months in a year, may be erected in a thousand different places. Wind-inills and horfe-mills will fupply the other four months.

The banks of the rivers are generally high and compofed of lime-flone. After heavy rains, the water in the rivers rifes from ten to thirty feet.

The country in fome parts is nearly level, in others not fo much fe, in thers again hilly, but moderately, and in fuch places there is moft water, The levels are not like a carpet, but interfperfed with small rifings and declivities, which form a beautiful profpect. A great part of the foil is amazingly fertile, fome not fo good, and fome poor. The inhabitants diftinguith its qua lity by firft,f econd, and third rate lands; and scarcely any fuch thing as a marth or fwamp is to be found. There is a ridge where Kentucky rifes, nearly of the fize of a mountain.

All the land below the Great Kanhawa, until we come near the waters of Licking river, is broken, hilly, and generally poor; except in fome valicys, and on Little and Great Sandy creeks. where there is fome fift rate land, but moftly fecond and third rate: it is faid that wear this water is found a pure falt rock. Upon the north branch of Licking, we find a great body of firft rate land. This ftream runs nearly parallel to the Ohio for a confiderable distance, and is about feven miles from the mouth of Lime fone creek, where is a fine harbour for boats coming down the Ohio, and now a common landing; it is fixty-five miles from Lexington, to which there is a large wage gon road. The main branch of Licking is about twenty-two miles from Lime ftone on his ftream we find foine firit, but my fecond and tind rate lands, and towards its head fomething hilly. There w. And the Blue

Licks, two fine falt fprings, where great plenty of falt may be made. Round thefe licks, the foil is poor for fome diftance, being much impregnated with falt.

The fouthern branch of Licking, and all its other arms, fpread through a great body of firft, and fome fecond rate land, where there is abundance of cane, and fome falt licks and fprings. On these feveral branches of Licking are good mill feats, with navigation to the Ohio, froin the fork down to its mouth. The land is hilly, and generally poor, yet along the ftreams and in the valleys we find fome excellent land.

The Elkhorn lands are much esteemed, being fituated in a bend of Kentucky river, of great extent, in which this little river, or rather large creek, rifes. Here we find mostly first rate land, and near the Kentucky river fecond and third rate. This great tract is beautifully fituated, covered with cane, wild rye, and clover, and many of the fireams affords many fine mill

feats.

The lands below the mouth of Elkhorn, up Eagle creek, and towards the Ohio, are hilly and poor, except those contained in a great bend of the Ohio, oppofite the Great Miami, cut off by the Big bone, and Bank-lick creeks, interlocking, and running feparate courfes. Here we find a great deal of good land, but fomething hilly.

On Kentucky river we find many fertile valleys, or bottoms along the river, especially towards its rife. There is good land alfo on Red river, but toward the heads of this and the Kentucky, the foil is broken; but even here we find in valleys and along the ftreams, a great deal of fruitful land. Generally the foil within a mile or two of Kentucky river is of the third and fourth rates; from about that diflance, as we leave it on either fide, we approach good lands. The country through which it winds its courfe, for the moll part, may be confidered as level to its banks, or rather precipices; from the brow of which we behold the river, three and fometimes four hundred feet deep, like a great canal.

Dick's river runs through a great body of first rate land, abounding every where with cane, and affords many excellent mill feats. Many mills are already built on this ftream, and will have a plentiful fupply of water in the dryeft feafons. The banks of this river, near its mouth, are fimilar to the banks of the Kentucky. The feveral freams and branches of Salt river afford excellent mill feats; thefe roll themselves through a great tract of excellent land, but the country from the junction of thefe waters, and fome miles above towards the Ohio, which may be about twenty-five miles, is level and poor, and has abundance of ponds. For a confiderable distance from the head of this river, the land is of the first quality, well fituated, and abounds with fine cane. Upon this and Dick's river, the inhabitants are chiefly fettled. it being the fafeft part of the country from the incurfions of the Indians.

Green river affords excellent mill feats, and a conflant fream. This is allowed to be the best watered part of Kentucky. On its banks we find many fine bottoms, fome firft rate, but moftly fecond and third rate lands, and at fome diftance, many knobs, ridges, and broken poor land. Below a creek called Sinking creek, on this river, within fifty miles of the Ohio, towards Salt river, a great territory begins, called Green river Barrens, extending to the Ohio; it has no timber, and little water, but affords excellent pafturage for cattle. On fome parts of this river we find abundance of cane, fome falt licks, and fulphureous and bituminous fprings.

No. 27.

That part of Cumberland river which is in the Kentucky country, traver es a hilly poor land, though in fome parts we find good foil along its fides. The other rivers mentioned, viz. Great Kanhawa and Tennessee, are not in the Kentucky country, and therefore will be treated of in another place.

The reader by cafting his eye upon the map, and viewing round the heads of Licking from the Ohio, and round the heads of Kentucky, Dick's river, and down the Green river to the Ohio, may view in that great compass of above one hundred miles fquare, the most extraordinary country upon which the fun ever fhone.

South of Green river, in the lands referved for the continental and flate troops of Virginia, an exceeding valuable lead mine has lately been difcovered. Iron ore is likewife found on Rough creek, a fream running into this

river.

The Ohio river, the great refervoir of all the numerous rivers that flow into it from both banks, has many fine valleys along its fides, and we obferve that oppofite to each of them there is a hill, thefe hills and bottoms changing fides alternately. It only remains under this head to inform the reader that there is a great body of first rate lands near the falls or rapids, called Beargrafs; and it will be fufficient juft to mention, that the country on the north weft fide of the Ohio is allowed by all travellers to be a moft fertile level country, and well-watered.

The foil of Kentucky is of a loose, deep black mould, without fand, in the first rate lands, about two or three feet deep, and exceedingly luxurious in all its productions. In fome places the mould inclines to brown; in fome the wood, as the natural confequence of too rich a foil, is of little value, appearing like dead timber and large flumps in a field lately cleared. These parts are not confiderable. The country in general may be confidered as well timbered, producing large trees of many kinds, and to be exceeded by no country in variety. Thofe of the natural growth, and which are peculiar to Kentucky, are the fugar tree, which grows in all parts in great plenty, and furnishes every family with plenty of excellent fugar. The honey locuft is curiously furrounded with large thorny fpikes, bearing broad and long pods in form of peas, has a fweet tafte, and makes excellent beer.

The coffee tree greatly resembles the black oak, grows large, and alfo bears a pod, in which is enclofed coffee. The papwa tree does not grow to a great fize, is a foft wood, bears a fine fruit, much like a cucumber in shape and fize, and tafles fweet. The cucumber tree is fmall and foft, with remarkable leaves, bears a fruit much resembling that from which it is named. Black mulberry trees are in abundance. The wild cherry tree is here frequent, of large fize, and fupplies the inhabitants with boards for all their buildings. Here alfo is the buck eye, an excellent foft wood, bearing a remarkable black fruit, and fome other kinds of trees not common elsewhere. Here is great plenty of fine cane, on which the cattle feed and grow fat. This plant, in general, grows from three to twelve feet high, of a hard fubflance, with joints at eight or ten inches distance along the ftalk, from which proceed leaves refembling thofe of the willow. There are many cane brakes fo thick and tall that is difficult to pafs through them; where no cane grows, there is abundance of wild rye, clover, and buffalo grafs, covering vaft tracts of country, and affording excellent food for catile. The fields are covered with abundance of wild herbage not common to other countries; the Shawanefe fallad, wild lettuce, and pepper grafs, and many more, as yet unknown to the inhabitants, but which, no doubt, have excellent vistues. Here are

F 2

feen the finest crown imperial in the world, the cardinal flower, fo much extolled from its fcarlet colour; and all the year, excepting the winter months, the plains and valleys are adorned with a variety of flowers of the moft admirable beauty. Here is alfo found the tulip bearing laurel tree, or magnolia, which has an exquifite fmell, and continues to bloffem and feed for feveral months together.

This country is richel on the higher lands, excepting the finest low grounds in the fettled paris of the continent. When cultivated. it produces fifty and fixty bufhels per acre; and it has been affirmed by credible perfons, that above one hundred buffels of good corn were produced from an acre in one icafor. The fill rate land is too rich for wheat till it has been reduced by four or five years cultivation.

Colonel Harrod, a gentleman of veracity in Kentucky, has lately experienced the production of fmall grain; and affirms, that he had thirty-five bufhels of wheat, and fifty bushels of rye per acre.

In common, the land will produce about thirty bushels of wheat and rye, upon a moderate compuration per acre; and this is the general opinion of the inhabitants. We may fuppofe that barley and cars will increase abundantly; as yet they have not been fufficiently tried. The foil is very favorable to flax and hemp, turnips, potatoes, and cotton, which grow in abundance; and the fecond, third, and fourth rate lands are as proper for small grain. Every hi fbandman may have a good garden or meadow, without water or manure where he pleases.

The clo Virginia planters lay, that if the climate does not prove too moift, few fois known will yield more or better tobacco. Experience has proved, that the climate is not too moift. Great quantities of this article have been exported to France and Spain, through New Orleans; and it is a well known fact, that Philadelphia is a profitable market for the Kentucky planter, notwituflanding all the inconveniencies and expenfes of re-fipment at New-Orleans, under a Spanish Government. What advantages then may not this country expect from a free navigation of the Miffippi, unreftrained by Spanish policy!

Iron ore and lead are found in abundance, but we do not hear of any filver or god mine as yet difcovered.

There appear to be great natural flores of fulphur and falt in this country. A fpring at Boonfborough constantly emus fulphuseous particles, and near the fame place is a falt fpring. There is another fu phureous fpring upen Four Mile creek, a third upon Green river, and many others in different places, abounding with that ufeful mineral.

There are three fprings or ponds of bitumen, near Green river, which do not form a fheam, but dilgoige themfe'ves into a common refervoir, and when ufed in lamps, answer all the purposes of the finest oil.

There are different places abounding with copperas, eafily procured and in its prefent impure flate fufficient for the ufe of the inhabitants; but when refined, equal to any in the world.

There is an allum bank on the fouth fide of Cumberland river, fituated at the bottom of a cliff of rocks projecting over it. In its prefen: flate it has the appearance and poffeffes the virtues of that mineral, and when purified is

a beautiful allum.

Many fine falt fprings conflantly emit water, which being manufactured, affords great quantics of fine falt. Thers are five, which in time will become of the utmolt importance, viz, the higher and lower Blue Springs on