DISTRICT OF HALIFAX.

Halifax, Northampton, Martin, Edgecombe, Warren, Franklin, Nash.

Orange, Chatham, Granville, Cafwell, Wake, Randolph.

DISTRICT OF SALISBURY.

Rowan, Mecklenburgh, Rockingham, Iredell, Surry, Montgomery, Stokes Guilford.

DISTRICT OF MORGAN.

Burke, Ruthford, Lincoln, Wilkes.

DISTRICT OF FAYETTE.

Cumberland, Moore, Richmond, Robifon, Sampfon, Anfon.

Thefe five diftrifts, beginning on the Virginia line, cover the whole flate well of the three maritime diftricts before mentioned; and the greater part of them extend quite across the flate from north to South. The whole contains upwards of 450,000 inhabitants, of whom about 120,000 are flaves.

Chief Towns.

NEWBERN Edenton, Wilmington, Hallifax, Hillsborough, Salisbury,

and Fayetteville, each in their turns have been the feat of the General Affembly. At prefent they have no capital. According to the conflitution of this flate, the General affemb.ies are to meet at any place they think fit on their own adjournments. The effect of this power was fuch as might be expected, in a flate where there is no very large city or town nearly central; it was the fource of conftant intrigue and difquietude. The Affembly feldom fat twice in fucceffion in the fame place. The public officers were fcattered over every part of the country. You could feldem vifit the governor, the fecratary, the treasurer, or the comptroller, in lefs riding than two or three hundred miles. Hence records were loft, accounts were badly kept, and the State from that fingle misfortune, fuppofed to have loft more than a million of dollars. It was equally clear to all parties that the government fhould not be itenirant, and the convention which met in the year 1788, to confider of the new federal conflitution according to their inflructions, took this part of their own conflitution into their confideration, and by a very fmall majority refl ved that the feat of government should be fixed at fome place to be agreed by commitioners, within ten miles of Wake court house. Raleigh, fita.ed near the centre of the flare, has lately been ellablished as the Metropolis.

Newbern is the largest town in the State. It flands on a flat, fandy point of land, formed by the confluence of the rivers News on the north, and Trent on the fouth. Oppofite the town, the Neus is about a ile and a half, and the Trent three quarters of a mile wide. The town

contains about four hurdred houses, all built of wood, excepting the ei de art palace, the church, the jail and two dwelling houfes, which are of brick. The Epifcopal church is a small brick building, with a bell. It is the only houle for Pa blic worship in the place. A rum diftillery has lately been erected in this town. It is the county town of Cravan county, and has a count-house and gaol. The court-houfe is raised on brick arches fo as to render the lower part a convenient market-place; but the principal marketing is done with the people in their caroes and boats at the river fide. It is 500 miles S. W. of Philadelphia N. Lat. 35° 20 W. Long. 77 25.

Edenton is fituated on the north fide of Albemarle found; and has about one hundred and fifty indifferent wood houfes, and a few hand fome buildings. It has a brick church for Epifcopalians, which for many years has been much neglected, and ferves only to fhew that the people once had a regard, at least, for the externals of religion. Its local fituation is advantageous for trade but not for health. It has a court-house and gaol, 97 miles N. of Newborn.

Wilmington is a town of about one hundred and eighty houfes, fituated on the eaft fide of the caftern branch of Cape Fear or Clarendo river, thirtyfour miles from the fea. The courfe of the river, as it paffes by the town is from north to fouth, and is about one hundred and fifty yards wide.

Hillsborough is an inland town of about eighty houfes, fituated in a high, heal by, and fertile country, one hundred and eighty miles north-weft from Newbern.

Salisbury is agreeably fituated, about five miles from Yadkin river, and contains about ninety dwelling houfes.

Halifax is a neat little town; it ftands on the western bank of the Roanoke, about fix miles below the falls, and has about thirty or forty dwelling houses. Fayetteville flands on the weft fide of Clarendon, commonly called Cape Fear river, and about a mile from its banks. It is well-built on both fides of a creek, from which the town was formerly called Crofs creek. It contains about 400 houses, 2 handfome edifices for the courts and a large and handfome free mafons-hall. It is a very flourishing place, 525 miles S. W. of Philadelphia..

Washington a port of entry, is fituated in the county of Beaufort, on the north fide of Tar river, in latitude 35° 30′ diftant from Ocrecock inlet ninety miles. From this town is exported tobacco of the Peterburgh quality, pork, beef, Indian corn, peas, beans, pitch, tar, turpentine, rofin, &c. and pine boards, fhingles and oak flaves. About one hundred and thirty vellels

enter annually at the ci flom-houfe in this town.

Greeneville, fo called after Major-general Nathaniel Greene, is fituated in Pitt county, on the fouth bank of Tar river, in latitude 35° 35′, distant from Ocrecock inlet one hundred and ten miles. At this town there is an academy established, called the Pitt Academy.

Tarborough, is fituated in the county of Edgecomb, on the fouth bank of Tar river, in latitude 35° 45', dillant from Ocrecock inlet one hundred and forty miles. At this town large quantities of tobacco of the Peterburgh quality. pork, beef, and Indian corn, are collected for exportation. Raleigh Is he prefent feat of Government of this ftate. A State houfe and feveral other buildings, and a number of dwelling houfes have lately been erected here. Its fituation is extremly healthy. It is Co miles N. E. of Fayetteville and 450 S. W. from Philadelphia.

water

Climate.

THE weftern hill parts of this State are as healthy as any of the

United States. The country is fertile, full of springs and rivulets of pure The air is ferene a great part of the year and the inhabitants live to old age, which cannot fo generally be faid of the inhabitants of the flat country. Though the days in fummer are extremely hot, the nights are cool and refreshing. Autumn is very pleafant, both in regard to the temperature and ferenity of the weather, and the richness and variety of the vegetable productions which the feafon affords. The winters are fo mild in fome years, that autumn may be faid to continue till fpring Wheat harveft is in the beginning of June, and that of Indian corn early in September,

In the flat country, near the fea-coaft, the inhabitants, during the fummer and autumn, are fubject to intermitting fevers, which often prove fatal, as bilious or nervous symptoms prevail. Thefe fevers are feldom immediately dangerous to the natives who are temperate, or to ftrangers who are prudent. They, however, if fuffered to continue for any length of time, bring on other diforders, which greatly impair the natural vigour of the mind, debilitate the conflitution, and terminate in death. The countenances of the inhabitants during these feafons have generally a pale yellowish caft, occafioned by the prevalence of bilious fymptoms. They have very little of the bloom and frefhnels of the people in the northern States.

It has been obferved that more of the inhabitants, of the men efpecially, die during the winter of pleurifies and peripneumonies, than during the warm months by bilious complaints. Thefe pleurifies are brought on by intemperance, and by an imprudent exposure to the weather. Were the inhabitants cautious and prudent in thefe refpects, it is alledged by their phyficians, that they might in general efcape the danger of thefe fatal difeafes. The ufe of Rannel next to the skin during the winter is reckoned an excellent preventaative of the difeafes incident to the climate.

Face of the Country, Sea Coast, &c.

NORTH-CA

ORTH-CAROLINA, in its whole width, for fixty miles from the fea, is a dead level. A great proportion of this tract lies in foreft, and is barren. In all the campaign country, marine productions are found by digging eighteen or twenty feet below the furface of the ground. The feacoaft, the founds, inlets, and the lower parts of the rivers have uniformly a muddy, foft bottom. Sixty or eighty miles from the fea, the country rifes into hills and mountains.

The feveral rivers in this State are the Chowan, formed by the confluence of the Meherrin, Nottaway and Black rivers; all of which rife in Virginia. It falls into the north-weft corner of Albemarle found, and is three miles wide at its mouth, but narrows fast as you afcend it.

The Roanoke, a long rapid river, formed by Staunton river, which rifes in Virginia and Dan river, which rifes in South Carolina. The low lands en this river, are subject to inundations. It is navigable only for fhallops, nor for thefe, but about fixty or seventy miles, on account of falls, which in a great measure obftruct the water communication with the back country. It empties, by feveral mouths, into the fouth west end of Albemarle found. The planters on the banks of this river are fuppofed to be the wealthieft in NorthCarolina.

Pamlico, or Tar, a river which opens into Pamlico found; its courfe is from north-west to fouth-eaft. It is navigable for veffels drawing nine feet water to the town of Washington, about forty miles from its mouth; and for fcows or flats, carrying thirty or forty hogsheads, fifty miles farther, to the town of Tarborough. Beyond this place the river is inconfiderable, and is not navigable.

The Trent river, from the fouth-west, which falls into the Neus at Newbern, is navigable for fea veffels about twelve miles above the town, and for boats thirty.

There are feveral other rivers of lefs note, among which are the Pafque tank, Perquimins, Little river, Alligator, &c. which difcharge themselves into Albemarle found. All the rivers in North-Carolina, and, it may be added, in South-Carolina, Georgia, and the Floridas, which empty into the Atlantic ocean, are navigable by any veffel that can pass the bar at their mouth. While the water courfes continue wide enough for veffels to turn round, there is generally a fufficient depth of water for them to proceed.

Cape Fear, more properly Clarendon river, opens into the fea at cape Fear, in about latitude 33° 45'. As you afcend it, you pafs Brunfwick on the left, and Wilmington on the right. The river then divides into northeast and north-weft branches, as they are called. It is navigable for large veff-s s to Wilmington, and for boats to Fayetteville, near ninety miles farther. This river affords the beft navigation in North Carolina. Yadkin river rifes in this flare, and running fouth-eaftwardly, croffes into South-Carolina, where it takes the name of Pedee, and paffes to the fea below George-Town.

The rivers of this State would be much more valuable, were it not that they are barred at their mouths. This circumftance, and the coaft furnishing no good harbours, will prevent the State from building large fhips, for which they have an abundance of excellent timber.

Pamlico found is a kind of lake or inland fea, from ten to twenty miles broad, and nearly one hurdred miles in length. It is feparated from the fea, in its whole length, by a beach of fand hardly a mile wide, generally covered with fmall trees or bushes. Through this bank are several small inlets by which boats may pafs. But Ocrecok inlet is the only one that will admit velfels of burthen into the diftricts of Edenton and Newbern. This inlet is in latitude 35° 10′, and opens into Pamlico found between Ocrecok ifland and Corebank; the land on the north is called Ocrecok; on the fouth Portsmouth. A bar of hard fand crosses this inlet, on which, at low tide, there is fourteen feet water. Six miles within this bar is a hard fand fhoal, called the Swafk, lying across the channel. On each fide of the channel are dangerous fhoals, fometimes dry. There is from eight to nine feet water at full tide, according to the winds on the Swafh. Common tides rife eighteen inches on the bar, and ten on the Swafh. Between the bar and the Swash is good anchoring ground, called the Upper and Lower anchorages. Ships drawing ten feet water do not come farther than the first anchorage, till lightened. Few mariners, though acquainted with the inlets, choose to bring in their own veffels, as the bar often fhifts during their absence on a voyage. North of Pamlico found, and communicating with it, is Albemarle found fixty miles in length, and from eight to twelve in breadth.

Core found lies fouth of Pamlico, and communicates with it. These founds are fo large when compared with their inlets from the fea, that no tide can be perceived in any of the rivers which empty into them, nor is the wa er falt even in the mouths of these rivers.