the liberties of the people;" also one for defraying the requisite charges of government for a limited time." In 1684, the legislature was again called together, when it explained the last act; these seem to have been the only assemblies that met prior to the revolution in 1688: for when the duke of York became king of England, he refused to confirm that grant of privileges to which as duke he had agreed. He established a real tyranny, and reduced New York once more to the deplorable condition of a conquered province. In 1689, governor Dongan being called home by king James, and a general disaffection to government prevailing in the colony, one Jacob Leister took possession of the garrison of New York, and under pretence of acting for king William and queen Mary, assumed the supreme power over the province. This year the French wishing to detach the six confederated Indian nations from the English interest, sent out several detachments against the British colonies. On the 8th of February, 1690, one of these parties, supported by a number of Indians, entered the village of Schenectady at eleven o'clock on Saturday night, when all the inhabitants were in bed. The enemy, dividing themselves into small parties of six or seven men, entered the houses and commenced the most inhuman barbarities. The whole village was instantly in a blaze, women with child ripped open, and their infants cast into the flames, or dashed against the posts of the doors. Sixty persons perished in the massacre, and twenty-seven were carried into captivity; the rest fled naked to Albany, sixteen miles distant, through a deep snow, which fell that very night in a terrible storm; and twenty-five of the fugitives lost their limbs through the severity of the frost. The news of this dreadful tragedy reached Albany about break of day, and universal dread seized the inhabitants; the enemy being reported to be 1,400 strong. A party of horse was immediately despatched to Schenectady, which had been completely plundered by the invaders, who had retreated with their booty, including forty of the best horses; the rest, with all the cattle they could find, lay slaughtered in the streets. Upon the arrival of a governor at New York, commissioned by the king, Leister imprudently refused to surrender the garrison, for which he and his son were condemned to death, as guilty of high treason. The whole province having been originally settled by dissenters, chiefly presbyterians, except a few episcopal families in the city of New York, a violent dispute arose NO. XVII. 3 D between the former and the latter in 1693, when colonel Fletcher, then governor of the province, projected the scheme of a general tax for building churches, and supporting episcopal ministers. This overture laid the foundation of a quarrel between the two religious sects, which, until the revolution, in 1776, was maintained on both sides with great animosity. In 1709, a vigorous expedition was meditated against Canada, in preparing for which this province expended above £20,000; but the expected assistance from Britain failing, it was never prosecuted. Two years afterwards, however, a considerable fleet was sent over for the purpose; but eight transports having been cast away upon the coast, the rest of the fleet and troops returned, without making any attempt to reduce Canada. In the same year governor Hunter brought over with him about 3,000 Germans, who had fled to England from the rage of persecution in their own country. Many of these people settled in the city of New York; others fixed upon a tract of several thousand acres in the manor of Livingstone, on the banks of the Hudson; and some went to Pennsylvania, and were instrumental in inducing thousands of their countrymen to emigrate to that province. In 1720, the prohibition of the sale of Indian goods to the French, excited the clamour of the merchants at New York, whose interest was affected by it. About the same time, a trading house was erected by the English at Oswego, on lake Ontario, and another by the French at Niagara. In 1729, the act prohibiting the trade between Albany and Montreal, which had been promoted by the prohibition nine years before, was imprudently repealed by king George II. This naturally led to undermine the trade at Oswego, and to advance the French commerce at Niagara; and at the same time to alienate the affections of the Indians from Britain. Not long after this, the French were permitted to erect a fortress at lake Champlain. To prevent the ill consequences of this, a scheme was projected to settle the lands near lake George with loyal protestant Highlanders from Scotland. A tract of 30,000 acres was accordingly promised to captain Campbell, who at his own expense transported eighty-three protestant families to New York; but, through the sordid views of some persons in power, who aimed at a share in the intended grant, the settlement was never made. Most of the important events that have taken place in this state during the revolutionary war, and since that period, having been already mentioned in the general history of the United States, it would swell this Work beyond its proposed limits to enter further into detail. The following particulars relative to this important section of the Union shall therefore close the history of New York:-Embracing the head-waters of the river Ohio, and two other large rivers which pass southerly through other states, the entire course of one of the finest rivers in the world, together with twenty other navigable streams, this state affords the best passage in the United States, both by land and water, from tide-waters to the extensive lakes of the west; nor is there a mountain, or any great unavoidable hill, to pass between Albany and lake Erie, a distance of 300 miles. It is the only state, too, (except at the narrow and north-east extremity,) which extends across the whole width of the United States territory; and the only spot on which the Atlantic and the great lakes can be united by sloop navigation. This peculiar situation, with its other advantages, render this state highly interesting to the politician, the man of business or enter prise, the emigrant, and the traveller. STATE OF NEW JERSEY. Situation, Boundaries, and Extent. THIS state is situated between 38° 56′ and 41° 20′ N. lat, and 1° 33′ and 3° 5′ E. long. It is bounded on the north by the state of New York; south, by Delaware bay; west, by Delaware bay and river, which divide it from the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware; and east, by New York and the Atlantic ocean. Its length is 138, and its breadth 50 miles; containing 6,660 square miles; or 4,224,000 acres. Bays, and rivers, &c.-New Jersey is washed on the east and south-east by Hudson's river and the ocean; and on the west by the river Delaware, The principal bays are Arthur-Kull, or Newark-bay, formed by the union of Passaic and Hackensack rivers; this bay opens to the right and left, and embraces Staten Island. There is a long bay, formed by a beach four or five miles from the shore, extending along the coast from Manasquand river, in Monmouth county, almost to Cape May. Through this beach are a number of inlets, by which the bay com. municates with the ocean. The rivers in this state, though not large, are numerous, A traveller, in passing the common road from New York to Philadelphia, crosses three considerable rivers, viz. the Hackensack and Passaic between Bergen and Newark, and the Raritan by Brunswick. The Hackensack rises in the state of New York, and running a south-east course four or five miles west of Hudson's river, falls into the head of Newark-bay, and is navigable fifteen miles up the country. The Passaic river rises in Morris county, and running upwards of fifty miles by a very winding course, joins the Hackensack at Newark-bay; it is navigable about ten miles, and is 230 yards wide at its entrance into the bay. About fourteen miles from its outlet, where the river is nearly 120 feet broad, there are falls on it above seventy feet perpendicular, which form a great curiosity, and constitute a fine situation for mill-seats, at which a large cotton and other manufactories have been established, (see page 95). The Raritan is one of the most considerable rivers of New Jersey. It is formed by two streams, one of which rises in Morris, and the other in Hunterdon county. After running a south-east course of about thirty miles, it falls into Raritan-bay, and helps to form the fine harbour of Amboy. It is a mile wide at its mouth, and is navigable about sixteen miles, by which means a great trade is carried on with New York. Besides these are Cesarea river, which rises in Salem county, and running about thirty miles, falls into Delaware river, opposite Bombay-hook. It is navigable for vessels of 100 tons to Bridgetown, twenty miles from its mouth. Mullicas river divides the counties of Gloucester and Burlington, and is navigable twenty miles for vessels of sixty tons. Maurice river rises in Gloucester county, runs southwardly about forty miles, and is navigable for vessels of 100 tons fifteen miles, and for shallops ten miles farther. Alloway creek, in Salem county, is navigable sixteen miles for shallops, with several obstructions of drawbridges. Annoocus creek, in Burlington county, is also navigable sixteen miles. These, with many other smaller streams, empty into the Delaware, and carry down the produce which their fertile banks and the neighbouring country afford. That part of the state which borders on the sea is indented with a great number of small rivers and creeks, such as Great Egg harbour, and Little Egg harbour rivers, Navesink, Shark, Matiricung, and Forked rivers, which, as the country is flat, are navigable for small craft almost to their sources. Climate, face of the country, soil, and productions.The climate is strikingly dissimilar in different sections of the state. In the northern parts there is clear, settled weather, and the winters are exceedingly cold; but the whole is very healthy. In the districts towards the south, particularly near the extremity, the weather approaches nearly to that of the southern states, and is subject to very sudden changes. The counties of Sussex, Morris, and part of Bergen are mountainous, being crossed by the Blue Ridge, a part of the Alleganies, running through Pennsylvania; and shooting off in different directions from this ridge, there are several other small mountains in the neighbourhood. That part of the state which lies towards the sea, with the exception of the high lands of Navesink, is extremely flat and sandy, and for miles together covered with pine trees alone, usually called "pine barrens," and is very little cultivated. The middle part, which is crossed in going from Philadelphia to New York, abounds with extensive tracts of good land, but the soil varies considerably; in some places being sandy, in others stony, and in others consisting of a rich brown mould. This part of the state as far as Newark, is well cultivated, and there are many excellent farm houses; still a considerable quantity of land remains uncleared. Beyond Newark the country is extremely flat and marshy. Between the town and Passaic river there is one marsh, which alone extends upwards of twenty miles, and is about two miles wide where the road is carried over it. From the Passaic to Hudson's river the country is hilly, and unfruitful. Taking New Jersey altogether, not less than one-fourth of the whole state is a sandy barren, unfit for cultivation. The land on the sea-coast in this, as in the southern states, has every appearance of made ground. The soil is generally a light sand, and by digging about fifty feet below the surface, which can be done, even at the distance of thirty miles from the sea, without any obstruction from stones, you come to salt marsh and sea shells. The good land in the southern counties lies principally on the banks of the creeks and rivers. The soil on these banks is generally a stiff clay, and while in a state of nature, produces a variety of oak, hickory, poplar, chesnut, ash,&c. ; the barrens produce little else but shrub oaks, and white and yellow pines. There are large bodies of salt meadow along the river Delaware, which afford a plentiful pasture for cattle in summer, and hay in winter; but the flies and musquetos frequent these meadows in large swarms, in the |