boats more than 100 miles. The Delaware is generally frozen one or two months in the year, so as to prevent navigation.

The river Schuylkill rises north-west of the Kittatinny mountains (a ridge of the Alleganies) through which it passes into a fine champaign country, and runs from its source upwards of 120 miles in a south-east direction, and passing through the limits of Philadelphia, falls into the Delaware about six miles below the city. It is navigable from Reading, eighty-five or ninety miles, to its mouth. The canal now forming between this river and the Susquehannah, will bring by water to Philadelphia the trade of a most fertile country of about 1,000 square miles, or 6,000,000 acres of land! When this is completed, an inland navigation may be easily made to the Ohio and to lake Erie, which would at once open a water communication with above 2,000 miles extent of western country, viz. with all the great lakes, and with the immense and fertile regions which lie on the waters of the Mississippi, Missouri, and all their branches. The canal between Schuylkill and Susquehannah, which is the main-spring of all these improvements, will be about sixty miles, as the navigation must go, though the distance on a line is only forty miles.

The Susquehannah is a very fine river, and rises in lake Otsego, in the state of New York. Passing into Pennsylvania, it makes a remarkable bend, called the "Big Bend;" it afterwards stretches into the state of New York about forty miles, from thence back into Pennsylvania, running such a winding course as to cross the boundary line of these states three times. After forming a junction with Tioga river at the town of Athens, 150 miles northwest of Philadelphia, it runs a south-east course about seventy miles, when making a sudden bend, at a right angle, it runs southwesterly eighty miles, and unites with its western branch at Sunbury, 132 miles from Philadelphia. Here the river is half a mile wide, and flows through the mountains, nearly a southerly course of forty miles, to where it receives the Juniata river, about fifteen miles above Harrisburgh, and 115 from Philadelphia. From thence it makes a considerable bend to the eastward, and running about ten miles, it emerges from the mountains, and keeps a south-east course about eighty miles, when it falls into Chesapeak-bay, by a mouth above a mile in breadth, a little below Havre-de-Grace, nearly thirty-six miles north-east of Baltimore, and sixty-five south-west of Philadelphia. The western branch of the Susque

hannah, is formed by many streams beyond the Allegany mountains; some of them rising near the head waters of the river St. Lawrence, and others within a few miles of the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi, and runs a very circuitous course upwards of 200 miles, principally among the mountains, to its junction with the eastern branch at Sunbury. The entire length of the Susquehannah, from Chesapeak-bay to the head of the eastern branch, to which it is navigable for boats, is upwards of 450 miles; and the whole river, including its branches, waters a country nearly 200 miles square. It is navigable for sea vessels only a few miles, and there are many islands, rocks, and falls, which obstruct the navigation even for small craft; but those obstructions are about to be removed, and, by the assistance of canals and locks, it is intended to open the river to the very source of the eastern branch. The quantity of wild fowl that is seen on every part of the Susquehannah is immense. Throughout the United States the wild fowl is excellent and plentiful; but there is one duck in particular found on this river, and also on Potomac and James rivers, which surpasses all others: it is called the white or canvass-back duck, and is held in such estimation in America, that it is frequently sent as a present for hundreds of miles.

The several branches of Yohogany river rises on the west side of the Allegany mountains, and after running a short distance, unite and form a large and beautiful river. About thirty miles from its mouth, it passes through the Laurel mountain, where it makes a fall of twenty feet in perpendicular height, the river being about eighty yards wide. At this place its course is to the south-west, but presently winds round to the north-west, and continuing in that direction for about forty miles, loses its name by uniting with the Monongahela, which comes from the southward, and contains, perhaps, twice as much water. The whole length of the Yohogany from its source is about 100 miles. On its banks the land is in general uneven, but in the valleys the soil is extremely rich; all the country abounds with coal, which lies almost on the surface of the ground.

The Monongahela rises at the foot of the Laurel mountain in Virginia, and running a winding course of about 120 miles, passes into this state; soon after which it receives the waters of Cheat river, which is 200 yards wide at its mouth. From thence it continues by a serpentine course, but nearly in a northern direction, about sixty miles, where it forms a junction with the Yohogany, (its

principal branch,) eighteen miles by water from Pittsburgh, where it joins the Allegany. At its junction with this river it is 400 yards wide, with a slow, deep, and gentle current. It is navigable by large boats to Brownsville and Morgantown, 100 miles from its mouth; and for small boats forty miles farther, where it lessens to the breadth of twenty yards. From the navigable waters of the south-easternmost branch of the Monongahela, there is a portage of only ten miles to the south branch of the Potomac river.

The Allegany is a very important river, and may at no distant day, form one of the principal links between the counties east and west of the Allegany mountains. It rises in Potter county, Pennsylvania, within a few miles of the head-waters of the Genessee river, and the western branch of the Susquehannah. It is here called Oswaya creek, and running nearly a north-west course of about fifty miles, enters the state of New York; a few miles within which, at the junction of Olean creek, stands the flourishing village of Hamilton, distant from New York 354 miles, and from Pittsburgh, by the turns of the river, about 260 miles, by land 170 miles. Below Hamilton, the river flows some distance west, inclines again north-west, receives several large branches from the state of New York, then assuming a south-west course, again enters Pennsylvania, and at the town of Warren, 324 miles from Philadelphia, and sixty-one from lake Erie, receives from the north-west Chautaughque river, issuing from a lake of the same name, in Genessee county, New York, the head-waters of which rise within nine miles of lake Erie, over which there is a portage on solid ground, capable of being made a good waggon road. After receiving Chautaughque river, the Allegany runs with many windings, but generally south-west, to Franklin, 136 miles (by water) above Pittsburgh, where it receives the waters of French creek. From thence it pursues a circuitous course, receiving in its way many tributary streams, particularly Toby's creek, about twenty miles below Franklin, and, 130 miles further down, Kiskiminitas river; it then flows on to Pittsburgh and forms a junction with the Monongahela, which united constitute the magnificent river Ohio. The Allegany is navigable, with a slight swell, for light boats, to French creek, where it is 200 yards wide, and through French creek to Waterford, at the mouth of Mohawk river, from whence there is a portage of fourteen miles to lake Erie.

The other rivers of any note are the Lehigh, the Tioga,

and the Juniata. The first of these rises among the mountains between Delaware and Susquehannah, and, running a very crooked passage, emerges from the mountains about fifty miles from its source, and from thence runs through a fine country thirty miles, during which it is navigable to Easton, sixty-nine miles north of Philadelphia, where it falls into the Delaware. The Tioga river has its head-waters partly in Pennsylvania and partly in New York, where some of the streams approach within a few miles of the waters of the St. Lawrence. These all unite in the state of New York, about forty miles from Athens, and run a south-east course to its junction with the Susquehannah, as already mentioned. The Juniata rises on the Allegany mountains, near the head-waters of the Conemaugh, a branch of the Ohio, and passing through the mountains to the eastward, by a very serpen, tine course, it falls into the Susquehannah, as before described; its whole length being about 200 miles,

Mountains, face of the country, climate, soil and productions. A considerable part of this state may be called mountainous; particularly the counties of Bedford, Huntingdon, Cumberland, part of Franklin, Dauphin, and part of Bucks and Northampton, through which pass, under various names, the numerous ridges and spurs which collectively form the great range of the Allegany mountains. The principal ridges here are the Kittatiny, or Blue moantains, which pass north of Nazareth, in Northampton county, and pursue a south-west course across the river Lehigh, through Dauphin county, just above Harrisburgh, about 100 miles from Philadelphia, thence on the west side of the Susquehannah, through Cumberland and Franklin counties. Back of these, and nearly parallel with them, are Peter's, Tuscarora, and Nescopeck mountains, on the east side of the Susquehannah; and on the west, Shareman's hills, Sideling hills, Ragged, Great Warrior's, Evits, and Wills mountains; then the great Allegany ridge, which, being the largest, gives its name to the whole range: west of this are the Chesnut ridges. Between Juniata river and the west branch of the Susquehannah, are Jack's, Tussy's, and Bald Eagle mountains. The vales between all these ridges are generally of a rich, black soil, suited to the various kinds of grain and grass: some of the mountains will admit of cultivation almost to their tops. To the north and west of the Allegauies the country is generally level, or agreeably variegated

with hills, valleys, and rich scenery; which continue about 120 miles to the extremity of the state.

The climate is very various. On the east side of the Allegany mountains it differs nothing from that of Connecticut, already described. It is, in common with the other countries east of the mountains, subject to great and sudden changes; but on the west side it is much more agreeable and temperate, with a greater portion of cloudy weather, and the winters milder and more humid than on the Atlantic. The winter season commences about the 20th of December, and the spring sets in about two weeks earlier than at New York. There is frost almost every month in the year in some places, and the extremes of heat and cold are considerable. The keenness of the north-west wind in winter is excessive, and surpasses every thing of the kind which the people have any idea of in England. Nevertheless, the state is upon the whole extremely healthy, and numerous instances of longevity occur; though more rare among the Germans than any other class of the inhabitants, occasioned by their excess of labour and low diet.

The soil of Pennsylvania is of many various kinds. To the east of the mountains it is generally good, and a considerable part of it is bedded on limestone. Among the mountains, the land is rough, and much of it poor, in some parts quite barren; but there are a great many rich and fertile valleys. In the neighbourhood of York and Lancaster, the soil consists of rich, brown, loamy earth; and proceeding in a south-westerly course, parallel to the Blue mountains, the same kind of soil is met with as far as Fredericktown, in Maryland. Taken altogether, a great proportion of this state is good land, and no inconsiderable part very good. Perhaps the quantity of first rate land is not greater in any of the thirteen original states. The richest part of this state that is settled is the county of Lancaster, and the valley through Cumberland, York, and Franklin counties. The richest that is unsettled, is between Allegany river and lake Erie, and in the country on the heads of the eastern branches of the Allegany; particularly the districts lying contiguous to French creek. In this part of the country both the soil and climate are favourable to cultivation; the winter not continuing severe longer than three months, nor commencing before the 15th of December. The woods for seventy or 100 miles consist of cak, chesnut, and pine, and are so open, that a man on horseback sees all around him for half a mile, and often much more: a waggon may go almost any where,