The public buildings are a handsome episcopal church, a court-house, and a jail. The markets are well supplied with fish and all manner of provisions; and there is a considerable trade carried on to the West Indies and the adjacent states. This town has suffered severely from fire at various times.

Newbern is situated at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers, on a level point of land, somewhat resembling Charleston, South Carolina, and carries on a brisk trade with other places in the state, and with the West Indies. This is the largest town in the state, containing about 600 houses, mostly built of wood, except the palace, the church, the jail, and a few dwelling-houses, which are of brick. The palace was erected by the province before the revolution, and was formerly the residence of the governors. It is large and elegant, but much out of repair, and the only use to which this once handsome and wellfurnished building is now applied, is for schools. One of the halls is used for a school, and another for a dancingroom. The arms of the king of Great Britain still appear on a pediment in front of the building. The episcopalian church is the only house for public worship in the place. This town carries on a considerable trade to the West Indies and the different states in tar, pitch, turpentine, lumber, corn, &c.

Hillsborough, the chief town of Hillsborough district,, is situated in a high, healthy, and fertile country, 180 miles north-west of Newbern. It contains about 100 dwelling houses, a court-house, jail, and an academy, in which are educated sixty or seventy students.

Edenton, on Albemarle sound, is one of the oldest towns in the state, and was formerly the seat of the royal governors. The public buildings are an ancient brick episcopal church, a court-house, and jail. Its situation is advantageous for trade, but unhealthy; which has doubtless tended to retard its prosperity. The other towns of most note are Tarborough and Washington on the Tar river, Halifax on the Roanoke, Salem on the Yadkin, and Beauford near Cape Lookout. The population of these places is about from 400 to 800; and there are many villages containing from 100 to 300.

The western parts of this state, which have been settled within the last sixty years, are chiefly inhabited by presbyterians from Pennsylvania, the descendants of people from the north of Ireland, who are greatly attached to the doctrines, discipline and usages of the church of Scotland: they are a regular and industrious people.

The Moravians have several flourishing settlements in the upper parts of the state, The friends or quakers have a settlement in New Garden, in Guilford county, and several congregations at Perquimans and Pasquotank. The methodists and baptists are numerous and increasing. In 1789, the legislature passed a law incorporating forty gentlemen, five from each district, as trustees of the university of North Carolina; and the state has made handsome donations for the endowment of this seminary. There is a very good academy at Warrenton, another at Williamsburgh, and four or five more in the state, of considerable note.

The state of society is somewhat similar to Virginia, and notwithstanding the establishment of a college and academies, the most important branch of education, that which has for its object the general diffusion of knowledge, has been shamefully neglected until of late. In 1808, however, an act passed the legislature to establish common schools throughout the state, which, if properly followed up, will be attended with the happiest effects. The inhabitants are mostly farmers, and produce on their farms every necessary of life in abundance: many of them are wealthy, frank, and hospitable. The principal commodities for sale are tar, turpentine, pitch, rosin, timber, bees-wax, corn, cotton, and tobacco. Almost every

family in the country manufacture their own clothing, so that the British trade to this state is not great, nor important. The greater part of it is carried on through the medium of Charleston, South Carolina, or the northern states. The direct exports, in 1805, amounted to 779,903 dollars; in 1817, to 956,580 dollars, of which only 1,369 was foreign produce.

Constitution. By the constitution of this state, which was ratified in 1776, the legislative authority is vested in a senate and house of commons, both dependent on the people, and styled the General Assembly. The senate is composed of representatives, one for each county, chosen annually by ballot. The house of commons consists of representatives chosen in the same manner, two for each county, and one for each of the towns of Edenton, Newbern, Wilmington, Salisbury, Hillsborough, and Halifax. Senators must be possessed of 300 acres of land, representatives of 100. In this state, freeholders of fifty acres vote for members of the senate; all freemen of the age of twenty-one years, who have been inhabitants of the county

in which they dwell twelve months before the election, and have paid public taxes, vote for the members of the house of commons for that county; and all free male inhabitants of towns under the same conditions, and every holder of a freehold in the above-named towns votes for the members for those places. The executive power is vested in a governor, who is chosen by ballot by the General Assembly; for one year only; and he is not eligible to serve more than three years in six successive years. He is assisted by a council of state, consisting of seven persons, also elected by the two houses of legislature annually. The judiciary consists of a supreme court, a court of equity, and a court of admiralty: the judges are appointed by the assembly. Persons denying the being of a God, the truth of the protestant religion, or the divine authority of the Old and New Testament, receivers of public money, whose accounts are unsettled, and military officers in actual service, are all ineligible to a seat either in the senate or house of commons. Justices of the peace, being recommended by the representatives, are commissioned by the governor, and hold their offices during good behaviour. The constitution allows of no religious establishment. A majority of both houses is necessary to do business.

History. The history of North Carolina is less known than that of any of the other states. From the best accounts that can be procured, the first permanent settlement in North Carolina was made about the year 1710, by a number of Germans, who had been reduced to great indigence, by a calamitous war. The proprietors of Carolina, knowing that the value of their lands depended on the strength of their settlements, determined to give every possible encouragement to such emigrants. Ships were accordingly provided for their transportation, and instructions were given to governor Tynte to allow 100 acres of land for every man, woman, and child, free of quit-rents for the first ten years; but at the expiration of that term, to pay one penny an acre annual rent for ever. Upon their arrival, the governor granted them a tract of land in North Carolina, since called Albemarle and Bath precincts, where they settled, and flattered themselves with having found, in the hideous wilderness, a happy retreat from the desolations of a war which then raged in Europe.

In the year 1712, a dangerous conspiracy was formed

by the Coree and Tuscorora tribes of Indians, to murder and expel this infant colony: the foundation for this conspiracy is not known. Probably they were offended at the encroachments on their hunting grounds; but be that as it may, they managed their conspiracy with great cunning and profound secrecy. They began by surrounding their principal town with a breastwork, to secure their families. Here the warriors assembled to the number of 1,200, and from this rendezvous they sent out small parties, by different roads, who entered the settlement under the mask of friendship. At the change of the full moon, all of them had agreed to begin their murderous operation on the same night; and when that night came, they entered the houses of the planters, demanded provisions, and pretending to be offended, fell to murdering men, women, and children, without mercy or distinction. No less than 137 settlers, among whom were a Swiss nobleman, and almost all the poor Germans that had lately come into the country, were slaughtered the first night. Such was the secrecy and despatch of the Indians in this expedition, that none knew what had befallen his neighbour, until the savages had reached his own door. Some few, however, escaped and gave the alarm; the militia immediately assembled in arms, and kept watch day and night, until the news of the sad disaster had reached South Carolina. Governor Craven lost no time in sending a force to their relief; and the assembly voted £4,000 for the service of A body of 600 militia, under the command of colonel Barnwell, and 366 Indians of different tribes, marched with great expedition, through a horrid wilderness, to their assistance. In their first encounter with the Indians, they killed 300 and took 100 prisoners: after this defeat, the Tuscororas retreated to their fortified town, which was shortly after surrendered to colonel Barnwell. In this whole expedition it was computed that near 1,000 of that tribe were killed, wounded, or taken; the remainder soon after abandoned their country, and joined the Five Nations, with whom they have ever since remained.

After this the infant colony continued in peace, and flourished under the general government of South Carolina, till about the year 1729, when seven of the proprie tors, for a valuable consideration, vested their property and jurisdiction in the crown, and the colony was erected into a separate province by the name of 'North Carolina, and its limits established by an order of George II. From this period to the revolution in 1776, the history of that province is unpublished, and of course unknown, except

to those who had access to the records. Some of the most important events that have since taken place, have been already mentioned in the general history of the United States.

In the year 1785, the inhabitants of the counties of Sullivan, Green, and Washington, which lie directly west of the mountains in this state, and now form a part of East Tennessee, convened in committees, appointed and held a convention, framed a constitution, elected their governor, and in short erected themselves into a separate independent state, by the name of the new state of Franklin. This premature state was to comprehend all that tract of country which lies between the mountains and the Suck or Whirl in Tennessee river. These proceedings caused great confusion and warm disputes in North Carolina, which continued to rage till the year 1788, when all pretensions to independency were relinquished, and tranquillity was restored to the state.

The inhabitants took an early part in the war for independence, and sent thousands of men to the defence of Georgia and South Carolina, and also gave occasional succours to Virginia; while at home their own state suffered severely. In 1774, they appointed three delegates to the first congress; and though their legislature at first rejected the federal constitution of 1787, by a majority of 100, viz. 176 against seventy-six; yet they again assembled in convention in November, 1789, and ratified it by a majority of 118, viz. 193 to seventy-five. At present this state sends two senators and twelve representatives to the general congress.

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

Situation, Boundaries, and Extent.

THIS state is situated between 32° 6' and 35° N. lat. and -1° 30′ and 6° 25′ W. long. It is bounded on the north and north-east by North Carolina, south-east by the Atlantic ocean, and south-west by Georgia. From east to west it is 216 miles in length, and from north to south 162 in breadth; containing 28,700 square miles, or 18,368,000

acres.