and Scioto rivers. The land is therefore drier, and more peculiarly adapted to the production of wheat and other kinds of grain than that of several adjacent counties. The principal streams are the head-waters of Hock hocking

river.

Lancaster, a flourishing post town and seat of justice, in the central part of this county. It is handsomely situated in Hocking township, near the source of Hock hocking river, on the road leading from Zanesville to Chilicothe. It contains between 100 and 200 houses, and a population of 700 inhabitants. Here are likewise twelve mercantile stores, a handsome brick court-house and jail, a methodist meeting house, a bank, an English and German printingoffice, from which are published weekly newspapers in both languages, and a market-house with a market on Wednesday and Saturday. Various kinds of mechanical business are likewise here industriously prosecuted. It is twenty-eight miles south-easterly from Columbus, thirtysix south-westerly from Zanesville, and thirty-four northeasterly from Chilicothe Lat. 39° 45′ N. lon. 5° 35′ W.

The face of the country about Lancaster presents a peculiar aspect. The land seems generally level; but abrupt, precipitous, and coni-form piles of rocks, producing very little timber or herbage, are occasionally interspersed in a promiscuous manner, in every direction. They are of divers altitudes and magnitudes. Some people might perhaps conjecture them to have been works of art, did not their numbers and magnitude preclude the idea. One of these, called Mount Pleasant, about one mile northerly from Lancaster, is very remarkable. It is situated near a large prairie, and encompassed by a wide plain. The south-west front of this huge pile of rocks is about 500 feet in perpendicular height: the base is about a mile and a half in circumference, while the top is but about thirty by 100 yards across it.

LICKING COUNTY has Fairfield county south, Muskingum and Coshocton east, Delaware and Franklin north, and is watered by Licking river and its two forks; Wakatomika and Walnut creeks, all large and boatable.

Wherever we find the traces of former population, as demonstrated by the existence of mounds, fortifications, and ruins of buildings, we are sure to find land of an excellent quality. This county is full of antiquities.

Newark is a thriving little town situated in the forks of Licking, on the road between Zanesville and Columbus. Granville is also a considerable village. The surface, soil, timber, and water of this county, is inviting to settlers. It

has had a rapid settlement; and presents strong inducements to emigrants.

ATHENS COUNTY has Gallia south, Washington east, Washington and Fairfield north, and Ross west. It is watered by the Great Hockhocking and its branches; by Racoon, Federal, Shade, and Salt creeks, and an immense number of brooks. Compared to such counties as Ross, Franklin, Pickaway, and Licking, it may be said to be poor, in soil and improvements, The southern parts, adjoining Gallia county, consist of oak hills and deep narrow valleys. It is thinly inhabited; in many places it is from four to twenty miles between houses; but this is only true, as it respects the eastern portion. Game is abundant, such as bears, deer, foxes, racoons, &c. Wild turkeys are more numerous in this than in any other part of the state. The range is rich, and will probably continue so for many years to come. Mounds and embank. ments are to be seen in every part of this county.

Athens is pleasantly situated on the east bank of the Great Hockhocking, on a peninsula formed by a considerable bend of that river, thirty-seven miles above its confluence with the Ohio, and nearly in the centre of the College townships, reserved by congress in the grant to the Ohio company for the endowment of a University. The names of these townships are Athens and Alexander; the last lies on the south side of the river; they contain 46,080 acres. The lands are leased in small farms of from 100 to 160 acres, to applicants for ever, upon terms never to be altered, the rent of each tract being the interest of the appraised value of the land in a state of nature.

The town is laid out in a regular form, and elevated about 100 feet above the bottoms. The soil is a dry rich loam, well adapted for gardens. There are numerous springs of never failing excellent water. The total number of buildings is about 100. There is an academy in a very flourishing state under the instruction of an able teacher, in which are taught all the branches of a liberal education; and a spacious new college is now building. The present revenue of the university is about 2,500 dollars; the education of youth is to be gratuitous.

The greater part of the college lands are very fertile; but some tracts are broken and of a thin soil. The settlements commenced in 1797, and the town and county of Athens have proved unusually healthy. Many of the settlers are from New-England, who affirm that sickness had rarely visited their families. The Hockhocking is navigable six miles above Athens for batteaux. The bot

tom lands are better and more extensive than those of the Muskingum. In front of the town they are more than one mile wide. There are fine quarries of freestone in the vicinity of the town. About two-thirds of the village lots are leased, and the residue fast settling. The uplands are timbered with white and black oak, hickory, and chesnut; occasionally interspersed with sugar-maple, ash, and beech. The bottoms are covered with buckeye, pawpaw, elm, black walnut, spice wood, and honey locust. Fish in considerable quantities are taken from the rivers. Coal mines, chalybeate and sulphur springs, are so plentiful that no township is without several of each kind.

GALLIA COUNTY is bounded south and east by the Ohio river, Athens county north, Lawrence and Jackson west. It is watered by the Little Scioto, Leading, Racoon, Indian Guyandot, and Big-stone creeks. Like Athens, it is large and hilly, and thinly settled. It has much poor land, consisting of oak ridges of a thin gravelly soil. These hills skirt the Ohio through the whole extent of Scioto, Gallia, Washington, and Belmont counties; extending back thirty or forty miles; they become more elevated as we ascend the river; nevertheless, the soil becomes better east of the Muskingum; and as high up as Steubenville, it may be said to be rich. The bottoms of the Ohio are wide. There are bodies of good land in the interior parts, on which the principal part of the timber is pitch pine, very lofty and straight. This kind of land is much esteemed by the inhabitants; the soil is sandy, mixed in places with loam and gravel; but it produces corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes, as abundantly as deeper soils.

Galliopolis, is delightfully situated on the bank of the Ohio, three miles below the Great Kenhaway. The bottom on which it is built, is elevated fourteen feet above the highest rise of the river. The soil is a rich, yellow clay, rendered mellow, like loam, by a proportion of fine sand. The streets are wide, and run in parallels with the river upwards of one mile and a quarter in length. The high lands in the rear of the town, approach within half a mile of the river. This town was settled by a colony of 500 French, in 1790; but the present number of inhabitants is considerably short of that number. There are about seventy-six houses, a court-house, church, and printing-office. The inhabitants have beautiful gardens. They make good wine, from a species of native vines, which are found on the islands a short distance above the town, and which, since they have been domesticated, produce grapes almost equal in flavour to the muscadins of

France. There is a vineyard in the vicinity of this place, of six acres, which, in 1817, produced 1,000 gallons of wine. A mound of eighteen or twenty rods in circumference is situated near the academy. Other remains of ancient works are visible both on the bottoms and neighbouring hills.

LAWRENCE COUNTY, bounded on the south by Ohio river, west by Scioto county, north by Jackson and east by Gallia. It is watered by Symmes', and Indian Guyandot creeks; surface, broken; soil, chiefly of an inferior quality; timber, principally oak. This county was recent ly laid off, and is not yet organized.

JACKSON COUNTY is bounded north by Ross and Athens, east by Athens and Gallia, south by Gallia and Scioto counties. It is twenty-four by twenty miles in extent, comprising 414 square miles. It was established in the winter of 1816. Surface, hilly; soil, generally of a second quality; timber, oak, and hickory on the uplands. The Scioto salt-works, which belong to the United States, and at which considerable quantities of salt are made, are situated nearly in the centre of this county, on the easternmost branch of Salt creek, twenty-eight miles south-east of Chilicothe. It is expected that the seat of justice will be near these works. The principal streams are the three forks of Salt creek and the head branches of Symmes' creek.

WASHINGTON COUNTY is bounded north by Muskingum, Guernsey, and Monroe counties, south-east by the Ohio river, south and west by Athens and Fairfield. It is sixtythree miles long from east to west, and from twelve to thirty-one in breadth, containing about 1,100 square miles. It is watered by the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, Little Muskingum, Pawpaw, Duck, Wolf, Miegs, and Little Hockhocking creeks. A large proportion of this county is hilly; soil, poor, and timber chiefly oak. The bottoms, however, of the Ohio and Muskingum, and the large creeks, are pretty extensive and of the first quality.

Marietta is situated on the first bank of the Ohio, immediately above the entrance of the Muskingum. Like most of the towns on that fine river, its site and appearance is pleasant. Yet, hitherto, its growth has not kept pace with public expectation. It contains about 100 houses, exclusive of thirty-five or forty on the opposite bank of the Muskingum, where fort Harmer formerly stood; it has besides, a court-house, jail, market-house, academy, two churches, a bank, post-office, printing-office, two ropewalks, steam grist mill, several mercantile stores, and four

well furnished inns. In March, 1816, a large commercial and exporting company was formed, since which the shipbuilding business has revived.

MUSKINGUM COUNTY is bounded north by Coshocton, east by Guernsey, south by Washington and Fairfield, and west by Fairfield and Licking counties. It is watered by the Muskingum and Licking rivers, and by Coal, Jonathan, Wakatomika, Salt, and Wills' creeks. It is large and, populous, having an area of about 820 square miles, and a population of about 12,000 souls. Surface generally hilly; the lovers of romantic scenery will find ample gratification on the sharp, elevated ridges between Salt and Wills' creeks, on the Wheeling road. Extensive beds of stone-coal are found in various parts of the county, especially in the hills bordering the Muskingum river.

Zanesville is situated on the east bank of the Muskingum river, opposite Putnam and the mouth of Licking, fifty miles by land above Marietta. It contains about 240 houses, generally small but neat and well built. It has a court-house, jail, market-house, methodist meeting-house, three glass factories, two banks, land-office, nail factory, twenty-two mercantile stores, paper mill, several oil mills, numerous saw and grain mills, post-office, two printingoffices, in which are published the "Muskingum Messenger," and "Zanesville Express," and a book-binder.

Opposite Zanesville, the Muskingum falls six feet in the space of a few rods, and Licking river forms a cascade at its entrance. A canal is now opening around the Muskingum rapids, through the town, by an association called the "Zanesville Canal and Manufacturing Company,' who intend to manufacture iron in all its various branches, cotton, wool, hemp, flax, paper, &c. The country about Zanesville and Putnam, is settled in every direction, and generally well cultivated. Coal abounds in the hills, and is often found in sinking wells. Four miles up Licking, is a forge and furnace.

KNOX COUNTY has Licking south, Coshocton east, Richland north and Delaware west. It is watered by the Whitewoman branch of the Muskingum, Owl creek, and branches of Licking and Scioto. It will rank among the most fertile counties of the state:

Mount-Vernon is the seat of justice; it is new but rapidly increasing in size and improvements. The largest streams are all boatable.

COSHOCTON COUNTY is bounded north by Wayne, east by Tuscarawas, south by Muskingum, and west by Knox counties. It is about thirty miles square. The Muskin