with great care, the large plantation on the Alachua savannah above described.

Florida has frequently changed masters; belonging alternately to the French and Spaniards, and at one period to the English. West Florida, as far as Perdido river, was owned and occupied by the French; the remainder, and all East Florida, was possessed by the Spaniards, previous to the whole country being ceded to Great Britain, at the peace of 1763. During the American revolutionary war, both the Floridas were taken by the Spaniards, and guaranteed to the crown of Spain by the definitive treaty of 1783, A treaty has been lately concluded between the American government and the Spanish ambassador at Washington, for transferring the province of Florida to the United States; but the crooked and corrupt policy of the government of Spain, instigated, it is said, by another government, equally corrupt, has refused to ratify the treaty. In the mean time, the American troops are stated to have taken possession of the country; of which no power that can be sent from Europe will be able to dispossess them. Indeed, a reference to the map will fully prove, that Florida is equally an integral part of the United States territory as Cornwall is of Great Britain; nor can it be expected that the Americans will permit it to remain longer in the possession of any foreign power.

BRITISH POSSESSIONS,

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LOWER CANADA.

Situation, Boundaries, and Extent.

THIS extensive province is situated upon both sides of the river St. Lawrence, and extends from N. lat. 45° to 53°, and from 4° W. to 12° 30′ E. long. from Washington. Its greatest length, from east to west, is about 750 miles; and breadth, from north to south, about 560 miles. Seventy miles of this province border on New York, ninety on Vermont, thirty-three on New Hampshire, and 245 on Maine.

The principal river of both the Canadas is the St. Lawrence, described in page 18; but there are many other

considerable streams, several of which flow into the St. Lawrence; and most of these have the land on their banks highly improved; indeed the settlements are mostly confined to the margins of rivers, as the greater part of the interior of the country is covered with forests; but, except in the meadows, the trees are generally of small growth.

The river Ouelle, which enters the great river about 100 miles below Quebec, is an example of this kind. For several miles before it joins the St. Lawrence, it runs through a level and very fertile country; and is navigable a considerable way for small vessels. This district is in a good state of cultivation, and very populous; as are also the neigbouring great parishes of Kamouraska and St. Ann's.

The De Sud rises in the mountains to the southward, and falls into the St. Lawrence at St. Thomas, after watering a rich and beautiful plain, which extends up into the country for many miles. On the branches of this river, and on those of the Ouelle, are many fine situations for farmers; even superior to what can be found on the De Loup, which is 200 miles further up the St. Lawrence, and consequently more southwardly though there certainly is an extensive tract of very valuable land between Quebec and Montreal.

The rive Montmorenci rises in the north-east, and runs a very irregular course, through a wild and thickly wooded country, and over a bed of broken rocks, until it approaches within 300 yards of the St. Lawrence, seven miles below Quebec. Here the channel being bounded by precipitous rocks, its breadth becomes much contracted, and the rapidity of the current is greatly augmented. On the east side the bank is about fifty feet high, and nearly perpendicular; the opposite bank being of a very singular shape, resembling the ruins of a lofty wall. The river descends between them with a foaming current, broken by huge masses of stone at the bottom, till it comes to the brink of a precipice, down which it falls in one uninterrupted and nearly perpendicular direction of 246 feet, forming one of the most sublime views in the world. The breadth of the fall is 100 feet, and the water in its descent has the exact appearance of snow, as when thrown in heaps from the roof of a house, and it seemingly descends with a slow motion. An advantageous view of this grand fall may be obtained from the beach of the St. Lawrence, when it is low water.

St. Maurice river falls into the St. Lawrence at Trois

Rivieres, about half way between Quebec and Montreal; it is the largest stream of upwards of thirty which flow into that great river, on the north-west side alone, between those those towns. This river, before it unites with the St. Lawrence, is divided into three streams by two large islands; from hence it is that the town of Trois Rivieres takes its name. The St. Maurice is not navigable, even for sloops, more than a few miles above its mouth; but in flatbottomed boats and canoes it may be ascended nearly to its source; from whence the distance is not great to the head of navigable rivers that fall into Hudson's bay. At a future day, therefore, if ever the dreary waste through which it passes shall become the abode of human beings instead of wild beasts, this river may be esteemed of the first importance in a commercial point of view. At present there are a few scattered settlements on each side of it, from its mouth as far as the iron works, which are about nine miles distant from Trois Rivieres; beyond that, the country is but little known, except to the Indians.

Sorel river, which falls into the St. Lawrence about forty-five miles below Montreal, passes through a country equal in beauty and fertility to any of the others, and is of great value to Canada, because it rises in lake Champlain, in the United States, from whence great quantities of valuable produce are annually introduced. Indeed, it is the only channel allowed by law for the commerce of the States with Lower Canada; and at the town of St. John's, near the lake, the British have a custom-house, which takes cognizance of whatever passes that way. There are likewise some troops stationed here, and all persons who pass either way are examined by the commanding officer; but those who do not wish to be known, find other means of getting from one country to the other, without going by St. John's.

Uttawas, or Grand river joins the St. Lawrence about thirty miles above Montreal, and is the boundary between Upper and Lower Canada. This river is the route taken by the Lower Canada traders, and others, to the northwest country for the purchase of furs. The merchandise for the Indians is carried up the Uttawas in canoes, made of the bark of the birch tree, the largest of which are about two tons burden; but they seldom carry so much upon this river, it being in many places shallow, rapid, and full of rocks, and contains no less than thirty-two portages. Having ascended the Uttawas about 280 miles, which requires eighteen days to perform, they cross a portage into lake Nippising, and from this lake by an

other portage, they get upon French river, which carrys them into lake Huron, from which they pass through the straits of St. Mary, and by another portage into lake Superior; coasting along its shores, they come to the Grand Portage, and from thence by a chain of small lakes and rivers they proceed on to Rainy lake, Lake-ofthe-woods, and for hundreds of miles beyond it, through lake Winnipeg, &c. a total distance of more than 2,000 miles. In the same manner they return to Canada with their valuable cargoes of furs and peltries; chiefly the property of the North-west Company, the principal part of whom reside in Montreal. The other rivers of this province, though very numerous, are in general but imperfectly known, and comparatively of minor importance. A detailed account of them would, therefore, convey little information to the reader, and would swell this brief description of Lower Canada beyond its prescribed limits.

Face of the country, soil, climate, natural productions, &c.-The eastern part of the province between Quebec and the gulf of St. Lawrence, is mountainous; and between Quebec and the mouth of the Uttawas river, also a few scattered mountains are to be met with; but higher up the St. Lawrence the country is level.

The soil, except where small tracts of stony and sandy land intervene, consists principally of a loose darkcoloured earth, and of the depth of ten or twelve inches, below which there is a bed of cold clay. The earth towards the surface is extremely fertile; of which there cannot be a greater proof, than that it continues to yield plentiful crops, notwithstanding its being worked year after year without ever being manured. It is only within a few years back, indeed, that the Canadians have begun to manure their lands, and many still continue, from father to son, to work the same field without intermission, and without ever putting any manure upon them, yet the land is not exhausted. The manure principally made use of by the best farmers is marle, found in prodigious quantities in many places along the shores of the St. Lawrence. The soil of Lower Canada is particularly suited to the growth of small grain. Tobacco also thrives upon it; it is only raised, however, in small quantities for private use, more than one half of what is used in the country being imported. The Canadian tobacco is of a much milder quality than that grown in Maryland

and Virginia: the snuff made from it is held in high estimation.

The climate is very severe, and the heat and cold go to great extremes. The thermometer rises sometimes in summer to 98°, and in winter the mercury freezes. The winter sets in early in November, and continues till April, during which the ground is entirely covered with suow, often from four to six feet deep. In January and February the frost is so intense, that there is danger of being frost-bidden; and to guard against it the inhabitants cover the whole body with furs, except the eyes and nose. Of Canada in general, embracing both provinces, it may be said, that winter continues with such severity, from the beginning of December to the end of April, as that the largest rivers are frozen over: but the air is so serene and clear, and the inhabitants so well defended against the cold, that this season is neither unhealthy nor unpleasant. The extremes of heat and cold in Canada are amazing; yet those very sudden transitions which in some other countries are so injurious to the constitution are unknown here: the seasons also are much more regular.

Though the snow generally begins to fall in November, sometimes it comes down as early as the latter end of October. This is the most disagreeable part of the whole year; the air is then cold and raw, and the sky dark and gloomy; two days seldom pass over together without a fall of snow or sleet. By the end of the first or second week, however, in December, the clouds are generally dissolved, the frost sets in, the sky assumes a bright and azure hue, and for weeks together it continues the same, without being obscured by a single cloud. The greatest degree of cold which they experience in Canada is in the month of January, when for a few days it is sometimes so intense, that it is impossible for a human being to remain out of doors for any considerable time. These very cold days, however, do not come altogether, but intervene generally at some little distance from each other; and between them, in the depth of winter, the air is sometimes so warm, that people in exercise in the middle of the day, feel disposed to lay aside the thick fur cloaks usually worn out of doors.

Winter in Canada is the season of general amusement. The clear frosty weather no sooner commences, than all thoughts about business are laid aside, and every one devotes himself to pleasure. The inhabitants meet in convivial parties at each other's houses, and pass the day