the Ohio at that time persons may go down it with the greatest safety; but such circumstances are not always to be depended on." P. 68-70.

The Mississippi is interspersed with numerous shoals and islands, so that its navigation is far more dangerous than that of the Ohio, at least from Natches to New Orleans, a course of more than 700 miles. The rapidity of the Ohio is very considerable, and rowing is unnecessary. The appearance of the banks of the river, on leaving Pittsburgh, merits our attention:

"Leaving Pittsburgh, the Ohio flows between two ridges, or lofty mountains, nearly of the same height, which we judged to be about two hundred fathoms. Frequently they appeared undulated at their summit, at other times it seemed as though they had been completely level. These hills continue uninterruptedly for the space of a mile or more, then a slight interval is observed, that sometimes affords a passage to the rivers that empty themselves into the Ohio; but most commonly another hill of the same height begins at a very short distance from the place where the preceding one left off. These mountains rise successively for the space of three hundred miles, and from our canoe we were enabled to observe them more distinctly, as they were more or less distant from the borders of the river. Their direction is parallel to the chain of the Alleghanies; and although they are at times from forty to a hundred miles distant from them, and that for an extent of two hundred miles, one cannot help looking upon them as belonging to these mountains. All that part of Virginia, situated upon the left bank of the Ohio, is

excessively mountainous, covered with forests, and almost uninhabited; where, I have been told by those who live on the banks of the Ohio, they go every winter to hunt bears." P. 84.

The flat woody ground between the river and these mountains consists of a vegetable mould, from decaying leaves, and even from the decayed trunks of trees. The best land in Kentucky and Tennessee is of the same kind, and its vege tative quality peculiarly strong. The plane-tree grows to an immense size; and the next in bulk is the liriodendron tulipifera. Other trees, which adorn and diversify the forests of the country, are the beech, magnolia acuminata, the celtis occidentalis, the acacia, the sugar and red maple, the black poplar, &c.

In this tract our author falls in with towns, consisting of from 70 to 200 houses, which till within a very few years had no existence, and are generally placed on the Ohio, or some of its tributary rivers, where the receding mountains leave a vacant and level spot. Below Marietta, a town on the Muskingum, at its conflux with the Ohio, the mountains recede still farther, and offer the following beautiful prospect :

"On the 23d of July, about ten in the morning, we discovered Point Pleasant, situated a little above the mouth of the great Kenhawa, at the extremity of a point formed by the right bank of this river, which runs nearly in a direct line as far as the middle of the Ohio. What makes the situation more beautiful, is, that for four or five miles on this side the point, the Ohio, four hundred fathoms broad, continues the same breadth

the whole of that extent, and presents on every side the most perfect line. Its borders, sloping and elevated from twenty-five to forty feet, are, as in the whole of its windings, planted at their base with willows from fifteen to eighteen feet in height, the drooping branches and foliage of which form a pleasing contrast to the sugar maples, red maples, and ash trees, situated immediately above. The latter, in return, are overlooked by palms, poplars, beeches, magnolias of the highest elevation, the enormous branches of which, attracted by a more splendid light and easier expansion, extend to ward the borders, overshadowing the river, at the same time completely covering the trees situated under them. This natural display which reigns upon the two banks, affords on each side a regular arch, the shadow of which, reflected by the chrystal stream, embellishes, in an extraordinary degree, this magnificent coup d'œil." P.95,96.

The banks of the Ohio are alluvial, and, where not covered with vegetable mould, are of a calcareous nature. The stones are flinty, and chiefly from the separation of the limestone masses. A species of mulette is chiefly employed in making buttons, as the pearly nacre is very thick. It is arranged by Bosc under the genus Unio, with the trivial name of Ohiotensis. The tyrant of the river is the cat fish, silurus felis: its upper fins are strong and pointed, and, by swimming under his prey, he is enabled to wound it where the skin is thinnest. The inhabitants of the banks are chiefly hunters, for the sake of the skins: a few acres only are cultivated for their cows, whose milk they greatly depend on. Plantations occur every

three or four miles, and travellers are accommodated, in their miserable log-houses, with bread, Indian corn, dried ham, milk and butter. They themselves feed only on Indian corn the wheat which is cultivated is exported in the form of flour. The peach and apple are their only fruit trees: the former is preferred, as hogs are fed, and brandy distilled from the fruit. The price of the best land does not exceed 158. per acre. The sellers are seldom constant in their attachments, and few of those who first clear the ground, or who immediately succeed them, remain on it. The same restless principle urges them forward, and the Americans have now penetrated to the banks of the Missouri, forty miles above its union with the Mississippi. There are, it is said, more than 3,000 inhabitants on its banks, allured by a fertile soil, the numerous herds of beavers, elks, and bisons.

Our author leaves the banks of the Ohio, to direct his course south and south-west, towards Charleston. He stops in this journey at a salt-mine. In this elevated region there are many strata of rock salt, and salt springs often rise to the surface, leaving, in consequence of the evaporation, a saline efflorescence. To these spots, the original inhabitants of the forest, the wild beasts, usually repaired. Salt seems to numerous animals a condiment almost essential to their existence; and we find, in these spots, the remains of some species at present unknown, probably extinct. The soil round these "licks" is dry and sandy; the stones are flat and chalky, rounded at the edges, and of a bluish cast inside. The soil is barren, and the few trees thin and stinted.

Frankfort is the seat of govern

ment in Kentucky, but Lexington, in consequence of some advantages of situation, is the larger and more populous town. It supplies the shipping with rigging, and has several tan-yards, where leather is prepared with the bark of the black oak. Industry and ingenuity go hand in hand to add to the prosperity of the town and neighbourhood. Nitre, which is found in the neighbouring caverns, supplies the material for the manufacture of powder, and two mills have been erected. A pottery also, as in some other villages, is established. Various circumstances relative to the commerce of this part of America are added, but the balance of trade with Europe is apparently unfavorable to it. The attempt to plant vineyards in Kentucky has succeeded very imperfectly.

On the southern limits of Kentucky the "barrens" commence. These are open grounds, dry, and sometimes sterile, where little is met with but partridges; and where one woman told the author that she had not seen a single person for eighteen months. In some of these meadows, however, the grass is high, and marks of fertility appear. Trees of different kinds, and flowering shrubs, are also scattered around. In this district, our author thinks that the vineyards should have been planted, and he supposes that springs are at no great distance from the surface. The "barrens" are surrounded with a wood about three miles broad, which terminates in an impenetrable or, at least, unpenetrated forest.

A general description of Kentucky follows, for the greater part of which we must refer to the work. This state is about 400 miles in length,and 200 in breadth; Vol. III. No. 7. 3A

and has been securely settled only since 1783. About ten years afterwards it was admitted into the union as an independent state. Ginseng first appears in Kentucky, though more common in a more southern climate. Our author suspects that from twenty-five to thirty thousand weight is annually exported, and more care is now taken to prepare it in the state best adapted to the China market. The bisons have deserted this part of the country, and migrated to the right side of the Mississippi. Deers, bears, wolves, red and grey foxes, wild cats,racoons, opossums, and some squirrels, are the principal animals that remain. Turkeys, in a wild state, are still numerous. The cultivated production of Kentucky are tobacco, hemp, European grain, chiefly wheat, and Indian corn. The last yields from forty to seventy-five bushels per acre. Eighty-five thousand five hundred and seventy barrels of flour went, from the 1st of January, 1802, to the 30th of June following, from Louisville to low Louisiana: more than two-thirds of which was from Kentucky. A barrel contains the flour of five bushels of wheat corn,about ninetysix pounds. The culture of tobacco has been greatly extended. Hemp also is an increasing article of commerce. In 1802 more than 42,000 pounds of raw hemp, and about 24,000 cwt. converted into cables, were exported. Flax is cultivated by many families. Rearing and taming horses is a business now eagerly and advantageously followed, and horned cattle are bred in great abundance. These, driven to the back settlements of Pennsylvania and Virginia, supply the markets on the coast. Few sheep are fed or fattened; but the hogs are very numerous;

yet even in the woods they are not completely wild. Salt provisions is another important article of commerce; and in the first six months of 1802, 72,000 barrels of dried pork, and 2,485 of salt, were exported. Poultry are rarely bred, from the injury they might do to the crops of Indian corn. Of the religious sects, the methodists and anabaptists are most numerous. Education, even in these sequestered regions, is carefully attended to.

Nashville is the old town in Tenesse, but has no manufactory or publick establishment. Every thing is very dear, as the boats are obliged to go above Pittsburgh, on the Ohio, before they meet with the river Cumberland, on which Nashville is built. The author still approaches Carolina, in his progress to Knoxville; and in his journey passes the mountains of Cumberland, to which the name of the Wilderness is assigned.

These mountains divide east and west Tenessee, which thus seperated, may probably become distinct states. One of the branches of the Cumberland is styled "Roaring River," from its numerous cascades. The right bank of this River rises from 80 to 100 feet in some places, and we mention it particularly, since it rests upon a bed of chistus, the first instance of this rock recorded in the author's observations. In the caverns in the neighbourood, probably calcareous, extensive aluminous masses of considerable

purity are discovered. M. Michaux now arrives within about 700 miles from Baltimore and Philadelphia, and about 400 miles from Richmond. We shall, therefore, conclude our account of his journey, with a few remarks on Tenessee in general. This state is situated to the south of Kentucky, between Ohio and the Alleghany mountains. It is nearly square, its length exceeding its breadth only by about sixty miles in 300, its shortest diameter; and was admitted into the union as an independent state in 1796. It formerly was a part of North Carolina. Its river, Tenessee, with the Holston, has a navigable course for near 800 miles, interspersed, during the summer, with shoals. It is not closely inhabited; and its chief productions are cotton and iron the soil is fat and clayey.

We have already offered our reasons or our apologies for the length to which our article has extended; and have reprehended, though perhaps without suffi cient severity, the gross errors of the translator and printer. Another translation, with a map, would prove a valuable acquisition to the geographer, the scientifick enquirer, and the commercial speculatist; for though, as we have said, we do not implicitly trust all the representations, the great features of nature are carefully, and, we believe, accurately copied.

I. R.

NEW WORKS.

The New-York Medical Repofitory and Review of American publications in medicine, furgery, and the auxilliary branches of fcience, No. XXXVI. for February, March, and April, 1806, which completes the 9th vol. New-York, T. & J. Swords.

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Universalisin confounds and destroys itself; or, Letters to a Friend; in four parts. Part 1. Dr. Huntington's and Mr. Relly's scheme, which denies all

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Sermons on the religious education of Children; preached at Northampton, Eng. By P. Doddridge, D. D. A new edition, revised? and corrected. Cambridge, W. Hilliard.

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A Difcourfe concerning meeknefs, By Rev. Matthew Henry. First American edition. Cambridge, W. Hilliard.

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