they require a confiderable quantity of ftimulating aliments and vinous drinks, to keep up a balance between the feveral functions of the body.

About two thousand two hundred hogfheads of tobacco are infpected here annually. Like Richmond, William fburgh, Alexandria, and Norfolk, it is a corporation; and Petersburgh city comprehends a part of three counties. The celebrated Indian queen, Pocahonta, from whom defcended the Randolph and Bowling families, formerly refided at this place. Petersburgh and its fuburbs contain about three thousand inhabitants.

WILLIAMSBURGH.

Williamfburgh, fixty miles eafward of Richmond, is fituated between two creeks; one falling into James river, the other into York river. The distance of each landing place is about a mile from the town, which, with the difadvantage of not being able to bring up large veffels, and want of enterprise in the inhabitants, are the rea fons why it never flourished: it confifts of about two hundred houses, going fast to decay, and has about fourteen hundred inhabitants; it is regularly laid out in parallel streets, with a fquare in the center, through which runs the principal street, east and weft, about a mile in length, and more than an hundred feet wide. At the ends of this street are two public buildings, the college and capitol: besides these, there is an epifcopal church, a prifon, a hospital for lunatics, and the palace; all of them extremely indifferent. In the capitol is a large marble ftatue, the likenefs of Narbone Berkley, Lord Botetourt, a man diftinguished for his love of piety, literature and good govern ment, and formerly governor of Virginia: it was erected at the expenfe of the State fome time fince the year 1791. The capitol is little better than in ruins, and this elegant ftatue is expofed to the rudeness of negroes and boys, and is fhamefully defaced. Every thing in Williamsburgh appears dull, forfaken and melancholy; there is no trade; no amufement, but the infamous one of gaming; no induftry, and very little appearance of religion. The unprofperous ftate of the college, but principally the removal of the feat of go vernment, have contributed much to the decline of this city.

YORK-TOWN.

York-town, thirteen miles eastward from Williamsburgh, and four, teen from Monday's point at the mouth of the river, is a place of

3

about

about an hundred houses, fituated on the fouth fide of York river, and contains about seven hundred inhabitants. It has been rendered famous, BY THE CAPTURE OF LORD CORNWALLIS AND HIS ARMY, on the 19th of October, 1781, by the united forces of France and America.

POPULATION.

In the year 1781, a very inaccurate cenfus was taken. Several counties made no return; but fupplying by conjecture the deficiencies, the population of Virginia was then computed at five hundred and fixty-seven thousand fix hundred and fourteen perfons; according to the senfus of 1790 the numbers were as follow:

VIR

110936 116135215046 12866292627747610|

By comparing the two accounts taken at the above different periods, it appears, that the increase in ten years was two hundred and fifty-eight thoufand fix hundred and feventy-three, or about twenty-five thousand eight hundred and fixty-feven per annum ; lowing for the fame proportional increase, the present number of inhabitants in this State cannot be less than nine hundred thousand.

al

The increase of flaves, during the last fourteen years, has been less than it had been obferved for a century before. The reason is, that about thirty thoufand flaves perifhed with the small-pox or camp fever, caught from the British army, or went off with them while Lord Cornwallis was roving over that State.

MILITΙΑ.

Every able-bodied freeman, between the ages of fixteen and fifty, is enrolled in the militia. Those of every county are formed into companies, and thefe again into one or more battalions, according to the numbers in the county: they are commanded by colonels, and other fubordinate officers, as in the regular fervice. In every county is a county lieutenant, who commands the whole militia in his county, but ranks only as a colonel in the field. They have no

general