cerned lords of the field. Heavens! what charms are there in liberty! Man born to enflave the fubordinate animals, has long fince enflaved himself. But reafon at length, in radiant fmiles, and with graceful pride, illumines both hemifpheres; and FREEDOM, in golden plumes, and in her triumphal car, must now resume her long loft empire.

"We have now arrived upon the waters of Green river; at the mouth of which, and between that and the Ohio, lies Henderfon's grant of twelve miles fquare. The plains extend beyond the head waters of this river quite into the limits of North-Carolina; but at the mouth, and for forty miles above, there is a large proportion of good land, particularly upon Panther creek. From the mouth of Green river up the Ohio to Salt river, the land upon the banks of the Ohio is generally fertile and rich: but leaving its banks you foon fall into the plain country, which is confidered as little better than barren land; however, it is moft likely that it will prove excellent for fheep to feed upon, the climate being nearly the fame as that of Spain, where the fineft wool in Europe is produced. And though the land is not reckoned valuable in this country, on account of its comparative sterility, yet it is of a fuperior quality to great part of the foil in the lower parts of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. It abounds with hazel, which, it is well known, never grows kindly in a poor foil.

"The native strawberry is found in these plains in the greatest abundance, as are likewife plums of different forts; and, if we can form any idea of the native grape that grows fpontaneously here, and what the fame foil is capable of producing when they are cultivated,

it would appear that no climate or foil in the world is more congenial

to the vine, for I have never tafted more delicious grapes; and it is the opinion of fome judicious foreigners, who have visited these genial regions, that as good wine as can be made in any part of the globe, might be produced from the native grape properly cultivated. There is nothing more common than to meet with a pleafant wine made here by the fettlers, who know nothing of the use of vats, or the degree of fermentation neceffary to the perfection of the art of wine-making. But I flatter myself fome progrefs will be made in this bufinefs, as feveral foreigners have long had it in agitation to undertake it.

"The country between Green and Cumberland rivers is generally rich, and finely watered. There is in it a moft valuable lead mine,

and feveral falt fprings; and between Green and Salt rivers there are two of a bitumen, which, when analyzed, is found to be amber. But, fo much do we ftand in need of chymifts, and mineralifts, that we remain ignorant of the properties and value of many foffils which have been difcovered; and many continue unknown, I appre hend, from the want of curiofity of men, whofe only object fecms to be cultivation, and the fcience of government. Perhaps these are the moft effential to the happiness of mankind in the wild ftate which this country is in. Arts appear to follow population. Neceflity has been the mother of invention, it is true; but from the attainment of that perfection to which we have arrived in arts and philofophy, wif dom and science must go forward; and it is phyfically impoffible for man again to degenerate to barbarifm.

"When the greatest merit confifts in the exercife of the most ufeful and appropriate talents, I think it is likely that the ingenuity of men will feel a more lively stimulus to the exercife of invention from the love of fame, the love of mankind, and regard to their own dig. nity, than it ever yet experienced from neceffity. While odious diftinctions exift, and men are rewarded in proportion to their fervility, human nature must be robbed of half its manlinefs, and confequently men will be flothful. How many drones do we obferve in every part of Europe, who feed upon the induftry of the neceffitous, or who work only as it is neceffary to their existence! Such have been the effects of the factitious duties of man in that hemifphere, that every thing has become perverted; and governments, instead of fecuring happiness to men, have only tended to aggrandize individuals, and thus has flowed in, that debasement of character which has marked half the inhabitants of Europe with little more dignity than the monsters of the foreft.

"Cumberland river rifes among the mountains, confiderably to the north-east, and, after its feveral branches have joined it, runs a long way fouth, and enters the limits of North-Carolina. After a courfe of half a degree within those limits, it turns to the north-west, and empties itself into the Ohio, at fome diftance above its junction with the Miffiffippi. The Tenneffee runs into the Ohio, not a long way below the mouth of Cumberland. The Tenneffee is the most important of the fouthern branches of the Ohio. Its northern fork, called Holfton, rifes in the country of the fame name, and, after paffing through Nolachucky, is joined by the main or fouth branch. This branch rifes in the remote parts of the State of Georgia, and, after traverfing the borders of the Che

rokee

rokee country, is joined by the Holfton branch, when it is called the Tenneffee: from thence it runs fouth-wefterly, quite through the limits of North-Carolina, and approaches the head waters of the Mobile, which empties itself into the gulf of Mexico. In its course, it is very rapid thus far: from the material declivity of the high country, which from mountains gradually fink into a flat, there is a number of falls, but none of them confiderable. It now turns again to the northward, and from its lazy motion it is obvious that there is very little fall of water from this to the Ohio. This turn conftitutes what is called the Great Bend of the Tenneffee, or Mufcle Shoal, from the number of fhoals in this part of the river that are covered with these shell-fish. The river is here from two, to three and a half miles wide. Its importance will confift in its being the most convenient inlet from the upper parts of Virginia and the Carolinas to the Miffiffippi, it being navigable for boats of forty tons burthen from Holfton, the falls ex• cepted, where carrying places will answer until there are canals made, which can be done with very little expence.

"Halfton is a narrow ftrip of country, furrounded on every fide by mountains; but there is a paffage which winds through them, fo as to adinit of a paffage this way, and down the river, without any diffi culty of bad roads whatever. Should you continue your route by land in the road to Kentucky, you would have feveral mountains to país, and at least two hundred miles of bad road.

"After you leave the plains which extend into the Cumberland country, in your courfe to the Tenneffee, the country is fomewhat broken, but mostly rich. Great part of the land lying between these rivers and the Ohio, and between Cumberland and Green rivers, was in military grants, made by Virginia to their officers and foldiers, and is esteemed a valuable fituation for its proximity to the junction of the Ohio and Minifippi. Their grants extend as low on the Miffilippi as the partition line between Virginia and North-Carolina : all of which is a beautiful country: and the banks of the river, which are very high, prevent it from overflowing, which is not the cafe a great way lower down.

"The land in the Great Bend of the Tenneffee is very fine; but when you approach the country of the Chickafaws, it becomes broken, light, and fandy and, as you extend to the fouthward, I have been informed the foil grows ftill lighter, and, except a large body of good Band on the Miffiffippi, and the bottoms of the several streams that run into the Gulf and the Miffiffippi, it is little better than Weft-Florida,

which has been celebrated in Europe for its fertility; but fo fine a country have I been endeavouring to describe to you, that, judging by comparison, the people in Kentucky and Cumberland look upon that as an indifferent foil.

"In ten years more, perhaps, a fettlement will be formed fufficiently populous to become a federal state in the country into which I am now going to advance; the limits of which, from the confluence of the Miffiffippi and Ohio to Detroit, is between five and fix hundred miles; and taking the medium distance between Pittsburg and the mouth of the Ohio, across to the Miffiffippi from the Ohio, is very little lefs. The inhabitants of this immense district do not, including French, amount to five thousand. The country in this fork (if I may fo call it) is various. Immediately in the fork the land is flat, and liable to overflow; but as you advance on either river the banks rise, and the country expanding, displays a luxuriant soil for a long distance above the Wabash on the Ohio fide, and quite to the Illinois on the Miffiffippi fide, which is about two hundred and thirty miles above its junction with the Ohio, and twenty above the mouth of Miffouri. This country lies nearly in the fame parallel of latitude of Kentucky. From the mouth of the Wabash, the bottoms on the Ohio are extenfive and extremely fertile, as is the country from thence to Poft St. Vincent; but towards the rapids of the Ohio, and beyond the bottoms of this river, the country is confiderably broken, and the foil in fome places light and indifferent. After leaving Poft St. Vincent, in the route to the Illinois country, you foon fall into those extenfive plains which have been described in fuch glowing colours by Hutchins. This is certainly a beautiful country, and the immenfe number of deer, elk, and buffalo, which are seen grazing in those natural meadows, renders them highly enchanting. The air in this climate is pure, and the almost continual unclouded sky tends not a little to charm the fenfes, and to render even wildness delightful. The country between Poft St. Vincent and Kafkafkias is flat and plain, with little variation. As you afcend the Illinois river the foil grows more fertile, and on either fide you find immenfe forests.

"Detroit lies between lat. 42° and 43° upon the straights which communicate between lake St. Clair and lake Erie, confiderably to the westward of Pittsburgh. The country lying between them is not remarkable for any thing but being a wilderness. The foil and climate are fuch as would entitle it to the reputation of a fine country in any part of Europe, except in winter, when the froft is extremely fe VOL. III.

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vers

vere, but less intense than that of Canada. Quebec lies nearly in the fame latitude as Paris, and from the defcription which the Emperor Julian has given of the winters he quartered there, during his com mand in Gaul, there feems to be little difference between the winters of France at that period, in refpect to cold, and the present winters of Canada. Perhaps the extent of continent lying to the north-west, and the immenfe lakes of fresh water which cover it, will not admit of the climate of that part of America being fo rapidly meliorated, as the climate of Europe has been by cultivation. However, it is certain, that as the country has been more opened in America, and thereby the rays of the fun have acted more powerfully upon the earth, these benefits have tended greatly already to foften the winter season: fo that peopling Canada, for which we are much obliged to you, is a double advantage to us. First, it is fettling and populating a country, that muft, fooner or later, from the natural order of things, become part of our empire, and immediately meliorating the climate of the Northern States. But to return to Detroit. Our course from thence to the head waters of the Miami is fouth-westerly. The country for fome distance is flat, and the foil heavy and damp; but, upon the waters of thofe rivers it is beautiful, and abounds in the gifts of nature.

"The communication between lake Erie and the Ohio by water this way, will be up the fouthern branches of the lake, and by fhort paffages you arrive upon the waters of the Great Miami, Scioto and Muskingum, which are navigable when flooded. It muft be obferved, that the rivers I have been mentioning are not navigable, throughout the year, for boats of above ten or fifteen tons. Great part of the country between this and the Wabash is champaign; but in travelling towards the rapids of the Ohio you pafs confiderable plains, and then fall into a broken and hilly tract of poor land, that continues with little variation until you approach the rapids, when all the variety and charms which this river produces, prefent them. felves again. From Detroit to the rapids is nearly four hundred. miles.

"The rapid population of the western country has not only astonifhed America itself, but it must amaze Europe, when they enter into the views and increase of this growing empire. The first fettlement on the western waters by the English was in 1760, and, under the influence of almcft continual Indian wars, that fettlement (I am ow fpeaking of the upper fettlement on the Ohio) now contains

not