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THE vaft tract of country, bounded weft by the Pacific Ocean, fouth and eaft by California, New Mexico, and Louisiana-the United States, Canada and the Atlantic Ocean, and extending as far north as the country is habitable (a few fcattered English, French, and fome other European fettlements excepted) is inhabited wholly by various nations and tribes of Indians. The Indians also poffefs large tracts of country within the Spanish, American and British dominions. Thofe parts of North Ame rica not inhabited by Indians, belong, if we include Greenland, to Denmark, Great Britain, the American States, and Spain. Spain claims East and West Florida, and all weft of the Miffiffippi, and fouth of the northern boundaries of Louisiana, New Mexico and California. Great Britain claims all the country inhabited by Europeans, lying north and caft of the United States, except Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. The remaining part is the territory of the Fifteen United States. The particular Provinces and States, are exhibited in the following table: TABL E.

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BOUNDED north and eaft by British America, or the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and New Brunswick; foutheaft, by the Atlantic Ocean; fouth, by East and West Forida; weft, by the river Mississippi.

In the treaty of peace, concluded in 1783, the limits of the American United States are more particularly defined in the words following: "And that all difputes which might arise in future on the subject of the boundaries of the faid United States may be prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and fhall be their boundaries, viz. From the north-weft angle of Nova-Scotia, viz. That angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the fource of St. Croix River to the Highlands, along the faid Highlands, which divide thofe rivers that empty themfelves into the river St. Lawrence, from thofe which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north-westernmoft head of Connecticut river; thence down along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due weft on the said latitude, until it ftrikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy; thence along the middle of the faid river into Lake Ontario, through the middle of the faid Lake, until it ftrikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of the faid communication into Lake Erie, through the middle of the faid lake, until it arrives at the water communication between that lake and Lake Huron; thence through the middle of the faid lake to the water communication between that lake and Lake Superior; thence through Lake Superior northward of the Ifles Royal and Philipeaux to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of the faid Long Lake, and the water communication between it and the Lake of the Woods to the faid Lake of the Woods; thence through the faid lake to the most northwestern point thereof, and from thence, on a due weft course, to the River Miffiffippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of the faid River Miffiffippi, until it fhall interfect the northernmost part of the thirty-firft degree of north latitude. South, by a line to be drawn due caft from the determination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty

thirty-one degrees north of the equator, to the middle of the River Apalachicola, or Catahouche; thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint River; thence ftrait to the head of St. Mary's River; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's River to the Atlantic Ocean; eaft, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the River St. Croix, from its mouth in the Bay of Fundy, to its fource; and from its fource directly north, to the aforefaid Highlands, which divide the rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean, ftom thofe which fall into the River St. Lawrence, comprehending all islands within twenty leagues of any part of the fhores of the United States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the aforefaid boundaries between Nova-Scotia on the one part, and Eaft-Florida on the other, fhall refpectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, excepting fuch iflands as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of the faid province of Nova-Scotia."

The following calculations were made from aЯnal measurement of the best maps, by THOMAS HUTCHINS, geographer to the United States. The territory of the United States contains by computation a million of fquare miles, in which are 610,000,000 of acres

Deduct for water

Acres of land in the United States,

51,000,000

589,000,000

That part of the United States comprehended between the weft boundary line of Pennfylvania on the eaft, the boundary line between GreatBritain and the United States, extending from the river St. Croix to the north-west extremity of the Lake of the woods on the north, the river Miffiffippi, to the mouth of the Ohio on the weft, and the river Ohio on the fouth to the aforementioned bounds of Pennfylvania, contains by computation about four hundred and eleven thousand fquare miles, in which are

Deduct for water

To be Congrefs, }

when purchafed of the Indians.

263,010,000 acres 43,040,000

220,000,000 of acres,

The whole of this immenfe extent of unappropriated weftern territory, containing as above stated, 220,000,000 of acres, and feveral large tracts fouth of the Ohio*, have been, by the ceffion of fome of the

Ceded by North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, with certain refervation for the Indians and other purposes, as will be mentioned hereafter.

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original thirteen ftates, and by the treaty of peace, transferred to the federal government, and are pledged as a fund for finking the debt of the United States. Of this territory the Indians now poffefs a very large proportion. Mr. Jefferfon, in his report to Congrefs, Nov. 8, 1791, defcribes the boundary line between us and the Indians, as follows: "Beginning at the mouth of the Cayahogana, which falls into the fouthernmoft part of Lake Erie, and running up the river to the portage, between that and the Tufcaroro or N. E. branch of Muskingum; then down the faid branch to the forks, at the croffing place above Fort Lawrence; then weftwardly, towards the portage of the Great Miami, to the main branch of that river, then down the Miami, to the fork of that river, next below the old fort, which was taken by the French in 1752; thence due weft to the river De la Panse, a branch of the Wabash, and down that river to the Wabash. So far the line is precifely determined, and cleared of the claims of the Indians. The tract comprehending the whole country within the above defcribed line, the Wabash, the Ohio, and the western limits of Pennsylvania, contains about 55,000 fquare miles. How far on the western fide of the Wabash, the southern boundary of the Indians has been defined, we know not. It is only understood, in general, that their title to the lower country, between that river and the Illinois, was formerly extinguished by the French, while in their poffeffion.

Eftimate of the number of acres of water, north and weftward of the river Ohio, within the territory of the United States.

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Eftimate of the number of acres of water within the Thirteen United States.

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It

may in truth be faid, that no part of the world is fo well watered with fprings, rivulets, rivers, and lakes, as the territory of the United States. By means of these various ftreams and collections of water, the whole country is chequered into iflands and peninfulas. The United States, and indeed all parts of North America, feem to have been formed by nature for the most intimate union. The facilities of navigation render the communication between the ports of Georgia and New-Hampshire, far more expeditious and practicable, than between thofe of Provence and Picardy in France; Cornwall and Caithness, in Great-Britain; or Gallicia and Catalonia, in Spain. The canals propofed between Susquehannah, and Delaware, between Pasquetank and Elizabeth rivers, in Virginia, and between the Schuylkill and Sufquehannah, will open a communication from the Carolinas to the weftern countries of Pennsylvania and New-York. The improvements of the Potomak, will give a paffage from the fouthern States, to the western parts of Virginia, Maryland, Pennfylvania, and even to the lakes. From Detroit, to Alexandria, on the Patomak, fix hundred and feven miles, are but two carrying places, which together do not exceed the distance of forty miles. The canals of Delaware and Chefapeek will open the communication from South-Carolina to New-Jerfey, Delaware, the moft populous parts of Pennfylvania, and the midland counties of

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