fome obfcurity.-Data are equally wanting to allign with precifion its northern extent. From the fource of the Miffiffippi, it is bounded eastwardly by that middle of the channel of the river to the 3 t degree of latitude: Thence, it is afferted upon very ftrong grounds, that according to its lim its, when formerly poffeffed by France, it ftretches to the eaff, as far, at leaft, as the river Perdigo, which runs into the bay of Mexico, eastward of the river Mobile.

Louisiana, including the Mobille fettle. ments, was difcovered and peopled by the French, whofe monarchs made feveral grants of its trade, in particular to Mr. Crotat in 1712, and fome years afterwards, with his acquiefcence, to the well known. company projected by Mr. Law. This company was relinquifhed in the year 1731. By a fecret convention on the 3d Noveinber, 1762, the French government ceded fo much of the province as lies beyond the Miffiffippi, as well as the Island of NewOrleans, to Spain, and, by the treaty of peace which followed in 1763, the whole territory of France and Spain eastward of the middle of the Mifliffippi to the Iberville, thence through the middle of that river, and the lakes Maurepas and Ponchartrain to the fea, was ceded to Great-Britain. Spain having conquered the Floridas from Great-Britain during our revolutionary war, they were confirmed to her by the treaty of peace of 1783. By the treaty of St. Lidefonfo, of the 1st of October, 1800, his Catholic Majefty promifes and engag es on his part to cede back to the French Republic, fix months after the full and entire execution of the conditions and ftipulations therein contained, relative to the duke of Parma," the colony or province of Louisiana, with the fame extent that it actually has in the hands of Spain, that it had when France poffeffed it, and fuch as it ought to be after the treaties fubfequently entered into between Spain and other ftates." This treaty was confirmed and enforced by that of Madrid, of the e1ft March, 1801. From France it paffed to us by the treaty of the 30th of April laft, with a reference to the above claufe, as defcriptive of the limits ceded.

Divifions of the Province.

The province as held by Spain, includ, ing a part of Weft Florida, is laid off into the following principal divifions; Mobile, from Balile to the city, New-Orleans and the country on both fides of lake Ponchartrain, firft and fecond German coafts, Catahanofe, Fourche, Venezuela, Iberville, Galvez-Town, Baton-Rouge, Pointe Coupee, Atacapas, Opeloufas, Ouachita, Avoyelles, Rapide, Natchitoches, Arkanfas, and the Illinois.

In the Illinois there are commandants, at New Madrid, St. Genevieve, New Bourbon, St. Charles and St. Andrews,

all fubordinate to the commandant general. all fubordinate to the commandant general.

Baton Rouge having been made a gov. ernment, fubfequently to the treaty of limits, &c. with Spain, the pofts of Manchac and Thompson's Creek, or Felicana, were added to it.

Chapitoulas has fometimes been regard. ed as a feparate command, but is now included within the jurifdiction of the city. The lower part of the river has likewife had occafionally a feparate commandant.

Many of the prefent establishments are feparated from each other by immenfe and tracklefs deferts, having no communication with each other by land, except now and then a folitary inftance of its being attempted by hunters, who have to fwim rivers, expose themselves to the inclemency of the weather, and carry their provifions on their backs for a time proportioned to the length of their journey. This is particu larly the cafe on the west of the Miffiffippi, where the communication is kept up only by water, between the capital and the dif tant fettlements; three months being required to convey intelligence from the one to the other by the Miffiffippi. The ufual diftance accomplished by a boat in afcending, is five leagues per day. The rapidity of the current in the fpring feason especially, when the waters of all the rivers are high, facilitates the defcent, so that the fame voyage by water, which requires three or four months to perform from the capital, may be made to it in twelve or fixteen days. The principal fertlements in Louifiana are on the Miffiffippi, which begins to be cultivated about twenty leagues from the fea, where the plantations are yet thin, and owned by the pooreft people. Afcending, you fee them improve on each fide, till you reach the city, which is fituated on the east bank, on a bend of the river, 35 leagues from the fea. Chapitoulas, first and fecond German coafts Catahanofe-Fourche and Iberville. The best and most improved are above the city, and comprehend, what is there known by the Paroiffe de Chapitoulas, premier and fecond cote des Allemande, and extend 16 leagues.

Above this begins the parish of Cata

whose plantations in fight of each other, where fronts to the Miffiffippi are all cleared, ani occupy on that river from 5 to 25 acres with a depth of 40; fo that a plantation of 5 acres in front contains 200. A few fugar plantations are formed in the parish of Catahanofe, but the remainder is devoted to cotton and provifions, and the whole is an excellent foil incapable of being exhaufted. The plantations are but one deep on the island of New-Orleans, and on the oppofite fide of the river as far as the mouth of the Iberville, which is 35 leagues above New. Orleans.

Bayou de la Fourche-Atacapas, and Opelousas.

About 25 leagues from the laft mentioned place on the weft fide of the Miffiffippi, the creek or Bayou of the Fourche, called in old maps La Rivier des Chiramaches, flows from the Miffiffippi, and communi cates with the fea to the west of the Balife. The entrance of the Miffiffippi is naviga. ble only at high water, but will then admit of craft of from 60 to 70 tons burthen. On both banks of this creek are fettlements, one plantation deep, for near 15 leagues, and they are divided into two parifhes. The fetlers are numerous, though poor, and the culture is univerfally cotton. On all creeks making from the Miffiffippi, the foil is the fame as on the bank of the river, and the border is the highest part of it, from whence it defcends gradually to the fwamp. In no place on the low lands is there depth more than fuffices for one plantation, before you come to the low grounds incapable of cultivation. This creek affords one of the communications to the two populous and rich 'ettlements of Atacapas and Opeloufas formed on and near the small rivers Teche and Vermilen which flow into the bay of Mexico. But the principal and fwifteft communication is by the Bayou or creek of Plaquemines, whofe entrance into the Miffiffippi is feven leagues higher upon the fame fide, and 32 above New-Orleans. Thefe fettlements abound in cattle and horfes, have a large quantity of good land in their vicinity and may be made of great importance. A part of their produce is fent by fea to New Or leans, but the greater part is carried in batteaux by the creeks above mentioned.

9

uous to the river, and here it forms a bluff from 30 to 40 feet above the greatest rise of the river. Here the fettlements extend a confiderable way back on the east fide;

376

and this parish has that of Thompson's creek and Payou Sara fubordinate to it. The mouth of the firft of thefe creeks is about 49 leagues from New Orleans, and that of the latter 2 or 3 leagues higher up. They run from north eaft to fouth weft, and their head waters are north of the 31 degree of latitude. Their banks have the beft foil, and the greatest number of good cotton plantations of any part of Louifiana, and are allowed to be the garden of it.

Pointe Coupee and Fauffe Riviere. Above Baton Rouge, at the diflance of 50 leagues from New-Orleans, and on the well fide of the Milliflippi is Pointe Coupee, a populous and rich fettlement, extending eight leagues along the river. Its produce is cotton. Behind it, on an old bed of the river now a lake whofe outlets are clofed up, is the fettlement of Fauffe Riviere, which is well cultivated.

In the space now defcribed from the fea as high as and including the laft mentioned fettlement, is contained three fourths of the population, and feven eights of the riches of Louifiana.

Here there are but a few families, who are more attached to the Indian trade, (by which chiefly they live) than to cultivation. There is no fettlement from this place to New Madrid, which is it felf inconfiderable. Alcending the river you come to Cape Girardeau, St. Genevieve and St. Lewis, where, though the inhabitants are numerous, they raife little for exportation, and content themselves with. trading with the Indians and working a few lead mines. This country is very fertile especially on the bank of the Miffouri, where there have been formed two fettlements, called St. Charles and St. Andrew, moftly by emigrants from Kentucky. The peltry procured in the Ilinois is the beft fent to the Atlantic market; and the quantity is very confiderable. Lead is to be had with eafe, and in fuch quantities as to fupply all Europe, if the population were fufficient to work the nu

merous mines to be found within two or three feet from the furface in various parts of the country. The fettlements about the Illinois were firft made by the Canadi

on that fide. The eastern bank has in this refpe&t a decided advantage over the weftern, as there are on it many fituations which effectually command the river.

Red River and its Settlements. On the weit fide of the Miffiffippi, 70 leagues from New-Orleans, is the mouth of the Red River, on whofe banks and vicinity are the fettlements of Rapide Avoyelles, and Natchitoches, all of them thriving and populous. The latter is fituOn the ate 75 leagues up the Red River. north file of the Red River, a few leagues from its junction with the Miffif fippi, is the Black River, on one of whofe branches, a confiderable way up, is the infant fettlement of Ouachita, which, from the richness of the foil, may be made a place of importance. Cotton is the chief produce of thefe fettements, but they have likewife a confiderable Indian trade. The river Rouge, or Red river is ufed to communicate with the frontiers of New Mexico.

Concord, Arkanfas, St. Charles, and St. Andrew, &c.

There is no fettlement on the Miffiffippi except the fmall one called Concord, oppofite to the Natchez, till you come to the Arkanfas river, whole mouth is 250 leagues above New-Orleans.

them in their averfion to labour, and love them in their averfion to labour, and love of a wandering life. They contain but few negroes, compared to the number of the whites; and it may be taken for a general rule, that in proportion to the diftance from the capital, the number of blacks diminish below that of the whites; the former abounding moft on the rich plantations in its vicinity.

dance of all the necessaries of life, and almoft fpontaneously; very little labour be. ing required in the cultivation of the earth. That part of Upper Louifiana which borders on North Mexico, is one immenfe prairie: it produces nothing but grafs : it is filled with buffaloe, deer, and other kinds of game: the land is repre. fented as too rich for the growth of forest

trees.

It is pretended that Upper Louifiana contains in its bowels many filver and copper mines, and various fpecimens of both are exhibited. Several trials have been made to ascertain the fact; but the want of skil in the artists has hitherto left the fubje&t un.

decided.

The falt works are alfo pretty nume rous; fome belong to individuals; others to the public. They already yield an a bundant fupply for the confumption of the country; and if properly managed, might become an article of more general expor tation. The ufual price per bushel is 150 cents in cash at the works.

curiofity of the people of St. Louis, where fome of it fill remains. A fpecimen of the fame falt has been fent to Marietta. This Mountain is faid to be 183 miles long, and 45 in width, composed of folid rock falt, without any trees, or even fhrubs on it. Salt fprings are very nume rous beneath the furface of this mountain,

This price will be ftill lower as foon as the manufacture of the falt is affumed by the government, or patronized by men who have large capitals to employ in the bufinefs. One extraordinary fact relative to falt must not be omitted.-There exifts about 1000 miles up the Missouri, and not far from that river a falt mountain! The existence of fuch a mountain might well be queftioned, were it not for the teftimony of feveral refpectable and enterprizing traders, who have vifited it, and who have General Defcription of Upper Louifiana.exhibited feveral bufhels of the falt to the When compared with the Indiana territory, the face of the country in Upper Louifiana is rather more broken, though the foil is equally fertile. It is a fact not to be contested, that the weft fide of the river poffefles fome advantages not generally incident to thofe regions. It ts elevated and healthy, and well watered with a variety of large rapid ftreams, calculated for mills and other water-works. From Cape Girardeau, above the mouth of the Ohio, to the Miffouri, the land on the eaft fide of the Miffiffippi is low and flat, and occafionally expofed to inundations; that on the Louisiana fide, contiguous to the river, is generally much higher, and in many places very rocky on the fhore. Some of the heights exhibit a fcene truly picturefque. They rife to a height of at The geography of the Mifliflippi and leaft 300 feet, faced with perpendicular Miffouri and their contiguity for a great lime and free ftone, carved into various length of way, are but little known. The hapes and figures by the hand of nature, traders affert that 100 miles above their and afford the appearance of a multitude junction, a man may walk from one to the of antique towers. From the tops of other in a day; and it is alfo afferted, that thefe elevations, the land gradually flopes 700 miles ftill higher up, the portage may back from the river, without gravel or be croffed in four or five days. This por rock, and is covered with valuable timber.tage is frequented by traders, who carry on be faid with truth that, for fertility of foil, no part of the world exceed the borders of the Miffiffippi: the land yields an abun

It

may

and they flow through the fiffures and cavi ties of it. Caves of falt petre are found in Upper Louifiana, though at fome dif tance from the fettlements. Four men on a trading voyage, lately difcovered one, feveral hundred miles up the Miflour. They spent five or fix weeks in the manufacture of this article, and returned to St. Louis with 400 weight of it. It proved to be good, and they fold it for a high price.

a confiderable trade with fome of the Miffouri Indians. Their general rout is through Green bay, which is an arm of

The Wreath.

EXTRACT.

THE NEWS-PAPER.

BY W. COWPER.

HARK! 'tis the twanging hora! o'er yonder bridge

That with its wearisome but needful length
Bestrides the wintry food, in which the moon
Sees her unwrinkled face reflected bright;
He comes, the herald of a noisy world,

With spatter'd boots, strapp'd waist, and frozen locks,

News from all nations lumb'ring at his back.
True to his charge, the close pack'd load behind,
Yet careless what he brings, his one concern
Is to conduct it to the destin'd inn ;

And having dropt th' expected bag-pass on.
He whistles as he goes, light-hearted wretch,
Cold and yet cheerful: messenger of grief
Perhaps to thousands, and of joy to some;
To him indirent whether grief or joy.
Houses in aes, and the fall of stocks,
Births, deaths, and marriages, epistles wet
With tears that trickled down the writer's cheeks
Fast as the periods from his fluent quill,
Or charg'd with am'rous sighs of absent swains,
Or nymphs responsive, equally affect

His horse and him, unconscious of them all.
But oh th' important budget! usher'd in
With such heart-shaking music, who can say
What are its tidings? Have our troops awak'd ?
Or do they still, as if with opium drugg'd,
Snore to the murmurs of th' Atlantic wave?
Is India free and does she wear her plum'd
And jewell'd turban with a smile of peace,
Or do we grind her still? The grand debate,
The popular harangue, the tart reply,
The logic, and the wisdom, and the wit,
And the loud laugh-I long to know them all;
I burn to set th' imprison'd wranglers free,
And give them voice and utt'rance once again.
Now stir the fire, and close the shutters fast,
Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round,
And while the bubbling and foud-hissing urn
Throws up a steady column, and the cups,
That cheer but not inebriate, wait on each,
So let us welcome peaceful ev'ning in.
Not such his ev'ning who, with shining face,
Sweats in the crowded theatre, and, squeez'd
And bor'd with elbow-points thro' both his sides,
Outscolds the ranting actor on the stage:
Nor his, who patient stands till his feet throb,
And his head thumps, to feed upon the breath
Of patriots bursting with heroic rage ;

Or placemen, all tranquility and smiles.
This folio of four pages, happy work!
Which not e 'n critics criticise, that holds
Inquisitive attention while I read,

Fast bound in chains of silence, which the fair,
Tho' eloquent themselves, yet fear to break-
What is it but a map of busy life,

Its fluctuations, and its vast concerns?
Here runs the mountainous and craggy ridge
That tempts ambition. On the summit, see,
The seals of office glitter in his eyes;

He climbs, he pants, he grasps them. At his heels,
Close at his heels, a demagogue ascends,
And with a dext'rous jirk soon twists him down,
And wins them-but to lose them in his turn.
Here rills of oily eloquence in soft
Meanders lubricate the course they take:
The modest speaker is asham'd and griev'd
T' engross a moment's nouce; and yet begs,
Begs a propitious ear for his poor thoughts,
However trivial all that he conceives.
Sweet bashfulness! it claims at least this praise,
The dearth of information and good sense
That it foretells us, always comes to pass.
Cataracts of declamation thunder here :
There forests of no meaning spread the page
In which all comprehension wanders lost;
While fields of pleasantry amuse us there,
With merry descants on a nation's woes.
The rest appears a wilderness of strange
But gay confusion-roses for the cheeks
And lilies for the brows of faded age,
Teeth for the toothless, ringlets for the bald,
Heav'n, earth, and ocean, plunder'd of their sweets,
Nectareous essences, Olympian dews,
Sermons and city feasts, and fav'rite airs,
Aethereal Katterfelto, with his hair on end
At his own wonders, wond'ring for his bread.
'Tis pleasant thro' the loop-holes of retreat
peep at such a world; to see the stir
Of the great Babel, and not feel the crowd;
To hear the roar she sends thro' all her gates
At a safe distance, where the dying sound
Falis a soft murmur on th' uninjur'd ear.
Thus sitting, and surveying thus at ease
The globe and its concerns, I seem advanc'd
To some secure and more than mortal height,
That lib'rates and exempts me from them all.
It turns submitted to my view, turns round
With all its generations: I behold

То

The tumult, and am still. The sound of war
Has lost its terrors ere it reaches me;
Grieves, but alarms me not. I mourn the pride
And av'rice that make man a wolf to man;
Hear the faint echo of those brazen throats
By which he speaks the language of his heart,
And sigh, but never tremble at the sound.
He travels and expatiates; as the bee
From flow'r to flow'r, so he from land to land;
The manners, customs, policy of all
Pay contribution to the store he gleans;
He sucks intelligence in ev'ry clime,
And spreads the honey of his deep research
At his return a rich repast før me.
He travels, and I too. I tread his deck,
Ascend his topmast, thro' his peering eyes
Discover countries, with a kindred heart

Suffer his woes, and share in his escapes; While fancy, like the finger of a clock, Runs the great circuit, and is still at home.

Diversity.

FROM A FRENCH PUBLICATION.

METHOD

OF TEMPERING EDGE-TOOLS OF TOO BRITTLE A QUALITY.

"HAVING bought a neat knife, and paid handfomely for it, I found that when. ever I attempted to cut wood, or any hard fubftance, the edge broke. This accident, often repeated, foon made a faw of my blade. I complained to the cutler, who very feriously told me, that it was a sure fign of the goodness of my knife.-He finished by fharpening it, and received hit

fix pence. This grinding happened fo

frequently, as to become more tedious than coftly; and my patience was nearly exhaufted, when an itinerant fciffars grinder gave me an effectual receipt.-To plunge the blade up to the handle in boiling fat for two hours, and then, taking it out, to let it cool gradually. I tollowed his directions and my knife cuts the hardest wood, ebony, box: even bone its edge now refifts."

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FOR THE BALANCE.

POLITICAL SKETCHES.

IN

No. IX.

N no age of the world, has there been witneffed an experiment fo important in itfelf, and involving confequences of fuch immenfe magnitude, as that which "It has is now making in thefe States. been frequently remarked, (fays a very intelligent and excellent writer,*) that it feems to have been referved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important queition, whether facieties of men are really capable or not, of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever deftined to depend, for their political conftitutions, on accident and force."

Many and fingular were the advantages, under which republican inftitutions have been formed and established in this favoured land. The hand of Heaven has drawn a line of demarcation, that feperates us from the other nations of the earth, and fets us at a happy distance from the contamination of their examples and from the fangs of their power. We fpeak the fame

of the old confederation, which, during the times of common danger, had helped to keep the ftates together, were found, foon after that danger was removed, to be utterly ineffectual and nugatory; and our nation exhibited the hideous appearance of a many-headed monfter. Thirteen petty fovereignties, nominally united, but practically divided, yielding to no national controul, pursuing each, its own local jelfish interefls, foon brought the country. into a condition of degradation and wretchednefs, and to the brink of horrible

was faved, or at leaft refpited, by an establifhment of a new order of things. Public adverfity, in this inflance, as it led to an improvement in political arrangements, had a ufeful effe&t. A woeful experience of the calamities of difunion, evinced the

mofe moral virtues, which refine and exalt human nature, which alone can give durability to liberty conjoined with order, and which powerfully tend to render nations, as well as individuals, profperous and happy. We enjoy a country worthy of a race of freemen, fpacious, fruitful, capable of yielding almost every ufeful and pleasant production, combining almost every advantage for agriculture, manufactures and commerce. The Atlantic, the Miffiflippi, and the chain of Lakes, like a valt hoop, environ it; and the voice of nature feems to proclaim, that it oughtanarchy and utter ruin; from which it to belong to one undivided people. A powerful caufe operated in uniting together the diftant parts and disjointed fegments of this extenfive nation, and forming them into one great whole. In the colonial state of this country, fuch jealoufies fubfifted between the people of the feveral colonies,neceflity of an efficient national governfuch local prejudices, fuch antipathies against each other had long feflered in their hearts, that a union was deemed impracticable yet this apparent impoflibility was effected by an event feemingly the moft inaufpicious. The revolutionary fruggle prefenting to the whole country a com mon caufe, a common intereft, and a common danger, linked together hearts, which, from colonial prejudices, had been totally eflranged to each other. The men of the South were brought to harmonize with the hardy fons of the Eafl; they became a band of brothers; and " by their joint counfels, arms, and efforts,

ment and gave rife to the federal confti

tution.

In the inftance of the formation of this conflitution, there was witneffed, probably for the first time fince the world be gun, a convention of delegates fairly chefen, reprefenting the feveral diftrics of a widely extended country, each of them individually interested in the public liberty and profperity, highly diftinguished many of them for patriotfm and political wif dom, poffeffing the public confidence, having before them every inflructive document that could be drawn from the hiftory of ancient and modern republics-who without meeting with intrufion, interrupion, or any incident that might awe or difcompose them, palled feveral months in The more difficult task, however, filigent, cool and patient confolta on, remained to be atchieved.-The feeble ties and at length, by their joint efforts and al

a religion that inculcates all those humane principles, all thofe focial affections, all

* The Federalift.

and bloody war, they nobly established their general liberty and independence."