The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-08-29

the northwestern territory far the river Wabah
The whole of this extent is filed with different fpe-
eies of the oak, beech, maple, walnut. yeamore
eia, mulberry, plum, AN, BIRCH aaras, aud poplar
on the coats Of the Atlantic; and, in addition to
thee, the wet, the cherry tree, horfe cheut pa
paw, magnolia, fumae, &c. all Of which indicate 4
productive FOIL the true BATS of the Prefent and future
wealth of this part of the United States Thefe kinds
OF forea trees, however, do any where entirely
exclude the renous, which appear fcattered through
out all the plains, ard collected in clumps ON the
mountains, of the lower ORDER as the chain in
Virginia called the fouth-weR and it is Gngular
Circumstance, that here they devate from their QUITO
mary designation Of erity, for the fat and deep red
foil OF this chain is extremely fertile.
The third dRrict, or northern foreft, lkewile
compelled OF pines, frs arches cedars, cyprees &c.
begins from the confines ofthe former north
OF New-York, the interior of Connecticut aud the
Maliachuletts, gives it's to the fate of Yer
mont, and leaving TO the decduous fore2 trees only
the banks Of the rivers, and their alluvons extends
by the way OF Canada toward the north, where it
loon gives way to the juniper, and the meagre hrubs
thnly ieattsred among the defsrts of the polar cir
Gle.
Such is the general afpe9 of the territory of
the United States an alnoG uninterrupted conti-
mental foreR FIVE grea, lakes on the north on the
welt executive Savannahs: in the centre chain of
mountains their ridges running in direction parallel
~ the ied COal, tnc uNtauCe oil wnfCn lS1rOm Htty
to hundred and thirty miles, and Tending off to the
sat wef river Of longer eourte of greater width &
pouring into the ea larger bodies OF water than ours
IN Europe, mott OF thefe rivers having cafcade, or
falls from twenty soahunred & forty feet in height!,
mouths fpacious CULTS, aud the Soutserncoaa of
Misunderstanding above two hundrcdaud 6ftymiles in
length: on the north, fnows remaining four or five
mcnths OF the year: coat of three hundred
leagues extent, twelve cities all bull, of brick
or OF wood painted of different colours and contain
nag from ten TO iixty ,houfapd inhabitants round
theie cities farhouies built OF trunks OF trees (which
they call Jog boret, in rhe of few Gslls of
wheat, tobacco, Indian corn; thefe fields feoara-
ted by Sind Of fence made with the branche. of
trees nead of hedges for the mott part full of umps
ct trees half burnt rippcd of their bark and Till
Handing while both houles and fields are enchsled
as IT were in MALES of foreG in which they are
f"ailowcd up and diminfh both in number and
extent the farther you advance into the woods, till
at length from the funm, of the hill, you perceive
only here and there few little brown or yellow
iquares on ground of green. Add to this tickle
and variable Ky, an atmofPhere alternately very
m"'t or very dry, very nifty and very clear, very
not and very cold, and temperature 70 changeabe
that in the fame day you will have fpring fummer
autumn and winter. Nnrw.gisn f-nf, era e:
can fun Figure yourfelf tlieie, and you will have
a eoneiie phyGca ke.ch of the United States" p. g.
This animated pieurefque defcrpton of the Anne
riean continent, could not curtail and it is a
iketeh which mers particular attention Ii to thi.
be added the phyical deicrp,on we lately offered of
the continent the direction of its mountains rivers
&c nothing is wanting form general complete
idea OF the philosophical geography of this van por-
ton of the globe.
The general oondguraton of the territory of the
United States follows; which tracing the chains oil
mountains, divides the country into the Atlantic DIFF
triet-the wettern, and the mountainous The firi
{ futIlr 10, 1v1s~ IL r
cribed, but with pencils dipped in colours 70 different
that we can fcarcey fippofe that the fame regions
were the Objects of the descriptions. The following
remarks merit notice.
The loofe and perineabe nature of this foil ecca
lions peculiarly in the brooks and rivers which
have een in fome part of SYRIA and even in France
but no where 70 frequently for throughout all Ken
and ienneiiee we are ncellantly meeting with
tunnels from htty to five hundred PAGES in diameter
and from fifteen to fifty deep, at the bottom of which
are one or more holes or cranues, which fwallow up
not only the water that falls rain in their
hood but even brooks and rivers of fornc magnitude
lheie iuddenly difappear from the view of the ano
niihed traveller, linking into the ground amid the
tckets to ninth their courie in fabterranean chan
nes The brooks and rivers in their vifbe coure ee
morally break away and hollow out the earth perpen-
dicuiarly. till they a bed of canareons ncra
which iervesit as nscleus rather as nearly no.
rizonta floor. Frosi this circumstance it follows:
1T That almoa al. the dreams and rivers of Ken
lucky and Tennsee il were enc!ofcd in GROOVES
between two perpendicular banks, from fifty feet
nigh, like thoie OF the Ohio, four hundred as the
precpice OF the river Kentucky at Dixon's Point
IDLY, Inat the country is rugged, and farrowed
with deep gullies belde being traverfed with late
raj branches OF the Allegheny mountains no le fteep
III ther deciivities than narrow in their funmits:
IDLY, That asthe land cannot be watered by arr
the people of Kentucky, and in fonne rleaire ho(e
81 Iennehee, already complain of drought, which
asthe country i, cleared ofwood
& diihpatcs the iluons Of fpeculators in land & the
Promiies OF travelling writers, to the forrow
OF thoie who are mhled by them p 23
Since the woods have been cut down the Rrears
fem more abundant though the quantity Of rain is
d'ninihed, The reafon aligned by NJ. volney is,
that the thick bed of leaves retained the water ri, II
was evaporated; but lnce thefc are removed, IL f,ks
INTO the ground forming dreams by accumulation
The naHer brooks whichare enlyfuper6ciaa ccur,ula
tons OF rain, are of courfe diminihed. Indeed ART
and cultivation will greatly change the appearance of
the continent. Trees, on fpsts comparatively dry,
will ihoot deeper roots, and be lefs expofed to def
truction from the feverity Of forms.
The third diftra between the Ohio and the lakes
Of 81. Lawrence, is not yet fuiieiently pespled to
Iorrn tate. We have formerly marked this as
ground peculiarly high, contributing the fou,hern eide
oi the wait cavity which holds the Canadian lakes &
which Is fhe fouree of falling on either 1de into
the Gull OF Mexico, the river ST. Lawrence & the At
dnt'c The few rivers which fall into the Pacific rife
rom mountains very the weRern fhores
= Contrary to thole Of kentucky the rivers of the
North-weterD territory with the lurface, not