The stones, in all parts of the Allegany mountains, are full of sea shells.

OHIO.

Situation, Boundaries, and Extent. THIS state is part of the territory, formerly called the The Northwest Territory, and lies between 38° 10′ and 42° north latitude, and between 80° 30′ and 65° 45′ west longitude. It is west of Pennsylvania, and is bounded south by Ohio river, west by Indiana Territory; north by Michigan Territory, and lake Erie. It is 200 miles long, and about the same in breadth; containing, exclusive of the waters of lakes Erie and Sandusky, 25,043,637 acres.

Divisions and Population. This state was admitted into the Union, by act of Congress, in 1803. It is divided into 36 counties and 320 townships:

For judicial purposes the state is divided into three circuits.

Face of the Country. A few miles back from the Ohio, in the upper or northern parts of the state, the land is hilly, and, in some places, too rough to admit of cultivation.

In some parts of the country dividing the waters of the Ohio from the lakes, there are tracts, extending several miles, so flat that the water stands till midsummer. In some places one can travel for miles without seeing the earth, and, in that distance, he will find the water not more than from a foot to eighteen inches deep.

Rivers The Ohio, which has already been described, nearly half surrounds the state.

The Muskingum is a gentle river, 150 yards wide at its mouth, and navigable by large batteaux and barges, to the Three Legs; and, by small ones, to the lake at its head.

The Hockhocking is about twelve rods wide; navigable for large boats 70 miles, and for small ones much farther. The Scioto is passable for large barges for 200 miles, with a portage of only four miles to the Sandusky, a navigable stream that falls into lake Erie. The stream of Scioto is no where broken by falis: at some places, in the spring of the year it overflows its banks.

The Little Miami is too small for batteau navigation. The Great Miami has a very stuny channel, and a swift stream, but no falls, and is navigable for batteaux, for about 100 miles: it interlocks with the Scioto.

Grand river runs northwardly into lake Erie; its mouth is seventy yards wide.

Cayahoga empties in at the south bank of lake Erie, 40miles cast of the mouth of Huron.

Sandusky river rises near a branch of the Great Miami, and empties into the southwest corner of Sandusky Lake. Miami of the lakes falls into lake Erie, at the S. W. corner.

Soil, Productions, and Commerce. Large level bot-~ toms, or natural meadows, from 10 to 25 miles in circuit, are found bordering the rivers and variegating the country in the interior parts. These afford as rich a soil as can be imagined, and may be reduced to proper cultiva-tion with very little labor.

The country produces all the immediate necessaries of life in great plenty, and far beyond the present consump-1 tion of the inhabitants; the residue, with many other articles, such as hemp, cordage, hard ware, whiskey, apples, cider, and salted provisions, are carried down the river to New Orleans, where they find a ready market.

The forest trees are, maple or sugar trce, sycamore,

black and white mulberry, black and white walnut, butternut, white, black, Spanish, and chesnut oaks, hickory, cher, buckwood or horse chesnut, honey locust, ein, cucumber tree, lynn tree, gum tree, iron wood, ash, aspen, sassafras, crab apple tree, paupaw or custard apple, a variety of plum trees, and many kinds of grapes, from which the inhabitants universally might have a sufficiency for their own consumption of rich red wine. Grapes and hops are the natural productions of the country.

Mines. On the banks of the Hockhocking and Muskingum are inexhaustible quarries of free stone, and beds of iron ore. Coal mines are frequent in the eastern part of the state. Beds of white and blue clay are likewise found here, suitable for the manufacture of glass, crockery, and earthen wares.

Springs. There are salt springs in many parts of the state, particularly on the Scioto river.

Animals. Innumerable herds of deer and wild cattle heretofore were sheltered in the groves and fed in the extensive bottoms that abound in this state, but are now becoming scarce. Turkeys, geese, ducks, and other wild fowl are supposed to be in greater plenty here, than the tame poultry in any other part of America. The riv ers are well stored with fish.

Literature. The Ohio University is fixed at Athens, on the Hockhocking river, and endowed with 46,000 acres of land. The corporation consists of the governor of the state, for the time being, the president, and not more than fifteen, nor less than ten, trustees. In Feb. 1809, the legislature of this state passed an act establishing the Miami University, which has since been fixed in the town of Oxford, 34 miles N. W. of Cincinnati. Congress, about the year 1790, reserved a township of 23,000 acres of land in the county of Butler, for the purpose of supporting a University. This township has lately been located. The officers of this institution are to be a presi dent, and a board of trustees, to consist of twenty-two members, who are created a body politic. This institu tion is about to be organized, and to commence its operations.

Chief Towns. MARIETTA, the chief town in Washington county, is a handsome town standing on the west side of Ohio river, just above the mouth of the Muskin

gum. It is elegantly and commodiously laid out with spacious streets intersecting each other at right angles. It contains upwards of ninety dwelling houses, besides shops, stores, &c. a gaol, court house, an elegant congre'gational church, and academy. Within the limits of this town are those ancient and curious forts hereafter described.

CHILICOTHE, the chief town of Ross county, and the seat of government in the state, is on the west side of Scioto river, about 100 miles from its mouth, and a few miles above its junction with Paint creek. The town is laid out on an extensive plain, and contains about 150 dwelling houses, a gaol, state house, and 3 houses for public worship. In the midst of the town there is an Indian grave, the perpendicular height of which is forty or fifty feet.

CINCINNATI, on the north bank of the Ohio, opposite the mouth of Licking river, contains about 300 houses, two houses for public worship, two banks, and a market house. In this town was Fort Washington, which commenced the chain of forts, extending to the westward.

GALLIOPOLIS is situated nearly opposite the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, and has about 100 houses; the or riginal inhabitants were French people.

Antiquities and Curiosities. The number of old forts, found in this western country, are the admiration of the curious, and a matter of much speculation. They are mostly of an oblong form, situated on strong, well chosen ground, and contiguous to water. When, by whom, and for what purpose, these were thrown up, is uncertain. They are undoubtedly very ancient, as there is not the least visible difference in the age or size of the timber growing on or within these forts, and that which grows without; and the oldest natives have lost ali tradition rospecting them.

Under this head we may mention the extensive meadows, or, as the French call them, Prairies, which answer to what in the southern states are called Savannas. They are a rich plain, without trees, and are covered with grass. Some of these, in the western parts of this state, and in the Indiana and Illinois territories, are 30 or 40 mies in extent. In passing them, as far as the eye can reach, there is not a tree to be seen.

MICHIGAN TERRITORY.

THIS territory is bounded S. by the state of Ohio and the Indiana territory; W. by the Illinois territory; N. and E. by Upper Canada, from which it is separated by a small part of lake Superior, St. Mary's river, Huron lake and river, lake St. Clair, and Detroit river. The greatest length from S. E. to N. W. is 500 miles; from N. E. to S. W. it is 300.

The number of square miles, both of land and water, is estimated at 150,000.

The territory is at present divided into four districts. In the south is that of Erie; next lies the district of Detroit; next that of Huron; and in the north, the district of Michilimakinac.

In 1667, Lewis XIV. sent a party of soldiers to this ter ritory to protect the French fur traders. The soldiers, between that time and 1683, built a fort at Detroit, and another at Michilimakinac, and soun extended their commerce west of lake Michigan to the Indians on the Missisippi. The war in 1756 dispossessed the French of this territory. It remained in the hands of the British, till the peace of 1783 gave it to the United States, and a governor was appointed in July, 1787, for all the territory N. W. of the Ohio. In 1796 the fort of Detroit was ceded by the English to the United States, agreeably to treaty; and this fine peninsula was formed into a county, called the county of Wayne. In 1805, it received the name of the Michigan territory, was formed into a distinct government, and a governor appointed over it. The country is improving, and when the lands are put on sale, it is thought the population will rapidly increase.

The greater part of the inhabitants of this country are Catholics. The Protestants have no settled minister. The missionaries of the Methodists have made many converts among the lower orders of people.

According to the census of 1810, the population was as follows: