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are covered with grafs, and afford good pafturage. The lands eaft of Nolin creek, a branch of Green river, are in general of an inferior quality; but the banks of Green river afford many defirable fituations.

Towards the head waters of Kentucky river, which interlock with the waters of Cumberland and Sandy rivers, and the whole country eastward and fouth-eastward as far as the Holftein river, is broken, mountainous, and almost impenetrable; and from the defcription given by hunters, it is mach doubted whether it will ever be practicable to make a paffable road from Kentucky across to Winchester, in Virginia, on the eaft fide of the mountains, which, on a straight line, is not perhaps more than 400 miles, and the way now travelled is 600.

No country will admit of being thicker fettled with farmers, who confine themselves to agriculture, than this. But large ftocks of cattle, except in the neighbourhood of barrens, cannot be raised.

Elkhorn river, a branch of the Kentucky, from the south-east, waters a country fine beyond defcription. Indeed, the country eaft and fouth of this, including the head waters of Licking river, Hickman's and Jef famine creeks, and the remarkable bend in Kentucky river, may be called an extenfive garden. The foil is deep and black, and the natural growth, large walnuts, honey and black locuft, poplar, elm, oak, hickory, fugar tree, &c. Grape vines, running to the tops of the trees; and the furface covered with clover, blue glafs, and wild rye. On this fertile tract, and on the Licking river, and the head waters of Salt river, are the bulk of the fettlements in this country. The foil within a mile or two of Kentucky river is generally of the third and fourth rates; and as you advance towards the Ohio, the land is poor and hilly.

Dick's river runs through a great body of firft rate land, abounding with cane, and affords many excellent mill feats. Salt river has good lands on its head waters, except that they are low and unhealthy, but for 25 miles before it empties into the Ohio, the land on each fide is level and poor, and abounds with ponds.

Cumberland river, fo much of it as paffes through Kentucky, traverses, fome few parts excepted, a hilly poor country.

Green river overflows its banks a confiderable way up, at the feafon when the Ohio fwells, which is in April. This fwell in Green river, occafions feveral of its large branches to overflow, and cover the low grounds with water, leaves and vegetable fubftances, which in fummer become noxious and unhealthy. Its banks are fine and fertile. There is a great body of good land near the falls or rapids in the Ohio, called Bare grafs; but the climate is rendered unhealthy by ponds of ftagnant water, which may be easily drained.

This country in general is well timbered. Of the natural growth which is peculiar to this country, we may reckon the fugar, the coffee, the papaw, and the cucumber tree. The two laft are a foft wood, and bear a fruit of the fhape and fize of a cucumber. The coffee tree resembles the black oak, and bears a pod, which enclofes good coffee. Befides thefe there is the honey locuft, black mulberry, wild cherry, of a large fize, buckeye, an exceedingly foft wood-the magnolia, which bears a beautiful bloffom of a rich and exquifite fragrance. Such is the variety and beauty of the flowering fhrubs and plants which grow fpontaneously in

this country, that in the proper season the wilderness appears in blosfom.

The accounts of the fertility of the foil in this country have, in fome, inftances, exceeded belief; and probably have been exaggerated.-That fome parts of Kentucky, particularly the high grounds, are remarkably good, all accounts agree. The lands of the firft rate are too rich for wheat, and will produce 50 and 60, and in some instances, it is affirmed, ioo bushels of good corn, an acre. In common, the land will produce 30 bushels of wheat or rye an acre. Barley, oats, cotton, flax, hemp, and vegetables of all kinds common in this climate, yield abundantly. The old Virginia planters fay, that if the climate does not prove too moist, few foils known will yield more and better tobacco.

In the rivers are plenty of buffalo and catfish of uncommon fize, falmon, mullet, rock, perch, garfish, eel, fuckers, funfifh, &c.-Trout, shad and herrings have not been caught in the western waters.

Swamps are rare in Kentucky; and of course the reptiles which they produce, fuch as fnakes, frogs, &c. are not numerous. The honey-bee may be called a domeftic infect, as it is not found but in civilized countries. This is confirmed by a faying which is faid to be common among the Indians, when they fee a swarm of bees in the woods, Well, brothers, it is time for us to decamp, for the white people are coming.' The quadrupeds, except the buffalo, are the faine as in Virginia and Carolinas.

Climate.] Healthy and delightful, fome few places in the neighbourhood of ponds and low grounds excepted. The inhabitants do not experience the extremes of heat and cold. Snow feldom falls deep, or lies long. The winter, which begins about Christmas, is never longer than three months, and is commonly but two, and is fo mild as that cattle can fubfift without fodder.

Chief Towns.] LEXINGTON, which ftands on the head waters of Elkhorn river, is reckoned the capital of Kentucky. Here the courts are held, and bufinefs regularly conducted. In 1786, it contained about 100 houfes, and feveral ftores, with a good affortment of dry goods. It must have greatly increased since.

LEESTOWN is weft of Lexington on the eaftern bank of Kentucky river. It is regularly laid out, and is flourishing. The banks of Kentucky iver are remarkably high, in fome places 3 and 400 feet, compofed generally of ftupendous perpendicular rock; the confequence is, there are few croffing places. The best is at Leeftown, which is a circumftance that must contribute much to its increase.

Louifville ftands on the Kentucky fide of the Ohio, oppofite Clarkfville, at the falls, in a fertile country, and promifes to be a place of great trade. Its unhealthinefs, owing to ftagnated waters back of the town, has confiderably retarded its growth. Befides thefe there is Bardstown, in Nelfon county, and Harrberg, in Mercer county, both on the head waters of Salt river; Danville, Boonsborough and Granville are also increafing towns.

Population and Character.] It is impoffible to afcertain, with any degree of accuracy, the prefent number of inhabitants; owing to the num Dd 3

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rous acceffions which are made almoft every month. In 1783, in the county of Lincoln only, there were, on the militia rolls, 3570 men, chiefly emigrants from the lower parts of Virginia. In 1784, the number of in-. habitants were reckoned at upwards of 30,000. From the accounts of their aftonishing increafe fince, we may now fafely eftimate them at 100,000. It is afferted that at leaft 20,000 migrated here in the year 1787. Thefe people, collected from different ftates, of different manners, cuftoms, religions, and political fentiments, have not been long enough together to form a uniform and distinguishing character. Among the fettlers there are many gentlemen of abilities, and many genteel families,. from feveral of the ftates, who give dignity and refpectability to the fettlement. They are, in general, more orderly, perhaps, than any people who have fettled a new country.

Religion.] The Baptifts are the most numerous religious feet in Kentucky. In 1787 they had 16 churches eftablished, befides feveral congregations where churches were not conftituted. Thefe were fupplied with upwards of 30 minifters or teachers. There are feveral large congregations of Prefbyterians, and fome few of other denominations.

Government.] The fame as Virginia. But they expect to be admitted into the union as an independent state, in a convenient time after the new government is put in operation. The inconveniencies to which they are neceffarily fubjected, from their connection with Virginia, are great. Thefe inconveniencies the legislature of Virginia have confidered; and, in their feffion of 1786, paffed an act, providing, on their part, for the erection of the district of Kentucky into an independent ftate. In no part of the United States is juftice adminiftered with more propriety and difpatch.

Literature and Improvements.] The legislature of Virginia have made provifion for a college in Kentucky, and have endowed it with very con fiderable landed funds. The Rev. John Todd has given a very handfome, library for its ufe. Schools are established in the feveral towns, and, in general, regularly and handfomely fupported. They have a printing office, and publifh a weekly Gazette. They have erected a paper-mill, an oil mill, fulling mills, faw mills, and a great number of valuable grift mills. Their falt works are more than fufficient to fupply all the inhabitants, at a low price. They make confiderable quantities of fugar from the fugar trees. Labourers, particularly tradefinen, are exceedingly wanted here. No tradefman will work for less than fifty per cent, advance upon the Philadelphian price.

Curiofities.] The banks, or rather precipices, of Kentucky and Dick's rivers, are to be reckoned among the natural curiofities of this country. Here the aftonifhed eye beholds 3 or 400 feet of folid perpendicular rock, in fome parts of the lime-ftone kind, and in others of fine white marble, curioufly chequered with ftrata of aftonifhing regularity. Thefe rivers have the appearance of deep, artificial canals Their banks are level, and covered with red-cedar groves.

Caves have been difcovered in this country, of feveral miles in length, under a fine lime-ftone rock, fupported by curious arches and pillars.

* This county, it is to be remembered, has fince been divided.

Springs

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Springs that emit fulphurous matter have been found in feveral parts of the country. One is near a falt spring, in the neighbourhood of Boonfborough. There are three springs or ponds of bitumen near Green river, which do not form a stream, but empty themselves into a common refervoir, and when used in lamps, answer all the purposes of the best oil. Copperas and alum are among the minerals of Kentucky. Near Lexington are found curious fepulchres full of human skeletons. I have been told that a man, in or near Lexington, having dug 5 or 6 feet below the furface of the ground, came to a large flat stone, under which was a well of common depth, regularly and artificially ftoned.

Hiftory.] * The first white man we have certain accounts of, who discovered this province, was one James M'Bride, who in company with some others, in the year 1754, paffing down the Ohio in canoes, landed at the mouth of Kentucky river, and there marked a tree, with the first letters of his name, and the date, which remains to this day. These men re connoitred the country, and returned home with the pleasing news of their difcovery of the best tract of land in North America, and probably in the world. From this period it remained concealed till about the year 1767, when one John Finley and fome others, trading with the Indians, fortunately travelled over the fertile region, now called Kentucky, then but known to the Indians, by the name of the Dark and Bloody Grounds, and sometimes the Middle Ground. This country greatly engaged Mr. Finley's attention. Some time after disputes arifing between the Indians and traders, he was obliged to decamp; and returned to his place of refidence in North-Carolina, where he communicated his difcovery to Col. Daniel Boon, and a few more, who conceiving it to be an interefting object, agreed in the year 1769 to undertake a journey in order to explore it. After a long fatiguing march, over a mountainous wilder-: ness, in a westward direction, they at length arrived upon its borders; and from the top of an eminence, with joy and wonder, defcried the beauti ful landscape of Kentucky. Here they encamped, and some went to hunt provifions, which were readily procured, there being plenty of game, while Col. Boon and John Finley made a tour through the country, which they found far exceeding their expectations, and returning to camp, informed their companions of their discoveries: But in spite of this promifing beginning, this company, meeting with nothing but hardships and adverfity, grew exceedingly disheartened, and was plundered, difperfed and killed by the Indians, except Col. Boon, who continued an inhabitant of the wilderness until the year 1771, when he returned home.

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About this time Kentucky had drawn the attention of feveral gentlemen. Doctor Walker of Virginia, with a number more, made a tour westward for difcoveries, endeavouring to find the Ohio river; and afterwards he and General Lewis, at Fort Stanwix, purchased from the Five Nations of Indians the lands lying on the north fide of Kentucky. Col. Donaldson, of Virginia, being employed by the state to run a line from fix miles above the Long Island, on Holstein, to the mouth of the Great

* The following history is mostly taken from Mr. John Filson's account of the discovery and settlement of Kentucky. To this gentleman I am indebted for much of the information contained in the foregoing description.

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Kanhaway,

Kanhaway, and finding thereby that an extensive tract of excellent country would be cut off to the Indians, was folicited, by the inhabitants of Clench and Holstein, to purchase the lands lying on the north fide of Kentacky river from the Five Nations. This purchafe he completed for five hundred pounds, fpecie. It was then agreed, to fix a boundary line, running from the Long Island on Holftein to the head of Kentucky river; thence down the fame to the mouth; thence up the Ohio to the mouth of Great Kanhaway; but this valuable purchase the state refused to confirm.

Col. Henderfon, of North-Carolina, being informed of this country by Col. Boon, he, and fome other gentlemen, held a treaty with the Cherokee Indians at Wataga, in March 1775, and then purchased from them the lands lying on the fouth fide of Kentucky river for goods, at valuable rates, to the amount of 4.6000 fpecie.

Soon after this purchase, the state of Virginia took the alarm, agreed to pay the money Col. Donaldfon had contracted for, and then difputed Col. Henderfon's right of purchase, as a private gentleman of another ftate, in behalf of himfelf: However, for his eminent fervices to this country, and for having been inftrumental in making fo valuable an acquifition to Virginia, that state was pleased to reward him with a tract of land, at the mouth of Green river, to the amount of 200,000 acres; and the ftate of North-Carolina gave him the like quantity in Powel's Valley. This region was formerly claimed by various tribes of Indians; whofe title, if they had any, originated in fuch a manner, as to render it doubtful which ought to poffefs it: Hence this fertile fpot became an object of contention, a theatre of war, from which it was properly denominated the Bloody Grounds. Their contentions not being likely to decide the right to any particular tribe, as foon as Mr. Henderfon and his friends propofed to purchase, the Indians agreed to fell; and notwithstanding the valuable confideration they received, have continued ever fince troublefome neighbours to the new fettlers.'

The progrefs in improvements and cultivation which have been made in this country, almoft exceeds belief.-Eleven years ago Kentucky lay in foreft, almoft uninhabited but by wild beasts. Now, notwithstanding the united oppofition of all the western Indians, fhe exhibits an extenfive fettlement, divided into feven large and populous counties, in which are a number of flourishing little towns-containing more inhabitants than are in Georgia, Delaware, or Rhode-Ifland ftates-and nearly or quite as many as in New-Hampshire. An inftance of the like kind, where a fettlement has had fo large and fo rapid a growth, can fcarcely be produced from the page of history.

NORTH

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