LOUISIANA,

NOW CEDED BY SPAIN TO THE UNITED STATES.

THIS province, which extends from the Mississippi to New Mexico, is in general level. The eastern part, which borders on the Mississippi, is one continued plain; and the whole country is remarked for its exuberant fertility, its flowery meadows, and its luxuriant forests. The soil, with little cultivation, would afford grain in the greatest abundance: and the timber is as fine as any in America. Perhaps no country on the surface of the globe affords greater quantities of oak, ash, mulbery, walnut, cypress, and cedar; and the neighbourhood of the Mississippi, as well as several other districts, produces the finest fruits in the greatest abundance and variety.* The climate in the southern parts is hot and moist, resembling that of West Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas: in the north it is pleasant and salubrious, but colder than under the same parallels in Europe.

Cities and towns.]-A city, which was to be called New Madrid, was, about twenty years ago, planned nearly in the latitude 36° 30′ north, on the west bank of the Mississippi, and about forty-five miles below the mouth of the Ohio.† The situation is described by Morse as extremely delightful, and possessing great commercial advantages. But we have no recent information relative to the state of this intended new capital of Louisiana.(a)

New Orleans.]-New Orleans is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi, about 105 miles from the mouth of that river, and nearly in 30° north latitude. This city, from being the general receptacle of the produce of the whole interior of North America, and an emporium of trade between that continent and the West-Indies, must one day become a place of extraordinary commercial importance.§

Morse's Amer. Geog. p. 567.

† Ibid. p. 568.

(a) [The sanguine expectations of its founder have not been realized.] § Morse's Amer. Geog. p. 567.

BRITISH AMERICA.

CHAP. I.

Situation.....Extent.....Boundaries.....Face of the Country......Mountains...... Rivers....Canals....Lakes......Mineralogy.....Mineral Waters.....Soil....Climate..... Vegetable Productions....Zoology.....Natural Curiosities....Antiquities and Artificial Curiosities.

IN

In regard to political importance, the Spanish possessions of Old and New Mexico, &c. would claim the next place after the United states. For the sake of uniformity, however, it appears more eligible to exhibit Spanish America in one concentrated view, and to proceed in this place to a description of the British and Indian possessions in this part of the continent. The British possessions, although in a disadvantageous climate, and thinly peopled, are of considerable importance in commerce. They consist of Canada, New Brunswick, Novascotia, the isl ands of Newfoundland, Cape Breton, (a) and Bermudas. The chief of those is Canada, now divided into two provinces, the Upper and the Lower. Canada extends from the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in longitude 64° to about 97° west, and from 43° to about 49° north latitude, its length from east to west being about 1200, and its breadth from north to south about 360 geographical miles.

Face of the country.]-The face of the country is diversified with mountains, forests, and beautiful planes, or savannas. Mountains. The mountains having never been either geologically, or geographically examined; neither their structure nor their ranges can be described with any degree of precision.

(a) [New Britain and St. John's Island should not be here omitted.]

Rivers, &c.]-The great river of St. Lawrence has been already described, as well as the lakes.* There are many other lakes and rivers of less consequence, of which the enumeration would be tedious: of these, the Attawas is the chief.

Mineralogy, soil, &c.]-The mineralogy, as far as it is yet known, is of little importance. There are, however, some veins of lead, with a small intermixture of silver.† Iron seems to be rare but little can be said of the mineralogy of a country so little explored; nor have we any information of its mineral waters. The soil is various in this extensive territory; but in general fertile. In Lower Canada, it consists mostly of a blackish earth, of about a foot deep, on a bed of clay. The island of Orleans, near Quebec, and the lands on the St. Lawrence, and other rivers, are remarkable for the richness of their soil. The meadow grounds, or savannas, are for the most part exceedingly fertile. The severity of the climate, however, counterbalances the fertility of the soil. Though Canada is situated in the temperate latitude of France, the cli mate corresponds with that of the middle of Russia, or even with that of the parallel of 60 degrees in Siberia. The extremes of heat and cold are astonishing. Winter reigns with such severity from December to April, that the largest rivers are frozen; and the snow generally lies from four to six feet deep during the whole of that season. In January the cold is so intense, that it is dangerous being any long time out of doors, as an imprudent exposure to what is called the frost bite, may occasion the loss of a limb. Here, however, as at Petersburg, winter is the season of amusement; and the sledges, drawn by one or two horses, afford an easy and speedy conveyance in travelling; but on going abroad, all parts of the body, except the eyes, must be thickly covered with furs. During this rigorous season, however, the air is serene and healthful. In May, the thaw comes suddenly; and, as in the northern countries of Europe, vegetation is instantaneous. The summer heats are as oppressive as the cold of winter is piercing. September is generally one of the most agreeable months.

* See General View of North America. † Kalm's Trav. vol. 2. p. 349. Morse's Amer. Geog. p. 113. §Ibid. 112. flbid. 112.

Vegetable productions.]-The vegetable productions correspond in general with those of the United States. Among the principal may be reckoned wheat, and all kinds of grain. There is also a kind of vine which produces a small sour grape, and is indigenous.* Many of the culinary vegetables and fruits of Europe, especially gooseberries, raspberries, &c. are met with in Canada; and some tobacco is cultivated for private use. The forests afford immense quantities of timber of various kinds: oak, elm, beech, pine, chesnut, walnut, sycamore, ash, &c. The sugar maple also abounds, and furnishes a useful supply of that article for home consumption.

Zoology. The zoology, as well as the botany of Canada, is in a great measure the same as that of the United States. The moose, the rein-deer, (a) and the beaver, however, are more numerous in the former, than in the latter territory.

Natural curiosities, &c.]-The chief natural curiosities are the vast lakes, rivers, and cataracts. The celebrated falls of Niagara, between Canada and the United States, are equalled by no other cataract yet known in the world. The river on the side of Upper Canada is 600 yards wide, and the fall about forty-seven yards: on the side of the states the breadth is 350 yards, and the height of the fall about 54 yards. A small island lying in the middle separates the two cataracts. From the weight of water in those two immense sheets, and the height of its fall, a cloud constantly ascends, which is visible at a great distance; and the whole scene is beyond conception sublime.

Weld's Trav. vol. 1. p. 381.

(a) [The rein-deer are not known in the United States.]

e [Among the natural curiosities of Canada may be mentioned the falls of Montmorency, near Quebec, surpassing in beauty those of Niagara, and in height any other in the known world. AM. ED.]

CHAP. II.

Principal cities and towns....Edifices, &c.

Quebec.-QUEBEC is the capital not only of Canada, but of all British America. This city is situated on a lofty point of land, at the confluence of the river St. Charles with that of St. Lawrence, and on the north-west side of the latter. It consists of two towns, the Upper and the Lower: the Upper town, seated on a rock of lime stone, is strong by nature, and well fortified; but the Lower town, which is next the river, and inhabited chiefly by fishermen and mariners, is open to attack. A strong garrison is maintained in Quebec; but 5000 men would be requisite to man the works. The houses both of the Upper and Lower town are of stone, but somewhat small and inconvenient. The monasteries are almost extinct, but here are three nunneries. This city is supposed to contain about 15,000 inhabitants ; and the residence of the governor, and garrison, with the courts of law, contribute to give it a lively appearance. It has already been mentioned, that the river St. Lawrence is five miles wide a little below the town, which is nearly 400 miles from the sea. Its depth corresponding with its breadth, affords a capacious harbour, in which a fleet of 100 sail of the line may lie just below the town. The environs of Quebec present a most sublime and beautiful scenery.

Montreal.]-The second city of Canada is Montreal, a handsome town, situated on the east side of an island in the river St. Lawrence, and at the place of its junction with the Utawa, which forms the boundary between Upper and Lower Canada.

Morse's Amer. Geog. p. 113. Pinkerton states the number at no more than 10,000. Geog. vol. 2. p. 623. [The number of inhabitants in this city in 1806, according to Heriot, was 15,000. AM. ED.]