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In the mean time the United States are profiting by the convulfed fituation of Europe, and increafing, in a degree hitherto unparalleled in the hiftory of nations, in population and opu lence. Their power, commerce and agriculture, are rapidly on the increase, and the wisdom of the federal government has hitherto been fuch as to render the prospect of a settlement under its foftering influence truly inviting to the merchant, the manufacturer, the mechanic, and the induftrious labourer: nor have these alone found the United States advantageous; the perfecuted in France or England have there found an asylum, where their lives, property and liberty are fecure; where they may almost say, the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. Nor can any doubt be entertained, but in a fhort period the man of science, as well as the contemplative and experimental philofopher, will find the fhores of Columbia equally propitious to their wishes. Education is fending forth its illuminating rays, and its influence on the rifing generation will aid the Americans. in all their other pursuits.

The inhabitants of Europe are not infenfible of these favoura ble circumstances. The charms of civil and religious liberty, the advantages of an extenfive and fertile, but uncultivated country, of an increasing commerce, unfhackled and unencumbered by heavy and impolitic duties and impofts, have already invited numbers to leave its bofom---numbers, which the iron hand of perfecution and the awful prospects of inteftine division or abje&t flavery, will continue to increase.

The attention of Europe in general, and of Great-Britain in particular, being thus drawn to the new world, the Editor, at the request of fome particular friends, undertook the task, which he hopes he has in fome degree accomplished in the following volumes, of affording his countrymen an opportunity of becoming better acquainted with its fettlement by Europeans-the events that led to the establishment and independence of the United States---the nature of their government---their prefent fituation and advantages, together with their future profpects in commerce, manufactures and agriculture. This formed the principal defign of the work; but he farther wifhed with this to connect a geneal view of the fituation of the remaining European poffeffions in America and the Weft-India iflands; this has been therefore attempted, and nearly a volume is dedicated alone to this fubject.

Connected with the above, one object has been conftantly kept in view, namely, to afford the emigrator to America a fummary of general information, that may in fome measure ferve as a directory to him in the choice of a refidence, as well as in his after pursuits. This will be a fufficient excuse for the miscellaneous matter introduced in the third volume, at the clofe of the hiftory of the States. W. W.

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T is believed by many, that the ancients had fome imperfect notion of a new world; and several ancient authors are quoted in confirmation of this opinion. In a book afcribed to the philofopher Ariftotle, we are told that the Carthaginians discovered an ifland far beyond the pillars of Hercules, large, fertile, and finely watered with navigable rivers, but uninhabited. This ifland was distant a few days failing from the continent; its beauty induced the discoverers to settle there; but the policy of Carthage diflodged the colony, and laid a ftrict prohibition on all the fubjects of the state not to attempt any future establishment. This account is also confirmed by an historian of no mean credit, who relates, that the Tyrians would have fettled a colony on the new-discovered ifland, but were oppofed by the Carthaginians for ftate reasons. Seneca, and other authors are alfo quoted in fupport of this belief. But however this may be, nobody ever believed the existence of this continent so firmly as to go in queft of it; at least there are no accounts well sup ported that America received any part of its first inhabitants from Europe prior to the 15th century. The Welsh fondly imagine, that their country contributed, in 1170, to people the New World, by the adventure of Madoc, son of Owen Gwynedd, who, on the death of his father, failed there, and colonized part of the country. All that is advanced in proof is, a quotation from one of the British Poets, which proves no more than that he had distinguished himself by fea and land. It is pretended that he made two voyages; that failing West, he left Ireland so far to the North, that he came to a land unknown, where he faw many ftrange things; that he returned home, and, making a report of the fruitfulness of the new-difcovered country, prevailed on numbers of the Welsh of each lex to accompany him on a fecond voyage, from which he never returned. The favourers of this opinion affert, that several Welsh words, fuch as gwrando, "to hearken or liften;" the ifle of Creafo, or "welcome;" Cape Breton, from the name of Britain; gwynndwr, or, "the white water;" and pengwin, or "the "bird with a white head;" are to be found in the American

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