RELIGION AND CHARACTER.

The inhabitants of this State, who profefs the Chriftian religion, are of the Prefbyterian, Epifcopalian, Baptift, and Methodist denominations. They have but a few regular minifters among them.

No general character will apply to the inhabitants at large. Col lected from different parts of the world, as intereft, neceffity, or inclination led them, their character and manners muft, of course, partake of all the varieties which diftinguifh the feveral states and kingdoms from whence they came. There is fo little uniformity, that it is difficult to trace any governing principles among them. An averfion to labour is too predominant, owing in part to the relaxing heat of the climate, and partly to the want of neceffity to excite induftry. An open and friendly hofpitality, particularly to strangers, is an ornamental characteristic of a great part of this people.

Their diverfions are various. With fome, dancing is a favourite amufement; others take a fancied pleafure at the gaming table, which, however, frequently terminates in the ruin of their happiness, fortunes, and conititutions. In the upper counties, horse-racing and cock-fighting prevail, two cruel diverfions imported from Virginia

and

and the Carolinas, from whence thofe who practise them principally emigrated. But the moft rational and univerfal amufement is hunting; and for this Georgia is particularly well calculated, as the woods abound with plenty of deer, raccons, rabbits, wild turkeys, and other game; at the fame time the woods are fo thin and free from obstructions, that you may generally ride half speed in chace without danger in this amufement pleasure and profit are blended.* The exercise, more than any other, contributes to health, fits for activity in business and expertnefs in war; the game allo affords

:

The following account of a Georgia planter's method of spending his time is extracted from the American Museum for 1790:

About fix in the morning he quits his bed, and orders his horfe to be got ready; he then swallows a dram of bitters to prevent the ill effects of the early fogs, and sets out upon the tour of his plantation. In this route he takes an opportunity to flop at the negroe houses, and if he fees any lurking about home, whofe bufinefs it is to be in the field, he immediately inquires the caufe: if no fufficient cause be given, he applies his rattan whip to the shoulders of the flave, and obliges him inftantly to decamp. If fick-. nefs be alledged, the negroe is immediately fhut up in the fick-house, bled, purged, and kept on low diet, till he either dies or gets into a way of recovery. After having examined the overfeer relative to the welfare of the poultry, hogs, cattle, &c. he proceeds round the farm, takes a curfory view of the rice, corn, or indigo fields, and examines into the state of the fences and other inclosures; about the hour of eight, his circuit is finished, when, before he alights at his own door, a tribe of young negroes, in the primitive ftate of nakednefs, ruth out to meet him, and receive the horse.

Breakfast being over, he again mounts a fresh horfe, and rides to the county town, or the first public houfe in the neighbourhood, where he talks politics, inquires the price of produce, makes bargains, plays a game at all-fours, or appoints days for horse races or boxing matches; about four o'clock he returns, bringing with him' fome friends or acquaintance to dinner. If the company he lively or agreeable, he rarely rifes from table before fun fet. If it be a wet evening, or the weather very difagreeable, cards or converfation employ him till bed time. If it be fair and no moonlight, after an early fupper, a fire is kindled in a pan, and two or three of them fet out stored with fome bottles of brandy, preceded by a negroe who carries the fire, in order to shoot deer in the woods, as these creatures are so attracted by a light, that they conftantly stand still, and fix their eyes upon the blaze, by the reflection of which from the eye-ball they are eafily difcovered and hot. Sometimes, however, it happens, that tame cattle that have been Burned into the woods to range, are killed by mistake.

About midnight they return, according to luck, with or without game; their fhins and faces fadly fcratched, and themselves fit for nothing but to be put to bed. This is the general routine of existence among fuch of the Georgians as live in the more retired and woody parts of the State. Others have their weekly focieties, for fentimental and colloquial amufement; as to trade and bufinefs, it is entirely managed by overfeers and factors.

them a palatable food, and the skins a profitable article of com

merce.

TRADE AND MANUFACTURES.

The chief articles of export are rice, tobacco, of which the county of Wilkes only exported, in 1788, about three thousand hogsheads, indigo, fago, lumber of various kinds, naval ftores, leather, deer fkins, fnake root, myrtle and bees wax, corn, and live stock. The planters and farmers raise large ftocks of cattle, from one hundred to fifteen hundred head, and fome more.

The amount of exports in the year ending September 30th, 1791x was four hundred and ninety-one thousand four hundred and seventy-two dollars. In return for the enumerated exports, are imported Weft-India goods, teas, wines, various articles of cloathing, and dry goods of all kinds. From the northern States, cheese, fish, potatoes, apples, cyder, and fhoes. The imports and exports of this State are principally to and from Savannah, which has a fine harbour, and is a place where the principal commercial business of the State is tranfacted. The trade with the Indians in furs and skins was very confiderable before the war, but has fince been interrupted by the wars in which they have been involved. The manufactures of this State have hitherto been very inconfiderable, if we except indigo, filk, and fago. The manner in which the indigo is cultivated and manufactured is as follows: the ground, which must be a ftrong rich foil, is thrown into beds of feven or eight feet wide, aster having been made very mellow, and is then raked till it is fully pulverized: the feed is then fown in April, in rows at such a distance as conveniently to admit of hoeing between them. In July the first crop is fit to cut, being commonly two and a half feet high; it is then thrown into vats conftructed for the purpofe, and steeped about thirty hours; after which, the liquor is drawn off into other vats, where it is beat, as they call it, by which means it is thrown into much such a state of agitation as cream is by churning. After this procefs, lime water is put into the liquor, which caufes the particles of indigo to fettle at the bottom. The liquor is then drawn off, and the fediment, which is the indigo, is taken out and fpread on cloths, and partly dried; it is then put into boxes and pressed, and, while it is yet soft, cut into fquare pieces, which are thrown into the fun to dry, and then put up in cafks for the market. They have commonly three cuttings a feafon. A middling crop for thirty acres is one thoufand three hundred pounds.

The

The culture of filk and the manufacture of fago are at present but little attended to. The people in the lower part of this State manufacture none of their own cloathing for themselves or their negroes: for almost every article of their wearing apparel, as well as for their husbandry tools, they depend on their merchants, who import them from Great-Britain and the northern States. In the upper parts of the country, however, the inhabitants manufacture the chief part of their cloathing from cotton, hemp, and flax; and in general manufactures are on the increase,

STATE OF LITERATURE.

The literature of this State, which is yet in its infancy, is commencing on a plan which affords the most flattering profpects. It feems to have been the defign of the legiflature of this State, as far as poffible, to unite their literary concerns, and provide for them in common, that the whole might feel the benefit, and no part be neglected or left a prey to party rage, private prejudices and contentions, and confequent ignorance, their infeparable attendant. For this purpose, the literature of this State, like its policy, appears to be confidered as one object, and in the fame manner fubject to common and general regulations for the good of the whole. The charter, containing their prefent fyftem of education, was paffed in the year 1785. A college, with ample and liberal endowments, is inftituted in Louisville, a high and healthy part of the country, near the center of the State. There is also provision made for the inftitu tion of an academy in each county in the State, to be fupported from the fame funds, and confidered as parts and members of the fame in ftitution, under the general fuperintendence and direction of a prefi. dent and board of trustees, appointed, for their literary accomplish ments, from the different parts of the State, invefted with the cuflomary powers of corporations. The inftitutions thus compofed, and united is denominated, "The University of Georgia."

That this body of literati, to whom is intrufted the direction of the general literature of the State, may not be fo detached and indepen dent, as not to poffefs the confidence of the State; and, in order to fecure the attention and patronage of the principal officers of government, the governor and council, the fpeaker of the House of Affembly, and the chief justice of the State, are affociated with the board of trustees, in fome of the great and more folemn duties of their office, fuch as making the laws, appointing the president, fettling

T

tling the property, and inftituting academies. Thus affociated, they are denominated, "The Senate of the University," and are to hold a ftated, annual meeting, at which the governor of the State prefides.

The Senate appoint a board of commiffioners in each county, for the particular management and direction of the academy, and the other schools in each county, who are to receive their instructions from, and are accountable to the Senate. The rector of each academy is an officer of the univerfity, to be appointed by the prefident, with the advice of the trustees, and commiffioned under the public feal, and is to attend with the other officers at the annual meeting of the Senate, to deliberate on the general interefts of literature, and to determine on the courfe of inftruction for the year, throughout the univerfity. The prefident has the general charge and overfight of the whole, and is from time to time to vifit them, to examine into their order and performances.

The funds for the fupport of their inftitution are principally in lands, amounting in the whole to about fifty thoufand acres, a great part of which is of the best quality, and at prefent very valuable. There are alfo nearly fix thousand pounds fterling in bonds, houfes and town lots in the town of Augufta. Other public property, to the amount of one thousand pounds in each county, has been set apart for the purposes of building and furnishing their respective academics.

CONSTITUTION.

The prefent conftitution of this State was formed and established in the year 1789, and is nearly upon the plan of the conftitution of

the United States.

INDIAN S.

The Muskogee, or Creek Indians, inhabit the middle part of this State, and are the moft numerous tribe of Indians of any within the limits of the United States: their whole number fome years fince was seventeen thousand two hundred and eighty, of which five thou fand eight hundred and fixty were fighting men. They are compofed of various tribes, who, after bloody wars, thought it good policy to unite and fupport themselves against the Chactaws, &c. They confift of the Appalachies, Alibamas, Abecas, Cawittaws, Coofas, Confhacks, Coofactees, Chacfihoomas, Natchez, Oconies, Oakmulgies, Okohoys, Pakanas, Taenfas, Talepoofas, Weetumkas, and fome

others,