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eastward, named, Eaft Firft ftrcet, Eaft Second Street, &c. and those weft of it are in the fame manner called West First street, Weft Second street, &c. thofe running eaft and weft are from the capito! northward named, North A ftreet, North B ftreet, &c. and thofe fouth of it are called South A street, South B ftreet, &c.

The fquares, or divifions of the city, have their numbers inferted in the plan, and amount to eleven hundred and fifty. The rectangular fquares generally contain from three to fix acres, and are divided into lots of from forty to eighty feet front, and their depth from about one hundred and ten to three hundred feet, according to the size of the fquare.

The irregular divifions produced by the diagonal streets are fome of them small, but are generally in valuable fituations. Their acute points are all to be cut off at forty feet, fo that no houfe in the city will have an acute corner. The lots in thefe irregular fquares will all turn at a right angle with the refpective ftreets, although the backs of the houses upon them will not stand parallel to one another, which is a matter of little or no confequence.

By the rules declared and publifhed by the Prefident of the United States, for regulating the buildings within the city, all houfes must be of ftone or brick-their walls must be parallel to the streets, and either placed immediately upon them, or withdrawn therefrom at pleasure. The walls of all houfes upon streets one hundred and fixty feet wide must be at least thirty feet high; but there is no obligation imposed to build or improve in any limited time.

The area for the capitol, or house for the legiflative bodies, is fituated upon the most beautiful eminence in the city, about a mile from the Eastern Branch, and not much more from the Potomack, commanding a full and complete view of every part of the city, as well as a confiderable extent of the country around. The Prefident's house will stand upon a rifing ground, not far from the banks of the Potomack, poffeffing a delightful water prospect, together with a commanding view of the capitol, and fome other material parts of the city.

Due fouth from the Prefident's houfe, and due weft from the capitol, run two great pleasure parks or malls, which interfect and terminate upon the banks of the Potomack, and are to be ornamented at the fides by a variety of elegant buildings, and houses for foreign minifters, &c.

Interfperfed through the city, where the most material streets. cross one another, are a variety of open areas, formed in various regular figures, which in great cities are extremely useful and ornamental.

Fifteen of the best of these areas are to be appropriated to the different States compofing the Union; not only to bear their refpective names, but as proper places for them to erect statues, obelisks, or columns, to the memory of their favourite eminent men. Upon the fmall eminence, where a line due weft from the capitol, and due fouth from the Prefident's house would interfect, is to be erected an equeftrian ftatue of GENERAL WASHINGTON The building where Maffachusetts and Georgia ftreet meets, is intended for a Marine Hofpital, with its gardens.

The area at the fouth end of Eaft Eight street is for the general exchange, and its public walks, &c.-The broad black line, which runs along part of North B ftreet, and, feparating, joins the Eastern Branch at two places, is a canal, which is to be eighty feet wide, and eight feet deep. The area, where South G ftreet croffes the canal, is intended to contain a city hall, and a bason of water; there being a very large fpring in the middle of it.

The area, at the junction of the rivers, is for a fort, magazines, and arfenals.

At the east end of Eaft Capitol ftreet is to be a bridge, and the present ferry is at the lower end of Kentucky ftreet, where the great road now croffes the Eastern Branch. The Tiber, which is the principal ftream that paffes through the city, is to be collected in a grand refervoir befide the capitol, from whence it will be carried in pipes to different parts of the city; while its furplus will fall down in beautiful cafcades, through the public gardens weft of the capitol into the canal. In various parts of the city, places are allotted for market houfes, churches, colleges, theatres, &c. In order to execute the plan, a true meridional line was drawn by celestial obfervation, which paffes through the area intended for the capitol. This line was crof fed by another, running due eaft and weft, which paffes through the fame area. These lines were accurately measured, and made the bafis on which the whole plan was executed. All the lines were ran by a tranfit inftrument, and the acute angles determined by actual measurement, thus leaving nothing to the uncertainty of the compaís.

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The President of the United States in locating the feat of the city, prevailed upon the proprietors of the foil to cede a certain portion of the lots in every fituation, to be fold by his direction, and the proceeds to be folely applied to the public buildings, and other works of public utility within the city. This grant will produce about fifteen thoufand lots, and will be fufficient, not only to erect the public buildings, but to dig the canal, conduct water through the city, and to pave and light the ftreets, which will fave a heavy tax that arifes in other cities, and confequently render the lots confiderably more valuable.

The grants of money made by Virginia and Maryland being fufficient, few of the public lots were fold, till the 17th day of September, 1793, when the demand was confiderable, as the monied men in Europe and America had turned their attention to this great national object.

At the clofe of the year 1792, most of the streets were run, and the fquares divided into lots. The canal was partly dug, and the greatest part of the materials provided for the public buildings, which are entirely of freeftone polifhed, and are now carrying on with all poffible expedition. Several private houses were erected, and a great many proprietors of lots were preparing to build. The city now makes a noble appearance, many of the public buildings being in great forwardness, or finished, and a great number of houfes built. In the month of June laft, eleven thousand artificers, befides labourers, were employed in the different works.

The public lots in the city of Washington open a large field for fpeculation in America, and there is every probability of their being run up to an enormous price, as the public buildings are advanced; for although lands in America, from their quantity, are less valuable than thofe in Britain, yet lots in cities generally fell high.

STATE

STATE OF

VIRGINIA.

SITUATION, EXTENT, &c.

THIS State is fituated between 0 and 8 weft longitude from

Philadelphia, and 36° 30′, and 40° 30′ north latitude. Its length is about four hundred and forty-fix miles, and its breadth two hundred and twenty-four. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic, on the north by a line of latitude, croffing the eastern fhore through Watkins's Point, being about 37° 57′ north latitude; from thence by a straight fine to Cinquac, near the mouth of the Potomack; thence by the Potomack, which is common to Virginia and Maryland, to the first foumtain of its northern branch; thence by a meridian line, paffing through that fountain till it interfects a line running east and weft, in latitude 39° 43′ 42 4′′ which divides Maryland from Pennsylvania, which was marked by Meffrs. Mason and Dixon; thence by that line, and a continuation of it weftwardly to the completion of five degrees of longitude from the eaftern boundary of Pennsylvania, in the fame latitude, and thence by a meridian line to the Ohio; on the weft by the Ohio and Miffiffippi, to latitude 36° 30′ north; and on the fouth by the line of latitude laft-mentioned. By admeasure. ments through nearly the whole of this laft line, and fupplying the unmeasured parts from good data, the Atlantic and Miffiffippi are found in this latitude to be feven hundred and fifty-eight miles dif tant, equal to 13° 38′ of longitude, reckoning fifty-five miles and three thousand one hundred and forty-four feet to the degree. This being our comprehenfion of American longitude, that of their latitude, taken between this and Mafon and Dixon's line, is 3° 13′ 42 4′′, equal to about

VOL. III.

L

about two hundred and twenty-three miles, fuppofing a degree of a great circle to be fixty-nine miles, eight hundred and fixty-four feet as computed by Caffini.. Thefe boundaries include an area fomewhat triangular, of one hundred and twenty-one thousand five hundred and twenty-five fquare miles, whereof, feventy-nine thousand fix hundred and fifty lie weftward of the Allegany mountains, and fifty-feven thoufand and thirty-four weftward of the meridian of the mouth of the Great Kanhawa. This State is therefore one third larger than the islands of Great-Britain and Ireland, which are reckoned at eighty-eight thousand three hundred and fifty-feven fquare miles.

Thefe limits refult from, 1ft, The antient charters from the crown of England. zd, The grant of Maryland to Lord Baltimore, and the fubfequent determinations of the Britiflf court as to the extent of that grant. 3d, The grant of Pentfylvania to William Penn, and a compact been the General Affemblies of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Pennsylvania as to the extent of that grant. 4th, The grant of Carolina, and actual location of its northern boundary, by confent of both parties. 5th, The treaty of Paris of 1763. 6th, The confirmation of the charters of the neighbouring States by the Convention of Virginia at the time of conftituting their Commonwealth. 7th, The ceffion made by Virginia to Congrefs of all the lands to which they had title on the north fide of the Ohio.

CLIMATE.

In an extenfive country, it will be expected that the climate is not the fame in all its parts. It is remarkable that, proceeding on the fame parallel of latitude wefterly, the climate becomes colder in like manner as when you proceed northwardly. This continues to be the cafe till you attain the fummit of the Allegany, which is the highest land between the ocean and the Miffiffippi. From thence, defcending in the fame latitude to the Miffif pi, the change reverfes; and, if we may believe travellers, it becomes warmer there than it is in the fame latitude on the fea fide. Their teftimony is ftrengthened by the vegetables and animals which fubfift and multiply there naturally, and do not on the fea coaft. Thus catalpas grow fpontaneously on the Miffiffippi, as far as the latitude of 37°, and reeds as far as 38°. Parroquets even winter on the Scioto, in the 39th degree of latitude.

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