sixty young ladies, boarders, and fifteen as day scholars; within the nunnery enclosure, but detached from the academy, and approached from a differ. ent street, there is a large establishment for young girls, who are taught gratuitously. At the Lancasterian school, which was the first institution of the kind established upon Lancaster's plan in the United States, there are about 100 boys in the male, and near the same number of girls in the female department. This institution has been in operation about twenty years, and is supported by the corporation under the supervision of a board of trustees incorporated with the name of the "Lancaster School Society of Georgetown;" this is a freeschool.

The romantic beauty of the situation, and the close connection of this town with Washington, the seat of the general government, its character for healthiness, its well regulated institutions, and its advantages for commerce and manufactures, if judiciously improved and with becoming enterprise, zeal, and industry, will give to it an imposing distinction, and offer invitations to capitalists of the most alluring character.

ALEXANDRIA, a post town and sea port on the western bank of the river Potomac, six miles south of the city of Washington, and 180 miles from the ocean. This town lies principally in the district of Columbia, but a small part of it is in the state of Virginia. It was incorporated in 1779 by the state of Virginia, and that part of it which lies within the district line, was ceded to the general government in 1801. The laws of Virginia enacted previous to that time, still remain in force in the town and county of Alexandria, except those which have been repealed by congress. The municipal government consists of a council of sixteen representatives and a mayor. Four members of the council are annually elected in each of the four wards into which the city is divided, and the mayor is elected every year by the council. The political situation of Alexandria, in common with the other portions of the District of Columbia, is singular. The president of the United States is the governor, and congress the legislature of the district; but, the people of the district have no voice, nor are their sentiments officially heard, in any of the political concerns of the country. The circuit court of the United States for the District of Columbia sits in Alexandria twice a year, and its expenses are defrayed by the general government. From the decisions of this court there are appeals to the supreme court of the U. States.

Alexandria is very handsomely situated. The streets are laid out on the plan of Philadelphia, crossing each other at right angles, and are generally well paved. It is considered as remarkably healthy, and the view from the city is very fine. The town is situated in the bottom of a valley which to the eye of an observer is terminated in every direction by lofty and verdant hills. To the north he sees the city of Washington, the Capitol, with its beautiful columns, white walls and towering dome, forming a most conspicuous object; to the south,

the broad translucent expanse of the Potomac opens upon him with fort Washington, lying like a white line on its distant margin opposite to Mount Vernon, the seat of the father of this country. The river opposite to the town is a mile in breadth and varies from thirty-four to fifty-two feet in depth, in the ship channel, which here washes the shore; of course the harbour is naturally very fine, and it has been much improved by the erection of large and commodious wharves.

Alexandria carries on an extensive trade in flour, tobacco, sumach and other articles, with the states of Virginia and Maryland.

The inspections of flour, in

1829 were 168,874 barrels and 5789 half barrels, 1830 166,386 206,394

1831

6385 6001

On the 31st of December 1831, the tonnage belonging to the town was 8230 tons, and it is still increasing. There are four banks in Alexandria, with an aggregate capital of one million seven hundred thousand dollars—and three incorporated insurance companies.

The amount of real estate is assessed at two million seven hundred thousand dollars, and according to authentic information from the treasury department of the United States, the town paid into the treasury from the 31st of December 1791 to the 31st of December 1829 inclusive, on account of customs, three million seven hundred and thirtyseven thousand one hundred and sixty-one dollars and twenty seven cents; on account of the postoffice, one hundred and seventy three thousand seventy three dollars and thirty four cents; for direct tax in the years 1815 and 1816, eleven thousand one hundred and fifty dollars and sixty one cents. The amount of internal revenue which cannot be accurately ascertained would swell the clear revenue from the town of Alexandria during the period above mentioned, to upwards of four millions of dollars.

There are in this town two congregations of Episcopalians, two of Presbyterians, one of Friends, two of Methodists, one of Catholics and one of Baptists. There is also a philosophical society, an incorporated library containing about four thousand volumes, a library instituted by an association of apprentices and other minors, a saving fund institution, an orphan asylum, a poorhouse and a dispensary, bible, missionary and temperance societies, a colonization society, a benevolent society for improving the condition of people of colour, a society for furnishing employment to the industrious indigent, and several for supplying food, clothing and fuel to the poor in winter. There are several baking establishments where ship-bread and crackers are made equal to any manufactured in the United States or elsewhere, two shipyards, an extensive

brewery, several tanneries, a foundry upon a large scale, with a manufactory of steam engines and various machinery for cotton factories, &c. and several manufactories of segars upon an extensive

scale.

Alexandria contains a handsome market house, at which a market is held every morning. It is generally well supplied with meats, fish, fruits and vegetables in their seasons. In the latter part of the spring wild strawberries abound in the adjacent country and are brought in great quantities. Over the market house is the court house, clerks office, council chamber, reading room and library, and in the upper story of the same building an extensive and well arranged museum. Over the centre of this building is a steeple in which an excellent clock tells the hours on a bell that weighs fifteen hundred pounds.

There is a boarding school for young men, in which are taught the languages, the mathematics, philosophy, and every useful branch of education. A part of the course consists of a series of public lectures on astronomy, chemistry, &c., in which the principles of the sciences treated of are illustrated by experiments with suitable apparatus. The principal of this institution is Benjamin Hallowell, a gentleman favourably known among the learned in science in our country. There is also a boarding school of considerable reputation for young ladies, conducted by a lady, in which are taught all the branches of polite and fashionable education, and a boarding school for young ladies under the charge of four sisters of charity from Emmittsburg in the state of Maryland. This institution, though but Jately established and not yet completed, is in a flourishing condition. When finished it will have connected with it an orphans' asylum. There are also in Alexandria free schools for children of both sexes, and about thirty other schools, exclusive of sunday schools.

In the vicinity of Alexandria is established a Protestant Episcopal theological seminary, on an elevated situation, commanding an extensive and delightful view of the District of Columbia, the river Potomac and the surrounding country. This institution at present occupies two large four story buildings, having space enough between them for the erection of a centre structure.

A canal is now in progress which will probably bring a great accession of business. This canal is designed to continue the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to Alexandria, and will be connected with that great work by a splendid aqueduct, thrown across the river Potomac, immediately above Georgetown. The perpendicular descent from the surface of the river, above the Little Falls to tide water, is about thirty-six feet, and as the canal will be brought on a level from the head of the Falls to Alexandria, it is obvious that at the latter place, it will afford water-power for manufactories to a very great extent. Towards the construction of the Alexandria Canal, the government of the United States have appropriated one hundred thousand dollars. This city is connected with the interior of the state of Virginia by several turn

pike roads, down which the principal part of the flour is brought that comes to market, and there are eight steamboats, that regularly ply between this and other ports, five of which arrive and depart daily.

As Alexandria is the shipping port of the District of Columbia, and one of the principal marts for the immense fisheries of the Potomac, it may be well to mention, that in the spring of the year, quantities of shad and herring are taken, which may appear almost incredible. The number of shad frequently obtained at a haul is forty thousand and upwards, and of herring vastly more. In the spring of 1832 there were taken in one seine, at one draught, nine hundred and fifty thousand and a little upwards, accurately counted. The prosecution of the numerous fisheries gives employment to a large number of labourers, and affords an opportunity to the poor to lay in at very reduced prices food enough to last their families the whole year. The shad and herring of the Potomac are transported by land all over the country, whence there is convenient access to the river, and they are also shipped to various ports in the United States and West Indies. The lowest prices at which these fish sell when just taken, are twenty-five cents per thousand for herring, and one dollar and a half per hundred for shad, but they generally bring higher prices, often one dollar and a half per thousand for the former, and from six to twelve dollars per hundred for the latter. Herring, however, are sometimes taken so plentifully that they are given away or hauled on the land as manure, for want of purchasers. Some idea may be formed of the importance of these fisheries, from the following statement:

Should the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal be continued to the Ohio River, it is obvious that the fisheries of the Potomac will be of great advantage to the country west of the Allegheny mountains in supplying in great abundance a delicious and valuable article of food, of which its waters are entirely destitute. Taking into view the vast number of fish annually caught, and the probable increase in the demand for them, one might be led to fear that the supply will at length be exhausted, however ample at the present time; but when we reflect that the spawn from an exceedingly small number will generate into myriads and myriads of fish, such a fear is done away.

The River Potomac, in the neighbourhood of

Alexandria, and for a considerable distance below that city, is frequented in the winter season by immense flocks of wild ducks of several species, particularly the highly esteemed canvass back. In the morning and evening they fly up or down the river in an almost continuous flock for hours. At night, or in the day, a listener in a favourable situation may hear at intervals the distant report of the ducking gun, and then the roar of the flock, as they flap their wings in the water, attempting to rise, which sounds like distant thunder. Ducking is a source of profit to many persons, as they obtain generally from fifty cents to one dollar per pair for the canvass backs.

The District of Columbia having no local legislature, but being under the exclusive jurisdiction of the government of the United States, is dependant upon congress for all general enactments intended to improve its condition, and its interests have been much neglected, or postponed, in consequence of the pressure of higher objects, embracing the interests of the whole nation; of this the citi zens of the district have complained, and that with much apparent reason. At the close of the session of 1832, however, large appropriations were made. for internal improvements within the district. The Macadamizing of the Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the President's house, a distance of nearly two miles, has been undertaken at the national expense. The long bridge crossing the Potomac, and leading from Washington city to the Alexandria road, was destroyed by the ice in the year 1830; this structure belonged to a private

company, but as the stock was unproductive, its funds would not enable them to rebuild it, its length being upwards of three-quarters of a mile. A new one is ordered to be erected at the public expense, and is, of course, to be a free bridge. The appropriations made for these purposes amount to about 200,000 dollars, and for their completion additional sums will hereafter be granted. The rebuilding of the long bridge must be considered as an undertaking truly national, as it makes a part of the direct main mail route through the United States; since its destruction the mails passing between Washington and Alexandria have been compelled to make a considerable circuit.

The population of the District of Columbia, according to the census of 1820 and 1830, were as follows:

WAS

WASHINGTON, southeastern county of Maine, bounded by Passamaquoddy bay S.E., Atlantic Ocean S., Hancock county in Maine S. W., Penob scot county N.W., and St Croix river separating it from the British province of New Brunswick E. It is difficult to estimate the true extent, as the county stretches indeffinitely to the northward, but the southern and settled parts occupy a surface approaching a square of 50 miles each side; area 2500 square miles. Extending in Lat. from 44° 23' to 45° 20' N., and in Long. from 8° 46' to the eastern side of Manan Island 9° 16' E. The slope shown by the course of the streams is southeastward; the ocean coast excessively broken by bays and islands of the bays advancing from the westward.

Dyer's bay separates Hancock from Washington. Pigeon Hill bay receives the small river Nanaguagus. Pleasant bay, a small river of the same name.

WAS

Englishman's bay is followed by Machias bay, the latter receiving Machias and East rivers. These bays, in a distance of 40 miles, penetrate the country from 10 to 12 miles, and such is the rapid declivity, that, excessive as is the tide along the coast, the flow does not ascend the short rivers far above the head of the bays.

From Machias bay the coast inflects from N.E. by E. to N.E., and in a distance of 30 miles to the mouth of Eastport bay is unbroken by any inlet of consequence. Turning Quoddyhead, in the strait between Great Manan Island and the main shore, Eastport bay opens. This latter is an irregular sheet of water, extending its arms to 10 or 12 miles on every side. One of these arms reach into St Andrew's bay, or the inner recess of Passamaquoddy bay. Into the head of St Andrew's bay is poured the much celebrated St Croix river, forming the northeastern boundary of the United States on the

Atlantic Ocean. The mouth of this river being an important political point, it may be well to observe, geographically, that N. Lat. 45° and Long. 10° E. from W. C., intersect in the southern side of St Andrew's bay, or the estuary of St Croix.

The features of Washington, Maine, are varied by the bays and small islands along the coast, and by internal lakes. At the foot of the lower falls of St Croix, the Schoodic river enters from the west. This stream is the outlet of a chain of lakes called the Schoodic lakes, extending into Penobscot county, and almost touch the Pesadumkeag lakes of the Penobscot river, and thus almost insulate the inhabited part of Washington county. Population in 1820 was 12,744; in 1830 it had risen to 21,294. Machias, the seat of justice, stands on the point between Machias and East rivers, about 10 miles within the outer capes, by post road 143 miles a little N. of E. from Augusta, the capital of the state, and 745 miles N.E. by E. from W. C. It is about 25 miles S. W. from Eastport. N. Lat. 44° 43', Long. 67° 21′ W. from London, and 9° 34′ E. from W. C.

WASHINGTON, county of Vermont, bounded by Orange county of the same state S.E. and S., Addison S. W., Chittenden W. and N.W., N. by Orange, and N.E. and E. by Caledonia. Length from S.W. to N.E. 26 miles; mean breadth 20, and area 520 square miles. Extending in Lat. from 44° 05' to 44° 32′ N., and in Long. from 4° to 4° 40' E. from W. C.

The eastern border of this county, in common with Caledonia, is a chain of mountains, from the western flank of which issues numerous sources of Onion river. These sources mingle their waters with other streams from the mountain valleys on both sides, but the main channel flowing to the northwestward gives that declination to the surface. The country is indeed nearly commensurate with the higher part of the valley of Onion river. It may be, however, well to observe, that though the general slope is N. W. that the counter valleys between the mountain chains are at nearly right angles to that direction. The face of the county is very greatly diversified by hill, dale, valley and the most rugged mountain scenery. The soil is as varied as the physiognomy, but generally productive in grain, grasses, pasturage and fruit. Population in 1820 was 14,113; and in 1830 had risen to 21,378.

There is, perhaps, no point in this county at which the arable surface does not exceed an elevation of 500 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, whilst the higher margin at the extreme sources of Onion river exceeds a relative height above tide of 1300 feet. In effect or temperature at least two degrees of Fahrenheit may be allowed for the mean height of the county. If, therefore, we allow a central Lat. of 44° 15', the real aerial temperature of 46° 15' must be taken when compared with the ocean border.

Montpelier, the seat of justice of the county and of the government for the state, is situated on the right bank of Onion river, 25 miles N.N.E. from Middlebury, 25 miles N. W. by W. from Haverhill

in New Hampshire, and by post road 524 miles N.E. from W. C. N. Lat. 44° 16'. N. Lat. 44° 16'. Population, 2500.

WASHINGTON, the southwestern county of Rhode Island, bounded S.W. by Paucatuck river, separating it from the southeastern part of New London county, Connecticut; W. by the extreme eastern part of New London county; N.W. by the southeastern angle of Windham county, Connecticut; N. by Kent county, Rhode Island; by the westarm of Narraganset bay separating it from Newport county, and by the Atlantic Ocean S.E. and S. Extending in Lat. from 41° 17' to 41° 39'; and in Long. from 5° 06′ to 5° 35′ E. from W. C. It approaches to near a square of 18 miles each side. Area 324 square miles.

The eastern part declines towards Narraganset bay, but the central, western and northern sections are drained by the main stream and confluents of Paucatuck river. The surface is agreeably broken into hill and dale, and soil productive. Population in 1820 was 15,687; in 1839, 15,411.

Kingston, or South Kingston, the seat of justice, is situated on the Atlantic Ocean, about three miles S.W. from the mouth of the western arm of Narraganset bay, 10 miles S.W. by W. from Newport, 41 miles a little N. of E. from New London, and by post road 31 miles a very little W. of S. from Providence. Lat. 41° 25'; Long. 5° 32′ E. from W. C. In 1820, this county contained a population of

15,687.

WASHINGTON, county of New York, bounded S. by Hoosack river separating it from Renssalaer county of the same state; S.W. by Hudson river separating it from Saratoga county, W. by a line running a little W. of due N. from the great bend of Hudson at Sandy Hill to Lake George, separating it from the southeastern part of Warren; N. W. by Lake George separating it from the northeastern part of Warren; N.E. by Rutland county Vermont; and E. and S.E. by Bennington county Vermont. Length from south to north, and from Hoosack river to the outlet of Lake George, 64 miles; mean width 13, and area 832 square miles.

This lengthened county occupies the very remarkable physical section between the basin of Hudson and Lake Champlain, along which extends the Hudson and Champlain Canal. This region and the important work upon its surface, have been already noticed in different parts of the article United States. The space along which the Hudson and Champlain canal has been constructed, though connecting two physical basins, is a deep valley when compared with the adjacent country on either side. The arable surface of the country along the canal is elevated above the Hudson tides from 150 to 200 feet, but rapidly rises to the eastward towards the mountains of Vermont. The surface is greatly varied from the bottoms along the Hudson and the level of the canal, to the rugged elevations between which flow the channels and confluents of Hoosack, Batten Kill, and Parlet rivers. Extending in Lat. from 42° 53′ to 45° 50', the difference of latitude alone gives a sensible difference of climate. The soil is varied, but the

general character is that of fertility. In 1820, the population amounted to 38,831; and in 1830, had risen to 42,635, giving an augmentation of nine per cent, and at the latter epoch a distributive population of a fraction above 51 to the square mile.

From its great length there are two places, Sandy Hill and Salem, at which the courts of justice are held; and beside at these, there were in 1831, post offices at Adamsville, Anaquascook, Argyle, Battenville, Buskirk's Bridge, Cambridge, Centre Cambridge, Coothill, Dresden, Easton, Fort Ann, Fort Edward, Fort Miller, Granville, Greenwich, Griswold's Mills, Hampton, Hartford, Hebron, Jackson, Kingsbury, North Easton, North Granville, North Greenwich, Patten's Mills, Putnam, South Hartford, West Hebron, White Creek and White Hall.

Salem, one of the villages at which courts are held, is situated near the eastern border of the county, N. Lat. 43° 08', Long. 4° 44' E. from W. C., 20 miles S. E. from Sandy Hill, and by post road, 46 miles N. N.E. from Albany, and 423 miles N.E. from W. C. The township of Salem in 1830, contained 2972 inhabitants.

Sandy Hill, in the township of Kingsbury, is rendered at once interesting and romantic from its position on the left bank of Hudson river on an elevated plain near Baker's Falls, 50 miles a little E. of N. from Albany, and by post road 427 miles N.E. from W. C. Below this fine village the Champlain Canal is connected with Hudson river. In 1820, the township of Kingsbury contained 2203 inhabitants, and in 1830, 2606.

WASHINGTON, one of the extreme western counties of Pennsylvania, bounded N. W. by Beaver; N. E. by Allegheny; E. by Monongahela river, separating it from Westmoreland and Fayette; S. by Greene; S. W. by Ohio county Virginia, and W. by Brooke county Virginia. Length along the Virginia line 38 miles; the greatest breadth at right angles to the length about 37 miles, but the county narrowing towards the eastern border, the mean breadth is about 26 miles. The area in round numbers may be assumed safely at 1000 square miles, extending in Lat. from 29° 58' to 40° 30', and in Long. from 2° 52′ to 3° 35′ W. from W. C. This county is traversed from south to north by the dividing ridge between the sources of creeks flowing eastward into the Monongahela, and westward into Ohio. The central part contiguous to the borough of Washington, is a real mountainous table land, from which the waters flow like radii from a common centre. From here issue the sources of Ten Mile, Pigeon, Chartier, Buffalo and Wheeling creeks. The borough of Washington, situated in a comparatively deep valley, is, by actual measurement, found to be elevated above tide water 1406 feet, and the mean elevation of the farms in that neighbourhood is at least 1400 feet; many of them no doubt from 200 to 300 feet above that level. The village of Willsborough, on the United States road, 12 miles S. E. by E. from Washington, is elevated 1750 feet above tide water, and 1072 feet above the ordinary river level at the city of Pittsburgh. The lowest cultivated farm or flat part of

the county between the mouth of Mirgo creek and Elizabeth Town on the Monongahela, is at least elevated 850 feet above the tide level of the Atlantic Ocean. Three degrees of Fahrenheit may be assumed as a moderate allowance for the change of temperature over the mean surface of Washington county, arising from difference of level; consequently, if we assume 40° 14' as the central latitude, the winter climate would accord with 43° nearly, on the Atlantic ocean. The difference of inflorescence and foliage in the spring, and of ripening of grain and fruit in summer and autumn is strikingly perceptible between the table land of Washington county and the borders of Monongahela and Ohio rivers. These vegetable phenomena are usually ascribed to soil, but the true and efficient cause is relative level. In fact much of the soil on the table land is fully equal to that on the rivers.

The surface of Washington county is very much broken by hill and dale, and some parts so much so as to deserve the title of mountainous. The prevailing rocks are freestone and deep blue limestone, the formation floetz; consequently all the rocks lie in horizontal strata. Though freestone and limestone are the most abundant, they are not the only components of rock strata in this county; soapstone is frequent, but always excessively laminated.

Bituminous coal of very fine quality is the only valuable fossil which abounds, but that inflammable body is found in immense strata over the county, and no doubt exists in easily accessible situations to an unsuspected extent. The bituminous coal, here, as elsewhere over the Ohio valley, lies in horizontal strata, between masses of freestone and beds of clay. The coal strata varies in thickness, but of pure combustible coal; the beds are seldom above four and a half or five fect. When found, the coal stratum is invariably continuous on its level, and is never found to terminate unless pursued to open day on the opposite side of the hill in which it occurs.

The soil of Washington county varies in quality, but its general character is that of fertility. Prevailing timber, white oak, black oak, poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), sugar maple, red maple, hickory three or four species, and various other species of trees. Dogwood (Cornus sporida), is a common underwood; wild plum, and two or three species of thorn, abound along the creek bottoms. In the early settlement of this county, the hazel was very abundant.

The adaptation of the soil to farming may be strongly illustrated by showing the advance of the population. The first effective white settlements were made about 1770, and in 1800 it contained 28,298 inhabitants; in 1810, 36,289; in 1820, 40,038; and in 1830, they had risen to the number of 42,909, or upwards of 42 to the square mile.

Washington, the seat of justice, and in which is located Washington College, is situated near the centre of the county, near the head of the middle branch of Chartier's creek, 25 miles S. W. from Pittsburgh, 31 miles N. E. by E. from Wheeling in