Indian name of the river which paffed by it, called it Savannah. From this period we may date the settlement of Georgia.

The country now called Kentucky, was well known to the Índian traders many years before its fettlement, They gave a description of it

to Lewis Evans, who published his first map of it as early as the 1752 year 1752. James Macbride, with fome others, explored this 1754 country in 1 1754. Col. Daniel Boon visited it in 1769.

1773.-Four years after Col. Boon and his family, with five other families, who were joined by forty men from Powle's valley, began the fettlement of Kentucky*, which is now one of the most growing colonies, perhaps, in the world, and was erected into an independent state, by act of Congrefs, December 6th, 1790, and received into the Union, June 1ft, 1792.

The tract of country called Vermont, before the late war, was claimed both by New-York and New-Hampshire. When hoftilities com. menced between Great-Britain and her Colonies, the inhabitants confidering themselves as in a state of nature, as to civil government, and not within any legal jurisdiction, afsociated and formed for themselves a conftitution of government. Under this conftitution, they have ever fince continued to exercise all the powers of an independent State. Vermont was not admitted into union with the other states till March

4, 1791, yet we may venture to date her political existence as a 1777 feparate government, from the year 1777, because, fince that

time, Vermont has, to all intents and purposes, been a fovereign and independent State. The first settlement in this state was made at Bennington as early as about 1764.

The extenfive tract of country lying north-weft of the Ohio River, within the limits of the United States, was erected into a separate temporary government by an Ordinance of Congrefs paffed the 13th of 1787 July, 1787.

Thus we have given a fummary view of the first discoveries and progreffive fettlement of North America in their chronological order. The following recapitulation will comprehend the whole in one view.

*This fettlement was made in violation of the Treaty, in 1768, at Fort Stanwix, which exprefsly ftipulates, that this tract of country should be reserved for the western nations to hunt upon, until they and the crown of England fhould otherwise agree, This has been one great caufe of the enmity of thofe Indian nations to the Virginians.

Names

The above dates are from the periods, when the first permanent fettlements were made.

BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT.

NORTH AMERICA comprehends all that part of the western con tinent which lies north of the Ifthmus of Darien, extending north and fouth from about the 10th degree north latitude to the north pole; and eaft and weft from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, between the 45th and 165th degrees weft longitude from London. Beyond the 70th degree N. Lat. few difcoveries have been made. In July 1779, Capt. Cook proceeded as far as lat. 71°, when he came to a folid body of ice extending from continent to continent.

BAYS, SOUNDS, STRAITS AND ISLANDS. Of these (except those in the United States, which we shall defcribe under that head) we know little more than their names. Baffin's Bay, lying between the 70th and 8oth degrees N. Lat. is the largest and most northern, that has yet been difcovered in North America. It opens into the Atlantic ocean through Baffin's and Davis's Straits, between Cape Chidley, on the Labrador coaft, and Cape Farewell. It communicates with Hudfon's Bay to the fouth, through a cluster of islands. In this capacious bay or gulph is James Ifland, the fouth point of which is called Cape Bedford; and the fmaller iflands of Waygate and Difko. Davis's Straits feparate Greenland from the American continent, and are between Cape Walfingham, on James Island, and South Bay in Greenland, where they are about 60 leagues broad, and extend from the 67th to the 71ft degrees of latitude above Disko island. The moft fouthern point of Greenland is called Cape Farewell.

Hudfon's Bay took its name from Henry Hudson, who discovered it in 1610. It lies between 51 and 69 degrees of north latitude. The eaftern boundary of the Bay is Terra de Labrador; the northern part has a ftraight coaft, facing the bay, guarded with a line of ifles innumerable. A vaft bay, called the Archiwinnipy Sea, lies within it, and opens into Hudfon's Bay, by means of gulph Hazard, through which the Beluga whales pass in great numbers. The entrance of the bay, from the Atlantic ocean, after leaving, to the north, Cape Farewell and Davis's Straits, is between Resolution ifles on the north, and Button's ifles, on the Labrador coaft, to the fouth, forming the eastern extremity of Hudfon's Straits.

The

The coafts are very high, rocky and rugged at top; in fome places precipitous, but fometimes exhibit extenfive beaches. The islands of Salisbury, Nottingham, and Digges are very lofty and naked. The depth of water in the middle of the bay is 140 fathoms. From Cape Churchill to the fouth end of the bay are regular foundings; near the fhore, fhallow, with muddy or fandy bottom. To the northward of Churchill, the foundings are irregular, the bottom rocky, and in fome parts the rocks appear above the surface at low water.

James's Bay lies at the bottom, or most southern part of Hudfon's Bay, with which it communicates, and divides New Britain from South Wales. To the northwestward of Hudson's Bay is an extenfive chain of lakes, among which is Lake Menichlich, lat. 61°, long. 105° W. North of this is Lake Dobount, to the northward of which lies the extenfive country of the northern Indians. Weft of these lakes, between the latitudes of 60 and 66 degrees, after paffing a large clufter of unnamed lakes, lies the lake or fea Arathapescow, whose southern shores are inhabited by the Arathapefcow Indians. North of this, and near the Arctic circle, is Lake Edlande, around which live the Dog ribbed Indians. Further north is Buffaloe lake, near which, is Copper Mine river, in lat. 72° N. and long. 119° W. of Greenwich. The Copper Mine Indians inhabit this country.

Between Copper Mine river, which, according to Mr. Herne, empties into the Northern fea, where the tide rifes 12 or 14 feet, and which in its whole courfe is encumbered with fhoals and falls, and the North-west coaft of America, is an extenfive tract of unexplored country. As you defce nd from north to fouth on the western coast of America, just fouth of the Arctic circle, you come to Cape Prince of Wales, oppofite East Cape on the eastern continent; and here the two continents approach near eft to each other. Proceeding fouthward you pafs Norton Sound, Cap e Stephen's, Shoalnefs, Bristol Bay, Prince, William's Sound, Cook's Riv er, Admiralty Bay, and Port Mulgrave, Nootka Sound, &c. From Nootka Sound proceeding fouth, you pass the unexplored country of New Albion, thence to California, and New Mexico.

DIVI.

THE vaft tract of country, bounded weft by the Pacific Ocean, fouth and eaft by California, New Mexico, and Louifiana-the United States, Canada and the Atlantic Ocean, and extending as far north as the country is habitable (a few fcattered English, French, and some other European fettlements excepted) is inhabited wholly by various nations and tribes of Indians. The Indians alfo poffefs large tracts of country within the Spanish, American and British dominions. Those parts of North America not inhabited by Indians, belong, if we include Greenland, to Denmark, Great Britain, the American States, and Spain. Spain claims Eaft and Weft Florida, and all weft of the Miffiffippi, and fouth of the northern boundaries of Louifiana, New Mexico and California. Great Britain claims all the country inhabited by Europeans, lying north and eaft of the United States, except Greenland, which belongs to Denmark. The remaining part is the territory of the Fifteen United States. The particular Provinces and States, are exhibited in the following table: TABL E.