F 146 G34 VOL. I.-No. I. Geographical view of the mountains and rivers of Pennsylvania. View of the various routes by which a canal communication may be form- Notice of Shriver's account of surveys and examinations, with remarks and documents, relative to the projected Chesapeake and Ohio, and Ohio and INTRODUCTION. IN presenting to the public eye the first Number of the Repository, it may not be irrelevant to enter with some more minuteness into the views intended to be embraced than has been done in the original Prospectus. As proposed, the work will be subdivided into three parts: SECT. I. This section will be appropriated to subjects purely Geographical; in which, however, that term will be considered as taken in its most extensive sense, including Natural and Political Geography. It is intended to present the reader with geographical sketches of any part of the world, which, from particular causes, may claim a peculiar and instantaneous attention: such attention is generally excited by war, political revolution, or recent discovery. These are inexhaustible sources of interest, which, in their occurrence, enforce, stimulate, and localize curiosity. They are sources of intellectual reflection, which, when ceasing to flow, or becoming partially exhausted in one quarter, open copiously in some other region of our ever changeful earth. The task of the editor will be to watch the progress of those changes, and point out to his reader the result. Though the scope of this section is thus expressed in general terms, the pages of the Repository will be, in great part, employed to delineate the particular Natural and Political Geography of the United States. As usually described in common geographical systems, the various subdivisions of the earth are represented as mere skeletons. The student from such treatises derives no more real knowledge of the capabilities of any country, than he could obtain of the character of an individual by being informed of his height and weight. Geography, as a science, is moral. The interest we feel in tracing the features, developing the resources, and in scanning the improvements of any given portion of the earth, must arise from the character of the people who inhabit its surface. In this respect, not alone the territory of the United States, but all America, is gaining daily more to arrest the attention of the statesman and philosopher. The Geography of the United States is a vast outline, tolerably traced, but the shades of colouring remain a void, except in a few instances. The intrinsic value of statistical knowledge can only be known from its application in augmenting the sum of general prosperity by pointing out the springs of general resource. This invaluable pursuit has only recently assumed the character of a science, and, as such, is yet confined to a few countries, and is every where imperfect. The editor anxiously desires to become enabled to dedicate his entire time and attention to the undertaking he now places before the public, and in aid of which he solicits patronage. His own individual fitness or unfitness to do justice to an enterprise, involving so many details, on three of the most dignified objects of human study, can be only known from the execution of his enterprise. The importance of the subjects needs no farther amplification; the issue is left to the candour, generosity, and discernment of an enlightened public. Similar observations may be made respecting every other section of this continent. Cities, towns, states, and even empires are rising with a rapidity which mocks the regular progress of geographical record. A periodical publication, therefore, in which every such object would meet prompt notice, must produce great public benefit. Important as it may be as a moral and physical science, geography derives its highest value as an aid to human history. In this respect our views of nations are clear and decisive in proportion as we possess a comprehensive knowledge of their locality. Under the general head of Geography, in the Repository, will be included, all that appertains to either natural feature or natural production. With this latitude must be embraced every object relating to countries, either in a state of nature, or as improven by art.* SECT. II. This section will be Historical, and dedicated principally to record the leading events of the present or passing time; but, as many instances must occur, when to judge of the existing, we are compelled to review the anterior state of nations, the Historical sketches will be often retrospective beyond what can be considered the present age. It would be vain, however, in this place, to anticipate the course necessary to pursue respecting objects, the importance or extent of which can only be shewn by time. In conducting the Repository, many very subtantial reasons have induced me to open the work with Pennsylvania; the first two volumes, consisting of six numbers, or 384 octavo * See page 9. pages each, will therefore be appropriated to give a view of the geographical features; the natural productions; improvements of every species; and the civil and political History of Pennsylvania. In order, to develop clearly, the history of Pennsylvania, it is indispensable to take a retrospective survey of the antecedent colonial establishment of England in North America. This investigation leads to a review of the colonial history of Virginia, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New-Haven, Rhode Island, Maryland, New-Jersey, Delaware, and NewYork, previous to the date of the first charter of Pennsylvania. In my public Historical Lectures, in Philadelphia and NewYork, I have uniformly proceeded on the principle, that to understand our national, it was imperatively necessary to have carefully studied our colonial history; and that to comprehend the latter with adequate accuracy, the colonies must be examined in connection. The preliminary matter must of course be treated of briefly, as accessary to the main subject, the history of Pennsylvania. The early events however, in the establishment of New-Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, were so blended as to superinduce considerable detail on the three former colonies, in order to trace the progress of the latter with perspicuity. Myself a native of Pennsylvania, I had at various periods travelled extensively over its surface; but having conceived the design of becoming its historian, I have availed myself of every opportunity to examine those parts I had not formerly visited. From the 2d of March, 1823, until the 25th of June, 1824, I was employed in travelling, most of the time in the interior of Pennsylvania. My object was an examination of those parts of the state I had not previously visited. In all my geographical disquisitions I have written, as far as in my power, from actual observation. Employed as I have been, in such labour for nearly 30 years, from governments, as such, I have not received the aid of one cent, and very little patronage from individuals directly connected with governments. It was from the liberalty of individuals in private life, that my support has been, and I expect will continue to be drawn. Once more my appeal is made to the public. Six numbers form a volume, and consequently, two volumes will be published annually. The subscribers are only bound to continue their patronage to one volume; the execution of which will fully test the talents of the author to do justice to his subject. Should the Repository be continued, and adequately executed, it is obvious that a few years must render its volumes a source of material for that literary desideratum, a general history of the United States. Each volume will have prefixed a map of such parts of the United States, as are more particularly treated of; and will have annexed a copious index. The Map of Pennsylvania will attend the first, and that of New-Jersey will be included in the second volume. I have adopted, when treating on mountains, System as a generic term, and Chain as specific. This is indispensable respecting the great central mountains of the United States. Considered as a system, this great mountain mass is composed of several lateral ridges. These ridges literally extend like links of a chain. Broken by rivers or creeks, or otherwise interrupted, they are still continuous, to a great or lesser distance. Allegany is rendered inapplicable as a distinctive name of the system from being applied to one of its chains.* I know of no former attempt to give a philosophical analysis of the mountains of the United States, and from the existing and strengthening spirit of canal and road improvement, I am acquainted with no branch of geography of more national importance. It is a subject on which, in conducting my Repository, I shall lose no opportunity to collect and record accurate information. The mountain chains of Pennsylvania have a grandeur of appearance, and a mass of mineral wealth, which combine to give them interest to the geographer, and natural historian. The inexhaustible stores of iron ore and mineral coal in and near the chains traversing this state, are in themselves objects of primary magnitude, and leading elements in every statistical review of its most essential natural resources. It is therefore, the more necessary to obtain detailed and correct conceptions of features forming so deeply and prominently a part of the geography, and so permanently influential on the improvement and prosperity of the state. European geographers have, very correctly, adopted differ ent terms to designate the spaces drained by rivers discharged into oceans, and those of their minor branches; for the former, Basin is used, for the latter, Valley. This nomenclature I have also adopted, and consequently say Basin of Delaware, and Valley of Schuylkill; Basin of Mississippi, and Valley of Ohio; and use a similar distinction wherever necessary. In my public Lectures, and geographical disquisitions generally, * See note, page 12. |