The city extends from north west to south east about four miles and a half, and from north east to south west about two miles and a half. The public buildings occupy the most elevated and convenient situations, to which the waters of the Tiber Creek may be easily conducted, as well as to every other part of the city, not already watered by springs.

The streets run from north to south, and from east to west, crossing each other at right angles, with the exception of fifteen, that point to the State of which each bears the name. The capitol commands the streets called the Maryland, Delaware, and Pensylvania avenues; the President's house, those of Vermont, New York, and Connecticut; and all these different intersections form eleven hundred and fifty squares. The Pensylvania street, or avenue, which stretches in a direct line from the President's house to the capitol, is a mile in length, and a hundred and sixty feet in breadth. That of the narrowest streets is from ninety to a hundred feet, which will give a fine appearance to the city; but in a region where the summer sun is so intensely hot, and the winter winds so

severely cold, narrow streets, affording shade and shelter, would be of great utility.

The plan of the city, of which we have prefixed an engraving,1 is universally admired. The most eligible places have been selected for public squares and public buildings.

The capitol is situated on a rising ground, which is elevated about eighty feet above the tide-water of the Potomac, and sixty or seventy above the intermediate surface.This edifice will present a front of six hundred and fifty feet, with a colonade of two hundred and sixty feet, and sixteen Corinthian columns thirty-one feet and a half in height. The elevation of the dome is a hundred and fifty feet; the basement story twenty; the entablement seven; the parapet six and a half; the centre of the building, from the east to the west portico, is two hundred and forty feet. The cieling is vaulted, and the whole edifice is to be of solid masonry of hewn stone, which, in appearance, resembles that known by the name

There is a plan by Major L'Enfant, engraved at the expence of the Government, on the scale of a hundred poles to an inch.

of the Portland-stone. The centre, or great body of the building, is not yet commenced, but the two wings are nearly finished. The north wing, which contains the senate chamber, has the form of a segment, with a doublearched dome, and Ionic pillars. It is adorned with portraits of Louis XVI. and Mary Antoinette. Under the senate chamber are commodious rooms for the library, and the judiciary courts of the United States. The south wing, containing the hall of representatives, and rooms for transacting business by committees, is of a circular form, adorned with twenty-four Corinthian pillars, behind which are galleries and lobbies for the accommodation of those who listen to the debates.

The foundation being laid in 1794, the north wing was finished in 1801, the south wing in 1807. The interior was originally of wood, which soon decayed; and to substitute stone, it became necessary to change the whole arrangement. This magnificent edifice is the joint composition of several artists, Thornton, Latrobe, Hallet, and Hatfield.

1

The view of this building, which we have presented, was engraved after the drawing of this artist.

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From the Capitol there is a fine view of the river Potomac, of Georgetown, and Alexandria.

The President's house consists of two stories, and is a hundred and seventy feet in length, and eighty-five in breadth. It resembles Leinster-House, in Dublin, and is much admired. Even the Poet Moor styles it a grand edifice," a "noble structure." The view from the windows fronting the river is extremely beautiful.

The Public Offices, the Treasury, Department of State, and of War, are situated in a line with, and at the distance of four hundred and fifty feet from the President's house.— These buildings, of two stories, have a hundred and twenty feet in front, sixty in breadth, and sixteen feet in height, and are ornamented with a white stone basement, which rises six or seven feet above the surface. It was originally proposed to form a communication between these offices and the house of the president, a plan which was afterwards abandoned.

The Jail consists of two stories, and is a hundred by twenty-one feet.

The Infirmary is a neat building.

There are three commodious Market-places built at the expence of the corporation.

The public buildings at the Navy Yard are the barracks, a work-shop, and three large brick buildings for the reception of naval

stores.

The Barracks, constructed of brick, are six hundred feet in length, fifty in breadth, and twenty in height. At the head of the Barrack-yard is the Colonel's house, which is neat and commodious.

The Workshop, planned by Latrobe, is nine hundred feet in length.

The Patent Office, constructed according to the plan of J. Hoban, esquire, (who gained the prize for that of the President's house,) consists of three stories, and is a hundred and twenty feet long, and sixty feet wide. It is ornamented with a pediment, and six Ionic pilasters. From the eminence on which it stands, the richly-wooded hills rise on every side, and form a scenery of unequalled beauty.

1

In the summer of 1814, this metropolis was taken possession of by an English naval

1 This eminence has the shape of a tortoise-shell.