emergent occafions concerning the public weal, and to make laws for the behoof and government of the colony, imitating and following the laws and policy of England as nearly as might be: Providing that thefe laws fhould have no force till ratified in a general quarter court of the company in England, and returned under their common feal, and declaring that, after the government of the colony fhould be well framed and fettled, no orders of the council in England fhould bind the colony, unless ratified in the faid general affembly. The king and company quarrelled, and, by a mixture of law and force, the latter were oufted of all their rights, without retribution, after having expended 100,000l. in establishing the colony, without the smallest aid from government. King James fufpended their powers by proclamation of July 15, 1624, and Charles I. took the government into his own hands. Both fides had their partifans in the colony: but in truth the people of the colony in general thought themselves little concerned in the difpute. There being three parties interested in these several charters, what paffed between the first and fecond it was thought could not affect the third. If the king feized on the powers of the company, they only paffed into other hands, without increase or diminution, while the rights of the people remained as they were. But they did not remain fo long. The northern parts of their country were granted away to the Lords Baltimore and Fairfax, the firft of thefe obtaining alfo the rights of feparate jurifdiction and government. And in 1650, the parliament, confidering itfelf as ftanding in the place of their depofed king, and as having fucceeded to all his powers, without as well as within the realm, began to affume a right over the colonies, paffing an act for inhibiting their trade with foreign nations. This fucceffion to the exercife of the kingly authority gave the first colour for parliamentary interference with the colonies, and produced that fatal precedent which they continued to follow after they had retired, in other refpects, within their proper functions. When this colony, therefore, which ftill maintained its oppofition to Cromwell and the parlia ment, was induced, in 1651, to lay down their arms, they previoufly fecured their most effential rights, by a folemn convention.

• This convention entered into with arms in their hands, they fuppofed had fecured the ancient limits of their country-its free trade-its exemption from taxation, but by their own affembly, and exclufion of military force from among them. Yet in every of these points was this convention violated by fubfequent kings and parliaments, and other infractions of their conftitution, equally dangerous, committed. Their general affembly, which was compofed of the council of ftate and burgeffes, fitting together and deciding by plurality of voices, was fplit into two houfes, by which the council obtained a feparate negative on their laws. Appeals from their fupreme court, which had been fixed by law in their general affembly, were arbitrarily revoked to England, to be there heard before the king and council. Inftead of 400 miles on the fea coaft, they were reduced, in the fpace of 30 years, to about 100 miles. Their trade with foreigners was totally fuppreffed, and, when carried to Great-Britain, was there loaded with impofts. It is unneceffary, however, to glean up the feveral inftances of injury, as fcattered through American and British hiftory, and the more efpecially as, by paffing on to the acceffion of the prefent king,

we

we fhall find fpecimens of them all, aggravated, multiplied, and crouded within a fmall compafs of time, fo as to evince a fixed defign of confidering our rights natural, conventional and chartered as mere nullities. The following is an epitome of the firft fifteen years of his reign. The colonies were taxed internally and externally; their effential interefts facrificed to individuals in Great-Britain; their legiflatures fufpended; charters annulled; trials by juries taken away; their perfons fubjected to transportation across the Atlantic, and to trial before foreign judicatories; their fupplications for redrefs thought beneath anfwer; themfelves published as cowards in the councils of their mother country and courts of Europe; armed troops fent among them to enforce fubmiffion to these violences; and actual hoftilities commenced against them. No alternative was prefented but refiftance, or unconditional fubmiffion. Between these could be no hesitation. They clofed in the appeal to arms. They declared themselves independent ftates. They confederated together into one great republic; thus fecuring to every ftate the benefit of an union of their whole force.'

The ftate of Virginia has taken a leading, active, and influential part in bringing about the late grand revolution in our Federal Government*. This event, however, has unhappily divided the citizens into two parties of nearly equal ftrength. Though they were united in the opinion, that an alteration in our government was neceffary, they have not agreed in the plan. While one party warmly efpoufes the prefent fyftem of government, the other as violently oppofes its going into operation without amendments. Their debates run high. What will be their iffue cannot be predicted.

LIST of PRESIDENTS and GOVERNORS of Virginia, from its firft fettlement to the year 1624 t.

See Hiftory of the United States, page 122.

+ Stith brings down the Hiftory of Virginia no farther than this period. A

lift of the governors fince has not been received.

Auguft, 1611, to

1614.

1614, to

1616.

1616, to

1617.

1617, to

1619.

1619, to Nov.

1621.

Nov. 1621, to

1624.

INDIANA.

IN

INDIAN A.

NDIANA, fo called, is a tract of land laying on the Ohio river, in the state of Virginia, ceded to William Trent and twenty two others, Indian traders, by the Shawanefe, Delaware, and Huron tribes, as a compenfation for the loffes the former had fuftained by the depredations of the latter, in the year 1763. This ceffion was made in a congrefs of the reprefentatives of the Six nations, at Fort Stanwix, by an indenture, figned the 3d of November, 1768, witneffing, That for and in confideration of .85,916 10 8, York currency, (the fame being the amount of the goods feized and taken by faid Indians from faid Trent, &c.) they did grant, bargain, fell, &c. to his majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, for the only ufe of faid William Trent, &c. all that tract or parcel of land, beginning at the foutherly fide of the little Kanhaway creek, where it empties itself into the river Ohio; and running thence fouth-east to the Laurel Hill; thence along the Laurel Hill until it ftrikes the river Monongahela; thence down the ftream of the faid river according to the feveral courfes thereof, to the fouthern boundary line of the province of Pennsylvania; thence weftwardly along the courfe of the faid province boundary line as far as the fame fhall extend; thence by the fame course to the river Ohio, and then down the river Ohio to the place of beginning, inclufively. This indenture was figned by fix Indian chiefs, in prefence of twelve witnesses.

evident

Since the Indians had an undisputed title to the above limited territory, either from pre-occupancy or conqueft; and their right was expressly acknowledged by the above deed of ceffion to the crown, it is very that Mr. Trent, in his own right, and as attorney for the traders, hath a good, lawful, and fufficient title to the land granted by the faid deed of

conveyance.

This matter was laid before congrefs in the year 1782, and a committee appointed to confider it, who, in May, reported as follows: On the whole, your committee are of opinion, that the purchases of Colonel Croghan and the Indian company, were made bona fide for a valuable confideration, according to the then ufage and cuftoms of purchafing Indian lands from the Indians, with the knowledge, confent, and approbation of the crown of Great Britain, the then government of New York and Virginia, and therefore do recommend that it be

Refolved, That if the faid lands are finally ceded or adjudged to the United States in point of jurifdiction, that congress will confirm to fuch of the faid purchafers who are, and shall be, citizens of the United States, or either of them, their refpective shares and proportions of faid lands, making a reasonable deduction for the value of the quit-rents referved by the crown of England.'

KENTUCKY.

[Belonging, at prefent, to the State of Virginia.]

Boundaries.] BOUNDED north-weft, by the river Ohio; weft, by

Cumberland river; fouth, by North Carolina; eaft, by Sandy river, and a line drawn due fouth from its fource, till it ftrikes the northern boundary of North Carolina.

Civil divifion.] Kentucky was originally divided into two counties, Lincoln and Jefferfon. It has fince been fubdivided into feven, which follow: Chief town.

Counties.

Jefferfon,

Chief towns.

Counties.

Nelfon,

Bardstown,

Fayette,

Bourbon,

Mercer,

LOUISVILLE,

LEXINGTON,

Harrodstown,

Maddifon,

Lincoln,

As most of thefe counties are very large, it is probable that subdivisions will continue to be made, as population increases.

Rivers.] The river Ohio washes the north-western fide of Kentucky, in its whole extent. Its principal branches, which water this fertile tract of country, are Sandy, Licking, Kentucky, Salt, Green, and Cumberland rivers. Thefe again branch in various directions, into rivulets of different magnitudes, fertilizing the country in all its parts. At the bottoms of these water courfes the lime-ftone rock, which is common to this country, appears of a greyish colour; and where it lies expofed to the air, in its natural state, it looks like brown free ftone. On the banks of thefe rivers and rivulets, this ftone has the appearance of fine marble, being of the fame texture, and is found in the greatest plenty.

Sandy, Licking and Kentucky rivers ride near each other, in the Cumberland Mountains. Of thefe, Sandy river only breaks through the mountain. This river conftitutes a part of the eastern boundary of Kentucky.

Liking river runs in a north-weft direction, upwards of 100 miles, and is about 100 yards broad at its mouth.

Kentucky is a very crooked river, and after running a courfe of more than 200 miles, empties into the Ohio by a mouth of 150 yards broad.

Salt river rifes at four different places near each other. The windings of this river are curious. The four branches, after a circuitous course around a fine tract of land, unite; and after running about 15 miles, empty into the Ohio, zo miles below the falls. Its general courfe is weftward-its length about 90 miles-and at its mouth is 80 yards wide. Green river purfues a western courfe upwards of 150 miles, and by a mouth 80 yards wide, falls into the Ohio, 120 miles below the Rapids.

6

Cumberland

Cumberland river interlocks with the northern branch of Kentucky, and rolling round the other arms of Kentucky, among the mountains, in a fouthern course, 100 miles-then in a south-western course for above 200 more then in a fouthern and fouth-western courfe for about 250 more, finds the Ohio, 413 miles below the Falls. At Nashville, this river is 200 yards broad, and at its mouth 300, The river in about half its courfe, paffes through North Carolina.

Thefe rivers are navigable for boats almoft to their fources, without rapids, for the greatest part of the year. The little rivulets which chequer the country, begin to leffen in June, and quite difappear in the months of Auguft, September, and October. The autumnal rains, however, in November, replenish them again. The method of getting a fupply of water in the dry feafon is by finking wells, which are easily dug, and afford excellent water. The want of water in autumn, is the great complaint. Mills that may be fupplied with water, eight months in a year, may be erected in a thousand different places. Wind mills and horse mills may fupply the other four months.

The banks of the rivers are generally high and compofed of lime-ftone. After heavy rains the water in the rivers rifes from 10 to 30 feet.

Springs. There are five noted falt fprings or licks in this country; viz. The higher and lower Blue Springs, on Licking river, from fome of which, it is faid, iffue ftreams of brinifh water-the Big Bone lick, Drennon's licks, and Bullet's lick, at Saltfburgh. The laft of thefe licks, though in low order, has fupplied this country and Cumberland with falt at 20 fhillings the bufhel, Virginia currency; and fome is exported to the Illinois country. The method of procuring water from thefe licks, is by finking wells from 30 to 40 feet deep. The water drawn from thefe wells is more ftrongly impregnated with falt than the water from the fea. A ftraight road, 40 feet wide, has been cut from Saltburgh to Louifville, 24 miles.

Face of the country, foil and produce.] This whole country, as far as has yet been discovered, lies upon a bed of lime-ftone, which in general lies about fix feet below the furface, except in the vallies, where the foil is much thinner. A tract of about 20 miles wide, along the banks of the Ohio, is hilly, broken land, interfperfed with many fertile fpots. The reft of the country is agreeably uneven, gently afcending and defcending at no great diftances. The angles of afcent are from 8 to 24 degrees, and fometimes more. The vallies in common, are very narrow, and the foil in them is very thin, and of an inferior quality: and that along the afcending ground is frequently not much better; for where you fee a tree blown up, you find the roots clinging to the upper parts of the rock. The foil, on thefe agreeable afcents, (for they cannot be called hills) is fufficiently deep, as is evident from the fize of the trees. The foil is either black or tinged with a lighter or deeper vermillion, or is of the colour of dark afhes. In many places there are appearances of potters clay, and coal in abundance. The country promifes to be well fupplied with wholesome, well-tafted water. In Nelfon county, north-weit of Rolling fork, a branch of Salt river, is a tract of about 40 miles fquare, moftly barren, interfperfed with plains and ftrips of good land, which are advantageous fituations for raifing cattle, as the neighbouring barrens

Dd 2

are