a

high muddy banks, quick sands, come less productive. This re and sand bars ; and when full, you mark, we own, struck us rather might almost as well be at sea ; oddly. The climate is variable in for days together you will float winter, but hot in summer. The without meeting with any thing mean temperature of the best like soil in the river, and at the spring and well water in the lati. same time be environed by an un- tude of 31° is 65° of Farenheit's inhabitable and almost impenetra. scale, whereas it is only 51° in ble wilderness." The river is Pennsylvania. crooked, and frequently changes Having spoken of the first setits course, when the old bed is con- tlement of the country, and of the verted into a lake. Its banks like animals, which differ but little wise are liable to be undermined, from those of the middle states, and then become dangerous to

our author proceeds to mention boats, that may chance to approach the impossibility of making a surthem. The navigation between vey of the river, on or near the the mouth of the Ohio and Wal- banks ; and states the following nut hills (one of the posts after. ingenious method which he adoptwards delivered up by the Spanish) ed to complete his map. is rendered dangerous by “ sawyers and planters ;" the former The mouth of the Ohio, and town of are trees slightly confined to the Natchez, were taken as given points, bottom by their roots, which con

both as to latitude and longitude. An tinue a vibrating motion with their for the variation of the needle, was used

excellent surveying compass, corrected tops ; the latter are trees firmly in taking the courses, which were enfixed to the bottom, but by day- tered in time, instead of space. Every light are easily avoided. The day, when the sun shone at noon, his banks are higher than the adjacent meridional altitude was taken in des

cending the river. country, and in times of inunda

The latitudes, determined by those tion a current sets into the woods observations, are entered on the chart with sufficient velocity to turn a of the river at the places where the obmill. Its waters are discharged servations were made ; all the courses, into the gulf of Mexico by several between each two of those points, were channels. The first branch is the that is, by calling the time, space ; each

protracted in time instead of space, Chafalia, which leaves the Missis

set of courses were then expanded or sippi just below the boundary. contracted, so as to agree with the This branch is not navigable on points of latitude, to which they belong

ed. account of a bridge, continually

From the number of latitudes increasing in size, formed across

taken, we expect that no part of the

river will be found very erroneous in it by drift logs, trees, &c.; but that respect ; so much cannot be said which might be removed. From in favour of the longitudes, except at other travellers we learn that this the mouth of the Ohio and the town of obstruction is common to many

Natchez. of the rivers in this part of the continent. There are no settle- Some points have been since ments of consequence between the corrected from the observations of Ohio and Natchez. This district Mr. Farrar. of Natchez is uncommonly fertile ; We shall pass without observabut as it is a high, hilly, and bro- tion the proceedings of the perken,” Mr. E. fears the soil will be manent committee, and the oppowashed away, and the country be- sition they met with from faction, as they have long ceased to be in- formal approbation of what had teresting. The inhabitants of this been done, and to procure a vessel, district, according to our author, in which he could ascend with his consist of persons of enterprize instruments and baggage the variand ambition, of not a few who ous rivers crossed by the boundary have fled from justice, or from line. That New Orleans comcreditors, and of American refu- mands the trade of an immense gees ; and few will dispute his country is known to every one ; conclusion, that such persons are

and our author justifies the preferunfit for a representative govern

ence given to the particular spot ment.

on the river, on which it is situatHaving first animadverted upon ed. The town is regular, but its the administration of Mr. Adams, streets narrow ; in summer it is Mr. E. concludes his fifth chap- hot and disagreeable, but in winter with mentioning the evacua- ter, to use Mr. E.'s own words, tion of the Spanish posts. In the “it then abounds with health, and succeeding, he commences the a variety of well conducted amuseobject of his mission, having, in ments, which are encouraged and concert with the Spanish com- protected by the government.”. missioner, determined the 31° of Coasting vessels from the eastward nortin latitude on the Mississippi, go to New Orleans by lake Ponfrom that point a due east course

chartrain, and a canal, connecting was run for the boundary line be- that lake and the city, and thereby tween the United States and Flor- avoid the tedious navigation of the ida. We shall not follow our au- Mississippi. Mr. E. took the comthor through this rout; but shall mand himself of the vessel, in which only notice some of the principal he proceeded from New Orleans ; facts, and the manner in which he because he thought it would be proceeded. The difficulty of run

more economical, as the masters ning the line is thus described.

at that city were exorbitant in their

demands. On each of the rivers The first twenty miles of country,

the 31° of north latitude was deover which the line passed, is perhaps termined from astronomical obseras fertile as any in the United States, vations, and a surveyor was sent aand at the same time the most impen. etrable, and could only be explored by when not found exact, was correcte

cross to carry a guide line, which, using the cane, knife, and hatchet. The whole face of the country being

ed back, and mounds of earth were covered with strong canes, which stood

erected at the end of each mile. almost as close together as hemp stalks, The Pearl and Pascagola, the Moand generally from twenty to thirty bile and Tensaw, formed by the five feet high, and matted together by Tombeckby and Alabama, the various species of vines, that connected them with the boughs of lofty timber,

Cocnecuh and Chattahocha rivers, which was rery abundant. The hills are all navigable above the bounare numerous, short and steep ; from dary. Their banks are low, exthese untoward circumstances we were

tremely fertile, and subject to anscareelv ever able to open one fourth

nual inundations ; but the high of a mile per day, and frequently much less.

lands between them are unproduc.

tive. At the Chattahocha, Mr:E. Arrived at the Pearl river, our was plundered by the Indians. author determined to go to New This river, from the 31° of north Orleans to obtain the governour's latitude, down to the mouth of Flint

river, constitutes a part of the nect a fine and extensive tract of boundary line, which was thence to country within the United States pass to the source of the St. Mary's, with the ocean. East Florida de. which then divides the two coun- rives its importance from being tries to the ocean. Our author's calculated to give security to the ser. journal from the Chattahocha trade, that the atlantick states carto the St. Mary's is generally te- ry on with the western, and with dious and uninteresting. On his the Gulf of Mexico. The source passage he observed a very singu- of the St. Mary's was determined lar appearance in the heavens, by the commissioners to be somewhich he thus describes :-- where in the Okofonoke swamp ;

but as it was impossible to enter About two o'clock in the morning, I the swamp at that season, a mound was called up to see the shooting of the

was erected on the west side of the stars, as it was vulgarly termed. The phenomenon was grand and awful ; the

main outlet ; and it was agreed, whole heavens appeared as if illuminat

that a line should be run from that ed with sky rockets, flying in an infinity mound in a north-east direction of directions, and I was in constant ex- two miles, at the termination of pectation of some of them falling on the

which, it should meet the line from vessel. They continued, till put out by the light of the sun, after day break.

Flint river. Thus end Mr. E.'s This phenomenon extended over a large

official labours. To this account portion of the West-India islands, and he adds a short list of plants, in a was observed as far north as St. Mary's, note to which, he confutes, by the where it appeared as brilliant as with mention of the Notes on Virginia, us. During this singular appearance, the wind shifted from the south to the the opinion, which, he says, Mons. north, and the thermometer, which had Buffon, and other celebrated Eubeen at 86° for four days past, fell to 56o. ropean writers, have held, that A

merican genius was inferiour to Mr. E. does not attempt to ac- that of the old world. count for this appearance, but only The prevailing disorders of the mentions the theoretick conjecture country are fevers, by which our of Lavoisier, that the air consists author lost several of his people at of different strata, as more satis- Natchez. He preserved himself factory to him than any other. In from them by Dr. Rush's pills, favour of that theory, which at- till, when they were exhausted, he tributes the Gulf Stream to a ro- himself likewise was attacked. His tary motion in the Atlantick ocean, journal by sea back to Philadelaided by the trade winds, he ad- phia concludes the work. The vances some plausible arguments. appendix contains the state of the Our author thinks neither West weather and thermometer for each or East Florida of much conse- day, the astronomical observations, quence in themselves. The for- and the calculations from those mer, except on the Mississippi, is observations, by a reference to but very thinly populated, and the which their accuracy may be decoast of the latter is entirely unin. termined. It contains likewise habited, and in possession of the maps of te boundary line on a privateersmen of the Bahama isl- large scale. ands, who plunder it of its timber. The maps, which are all well exWest Florida is of consequence ecuted, and bear internal marks of from the passage through it of the accuracy, must be considered as rivers mentioned above, which con- valuable additions to ou geogra

In our

a

phy; but the work is neither in. Inquiry ; and yet, if nothing but teresting, nor does it contain much the quantity of brase be regarded, we important information.

are hardly losers by the exchange. passage down the Ohio, there are Mr. Wortman's book has all the but few objects to detain our atten- the properties of a cent, except its tion, and, launched into the Mis

currency, and its value. It has as sissippi, we might almost as well dull a countenance, and as drossy be at sea. The delays of the de- and cumbrous a nature. One can pendent Spanish government had hardly be persuaded to read the before been made publick, and first paragraph of a volume of 300 had therefore lost much of their pages, when the preface contains interest ; and the petty disputes an insolent boast, under the name of party faction could never claim of an apology, that the work is more, than a local consideration.

produced in a few idle hours, withThe knowledge of the coast of out care or attention. “ It is but Florida, and of the rivers which justice,” says Mr.W.“ to observe,

, discharge themselves into the gulf that the following pages have on. of Mexico, is balanced by the te- ly occupied the leisure moments dious difficulties, which are always of less than four months, and been met with in penetrating uninhabit- written amidst the constant intered deserts, and by the barrenness ruption of business.” There was of a sea-voyage. The comments no necessity for this hasteno eaare few, and those the remarks of ger impatience of the publick a common mind. The language drove Mr. W. to the press. It is is frequently inelegant, and some- effrontery to introduce to the world, times incorrect. The passages, under the imposing title of a quoted above, we believe to be fair “ Political Inquiry," a volume, specimens of the style, which never composed in a time almost too rises above plain narration. Upon short for an amanuensis to copy its the whole, we must conclude, that pages. The affectation of wri. the work is very much inferiour ting quick is contemptible ; yet in to what it ought to have been ; this country it too frequently supand that a small pamphlet, with plies the ambition of writing well.

a the maps, which we must again · The calamus currens is for clerks call valuable, would have contain- and secretaries, not for those who ed as much information as the would instruct or inform mankind. quarto, through which we have la- But, perhaps, it is well that Mr. boured.

W. published thus hastily, for if he had taken longer time, there is

reason to fear, that, instead of writART. 55.

ing better, he would have written

more.

A Treatise concerning Political In- It is difficult to say what Mr.

quiry, and the liberty of the prese. W.'s book is, or to what class of By T'unia Wurtman, counsellor productions it belongs. This et law, New-Yor:: George

would be, Forman. 1800.

"to give to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name." WE never made a worse bargain with an honest man, than when Its most striking characteristick is we gave the bookseller one hund- the absence of ideas. The reader red cents, for Wortinan's Political wades through it, meeting only at