Boundaries.] BOUNDED north, by Kentucky and

part of Virginia; eaft, by North Carolina; fouth, by South Carolina or Georgia; weft, by the Miflifippi.

Civil Divifions and Population.] This State, erected and organized in 1796, is divided into three diftricts, and 18 counties, whofe names and population, accord ing to a cenfus taken in 1800, are as follows:

The eastern fettlement is divided into two districts,

Washington and Hamilton.

The inhabitants of this diftrict emigrated chiefly from Pennfylvania, and that part of Virginia that lies weft of the Blue Ridge.

Climate.] Temperate and healthy. In the tract ly. ing between the Great Ifland, as it is called, and the Kanhawa, the funimers are remarkably cool, and the air rather moift. Southwest of this, as far as the Indian towns, the climate is much warmer, and the foil better adapted to the productions of the fouthern States.

An inhabitant of this district writes, " Our phyficians are, a fine climate; healthy, robuft mothers and fathers; plain and plentiful diet, and enough of exercise. There is not a regular bred phyfician refiding in the whole district." Phyficians, however, have fince fettled here.

Rivers and Mountains.] The Tenneffee, called also the Cherokee, is the largest branch of the Ohio. It ri fes in the mountains of Virginia, latitude 37°, and pur fues a courfe of about 1,000 miles fouth and fouthwest, nearly to latitude 34°, receiving from both fides a number of large tributary ftreams. It then wheels about to the north in a circuitous courfe, and mingles with the Ohio, nearly 60 miles from its mouth. From its entrance into the Ohio, to the Muscle Shoals, 250 miles, the current is very gentle, and the river deep enough, at all feasons, for the largest row boats. The Mufcle Shoals are about 20 miles in length. At this place the river spreads to the width of 3 miles, and forms a number of iflands, and is of difficult paffage, except when there is a fwell in the river. From these fhoals to the whirl or fuck, the place where the river breaks through the Great Ridge, or Cumberland mountain, is 250 miles, the navigation all the way excellent for boats of 40 or 50 tons.

The Cumberland mountain, in its whole extent, from the Great Kanhawa to the Tenneffee, confifts of the moft ftupendous piles of craggy rocks, of any mountain in the western country. Through this ftupendous pile, according to modern hypothefis, had the waters of all the upper branches of the Tenneffee to force their way. The attempt would have been impracticable at any other place than the one mentioned, for more than 100 miles

miles eastwardly. Here then feems to have been the chafm, left by the Creator, to convey off those waters, which muft other wife have overflowed, and rendered ufelefs a vast tract of valuable country, encompassed within the mountains.

The Whirl, as it is called, is in about latitude 35°. It is reckoned a great curiofity. The river, which a few miles above, is half a mile wide, is here compreffed to the width of about 100 yards. Juft as it enters the mountain, a large rock projects from the northern fhore, in an oblique direction, which renders the bed of the river still narrower, and causes a sudden bend; the water of the river is of course thrown with great rapidity against the fouthern fhore, whence it rebounds around the point of the rock, and produces the Whirl, which is about 80 yards in circumference. Canoes have often been carried into this Whirl, and efcaped by the dexterity of the rowers, without damage. In lefs than a mile below the Whirl, the river fpreads into its common width, and, except Mufcle Shoals, already mentioned, flows beautiful and placid, till it mingles with the Ohio. The principal tributary fireams to the Tenncffee, are, the Holfton, Pelefon or Clinch and Duck rivers.

The Shawanee, now called Cumberland river, of the fouthern branches of the Ohio, is next in fize to the Tenneffee, and extends eastward nearly as far, but runs a much more direct courfe. It is navigable for smallcraft as far as Nashville.

There are five navigable rivers in this territory, which difcharge themselves immediately into the Miffifippi, viz. Wolf, Hatchee, Forked Deer, Obeon and Reelfoot.

It would take a volume to defcribe, particularly, the mountains of this territory, above half of which is cov ed with those which are uninhabitable. Some of thefe mountains, particularly the Cumberland, or Great Laurel Ridge, are the moft ftupendous piles in the United States. They abound with ginfeng, and stone coal. Clinch mountain is fouth of thefe; in which Park's garden and Morris' Nob, might be defcribed as curiofities.

Animals 1.

Animals.] A few years fince, this country abounded with large herds of wild cattle, improperly called Buffaloes; but the improvident or. ill-difpofed among the first fettlers, have deftroyed multitudes of them, out of mere wantonnefs. They are ftill to be found on fome of the fouth branches of Cumberland river. Elk or moose are feen in many places, chiefly among the mountains. The deer are become comparatively fearce; fo that no perfon makes a business of hunting them for their fkins only. Enough of bears and wolves yet remain. Beavers and otters are caught in plenty in the upper branches of Cumberland and Kentucky rivers.

The mammoth, the king of the land animals, was formerly an inhabitant of this country.

Commerce.] This country furnishes many valuable articles of export, fuch as fine waggon and faddle horfes, beef, cattle, ginfeng, deer skins and furs, cotton, hemp and flax, which may be tranfported by land; alfo, iron, lumber, pork and flour, which will be exported in great quantities, now the navigation of the Miffifippi is opened.

Religion.] The Prefbyterians are the prevailing denomination of Chriftians in this district. They have a Prefbytery eftablished by act of Synod, which, in 1788, confifted of 23 large congregations, who were then fupplied by only fix minifters. There are alfo fome of the Baptift and Methodist denominations.

Literatur] Three colleges are established by law in this State, viz. Greenville college in Green county; Blount college at Knoxville, and Washington college in Washington county. Confiderable funds have been collected for the former, and one or two thousand volumes of books for its library. A fociety has been established, who ftyle themfelves, "A Society for promoting Ufeful Knowledge."

Charader and Manners.] There is nothing in the character of this people, that diftinguishes them from the fettlers of new countries in general. Among the bulk of the inhabitants, a great fimplicity of manners prevails. Wrestling, jumping, running foot races, and playing at ball, are the common diverfions. Dancing

is

is coming into fashion. Card playing is a rare amuseThe hunting fhirt is ftill worn by the militia

ment.

on duty, and by hunters in purfuit of game.

Principal Towns.] KNOXVILLE, beautifully fituated on the Holfton, is the feat of government in this State, in N. lat. 35° 42', and has 387 inhabitants.

NASHVILLE, N. lat. 36°. The courts for the district of Mero are femi-annually held here; and it has two houfes for public worship, a handfomely endowed academy, established in 1786, and 345 inhabitants. JONESBOROUGH is the feat of the courts held in Wafhington district. There are eight other towns of less

note in the State.

Militia.] In 1788, the militia of this district amounted to between 7 and 8,oco effective men, who were principally armed with rifles. There are treble this

number at prefent.

Indians. The Indian tribes within and in the vicinity of this diftrict, are the Cherokees and Chickafaws. The Cherokees have been a warlike and numerous nation; but by continual wars, in which it has been their defliny to be engaged, with the northern Indian tribes, they were reduced at the commencement of the laft war, to about 2000 fighting men; fince which they have been reduced more than one half, and have become weak and pufillanimous.

The Chickafaws, of all the Indian tribes within the limits of the United States, merit the most from the Americans, having at all times maintained a brotherly attachment to them. They glory in faying, that they never fhed the blood of an Anglo American. There is fo great an affinity between the Chickafaw and Choctaw languages, that the common people can converfe together, each speaking in his own dialect. They are a perfonable people, and have an opennefs, in their countenances and behaviour, uncommon among favages. Thefe nations fay, they are the remnant of a great na tion that once lived far to the weft, which was deftroyed by the Spaniards, for whom they ftill retain an he reditary hatred.

Conflitution and Hiftory.] See American Univerfal Geography.

SOUTH