copalian, Baptift, and Methodist denominations. They have but few regular minifters among them.

Conftitution. The prefent conftitution of this State was formed and established in the year 1789, and is nearly upon the plan of the conftitution of the United States.

State of Literature.] The literature of this State, which is yet in its infancy, is commencing on a flan which affords the most flattering profpects. The char ter containing their prefent fyftem of education, was paffed in the year 1785. A college, with ample and liberal endowments, is inftituted and organized at Louisville, a high and healthy part of the country, near the centre of the State. There is also provision made for the inftitution of an academy, in each county in the State, to be fupported from the fame funds, and confidered as parts and members of the fame inftitution, under the general fuperintendence and direction of a prefident and board of trustees, appointed for their literary accomplishments, from the different parts of the State, invested with the customary powers of corporations. The inftitution thus compofed, is denominated "The University of Georgia."

That this body of literati, to whom is entrusted the direction of the general literature of the State, may not be fo detached and independent, as not to poffefs the confidence of the State; and in order to fecure the attention and patronage of the principal officers of gov ernment, the governor and council, the speaker of the houfe of affembly, and the chief juftice of the State, are affociated with the board of trustees, in fome of the great and more folemn duties of their office; fuch as making the laws, appointing the prefident, fettling the property, and inftituting academies. Thus affociated, they are denominated "The Senate of the Univerfity," and are to hold a stated annual meeting, at which the governor of the ftate prefides.

The fenate appoint a board of commiffioners in each county, for the particular management and direction of the academy, and the other schools in each county, who are to receive their inftructions from, and are account able to, the fenate. The rector of each academy is an fficer of the univerfity, to be appointed by the prefi

dent

dent, with the advice of the trufees, and commiffiored under the public feal, and is to attend, with the other officers, at the annual meeting of the lenate, to deliber. ate on the general ir terefts et literature, and to deter mine on the courfe of inftruétion for the year, through. out the univerûty. The prefident has the general charge and oversight of the whole, and is from time to time to vifit them, to examine into their order and performances.

The funds for the fupport of this inftitution are principally in lands, amounting in the whole to about fifty thonfand acres, a great part of which is of the best quality, and at prefent very valuable. There are alfo fix thousand pounds sterling in bonds, houfes and town lots, in the town of Auguita. Other public property to the amount of iccol. in each county, has been fet apart for the purposes of building and furnithing their respective academies.

Indians.] The Muskogee or Creek Indians inhabit the middle part of this ftate, and are the most numerous tribe of Indiars of any with in the limits of the United States. Their whele number, according to a late account, is 25 cr 26 oco feels, of whom between 5 and 6,oco are gun men. They are a well made, expert, bardy, fagacious, politic people, extremely jealous of their rights, and averfe to parting with their lands.

They have abundance of tame cattle and fwine, turkies, ducks, and other poultry; they cultivate tobacco, rice, Indian corn, potatoes, beans, peas, cabbage, melons, and have plenty of peaches, plums, grapes, firawberries, and other fruits. They are faithful friends, but inveterate enemies; hofpitable to ftrangers, and honeft and fair in their dealings. No nation has a more contempti ble opinion of the white men's faith in general, than thefe people; yet they place great confidence in the United States, and with to agree with them upon a permanent boundary over which the fouthern States thall not trefpaís. They are fettled in a hilly, but not mountainous country. The foil is fruitful in a high degree, and well watered, abounding in creeks and rivulets, from whence they are called the Creek Indians.

The Chacaws, or flat heads, inhabit a very fine and extenfive tract of hilly country, with large and fertile

X 2

plain

plains intervening, between the Alabama and Mithilippi rivers, in the western part of this ftate. This nation had, not many years ago, 43 towns and villages, in three divifions, containing 12,123 fouls, of which 4,041 were fighting men.

The Chicafaws are fettled at the head branches of the Tombeckbee, Mobille and Yazoo rivers, in the northweft corner of the ftate. Their country is an extenfive. plain, tolerably well watered from fprings, and a pretty good foil. They have feven towns, the central one of which is in latitude 34° 23', and longitude 14° 30' weft, from Philadelphia. The number of fouls in this nation have been formerly reckoned at 1725, of which 575 were fighting men.

Hiflory.] The fettlement of a colony between the rivers Savannah and Alatamaha, was meditated in England in 1732, for the accommodation of poor people in Great Britain and Ireland, and for the further fecurity of Carolina. Private compaffion and public fpirit, cor fpired to promote the benevolent defign. Humane and opulent men fuggefted a plan for tranfporting a number of indigent families to this part of America, free of expense. For this purpose they applied to King George H. and obtained from him letters patent, bearing date: June 9th, 1732, for legally carrying into execution what they had generously projected. They called the new province GEORGIA, in honour of the King, whe encouraged the plan.

During the late war, Georgia was overrun by the British troops, and the inhabitants were obliged to flee into the neighbouring ftates for fafety. The fufferings and loffes of her citizens were as great, in proportion to their numbers, and wealth, as in any of the States.. Since the peace, the progrefs of the population of this State has been rapid. Its growth in improvement and population has been checked by the hoftile irruptions of the Creek Indians, which have been frequent and very diftreffing to the frontier inhabitants. Treaties have been held, and a ceffation of hoftilities agreed to between the parties; and it is expected that a permanent peace will foon be concluded, and tranquillity reftored to the State. See Hewett's Hift. S. Carolina and Georgia, and Amer. Univ. Geog. MISSISIPPI

MISSISIPPI TERRITORY.

SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES.

HIS Territory comprehends the western part of

weft, by the Miffilippi; fouth, by Weft Florida. The Creek, Chicafaw and Cha&taw tribes of Indians inhabit a confiderable portion of this country.

Divifions and Population.] This Territory is divided into three counties, viz..

Soil, Productions, and Climate.] The foil of this coun try, particularly what has been called the Natchez country, is reprefented as fuperior to any of the lands on the borders of the river Miffifippi, for the production of many articles. Its fituation being higher, affords a greater variety of foil, and is in a more favourable climate for the growth of wheat, rye, barley, oats, &c.. than the country lower down, and nearer to the fea, The foil alfo produces, in equal abundance, Indian corn, rice, hemp, flax, indigo, cotton, pot-herbs, pulfe of ev. ery kind, and pafturage; and the tobacco made here is efteemed preferable to any cultivated in other parts of America. Hops grow wild; all kinds of European fruits arrive to great perfection, and no part of the known world is more favourable for the railing of every kind of ftock. The climate is healthy and temperate ; the country delightful and well watered; and the profpect is beautiful and extenfive, variegated by many inequalities and fine meadows, feparated by innumerable copfes, the trees of which are of different kinds, but moftly of walnut and cak. The rifing grounds, which

are

are clothed with grafs and other herbs of the finest ver dure, are properly difpofed for the culture of vines;` the mulberry trees are very numerous, and the winters fufficiently moderate for the breed of filk worms. Clay of different colours, fit for glafs works and pottery, is found here in great abundance; and alfo a variety of ftately timber fit for house and ship building, &c. The elevated, open and airy fituation of this country renders it lefs liable to fevers and agues (the only diforders ever known in its neighbourhood) than fome other parts bordering on the Miffilippi, where the want of fufficient defcent to convey the waters off, occafions numbers of ftagnant ponds, whofe exhalations infect the air.

Chief Towns.] Natchez, on the eaft bank of the Miffifippi, is the capital of this territory, and including St. Catherine's, contains 1656 inhabitants; of thefe 833 are flaves. Jefferfon, in Washington county, contains 437 inhabitants. Shamburgh and Steel, in this county, are equally populous. Cole's Creek, and Baic Pairre, in the county of Pickering, and Sandy and Second Creeks and Homo Chitto, in Adams county, are the best fettled parts of this new country.

Hiftory and Government.] Of the Territory now defcribed, the State of Georgia, by act of their legislature, paffed. January 7th, 1795, fold about 22,000,oco of acres, to four different companies. Thefe lands have been fold by the original purchasers chiefly in the middle and Eaftern States. Great and ferious difputes* have arifen in refpect to the title to thefe lands, which are now in a train of adjustment before a board of commiffioners on the part of Georgia and the Federal government.

This Territory, in 1800, was erected into a distinct government, giving to the inhabitants the fame privileges as are enjoyed by thofe of the Northwestern Territory and Indiana.

Spanish

* A full account of thefe difputes is given in the Appendix ce the American Gazetteer, published in 1797.