from that of Virginia to the eastward of the Blue Ridge. The moisture of the air varies very much in different parts of the country; it also varies in all parts with the winds and it is surprising to find what a much greater degree of heat can be borne without inconvenience when the air is dry than when it is moist. In the New England states, in a remarkable dry air, the heat is not found more insupportable when the thermometer stands at 100 deg. than it is in the lower parts of the southern states, where the air is moist, when the thermometer stands perhaps at at 90 deg.-that is, supposing the wind to be in the same quarter in both places. But throughout all the states, the difference is very great between the climate among the hills, and that in the low country. From the mountains in New England, along the different ridges which run through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the Southern states, even to the extremity of Georgia, the heat is never found very oppressive; whilst as far north as Pennsylvania and New York, the heat in the lower parts of the country, between the mountains and the ocean, is frequently intolerable. In every part of the United States, the wind makes a prodigious difference in the temperature of the air. When the north-west wind blows, the heat is always found more tolerable than with any other; although the thermometer should be at the same height. This wind is uncommonly dry, and brings with it fresh animation and vigour to every living thing; and although it is very piercing in winter, the people never complain so much of cold as when the north-east wind blows; nor is the air ever found so agreeable, at any season of the year, as with a north-west breeze. The north-east wind is also cold, but it renders the air raw and damp: that from the south-east is damp but warm. Rain or snow usually falls when the wind comes from any point towards the east. The south-west wind, like the north-west, is dry; but it is generally attended with warm weather. When the wind blows from a southerly point, storms of thunder, lightning, hail, and rain, are common.

But it appears from atttentive observation, and judicious experiments, that in proportion to the increase of cultivation, the seasons become more moderate. Ever since the first settlement of North America, the severity of the cold has been found gradually to decrease. This change of the climate is evident by the great diminution of snow in all the oldest cultivated parts of the country. The cold of the winters is also perceptibly decreasing: the rivers are not frozen so soon, so thick, or so long as they formerly were. At the first settlement of Philadelphia, the River Delaware was commonly covered with ice about the end of November: it is not now frozen over until the first week in January. Similar observations have been made in regard to the ice in Hudson's River, state of New York; and at Boston the extreme cold weather does not come on so soon as formerly by several weeks. The bays, instead of being annually covered with ice, are seldom frozen to that degree; and they do not continue in this state a longer time than eight or ten days.

Face of the Country.-The general aspect of the United States presents every variety of surface, the country being happily variegated with plains and mountains, hills and valleys. Some parts are rocky, particularly New England, the northern parts of New York and New Jersey, and a broad space, including the several ridges of the long range of mountains which runs south-westward through Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and a part of Georgia; dividing the waters which flow into the Atlantic from those which fall into the Mississippi. This mountainous district is about 150 miles, in breadth, and 1200 miles in length; extending in large ridges from north-cast to south-west. These ridges are generally known by the name of the Allegany Mountains, and are of various elevations, from 2000 to 4000 feet high: the highest point seems to be the White Hills in New Hampshire, which rise to the elevation of nearly 9000 feet. The north-eastern part of the United States, near the coast, is broken and hilly; and is remarkably indented with

numerous bays and inlets. Towards the south, and along the Gulf of Mexico, the land is level and sandy, interspersed with many swamps, and a great number of islands. At the outlets of many of the rivers, there is a large portion of alluvial land, formerly covered by the water, which is particularly the case along the Mississippi. On the Atlantic side of the states, above the head of the tide waters, is a tolerably rich and agreeably uneven country, which extends to the mountains. Beyond the mountains we have a view of the great valley of the Mississippi and its tributary streams; presenting a body of the finest land in the world, and possessing great natural advantages. To the westward of this valley are the mountains of Louisiana, presenting features singularly bold and majestic. Beyond these, the principal feature is the great confluence of waters at the outlet of the Columbia River, and the bold shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Native Indians.-The American Indians are distinguished by a very small forehead, covered with hair from the extremities to the middle of the eye-brows. They have black eyes, a thin nose, small and rather aquiline; the face broad, the features somewhat coarse, the ears large, and placed far back; their hair very black, lank, and coarse. Their limbs are small but well shaped, and scarcely any crooked or deformed person is to be found among them. They are of a middle stature, well proportioned, strong and active, but not fitted for much labour. They are naturally of a copper colour; but take a great deal of pains to darken their complexion by anointing themselves with grease, and lying in the sun. They also paint their faces, breasts, and shoulders of various colours, but generally red. There is little difference between the dress of the men and women, excepting a short petticoat, and the hair clubbed behind, distinguish some of the latter. Their warlike arms are guns, bows, and arrows, darts, scalping-knives, and tomahawks. This is one of their most useful pieces of field furniture, serving all the offices of the hatchet, pipe, and sword.

They live dispersed in small villages, either in the

woods, or on the banks of rivers, where they have little plantations of Indian corn and roots; but not enough to supply their families half the year: during the remainder, they subsist by hunting, fishing, and fowling, and the fruits of the earth, which grow spontaneously in great plenty.

The Indians are a very understanding people, quick of apprehension, sudden in execution, exquisite in invention, and industrious in action. They are of a gentle and amiable disposition to those they think their friends, but as implacable in their enmity; their revenge being only completed in the entire destruction of their enemies. Among the Indians all men are equal, personal qualities being most esteemed; and though there is perhaps less delicacy of sentiment in these people than amongst us, there is, however, much more honesty, with infinitely less ceremony, or equivocal compliments. Their public conferences shew them to be men of genius; and they possess, in a high degree, the talent of natural eloquence. The celebrated oration of Logan, a chief of the Mingo tribe, to Lord Dunmore, when governor of Virginia, has been so often published, that it must now be familiar to most readers but the following speeches of a much more recent date, are, it is believed, but little known in this country. They. were delivered at a council held at Buffalo, on Lake Erie, in May, 1811, by an Indian named Red Jacket, with such animation of gesture and force of language, as perfectly astonished the audience. To explain them it is necessary to state, that the Indians in that district, when they sold their lands, reserved about 200,000 acres for themselves and families to reside on. The pre-emption right, that is, the right to purchase from the Indians, was sold by the Holland Company to certain persons in New York, and they sent a Mr. Richardson as agent, to endeavour to make a bargain with the Indians. Along with this gentleman, the missionary society of New York sent a Mr. Alexander, with a view to convert the Seneca Indians to Christianity; and these two gentlemen addressed them on the subject of their respective missions about the same time. Red Jacket,

who is called in his own nation Sagu-yu-whatta, which signifies Keeper Awake, in answer to Mr. Richardson, spoke as follows:

"Brother; we opened our ears to the talk you lately delivered to us at our council-fire. In doing important business it is best not to tell long stories, but to come to it in a few words. We shall therefore not repeat your talk, which is fresh in our minds. We have well considered it, and the advantages and disadvantages of your offers. We request your attention to our answer, which is not from the speaker alone, but from all the sachems and chiefs now round our council-fire.

"Brother; We know that great men, as well as great nations, have different interests, have different minds, and do not see the same subject in the same light; but we hope our answer will be agreeable to you and to your employers.

"Brother; Your application for the purchase of our lands, is to our minds very extraordinary; it has been made in a crooked manner-you have not walked in the straight path pointed out by the great council of your nation. You have no writings from our great father the president.

"Brother; In making up our minds we have looked back, and remembered how the Yorkers purchased our lands in former times. They bought them piece after piece for a little money, paid to a few men in our nation, and not to all our brethren. Our planting and hunting grounds have become very small, and if we sell these we know not where to spread our blankets.

Brother; You tell us your employers have purchased of the council of Yorkers a right to buy our lands-we do not understand how this can be-the lands do not belong to the Yorkers; they are ours, and were given to us by the Great Spirit.

"Brother; We think it strange that you should jump over the lands of our brethren in the east, to come to our council-fire so far off, to get our lands. When we sold our lands in the east to the white people, we determined