Description of its Rivers & advant in its Commerce. ages it thereby has Hudson's River. 2. The Oneida River running Northward falls into the Oneida Lake, which empties itself into the Cadarackui Lake at Oswego: from this Lake the great River St Lawrence takes its rise, which passing Montreal & Quebec empties it self into the Ocean opposite to Newfound land. 3dy a Branch of Susquehana River, which running Southerly passes through Pensylvania & Maryland, and empties it self into Cheasaspeak Bay in Virginia. The Province of New York has, for the Conveniency of Commerce, advantages by its Scituation beyond any other Colony in North America For Hudson's River, running through the whole extent of this Province, affords the inhabitants an easy Transportation of all their Commodities, to & from the City of New York. From the Eastern Branch there is only land Carriage of sixteen miles to the Wood Creek, or to Lake St. Sacrament, both of which fall into Lake Champlain, from whence Goods are transported by water to Quebec. But the Chief advantages are from the western Branch of Hudson's River. At 50 miles from Albany the Land Carriage from the Mohawks river to a lake from whence the Northern Branch of Susquehana takes its rise, does not exceed 14 miles. Goods may be carried from this lake in Battoes or flatt bottomed Vessels, through Pennsylvania, to Maryland & Virginia, the current of the river running every where easy, without any cataract in all that large space, In going down this River two large branches of the same River are met, which come from the westward, & issue from the long ridge of mountains, which stretch along behind Pensylvania, Maryland, Virginia & Carolina, commonly call'd the Apalachy Mountains. By either of these Branches Goods may be carried to the Mountain & I am told that the passage through the Mountains to the Branches of the Misissipi which issue from the West side of these Mountains, is neither long nor difficult; by which means an Inland Navigation may be made to the Bay of Mexico. Susquehana River. From the Head of the Mohawks River there is likewise a short land Carriage of four miles only, to a Creek of the The great lakes or Oneida lake, which empties it self into Cadarackui Lake at Oswego: and the Cadarackui Lake, being Inland seas * truely an Inland sea, of greater breadth than can be seen by the eye, communicates with Lake Erie, the Lake of the Hurons, Lake Michigan & the Upper lake, all of them Inland seas, By means of these Lakes, & the Rivers which fall into them, Commerce may be carried from New York, through a vast Tract of Land, more easily than from any other maritime Town in North America. These advatages I am sensible, cannot be sufficiently understood, without a Map of North America. The best which I have seen, is Mr. De L'Isle's Map of Louisiana, published in French in the year 1718. For this reason I frequently use the French names of places, that I may be better understood. There are great Quantities of Iron oar in several parts of the Province, Large Quantities of Sulphur in the Mohawks Country Salt Springs in the Onondaga Country. Lead oar has likewise been found in several parts of the Province, but no where as yet sufficient to pay the Expence of working. Minerals. Nature of the soil. The Soil is less uniform, as the Surface is more unequal, than in the more Southern Provinces ; & consequently there is a great variety of soil in several parts of the Province. It is generally proper for most sort of Grain, as wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, Maiz or Indian Corn & Buckwheat. The wheat of this Province is generally heavier than that of the Provinces more to the Southward & yields a larger quantity & better kind of Flower. The soil is likewise more fit for pasturage running naturally, assoon as it is clear'd of the woods into clover and other good grass, & is almost every where intermixed with good meadow grounds. These in several parts are of a deep rich black mold & have when sufficiently drain'd produced Hemp to great advantage. What I say of Hemp is grounded on what has been done in New Jersey, & tho' the experiment has not been sufficiently tried in this Province, I can see no reason to doubt of the like success. On many of the Branches of Hudson's River, & near Albany on Hudson's river it self, there is a kind of soil made by the Rivers & extends about half a mile in breadth along the Rivers. This being made by the soil, which the Rivers let fall is exceed ing rich, yields large crops of the best Wheat, and the repeated overflowings of the Rivers keeps it always in strenth. The Soil of the Mohawks Country is in general much richer & stronger, than that of the more Southern parts of the Province & exceeds any soil that I ever saw in any part of America. I am told, the same kind of soil extends through the countries of the Oneydoes, Onondagas, Cayugas, & Senekas. This soil, I am persuaded, will produce any thing, that can be produced in a Climate where the Winters are very cold. Climate. The Climate of the Province of New York, confining it to the present christian Settlements, extends from the The nature of the 40th degree and 30 mint. of Latitude to the 43d degree & 30 minutes. It is much colder in Winter than those parts of Europe, which ly under the same parallels of Latitude, The Alterations in the Thermometer, are very considerable, as great perhaps as in any part of the world: but the changes in the Barometer are not so great, the Mercury seldom descending so low as in Brittain. The changes of Heat & Cold pass through all the degrees of the Thermometer. I have observ'd the Cold so great, that the Spirit in Patrick's Thermometer, which is fixed to his portable Barometer, descended the space of 8 Gradations below all the Graduations marked on the Thermometer: at the same time, the Spirit in my Florentine Thermometer was included intirely within the Ball: But so great a degree of Cold happens seldom. The Peach & Quince trees were in many places killed by it, but the Apple & Pear trees are never hurt by the Cold. Hudson's River, so far as it is fresh is froze every year, so as to bear Horses & Carriages. The Excesses in Heat & Cold seldom continue a week together, or more than two or three days. The greatest cold is in January, & Heat in July & August. Since the Country has been settled & Clear'd the Seasons are become more moderate. The spring comes late, it is seldom sensible before April. This it is probable, is occasioned by great quantities of snow to the northward, which every where are cover'd from the Sun by thick Forests, & by melting slowly produces cold northerly winds. The spring being late of consequence is short, the succeeding warm weather produces a quick growth so that the face of the country, in a short time, becomes surprisingly changed In the summer exceeding heavy Dews fall almost every night. The wheat harvest is in the beginning of July. The Fall of the leaf is the most pleasant season in this country. From the beginning of September to December we have moderate weather with a serene sky the Horizon being seldom cover'd with clouds in that time. Latitude & Longi- The City of New York is in considerable piaces. d m Latitude.. 40.42 Longitude. 74.37 Sandy Hook, a Cape in the Ocean at the Entrance into the Long 74.37 Albany, the second City in New York & most consider able place for the Fur trade, Lat.. 42.48 Long. 74.24 Ohswego, a Fort on Cadarackuy lake, From whence the Philadelphia, Boston, Quebeck, the Capital of Canada Lat.. 43.35 Lat.. 46.45 Long. 69.48 Montreal, the second Town in Canada & nearest New York, Lat.. 45.52 Long. 74.10 Crown Point, The place where the French have built a Longitude computed The Latitude & Longitude of New York is from my own observations, which I am satisfied are near enough the these Longitudes & truth for common use, tho not made with such Latitudes are deter-Instruments, care & acuracy as is necessary where In what manner mined. the greatest exactness is requisite. The Longitude is from the Immersions & Emersions of Jupiter's first Satellite, and the Calculations made from Dr Pound's Tables of that Satellite. The Latitude & Longitude of Boston are from the observations made at Cambridge Colledge in New England, & those of Quebeck from the observations of the French there. Those of the other places are computed from their distance & scituation, with respect to some one or more of these that are determined by Observation. The reputed Boun The Province of New York is bounded, To the southward by the Atlantick Ocean, & runs from Sandy hook, daries of New York, including Long Island & Staten Island, up Hudson's River till the 41st degree of North Longitude be compleated, which is about 20 miles above the City of New York, East New Jersey lying for that space on the west side of Hudson's River. From the 41st degree of Latitude on Hudson's River, it runs northwesterly to 41 degrees & 40 min of Latitude on the most northerly Branch of Delaware River, which falls near Cashiektunk, an Indian Settlement on a Branch of that River call'd the Fish kill. Thence it runs up that Branch of Delaware River till the 424 degree of Latitude be compleated or to the Beginning of the 434 degree, Pensylvania stretching along the west side of Delaware River, so far northward as to this parallel of Latitude. From the Beginning of the 434 degree New York runs westerly, on a Parallel of Latitude, along the Bounds of Pensylvania to Lake Erie, or so far west as to comprehend the Country of the Five Nations, (the French having by the Treaty of Utricht quitted all claim to these Five Nations) Then it runs along lake Erie, & the streights between Lake Erie & Cadarackuy lake, & along Cadarackuy lake to the east end thereof From thence it continues to extend easterly along the Bounds of Canada, to the Colony of Massathuset's Bay. Then Southerly along the Boundaries of the Massathuset's Bay, & of the Colony of Connecticut, to the sound between Long Island & the main, & then easterly along that Sound to the Atlantick Ocean. The Boundaries between New York Province & the Provinces |