Fort Cincinnati is on the N. bank of the Ohio, between Great and Little Miami rivers, about 780 miles from Philadelphia. N. lat. 39 20.

Fort Wayne is near the confluence of St. Jofephs and St. Mary's rivers in the N. W. Territory. It can contain 500 men. It is 150 miles N. W. of Cincinnati.

Fort Defiance, in the N. W. Territory, is nearly half way between Fort Wayne and Lake Erie. N. Lat. 41 42.

Fort Knox in the N. W. Territory near the Great Miami.

Fort Ouatanon is on the river Wabash in the N. W. Territory.

Fort Maffuc on the N. W. fide of the Ohio about 11 miles below the mouth of Tenneffee river, was built by the French. It ftands on a high bank in an agreeable fituation.

Fort Knoxville, is at the Metropolis of the fame name in the State of Tenneffee.

South-west Point Fort, is at the confluence of Clinch and Tenneffee rivers, 40 miles from Knoxville.

Fort Tellico, is on the N. bank of Tennessee river, about 32 miles fouth of Knoxville. It is a trading poft with the Indians, and a very advantageous post.

Fort Coleraine, is on the N. bank of St. Mary's river in Georgia, 50 miles from its mouth.

Fort Wilmington, is in the capital of the fame name in Delaware State. Johnfon's Fort is near Cape Fear, at the mouth of Cape Fear river, in North-Carolina

Fort Annapolis, or Port-Royal, on the S. fide of the river, and bay of Annapolis. It cannot be eafly attacked, but by a bombardment. capable of containing about 100 men.

It is

Fort-Mifflin, is at the mouth of Schuylkill, river, about 6 miles S. of Philadelphia.

Fort-Yorktown on York river in Virginia, is renowned for the capture of Lord Cornwallis, with the British army in 1781. It is 72 miles S. E. of Richmond, and 350 from Philadelphia.

Fort- Jay, is on Governor's Ifland, in York bay S. of New-York. To the W. of this are two fmall Island's, which are also ftrongly fortified.

New-York is defended by two forts, on the S. S. W. fide on a place called the Battery; alfo, by another redoubt on the North river.

Weft-Point is a strong fortrefs, on the W. bank of Hudfon's river, in New-York fiate, 60' N. of the city of New-York, and 7 miles below FishKill.

The principal fort is fituated on a point of land, formed by a fudden bend in the river. Fort Putnam is fituated a little farther back, on an eminence. which overlooks the other part. A number of continental troops are stationed here.

Fort-Trumbull, is at New-London, (Connecticut,) on the river Thames. Fort Grifwould is on the Groton fide, of Thames river at New- London. Portland Fort. The works erected for the defence of Portland, in Cafro bay Maine,) confist of a fort, a citade! and battery.

Gloucefter Fort, or Cape Ann, in Maffachusetts, confils of a battery and citadel.

Bofton, is defended by a fort, on Cafle ifland; formerly called Cafile William. It is garriffoned by about 50 foldiers.

No. 28.

Detroit Fort in the N. W. territory, is on the W. bank of Detroit river, of an oblong figure, and built with flockades. It was delivered up by the British, to the United States in 1796. It is 18 miles N. of Lake Erie and 721 V. W. of Philadelphia, N. lat. 42, 40.

Fort Rofalie is in the Natchez, country, in the western terrmory of Georgia, on the E. fide of the Miffiffippi 240 miles above New Orleans.

Fort Summer has been erected in 1798, for the defence of Portland, on a a promontary in Cafco Bay, diftrict of Maine.

CHA P. XXVI,

THE DOMINIONS OF SPAIN IN NORTH-AMERICA.

EAST & WEST-FLORIDA.

Situation, Boundary and Extent.

EAST and Weft-Florida are fituated between 25° and 31° north

latitude, and 5 and 17° weft longitude from Philadelphia; the length is
about fix hundred miles, and the breadth about one hundred and thirty. They
are bounded north, by Georgia; caft, by the Atlantic ocean; fouth by the
gulph of Mexico; weft, by the Miffiffippi; lying in the form of an L. The
climate varies very little from that of Georgia. Florida was firft difcovered
in 1497, by Sebaftian Cabot, a Venetian, then in the English fervice;
whence a right to the country was claimed by the kings of England; and
this territory, as well as Georgia, was included in the charter granted by
Charles II. to Carolina. In 1512, however, Florida was more fully dif-
covered by Ponce de Leon, an able Spanish navigator, but who undertook his
voyage from the moft abfurd motives that can well be imagined. The Indians
of the Caribbee iflands had among them a tradition, that fomewhere on the
continent there was a fountain, whofe waters had the property of refloring
youth to all old men who tafted them. The romantic imaginations of the
Spaniards were delighted with the idea. Many embarked in voyages to
find out this imaginary fountain, who were never afterwards heard of. Their
fuperftitious countrymen never imagined that thefe people had perifhed.
They concluded that they did not return, only because they had drank of the
immortalizing liquor, and had difcovered a spot fo delightful, that they did
not choose to leave it. Ponce de Leon fet out with this extravagant view as
well as others, fully perfuaded of the existence of a third world, the conqueft
of which was to immortalize his name. In the attempt to difcover this coun-
try, he re-difcovered Florida, but returned vifibly more advanced in years
than when he fet out on his voyage. For fome time this country was neg-
lected by the Spaniards, and fome Frenchmen fettled in it.
colony being neglected by the miniftry, and Philip II. of Spain having ac-
customed himself to think that he was the fole proprietor of America, fitted
out a fleet at Cadiz to deftroy them. His orders were executed with barba-
rity; the French entrenchments were forced, and most of the people killed.
The prifoners were hanged on trees, with this infcription, "Not as French-
men, but as heretics."

But the new

The cruelty was foon after revenged by Dominic de Gourgues, a skilful and intrepid fcaman of Gafcony, an enemy to the Spaniards, and pallionately Vol. IV.

L 2

fond of hazardous expeditions and glory. He fold his eftates, built fome fhips, and with a felett band of adventurers, like himfelf, embarked for Flori da. He drove the Spaniards from all their pofts with incredible valour and activity defeated them in every rencounter, and by way of retaliation, hung the prifoners on trees, with this infcription, "Not as Spaniards, but as af fallins." This expedition was attended with no other confequences; Gourges blew up the forts he had taken, and returned home, where no notice was ken of him. It was again conquered in 1539, by the Spaniards under Ferdinand de Soto, not without a great deal of bloodshed, as the natives were very warlike, and made a vigorous refiftance. The fettlement, however, was not fully enabled till the year 1665, when the town of St. Auguftine, the capital of the colony while it remained in the hands of the Spaniards, was founded. In 1586, this place was taken and pillaged by Sir Francis Drake. It met with the fame fate in 1665, being taken and plundered by Captain Davis, and a body of buccaneers. In 1702, an attempt was made upon it by Colonel More, governor of Carolina. He fet out with five hundred English and feven hundred Indians; and having reached St. Auguftine, he befieged it for three months, at the expiration of which, the Spaniards having fent fome fhips to the relief of the place, he was obliged to retire. In 1740, another attempt was made by General Oglethorpe ; but he being our witted by the Spanish governor, was forced to raise the fiege with lofs, and Florida continued in the hands of the Spaniards till the year 1763, when it was ceded by treaty to Great-Britain. During the lafl war it was again reduced by his Catholic Majefly, and was guaranteed to the crown of Spain at the peace.

Among the rivers that flow through this territory, and fall into the Atlantic fea, St. John's and Indian rivers are the principal. St. John's river rifes in or near a large fwamp, in the heart of Eaft-Florida, and purfues a notthern courte in a broad navigable ftream, which, in feveral places, fpreads into broad bays or lakes. Lake George, which is only a dilatation of the river, is a beautiful piece of water, generally about fifteen miles broad, and from fifteen to twenty feet deep. It is ornamented with feveral charming iflands, one of which is an orange grove, interfperfed with magnolias and palm trees. Near Long Lake, which is two miles long and four wide, and which communicates with St. John's river by a fmall creek, is a vafi fountain of warm, or rather hot mineral water, iffuing from a high bank on the river: it boils up with great force, forming immediately a vaft circular bafon, capacious enough for feveral fhallops to ride in, and runs with rapidity into the river, at three or four hundred yards diflance: the water is perfectly clear, and the prodigious number and variety of fish in it, while fwimming many feet deep, appear as plainly as though lying on the table before your eyes: the water has a difagreeable tafle, and fmells like bilge water. This river enters into the Atlantic, north of St. Auguftine.--Indian river rifes a fort diflance from the fea coaft, and runs from north to fouth, forming a kind of inland paffage for many miles along the coaft.-Seguana, Apalachicola, Chatahatchi, Efcambia, Mobile, Pafcagoula, a d Pearl rivers, all rife in Georgia, and run foutherly into the gulph of Mexico.

There are, in this territory, a great variety of foils. The eaflern part of it, near and about St. Auguftine, is far the most unfruitful; yet even here two crops of Indian corn are produced. The banks of the rivers which wa ter the Floridas, and the parts contiguous, are of a fuperior quality, and well adapted to the culture of rice and corn, while the more interior country,

which is high and pleafant, abounds with wood of alineft every kind; particularly white and red oak, live oak, laurel magnolia, pine, hiccory, cyprefs, red and white cedar. The live oaks, though not tall, contain a prodigious quantity of timber: the trunk is generally from twelve to t veny feet in circumference, and rifes ten or twelve feet from the earth, and then branches into four or five great limbs, which grow in nearly a horizontal direction, forming a gentle curve. "I have flepped," fays Bartram, "above fif y paces, on a traight line, from the trunk of one of thefe trees to the extremity of the limbs." They are ever green, and the wood aloft incorruptible. They bear a great quantity of finall acorns, which are agrecable food, when roalled, and from which the Indians extract a fweet oil, which they ufe in cooking homminy and rice.

The laurel magnolia is the most beautiful among the trees of the forest, and is ufually one hundred feet high, though fome are much higher. The trunk is perfectly erect, rifing in the form of a beautiful column, and fupporting a head like an obtufe cone. The flowers are on the extremities of the branches; are large, white, and expanded like a rofe, and are the largest and most complete of any yet known; when fully expanded, they are from fix to nine inches diameter, and have a moft delicious fragrance. The cyprefs is the largeft of the American trees. "I have feen trunks or thefe tres," fays Bartrain, "that would meature eight, ten, and twelve feet in diameter for forty and fifty feet ftraight shaft." The trunks mike excellent fhingles, boards, and other timber; and when hallowed, make durable and convenient "When the planters fell thefe mighty trees, they raife a flage around them, as high as to reach above the buttreffs; on this ftage eight or ten negroes afcend with their axes, and fall to work round its trunk."

canoes.

The intervals between the hilly part of this country are extremely rich, and produce fpontaneoufly the fruits and vegatables that are common to Georgia and the Carolinas. But this country is rendered valuable in a peculiar manner by its extenfive ranges for cattle.

Chief Towns.

Sr. AUGUSTINE, the capital of East Florida, is fittated on the

fea coaft, lat. 29° 45′; is of an oblong figure, and interfected by four treets which cut each other at right angles. The town is fortified with baftions, and inclosed with a ditch: it is likewife defended by a castie, called fort St. John, which is well appointed as to ordnance. The north and fouth bicakers, at the entrance of the harbour, form two channels, whofe bars have eight feet water. It is 316 miles S. W. from Charkfton in South Carolina, in lat. 30; W. long. 81 31.

The principal town in Weft-Florida is Penfacola, lat. 30° 22'. It lies along the beach, and like St. Auguftine, is of an oblong form. The water, approaches to the town except for finall veflels, are obitructed by a low and fandy fhore. The bay, however, on which the town flands, forms a very commodious harbour, and veffels may ride there Roure from every vind. The exports from this town, confifling of fkins, legwood, dying ftuff, and filver dollars, amounted, while in the poffeffion of the British, on an average to fixty-three thousand pounds, annually; the average value of imports, for three years from Great-Britain, was ninety-feven thoufand pounds. The town and port furtendered to the Spaniards in 1781, and with them the whole province.

LOUISIAN

LOUISIANA.

QUISIANA is bounded by the Miffiffippi, on the call; by the gulf of Mexico, on the fouth: by New-Mexico, on the weft; and runs indefinitely worth. Under the French government Louifiana included both fides of the Miffiopi. from us mouth to the Illinois, and back from the ri ver, eat and well indefinitely.

The Miffifhppi, on which the fine country of Louisiana is fituated, was firit difcovered by Ferdinand de Soto, in 1541. Monfieur de la Salle was the hift who traverfed it, He in the year 1682, having pafïed down to the nouth of the Miffiffippi, and furveyed the adjacent country, returned to Canada, from whence he took paffage to France.

From the flattering accounts which he gave of the country, and from the confequential advantages that would accrue from fettling a colony in those parts, Louis XIV. was induced to establish a company for the purpose. Accordingly a fquadron of four veffels, amply provided with men and provifions, under the cominand of Monfieur de la Salle, embarked with an intention of feuling near the mouth of the Miffiffippi; but he unintentionally failed a hundred leagues to the wellward of it, where he attempted to effablish a colony; but through the unfavourableness of the climate, moft of his men miferably perished, and he himself was villainously murdered, not long after, by two of his men. Monfieur Ibberville fucceeded him in his laudable attempts. He after two fuccefsful voyages, died while preparing for a third. Crozat fucceeded him; and in 1712, the king gave him Louifiana. This grant continued but a fhort time after the death of Louis XIV. In 1763, Louifiana was ceded to the king of Spain, to whom it now belongs.

from t.

This country is interfested by a number of fine rivers, among which are the St. Francis, which empties into the Miffippi at Kappas Old Fort navigable about two hundred and fifty or three hundred miles; its courfe is nearly paraliet with the Miffifippi, and from twenty to thirty miles diflant the Natchitoches, which empties into the Miffippi above Point Coupee the Adayes or Mexicano river, emptying into the gulph of Mexico --and the river Rou e, on which, it is well known, are as rich filver mines as a y in Mexico. This is fuppofed to be one principal reafon why the exclufive navigation of the Mfiffippi has been fo much infilled on by Spain.

Louifana is agreeably fituated between the extremes of heat and cold; its climate varies as it extends to the north. The fouthern parts, lying within reach of the refreshing brezes from the fea, are not fcorched like thofe under the fame latitudes in Africa; and its northern regions are colder than thofe of Europe under the fame parallels, with a whole fome ferene air. To judge of the produce to be expected from the foil of Louifiana, we should turn our eyes to Egypt, Arabia, Felix, Perfia, India, China, and Japan, all lying in correfponding latitudes. Of thefe, China alone has a tolerable government; and yet it must be acknowledged, they all are, or have been famous for their riches and fertility. From the favourableness of the climate two annual crops of Indian corn may be produced; and the foil, with little cultivation, would furnish grain of every kind in the greatest of abundance. The timber is as fine as any in the world, and the quantities of live oak, ash, mulberry, walnut. cherry, cyprefs, and cedar, are aftonithing. The neighbourhood of the Miffiffippi, befides furnishes the richeft fruits in great variety; the foil is particularly adapted to hemp, flax, and tobacco; and indigo is at this time a flaple commodity, which commonly yields the planter three or