braries forming at many of the court-houses, as central places of deposit for the districts, which are enlarging gradually, and extending a taste for reading. They are in the nature of circulating libraries among the proprietors.

Many of the wealthy planters have respectable libraries for their private use, and they are not backward in adding to them from time to time, especially new and popular publications. The booksellers declare that the sale of books progressively increases except in times of general distress from somè common calamity. They add further, that schoolbooks, and such as treat of religion, are in the greatest demand. Mr. Davidson, the worthy and respectable librarian of the Charlestown library, adds, as a further evidence of an increasing taste for literature in Carolina, that the number of books loaned out for reading has increased astonishingly in the period of eleven years, during which he has been charged with the care of the society's books.

number of books: let any given number associate and each pay a certain sum to be agreed upon, and with that purchase books. When the books are procured let every subscriber choose and take home as many of them as he pleases, not exceeding in price the amount of his subscription. The priority of choice to be in the alphabetical order of their names. In every fortnight, month, or other regular period to be agreed on, let all the books be returned, and a new distribution be made on the same principle; but he who has had the first choice shall immediately thereupon be put at the foot of the list and have his next choice last; and so on successively, till the last in the alphabetical arrangement has the first choice. The books may then be sold, and the proceeds or a second sum advanced by the subscribers, may be applied to the purchase of a new collection to be distributed in rotation as before.

So many are the readers in Carolina, compared with the books within their reach, that much of their knowledge in theology, moral philosophy, ancient history, manners, and customs, is derived from their bibles; and a great proportion of what they know respecting politics and government, the modern improvements in arts and sciences, and the present state of the world, is derived from newspapers. The amount of knowledge collected from these two sources by some retired citizens, exceeds 'what strangers could expect. Having but little to Their bibles, when

read, they read that little well. carefully studied and one part made to expound another by the help of marginal references, open an extensive view of the origin of the world, and the great revolutions it has undergone-of ancient nations, and particularly of the real state of human nature, in every clime and age. No history was ever better written than that of the jews, by their own Moses. And there is more knowledge respecting the first half of the whole period that has elapsed since the creation of man to be obtained from the bible, than from any other source. In our popular government, where contending parties exert their utmost powers by eloquent appeals to the people to draw them to their respective sides; and where rival editors, by the variety and importance of the contents of their papers, endeavor to extend their circulation, a flood of miscellaneous knowledge is transmitted through these daily vehicles of communication.

Newspapers began to be printed in South-Carolina in or about 1730, by Lewis Timothy.-

From that period to the present, with some short interruptions, a paper has been constantly printed by some of that family. His great grand son, Peter Timothy Marchant, is one of the present proprietors of the Courier. Robert Wells commenced a gazette in 1758, and continued it with great spirit for about sixteen years, and was followed by his son John Wells in the same line till 1782. Charles Crouch also began a public newspaper in 1765 in defiance of the stamp act, and continued it till the revolution. None but weekly papers were printed in Charlestown, and none at all in the country prior to the establishment of independence. In 1783

Mr. John Miller, formerly editor of a paper in London, began a daily one in Carolina. Three daily and two weekly papers now issue from the presses of Charlestown. A newspaper is also printed in Camden, Columbia, in Pendleton district, and at Georgetown. The public gazettes, before the principles of the revolution began to agitate the american mind, were comparatively unimportant. Government being administered for the colonists, and not by them, they felt but little interest in its transactions. Very different is the case at present. From the concern that every man takes in public matters -from the arts of politicians, to lead or even to mislead the people connected with the spirit of free inquiry, and the enlivening energy of representative government, knowledge has become a thriving plant among the carolinians; and many of their minds have grown far beyond the standard of their fathers who died while they were subjects.

In the course of the 106 years while South-Caro,

lina was a colony, the whole number of persons born therein who obtained the honors of literary degrees in colleges or universities, as far as can be recollected, is short of twenty; but in the 32 years of her independence, one hundred of her native sons have acquired that distinction. There was no grammar school in South-Carolina prior to 1730, except the free-school in Charlestown: from 1730 till 1776 there were not more than four or five, and all in or near Charlestown. Since the revolution there are, from information, about 30 and they are daily increasing and extending into the remotest extremities of the state.

The only well furnished book store in provincial South-Carolina, was one kept for about 25 years by Robert Wells, who contributed considerably to a taste for reading in Charlestown by the regular and early importation of all new and admired publications in Great-Britain. Since the revolution there have been constantly from three to six book stores in Charlestown.

MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY

OF

SOUTH-CAROLINA.

Virtues, vices, customs, and diversions, &c. of the inhabitants:

CHAP. X.

THE love of liberty had taken deep root in the minds of carolinians long before it was called into action by the revolution. The first settlers fled from tyranny and persecution. In such a situation truth occurred to them every moment and effectually taught them the rights of man. Their situation and employment in a new country operated so as to enlarge and confirm the sentiments which their sufferings had first produced. The wilderness was to be cleared-habitations were to be built-the means of living were to be procured. This similarity of situation and employment produced a similarity of state and condition, and inculcated the equality of rights. They soon found that to be wise, strong, industrious and healthy, was of much more importance than to be called dukes, earls, or marquisses. They grew up with a love of liberty, and every thing around them