creek, in Pennsylvania; and another town on Buffaloe creek, attached to the British; two fmall towns on Allegany river, attached to the Americans. Obeil, or Cornplanter, one of the Seneca chiefs, refided here.

The Mohawks were acknowledged by the other tribes, to use their own expreffions, to be "the true old heads of the confederacy;" and were, formerly, a powerful tribe, inhabiting on the Mohawk river. As they were strongly attached to the Johnson family on account of Sir William Johnson, they emigrated to Canada, with Sir John Johnfon, about the year 1776. There is now only one family of them in the State, and they live about a mile from Fort Hunter. The father of this family was drowned in the winter of 1788.

All the confederated tribes, except the Oneidas and Tufcaroras, fided with the British in the late war, and fought against the Ame

ricans.

The Onondagas live near the Onondaga lake, about twenty-five miles from the Oneida lake. In the fpring of 1779, a regiment of men were fent from Albany, by General J. Clinton, against the Onondagas. This regiment furprifed their town, took thirty-three prifoners, killed twelve or fourteen, and returned without the lofs of a man. A party of the Indians were at this time ravaging the Ame

rican frontiers.

There are very few of the Delaware tribe in this State.

The Five Confederated Nations were fettled along the banks of the Susquehannah, and in the adjacent country, until the year 1779* when General Sullivan, with an army of four thousand men, drove them from their country to Niagara, but could not bring them to action. They waited, but waited in vain, for the affiftance of the elements, or, as they expreffed themfelves, for the affiftance of the Great Spirit. Had heavy rains fallen while General Sullivan's army was advanced into their country, perhaps few of his foldiers would have escaped, and none of their baggage, ammunition, or artillery. This expedition had a good effect. General Sullivan burnt feveral of their towns and deftroyed their provifions. Since this irruption into their country, their former habitations have been mostly deserted, and many of them have gone to Canada.

On the 13th of November, 1787, John Livingston, Efq. and four others, obtained of the Six Nations of Indians a leafe for nine hun dred and ninety-nine years, on a yearly rent referved of two thousand dollars, of all the country included in the following limits,

=

viz. Beginning at a place commonly known by the name of Canada creek, about feven miles weft of Fort Stanwix, now Fort Schuyler, thence north-eaftwardly to the line of the province of Quebec; thence along the faid line to the Pennsylvania line; thence east on the faid line, Pennsylvania line, to the line of property, fo called by the State of New-York; thence along the faid line of property to Canada creek aforefaid. And on the 18th of January, 1788, the fame persons obtained a leafe of the Oneida Indians for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, on a rent reserved for the first year, of twelve hundred dollars, and increasing at the rate of one hundred dollars a year, until it amounts to one thousand five hundred dollars, of all the tract of land commonly called the Oneida country, except a refervation of feveral tracts fpecified in the leafe. But thefe leafes having been obtained without the confent of the legifIature of the State, the Senate and Affembly, in their feffion, March 1788, refolved, "That the faid leafes are purchases of lands, and therefore, that by the conftitution of this State, the faid leafes are not binding on the said Indians, and are not valid." Since this a treaty has been concluded with the said Indians, the bargain of the leases annulled, and all the country purchased of the natives, except a refervation to the Oneidas, Cayugas, and Onondagas, defined by certain marks and boundaries.

VOL. II.

3 A

STATE

STATE OF

NEW-JERSEY.

SITUATION, EXTENT, &c.

THIS State is fituated between 39° and 41° 24′ north latitude,

and the greatest part of it lies between the meridian of Philadelphia, and 1o eaft longitude. It is one hundred and fixty miles long, and fifty-two broad; and is bounded eaft, by Hudfon river and the fea; fouth, by the fea; weft, by Delaware bay and river, which di vide it from the States of Delaware and Pennsylvania; north, by a line drawn from the mouth of Mahakkamak river, in latitude 41o 24 to a point on Hudson river in latitude 41°. Containing about eight thousand three hundred and twenty fquare miles, equal to five million three hundred and twenty-four thousand eight hundred

acres.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SEA COAST, &c.

The counties of Suffex, Morris, and the northern part of Bergen, are mountainous. The South mountain, which is one ridge of the great Allegany range, croffes this State in about latitude 41°. This mountain embofoms fuch amazing quantities of iron ore, that it may not improperly be called the Iron Mountain. The Kittatinny ridge paffes through this State north of the South mountain. Several fpurs from these mountains are projected in a fouthern direction. One paffes between Springfield and Chatham; another runs weft of it, by Morristown, Bafkinridge, and Vealtown. The interior country is, in general, agreeably variegated with hills and vallies. The fouthern counties which lie along the fea coast, are pretty uniformly flat and fandy. The noted Highlands of Navefink, and Center hill, are almoft the only hills within the distance of many miles from the fea coaft. The Highlands of Navefink are on the fea coast near Sandy-Hook, in the township of Middleton, and are

the

the first lands that are discovered by mariners, as they come upon the coaft. They rise about fix hundred feet above the surface of the

water.

As much as five-eighths of moft of the fouthern counties, or one fourth of the whole State, is almost a sandy, barren waste, unfit in many parts for cultivation. The land on the fea coast in this, like that in the more fouthern States, has every appearance of made ground. The foil is generally a light fand; and by digging, on an average, about fifty feet below the furface, which can be done, even at the distance of twenty or thirty miles from the fea, without any impediment from rocks or stones, you come to falt marsh. The gentleman who gave this information adds, "I have seen an oyster fhell that would hold a pint, which was dug out of the marfli, at fifty feet deep, in digging a well."-" About feven years fince," continues our informer," at Long Branch, in the county of Monmouth, in the banks of the Atlantic, which were greatly torn by a great rife of the sea in a violent easterly storm, was discovered the skeleton of fome huge carnivorous animal. The country people who first saw it had fo little curiofity, as to fuffer it to be wholly destroyed, except a jaw tooth which I faw. This was about two and an half inches wide, five inches long, and as many deep. The person who helped to take it out of the bank affured me, there was one rib seven feet four inches, and another four feet long." The bones of another of these animals have lately been discovered in a meadow, in the county of Gloucester, on the river Delaware, by a negro, who was digging a ditch, three or four feet deep. Part of these bones were fent to Philadelphia. To account for these curious phenomena is not our business; this is left for the ingenious naturalist, who has abilities and leisure to compare facts and appearances of this kind, and who probably may thence draw conclufions which may throw much light on the ancient history of this country.

New-Jersey is wafhed on the east and south-east, by Hudson river and the ocean; and on the west, by the river Delaware.

The most remarkable bays are, Arthur Kill, or Newark bay, formed by the union of Paffaik and Hackinfack rivers. This bay opens to the right and left, and embraces Staten-Ifland. There is a long bay formed by a beach, four or five miles from the fhore, extending along the coaft north-east and fouth-weft, from Manafquand river, in Monmouth county, almoft to Cape May. Through

this beach are a number of inlets, by which the bay communicates

with the ocean.

On the top of a mountain, in Morris county, is a lake or pond, three miles in length, and from a mile to a mile and an half in breadth, from which proceeds a continual ftream. It is in fome places deep. The water is of a fea green colour; but when taken up in a tumbler, is, like the water of the ocean, clear and of a cryf. talline colour.

The rivers in this State, though not large, are numerous. A traveller, in paffing the common road from New-York to Philadelphia, croffes three confiderable rivers, viz. the Hackinfack and Paffaik, be tween Bergen and Newark, and the Raritan by Brunswick. The Hackinfack rifes in Bergen county, runs a fouthwardly course, and empties into Newark bay. At the ferry, near its mouth, it is four hundred and fixty yards wide, and is navigable fifteen miles.

Paffark is a very crooked river. It rifes in a large fwamp in Morris county. Its general courfe is from weft north-west to eastfouth-eaft, until it mingles with the Hackinfack at the head of Newark bay. It is navigable about ten miles, and is two hundred and thirty yards wide at the ferry. The cataract (or Great Falls) in this river, is one of the greatest natural curiofities in this State. The river is about forty yards wide, and moves in a flow, gentle current, until coming within a fhort distance of a deep cleft in the rock, which croffes the channel; it defcends and falls above feventy feet perpen dicularly, in one entire fheet. One end of the cleft, which was evidently made by fome violent convulfion in nature, is closed; at the other, the water rushes out with incredible fwiftnefs, forming an acute angle with its former direction, and is received into a large bafon, whence it takes a winding courfe through the rocks, and fpreads into a broad smooth stream. The cleft is from four to twelve feet broad. The falling of the water occafions a cloud of vapour arife, which by floating amidst the fun beams, prefents to the view rainbows, that add beauty to the tremendous scene. The new ma nufacturing town of Patterson is erected upon the Great Falls in this river. The western bank of the river, between Newark and the Falls, affords one of the pleasantest roads for a party of pleasure in New-Jersey. The bank being high, gives the traveller an elevated and extenfive view of the oppofite fhore, which is low and fertile, forming a landscape, picturesque and beautiful. Many handsome country feats adorn the fides of this river; and there are elegant

Situations

to