it are four elegant brick buildings, occupied by the Secretaries or Heads of Departments.

[In August, 1814, Washington was taken by the British, under General Ross, who set fire to the Capitol, President's house, and the public offices. They were soon re-built however, with great splendor. The library of Congress was burnt at this time, and that of Mr. Jefferson was subsequently purchased to replace it.]

Alexandria is situated on the west bank of the Potomac, 6 miles south of Washington. It has an extensive trade, principally in flour. It is a pleasant, regular and well built city.

Georgetown is situated on the Potomac, 3 miles west of Washington. It is a handsome town, and has a considerable trade.

How many square miles in the District of Columbia? What Col. leges in the District of Columbia? What cities in the District of Columbia? How far is Hartford from Washington? Philadelphia ? New York? New Orleans? Boston? Portland? In what di rection from Washington are we? How far is Washington from the Atlantic? Georgetown? How long since Washington became the seat of the General Government.

University of Virginia.

How is Virginia bounded? What is its Capital?

Virginia is the largest, and one of the most powerful and populous states in the Union.

It is divided by the Blue Ridge into two parts. The western part is hilly and mountainous; the eastern is generally level.

The climate near the coast is hot and unhealthy in the summer; in the interior and western parts, it is cool and salubrious.

Wheat, tobacco, and corn, are the most valuable productions, and are important articles of commerce. The Natural Bridge over Cedar Creek, is one of the greatest natural curiosities in the world. It is about 100 feet in length, 60 feet wide, and 250 feet above the surface of the water.

Towns.-RICHMOND is pleasantly situated at the Falls on James river, 150 miles from its mouth. The town rises gradually from the water, and has a fine, picturesque appearance. Most of the houses are of brick, and many of them are elegant. Its public buildings are very commodious. The capitol is built upon an eminence, and has a commanding and delightful prospect. It has good schools, and convenient houses of public worship for many religious denominations. Its inland, coasting, and foreign trade are extensive, and increasing. It has flourishing manufactures, and by means of the river and canals, the city is connected with a rich and highly cultivated back country, abounding in wheat, corn, hemp, tobacco and coal.

Norfolk, the principal sea-port in the state, is situated on Elizabeth river, 8 miles from its entrance into Hampton Roads. Its harbor is good, and it has more foreign commerce than any other town in the

state. :

Yorktown, situated on York river, 11 miles from its mouth, is famous for the capture of Lord Cornwallis and his army, 19th October, 1781.*

Mount Vernon is situated on the Potomac, 9 miles below Alexandria. It is memorable for having been the residence of Gen. Washington.

MAP OF THE UNITED STATES.

Does any part of Virginia lie on the east side of Chesapeake Bay? What two Rivers rise in Virginia and empty into Albemarle Sound? R. C. What four rivers empty into Chesapeake Bay? J. Y. R. P. What branch has the Potomac ? s. What four rivers empty into the Ohio ? M. L-K. G-K. B-S. What mountains in Virginia? What is the most eastern ridge called? B. What two towns on the James river? R. L. What town on the Appomattox, a branch of the James river? p.

See Olney's History of the United States, page 176

How is it situated?

What place near

What is the principal seaport in Virginia? N. Where is Yorktown, and for what is it celebrated? York river? w. What town on the Rappahannoc? F. What four towns among the mountains? w. s. L. G. What town on the Monongahela? M. What town at the mouth of the Great Kanhawa? P-P. What two towns on the Great Kanhawa? c. G. What town on a branch of the Roanoke? M. What two towns on the head branches of the Tennessee River? F. A. What town on the peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic? D. What two capes has Virginia? What colleges has Virginia? What is the length of James river ? Rappahannoc? What canal connects Chesapeake Bay with Albemarle Sound? How will you sail from Richmond to Newbern ?

MAP OF THE MIDDLE STATES.

What Counties east of Chesapeake Bay? In what County is Cape Charles? Cape Henry? In what County is Richmond? What Swamp partly in Virginia and partly in North Carolina ? What Canal extends partly through this swamp and unites Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound? What is the eastern range of mountains called? Do any of the rivers in Virginia pass through the Blue Ridge? What did Mr. Jefferson say of the passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge at Harper's Ferry? A. He said it was worth a voyage across the Atlantic to see this beautiful and stupendous scene. How many Counties can you mention in Virginia ? Which is the most northern County of Virginia? [See map of the Western States.] Which is the most southwestern County? Which is the most southeastern County?

NORTH CAROLINA.

How is North Carolina bounded? Its Capital?

North Carolina is a large state, and is noted for its agricultural productions. It exhibits great diversity of surface, soil, and climate. The country for more than sixty miles from the coast, is a low plain with many inlets and swamps from the sea. This is called the low country, and abounds in pine forests.

The interior is uneven and is healthy and productive, and is the most populous part of the state. The western part is mountainous, and remarkable for the purity of its air.

The productions of North Carolina are various. Wheat, rye, barley, oats and flax are cultivated. Indian corn is abundant throughout the whole state; and cotton is raised in considerable quantities. Tobacco, rice, and sweet potatoes abound, and the soil and climate are favorable to the growth of the grape and mulberry.

The coast is lined with sand banks and islands which render access to the bays and sounds extremely difficult. Its commerce is chiefly carried on through the seaports of the neighboring states. The exports are rice,* cotton, tobacco, pitch, tar, turpentine and lumber.

North Carolina abounds in iron ore, and is remarkable for its rich mines of gold. The region containing these, embraces an extent of 1000 square miles in this state, and reaches from Virginia across the centre of the state through South Carolina and Georgia, into Alabama. The mines in North Carolina occupy above 20,000 men.

*The cultivation of rice is necessarily limited to lands that admit of being overflowed; to swamps on bays, creeks and rivers, overflowed by the tide, and to inland swamps with resevoirs of water. Inland plantations yield from 600 to 1,500 pounds of clean rice per acre; tide planta

There are a great number of mills for grinding. They are driven by steam and water. In some instances, the gold is found in pure particles in the sand; in other parts it is found in mines, or in the form of ore. It usually exists in small grains, but is sometimes found in lumps of one or two pounds weight.

Towns.—RALEIGHT is a handsome town, and is pleasantly situated near the central part of the state.

Newbern is the largest town in the state, and has a considerable share of commerce.

Wilmington is the most commercial town in the state. It is situated on Cape Fear river, 36 miles from its mouth.

The towns in this state are small, the inhabitants living mostly on their plantations.

QUESTIONS ON THE MAP OF THE UNITED STATES.

What three Capes has North Carolina? H. L. F. What two Sounds? What is the length of Albemarle sound? Pamlico sound? What are the rivers of North Carolina? G-P. L. P. C-. N. P. R. C. What river rises in the N. W. part of the state and empties into the Ohio? G-K. What place in the N. E. part of the state? E. c. town on Albemarle sound, at the mouth of the Chowan? E. town on the Roanoke ? H. What town on Pamlico river? w. What two towns on the Neuse? N. H. What town near Raleigh? c-H. What three towns on Cape Fear river? F. A. W. What two towns

What What

on the branches of the G. Pedee? s. s. What town W. of Fayette. ville? c. What town in the western part of the state? M. What springs near the borders of Tennessee? w-s. What seaport on Core Sound, S. E. of Newbern? R. What college in North Carolina ? How will you sail from Newbern to Columbia ?

tions from 1,200 to 1,500, and the best as high as 2,400 per acre. Rice is sown in tide lands about the 20th of March; and inland swamps about the second week of April. The land is previously turned up with the plough or hoe, and then drilled by the same instrument into trenches. In these the rice is sown from one to two bushels per acre. The tide planters then flow the fields with water, keeping it on from two to four days. This kills the worm, and starts the grain, which appears five or six days afterwards. It is commonly hoed three times during its growth, and in the second hoeing, the grass is picked up by the hand from the trenches, and the rice is then overflowed from ten to twenty days. As the water is gradually drawn off, the plants branch, and on the number of branches depends the size of the crop; each branch producing one ear of trom 100 to 300 grains. Three months after sowing, it begins to joint, blossom, and form the ear. It is then overflowed till harvest, which commences in the end of August near the sea, and in September is general through the state. Rice was introduced into Carolina from Madagascar, in 1693.

† Raw'-le.