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Extent, 2,000,000 square miles.-Population, 13,000,000.-6 per square mile.

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS.

See the Maps of N. America and U. States.

To which of the two continents does the U. States belong? To which division of the American Continent? In what part of N. America is the U. States? How, in its largest extent, is it bounded? Is it in N. or S. lat.? To what zone does the U. States belong? Between what degrees of lat. is it situated? Ans. Between 25 and 49 degrees. Between what degrees of long. from Washington city? Ans. 10 deg. E., and 50 W. What is the length of the U. States, in a straight line, from Boston, on the Atlantic, to thef Pacific Ocean? Ans. About 3,750 miles. What is its breadth from the Gul of Mexico to L. Superior? Ans. About 1,100 miles. What is the length of the Atlantic coast of the United States, and in what direction does it run? Ans. About 1,800 miles N. E. or S. W. What is the length of the Pacific coast? Ans. About 500 miles. What is nearly the extent of the United States in sq. miles? Its Population? Its Population per sq. mile? What 5 great lakes N. of the United States? Which is the largest? What is the extent of Lake Superior? Ans. About 40,000 sq. miles. By what strait is it connected with L. Huron? Ans. St. Mary's. What strait between L. Huron and L. Michigan? What river and small lake between L. Huron and L. Erie? Ans. Detroit river and L. St. Clair? What river and remarkable falls between L. Erie and Ontario? How long is Niagara river, and how wide at the falls? Ans. 36 miles long, and one mile wide at the falls, where it is precipitated 160 feet down a steep wall of rock. What further description may be given of these lakes? Ans. They are remarkable for the coldness and transparency of their waters, and for their vast depth; the 3 largest upper lakes being more than 900 feet deep. Lake Superior is the largest body of

fresh water in the world, and receives 50 rivers, and L. Michigan, 40. What long, narrow lake between New York and Vermont? What river connects it with the St. Lawrence? What are the principal bays and sounds on the Atlantic coast from the North East? What 2 capes at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay? Where is Cape Malabar? Montauk Point? What 2 capes at the mouth of Delaware Bay? What 2, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay? What 2, near Pamlico Sound? What 3 inlets East of North Carolina? Where is Cape Fear? What islands on the coast, south of Cape Fear? Where is Long Island? Nantucket? Martha's Vineyard? Mount Desert Island? What is the general course of the Atlantic rivers in the United States? Ans. Eastern. Mention in their order, the principal rivers running into the Atlantic, and Long Island Sound, beginning with St. Croix. What large river empties from the North, at the West end of Long Island Sound? What large river empties into Delaware Bay? What 5 large rivers into Chesapeako Bay? What 2 into Albermarle Sound? What 2 into Pamlico Sound? What rivers into the Atlantic, from North and South Carolina? What rivers into the Atlantic, from Georgia? What rivers from United States into the Gulf of Mexico? What 2 rivers in the United States are each 3,000 miles in length? What are the principal branches of the Mississippi from the West? What, from the East? What rivers, from the United States, run into Lake Superior? Into Lake Michigan and Green Bay? Into Lake Huron? Into Lake Erie? Into Lake Ontario? What part of the Atlantic coast affords the best harbours? Ans. The Northeastern, between Cape Cod and the river St. Croix. What can you say of the harbours generally, South of Cape Cod, and on the Gulf of Mexico? Ans. They are, for the most part, incommodious and difficult, the mouths of the rivers being obstructed by sand bars and shoals. When did the English commence the settlement of the United States? Ans. In 1607, on James river, in Virginia, about 13 years previous to the settlement of Plymouth, in New England. How long did the colonies remain under the British Government? Ans. Above 160 years. When did they declare their Independence? Ans. July 4th, 1776. What was the number of the Colonies or States at that time? Ans. 13, viz.: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. What is the present number of the States? Ans. 24. Into what 4 divisions are they usually classed? Ans. 1st, New England, or the Eastern States. 2d, The Middle States. 3d, The Southern, and 4th, The Western States. Which are the 6 New England States? Ans. Maine, N. Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut. How is New England bounded? What are the boundaries and capital of each of the New England States? Which are the 4 Middle States? Ans. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware. How is the Middle section bounded? What are the boundaries and capital of each of the Middle States? Which are the 6 Southern States? Ans. Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama. How is the Southern section hounded? What are the boundaries and capital of each Southern State? Which are the 8 Western States? Ans. Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri. What are the boundaries and capital of each of these? How many Territories are included within the limits of the United States? Ans. 3 organized Territories, viz.: Florida, Arkansas and Michigan. Besides which, are Missouri and Oregon Territories, unorganized. What is meant by an organized Territory? Ans. One which is considerably settled by white people, and which possesses a government, regularly organized under the Government of the United States. What are

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the boundaries of each of these territories? Where is the District of Columbia? Ans. It is situated between Maryland and Virginia, and was purchased of those two states, by the General Government. It is 10 miles square, and includes the city of Washington, the metropolis of the Union. What are the boundaries of the District of Huron, and to what territory is it attached? Into what 4 Districts has the Missouri Territory, of late, been divided? Ans. Ozark, lving next West of Arkansas; Osage, west of the State of Missouri: Sioux, North of Missouri and between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers; and Mandan, extending north-westward, along the Missouri river, to its sources. How are the several states of the Union generally divided? Ans. They are all divided into counties, except Louisiana, whose Divisions are called Parishes, and South Carolina, which is divided into Districts. How are the counties of New England and of some other states, divided? Ans. Into towns or townships. Which are the 13 Atlantic States? What Territory and states border on the Gulf of Mexico? What state is intersected by the Mississippi and Red river? What District and states border on the east shore of the Mississippi? What divisions border on the Western shore? What 2 states lie on the south side of the Ohio? What 3 states on the north side? What district borders on the 2 largest lakes? What Territory is almost surrounded by 3 lakes? What 3 states touch on the South East shore of Lake Erie? What state touches on the river St. Lawrence? What portions of the United States are intersected by the parallel of 30 degrees of lat.? What portions are intersected by the parallel of 34 deg.? What by the parallel of 36 deg.? What by the parallel of 38 deg.? What by the parallel of 40 deg.? What parallel intersects Lake Erie, and separates Pennsylvania from New York? What is the lat. of the Northern boundary of New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire? To what degree north does Maine extend? How many degrees west from Washington, do Missouri and Arkansas extend? What is nearly the lat. of Washington? Which states lie directly to the north of Washington? Which to the north east? Which to the east? Which to the south of Washington? Which to the South west ? Which to the west, and N. W. ? What state is farthest from Washington? What is nearly the lat. of New Orleans, and what are its course and distance from Washington? What is nearly the lat. of Savannah? Of Charleston? Of Raleigh and Knoxville? Of Baltimore? What is the lat. of Philadelphia and Columbus? Of New York and Pittsburg? Of Hartford? The lat. of Albany, Buffalo and Detroit? Of Boston? Of Portland? Which way is St. Louis from Washington? What is meant by the capital of any State or country? What is the seat of Government in the United States, and where situated? Where is New York, the largest city in the Union?

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE U. STATES.

EXTENT.

PART FIRST.

POPULATION. NATURAL DIVISIONS.
MOUNTAINS. RIVERS.

The whole territory of the U. States, comprehends about one fourth part of N. America and not far from one twentieth part of the land surface of the globe. It is two thirds as large as Europe, but its population, compared with that of Europe, is only about

one fifteenth part as numerous. The U. States appears to be dr vided by nature into three great sections. 1st. The Atlantic declivity, comprehending those portions which lie E. of the Alleghany range of mountains from Maine to Florida. 2d. The vast valley of the Mississippi, extending from the Gulf of Mexico, to Canada and the great lakes, and from the Alleghany mountains, to Mexico and Rocky or Oregon mountains. 3d. The plains of Oregon which reach from the Rocky mtns. to the Pacific Ocean.

These three natural sections are estimated, as to their extent, as follows; the 1st. or Atlantic section, about 385,000 sq. miles; the Pacific or Oregon section, 300,000 sq. miles; and the middle or Mississippi section, rising of 1,300,000 sq. miles. According to this estimate, it appears, that the Atlantic portions constitute less than one fifth of the whole territory of the U. States, and that the Mississippi valley is twice as extensive as the other two sections united. The Alleghany or Apalachian chain of mountains, extends, in a N. E. direction, from Alabama to N. York. Indeed this chain may be supposed to comprehend within its general range, the Catskill mountains of N. York, the Green mountains of Vermont, and the White mountains of N. Hampshire. Mount Washington, the highest peak of the White mountains, is above a mile in height, and is the most elevated land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rocky mountains. Some of the principal southern ridges of the Alleghany system are the Cumberland mountains in Tennessee, and the Blue Ridge, the Laurel mountains and the Peaks of Otter, in Virginia, the last of which is above half a mile high. The Rocky or Oregon mountains on the W., range at the distance of 6 or 700 ms. from the Pacific Ocean.

They consist of wide, lofty table lands, crowned with a chain of elevated ridges, whose summits, rising two miles in height, are covered with perpetual snow, and may be seen at the distance of 100 miles. The lowest line of land in the U. States, may be traced from the mouth of the Mississippi river to the mouth of the Ohio, thence up the Ohio to the Wabash, and along the latter river toward Lake Erie. No region in the world, of equal extent, is so well watered as the U. States, by noble lakes and rivers, or more highly favoured by nature, with channels for internal commerce or mutual intercourse. Its thousand rivers have been overflowing and enriching the soil for ages. Very many of them are navigable, and are constantly navigated, by an enterprising people, through the most of the year. The Mississippi is usually styled the Father of N. American rivers; but, this title rather belongs to the Missouri, which is in fact the principal stream, the Mississippi is only its tributary or continuation. Considered in this view, the Missouri is nearly 4,500 miles in length, and is,

without exception, the longest river in the world. The Mississippi rises on an elevated plateau or table land, among dreary lakes and marshes, W. of Lake Superior, in latitude 48 degrees. Thence it descends about 900 miles to the falls of St. Anthony, where it is precipitated 40 feet in perpendicular descent. From this point, it flows 800 miles to its junction with the Missouri, and in this part of its course, it is a beautiful stream, half or three fourths of a mile wide, with clear waters and a gentle current.

After uniting with the Missouri, its character and motion are materially changed. Its waters become muddy and its current very rapid and dangerous. Still the river remains narrow, but is rendered remarkably deep, being, on an average, 100 feet in depth for more than 1,000 miles. Its high steep banks of limestone rock, are called bluffs, and the intervals of low, fertile land, between the bluffs and the river, are called river bottoms. From the mouth of the Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico, its course is about 1,300 miles long, and its whole length not far from 3,000. The annual floods in this river, especially toward the S., are very wide. As it approaches towards its termination, its waters are parted off into various outlets or estuaries, by which it is discharged into the gulf in a broad region of islands and marshes, styled, the Delta of the Mississippi. The Missouri has its rise in the Rocky mountains from numerous sources. It is formed principally by the union of three rivers, named, Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin. At a place called the Gates of the Rocky mountains, this river has a dark and gloomy passage for more than five miles, through a narrow chasm in the mountains, walled up on both sides, by perpendicular rocks 1,200 feet high. One hundred miles farther down the stream, are the Great Falls of the Missouri, where the river descends 350 feet in the distance of 18 miles. These falls are about 2,500 miles from the confluence with the Mississippi, and they are not surpassed, in magnitude and grandeur, except by the falls of Niagara. The Missouri, in other parts of its course, is remarkably free from cataracts; but its current is rapid and furious, and difficult to ascend, and its waters are turbid and muddy. The length of it is considerably greater than that of the Mississippi, and where the two streams unite, the former rolls in, twice as large a volume of water, as the latter. The Arkansas and Red rivers are also long and noble streams, rising in the Rocky or Mexican mountains. They have numerous branches and convey a mighty mass of waters, which are coloured with red earth, and rendered brackish and unpleasant to the taste, by the saline particles, collected from the salt plains, which they meet in their course. The Arkansas is represented as 2,500 miles in length, and the Red river, between 1,500 and 2,000 miles. The Ohio takes its name, at the con

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