There are great variations in the climate: but I had no thermometer to obferve the degrees of heat. It feldom rains, except in the fummer season, when it is accompanied with thunder and lightning. The country is, however, extremely well fupplied with water, not only from the high land to the north, which furnishes abundance throughout the year, but from many fountains of excellent water, which are found in the woods. From what I observed of this country I am induced to believe, that it is greatly fuperior to any other known part of Africa,

The woods produce a variety of arboreous plants, and fome of a great fize; they are inhabited by elephants, buffaloes, &c. There were alfo variety of beautiful birds and butterflies; but they were fo fhy, that I was able only to preserve two birds of that country.

When we returned to our waggon on the 9th of February, we were accompanied by the Chief, and about 600 of his fervants or foldiers, who followed as till noon, when we took leave of them.”

HERE exifts at the prefent

refpects to the object of feizing the

money to greater advantage, and upon principles (when facts are known) more obviously secure, than has occurred at any former period in any country in the world.

It is by the purchase of lands in America. Speculations of this fort have not generally attracted the notice of monied men; particularly in Great-Britain, for the following obvious reasons.

First-Certain prejudices have exifted, and do ftill exift, against the American people, the American government, and confequently against every fpecies of property in that country.

Secondly-The distance from Europe is fo great, and the means of obtaining good and accurate information has been fuppofed to be fo deficient, that a general diftruft has prevailed, It is however owing to thefe prejudices, and to this diftruft, that these immenfe advantages are to be obtained; because they are only acceffible to thofe individuals whofe minds are capable of difcriminating facts through the gloom of prejudice, and whofe pecuniary refources are equal in all

of America now offers. The facts are thefe following-and they are fo well authenticated and ascertained, as not to admit even of the shadow of a doubt.

First-That the new government of America is not only firmly eftablished, but that it has given the utmost energy and effect to every thing that can beget confidence at home and abroad, while its public measures have greatly promoted the general profperity of the country.

Secondly-That as a proof of this the public funds have advanced in a ratio beyond all former examples, in any country in the world, in fo short a period. A fund is established for the payment of the intereft in fpecie, at the rate of fix per cent. per annum ; and the creditors of the state are rendered fecure in the existence of a furplus revenue, which must fink the capital in a much shorter time than can be conceived, in confequence of the unexampled rapid population of the country.

Thirdly-That the general expenditure of the government is regularly difcharged, independent of the fund

for

for paying the intereft of the national debt, which intereft is now paid regularly in fpecie every quarter. Fourthly That in confequence of an accurate enumeration or cenfus which has been made of the whole people of the United States, it appears that they have nearly doubled within the latt twenty years, notwithstanding the war; for the returns they have made in the year 1791, prove that the whole inhabitants nearly amount to four million of fouls!

Fifthly That it alfo appears, from accurate returns made by the different officers of the cuftoms to the fecretary to the treafury in America, that the value of American exports amounted in one year and one month, ending in Sept 1790, to 20,415,966 dollars, rating the faid exports at their original coft, which in iterling money, at 4s. 6d. to the dollar, amount to 4,093,5921. 75.-—an increase even more rapid than the population. It alfo appears, that nearly one half of the value of thefe exports were fent to the dominions of Great-Britain.

Sixthly-That the moft inconteftible evidence now exifts that the government of America is as ftrong and efficient as any in Europe-That the laws under the new conftitution are acquiring new energy every hour That juftice is impartially adminiftered, and the executive power lodged in the hands of men who hold the first rank in point of virtue and integrity, joined to great and acknowledged abilities. Under all these circumftances, not a doubt can be entertained of the most rapid rife in the population of America, and confequently of the value of the landed property in that country, which must keep pace with the funds, and with the general increase of the active capital which will naturally arife from the progreffive profperity of the country, aided by the foreign fpeculations

in the funds, and perhaps' ftill more affifted by the operations and effects of the national bank lately established, which cannot fail to give a spring to human labour in facilitating the increafe of agriculture, and confequently of riches in a country fo full of refources. Independent of the vaft population of America, which increases in geometrical proportion, the prefent ftate of the continent of Europe affords the moft folid reafon to conclude, that the emigrations from thence, which have been in progrefs for the last five years, will gradually increase more and more, and that of courfe in twenty years the United States must contain eight millions of people; in forty years, by the fame rule, the number muft advance to fixteen millions; and in fixty years it is highly probable that the population will increase to thirty millions; and fo on, doubling every twenty years; for while there is room enough, and abundance of lands, in general far more fertile than thofe which have been heretofore occupied on the feafide, no check can be given to population. No perfon is jealous of another, because there is room enough for every body. And no man is afraid to marry, because there is a certain obvious refource for maintaining a family comfortably, with moderate industry; and not only fo, but allo for providing for children very amply when they arrive at maturity, arifing from the cheapness of land, and of the vaft produce of the foil enabling the farmer to raise corn and cattle at a fmall expence, in comparison to what must be incurred in Europe. For thefe obvious reasons, America muft advance in riches as population advances and as the wealth of the country depends on the furplus produce of the foil, there appears at prefent, as far as human penetration can difcover, a greater probability of that country enjoying an uninterrupted

courfe

course of profperity, than any country in the world-it is fcarce poffible, in the nature of things, that it can retrograde. The progrefs of wealth may not be fo rapid as in the great commercial countries in Europe, but it must be regular and fure; and various refources of the country which have yet scarce been found out, will prefs forward as adventitious aids in rendering the revenue fecure, and in reducing the taxes below what are paid in any country in the universe. Among thefe adventitious aids may be reckoned the afhes made from the timber cut down in clearing the lands, the fugar extracted from the juice of the maple-tree, and the extenfive distilleries of fpirits, for the confumption of the country, from the furplus grain and fruits with which it abounds. The pot and pearl afhes have already become an immenfe article of productive commerce, and a ftrong probability exifts, that the maple-fugar will alfo become an object of confiderable advantage to the farmer when population is more extended. It is made at a season which does not interfere with any agricultural purfuit, and it is not improbable that the high price of this article will hold out fufficient encouragement to the northern American farmers, who have inexhaustible forefts of thefe maple-trees within their reach to make this manufacture an object of their attention; and when once they get in the train of producing it, large quantities will be regularly brought to market. According to an eftinate which has been founded on experiment, four ftout men will produce about forty hundred weight of fugar from fix weeks labour, during the months of Feb. and March, before the tillage commences.-The diftillery is fill a more obvious refource, as the confumption of fpirits

is immenfe, and muft daily increase, as the means of producing it from fuplus grain and fruits also increases.

But perhaps to a British fubject, the moft pleafing circumftance in this detail of facts is, that thefe fertile back lands in America, by offering fuch advantages in the cultivation of the foil, will obviously divert the attention of the people from manufactures, for few men will chufe to follow any handicraft employment, fubjecting them to conftant labour and confinement, who can occupy rich and productive lands for almost nothing, compared to the value of the fame property in Europe. On confidering the ftate of landed property in Ame rica at the prefent crifis, and after a full inveftigation of the facts connected with this object, two circumstances will appear obvious, namely,

Firft-That in no country in the world are the rights of land better fecured than in America, or the titles fo fimply or fo indisputably clear; nor is it poffible that greater protection can in general be extended to every fpecies of property than now exifts, and will prevail in a greater degree, as the fyftem of government advances in energy and perfection.

Secondly-That in no country, comparatively fpeaking, are lands fo cheap as they can be obtained at prefent in America, even by many hundred per cent. The reasons to be affigned for the very low price of lands are, that the Americans themselves, till of late, have not had any active capital among them, and Europeans have not been accustomed to turn their attention to this object: where therefore there is no competition, and abundance of any article at market, it must of courfe fink under its value. This has been the cafe hitherto; but the time is faft approaching when it will be fo no longer-An exifting

active

active capital will foon embrace this particular object, and an increase of people rapidly advancing will ftamp a new and increased value on all un

occupied lands within 300 to 400

lands would not have brought one fhilling an acre feven years ago.

Thirdly-Upon the Mohawk river, weft of Albany, lands which ten years ago would not have brought more than from five to fifteen fhillings an acre, now fell from 31. to 10l. an acre; and this price, high as it is, is advancing with the increase of popu

vances.

The facts now offered in elucidation of this pofition are thefe following; and they are inconteftibly true, and to be relied upon as events that have actually occurred.

Firft-It has happened in the courfe of the last three years, that tracts of land in the back parts of New-York government, which had been fold in townships of fix miles fquare, containing 23,040 acres, at one fhilling sterling an acre, have been fubdivided and fold in farms to fettlers, from one half to one, two, three, four and five dollars an acre, according to the fituation and quality of the foil, and the price is yearly advancing as the fettlers increase.

Secondly-It has happened within the last three years, that lands 70 to 80 miles weft of Albany, which fold for one dollar an acre, now bring without any cultivation or improve ment, two and three dollars; which

has been molt rapid.From this ftatement of facts (which apply in general to every part of America in the progrefs of fettlement) it appears evident, that inhabitants alone are neceffary to enhance the value of landed property in those parts of the United States which are nearest the thick fettled countries. It may therefore be neceffary to enquire into the facts relative to the probability of people being found to purchase and cultivate thofe lands. In order to afcertain this, it will be proper to recur again to the fact already stated, relative to the aggregate population of the United States, which is estimated at nearly four millions.*

Of these four millions of people, it is fuppofed that at least one eightieth part, or about fifty thousand fouls, muft move back into the new lands every year, independent of emigrants from Europe, there not being room in the thick fettled countries nearer the fea; and the lands being not only much lefs fertile, but. alfo dearer than the new lands, the young people, who generally marry as foon as they are of age, have been in the regular practice of moving back

back from 200 to 400 miles from the fea, where they become proprietors of land at a small price, and where the foil being much more fertile and productive, they foon get forward in the world, and become independent; and this plan having uniformly fucceeded wherever it has been tried, the course of emigration has become regular and periodical; and for the laft three years the attention of the NewEngland states has been principally directed to the back fettlements in the ftate of New-York.

In purchafing lands, therefore, in America, although little doubt can be entertained of a good foil being productive in time, in any fituation, not exceedingly remote, yet the great advantages which are to be immediately derived must be from the purchafe of lands particularly fituated, and particularly circumftanced; where the foil is proved to be good by unquestionable evidence, and where the diftance is fo near thick population as to fecure a quick and rapid fettlement; and fuch feems to be the peculiar properties of the lands which are fituated on the eaftern boundary of Lake Ontario, and on the fouth fide of St. Lawrence River. This country, which is within a fhort diftance of Albany, and directly oppofite to the populous fettlement, and the feat of government of Upper Canada, and in the immediate vicinity of Grand Isle, and Buck's Ille, which form the great entrepot of the trade of the lakes, certainly poffeffes many advantages calculated to invite fettlers. Except one tract in a more western fituation, it is the only extenfive body of land now to be fold in the ftate of New-York, or

indeed in any of the northern or middle ftates, where the very large tracts of unoccupied lands are chiefly difpofed of. The advantages which both thefe diftricts of country poffefs, muft unquestionably fecure to the proprietors a rapid population; and thofe who are fo fortunate as to poffefs a part of this property, at the low price at which large tracts of land may now be purchafed by wholefale for money; namely, about half a dollar an acre, and can afford to fpare the money in the mean time, muft acquire a large and accumulating fortune in a very few years.

In contemplating the progreffive increase of property invefted in American lands, in the courfe of being fettled, the mind almoft grows wild, and is loft in the magnitude of the object, and in the astonishing accumulation of wealth, which arifes from this fpecies of investment: to elucidate which the following profpectus has been formed upon the fcale of 800,000 acres, purchased at one half dollar an acre.