manufactures, were mounted on wheels and drawn through the streets, attended by immenfe proceffions of citizens arranged according to their profeffions; while bands of mufic, ftreaming flags and the roar of cannon, manifefted the enthusiasm with which the people received the authority of the national government.

135. Organization of the New Conflitution. According to the conftitution, the several states elected their delegates to the congrefs, and by a unanimons vote, general Washington was elected the first prefident. With deep regret, that distinguished citizen was compelled, by the efteem and confidence of his fellow citizens, to leave his beloved retirement, and accept the high office of fupreme magiftrate. On the 30th of April 1789, he was inaugurated, president of the United States. The ceremony was performed in the open gallery of the city-hall in NewYork, in piefence of a countless multitude of spectators ; where the oath was administered to him by the chancellor of the state of New-York. The importance of the act, the novelty of the fcene, the dignity of the general's character, the gravity of his manner, and the reverence with which he bowed to kifs the facred volume, impreffed upon the tranfaction a folemnity never before -witneffed in America.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

136. Situation of the United States.

HE territory of the United States lies in the temper

the thirty-first and forty-eighth degrees of north latitude; and the fixty-third and ninety-feventh degrees of longitude weft from Greenwich, in England.

137. Northern Boundary of the United States. The northern limit of the United States is, a line beginning at

a point due north of the fource of the eastern branch of the river Scooduc, on the high lands which divide the rivers which fall into the Atlantic on one fide, and the river Iroquois or St. Lawrence on the other; thence extending along the high lands to the north-western-most head of Connecticut river; thence down the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree of latitude, and running in that latitude to the Iroquois ; thence along the middle of that river and of the great lakes to the lake of the woods and from the north-western-moft point of that lake, due weft to the Miffifippi.*

138. Other Limits of the United States. The western limit of the United States is, a line drawn along the middle of the Miffifippi to the termination of the thirtyfirst degree of north latitude. The fouthern limit is a line drawn due eaft in the faid thirty-first degree of latitude, from the Miffifippi to the river Apalachicola, Catahochy, and along the middle of that river to its junction with Flint river; thence a ftrait line to the head of the river St. Mary, and down the middle of that river to the Atlantic. The eaftern limit of the United States is, a line drawn from the mouth of the Scooduc along the middle of the river to the fource of its eaftern branch, and thence a due north line to the highlands ; and the fhore of the main land from that river to St. Mary; but the jurifdiction of the United States extends to all the islands lying in the Atlantic, within twenty leagues of the main land.

139. Extent of the United States. The length of the United States, from north to south is, on an average, one thousand miles-the bredth, on the north line, is fifteer. hundred miles, and on the fouth, feven hundred; giving an area or furface of more than one thousand miles fquare, and containing at least fix hundred and forty millions of acres. Of this area, it is estimated that water covers about fifty millions of acres, which leaves five hundred and ninety millions of acres of land.

Late difcoveries prove that the northern fources of the Miffifippi are far fouth of a welt line from the lake of the woods, fo that a part of the western limit of the United States is not defined by the treaty of peace made in 1783.

140. Climate of the United States. With refpect to climate, the Atlantic ftates may be divided into three regions. The first or northern region comprehends that part of the territory, lying north of the beginning of the fortieth degree of latitude, in which there is a predominance of cold and fevere frost in winter. This region includes the ftates of New-Hampshire, Vermont, Maffachusetts, Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, New-York, and a part of New-Jerfey and Pennfylvania. The fecond or middle region comprehends the territory from the fortieth to the thirty-feventh degree of latitude, in which the weather of winter is very variable, and fubject to continual alterations of froft and rain. This region includes a part of New-Jerfey, Pennsylvania, and the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The third or fouthern region, from the thirty-feventh to the thirty-first degree of latitude, and including the Carolinas and Georgia, has a predominance of mild weather in winter, tho it is not exempt from occafional frofts.

141. Temperature of the Several Regions. The United States are fubject to the extremes of heat and cold. The winters in the northern region ufually commence in Decomber and end in February. The earth is covered with fnow, and the rivers with ice, from eight to twelve weeks. But in hard winters, the froft begins about the middle or latter part of November, and ends in March. In mild winters, there is no fevere froft of many days continuance, and little fnow. In the middle region, the froft is lefs fteady, though often fevere. In ordinary winters, the rivers are occasionally obftructed with ice, but not for a great length of time, and fnow is of fhort duratior. In hard inters, the rivers in this region are covered with a bridge of ice, for fix or eight weeks. In the fouthern region, the frofts of an ordinary winter are very inconfiderable, and fnow is fcarcely feen. In hard winters froft and fnow continue fometimes for feveral days and even weeks.

142. Number of fevere Winters. Winters of the utmost severity feldom exceed four or five in a hundred

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years. Thofe which are lefs fevere, but which may be called cold winters, are one third or at least a fourth of the whole number. Very mild winters, in which there is little froft and fnow in the northern region, are nearly as rare as very hard winters. These remarks are applicable to all parts of the territory of the United States, eaft of the mountains. On the west of the mountains, the weather is milder in the fame latitudes, and storms of wind, rain, and fnow, lefs frequent and violent.

143. Temperature of the Summer Heat. In all parts of the United States, the heat of fummer is very great. In the fouthern region, the fummer commences in April or May, and ends in October or November. In the middle and northern regions, the heat of fummer begins in May or June, and ends in September, or in the northern part of the territory in Auguft. In the more northerly parts of the United States, froft is feen in almost every month of the year. In general, the winters in America, are as cold in the fortieth degree of latitude, as they are in Europe in the fiftieth.

144. Spring and Autumn. The fpring of the year is marked with very variable weather, in every part of the United States. Warm days, fucceeded by cold nights, alternately thawing and freezing the furface of the earth; bleak wefterly winds, followed by warm humid winds from the fouth, or damp chilly winds from the east, diftinguish the month of March and April-and frequently the first weeks in May are diftinguished by almoft conftant eafterly rains. Autumn is a far more pleasant seaxon. From the latter part of September to the middle of November, sometimes much later, the weather is temperate and dry, and to the bleffings of abunda crops, is added a ferene fky, which enables the farmer to collect and fecure the fruits of the earth..

145. The proportion of Dry Weather. America is remarkable for a great proportion of dry weather. About two hundred and fifty days in the year, on an average, are nearly unclouded. The days which are moftly clouded,

do not exceed feventy or eighty; and thofe in which rain or fnow falls the whole day, are scarcely half the number.

146. Winds. The winds most prevalent in the Atlantic States are from the weftward-in winter they are north-westerly, and in fummer, fouth-wefterly. These are dry winds, and especially the north-westerly winds, which are accompanied with a rapid evaporation, and confequently in fummer are cool and refreshing, and in winter, very cold. North winds are not very frequent, but are always cool or cold. North-eafterly and easterly winds are frequent in all feasons, except the fummer months, and are accompanied with a chilling dampnefs, which occafions the most disagreeable fenfations. A fouth-east wind, at least in the northern and middle regions, feldom or never fails to produce rain, in twelve hours; and often blows a tempeft, but is of fhort duration, feldom exceeding twelve hours. Nor are gales of wind from the southeast on the American coaft, of great extent-they usually begin within a hundred miles of the coaft, and seldom reach a hundred miles into the interior country-often not half the distance. A fouth wind is ufually warm, and often attended with rain.

147. Sea Breezes. On all the coaft of the United States, weward and fouthward of Cape Cod, a current of air from the ocean is cool and refreshing in fummer. To the northward of that Cape, the fea breezes are attended with a fog, or a cool damp vapor, which is chilling to the human body and very difagreeable. In fpring, thefe breezes prevail on all the coaft from Cape Cod to Newfoundland; and are often accompanied with thick fogs, occafioned probably by a condenfion of the warm yapors from the gulf ftream. Thefe fogs prevail till June or July, and are not more unpleasant to the feelings, than troublefome and dangerous to feamen. To the westward of Montauk Point, these fogs are far lefs common.

148. Storms. The moft durable gales of wind are from the north-eaft. These in fpring and autumn, are ufually accompanied with rain, and in winter with fnow; but a long continued dry north-east wind fometimes occurs, ef