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leaves inftead of tobacco; the berries are used in dyes. Of the commodities produced from culture, wheat is the ftaple. Of this article in wheat and flour, equivalent to one million bushels are yearly exported. Indian corn and peas are likewife raifed for exportation; and rye, oats, barley, &c. for home confumption.

In fome parts of the State large dairies are kept, which furnifh for the market, butter and cheefe. The beft lands in this State which are thofe that lie along the Mohawk river, and north of it, and weft of the Allegany mountains, are yet moftly in a state of nature, but are most rapidly fettling.

The county of Clinton, in the moft northern part of the State, on lake Champlain and lake George, lies about midway between Quebec and New York, and from two hundred and thirty to two hundred and forty miles from each, and is fettled by about two thousand inhabitants. A great proportion of the lands in this country are of an excellent quality, and produce in abundance the various kinds of grain cultivated in other parts of the State. The inhabitants manufacture earthen ware, pot and pearl afh, in large quantities, which they export to New-York or Quebec. Their wool is of a better quality than that which is produced in more southern climates; their beef and pork is fecond to none; and the price of ftall-fed beef in Montreal, diftant fixty miles from Platifburg, is fuch as to encourage, the farmers to drive their cattle to that market. Their forefts fupply them with fugar and molaffes, as every family, with no more imprements than are neceffary for common ufe, can make a fufficiency for its own confumption, and that at a feafon when the farmer can be no otherwife employed. The foil is well adapted to the culture of hemp. The land carriage from any part of the country, in transporting their produce to New-York, does not exceed eighteen miles. The carrying place at Ticonderoga is one mile and a half; and from Fort George, at the fouth end of the lake of the fame name, to Fort Edward, is about fourteen miles; after which there are two or three fmall obftructions by falls, which are about to be removed by the proprietors of the northern canal. From this country to Quebec are annually fent large rafts, the rapids at St. John's and Chawblee being the only interruption in the navigation, and thofe not fo great but that at fome seasons, batteaux with fixty bufhels of filt can afcend them. At some distance from the fea, falt is fold at half a dollar a bufhel.

In the northern and unfettled parts of the State are plenty of moofe deer, bears, fome beavers, martins, and most other inVol. II.

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habitants of the foreft, except wolves. Ducks, growse, pigeons, and fith of meny kinds, and particularly falmon, are taken in great handance in different parts, and cipecially in the coun ty Chaton. At the mouth of Saranac river, which falls into Champlain, the falmon are found in fuch plenty, that it is ufual to take four or five hundred in a day with fpears and fmall Icoop nets. They are caught from May till November, and make excellent falted provifions, and every cottager, by fpending an hour in the evening, may obtain a fufficient fupply for his family.

ROADS AND BRIDGES.

The roads in this State have been in general but indifferently attended to till within the two or three laft years. The legiflature, convinced of the importance of attending to the matter, and perhaps ftimulated by the enterprizing and active Pennfylvanians, who are competitors for the trade of the western country, have lately granted very liberal fums towards improving thofe roads at traverle the moft fettled parts of the country, and opening fuch as lead into the western and northern parts of the State, uniting, as far as poffible, the establishments on the Hudfon river, and the mott populous parts of the interior country by the nearest practicable diftances. A poft regularly rides from Albany to the Cheneffee river, once a fortnight, through Whiteftown, Geneva, Canadaqua, Canavargus, and Williamsburgh, on the Cheneffee river. By this establishment a fafe and direct conveyance is opened between the most interior parts of the United States to the weft, and the feveral States in the Union.

A grand read was opened through Clinton county, which borders upon Canada, in the year 1790, under the direction of a Mr. Regers, of Duchefs county, and after him called Rogers's road. This road adds greatly to the convenience and fafety of travelling between the State of New-York and Canada, especially in the winter, when pafing the lakes on ice is often dangerous, and always uncomfortable.

A road alfo has been 1tely cut from Kott's-kill, on the Hudfon, weftwardly, which pafes near Owafɛo lle.

A bridge, called Stads bridge, two hundred and fifty feet long, and of a fulcient widh to admit two carriages abreaft, has lately been thrown acrois Abram's creck, which falls into the Hudion river, near the city of Hudton, by which a com. munication with the country, in a new duction, is opened from

the city of Hudson; and a distance faved of four or five miles in the main poft road from New-York to Albany.

Skaticook bridge, in the town of that name, ten miles from Lanfinburgh, is an ingenious structure, built at the private expense of an enterprising and liberal gentleman. It cost one thoufand four hundred pounds currency

The legislature of this State have granted three thousand pounds to build a bridge over the fprouts of Mohawk iver, whenever the fum of one thoufand pounds fhall be fubfcribed and paid. This bridge will be one of the longest in America, and will open a direct communication to a a" very extenfive country, increafing faft in population, in the north-western parts of the State.

MEDICINAL SPRINGS.

The most noted fprings in this State are thofe of Saratoga: they are eight or nine in number, fituated in the margin of a marth, formed by a branch of Kayadaroffora creek, about twelve miles weft from the confluence of Fish creek and Hudson's river. They are furrounded by a rock of a peculiar kind, formed by petrifactions. One of them, however, more particularly attracts the attention; it rifes above the furface of the earth five or fix feet, in the form of a pyramid. The aperture in the top, which discovers the water, is perfectly cylindrical, of about nine inches diameter. In this the water is about twele inches below the top, except at the time of its annual difcharge, which is commonly in the beginning of fummer. At all times it appears to be in as great agitation as if boiling in a pot, although it is extremely cold. The fame appearances obtain in the other fprings, except that the furrounding rocks are of different figures, and the water flows regularly from them,

By obfervation and experiment, the principal impregnation of the water is found to be a foffile acid, which is predominant in the taste. It is alfo ftrongly impregnated with a faline fubflance, which is very difcernible in the taste of the water, and in the taste and fmell of the petrified matter about it. From the corrofive and diffolving nature of the acid, the water acquires a chalybeate property, and receives into its compofition a portion of calcareous earth, which, when feparated, refembles an impure magnefia. As the different springs have no effential variance in the nature of their waters, but the proportions of the chalybeate impregnation, it is rendered probable that they are derived from one common fource, but flow in feparate channels, where they

have connection with metallic bodies in greater or lefs propertions. The ftomachs of fome females, however, are fo delicate, as to perceive a difference in the effect and operation of the different Iprings.

The prodigious quantity of air contained in this water makes another diftinguithang property of it. This air, friving for enlargement, produces the fermentation and violent action of the water before defcribed. After the water has flood a fmall time in an open veffel, for no tight one will contain it, the air cfcapes, the water becomes vapid, and lefes all that life and pungency which diftinguishes it when fift taken from the pool. The particles of diffolved earth are depofited as the water flows off, which, with the combination of the falts and fixed air, concrete and form the rocks about the fprings.

As to the quality of thele medicinal fprings, to moft people who drink the waters, they are at firft very diagreeable, having a strong, brackif, briny tafte; but ule in a great measure takes of the nauferinefs, and renders them palatable, and to many very grateful. Upon a few they operate as an emetic; upon moft as cathartic and diuretic. They may be taken in very large quantities without fenfible injury, or difagrecabie operation.

The following curious experiments made on thefe waters, are extracted from Dr. Mitchell's Journal:

"A young turkey held a few inches above the water in the crater of the lower Ipring, was thrown into convulfions 'n ki than half a minute, and gafping, fhewed figns of approaching death; but on removal from that place, and exposure to the fresh air, revived and became lively. On immerfion again for a minute in the gas, the bird was taken out languid and motionlels.

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Afmall dog put into the fame cavity, and made to breake the contained air, was, in lels than one minute, thrown into convulfive motions, taide to pant for breath, and, laftly, to lole entirely the power to cry or move; when taken out, he was too weak to fland, but feen, in the common al, acquired Arength enough to rife and tagger away.

"A trout recently caught, and brifkly fwimming in a pail of brook water, was carefully put into a velk! juft filled from the fpring, the fifh was inftantly agitated with violent convulfions, gradually loft the capacity to move and poife itself, grew Aupid and infenfible, and in a few minutes was dead.

"A candle repeatedly lighted, and let down near the surface of the water was fuddenly extinguished, and not a veftige of light or fire remained on the wick.

"A bottle filled with the water and fhaken, emits fuddenly a large quantity of aerial matter, that either forces out the cork, or makes a way befide or through it, or bursts the veffel.

"A quantity of wheaten flour moistered with this water, and kneaded into dough, when made into cakes and put into a baking pan, rofe, during the application of heat, into a light and fpongy bread, without the aid of yeaft or leaven: from which it appears, that the air extricated from the water is precifely fimilar to that produced by ordinary fermentation.

"Some lime water, made of ftalatifes brought from the fubterranean cave at Rhynebec, became immediately turbid. on mixture with the fpring water, but when the water had been lately drawn, the precipitate was quickly re-diffolved. "Some of the rock furrounding the fpring, on being put into the fire, calcined to quick-lime and flaked very well.

"When the aerial matter has evaporated, the water lofes its transparency, and lets fall a calcareous fediment: whence it is evident that the gas is aerial acid, that the rock is limeftone, and that by means of the former, the water becomes capable of diffolving and conveying the latter."

Great numbers of people, under a variety of maladies, refort to thefe fprings, and many find relief, and a confiderable number a complete cure, particularly in bilious diforders, falt theum, and relaxations. But as the waters are unfriendly and even fatal in fome diforders, they ought to be used under the direction of a phyfician thoroughly acquainted with the qualities of the waters, and the difcafes of the patient. Ignorant of the fuitablene's of the waters to their complaints, many have imprudently thrown away their lives in the ufe of them.

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New-Lebanon fprings are next in celebrity to those of SaraNew-Lebanon is a pleafant village, fituated partly in a vale, and partly on the declivity of hills. The pool is fituated on a commanding eminence, overlooking the valley, and furrounded with a few houles, which afford but indifferent accommodations for the valet adinarians who refort here in search of health. The waters have an agreeable temperature, and are not unpleasant to the taste. From the experiments of Dr. Mitchell it appears, that the water contains iron, lime,

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