wheat, or from 20 to 30 bushels of Indian corn, per acre, Their trade is chiefly with the other states, the West Indies, and fome parts of Europe: to which places they annually export 30,000 bogfheads of tobacco, befides great quantities of pig-iron, lumber, flax-feed, and provisions.

The ftate of VIRGINIA is bounded on the east by the Atlantic; on the north by Pennsylvania and the river Ohio; on the weft by the Miffiffippi; and on the fouth by North Carolina: being 758 miles in length, and 224 in breadth.

The state of KENTUCKY is bounded on the north-weft by the river Ohio; on the weft by Cumberland river; on the fouth by North Carolina; and on the caft by Sandy river, and a line drawn full fouth from its fource to the northern boundary of North Carolina: being 250 miles in length, and 200 in breadth. The fertility of the foil is fuch, that the land, in common, will produce 30 bufhels of wheat, or rye, an acre. The beft lands are too rich for wheat, and will produce from 50 to 80 bushels of good corn per acre; and few foils yield more and better tobacco.

The state of NORTH CAROLINA is bounded on the north by Virginia; on the eaft by the Atlantic; on, the fouth by South Carolina and Georgia; and on the weft by the Miffif fippi: being 758 miles in length, and 110 in breadth.

The ftate of SOUTH CAROLINA is bounded on the east by the Atlantic; on the north by North Carolina; on the fouth and fouth-weft by the Savannah river. The western boun dary is not ascertained. It is reckoned 200 miles in length, and 125 in breadth.

The ftate of GEORGIA is bounded on the east by the Atlantic; on the fouth by Florida; on the weft by the river Miffiffippi; on the north and north-eaft by South Carolina: being 600 miles in length, and 250 in breadth.

The WESTERN TERRITORY includes all that part of the United States on the north-west of the river Ohio; bounded on the weft by the Miffiffippi river; on the north by the lakes ;

on the east by Pennsylvania; and on the fouth and fouth-eaft by the river Ohio; containing 411,000 fquare miles, equal to 263,040,000 acres, from which deducting 43,040,000 acres occupied by the water, there remain 220,000,000 acres, which are to be fold by Congress, for the discharge of the national debt.

Territories of Spain in North America.

The dominions of Spain, in North America, extend from 81 degrees to 120 degrees weft longitude, and from 8 to 43 degrees north latitude. Bounded on the north by the United States and the Indian nations; on the west by the Pacific Ocean; on the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic; and on the fouth terminating in the Ifthmus of Darien. They contain the following countries, viz. East Florida, Weft Florida, New Mexico, California, and Old Mexico.

The foil of this extenfive tract of country is very various, but in general fertile: and it is in the most mountainous parts that the mines of gold and filver are found. The air is in general warm and pleasant; but the northern parts have cold winds; and the fouthern parts, lying within the torrid zone, are exceedingly hot.

very

South America.

SOUTH AMERICA, from the northern coast of Terra Firma, and the Ifthmus of Darien, to the Straits of Magellan, belongs to the Spaniards, except the province of Brazil, which belongs to the Portuguese; and the fettlements of the Dutch in Surinam, and thofe of the French in Cayenne.

BRAZIL, belonging to the Portuguefe, extends from the equator to 35 degrees fouth latitude, and from 35 to 60 degrees weft longitude. Bounded on the north by the mouth of the river Amazons and the Atlantic; on the daft by the Atlantic; on the fouth by the mouth of the river Plata; and on the weft by the unknown country of the Amazons.

CAYENNE is the only fettlement in the fouthern continent of America retained by the French, and is fituated between the equator and 5 degrees north latitude; and between. 52 degrees 15 minutes, and 55 degrees 30 minutes weft longitude. It extends 240 miles along the coaft of Guiana, and near 300 miles inland. Bounded by Surinam on the north; by the Atlantic on the east; by Amazonia on the fouth; and by the territories of the Indians on the west.

SURINAM, or Dutch America, lies between 5 and 7 degrees north latitude; and is bounded on the north by Cayenne; on the weft by Terra Firma; on the fouth by the Indian nations; and on the east by the river Oroonoko.

The dominions of Spain, in South America, contain the ollowing extenfive countries, viz. Terra Firma, Peru, Chili, Paraguay, Amazonia, and Patagonia; extending, as before obferved, through the whole continent of South America.

The climate and foil of Spanish America vary greatly, from the hot burning fand and smoking swamp in the northern parts in the torrid zone, to the cold region of the fouthern part, near Cape Horn.

The islands of South America are Terra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, and the island of Juan Fernandes; the latter of which gave rife to the famous ftory of Robinfon Crufoe, from one Alexander Selkirk, mariner, native of Scotland, who was put afhore on this ifland by his captain, in the year 1697, and difcovered by Woodes Rogers in the year 1709, who took him on board, and brought him to Europe; after having been on this uninhabited ifland for twelve years.

The

The number of inhabitants in the known parts of the world, computed at a medium from the best calculations, are about aine hundred and fifty-three millions; viz.

Europe contains 153 millions

BEFORE I proceed to the defcription of the Primary Pla

nets, it will be neceffary to take a view of the folar fyftem, with the order and economy of the motions and courses of thofe planets.

The fyftems which have been moft generally received in aftronomy, are the Ptolemaic, the Copernican, Pythagorean, and the Tychonic.

The

The Prolomaic fyftem, so called from its inventor Ptolomy, supposes the earth to be placed at reft in the centre of the univerfe, and the heavens revolving about it from east to weft, in the space of twenty-four hours, and by this motion carrying the fun, stars, and planets, completely round the earth in that space of time.

It was this fyftem which Aristotle, Hipparchus, and moft of the philofophers of antiquity defended so strenuously, and was followed by the whole world for many ages, and longer retained in many learned universities. But latter improve. ments and more evident demonftrations have now utterly exploded it.

In the Tychonic fyftem, invented by Tycho, the Dane, the earth is also supposed to be fixed in the centre of the universe, and all the heavenly bodies performing a revolution round it in the space of twenty-four hours, as in the Ptolomaic fyftem; but with this difference, that it allows a monthly motion to the moon round the earth, and alfo the proper motions of the fatellites about Jupiter and Saturn. It also supposes the fun to be the centre of all the primary planets: the primary planets being carried round the fun in their respective periods, while the fun, with all the aforefaid planets, revolve round the earth every twenty-four hours. But this fyftem was fo inconsistent with observations, that it had but few followers. It was therefore altered by Longomontanus and others, who allowed the diurnal motion of the earth on its own axis, but denied its annual motion round the fun. This improved hypothefis is called the femi-tychonic system.

But these fyftems have now given place to that called the Copernican system, which undoubtedly is the most ancient in the world. It was first introduced into Greece and Italy by Pythagoras, and from him called the Pythagorean fyftem. It was adopted by Philolaus, Plato, Archimedes, and all the most ancient philofophers, but was at length loft under the Peripatetic philofophy, and restored again about the year 1500, by Nic. Copernicus.