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PREFACE

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THE THIRD EDITION.

THE present publisher of this work has made such alterations, and additions, as were considered absolutely requisite from the rapid growth and improvement of this country, its increase of population, and wealth, and the extension of settlements westward; which, united with the irresistible spirit of the people in the construction of Canals, and the intended formation of many new ones, has introduced a bright era in our history.

Since this volume was sent to press, the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland have made the most liberal appropriations to begin a system of Canals and rail-roads, and Congress have also decided in favour of a survey for a ship Canal across Florida, and taken the preliminary steps to have it accomplished.

From the national census not having been taken since 1820, it was impossible to collect any more recent information in that respect, except as to a few particular cities, or towns, and in such cases it has been inserted from the most authentic sources.

A memoir of the late John Melish was intended to have been inserted in this edition; but unforeseen circumstances have prevented it, and confines this brief note to the single remark that he closed his active and valuable life in the city of Philadelphia, on the 30th of December, 1822. New-York, 15th March, 1826.

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DESCRIPTION

OF THE

UNITED STATES, &c.

SECTION I.

A brief Description of the general Form and Features of the Map, with an Account of the Materials from which it was constructed, and has been improved up to the present time.

THE great object kept in view in the construction of this Map was to present an entire view of THE WHOLE UNITED STATES' territory, a circumstance which had never been attended to in a Map of the United States before, and then to add all the contiguous countries that were likely to be of great importance to the United States, either in a political or commercial point of view. Thus enlarged, the map extends from 16° to 53° N. lat. being 37 degrees or 2220 geographical miles, and in the middle it extends from the 16° of east longitude to the 45° of west longitude from Washington, being 61°, or 3034 geographical miles. It is now well ascertained that a degree of latitude measures sixty-nine and one-sixteenth statute miles; therefore the Map measures from north to south 2555 statute miles, and from east to west 3331; the whole area being 8,510,705 square miles.

The prominent feature of the Map being the United States' territory, we shall first direct the public attention to the boundaries as defined by law, beginning at the southeast point of the state of Maine. From thence to the Lake of the Woods the boundary was fixed by the definitive treaty of peace between the United States and Britain, executed at Paris, on the 3d of September, 1783, as follows, viz: "From the north-west angle of Nova-Scotia ; viz. that angle which is formed by a line drawn due north from the source of St. Croix river to the Highlands; along the said Highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north-western-most head of Connecticut river; thence down along the middle of that river to the 45th degree of north latitude; from thence by a line due west on said latitude, until it strikes the river Iroquois or Cataraquy: thence along the middle of said river into Lake Ontario, through the middle of said lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into Lake Erie, through the middle of said lake until it arrives at the water communication between that lake and Lake Huron; thence along the middle of said water communication into Lake Huron; thence through the middle of said lake to the water communication between that lake and Lake Superior; thence through Lake Superior northward of the Isles Royal and Philipeaux, to the Long Lake; thence through the middle of said Long Lake and the water communication between it and the Lake of the Woods, to the said Lake of the Woods; thence through the said lake to the most north-western point thereof, and from thence on a due west course to the river Mississippi. East by a line to be drawn along the

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