NEW YORK

NEW YORK, one of the thirteen original states of the North American confederacy, and the most populous and important in the Union. It is bounded on the north by Upper and Lower Canada; on the east by the states of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; on the south-east by the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by New Jersey and Pennsylvania; on the west by Pennsylvania, Lake Erie, and the Niagara River; and on the north-west by Lake Ontario and the river St Lawrence. The territory of New York is situated between latitude 40. 30. and 45. north, and between longitude 5. 5. east, and 2. 55. west from the city of Washington. Its extreme length from east to west is about 340 miles, and, including Long Island, 408 miles; and its greatest breadth from north to south is 310 miles, its area being about 46,000 square miles. This estimate includes the whole surface, except the waters of the great lakes.

New York is an epitome of all configurations of surface, and every variety of lake, mountain, and river scenery. It may be described, generally, as an elevated tract, with indentations in various parts below its usual level. The most striking depressions are the great basins in which are situated Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the long narrow valley which contains the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. The two latter are united by a valley occupied by the Mohawk River and Lake Oneida. The south-eastern angle of the state, about forty miles above the city of New York, is mountainous, being traversed by several ridges from New Jersey, one of which crosses the Hudson in the vicinity of West Point, and forms the high lands of that river. It also constitutes the dividing ridge between the Hudson and the Connecticut, and lies partly in the state of Connecticut. The space south of the Mohawk River and the Ontario Valley, and between the River Hudson and Lake Erie, is occupied by another mountainous district, the western part of which forms a table-land having 2000 feet of mean elevation, and is the source of several large rivers.

New York: particularly the Alleghany, the Susquehannah, and the Genesee. The eastern part, lying between Lake Seneca and the Hudson, is occupied by several parallel mountain ridges, which may be considered as continuations of the Alleghany ridge passing out from Pennsylvania. These ridges run in a north and south direction, and their indentations give rise to several fertile valleys. The highest are the Catskill Mountains, which bound the valley of the Hudson on the west. Round Top, the most elevated summit, is 3804 feet above the level of the tide-water of the Hudson. There is also a narrow table-land in this subdivision, situated a little south of the line of the Erie Canal, and continuing almost uninterrupted from the Catskill Mountains to the head of Seneca Lake. On this elevation are situated a number of lakes, the height of which above tide-water varies from 380 to 1200 feet. A third mountain district is situated to the north of the Mohawk, between Lake Champlain and the east end of Lake Ontario. This division is traversed by at least five or six parallel ridges, passing in a north-eastern direction, and which are considered as continuations of the Appalachian chain. The highest elevation that has been ascertained with accuracy is a peak belonging to the ridge that passes through Herkimer and Hamilton counties, and the northern part of Essex, near the sources of the Hudson. It is 2686 feet above the level of the sea.

We have already mentioned the basins in which are situated Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the valley which contains the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. The two former depressions are portions of the vast St Lawrence basin, which embraces the whole of the five great western lakes. Proceeding along the basin of the Ontario, we pass through a series of fertile counties, constituting the slope, watered by numerous rivers, which all finally terminate in the lake. The Genesee, Oswego, and Black are important streams, which rise in the interior of the state. The first-named river is the outlet of the Canesus, Hemlock, and Honeyoe Lakes. The Oswego, and its tributaries the Clyde and Seneca, convey the waters of Canandaigua, Crooked, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles, Onondaga, and Oneida Lakes into Lake Ontario. The Mohawk River occupies the eastern termination of this basin; whilst towards the northeast the slope towards the St Lawrence, indicated by the course of the Grass, Racket, Oswegatchie, and St Regis Rivers, shows it to be a continuation of that towards the lakes. The Hudson and Champlain Valley stretches nearly north and south, and is remarkable for its depth below the general surface of the level of the adjoining country. In the northern part are situated Lakes George and Champlain, which are connected with each other. The southern portion communicates with the valley of the Mohawk, which enters it in a south-easterly direction. The Hudson rises in the northern part of New York, between Lake Champlain and the St Lawrence, and has its whole course in the state. An American writer on geography thus describes this river:—“No fact in the topography of the state of New York is more remarkable than the peculiar position of the Hudson and its branches. If we trace the course of any Atlantic river south of it, we shall find the navigation closed by the mountain chain on the west. Not so with the Hudson. It penetrates the high lands, and after passing up some hundred and sixty miles, it is met by a tributary, the sources of which reach nearly to the lakes. Here the happy conformity of the country is such as to permit the establishment of an artificial navigation.” After a course of between three and four hundred miles, the Hudson falls into the Bay of New York, above which it is navigable for ships about one hundred and thirty miles. The Susquehannah rises in this state, and passes into Pennsylvania, as does also the Delaware. The Alleghany of the Ohio collects its head waters in the south-west

angle of this state, and passes through its noble pine-forests into Pennsylvania. Here are a vast number of lakes and streams besides those named, which would be conspicuous in a state of smaller dimensions, and where the configuration is on a less gigantic scale. But we have preferred presenting general views of the conformation of the face of the country to a dry catalogue of lakes and rivers and mountains, with their courses and terminations. Those which are remarkable for their size or peculiarities will be found more particularly described under their respective designations. Some celebrated mineral springs exist in this state. Those of Saratoga and Ballston are more resorted to than any others in the United States. The Ballston springs are situated in a valley formed by a small creek. There are a great number of them, the strongest and most sparkling waters being those obtained in 1827, by boring 227 feet down. The principal efficacy of the water arises from a chemical union of chalybeate and saline ingredients held in solution, and the presence of uncommon quantities of carbonic acid gas. Saratoga springs are several miles distant from those of Ballston, and belong to the same class of mineral waters. A large and compact village has sprung up at this place, in consequence of the immense resort to it from all parts of the United States, Canada, and even the West Indies. Saratoga springs are thirty-two miles north of Albany. To these may be added the tepid springs of New Lebanon, twenty-nine miles east of Albany, which are frequented for bathing, and on account of their cool and elevated position; and the sulphur springs of Avon; to all which places crowds of fashionable people and invalids resort during the summer months.

Most of the formations discriminated in works of geology exist in this state, and some of them are of a very interesting character, particularly the earth and gypsum found in the western part of the state. Granite, slate, and limestone hills occur; and one species of impure limestone, found in the western and northern parts of New York, has been used with great success in the construction of canals. Marble has been obtained in large quantities, for architectural purposes, from the quarries of Sing Sing. Its purity is said to increase with the depth of the excavations, and several large and beautiful public edifices have been constructed of it. At the head of Lake Onondaga are situated salt springs of the same name, surrounded by the waters of the lake, which still, however, continue perfectly fresh. Plants peculiar to the sea-coast are found here, in particular the salicornia and salsola. Underneath the mud or decayed vegetable matter which constitutes the valley of these springs, a stratum of earthy marl is found, containing numerous fossil univalves; and this again appears to be succeeded by a conglomerate. The peculiar nature of the underlying rock, or rather its position, does not seem to be determined. Great quantities of salt are manufactured here by the various processes of boiling and solar evaporation. Gypsum, in its various forms of earthy gypsum, selenite, and even alabaster, is found, particularly in the counties of Onondaga and Cayuga, and is extensively used for agricultural purposes. Another prominent article of mineral wealth is iron ore, immense beds of which are found in the counties west of Lake Champlain. The iron ore of Columbia county is likewise highly valued and extensively manufactured. Lead, silver, zinc, titanium, and other metals, have been detected in various parts of the state; and anthracite or bituminous coal is found, but it is questionable whether in sufficient quantities to afford remuneration for the expenses of mining. Petroleum, porcelain clay, and most of the fossils, are found in different places, and some of the organic remains discovered belong to the higher animals. Transition and secondary rocks compose the body of the state; and in the granitic dis-

New York tracts, near New York, and on the borders of Lake Champlain, picturesque and remarkable projections of rock, caverns, and the like, frequently occur. The cataracts and smaller falls of water are numerous in this state; and those of Niagara are the most magnificent in the world. Cohoes is a fine fall on the Mohawk River, having seventy feet of perpendicular descent. The Little Falls on the same river present most beautiful scenery; and amongst the remarkable objects connected with the artificial navigation of New York, may be mentioned the aqueduct at Little Falls, that over the Genesee at Rochester, and the locks at Lockport, at Little Falls, and at the junction of the northern and western canals. Glen's Falls on the Hudson, and those on the Genesee in the village of Rochester, and at Ithaca, also deserve mention as very striking cascades, but only too near Niagara to be famous. A limestone cavern of vast dimensions, with its falls, columns, and stalactites, exists on the banks of Black River, opposite Waterton. The ridge road, extending from Rochester to Lewiston, is a most remarkable geological formation. As its name implies, it is a natural road of sufficient width for the purposes of travelling, and generally is extremely level. It runs nearly parallel with the shores of Lake Ontario, from which it is distant sometimes several miles. There is a remarkable natural production of carburetted hydrogen in the towns of Fredonia and Portland, Chautauque county. This gas is obtained in such immense quantities that it has been conducted into these villages, and used as a natural gas-light. In the western part of this state are situated the hunting grounds and residences of the famous six Indian nations, who have now submitted to the restraints of civilization; and these are adorned by the productions of industry and refinement, yet still show traces of their former existence in the mounds and other antiquities occasionally observed.

There are several islands belonging to the state of New York. Long Island, as its name imports, is a long but narrow strip of insular land, extending east from the city of New York one hundred and fifty miles, forming a curve parallel to the mainland shore, and leaving a broad and beautiful sheet of water not unlike a wide river between, called Long Island Sound. It contains three counties, the chief towns being Brooklyn, Jamaica, Sag Harbour, and Flatbush. The south border is a long belt of sand, somewhat barren; but the northern has a fertile soil, and is in a high state of cultivation, producing large quantities of grain, fruits, and hay. Like other insular positions, it has a climate more mild than that of the adjacent continent. Sag Harbour is the principal port. New York is in a great measure supplied with wood from this island, the eastern part of it being remarkably well adapted to its growth. On the west, Long Island is divided from Staten Island by the narrows, and from Manhattan Island by East River. On the latter island is situated the city of New York, which will be afterwards described. Staten Island is above fourteen miles in length by from five to eight in breadth, and is the most southern land belonging to New York.

In the maritime belt of the state the soil is sandy; in the middle it is a finely undulating and productive country; and in the western and southern divisions it is remarkably level, rich, and inclining to alluvial formation. The state has a great proportion of first-rate land. The country on the Hudson, below the mouth of the Mohawk, has a good medium soil. The counties of Westchester and Dutchess are under very good cultivation. The alluvial flats of Columbia and Rensselaer are very extensive and rich. A considerable district west of Albany consists of sandy plains interspersed with marshes. The alluvial flats upon the Mohawk are large and extremely fertile. The soil of the elevated plain of the western region, being occupied by the small lakes, is a rich mould equally well adapted to

grain and grass. The alluvial flats are here extensive; New York those on the Mohawk comprise about 60,000 acres. With regard to climate, a general view can scarcely be given of a country which stretches over four degrees and a half of latitude. In the northern division, which abuts upon Canada, the climate, as might be expected, is somewhat severe, partaking of the nature of these northern regions. In the south-east, towards the sea, it is temperate, but subject to sudden and great changes. As the eastern boundary of New York passes along the borders of the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, the climate of these parts resembles that of the states to which they are contiguous. After passing the high lands, and entering into the eastern country beyond Utica, the climate becomes milder than it is to the eastward. In the western parts, contiguous to Lakes Ontario and Erie, the temperature is moderated by these waters, and does not reach the same extremes as in the south-east. The climate of the whole state is in general healthy, and favourable to cultivation. A mass of interesting facts regarding temperature has been obtained, in consequence of the regents requiring annual meteorological reports from the academies under their care. These academics are scattered over every part of the state, and the mean temperature of the whole thus furnishes an approximation towards that of the state generally.

In 1826, the mean temperature of ten places reporting complete annual tables was.....49.38
In 1827, the mean temperature of 18 places was.....46.48
In 1828, the mean temperature of 24 places was.....49.50
In 1829, the mean temperature of 28 places was.....46.45
In 1830, the mean temperature of 34 places was.....48.15

Mean of the five years.....48.00

The quantity of rain and snow has also been ascertained in a similar manner. Thus:
In 1826, the mean rain and snow of nine places was...36.34
In 1827, the mean rain and snow of 17 places was...44.29
In 1828, the mean rain and snow of 25 places was...36.74
In 1829, the mean rain and snow of 25 places was...34.88
In 1830, the mean rain and snow of 32 places was...38.86

Mean of the five years.....38.22

The highest degree of temperature noticed in these tables is 104°, at which the thermometer stood in an academy in the county of Orange, on the 20th of July 1830. It is situated in lat. 41. 32. north, and long. 74. 10. west. The lowest degree noticed is — 33, at which the thermometer stood in an academy in the county of Lewis, on the 31st of January 1830. It is situated in lat. 43. 47. north, and long. 75. 33. west. The range of the thermometer in New York state is therefore 137 degrees of Fahrenheit. It is rarely lower than — 33; but on the 4th of January 1835, it fell forty degrees below zero at New Lebanon. This, however, is an extreme case. The scale of variation in summer may be given at from 35° to 60°, in autumn at from 60° to 73°, in winter at from 70° above to 26° below zero, and in spring at from 3° to 75°. The variation is greatest upon the Atlantic coast, along the St Lawrence, and around Lakes Ontario and Erie; the north-east, east, south-east, and south-west winds being more prevalent upon the coast, and the north-east and south-west upon these lakes and along the St Lawrence. The variations of the weather at all seasons are great and sudden, changing the temperature in a few hours 40° or 50°, rising with the southerly, and diminishing with the northerly winds.

The staple productions of New York consist principally of wheat and other grain, flour, flax, hemp, provisions, salt, pot and pearl ashes, and lumber. The forest trees, which thrive to the greatest advantage in an alluvial soil, are common in the western divisions of this state, and at-

New York-tain a large size. Wheat, however, is considered as the grand staple of New York.

The great wheat district of the state commences in the valley of the Mohawk, above the primitive spur at Little Falls, in a fertile soil of calcareous alluvion, which over-spreads the valley at German Flats. This district, comprehending the central portions of Oneida county, extends westward to the lakes, and is bounded northwards by the north ridge of the valley, by Lake Ontario, and southwards by a line running south-west from Utica to the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek at Lake Erie. This is the garden of the state, including the rich Seneca vale, and the far-famed Genesee county. Some portions of this district are sandy, and in others the rock rises too near the surface, whilst others are not sufficiently watered; but taken as a whole, it is not surpassed by any district of equal extent in the United States. Here artificial manures are rarely used, and indeed rarely needed. In the newly-cleared lands, the richness of the mould and of the sub-soil is all that the farmer requires, being content if, by clearing away the forest, he can only bring it forth. Amongst the obstructions which the stumps of the trees offer, he is compelled to plough as he can, not as his judgment might dictate. In tracts long cleared, deep ploughing, blending the mould and the soil, preserves the former, and turns up the latter to disintegrate, and thus to yield its calcareous matter. Upon such farms some attention is given to rotation in crops, with a view to the preservation of fertility; but it is not uncommon to find the same field sown in wheat for a series of years, without the intervention of other crops. Taking the whole district together, the average product of wheat may be from twenty-five to thirty bushels the acre; but from forty to fifty are frequently obtained. Instances have been known of more than eighty bushels to the acre, and of Indian corn one hundred and twenty-five. The apple, pear, cherry, and quince, all thrive admirably; and the peach in size and flavour is scarcely inferior to that of the Atlantic coast. Grapes also, both foreign and indigenous, richly repay careful cultivation.

The region south of the line above drawn, and north of the southern boundary of the state, and between Lake Erie and that portion of the Kaatsbergs which runs parallel with the Hudson, may be characterized as a grazing country. Upon its northern border, the limestone, being more abundant than in other parts, renders the soil more or less productive in wheat; and this section, producing grain and grass abundantly, is by many preferred to that which is most fertile in wheat. By far the larger portion of this south-western district is yet covered with forests, and in most places upon its southern borders, the chief business of its inhabitants consists in the cutting and vending of lumber, consequently its agricultural products are inconsiderable compared with its population. There are, however, some well cultivated tracts in all the border counties, and in Chautauque, upon the shores of Lake Erie. One of the most useful improvements introduced into agriculture, and the result partly of experience, partly of the necessity imposed by the opening of the eastern markets to the western region, is the appropriation of soils exclusively to the productions for which they are by nature adapted, and the consequent abandonment of the practice of endeavouring to compel every species to yield crops to which it is not congenial. Under this wise system much of the country upon the North River has ceased to be a grain district. Large portions of it are devoted to horticulture, for supplying culinary vegetables to the greatly increasing population of the cities and numerous villages; and those portions of the district most remote from markets are being rapidly converted into pasturage. Thus the comparatively sterile soil of Long Island and Westchester is profitably devoted to the production of garden

and field esculents, fruit, hay, oats, and small meats, for New York, the great market of the city, in the proximity of which the cultivator finds ample compensation for the inferiority of soil, and the consequent greater cost of production, his lands being by this circumstance, and the facility of obtaining manures, rendered more valuable than the naturally rich fields of the west. Thus, too, the high and hilly grounds of Putnam county have, by the free use of gypsum, been made very productive pastures, in which the plough is comparatively little used, and which maintain large droves of cattle and sheep, but chiefly of the former. The counties of Dutchess, Columbia, and Washington, especially the two first, comprising considerable portions of limestone soil, alternating with slate, produce profitable crops of wheat. But the eastern and northern portions of Dutchess, and the hilly sections of Columbia, are chiefly laid out in sheep farms, and in Washington the raising of sheep is rapidly becoming the staple business. In Orange county the chief products are those of the dairy, and the butter of this county has long been held in the highest estimation. The raising of sheep also extends rapidly here. Ulster and Greene counties likewise produce large quantities of cattle and sheep, and, of late years, of butter and hay for export. The portions of Albany and Saratoga counties which are not covered with sand, and the portion of the latter not included in the primitive mountains, are under good cultivation. Wheat is not unprofitable, and Albany exports large quantities. Still the best returns are obtained from cattle and sheep. The northern counties of Warren, Essex, and Clinton, can boast but little of their agriculture; yet the primitive virgin mould is scarcely anywhere exhausted, and the forest trees grow thickly and to a large size. The abundance of timber, and the facility of getting it to market, together with the rich mineral deposits, have hitherto chiefly occupied the attention of the inhabitants. The northern portions of Franklin and St Lawrence counties, very partially cleared, and level or gently undulating, are well adapted for cultivation. No parts of the state yield better grass, and the raising of cattle and sheep is found to be the most profitable employment of the soil, although it is well adapted to wheat, Indian corn, and other grains. Jefferson county is very productive of wheat, as are other parts of New York, which, however, do not require to be specially mentioned. Societies have been formed in various parts of the state for the promotion of agriculture and horticulture, and they have already been productive of much good.

The line of extraordinary works, supposed to have been Antiquities of a military character, which may be traced from the shores of Lake Ontario as far as the valley of the Mississippi, and thence southward to an indefinite extent, must not be overlooked in our survey of the surface of this state. These works consist of earthen parapets, the sites of which, with a view to defence, appear to have been selected with much judgment, and upon the construction of these greater skill has been exercised than any displayed by the Indian races known to us. The erection of these fortifications has been ascribed to the European nations, French and Spanish, who, at periods immediately subsequent to the discovery of America, visited its shores, and also to a race of inhabitants supposed to have preceded that found there by the Europeans. The works themselves afford no means of tracing their origin, but they display indubitable marks of high antiquity, so that the opinion of their having been constructed by the French or the Spaniards is at once exploded. The forms of these remains are various, being circular, elliptical, triangular, and square; and they are generally placed in situations which command the adjacent country. Near many of the forts are mounds of earth raised for cemeteries, in which human bones in various stages of decay have been discovered. The number of forts and mounds situated in

New York. the western parts of this state much exceeds an hundred. The enclosed areas of the fortifications vary from six acres to one hundred feet in diameter; and the earthen walls which enclose them, in their present abraded condition, are from ten to twelve feet in height, and from six to eight feet in breadth. Some of these breast-works bear or have borne trees, whose age has been estimated at more than two hundred and seventy-five years, and which may have been preceded by others. One fact seems to indicate that the architects were not greatly advanced in civilization. In the remnants of manufactured articles found, there is an absence of any finished works of art in wood or metals, and the fragments of pottery are rude and of a primitive form. They are therefore in all likelihood not the production of the Toltecs or the Aztecs who found their way to Mexico over the northern parts of the continent, but must be attributed to the Alligewi or some other Indian tribe.

About twenty-five years ago, this state commenced a New York system of internal improvement, which has been prosecuted on an extensive scale, and with great success. The enterprise of this nature which was first undertaken is the Erie Canal, one of the greatest and most important works of the kind in the world. It was begun on the 4th of July 1817, and was completed in 1825. The principal canals in New York, with the exception of the Hudson and Delaware Canal, have been constructed by the state, and are now its property. But the railroads have been mostly undertaken by incorporated companies. The railroad first undertaken in the state was the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, which was begun in 1830, and finished in 1833. Since that time several railroads have been completed, more are in progress, and a still greater number are projected. For details as to the extent of inland navigation in the state of New York, see the article NAVIGATION, INLAND.

The following table shows the number of railroads which have been completed.

The railroads which have been commenced are the following:

The New York and Erie Railroad, one of the greatest works of the kind that has ever been projected, extending from the city of New York, through the southern counties of the state, to Portland and Dunkirk on Lake Erie, was commenced in November 1835. The total expense of this vast undertaking is estimated at 2,717,518 dollars. Up to the end of 1834 there had been forty other railroad companies incorporated, having a capital of thirty-five mil-

lions of dollars; and in the session of 1836 there were no less than forty-two incorporated. One of these, the Utica and Syracuse Railroad, above fifty miles in length, and several others, have either commenced very lately, or are now (1837) about to commence.

The following tables present so complete a view of the actual state of New York as to render any detailed description unnecessary.

Aggregate Valuations of Real and Personal Estate in the several Counties of this State; also the Number of Acres of Land assessed in each County, the Amount of Town and County Taxes, and the Rate of Taxation on each Dollar of the assessed Valuation, for 1835.

Comparative View of the Census of the State of New York in 1825 and 1835.

The manufactures of this state being of great importance, a detailed account of some of them is therefore necessary. Leather is a most important article of manufacture, and it is made cheaper in this state than it can be, of equal quality, in any other part of the world. The increase in the making of sole leather is 500 or 600 per cent. since 1817, and 200 or 300 per cent. since 1827. It is estimated that above one third of the whole sole leather used annually in the United States is made in New York. Above 16,000 individuals are employed and sustained by the cotton factories, which are located as follows, viz. in Oneida county twenty mills; in Rensselaer county fifteen mills; in Dutchess county twelve mills; in Otsego county eleven mills; in Columbia county seven mills; and in Westchester, Washington, and Herkimer counties, five each. Several other counties have from one to four mills each. In estimating the value of woollens made in this state, it should be borne in mind, that notwithstanding the numerous fixed establishments for the manufacture of this article, household or family manufactures of wool and cotton are still carried on to a great extent. By the state census of 1825, the following articles were made in families during the preceding year.

In 1835, Mr Pitkins reckoned that woollens alone were manufactured in families to the amount of at least 4,500,000 dollars annually. Now, if we allow the manufacture of linen, cotton, and other cloths, to have risen to 1,500,000 dollars, which is a fair estimate, this will make the total amount of domestic articles made in families six millions of dollars.

The following are some of the other manufactures of New York, not included in the general summary, namely, wool and fur hats made and finished in this state, estimated at 3,500,000 dollars annually; boots and shoes, deducting leather, 3,000,000 dollars annually; leather, cloth, and fur caps, probably 2,000,000 dollars annually. The amount of ready-made clothing is not estimated, but large establishments exist, particularly in the city of New York, and immense quantities are shipped to the southern states, and to foreign ports. Cabinet ware of every description is manufactured, not only for home consumption, but for shipment in large quantities to southern ports, South America, and the West Indies. Machinery, pianofortes, and carriages, are likewise manufactured on an extensive scale throughout the larger cities of the state. There are, besides, a multitude of smaller manufactures, such as those of gunpowder, fire-arms, chemical compounds, pigments, including white-lead and other paints, pencils, printing types, and tobacco; and others including the construction of ships and boats, chiefly for the navigation of the great lakes. The Onondaga salt-springs are situated in the town of Salina, Onondaga county, and are the property of the state. The salt is manufactured at four different villages, viz. Salina, Syracuse, Geddes, and Liverpool; and in the year 1833 the state of the manufacture was as follows: Number of manufactories, 131; number of kettles, 3309; number of gallons in the kettles, 312,795; and number of bushels manufactured, 1,838,646. Of this quantity about 103,000 bushels were made by solar evaporation. Coarse salt, of equal purity to any in the world, is also manufactured, and sold at a price which nets the manufac-

New York. turer nine cents per statute bushel of fifty-six lbs.; and fine salt is sold at six cents. The trade in salt has been pushed to a considerable extent in competition with the foreign article, particularly since the reduction of the duty in 1834. During that year 1,943,252 bushels were ma-

nufactured; and in 1835 the quantity made amounted to New York 2,222,694 bushels.

The following table presents a view of the exports and imports of New York, for several years, each ending the 30th of September.

The number and tonnage of vessels entering and departing from New York have of course increased in proportion to the trade. In 1830 there entered of American tonnage 298,434, and departed 229,341; and of foreign tonnage there entered 35,344, and departed 36,574; making a total of American and foreign which entered 333,778, and which departed 265,915 tons. In 1835 there entered of American tonnage 676,173, and of foreign tonnage 357,575, making a total of 1,033,748 tons. During the same year there departed, of American tonnage 589,855, of foreign 343,078, making a total of 932,933 tons. The value of the merchandise annually loaded and unloaded in the port of New York is estimated at from 100,000,000 to 120,000,000 dollars. The number of vessels in the port in the busy season varies from 500 to 750, exclusively of about fifty steam-packets. The total value of the imports into the United States in the year ending on the 30th of September 1832, was 101,029,266 dollars, of which no less than 53,214,402, or more than one half, were imported into New York. The value of the exports from the same place is estimated at between one third and one fourth of the total exports from the whole of the United States.

It will be seen from the above table, that the imports into this state greatly exceed the exports. This is accounted for by the fact, that whilst almost all articles of export from the western states are shipped at New Orleans, the greater part of the more valuable articles brought from foreign countries, and destined for the consumption of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and to some extent even of Kentucky, are principally imported into New York. The customs' revenue on the goods paying duties imported into the city of New York amounts to about thirteen millions of dollars, which is more than one half of the total customs' revenue of the entire United States. The imports comprehend an infinite variety of articles. The principal are cottons, woollens, linens, hardware, and cutlery; earthenware, brass and copper manufactures, and other articles, from Great Britain; silk, wine, brandy, and other articles, from France and Spain; sugar and coffee from the Havannah and Brazil, together with tea, spices, cochineal, indigo, dye-woods, and other articles. The nature of the principal articles of native American produce exported from New York will be seen by the following returns for the 1st of January 1833.

The tonnage of New York is greater than that of any other city in the world, with the single exception of London, and constitutes between one fifth and one sixth of that of all the United States put together. By a return of the 1st of January 1834, it amounted to 319,209 tons.

The following is a return of the amount of tonnage in the state in 1836. New York, 359,222, with 15,903 of steam navigation; Sag Harbour, 12,314; Buffalo Creek, 3740, with 1680 of steam navigation; Sackett's Harbour, 2236, with 280 of steam navigation; Oswego, 2040, with 406 of steam navigation; Oswegatchee, 799, with 417 of steam navigation; Champlain, 616; Genesee, 636; and Cape Vincent, 860. These facts will convey, it is hoped, a sufficient idea of the vast extent of the commerce of New York.

This state borrowed a considerable sum for the construction of its canals, particularly the Erie and Champlain Canal, which debt is in the course of being redeemed by the annual income of the state, which always greatly exceeds the expenditure. There are several funds belonging to the state, viz. the general, common school, literature, canal, and bank funds: but the general fund consists of bonds and mortgages for lands sold, loans, and other debts due to the state. For the year ending the 30th of September 1833, the finances stood as under:¹

From the large annual receipts obtained from tolls, auctions, sales of lands, and other items, the property of the canals, it is expected that the canal debt will be paid off long before the time fixed on for redeeming the whole of the stock.

In 1829 an act was passed requiring every bank thereafter, after to be created or renewed, to contribute annually one half of one per cent. on its capital to a fund intended for the payment of the debts of such banks as may at any time become insolvent. These banks are placed under the supervision of commissioners, to whom they are required to make annual reports of their condition, and are called "safety-fund banks." In 1830 there were thirty-seven banks in New York state, having a capital of 20,083,353 dollars. In 1836 there were eighty-seven banks, and two branch banks, which stood thus: Specie funds, 670,363 dollars; specie, 7,221,335; capital, 31,881,460; circulation, 16,427,963; and deposits, 22,000,000 of dollars. The whole of these banks, with the exception of seven or eight, are safety-fund banks. There are, besides, nine savings banks, having a total capital of 3,855,517 dollars. In the city of New York there are thirteen marine insurance companies, with a capital of 4,550,000 dollars; and twenty-eight fire insurance companies, with a capital of 10,250,000 dollars. In the other parts of the state there are about twenty-two insurance companies, with a total capital of above four millions of dollars. In 1835 there were 1687 post-offices in the state of New York, and the amount of postages for the preceding year was 430,426 dollars, of which 192,493 dollars were for the city of New York alone. In 1834, the military establishment (militia) of New York stood thus, viz. horse artillery 1687, cavalry, 7080, artillery 11,669; infantry, including riflemen, 164,979; companies of artillery attached permanently, or for inspection, 3032; total number of men, 178,447. There are five vessels of war employed in ordinary at New York.

The constitution of this state secures toleration of reli-

gious worship, so that every denomination is to be found New York, in it. The following is a statement of the number of the clergy of different denominations in 1835: Presbyterians and Congregationalists, 562; Methodists, 492; Baptists, 442; Episcopalians (one bishop), 181; Dutch Reformed, 116; Lutherans, thirty; Associate Reformed, twenty-three; Roman Catholics, one bishop and thirty-five ministers; Universalists, upwards of twenty; Unitarians, eight; New Jerusalemites, five; Shakers, two societies; Jews, three synagogues; the Friends, a considerable number of societies; besides various other denominations not enumerated in this list, as well as a number of licentiates and candidates belonging to those given, particularly to the Presbyterians. The clergy are supported by subscription, contribution, rents of pews, income from funds, and other sources. The salaries in the city of New York vary from 1000 to upwards of 3000 dollars. The average annual salaries of the clergy of this state are estimated as not exceeding 500 dollars each. The state of the theological seminaries in 1836 was as follows:—General theological seminary of the Protestant Episcopal church in the United States, located in New York, instituted in 1819, four professors, eighty students, and 3880 volumes in the library; the Presbyterian theological seminary at Auburn, Cayuga county, instituted in 1821, four professors, fifty-one students, and 4500 volumes in the library; the Hamilton literary and theological seminary (Baptist), at Hamilton, Madison county, instituted in 1829, eight instructors, 124 alumni, eighty-three students, and 1600 volumes in the library; the Hartwich theological seminary (Lutheran), at Hartwich, Otsego county, instituted in 1816, two professors, nine theological and a number of academic students, and 1000 volumes in the library; and the Oneida institute of science and industry (Presbyterian), near Utica, about fifty students and 1000 volumes in the library. The Baptist college at Brockport, Monroe county, the Methodist academy, White Plains, Westchester county, and a conference seminary belonging to the same sect at Cazenovia, Oneida county, and the Genesee Wesleyan seminary, Lima, Livingston county, also belong to the list of religious institutions. Amongst these may be included the American Bible Society, which has its seat in the city of New York, where a spacious building has been erected for it; the United Missionary Society, instituted at New York in 1817; the American Home Missionary Society, instituted at the same place in 1826; together with several missionary, tract, Sunday school, and other religious societies, which have various ramifications throughout the state. The benevolent institutions are upon a very extensive scale. There are asylums adapted to almost every case of human deprivation and misery; for the deaf and dumb, the blind, the orphan, the widow, the indigent, the aged, and the stranger. In 1834 their number, including religious benevolent societies, was forty-eight, and since then they must, like every thing else, have increased. It may be mentioned, that temperance societies flourish better in New York, and some of the other states, than they seem to do in any other part of the world.

Since the establishment of the state government, great exertions have been made by the legislature to extend the means of education to all classes of the community. The appropriations made for this purpose, including the capital and income of the common school and literature funds, amount to above six millions of dollars. The common schools are amongst the most important and interesting institutions in the state. Every town is divided into a suitable number of school districts, in each of which a school-house has been erected, and is provided with furniture and fuel at the expense of the district. The following notices are derived from the Annual Report of the superintendent of common schools, made in January 1835.