the largest county of England, bounded on the south by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire; on the north by Durham and Westmoreland; on the east by the German ocean; and on the west by Lancashire and a part of Cheshire.—It is upwards of 80 miles in length from east to west, nearly as much in breadth, and about 360 in circumference, containing, in the whole, 26 hundreds or wapentakes, 49 market-towns, 563 parishes, 242 vicarages, with many chapels of ease, and 2330 villages. Its area is computed by some at 4684 square miles, by others at 3,770,000 acres, and its inhabitants at 858,802. It is divided into three parts or ridings, viz. the West, East, and North; so denominated from their situation, in respect of the city of York. Each of these is as large, if not larger, than any ordinary county. There are other divisions, as Richmondshire, Allertonshire, Howdenshire, Hallamshire, Craven, Cleveland, Marshland, Holderness, &c.

As the soil and face of the country vary greatly, so does the air. In the hilly parts the air is good, but the soil very indifferent; of the lower some are marshy, others drier, and the soil of both rich; but the air of the former former is more foggy and unhealthy than that of the latter. The manufactures of this county are cutlery and hard-wares, particularly knives, bits, and spurs; but the principal are stockings and woollen cloth, with which it supplies in a great measure Germany and the North. As to the produce, it abounds in corn, cattle, horses, lead and iron, coal, wood, lime, liquorice, alum, jet, &c. It lies wholly in the northern circuit, and much the greater part of it in the diocese of York; that only which is called Richmondshire belonging to the diocese of Chester. The members it sends to parliament are 32; of which two are for the shire and 28 for the towns.

New-York, one of the United States of America, is bounded towards the south-east by the Atlantic ocean; east by Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont; north by the 45th degree of latitude, which divides it from Canada; north-westwardly by the river Iroquois or St Lawrence, and the lakes Ontario and Erie; south-west and south by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The whole state contains about 44,000 square miles, equal to 28,160,000 acres.

The settlements already made in this state are chiefly upon two narrow oblongs, extending from the city of New-York east and north. The one east is Long Island, which is 140 miles long, and narrow, and surrounded by the sea. The one extending north is about 40 miles in breadth, and bisected by Hudson's river. And such is the intersection of the whole state by the branches of the Hudson, the Delaware, the Susquehannah, and other large rivers, that there are few places throughout its whole extent which are more than 15 or 20 miles from some navigable stream. There are few fish in the rivers, but in the brooks are plenty of trout; and in the lakes yellow perch, sun-fish, salmon-trout, cat-fish, and a variety of others.

The state, to speak generally, abounds with lakes, some of salt and others of fresh water. It is intersected by ridges of mountains running in a north-east and south-west direction. Beyond the Allegany mountains, however, the country is a dead level, of a fine rich soil, covered, in its natural state, with maple, beech, birch, cherry, black-walnut, locust, hickory, and some mulberry-trees. On the banks of lake Erie, are a few chestnut and oak ridges. Hemlock swamps are interpered thinly through the country. All the creeks that empty into lake Erie have falls, which afford many excellent mill seats. East of the Allegany mountains, the country is broken into hills with rich intervening valleys. The hills are clothed thick with timber, and when cleared afford fine pasture; the valleys, when cultivated, produce wheat, hemp, flax, peas, rye, oats, Indian corn. Of the commodities produced from culture, wheat is the staple; of which immense quantities are raised and exported: Indian corn and peas are likewise raised for exportation; and rye, oats, barley, &c. for home consumption. In some parts of the state excellent dairies are kept, which furnish for the market butter and cheese.

The situation of New-York, with respect to foreign markets, has decidedly the preference to any other of the United States. It has at all seasons of the year a short and easy access to the ocean. Its exports to the West Indies are, biscuit, peas, Indian corn, apples, onions, boards, staves, horses, sheep, butter, cheese, pickled oysters, beef, and pork. But wheat is the staple commodity of the state, of which no less than 677,700 bushels were exported in the year 1775, besides 2555 tons of bread and 2828 tons of flour. Inspectors of flour are appointed to prevent imposition, and to see that none is exported but that which is deemed by them merchantable. Besides the above-mentioned articles, are exported flax-feed, cotton, wool, farfaparilla, coffee, indigo, rice, pig-iron, bar-iron, pot-ash, pearl-ash, furs, deer-skins, logwood, sutfuck, mahogany, bees wax, oil, Madeira wine, rum, tar, pitch, turpentine, whale-fins, fish, sugars, molasses, salt, tobacco, lard, &c. but most of these articles are imported for re-exportation. In the year 1774, there were employed, in the trade of this state, 1075 vessels, whose tonnage amounted to 49,812.

Since the revolution, the literature of the state has engaged the attention of the legislature. In one of their earliest sessions an act passed, constituting 21 gentlemen (of whom the governor and lieutenant-governor for the time being are members ex officio) a body corporate and politic, by the name and style of "The regents of the university of the state of New-York." They are intrusted with the care of literature in general in the state, and have power to grant charters of incorporation for erecting colleges and academies throughout the state—are to visit these institutions as often as they shall think proper, and report their state to the legislature once a-year. All degrees, above that of master of arts are to be conferred by the regents. A universal toleration is granted in religion.

The supreme legislative powers of the state are vested in two branches, a senate and assembly. The members of the senate are elected by the freeholders of the state, who possess freehold estates to the value of 100l. clear of debts. For the purpose of electing senators, the state is divided into four great districts, each of which chooses a certain number.

The assembly of the state is composed of representatives from the several counties, chosen annually in May. Every male inhabitant of full age, who has resided in the state six months preceding the day of election, and possessing a freehold to the value of 20l. in the county where he is to give his vote; or has rented a tenement therein of the yearly value of forty shillings, and has been rated and actually paid taxes—is entitled to vote for representatives in assembly. The number of representatives is limited to 300.

The supreme executive power of the state is vested in a governor chosen once in three years by the freemen of the state. The lieutenant-governor is, by his office, president of the senate; and, upon an equal division of voices, has a casting vote; but has no voice on other occasions. The governor has not a seat in the legislature; but as a member of the council of revision and council of appointment, he has a vast influence in the state. The council of revision is composed of the chancellor, the judges of the supreme court, or any of them, and the governor. In the year 1790 the number of inhabitants in this state was 340,120, of whom 21,324 were negroes; but in 1795 the whole population of the state amounted to 530,177, making an increase of 190,057 in five years.

New-York, a city of North America, capital of the state of the same name. It is situated at the south-west point point of an island, at the confluence of Hudson and East rivers, and is about four miles in circumference. The situation is both healthy and pleasant. Surrounded on all sides by water, it is refreshed by cool breezes in summer, and the air in winter is more temperate than in other places under the same parallel. York island is 15 miles in length, and hardly one in breadth. It is joined to the main by a bridge called King's bridge. The channels between Long and Staten islands, and between Long and York islands, are so narrow as to occasion an unusual rapidity of the tides, which is increased by the confluence of the waters of Hudson and East rivers. This rapidity, in general, prevents the obstruction of the channel by ice. There is no basin or bay for the reception of ships; but the road where they lie in East river is defended from the violence of the sea by the islands which interlock with each other; so that, except that of Rhode island, the harbour of New-York, which admits ships of any burden, is the best of the United States. The number of the inhabitants in 1786 was 23,614.

The most magnificent edifice in this city is Federal Hall, at the head of Broad-street; in a gallery in front of which General Washington, attended by the senate and house of representatives, took his oath of office at the commencement of the operation of the federal constitution, 30th April, 1789. The other public buildings in the city are, three houses for public worship for the Dutch Reformed church, four for Presbyterians, three for Episcopalians, two for German Lutherans and Calvinists, two for Quakers, two for Baptists, two for Methodists, one for Moravians, one for Catholics, one for French Protestants, and a Jewish synagogue.

King's college was chiefly founded by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants of the province, assisted by the general assembly, and the corporation of Trinity Church; in the year 1754, a royal charter (and grant of money) being then obtained, incorporating a number of gentlemen therein mentioned, by the name of "The Governors of the College of the Province of New-York, in the city of New-York, in America;" granting to them the power of conferring all such degrees as are usually conferred by either of the English universities. The building consists of an elegant stone edifice, three stories high, with four stair cases, 12 apartments in each, a chapel, hall, library, museum, anatomical theatre, and a school for experimental philosophy. It is situated on a dry gravelly soil, about 150 yards from the bank of Hudson's river, commanding a beautiful and extensive prospect. Since the revolution, the legislature passed an act constituting 21 gentlemen (of whom the governor and lieutenant-governor for the time being, are members ex officio) a body corporate and politic by the name of "The Regents of the University of the State of New-York." They are entrusted with the care of literature in general, and have power to grant charters for erecting colleges and academies through the state. It is now denominated Columbia college. The annual revenue arising from the estate belonging to the college amounts to 1333l. currency, exclusive of some bonds which are not as yet productive. It consists of a faculty of arts, and one of physic, the first having a president and seven professors, and the second a dean, and the same number of professors. The library and museum were destroyed during the war, after which upwards of 800l. were expended on books to enlarge the library.

The government of this city is at present in the hands of a mayor, aldermen, and common council, and the city is divided into seven wards, in each of which an alderman and assistant are annually chosen by the people. A court of session is held for the trial of criminal causes. It is esteemed the most eligible situation for commerce in the United States; but the want of good water is a great inconvenience, there being few wells in the city, and most of the people are supplied with fresh water conveyed to their doors in casks from the head of Queen-street. The number of inhabitants in 1796 is stated at more than 33,000; and according to some it is supposed that they amount at this time to nearly the double. The entries from foreign ports in 1795, were 178 ships, 309 brigs, 9 barques, 7 snows, 268 schooners, and 170 sloops. Works of defence have been erected to a considerable extent, and when completed on the original plan, will afford great security to the city. New-York is 95 miles N. E. of Philadelphia, 197 N. E. of Baltimore, and 913 from Charleston. W. Long. 74° 9' 45". N. Lat. 40° 42' 8".