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The most of the western part is level, but on the
hordersof Pennsylvania are some hilly tracts. Par-
allel with Lake Ontario there runs an elevation
called the Ridge, about 70 m. in length ; it is not
more than 30 feet above the surrounding country,
and 100 feet in width, and extends from Niagara
river to the Genesee. The mountains exhibit
granite, gneiss, limestone and mica slate; the
western and central districts are secondary, and
the southern mostly transition. Iron, tin, lead,
and plumbago are found in the mountainous parts;
cxc2xb0al, gypsum and slate occur along the Hudson,
with some native silver. Antimony and arsenic
have also been discovered.
The eastern part is watered by the Hudson,
which rises on the western side of Lake Cham-
plain, and flows southerly to the sea at New York ;
the Mohawk, from the west, is its chief branch.
The Genesee crosses the state from Pennsylvania
and runs into L. Ontario. Black river and the
Oswegatchie, water the northern parts; the Onon-
daga receives the waters of a number of small
lakes toward the west, and discharges them into
Lake Ontario: head streams of the Susque-
hanna have their source in this state. A great
extent of the north western limit is washed by
Lakes Erie and Ontario; on the north-eastern
hordel lies Lake Champlain, dividing it from Ver-
mont, and in the same quarter is Lake George.
In the west are the smaller lakes of Oneida, Sken-
eateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Crooked, Ca-
nandaigua and Chatauque, many of which are
adorned with beautiful scenery.
The soil in a great part of the state is excel-
lent; on the Mohawk are alluvial tracts of re-
markable fertility: in the west are the Genesee
flats which are no less rich. In the north it is
clayey; about Albany are some tracts of sandy
plain interspersed with marshes. The valleys
have a rich black mould; along the Hudson in
the southern part, the soil is gravelly with rich
alluvial tracts. About one fourth of the land is
under cultivation; wheat is the chief article of
culture ; maize, rye, barley, oats, flax, buckwheat,
hemp, &c. are also raised. The climate of this
great state is more diversified than perhaps that
of any other in the union. The northern part
feels the severity of a Canadian winter ; the south
has a climate comparatively mild. About Albany
the winter begins toward the middle of December
and ends early in March. Hay is cut early in
July, and the maize ripens in September and Oc-
tober. The Hudson is frozen in winter. |
This state abounds in mineral springs, the most
celebrated of which are in the neighbourhood of
Saratoga, which See. There are in the western
part, many which discharge inflammable air. See
Burning Springs. Salt springs are also common,
and salt is manufactured in great abundance at
various places. See Sa.tina. The internal trade
of the state is facilitated by many canals, the lar-
gest of which unites the Hudson with Lake Erie.
See Erie Caruil. The Northern canal connects
Lake Champlain with the Hudson, and is 63 m.
in length The Delaware and Hudson canal ex-
tends from Port Jervis, on the Delaware to the
Hudson ; it has a further extension to Honesdale,
in Pennsylvania, and its whole length is 108 m.
There are also canals which open a communica-
tion between the Mohawk and Lake Ontario
through Oneida Lake. Four railroads are in a
process of construction The Mohawk and Hud-
son Railroad, betweer, the Hudson at Albany and
the Mohawk at Schenectady 15 miles xe2x80xa2xe2x80x94the Ca
najoharie and Catskill Railroad from Canajohari0
on the Erie canal to Catskill on the Hudson 74
m.;xe2x80x94the Hudson and Delaware Railroad, from
Newbinyh on the Hudson to the Delaware ;xe2x80x94the
Troy ana Bennigton Railroad, from Troy on the
Hudson to Bennington in Vermont. These im-
provements with the admirable position of the
great outport of the state at the mouth of the
Hudson, have given the trade of New York an
unexampled activity, and it has already become
one of the most flourishing states in the Union.
The commerce is chiefly transacted through the
single sea-port of New York ; but there is also
much trade by the way of the lakes. The imports
into the state in 1828 were valued at 38,719,644
dollars; the exports of domestic produce at
13,920,627 dollars; total exports 23,834,137 dol
lars. The shipping in the same year amounted
to 354,771 tons Thus in amount of foreign trade
New York surpasses every state in the Union, al
though in tonnage of shipping Massachusetts is
superior.
The manufactures consists of cotton, woolen,
cloths, iron, salt, paper, glass, leather, &.c. The
chief establishments are at the following places.
At Columbiaville near Hudson,are 11 factories pro-
ducing yearly 16,240,000 yards of calico, with car-
peting and flannels ;xe2x80x94at Matteawan near Fishskill
are manufactured broadcloths unsurpassed for fine-
ness in the country ;xe2x80x94at Catskill carpeting and pa-
per ;xe2x80x94at Walden are produced yearly 140,000 yards
of flannel; 360,000 of sheeting and 30,000 of broad-
cloth ;xe2x80x94at Schenectady are made yearly 400,000
yards of cotton cloth, 30,000 lbs. of yarn,
with carpeting, satinet and paper. There are also
manufactures of cotton, iron, &c. at Ramapo, Al-
bany, Troy, and many other places. The yearly
value of the manufactures without reckoning do-
mestic fabrics is estimated as follows, cotton 3,000,
000 dollars; woolen 3,000,000; iron 4,000,000;
paper 500,000; hats 3,000,000; boots and shoes
5,000,000: leather 3.1)00,000 ; window glass 200,
000. The domestic manufactures in 1825 amount-
ed to nearly 5,000,000 dollars.
The state is divided into 8 districts and 56 coun-
ties. The towns and cities are 762. The popu-
lation is 1,913,508 of whom 46 are slaves. There
are also about 5,000 Indians in the western parts.
The capital is Albany. The other large towns
are New York, Brooklyn, Troy, Hudson, Pough-
keepsie, Newburgh, Rochester and Buffalo. The
legislature consists of a Senate and an Assembly ;
the senators are chosen for 4 years, one fourth of
the numbers being renewed annually ,and the mem-
bers of the Assembly for one year. The Govern-
or and Lt. Governor are chosen for 2 years and are
elected by the highest number of votes given, al-
though less than a majority. The clergy are ex-
cluded from office. Elections are popular and
suffrage is universal. The most numerous religi-
ous sect are the Presbyterians,who have 587 chur-
ches ; the Baptists have 539; the Episcopalians
129 ministers; the Lutherns 27, and the Reform-
ed Dutch 54 churches. Education is provided
for by a Literary Fund producing yearly 6,000
dollars, which sum is divided among the incor-
porated academies. There is also a common school
fund ; and 200,000 dollars raised from this source
and from taxes, are annually appropriated for the
support of public schools. There are in the state
36 incorporated academies and 8,000 common
schools yhich afford instruction to 400,000 chil-
dren. There are 4 colleges in the state, at New
York, Schenectady, Clinton, and Geneva |
