Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed]

ADESCRIPTION of the Situation and Plan of the CITY of WASHINGTON in the District of Columbia, in North America, now Building for the METROPOLIS of the UNITED STATES.

HE city of Washington, in the the most extensive internal refources;

ing for the permanent feat of the government of the United States of America, stands at the junction of the rivers Potomac and the Eastern Branch, extending about four miles up each, including a tract of territory icarcely to be exceeded, in point of convenience, falubrity, and beauty, by any in the world: for, although the land is apparently level, yet, by gentle and gradual fwellings, a variety of elegant profpects are produced. This territory lies partly in the fate of Virginia, and partly in that of Maryland, and was c ded by thofe two ftates to the United States of America, and by them established to be the feat of government, after the year

1800.

Within the limits of the city are twenty-five never-failing fprings of excellent water; and, by digging wells, water of the beft quality is teadily had befides, the never-failing ftreams that now run through that territory, are alfo to be collected for the ufe of the city.

The Eastern Branch is one of the fafest and most commodious harbours in America being fufficiently deep for the largest fhips, for about four miles above its mouth; while the channel lies clofe along the edge of the city, and is abundantly capacious. This river contains thirty and thirtyfive feet to near the upper end of the city, where it is eighteen and twenty feet deep.

The city being fituated upon the great poft road, exactly equidiftant from the northern and fouthern extremities of the Union, and nearly fo from the Atlantic Ocean to the River Ohio, upon the belt navigation, and in the midst of the richest commercial territory in America, commanding

the refidence of Congress; and it is now preffing forward, by the publicfpirited enterprife, not only of the people of the United States, but also of foreigners.

The inland navigation of the Potomac is fo far advanced, that craft loaded with produce now come down that river and its feveral branches, from upward of 180 miles to the great falls, which are within fourteen miles of the new city. The canals at the great and little falls are nearly completed, and the locks in fuch forwardnefs, that, in the courfe of the enfuing fummer, the navigation will be entirely opened between tide water and the head branches of the Potomac, which will produce a communication. by water between the city of Wathington and the interior parts of Virgina and Maryland, by means of the Potomac, the Shannandoah, the South Branch, Opecan, Cape Capon, Patterfon's Creek, Conoochegue, and Monocafy, for upward of 200 miles, through one of the most healthy, pleafant, and fertile regions in America, producing, in vaft abundance, tobacco of fuperior quality, hemp, Indian corn, wheat, and other small grain, with fruit and vegetables peculiar to America, in vaft abund ance.

The lands upon the Potomac above the city of Washington, all around it, and for fixty miles below, are high and dry, abounding with innumerable fprings of excellent water, and are well-covered with large timber of varicus kinds. A few miles below the city, upon the banks of the Potomac, are inexhaustible mountains of excellent freeitone, of the white and red Portland kinds, of which the public edifices in the city are now build

ing. Above the city, alfo upon the banks of the river, are immenfe quantities of excellent coal, limeftone, and marble, with blue flate of the beft quality.

The founding of this city, in fuch an eligible fituation, upon fuch a liberal and elegant plan, will by future generations be confidered as a high proof of the judgment and wisdom of the prefent prefident of the United States, while its name will keep fresh in mind, to the end of time, the obligations they are under to that illuftrious character.

The plan of this city, agreeably to the directions of the prefident of the United States, was defigned by major L'Enfant, and is an inconceivable improvement upon all other cities, combining not only convenience, regularity, elegance of profpect, and a free circulation of air, but every thing grand and beautiful that can be introduced into a city.

The city is divided into fquares or grand divifions, by the streets running due north and fouth, and eaft and weft, which form the ground-work of the plan. However, from the capitol, the prefident's houfe, and fome of the important areas in the city, run tranfverfe avenues or diagonal ftreets, from one material object to another, which not only produce a variety of charming profpects, but remove that infipid famenefs that renders fome other great cities unpleafing. They were devised, to connect the separate and most diftant objects with the principal, and to preferve through the whole a reciprocity of fight. Thefe great leading ftreets are all 160 feet wide, including a pavement of ten feet, and a gravel walk of thirty feet planted with trees on each fide, which will leave eighty feet of paved ftreet for carriages. The rest of the streets are, in general, 110 feet wide, with a few only ninety feet, except North, South, and Eaft Capitol Streets, which are 160 feet. The diagonal ftreets are named after the refpective ftates compofing the Union, while thofe running north

and fouth are, from the capitol eastward, named, Eaft First Street, Eaft Second Street, &c. and those weft of it are in the fame manner called Weft First Street, Weft Second Street, &c. thofe running east and weft are from the capitol northward named, North A Street, North B Street, &c. and those south of it are called South A Street, South B Street, &c.

The fquares, or divifions of the city, amount to 1150. The rectangular fquares generally contain from three to fix acres, and are divided into lots of from forty to eighty feet in front, and their depth, from about 110 to 300 feet, according to the fize of the fquare.

The irregular divifions produced by the diagonal ftreets are fome of them fmali, but generally in valuable fituations. Their acute points are all to be cut off at forty feet, fo that no houfe in the city will have an acute corner. The lots in thefe irregular fquares will all turn at a right angle with the refpective ftreets, although the backs of the houses upon them will not ftand parallel to one another; which is a matter of no confequence.

By the rules declared and published by the prefident of the United States, for regulating the buildings within the city, all houses must be of ftone or brick: their walls must be parallel to the ftreets, and either placed im→ mediately upon them, or withdrawn therefrom at pleafure. The walls of all houfes upon ftreets 160 feet wide must be at least thirty feet high.

The area for the capitol (or house for the legislative bodies) is fituated upon the most beautiful eminence in the city, about a mile from the Eastern Branch, and not much more from the Potomac, commanding a full view of every part of the city, as well as a confiderable extent of the country. around. The prefident's house wilt ftand upon a rising ground, not far from the banks of the Potomac, poffeffing a delightful water prospect, with a commanding view of the capi

[ocr errors]

the city.

Due fouth from the prefident's house, and due weft from the capitol, run two great pleasure parks or malls, which interfect and terminate upon the banks of the Potomac, and are to be ornamented at the fides by a variety of elegant buildings, houses for foreign minifters, &c.

tol, and fome other material parts of fent ferry is at the lower end of Kentucky Street, where the great road now croffes the Eaftern Branch.The Tyber, which is the principal ftream that paffes through the city, is to be collected in a grand reservoir befide the capitol, whence it will be carried in pipes to different parts of the city; while its furplus water will fall down in beautiful cascades, through the public gardens weft of the capitol, into the canal.-In various parts of the city places are allotted for market houses, churches, colleges, theatres, &c.

Interfperfed through the city, where the moft material Atreets cross each other, are a variety of open areas, formed in various regular figures, which in great cities are extremely ufeful and ornamental.

Fifteen of the best of thefe areas are to be appropriated to the different ftates compofing the Union; not only to bear their refpective names, but as proper places for them to erect ftatues, obelifks, or columns, to the memory of their favourite eminent men. Upon the small eminence, where a line due weft from the capitol, and due fouth from the prefident's house, would interfect, is to be erected an equeftrian ftatue of General Washington, now prefident of the United States.The building where Maffachuffets and Georgia itreets meet, is intended for a Marine hospital, with its gardens.

The prefident of the United States, in locating the feat of the city, prevailed upon the proprietors of the foil to cede a certain portion of the lots in every fituation, to be fold by his direction, and the proceeds to be folely applied to the public buildings, and other works of public utility within the city. This grant will produce about 15000 lots, and will be fufficient, not only to erect the public buildings, but to dig the canal, conduct water through the city, and to pave and light the ftreets, which will fave a heavy tax that arises in other cities, and confequently render the lots confiderably more valuable.

The area at the fouth end of Eaft The grants of money made by VirEight Street is for the general ex-ginia and Maryland, being hitherto change, its public walks, &c.-The fufficient, few of the public lots have broad black line, which runs along yet been fold; but a fale is advertised part of North B Street, and, feparat- to commence on the 17th day of ing, joins the Eaftern Branch at two September next. places, is a canal, which is to be. eighty feet wide, and eight feet deep. The area, where South G Street croffes the canal, is intended to contain a city hall, and a bason of water; there being now a very large fpring in the middle of it.

The area, at the junction of the rivers, is for a fort, magazines, and arfenals.

At the east end of Eaft Capitol Street is to be a bridge, and the pre

In January last, most of the streets were run, and the fquares divided into lots. The canal was partly dug, and the greatest part of the materials provided for the public buildings, which are to be entirely of freeftone polifhed, and are now carrying on with all poffible expedition.-Laft fummer feveral private houses were erected, and a great many proprietors of lots were then preparing to build the enfuing fummer.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

ge

In the above description of a paffion, which, with refpect to the nerality of mankind, frames the happinefs or mifery of life, Shakspeare has judiciously noticed the extreme contrarieties it exhibits. Love is certainly a paffion that has more prevalent fenfations of pleafure and pain, and affects the mind with a greater diverfity of impreffions than any other. Longinus, fpeaking of a celebrated Greek ode, attributes its beauty to the fkilful choice of thofe circumftances, which are the conftant, though furprifing attendants upon love; and the obfervation of this illuftrious critic could never be applied with greater propriety than to this paffage from Shakspeare. The qualities of love are certainly very proper for the management of a good poet; and our great painter of nature has fhewn it,

in almost all its degrees, in one of other of his plays.

Dreams,

Mercutio. O, then, I fee, queen Mab

hath been with you.

She is the fairies midwife; and fhe comes
In fhape no bigger than an agat-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men's nofes as they lie afleep:
Her waggon fpokes made of long spin-
ners legs;

[ocr errors]

The cover, of the wings of grafhoppers; The traces, of the fmalleft fpider's web The collars, of the moonshine's wat ry beams:

Her whip, of cricket's bone; the lash, of film:

Her waggoner, a fmall grey-coated gnat,
Not half fo big as a round little worm
Prickt from the lazy finger of a maid :
Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut,
Made by the joiner fquirrel, or old grub,
Time out of mind the fairies coachmakers,
And in this state fhe gallops, night by
night,

dream of love:

Through lovers brains, and then they On courtiers knees, that dream on court'fies ftraight:

O'er lawyers fingers, who ftraight dream on fees:

O'er ladies lips, who straight on kisses

dream;

Which oft the angry Mab with blifters plagues,

Because their breaths with fweet-meats tainted are.

Sometimes the gallops o'er a courtiers nofe, And then dreams he of finelling out a fuit: And fometimes comes. The with a tithe pig's tail,

Tickling a parfon's nofe as he lies afleep, Then dreams he of another benefice:

Sometimes the driveth o'er a foldier's neck,

And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,

Of-breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades,

*The author may mean being purged of smoke, but it is, perhaps, a meaning never given to the word in any other place. A better reading might be, being urged, that is, being excited and enforced. To urge the fire is the technical term.

Of

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »