KENTUCKY, one of the United States of North Ame rica, derives its name from the river Kentucky, by which it is traversed, and lies between 36° 30', and 39° 7' North Lat., and between 82° 50' and 89° 20' West Long. It is about 300 miles long. from north to south ; its greatest breadth is 18:: miles, and its least width 40. Its superficial extent is about 50,000 square miles. On the whole of its northern side it is bounded by the Ohio river, through a length of 645 miles. This river separates it from the states of Indiana and Illinois for 525 miles, and from Ohio for 125. On the east it is separated from Virginia by the Cumber land mountains, and by Big Sandy river, for 80 miles. On the south it is divided from Tennessee by the parallel of latitude of 36n 30'; and on the west it is separated from the Missouri territory by the AIississippi river, for 60 miles.
Kentucky was originally divided into two counties, Lin coln and Jefferson. and afterwards into 42 ; but it is now di vided into 59, and sends 10 representatives to Congress. The south-east part of this state is mountainous. The principal mountains are the Cumberland mountains, which bound the state for about 80 miles on the south-east. The country below the mountains is hilly for some distance; but the great part of the state is agreeably uneven, and formed of gentle elevations. The whole country below the mountains rests upon an immense bed of limestone, from 1 to 20 feet thick, but usually about eight feet below the sur face.
The soil of Kentucky is in general good. It is either black, or tinged with a brighter or deeper vermilion, or resembles dark ashes. What was at one time the princi pal grain that was cultivated ; but no more of it is now raised than is consumed in the state. :Nlucli rye is raised for the distilleries. Maize is cults ated to a great extent. Hemp has lately beer; the principal article of pi °duce. An ordinary crop is about from 700 to 1000 weight the acre. Barley, oats, flax, cotton, and tobacco, are raised ; and it is said that 50, 60, and even 100 bushels of grain have been produced upon an acre. Of wheat, or rye, 30 bushels is the ordinary produce. Kentucky is well covered with tim ber. The principal trees are the elm, the beech, the ash, the juniper, the sugar, the coffee, the papaw, the hackberry, and the cucumber.
The mineralogy of this state has not been much examin ed. Iron is found in various places. It is well fitted for hollow ware, but not for malleable iron. A valuable gold mine has been discovered between Cumberland river and Green river. Copper, sulphur, copperas, and alum, have
also been obtained. Nitre is obtained from the earth in the caverns on Green river. Coal is found in abundance, and in some places there is an appearance of potters' clay. Air immense quantity of marble, of a greyish cast, finely varie gated, and susceptible of a high polish, has been found on the banks of the Kentucky river. On the banks of Ken tucky and Dick's river are solid perpendicular rocks, rising to the height of 300 and 400 feet. Some of these are of common limestone, and others of white marble, cu riously chequered with strata of singular irregularity. These lofty banks are covered with groves of red cedar trees, and the rivers have the appearance of deep artificial canals. Caves of enormous length have been discovered in the limestone rock. ' The most celebrated of these is the Mammoth Cave, si tuated in the lower part of Kentucky, called the Green Ri ver country. This cave consists of one great trunk, with numerous and irregular ramifications, and the total length of it appears to be about ten or eleven miles. A great quantity of saltpetre is manufactured from the earth in its interior. The following is the only account of this re markable curiosity which has been published: " About a quarter of a mile from the mouth is a mum my, lately deposited there from a neighbouring cave, and intended for Peale's Philadelphia museum. It is grey headed, the teeth much worn, but round, and the flesh en tirely dried up. It is supposed to have been a queen, from the number of trinkets found with it, consisting of needles, head dresses of various kinds of feathers, necklaces of deer hoofs, beads, mockasons, paint, a whistle, a bear's jaw bone, a hawk's claw, and a rattle-snake's skin, with rattles. These were enclosed in a pack, (or wallet used by Indians for transporting goods,) they being first enclosed in a fine wrought indispensible, afterwards in one of a coarser tex ture, and then in the pack, which, with the body, was wrap ped up in two dressed deer skins, and the whole again en closed in a mat or coarse wrapper. The visage seemed quite venerable, and the whole presented a truly antique appearance. I examined the ears and nose ; but did not discover aught, whereby to conclude that either had ever been decorated with trinkets, from which circumstance, it may be presumed they were not in vogue, when regal dig nity, and perhaps power, were vested in the body. The nails on the hands and feet were perfect ; and the feet small in proportion to the body, which was of a large stature.