The dividing ridge between the sources of the Ohio confluents and those of the Atlantic Ocean, is the apex of the two opposing planes before us, hav ing its highest elevation in the mountain valleys, from which rise on one side the sources of James and Roanoke rivers, and on the other those of Great Kenhawa. On the region from whence these rivers rise, the mean height of the farms exceeds 1600 feet. From these elevated valleys the Ohio sources flow like radii from a common centre. The different branches of Monongahela rise in Lewis and Ran dolph counties, and flowing northwardly over Har rison, Monongalia and Preston, and receiving nu merous confluents, continue northward to meet those of Alleghany, and form the Ohio at Pittsburg.
From the opposite extreme flow the higher sources of Tennessee, whilst from the central part issue the fountains of Great Sandy, Great Kenhawa, Little Kenhawa and numerous creeks, all finding a com mon recipient in the Ohio.
From this rapid outline of the Ohio section of Virginia, it must be obvious, that the climate of the whole must vary materially from that of similar latitudes on the Atlantic coast; and again, from difference of relative level the climate on the high Appalachian valleys must be very different from that on the greatly lower and locally deep ravine of Ohio river.
The difference of temperature alluded to is so evidently great, that the writer of this article has seen repeatedly, early vegetation far advanced at Wheeling, when little or no appearance of spring met the eye along the dividing ridge of the waters.
All Virginia westward from Blue Ridge, com prising an area of 41,409 square miles, is the region of Virginia represented in the census tables by Nos. 4, 5 and 6. By reference to these tabular views it will be seen that the aggregate population, 1830, was 378,425, or a small fraction above 9 to the square mile. Of the preceding were whites, 318,645, or about 71 to the square mile, whilst the coloured class, free and slaves, amounted to only .52,280, or about 8 per cent of the whole.
From the preceding elements we find the density of population in Virginia inverse to distance from the Atlantic, but we find also, that as the aggregate population becomes more scattered, that the rela tive number of whites increase, until on the large western section they amount to 92 per cent of the whole.
Political Geography, History, first char ter of Virginia was granted by Queen Elizabeth in 1583, and made out in favour of Sir Humphry Gilbert. This first English adventurer to form a colony in America, perished at sea in the attempt; but in the ensuing year, Sir Walter Raleigh, a maternal brother of Sir Humphry, obtained a re newal of the original patent. By both instruments the general name of Virginia was imposed on the Atlantic coast of North America. The term so very extensive as to embrace the whole extent from Florida indefinitely to the north, was gradually restricted to its existing limits.
Sir Walter Raleigh's patent was dated May 25th, 1584, and under it a colony was planted on Roanoke, which ultimately failed. In August 1587, the gov ernor sailed to England in search of supplies, and the few persons left behind were never again heard of; they were, it is most probable, massacred by the savages. The patent was itself subsequently vacated by the attainder of Raleigh.
The war with Spain and the attempted invasion of England in 1588, and the declining age of Eliza beth, prevented such then merely speculative at tempts during the residue of her reign, but early in that of James I., Mr. Hackluyt revived the in tention of settlement on the North American coast, and himself and others obtained by petition, a patent dated April loth, 1606, for that part of the coast extending from N. Lat. 34' to 45°. This great zone of 14 degrees of latitude, was granted to two companies under the relative names of North Vir ginia and South Virginia. South Virginia was given to the London Company, and North Virginia to the Plymouth Company.
The London Company effected a settlement April 1607, at Jamestown on Powhatan, or as since called James River, and thus commenced not only Vir ginia but the United States. So vague, however, and injudicious were the views of the London Com pany, that after four years of wretchedness and dis cord, the settlers broke up their establishment in 1610, and had actually embarked for Europe, but were restored to their abandoned houses by the timely arrival of Lord de la War.
In 1612 the second Charter was granted, and in 1619 the first legislature of Virginia was convened; and in 1620 Africans were brought into the colony by a Dutch ship and sold as slaves.