Pdersburg is situated on the right bank of the Appomattox, about 12 miles from its juuction with James River, and 23 miles S. from Richmond : population, 14,010. The town is regularly laid-out, and the houses are substantiaL It contains several publio buildings, churches, schools, &c. The falls above the town, as at Richmond, are used for waterpower; a canal continues the navigation round the falls, and four lines of railway meet here. There are several tobacco manufactories, cotton-, flour-, saw-mills, &o. The exports of tobacco and flour are very large.
Springs.—The medicinal springs of Western Virginia are in great repute, and have become watering-places which aro resorted to from all parts of Virginia and adjoining states; and at most of these springs there are handsome establishments, hotels, &e. for visitors. The Red Sulphur Springs, 240 miles W. from Richmond; the Gray Sulphur Springs, about 9 miles E. from the Red Sulphur Springs; the Salt Sulphur Springs, 18 miles E. from the Red Sulphur Springs; the White Sulphur Springs, 38 miles N.E. from the lied Sulphur Springs; and the Sweet Springs, 204 miles W. from Richmond, are the most fashionable resorts, hut there are besides the Berkeley, the Fauquier, the Shannondalo, and several others which are much frequented.
Staunton, on Lewis Creek, 120 miles N.W. by W. from Richmond, population about 2500, is the ccntro of a fertile district, and contains two court-houses, a market-house, churches, the lunatic asylum for Western Virginia, &e.
Wheeling, on the Ohio, 357 miles N:W. from Richmond, population 11,435. The town is situated on a strip of land so narrow as only to allow of three principal streets between the river, with which they are parallel, and the steep hills at the back of the town. The place has an extensive trade, and there are several largo manufactoriee of cottons and woollens, steam-engines, iron-caatinga, nails, white- and sheet-lead, glass, paper, silk, extensive flour-mills, &c. ; and ship-building is carried on to a small extent. The city contains the usual county buildings, churches, &c. A wire suspension-bridge, of 1010 feet between the supporting towers, crosses tho Ohio. Tho great National Road passes through Wheeling; and the town is becoming an import ant railway centre.
Winchester, the capital of Frederick county, nearly in the centre of which it is situated, 130 miles N.N.W. from Richmond, population about 4000, is an old town, but has of late risen considerably in manufacturing and commercial importance, and in population. It contains some good publio buildings, a lyceum, masonic-hall, 14 eherehes, and a medical wheel.
Orseeruseer, History, de.—The original constitution adopted in 1776 was superseded by the prolent oue in 1851. Ily it the right of witless Is vested in all white male citizens 21 years of ago, who have resided for two years in the state. The legislature consists of a Senate of 60 members, called the General Assembly, elected for four years, and a House of Delegates, consisting of 152 members elected bleanially. All elections are by open voting, and not by ballot. The governor Is elected by the people for four years. Ilia salary is 5000 dollars. The judges are also elected by popular vote.
The total net revenue obtained by taxes in the finals/nal year 1853.4 was estimated at 1,281,047 dollars. The ordinary expenditure, exclusive of schools and debt, is about 600,000 dollars. The publio debt Oct. 1, 1854, was 22,389,476 dollars ; the Interest on which was 1,325,000 dollars. The aggregate militia force of Virginia is 125,000 men, of whom 649° are commissioned officers. The state has a large school fund; the educational returns of the state are however very imperfect. In 1850 there were returned in the state 18 colleges, with 110 pro fessors and 1618 students, and 2930 public schools, with 2997 teachers and 67,353 scholars. Among the colleges is included the University of Virginia. at Charlottesville, a very celebrated institution which in 1854 had 16 professors, 466 students, and a library of 19,500 volumes.
The early history of Virginia is the history of the establishment of British colonies in North America. In 1584 Sir Walter Raleigh obtained a patent to colonise any unappropriated part of North America, and sent out two small vessels, which reached the coast of Florida, and sailed north as far as the island of Roanoke, in which neighbourhood they remained seine time in friendly intercourse with the natives. Ou their return the country was named Virginia by Queen Elizabeth. The first actual settlement was made in NORTH CAROLINA. In 1606 James I. granted patents to two companies. To
the one, called the London Company, he granted South 'Virginia; to the other, called the Plymouth Company, he granted New England. On the 19th of December, 1606, a small expedition of 105 men in three ships, the largest not more than 100 tons burden, having entered a river which was then called Powhatan, now the James River, they planted the first colony in the present state of Virginia, May 13,1607, ou a peninsula connected with the north beak, and named the place James Town, in honour of King James. But the colonists suffered much from sickness and disunion, and the whole would probably have perished if the management had not fallen into the hands of Captain John Smith, whose courage and prudence preserved the little colony from destruction. Smith's history, which is of the most romantic character, he has related in ' The True Travels, Adventures, and Observations of Captain John Smith, in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America, beginning about the yeere 1593, and continued to this pre sent 1629;' and to one of the most romantic incidents iu it the infant colony was indebted for its preservation. On an expedition up the James River and into the interior, in 1607, Smith was taken prisoner by the Indians, and two men who accompanied him were slain. Ile himself, after being several days in custody, was saved from the tomahawk by the entreaties and interference of Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, the principal chief, and he was ultimately allowed to return to James Town. Two years later, when the Indians had plotted the destruction of the little colony, Pocahontas revealed their designs; and Smith having subsequently succeeded in establishing friendly relations with the natives, the country was gradually cleared, and under his active superintendence James Town began to assume the appearance of a fortified village. The value of his energy and Influence was seen a year or two later on his departure from the colony. On finding themselves uncontrolled by any sufficient autho rity, the settlers abandoned themselves to improvidence and idleness ; the store of provisions was rapidly consumed ; and in consequence of their marauding habits, attacks were made by the Indians, who mur dered many stragglers, and laid plane to destroy the whole colony. Smith had left nearly 500 persons; in six months the number was reduced to O. These had resolved to abandon the settlement, and had actually embarked for Newfoundland, with a view to disperse themselves among the fishing-vessels there; but before they reached the mouth of the river they met the long-boat of Lord Delaware, who had been appointed governor, and who bad arrived in Chesapeake Bay with supplies and emigrants. More colonists with liberal supplies arrived the next year (1611), and from this time the colony advanced In prosperity ; their security being especially promoted by the curious circumstance of a marriage solemnised according to the rites of the Church of England between a young Englishman, John Rolfe, and Pocahontas, who had more than once saved the life of Smith. The consequence of this marring° was a confirmed peace with her father Powhatan, and with other Indian tribes uuder his influence. Baca honttus sailed with her bueband to England, and became an object of admiration both at court and in London, which her conduct as a wife and soother afterwards confirmed and continued. There are families still in Virginia who are proud of their descent from that union.
The histery of the colony during the next century exhibits it as engaged in frequent hostilities with the Indiana ; while from the time that It had attained to a certain degree of wealth and stability, the disputes and collisions between the colonists and the home govern.
mont and its represeutative, the governor of the colony, were almost continual, until the accession of William and Mary, when a more liberal and conciliatory policy was adopted towards the colony. From this time it continued to flourish till 1764, when the Stamp Act was proposed, and the American aver, which broke out a few years after wards, led to a separation of all the North American colonies from the parent state.
(Smith, Genera Histork of *Virginia, ; Bancroft, History of the United States ; Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia ; Lyell, Travels in America, and Geological Manual ; Gazetteer of Virginia ; Gazetteer of the United States ; Rogers, Geological Survey of Virginia; 31arcou, Geo logical Map of the United States ; Seventh Census of the United States ; Statistical new of the United States ; American Almanac, 1855.)