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DESCRIPTION OP THE   CITY OP NEW-YORK.

Iiocation of the City, Population, &o.

NEW-YORK CITY, the principal city of the State of New-
Yorl< ; and in population, wealth and couunerce, the largest city in
the United States; deserves to be denominated the London of Ame¬
rica. The City Hall is in 40° 42' 40" N. Iat„ and 74° 1' 8" W. long,
from Greenwich, and 3° U' 16" E. long, from Washington. It is 86
milts N. E. Philadelphia, 210 miles S. W, Boston, 225 miles N. E.
Washington, 670 miles N. E. Charleston, 145 miles S. Albany, 372
miles S. Montreal, 1370 miles N. E, New-Orleans.

The compact part of the city is situated on the south end of New-
York or Manh.attan Island, at the confluence of Hudson or North
river with the East river, which connects Long Island Sound with
the harbor of New-York. The Island which contains about 14,000
acres of ground, extends from the Battery, on the south point of the
island, 13^ miles to Kinjsbridge, and has an average breadth of one
mile and threeHfths. li;? greatest breadth, about 24 miles is on
the line of 88th street. It is ct^niected with the main land on the
north by three bridges: Harlem briog,,, Macomb's bridge, and King's
bridge.

The Population in 1790, was 33,131; in ;845, 366,785.

The Harbor, Islands, Forts, &c.

The harbor of New-York is spacious and safe, the inner harbor
extending 8 miles from the Narrows to the city, and several miles
further up both the North and East rivers. Besides this, it has an
outer harbor, extending from the Narrows to Sandy Hook consisting
of Raritan Bay. Sandy Hook on which is a liglit-house, is 18 miles
from Ihe city ; at this point there are 27 feet of water on the bar at
high tide, aiid21 feet at low tide. Within Sandy Hook there is a
good anchorage. The harbor is entered not only from tlie ocerin at
Sandy Hook and through the Narrows, but also on the northeast
from Long Island Sotind, as well as on the southwest through the
Kills and Staten Island Sound.

After passing the bar at Sandy Hook, the channel to the city has
a depth of water of from 35 to 50 feet. The average tide at the
wharves is from 6 to 7 feet. The safest and best portion of the har¬
bor, and where the vessels chiefly lie, is along East River, which is
rarely obstructed from ice, as the tide sweeps through it with a
strong and rapid current.

Islands and Forts.—Several islands within the inner harbor are
attached to the city, which are Governor's, Bedlow's, and Ellis's
Islands, on all of which are strong fortifications: and Blackwell's,
Great Barn, -md Randall's Islands, in the East River. Governor's
Island is 3200 feet from the city at the Battery, and includes 70 acres
of ground. It contains Fort Columbus on the south of the island,
and Castle William (on the northwest piiint,) which is a round
tov/er, 600 feet in circumference and 60 feet high, with three tiers of
guns. There is also a batiery on the northwest side, commanding
the entrance through the Buttermilk ch.annel. At the Narrows, on
the eastern shore of Long Island, are FortJIamilton and Fort La
Fayette, the latter of which (formerly called Fort Diamond) is built
on a reef of rocks, 200 yards from the shore. On Staten Island, at
the Narrows, are Port Tompkins and Fort Richmond, both of which
are strong fortifications. Theentrance from the Sound on East River
is defended by Fort Schuyler on Throg's Neck.