The country to which the name of Genesee is given, is the most ■westerly part of the State of New- York, and is situated between 3 degrees and 5 deg. 50 min. longitude west from New- York city, and between 42 deg. and 43 deg. 15 min. north latitude. Its greatest length from east to west is 125 miles, and its greatest breath about 95 miles, containing nearly 5 millions of acres. It is bounded south

] 172 PAPERS RELATING TO

on the north boundary of the State of Pennsylvania ; north by the southern shore of Lake Ontario; west by the eastern boundary of Presque-Isle (a flourishing settlement in Pennsylvania) 18 miles ; north-west by the south east shore of Lake Erie, 70 miles; west by the streights of Niagara, upwards of 37 miles ; and east by a meridian line running due north from the north boundary of Pennsylvania, at the 82d mile-stone, to the south shore of Lake Ontario. Its least distance by road is -- to Albany 190 miles, to New-York 245 miles, to Philadelphia 230 miles, to Baltimore 250 miles, to Washington city 280 miles, to Pittsburgh nearly 100 miles, and to Montreal by water 250 miles.

Its name is taken from the river Genesee, and signifies in the Indian language a pleasant valley. In the year 1789, Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham, Esquires, of New England, purchased from the State of Massachusetts the pre-emption right of a large tract of land in the eastern part of this country, under the jurisdiction of the State of New-York ; but little was done ir the settlement of it until the year 1792, when the roads leading to this country were made and improved, and other extensive iraprovments were effected ; the progress of the settlement of this country has since been uncommonly rapid.