QUERY XII.
A NOTICE of the counties, cities, townſhips,
and villages?
The counties have been enumerated under query IX. They are 74 in number, of very unequal ſize and population. Of theſe 35 are on the tide waters, or in that parallel; 23 are in the midlands, between the tide waters and the Blue ridge of mountains; 8 between the Blue ridge and Alleghaney; and 8 weſtward of the Alleghaney.
The ſtate, by another diviſion, is formed into pariſhes, many of which are commenſurate with the counties; but ſometimes a county comprehends more than one pariſh, and ſometimes a pariſh more than one county. This diviſion had relation to the religion of the ſtate, a parſon of the Anglican church, with a fixed ſalary, having been heretofore eſtabliſhed in each pariſh. The care of the poor was another object of the parochial diviſion.
We have no townſhips. Our country being much interſected with navigable waters, and trade brought generally to our doors inſtead of our being obliged to go in queſt of it, has probably been one of the cauſes why we have no towns of any conſequence. Williamſburgh, which till the year 1780, was the ſeat of our government, never contained above 1800 inhabitants; and Norfolk the moſt populous town we ever had, contained but 6000. Our towns, but more properly our villages or hamlets, are as follows.
