fishing banks are an inexhauftible fource of wealth; and the fifhing Dusiness is a most excellent nursery for feamen; it therefore deferves every encouragement and indulgence from an enlightened national legiflature.

The manufacture of pot and pearl afhes affords a valuable article of exportation. In the new townships, where vast quantities of wood are burnt on the land, the ashes are collected and boiled, and the falts are conveyed to certain places, where works are erected, and the manufacture is perfected. This, like many other of their articles of exportation, has fuffered much in its reputation, from an injudicious or fraudulent furvey. It is a leffon which ought to be deeply engraven on the minds of legiflators as well as manufacturers and merchants, that honefty at home is the only foundation for credit

abroad.

An attempt has been made to manufacture fail-cloth; and the proprietor of the works, Thomas Odiorne, Efq. of Exeter, has re ceived fome finall encouragement from the legislature of the State. Such a bounty as is allowed in Maffachusetts would give a spring to this business, and encourage the erection of other works of the fame

kind.

The manufacture of iron, both in forges and furnaces, might be rendered vaftly more profitable than it is at prefent. This neceffary metal, instead of being imported, might become an article of exportation.

Flax feed is produced in large quantities; fome of it is manufac tured into oil, and fome is exported.

The manufacture of leather and fhoes is not fo extenfive as to produce articles of exportation, but may be confidered among the domeftic manufactures.

In most of the country towns confiderable quantities of tow-cloth are made, some of which is exported to the fouthern States to clothe the negroes who labour on the plantations.

The manufacture of bricks and potter's ware may be extended to any degree, feveral fpecies of clay being found in great abundance in the towns at the heads of the feveral branches of the river Pafcataqua, in places which lie very convenient for water carriage. Bricks might be carried as ballaft in every veffel which goes to the ports where they are faleable. In this article, however, as well as many others, a regulation is needed; most of the bricks which are made are deficient in fize, and much of the clay which is used in

making them is not fufficiently mellowed by the froft of winter, or by the labour of the artificer,

BANK.

By act of affembly of January, 1792, a bank, by the name of "The Bank of New-Hampshire," was established, to continue fifty years, under the management of a prefident and feven directors.The capital ftock is fixty thousand dollars; and the ftockholders have liberty to increase it to two hundred thousand dollars in fpecie, and one hundred thousand dollars in any other state. This inftitu. tion will prove a great aid to the commerce and manufactures of this State.

EDUCATION AND LITERATURE.

The old laws of New-Hampshire required every town of one hundred families to keep a grammar fchool; by which was meant a school in which the learned languages fhould be taught, and youth might be prepared for admiffion to a univerfity. The fame preceptor was obliged to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, unless the town was of fufficient ability to keep two or more schools, one of which was called a grammar school by way of diftinction.

Several inftances occur in the public records, as far back as the year 1722, just at the beginning of an Indian war, that the frontier towns petitioned the affembly for a fpecial act to exempt them from the obligation to maintain a grammar school during the war. The indulgence was granted them, but only on this condition, "that they fhould keep a school for reading, writing and arithmetic;" to which all towns of fifty families were obliged. In later times the conduct of the fame towns has been very different. During the late war with Britain, not only thofe, but many other towns, large and opulent and far removed from any danger by the enemy, were for a great part of the time deftitute of any public schools, not only without applying to the legislature for permiffion, but contrary to the exprefs requirements of law, and notwithstanding courts of justice were frequently holden, and grand jurors folemnly fworn and charged to prefent all breaches of law, and the want of fchools in particular. This negligence was one among many evidences of a most unhappy proftration of morals during that period; it afforded a melancholy profpect to the friends of fcience and of virtue, and excited fome

generous

generous and philanthropic perfons to devife other methods of edu

cation.

Among thefe John Phillips, Efq. of Exeter, was the first to distinguifh himself, by founding and endowing a feminary of learning in that town; which, in the year 1781, was by an act of affembly incorporated by the name of "Phillips's Exeter Academy." It is placed under the inspection of a board of trustees, and is governed by a preceptor and an affiftant. In this academy are taught the learned languages, the principles of geography, aftronomy, mathematics, and logic, befides writing, mufic, compolition, oratory, and virtue. The fund belonging to this inftitution is valued at nearly ten thoufand pounds. About one fifth part of this fund, lying in lands, is at prefent unproductive, but the actual income amounts to four hundred and eighty pounds per annum.

Since the establishment of this academy several others have been erected; one of which is at New-Ipfwich; it was incorporated in 1789; its fund is about one thousand pounds; the number of students is generally between forty and fifty; the price of tuition is one fhilling per week, and of boarding five fhillings.

There is another academy at Atkinson, founded by Nathaniel Peabody, Efq. and incorporated by the general court in the year 1790. The preceptor has been chiefly supported by Mr. Peabody; and he has endowed the academy with a donation of one thousand acres of land.

Similar inftitutions have been begun at Amherst, at Charlestown, and at Concord; which though at present in a state of infancy, yet afford a pleasing profpect of the increase of literature in various parts

of the State.

A law has been lately made, which enforces the maintenance of schools by a peculiar sanction; the select men of the several towns. are liable to have the fame fum distrained out of their estates, which would be fufficient to support a school during the whole time in which they neglect to make that provifion. This law is fo recent that no judgment can as yet be formed of its operation. It fhews, however, that the legislature are attentive to this most important branch of their duty, the education of the rifing generation.

As a farther evidence of the progress of science, focial libraries are established in feveral towns in this State; and in the year 1791 a medical fociety was incorporated by an act of Affembly. The

prefident

prefident of the State being a gentleman of the faculty, is at the head of this fociety.

By an article in the conftitution of the State, it is declared to be "the duty of legiflators and magiftrates to cherish the interest of literature and the fciences, and all feminaries and public fchools; to encourage private and public inftitutions, rewards, and immuni ties for the promotion of agriculture, arts, fciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and the natural hiftory of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and private charity, industry and economy, honesty and punctuality, fincerity, fobriety, and all focial affections and generous fentiments among the people." As far as public rulers conform to this article, they promote, in the most effectual manner, the true interest and profperity of their country.

The establishment of Dartmouth College in the western border of the State, has proved a great benefit to the new fettlements, and to the neighbouring State of Vermont. During the late war, like all other feminaries of literature, it lay under difcouragement; but fince the peace it is in a more flourishing fituation.

Its landed intereft amounts to about eighty thousand acres, of which twelve hundred lie contiguous, and are capable of the best improvement. Twelve thousand acres are fituate in Vermont. A tract of eight miles fquare beyond the northern line of Stuart town was granted by the Affembly of New-Hampshire in 1789, and in the act by which this grant was made, "the prefident and council of the State for the time being are incorporated with the trustees of the college, fo far as to act with them in regard to the expenditures and application of this grant, and of all others which have been or may be hereafter made by New-Hampshire."

The revenue of the college arifing from the lands, amounts to one hundred and forty pounds per anuum. By contracts already made it will amount in four years to four hundred and fifty; and, in twelve years to fix hundred and fifty pounds. The income arifing from tuition money is about fix hundred pounds per annum more.

-The first building erected for the accommodation of the ftudents was a few years fince burned. A lottery was granted by the State for raifing the fum of feven hundred pounds, which has been applied to the erection of a new building, much more convenient than the former; it was conftructed of wood, and ftands in an elevaed fituation, about half a mile castward of Connecticut river in the VOL. II. R township

township of Hanover, commanding an extenfive and pleasant prof pect to the west. It is one hundred and fifty feet long, fifty feet wide, and thirty-fix feet high, and contains thirty-fix chambers for ftudents. The number of students who were graduated in the first nineteen years, amounts to two hundred and fifty-two, among whom were two Indians. In the year 1790, the number of undergraduates was about one hundred and fifty.

The ftudents are divided into four claffes. The fresh men study the learned languages, the rules of speaking and writing, and the elements of mathematics.

The fophomores attend to the languages, geography, logic and mathematics.

The junior fophifters, befide the languages, enter on natural and moral philofophy and compofition.

The fenior clafs compofe in English and Latin; ftudy metaphyfics, the elements of natural and political law.

The principal books ufed by the ftudents are Lowth's English Grammar, Perry's Dictionary, Pike's Arithmetic, Guthrie's Geography, Ward's Mathematics, Atkinson's Epitome, Hammond's Algebra, Martin's and Enfield's Natural Philofophy, Ferguson's Aftronomy, Locke's Effay, Montefquieu's Spirit of Laws, and Burlemaqui's Natural and Political Law.

Befides thefe ftudies, lectures are read to the scholars in theology and ecclefiaftical hiftory.

There is an examination of each clafs once in the year, and those who are not found qualified for their standing are put into a lower class.

The annual commencement is held on the fourth Wednesday in Auguft. There are two vacations, one following commencement and continuing fix weeks and two days; the other beginning on the fourth Monday in February, and continuing five weeks and five days.

CONSTITUTION.

The conftitution of the State which was adopted in 1784, is taken, almost verbatim, from that of Massachusetts. The principal differences, except fuch as arise from local circumftances, are the following the ftiles of the conftitutions, and of the fupreme magiftrates in each State, are different. In one it is "Governor of the Commonwealth of Maffachusetts," in the other, "Prefident of the

State