are become the feat of the iron manufactures, are faid to flit annually fix hundred tons; and one company has lately been formed which will annually manufacture into nails of a quality equal to thofe exported from Europe, five hundred tons-The number of fpikes and nails made in this State is almost treble the quantity made in r88, and is still increafing; and from the great abundance of the raw materials, will probably foon preclu le all foreign supply, if not become an article of export. Befides these there are other mills, in common ufe, in great abundance, for fawing lumber, grinding grain, fulling cloth, &c.

There are fixty-two distilleries in this State, employed in distilling from foreign materials. In these distilleries are one hundred and fifty-eight itills, which together contain one hundred and two thoufand one hundred and feventy-three gallons. Befides these, there are zwelve country ftills employed in diftilling domestic materials; but these are small, and the most of them very lately erected. One million nine hundred thoufand gallons have been diftilled in one year, which, at a duty of eleven cents a gallon, yields a revenue to the government of two hundred nine thousand dollars.

A brick pyramidical glass-house was erected in Boston by a company of gentlemen in 1789; but for want of workmen skilled in the bufinefs, their works were not put in operation effectually till November 1792; and although feveral of the first effays or meltings proved unfuccefsful, later effays give the fulleft ground to believe that this very important manufacture may be profecuted to the advantage of the proprietors, as well as to the great benefit of the public. From the fpecimens of glafs exhibited, it appears to be of the best quality for clearness and goodness; and as there is an abundance of the materials for this manufacture at command, there can be little doubt of its being carried to fuch an extent, in the course of a few years, as to preclude foreign importations, which will make a vaft faving to America in general, and to this State in particular. Every friend to the United States must wish that the patriotic company which have established this manufacture, may meet with fuch fuccefs as to have their expenfes reimburfed, which have already exceeded the fum of fixteen thousand dollars.

BANKS.

Connected with the commerce and manufactures, are the banks eftablished in this State; we have already noticed the utility of thefe eftablishments, we fhall therefore only briefly mention them here.

There are four incorporated banks in this Commonwealth, of which the Branch Bank in Boston, which is a part of the National Bank, is one.

The Maffachusetts Bank in Bofton was incorporated in 1784. It was defigned as a public benefit, and more particularly to accommodate the mercantile intereft. Its prefent capital confifts of eight hundred shares, of five hundred dollars each, making in all four hun dred thousand dollars. It is kept open every day in the year, except public days. The annual meeting for the choice of nine directors is on the first Wednesday in January.

Effex Bank, at Salem, was incorporated in 1792, and is under the management of a prefident and fix directors.

Union Bank, in Bofton, was alfo incorporated in 1792, and has a prefident and eleven directors. Its capital confifts of one hundred thousand shares, of eight dollars each, fo that when the payment of the shares fhall be completed, the whole ftock will amount to eight hundred thousand dollars.

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

Among the foremost of these, we must confider thofe that refpect navigation; in this class we must reckon the erection of

LIGHT HOUSES.

These within this State are as follow: on Plum-Ifland, near Newbury, are two, which we have already mentioned: on Thatcher'sIsland, off Cape Ann, two lights of equal height; another stands on a rock on the north fide of the entrance of Boston harbour, with one fingle light on the north point of Plymouth harbour are two lights on a point at the entrance of the harbour on the island of Nantucket, is one with a fingle light; this light may be seen as far as Nantucket fhoals extend; the inland being low, the light appears over it.

Next to these we must rank thofe which add to the convenience of the inhabitants, and operate to the advantage of commerce; fuch are,

BRIDGES AND CANALS.

The bridges that merit notice in this State are the following, viz. Charles river bridge, built in 1786-7, one thousand five hundred and three feet long, and connecting Bofton and Charleston. It is built on feventy-five piers, with a convenient draw in the middle, for the VOL. II.

paffage

paffage of vessels. Each pier is compofed of feven sticks of oak timber, united by a cap piece, strong braces and girts, and afterwards driven into the bed of the river, and firmly secured by a fingle pile on each fide, driven obliquely to a folid bottom. The piers are connected to each other by large ftring pieces, which are covered with four inch plank. The bridge is forty-three feet in width, and on each fide is accommodated with a paffage fix feet wide, railed in for the fafety of the people on foot. The bridge has a gradual rise from cach end, so as to be two feet higher in the middle than at the extremities. Forty elegant lamps are erected, at a fuitable distance. from each other, to illuminate it when neceffary. There are four strong stone wharfs connected with it, and fupported by three piers each, funk in the river. The machinery of the draw is fimple, and requires but two men to raise it. At the highest tides the water rises twelve or fourteen feet; the floor of the bridge is then about four feet above the water. The depth of the water in the channel at low tide is twenty-feven feet. This bridge was completed in thirteen months; and while it exhibits the greateft effect of private enterprize of this kind in the United States, it being the first bridge of confiderable magnitude that has been erected, prefents a moft pleafing proof, how certainly objects of magnitude may be attained by fpirited exertions.

The fuccefs which attended this experiment led others to engage in fimilar works of enterprize. Malden bridge acrofs Myftic river, connecting Charleston with Malden, was begun in April 1787, and was opened for paffengers the September following. This bridge, including the abutments, is two thousand four hundred and twenty feet long, and thirty-two feet wide, it has a draw thirty feet wide. The deepest water at full tide is twenty-three feet. The expense of this bridge was estimated at five thousand three hundred pounds.

Effex bridge, upwards of one thousand five hundred feet in length, with a well-contrived draw, was erected in 1789, and connects Salem with Beverley. The expense of this bridge is faid not to have exceeded one third part of that of Charles river bridge, yet it is ef teemed quite equal in ftrength, and is thought by travellers to be fuperior in point of beauty.

In Rawley, on the poft road between Bofton and Newburyport, is a bridge across Parker's river, eight hundred and feventy feet long, and twenty-fix feet wide, confifting of nine folid piers, and eight wooden arches. This bridge was built in the year 1758.

A bridge

A bridge over Merrimack river, in the county of Effex, about two miles above Newburyport, is nearly, if not quite completed. At the place where this bridge is erected, an island divides the river into two branches. An arch of one hundred and fixty feet diameter, and forty feet above the level of high water, connects this ifland with the main on one fide; the channel on the other fide is wider, but the center arch is but one hundred and forty feet diameter. Greater ingenuity is difcovered in the conftruction of this bridge, than in any that have hitherto been built; and it is one among the vast number of ftupendous and useful works which owe their origin to that confidence between man and man, which has been created or restored by the measures of the general government.

Another ingeniously conftructed bridge has lately been completed over this river at Pautucket Falls, between Chelmsford and Dracut, in the county of Middlesex. These bridges are all fupported by a toll.

Several other bridges are contemplated in different parts of the State, and one is actually begun, and confiderable progrefs made in it, which, when completed, will connect the weft part of Boston with Cambridge, over Charles river, and will be more than twice as long, and attended with nearly twice the expenfe of any other that has yet been built in this or in any of the United States.

The legislature, in February 1792, were petitioned by a company for liberty to build a bridge over Connecticut river, at Montague; which was granted.

The only canals of importance which have been contemplated in this Commonwealth, are one between Barnftable and Buzzard's Bay, and thofe neceffary to render Connecticut river navigable, both of which we have mentioned, and one which fhall open a communication between the town of Boston and fome part of Connecticut river, for which purpose General Knox and others were incorporated in 1792, by the name of "The proprietors of the Maffachufetts canal."

Great improvements have alfo of late been made in several manufacturing machines, by which thofe fpecies of manufacture in which they are employed have been greatly facilitated in the execution, and fewer hands required. But the moft ingenious improvement or invention, and which most deserves notice, is a complete and elegant Planetarium, fix feet in diameter, constructed by Mr. Joseph Pope, of Boston. This is entirely a work of original genius and affiduous appli❤

Z 2

application, as Mr. Pope never faw a machine of the kind till his own was completed. It exhibits a proof of great strength of mind, and really does him much honour, both as a philofopher and a mechanic. This machine has been purchased for the University at Cambridge, and is a very ufeful and ornamental addition to the philofophical apparatus.

NATURAL CURIOSITIES.

In the north part of the township of Adams, in Berkshire county, not half a mile from Stamford, in Vermont, is a natural curiofity which merits a defcription. A mill stream, called Hudfon's Brook, which rifes in Vermont, and falls into the north branch of Hoofuck river, has, for thirty or forty rods, formed a very deep channel through a quarry of white marble. The hill, gradually descending towards the fouth, terminates in a fteep precipice, down which probably the water once tumbled. But finding in some places a natural chaim in the rocks, and in others wearing them away, as is evident from their appearance, it has formed a channel which in fome places is more than fixty feet deep. Over this channel, where deepest, fome of the rocks remain, and form a natural bridge. From the top of this bridge to the water it is fixty-two feet; its length is about twelve or fifteen, and its breadth about ten. Partly under this bridge, and about ten or twelve feet below it, is another, which is wider, but not fo long; for at the east end they form one body of rock, twelve or fourteen feet thick, and under this the water flows. It is evident, from the appearance of the rocks, that the water in fome places formerly flowed forty or fifty feet above its prefent bed. Many cavities, of different figures and dimenfions, but generally circular, are worn out in the rocks. One of thefe, in the folid roc is about four feet in diameter, and four or five feet deep; the rock is on one fide worn through at the bottom. A little above the bridge, on the weft, fide of the chafm, is a cave or little room, which has a convenient entrance at the north, and a paffage out at the eaft. From the weft fide of this cave a chafm extends into the hill, but foon becomes too narrow to pafs. The rocks here which are moftly white, though in fome places clouded or streaked with other colours, appear to be of that fpecies of coarse white marble which is common at Lanesborough, and in other towns in Berkshire county.