In a former war, this tribe loft their lands; but at the commencement of the last war, the Provincial Congrefs granted them all the lands from the head of the tide in Penobscot river, included in lines drawn fix miles from the river on each fide, i. e. a tract twelve miles wide, interfected in the middle by the river. They, however, confider that they have a right to hunt and fish as far as the mouth of the bay of Penobscot extends. This was their original right, in oppofition to any other tribe, and they now occupy it undisturbed, and we hope will continue to to do, till the period shall arrive when mingled with the reft of the inhabitants, they fhall form but one ge peral mafs.

PLAN

PLANTATIONS OF

RHODE ISLAND

PROVIDENCE.

AND

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES.

THE State known by this name lies between 41° and 42o north

Jatitude and 3° and 4° east longitude from Philadelphia; the length is about fixty-eight miles, and the breadth forty miles; it is bounded on the north and east by the State of Maffachusetts, on the fouth by the Atlantic ocean, and on the weft by the State of Connecticut.

AIR AND CLIMATE.

This is as healthful a country as any part of North-America. The winters in the maritime parts are milder than in the inland country; the air being foftened by a fea vapour, which alfo enriches the foil. The fummers are delightful, efpecially on Rhode-Ifland, where the extreme heats, which prevail in other parts of America, are allayed by cool and refrefling breezes from the fea.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SEA COAST, &c.

Rhode-Ifland, from which the State takes half its name, is thirteen miles in length; its average breadth is about four miles. It is divided into three townships, Newport, Portfinouth, and Middletown. This ifland, in point of foil, climate, and fituation, may be ranked among the finest and moft charming in the world. In its moft flourishing state it was called by travellers the Eden of America; but the change which the ravages of war and a decrease of business have effected is great and melancholy. Some of the most ornamental country feats were deftroyed, and their fine groves, orchards, and fruit trees, wantonly cut down and the gloom of its prefent decayed ftate is heightened by its charming natural fituation, and by reflecting upon its former g'ory. Providence, in many parts, is

equally

equally pleasant, the whole country being beautifully variegated and plentifully watered.

There is but one mountain in this State, this is in the town of Bristol, called Mount Hope, or (Haup) there is nothing in the appearance of this mount to claim particular attention. Among the rivers the following deferve particular notice:

Providence and Taunton rivers, both of which fall into Narraganfet bay, the former on the west, the latter on the east fide of Rhode-Ifland. Providence river rifes partly in the Maffachusetts, and is navigable as far as Providence for fhips of nine hundred tons, thirty miles from the fea. Taunton river is navigable for fmall veffels to Taunton. The common tides rife about four feet.

Fall river is small, rifing in Freetown, and paffing through Tiverton. The line between the States of Maffachusetts and Rhode-Ifland, paffes Fall river bridge. Patuxet river rifes in Mafhapog pond, and five miles below Providence empties into Narraganfet bay. Pautucket river, called more northerly Blackstone's river, empties into Seekhonck river, four miles N. N. E. from Providence, where are the falls hereafter described, over which is a bridge, on the post road to Boston, and forty miles from thence. The confluent ftream empties into Providence river, about a mile below Weyboffett, or the great bridge. Nafpatucket river falls into the bay about one mile and a half N. W. of Weyboffet bridge. Mofhaffuck river falls into the fame bay, three-fourths of a mile north of the bridge. These rivers united form Providence river, which, a few miles below the town, receives the name of Narraganíet bay, and affords fine fish, oyfters, and lobfters, in great plenty; the bay makes up from fouth to horth between the main land on the eaft and weft. It embofom's many fertile iflands, the appearance of which and of the circumjacent country in the fpring and fummer feafons, either from the land or water, is extremely beautiful and charming; the principal of thefe, befides Rhode-Ifland, are Canonnicut, Prudence, Patience, Hope, Dyers and Hog iflands. The first of thefe, viz. Canonnicut island, lies weft of Rhode-Ifland, and is fix miles in length, and about one mile in breadth; it was purchased of the Indians in 1657, and incorporated by an act of affembly by the name of the Island of Jamestown in 1678.

Prudence ifland is nearly or quite as large as Canonnicut, and lies north of it, and is a part of the township of Portsmouth.

VOL. II.

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Block

Block ifland, called by the Indians Maniffes, is twenty-one miles S. S. W. from Newport, and is the fouthernmost land belonging to the State; it was erected into a township, by the name of New Shoreham, in 1672. The inhabitants of this island were formerly noted for making good cheese; and they catch confiderable quantities of cod fish round the ledges near the island.

The harbours in this State are, Newport, Providence, Wickford, Patuxet, Warren, and Bristol, all of which are advantageous, and feveral of them commodious. For the fafety and convenience of failing into Narraganfet bay and the harbour of Newport, a lighthoufe was erected in 1749 on Beavertail, at the fouth end of Canonnicut ifland; the diameter of the bafe is twenty-four feet, and of the top thirteen feet; the height from the ground to the top of the cornice is fifty feet, round which is a gallery, and within that stands the lanthorn, which is about eleven feet high and eight feet in diameter. The ground the light-houfe ftands on is about twelve feet above the furface of the fea at high water.

SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, &c.

This State, gencrally speaking, is a country for pasture, and not for grain; in Rhode-Island alone thirty or forty thousand sheep are fed, befides neat cattle and horfes, and a like proportion in many other parts of the State. It however produces corn, rye, barley, oats, and in fome parts wheat fufficient for home confumption; and the various kinds of graffes, fruits, culinary roots and plants in great abundance, and in good perfection, and cyder is made for exportation. The north-western parts of the State are but thinly inhabited, and are more rocky and barren than the other parts. The tract of country lying between South-Kingston and the Connecticut line, called the Narraganfet country, is excellent grazing land, and is inhabited by a number of wealthy farmers, who raise fome of the finest neat cattle in New-England, weighing from fixteen to eighteen hundred weight. They keep large dairies, and make both butter and cheese of the best quality and in very large quantities for exportation. Narraganfet has been famed for an excellent breed of pacing horfes, remarkable for their speed and hardinefs, and for enduring the fatigues of a journey; this breed of horses has, however, much depreciated of late, the beft mares having been purchafed by the people from the weftward.

The

The bowels of the earth in this State offer a large recompenfe to the induftrious adventurer. Iron ore is found in great plenty in feveral parts of the State. The iron works on Patuxet river, twelve miles from Providence, are fupplied with ore from a bed four miles and a half distant, which lies in a valley, through which runs a brook; the brook is turned into a new channel, and the ore pits are cleared of water by a steam engine, conftructed and made at the furnace, by and under the direction of the late Jofeph Brown, Efq. of Providence, which continues a very useful monument of his mechanical genius at this ore bed are a variety of ores, curious stones, ochres, &c.

At Diamond-Hill, in the county of Providence, which is fo called from its fparkling and fhining appearance, there are a variety of peculiar stones, more curious than at present they appear to be useful; but not far from this hill, in the township of Cumberland, is a copper mine, mixed with iron ftrongly impregnated with loadstone, of which fome large pieces have been found in the neighbourhood: no method has yet been difcovered to work it to advantage, or rather, no one has yet been found with fufficient fpirit to engage in an undertaking, which, though it might be attended with difficulty at first, could hardly fail, ultimately, of yielding an ample recompenfe.

An abundance of limestone is found in this State, particularly in the county of Providence, of which large quantities of lime are made and exported. This limestone is of different colours, and is the true marble, of the white, plain, and variegated kinds; it takes a fine polish, and works equal to any in America.

There are feveral mineral fprings in this State, to one of which, near Providence, many people refort to bathe and drink the water.

The waters of this State are equally productive; in the rivers and bays are plenty of sheeps-head, black-fifh, herring, fhad, lobsters, oyfters, and clams; and around the fhores of Rhode-Ifland, befides thofe already mentioned, are cod, halibut, mackerel, bafs, haddock, &c. to the amount of more than feventy different kinds, so that in the seasons of fish the markets prefent a continual scene of buftle and hurry. Rhode-Ifland is indeed confidered by travellers as the best fish market, not only in the United States, but in the world.

CIVIL DIVISIONS, CHIEF TOWNS, &c.

This State is divided into five counties, viz. Newport, Providence, Washing

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