or obtained, in lieu and fatisfaction of all fervices, duties, fines, forfeitures, made or to be made, claims or demands whatsoever, to be to us, our heirs or fucceffors, therefor or thereabout rendered, made or paid; any grant or claufe, in a late grant to the governor and company of Connecticut colony in America, to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithstanding; the aforefaid Pawcatuck river having been yielded after much debate, for the fixed and certain bounds. between thefe our faid colonies, by the agents thereof; who have alío agreed, that the faid Pawcatuck river fhall alfo be called alias Narrogancett or Narroganfett river, and to prevent future disputes that otherwife might arise thereby, for ever hereafter fhall be conftrued, deemed, and taken to be the Narrogancett river, in our late grant to Connecticut colony, mentioned as the eafterly bounds of that colony. And farther, our will and pleasure is, that in all matters of public controverfies, which may fall out between our colony of Connecticut and Providence Plantation, to make their appeal therein to us, our heirs and fucceffors, for redress in fuch cafes, within this our realm of England: and that it fhall be lawful to and for the inhabitants of the faid colony of Providence plantation, without lett or moleftation to pass and repafs with freedom into and through the rest of the English colonies upon their lawful and civil occafions, and to converfe, and hold commerce, and trade with fuch of the inhabitants of our other English colonies as fhall be willing to admit them thereunto, they behaving themselves peaceably among them; any act, claufe, or fentence, in any of the faid colonies provided, or that shall be provided, to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. And laftly, we do for us, our heirs and fucceffors, ordain and grant unto the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors, by these prefents, that these our letters patents fhall be firm, good, effectual, and available, in all things in the law, to all intents, conftructions and purposes whatsoever, according to our true intent and meaning herein before declared; and fhall be conftrued, reputed and adjudged in all cafes, moft favourably on the behalf, and for the beft benefit and behoof of the faid governor and company, and their fucceffors; although exprefs mention, &c. In witnefs, &c. witnefs, &c. Per ipfum Regem. Since the foregoing fheets went to prefs, Mr. Cooper's valuable work, entitled "Some Information respecting America," has been publifhed with his obfervations we fhall conclude our account of this State. "Rhode "Rhode-Ifland, in point of climate and productions, as well as in appearance, is perhaps the moft fimilar to Great-Britain of any State in the Union. The winters are fomewhat longer and more fevere, the fummers, perhaps, a little warmer: but it participates with Great-Britain in fome meafure in the defects of climate, being from its fituation fubject to a moister atmosphere than many of the other States. The foil of Rhode-Ifland alfo (though not in general of a good quality) is too much improved, and the land too much divided to admit of any large contiguous purchases as a fpeculation, though fingle farms at a rate comparatively moderate might be procured here: this, however, is owing to a decay of trade in this part of America, and to the inhabitants themfelves quitting their fitua tions for the prospect of a more advantageous trade. It is rather adapted for a grazing than a corn country; fcantily timbered, comparatively plentiful in milk and butter, and cheefe; but not abounding in what the Americans term good or rich land. The divifion of property, however, and its prefent tendency rather to decrease than increase in value, renders it' ineligible for moft British fettlers." * This observation is applicable to the vicinity of New-York alfo, where they find that wood intended for ufe in the fouthern climates cannot be fufficiently seasoned. In Pennsylvania it may. Indeed this remark will evidently apply to the whole norther fea-coaft of America. STATE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES. THIS State is fituated between 41° and 42° 2′ north latitude, and 1° 50′ and 3° 20′ east longitude from Philadelphia. Its length is about eighty-two miles, and its breadth fifty-feven. It is bounded on the north by Maffachusetts, on the east by Rhode-Ifland, on the fouth by the Sound, which divides it from Long-Ifland, and on the weft by the State of New-York. The divifional line between Connecticut and Maffachusetts, as fettled in 1713, was found to be about seventy-two miles in length. The line dividing Connecticut from Rhode-Ifland was fettled in 1728, and found to be about forty-five miles. The fea coaft, from the mouth of Paukatuk river, which forms a part of the eastern boundary of Connecticut, in a direct fouth-westerly line to the mouth of Byram river, is reckoned at about ninety miles. The line between Connecticut and New-York runs from latitude 41° to latitude 42° 2', feventy-two miles. Thus Connecticut contains about four thousand fix hundred and feventy-four fquare miles, equal to about two millions fix hundred and forty thousand acres. AIR AND CLIMATE. Connecticut, though fubject to the extremes of heat and cold in their feafons, and to frequent fudden changes, is very healthful. The north-west winds, in the winter season, are often extremely severe and piercing, occafioned by the great body of fnow which lies concealed from the diffolving influence of the fun, in the immenfe forefts north and north-west. The clear and ferene temperature of the sky, however, makes amends for the feverity of the weather, and is favourable to health and longevity. In the maritime towns the weather is variable, according as the wind blows from the fea or land; Jand; but in the interior of the country, the fea breezes having lef effect upon the air, confequently the weather is lefs variable, FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SEA COAST, &c. Connecticut is generally broken land, made up of mountains, hills, and vallies. It is laid out in finall farms, from fifty to three or four hundred acres each, which are held by the farmers in fee fimple, and are generally cultivated as well as the nature of the foil will admit. The State is chequered with innumerable roads or highways, croffing each other in every direction. A traveller, in any of thefe roads, even in the most unfettled parts of the State, will feldom pafs more than two or three miles without finding a house or cottage, and a farm under fuch improvements as to afford the neceffaries for the fupport of a family. The whole State resembles a wellcultivated garden, which, with that degree of induftry that is neceffary to happiness, produces the neceffaries and conveniencies of life in great plenty; it is exceedingly well watered by numerous rivers, but the principal is that which gives its name to this State; this we have already defcribed.* The Houfatonick + pafes through a number of pleasant towns in this State, and empties into the found between Stratford and Milford: it is navigable twelve miles to Derby. A bar of fhells, at its mouth, obftructs its navigation for large veffels. In this river, between Salisbury and Canaan, is a cataract, where the water of the whole river, which is one hundred and fifty yards wide, falls about fixty feet perpendicular, in a perfect white sheet, exhibiting a fcene exceedingly grand and beautiful. Naugatuk is a small river which rifes in Torrington, and empties into the Houfatonick at Derby. The Thames empties into Long-Ifland found at New-London: it is navigable fourteen miles to Norwich Landing: here it lofes its name, and branches into Shetucket on the east, and Norwich or Little river on the weft. The city of Norwich ftands on the tongue of land between these rivers. Little river, about a mile from its mouth, has a remarkable and very romantic cataract. A rock, ten or twelve feet in perpendicular height, extends quite across the channel of the river over this the whole river pitches, in one entire feet, upon a bed of rocks below. Here the river is compreffed into *Page II. † An Indian name, fignifying Over the Mountain. I a very a very narrow channel between two craggy cliffs, one of which towers to a confiderable height: the channel descends gradually, is very crooked, and covered with: pointed rocks. Upon these the water swiftly tumbles, foaming with the most violent agitation, fifteen or twenty rods, into a broad bafon which spreads before it. At the bottom of the perpendicular falls, the rocks are curiously excavated by the conftant pouring of the water: fome of the cavities, which are all of a circular form, are five or fix feet deep. The finoothnefs of the water above its defcent-the regularity and beauty of the perpendicular fall-the tremendous roughness of the other, and the craggy, towering cliff which impends the whole prefents to the view of the spectator a scene indescribably delightful' and majestic. On this river are fome of the finest mill feats in New-England; and those immediately below the falls, occupied by Lathrop's mills, are, perhaps, not exceeded by any in the world. Across the mouth of this river is a broad, commodious bridge, in the form of a wharf, built at a great expense. Shetucket river, the other branch of the Thames, four miles from its mouth, receives Quinnabogue, which has its fource in Brimfield in Maffachusetts; thence paffing through Sturbridge and Dudley in Maffachusetts, it croffes into Connecticut, and divides Pomfret from Killingly, Canterbury from Plainfield, and Lisbon from Prefton, and then mingles with the Shetucket. In paffing through this hilly, country, it tumbles over many falls, two of which, one in Thompfon, the other in Brooklyn, are thirty feet each; this river affords a vast number of fine mill feats. In its course it receives a great number of tributary streams, the principal of which are Muddy Brook, and Five Mile river. Shetucket river is formed by the junction of Willamantick and Mount Hope rivers, which unite between Wyndham and Lebanon. In Lisbon it receives Little river; and at a little distance farther the Quinnabogue, and empties as above. These rivers are, indeed, fed by numberless brooks from every part of the adjacent country.-At the mouth of Shetucket is a bridge of timber one hundred and twenty-four feet in length, fupported at each end by pillars, and held up in the middle by braces on the top, in the na ture of an arch. Paukatuck river is an inconfiderable ftream which heads in Stonington, and empties into Stonington harbour. It forms part of the dividing line between Connecticut and Rhode-Island, VOL. II. LI Eaft, |