The highest summits of the Green mountains are Killington peak, a few miles east of Rutland; Camel's Rump, about half way between Montpelier and Burlington, and Mansfield mountain, a few miles farther north, all of which are more than 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. Ascutney, a single mountain 5 miles S. S. W. of Windsor, is 3,320 feet above the sea.

Face of the Country, Soil, &c.] The country on each side of the Green mountains consists of hills, vallies and plains. The plains are of moderate extent, the surface being almost everywhere undulating. The soil is generally rich, and yields abundantly wheat, barley, rye, grass, Indian corn, oats, peas, flax, &c. Much of the land on the Green mountains in the northern part of the state is excellent for grazing.

Chief Towns.] MONTPELIER, the capital, is on Onion river, near the centre of the state, at the point of intersection of several principal roads. Population, in 1810, 1,877.-Newbury is a pleasant town on Connecticut river, opposite Haverhill in NewHampshire, and 34 miles E. S. E. of Montpelier.

Windsor is a beautiful town on Connecticut river, 60 miles south of Montpelier. It is a place of considerable business and contains the state prison. Population, in 1810, 2,757. Brattleborough is on Connecticut river, 43 miles below Windsor, near the southeast corner of the state. Bennington, near the S. W. corner of the state, is one of the oldest towns in Vermont, and is famous for the battle of August 1777, in which the American militia, under General Stark, defeated the British. Population, in 1810, 2,524. Rutland is on Otter creek, 57 miles north of Bennington, and 45 west of Windsor.

Middlebury, the seat of Middlebury college, is pleasantly situated on Otter creek, at the falls, 20 miles from the mouth of the river. In the vicinity of the falls there are numerous mills and manufacturing establishments. An extensive quarry of fine marble was discovered in 1804 on the bank of the creek, near the centre of the village. It is now wrought into tomb-stones, mantlepieces, side boards, &c. and transported to various parts of the country to the amount of 7,000 or 8,000 dollars annually. Population, in 1810, 2,138. Vergennes is at the head of navigation on Otter creek, 11 miles below Middlebury.

Burlington, the seat of the University of Vermont, is delightfully situated, on a bay of the same name in Lake Champlain, near the mouth of Onion river. The village occupies the side of a hill, ascending nearly a mile from the bay, and is one of the handsomest in the state. Within the limits of the township, a mile N. E. of the village, are the falls of Onion river, around which are several valuable mills and manufacturing establishments. About 20 vessels navigate lake Champlain, most of which are owned in this place. Population, in 1810, 1,690. St. Albans is a flourishing town on lake Champlain, near the northwest corner of the state.

Education.] There are two colleges, one at Middlebury and the other at Burlington. Middlebury college was incorporated in

In

1800, and has been supported entirely by private bounty. 1821 it had a president, 4 professors, 2 tutors, and 92 students. It has a library of more than 1,200 volumes and a valuable philosophical apparatus.-The University of Vermont, at Burlington, was incorporated in 1791, and has been liberally patronized by the state. The funds consist principally of lands, amouating to about 40,000 acres, and yield at present an income of about 1,200 dollars. The number of students in 1818 was 28.

The American literary, scientific and military academy, was established in 1820 at Norwich on Connecticut river, 21 miles north of Windsor. It is under the superintendance of Capt. Alden Partridge, and has 6 professors, and 117 students or cadets. The students are required to wear a uniform dress, and to go through a regular system of military exercises, besides the usual course of studies pursued at other literary institutions.

Population and Religion.] The population in 1790 was 85,589; in 1800, 154,465; in 1810, 217,895; and in 1820, 235,764; having nearly trebled in 30 years. About half the population in 1820 was in the four southern counties; the northern part of the state is thinly settled. Vermont has been settled entirely from the other states of New England, and the inhabitants have of course the New-England character. The Congregationalists and Baptists are the prevailing denominations of Christians.

Government.] The legislative power is vested in a house of representatives, chosen annually by the different towns, each town being entitled to one representative. The executive power is vested in a governor, lieutenant governor and twelve counsellors, chosen annually by general ballot. The constitution provides also for the election of a council of censors, to consist of 13 persons, chosen by the people once in seven years. They hold their office for the space of one year, and it is their business to inquire whether the constitution has been preserved inviolate, during the seven years immediately preceding their appointment, and whether the legislative and executive branches of the government have performed their duty. Every person, of 21 years of age, having resided in the state one year, is entitled to vote at all elections of state officers.

Commerce.] The principal exports are pot and pearl ashes, lumber, beef, pork, butter, cheese, flax, &c. The markets to which the people of this state principally resort are Quebec, Montreal, Troy, Albany, New-York, Hartford and Boston. To Quebec they send large quantities of lumber by lake Champlain and the river Sorelle. With Montreal they trade for furs, peltry, and some foreign commodities. On the western side of the mountains they derive most of their foreign goods from Troy, Albany and New-York. Fatted cattle they drive to New-York and Boston. Horses they sell at New-Haven and Hartford for the West-Indian market. On Connecticut river, lumber and other produce is transported to Hartford; and foreign commodities of various kinds are taken in return. Most parts of the state, also,

carry on considerable trade with Boston.

52

MASSACHUSETTS.

Situation and Extent.] Massachusetts is bounded N. by Vermont and New-Hampshire; E. by the Atlantic; S. by Rhode-Island and Connecticut; and W. by New-York. Its length on the northern line is 130 miles; its breadth at the western extremity is 50 miles. It extends from 41° 23' to 43° 52′ N. lat. and from 69° 50′ to 73° 10′ W. lon. The area is estimated at 7,250 square miles.

Divisions.]

The state is divided into 14 counties and 300

towns.

The seven first named counties border on the sea-coast. Worcester county is in the centre of the state and extends through its whole breadth from Rhode-Island to New-Hampshire. Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden are on Connecticut river. Berkshire is the most western county, and borders on Vermont, New-York and Connecticut. Duke's county embraces Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth islands. Nantucket consists of the island of Nantucket.

Peninsula.] The county of Barnstable is a peninsula, commonly called the peninsula of cape Cod. Its shape is that of a man's arm bent inwards, both at the elbow and wrist. A great part of this peninsula is sandy and barren, and in many places, wholly destitute of vegetation; yet it is populous. The inhabitaats obtain their support almost entirely from the ocean; the men being constantly employed at sea; and the boys, at a very carly age, are put on board the fishing boats. of the violent east winds, it is supposed that the cape is gradually In consequence wearing away.

Bays and Capes.] Massachusetts bay is a large bay communicating with the Atlantic between cape Ann on the north and cape Cod on the south. It includes several smaller bays, among which are Boston bay, which sets up between Nahant point on the north, and point Alderton on the south; Plymouth bay, and Barnstable bay. Buzzard's bay is on the S. W. side of the peninsula of cape Cod, and separated from Barnstable bay by a narrow isthmus. The most noted capes, besides cape Ann and cape Cod, are cape Malabar, at the southeast extremity of the peninsula of cape Cod; Sandy point, at the northern extremity of the island of Nantucket; and Gayhead, the western point of Martha's Vineyard.

Face of the Country.] The surface is generally undulating, except in the southeastern counties, where it is level. The western part of the state is traversed from north to south by several ranges of mountains. The White mountain range comes from New-Hampshire, and running on the east side of Čonnecticut river, divides a little below Northampton into the Mount Tom range and Lyme range. The Green mountain range comes from Vermont, and occupies a large part of the county of Berkshire. The Taghkannuc range runs along the western boundary of the state. The highest summits in the Taghkannuc range are Saddle mountain, which rises near the N. W. corner of the state to the height of about 4,000 feet above the level of the sea; and Taghkannuc, which is near the S.W. corner of the state, on the borders of Connecticut and New-York,and is about 3,000 feet high. The principal summits in the Mount Tom range are Mount Tom and Mount Holyoke, both of which rise in the neighborhood of Northampton to the height of more than 1,200 feet above the level of the sea. Wachusett is a single mountain in Princeton, 15 miles north of Worcester. The height is variously estimated from 2,000 to 3,000 feet.

Soil and Productions.] On the sea coast the land is poor, particularly in the southeastern counties which are sandy. The rest of the state has generally a good soil, producing grass, Indian corn, rye, wheat,oats and potatoes, in abundance. In no state in the Union have greater advances been made in agriculture than in Massachusetts. The towns around Boston are literally gardens from which the capital is supplied with the finest fruits and vegeables. Agricultural societies have recently been formed in various parts of the state, which promise to be of great benefit by encouraging the importation of valuable breeds of animals, and promoting every species of agricultural improvement.

Minerals.] Iron ore is found in considerable quantities in Bristol and Plymouth counties. Quarries of marble have been opened in Stockbridge, and in other towns of Berkshire county. Great quantities of beautiful granite are found in Chelmsford and Tyngsborough, near the banks of the Middlesex canal; it is much used for building in Boston and other places.

Rivers.] Connecticut river traverses the western part of the state from north to south and passes into Connecticut. The Merrimack comes from New-Hampshire, and running in a north

easterly direction about 50 miles, falls into the ocean below Newburyport. Ipswich river is a small stream, which falls inte the ocean 9 miles south of the Merrimack. Charles river falls into Boston harbor between Boston and Charlestown, after a northeasterly course of 40 miles. It is payigable to Watertown, 7 miles. Neponset river falls into Boston harbor on the south side of the town. It is navigable for vessels of 150 tons to Milton, 4 miles. Taunton river rises in Plymouth county, and after a S. W. course of 50 miles falls into Narragansett bay. It is navigable for small vessels to Taunton, 20 miles.

The principal tributaries of the Connecticut from this state are, Westfield river, which rises in the northern part of Berkshire county, and running in a S. E. direction joins it at West Springfield near the southern boundary; Deerfield river, which rises in Bennington county in Vermont, and running S. E. empties itself between Deerfield and Greenfield near the northern boundary; Millers river, which empties itself from the east side, above Deerfield river; and the Chickapee, which rises in Worcester county, and running S. W. empties itself at Springfield, above the mouth of Westfield river.

The principal tributaries of the Merrimack from this state are, the Nashua, which rises in Worcester county and running N. E. into New-Hampshire, empties itself near the southern boundary of that state; and Concord river, which is formed by the union of two small rivers at Concord and running N. E. empties itself 15 or 20 miles below the Nashua.

The Hooestennuc rises in the northern part of Berkshire county and flows south into Connecticut, draining the waters of the yalley included between the Green mountain range on the east and the Taghkannuc range on the west.

Canals.] Middlesex canal is wholly within the county of Mid dlesex. It connects Boston harbor with Merrimack river. It is supplied with water by Concord river which it crosses on its surface. From that river, southward, it descends 107 feet by 13 locks, to the tide water of Boston harbor; and from that river, northward, it descends 21 feet by 3 locks, to the level of Merrimack river. The canal is 31 miles long, 24 feet wide on the surface, and 4 feet deep. It was commenced in 1793 and completed in 1804 at an expense of more than $700,000. By this canal and Merrimack river an easy communication is opened between Boston and the interior of New-Hampshire.

There is a canal around the falls in Connecticut river at South Hadley. In one place it is cut through the solid rock more than 40 feet deep and 300 feet in length. There are other falls in the Connecticut above and below South Hadley, which have been overcome by canals, dams and other improvements, so that the river is now navigable for boats through the whole of its course in this state, and as high as Bath in New-Hampshire.

A canal for sloops from Buzzard's bay to Barnstable bay through the isthmus of cape Cod has long been in contemplation, and in 1818 a company was incorporated to carry the plan into