and nearly as many other buildings, beside those for public uses; which are, three Congregational churches, one Episcopal, one Universalist, one Baptist, a state house, market house, four school houses, and a workhouse.

EXETER is 15 miles southwest from Portsmouth, situat. ed at the head of navigation, upon Swamscut, or Exeter. river. It is well situated for a manufacturing town. The public buildings are two Congregational churches, an a cademy, a new and handsome court house, and a gaol.

CONCORD is a pleasant, flourishing inland town, on the west bank of Merrimac river, 54 miles W. N. W. from Portsmouth. The general court, of late, have commonly held their sessions here; and from its central situation, and a thriving back country, it will probably soon become the permanent seat of government. Much of the trade of the upper country centres in this town.

Dover, Amherst, Keene, Charlestown, Plymouth, and Haverhill, are the other most considerable towns in this

state.

Curiosities. In the township of Chester, is a circular eminence, half a mile in diameter, and 400 feet high, call. ed Rattlesnake hill. On the south side, ten yards from its base, is the entrance of a cave, called the Devil's Den, in which is a room, fifteen or twenty feet square, and four feet high, floored and ceiled by a regular rock, from the upper part of which are dependent many excrescences, nearly in the form and size of a pear, and, when approached by a torch, throw out a sparkling lustre of almost every hue. Many frightful stories have been told of this cave, by those who delight in the marvellous. It is a cold, dreary, and gloomy place.

In the town of Durham, is a rock, computed to weigh sixty or seventy tons, which lies so exactly poised on anoth er rock, that it may be moved with one finger.

In a meadow, in Atkinson, is an island of six or seven acres, that rises and falls with the water of the meadow, which is sometimes six feet.

On the plain of Dartmouth college, one hundred feet above the bed of Connecticut river, logs of timber have been dug up, thirty feet below the surface of the ground. It is supposed, that this elevated plain was once the bed of the river.

VERMONT.

Extent, Situation, and Boundaries. THE length of Vermont, from north to south, is about 157 miles; the northern boundary line is only 9 miles long, and the southern is about 40 miles. Estimating the mean width at 65 miles, it will give an area of 10,237 square miles. It is situated between 42 and 45 degrees N. latitude, and between 1° 35' and 3° 30' E. longitude. It is bounded

N. by Lower Canada, E. by Connecticut river, separating it from New Hampshire, S. by Massachusetts, W. by New York. No part of the state approaches nearer than 80 or 90 miles to the ocean.

Divisions and Population. Vermont is naturally divided nearly in the centre by the Green mountain, running from north to south; its civil divisions are twelve counties, as follow:

The counties on Connecticut river, from south to north, are Windham, Windsor, Orange, Caledonia, Essex; in a similar direction along the New York line, are the coun-

ties of Bennington, Rutland, Grand Isle, Addison, Chittenden and Franklin; between the last and Essex, lies the county of Orleans, on the north line of the state. are subdivided into upwards of 230 towns.

These

Face of the Country. The face of the country exhibits very different prospects. Adjoining the rivers, are extensive plains; at a small distance from them, the land rises into a chain of high mountains, intersected with long and deep vallies. Descending from the mountains, the streams and rivers appear in every part of the country, affording a plentiful supply of water.

Lakes and Rivers. The greatest part of Lake Champlain is in this state. It is 100 miles long, and 12 broad, containing several islands. Lake Memphremagog lies partly in Vermont, and partly in Lower Canada. Small lakes or ponds, are very numerous.

All the streams and rivers in Vermont, which are very numerous, rise among the Green mountains; about 35 run east into Connecticut river; 25 run westerly, paying their tribute to Lake Champlain; and two or three running in the same direction, fall into Hudson river. In the northerly parts, several streams run N. discharging their waters into lake Memphremagog, and, from thence, through the river St. Francis, flow into the St. Lawrence.

The largest rivers on the west of the mountains, falling into lake Champlain, are Otter Creek, Onion, La Moille, and Missiscoui. On the east side, the rivers are not so large, but they are more numerous. West river, White river, and Passumsie are the largest.

Mountains. Through this state there is one continued range of mountains, which, from the perpetual verdure of their trees, are called the Green Mountains, and give their name to the whole state. They extend from Lower Canada, through Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, Their general direction is from northeast to southwest, and their extent is not less than 400 miles.

Scil and Productions. They have a variety of excellent lands in Vermont, which produce wheat, and many other sorts of grain, in abundance. There are extensive pastures, and some of the finest beef cattle in the world are raised in this state. Many kinds of fruit grow here. Back from the rivers the land is thickly covered with

birch, maple, ash, butternut, and white oak of an excellent quality.

Minerals. Iron and lead ores, pipe clay, which has been wrought into durable crucibles, and vast quantities of white, grey, and variegated marble, have been found in various parts of this state.

Manufactures. A great number of forges and furnaces are erected for the manufacture of iron; in which are made bar iron and nails, and various articles of iron and steel.

The other chief manufactures are pot and pearl ashes, maple sugar, and spirits, distilled from grain. Most of the families, manufacture a great part of their clothing.

Trade The commerce of Vermont is chiefly with Boston, Portland, Hartford, New York, Montreal, and Quebec, to which places they transport horses, beef, pork, butter, cheese, wheat, flour, iron, nails, pot and pearl ashes.

Literature. The general assembly of Vermont have established two colleges, one at Burlington and one at Middlebury. They are yet in their infancy, but promise great usefulness: The latter has upwards of one hundred stu dents. No country is more attentive to education. Com. mon schools are supported in every neighborhood; many of the principal towns have grammar schools; and there are several incorporated academies.

Chief Towns. The legis.ture have not yet established any permanent seat of government; but at the close of each session, adjourn to such place as they think proper.

BENNINGTON, near the southwest corner of the state, is one of the oldest towns, and had in 1800, 2,243 inhabitants, a meeting house, academy, court house, and gaol. Windsor, upon Connecticut river, is a beautiful town, of about 3000 inhabitants. Rutland, upon Otter Creek, contains about the same number Guilford, Brattleborough, Putney, Westminster, Norwich and Newbury, all on Connecticut river, are pleasant and flourishing towns. Ver gennes stands on the lower falls of Otter Creek. Vessels of any burden come up to the falls, which are thronged with mills.

Curiosities. In the town of Clarendon, on the side of a small hill, is a very curious cave. The chasm, at its en-

trance, is about 4 feet in circumference. Entering this. you descend 104 feet, and then opens a spacious room, 20 feet in breadth, and 100 feet in length; the roof of this cavern is of rock, through which the water is continually percolating. The stalactites which hang from the roof appear like icicles on the eaves of houses, and are continually increasing in number and magnitude. The bottom and sides are daily incrusting with spar and other mineral substances. On the sides of this subterraneous hall, are tables, chairs, &c which appear to have been artificially carved. This richly ornamented room, when illuminated with the candles of the guides, has an enchanting effect upon the eye of the spectator. At the end of this cave is a circular hole, 15 feet deep, apparently hewn out, in a conical form, enlarging gradually as you descend, in form of a sugar loaf. At the bottom, is a spring of fresh water, in continual motion, like the boiling of a pot. depth has never been sounded.

Its

In some low lands, over against the Great Ox Bow, is a remarkable spring, which dries up once in two or three years, and bursts out, in another place. It has a strong smell of sulphur, and throws up a peculiar kind of white sand. A thick yellow scum rises upon the water when settled.

Dr. Williams has written the best history of this state.

MASSACHUSETTS PROPER.*

Situation and Extent. THE state of Massachusetts, e clusive of the District of Maine, lies between 41° 15′ and 43° 52′ north latitude, and between 1° 80′ and 5° 11' east longitude. The northern line of this state is about 116 miles long; its southern boundary, from the northwest corner to Cape Cod, is 190. Its western line is about 50 miles; in some places it is wider, in others much narrow. er. It is supposed to contain 6250 square miles.

* This article treats of no topic relating to the District of Maine.