STATE OF

CONNECTICUT.

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES.

THIS State is fituated between 410 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-Island, 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-Island 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 south-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 thoufand 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 feafon, 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 immense forests north and north-weft. 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 thẹ weather is variable, according as the wind blows from the sea or

land;

land; but in the interior of the country, the fea breezes having lefs 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 vallics. It is laid out in fmall 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, crofling each other in every direction. A traveller, in any of thefe roads, even in the most unfettled parts of the State, will fel dom país 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 refembles a wellcultivated garden, which, with that degree of industry that is ne ceffary 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 + pafles 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 scene execedingly grand and beautiful.

Naugatuk is a fmall 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 stands on the tongue of land between thefe 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 fheet, upon a bed of rocks below. Here the river is compressed into

*Page 11.

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, fif teen 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 smoothnefs 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 thofe immediately below the falls, occupied by Lathrop's mills, are, perhaps, not exceeded by any in the world. Acrofs 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 Massachusetts; thence paffing through Sturbridge and Dudley in Maffachusetts, it croffes into Connecticut, and divides Pomfret from Killingly, Canterbury from Plainfield, and Lisbon from Preston, and then mingles with the Shetucket. In paffing through this hilly country, it tumbles over many falls, two of which, one in Thomp fon, 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 numberlefs brooks from every part of the adjacent country. At the mouth of Shetucket is a bridge of timber one hun dred 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 nature of an arch.

Paukatuck river is an inconfiderable stream 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,

Eaft, or North-Haven river, rifes in Southington, not far from a bend in Farmington river, and paffing through Wallingford and North-Haven, falls into New-Haven harbour.-It has been in contemplation to connect the fource of this river with Farmington river.

East and Weft rivers are inconfiderable ftreams, bounding the city of New-Haven on the east and west.

Weft of the Houfatonick are a number of small rivers, which fall into the found. Among thefe is Byram river, noticeable only as forming a part of the boundary between New-York and Connecticut. But neither this, nor any of the others, are confiderable enough to merit particular attention.

0

The two principal harbours in this State are at New-London and a New-Haven. The former opens to the south. From the lighthoufe, which ftands at the mouth of the harbour, to the town, is about three miles; the breadth is three quarters of a mile, and in en fome places more. The harbour has from five to fix fathoms watera clear bottom-tough, ooze, and as far as one mile above the town is entirely fecure, and commodious for large ships.

New-Haven harbour is greatly inferior to that of New-London. It is a bay which fets up northerly from the found, about four miles. Its entrance is about half a mile wide. It has very good anchorage, and two and a half fathom at low water, and three fathom and four feet at common tides.

About a mile from the town, on the channel, a pier is erected, at which veffels of fuch fize as cannot come up to the wharf, lade and unlade. A fum of money has lately been raifed by lottery for the purpose of extending the long wharf to this pier, and the work is partly accomplished; when completed, this wharf will be the longest in the United States, and will be a vast benefit to the town.

The whole of the fea coaft is indented with harbours, many of which are fafe and commodious, but are not fufficiently used to merit a defcription.

SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, &c.

Some fmall parts of the foil of this State are thin and barren, but in general it is ftrong and fertile. Its principal productions are Indian corn, rye, wheat, in many parts of the State, oats, and barley, which are heavy and good, and of late, buck wheat-flax in large quantities-fome hemp, potatoes of feveral kinds, pumpkins, tur

mips, peas, beans, &c. &c. Fruits of all kinds, which are common to the climate. The foil is very well calculated for pasture and mowing, which enables the farmers to feed large numbers of neat cattle and horfes. Actual calculation has evinced, that any given quantity of the best mowing land in Connecticut produces about twice as much clear profit, as the fame quantity of the best wheat land in the State of New-York. Many farmers, in the eastern part of the State, have lately found their advantage in raising mules, which are carried from the ports of Norwich and New-London to the WeftIndia iflands, and yield a handfome profit. The beef, pork, butter, and cheese of Connecticut, are equal to any in the world.

On the bank of Connecticut river, two miles from Middleton, is a lead mine, which was wrought during the war, at the expense of the State, and was productive, but it is fuppofed to be too expensive to work in time of peace. Copper mines have been difcovered and opened in feveral parts of the State, but have proved unprofitable, and are much neglected. Iron ore abounds in many parts of the State. Talks of various kinds, white, brown, and chocolate coloured crystals, zink or fpelter, a femi-metal, and feveral other foffils and metals, have been found in different parts of this State. At Stafford there is a medicinal spring, which is faid to be a fovereign remedy for fcorbutic, cutaneous, and other diforders.

CIVIL DIVISIONS.

Connecticut is divided into eight counties, viz. Hartford, NewHaven, New-London, Fairfield, Wyndham, Litchfield, Middlesex, and Tolland; these are divided into about one hundred townships. Each township is a corporation, invested with power to hold lands, choose their own town officers, to make prudential laws, the penalty of tranfgreffion not to exceed twenty fhillings, and to choose their own representatives to the General Affembly. The townships are generally divided into two or more parishes, in each of which is one or more places for public worship, and school houses at convenient diftances.

CHIEF TOWNS AND CURIOSITIES.

There are a great number of very pleasant towns, both maritime and inland, in Connecticut. It contains five cities, incorporated with extensive jurifdiction in civil caufes. Two of thefe, Hartford and New

L1 2