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Conanicut is an island lying on the W. side of Rhode Island: it is 8 miles long, and about one in breadth. This is also a beautiful island, and has a fertile soil; it contains the town of Jamestown. At the southern extremity is a light-house. In the same part may be seen the ruins of an ancient circular fortification, which once defended the passage up the bay.

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Prudence Island, farther up Narraganset Bay, is 6 miles in length. Block Island lies 10 miles out at sea, and is 8 miles long, and from 2 to 4 broad; it has an uneven surface, but produces maize and other grain. A light-house stands upon it.

4. BAYS AND HARBORS. Narraganset Bay extends more than 30 miles into the state, and affords great advantages for ship navigation it has many excellent harbors, and contains 15 islands. It is about ten miles wide at the lower part, but a large portion of this space is occupied by the islands already described. Ships ascend this bay to Providence, 36 miles above Point Judith. Newport harbor, in the channel between Conanicut and Rhode Island, is one of the finest harbors in the world, being safe, deep, capacious, and easily accessible. The entrance is defended by Fort Wolcott on Goat's Island, and Fort Adams, on Rhode Island; the latter is a large stone castle of great strength.

5. CLIMATE. This whole state enjoys a salubrious climate; the winter in the maritime parts is sensibly milder, and the seasons there are more uniform than in the rest of New England; the heat of summer is much alleviated by refreshing sea breezes. In other respects the climate of Rhode Island resembles that of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

6. SOIL. The soil is pretty uniform; on the continent it is generally a gravelly loam, which is tolerably fertile, but difficult of cultivation. Upon the islands, the soil is slaty and productive. There are a few pine plains in the state, but very little alluvial land.

7. GEOLOGY. The continental part is primitive, but the islands in Narraganset Bay display a transition character. Granite abounds on the continent, and limestone occurs in the northeastern part. Slate and coal formations are exhibited in the islands.

8. NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. There are no extensive forests; the trees are

generally of the deciduous kind; oak, chestnut and walnut are the most abundant; pine and cedar are more rare.

9. MINERALS. Anthracite coal is found in Rhode Island in extensive beds; these were wrought to a considerable degree some years since, but the discovery of the more valuable mines of Pennsylvania, has now rendered the Rhode Island coal of little estimation. Iron ore occurs in the Northern parts, and there is a mine wrought at Cranston. There are quarries of limestone at Smithfield, and the same place affords excellent marble. Beds of serpentine are found at Newport. The mineral treasures of this state as far as yet discovered, are not on the whole either extensive or valuable.

10. FACE OF THE COUNTRY. There are no mountains in the state, nor any hilly tracts, yet the general face of the country is somewhat rough and rocky. There are some level districts upon the borders of Narraganset Bay, and some flats on the Atlantic shores. The aspect of the country on the whole, is picturesque; the highest eminences, are Mount Hope, in Bristol; Hopkins' Hill, in W. Greenwich; and Woonsocket Hill, in Smithfield; but they are not remarkable for elevation.

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY.

1. DIVISIONS. Rhode Island contains 5 counties. Washington, Newport and Bristol. The towns are 31. 97,212. There are 14 slaves in the state.

Providence, Kent,
The population is

2. CANALS. A portion of Blackstone canal lies in Rhode Island. This has been already described.

3. CITIES AND TOWNS. Providence, the second city in New England for population, wealth, and business, stands at the head of Narraganset Bay, which at this extremity becomes narrowed to the width of a river. It is built on both sides of the river, the two parts being connected by a bridge. The new town on the W. of the river, has all the bustle and liveliness, and displays the flourishing appearance, of a commercial city. The hill on the opposite side, or East Providence, is chiefly occupied by private mansions, beautifully situated, and adorned with gardens and court yards. On the summit of a steep eminence stands the college, overlooking the city. Tho streets are irregular, but there are many beautiful situations and fine edifices in the town.

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The Arcade, extending from Westminister street to Weybosset street is the handsomest building of its kind in the country. It is 226 feet long; and

three stories high, with 28 rooms on each floor. The front on each street consists of an Ionic portico, with granite pillars. Providence has 12 churches, a theatre, a public library, many cotton and woolen manufactories, paper mills, dye-houses, &c. Its distance from the sea is 35 miles, but merchant ships of the largest size can come up to the wharves. Steamboats pass between Providence and New York, through Long Island Sound, during all the open season, and nearly the whole of the summer travelling from Boston to the S. passes by this route. Providence was founded by Roger Williams in 1636. It retained the denomination and government of a town until 1831, when a city charter was adopted. Pop. 16,832.

Newport, at the mouth of Narraganset bay, 5 miles from the sea, has a fine harbor and beautiful situation. It was formerly a place of much trade

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and consequence, but its commerce has been diverted to the neighboring cities of New York and Providence, and it has been until very lately on the decline. It contains a state house, a jail, an academy, a public library, 11 churches, and considerable manufactures of cotton and lace. This town is much resorted to during summer, on account of the purity of its air: its market is celebrated for the excellence of its fish. The shipping owned here in 1827, amounted to 10,835 tons. Pop. 8,010.

Bristol, 15 miles N. of Newport, on Narraganset Bay, is handsomely situated, and has a good harbor. The trade here to the West Indies and Europe is considerable; in 1827 this town possessed 10,513 tons of shipping. Pop. 3,054. Mount Hope, celebrated in the early history of New England as the residence of King Philip, is within the limits of Bristol; it is a conical shaped hill, with a pointed summit, and exhibits a charming prospect.

Pawtucket, four miles N. E. from Providence, has many large and flour ishing manufactories of cotton, nails, screws, oil, &c. The town is built upon the falls of the Pawtucket, on both sides of the river, and belongs half to this state, and half to Massachusetts. The Rhode Island portion bears the name of North Providence. The banks of the river here, are high and steep. The turnpike from this town to Providence is one of the finest roads in the country. The whole population of the town is 4,961.

Warwick, 10 miles S. of Providence is a flourishing manufacturing town, with some commerce. Pop. 5,529.

4. AGRICULTURE. The attention of husband nen in Rhode Island, is

chiefly directed to the dairy and grazing. The islands and shores of Narraganset Bay are celebrated for their fine cattle, their numerous flocks of sheep, and the excellence and abundance of their butter and cheese. Of the differeat kinds of grain, maize, barley, oats and rye,, are the most generally cultivated.

5. COMMERCE. The exports of this state do not differ materially from those of the neighboring parts of New England. The trade is chiefly confined to the ports of Newport and Providence. The foreign imports, in 1828, amounted to 1,128,226 dollars. The exports of domestic produce to 541,675 dollars, and the shipping to 40,666 tons.

6. MANUFACTURES. Rhode Island, in addition to her own manufactures, furnishes the market to many of those in the adjoining parts of Massachu-setts and Connecticut. Pawtucket has the largest manufactories in the state. The manufactures of this place are chiefly of cotton. The mills are scated upon three falls in Pawtucket river, and run 45,000 spindles. They employ nearly 900 looms.

Providence has also large manufactures of cotton, woolen, cordage, sper-maceti, &c. Warwick has several cotton manufactories, and at Newport is a manufacture of lace. At Slatersville, in the town of Smithfield, are extensive manufactures of cotton. Rhode Island is almost exclusively a manu-facturing state.

Blackstone river affords an immense water-power for manufactories.. Upon Woonsocket Falls, and in the neighborhood, are about 20 different establishments, and others are begun. These already produce annually 2,500,000 yards of sheeting, calico, shirting, drilling, satinet, &c. At this place are also an iron foundry and manufactures of machinery.

7. INDIANS. At Charlestown, in the southern part of the state, are about 430 Narragansets. Nearly all of them are of mixed blood. They possess 3,000 acres of land, and have a missionary, and two schools. They profess the principles of the Baptists, and have a religious society among them. The state exercises a guardianship over them, although in point of internal gov-ernment, they are nominally independent, and appoint a Council of 5 members and a clerk, from among themselves.

8. GOVERNMENT. Rhode Island is the only state in the Union that is without a written constitution, the government being to this day founded on the provisions of the charter, granted to the colony by Charles II. in 1663. The obligations of this charter as a constitution of civil government, became annulled by the declaration of independence, but by the common consent of the people, the form of government was preserved, without any essential variation. The legislature is called the General Assembly, and consists of a Senate and House of Representatives; the senators are 10. The represen tatives are two from each town, but Providence, Portsmouth and Warwick send each four, and Newport sends six. The representatives are chosen twice a year. The executive consists of a Governor, whose powers are very limited, and a Lt. Governor, both of whom have seats in the Senate; these, as well as the State Treasurer, Secretary and Attorney General are chosen annually. Suffrage is universal. The legislature have 2 stated sessions annually, and meet commonly four times a year, at Providence, Newport, East Greenwich and South Kingston. Judges and other civil officers are appointed yearly. Rhode Island sends two representatives to Congress.

9. RELIGION. The Baptists have 12 ministers. The Congregationalists 10. The Methodists 10; and the Episcopalians 8. There are also a few Sabbatarians and Six-Principle Baptists.

10. EDUCATION. Brown University was founded in 1764. It was first established at Warren in this state, but was removed in 1770 to Providence,

where it has remained. It has been supported solely by individual patronage, and its funds are not large. The college edifices are two brick buildings, containing 100 rooms for students, and others for public purposes. The college is delightfully situated on an eminence in the E. part of the town, and commands a beautiful prospect. The libraries contain 12,000 volumes, including those belonging to literary societies. The officers are a President and 8 professors. The board of trustees is composed of 36 members, of whom 22 must be Baptists, 5 Quakers, 5 Episcopalians and 4 Congregationalists. The Fellows, or Learned Faculty, are 12, of whom 8, including the President, must be Baptists. The number of students in 1831, was 95. There are 3 vacations, in May, September and December, amounting to 13 weeks. Commencement is in September.

The state pays annually 10,000 dollars for the support of common schools, besides the taxes raised for this purpose in each town. There are academies in all the principal towns, and private schools, during the winter, are general throughout the state.

11. HISTORY. The first settlement within the limits of the state, was made by Roger Williams, who was banished from Massachusetts for maintaining the principles of religious toleration. He repaired to Seekonk, and purchased a district of land from the Indians, but finding himself still within the limits of Massachusetts, he proceeded further to Mooshansic, and with his followers established in 1636 a settlement, which he called Providence. Their numbers were soon increased by seceders and exiles from Massachusetts, and the island of Aquetnet, or Rhode Island, was settled in 1638. A patent for the territory, and permission to erect an independent government, was obtained from the Plymouth Company in England, in 1644; the first General Assembly met at Portsmouth, organized a government, and established a code of laws in 1647. A charter was granted by Charles II. in 1663, to the colony, under the name of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. During the tyranny of Andros, he annulled the charter, and ruled the colony with the assistance of a council, appointed by himself; but his overthrow restored the government to its original state. Religious toleration, with some slight exceptions, has been allowed in Rhode Island from its first settlement. It was the last of the 13 states which acceded to the Union; this took place in 1790.

CHAPTER VI. CONNECTICUT.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

1. BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT. Connecticut is situated between 41° and 42° 2 N. lat. and between 71° 20′ and 73° 15′ W. lon. Its average length from E. to W. is about 88 miles; its mean breadth from N. to S. 53 miles, comprising an area of 4,664 square miles. It is bounded N. by Massachusetts; E. by Rhode Island; S. by Long Island Sound, and W. by New York.

2. MOUNTAINS. There are 5 distinct ranges. The Housatonic mountains enter the state in the N. W. part, and continue southerly along the Housatonic river to the coast; this is not properly a continuous ridge, but a succession of eminences, spurs and branches, some of which are considerably elevated. Mount Tom, between Litchfield and Washington, is 700 feet high. The next, proceeding easterly, is the Greenwoods Range, which is not very elevated; the

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