PRESENT SITUATION

OF THE

United States of America.

GRAND DIVISIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE

HE AMERICAN REPUBLIC, of which we have in the preceding volume given a general account, confifts of three grand divifions, denominated the NORTHERN, or inore properly EASTERN, MIDDLE, and SOUTHERN States.

The first divifion, the Northern or Eastern States, comprehends

VERMONT,

NEW-HAMPSHIRE,

DISTRICT OF MAINE, belonging

to Maffachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS,

RHODE ISLAND,

CONNECTICUT.

These are called the New-England States, and comprehend that part of America, which, fince the year 1614, has been known by the name of NEW-ENGLAND.

The Second divifion, the Middle States, comprehends

Of each of these we fall now treat particularly in their order.

VOL. II.

B

NEW

NEW-ENGLAND;

Or NORTHERN or EASTERN STATES.

NEW-ENGL

SITUATION, BOUNDARIES, &c.

EW-ENGLAND lies between 41 and 46 degrees N. Lat. and between 1 degree 30 minutes, and 8 degrees E. Lon. from Philadelphia; and is bounded north by Lower-Canada; eaft, by the province of New-Brunfwick, and the Atlantic Ocean; fouth, by the fame ocean, and Long-Ifland found; weft, by the State of New-York. It lies in the form of a quarter of a circle. Its weft line, beginning at the mouth of Byram river, which empties into Long-Ifland found at the fouth-weft corner of Connecticut, lat. 41 degrees, runs a little east of north, until it ftrikes the 45th degree of latitude, and then curves to the eastward almoft to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its climate is very healthful, as is evinced by the longevity of the inhabitants; for it is estimated that about one in feven of them live to the age of feventy years; and about one in thirteen or fourteen to eighty years and upwards.

North-west, weft, and fouth-west winds, are the most prevalent. Eaft and north-eaft winds, which are unelaftic and difagreeable, are frequent at certain feafons of the year, particularly in April and May, on the fea coafts. The weather is lefs variable than in the Middle and especially the Southern States, and more fo than in Canada. The extremes of heat and cold, according to Fahrenheit's thermometer, are from 20° below, to 100° above o. The medium is from 48° to 50°. The inhabitants of New-England, on account of the drynefs of their atmofphere, can endure, without inconvenience, a greater degree of heat than the inhabitants of a moifter climate. It is fuppofed by fome philofophers, that the difference of moisturein the atmosphere in Pennfylvania and New-England is fuch, as that a perfon might bear at least ten degrees of heat more in the latter than in the former.

The quantity of rain which falls in England annually, is computed to be twenty-four inches; in France eighteen inches, and in NewEngland from forty-eight to fifty inches; and yet in New-England they fuffer more from drought than in either of the forementioned countries, although they have more than double the quantity of rain. Thefe facts evince the remarkable drynefs of the atmosphere in this

eaftern

eastern divifion of the United States, and in part account for its fingular healthfulness. Winter commonly commences, in its feverity, about the middle of December-fometimes earlier, and fometimes not till Christmas. Cattle are fed or houfed, in the northern parts of New-England, from about the 20th of Nov. to the 20th of May; in the fouthern parts not quite fo long. There have been froits in almost every month in the year, though not in the fame year; but not very injurious.

The diseases moft prevalent in New-England are the following, viz.

Thefe diforders, of which the pulmonary confumption is much the moft deftructive, are commonly the effect of imprudent expofures to cold and rainy weather, evening air, and the wearing of damp linen; or from frequent exceffes in the use of strong liquors, efpecially of fresh distilled rum, which in too many inftances prove the bane of morals, and the ruin of families.

The small pox, which is a specific, infectious disease, is not allowed at present to be communicated by inoculation, except in hofpitals erected for that purpose in bye places, and in cafes where there is a probability of a general spread of the infection in a town. Nor is this disease permitted to be communicated generally by inoculation, in any of the United States, except New-York, New-Jerfey, Pennsyl vania, Delaware, and South-Carolina.

In populous towns, the prevalent difeafes are more numerous and complicated, owing to want of fresh air and exercife, and to luxurious and fashionable living.

Dr. Foulke* has obferved, that in other countries, men are divided according to their wealth or indigence, into three claffes; the OPULENT, the MIDDLING, and the POOR; the idleness, luxuries, and debaucheries of the firft, and the mifery and too frequent intemperance of the laft, deftroy the greater proportion of thefe two. The intermediate clafs is below thofe indulgencies which prove fatal

* In a discourse which he lately read before the American Philofophical Society.

to the rich, and above those sufferings to which the unfortunate poor
fall victims: this is therefore the happiest divifion of the three.
Of the rich and poor, the American States furnish a much smaller
proportion than
any
other district of the known world. In Connec
ticut particularly, the diftribution of wealth and its concomitants
is more equal than elsewhere, and, therefore, as far as excess or want
of wealth may prove deftructive or falutary to life, the inhabitants
of this State may plead exemption from difeafes." What this writer
fays of Connecticut in particular, will, with very few exceptions,
apply to New-England at large.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, MOUNTAINS, &c.

• New-England is a high, hilly, and in fome parts a mountainous country, formed by nature to be inhabited by a hardy race of free independent republicans.-The mountains are comparatively small, running nearly north and fouth in ridges parallel to each other. Between these ridges flow the great rivers in majestic meanders, receiving the innumerable rivulets and larger ftreams which proceed from the mountains on each fide. To a spectator on the top of a neighbouring mountain, the vales between the ridges, while in a state of nature, exhibit a romantic appearance. They feem an ocean of woods, fwelled and depreffed in its furface like that of the great ocean itself. A richer though lefs romantic view is presented, when the valleys, by induftrious husbandmen, have been cleared of their natural growth; and the fruit of their labour appears in loaded orchards, extenfive meadows, covered with large herds of sheep and neat cattle, and rich fields of flax, corn, and the various kinds of grain. Thefe valleys, which have received the expreffive name of intervale lands, are of various breadths, from two to twenty miles; and by the annual inundations of the rivers which flow through them, there is frequently an accumulation of rich, fat foil, left upon their furface when the waters retire.

There are four principal ranges of mountains, paffing nearly from north-eaft to fouth-weft through New-England. These confift of a multitude of parallel ridges, each having many spurs, deviating from the course of the general range; which fpurs are again broken into irregular hilly land. The main ridges terminate, fometimes in high bluff heads, near the fea-coaft, and fometimes by a gradual defcent in the interior part of the country. One of the main ranges runs between Connecticut and Hudson rivers. This range branches and