the centre of this town, and the Hartford and New-Haven turnpike runs within its eastern limits.

found in those made at any other place. And what is a most striking evidence of ingenuity and mechanical genius of the proprietor of this establishment, the business was undertaken without any previous knowledge of it; but genius is more than a substitute for experience.

The extensive Gun Factory, or establishment for the manufacture of fire arms, of Eli Whitney Esq. erected upon Mill river within this town, is particularly deserving of notice. The business at this facto- In addition to this establishment, ry, it is believed, is carried on up- there are 1 Paper Mill, 1 Fulling on novel principles. The various Mill, 1 Carding Machine, 1 Distiloperations and processes, necessa-lery, 2 Grain Mills and 2 Tannery in the formation of the different ||ries. There are 2 Mercantile Stores, parts of the musket, are performed and 2 Taverns.

Societies

and

by the aid of machinery and me- The town contains two located chanical powers. The hammering, Congregational cutting, turning, perforating, grind- Churches, one Society of Episcoing and polishing, are performed, palians and one of Independents. or, the performance regulated and It contains, also, nine School disfacilitated, by machinery. This oc-tricts and Schools, one Social Licasions such uniformity in the brary, two Clergymen, and two work, that the parts of the lock, Physicians. and their different proportions and relations are so much alike, that they may be transferred from one lock and fitted to another, without any material alteration. From the mechanical principles by which every part of the manufacture is re- Hamden was incorporated in gulated at this factory, the fire arms May 1786, previously to which, manufactured here are characteri-it belonged to New-Haven. zed by a uniformity, not to be

The population of the town, in 1810, was 1716. There are 260 Dwelling Houses, 200 Electors & 1 company of militia.

The amount of taxable property, including polls, is $36,806.

MERIDEN.

MERIDEN is a small post town, || rage breadth four and a half miles; situated in the northern section of containing twenty-two and a half the county, 17 miles from Hart-square miles. The township is ford, and about the same from hilly, and some sections of it mounNew-Haven; bounded on the N. tainous. The Middletown and by Berlin, in Hartford county, on Wallingford range of mountains the east by Middletown, on the or hills passes through the eastern south by Wallingford, and on the border of this town. Of this west by Cheshire and Southing-range, Mount Lamentation; which ton. Its average length from east is in the northeastern part of the to west is five miles, and its ave-ll township, is far the most elevated.

There is a small village in the town, consisting of a Post office, a Congregational church, about 30 Dwelling houses, and a number of Mechanics' shops.

ployments are carried on; but those of tin ware and buttons are the most important. There are 5 distinct Factories of the former, and an equal number of the latter, for making metal buttons ; and

This eminence has some very stri-||washes the southwestern border of king features. In the northwest the town, and several of its branpart of the town also, is an emi-ches run through the interior. nence which affords a considerable The town is accommodated with curiosity there is a deep and nar-the Hartford and New-Haven turnrow valley, having a ridge of moun-pike, which passes through its centain on the one side, and a bold tre; also by the Middletown and mural ledge on the other; in which Waterbury turnpike, which intersolid cakes of ice may be obtained sects the former. at any season of the year. The congelations, or cakes of ice, are found under large projecting rocks. "A few years since," says our correspondent, "I found snow and ice, in this frosty vale, under the A spirit of enterprise and actisouth side of a loose rock, about||vity in business characterizes the the 1st of September, from whence inhabitants of this town. Various I took a small cake of ice, and car-manufactures and mechanical emried it six or seven miles. At this time, gooseberries were but just ripe, and were growing among the rocks; and strawberries have been gathered here as late in the season as this." North of this vale is a deep, narrow and almost impervi- || 1 Factory for ivory buttons. There ous glen; its width is only sufficient for a path and a rivulet, on each side of which are elevated ridges of mountain, forming an angle of about 45 degrees. This pass is called Cat hole, and is more than a mile in extent; in which, and in the valley noticed before, the sun shines but a few hours in the longest days. Hence the order of the seasons is entirely inverted; and spring and summer fruit is not brought to perfection until autumn. This place in every res-southern and western states, which pect is characterized by features the most irregular and romantic, and has more the appearance of illusion than reality.

are also 1 Factory for ivory combs, and 2 block tin or hard metal spoon Factories. The wares and manufactures of these establishments, like those of other towns in the vicinity, are sent abroad for a market. This furnishes employment for a number of hands; and it has been estimated that there are from 20 to 40 persons that are constantly employed in vending the wares that are manufactured in this town. Most of them are employed in the

afford an extensive market for the products of our industry. And this market will not be likely soon to fail; for wherever slavery prevails, The soil in this town is a gravel-mechanical ingenuity and industry ly and sandy loam, and is conside-will be excluded. In addition to rably fertile. It produces grass, these manufactures, there are 12 grain, &c. The Quinipiack river Cider Distilleries, 2 Grain Mills,

1 Fulling Mill, 1 Carding Machine, The population of the town, in and 2 Tanneries. There are 2 1810, was 1249. There are about Mercantile Stores, and 2 Taverns. 200 Dwelling houses, 1 Company The town contains 1 Congrega- of Militia and a fraction of anotional Society and Church, 1 Epis-ther, and about 175 Electors. copal Society, and 1 of Baptists, The amount of taxable property, all of which have houses for including polls, is $27,425. public worship. It contains 7

Meriden was incorporated in

School Districts and common 1806; previously to which it be Schools, 1 Social Library, 1 Cler-longed to Wallingford. gyman, 1 Attorney and 1 Physician.

MIDDLEBURY.

town does little or nothing at manufactures, except those of a domestic character. It contains 2 Grain Mills, 1 Fulling Mill and Clothier's works, 1 Carding Machine, 3 Tanneries, 1 Distillery, and 1 Mercantile Store.

MIDDLEBURY is a small The principal agricultural protownship, situated in the north-ductions are rye, butter and cheese, western extremity of the county, and some beef and cattle. The being 22 miles from New-Haven, and 36 from Hartford; bounded on the north by Woodbury and Watertown, in Litchfield county, on the east by Waterbury, on the|| south by Oxford, and on the west by Woodbury; having an average length from north to south of 5 miles, and an average breadth of nearly 4 miles, containing about 19 square miles, or about 13,000 acres.

The general list of the town, including polls, amounts to $18,920, Its population, in 1810, was 847; and there are now 100 Freemen or Electors, 1 Company of Militia, and 125 Dwelling houses.

The town forms 1 located Congregational Society and Church, and contains besides a Society of Methodists. It is divided into 6

The township is watered by Hop river, a branch of the Naugatuck, & numerous small streams. In the southeast section of the town there is a small pond or lake, called Quasepaug, which discharges its waters into the Ousa-School Districts, each of which tonick. supports a school for several Its surface is hilly and rocky, months in the year. It contains and its appearance rough and for- 2 small Social Libraries, 2 Tavbidding. The rocks are mostly ||ersn, 1 Physician and i Clergygranite, and the soil is a hard, man. coarse gravelly loam, which affords tolerable grazing; it also admits of the growth of grain, and rye is cultivated with considerable

success.

It was incorporated in 1807; previously to which, it formed a part of Waterbury, Woodbury and Southbury.

MILFORD, an ancient mari-the rock becomes primitive stra time post township, is situated on tified limestone. This continues the southwestern border of the in nearly the same direction, in alcounty, 9 miles west from New-most uninterrupted ridges, for three Haven, and 43 from Hartford; miles at least; and, as is asserted, bounded on the north by Derby for several miles further. Thus and Woodbridge, on the east by a circumscribed space, not exceedNew-Haven, on the south by Longing one fourth of a mile in breadth, Island sound, and on the west by and running in length as has just the Ousatonick river, which sepa-been specified, intervenes between rates it from Stratford. Its ave-ridges of greenstone, and in some rage length from north to south is instances alternates with it; this about seven and a half miles, and rock forming its boundary on the its average breadth from east to north, and also on the south, and west nearly five miles, comprising in some places coming into direct an area of about 34 square miles. and visible contact with it. These The prevailing character of the strata of limestone are remarkably surface is undulating, being plea- regular. Their direction and dip santly diversified with hill and dale. is the same with that of the greenThere are also some mountainous stone slate. In a few instances, ridges, consisting principally of the limestone is interrupted by greenstone slate, and facing ge-greenstone and chlorite slate. A nerally to the southeast, with considerable chasms or valleys between them. There is also one ridge, or rather a series of ridges, of limestone, of three or four miles in length, and about one fourth of The structure of the a mile in breadth, which intervenes rock is schistus, and its texture between the greenstone ridges. In minutely granular. Its prevailing these calcareous ridges there are colour is that of the Italian dome exhaustless beds of valuable mar-marble, but very much variegated ble; and indeed the primitive by innumerable veins of calcarelimestone strata, of which they areous spar or bitterspath of a very in part composed, deserve that brilliant white, by an admixture of name. The following interesting serpentine, forming green spots, account of these calcareous ridges and by black spots and clouds, and strata, has been given by Pro- which sometimes are magnetic iron fessor Silliman. ore, and sometimes appear to be "About five miles west of New-serpentine of a dark hue. MarHaven commences a range of ser-ble also occurs here of a deep pentine, both common and noble, and mixed more or less with primitive limestone and bitterspath. As this range proceeds westward, the limestone predominates more and more over the serpentine, and soon

quarry has recently been opened in these calcareous strata, for the purpose of obtaining marble; for the limestone which has been mentioned appears properly to deserve that name.

black, beautifully illuminated by white clouds. As far as the investigation has gone, these calcareous strata are divided into large distinct tables; so that they can be ||taken out, in many instances, with

north to south, and discharges itself into Milford harbour. There are several shad fisheries in the Ousatonick, there being fifteen seines owned by individuals; and it was estimated that there were 112,000 shad taken in 1816. Shell fish and black fish are taken in the sound. The great Atlantic road from New-Haven to New-York leads through the centre of this town, upon which the Washington bridge connects the town with Stratford. This bridge is about 80 rods long, and has a draw, for the accommodation of the navigation to Derby and elsewhere up the river. The town does some

four vessels engaged in foreign trade, and several in the coasting trade; there being in all 1500 tons of shipping here. There is a convenient harbour at the mouth of the Wapawang, having sufficient water for vessels of 200 tons.

And it is a circumstance of no small importance, that it is situated immediately upon a stream of water, communicating directly with Milford harbour, and which is navigable to the sound, and sufficiently copious to operate the mills necessary for sawing it. The pre-thing in navigation, and possesses vailing soil is a rich gravelly mould or loam of a dark colour; some sections of sandy loam, some of argillaceous, and the calcareous tracts already described. It is generally strong and fertile, and a good agricultural township. The forests, which are valuable, from their vicinity to navigable waters, consist of walnut, oak, chesnut, &c. The agricultural productions consist of corn, rye, oats, flax, as the products of tillage; and butter, -chesse and beef from grazing. Of the hay which is produced, large quantities are from the tracts of salt marsh, of which there are about 300 acres in the town. From the contiguity of the town|| to New-Haven, considerable attention is paid to the supplying of various small meats, and esculent roots and vegetables for the market at that place.

The waters of the town are the Ousatonick, which washes its western border, and the Wapawaug, which runs through its centre from

There is a considerable and pleasant village, which is of ancient date, situated upon the great turnpike road leading through the town, about nine miles west from New-Haven. It comprises, within the limits of about a mile square, nearly 100 Dwelling houses, many of which are neat and handsome buildings, a Post-office, 3 Churches, and several Mercantile Stores. The manufactures and mechanical employments of the town, independent of those of a domestic kind, are inconsiderable. There are 4 Grain Mills, one of which is a large merchant's mill, for flouring, and contains four run of stones, 3 Fulling Mills and Clothiers' works, 3 Carding Machines and 3 Tanneries.