Dover, Amherst, Keene, Charlestown, Plymouth and Haverhill, are the other most confiderable towns in this State. Curiofities.] In the township of Chester is a circular eminence, half a mile in diameter, and 400 feet high,. called Rattlefnake hill. On the fouth fide, 10 yards from its bafe, is the entrance of a cave called the Devil's Den, in which is a room 15 or 20 feet fquare, and 4 feet high, floored and circled by a regular rock, from the upper part of which are dependent many excrefcences, nearly in the form and fize of a pear, and, when ap proached by a torch, throw out a sparkling luftre of alinoft every hue. Many frightful ftories have been told of this cave, by thofe who delight in the marvel. lous. It is a cold, drey, gloomy place. Religion. The principal denominations of Christians in this State, are Congregationalists, Prefbyterians, Epifcopalians, Baptifts and Quakers. There is a small fociety of Sandemanians, and another of Universalists, in Portsmouth. Hiftory.] The first difcovery made by the English, of any part of New Hamplhire, was in 1614, by Capt. John Smith, who ranged the fhore from Penobscot to Cape Cod; and in this route difeovered the river Pifcata qua Oa his return to England, he publifhed a defcription of the country, with a map of the coaft, which he prefented to Prince Charles, who gave it the name of NEW ENG LAND. The first fettlement was made in 1623. New Hampshire was for many years under the jurif diction of the governor of Maffachusetts, yet they had a feparate legislature. They ever bore a proportionable fhare of the expenfes and levies in all enterprifes, ex peditions and military exertions, whether planned by the colony or the crown. In every stage of the oppe fition that was made to the encroachments of the Britith parliament, the people, who ever had a high fenfe of liberty, cheerfully bore their part. At the commencement of hoftilities, indeed, while their council was ap pointed by royal mandamus, their patriotic ardour was checked by these crown officers. But when freed from this this refraint, they flew eagerly to the American ftandard, when the voice of their country declared for war ; and their troops had a large fhare of the hazard and fatigue, as well as of the glory of accomplishing the late revolution. For a complete hiftory of this State, the reader is referred to the Rev. Dr. Belknap's, published in three volumes avo. in 1792, written in a pure, ceat, hiiterie fyle. DISTRICT. OF MAINE, Miles [BELONGING TO MASSACHUSETTS] SITUATION AND EXTENT.. } between Length 2007 Boundaries.] Br 4° and 9° E. lon. Sq. Miles {43° and 48° N. lat.} 21,750 OUNDED north, by lower Canada; from which it is feparated by the high lands; eat, by the river St. Croix, and a line drawn due north from its fource to the faid high lands, which" divides it from the Province of New Brunswick; fouth, by the Atlantic Ocean; weft, by New Hampshire. Divifions.] The District of Maine is divided into fix counties, viz. • A new county, taken from the northern part of Lincoln, and incorporated Feb. 20, £799. Fac The District of. Maine, Face of the Country, Soil, though an elevated tract of and Climate. country, cannot be called mountainous. A great proportion of the lands are arable and exceedingly fertile, particularly between Penobscot and Kennebeck rivers, On fome parts of the fea coaft, the lands are but indifferent; but this defect might eafily be remedied, by manuring it with a marine vegetable, called rock-weed, which grows on rocks between high and low water mark, all along the fhores. It makes a moft excellent manure, and the fupply is immense. The country has a large proportion of dead fwamps, and funken lands, which are easily drained, and leave a rich fat foil. The interior country is univerfally reprefented as being of an excellent foil, well adapted both for tillage and pafture. The lands in general are easily cleared, having but little under brush. The District of Maine may naturally be confidered in three divifions.-The firf, comprehending the tract lying eaft of Penobscot river, of about 4,500,000 acres ; the fecond, and beft tract, of about 4,000,000 acres, lying between Penobscot and Kennebeck rivers: the third, firft fettled, and most populous at prefent, weft of Kennebeck river, containing alfo about 4,000,000 acres. The climate does not materially differ from the reft of New England. The weather is more regular in the winter, which ufually lafts with feverity from the middle of December, to the laft of March; during this time the ponds and fresh water rivers are paffable on the ice, and fleighing continues uninterrupted by thaws. The elevation of the lands in general; the purity of the air, which is rendered fweet and falubrious by the balfamic qualities of many of the foreft trees; the limpid fireams, both large and fmall, which abundantly water this country; and the regularity of the weather, all unite to render this one of the healthiest countries in the world. Rivers.] This district has a fea coaft of about 240 miles, in which diftance there is, an abundance of fafe and commodious harbours; befides which there is a fecurity given to navigation, on fome part of the coaft, by what what is called the inland pa. Almoft the whole cert is lined with islands, among which vetfels may generally anchor with fafety. The principal are the following, as you proceed from eat to welt: St. Creix, Paffamaquoddy, Schooc, Union, Penobscot, Kennebeck, Sheepícnt, Americag. gin, (now mot generally called Andre Reg zin Stepher.'s river, Cullen's river, Royal's river, Pretament, N2 nefuch, Saco, and Moufom; alfo York and Cape Nedd uk rivers in the county of York, which are thort and incon fiderable freams. Bags and Cater.] The principal bays are Pfamaquddy Michias, Penobfcot, Caico and Wells. Of thefe, Penobscot and Cafco are the most remarkable. Both are full of itlands, fome of which are large enough for tow:lips. Prai] The foil of this country, in general, where it is properly fitted to receive the feed, appears to be very friendly to the growth of wheat, rye, bir. ley, oats, peas, hemp, flux, as well as for the production of almoð all kinds of culinary roots and plants, and for English grafs; and alo for Indian corn, provided the feed be procured from a more northern cit mate.. Hops are the fpontaneous growth of the coun try. This country is equally good for grazing as for tillage, and large stocks of neat cattle may be fed, bʊth fummer and winter. The natural growth of this country confils of white pine and fpruce trees in large quantities, fuitable for malts, boards and thingles; the white pine is, perhaps of all others, the most useful and important; no wee! would fupply its place in building. Maple, beech, white and grey oak, and yellow birch, are the growth t this country. The birch is a large fightly tree, and is ufed for cabinet work, and receives a polth hitle inferior to mahogany. The low lands produce tir. This tree is fit neither for timber nor fuel; but it yields a balfam that is highly prized. This balfam is contained in fmall protuberances like blifters, under the fmooth bark bark of the tree. The fir is an evergreen, refembling the fpruce, but very tapering, and neither tall nor large. From the different rivers, in this eaftern country, waters may be drawn for mills and all water work. Great advantages arife to thofe who live on the fea coaft, from the fhell-fifa, viz. the lobster, the follop, and the clam. To these advantages may be added thofe which arife from the forefts being filled with the moofe and deer, and the waters being covered with wild fowls of different kinds. Exports.] This country abounds with lumber of va rious kinds, fuch as mafts, which of late, however, have become scarce; white pine boards, fhip timber, and ev. ery fpecies of fplit lumber, manufactured from pine and oak; thefe are exported from the different ports in immenfe quantities. Dried fifh furnishes a capital article of export. State of Literature.] The legiflature by charter granted in 1795, established a college at Brunswick, by the name of Bowdoin College. It has fince been organized, and went into operation, Sept. 1802. Academies in Hallowell, Berwick, Fryburg and Machias, have been incorperated by the legislature, and endowed with handfome grants of the public lands. Another at Portland has been inftituted, but has not yet been endowed. And it is but just to obferve, that a fpirit of improvement is increafing. Chief Towns.] Portland is the capital of the Diftri& of Maine. It is fituated on a promontory in Cafco Bay, and was formerly a part of Falmouth. In July, 1786, this part of the town, being the most populous and mercantile, and fituated on the harbour, together with the iflands which belong to Falmouth, was incorporated by the name of Portland. It has a most excellent, safe and capacious harbour, which is feldom or never completely frozen over. It is near the main ocean, and is eafy of accefs. The inhabitants carry on a confiderable foreign trade. It is one of the most thriving commercial towns in the Commonwealth of Maffachusetts. Although three-fourths of it was laid in afhes by the British fleet in 1775, it has fince been entirely rebuilt, and contained |