UHODE ISLAND. 



* land roond th. month of thi. 

 from 4- SO' to 52' N. lat, 



*Mr and lower bMta; amounting to about AT* degrees, u com- 

 Jhi Uu aintac ikTrtsnn nf tht -rr * " Thus the plains 

 TSSl 1*00 feithkh. n~mbl. in climate 

 d6?N.Ut Th.oountr.es 



ml-"*- b*to, being U- Un^d in proportion, enjoy a some- 

 mfld^ dilaW dMUM phlM of SwitMrUod and the lowland* 



A by fflTfV with the Saon* and Rhone, the 

 th* Mew*, and th* Danube. A v*ry important trade in 

 manuftorl gooda, Umbor. coal, iron, corn, wine. 

 prodocta, U carried on \>j the Khine and lU chief 



a , 



Ctea. the MoeeUe. th* Mayn, the Ruhr, and the Nookar. 

 onto* Rhta* and it* tributaries amounU to 5,250,000 



_ of which ^400,000 ton* belong to the Rhine exclusively, and 

 ahovt 1,000,000 ton* to the Ruhr. The free navigation of the river 

 w*> (aaraatord by th* (tipulations of the treaty of Vienna, but every 

 on* of th* *rvM sUte* SwiUerland, Franor, Baden, Bavaria, Prussia, 

 Damwtedt, and Holland through which it passes, or which it 

 from the point whore it becomes navigable to the North See, 



toll on good* and T*ss*l passing their respective territories. 



To* duties it i* tru* have been considerably reduced from time to 

 taw, Martially by Holland, but still they are very onerous. To give 

 some idm of the vexations and stoppage* caused by the system of 

 Rhine toll*, it is only necessary to state that in 1854 a vessel of about 

 ISO ton* paid on the Rhine, between Emmerich and Mayence, in 

 recognition do*a and dattM, no leu than 821. 4t. sterling, or above 

 IS*. 74 a ton. Tb* commerce and navigation of the Moselle, the 

 lUyn, th* Ruhr, and the Neckar, are restricted in a similar way. The 

 BUM is navigated by swain-boat* belonging to several companies, and 

 by many steam-tug* and colliers, which ply with coals between the Ruhr 

 and the principal towns on th* Rhine. 



A railway ran* down the right bank of the Rhine from Basel 

 through Freiburg, Caiiernhe, and Darmatadt to Frankfurt-am-Mayn 

 and wistbaden. Th* line is to be continued from Frankfurt to 

 Colon*. At Frankfort thi* trunk line is joined by the Cassel railway, 

 which i* connected by the Thuringian and Weetphalian lines with 

 central and northern Germany, and by the Wurzburg line with the 

 Bavarian railways. At Bruchs*], a little north of Carlsruhe, it is joined 

 by a branch line with the Wurtemburg railway system. A French 

 railway run* down the left bank of the Rhine from Basel to Strasbourg, 

 whsnee a line ran* to Pari*. Farther down a line, in connection with 

 th* Pan* Strasbourg line, skirt* the left bank of the Rhine from Spires 

 to Mayenos. In th* Prussian territories a railway joins Bonn to 

 Cologne, whence a short line running west connect* the Rhine with 

 th. tolgian railways. From Deuta, opposite Cologne, a railway runs 

 along UM right bank of th* river to Duiaburg, whence it turns east- 

 ward, connecting the Rhin* with the Hanoverian and Prussian lines. 



The Rhine is cro*sd by pontoon bridges, or bridges of boats, only 

 at Cologne, Mat race, Mannheim, and a few other places ; and the 

 railway s that skirt its banks have as yet no point of junction. An 

 iron bridge U about to be constructed over the river from the 

 Frankraplaii in Cologne to the wharf near the railway terminus at 

 Dtita. It will ret on three massive piers and two abutments, leaving 

 four optninr* for th* pawage of th* water each 313 feet in span. 

 There is to b* no opening in the arches, their height above the water 

 brtef saiot to admit v*ek to pa**. The bridge U to be divided 

 losattadimJIy into two equal diriiiooi, one for the passage of trains 

 and IB* oth. r for general traffic and ue. The height of the bridge 

 U to b* cna'cr than th* level of the railroads on either side of the 

 river, in order not to impede the navigation ; but at each end a move- 

 will o* constructed, with powerful machinery for raising 

 it with a whole train ia the level* of the two railroads 

 i, *o that there will be no necessity to unload or change 



10 I* a Dutch settlement, on th* island of BinUng, which lies 

 opposite Cap* Romania, on* of the promontories with which the 

 say protMula terminate* on the south. Th* island of BinUng U a 



hrf*r than that of Singapore, and contain* about 300 square 

 t witi popalrtkn) of about 1 3.000. The Dutch first established 

 4**o ker* in 1786, and in 1818, after Java, Malacca, and the 

 other Dateh colonies bad hero rwtored, the Dutch government took 

 POCM*<XI of th* town of Rhio in order to secure the Malacca trade 

 W MM fooa laUoo of th. town of Singapore and the rapid growth of 

 thai BrHub colony ha* frustrated their design : yet Rhio U a thriving 

 pi***. A Urge quantity of gum and t- rra japonica i* reported. The 

 town and fortress of RUo U situated on the south-wait oo**t of the 



at the rtnan of a wide inlet, ailed th. bay of Tanjong 

 Th. harbour i* good and saf*, but it* entrance i* rendered 

 and d*nt*rmi* by a number of small rocky island*. Rhio ia 

 te B. tal. 104' 2' K. long. 

 RHOI n: IS ! . A N I ), on* of the Unit~l State* of North America, lie* 



ix>twe*n 41* IS' and 42* 2' N. lat, 71 6' and 71 58' W. long., except 

 Block blind, which lie. between 41' 6' and 41" 15' N. lat. The 

 state is bounded E. and N. by Massachusetts ; W. by Connecticut ; and 

 J. by the Atlantic Ocean. The area is about 1200 square miles. The 

 population in 1860 was 147,545 (of whom 3670 were free coloured 

 ixrsons), or 122-95 to the square mile. Rhode Island is the smallest 

 tote in the Union, but with the exception of Massachusetts the most 

 densely peopled. The inhabitants being all free, the federal repre- 

 sentative population U the same as the entire population in 1860 ; this 

 according to the present ratio of representation entitles the state to 

 send two representatives to Congre**. To the Senate, like each of 

 the other states, Rhode Island sends two representatives. 



Surface, Hydrography, Communication!. The largest part of the 

 state lies to the west and north-west of Xarraganaett Bay, and com- 

 prehends about 900 square miles ; a small portion lies to the east of 

 Narragansett Bay ; and the rest is composed of the islands of Rhode 

 Island, Canonicut Island, Prudence Island, Patience Island, Hope 

 [aland, Hog Island, and Dyer's Island in Narragansett Bay ; and Block 

 [land in the Atlantic. Rhode Island, which gives its name to the 

 state, is the largest of the islands which belong to it The central 

 part of it is in 41 32' N. lat, 71 15' W. long. Its length is about 

 15 miles from north to south, with an average width of about 34 

 miles. This island is the most fertile part of. the state; the soil is 

 suitable either for tillage or grazing, and is well cultivated ; and the 

 climate is so temperate and healthy, that the island U a place of resort 

 for the inhabitants of the southern and central states in the summer 

 months, and for invalids at all seasons. Near to Rhode Island is 

 Canonicut Island, which is seven miles long and one mile broad, and 

 bas some beautiful scenery. Prudence Island higher up the bay, and 

 partly between Rhode and Canonicut Islands, is a little less than the 

 latter. The only other island requiring specific mention is Block 

 Island, which lies about 12 miles S.W. from Point Judith on the main- 

 land ; it is about 8 miles long, and from 2 to 4 miles broad ; and is 

 chiefly inhabited by fishermen : the population of Block Island in 

 1850 was 1262. 



Narragansett Bay, which intersects a large portion of the state, is 

 about 30 miles long from Point Judith, on the south, to Bullock's 

 Point, and about 10 miles wide. The entrance extends from Point 

 Judith on the west to Point Seaconet on the east. The bay forms a 

 safe road during the north-west storms, is navigable in all seasons, 

 contains several excellent harbours, and has many points suitable for 

 defence, which have been strongly fortified. Newport Harbour in the 

 channel between Rhode and Canonicut Islands, is one of the finest in 

 America. 



The surface of the continental part of Rhode Island is generally 

 hilly and broken, but the hills nowhere attain a greater elevation than 

 about 300 feet above the level of the sea. Along Narragansett Bay, 

 and on the islands, the surface is level or slightly undulating. 



The rivers of this state are not more than 60 or 60 miles long, and 

 have but an inconsiderable quantity of water. They are therefore of 

 little value for navigation, but having generally a considerable fall, 

 they afford a large amount of mechanical power, and work numerous 

 mills. The Patocatuck, which in the lower part of its course forms the 

 boundary between this state and Connecticut, is navigable for about 

 six miles. The Pawtacket, the principal river in the state, rises in 

 Massachusetts, where it is called the Blackstone River ; traverses the 

 north-eastern part of Rhode Island ; and falls into Providence River 

 about a mile below Providence city. At Pawtucket village, four miles 

 from its mouth, there are falls of about 50 feet, below which the river 

 is known a<s the Seekonk : it is navigable up to the falls. The Provi- 

 dence, formed by the union of the Wanasquiatucket and the Mohasuck, 

 opens into the north-western arm of Narragansett Bay : it is navigable 

 for vessels of 900 tons burden up to Provi.lence city. The Paietuxet 

 falls into the Providence about three miles below Providence city. 



The Blackstono Canal, uniting Providence with Worcester in 

 Massachusetts, is the only canal which in part belongs to this state : 

 about 16 miles of it is in Rhode Island, the chief port, 47 miles, being 

 in Massachusetts. Only one railway, the Providence and Stoniugton, 

 50 miles long, is exclusively a Rhode Island line, but portions of lines 

 belonging to other states lie within the boundaries of this state. 



Geology, Soil, Climate. That portion of the state which lie* west of 

 Narragausett Bay is occupied almost exclusively by eruptive and 

 metamorphic rocks. The part east of the bay belongs to the Carboni- 

 ferous system. The state is not rich in minerals. Iron-ore is found 

 in various places, but it is not much worked. Coal is found, but it is 

 an anthracite of secondary quality, and it ia likewise little worked. 

 Some copper-ore is said to have been found. Serpentine is abundant. 

 Limestone is obtained in great quantities in the north-ea<tern part of 

 the state; also marble of good quality. Freestone is extensively 

 quarried. 



The soil is generally thin. On the mainland it is mostly a gravelly 

 loam, which with careful culture is tolerably fertile : on the islands it 

 , i slaty, but productive. The climate is temperate but changeable. 

 On the whole it is said very much to resemble that of England, aud it 

 is generally very healthy. In places, as at Newport, which is a favourite 

 resort of invalids, it is milder in the winter aud cooler in the summer 

 than in any other part of New England. 



ProdiKiiotu, Manufactures, Commerce. Grain is grown in consider- 



