THOMPSON'S VERMONT 



Jjart jfivnt 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



CHAPTER I. 



DESCRIPTIVE AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF VERMONT. 



Section I. 



Situation, Boimdarics, Extent and Divis- 

 ions. 

 Situation. — Vermont is situated in the 

 northwestern corner of New England, 

 and lies between the parallels of A2^ 44' 

 and 45° of north latitude, and between 3'; 

 35' and 5° 29' of east longitude from the 

 Capitol of the United States at Washing- 

 ton, or between 71'' 33' and 73° 25' of 

 west longitude from Greenwich Observa- 

 tory.* The most eastern extremity of 



* Wliere it is not otherwise specified, tlio longi- 

 tudes given in this work arc in all cases reckoned 

 from the Capitol of the United States. The longi- 

 tude of the Capitol from Greenwich, according to 

 the most recent observations, is 77'^ 1' 48". It is 

 very much to bo lamented that the longitude of 

 places in Vermont is so imperfectly known. We 

 are not aware that a single point within the state 

 has been determined with any pretensions to ac- 

 curacy. True, a few solar eclipses have been ob- 

 eerved and some calculations have l)een made, for 

 the purpose of deducing from them the longitude of 

 the places ; but the only observations within our 

 knowledge, which have hitherto been regarcled as 

 entitled to any degree of confidence, were those of 

 the solar eclipse of 1311, made at Burlington by Prof 

 James Dean and John Jolmson, Esq., and at Rut- 

 land by Dr. Williams. The longitude of the Uni- 

 versity of Vermont, deduced from these observa- 

 tions by Dr. Bowditcli, was 73' 14' 34", and of Rut- 

 land court house 72'^ 57' 27' ' west from (jreenwich 

 observatory, and in accordance with these has the 

 longitude of the different parts of the state been, 

 laid down upon our maps. In 1838, the author pre- 

 pared, with much care, for observing the large solar 

 eclipse of that year, for the purpose of determining 



Pt. I. 1 



Vermont is in the township of Canaan, 

 and the most western in the township of 

 Addison. This state lies nearly in tha 

 middle of the north temperate zone. The 

 longest day at the south line of the state, 

 is ihh.. 9m. 9s., and at the north line, 15h. 

 25m. 50s. , 



Boundaries. — Vermont is bounded on 

 the north by the province of Canada, on 

 the east by New Hampshire, on the south 

 by Massachusetts, and on the west by 

 New York. The north line of the state 

 runs upon the parallel of latitude 45" 

 north. This line was first surveyed by 

 commissioners appointed by the provinces 

 of New York and Canada, in the year 

 1767. It was afterwards run, but very 

 erroneously, by I. Collins and I. Garden, 

 in 1772. In 1806, Dr. Samuel Williams 

 made some observations with the view of 

 ascertaining the true north lineof the state, 

 and still further observations were made in 

 181S, by Messrs. Hassler and Tiarks, sur- 

 veyors under the treaty of Ghent. Ac- 



tlie longitude of the University. But the opportu- 

 nity proved unfavorable, the sun being hid by cloudi 

 during the greater part of the eclipse. Of the be- 

 ginning he had a tolerable observation, and from thig 

 alone he carefully calculated the longitude by Dr. 

 Bowditch's precepts, and the result was 73* 10' 36" 

 for the longitude of the University , or about 4m. less 

 than was obtained from the preceding observations ; 

 and, as he is inclined, from other circumstances, to 

 think it as near an approximation to the true lon- 

 gitude as any yet obtained, he has adopted it in this 

 work. 



