CONNECTICUT. 



Divisions. 



Popula- 

 ciou. 



Climatf. 



163 



41° and 42° 2' north latitude, and between 71° 20' 

 and 73° 15' west longitude. Its greatest breadth is 

 about 72 miles, and its length 100 miles. It is bounded 

 towards the north by Massachuscts, on the east by 

 Rhode Island ; on the south by the sound which sepa- 

 rates it from Long Island; and on the west by the state 

 of New York. This state contains about 4674 square 

 miles, equal to about 2,640,000 acres. It is divided 

 into eight counties, viz. Fairfield, of which the chief 

 towns are Fan-field and Danbury ; New Haven, with 

 a capital of the same name ; Middlesex, the chief towns 

 of which are Middlesex and Haddam ; New London, 

 of which the principal towns are New London and 

 Norwich ; and Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland, and Wind- 

 ham, each of which divisions respectively has a capital 

 of the same name. Of these counties, the four former 

 extend along the Sound from north to east ; the others 

 in the same direction, on the border of the state of Mas- 

 sachusets. They are divided into townships, which 

 again are subdivided into parishes. The number of 

 these townships is about 100, in each of which are con- 

 tained two or more parishes, which are severally sup- 

 plied with one or more places of public worship, and 

 likewise school-houses at convenient distances. At 

 New Haven there is a college. In 1756, the popula- 

 tion of this state amounted to 1 30.61 1 persons ; in 1 774, 

 to 197,856; in 1782, to 202,877 whites, and 6273 In- 

 dians and negroes; in 1790, to 237,496, exclusive of 

 2764 slaves ; in 1800, to 251,002, of whom 121,113 were 

 free white males, 123,528 free white females, 5300 free 

 persons, except Indians, not taxed, and 951 slaves; and 

 in 1810, to 261,727. The original stock, from which 

 have sprung all the present occupiers of Connecticut, is 

 said to have consisted of 3000 persons, chiefly from 

 England, who settled here about the years 1635 and 

 1636. ■ „ 



Though exposed to the extremes of heat and cold, 

 and to sudden changes of temperature, this country is 

 very healthful. The north-west winds which prevail 

 during the winter are keen, owing to the great body 

 of snow which lies concealed from the influence of the 

 sun in the immense north and north-west forests ; but 

 the serenity, of the sky during the same season, makes 

 amends in some degree for this severity of the weather. 

 In the maritime towns, the weather is particularly va- 

 riable, changing as the wind blows from the sea or 

 land ; in the inland country it is less so. 



The territory of the state of Connecticut is generally 

 broken land, made up of mountains, hills, and vallies. 

 The soil is rich and fertile, though intermixed with 

 portions that are comparatively thin and barren ; and 

 the whole is well watered. The principal productions 

 are Indian corn, rye, wheat in many parts of the state, 

 oats and barley, and of late some bu ck- wheat ; flax in 

 large quantities, some hemp, potatoes, pumpkins, tur- 

 nips, pease, beans, &c. The principal object of the cul- 

 ture of the>tate consists, however, in its meadows, which 

 enable the farmers to feed great numbers of neat cattle, 

 horses, and other stock, with such advantage, that a 

 given extent of good meadow land in Connecticut yields 

 a return double of that derived from land laid under 

 corn in the best districts of New York. Many farmers 

 in the eastern part of the state have lately found their 

 advantage in raising mules, which. are carried to the 

 West India islands. 



The state of Connecticut is generally laid out in small 

 farms, from 50 to 300 and 400 acres each, which are for 

 the most part well cultivated. The country is intersected 

 with numerous roads, in any of which, even in the most 



unsettled parts of the state, a traveller can seldom pro- 

 ceed more than two or three miles without finding a 

 house or cottage, and a farm under such improvements 

 as to afford the necessaries for the support of a family. 



The principal rivers of Connecticut are one of the Rhj 

 same name, the Housatonick, and the Thames. 



The Connecticut, which is the principal river in the 

 eastern part of the United States, rises in the high lands 

 which separate the states of Vermont and New Hamp- 

 shire from Lower Canada. It has been surveyed about 

 25 miles beyond the 45° of latitude, to the head spring of 

 its northern branch ; from which, to its mouth, it flows 

 upwards of 300 miles, through a well inhabited coun- 

 try. It fertilizes the lands through which it runs, but its 

 navigation is much interrupted by falls. Some of these 

 occur at Enfield in this state, at which place, to render 

 the river navigable for boats, a company has been incor- 

 porated, and a sum of money raised by lottery. The 

 principal stream which it receives within the u Connecti- 

 cut state, is the Farmington, which falls into it from the 

 west at Windsor. At Hartford it meets the tide, whence 

 it passes on in a winding course, till it falls into Long 

 Island Sound, between Saybrook and Lyme. At its 

 mouth there is a bar of sand, on which, however, at full 

 tide, there is a depth of water of 1 feet. Above Middle- 

 ton there are some shoals which, even at high tide, 

 when the increase in the depth of the water may be 

 about eight inches, are not more than six feet deep. 

 About three miles from this city, the river is contract- 

 ed by two mountains to the space of about 40 rods ; but 

 even so much farther up the stream as at 130 miles 

 from its mouth, the breadth is from 80 to 100 rods, and 

 commonly the banks are low, spreading into fine ex- 

 tensive meadows, which in the spring floods are cover- 

 ed with water. Notwithstanding the bar just mention- 

 ed, this river is navigable as far as Hartford, 50 miles 

 distant from its mouth, for vessels of some burden, and 

 the produce of the country for 200 miles above it is 

 brought thither in flat-bottomed boats, which were so 

 light as to be portable in carts. An important improve- 

 ment was effected hi 1795, by the completion of the 

 locks and canals round the falls at South Hadley. : Stur- 

 geon, salmon, and shad are caught in abundance in this 

 river, likewise a variety of small fish, such as pike, carp, 

 and perch. In 1 789, there were employed from or upon 

 it three brigs of 180 tons each in the European trade, 

 and about 60 sail from 60 to 150 tons in the West In- 

 dia trade, besides a few fishermen, and 40 or 50 coast- 

 ing vessels ; and a considerable increase has since taken 

 place in these numbers. 



Of the Housatonick river, one branch rises in Lanes- 

 borough, the other in Windsor, both in Massachussets. 

 After passing a number of towns, it empties itself into 

 the Sound, between Stratford and Milford, being navi- 

 gable for 12 miles as far as to Derby, but with an ob- 

 struction in the way of large vessels, arising from a bar 

 of shells at its mouth. Between Salisbury and Canaan 

 there is a cataract in its course, where its whole water, 

 which is here 150 yards wide, falls about 60 feet per- 

 pendicularly in a perfectly white sheet. 



The Thames falls into Long Island Sound at New 

 London, being navigable for 14 miles from its mouth to 

 Norwich landing. At this point it divides into two 

 branches, Norwich, or Little River, on the west, and 

 on the east Shetucket. About a mile from the mouth 

 of the former of these, there is a remarkable and very 

 romantic cataract. The whole of the river having first 

 pitched, in an entire sheet, over a rock 10 or 12 feet in 

 perpendicular height, which extends quite across, & 



