170 



CONNECTICUT. 



Vessels 



Education, 

 &c. 



Connecti- and the coasting, upwards of 32,897 tons of ship- support of education in the several towns. In every ConaeetU 



county town throughout the state, it is directed by the cutj J 



law that there shall be a grammar school. Academies 

 have also been established at several places within its 

 bounds, some of which are in a very flourishing con- 

 dition. Yale college, now in Newhaven, is an eminent 

 seminary of learning ; it was founded in the year 1700. 

 The first charter of incorporation in its favour was 

 granted to eleven ministers, under the denomination of 

 trustees, in 1701. The powers of the trustees were 

 enlarged by the additional charter 1 l l 13. And by that 

 of 174-5 they were incorporated by the name of the 

 President and Fellows of Yale College, Newhaven. The 

 corporation are empowered to hold estates, continue 

 their succession, make academic laws, elect and consti- 

 tute all officers of instruction and government usual in 

 universities, and confer all learned degrees. The or- 

 dinary executive government is in the hands of the 

 president and tutors. The course of education in this 

 university comprehends the three learned languages, 

 together with so much of the sciences as can be com- 

 municated in four years. Great attention is paid also 

 to oratory and the belles lettres. The public library be- 

 longing to the university consists of about 2500 vo- 

 lumes, and the philosophical apparatus contains at least 

 the principal machines necessary for exhibiting most of 

 the experiments usually introduced in courses of expe- 

 rimental philosophy and of astronomy. In the college 

 museum, to which additions are constantly making, 

 there are several natural curiosities. Proportionable to 

 the attention given towards furnishing the means, is the 

 thirst for learning which prevails among all ranks of 

 people in this community. More of the young men 

 in Connecticut, relatively to their numbers, receive a 

 public education than in any of the other states. Some 

 have thought, and perhaps not without reason, that the 

 fondness for academic and collegiate education, is here 

 too great, tending to draw off more than enough from 

 the primarily useful occupations. It may be supposed 

 also to be a consequence of this sedulous direction of 

 the youthful mind to learning, that there is found in 

 the national character so much of a certain gravity and 

 seriousness of deportment, accompanied with a degree 

 of shyness and reserve, that cannot fail to appear to 

 strangers in rather a forbidding and disagreeable light. 

 Be that as it may, it is yet to be understood that it is 

 only on the occasion of a first introduction that this tem- 

 per materially shews itself. On better acquaintance, 

 the people of this state are found to be abundantly fa- 

 miliar and inquisitive, and their hospitality is highly 

 exemplary and laudable. In respect to external ap- 

 pearance and manners, the men of the state of Con- 

 necticut are commonly tall, stout, and robust ; the avo- 

 men are fair, genteel, and handsome ; they are more- 

 over strictly virtuous, and often well informed. The 

 prevailing amusements here are (lancing, fishing, hunt- 

 ing, skaiting, and riding in sleighs * on the ice. In 

 winter, the sleigh is also much in use for travelling. 

 At other seasons, the common mode of travelling, both 

 for men and women, is on horseback. The luxury of 

 wheel carriages is, at the same time, by no means alto- 

 gether unknown. 



The constitution of Connecticut is founded on its Constitu 

 charter, which was granted by Charles II. in 1662, and tIor ' 

 on a law of the state. By these the supreme legisla- 

 tive authority is vested in a governor, deputy-governor, 



ping. 



In 1774, the number of its vessels had been 180; 

 their tonnage 10,317 ; seafaring men 11 62, besides up- 

 wards of 20 sail of coasting vessels, which employed 

 about 00 seamen. Various causes concurred rather to 

 diminish for a time than to increase these amounts ; 

 the more favourable state of which, at periods more 

 recent, is at once an indication and a consequence of 

 the generally increasing prosperity of the state. 



Town?. There is in Connecticut a great number of very plea- 



sant towns, both maritime and inland It contains five 

 cities, incorporated with extensive jurisdiction in civil 

 causes. The capitals of the state are Hartford and New- 

 haven. At the former of which the General Assembly 

 is holden annually in May, at the latter in October. 

 Hartford, situated, as has been said at the head of na- 

 vigation, on the west side of Connecticut river, has a 

 very fine back country, enters largely into the manu- 

 facturing business, and occupying an advantageous po- 

 sition for trade, is a rich flourishing commercial town. 

 Newhaven, lying round the head of the bay of the 

 same name, covers part of a large plain, which is cir- 

 cumscribed on three sides by high hills or mountains, 

 and on the east and west is bounded by two small ri- 

 vers. The situation is in a high degree at once plea- 

 sant and healthful, and the state of the town prospe- 

 rous. It carries on a considerable trade with New 

 York and the West India islands. New London stands 

 on the west side of the river Thames, near its entrance 

 into the sound, in lat.'41° 25', both in respect of its 

 situation generally, and of the goodness of its harbour, 

 enjoying considerable facilities for the prosecution of 

 trade. Norwich, which is situated at the upper part 

 of the same river, avails itself of the natural advan- 

 tages which it possesses, as being placed at the head 

 of navigation with a rich and extensive back country, 

 and with the command of many convenient site3 for 

 mills and water machines of all kinds, being, as in such 

 circumstances was reasonably to have been expected, 

 a considerable manufacturing and trading town. The 

 executive courts of law are held alternately here and 

 at New London. Middleton, which is pleasantly si- 

 tuated on the western bank of Connecticut river, 1 5 

 miles south of Hartford, carries on, like that town, a 

 large and increasing trade. Of other towns more or 

 less considerable hi this state, there are, on the banks 

 of the river just mentioned, Saybrook, Haddam, Wea- 

 thersfield,! Windsor, Suffield, Enfield, East Windsor, East 

 Hartford, Glastonbury, East Haddam, and Syme. Far- 

 mington, Litchfield, Milford, Stratford, Fairfield, and 

 Guildford, are also all rather respectable and very plea- 

 sant toAvns. 



Religion. There are very few religious sects in this state, the 



bulk of the people being Congregationalists. There are, 

 however, some Episcopalians and Baptists, and at New- 

 haven there is a society of Sandemanians. The Epis- 

 copalian churches are respectable, and are under the 

 superintendence of a bishop. The education of all 

 ranks of people is attended to here with as much assi- 



Education. duity, perhaps, as in any part of the world. Almost 

 every town in the state is divided into districts, each 

 of which has its public school, that is kept in it a great- 

 er or less part of every year. Somewhat more than a 

 third of the monies arising from a tax on the polls and 

 rateable estate of the inhabitants, is appropriated to the 



* The sleigh is a vehicle which hangs on four posts, standing on two steel sliders or large skates. 

 and can carry six persons. 



It is drawn by two horses, 





