B A L 



Bat.timors, the chief town in tlie above county, and 

 the largelt in tht ftate of Marvland ^ ranks in fize the fourth, 

 aiid m commerce the fifth, in the United States. It is leated 

 on the north fide of Patapfco river, at a fmail diftance from 

 its iunftion with the Chefapeak, and fiirrounds^ what is called 

 the lliion, in which the water rifes at common tides to the 

 height of five or fix feet, and which is reckone ' one of the 

 fincll harbours in America. This bafon, fays Weld, affords 

 about nine feet of water, and is large- enough to contain 

 20OO fail of merchant vefTels. Along this- baton are wharfs 

 and Itores through the whole len;;th of the town, liahimore 

 is divided inta tlie part called the town, aiid that called Tell's 

 point, by a creek, over which are two- bridges; but the 

 houfes are irregularly fcattered from, tlie one to the other. 

 At Fell's point the water is deep enough for fliip'? of burden, 

 but only fmall vefTels go up to the town. Wbjrfs liave 

 been built at this po'nt, by the fide of which veflels of 600. 

 tons burden may I'e with perfcft fafety. H.re many per- 

 fons have been induced to fettle, on account of its contiguity 

 to the fnipping. Upwards of 700 houfes have been already 

 erefted there, and regular Itrects laid out, with a large mar- 

 ^ kei place. Thefe houfes, generally fp'.aking, are conlidcred 

 as a part of Baltimore, though they apparently form a fcpa- 

 rate town, being more tiian a mile dillant from the other part 

 of the town. Fell's poifit is. chiefly the refidence of feafaring 

 people, and of the younger partners of mercantile houfea, 

 who are llationed there to attend the fhippng. The fitua- 

 tion of Baltimore is low, and it was formerly thought in- 

 falubrious; but by its rapid increafe, and the improvements 

 attending it, the air is lef* loaded with vajjours, and the 

 town is become mor-e healthy. The fcafon of the year, lead 

 favourable to health, is autumn, when the more opuknt in- 

 habitants retire to their country feats, delightfully fituated 

 in the neighbourhood. The principal ftreet, called Market 

 ilreet, is nearly a mile long, and about eighty feet wide, 

 and runs nearly from eaft to weft, parallel with the water ; 

 it is croffcd at'right angles, much after the manner of thofe 

 in Philadelptiia, by other ftreets, feveral houfes of which are 

 well biiih, leading from the water. North and eaft of the 

 town the land rifts, and affords a fine profp.ft of the town 

 and bay ; tlve town, the point, the (hipping both in the 

 bafon and at Fell's point, th"e bay as far as the eye can reach, 

 rifing ground on the right and left of the harbour, a grove 

 of trees on the declivity at the right, and a ftream of water 

 breakim- o-,-er the rocks at the foot of the hill on the left, 

 :ill confpire to complete the beautjf and grandeur of the 

 profpeft. 



In 1787, Baltimore contained 1955 dwelLing-houfes, 1200 

 being in the town, and the reft at Fell's point. It tlien con- 

 tained 152 ftores. The number of the inhabitaiUs of the town 

 and precincts amoHRted, in 1791, to 13.503, including 1,255 

 Haves. But the number of houfes and inhabitants have fince 

 that time very much increafed^ Mr. Weld, who vi-fited this 

 place in 1795, fays that it contains about- 16,000 inhabitants; 

 among whom are to be found Enghfh, Irifh-i Scots, and 

 Trench; but the Irifh, of whom many are the principal 

 merchants of the town, are the moft numerous. Since the 

 war it lias received a great acccfUon of French, both from 

 France and from the Weft Ind'a iflands. 



Moft of the inhabitants are engaged in trade. They are 

 moftly plain peopit, fociabk, hov/ever, among thcmftlves, 

 iaiYS Weld, and very friendly and hofpitable towards ftrangers. 

 •'There are jr.any rcfp^iTlable families in Baltimore," lays 

 Morfe, " who live gtnceelly, are hofp.itabIe to ft-rangers, and 

 maintain a friendly and improving iatcrcourfe with each 

 other; but the bulk of the inhabitants, rectiirly colkxEted 

 frc!(n almoll 3)1 quarters of the •world, bttu aa the purfuit 



B A L 



of wealth, varying in their habits, their manners, and theit 

 religion, if they h.ive any, are unfocial, unimproved,, and in-- 

 hofpitable." Tiic churches and places for public worfhip. 

 are ten in number; one refpeflivcly for F.pifcopalians, Pref- 

 bytcrians, German Ludierans, Gi-rman Calvinifts, Reformed' 

 Germans, Nicolites or new Q^uakers, Baptjftj, Roman Cs- 

 tholics, and two for Methodills. 'I'he bell building, and' 

 t]ie handfomeft in the town, is the Prelbyterian church,, 

 lately ereiled. At Baltimoie there are two theatrss, that 

 arc ufed occafiona!ly> cards and d-ancingare favourite amufe- 

 nieuts, both in private and public alfemblics, which are held 

 evci-y fortnight. They have three incorporated banks in 

 this town, aad the number of notes ift'ued from them, fomc 

 o[ which are ft-r fo fmall a fum as a fingle dcl'ar, is fo great 

 as almoft to preclude the circulation of fpecie. Gold is- 

 ex.tremely fcarce. As for the Hate of the trade of this- 

 towu, mxirW informs us, tliat, in 1790, it owned 27 (hips, 

 one fuow, ji. brigantiiits, 34 fchooners, wid 9 floops; m 

 all 102, whofe total tonnage was 13,56^;. The exports in 

 the fame year amounted to 2,027,770, and the imports to- 

 1,949,899 dollars. In July, Auguft, and September of this 

 year, they amounted only to 343,584 dollars; but in the; 

 lame months in 1795, 'hey weris advanced to 1,675,748 

 dollars. The police of the town is condutted by a board 

 of town commillioners, a board of fpecial commifiioners, and. 

 a board of wardens; the firft board fupplies its own vacan- 

 cies, and is perpetual; the two laft are appointed by eleftors,. 

 chofen every fitth year by the citii^ens. Baltimore is diftant 

 5.3 miles SvW. from Elktown, 176 N.E. from Richmond. 

 in Vu-glnia, 50 N.E. from the city of Wafliington, and 103 

 S.W. fiom Philadelphia. N.lat. 39° 21'. W.long. 77° 48'. 

 Morft's Geog. p. 353. Weld's Travels through N. Ame- 

 rica, in 1795, 1:796, and I "97, vol. i. p. 43. 



Baltimore Bay, lies near the extremity of the fouthern 

 coaft of Ireland, between two headlands, and runs a confi- 

 derable way into the land towards the north-eaft. The 

 town, or village, from which it takes its name, was formerly 

 a place of trade, but being plundered by the Algerines, in 

 1 63 1, it never recovered itlelf. It was one of the Irifh' 

 boroughs, and fcnt two members to parliament. It ftands 

 on the fouth point of the eaftern headland-, in N.lat. 51" 15'. 

 and W.long. 9° 10'; and has a- good harbour. The bay 

 extends from Baltimore point on the call to Mizen head 

 on the weft, which are eigh.t leagues afunder. It has feveral 

 coves or harbours befides that of Baltimore, and contains 

 many fmall iflands. 



Balttmore, in Ornithology, a fptcics of OriOlus, of a 

 blackifh colour, with a fulvous breaft and belly, and a band- 

 on the wing of the fame colour. Gmelin. Linn, Syft. Nat.'. 

 'ITiis is le Baltimore of Briffon, BufTon, &c. ;. Bdltimare Ihdi 

 of Catefby; and Buhhnore orlok of Latham. 



" Baltimore birds are fo\ind in many parts of North Ame- 

 rica, the northern parts of which they occupy in fummer, 

 being feen fometimes as far as Montreal in Canada, where- 

 they come in May; returning fouth ward in the winter, 

 which accounts for their being fcen in Maryland and Vir- 

 ginia at thar time, 'i'hey make the ncft of foft downy 

 matter, in th-e fhapc o.- a purfe, tying it with threads to the 

 very extreme foiktu> twigs of the tviiip, plane, and hiccory 

 trees; in which they lay their eggs, and rear their yoimg, 

 free from deproiatwrs of all kinds. 



" They arc caJitd fire-birds by the country people; and 

 indeed, when in high plumage, their motions fparrv branch to- 

 branch not inaptly refemblc a flafii of fire."' Latham Gen. 

 Syn. 



This kind is about feven inches in length. The male bird, 

 haatkt head, ueck, acd npjvr parts black; reft- of the body, 



boed' 



