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f»ntl«, PrfT!0!i< to x)\\t jtrul national uiuUrlakiiig, Bofton 

 had L»;l much of its p.ip\ilation and trade; but tliis event 

 !i3< rc:iov:iti"i1 the town. It Hands on the banks of the livtr 

 Wi'ham, w'.iich empties itfelf into the fe.i about five miles 

 rill of the tort-ri. Here is a commodi.-us. well-frequented 

 haven : and formerly « great trade was carried on in the ex- 

 portation of wool: that beinp proliibited, tilt merchants 

 were nceelTitatcd to feek forprofit in other commodities, and 

 have nearly kept pace in the cliaracteriftic comnurcial Ipirit 

 of the co;tiitry, bv advancing the popn! ition, opulence, and 

 tnde of Bolton, It is now. one of the mod eonliderablc 

 towns and ports in the county of Lincoln ; and, bclides two 

 weekly maikfts, ha", four annual fairs. 



Bolloii, according to Dcde, was anciently called Fiotolph's 

 town, from St. U(it')Iph, a Saxon, who founded a monalUry 

 here, which, accordint: to the fame venerable writer, gave 

 origin to the town. Other writers tlate, that the Romans 

 iiad a llation here, and in fupport of this opinion refer to 

 fome ancient foundations of buildins^s, hewn ftoiies,and iinis, 

 tint were discovered here in 1716. This town fent reprcfenta- 

 tives to three national councils, i ith, 2f)tli, and 27th of Edw. 

 III. and fird ri;turned regular members in I'^dw. VI. 's time. 

 Tt was incorporated in the laft year of Henry VII I. 's icij^n. 

 The number of voters amounts to nearly 200. About the 

 end of Henry I.'s reign, a man, named Robert Chamberlain, 

 with fome accomplices, difgmfed in the habits of monks, fct 

 the town on fire in fevtral places, for the purpofe of phin- 

 deriniT the inhab'tants. Chamberlain was taken, and exe- 

 cuted, but refufed to impeach his accomplices. 



The corporation, by whom the town is governed, confifts 

 of a mayor, who is chief clerk of the market, and admiral 

 of the coaft, a recorder, twelve aldermen, eighteen common- 

 councilmen, a judge, and marflial of the admiralty, a coro- 

 ner, two fcrieants at mace, and other inferior officers. 



The river Witham is navigableat fpring-tides for vefFels of 

 ten to eleven feet water ; and many of them are employed 

 in the corn-trade to London. A communication is opened 

 between this place and Lincoln, by means of a canal ; and 

 another cut communicates to Sleaford, Horncaftle, S:c. 



Bollon had formerly, befides St. Botolph's monaftery, a 

 priori-, four friaries, and three colleges. Tt had alfo two 

 churches ; but that of St. John's is entirely deftroyed. The 

 other, dedicated to St. Botolph, is a large, elegant pile of 

 building, with a lofly tower, which is jultly admired for the 

 lightntfs, ncatnefs, and beauty of its various compartments. 

 In the year 1,309 was laid the foundation of this flrufturc, 

 which has fince proved tlie pride and boalt of the Boftonlans. 

 It is joo Let in height, and is faid to be the loflicft tower in 

 England. From its top is a moll cxtenfive view over the 

 flat fens of Lincolnfliire. The whole height is divided into 

 four compartments, of which the uppcrmoll is formed into 

 an oflagon-fliapcd lanthorn, each fide perforated with pointed 

 arched windows, and filled with muUions and tracery^ This 

 is attached to the fquare tower by flying buttreffes, termi- 

 nated by purfled pin;iacles. The three other compartments 

 are ornamented with highly decorative windows and tracery ; 

 and at each corn:r are two ilrong ornamented buttrelTes. 

 The church, though more ancient than the tower, difplays 

 a fine example of Englifh florid ccclcliallical architcfture. 

 Large in dimenfions, lofty and light in its general charafter, 

 and richly elegant in the various decorative ornaments of 

 windows, oratories, door-ways, &c. it will be examined with 

 dcli_jht by the archileftui-al antiquary. It confifls of a nave, 

 chancel, fide aifles, fouth porch chapels, &c. ; and is one 

 hundred feet in width, by three hundred feet in length. In 

 the upper part of the nave are twci;ty-cight pointed win- 

 dows, between which arc fourteen groined arches, witli light 



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fpandrils ciiriouny moulded. Thefe, with their interfeaions 

 and embolfments, produce a very beautiiul eiTcd, which is 

 improved bv the lofty columns and arches that divide the 

 centre from the fide aiflts, 



Tiie general appearance and convenience of Bofton have 

 been much improved within the lall twenfy years. Many 

 oblh-uttions h'ive been removed, and new buildings eicfted. 

 T!ie market-place is Ipacious, and is ornamented with a 

 handfome market-crofs. In 1772, the corporaticni built an 

 excellent lilh-market, which is abundantly i'upjilied with fea 

 and river fitli. Qjiten Elizabeth gave the corporation a 

 court of admiralty 'over all the adjacent fea-coalh Veffth 

 arrive here from S'tantim's wharf, London, every ten days; 

 and from Hull and Lvnn, every fpriiig tide. Several foreign 

 fliips trade here in fummer with timber, rye, wine. Sec. 

 Bollon is J 5 miles call of Lincoln, and 1 16 miles N.E. of 

 I^ondon. It contaius 12,2 houfts, and Jij^ti inhabitants. 

 Hillory of the Boroughs of Great Britain, vol. ii. How- 

 let's Seled Views of Lincolnfnire, 4to. 



Boston, the capital of the Hate of Maffachufett's, in 

 America, the hrgell town of New England, and the third 

 in fi/,e and rank in the United States, lies in N. lat. 42° 

 23' 15", and W. long. 70° 58' 53". I'his town, together 

 with the towns of Hingham, Chelfea, aud Hull, conftitute 

 the county of Suffolk; and it is diftant 61 miles S. by W. 

 from Portfmouth, 16+ N. E. from New Haven, 252 N.E. 

 from New York, 347 N.E. from Philadelphia, and 500 

 N.E. from the city of Wafliington. It is built upon a pe- 

 ninl'ula of irregular form, at tlic bottom of Mafl'aehufett's 

 bay, and is joined to the land by an iUhmus at the loutli end of 

 the town leading to Roxbury. Its length, including the neck, 

 is 3 miles ; that of the town itfelf is not quite 2 miles ; its 

 wide!! part, 726 yards. The peninfula contains about 700 

 acres (fome fay 1000), in wdiich are 2376 dwelling-houfef. 

 The number of inhabitants, in 1790, was 18,038; but it 

 has i]nce been much augmented. The town is inttrfcdled 

 by 97 llreets, 36 lanes, and 26 alleys, btfides iS courts, &c. 

 many of which are irregular and incommodious. State-llreet 

 is very fpacious, and connetling in a line with Long wharf, 

 where llvangers ulually land, exhibits a flattering idea of the 

 town. Bofton contains 19 edifices tor public worftiip ; 9 for 

 congregationalifts, 3 for epifcopalians, and 2 for baptifts. 

 The Friends, Roman catholics, niethodifts, Sandemanians, 

 and univerfalifts, have alio one appropriated to each. Moft 

 of them are ornamented witli beaiiiitul fpircs, and furnifhed 

 with clocks and bells. The other public buildings are the 

 flate-honfe, court-honfe, two theatres, concert-hall, Faneuil 

 hall, gaol, alms-houfe, work-houfe, bridewell, and powder 

 magazine. Franklin place, adjoining Federal llreet theatre, 

 contains a monument o! Dr. Franklin, and is reckoned a 

 great ornament to the town. A magnificent ftate-houfe is 

 alfo erefled on the fouth fide of Beacon-hill, fronting the 

 mall, and overtopping the monument on Beacon-hill. The 

 market-place, in which Faneuil hall is fituated, is plentifully 

 fnpplied with all kinds of provifioiis, both from the country, 

 and from the ocean, and rivevs. 



The harbour of Bofton is formed by point Alderton on 

 the fouth, and by Nahant point on the north. It is fufli- 

 ciently capacious to admit 500 veffels to ride at anchor in 

 good depth of water ; but the entrance is fo narrow, as 

 hardly to allow two fhips to pafs a-breaft. It is diverfified 

 with about 40 iOands, the greatcft number of which confilt 

 of rocks and banks of fand, flightly covered with verdure ; 

 but about 15 of them afford excellent pafturage, hay, grain, 

 and agreeable places of refort in fummer to parties gf pkafiiie. 

 At the diftance of about three miles from the town is Cattle- 

 jfland, the fortifications of which, formerly called Caftle- 



Waiiam, 



