174 NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



peninsula, and is the only seaport in the State. It has one of the best harbors in tne world, 

 completely landlocked, never frozen, and accessible to the largest ships. It is defended by 

 several forts and batteries, and contains a number of islands, on one of which is a United States 

 navy -yard. Portsmouth has a pleasant and healthy situation ; it contains some handsome build- 

 jngs, and the town is generally well built. The churches, a court-house, several banks, 2 mar- 

 kets, an academy, an athenaeum, containing valuable cabinets, and an almshouse, are among the 

 buildings. This town has a considerable commerce, and the Inhabitants own 26,000 tons of 

 shipping. Portsmouth is connected with Kittery, in Maine, by two bridges, one 480 feet in 

 length, and the other 1750 ; they are built upon 90 framed sections of piers. The town has 

 suffered severely by fires, the most recent and destructive of which, in 1813, consumed 397 

 buildings. Population, 9,000. Ship-building is extensively carried on here. ' 



Concord, on the Merrimack, is the seat of government, and lies principally on the west bank 

 of the river, in one street, nearly two miles in length. It contains a State house and State prison, 

 both of granite, a court-house, several churches, banks, and printing offices, and 200 houses. 

 On the east of the river is a considerable village, and another is forming in the western part of 

 the town. The State house is a neat edifice 126 feet in length, and 49 in width ; it has two 

 stories above the basement, and is surmounted b}' a cupola. The State prison is a granite 

 building 70 feet long and 36 wide, and is enclosed by a wall 14 feet high, surmounted by 10 

 additional feet of pickets. The convicts are employed in stone-cutting, coopering, iron work, 

 shoe-making, weaving, and tailoring. Much of the trade of the upper country centres in this 

 place, and the manufactures are considerable and increasing. Sewall's falls furnish a valuable 

 water power. Granite quarries are also worked in the town. Population, 4,500. There are 

 two bridges across the IMerrimack in the town. A'\ishua is an important manufacturing town 

 on the Merrimack, with 5,600 inhabitants. 



Dover, 10 miles northwest from Portsmouth, on the Cocheco, 4 miles above its junction 

 with the Piscataqua, is the oldest town in New Hampshire, and contains a court-house, jail, 

 bank, and extensive cotton manufactories. The river here has many falls, the largest of which 

 is 40 feet. Population, 6,000. Somerswo7'th, near Dover, comtprises the manufacturing village of 

 Great Falls, where there are several large manufactories. Population, 3,600. Exeter, 14 miles 

 from Portsmouth, at the head of tide water, on a stream running into the Piscataqua, is a con- 

 siderable town. It has a court-house, academy, and several manufactories of cotton, powder, 

 starch, paper, oil, &c. Population, 3,500. Jlmherst, on Souhegan River, a branch of the 

 Merrimack, is a pleasant village, having a mineral spring. Keene, Walpole, Hanover, and 

 Haverhill, are also considerable towns. 



5. Agriculture. New Hampshire is chiefly an agricultural State. Maize, wheat, rye, oals, 

 barley, flax, grass, &c., are the common products of the earth ; and pork, beef, mutton, poul- 

 try, butter, and cheese are exported. Agricultural societies are numerous, and great exertions 

 are made to improve the state of tillage. Plaster of Paris from New Brunswick has been used 

 /or some years as a manure. On the interval lands, which border the rivers, wheat often yields 

 20 or SO bushels to the acre, though generally from 15 to 20 is considered a good crop ; 

 maize will average 30 or 40 bushels, and potatoes 200 or 300. Of fruits, there are a variety. 

 No country produces more abundant crops of apples ; and cider, by proper management, may 

 be made of the best quality ; peaches do not flourish here ; but plums, pears, cherries. Sac, 

 grow in abundance. Meetings for cattle-shows are annually held, where the distribution of 

 prizes has a considerable efl^ect in exciting competition among the farmers. 



6. Commerce. The exports from the northern part of the State, go necessarily to the mar- 

 kets in Maine, and a great portion of those from the middle and southern parts are carried to 

 Newburyport, Boston, and Hartford. The maritime commerce of New Hampshire, therefore, 

 strictly speaking, is confined to the smgle port of Portsmouth. The staple commodities ex- 

 ported are lumber, provisions, horses, neat cattle, pot and pearl ashes, flaxseed, &c. The m- 

 land trade is more important. 



7. Jllanufactures. The preparation of lumber, fire-wood, pot and pearl ashes, ginseng, and 

 maple sugar, furnishes sources of profit to this thrifty people, and some mines and quarries are 

 advantageously worked. The large manufacturing establishments are not numerous, but the 

 aggregate product of mechanical industry is considerable. Thus, in a great many villages, we 

 find that leather, boots and shoes, carriages and wagons, mechanical and agricultural implements, 

 hats of fur, wool, and palm-leaf, furniture of all kinds, buckets and casks, &;c., and in fewer 

 instances cotton and woolen goods, glass, paper, gunpowder, and pottery, are produced for 



