administered by men especially elected for that purpose, by themselves.-Stimulated and supported by these, literature, science, and the fine arts are all flourishing. The mercantile interest in the United States, as well as in Great Britain, for reasons already assigned, (page 77,) suffered severely by the return of peace; but during the last two years, the foreign commerce of the republic has greatly improved, and is fast rising into its former importance. The amount of the revenue is yearly increasing ; and by the last report of the secretary of the treasury, is estimated for the year 1819, to exceed the public expendi ture by nearly three millions of dollars.

One of the most celebrated orators in the British parlia ment, astonished at the growth which, in his time, had taken place in the American provinces, then subject to Great Britain, uses the following prophetic language:"Whatever England has been growing to by a progressive increase of improvement, brought in by varieties of peo ple, by succession of civilizing conquests and civilizing settlements, in a series of 1700 years, you shall see as much done by America in the course of a single life." This auspicious prediction has been fully realized; and the United States have risen to a distinguished rank among the nations of the earth, with a rapidity of which history furnishes no example. Under all these circumstances of na tional prosperity and general happiness, the inhabitants of that favoured country cannot be too thankful to the Divine Being for the blessings they enjoy. Kindly separated by nature and a wide ocean from the exterminating havoc of one quarter of the globe; too high-minded to endure the degradations of the others; possessing a chosen land, with room for their descendants to the thousandth and thou sandth generation; entertaining a due sense of their equal rights to the use of their own faculties, to the acquisitions of their industry, to honour and confidence from their fellow-citizens; resulting not from birth but good con duct, and enlightened by a benign religion, possessed, indeed, and practised in various forms, yet all of them inculcating honesty, temperance, and the love of man, the heart that feels these advautages must dilate with joy, and heave with gratitude to the supreme Giver of all good, whose over-ruling providence, by its dispensations, proves that he delights in the happiness of man here, and his greater felicity hereafter.

VIEW

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

NEW HAMPSHIRE is situated between 42° 42′ and 45° 13' N. lat. and 4° 23′ and 6° 10′ E. long. It is bounded on the north by Lower Canada; south, by Massachusetts; east, by the district of Maine, and the Atlantic ocean; and west by Connecticut river, which separates it from Vermont. Its length, from north to south, is 160 miles; and its breadth, from east to west, seventy miles; containing 8,500 square miles, or 5,440,000 acres.

Lakes and rivers.-The principal lakes in this state are Winnipiseogee, Umbagog, Sunapee, Squam, and Ossapee. The Winnipiseogee is the largest collection of water in the state, being twenty-two miles in length, and from three to eight miles in breadth. Some very long necks of land project into it; and it contains several islands, on which rattlesnakes are very common. It abounds with fish from six to twenty pounds weight. The mountains which surround it give rise to many streams which flow into it; and between it and the mountains are several lesser ponds which communicate with it. Contiguous to this lake are the townships of Moultonborough, on the north-west; Tuftonborough, and Wolfborough on the north-east; Meridith and Gilmantown on the south-west. From the southeast extremity of this lake to the north-west corner, there is good navigation in the summer, and generally a good road in the winter, the lake is frozen about three months in the year, and many sleighs and teams, from the circumjacent towns, cross it on the ice. Winnipiseogee river

conveys the waters of the lake into Pemigewasset river, through its eastern bank at New Chester; the united streams there take the name of Merrimack river, Umbagog lake is situated in the north-east corner of the state, and is next in size to Winnipiseogee; it lies in Grafton county, and a small part of it in the district of Maine. Supapee lake, situated in Chester county, is nine miles long and three broad, and sends its waters through Sugar river, fourteen miles, to Connecticut river, Squam lake, part of which lies in Grafton and the other in Strafford coun ty, is about five miles long and four broad. Ossapee lake lies north-east of Winnipiseogee, and between them stands Ossapee mountain. The waters of the lake run east, and joined by South river, from Great Ossapee river, which falis into Saco river, near the division line between York and Cumberland counties, in Maine, between Lime. rick and Gorham.

The most considerable pivers in this state are Connecticut, Merrimack, Piscataqua, Saco, Androscoggin, Upper and Lower Arnonopsuck, besides many other smaller streams. The Piscataqua is the boundary line between this state and the district of Maine; and forms the harbour for the only shipping port in New Hampshire. This river has four branches, Berwick, Cochechy, Exeter, and Dur, ham, which are all navigable for small vessels from fifteen to twenty miles from the sea. Merrimack river has its course southerly through this state till it enters Massachusetts; it then turns easterly, and passes into the ocean at Newbury-port. Vast quantities of ship-timber, and various kinds of lumber, are brought down in rafts; a great part of which is carried to Boston, through the Middlesex canal. Six or seven bridges have been thrown over this fine river at different distances from New Concord downwards; the most elegant and expensive of which is that at Newbury,

Mountains and minerals.--New Hampshire is intersected by several ranges of mountains; the first range of which is called the Blue-hills, passes through Rochester, Barrington, and Nottingham, and the several summits are distinguished by different names. Behind these are several higher detached mountains, and still farther back are others still more elevated; among which, Chocorus, Ossa-. pee, and Kyarfarge are the principal. Beyond these last named, is the lofty ridge which divides the branches of Connecticut and Merrimack rivers, denominated the

Height-of-Land; in this range is the celebrated Monadnock mountain. Thirty miles north of this is Sunapee, and forty-eight miles further is Moosse hillock mountain. But the White mountains are by far the most stupendous of any in this state, or in New England; and are perhaps more remarkable than any within the United States. They form the most elevated part of a ridge, which extends north-east and south-west to an immense distance; the area of their base is an irregular figure, and its whole circuit not less than sixty miles. The summits of these moun, tains are visible on the land at the distance of eighty miles; the highest peak is in N. lat, 44° and its height 9,000 feet above the level of the sea. This has been distinguished by the name of Mount Washington. The natural productions of this state are ochres, isinglass, crystals, sulphur, freestone, lead, blacklead, and copper; but the most valuable is iron, which is found in many places, and is wrought in considerable quantities,

Climate, soil, and productions.-The climate of New Hampshire is highly favourable to health; but the winters are long and severe. Snow lies on the ground from three to four months, and the use of sledges during that period is general. The spring is rapid, and the heat of summer great, but of short duration; autumn is very pleasant. This state containing a number of very high mountains, and lying in the neighbourhood of others, whose tops are covered with snow three quarters of the year, renders cold so predominant, that the inhabitants do not expect more than four months of warm weather out of the twelve.

The face of the country is greatly variegated. The land next the sea is generally low, from whence it rises gradually from twenty to thirty miles, when the mountains commence, among which there are large rich valleys, and on Connecticut river a number of fine level plains. Mountainous countries are observed to be most subject to earthquakes. After the great shocks in 1727 and 1755, which were perceived through a great part of the American continenf, smaller shocks, were more frequent in New Hampshire than in the adjoining states. From 1755 to 1774, scarcely a year passed without some repetition; from that time to 1783, none were observed, and there have been but two or three since.

The soil of this state, near the sea-coast, (which is only fifteen miles in extent,) is in many places sandy; but near

the banks of rivers it is generally good, as is likewise the case in the valleys among the mountains; many of which are rocky and barren, but others are fertile on the brows, and nearly all are covered with timber. The river land is most esteemed, producing every kind of grain in the utmost perfection; but it is not so good for pasture as the uplands. In the new and uncultivated parts of the state, the soil is distinguished by the various kinds of timber which grow upon it; thus, white oak land is hard and stony, the undergrowth consisting of brakes and fern; this kind of soil will not bear grass till it has been ploughed and hoed; but it is good for Indian corn, and must be subdued by planting before it can be converted into mowing or pasture: the same may be said of chesnut land. Pitch pine land is dry and sandy; it will bear corn and rye with ploughing, but is soon worn out, and needs to lie fallow two or three years to recruit. White pine land is also light and dry, but has a deeper soil, and is of course better; both these kinds of land bear brakes and fern, and wherever these grow, it is an indication that ploughing is necessary to prepare for grass. Spruce and hemlock, in the eastern parts of the state, denote a thin, cold soil, which, after much labour in the clearing, will indeed bear grass without ploughing; but the crops are { small, and there is a natural tough sward, which must either rot or be burned before cultivation can take place. In the western parts, the spruce and hemlock, with a mixture of birch, denote a moist soil, which is excellent for grass. When the white pine and the oil-nut tree are found in the same land, it is commonly a deep moist loam, and is accounted very rich and profitable. Beech and maple land is generally esteemed the most easy and advantageous: for cultivation, as it is a warm, rich, loamy soil, which easily takes grass, Indian corn, and grain, without plough. ing; and not only bears good crops the first year, but. turns immediately to mowing and pasture:, that soil which is deepest and of the darkest colour, is reckoned the best. Black and yellow birch, white ash, elm, and alder, are indications of a good soil, deep, rich, and moist, which will admit grass and grain without ploughing. Red oak and white birch are signs of strong land, and generally the strength of the land is judged of by the largeness of the trees which it produces.

Agriculture is, and always will be, the chief business of. the people of New Hampshire, if they attend to their true interest. Beef, pork, mutton, poultry, wheat, rye, Indian corn, barley, pulse, butter, cheese, hops, esculent roots