tains abound with elegant views and grand scenery, and are interspersed with many beautiful and fertile valleys, finely watered with springs and rivulets. Iron and lead ores of several kinds; copperas; marble, white, grey, and variegated, in vast quantities; and pipe-clay, have been found in various parts of this state.

In the township of Tinmouth, in Rutland county, on the side of a small hill, is a very curious cave. The chasm at its entrance is about four feet in circumference: entering this, you descend 104 feet, and then enter a spacious room, twenty feet in breadth, and 100 in length; the angle of descent being about forty-five degrees. The roof of this cavern is composed of rock, through which the water is continually filtering; and the stalactites which hang from the roof, appear like icicles on the eves of houses, and are continually increasing in number and magnitude. The bottom and sides are daily incrusting with spar and other mineral substances; and on the sides of this subterraneous hall are tables, chairs, benches, &c. which appear to have been artificially carved. This richly ornamented room, when illuminated with the candles of the guides, has an enchanting effect upon the eye of the spectator. At the end of this cave is a circular hole of a conical form, fifteen feet deep, and at the bottom a spring of fresh water in continual motion, like the boiling of a pot; its depth has never been sounded.

Climate, aspect of the country, soil, and produce.~ The climate differs little from that of New Hampshire, and is extremely healthy. The earth is generally covered with snow from the middle of December till the end of March; but the winter season may be said to continue from the beginning of November till the middle of April, during which the inhabitants enjoy a serene sky and a keen cold air. The ground is seldom frozen to any great depth, being covered with a great body of snow, in some high lands to the depth of four or five feet, before the severe frosts begin. In this way the earth is enriched and moistened, and in the spring vegetation advances with great rapidity; but since the country has been cleared and cultivated, the winters are considerably milder, and spring commences sooner the summer is delightful.

The face of the country exhibits very different prospects; in general, this state is hilly, but not rocky. Northward to the Canada boundary, it is flat, and adjoining to the rivers there are the wide extensive plains of a fine level Country. At a small distance from them, the land rises

into the chain of high mountains already described, intersected with deep and long valleys. The heavy growth of timber, which is common throughout the state, evince the strength and fertility of the soil; elm, black birch, maple, ash, and bass wood, grow in the moist low ground, and the banks of the rivers are timbered principally with white pine, intermingled with vales of beech, elm, and white oak. For the most part, the soil is deep, and of a dark colour, rich, moist, warm, and loamy. It bears Indian corn, wheat, rye, barley, and oats, in large quantities, in the proportion of thirty bushels to an acre, as soon as it is cleared of the wood, without any ploughing or preparation; and after the first crops, naturally turns to rich pasture or meadow. The expenses occasioned by clearing the land, are always covered by the produce of pearlashes, extracted from the ashes of trees which they burn; and there are even persons who undertake to clear it on the sole condition of having the pearl-ashes for their labour. This kind of economy, however, seems peculiar to Vermont; for in all the other eastern states the trees are burnt at a certain loss. Flax is raised in considerable quantities, and latterly, a portion of hemp, for which the soil is well adapted, Potatoes, and all kinds of garden roots and vegetables, grow here in great plenty. Sugar to a large amount, of a good quality and flavour, is manufactured from the sugar-maple.

Civil divisions, chief towns, population, religion, and character. This state is divided into thirteen counties and 242 townships, which are generally six miles square.

Counties.

.....

Population.

Townships. Population. Chief Towns. Addison.........24......19,993...... Middlebury.........715 Bennington....16......15,893...... Bennington... ....611 Caledonia.......23......18,730...... Danville............771 Chittenden......24......18,120...... Burlington..........804 Essex......... .14...... 3,087...... Guildhall... Franklin........19......16,427......St. Albans...........729 Grand Isle...... 5...... 3,445......North Hero......... 82 * Jefferson

Montpelier

...685

Orange.........20......25,247......Chelsea...............745

.....

5,830......Craftsbury...........832 Rutland.. .27......29,486...... Rutland.... .......658

.........

Windham.......24......26,760...... Brattleborough.....786 Windsor.........23......84,879...... Windsor.............893

In every township is a reserve of two rights of land, of 850 acres each, one to be appropriated to the use of public schools, the other to be given in fee to the first minister who settles in the township. A part of the townships was granted by the government of New Hampshire, and the other by that of Vermont. In those granted by the former, a right of land is reserved for the support of the gospel in foreign parts; in those given by the latter, a college right, and a right for the support of country grammar schools, are reserved. In these reservations liberal provision is made for the support of the gospel, and for the promotion of common and collegiate education. Indeed it appears that the chief object of the legislature of this state has been to provide for the general diffusion of knowledge, by having common schools in every township; a plan highly praiseworthy, and which every community ought to imitate.

The principal body of the people are congregationalists and baptists; the other denominations are for the most part presbyterians and episcopalians. All the inhabitants are hardy, robust, full-featured, and florid in their complexions; and as they are chiefly husbandmen and mechanics, they are independent in their sentiments, liberal in their ideas, and hospitable to strangers. Their wants being mostly supplied among themselves, they are not subject to great changes of fortune; but are generally wealthy in proportion as they are industrious. With the exception of one settlement of Scotch people, the great bulk of the inhabitants are emigrants from Connecticut and Massachusetts, and their descendants; an active, industrious, hardy, and frugal race. The military strength of this state is truly respectable; the number of citizens enrolled in the militia being no less than 26,000; and the bravery of the "Greenmountain Boys" has long been proverbial.

Trade and manufactures.-Vermont being an inland country, at a considerable distance from the sea, or as it is sometimes termed, far from a market, contains no large commercial cities; but there are a great number of small towns, besides those already enumerated, most of which are in a state of progressive improvement. Montpelier, in Jefferson county, 531 miles distant from Washington, is the seat of government for the state; it is situated on the north-east side of Onion river, forty-three miles west from lake Champlain, and promises to be a place of importance.

The only external trade of Vermont is with Canada; but by means of its rivers, it carries on an extensive commerce with New York, Hartford, and Boston. The articles sent to those places are principally beef, pork, butter, cheese, wheat, flour, iron, nails, pot and pearl ashes, and lumber the total amount of exports in the year 1817 was 913,000 dollars.

Nature seems to have designed this part of the United States to be the seat of flourishing manufactures of every thing that can be made of iron or steel. Immense quantities of iron ore are found in several of the towns on the west side of the Green mountains. Rutland, Pittsford, and Tinmouth, in the county of Rutland, and Shoreham, in Addison county contain inexhaustible mines of that metal. This ore is easily melted, and produces from one-fourth to one-seventh of iron, which is mostly of the coldshire kind, works without difficulty, and makes excellent nails. A great number of forges and furnaces have been erected, particularly in Rutland, Addison, and Bennington counties, from which bar iron and nails are manufactured to a great amount. Most families manufacture the chief part of their own clothing, which is handsome and durable. Vast quantities of pot and pearl ashes are made in every part of the state; but one of the most important manufactories is that of maple sugar. It has been estimated that every family situated on Connecticut river, makes 200 pounds a year; and that one man in four weeks can make upwards of five hundred weight, of a quality equal to imported brown sugar. The planting of maple trees is now becoming general, and in many places the roads are lined with them; so that in a short time there will be sugar enough not only for home consumption, but also some for exportation. Besides the vast quantity of grain exported, a considerable portion has been lately manufactured into corn spirits; and many stills have been erected, to the great emolument of the owners and injury of the working people.

Nothing in the history of Vermont being of sufficient importance to require a separate article, the account of this state shall be closed with a view of its constitution and government.

Constitution, &c.-The inhabitants of Vermont, by their representatives, at Windsor, on Christmas day, 1777, declared that the territory called Vermont was, and of right ought to be, a free and independent state; and for the

purpose of maintaining regular government in the same, they made a solemn declaration of their rights, and ratified a constitution, of which the following is an abstract:

The declaration, which makes a part of their constitution, asserts, that all men are born equally free, with equal rights, and ought to enjoy liberty of conscience, freedom of the press, trial by jury, power to form new states in vacant countries, and to regulate their own internal police; that all elections ought to be free, that all power is originally in the people; that government ought to be instituted for the common benefit of the community, and that the people have a right to reform or abolish government; that every member of society has a right to protection of life, liberty, and property, and in return is bound to contribute his proportion of the expence of that protection, and yield his personal service when necessary; that he shall not be obliged to give evidence against himself; that the people have a right to bear arms, but no standing armies shall be maintained in time of peace; that the people have a right to hold themselves, their houses, papers, and possessions, free from search and seizure, and therefore warrants without oaths first made, affording sufficient foundation for them, are contrary to that right, and ought not to be granted; that no person shall be liable to be transported out of this state for trial for any offence committed within this state, &c.

The frame of government is legislative, executive, and judiciary. The legislative power is vested in representatives chosen annually, every free male of twenty-one years and upwards, who pays taxes, having a vote. The executive is confided to a governor, lieut.-governor, and council of twelve, chosen annually in like manner. And in order" that the freedom of the commonwealth may be kept inviolate for ever," once in every seven years a council of censors is chosen (none of whom are to be of the executive council or assembly) whose duty it is to see that the constitution has been preserved in its original purity; whether the taxes have been paid, and the public monies properly disposed of; whether the public servants have done their duty, and the laws been duly executed; and they are empowered, if they judge it necessary, to call a convention, to meet within two years after their sitting, to revise and amend the constitution: the proposed alterations to be published, for the inspection of the people, at least six months previous to the election of delegates to such convention.