The prefent number of inhabitants in this district is about an hundred thousand.

RELIGION AND CHARACTER.

There are no peculiar features in the character of the people of this diftrict, to diftinguish them from their neighbours in NewHampshire and Vermont. Placed as they are in like circumftances, they are like them, a brave, hardy, enterprifing, induftrious, hofpitable people. Episcopacy was established by their first charter, but now the prevailing religious denominations are Congregationalists and Baptifts, who are candid, tolerant, and catholic towards thofe of other perfuafions; there are a few Epifcopalians and Roman Catholics.

TRADE AND MANUFACTURES.

From the first fettlement of Maine, until the year 1774 or 1775, the inhabitants generally followed the lumber trade to the neglect of agriculture. This afforded an immediate profit. Large quantities of corn and other grain were annually imported from Bofton and other places, without which it was fuppofed the inhabitants could not have fubfifted. But the late war, by rendering these refources precarious, put the inhabitants upon their true interest, i. e. THE CULTIVATION OF THEIR LANDS. They now raise a fufficient quantity for their own confumption; though too many are still more fond of the axe than of the plough. Their wool and flax are very good; hemp has lately been tried with great fuccefs. Almost every family manufacture wool and flax into cloth, and make farming utenfils of every kind for their own ufe.

The exports of this country are lumber of various kinds, fuch as mafts, which of late, however, have become scarce; white pine boards, ship timber, and every species of split lumber manufactured from pine and oak; thefe are exported from the different ports in immenfe

quantities

quantities. Dried fifh furnishes likewife another very capital article of the exports of this district.

LEARNING AND LITERATURE.

The erection of a college near Cafco bay was long fince contemplated and determined on, and the legislature have proceeded fo far in the bufincfs as to determine on the principles of fuch an establishment. Academies in Hallowell, Berwick, Fryeburg, and Machias, have been incorporated by the legiflature, and endowed with handfome grants of the public lands. And it is but juft to observe, that town-schools are very generally maintained in most of the towns that are able to defray the expenfe, and a fpirit of improvement is increafing.

CONSTITUTION.

At the time of the United States becoming independent, this diftrict was in fome meafure incorporated with Maffachusetts, by virtue of a charter derived from King William and Queen Mary; it has as yet continued nearly the fame connection, its conftitution is therefore the fame with that State. The feparation of this district, and its erection into an independent State, have been fubjects publicly difcuffed by the inhabitants in town meetings, by appointment of the legislature. Such is the rapid fettlement and progrefs of this country, that the period when this contemplated feparation will take place, is probably not far diftant.

INDIANS.

The remains of the Penobscot tribe are the only Indians who take up their refidence in this district. They confist of about one hundred families, and live together in regular society at Indian Old Town, which is fituated on an island of about two hundred acres, in Penobscot river, just above the Great Falls. They are Roman Catholics, and have a priest, who refides among them, and adminifters the ordinances. They have a decent house for public worship, with a bell, and another building, where they meet to tranfact the public business of their tribe. In their affemblies all things are managed with the greatest order and decorum. The Sachems form the legiflative and executive authority of the tribe; though the heads of all the families are invited to be prefent at their public periodical meetings. The tribe is increafing, in confequence of an obligation laid, by the Sachems, on the young people to marry early.

In

In a former war, this tribe loft their lands; but at the commencement of the laft war, the Provincial Congress granted them all the lands from the head of the tide in Penobscot river, included in lines drawn fix miles from the river on each fide, i. e. a tract twelve miles wide, inteffected in the middle by the river. They, however, confider that they have a right to hunt and fish as far as the mouth of the bay of Penobscot extends. This was their original right, in oppofition to any other tribe, and they now occupy it undisturbed, and we hope will continue to to do, till the period fhall arrive when mingled with the reft of the inhabitants, they fhall form but one neral mafs.

ge:

PLAN

PLANTATIONS OF

RHODE ISLAND

PROVIDENCE.

AND

THE

SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES,

HE State known by this name lies between 41° and 42° north latitude and 3° and 4° eaft longitude from Philadelphia; the length is about fixty-eight miles, and the breadth forty miles; it is bounded on the north and eaft by the State of Maffachusetts, on the fouth by the Atlantic ocean, and on the weft by the State of Connecticut.

AIR AND CLIMATE.

This is as healthful a country as any part of North-America. The winters in the maritime parts are milder than in the inland country; the air being foftened by a fea vapour, which also enriches the foil. The fummers are delightful, especially on Rhode-Island, where the extreme heats, which prevail in other parts of America, are allayed by cool and refrefling breezes from the fea.

:

FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SEA COAST, &c. Rhode-Ifland, from which the State takes half its name, is thirteen miles in length; its average breadth is about four miles. It is divided into three townfhips, Newport, Portsmouth, and Middletown. This ifland, in point of foil, climate, and fituation, may be ranked among the finest and most charming in the world. In its most flourishing state it was called by travellers the Eden of America; but the change which the ravages of war and a decrease of bufinefs have effected is great and melancholy. Some of the most ornamental country feats were deftroyed, and their fine groves, orchards, and fruit trees, wantonly cut down: and the gloom of its present decayed flate is heightened by its charming natural fituation, and by reflecting upon its former glory. Providence, in many parts, is equally