Of Salem. Thirteen miles north-easterly from Boston, lies Salem, the town of the second consideration in the state. It is situated on a point of land formed by a river on the north and a small bay on the south. It contained in 1800, nine thousand four hundred and sixty inhabitants, who are remarkable for their industry, and commercial enterprise, and among the richest in the state. This is a seat of the courts in the county of Essex; it has many elegant public and private buildings, and two banks. A bridge of fifteen hundred feet long, connects this town with Beverly. The Indian name of the place and river was Naumkeag, or Nahumkeak It was settled in 1628 by a party of adventurers under governor Endicott.

Of Newburyport. Newburyport, the third town in Massachusetts in commercial consequence, lies on the south side of the Merrimac, about three miles from the sea, and forty miles from Boston. This also is a seat of the courts in Essex county, and contained in 1800, six thousand inhabitant who are eminent for their = commercial spirit. This town is distinguished for ship building, and a remarkable manufactory of nails. It has a bank, and many public schools. Adjoining to it is Newbury, a large town which is connected with Salisbury, by a very curious bridge over the Merrimac, of one thousand and thirty feet in length.

Of other considerable Towns. To the southward of Boston is Plymouth, forty miles distant, the shire town of the county of that name, and the oldest town in NewEngland. The inhabitants have placed in the centre of the town, the rock on which our ancestors first disembarked in 1620. About thirty-six miles nearly south of Boston is Taunton, a pleasant town the seat of the courts in Bristol connty, on a small navigable river, Sixty miles south of Boston is New-Bedford, a thriving town, on Acushnet river and bay, This town has grown out of the profits of the whale fishery, and has a bank.

Of the Towns in the Western Parts. Worcester, the shire town of the large county of the same name, is a handsome town, forty-eight miles west of Boston, situa

ted in a valley, and has a bank. On the Connecticut stand several handsome towns, among which are Springfield and Northampton, the seats of the courts in Hampshire county, ninety-seven miles west of Boston. In Berkshire county and contiguous to the state of New York, are several neat and thriving towns, as Stock bridge, Pittsfield, Williamstown, and the shire towns Great Barrington and Lenox. In Northampton is a bank, and at Springfield and Greenfield there are bridges over the Connecticut.

Of the Rivers. The Connecticut runs through Massachusetts, in the county of Hampshire; watering great tracts of excellent meadow. The Merrimac runs through the north-east corner of the state, and forms a good harbor at Newburyport, though of difficult entrance. Charles river is boatable from Boston to Watertown, and furnishes good meadow and many mill seats, between that town and its source, which is a pond on the borders of Hopkinton. Below Charlestown it unites with the Mistic and forms a bay north of Boston. The Mistic is navigable to Medford, about four miles.

Of the Rivers in the Western Counties From some ponds in Worcester county, springs the Chickopy, a rapid stream which winds through the hilly country, in a westerly direction, and falls into the Connecticut in Springfield-Miller's river proceeding from ponds in Rindge and other towns, falls into the Connecticut between Northfield and Montague. Deerfield river, rises in Bennington county, in Vermont, and unites with the Connecticut between Deerfield and Greenfield. The Agawom rises in Berkshire county and falls into the Connecticut, in West-Springfield. The Housatonue has its sources in Berkshire county, and waters Stockbridge, Barrington and Sheffield, then penetrating Connecticut, falls into the sound at Stratford.

Of the Mountains. In this part of Massachusetts there are no very lofty Mountains. The principal are on the ridge between the Connecticut and the Hudson, in the county of Berkshire which is a continuation of the green mountains in Vermont. The hills in Worcester and Hampshire counties are a continuation of

the mountains between the Connecticut and the Merrimac.

Of the Bays. The great bay of Massachusetts is ineluded between Cape Ann on the north, and Cape Cod on the south. Within this, are many smaller bays, which furnish safe and navigable water for many well peopled towns. On the south side of this bay, Barnstable bay penetrates into the peninsula of Cape Cod, and approaches within five miles of Buzzard's Bay, on the south side of the Peninsula.

Of the Islands in the Bay. The bay of Massachusetts contains forty eight Islands, many of which are small barren rocks. Fifteen of them are of considerable size, and valuable. On one of them about two miles from Boston stands Fort Independence, formerly Castle William, a strong fort, near the ship channel, capable of annoying an enemy. In the castle is a prison for the confinement of convicts, condemned to labor.

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Of Cape Cod. The peninsula, called Cape Cod, extends in the form of an elbow, from the main land at Sandwich, and is sixty-five miles in length. Its breadth varies from nine to three miles. It has Massachusetts bay on the north and Buzzard's bay on the south. canal through the peninsula, in the town of Barnstable, has been contemplated. This peninsula is divided into eleven townships, and forms the county of Barnstable, containing nineteen thousand inhabitants.

Of the Elizabeth Islands. On the south-east of Buzzard's bay, is extended from north-east to south west a range of sixteen small islands called Elizabeth islands, the chief of which, are Naushan, Nashawena, Nenimisset, Pasquy, Pinequese, and Cattahunk. The latter island is on the south-western extremity, and is the spot on which Gosnold attempted a settlement in 1602. These islands are remarkably fertile; and these with Martha's Vinyard and the neighboring small isles, constitute Dukes county, containing three thousand one hundred inhabitants.

Of Martha's Vinyard. This island has been sometimes called Martin's Vinyard, from Martin Pring, one of its early visitors. The Indian name was Capa

wock. It lies about seven miles south-east of Elizabeth isles; is twenty one miles long and six broad-the land fertile and well inhabited. The name Martha's Vinyard was originally given by Gosnold to a small island south of the present Martha's Vinyard, now called Noman's land, as it was uninhabited, the name was afterwards transferred to the larger island. Both of them abounded with vines.

Of Nantucket. A few leagues eastward of Martha's Vinyard, and south of Cape Cod, lies Nantucket, an island of fifteen miles in length, and from four to eleven in breadth. Its soil is mostly sand, but in some parts rich loam. It is a county and contains five thousand six hundred inhabitants. The neighboring sea abounds with valuable fish of various kinds, and the inhabitants have been remarkable for their enterprize in the whale fishery. On this island is a bank with a small capital.

Of the Manufactures. Besides domestic manufactures of coarse cloths, duck has been made in large quantities in Boston and Northampton. By means of very ingenious machinery, of American invention, wool cards are made for exportation in great numbers The manufacture of women's shoes at Lynn is distinguished; as well as those of nails, nail rods, bar and sheet iron, spades and shovels at Taunton and Bridgewater. To these may be added the manufacture of pot and pearl ashes, spermaceti and tallow candles, chocolate, hooks and lines for the fisheries, paper hangings, snuff, paper and many other articles.

Of Canals for Lock Navigation. A canal is cut to carry boatable water round the rapids in the Connecticut at Montague, called Miller's fall. A like canal is in execution at Hadley, to carry boats by the rapids at that place. The Middlesex canal, connecting the waters of the Merrimac with Mistic river, is twenty-three miles in length, and a work of vast utility and ex

pense.

Of the Fisheries. The greatest part of the fisheries of the United States is carried on by the citizens of Massachusetts. The whale fishery is carried on by the

people of Nantucket, New-Bedford and Cape Cod the cod fishery is pursued by the people of Marblehead, Salem, Gloucester, and the inhabitants of Maine.

Of the Commerce

The commerce of Massachusetts extends to all the world. Ship building is a material article of business, and no state owns so much tonnage as Massachusetts. The chief exports are dry fish, oil, lumber, pot and pearl ashes, flax-seed, furs, pickled fish of various sorts, beef, pork, grain, cheese, loaf sugar, candles, soap, cards, shoes, cordage and other naval stores. In the year 1800, the value of the exports rose above the sum of eleven millions of dollars.

Of the State of learning. In Massachusetts the priucipal institutions for science are the University of Cambridge, and the college at Williamstown. The university of Cambridge was founded in 1638-it was well endowed is furnished with professors of the several sciences-a large library and apparatus-and contains usually from one hundred and forty to two hundred students. Williams college, in Williamstown, founded in 1793, is in a thriving state. Academies are established in various parts of the state, in which are taught the liberal sciences, as well as the languages. The laws of the state require a school to be kept in every 'town, having fifty house-holders, and a grammar school in every town having two hundred families. And although the laws are not rigidly obeyed, still most of the children in the state have access to a school.

Of the Constitution. By the constitution of Massachusetts, the legislative power is vested in a senate and house of representatives, denominated the General Court, whose annual session is held at Boston, on the last Wednesday in May.

Of the Senate. The senate consists of forty persons, chosen annually in districts formed by the legislature. In case a sufficient number of persons have not a majority of votes, the election is made by the two houses of the general court. In the same manner are vacancies supplied. The qualifications of a senator are, a freehold estate of the value of one thousand dollars;