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Civil Divifions and Population.] This ftate is divided into five counties, which are subdived into twenty-nine townfhips, as follows:

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A cenfus of the inhabitants was

made

in

1774, when they amounted to 59,103. The dimu

nition of inhabitants in this ftate, in nine years, 7623. In Newport, 3679, almoft half the
whole number. Some towns have gained 389.

The number of inhabitants in Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations was in the year

:1730 {

Whites.

2,633 Blacks. 15,302

| 1748 29,755 Whites.

5,243 Blacks.

$774 {54,435 Whites.

4,373 Blacks.

1761 35.939 Whites.

3,361 Blacks.

| 1783 {48,538 Whites.

4,697 Blacks.

Bristol,

Total

Warren,

(Barrington,

fiye. Twenty-nine. 51,896

The civil diffentions in which this eftate has for fome time past been involved, have occafioned many emigrations. Until thefe diffentions are compofed, the number will no doubt continue to decrease.

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The inhabitants are chiefly of English extraction. The original fettlers migrated from Maffachusetts.

Bays

Bays, Harbours, and Islands] Narragansett Bay makes up from fouth to north, between the main land on the east and weft. It embofoms many fertile islands, the principal of which are Rhode-Island, Canonnicut, Prudence, Patience, Hope, Dyer's and Hog Hands

The harbours are Newport, Providence, Wickford, Patuxet, Warren, and Bristol.

Rhode-fland is thirteen miles long from north to fouth, and four miles wide, and is divided into three townships, Newport, Portsmouth, and Middleton. It it a noted refort for invalids from fouthern climates.

The island is exceedingly pleasant and healthful; and is celebrated for its fine women. Travellers, with propriety, call it the Eden of America. It fuffered much by the late war. Some of its moft ornamental country feats were destroyed, and their fine groves, orchards, and fruit trees, wantonly cut down. The foil is of a fuperior quality. Before the war 30,000 sheep commonly fed upon this ifland; and one year there were 37,000. Two years ago there were not 3000 fheep upon the island. They have probably increafed fince.

Canonnicut lies weft of Rhode-Ifland, and is fix miles in length, and about one mile in breadth. It was purchased of the Indians in 1657, and incorporated by act of affembly by the name of Jamefton, in 1678.

Black-fland, called by the Indians Maniffes, is about forty-three miles fouth-weft from New-port, and is the fouthernmost land belonging to the ftate. It was erected into a township, by the name of New-Shoreham, in 1672.

Prudence-land is nearly or quite as large as Canonnicut, and lies north of it.

Rivers] Providence and Taunton rivers both fall into Narragansett Bay, the former on the weft, the latter on the eaft fide of Rhode-Island. Providence river rifes in Maffachusetts, and is navigable as far as Providence, thirty miles from the fea. One branch of Taunton river proceeds from Winifiimoket ponds; the other rifes within about a mile of Charles river. In its courfe, foutherly, it paffes by the town of Taunton, from which it takes its name. It is navagable for fall veffels to Taunton,

Common tides rife about four feet.

Climate.] Rhode-Ifland is as healthful a country as any part of North America. The winters, in the maritime parts of the flate, are milder than in the inland country; the air being foftened by a fea vapour, which alfo enriches the foil. The fummers are delightful, efpecially on Rhodeliland, where the extreme heats, which prevail in other parts of America, are allayed by cool and refreshing breezes from the fea.

The diforders moft prevalent, are confumptions and the dyfentery. Thefe are not fo much owing to the climate, as to intemperance and inprudence.

Its

Soil and Productions] This ftate, generally speaking, is a country for pasture and not for grain. It however produces corn, rye, barley, oats, and flax, and culinary plants and roots in great variety and abundance. natural growth is the fame as in the other New-England ftates. The western and north-western parts of the state are but thinly inhabited, and are barren and rocky. In the Narragansett country the land is fine for grazing.

The

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The people are generally farmers, and raife great numbers of the fineft and largest neat cattle in America; fome of them weighing from 16 to 1800 weight. They keep large dairies, and make butter and cheefe of the bett quality, and in large quantities, for exportation. Narragansett is famed for an excellent breed of pacing horfes. They are strong, and remarkable for their speed, and for their excecellency in enduring the fatigues of a long journey.

Trade] Before the war, the merchants in Rhode-Ifland imported from Great-Britain, dry goods--from Holland, money--from Africa, flaves[ from the West-Indies, fugars, coffee, and molaffes-and from the neighbouring colonies, lumber and provifions. With the money which they ob. tained in Holland, they paid their merchants in England; their fugars they carried to Holland; the flaves from Africa, they carried to the Weft-InI dies, together with the lumber and provifions procured from their neighbours; the rum diftilled from molaffes, was carried to Africa, to purchafe negroes; with their dry goods from England, they trafficked with the neighbouring colonies. By this kind of circuitous commerce, they fubfifted and grew rich. But the war, and fome other events, have had a great, and in most refpects, an injurious effect upon the trade of this ftate. The flave trade. which was a fource of wealth to many of the people in Newport, and in other parts of the state, has happily been abolished. The legiflature have paffed a law prohibiting fhips from going to Africa for flaves, and felling them in the Weft-India iflands; and the oath of one feaman, belonging to the fhip, is fufficient evidence of the fact. This law is more favourable to the caule of humanity, than to the temporal interests of the merchants who had been engaged in this inhuman trade. The prohibition of the flave trade, and the iniquitous and deftructive influence of paper money, conbined with the devaftations of a cruel war, have occafioned a flagnation of trade in Newport, which is truly melancholy and diftreffing. The falutary influence of a wife and efficient government, it is hoped, will revive. the defponding hopes of the people in this beautiful city, and place them in their former affluent and refpectable situation.

The prefent exports from the state are flax-feed, lumber, horses, cattle, fish, poultry, onions, cheese, and barley. The Imports, Confifting of European and Weft-India goods, and logwood from the Bay of Honduras, exceed the exports. About 600 veffels enter and clear annually at the different ports in this state.

Light-Houfe.] For the fafety and inconvenience of failing into the harbour of Newport, a light house was erected in 1749, in Beavertail, at the fouth end of Canonnicut inland.

Dr. Douglafs, in his SUMMARY, &c. published in 1753, has given a particular defcription of it. As I know not that any material alteration has taken place refpecting it, fince that time, I fhall infert it from him.

The diameter at the bafe is 24 feet, and at the top 13 feet. The height from the ground to the top of the cornice is 58 feet, round which is a gallery, and within that ftands the lanthorn, which is about 11 feet high, and 8 feet diameter.

The

ground the light-houfe ftands on is about 12 feet above the furface of the fea at high wateṛ..

The

The following are the bearings (by the compafs) of feveral remarkable

places from the light-house, viz.

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There is a fall funken rock lies off due S. and at the diftance of about 200 yards from the light-houfe."

Mountains.] In the town of Bristol is Mount Hope, or as fome, Mont Haup, which is remarkable only on account of its having been the feat of king Philip, and the place where he was killed. It is now the feat of governor Bradford.

Indians There are about 500 Indians in this ftate. The greater part of them refide at Charleston. They are peaceable and well-difpofed towards government, and fpeak the English language.

Chief Towns.] Newport and Providence are the two principal towns in the state New port lies in lat. 41° 35'. This town was firft fettled by Mr. William Coddington, afterwards governor, and the father of Rhode-Inland, with feventeen others, in 1639 Its harbour, which is one of the fineft in the world, fpreads weftward beford the town. The entrance is eafy and safe, ard a large fleet may anchor in it and ride in perfect fecurity. The town lies north and fouth upon a gradual afcent as you proceed eastward from the water, and exhibits a beautiful view from the harbour, and from the neighbouring hills which lie eastward upon the Main. Weft of the town is Goat-Ifland, on which is a fort. Between this island and the town is the harbour. Front or Water-ftreet is a mile in length, and level.

Newport contains about 1000 houfes, built chiefly of wood, and 5530 inhabitants. It has nine houses for public worship; three for the baptifts, two for congregationalifts, one for epifcopalians, ore for Quakers, one. for Moravians, and a fynagogue for the Jews. The other public buildings are a state-house, and an edifice for the public library. The fituation, form, and architecture of the ftate-houfe, give it the preference to most public buildings in America. It ftands fufficiently elevated, and a long wharf, and paved parade lead up to it from the harbour.

The building for the library confifts of one large room, thirty-fix feet long, twenty-fix feet broad, and nineteen feet high, where the books are kept, with two fmall offices adjoining. The principal or weft front is a pediment

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pediment and portico of four columns, of the Dorick order; the whole entablature of which, runs quite round the building. The two offices are placed as wings, one on each fide the portico, and connected with the body of the building fo as to form two half-pediments proceeding from the lower part of the entab ature. The east-front confits of a plain Dorick pediment, fupported by a ruftic arcade of three arches, in the receffes of which, are placed three Venetian windows, after the Dorick order. The outfide of the whole building is ruftic work, and stands on a base five feet from the ground, and the entrance is by a flight of steps the whole width of the portico.

In the

year 1747, Abraham Redwood, Efq; gave 1294 volumes, valued at 500 fterling, as the foundation of a library in Newport. Several other valuable donations were afterwards given. Thefe books were depofited in the above-described edifice, which was erected for the purpose of receiving them. A number of gentlemen were incorporated into a body politic by the name of the Company of the Redwood Library,' with power to choose annually eight directors, a treasurer, secretary and libra-, rian. This elegant building is now much out of repair, and one-third of the books in the library were either carried off, or deftroyed by the Britislí during the war.

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Providence is fituated on Providence river, about thirty miles north-west of Newport, in latitude 41° 51′ north. It is at prefent by far the most flourishing town in the State. It contains 700 houses, and upwards of 4300 inhabitants. Its public buildings are a college, an elegant church for Baptifts, two for Congregationalifts, befides others for other denominations. This town carries on a large foreign trade, and an extensive and gainful traffic with the furrounding country. The town is fituated on both fides of the river, and is connected by a commodious bridge.

The inhabitants of Providence, the laft year, manufactured 100,000 yards of cloth more than in any year fince the peace. This cloth, at a moderate valuation, will amount to 20,000 dollars.

This town, and Newport, and a few others, have, from the first, firmly oppofed the late iniquitous meafures of their infatuated legiflature.

Bristol is a pleasant little town, about fixteen miles north of Newport, on the Main. It has an excellent foil, and is alinoft as remarkable for the production of onions, as Wethersfield in Connecticut.

Fifbes. In the livers and bays are plenty of fleeps-head, black-fish; herring, fhad lobsters, oyfters and clams; and around the shores of RhodeIfland, befides thofe already mentioned, are cod, halibut, mackerel, bass, haddock, &c. &c. to the amount of more than feventy different kinds, fo that in the feafons of fish, the markets are alive with them. Travellers are agreed that Newport furnishes the best fish market in the world.

Religion. The conftitution of the ftate admits of no religious establish ments, any further than depends upon the voluntary choice of individuals. All men profeffing ore Supreme Being, are equally protected by the laws, and no particular fect can claim pre-eminence. This unlimited liberty in religion is one principal caufe why there is fuch a variety of religious fects in Rhode-fland. The baptifts are the most numerous of any denomination in the ftate. In 1784 they had thirty congregations. Thefe,

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