inhabitants would be rapidly furnished. Real property situated on its borders would be greatly enhanced in value. Constant markets and an easy transportation of wood, which is the staple article of business, would be obtained. Ware houses would probably soon be erected on its banks; and a trade between the southern and northern States facilitated, calculated to confer immense advantages on the vicinity of such a channel of communication. If, from this partial and local consideration of the subject, we extend our thoughts to the aggregate of national blessings, which would attend its execution, both as it respects the preservation of life and property, our ideas of its importance and utility would become infinitely enhanced. There have been repeated surveys of the ground through which the proposed canal would probably pass, under the immediate eye of publick committees for that purpose. The documents accompanying their reports will be far more correct data, on which to found an enlightened opinion relative to the practicability of this enterprise, than any information within the knowledge of the writer of this paper. A more recent survey however, which was prompted by the reward of private benefaction, has been made under the direction of Mr. Bachellor, a man of reputed knowledge and experience in works of this nature, which impressed the mind of the undertaker with a favourable idea of its practicability and success. At the time the last survey was taken, the proprietors of land generally came forward and expressed their dispositions to give them to the publick towards accomplishing so important an object. There are several inlets in the town, which form safe, and in some instances, commodious harbours, viz. at Pocassett, Monumet, Scussett, Spring Hill, and the Town Harbour, so called. The Town Harbour is about a mile and a half below the meeting house of the first precinct. It is a small and irregular inlet, capable of receiving only vessels of small tonnage. These vessels are principally employed in the coasting business to Boston and the eastern shore. Wood is the principal article of transportation. The fisheries have been repeatedly attempted, but never with general success. This line of business has always been prosecuted with more advantage in the eastern than in the western western part of the county. About thirty sail of vessels constitute the whole navigation of the place. Some of the enterprising inhabitants have of late turned their attention to the manufacture of salt by the rays of the sun on the lands near the sea shore. It has been estimated that a capital of above a hundred and thirty thousand dollars is already vested in this kind of property in the several towns within the county of Barnstable. Several patents for improved modes of building the works have been obtained by ingenious individuals on the Cape. The net profits upon this manufacture of salt is by general estimation twenty-five per cent upon the capital employed. When the success, with the security and permanency of this species of property is considered, together with the handsome income it will always probably yield from the extensive demand of this important article, we may reasonably expect that this branch of business will become an increasing source of opulence to this portion of the Commonwealth. The salt is remarkably pure and white, and the Glauber salts are recommended as of the best quality. It is much to be lamented that the landholders in the county have not bestowed more attention to the cultivation of trees. Beside the beauty and worth they confer on any country, they would be of singular advantage to this Cape, by defending the soil from the inroads of driving wind and sands. More trees are however to be found in Sandwich than in other parts of the county. Some orchards succeed here extremely well. One cider press in Sandwich is the only one known to the writer on this Cape. From the peculiarity of our local situation, the fruit trees are always exposed in the spring to rude and severe blasts. By giving the orchards a more northern or eastern aspect, and retarding the early blossoming of the trees, the preservation of fruit from these untimely blasts would probably be greatly prevented. By the late census, the enumeration of the inhabitants stood at two thousand and twenty-four souls; houses, at two hundred and ninety-six. The town may be considered as favourable to longevity.-The table of mortality annexed to this description will confirm this observation. The The ecclesiastical history of this place cannot be fully given for want of church memoranda. The records of the First Congregational Church, previous to the ordination of the Rev. Roland Cotton, are lost. He was ordained November 28, 1694, and died March 18, 1721-2, O. S. The Rev. Benjamin Fessenden was ordained September 12, 1722, and died in the ministry August 8, 1746. Rev. Abraham Williams was ordained June 14, 1749, and died in the ministry August, 1784. Rev. Jonathan Burr, the present pastor, was ordained April 18, 1787. The inhabitants of Sandwich generally manifest a fond and steady adherence to the manners, employments, and modes of living, which characterized their fathers; a resemblance, which at this day, will constitute no impeachment of either their virtue or taste. Bill of mortality for the First Congregational Society in Sandwich, from January 1, 1790, to January 1, 1800. 18%%% The average number of deaths in a year, is 18 Supposing the number of souls to be 1500, the proportion of deaths is as 1 to 81. Of Of the above number, 31 died before the end of the first 18 between 1 and 5 years. year. From the above, it appears that the proportion of those who live 90 years and upwards is nearly as 1 to 30 1 to 11 4 1 to 3 1 to 23 1 to 2 77 1 to Considerably more than one half of the above one hundred and eighty-four lived between 10 and 20 years. The following table exhibits the number of inhabitants in Sandwich at four different periods. 1449 inhabitants (including 73 Indians) In 1764 1912 NOTE ON FALMOUTH, IN THE COUNTY OF BARNSTABLE. SEPTEMBER, 1802. ALMOUTH is situated in latitude 41°. 33'. N. and longitude 70°. 35'. W. from Greenwich. It is bounded on the north, by Sandwich; on the east, by Mashpee, from which it is separated in part by Waquoit bay; on the south, by Vineyard sound; and on the west, by Buzzard's bay. The length, north and south, is ten miles; and the breadth, east and west, six. The distance. of the principal meeting house from Boston is seventyeight miles. A chain of hills, which is continued from Sandwich, runs on the west side of the township, at no great distance from Buzzard's bay, and terminates at Woods' hole. The rest of the land is remarkably level. The soil is thin, but superiour in quality to the light lands in the eastern part of the county. It produces Indian corn, rye, oats, and a small quantity of wheat and barley. More English hay is cut here than in any other township of the county. The salt marshes, when compared with those of Barnstable and Sandwich are not extensive. They yield, however, about five hundred tons of hay. A forest, consisting of pitch pines and a few oaks, is situated between the villages of Falmouth and Sandwich. One of the best roads in New England, it being hard, level, and free from stones, passes through it. A second road branches from this, and leads through Mashpee to Barnstable. A third road turns off from the second, and goes to Waquoit bay. These roads, though not as good as the first, are better than the Cape roads in general. A fourth road which is rough and stony passes from Falmouth to Sandwich, by Pokesset meeting house, and on the west of the first. The road from the town to Woods' hole, which is at the distance of four miles, is also bad. There are not less than forty ponds in the township. Several of them are situated near the village and add variety and beauty to its prospects. Falmouth contains between two and three hundred dwelling houses, eight mills, one of which is a fulling mill, and |