Mountains and Rivers. Connecticut is generally broken land, that is, hills and dales, but well watered. Simfbury or the copper mine hills are their highest lands, but not fertile, as it is faid of all metallick ore hills. The noted rivers and runs of water in Connecticut are, 1. Those which fall into Thames river or New-London long creek. 2. Connecticut river with its branches. 3. Houfatonick river. with its branches, which at Stratford falls into Long-Island found. Paukatuke river which divides Rhode-Island colony from Connecticut colony, and Byram river which divides Connecticut colony from the province of New-York, are of no confideration. 4 Upon the Long-Ifland found is a range of townships. 1. Thames river is a long navigable creek of about 14 miles, the head of it is in Norwich; this is the barcadier for the easterly parts of Connecticut, and in time may be the principal trading place of the colony; at present the township of Norwich pays the highest tax of any township in the colony, and confifts of five or fix parishes. From Connecticut river to the eastern boundary of the colony, is an extraordinary well watered country, confifting of two principal rivers and their branchings, which fall into the bottom of this creek in Norwich, these two rivers are Satucket and higher Wilemantick, and Quenebaug. Quenebaug rifes in Brimfield, paffes through Sturbridge, and Dudley in the province of Maffachusetts-Bay, thence in the colony of Connecticut it divides Pomfret from Killingley, Canterbury from Plainfield, and in Norwich falls into Sakatuke river which difcharges into Thames river or creek: this river from Brimfield of Maffachusetts-Bay, in its courfe in Thompson parish of Killingley of Connecticut receives French river from Leicester and Oxford, and further in Killingley receives five mile river, whereof Honeycomb Brook comes from Douglass, and Muddy Brook from Woodstock, next Nathomy brook 2 brook from Pomfret, Moufafhop river from Valington, Rouland's brook in Canterbury, and many other runs of water too minute to be mentioned: Quenebaug river falls into Satucket river a few miles before it discharges into the faid creek. Satucket river where it originates in Brimfield is called Willemantick river, and in Stafford of Connecticut receives several small runs of water, it divides Toland from Willington, and Coventry from Mansfield; in Windham (where it is called Windham river) it receives in its western fide Scagungamog river and Hope river, on its western fide it receives Manchoag river which had received Fenton river, and higher had received in Ashford Bigelow river, Still river and Bungea river from Union and Woodstock; in Norwich it received Quenebaug river, as above. 2. Connecticut river with its branches and townships upon the river, its branches are enumerated, vol. I. p. 459, &c. in the fection of Maffachusetts-Bay. 3. Houfatonick, Weftenhock, or Stratford river, fee vol. I. p. 456. 4. Upon the Long-Inland found is a delightful and profitable range of good townships, the glory of all our American plantations, Stonington, Groton, New-London, Lyme, Saybrook, Killingfworth, Guilford, Brentford, New-Haven, Milford, Stratford, Fairfield, Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich. As the governors are annually elective, that is, very variable, I fhall not mention fuch temporary matters; only observe, that the Winthrop family has for many years been the most noted in New-England: Mr. Winthrop was the first resident governor of Maffachusetts-Bay, his fon John Winthrop, Efq; procured the prefent charter of Connecticut colony, and was their charter or first governor, and afterwards their elective governor for many many years; this man's fon John was fucceffively governor for many years, he died æt. 69, November 27, 1707, was born in Ipfwich of New-England 1638; Gurdon Saltonftal, a worthy man, a congregationalist preacher, was elected in his room, and was with good content fucceffive governor, elected for many years till death, October 1724, was fucceeded by Jofeph Talcot, Efq; &c. Currencies, I refer to the appendix; at present only observe, that the 28,000l. fterl. reimbursement, and rates of seven pence per annum, will cancel all their paper currency, in two or three years. † *In New-England, we are ftill in confufion as to our paper currencies; governor Sh-y's precipitate scheme of 1749, has had a bad effect, nothing could be rafher excepting the Cape-Breton expedition, where the chance againft us was vaftly great, but beyond all human probability fuccefsful; the unexpected intervention of fome British men of war under the direction of Mr. Warren, alleviates the miraculousness of the affair; it pecculated and depopulated New-England, occafioned near one million sterling additional national debt to the kingdom of Great-Britain, and finally was restored to the French in a better state than ftatu quo. Perhaps the Ch-&o fettlement in Nova-Scotia as a barrier against the Canada and Cape Breton French with their Indians, at prefent carried on with much vigour, may turn to the fame bad account as G-gia (which God forbid) faid to be a barrier against our fouthern enemies the Spaniards, and their Indians. Mysteries of ftate I do not pretend to explore or explain, quæ fupra nos non ad nos; the foil adjacent to Ch-to is fo irrecoverably bad, it can never be a PLANTATION; it may answer as a good fishing village, or may, as a place of arms, be supported at a great charge: I do not fay this was a political amufement, to divert people (by giving them fomething to play with in their imaginations) from canvafling the furrender of Cape-Breton without any equivalent to the British nation, not so much as an explicit confirmation of the ceffion of Nova-Scotia, or L'Accadie That New-England is ftill in confufion, appears, 1. By the affembly of Malfachusetts-Bay being perhaps obliged to dispense with an act of their own, confirmed by the king in council, and to prolong the time for cancelling their province bills: the generality of the refponfible merchants of Rhode-Ifland, though they have always declared against multiplying of a depreciating currency, in a memorial to the general affen.bly of Rhode-Ifland, tay, though the act December I fhall here infert abftracts of fome of their laws exemplary, natural, plain, and concife, adapted to plan tations. In the late authoritative revifal (1750) of their municipal laws; the introductory law or act, is, in the manner. of a magna charta, fecuring the general privileges of his majefty's fubjects in the colony, in thefe words, "Be it enacted, &c. that no man's life fhall be taken away, no man's honour or good name fhall be stained, no man's perfon fhall be arrested, reftrained, banished, difmembered, or otherwife punifhed; no man fhall be deprived of his wife and children; no man's goods or eftate fhall be taken away from him, nor any ways indamaged under the colour of law, or countenance of authority; unless it be by virtue or equity of fome exprefs law of the colony warranting the fame, established by the general court, and fufficiently published. In cafe of defect of fuch laws in any particular cafe, by fome clear and plain rule warranted by the word of God. All his majesty's subjects within this colony, whether they be inhabitants or not, fhall enjoy the fame juftice and law, that is general for the colony, in all cafes proper for civil authority, and courts of judicature in the fame; and that without partiality or delay. That no man's perfon fhall be restrained or imprisoned 1748 of Massachusetts-Bay for drawing in their publick bills of credit, was in a too violent and hafty manner. 2. The colony of RhodeInland this fpring, 1751, have emitted 100,000l. currency with a greater intereft and to be cancelled after ten years; this is a ftep. towards reformation. Connecticut continues honeft. New-Hampshire always inclinable to a depreciating fraudulent paper currency, from a difference between their governor and houfe of reprefentatives, formerly mentioned vol. II. p. 34, have had no legiflative capacity for fome time, and confequently incapable of augmenting their paper currency, much to the detriment of their governor, who by confenting to fuch emiffions, might have obtained an addition to his falary. VOL. II. by any authority whatsoever, before the law hath fentenced him thereunto; if he can and will give or put in fufficient fecurity, bail or mainprize for his appearance and good behaviour in the mean time, unless it be for capital crimes, contempt in open court, or in fuch cases where fome exprefs law doth allow or order the fame. No perfon, except in his own cafe, other than a qualified attorney, is allowed to plead at the bar: in cafes not exceeding 5 1. one attorney only is allowed: in larger cafes, two attornies and no more. Each town fhall have a peculiar brand for their horfes on the near or left fhoulder. All cafks fhall be of the London affize, viz. buts, 126 gallons, puncheons, 84 gallons, hogfheads, 63 gallons, tierces, 42 gallons, barrels 31 and half gallons. Miller's allowance for grinding per bufhel, three quarts Indian corn, two quarts other grain, one quart malt. Every town to have a fealer of weights and measures. In Connecticut, as generally among the congregationalifts of New-England, according to the jewish manner, they begin and end the Lord's day at the fetting of the fun. Here are about 150 established minifters called prefbyterians, congregationalifts, and confociated; befides confcientious diffenters, faid not to be established but tolerated. In fome townships are many parishes or precincts. In all our colonies voluntary affociations (most of which may afterwards be confirmed or incorporated by provincial or colony charters) towards academies and libraries, ought to be encouraged. The civilizing and chriftianizing of the Indians was one great and profeffed condition in all our royal grants. I do not endeavour a strict pedantick narration; but though in a common place manner, I fhall obferve fome method. Common intereft is 6 per cent per ann. letting of cattle and maritime affairs excepted. |