THE NATURAL AND CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. aaaaaaa CHAPTER I. Situation, Boundaries, Area, Soil, and Face of the Country. THE State of Vermont is situated between 42 degrees 44 minutes, and 45 degrees of north latitude; and between 1 degree 43 minutes, and 3 degrees 36 minutes of longitude, east from the meridian of Philadelphia. It is altogether an inland country; surrounded by the States of Newhampshire, Massachusetts, Newyork, and the Province of Canada. That part of the State of Vermont which is nearest to the sea coast, is at the distance of seventy or eighty miles, from any part of the ocean. ON the south, Vermont is bounded by the state of Massachusetts. This line is forty one miles in length, and was a part of the divisional line between Massachusetts and Newhampshire. It was derived from the decision of a former King of Great Britain. On March 5, 1740, George the second, resolved, "That the northern boundary of the Province of Massachusetts, be a similar curve line, pursuing the course of Merrimack river, at three miles distance, on the north side thereof, beginning at the Atlantic C ocean, and ending at a point due north of Patucket falls; and a straight line drawn thence due west, until it meets with his Majesty's other governments." The point three miles north of Patucket falls, was found to be in the town of Dracut. From that point, the surveyor, Richard Hazen, in the months of February and March, 1741, ran the divisional line between Massachusetts and Newhampshire. He was directed by Mr. Belcher, at that time governor of both those provinces, to allow ten degrees for the westerly-variation of the magnetic needle. The magnetic variation, at that time and place, was not so great, as the surveyor assumed: And when he arrived at Connecticut river, a distance of fifty five miles, instead of being in a west line, he had deviated to the north 2 minutes 57 seconds of latitude. This error in the direction of the line, occasions a loss of 59,873acres to Newhampshire; and of 133,897 acres to Vermont.* THE eastern boundary of Vermont, is formed by the west bank of Connecticut river. This line, following the course of the river, is about two hundred miles; and is derived from the decree of George the third. On the 20th of July, 1764, his Majesty ordered and declared, "The western banks of the river Connecticut, from where it enters the Province of Massachu setts Bay, as far north as the forty fifth degree of northern latitude, to be the boundary line between the two Provinces of Newhampshire and Newyork." THE north line of the State begins at the lat*Appendix No. I itude of 45 degrees north, and runs upon that parallel, from Lake Champlain to Connecticut river. This line is ninety miles and one quarter of a mile long, and divides this part of the United States from the Province of Canada. Much pains was taken by the Provinces of Newyork and Canada, to ascertain the latitude, of 45 by astronomical observations. This was done by commissioners from both Provinces, in the month of September, 1767. At the place where the line crosses Lake Champlain, they erected a monument of stone, which is yet standing. The line was afterwards run in the year 1772 by I. Carden and I. Collins of Quebec, but with great error. By order of Governor Tichenor, in 1806, I examined the situation of this line in the eastern part of the state. By astronomical observations I found the monument they had erected on the eastern bank of lake Memphremagog, was in the latitude of 44 degrees 53 minutes 46 seconds; and at Connecticut river, their monument was in the latitude of 44 degrees 47 minutes 59 seconds. Admitting their line to have been run in a straight course, this would imply an error of 8 degrees 52 minutes 19 seconds in the direction; and occasions the loss to Vermont of 401973 and an half acres of land; equal to 17 44-100ths townships. The direction of Connecticut river is from the northeast, and on that account if the divisional line was continued on the parallel of 45 degrees till it intersected the river, one or two more townships of land would accrue to Vermont. This line ariseth from the proclamation of George the third, of |