trees are the several varieties of pine, spruce, hemlock, fir, maple, beech, birch, ash, elm, oak, hickory, butternut, buttonwood, bass, cedar, chesnut, poplar, and cherry. The white pine grows to a great height, and for timber is the most valuable forest tree.

The native vegetable productions form too large a list to be here enumerated, as also the varieties of exoticks, which have been successfully cultivated.

SEC. 8. Mineralogy. Iron is the most common mineral, and is found in almost every part of the State. Mines are worked in Tinmouth, Pittsford, Swanton, Monkton, and Milton. A Lead mine of very rich ore has been discovered in Sunderland. The ore contains from 60 to 70 per cent. of pure lead, and about 3 of silver.AN

Beds of superior Clay are every where abundant. Marble is found in most towns west of the mountains. In Bennington a quarry has been opened of peculiar fineness and beauty. It is worked extensively in Middlebury, where a "Marble Manufacturing Co." is incorporated, who in 1809 and '10 sawed 20,000 feet of slabs, amounting to $11,000; the machinery is propelled by water, and puts in motion 65 saws.

In Strafford is a rich vein of Sulphuret of Iron, containing a small quantity of copper.

8. What is the most common mineral? Where are mines worked? What lead mine has been discovered? Is marble plenty? Where is coperas manufactured?

The manufacture of Coperas is here extensively carried on.

A company, under the name of the "Vermont Mineral Factory Co." was incorporated in 1809, which immediately commenced manufacturing Coperas in this town. In 1822, 180 tons were manufactured, and 158 tons in 1823. The ore is blasted from the bed in large masses, and is then beaten to pieces by hammers and thrown into heaps. By laying thus exposed to the atmosphere a few weeks, spontaneous combustion takes place, which converts it into the sulphate of iron. What remains is then conveyed to the leaches, and water is passed through it which dissolves the coperas and leaves the earthy matter behind. The water is then boiled and transferred to cisterns, where the coperas chrystalizes on boughs and branches of trees which are thrown in.

SEC. 9. Natural Curiosities. Many of the uncommon views, the peculiarities of natural scenery and natural phenomena, which have been classed under this head, occur in this State.

To the traveller almost every part presents a variety of interesting objects.Passing in any direction, he will find frequent cause of admiration, and of astonishment, at the works of nature.

In Plymouth are several interesting caverns. The largest is entered by a sloping passage of about 10 feet leading into an apartment 27 feet long, 20 wide, and 20 high. From this, passages lead off into several other rooms, one of which is 30 feet long, 12 wide, and 20 high.

Vermont abounds with curiosities of this description. In Brandon, Danby, Bennington, Bradford, Duxbury, Monkton, and Halifax, they have been explored, and no doubt there are many more yet unknown.

On Onion river, in Colchester, the channel is for 15 rods through a solid rock, 50 feet wide and 70 deep. There is also in Waterbury a similar passage, but the channel is nar

9. Are there many natural curiosities? What do they consist of?

rower and about 100 feet deep. Huge fragments of rocks have fallen down from the ledge, and formed a complete natural bridge which is passable for foot passengers.

In Clarendon, there is a remarkable cave, in the S. E. side of a mountain; the entrance is 2 1-2 feet in diameter and 31 feet long, and opens into a room 20 feet long, 12 wide and 20 high. In the north end of the room is a passage 40 inches in diameter, which leads into a room 30 feet by 20.

In Dorset is another remarkable cave. The entrance is 12 feet square, through a perpendicular ledge 20 feet high. The passage is short, making an angle of 25d. and opens into a room 20 feet high, 25 broad and 150 long. At the farther end, two passages lead off to an unknown distance into the mountain.

A remarkable change has taken place in Poultney river, which empties into East Bay, on Lake Champlain. A little above its mouth, a ridge of land crosses in a northerly direction. The river running a northwesterly course, on meeting this ridge suddenly turned to the northeast, and pursuing that course half a mile, turning westerly passed over a ridge of rocks and emptied into the Bay.

In 1783, during a freshet, the river broke over the ridge, and meeting no rock, wore a channel 100 feet deep, leaving the former one entirely dry. The earth thrown out of this prodigious chasm, filled the bay to a considerable extent, so that where it had been navigable for vessels of 40 tons, a canoe could with difficulty pass. These obstructions have, however, been partially removed.

On the interval of Onion river, in Burlington, a large number of frogs have been dug up in a torpid state, from 25 feet below the surface of the earth. They were found bedded in the earth like stones, and on being exposed to the air, were soon able to leap about. They were probably buried by some inundation of the river, and may have been there for centuries.

In Thetford is a curious pond, covering about 9 acres. It lies on a flat, which descends on every side but the north. It is fed by no stream, neither does any issue from it. The water is 70 or 80 feet deep, and in summer falls about 2 or 3 feet. It contains large quantities of fish, barrels of which were formerly caught in a season. It is only about 4 rods from the bank of Connecticut river, between which and the pond the road passes.

In Glover was a pond, about 3 miles long and one wide, from which issued a considerable branch of the Lamoille river. A small distance north of this, was a smaller pond, from which run a branch of the Barton river. In 1810 some persons, to increase the mill privileges on this stream, cut a channel from the large pond to the smaller. After digging about 4 feet, through a hard body of gravel, which had resisted the water for ages, they came to a bed of quicksand, and the water entering this, in a few moments formed a large channel 60 feet deep, and of considerable width. The whole body of water rushed to this outlet with such force as to carry away half an acre of the opposing bank, with trees standing, over a precipice to the north. The whole pond taking a northerly course, suddenly inundated the country below, the deluge advancing like a wall, levelling forests and hills, and sweeping off mills, houses, barns, and cattle, and barely giving the inhabitants time to escape. In 15 minutes the bed of the pond was left entirely dry, and is now in part cultivated.

CHAPTER II.

VERMONT PREVIOUS TO ITS SETTLEMENT BY THE ENGLISH.

State of the Country, Original Inhabitants, Native Animals.

SEC. 1. State of the Country. Vermont, previous to its discovery and settlement by the English, exhibited a universal wilderness. From its northern to its southern boundary, one wide unbroken forest covered the face of the luxuriant earth.

1. What was the state of the country previous to its settlement by the English? Were there any traces of civilization?

It presented an assemblage of mountains, hills and valleys, thrown together in the most romantick magnificence, but rude and uncultivated as when fresh from the hand of the creator. No traces of former civilization enlivened the dreary waste; no crumbling monuments attested the glory of former ages. The soil had never been pressed by the footstep of civilized man. The busy sounds of social and civilized life had never gladdened its vales. All was silent-save where in solitude might have been heard the dashing of the cataracts, or the yells of the savages.

SEC. 2. Original Inhabitants. The native inhabitants were the Coos Indians, a race unimproved in the arts of life, and wild and unpolished as the animals of their chase. They afford an example of man in his primitive state, fresh from the hand of nature, untamed by civilization and unaccustomed to restraint, with all his passions free and uncontrolled.

The different tribes of Indians that formerly inhabited our country, were similar in their appearance and habits, and together form a distinct race. They are copper-coloured, have broad faces, with high cheek bones, small black eyes and very piercing. Their hair is always black, long, coarse, and perfectly straight, and they seldom have any beard. They are taller than Europeans, rarely corpulent, are well

2. Who were the original inhabitants? What state of improvement were they in? Describe them.--. What was their clothing? How did they subsist? Were they fond of agriculture? What was the situation of the women? What is said of their enterprise in war? How were they engaged when not employed in war or hunting?