RHOOE ISLAND, one of the United States of North America, including Rhode Island and Providence Plan tation, is bounded on the south, by the Atlantic ; bn the east and north, by Massachusetts ; and on the west, by Connecticut. It is forty-nine miles long from north to south, and thirty-seven mites at its greatest width ; con taining about 1580 square miles ; of which ninety are islands, and 190 are covered with water.
The political divisions of the state were as follows in 1820 : The surface of this state islow, except in the N. W. of the township of Bristol, in which is Mount Haup. The soil, though not fertile, is fined for all the vegetable products of New England. The principal crops are Indian corn, rye, barley, and oats. Wheat is also culti vated. The pasture is fine, and has fed neat cattle with a weight of about 1700 lbs. About 30,000 sheep are reared in the fold, and the butter and cheese is excellent. In the Narranganset track, there is a breed of pacing horses, which are celebrated for their speed and vigour. The value of lands and houses in 1814 was 21,567,020 dollars.
The mineral productions of the territory are iron ore, copper ore, abundance of limestone, marble, ser pentine, loadstone, and some coal. The best frequent ed mineral spring is near the town of Providence. The following list shows .the state of the manufactures in 1810.
The total value of manufactures in 1810 was 3,138,356.
Rhode Island supports 600 vessels for its foreign com merce. Its exports are barley, grain, flax seed, spirits, horses, cattle, sheep, beef, pork, fish, poultry, cheese, cyder, cottons, linens, sail cloth, bar and sheet iron, sails, anchors, Sec. The imports are the manufactures of Europe and India, West India produce, and logwood from Honduras. The value of the exports was 1791, 470,131 dollars.
1802, 2,433,263 1810, 1,333,576 1816, 612,794 The principal rivers are Providence and Taunton, which flow into Narranganset bay. The former is na vigable for vessels of 900 tons to the town of Provi dence ; and the latter is navigable for small vessels to Taunton. The chief bays are Narranganset bay, the
mouth of which is sixteen miles wide ; Greenwich bay, and Haup hay ; Point Judith Pond and Providence bay, between one and three miles wide. The principal islands are Rhode Island, Block Island, about seven miles long and four broad ; Cannonient Island, ten miles long and one broad ; and Prudence Island, six miles long and one broad.
The shores abound with cod, halibut, mackerel, had dock, bass and perch ; and the rivers and bays with sheepshead shad, and herring. The cod fish, Ten-anion testudinus, exhibits a singular property. When placed alone on the ground, it draws in air by its mouth, till it changes from an oblong to a round shape, a change which the fish accompanies with a grunting noise. When plunged in' the water it resumes its proper shape.
A college was founded at Warren in 1764, but was rt. inn% ed to Providence in 1770 ; in 1804, it v4 as called Brown's University, from one of its benefactors. In 1811, the students were 130, and the graduates 47. Academies have been established in the principal towns. There arc thirty-one banks in the state. The principal towns are Providence, Newport, Bristol, Warren, South Kingston, East ,Greenwich, and Smithfield.
Providence is situated on both sides of Providence river, thirty-five miles from the sea. It is a well-built and flourishing town, with an elegant bridge ninety feet broad across the liver. The public buildings are a court-house, a gaol, a university, already mentioned, a public library of 2000 volumes ; five public schools, seven banks, and eight churches. There are four cot ton factories, a large woollen one, a paper mill, and a company for bleaching and dyeing. Three newspapers are published here.
The population of Rhode Island is as follows : See Callender's History of Rhode Island, 1738 ; and Warden's 4ccount of the United States, vol. i. chap. xi. p. 456.