of their numbers to the great comfort and well being of those of the human family, who live in the vicinity! There is no doubt it would succeed; and if he, who makes two blades of grass grow, where but one grew before, is worth more to mankind, than the whole race of politicians put together, the man, who should effect this, would be held in estimation far exceeding the united regard entertained for all the grass growers in the country. He would, in all probability, live to see the time, when the consequences of his benevolent undertaking would be in every man's mouth, and every man's mouth full of the consequences: while thousands, enjoying the sport of taking and feasting on the luxuries of the Pond, would hand down his name to posterity, as that of a public benefactor. Then there would be also the satisfaction, and it would be no small one, of knowing, that while gormandizing, some, even while under the greatest excitement, should they have a disposition to find fault with the times, censure their neighbors, speak evil of their rulers, slander their best friends, or curse their enemies, would have their mouths stopped for a while by the bountiful productions of the pond and even the Legislature have some occasional respites from the anathemas, so generally and plentifully bestowed upon them, for their over much legislation on the subject of the preservation of small fish, and th ereby fishing money from the pockets of their constituents. Instead of so much legislation for the preservation of small fish in small streams, it would better accord with the spirit of the times, in this age of internal improvement, to encourage by Statute, the large fish of the ocean to emigrate to our large inland ponds: should they decline emigrating, compulsory process, authorized and encouraged by law, would effect it. The immense advantages that would arise from it, cannot be foreseen, if it were only, as farmers say, from the benefit, that might be derived from crossing the breed!

There are several brooks, which empty their waters into this pond. It is clustered with no less than twelve islands of various sizes. The first is Ram Island, at the west end of the Floating Bridge; it contains about two acres, and is mostly covered with wood. Little Pine Island, the second, is one and an half mile down the pond, and is about 40 rods from the western shore; it contains half an acre, principally covered with small pines. The third is three rods south of the last, of one fourth of an acre, covered with fruitful grape vines, and called Grape Island. The fourth is

VOL. II.

Grass Island, of one eighth of an acre, mowed sometimes, and is twenty rods from Grape Island, and nearer the middle of the pond. Bowman's Island is the fifth, covered with wood, and lies southeast twelve rods from Grass Island, and contains three acres. The sixth is Bayberry Island, near the west shore, of about two acres. The seventh, is Sherman's Island, of one and a half acre, near the east shore, and covered with wood. Nearly south, and about thirty five rods is the eighth, called Grass Island, of one eighth of an acre and has been mowed. The ninth is called Shoe-make Island of one and an half acre, and is twenty five rods south of Bayberry Island. The tenth is Sharp Pine Island, of half an acre, and twenty five rods south of Shoe-make Island. The eleventh is a small Grass Island, half a mile south of Sharp Pine Island, of one eighth of an acre, and twenty rods from the south west corner of the pond. The twelfth is called Stratton's Island, and contains one hundred and fifty acres, principally under cultivation, and has several families living upon it.

Some of the other Islands are more or less cultivated, and are known by different names.

Some idea of the boldness of the shores, the depth of the water and unevenness of the bottom of the pond, may be formed by vięwing the land on its borders and adjacent to it. So large a body of water was not destined to lie always dormant and unimproved. This pond, and the others connected with it, at its south end, unite in one outlet, which, passing in a southeasterly direction, enters the town of Grafton, and becomes a principal tributary to Blackstone River, upon which a Canal is now constructing to Providence. This pond rises and falls, according as there are heavy rains and sudden thaws in the spring, or dry seasons, about two feet; though it has been known to vary considerably more. It was in contemplation many years ago, to construct a Canal from Providence to unite with the waters of this pond, but the death of its principal projector caused it to be abandoned. The subject has been again called up, and the work is progressing and excavations making to carry it into effect; and the time is not far distant, when this body of water will contribute wonderfully to the growth and prosperity of the neighboring villages and towns, and even to the more remote. settlements.

Stratton Island is bounded on the west and north by Long Pond, on the east by Round Pond, south by Flint's Pond, and south west

by Half Moon Pond; all of which communicate with each other The communication of the waters on the southwesterly part of the Island, between Half Moon and Flint's pond has been stopped by means of a gravel causeway having been constructed there. The outlet from Long Pond, is into Round Pond, and is at the northeast corner of the Island; it is very narrow, and by means of a short bridge, the Island and the main land are connected. A dam was erected here about four years ago, at a trifling expense with a small flume and gate; by means of which, the water was raised in the pond several feet; yet, on account of its steep banks, it did not overflow so much land as might naturally have been expected. It is now in contemplation by means of a dam at this place, to raise the water still higher, (from four to nine feet,) for the purpose of pro-. curing and retaining a head of water sufficient for the use of mills &c. situated below, and manufacturing establishments about to be erected there.

There is but one other pond in Shrewsbury, and that is called Jordan Pond, lying about midway of the length of Long Pond and about half a mile east of it. Its waters, at some seasons in the year, empty into Long Pond. On the stream that runs from Sewall's Pond into Long Pond, there is a grist mill and a saw mill: there is also a stream on which are two saw mills and a grist mill, that rises in the north west part of the town, and, running southerly, crosses the old post road about a mile east of the head of Long Pond and empties into it about ten rods north of where the Worcester Turnpike crosses the Pond.

Some small brooks, rising in the southerly part of Boylston, and northerly part of Shrewsbury, and running southerly and easterly, form a stream on which there is a saw mill and grist mill; thence running northeasterly passes through the south east corner of Boylston; then it turns southerly, and runs into Northborough and through cold harbour meadows into the river Assabet. A small stream, rising principally from springs a little south of the Congregational Meeting House, and running easterly and then northeasterly, has two grist mills thereon and comes to the side of the post road in the east part of the town, furnishing a convenient watering place for travellers and teamsters: here it is joined by two small rivulets, that come in from the north, when it takes a southeast direction and falls into the Assabet in the southwesterly part of Northborough. Still farther south are springs, that give rise to a stream,

that runs southerly and has a grist mill and saw mill thereon, and continuing in the same direction, takes, with other waters, the name of Bummet Brook, and passes into Grafton; thence by the way of the Blackstone to the sea below Rhode Island.

Most of the waters of this town go that way to the sea, while a small portion, those that fall into the Assabet, go into the Merri

mac.

There are in this town six grist mills, and five saw mills; yet, in dry seasons, some of the inhabitants are under the necessity of resorting to the mills in the neighboring towns, principally Boylston and Grafton, for grinding.

HIGHLANDS. The greater part of this town is high land: it consists rather of gradual and large extensive swells, than steep and high hills. There are none of them inaccessible to teams, or in an uncultivated state. Sewall's hill, however, in the northwest part of the town is the most so, and is considerable rocky. The land falls but very little to the north, while to the south, the descent is long and gradual. To the east, there is a descent of more than two miles, extending into Northborough; on the west, the descent is moderate for about half a mile over Rocky Plain, so called, when it becomes more steep, till it reaches the flat land, that extends nearly to the head of Long Pond; beyond which the land immediately rises to a considerable height; from the top of which it is about thirty rods to Worcester line.

One of these swells received from the proprietors, at the first settlement of the town, by way of distinction, the name of Meeting House Hill, and is about half a mile north of where the Congregational Meeting House now stands. About half a mile east of north of this swell is another, called Rawson Hill; while to the southeast, something more than a mile, is another, called Sounding Hill; over the south part of which passes the Worcester Turnpike; from this, a short distance northerly, is another, called Goulding Hill. Besides these, there are several others. The soil of them is excellent and most of them are in a high state of cultivation. Rawson Hill is the highest land in town; being about thirty feet higher than Meeting House Hill, and sixty higher than Mill Stone Hill in Worcester, and as high as the ground on which Princeton Meeting House stands.

ROADS, &C.-This town is proverbial for its good roads. Great attention is paid to them. There are two large roads passing

through the town east and west: the north one is the old post road from Boston to Worcester; which, passing through the thickest settled part of the town and over the head of Long Pond, forms a junction with the other, which is the Worcester Turnpike, near the Gaol in Worcester. This road was laid out as a county road, at, or before the settlement of the town, and while it formed a part of the county of Middlesex. It is on the records of that county, but not on the town record, or that of the county of Worcester. It was laid out four rods wide, without any particular bounds or courses, and is 1510 rods in length, in Shrewsbury. The act, chartering the Worcester Turnpike Corporation, was passed June 10th, 1808; and that road soon after made; its length in Shrewsbury is 1350 rods. It runs nearly parallel with the post road, varying from one and an half to two miles from it. It is four rods wide and rather hilly through most of the town. It crosses Long Pond, about two miles south of the head of it, by means of a floating bridge, being the third bridge, that has been thrown over the pond at this place, for the purpose of crossing it. The first was a floating bridge, and cost about $9000. It consisted of two or three tiers of round timbers laid lengthways and then crossways, and then overlaid with a course of hewn timber, covered with plank, and fastened to large abutments at the shores. This bridge soon proved to be weak and unsafe, and after a few years was succeeded by another of the same materials, and cost $13,000. It was constructed by sinking nine piers; the centre one of these was sixty feet by sixty; the others sixty by thirty, placed in a line about thirty feet apart. The piers were constructed separately, and designed to rest on the bottom of the pond: this was done, by laying the course, then lapping and building after the manner of a cob house, and pinning where the timbers lapped and crossed; by building in this manner, as the weight increased, the frames settled and the work continued, till the frame of each pier found a resting place at the bottom, reaching and remaining considerably above the water; towards the top, the piers were connected to each other by timbers, and upon the top even overlaid with them; over the whole was laid a quantity of gravel. But on account of the mud in some places, and gravel in others, at the bottom of the pond, some of the piers continued to settle and others remained stationary. The four eastern piers, as they settled, leaned to the south. It was endeavored to keep the surface level by putting on gravel, which probably hastened its destruction; for, by increasing the incumbent weight, the piers (ma