LatAm Digital Edition and Gazetteer

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(the city clean and healthy ; but are too narrow for so large a place and so warm a climate. Their general breadth is from 35 to 66 feet. The houses which have been lately built are brick with tiled roofs. The buildings in general are elegant, and most of them are neat, airy, and well furnished. The public buildings are, an exchange, a statebouse, an armoury, a poor-house, and an orphan’s house. Here are several respectable academies. Part of the old barracks has been handsomely fitted lip, and converted into a college, and there are a number of students ; but it can only be called as yet a respectable academy. Here are two banks ; a branch of the national bank, and the S. Carolina bank, established in 1792. The houses for public worship are, two Episcopal churches, two for Independents, one for Scotch Presbyterians, one for Baptists, one for German Lutherans, two for Methodists, one for French Protestants, a meetinghouse for Quakers, a Roman Catholic chapel, and a Jewish synagogue. Little attention is paid to the public markets ; a great proportion of the most wealthy inhabitants having plantations, from which they receive supplies of almost every article of living. The country abounds with poultry and wild ducks. Their beef, mutton, and veal are not generally of the best kind ; and few fish are found in the market. In 1787 it was computed that there were 1600 houses in this city, and 15,000 inhabitants, including 5400 slaves ; and what evinces the healthiness of the place, upwards of 200 of the white inhabitants were above 60 years of age. In 1791 there were 16,359 inhabitants, of whom 7684 were slaves. This city has often suffered much by fire ; the last and most destructive happened as late as June 1796. Charleston was incorporated in 1783, and divided into three wards, which choose as many wardens, from among whom the citizens elect an intendant of the city. The intendant and wardens form the city-council, who have power to make and enforce bye-laws for the regulation of the city. The value of exports from this port, in the year ending November 1787, amounted to 505,279/. 19^. 5d. sterling. The number of vessels cleared from the custom-house the same year was 947, measuring 62,118 tons; 735 of these, measuring 41,531 tons, were American ; theothers belonged to Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, France, and the United Netherlands. In the year 1794 the value of exports amounted to 3,846,392 dollars. It is 60 miles s. w. by s. of Georgetown, 150 e. by s. of Augusta, 497 s. by w. of Richmond, 630 s. w. by s. of Washington city ; 763 s. w. by s. of Philadelphia, and 1110 s. w. of Boston. Lat. 32° 48'. Long. 80° 2' w. Knoxville, the capital of the state

of Tennessee, is much nearer to this than to any sea-port town in the Atlantic ocean. A waggon road of only 15 miles is wanted to open the communication ; and the plan is about to be executed by the state.)

Charleston, another capital city of the county of Middlesex in New England; situate on the bank of the river Charles. It is well peopled and of a good construction, occupying the whole of the space which lies between the aforesaid river and that of Mystic, the former river dividing the city from Boston, in the same manner as the Thames divides London from Southwark. It has a raft for the traffic of the river instead of a bridge, the fare or produce of which belongs to the college of Norwood in the city of Cambridge, which is close by : this city is as it were the half of Boston, and its situation, as being upon a peninsula, is very advantageous. At certain times it has fairs, and is the meeting place for the assembly of the county. It has a very large and handsome church, and a marketplace, ornamentally and conveniently situate on the river side, at which there are sold all kinds of flesh, fish, and other necessaries ; it has two large streets leading to it. The river is navigable, and runs through the country for many leagues. Is in Lat. 42° 24' n. Long. 71° 6' ay.

(CHARLESTOWN, the principal town in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, called Mishawun by the aboriginal inhabitants, lies n. of Boston, with which it is now connected by Charles river bridge. The town, properly so called, is built on a peninsula formed by Mystic river on the e. and a bay setting up from Charles river on the w. It is very advantageously situated for health, navigation, trade, and manufactures of almost all the various kinds. A dam across the mouth of the bay, which sets up from Charles river, would afford a great number of mill-seats for manufactures. Bunker’s, Breed’s, and Cobble (now Barrell’s) hills, are celebrated in the history of the American revolution. The second hill has upon its summit a monument erected to the memory of Major-general W arren, near the spot where he fell, among the first sacrifices to American liberty. The brow of the hill begins to be ornamented with elegant houses. All these hills afford elegant and delightful prospects of Boston, and its charmingly variegated harbour, of Cambridge and its colleges, and of an extensive tract of highly cultivated country. It contains within the neck or parish about 250 houses, and about 2000 inhabitants. The only public buildings of consequence are, a handsome Congregational church, with an elegant steeple and clock, and an alms-house, very commodious

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and pleasantly situated. Before the deslrnction of til is town by the British in 1775, several brandies of mannfadures were carried on to great advantage, some of which have been since revived : particularly tlic manufacture of pot and pearl ashes, ship-building, rum, leather in all its branches, silver, tin, brass, and pewter. Three rope-walks have lately been erected in this town, and tlie increase of its houses, population, trade, and navigation, have been very great within a few' years past. This town is a port of entry in conjunction with Boston. At the head of the neck there is a bridge over Mystic river, which connects Charlestown with Malden.)

CHARLESTOWN, another city of the island of Nevis, one of the Caribes, in the Antilles ; in w Inch there are beautiful houses and shops well provided with every thing ; is defended by a fort called Charles. It has a market every Saturday, beginning at sun-rise and finishing at mid-day, whither the Negroes bring 'maize, names, garden-herbs, fruits, &c. In the parish of San Juan is a piece of sulphureous land, in the upper extremity of an opening of the land, called Solfatara, or Sulphur gut, which is so hot as to be telt through the soles of the shoes when being trodden upon. At the foot of the declivity of this same part of the city, is a small hot stream, called the Bath, which being supposed to rise from the aforesaid spot, loses itself shortly in the sand. Towards the side lying next the sea are two fountains, one of hot water, the other of cold, and of these two are formed the lake of Blackrock, the waters of which are of a moderate warmth, and which lies to the n. of the city, being nearly a quarter of a mile’s distance from the place where are caught eels and silver-fish, resembling the cod and slimgut in flavour, the latter of which lias a head disproportioned to its body. [A prodigious piece ol Nevis mountain falling down in an earthquake several years ago, left a large vacuity, which is still to be seen. The altitude of this mountain, taken by a quadrant from Charlestown bay, is said to be a mile and a half perpendicular ; and from the said bay to the top, four miles. The declivity from this mountain to the town is very steep half-way, but afterwards easy of ascent.] In Lat. 17° 8' u. and long. 62° 40' w.

Charlestown, another city of the island of Barbadoes ; the situation of which is two leagues from that of San Miguel. It has a good port defended by two castles ; the one beyoml the other, and both commanding the city and the road: in the middle of them is a platform. Tlse inhabitants carry on a great trade with the other islands.

(CHARLESTOWN, a township in Montgomery

county. New York, on the s. side of Mohawk river, about 32 miles w. of Schenectady. By the state census of 1796, 456 of the inhabitants are electors.)

(Charlestown, a township in Mason county, Kentucky ; situate on the Ohio, at the mouth of Lauren’s creek. It contains but few houses, and is six miles n. of Washington, and 60 n. e. of Lexington. Lat. 38° 28' n.)

(Charlestown, a township in Chester county, Pennsylvania.)

(Charlestown, a post town in Cheshire county, New Hampshire, on the e. side of Connecticut river, 30 miles s. of Dartmouth college, upwards of 70 n. of Northampton, 116 n. of w. of Boston, 120 w. by 71. of Portsmouth, and 431 n. n. e. of Philadelphia. It was incorporated in 1753, and contains 90 or 100 houses, a Congregational church, a court-house, and an academy. The road from Boston to Quebec passes through this town. Lat. 43° 16' n. Long. 72° 23' w. A small internal trade is carried on here.)

(Charlestown, a post town in Cecil county, Maryland, near the head of Chesapeak bay ; six mites e. n. e. from the mouth of Susquehannah river, 10 zo. s. w. from Elktown, and 50 s. w. by zb. from Philadelphia. Here are about 20 houses, chiefly inhabited by fishermen employed in the herring fishery. Lat. 39° 36' w.)

(Charlestown, a district in the lower country of S. Carolina, subdivided into 14 parishes. This large district, of which the city of Charleston is the chief town, lies between Santee and Combahee rivers. It pays 21,473/. 14s. 6d. sterling, taxes. It sends to the state legislature 48 representatives and 13 senators, and one member to congress. It contains 66,986 inhabitants, of whom only 16,352 are free.)

(Charlestown, a village in Berkley county, Virginia ; situate on the great road leading from Philadelphia to Winchester ; eight miles from Shepherdstown, and 20 from Winchester.)

(Charlestown, a township in Washington county, Rhode Island state, having the Atlantic ocean on the s. and separated from Richmond on the 71. by Charles river, a water of Fawcatiick. Some of its ponds empty into Fawcatiick river, otliers into the sea. It is 19 miles /L ti:;. of Newport, and contains 2022 inhabitants, including 12 slaves. A few years ago there w'ere about 500 Indians in the state ; the greater part of them resided in tin's township. They are peaceable and well disposed to government, and s|5cak the English language.)

CHARLETON, an island situate near the e. coast of the country of Labrador, in the part of N.