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The First American Geography 327
.stown is another literary inftitution ftarted in jO, partly by lottery and partly by the liberal ^ation of gentlemen of the town." Boston had seven schools supported wholly at the public expense, " and in them the children of every clafs of citizens freely affociate." Three of these were " Eng-lifh grammar fchools in which the children of both fexes, from feven to fourteen years of age are inftructed in fpelling, accenting, and reading the Englifh language with propriety ; alfo in Englifh grammar and compofition, together with the rudiments of geography." In three schools " the fame children are taught writing and arithmetic. The fchools are attended alternately, and each of them is furnifhed with an Ufher or Affiftant. The mafters of thefe fchools have each a falary of 666 2-3 dollars per annum payable quarterly." Lastly there was the " Latin grammar fchool" to which " none are admitted till ten years of age."
The inhabitants of Boston at this time numbered 24,937. As usual in speaking of important places a list is given of the " public buildings." There were "18 houfes for public worfhip, the ftate houfe, court houfe, gaol, Faneuil Hall, a theatre, an alms houfe, and powder magazine." The principal manufactures of the town were " rum, beer, paper hangings, loaf fugar, cordage, fail cloth, fpermaceti and tallow candles, and glafs."
The final states to be considered in the New England section are " Rhode Ifland and Providence Plantations," and Connecticut. Perhaps the most interesting bit in this portion is the statement that |
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