CONNECTICUT, a large river in New England, which gives name to one of the five colonies of that province (see the next article). It rises in a swamp on the height of land, in N. Lat. 45. 10. W. Long. 71. After a sleepy course of eight or ten miles, it tumbles over four separate falls, and turning west keeps close under the hills which form the northern boundary of the vale through which it runs. The Amonoosuck and Israel rivers, two principal branches of Connecticut river, fall into it from the east, between the latitudes 44° and 45°. Between the towns of Walpole on the east, and Westminster on the west side of the river, are the great falls. The whole river, compressed between two rocks scarcely 30 feet asunder, shoots with amazing rapidity into a broad basin below. Over these falls, a bridge 160 feet in length was built in 1784, under which the highest floods may pass without detriment. This is the first bridge that was ever erected over this noble river. Above Deerfield in Massachusetts it receives Deerfield river from the west, and Miller's river from the east, after which it runs westerly in a sinuous course to Fighting-falls, and a little after tumbles over Deerfield falls, which are impassable by boats. At Windsor in Connecticut it receives Farmington river from the west, and at Hartford meets the tide. From Hartford it passes on in a crooked course, until it falls into Long Island sound between Saybrook and Lyme.
The length of this river, in a straight line, is nearly
Connecticut. ly 300 miles. Its general course is several degrees west of south. It is from 80 to 100 rods wide, 130 miles from its mouth. At its mouth is a bar of sand which considerably obstructs the navigation. Ten feet water at full tides is found on this bar, and the same depth to Middleton. The distance of the bar from this place, as the river runs, is 36 miles. Above Middleton are several shoals which stretch quite across the river. Only six feet water is found on the shoal at high tide, and here the tide ebbs and flows but about eight inches. About three miles below Middleton the river is contracted to about 40 rods in breadth by two high mountains. Almost everywhere else the banks are low, and spread into fine extensive meadows. In the spring floods, which generally happen in May, these meadows are covered with water. At Hartford the water sometimes rises 20 feet above the common surface of the river, and having all to pass through the above-mentioned strait, it is sometimes two or three weeks before it returns to its usual bed. These floods add nothing to the depth of water on the bar at the mouth of the river: this bar lying too far off in the sound to be affected by them.
On this beautiful river, whose banks are settled almost to its source, are many pleasant, neat, well-built towns. On its western bank, from its mouth northward, are the towns of Saybrook, Haddam, Middleton, Weathersfield, Hartford, Windsor, and Suffield, in Connecticut; West Springfield, Northampton, Hatfield, and Deerfield, in Massachusetts; Guilford, Brattleborough, in which is Fort Dummer, Westminster, Windsor, Hartford, Fairlee, Newbury, Brunswick, and many others in Vermont. Crossing the river into New Hampshire, and travelling on the eastern bank, you pass through Woodbury nearly opposite to Brunswick, Northumberland, the Coos country, Lyman, Oxford, Lyme, Hanover, in which is Dartmouth College, Lebanon, Cornish, Clermont, Charlestown or No 4, Chesterfield, and many others in New Hampshire; Sunderland, Hadley, Springfield, Long Meadow, in Massachusetts; and in Connecticut, Enfield, East Windsor, East Hartford, Glastenbury, East Haddam, and Lyme.
This river is navigable for vessels drawing 10 feet water 36 miles; for those of smaller size to Hartford, upwards of 50 miles from its mouth; and flat-bottomed boats ascend 200 miles farther, and bring down the produce of the country. These boats are long and narrow, for the convenience of going up stream, and of so light a make as to be portable in carts. They are taken out of the river at three different carrying-places, all of which make 15 miles.
Sturgeon, salmon, and shad, are caught in plenty in their season, from the mouth of the river upwards, excepting sturgeon, which do not ascend the upper falls; besides a variety of small fish, such as pike, carp, &c.