D. affixed to the year stands for Dartmouth College-B. for Brown University-Y. for Yale College-N. for Nassau or New Jersey College. Where no letter is affixed Harvard University is to be under

stood.

By comparing this list with the catalogue of Harvard, it will appear that one quarter of the class, who were graduated in the year 1785, were from Bridgewater.

Ponds and Rivers.

There are but two ponds of any considerable dimensions in the town. The largest lies on the south-west part of the town, adjoining Raynham, and was anciently called Nunketest, but afterwards and now called Nippenicket, being different names given it by the Indians. The other lies in the easterly part of the town, adjoining Halifax, and was anciently called by the Indians Satucket; but has latterly been called Robin's Pond, after an Indian family of that name, who came from Mattakeset (now Pembroke) and lived on the margin of it. Several families of the natives formerly settled and owned the land on the shores of this pond. They have generally been under the care and protection of guardians appointed by the General Court; but they are now nearly extinct, only one family remaining.

There is a river proceeding from the pond first above mentioned, which anciently bore the same name, Nunketest, but for a long time past, and perhaps ever since the incorporation of the town, has been called Town River. It first runs in a north-easterly course through the centre of the west parish, and then taking a more easterly and southerly direction passes through the south parish. On this river is the principal mill seat in the west parish, and two of the principal water privileges in the south parish. There are several tributary streams, which augment this river in its course, as Cowesit, and West Meadow Brook in the west, and South Brook in the south parish, and other smaller brooks.

There is another river, which takes its rise in Stoughton, south of the blue hills, and passes through the north parish, and is there called Salisbury river, from the circumstance of its running on the easterly side of Salisbury plain, so called, lying in that parish; and thence continues its course into the east parish, where it unites with Beaver brook, and is then called Matfield river, from an Indian of that name, who is said to have lived on the banks of it, and lower down it unites with Byram's brook and is then called John's river, which has already been explained (page 151.) It thence passes into the south parish, and there unites with the town river. There are in the north parish five or six mill seats on this river and Beaver brook, and seven in the east parish, including those on Beaver and Byram's brook. This river passes the whole length of the town, and may well be called middle river, as it is the middle one of the three principal streams, which compose the great river.

Another river, passing through Abington and the north west corner of Pembroke, enters the east parish on the easterly side, and is called poor meadow river, and uniting with the river coming from Halifax and through Robin's pond is then called Satucket river, and after receiving a small increase from black brook unites with John's river, and continuing its course a short distance into the south parish unites also with the town river as before stated, and thus is formed the Great river. Hobart's works in Abington, and Cushing's in Pembroke (formerly called More's forge) stand on the poor meadow branch, and the extensive works at Halifax between Monponset and Robin's pond are on the other branch of the Satucket river. Whitman's mills in the east parish are on this river; and just below the confluence of these three rivers in the south parish stand the new mills so called. The Great river after receiving the waters of the Winnetuxet from Plimpton and Namasket from Middleborough, is commonly called Titicut river, but from thence to the sea is called Taunton great river.

There are several other small mill seats in various parts of the town, on the minor brooks and rivulets, which af

ford sufficient water however in many instances for the winter and spring seasons only.

Taunton river is great in comparison only with its branches, but is nevertheless large enough, even so high up as the south parish of Bridgewater, as to admit of shipbuilding there. Vessels of near one hundred and fifty tons have been built there and carried down in time of freshets.

Soil and Agriculture.

Bridgewater is a very level township of land, having few or no hills. The only one, which may be properly so called, is Sprague's hill situated between the east and south parishes, and this is but small but the north-west corner in the north parish, commonly called the “west shares," is perhaps the highest land in the town. The soil, as might be supposed, in so large an extent of territory, is various. In some parts, and particularly in those adjoining the rivers and brooks, it is of a good quality and very productive. In other parts, as on the plains, it is very suitable for tillage, being of a light mould; and produces good crops of corn, rye, oats or flax, with a moderate quantity of manure, and with little labour. In other parts more elevated and broken the soil is thin and poor, producing however at proper periods tolerable crops of corn and rye, and, when laid down again, yields for a considerable part of the season a scanty but sweet and nourishing feed for sheep and cows. There are large tracts of low and swampy lands in the town, which, while left unimproved, afford great quantities of wood and timber, and when subdued, produce large crops of hay of an indifferent quality, but suitable for the support of young cattle through the winter, which enables the farmers to increase their stock. There is a very large tract of these lands lying in the west parish called "the Hockamock meadows," which produces great crops of hay of a very good quality, and renders that parish with its other advantages of soil, perhaps the best agricultural part of the town. Besides meadows of this description, there are others lying along the margins of the rivers and brooks, yielding spontaneously hay of a better quality. These meadows

constitute the most peculiar advantage it enjoys as an agricultural town. The uplands and tillage grounds are kept in better heart by the increase of manure derived from the larger stock of cattle thus kept by the farmer; and these meadows, especially on the rivers, being frequently overflowed, are thus naturally fertilized; and besides yield a valuable feed after mowing, and at a season when the high grounds are generally dry and unproductive.

The town has always been more remarkable for raising grain than English grass; not perhaps because it is more naturally suited to the one than the other, but because the soil is generally easy to till, and they have consequently been more naturally drawn into this mode of husbandry. If less grain were raised, the soil would unquestionably be less exhausted, and of course produce greater crops of grass. All English grasses, cultivated there, as herd's grass, clover, red top and blue grass, are usually sown so as to succeed two, and sometimes three, crops of grain. The farmers in general, not having sufficient manure to support the land under such severe tillage and repeated crops, often unreasonably complain of disappointment in their subsequent crops of grass. This is not peculiar to Bridgewater, but undoubtedly happens in all easy and similar soils. There is probably as much corn annually produced there as in any town in the commonwealth; and it is also a very good soil for English grass with a proper and suitable cultivation. It has the reputation indeed as far as it is known, of being a very excellent township of land; and its inhabitants are distinguished by their steady and industrious habits. The grains usually cultivated are corn, rye, and oats. Flax was formerly raised there in great abundance, but much less latterly. Wheat and barley are also produced in considerable quantities, and the attention of the inhabitants has of late been more turned towards their cultivation. Forty and fifty bushels of corn frequently to an acre, and sometimes sixty are produced; but the average, one year with another, is thought to be about twenty and from eight to ten bushels an acre, the average of rye; although twice or thrice that quantity is often obtained.