Hayward’s New England Gazetteer (1839) page 384
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NEW ENGLAND GAZETTEER.

he went to sea and spent nine years
in the capacity of captain’s clerk,
supercargo, and finally as master of
a ship. In 1804, he became presi-
dent of a Marine Insurance Com-
pany, in Salem, which officedie held
until 1823, when his superior talents
called him to become Actuary of the
Massachusetts Hospital Life Insur-
ance Company, in Boston; the re-
sponsible and laborious duties of
which office he faithfully discharg-
ed until his.death, March 16, 1S38.

Notwithstanding his limited means
of education, Dr. Bowditch acquir-
ed, by his extraordinary genius and
economy of timej. a perfect knowl-
edge of all the modern languages,
and became the most eminent math-
ematician and astronomer in Amer-
ica. The
Practical Navigatoras
been translated into every Europe-
an language, and its .use is co-exten-
sive with maritime adventures.

Another work of Dr. 'Bowditch,
places his name, as a man of science,
still higher on the roll of fame. It
is his translation of the
Mecamque
Celeste
of La Place, with an elab-
orate and copious commentary on
that work, in four large quarto vol-
umes. Tbis work was completed,
just before his death.

The last hours of such a man as
Dr. Bowditch, cannot fail to be in-
teresting, as they mark his charac-
ter through life. A friend of his
who was present, says, “ He did not
like to see thosp about him look sad
and gloomy; and he remarked, on
one occasion, ‘ I feel no.gloom with-
in me; why should you wear it in
your faces?’ On the morning of
his death, when his sight was very
dim and his voice almost gone, he
called his children to his bed side,
and, arranging them in the order
of age, pointed to and addressed
each by name, ‘ You see I can dis-
tinguish you all; and now I give
you my parting blessing. The time
is come. 4 Lord, now lettest thou
thy servant depart in peace, accor-
ding to thy ivord ?’ These were his
last words.”

Salem, Ct.

New London co. This town was
taken from the totfns of Colchester,
Lyme and Montville; but the prin-
cipal part from Colchester, and in-
corporated in 1819. It comprises
an area of six by five mile^s of fer-
tile and productive land. The in-
habitants are generally good farm-
ers, who live scattered about on
their farms. Papulation, 1830, 953.
Salem is well watered by small
streams, and is bounded on the N.
E. by a large and beautiful pond.
It lies 29 miles .S. E. from Hartford,
and 13 N.-W. from New London.

Salisbury, N. XI.,

Merrimack co., lies 15 miles N.
from Concord. Black water river
passes through the W. part of Salis-
bury. There are 5 bridges across
this stream in this .town. The soil
of the upland is strong, deep and
loamy-; the hilly land affords some
fine tracts of tillage, but chiefly
abounds in excellent-pasturage. On
Blackwater river, there is some ve-
ry fertile intervale, which united
with the adjacent hilly land, com-
poses several very valuable farms.
A considerable portion of Kearsarge
mountain ranges within the bounds
of Salisbury, the ' N. W. corner
bound of which extends nearly to
the summit. There are two very
pleasant villages in this town., situ-
ated on the 4th N. H. turnpike
about 1 1-2 miles apart.

Salisbury was incorporated by
charter from the government of N.
H., March 1, 1768, when it took
the name of Salisbury.lt was settled
as early as 1750. The first settlers
were Philip Call,Nathaniel Meloon,
Benjamin Pettengill, John and Eb-
enezer Webster, Andrew Bohon-
non, Edward Eastman, and others.
The first inhabitants experienced
the inroads of the Indians. On the



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