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 |