Maine

(mān,) an anc. p. of W. France, embracing the existing depts. of Sarthe and Mayenne. Maine, the most E. State of the Amer. Union, bet. 42° 57′-47° 30′ N. Lat., and E. Lon. 5° 45′-10° 10'; b. N. and N.W. by Lower Canada, and S. and S.E.by the Atlantic Ocean. Length, 320 m.; maximum breadth, 160 m. Area, 31,766 sq. m. The shores of this State are deeply indented by inlets and arms of the sea, presenting a succe ion of excellent harbors, and fringed with numerous islands. The surface is very generally hilly, and rises in the N. and N.W. into the summits of Mounts Katahdin, Bigelow, and Abraham, while the Green Mountains form a considerable barrier between it and Canada. M. is admirably well watered, the chief rivers being the Kennebec, Penobscot, Sebasticook, Saco, and Andro scog gin, with their tributaries. The St. Croix River separates a great portion of the State from New Brunswick. The principal lakes are those of Mooselhead, Grand, Schoodic, Umbagog, and Chesuncook. The soil in the neighborhood of the ocean is in general poor and sandy, but that on the banks of the rivers-particularly the Kennebec and Penobscot is everything that might be desired both for tillage and pasturage. The N. part is covered with dense forests, chiefly pine, fir, and birch, affording an almost inexhaustible supply of timber for home use and exportation. The cereals, flax, pulse, ., constitute the chief agricultural products. The minerals comprise marble, iron, and lead; mining is, however, but little attended to. The fisheries are most extensive and lucrative; and shipbuilding forms a staple industry. M. is divided into 16 cos., with August a (cap.), Portland, Bath, Bangor, Saco, Rock land, Belfast, ., as the chief towns. The executive consists of a governor, with an auxiliary council of 7 members elected by the legislature. The latter consists of two bodies - a Senate of 31 members, and a House of Representatives of 151 members. Education has throughout the State the most ample development; and institutions of a social, religious, and philanthropic character exist in accordance with the ratio of her wealth and pop. In 1869 the number of public schools established in M. was 4,019, supported by an aggregate expenditure of $1,082,106. The higher branches of education are provided for at Waterville, Bowdoin, and Bates colleges. M. is represented in Congre by 4 members. In 1870the a e ed value of real estate was $134,580,157; of personal estate, $69,673,623. In the same year the public debt was $8,067,900. Di. owes its earliest discovery to the North men in 990. No settlement, however, was effected by Europe ans till after the second voyage of the navigator Sebastian Cabot, in 1498. In 1604 a French colony established itself on the St. Croix River, and in 1607 an English expedition sent out by Sir Ferdinando Gorges explored the region bet. 39° and 440, and attempted to found a settlement. Capt. John Smith, in 1614, took po e ion of the country lying bet. Cape Cod and Monheyan Island, and gave it the name of New England. In 1620, M. was granted by royal charter to the Plymouth Company, which body transferred the territory lying bet. the Kennebec and Merrimac rivers to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Capt. John Mason. In 1625, the European settlements along the rivers suffered from a war carried on with the Indians. After undergoing various changes of proprietorship, the colony, in 1686, was handed over to Ma achusetts, a grant confirmed to the latter prov. in 1691. In 1820 M. was admitted into the community of American States. A controversy respecting the N.E. boundary of M., which threatened to produce war with England, was settled by a compromise of claims in 1842. Pop. 626,915. [s. 570]