Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms: Volume 62

The Eastern Route of America: Maine

[The leadership] is changed every year through a public election. The person elected must have resided in the State gang-di The term "gang-di" (literally "net-land" or "base-land") is used here to refer to the state territory. for three years; only the individual who receives the most votes may hold the office. As for the administrative officials of the townships original: "xiao bu-luo," literally "small tribes," a term Wei Yuan uses to describe the local municipalities or counties of the United States., they are selected by the Governor original: "zong-ling," a title generally used for a high leader or president, here applied to the state executive., who consults with the Council gang-se-er original: "gang-se-er," a phonetic transcription of the English word "Council." to grant their commissions. If the person commissioned is indeed virtuous and capable, they may serve in that position permanently, unlike the Council members who are replaced every year.

The territory spans thirty-five thousand square li. The population is upwards of 399,000 people. It governs twenty-five districts original: "xiao bu-luo.". Regarding customs, the people follow the Protestant original: "Bo-luo-te-shi-dun." and Catholic original: "Jia-te-li." religions. Each household is taxed forty cents xian-shi original: "xian-shi," likely a phonetic rendering of "cents" (or possibly "shillings"). The text describes these funds being used for "脩脯膏火" (xiufu gaohuo), a classical idiom for teacher salaries and institutional overhead. annually to cover the salaries and expenses of the schools.

Local products include coal, iron, slate, timber, and an abundance of salted fish. Great timbers are felled in the prior winter, waiting for the spring floods to float them out of the mountain valleys.

The original source [A Brief History of the United States] Refers to E.C. Bridgman’s 1838 work, Meilige Heshengguo Zhilüe, which was a major source for Wei Yuan’s geographic knowledge. states: In the sixth year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty [1626], English religious people Likely referring to the Puritans or other early English colonial settlers. first arrived.