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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seui clichA, il est f ilm6 A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'fmages nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. rata elure, d 3 2X V- f::,i ; ;"r:-: 1 2 3 4 5 6 : '^■ "wwroB^^gpipim A Clear and Succinct ACCOUNT O F NORTH AMERICA, Historical, Geographical, 6cc. So far as it refpedls The Arguments of the prefent Time. Done from Authentic R e c o r d s. And the beft Relations extant. DUBLIN: Printed by Richard James, at NiwtQtCs H^aJt in Damf-^rt(ti 1755, ^:y .■!' j'- ■ .A^ ■ M [3l Clear and Succinct ACCOUNT O F NORTH AMERICA, Hiftorical, Geographical, &^c. # THE beft writers agree in calling that coun- try North America which extends from the IJlhmus of Panama, in the Latitude of 8^ 30' North, and as the fame is now divided between Great-Britain, France, and Spain \ claim^ ing under their refpedtive dilcoveries. As to what regards Great-Britain, or more properly England, in particular, and upon which our claims are founded, our rights propofed to be eftablifhed, owe their being in the firft place to the difcovery of the Cahots, in the latter end of the 15th century, about the y^irs 1496 and 1 497, and more afiuredly to the feveral grants from the crown, and the refpedive fettlements in confequence made therein. The difcovery of the Cabot s, according to the accounts of the generality of aur own writers, extends [41 extends only from the latitude of 38 to 68, in- cluding the great ifland of Newfoundland, and other lefler iflands on the coaft of the continent within thofe latitudes, and the Spaniards generally pretend that fuch arc the utmoft bounds of our difcoveries j but we find that even locnt of their moft early hiftorians are lefs partial, in particular Anthony Golvano, governor of Ternata, one of the Molucca iQands, in a hiftory which he wrote, of difcoveries about the year 1550, admits it to be the common opinion, that the Cabot s difcovered as far fouthward as Cape Florida in the latitude of 25. And the btft French authors feem clearly of the fame opinion, who, fpcaking of a previous pretended difcovery of John Ponce of Leon.^ a Spa- niard, in 1 51 2, ^huanus fays, it is more certain what many affirm, that Sehajlian Cabot had been there 1 5 years before ; and Richelet, who publifhed a tranQation of the hillory of Florida from the Spanijh in 1709, in his notes thereon, exprefly agrees with Thuanus ; fo that as to mat- ter of difcovery, our claim feems undoubted from the latitude of 25 to 68, as before mentioned. And Peter Martyr^ from Cabot's own relation » fays, that he was in the gulph of Florida fouth of the cape, having the ifland of Cuba on his left hand. The point then of our right by difcovery being out of the queftion, it fallsunext under confidera- tion what we claim againli: other Europeans, by the right of fettling under fuch difcovery, and this will gradually lead us into the hiftory and geography of this extenfive tra<51:. The firfl: attempt we meet with was by Sir Hum- phry Gilbert, under letters patent from queen Elizabeth, dated the nth of June 157s, but which, through various dilappointments were retarded to i^'',■: if,' ■■vv. [ " ] to Brijioly Exetor, Plymouth, and the wcftern parts of England, and was to extend from the latitude of 38 to 45. Befides this charter, the king, under his fign manual and privy-leal, ordained a council, under the name of the King's Council ot Virginia, confilting of 40 perfons of high charadler and diftindion ; amongft whom thofe who make any figure in the following hiftory, were Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Thomas Chaloner, Sir Edward Sandys, and Sir Thomas Roe. Under which powers the firft, or fouthern colony, ftill called Virginia, was undertaken, and of this con- ftitution Sir Thomas Smith was appointed trca- furer -, and the care of the expedition committed to Capt. Chrijiopher Newport, a mariner of great abilities, with two (hips and a bark properly pro- vided, and commanded under him by Capt. (jofnold and Capt. Ratcliff, with fuitable orders and inftrudfions how to proceed, with particular diredlions, if pofllible, to find a pafTage through the South Seaf, which feems to have been the main view of this enterprizc. The 26th of Jpril 1607, they arrived on the coaft ot Virginia near Cape Henry, by them fo named in honour ot the prince oilVales ; and be- ing extremely pleated with the country, they ranged about 'till the 13th o{ May, when they agreed to fettle on a peninfula on the north fide f)t the river Powhatan \ this place, in honour of his mojcfty, they named James Town, and having opened their inftrudions, they found Mr. PVing- field, Gofnold, Smith, "Neixport, Ratcliff, Martin, and Kendal, appointed for the crfuncil ; and Mr. Thomas Hudley was by them eleded treafurer. By the 1 5th ot June their affairs were pretty weli ad- juflcd, and having a fair intercourfe, and fixing terms of peace with the natives, Capt. Newport failed for England, leaving behind him ico per- B 2 fons. fons : but through the negledl of the council in Englandy and their treafurer being extremely ill provided, they were fubjedted to various diftrefles, too prolix in the relation for the compafs here af- figned, and were fingly fupportcd and encour- aged by the diftinguifhed courage and difcrcet management of Capt. Smithy who was at length, fighting alone againft a number of the natives, by a mcer accident taken prifoner, and in the event preferved by the affedion ol a young Indian dam- fel, daughter of the emperor of Fczvhatan^ and by her conduced back to the colony. This, though nor immediately to our purpofe, is men- tioned here, bt^caufe the lady hence makes fome figure in this account, and will be tound married to an Englifh gentleman, and died in England : her name was Pocahontas j and (he is faid to have been a very amiable perfon. In the latter end of this year, Capt. Newport arrived with fupplies in two fliipi^ in one of which he foon after returned ; and the other in the opening of the fpring 1608, laden with cedar, likcwife failed for England. As x.^e fummer approached, Capt. Smith em- ployed himfelf in making various difcoveries; on the 1 6th of June^ they fell in with the mouth of Patwcmac river, and having fearchcd it thorough- ly, they fet fail for Rappahanoc j and having made proper obfervations, returned the 1 7th of 7«/y to James Towny where the people made him prefident inflead of Capt. Ratcliff, who had abufed them, and riotoufly wafted their ftores. 24 Julj/y Capt. Smith fet out again in a fmall vefTel with twelve men on further difcoveries ; he met in his courfe feveral canoes of warlike /»- dianSj at prefent known by the name of the Sene- tasy or fix nations, with whom after fome contefl and bravadoes on both fides, he engaged in friend- fiiip. The m^ m em- The next day they fell in with a fleet of armed canoes of the nation of the Tockwayhs, and having made peace with them, was vifited by the Sufque- kannas, a numerous and gigantic people, living in palifadoed towns \ and by thefe people Capt. Smith was firft informed of the French having fettled in Canada^ with whom they traded tor hatchets, by the way of the lakes. While Capt. Smith was purfuing his difcoveries here, and making good his fettlement, the inte- reft of the northern colony was embraced in Eng^ land^ and undertaken by feveral perfons of dif- tindion. They fent out a veflel well provided in May 1607, and fell in fomewhere to the north- ward of New England, from whence after various diftreHes, they returned to England m 1608. About this time alfo Capt. Henry Hudfon dif- covered Long-lUand, New-1'crk, Hudfon' s- River ^ and the parrs adjacent, and meeting with no en- couragement at home, fold them to the Dutch* This fale was excepted againft as the difcovery was made under the king's commifTion 5 howe- ver, the Dutch crept in by degrees, conftru(5te4 New Amjierdam and feveral other towns, fortified them, and (by their accultomed induflry) made it a flourifhing colony. In the latter end of this year, 1608, Newport arrived in Virginia with a frefh fupply of people and provifions, amongfl the refl Mr. Wejl, bro- ther to lord Delaware, fixteen other gentlemen, and two women, the firft in the fettlement, and was returned home with fome trials of pitch, tar, glafs, frankincenfe, and foap-afhe^. In the fucceeding year 1609, the colony at- tained to fome degree of perfection and plenty j they made a confiderable quantity of tar and pot- afhes, planted 40 acres of ground, and were well ftored with hogs, poultry, and other cattle. The [ H] The fame year, the council in England applied For a new charter, and obtained it •, by this, the council in Virginia were abrogated, and lord De- laware was appointed captain-general, Sir Thomas Gates his lieutenant. Sir George Summers admiral, Newport^ vice-admiral. Sir Thomas Dale high marOial, and various other officers tor life. And as the carls ot Saliflmry, Suffolk^ Southampton, Pem- broke, and various other perlons ot" diftindion were included in this charter, as well as feveral public companies, a large fum of money was raifed, and nine fhips, with 500 men, difpatched to recruit and enlarge the colony, under the di- reftion ot Gates, Sommers, and Newport, who, not agreeing about the command, went all aboard of one fhip, and were with 15© men wrecked in a hurricane on Bermudas, a fmall ketch foundred in the fame (form, the other feven arrived fate, bring- ing with chem a parcel of the mod debauched, idle people, that were perhaps ever fince lent to that country ; but Smith's iuperior courage and induftry conquered all obftacles •, he ordered Mr. H^ejl, with 120 of the beft men, to make a fcttle- ment at the Palls, and Mr. Martin, with near the fame number, to Nanfamond, where behaving meanly, he was treated with great contempt by the natives, and Mr. IVeft returning immaturely, capt. Smith entered into a treaty with Powhatan for a more convenient fettlement, and featcd Mr. Weji*?< people there, which they foon after aban- doned, and returned to the Falls. Capt. Smith, who had hitherto been the foul of the colony, vv??s now, by the accidental tire of fome powcier that lay in the boat between his legs, fo difabled, as to be utterly inc.jpable of performing any turthcr fervice to the colony, and thereiorc obliged to return to England. To i "T" To [ 15] To his vigour, induftry, and undaunted fpirit, the eftablifhment and firm fettling of the colony was certainly owing, and this unhappy accident the appropriated cauie why this colony, for a long time alter, remained in a tottering, or rather de- clining ftatc, as will but too well appear in the courfe of the various events hereafter related. It has been faid before, that the admiral (hip, with Sir 'Thomas Gales^ Sir George Summers, and Capt. Newport, were wrecked on Bermudas, the fhip after various endeavours to clear the coaft ftruck upon a rock, but the high ibrges forced her off again, and violently carrying her in amongft a great clufter of other rocks, at length providentially fo leated her between two, that Ihe was jammed in firm and immoveable, to the great joy and furprize of them all, but ftill more heightened by a fudden change of wind, or rather of weather, and foon after it became quite calm. This gave them full leifure, with all requilite convenience, to unlade the fhip, and land all their flores, provifions, (^c. quite out of any future danger. Here, inftead of a complicate fcene of barren rocks, wild watles, and dreary defarts, they found, to their unfpeakable fatisfadion, one of the fineft countries in the world, and fo afterwards cele- brated by that diftinguifhcd poet Mr. JValler. They found all the fruits of the climate in great plenty and perfedlion, the inter-jacent currents amongft the rocks ftored with excellent filh, a great number of wild hogs, in the woods birds of various kinds, and in the plains a vaft fuper- fiuity of falubrious herbage. Tiie hogs may be fuppofed to have bred here from fome left by jGbn Bermudas, the difcoverer in 1522; and it was equally fatisfadory, that they found here ce- dar in great abundance, with which they built two ■p*p [i6] two fmall fhips, that particularly of Sir Georgt Sommers, in which he embarked, had not any iron in her, except one bolt in the keel ; thefe they rigged, with what they faved from the wreck, and all things being now in readinefs, after nine months abode, they, on the loth ot May 1710, fet fail for Virginia, where they arrived the 24th. They found on their arrival the colony reduced to great mifery and diftrefs, owing, as before, to their indolence, inadlivity, and Ibme particular maxims of the eftablifhment materially contri- buting thereto. As in the iirft place, the want of judging rightly what kind of people were proper to begin a new fettlement ; what kind of laws juft and equal \ what kind of immediate directors ; and that they were appointed to work and trade on the common ftock of the proprietors for their intereft only i without any profpedl of perfonal property or advantage to themfelves, and this, rather under martial, than the municipal laws of their own country, as foldier^, rather than as labourers, and as flaves, rather than as freemen. Thefe were difcouragements, the befl would not have fucceeded under, and made the word totally dcfpair of mending their fortunes in a country, where their bread was to be laboured hardly for, and their lives at the fame time to be defended at daily imminent hazard, fo that they became ra- ther plunderers than improvers, and feekin^ the corn of the natives, rather than planting them- felves •, the natives, on their parts, removed it early out of their reach, and occafionally lying in ambufh frequently cut them ofF^ when meer def- pair and neceflfsty obliged the colonilU to feek abroad for fultenance. This, with a climate un- accullomed to, and the evils of hunger and fick- ncfs preying at the fame time on their vital ftrcngch and fpirits, their former, as well as pre- fent m vital as pre- fent ti7l Tent fituation feems not difficult to account for ; nor confequently, the long time it required to fix a firm and permanent elVablifhment. The two colonies pf Nanfamond and the Falls Sir George found, at Japes Tozvn^ complaining they had loit their boats, and nearly hu'.l of their men. Their principals IV^ and Ratcliff were difpatched in fearch of provifions -, Ratcliff to Powhatan, where he was cut off with 30 of his men, only one of the company, a boy named Henry Spilman, a gentle- man's fon, efcaping by means of Pocahontas, and Capt. Weji went off for England ; and the whole colony being reduced to extreme mifery, Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Sommers agreed to embark them, and follow Capt. IVeJl ; but as they were falling down the river, they perceived, at a place now called Mulberry Point, a fhip's long-boat, and foon after the fleet under lord Delaware, appointed captain general of Virginia, and returned back to James Jown;, and his lordfhip's arrival giving quite a new turn to their affairs, they, by his advice and example, applied themfelves to a more induflrious and efieftual condufl. Sir George Sommers undertook to increafe their prefent flock of provifions from Bermudas, but un- happily died in the expedition at the ifland, and his nephew, exprefly againfl his dying commands to return to Virginia laden, fet fail for England. Capt. Angel was fent to Patowmac river to trade for corn, where he found Henry Spilman, and re- turned laden to James Town. On the firft wreck at Bermudas, two of the men were left behind, named Carter and fVaters, who lived there very fociably. On tRis lafl expedition, Mr. Sommers left another man behind him, named Edward Chard, and now the colony being encreafcd to three people, they found it neceffary to have a king to govern them, as their wealth had encreafed by the difcoverv of a large quantity of ambergreafe, C of IT ^i|i ^n t i8] of the efteemed value then of near 10,000/. the main conteft for power lay between ll^aters and Chard, and they agreed to fight it out, in order to determine which of them Ihould have Carter for their fubjedt ; but Carier having very wifely hid their arms, foon after reconciled them to himlelf and to one another •, and for the future, they continued on the footing of equal government a friendly dmo- cracy. Lord Delaware in his government conftrufled two Forts at Kkkqiietan \ the one 1 named Fort Henry ^ and the other Fort Charles^ on the points of a fmall ftream, which they called Southampton river, and in a very healthy fituation, calculated to receive new comers on their firft arrival from their native country to feafon them to this. Sir Thomas Gates was difpatched by his lordfliip for England •, and his lord (hip foon after, finding himfelf attacked with a complication of diieafes, fol- lowed him. The charge of the colony he com- mitted to capt. Piercey^ of the Northumberland fa- mily, and under his care about 20© perfons in good health and well provided. Before the return of his lordfhip, the council had fent Sir Thomas Dale to adt under him as high mar- flial, with three (hips, men, and cattle, who arri- ved fafe at Virginia the 1 oth of May 1 6 1 1 , and having examined James River up to the Falls, con- ftru(5ted a new town on the narrow of Farrar^s IJland, upon an JJlhmus of the fame rifing land nearly environed by the ilream. In the begining of Auguft, Sir Thomas Gates ar- rived with fix ii)ips, 300 men, and ftore of provi- fion i and Sir Thomas Dale in September built his new town, with a church and ftorehoufes, which he palifadoed round, and called it Henrico, in hortour of the then prince of JVales, and peopled it with 350 perfons, and loon after built and fortified another town, about five miles from the former, and called it the and er to ^ for their id to ;d on dimo- ufted Fort nts of river, eceive native )rdfliip inding ss, fol- com- ind ta- n good icil had h mar- 10 arri- I, and /i, con- ''arrar^s »g land ates ar- f provi- uilt his ^hich he hortour /ith 350 another id called it i ['9 1 it new Bermudas^ within the pale whereof there wai good corn-land March 12, 161 2, a new charter was granted the company for Bermudas, the former not extending fo far from the coaft, and Mr. Richard Moore was fent governor with 60 men, on whofe arrival they found the Triumvirate above mentioned in good health ; but having firft plundered them of theif wealth, they then reduced them to the degree of common fubjecfls. In the beginning of this year, Capt. Jrgal arriv- ed with a frelh I'upply •, and foon after in thcPatow- mac-country, by a flratagem got Pocahontas into his cuflody, propofing by her means to be upon b(jtter terms with Powhatan, her father, a declared enemy to the Engltjh •, from that prince the damfel, for fome reafon unknown now, had fled to the Pa- towmacs, with whom the Englifh were in perfect friendfhip, by which means Powhatan was in the event content to treat of peace. For a confiderable time before this, Mr. Rolfiy a gentleman of good perfon and'accomplifhments, had been in love with Pocahontas, and fhehad a like atfeftion for him ; and a marriage being propofed on the one fide to Sir Thomas Dale, and on the other, to Powhatan, they were in April 161 3 married by the mutual confent of all parties, and a firm peace thereupon between the mod potent of the Indians and the Englijh eftablifhed, which proved a very lucky event. Sir Thomas, about the fame time, made peace with the Chiki hominy s, another potent Indian nation, a commonwealth, at war with Poz^hatan for their li- berty, and by this means prcferved it, equally to the advantage of both parties. Early in the year 16 14, Six Thomas Gates return- ing to England, Sir Thomas Dale was left fole go- vernor of all the colonies, and having information that the French were fettling fomewhere to the C 2 north- r 1 1 m [20] northward about the bay of Fundy, he dlfpatched thither Capt. ylrgal, who, on his arrival, finding the French difperfed in the woods, took the fhip they came in, and a bark with all their apparel and provifion. In his return to James 1'own^ he put into Iludfon's river, to vifit the Dutch fettlcmcnts there. The governor, temporifing, acknowledged the Eng- ■lijh right ; but in the latter end of the year fortified ttiemlclves better, and then infilled on holding the fettlement. Mr. Hamar, who had been in the co- lony near four years, propofed, the better to confo- lidate their friendfliip with Po'^juhatan^ to inter-mar- ry with another, and his only remaining daughter, and for that piirpofe Sir 'Thomas Dale entered into treaty with that prince, which however had not the happy eflfeft propofed. Capt. Smith, of whom fo much has been faid, this year made a voyage to that part of the more northern coaft, difcovered by Capt. Gofnold, and having made it advantageous to his owners, and taken an exad furvey, he called it New England. Pocahontas was the fame year baptized at James 7own, by the name of Rebecca j fhe was the firlt chriftian Indian of thefe parts, and, as my author fays, perhaps the moft worthy that has ever been fince, her affcdion to her hufband extremely con- ftant, and on his part to her in every refpe(il: reci- procal. 1615. The colony being now in an eftabliHied and Aourifhing flatc, a lottery was drawn in Evg- land for farther encouragement •, and the fame year a large Spani/b fliip was perceived hovering on the coaft, and defiring a pilot, a boat was fent with one, whom they carried oft^" to Spain, and there of- fered him great reward, tho' in vain, to betray the colony. It appeared afterwards, that feveral ibips were at fea with irtent to furprizc it, but they ne- ver appeared. 1616. il ,6i6. [ 21 ] 1616. Sir Thomas Dale having adjuftcd every thing to his fatisfadion and of thofe he governed, and having appointed Mr. George 2'eardfy his deputy, he embarked with Pocahontas and her hufband, and levcral young Indians of both fexts ; and on the 1 2th of Jtdy^ they all arrived iafc at Plymouth, Hitherto this colony had been governed by a kind of martial law, but by a change brought about in the council at home, the people were reftored to the enjoyment of their native rights, by the means of Sir Edzvard Sandys^ who fucceeded Sir Thomas Smith in tht treafurerriiip ; and there being now about 600 induftrious pcrfons compleatiy armed, and well florcd with provifions, with a large (lock of live cattle of all kinds, fine crops of corn on the ground, and the Indians either drove far off from their fettlements, or in firm peace with them, 1 fhall here quit, for the prefent, this branch of our hiftory. After John Cabot had made a general difcovery of fo much of North America as has been premifed, his Ton, Sebajlian, who had attended him in that expedition, conceiving from the flrudlure of the globe a (hotter courfc to the Eaji-Indies than by the Cape of Good-Hope^ made a voyage to the North IVeJl, hoping to find a pafiage that way, prefuming that he fhould firfl fall in with thecoailof Tartary^ but was fuprizcd to find himfclf interrupted by the intervention oi Nc"w/otindland,\\h\c\iho\\'ever failing round, and fo on to the coaft of Labarador, which he traced to the height of ^6 degrees, and then finding the land bend away to the eaftward, he gave over his defign, and returned to j^.ngland. In 1576, Sir Alartin Trobijher \)ur(ued the fame courfc, and made fome farther difcoveries. But neither in that, nor two fubfequent voyages to any purpofe, as to the paffage in view, and therefore declined the further profecution, having only led the wav to our future fettlcment in HudjWs Bay. til [=2] In 1585, Capt. Davis purfued the fame courfc, and in two other voyages, as to the main dcfign, much to the fame purpoll-, but carried on his dil- coveries as far as the latitude of 72-12, on the weft fide of Greenland. In i6o2, another voyage this way was attempted by Capt. Gcorf^e H^eyuiouth to h tie purpofe, and in llie year 1607, Capt. Iludfon undertook to make further difcoveries, he reac^hed tlie huitude of 82 and returned i after two other voyages, in hopes of doing fomething by tiic nortb-eall, he quitted that purfuit for the prcfent, and having difcovered and fold Ncw-Tork to the Dulcb, as previoufly menti- oned in tlie fettling ot Virginia, in the year 16 10, 1 c made one other attempt to the north-eaft, and in the Gourfe of his purfuits happened on the ftreights that lead into Hudjon's Bay, which having palled and thoroughly furveyed, his men mutinied and left him bthinti, from which time he was never heard of; but it is from hence we more efpecially claim and fix our data of thofe fettlements j tho' no charter granted until Mf^y 1670. Thus we plainly extended our difcoveries farther to tlie northward than any of the French ever attempt- ed i fo their claim to C^^w^i^ comes next in quellion. They fay themfelves, that their firll difcoveries of that country was by Verazi, under Francis I. in 1525 i but his difcoveries were fuch only as hsd been made before, and no huthcr to the northward than the latitude ot 40, whicli neither interferes with Canada or Accadia. The next difcoverer, they fay, was, Jaraes Carlter, in 1534, he failed up the river St. Laureni^e, but having loll many of his men, returned to France, and it was not until the year 1608, that any fettlemcnt was made, when Monficur Biencourt cdrrki] over feme people whom he landed in Accadia, and being drov(^ from thence by the Englifi feizing their ftores, as mentioned in the account of Virginia, they moved to the river t^ ot. "•17 nvcr St. [23] St. Laurence^ and fcatecl themfclves on the other fide where now ^ebec (lands. In 1626, when the foundation of that city was hardly laid, the fame was attacked and deftroyed by the Englijh under admiral DrfW, in profecution of their jull claim even to Canada^ and here probably had all our future difputes on this fide ended, had not the admiral impolitically permitted fome of the French to remain there ; and prince Charles marry- ing a daughter of France, the country with fome part of Accadia was ceded to that crown, which celfion afterwards coming in queftion as an appurte- nant of the crown of England, the fume was for that rcafon by Oliver Cromwell reclaimed, and all that had been ceded of /Iccadia re-afTumed and re- polTelTed. AocADiA had been chartered in 1622, to Sir Alexander Stirling, but he being outed by the above cefTion, he conveyed his right to one de la Tour, a French reformift, who having been put in poflellicn by Cromwell, de la Tour again conveyed his right to Sir Thomas Temple, from whom it is find regularly to defcend to the preient Earl Temple, as heir of the late Lord Cobham. However the French after CrojnweWs demife, found means to refcttle the colony about Part Royal, fince called Annapolis, and continued until after the revolution, and in 1690, we find them in- creafcd to 6000 when they were attacked by S'w William P hips, and Pcr/-/?'^/ utterly deflroy'd j but after permitting as many to retire to Canada as he thought proper, and as I fuppofe not knowing better what to do with the relidue, he permitted them to remain, on taking the oath of allegiance to the crown of England. The fame officer made a vain attempt on Canada, and being returned iinfuc- cefsful, the French governor of Canada in Floiemhcr 1691, re-afTumcd the pofleflion of Port-Royal, and held it until 1610, when it was again taken by Co'. Nicholfohi, i [ 24 ] Nicholfotif and by the 12 th article of the treaty of Utrecht the whole country oi Accadiit was ceded to the crown of Great-Britain. Here then is not only the firft difcovery, but what the lawyers call a continual claim on both Ac- cadia and Canada^ and the former being fo abiolute- ly and formally ceded, it remains only in rJ"pe<5l to the latter to be confidered, whether, except by pofTefTion well fecured, tijc French have really any right to that colony. I am fenfible of the virtue ot p^>ireiIion, but even allowing this Ibme face of right againft contin";il c'aim, it will hardly extend that right to the back ot our lettlements, and give them even a fair pn tence to intervene between them and the great weftern ocean ; confequently, if we have power and right together, we have a fair pretence to impede their procedings without any breach of friend- Hiip on our part* That the French would commu- nicate \\'\x\\ Fouifiana that way if they could, no one doubts, fo ihey would, no doubt, wuhPe^fta, and their India fettlements by Egypt or Rujfta^ if the refpedtive powers would permit them ; but what this has to do with matter of right is not eafily comprehended, eipecially when in argument they have no better claim to Loiiiftana than to Canada j and then it remains for them to (liew, unJer what pretence, except their own convenience, they would interrupt our trade to the Lakes, and fo on back- ward. It follows from this fceming digrelTion, that as the French have only a claim to Louifuina and Ca- nada by pcJJ'cJfiGn^ and it appears, our fettlements 2i\chol[\\xom foJfcJfwH -mCi difcovery^ which I think is by none doubled, it is plain we have the bed right to the back-country, and having means to fup- pure that right, it is a kind of duty we owe to opr- fc !v'::s to prefcrve it by the belt means in our power, with. Lit being prcfumed, in any fenfc, the aggrefTors in caic a war ihould cnfue. The French may move in ■is*' I 1-5] in a line as far weft as they pleafe, either from Loui^ Jiana or Canada for any tiling it concerns us, and why the Knglijh may not purfue the fame courfe, lies upon our adverfaries to make out in the bell manner they arc able. It is upon this plan then that we propofe to adjuft the geography of America^ and to tletermine the li- mits or boundaries of the refoci^tive nations, with- out regard to partiality on eitner fidC, that is to fay, by the foutnern boundary ot St. Laurence at the en- trance, and the northern at Mejjfi/ippi^ and carrying thefc lines on due weft, within thole limits to the great weilern ocean, bound the BritiJJj Empire in America^ Hudfon's-bay excepted, and leave the French as much northern, or fouthern, from the refpedive lines, as they may have any kind of claims to. And here we return back to confider the progrelr, of our other fettlements, fo far as is necef- fary to give the reader a clear idea, and to eftablilh in his mind a regular geographical diftinftion of the rights, interells, and claims of Great-Britain and France m conteft. Newfoundland we not only find difcovered, as has been mentioned, but aifo poflefled, and three of the natives here in 14 Henry Vllth, and this con- firmed by a variety of concurrent circumftances, and without deducing the fame down to the Calvert family, and thence to the prellnt time, that right is immemorially confirmed by the treaty of Utrecht and Jix la Chapelle. This neceflarily leads us to New England^ as the next provincein courfe : which beingunder the direc- tion of the North Virginia charter^ a as rather traded with than fettled until the year ^619, when a con- gregation of EngliP^ JettarieSy refiuent in Holland tor liberty of contcience, having heard o^ America^ went over, preaiming they might live there free from perfecution. For this purpofe they firfl ob- tained the ^/«f*i licmtc^ and next agreed with the D J^ortb ^1 it [ a6 ] North charter counfel for lands in Nova Scotia \ but being afterwards better intormed, they engaged for a fettlemcnt farther to the fouthward, intending for liudfon^s river, but were by the condudl of the maf- ter of the fhip who carrictl tiiem over, I'eated near Cape Cod in tne latitude 42, and there built new Plymouth, and this is the foundation whereon has been fuperftruded that great and thriving colony of New Enj^hmd. The next, in courfe, is NewTork, difcovered and fold, as has been faid beh^re, by Hud/on to the Dutch, and by them fettled, and in the latter end of the year 1664 conquered by the Englifij, and fo reduced .igain to the iirft right, as it ilill continues, and with it all the eafi and weft Jerfeys. Pennjilvania, the next Ibuthwaid, was granted by charter 1680 to Mr. Penn, and great numbers of perfecuted fedlaries going over the iame year, in 1681 he went in perfon, and having, befides the right of his charter, purchafed the lands wanted of the natives, which is ilill the flanding rule of the colony, and the numbers going over being many more in the time than to any other, it profpered accordingly, and is now nearly on a footing with New England, though fcttletl fo many years be- fore. Maryland, the next, remained until 1632 as a part oi Virginia, wliL-n Calvert, 1 ord Baltimore, hav- ing refigned a patent which he had obtained for Newfoundland, iiad this country granted him, he fent over his brother, Leonard Cahert, with fome Roman catholic gentlemen and other adventurers, who, on the 2 2d oi Nov em her 1633 arrived there, and feated tliemlHves, with the conlent of the na- tives, at the mouth of a river, fdhng into that of Potcwmac, whicii ii.-tall they called St. George^s rol- ler ; they there conllru'Sted the town of St. Mary'Sy and loon became a flourifhing colony, as by this time, was that, now diilindly L^ikd hrginia-, fo that many as a e, baV" icd tor im, he li ibme turcrs, there, he na- that of le's rj- )y this that il [ 27 1 that the next in order, as they are fituate, is North Carolina. . ,, 1 o 7 This province, and that adjoining called bout^ Carolina, tho' originally the diicovcry oi the Cahts, for the ciown oi England, as has been fhcwn before, was attempted firft to be fettled by the Spaniards^ then by the French, and at length, after various contetls, abandoned by both, and the northern pro- vince in fome meafure fettled by the Engl^Jh from yirginia •, and in 1663 both provinces were granted by Charter to Lord Clarendon and others, bef- m the latitudes of 31 and 36, and backwards to the South Seas. It was by the proprietors in 1728 fur- rendered to the crown, except one eighth referved to Lord Carteret, now Earl Granville, and is be- come a very flourilhing colony. In rcfpe6t to Georgia, the laft fettled of all our colonies, it may fuffice to f;iy, that it is within the bounds of our firft difcoveries, and of the Carolina limits i that we have made it our boundary to the South, and that it covers Carolina : That the charter was granted in 1732, and this, like moft new co- lonies, was long eftabliihing -, but it is hoped will now prove a ufeful barrier of the BritifJj Empire in North Jmerica, tho' not conftruded on fo wife a plan as IVilliam Penn\ colony. And here I Ihall beg leave to make one conclufive obfervation. That however it is faid, that in the multitude of counfel- )ors is fafety -, yet is it certainly true, tliat in the pro- fccution of any great deHgn, civil or military, one trood head in the fcene of action is of more value than one hundred at a diftance ; and fuppofe with that head there is a pure and upfight mind. And thus having compleated my Summary of d'.fcovery and ftttlement by the Englijb in America^ as far as refpeds our prefent difputes with France, 1 propofe, in my next chapter, to give a \\k^ fuccin5f Account of the Itate, and geography of this extend- ed country, with fome particulars neceflary to elu- D a cidate I it [ i8 ] tldate our rights, arnl llicw, that it is in our power, and evidently our int*.rc;(l to ule that power, in luch a warm antl judicious purfuit ot our claim, as may tor the tuturc put an entire end to all loreign pretenlions. Right is fonietimes given by pcwer, fometimcs co-operative with, and iometimcs lupported by it. Ic is ulually attained by birth, purchafe, or con- queft. Ihat by birth is natural, by purchafe fair, and by conquefl violent. Our acquifitions in Jme^ nca have been generally of the fecond kind, perhaps fome part of the latter. But whether all, or either of tht^fe, matters little to contelling Europkans. As much as is necefifary has been previoufiy Ihewn, to evince our property j we are next to confider how far we are able to fupport it, by a fair compa- rifon between the French power and our own. I'his is the more pertinent, as a wild notion has gained credit, that the French propole to take all our Colo- nies, and drive the people inco the fea : this thought has its exiilence in the brains of fuch who are apt to deal in the marvellous^ or to raife palfions that con- tribute but lirtle to tiie peace, happinefs, and wel- fare of the Hate. From the mofl exact and litefl: account, we du not find that the total amount of the French inha- bitants in Canada exceeds forty five thonfand •, and how more than one fourth of them can be fuppofed fighting men ; or, how more than one fourth of fuch fighting men can be fpared for diflant fervice, 1 tancy will not be readily apprehencfed. The fum then of thofe who are to drive the Englijh into the iva., are about three thotifand \ the Indians may pof- fibly engage one thoujand more, and fuch regular troops as the French may tranfport thither are to compleat the amount of their army. What thefe latter may rife to is only material, if we neither fend any troops, nor regiment and di- ieipline any of the natives j but as neither feims to be Dowcr, /tr, in ,im, ai oreigii letimcs by it. )r con- ile fair, n Jme^ perhaps citlicr ipKANS. Ihewn, tonfidcr com pa- ri. This ; gained ur Colo- thought re apt to hat con- and wel- :, wc du uh inha- nd •, and luppofed oiirth of t fervice, The liim > into the may pof- 1 regular er are to aterial, if t and di- r Teims to be [ 29 1 be the cafe, we are probably in that particular as well prepared as the French^ but infinitely fuperior in point of natural ftrcngth in numbers, and, for reafons hereafter, much more likely to increafe n\ proportion. For, except Canada^ the (Irength 0^ France is very incoiifiderable in America j it not appearing that, in all their fettlements on the Mijjifippi, they have above fix or feven thuufand inhabitants, and thefe at feveral hundred leagues diftance, and what could be fpared of thefe very difficult to joyn with the other i on the contrary, our fettlements lie fo con- nei2:ed, as whatever power we have, or can conve- niently fpare for the war, are eafily brought toge- ther J and of what that power confifts I fliall now treat. In Nova Scotia^ befides the lijh inhabitants are found New Hnmpfijire — Mdjfachufets • Rhode IJlandy &c. Connecticut New I'ork — — New Jerfey — Pemijihania ■ — — Maryland — Virginia North Carolina — — — South Carolina Georgia • *— ■ Military, the Eng- to be about, 5000 — 30000 - — 200000 — 35000 ■ Jfoooo " ■' ■■ 90000 50000 — 250000 — 85000 90000 — 35000 30000 — - — . 6000 986000 The above account is not a vague calculation, but is taken from fuch ctnfus, numerations, and mufter-roUs, as are undoubted •, but as the fame have been taken at different times, and none with- in fcvcn years paft, there is a fuitable allowance made HI t iV.t m ■iii [ 30 ] made for the increafe, and for which in the above account is made various dedudtions, fo that it i* feventy thoufand Ufs than what are eftcemed the bell computations. For, as by this I only propofed to fhew the tolly of that prevailing notion of the French driving us into the fi^^a, I conceived that the lefleninc; oi our numbers could not make the notion lefs ridiculous, as the excefs is yet fo great. And all that can be concluded from it in favour of France is, that one Frenchman is better than twenty Rnglijhman. As to the Indian auxiliaries^ as they refpe(5l either fide, I no noL any where find Tuch an account, as may give full fatisfadion to an inquiiitive mind ; but it feems realbnable to believe, that the Indians in friendihip with us are at leaft upon a ballance With thofe in alliance with the French^ as we find that even one body of them, only, have been able, at times, to make iheir ftrongefi fcttlements tremble. Thefe are the 5/;^ Nations^ and by much the ftrongeft of our allies bordering on the northern colonies : they were laid, formerly, to have confiltcd of twelvt thoufand fighting men,, but are now reduced to about tzvo thoufand ; iiowever, that is more than ever the French were known to bring together, and they are on ail hands allowed to be the braveft peo- ple in Jm erica. On the borders of Pcymfyhania we find about y^- Vin hundred, and we do not hear of more than that number in both Maryland and Virginia -, but, far- ther foL h, are the tollowinjz, the Kutawbahs three hundred, Cherokee: three ox four thoufand, theCHiKLSAWS th'-ee hundred, and the Crelks one thoufand; in the wliole -About, f even ur eight thoufand, bordering on the ditTcient parts of our inland fron- tiers, and who contribute tfientiaily to their protec- tion, and it is thought would be of more eminent fervice were they managed with fkill. Hence it ap- pears, that we do liot want means of defence, or indeed M ■'<" I 51 1 indeed oF offence ; which however fliall be farther illuftrated by the following comparative fum- mary, whereby is propofed to deliver all that is farther necefTIiry to be known in refpedt to America, Hudson's Bav, the moil northern fettlement of the Englijfj, is, by the inveltments of a charier^ dated 2d May 1670 extended between 50** 30', and 64'' 00' north latitude^ and between 55 and 900 of longitude j but the limits adjufted by the treaty of Utrecht are beft feen by infpetlion ot the map, noted therein, and marked off by a prickt line, and carried about 40 minutes to the fouthward in latitude, and about fcven degrees ot longitude more weftward than the bounds of the charter. The English have not within thefe limits any towvs, iolonies, or fettiements of families , but only fcrts, and within t\\ftmjlore-houfes for carrying on trade with the Indians; ior Women are prohibited here by the company -, fo that the ftrength of the Engli/Jj on this fide confiih entirely in the refpedlive forts of no great confidtration, and the number of refidents the company fend here and employ in trade. "What therefore is neceffary to be known of this country is, the fituation of their forts, and the na- ture and advantage of their trafiic. The northernmojl oi' thdc forts \s at Churchill, In the latitude of 59. The river is navigable up about 150 leagues, and then palTing the Jails, confidera- bly farther : this place has an improving trade, the track of the Indians thither being entirely out of the French rout , and tcj the northward of this, there is not any Beavir, but there arc A'lartins, Ermine, ^c. All the forts are leatcd on rivers, for the con- venience of the Indians coming ^Jown to them on rafts, or in canoes. I'he next is called Tork-fort, feated on an ijland in about the latitude of 66 ' jo' at the out-falls of Neifcn's -ind Hay's rivers : the country about this fort is very low and marfny, and pretty well reple- nilhcd [ 3»] nidied with woods, rhou^^h tlic irtc^ are but of fmall growth -, the value ot the traffic here may be in lome mcafurc giicflc.d at, if tlie re^.ort be true, that about one joufand Indium come down this river to thc/(?r/ in canoes, and bring with them the fol- lowing commodities: Builard and wild geefe fea- thers, white fox and martin Zemblim fkins, fairer than thole of Rtijfm^ fquirel, cat, ermine, beaver, elk, flag and bear-fl<.ins ; thofe Indians nearer the coaft kill/^^/, the oil of which is clearer and better than nut-oil, and bring it to the factory. The company^ factories are all on the fouth and weft fide of the bay, except that at Rupert s river, which is on the S. E. Albany is in about the lati- tude of 52, and the country about is well wooded, watered, and capable ot producing various kmds of grain, roots, iSc. Rupert Yivcr fa^ory is in about the latitude of 51, and being tht^ Ibuthcrnmoll, is conicquently belt liipplied with roots, herbr.ge, &c. At Albany and Rupert^ bcfidesfomeof the commodities mention- ed above, the Indians trade with them tor train-oil and whale-fin j lo that confidering all things toge- ther, it fliould feem that our J ur- trade on this fide, with the feathers, fkins, oils and fins, is on a parity with New France, and Hill lefs likely to be inter- rupted i but is not like that in any refped calculated for improving of numbers •, nor indeed can one ea- fily perceive how they (hould live here, in a climate, though equal in latitude to ditfcrent p;irts o\' Great - Britain, yet is the weather feverer much in the motl foutbern parts of Hudfon's Bay, than in the molt northern of Grlat-Bkitain, and much more fieri I and barren* There arc not on this continent any other European fettlements between thcfe ana thofe of the French in Canada -, and it is therefore of that country we arc next to fpeak. Canada^ It ni lit ot lay be z true, s river ic fol- :fe fea- fairer beaver, rer the I better ith and s river, he lati- ^ooded,^ cinds of tude of itly bcft any and nention- train-oil ^s toge- [his fide, a parity 36 inter- alculated n one ea- climatc» of Great- the moll the moft ich more European he French juntry we Canada^ [33] Canada^ or New-France, being at prefent on the footing of contefled bounds, I fhall not limit it by a general geography, but only regard its populouf- nefs, power, and trade. The towns and fettlements of any confequence in this country are feated on the great river St. Lau- rence, and ^ebec is eltcemed the capital i the mouth of the river is in about the latitude of 49, and ^tebeck in about 47" 30' : it is feated on the north fide, about fix hundred miles S. W. of the river's mouth, including the windings : it confifts of two towns, the upper and the lower, both regularly for- tified, and commanded by a fort, conftruded on an adjacent eminence •, and both towns together are about three miles in circumference ; it is a bi/hopric^ and here refides the captain-general of all Canada and Louiftana \ its inhabitants ?ie varioully comput- ed from 10 to 15000, and the ufual garrifon about 500 men. Trois Rivieres is higher up the river, about a de- gree of latitude to the fouthward of ^ebeckj and about the midway between that and Montreal : it has its name from being feated on the confluence of three rivers, like our Carlijle ; one of the rivers is called St. Laurence, the others I do not find any name for. This town is fmall and flightly fortified, containing only 3 or 400 families j but is well built, and aconfiderable mart for the interchange of Indian and European commodities. Montreal is about 70 miles highe; up the river, and is about a degree and a half to the fouthward of ^ebec ; it is feated on an ifiand, about fourteen leagues in length, and/x;^ in breadth, replete with well cultivated plantations, and the town fufficient- ly well fortified againil any thing but a regular fit-ge : it is fuppofed now to contain about two thirds the number of inhabitants as Quebec j but then it fol- lows, that either ^ebec is over computed, or that Montreal is vaftly improved fince 168 J, when the E Iroguois^ lUii! [ J4l Iroguois^ m open day, and not by furprife, entered this iQand and burnt and deftroyed all the plantations round the town, without meeting with any material refiftance. Thefe are all the towns of any kind r\ note that the French poflefs in this part of /Imerica -, tor of New-Orleans I fliall fpeak in its proper place ; and I cannot find their villagts nre many and populous -, fo that the computation of 45000 French in this country is an ample allowance, and moft probably too many. Above Montreal the river St. Laurence is not na- navigable, owing to various catnra^s^ or water- falls, and m confequence very fwift ftreams. The whole courfe ot the navigation downwards is very dangerous and difficulr, being full of rocks, iflands and llioals, and fubjed to thick fogs, and when clear of them to tempeftuous weather ; all of which are very great obftrudions to navigations in fo nar- row a channel, eipccially for iliips ot any force or magnitude. Befides, the climate is fo cold, that the river is ufually frozen up from 05ioher to May, and the earth is fo long covered with the fnow, that the in- habitants find it very difficult to maintain any confiderable number of cattle through the winter. The Indian trade is the main bufinefs of this country, and'takes oflf fo many of their labourers, that they often fall fhort of grain for their annual fubfiftence. The French, being naturally /.r^vj, eafily be- come favages^ marry, and live aniongfl them, as freer than their domcftic (late ; but this, however it takes off from agriculture, tends confiderably to the improvement of their trade. Thcfe tellov/s are called cGureurs de hois, and live on a parity with the wild Indians. They do not by this forget their country, but tailing the benefit of a better acquifi- tion than they could make by labour at home, are very entered ntations material lote that i tor of ce ; and pulous •, in this probably ; not na- r water' IS. The s is very i, inasids nd when of which n fo nar- force or L • ; river is and the It the in- ain any winter. , of this ibouicrs, r annual ifily be- :hem, as iwcvcr it ily to the ows are ity w'ith [ret their acquifi- ne, are very t35] very adroit in managing the Indian traffic at once to their own advantage, and to that of their country. To fupport thefe and the Indians in alliance, and to cut oti' as much as pofRble a trade with our co- lonies, they have conftrudted various forts, that make a kind of chain from Montreal to New Or- leans. A little below Montreal, where the Iroguois river enters St. Laurence\, is fort Sorel, and the midway between that and lakeChamplain is fort Cbamlfli, and about 100 miles north by eafl of Crown-point. On lake Ontario, about 60 miles north of ours, at Orweys, is fort Front iniac \ one other they call De- nouvide at Niaguara, an'J another on the canal of communica'ion between the Huron's and Erryi,ake, bcfides thofe capital forts at Crown-point and on the Ohio, and a great number of flockados to compleat the chain. In the principal of thefe, as in the towns, garri- fons are maintained at the king*s expence, which at once adds flrength to the colonies, and circulates a good deal of running cafh, which gives vigour and fpirit to their trade. But after all, there feems more of whim than probability of fuccels in complcating this national chain, that wants feveral millions of people to make it appear of any other confequence than fometimes interrupting our interchange of com- merce with the diftant Indians \ and it feems almofl: as ridiculous, that the Englifh, having fuch a vaft fuperiority, Ihould fufFer this chain to have any links fubfifting, upon which I do not chufe at prefent to make a very natural reflexion. The di'ftancc between Quebec and New Orle* ans, is at leafl 700 leagues, the way they are obliged to travel -, it is a journey by the lakes of three months from Canada, and three times as much, back, the Itr«am being againft them ; and the dif- tance by fea, if that was any thing to the purpole, near a thoufand leagues. How weak and ill fupport- E cd iii;f Iwi [ 36 ] ed then mud this chain be, and in confequcnce, how cafily broke and deftroycd by very moderate num- bers! It thert'tore fecms to mc better to dcftroy thefc than build any our 1'clvcs, as numbers cannot wanr/(9r/Ji tho% where numbers are noty Jorts may be rtquifite •, however, it Teems to mc, that if we cannot beat them out ot their forts, there is no rea- fon to exped that we Ihall be able to maintain any we may build. Acadia^ or Nova Scotia is bounded on the north by the gulph and river of St. Laurence, ou the call partly by the faid gulph, which divides it from Newfoufidlandy and partly by the Atlantic ocean ; on the fouth by the great opening of the Bay of Fundy, and on the weft by part of the faid Bay, and by a continent of unknown weftern extent, and is from north to fouth, from the entrance of the river St. Laurence in the latitude of 50, to cape Sable in the lat 43, eight degrees, or 552 miles of 69 to a degree. The principal fettlements in this country are Anapolis royal and Haifax, and the Englijh in- habitants arc now computed at 5 or 6000, the French fubjefts of the crown of England at about j'50'io, but not to be depended upon, in refpc(fl to our valuation of the ftrcngth of the country. Jna- folis is a tolerable fortification, le.ited on the upper part of a fine harbour in the Bay o\ Fundy, and in about the lat. of 44 ; and is the only harbour of note on the weft fide. On the caft and S. eaft are many fine harbours, but principally that of Chebuc- to, within which is the town of Hailifax ■, this is the only regular plan'd town in the Britijh dominions, except Philadelphia, and the reafon of both is, that they were built ^or/ a mrm'd plan \ this has four ftrcets each way on the fquare, crolling each other at right angles ; tne houfes are tolerably built, aUd the number of inhabitants, including the garrifon, about 4500. It is fortifyM by a fingle line and five regular baftions, and the harbour is one of the fined s, how ntiin- Icftroy cannot ts may I if we no rea- in any s north the cad t from ocean ; Bay of ay, and , and is he river Sable in 69 to a country ^lijb in- »oo, the It about ;fpcft to ^ Jna- \t upper , and in bour of eaft are [ Chebuc- his IS the iminions, 1 is, that has four ach other uilt, aUd garrifon, hne and me of the fineft [37] fineft in the world. Over the Ifibmus a communica- tion is gradually forming between this town and /Imipolts Royals which, when compleatcd, will co- ver a large extent ot country to the fouthward. Hallifax is finely fituated for commanding the eaft coaft fiftiery, formerly carried on from Caufeaux» The Jhip timber here is of quicker growth than in Canada^ and in great plenty •, and altiio*, confider- ing the latitude, the winters arc very fevcre, yet is. the foil capable of producing moft of the grains, roots and herbage, comuion to Great- Britain : and as the people increafe and ftourifli, a trade willjnatu- rally enfue, and thence encouraging more people to come over, this ilttlement may in a moderate courfe of time be aJone a match for Canada on this fide, as New England is on the other -, it being reafon- able to think, that this colony will grow fafter than; Canada^ as being a much better climate. 1 fliull lor the prefcnt pais by the refpecSlive iflands ot Cape Breton^ Newfoundland, &c. as not material to the point in view, and as breaking into the tonacdtion of our power and intereft on the con- tinent. Ne-^ England, generally fo called, and the next in r>rder, is divided into lour provinces, the Majja* chufels, Hampjhire^ ConneSlicttt, and Rhode TJland : Taking the four provinces together, they are feated between the lat. 41 and 45, and ty and 73 wefi longitude, bounded on the N, wefi by Canada, on the N. eafi by the Bay of Fundy and Nova Scotia^ on the eafi and fouth by the Atlantic ocean ; and on the wefi by New JTork, extending in length about 300 miles, and in breadth in fomc parts about 200 miles. The whole province oi New Hamplhire, included in one county, is to the northward of the Majj'achu' Jets, but has the province oi' Main, part ot the Maf' fachufets, between it and Neva Scotia. It is, as I t^e it, within the boundaries of this province that the [ 38 ] the fort (o much talk*d of, at Crown-point, Is con- ftrufted by the French, as you fee it in the map, on the point of lake Champlain, which fcems to receive its waters trom the river St. Laurence, by a ftream from Trots R:vieres extending thereto, but on the contrary, is one of the dreams that feeds St. Lau- rence, and has its fource in that lake, in the opening between which and the higher Itream of St. Lau- rence, and fo down lo the lake Erric on the back of New England, New Tork, and Penfihama, is the country of the Iroguois, In 1742, an account was taken, and the whole inhabitants of this provnice tound to be tv/enty-fix thoufand, and computed by the increafe fince to be new about %qooo. The Majfachufets are divided into eleven counties, and thofe again into one hundred fifty-three town- Jhips; thefe town/hips are not known by a contigu- ity of hou<^''^, but by a meafure of four, five, or fix miles fquare, wherein the inhabitants are pretty much fcattered : Boston, the capital, is, however, a large, compad and well built town •, it cont^iined in 1742, 1719 dwelling houfes, 166 warehcufes, 16382 white people, an/ 1514 Negroes ; and in the whole colony, about 200000 fouls. Rhode Jf.andi including Providence plantations, is divided luio four counties, which comprizt 24 townfliips. By an exaft accuiinf taken in 1748, there were in chis colony 28439 Whites, 3077 Ne- groes, and 1257 ^f^^i^^-^'i ^nd the increafe fince may be to the amount of 35000, the utmoft that can well be fuppofed. Conne^icut is divided into/w counties, 2iX\d. with- in them are fixty-eight town^/hips. As all males from fixteen to ieventy pay a poll-tax, their num- bers may be the more readily computed •, as it may again by the number of their Militia, which are from the age of fixteen to fifty, and in 1749, were 16,000, which number multiplied by five, feems. to '•.M M [ 39 ] to me the full amount., being 80,000, but this alone much over bdhncts Canada, by anaccount we are certain in, as is that of the Militia. Taking again the four provinces together, they have many advantages over Canada in foil, climate and fituation for trade, having in them feven fine navigable rivers and capacious harbours eafily enter- ed, and as they cany on a great traffic, are probably richer and more at eafe than the French, and there- fore likely to be more reforted to, and to propagate fafter. New York, government was found in 1752 to concam 65,000 inhabitants, and the houfes in the city to be 1 500, and is faid fince to have received a confiderable/orf'^w increafc, but that being iu fhort a fpace pall, I cannot, as fome writers have done, think of making them now to b: 100,000, noc feeing the polTibility of fuch an increafe, even fup- pofe the town is calculated feparately, and indeed I flioulu 'inagine that 80,000 is an ample fum, and more than my calculation will cdmit, ever, fuppofe a miftake in my authority of ten years forward. This town has lomething the advantage of Bojtojty in having equally a fine harbour and that longer open in th." winter, which is a confiderable article m point of trade, it being in the lat. 40^ 40' — weft long. 47® 4', feated on an illand at the mouth of Hud[on\ river, about fcutteen miles long, and about three broad ; the province is divided into ten counties, of which Albany makes the moff cotjfi- derable figure except Bew Tork, as its chief town of the fame name is the frontier of the colony to the north, and for that reafon fortified and garrifon'd, and is about one hundred and fifty miles up litid- fon\ river above New York city. Here iikewife moft ufualiy the Sachems or chiefs of the Iroguois meet the governors of our northern colonies to re-* new their alliances, and concert meafures for their mutual defence againft the common enemy. Nzw ip 1=1 1 i' ! I '40 1 New Jersey, or more properly the f^ and xvejl Jers ys ; eali Jerfey extends one part along the lea coaft, and the other on Hudfon's river, from a cer- tain fort called little Fg^-harbour, to that part of the fame river tlut is 'm lat. 41, divided from weji Jer- fey by a line drawn from Egg-harbour^ or Crejwick river, 5/o«j river, and the fouth branch of Bart tan. Its extent on the coap'^ and on Hudfon's river, is about 100 milts, its breadth very unequal ; we^ Jerfey is divided from it again by anorthdni\foutb line, and together contain, or are divided into eigh*' counties, fome fay twelve i I do not know which is right. The principal town of ea/i Jerfey is Amboy^ at the mouth or the river Baritan, and the capital of we/i Jerfey is Burlington, feated or an ifland in the middle of Delawar river, to the northward of JPhiladelphia. The computation of inhabitants in both the Jcrfeys » 749, was 50,000, but 1 am pretty "Well informed, that is the utmolt at this time. Pensilvania, though one of the lateft planted colonies, has by rapid mcreaJe, but one way to be accounted for, become of 2 ludden the moft po- pulous ot all the Britip colonies. It is divided from the Jerfeys by the river Delawar, that has its lource amongil the Iroguios, and is navigable about two hundr<^d miles. Philadelphia is the capital, and generally elleemed the linelt town in the Britifh do^ minions confidered all together, it is feated in lat. 40° 30'. The form is an oblong oi two miles, ex- tending from the river Delawar to another called Schcc/'kill, and ea. h front to thefe rivers one mile. In the centre cf the town is a fquare of ten acres, and each quarter of the city a fquare ot eight acres. S^^ ;»«/>; y/r^*?/ is one hundred feet wide, parallel to which is eight ilreets, four on each fide, and thele are traverfed at right angles by twenty more, all of |o ieet wide, with a fine quay, and other maritime conveniencies ; the houfes are generally built o{ brick, well ^/«2^^, and covered, infcead of flute or tile, with weft [he fca [a cer- |of the Jer- (wick irttan. 'er, is weft 1 fouth eigh*- h is capital and in 'ard of lints in pretty with t4i1 a kind of clap-board fawn into fqiiares. In 1749 the number of houfes vicrctwo thotifand d.rA Jeventy /tx^ with eleven houfes of public worfhip i and in 1753, they were faid to be increafed to two thou- fand three hundred^ or there abouts. A Httie before king fVtlliam's deatiij the inhabitants were fcarcely 14000 theincreafe by Englijh fi nee that time, from England^ and in tlie colony, is about 126,000 and by foreigners, chiefly Germans, about 110,000, in all 250,000 -, the neareft computation of the prcfent fubfifting inhabitants. Maryland^ the next adjoining colony, is fitu- ate between lat. 38 and 40'-', long. 44 and 48°. The north end of the hay of Chefepeak divides Ma- ryland into two parts, called the eaftern and weftern iliores. It is bounded on the eaft by part of Penfit- van ' ■■":■■ ' ':\iQ. Atlantic ocean, on the fouth by Virgi- nia, and on the weft by the Apalachean mountains, the extent from north to fouth is about 140 miles^ and from eafl to weft, as it refpeds what is really fettled) about 100 miles. There has not been any exadl account taken of the white inhabitants, for there being no confiderable towns, we can only guefs at the number, by an account we have of Virginia^ which being computed at ninety thou/and, and this province rather fewerj we fuppofe there may be about 85,000. Virginia in Htuate between 36 and 39®, lat. 74 and 60" lc%,. h has the river Potowmac on the N. E. the i f.:u ocean on the eaft, Carolina on the fouth, and v .c Jpalachean mountains on the weft, extending hum north to fouth about 240 miles, and from eaft to weft about 120 miles fettled. In this colony y as in Maryland, there are not any noted towns, the inhabitants living much difperfed for the convenience of enlarging their plantations, fo that ovr com nutation of inhabitants refults principally f jom the ■.Jjlitia.roW, by which, and accounting ex- i empts, w I :i [4O •^mpts, i^c. we fay, as before, that the amount is about timely thotifand. Carolina is divided into two provinces, the north and /out h •, jiorth Carolina is.vbounded by /^/r- gwia on the norih, the ocean on 'the eajl^ by a line drawn in 34. degrees from the ocean to the mountains on the fouth, and by that part ot Florida poflefled by the Indians on the wejt, and is divided into four- teen parijhes or townjhips \ but we do not hear ot any church or town of note in the country. South Carolina is divided from the norths by the abovefaid imaginary Hne, by the ocean on the eaji -, by the river Savannah, which fcparates it from Georgia, on the Jouth end by the Indian country on the wcji. The capital of both Cu. nas is Charles-town^ fi- tuate in 32 degrees 45 minutes, it had in 1739, 450 houfes, and a confiderajle number of warehoules^ it was then burnt down, and has been fince rebuilt handfomer, and now has about /a' hundred houfes. It is thought that there are more inhabitants in the north than in South Carolina, though not any ligni- ficant towns ; fome lay, that m the north are 45000 whites, but as it is agreed that the two provinces do not confiderably differ, and as in South Carolina their Militia is not above 5000, therefore giving the north provinces 35000, and the Jbuih 30,000, feems to be nearer a right calculation than any now ex- tant. ^Georgia is bounded by the Savannah river on the norths by the Indian country on the weji, by a line drawn athwart the upper part of the Peninfula of Florida to the out-fall-of the river San Matheo on Hci^ fouth, and by the Atlantic ocean on the taft, be- tween the lat. 30** 35' and 32"- 15 , or thereabout*: As this is but a modern lettlement, and has varied in a (hort fpace very confiderably, the neareft com- putation of its inhabitants is above 6uoo. This f lount IS ces, the by Vir- 3y a line \Guntains ito four- ir ot any , by the the eaji ; it from mntry on :ow«, fi- in 1739, rehoules; :e rebuilt ^d houfes, ts in the ny iigni- 45000 nces do Carolina ving the o, Items now ex- r on the .ly a line nfula ot atheo on wy?, be- eaboLit": IS varied ft com- This T 43 1 This is the loweft computation ever made of the inhabitants of America, and i have fome reafon to think it much nearer the truth than any other extant. The amount then of whites is 986,000. — One fixth of thefe, males capable of labour, or what arc ufually called fighting men, is 164,200, and fuppole, as is calculated on the part of France, one fourth of thcic may on proper emergencies be fpared for the war, amount to 41050, nearly the number of all the inhabitants in ISfew France, except Lcuiji- ana. not elteemed to have more th&n ftx ox feven thoufand inhabitants, including the auxiliary Indians, And the reader will readily perceive that my com- putation is highly in favour of Francs, and confe- quently, that the French power on that fide, is rather to be guarded againtt in the increafe, than in any refpedb to terrify us in the prelent, and that it is more our bufinefs to deftroy the forts they ered:, than to build any of our own. And as that upon the Ohio, and at Crown-point feem the moft terrible, I fliall now. by way of conclufion, attempt to open that matter to the reader. Crown-point, as has been obferved before, is at the head ot the Lake Champlain, and as we under- ftand it within the province o^ New Hamp/Joire, and being on the frontier of our ftrongeft colonies, is very differently conftrudled and garrifoned from any other on that lide. The French propofe by this, at once to interrupt our back trade with the Indians, and to make it a kind of frontier ^arrifon to the country they have invaded on the fouth fide of St. Laurence river, where we fay, they have not a right to be at all, but as this fort neighbours on New HampSaire fettlements, and is in the country of the Iroguois. It feems wonderful how it happened, that either the Englifh or Indians permitted the French to build a fort there, as I cannot find a clear ac- count of this matter, it is very natural to conclude, F 2 a ftrang