328

ACCOUNT of the BRITISH AMERICA.

ftained with ink, her hair uncombed, her petticoats falling off, her stockings full of holes, and her feet flip hod. She talked in fyllogifms, wrote in heroics, and married her footman.

Venus, who while a goddefs, had always a hankering after mortal flesh and blood, was highly pleafed with this de- A fcent upon earth. She affumed the form of a beautiful girl of fourteen, took lodgings in Covent garden, and dealt out her favours liberally to all vifitors. Her ftaté of mortality was fo fuited to her inclinations, that heaven and the goddess were never thought of, till the lofs of her nofe made her figh for immortality.

Diana was a great prude all day, but B had her Endymions by moonlight. It is reported of her that he was eleven times brought to bed, without being once able to give the leaft probable guess at the father of the child.

Of Juno it is only faid, that the fcolded feven hufbands to death; and of the graces, that they were exceeding neat girls till they married, and nuts afterwards.

Having ftaid the limited time upon
earth, they were all fummoned to heaven,
in their human forms and habits, to make
their appearance before the throne of Ju-
piter. He then restored them all to their
divinities, and after ridiculing and rebuk-
ing them for their murmurings and curio-D
fity, difmiffed them to their feveral char-
ges, telling them that they were now en-
abled to make allowances for the frailties
and imperfections of human nature, hav-
ing experienced in their own perfons, that
he had peopled the world with men, and
not with gods.

ACCOUNT of the British Plantations in
AMERICA, continued from p. 279,

OW as to the defcription of the

N country called New England, as it

E

F

is of vaft extent, the foil and even the
climate must be of different forts: but as
we cannot enter into a minute defcription
of the country, we thall only obferve in
general as to the climate, that tho' this
country lies in the fame northern lati-
tude with the fouth of France, and the
north parts of Italy, yet their winters are
much colder and longer than our winters
here in England, occationed probably by
the vast continent which lies to the north-
weft of them, and the frequency of the
winds from that point of the compafs; G
to which we may add, that almost the
whole face of the country to the north
and north west, is fo covered with wood,
that the rays of the fun cannot penetrate
to warm that part of the furface of the

July

globe, fo much as it does that part where we inhabit. On the other hand, the fummer is much hotter in New England than it is here; but when the wind happens to change to the north or north-west, an extreme hot day is often followed by an extreme cold night. However, the climate is agreeable enough to an English conftitution; and where the foil is good, as it is generally towards the coast, every thing may be produced that can be produced here in England; but higher up the country, efpecially towards the north-eaft, it becomes mountainous and barren, tho' even there too the mountains are intermix'd with many fruitful vallies; and where the country has not been cleared it

is quite covered with woods, where there is an infinite number of timber-trees of all forts, especially oak, fir, and pine, fit for our navy, and capable of producing greater quantities of pitch, tar, rofin, and turpentine, than we can have occafion for, the importation of which we have wifely encouraged, by granting bounties upon hemp, mafts, yards, bowfprits, pitch, tar, and turpentine, imported from our plantations *.

But one claufe in the fame act has been very justly found fault with, meaning, that which prohibits the cutting of any white pine trees of the diameter of 24 inches, at 20 inches from the ground, not

growing within fome tract of land granted to fome private perfon, before the 7th of October 1690, without his majesty's licence; for it is faid, that this prohibition will in time prevent its being poffible to find any white pine tree proper for a mast, in any place from whence it can be conveyed whole and entire to the fea; becaufe, as the tracts of land fituated upon the banks of large rivers are generally the moft fertile and convenient, they are always the moft defirable, and confequently the first granted; and every one who has got fuch a grant fince 1690, or may hereafter get one will take care to cut down every white pine tree within his grant, under the dimenfion preferibed, and will for the future take care never to allow one to grow to that dimenfion, becaufe when it does, he knows, that he can never afterwards cut it down without a licence, and this licence he may probably be obliged to pay as much for as the tree is worth; efpecially as it is left entirely in the power of the officer employed, to determine whether he will grant fuch a licence or no: This regulation, as well as the regulation of the fame nature first e. Rablished by the charter granted to Maffachufet's bay colony in 1691, and further extended, by the first and fecond fec

备 2 Geo. II. cap. 35. ft. 2.

1756.

SOIL and CLIMATE of NEW-ENGLAND.

tions of this act, have been, for the reafon
we have mentioned, found fault with;
and indeed, the bad confequence is fo evi-
dent, that they ought to be repeated, and
fome new regulation made for granting an
encouragement to the proprietors of lands
near any river, to produce fuch trees as
may be fit for mafts, and for making it A
a condition in every future grant, that
the grantee shall furnish, at a certain price,
fo many mafts, yards, or bowfprits, of
different fizes, once in every 20 or other
certain number of years.

329

as can get over the bar at the mouth of it, and for loops to the fi.ft fall, which is nea 60 miles up: Merimac river, which runs first fouth, then eaft, and after a courfe of 80 or 100 miles, falls into the fea in Malfachufets colony, being navigable for about 18 miles up, and cakes its name from the Indian name for a fturgeon, because it abounds in that fort of fish; but large hips cannot enter it, as it has feldom above 10 feet water upon the bar at its mouth, tho' great numbers of fmall fhips are built on it: Sagadahoc river, which, after a cou fe of above 100 miles, almoft due fouth, then turns to the northeaft, and falls n'o the Kenebec, near its B mouth. And the Kenebec river, now become famous, because the French claim all the continent to the east of this river, tho' we have long had feveral forts and fettlements to the eastward of it: This river ifes very far to the northward, fo that there is but a very short land-carriage from fome of the heads of it, to the heads of Chaudiere river, which runs into the river St. Laurence almoft over against Quebec; but as there are many falls both in Kenebec and Sagadahoc rivers, the navigation, even with canoes, is very troublefome; and the coaft about their mouth being ftrewed with an infinite number of little islands, and promontories that run far out into the fea, it is dangerous to ap

This large country, call'd in general
New-England, extends upon the fea-
Goat from the mouth of the river St.
Croix to the east, to within 10 or 15
miles of the mouth of Hudfon's river
on the west; and as to its northern li-
mits, we have certainly a right to extend
them to the river St. Laurence; but as
we have been fo infatuated as to allow
the French to build forts, and to establish
plantations upon the fouth-fide of that ri-
ver, the northern limits of New-England
feem now to be in difpute between the
French and us, and must depend upon the
event of the present war. The country
is now divided into feveral colonies, to
wit, that of Rhode Island and Providence
plantation, that of Connecticut, that of
Maffachufet's bay, and that of New-
Hampshire; for as to the province of
Main, and that of Sagadahoc, otherwife Dproach it without a very good pilot.

York County, as they are as yet but very
thinly planted, they continue united to
the Maffachufet's colony. Thefe colonies
are each under not only a diftinct, but a
different fort of government; for fuch has
always been our ridiculous jealousy, left
our plantations in America fhould declare
themselves independent of their mother E
country, that we have divided them into
as many diftinét governments as poffible;
and even now, when they are all in dan-
ger, we do not feem to think of any pro-
per method for uniting them into one com-
pact body for their mutual defence;
which can only be done by an act of the
British legislature; for to think of getting
the feveral colonies to agree upon any me-
thod for this purpofe, will, we fear, upon
trial, be found impracticable.

The country in general is well watered, having an infinite number of fmall ftreams, befides feveral large rivers running through it. The chief of thefe are Connecticut, the heads of which are very near to, or rather intermixed with the heads of St. Francis river, which runs into the river St. Laurence, and after a very freight courfe of above 300 miles, falls into the fea in Connecticut colony, being avigable a great way up for as large ships July, 1756.

As to the counties or townships into which thefe colonies are divided, and the numerous trading towns now established, we cannot fpare room for any particular account of them, therefore fhall only obferve, that the town of Bofton, the capital of Maffachufet's colony, feeins now to be the metropolis of the whole, and is by much the largeft. the richest, and most populous of any in New England, arifing chiefly from the fuperior excellence of its port and harbour, and the natural strength of its fituation, being in a peninsula at the bottom of a fine bay, full of small inlands and rocks, fo that there is but one fafe channel for entering the harbour, and that fo narrow, that three fhips can scarce fail through a breast, but then opens fo wide, that 500 fail of fhips may lye at anchor, and has fuch a depth of water, as to admit the largeft thips. At the bottom of the bay, there is a pier near 2000 feet in length, with warehouses for the merchants on the north fide of it; and hips of the Ggreatest burthen may come up clofe to it, to load or unload without the help of boats or lighters. Then, for preventing the ap proach of an enemy by tea, there is a regular fertrefs, or castle, erected upon one of the little lands in the bay, about a

F

league

330

BOSTON in New-ENGLAND defcribed. July

However, it is fill confiderable, as appears from the custom-house books in the two collections of Maffachulets colony alone; for by the quarterly accounts at Bofton cuftom-houle it appears, that from Christmas 1747 to Christmas 1748, there were cleared out 540 veffels upon foreign voyages, and 430 entered; and by the quarterly accounts of the collection or custom-houfe at Salem it appears, that from Michaelmafs 1747 to Michaelmafs 1748, there were cleared out 131 veffels upon foreign voyages, and 96 enB tered. Befides tifhing veffels, and coafting effels from one port of New- England to another.

league from the town, which inland lies upon the only fafe channel to the harbour, and the fortress has 100 guns mounted, 20 of which are level with the high water-mark, fo that no fhip can enter without being torn to pieces, and one fhip's finking, would render it almost impoffible for the next to pafs: And to pre- A vent this cafle's being ever furprifed, there is a lighthouse built upon a rock above a league further in the fea, where a guard is always kept, who, in time of danger, give notice to the caftle, by a fignal, of the number of ships approaching, which notice is by another fignal communicated from the caftle to the town, and if the thips exceed five in number, an alarum is given by fetting fire to a beacon, whereupon all the country, for feveral miles round, are obliged to take arms and repair to the town, by which means they may have, in 24 hours time, above 10,000 men in arms, all under their proper officers, and all as well difciplin'd as can ever be neceffary for fighting, tho' not perhaps well enough for gracefully performing all thofe invoJutions and evolutions that may be practifed at a review.

From hence we may fee, that this town is pretty well fecured against any attack by fea, and with a very fmall expence it might be made abfolutely fecure against any attack by land; for the neck of land by which the peninfula is joined to the continent is fo low, that it is often covered by high spring tides, and confequently might be easily fortified by a rampart and fotfy with proper baftions, and as many outworks as may be thought neceffary: Nay it is almok proof against that by which the most impregnable fortress may at laft be reduced, meaning famine; for it would be next to impoffible to invest it fo as to prevent provisions being brought to it by fea; and confequently it might be fupplied with provisions as long as its friends had access to any of the neighbouring coafts of America.

C

From hence we may judge that the people in all the colonies of New-England are a very induftrious laborious fort of people; and yet tho' they be frugal and parfimonious, as well as induftrious and laborious, they can never keep any plenty of gold or filver in any of these colonies, which is a demonftrative proof of the vaft quantities of the manufactures of this kingdom that are confumed by them; for they fend no money to any other country they trade with, but on the contrary are gainers by their trade with every other country; confequently the whole of their balance of trade with every other part of the world, as well as the whole of the price of all the commodities they fend to this kingdom, muit be laid out in what they purchase here, or in fupporting or paying their people that live here, and the agents and factors they employ here; and if to this we add the profit our merchants reap by re-exporting the New-LngEland commodes to foreign countries; we muit conclade, that a very confidera. ble part of the wealth of this nation must proceed from, and a great number of cur people here must be fupported by, the labour and industry of our people in NewEngland.

p

After this hot defcription we cannot wonder at Bofton's foon becoming a very populous city, and its trade has been fo vaftly increased, that above 20 years ago it was reckoned, that about aco fail of hips were annually leaded af this port with lumber, heef, pork, fith, &c. for Europe or the American iflands; and G when we consider what a great number of other fea-port towns there are in the four colonies of New-England, we must fuppofe that their trade was then very confiderable; but as they loft a great number of their labouring men as well as their common failors in the laft war, their trade has been fince very much diminfhed.

This reflection may indeed be applied to every one of our colonies in America; and yet there is a fet of people now here who grudge every expence we are put to for the fupport of our colonies, either in time of war or in time of peace: In time of peace, they cry, our colonies do not ftand in need of any fupport from us ; and in time of war, they fay, we ought to oblige our colonics to defend them. felves: It is to be hoped that fuch narrow minded politicians have at prefent no influence upon cur councils: If they have, we may cafily for etee what will be the event of the prefent war; for tho' we may by our navy prevent any great embarkation from France, we cannot prevent their fending by frequent and fmall

embar

1756.

LETTER from TITUS LIVIUS.
TE

embarkations very large fupplies of all
forts to their colonies in America; and if
we do not fend fufficient fupplies to ours,
they muft at laft be undone, either by an
abfolute conqueft, or by a long continu-
ance of the war; for by the latter they
may be almoft as effectually undone as
they can be by an abfolute conqueft. This A
we can no way prevent but by fending at
once fuch a force, and to fuch a part of
America, as may put an end to the war
there in a few months: This we might
have done, this we might fill do, as we
have fuch a fuperiority at fea; and the
longer we delay doing it, the more diffi
culty we fhall find in the execution, the
lefs ability we thall have to make the ar- B
tempt. With this we shall conclude our
hiftory of New-England; but shall have
frequently an occation to mention it in
our history of Nova Scotia, which for
that reafon we fhall give next; for tho'
this colony has been but lately established,
it was among the first that was projected,
and has long been a bone of contention C
between France and us.

[To be continued in our next.]

Rifus abeft; nifi quem vifi movere dilores.
Nec fruitur fomno, vigilacibus excita curis :
Sed videt ingratos, intabefcstque videndo,
Succeffus bominum: carpitqu: et carpitur una:
Suppliciumque fuum eft.

OVID METAMOR. D

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON
MAGAZINE.

SIR,

A

F

FTER having fo fully ftated the nature of our club, and our defign in having our debates published, as I did in your Magazine for the year 1738 *, IE little thought that any gentleman, who neither is, nor ever was a member of our club, would have taken upon him to affirm, that the fpeeches published by you are known to be fictitious. As none of our members ever speak from any writ ten copy, the fpeeches are not, it is true, word for word the very fame with what was faid by the member upon the orcafion, nor have you ever given them as fuch, but only as the fubftance of what was faid by each respective member. In this light therefore no man can have the leaft pretence for faying, that you have impofed, or grofsly impofed upon your readers; nor is it poffible to say fo in any other light, as I have fo long fince as in the year 1743, declared, and by your means published, that the fpeeches I fend you are not to be imputed to any but fuch as are members of our club t.

I cannot therefore comprehend how the

331

undertaker of one of our new Magazines,
who, I am fure, never was a member of
our club, could infinuate, that the speeches
published by you are fiitious, or that
you have grofsly impofed upon your rea-
ders, unless he fuppofes, that many of.
thole fpeeches are really the speeches of
the gentlemen whofe characters are af-
fumed by the speakers in our club; and
were this known by him to be the cafe,
he could not, at least he ought not to fay
that you had thereby imposed on, or done
any prejudice either to the publick, or to
the gentleman, whofe fpeech you had
thus published, at his own defire, under
a borrowed name; for this author him-
fel, in the very fame paragraph, confeffes,
that the great council of the nation must be the
chief political objeti of every Englishman's
attention, and therefore he undertakes to
regijker all publiek proceedings, and to give the
naked arguments used in the difcuffion of every
queftion; confequently he must think it
right to communicate to the publick all
fuch arguments, and I join with him in
thinking, that it is what no man who
underitands our conflitution can find fault
with; for the people without doors not
only have a right, but are in duty bound,
to inquire into what paffes within, other-
wife they can never know how to vote
according to confcience at any enfuing
election.

But as arguments are far from being like the fair fex, our new Magazine writer will, I believe, find it difficult to make naked arguments agreeable to the reader; which difficulty the gentlemen of our club were fenfible of; and this was our chief reafon for having our proceedings and d. bates published in the form they have hi therto appeared; because we thought it would be the most entertaining method of communicating the arzuments used in the difcution of every political queftion, and confequently the best method for inticing the people without doors, to do what i duty to their country as well as themfelves they are obliged to do, what by our most happy conflitution they have a right to do, and what no man, who has a true regard for focial liberty, will by any method endeavour to prevent their deing.

This of giving the naked arguments in fuch a manner as to render thein agreeable to the reader, is therefore, in my opinion, a bold undertaking; but this is among the leaft of our new author's great Gundertakings; for he proposes to lay open the defigns of these nations which are confidered by the English either as frands or enemies. A nieft laudable undertaking, I confefs and an undertaking which, for the fake of my country, i with he could fully and Ttz faithfuity

See Lond. Magazine for 1738, p. 237. † See the proface to Lord Magazine for 1;43.

ABSTRACT of the MILITIA-BILI.

332
faithfully execute; but it is an undertak
ing which, I fear, could not be executed
by any, or even by all our minitters of
ftate, and therefore I despair of its being
executed by any Magazine writer, or any
Selection of Magazine writers.

However, in charity I muft believe,
that the author thought he could perform A
what he promised; and if he thought fo,
he could not fi ppo e that he had the least
Occafion to pull down any other Magazine,
in order to build up his own upon its ru-
ins; confequently I must think, that his
infinuations against the speeches inferted
in other papers, could proceed from no-
thing but envy, which is the mean ft and
the most unjust paflion that can influence B
Revenge may take

the human breaft.

poffeffion of a great and generous mind,
and never faßtens but upon a criminal, or
fuppofed criminal object; but envy is an
infalible fign of a groveling spirit, and
never faftens but upon a deserving object.
Every other paffion may by our reafon be
directed to a good ute, and may be made
of fervice to ma kind, as well as the per-
fon influenced by it, but envy, which
feems to owe its origin to unfuccefsful
emulation, extravagant pride, and ill-di-
rected anger, can no way be turned to a
good ufe, or to the fervice of mankind,
and is a continual and increasing plague
to the unhappy perfon infected with it;
therefore, like a cancer, it ought to be
rooted out, as foon as it begins to appear,
which, I hope, our new author will do
as quickly as poffible. It he does, it will
foon appear, by his thinking only of
gaining applaufe for himself, without at-
tempting to derogate from that which has
been, or may be gained by others; and
in fuch a course, I can now affure him, E
that his fuccefs will give great fatisfaction
SIR,

to,

June 25,
1756.

Your most humble fervant,
TITUS LIVIUS,
Secretary to the Political Club.

Abftra&t of the MILITIA BILL, continued
from p. 61.

July

caufe new lifts to be made; and shall in
every third year appoint what number of
perfons fhall ferve for each parith or fub-
divifion, and fhall cause a fufficient num-
ber of perfons to be chofen by lot, in the
room of fuch as fhall have ferved three
years, or fhall then be difcharged, who
thall be worn and enrolled as before di-
rected; fo that, by rotation, all perfons,
not excepted by this at, may ferve in per-
fon, or by fubftitute, for three years:
That no militia man, having ferved as a
fubftitute, fhall be excufed from ferving
for himself when chofen by lot: That the
deputies and commiffioners fhall tranf-
mit to the lord-lieutenant true copies of
the rolls within 14 days after their refpec-
tive meetings: And that if any chief or
petry constable, or other head or under of-
ficer, fhall refufe or neglect to comply with
fuch directions as he receives in purfu-
ance of this act, or in making fuch re-
turn, shall be guilty of any fraud or wilful
partiality, the lord heutenant, together
with any two or more deputies, or, in his
abfence, any five or more deputies, or
any one or more deputies, together with
three or more commiffiorers of the land-
tax, may commit fuch conftable or officer
to the common goal for one month, or
may fine him in any fum not exceeding
51. to be levied by diftrefs, &c.

Claufe 19. Enacts, that no commiffionDer of the land tax shall act in the execu tion of this act, unless poffeffed, in his own right, of lands or hereditaments of the yearly value of Icol. under the penalty of gol. to be recovered by the informer in any of his majesty's courts of record, &c.

F
LAUSE 17. Impowers a deputy-
Clieutenant to difcharge a milit a man

upon his finding a fubititure to leave out
the remainder of his term; and enacts,
that a militia man removing thall ferve
out the remainder of his term in the pa-
rish or fubdivifion he removes to; and
that every perfon intending to remove,
fhall give notice the eof to a deputy lieu- G
tenant, who shall give him a certificate of
the time he has ferved.

Claufe 18 Enact, that the deputy-lieu-
tenants, and commiffioners, in their e-
veral hundreds or divifions, fhall yearly

Claule 20. Enacts, that no person serv ing in the militia as an officer, fhall, during fuch fervice, be liable to ferve the office of theriff; nor fhall any private man, ferving for himself, be liable, during fuch fervitude, to do any ftatute-work, or to ferve as a peace or parish-officer, or in his majefty's land forces, unlets by his own confent, but if any perfon, not a Quaker, chofen by lot to ferve, thall refute or neglect to take the caths, or to provide a proper fubftitute, he thall forfeit rol, and at the end of three years he thall be again appointed to ferve.

Chufe 21. Provides, that no perfon having ferved by himself, or fubftitute, for three years, fhall be obliged to ferve again, unul it comes to his turn by rotation.

Claufe 22. Enas, that if a Quaker chofen by lot to ferve, fhall refufe or neg left to take the oths, or provide a proper fubftitute, the deputies and commiflioners fhall hire a proper fubftitute at his expence, and levy the fame by diftrefe, &r.

Claufe