late addition taken from the jurifdiction of MaffachusettsBay, and added to Rhode-Inland colony, of 4196 whites, 343 blacks, and 228 Indians, remain 24,243 whites, which is an increase of near 9,000 whites, upon 15,500 circiter, in 18 years; this is more than one third increafed in the space of 18 years. The cenfus of their blacks and Indians perhaps is not exact; that fmall colony does not poffefs more negroes, than the much larger province of Maffachusetts-Bay; it is true, their late Guinea trade exchanging of negroes for horfes, ftock, and provifions fhipt off for the Weft-India iflands, has added confiderably to the number of their negroes. Here is an increase of 44 Indians, whereas they are obferved every where to be upon the decrease from the intemperate use of British spirits, and from their being fent to fea, and upon expeditions. The 51 militia foot companies are formed into 4 regiments, being one regiment foot in each of their four counties of Newport, Providence, King's-county, and Bristol; there are alfo one troop of horfe in the county of Newport, and a troop in the county of Providence. Concerning the boundaries of the colony of RhodeIfland. King Charles, anno 1630, made a grant to the earl of Warwick form Narraganfet-Bay, weftward along shore 40 league, and in length from fea to fea he affigned this grant to William vifcount Say and seal, * lord Brooks, lord Rich, and eight more affociates: the conditions of the grant were never compiled with by fettling, &c. and the grant is become void. A subsequent grant to duke Hamilton, 1635, for the fame reason is null. * Seabrook at the mouth of Connecticut riyer is so called from the name of viscount Say and lord Brook. This humour of joint names for townships is still practifed in the colony of Connecticut; thus a township granted lately to Hartford and Windfor jointly, is called Harwinton, from the initial fyllables of thefe two townfhips. In the beginning of our fettlements, the country not being well investigated, fundry fucceeding royal grants interfered with former grants. King Charles II. having received complaints concerning the wrong defcription of places and grants, not to be determined at a distance, but by commiffioners to be fent exprefly upon the spot; accordingly 1664, four commiffioners, col. Nichols (afterwards governor of New-York) Sir Robert Ker, &c. were fent over to fettle all the controverted boundaries of the provinces, and to be determined by the concurrence of any three of these commiffioners, or of two of them, whereof Nichols to be one. † Three of thofe com miffioners *For instance, Plymouth old north line, from Conahafiet due weft to Patuket river, and Massachusetts fouth line, from 3 miles fouth of the southermoft part or head of Charles river, extended E. and W. overlap one another feveral miles; Attleborough Gore is plainly included in Plymouth grant, and alfo in the grant to Rhodeifland. Some of the lands of Tiverton and Little Compton, seem to be in both thefe grants. In equity perhaps the prior grant fhould take place; but this was not observed in the late determination of Rhode-Ifland easterly bounds; the validity of the Plymouth grant as to jurifdiction being queftioned. Rhode-Island colony pretended to the fettlements of Tiverton, Little Compton, Dartmouth, Rochester, Sandwich, and Cape-Cod townships, because Plymouth grant is not faid to be bounded upon the ocean: but as this claim was not brought before a late court of commiffioners appointed by patent from GreatBritain to fettle the eastern boundaries of Rhode-Ifland colony, it may be fuppofed dropt and filenced. Lately in Rhode-Ifland, they have imagined a claim of jurifdiction further north than their prefent line; taking in part of Wrentham, Bellingham, Mendon, Uxbridge, and Douglafs; they were encouraged to this by their late fuccefs in the eastern claim; but when they complained home concerning the encroachments of Maffachusetts-Bay, upon their eaftern borders, they made no complaint of northern encroachments; which if any, might have been adjusted by the fame commiffion without further charge: and when commiffioners were appointed, December 18, 1749, by the general affembly of Maffachufetts-Bay, to join with commiffioners from the jurifdiction of Rhode-Ifland, to run and renew the line agreed on and fettled by both governments, Jan. 19, 1710-11; the Rhode-Ifland commiffioners did not appear. + The Rhode Islanders conftrued it that nothing could be concluded without the concurrence of Nichols; and because Nichols happened not to miffioners gave the Attleborough Gore to Plymouth colony, that is, Patucket alias Blackftone || river to be the dividing line between these two colonies; the king's pleasure concerning this determination was never fignified; as it was not confirmed at home, it continued many years in difpute, and at length, determined by commiffioners 1741, and confirmed by the king in council 1746, in favour of Rhode-Ifland; it is now called Cumberland township, in honour to his royal highness the duke of Cumberland, and is annexed to the county of Providence. Rhode-Island easterly line dividing it from the present province of Maffachusetts-Bay was fettled by commiffioners* 1741. Maffachusetts government appealed home against every part of the judgment as grievous and injurious; but the judgment in whole was confirmed 1746, by the king in council. In autumn 1746, the government of Rhode-Ifland fent to the government of Maffachufetts-Bay, a copy of his majesty's order in council, affirming the judgment of the court of commiffioners, for fettling the boundary line between the two governments, and by act of affembly appointed commiffioners to run (Dec. 2, 1746) this late adjudged line with commiffioners from Maffachusetts-Bay; the affembly of Maffachusetts-Bay could not be informed of this appointed time until their next fitting, December 24; thus RhodeIsland contrived to run this line ex parte. For a minute description of this line, fee vol. I. p. 399.. For Rhode-Island northerly line dividing this colony from the province of Maffachusetts-Bay, fee vol. I. p. 415. to be one of the three that concurred in the determination of the Attleborough Gore, they alledged the determination was not perfect, whereas Nichols was plainly intended to have only a cafting vote when two were against two. This river was fo called by the name of Mr Blackstone, who removed from Maffachusetts-Bay and lived in this Gore, upon that river, many years. *The fettling of this line coft each government about 4,000 1. O. T. The commiffioners had from each government 6s. fter. per diem, with all charges in coming, at, and returning from the congrefs. Southerly Southerly the colony of Rhode-Island is bounded upon the fea or Atlantick ocean. Its wefterly line dividing it from the colony of Connecticut was fettled by commiffioners from both colonies September 27, 1728; was afcertained by a direct line extending weft from the rock at the uttermoft point of Warwick neck, 20 miles, to a confiderable heap of ftones in a cedar fwamp, the S. W. corner of Warwick purchase. From this monument the line with. Connecticut is determined by running firft N. 7 d. E. by compass, 23 miles 10 rod to a large heap of ftones in a valley being between two marked pine trees in the fouth line of the province of Maffachusetts-Bay, and for the first 7 and a half miles were made monuments every half mile, and from thence northward to the Maffachusetts fouth line, were made monuments at the end of each mile from the faid monument the S. W. corner of Warwick was made a foutherly running of 15 miles and 9 rod S. 11 d. 20 m. W. to the mouth of Aftrawage river where it falls into Pakatuke river; and from thence Pakatuke river is the boundary to the sea. The colony of Rhode Island have been very little concerned in the British North-America wars with the adjacent Indians, and their encouragers to rapine the French of Canada; from the Quaker principles of many of the inhabitants, and as not being immediately exposed to the ravages of the French and their Indians. In the expedition against Port-Royal in Nova-Scotia, an. 1710, and in the abortive expedition against Canada, 1711, they they had fome forces: towards the feint or intended expedition against Canada, in the fummer 1746, they fitted out 300 land men with a warlike floop of 100 feamen; they were ordered for Nova-Scotia, but in their voyage fuffered difafters, never proceeded, and after fome time this expedition was countermanded. They have been noted for privateering against the French and Spaniards in time of war. They have built a good fort upon Goat-Island, an island in the harbour of Newport. The numbers of their whites, flaves, and other lifts, may be seen in a foregoing table. Concerning their courts of judicature. Formerly the colony of Rhode-Island made only one county: not long fince it was divided into 3 counties, Newport, Providence, and King's county; lately they have conftituted a fourth county called Briftol, comprehending the late addition from the province of Maffachusetts; Cumberland is in the county of Providence. Newport county contains Rhode-Island (the townships of Newport, Portsmouth, and Middletown,) Block-Inland (the township of New-Shoreham) Canonicut-Ifland (the township of James-Town) Prudence-Ifland, and PatienceIsland, with the lately adjudged parts of Tiverton and Little-Compton. Providence county comprehends the townfhips of Providence, Smithfield, Scituate, Glocefter, Warwick, Coventry, Greenwich, Weft-Greenwhich, and Cumberland. King's county includes South-Kingston, NorthKingston, Exeter, Wefterly, Charles Town, and Richmond. The legislature, called the general court or general affembly, fits the first Wednesday in May annually at Newport, and at Providence and South-Kingston alternately the last Wednesday of October. The form of their judicial oath or affirmation does not invoke the judgments of the omniscient GOD, who fees |