ground on the other fide. Salmon and shade come up this river to spawn, but in smaller quantities and later, and continue a fhorter time (about three weeks in May) than in Merimack river. The rivulets and brooks where they fall into the great river, are not paffable in freshes and floods, because of the back water. Some ferries where there are no habitations, are kept at the charge of the counties, confifting of a large fcow or flat, to carry perfons, cattle, and goods with a canoetender; travellers ferry themselves over, always leaving the flat on one fide, and the canoe on the other to fetch the fcow upon occafion; an inftance of this is in Northfield ferry.

The firft falls of this river are about 60 miles from its mouth, at Devotion island in the fouth parts of Suffield; the next are about the middle of Suffield, half a mile long; both these are paffable by boats in chanels; next are the falls in the foutherly parts of Northampton, about 15 miles further up the river, not paffable by boats; the other falls higher, we fhall not enumerate.

The townships upon this river are, 1. Upon its eaft fide; in Connecticut colony, Lime, Eaft Hadham, part of Middletown, Glaffenbury, part of Hartford, and part of Windfor; in the province of Maffachusetts-Bay, Enfield, Springfield, Hadley, Sunderland, farms or pecu liars, and part of Northfield; in the province of New Hampshire, part of Northfield, Winchester, No. 1, 2, 3, and 4. 2. Upon its weft fide; in Connecticut colony are, Seabrook, Weft-Hadham, part of Middletown, Wethersfield, part of Hartford, and part of Windfor; in the province of Maffachufetts-Bay are, Suffield, part of Springfield, Northampton, Hatfield, Deerfield, part of Northfield; in the province of New Hampshire are part of Northfield, 40,000 acres equivalent land belonging to four proprietors (in its S. E. corner upon the river, on a plain and long reach of the river, ftands fort Dummer, which although in the diftrict of New Hamphire, incapable of defending its long frontier range,

is maintained at the charge of the Maffachusetts-Bay) Numbers 1, and 2.

The confiderable runs of water which fall into Connecticut river, 1. Upon its east side are Salmon river and cove, in Eaft-Hadham, Hocanum river in Eaft-Hartford, Pedant brook and Scantick river in East Windsor; Fresh Water brook in Enfield; Long Meadow brook, Mill river, and Chicabee river, with its townships enumerated P. 455, in Springfield; Batchelor's brook and Fort river in Hadley (higher the great river is fordable from Hadley to Hatfield; and a little above Northfield meetinghoufe or church, carts in a dry time ford the great river) Mohawk's river, and Saw-mill brook in Sunderland; in the intermediate farms is Miller's river very rapid, it is compofed of many branches which water Canada to Dorchester, Canada to Ipswich, Ipswich grant, Canada to Rowley, Pequioag, Canada to Sylvefter, and Canada to Rockfbury; in Northfield is Patchoaag brook, Afhuelot river, its branches water fome of the double range of frontier towns, upper and lower Afhuelot townships, Canada to Rockfbury, and Winchester. 2. Upon its weft fide are Roaring brook, and Mill brook in Weft Hadham; Middleton river, and Dividend brook in Weft Middleton precinct; Goff's brook and Robin's brook in Wethersfield; Hartford river in Hartford; Allen's brook and Heyden's brook in Windfor with Farmington river described p. 456; Stony brook in Suffield; Agawaam alias Westfield river in Springfield, defcribed p. 456; Monhan river in Northampton; Hatfield Mill river in Hatfield, Deerfield river, which by its branches waters the 'Bofton grants, No. 1 and 2, the grant to Hunt and others; Falls river, which after watering a township to Gallop and others, and Falls-fight township, falls into the great river in Deerfield; the next confiderable run of water is Weft river, about 2 or 3 miles above fort Dummer, confiderably higher (information from Capt. Welles of Deerfield, formerly a Partizan or Ranger against the Indians in Governor Dummer's

war)

war) Connecticut river forks; one branch comes from near the White Hills eafterly in the province of Main, the other comes from the northward towards Canada, an Indian travelling branch to Canada.

We shall only mention one river more (in the ftyle of a late hiftorian C-M- D. D. the fubject is dry, tho' watery) Charles River; it is not large and confiderable, otherwise than as being referred to, in fettling the South line of the late Maffachusetts-Bay colony, as is Merimack river in fettling the north boundary line: the words in the old charter are, "As alfo all and fingular thofe lands and hereditaments whatfoever, lying within the fpace of three English miles on the South part of faid river called Charles river, or any or every part thereof." Stop river, which rises in Wrentham, was pitched upon as the most foutherly branch of Charles river, and at three miles fouth of the head of this river, the fouth line of Mafsachusetts-Bay was delineated; Stop river falls into the main body of Charles river in Medfield. The furtheft head of Charles river is in the N. E. parts of Mendon, and upon it lie the townships of Bellingham, Medway, Wrentham, Medfield, Sherburn, Natick, an Indian referve, Dedham, Needham, (here are two confiderable falls in this river) Newtown, Weftown, Waltham, Watertown, Cambridge, and Brooklin: this river falls into the bottom of Maffachusetts or Boston bay, and ferves to bring down to Bofton floats or rafts of fhiptimber by the tide from Watertown Barcadier about 9 miles there is another creek or river, a fmall way east of this, called Myftick river, of about 4 miles rafting from the Barcadier of Medford township; from Mystick Barcadier are fent to Bofton, bricks, tar, and turpentine.

The Promontories remarkable are, only Point Alderton about 9 or 10 miles below Bofton upon the fouth fide of the bay, over-against the light-houfe; here is a good harbour called Hull gut, and the fafe road of Nantasket fecured by circumambient islands, where the king's fhips and merchant fhips outward and inward

bound

bound anchor for a time; it lies about 6 or 7 miles below Bofton, and by act of Affembly is deemed belonging to the harbour of Boston.

Cape-Anne the north fide entrance or promontory of Maffachusetts-Bay, Thatcher's island lies about 2 leagues eaft of this harbour, and a small matter without Thatcher's are rocks called the Salvages; from the Salvages are two leagues to Ipswich bar, a dangerous bay called Ipfwich bay, from a great fea and indraught: Cape Anne harbour is about eleven leagues N. N. E. easterly from Bofton; the fouthern promontory of Maffachusetts Bay, called Cape Cod, in Ñ. lat. 42 d. 10 m. lies about 18 leagues E. by S. from Bofton: the width of the entrance of this bay, is from Cape Anne harbour S. W. 14 leagues, to the hook or harbour of Cape Cod.

The fea-ports and their principal trade of export and import must be referred to the following article, of the feveral jurifdictions of New England, united by a new charter; it is only fince the new charter took place, that fea-port diftricts of preventive custom-houses and branches have taken place: here we fhall only enumerate them; befides fmall creeks and inlets for timber and firewood in coafting fmall veffels, and for curing of fish; there are Newberry, a branch of the collection of Portsmouth in New Hampshire; there are Ipfwich, Cape Anne, Salem and Marblehead, belonging to the collection of Salem; Charlestown, Boston, and all the other custom-houfe branches of Maffachusetts-Bay belong to the collection of Boston.

ARTICLE VI.

Concerning the prefent territories as united by the name of the province of Massachusetts-Bay.

A

S we before hinted by a charter, October 7, 169r, fundry territories, under feveral grants and jurifdictions, for their better accommodation and conveniencies,

were

465 were united by charter into one property and jurisdiction, that is, into one general affembly.

The bill for reftoring the New-England charters being dropt by the diffolution of the revolution-convention-parliament; the New-England agents were puzzled, whether, to ftand a trial at law, by a writ of error for reverfing the judgments against the old charters, or to accept of a draught of a new charter; at length they acquiefced in the King's pleasure, and the King directed a new charter.

The nature of this union of feveral colonies into one

jurifdiction, the new charter, with a fubfequent explanatory charter, and fundry other general affairs, have been by way of anticipation already narrated, fee p. 374, &c.

In the general account of British North America, we omitted the Poft office, a very beneficial inftitution; and as the present province of Maffachusetts-Bay is its most considerable branch, here it may naturally take place.

The Poft-office in England was fettled by act of parliament 12 Carol. II. In the beginning of this prefent century.Mr. Hamilton of New-Jerfey projected a Poftoffice for BritishNorth-America, this he effected, and obtained a patent for the management and profits of the fame; this patent he afterwards fold to the crown, and a few years after the Union, the pofts of England, Scotland, Ireland and America were put under oneDirector by act of parliament 9 Annæ; conftituting one Poft-Mafter-General for all the British dominions; to keep a general-postoffice in London, the Poft-Mafter-General may keep one letter-office in Edinburgh, another in Dublin, another at New-York, and other chief offices at convenient places in America and the Leeward Islands, and appoint deputies for managing the particular rates for the poftage of letters in the Plantations; requires too much room for a fummary, it is referred to Stat. 9 Annæ Cap. io. We Thall only relate, that all letters from on board any ship, shall be delivered to the Deputy-Poft-Master of the place, penalty 5. fterl. for every offence; the Poft-master VOL. I.

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paying