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PROPOSALS for collecting a complete. GEOGRAPHICAL GAZETTEER of all the Toons in the Commonwealth.

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N' accurate Geographical Defcription of the feveral North American States, is a work. which is very much wanted by the publick; but nothing has yet ap. peared which is capable of fatisfying their curiofity. Many attempts indeed have been made, in Europe, in Geographical Grammars and Gazetteers; but the writers of them have wanted information; and their accouars, in moft particulars, are imperfect and erroneous. It could not be expected that men who never faw this continent, and who collected their knowledge from vague reports, or who wrote without knowledge, fhould be able to delineate with any tolerable exactness, the face of the country. Hence we find later Geographers doing little more than co

In their books, places are described which have no existence, and cuftoms and circumftances mentioned which have not been known fince the laft century. It is evident, that an exact defcription of a country can be given by thofe only who live in it, and who are familiar with the feveral objects which it contains. Travelle's view things fuperficially, and cannot easily diftinguish what is accidental and tranfitory, from what is conflant and established, Foreigners fee through the medium of uncertain report, by which objects are diftorted, magnified, or always more or lefs difguifed. From an inhabitant only, therefore, muft we look for the Geography of the United States. Buc perhaps there is no individual who is poffeffed of fufficient information to give this Geography entire.. Asper fon may be well acquainted with one part of a country, who knows very little of another. As yet we have heard of no gentleman who has travelled over the continent for, the ex prefs purpose of ascertaining its Gea

ceded them, with the addition, perhaps, of a few miflakes of their own.

many perfons in it who are able delineate, with accuracy, a fm all

clè of territory in which they are circumfcribed; and there is perhaps no fpot without fome inhabitant who is qualified to give a juft and full de fcription of every thing which relates to it. By accumulating the know. Jedge of many different perfons, the Printers of the Bofton Magazine conceive, that the Geography of the States might be compleatly afcertain ed. Convinced of the utility of the undertaking, they are ambitious of the honour of attempting to collect an account of the Commonwealth of Maffachwfetts, the territory in which they refide. Should they fucceed in their defign, they Hatter themselves that fome gentlemen in each of the ftates will be induced to imitate their example. By there means fuch a mass of materials will be furnished, as will enable all future Geographers to be accurate and perfect in their defcriptions of the United States.

In order to accomplish their plan, the Printers addrefs themselves to the honourable Members of the Legisla ture, the honourable Judges of the Courts, to the gentlemen of the Pulpit, the Bar, and the Faculty, and to all others of curiofit y, information, and abilities, throughout the Commonwealth, requesting them to fupply them with as minute a defcription of the county, and efpecially of the town in which they refide, as they are able to give from their own knowledge, or procure from others. The particulars which they defire are the length, and courfe of the feveral boundary lines of each town and the year in which they were run,---Indian name, where preferved, diftance from Bofton, and from its fhire town, foil, produce, air, appearance of the country, minerals, woods, rivers, brooks, hills, ponds, lakes, mills, forges, furnaces, manufactures... (if any) means of fubfiftence,--natural curiofities -(if any) trade,-- fisheries, -number of inhabitants,--of births, deaths, and marriages in a year,--number and quality of the houfes, quality of the roads, number of schools, -number of churches, fes--prevailing diftem. pers, time of fettlement, time of inCorporation, and remarkable events.

Should they receive fufficient encouragement, they propole to pub-. lifh in the Bofton Magazine a com plete Geographical Gazetteer of the feveral towns, precincts, and diftricts, in the Commonwealth of Maffachufetts. They hope to begin upon the work in the next number, and continue it through the following numbers till the whole fhall be finished. Several gentlemen have engaged to arrange the materials which shall be fent them; and the Printers doubt not that they shall be able to acquit themselves in fuch a manner as will afford their readers both entertainment and inftruction. The order in which they mean to proceed will be the following: The whole Common-. wealth will be divided into three parts; the middle divifion, or old Colony of Maffachusetts; the fouthern divifion; or old Colony of Plymouth, including the two iflands; and the eaftern divifion, or Province of Maine. The middle divifion will be defcribed from eaft to weft in the following order; the towns of Suffolk, Effex, Middlesex, Worcester, Hampfhire and Berkshire. The fouthern divifion from north to fouth, in the following order; the towns of Plymouth, Bristol, Barnftable, Duke's County and Nantucket. The eaftern divifion in the following order; the towns of York, Cumberland, and Lincoln. The latitude of the feveral fea ports and hire towns, at leaft; as alfo their longitude from Bofon, which will be confidered as the firft meridian, will be given fo far as they can be afcertained. A description of the bays and harbours, with the iflands which they contain, will appear under the heads of the feveral towns to which they appertain. It is requefied that gentlemen would be very minute and full in their accounts of the cummerce and fisheries of the feveral fea ports in which they live, as the Printers with to be very copi ous upon thefe fubje&s.

If the Printers fhould ever complete the Gazetteer of the towns, as they doubt not they fhall, by the ge nerous affifiance of the publick, they propofe then to defcribe each county at large, according to the urder above mentioned, diflinguishing each cir cumRance

already caft. He chofe a partner to pleafe his fancy. Generofity forbade every idea of intereft: a fentiment fo noble at an earlier period, would have infured his happiness ; but he had rov ed at large too long; variety had been courted, and foon regained the heart of her old admirer. Davis frayed from the path of connubial duty he was convinced of the injuf tice of his conduct; and he could not bear to receive the careffes of a woman he was daily loading with inju ries. Though no upbraidings fell from her tongue, millions were fuggefted by his own confcience. To avoid a leffer, he rushed into a greater evil he abandoned his wife, and fought a wretched afylum in the arms of those who hardly could receive an additional wrong. The fmall remains of his fortune they quickly diffipated. What was now to be done? that, at which his gentle heart revolted: he was to turn villain. He had been half ruined by the foul play of others; and now he must refort to foul play himfelf, in order to procure a miferable fubfiftence. Being poffeffed of a genteel figure and addrefs, he was readily admitted into the fraternity of profeffional gamefters. He had fatally learnt the principles of play, and was only to be inftru&ted in its vile arts; of thefe he foon became an approved mafter. His own loffes gave a fpecious air of juftice to the recovery of them by the fame means as had occafioned their privation. For fome time (accefs attended this d fhoneft plan; but pigeons at length did not fy every day, and appearances mult be fuftained. A game. fer is a gentleman, and the vices of a gentlerin ruft be dignified with the appellation of honourable; what nieans then, that are honourable,muft a diftreffed gamester refort to? the road ponts out itfelf directly: a highwayman is an honourable cha rater. This character poor Davis with horror affumed; his whole frame trembled when preparing the dreadful inftruments of terror and of death; but he Battered himself that they need only to be prepared. Alas, once plunged in guilt we know not whi

ther it will lead us: corruption of morals induces us to commit inferior. crimes, and felf preservation prompts us to perpetrate greater for their concealment. Thus it was with young: Davis; when he went out he fhuddered at the very thoughts of mur. der-before he returned he was- in- · volved in the guilt of it. A difregard to the property of his neighbour was quickly followed by the facrifice of his life. The gentleman he robbed. refifted his attack; to effectuate his purpose, and obtain a temporary fafety, he, therefore, thot him; rifled his. pockets, and efcaped he fed for fecrecy and fecurity to the apartment of his Delilah here, while property. remained, he was concealed; when it was expended, his faithless harlot gave information of him for the fake of a fhare in the reward, given as the price of his blood. He was appre hended, tried, convicted, and, as a murderer, ordered for fpeedy execution. Senfible of the magnitude of his guilt, be murmured not at the dreadful fentence. Death came as a kind relief, though in a difgraceful form. The fun upbraided him with having deprived another of its chearing influence. The bleffing of life appeared to him as a curfe, inasmuch, as he had bafely torn it from a fel. low creature. With thele awful reflections he entered his dreary cell; he had not been there long, when the maffy door opened, and prefented to his affrighted view, his injured and de ferted wife--not come to cenfure and condemn,but to pity and to foothe his forrows; for awhile her tender por. pofe was refifted--her prefence plant. ed new thorns in the bafom of her guilty and aff Aed husband, but her forgiveness plucked them out again, and healed his wounds. The dreadful moment of their earthly feparation for ever, arrived the laft mutual embrace was given---the big tear burt down the manly cheek, while female fortitude fruggled to conceal the fympathetic perl, that would have rent the foul of him for whom it rofe. The jailor, whole rude feelings were foftened by the fcene, led the beauteous mourner

from

from the prifon, and warned the ptive of the approaching hour of death he afcended the cart with refolution tempered by decency. In his way to the fatal tree, his crimes were forgotton, his penitence admired, and his fufferings pitied. When arrived at the tragic fpot, he thus addreffed the furrounding Spectators:

My Friends and fellow Mortals,

"You here behold one moulded like yourselves, about to fuffer an ignominious, though juft, death. One, who, a few years back, as little thought of fuch an end as any who now look on him. He gloried in imprudence, but fufpected not how foon it would force him into vice. He was a votary of pleasure, not thinking it would lead to pain.. By nature he was formed honeft and humane, but by neceffity, produced from folly, rendered cruel and unjuft. From fuch a character, placed in a fituation where he can have no intereft at heart but your own, take some advice. Let diligence and œconomy be your riches. Let virtue be your

pleasure. Supprefs not your paffions, they were given for your use; but fubje&t them to the controul of reafon, and direct them to the purposes of honour and juftice. If beauty claims your attention, marry early the virtuous object of your affections, believe that none but a virtuous woman can make you permanently happy. Fear not the expences honourably incurred by an extenfive family. Providence bids you encounter fuch difficulties: be lefs afraid of poverty than vice. Refift the firft attacks of diffipation. Let not ambition, to appear above your fphere in life, diftrefs you in your circumftances, leaft it prompt you to bafe means for their replenishment. Revere your God; be juft and kind to men; avoid my crimes, and thereby fhun my fate; live honeftly; die with credit; and thus infure temporal happinets, and eternal blifs."

The cart drew away, and poor Davis fled to the mercy of his Father. May his misfortunes preferve the virtuous in the wifdom of their ways, and draw the vicious from the paths of deftruation.

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