But then it that there

from the meeting house. We were informed, that there were fifty English families there, who were fond of his settling among them; and this it appeared to us would accommodate the forementioned Indians. appeared from the information of Deacon was a small number of English people living on that road, who also wanted to be accommodated with the gospel oftener with them than at present; so that if he was the minister of these English people, the said Indians would have four miles to travel to meeting. Upon this it appeared to your Committee, that the English were like to differ among themselves on this point; and if it should be carried for settling him in the centre of the English, we feared it would but poorly accommodate the Indians. We inquired, what number of Indians he had to hear him where he was; and it was agreed on all hands, though he did not incline to allow it himself, that he had for the most part only two or three, sometimes more, and it was said, sometimes none at all. The house he preaches in is in the road to Sandwich, about two miles distant from Mr. Williams's meeting house at Sandwich; and was built by a party who separated from that church, where they now attend Mr. Tupper's ministry; nor do we find that he preaches elsewhere to the Indians, except, as he says, once a month to a number of Indians, who live near the Herring Pond, so called, and now and then to the Wareham and Pocasset Indians. Upon the whole, with respect to Mr. Tupper, your Committee are of opinion, that his continuing to preach where he now does can be of little service to the Indians, as by travelling two miles further, they might be accommodated at Sandwich meeting house; and with regard to the English, we think it is doing an injury to the body of the people at Sandwich, to encourage him in preaching to the separation. But with regard to the Indians at the Herring Pond, we think it would be as well for them, if Isaac Jephry was to preach one sabbath in a month to them, which he would willingly undertake to do, if his salary was augmented from four pounds to six pounds per annum. He is no further distant from them than

Mr. Tupper is, about seven miles. The Wareham Indians live mostly in English families; and being twelve miles distant from Mr. Tupper, as he says, can doubtless be as well accommodated by other means, as by Mr. Tupper's preaching now and then to them. If the Board of Commissioners should be of opinion with their Committee, we do not see where Mr. Tupper could be serviceable to the Indians, except it be at Pocasset; and his removal thither seems to depend entirely upon the English; and by Mr. Tupper's memorial, it appears that he looks upon them as principals, desiring of the Commissioners their assistance only towards his support. Your Committee are therefore of opinion, that Mr. Tupper's present allowance should cease at the expiration of the year, which will be in November next: But that if he should settle with the English at Pocasset, or in that neighbourhood, so as to accommodate the Indians there, that he have such allowance on their account, as the Commissioners shall judge his service may deserve; and that in consideration of his having been so long in the service, in case he settles at Pocasset, as at first proposed, his allowance be the same that it has heretofore been, agreeably to the prayer of his said memorial.*

When we were at Mashpee, application was made to us in behalf of six Indian families, destitute of a minister, living on Naushon Island, about three miles from Falmouth; and it was proposed, whether it might not be expedient that Mr. Palmer, the minister of Falmouth, should be employed as a lecturer to them.

Solomon Bryant applied to us to be furnished with Burkit's Annotations; acquainted us that he was about forty pounds, old tenor, in debt for doctors, and prayed for some relief.t

The editor has in his possession a memorial of Elisha Tupper to the Commissioners for propagating the gospel among the Indians, dated Nov. 18th, 1761. In this paper he states, that his salary is 1. 183. 6. 8. old tenor.

Solomon Bryant, the Indian pastor of the Mashpee church," was a sensible man, and a good preacher to the Indians in their own dialect" [See Hist. Coll. 111. 191.] but, like others of the natives, he was destitute of forethought. Mr. Hawley thus writes concerning him in a letter, which is dated Oct. 15th, 1760: "I also beg leave to advise the Commissioners, that Solomon Bryant's salary be-

Joseph Bryant, a late Indian minister, his widow applied for an allowance towards her support. She has been allowed six dollars in 1765.

Hephzibah Augooche, sister to Zachary Osooit, and mother-in-law to Deacon Popmonet of Mashpee, she now living with him, but properly a Vineyard Indian, and Jerusha, the widow of Deacon Papenau, both desir. ed an allowance.

The Indians at the Ponds in Plymouth have usually received four blankets a year; which your Committee apprehend the Rev. Mr. Robbins would undertake to distribute, as also to the Indians at the Herring Pond, in case Isaac Jephry should be employed to preach to them, as well as to inspect his behaviour in the office.

Deacon Elisha Nauhautt of Yarmouth informed us, that they had six Indian families there, living about three miles distant from the Rev. Mr. Green, and that it would be more convenient to have their supplies come through his hands, than through Mr. Hall, who lives more remote from them.

The widow Augooche informed us, that in old Mr. Mayhew's time, some lands at the Gay Head were taken from the Indians; and Zachary Osooit acquainted us, that to this day some English people hold lands at a place called Deep Bottom, which were formerly leased to them by Mess'rs Hunt and Sumner and Major Mayhew, when they were guardians to the Indians, although the leases have been expired some time; and that Elijah Luce holds land on the Indian part of the Gay Head, which was let to him ten years ago by Dr. Mayhew; and desired that they might have no more guardians.

All which matters and things your Committee thought themselves obliged to report to the Honourable and Reverend Board, which are humbly submitted.

ing small, and he no very good economist, I have been obliged, in the course of little more than three years, to advance more than fifty pounds, old tenor, which he now owes me, to supply him with necessaries, viz. bread and clothing; and I have the satisfaction to tell his benefactors, that he does pretty well, and grows better, as he grows older. He is near sixty-six years of age, has been a preacher more than forty, and continues in his usefulness to this day." He died May 8th, He died April 26th, 1759. 56. C

1775.

VOL. 3.

† See Hist. Coll.

NOTES ON NEW BEDFORD.

IN the year 1795 Dr. Eliot published in the fourth volume of these Collections a Description of New Bedford. Being at that place in July, 1807, I found there another account of it, written, it is supposed, by Mr. Sherman, a respectable bookseller, in the year 1802. The following extracts from it contain a few things not mentioned by Dr. Eliot.

"The village of New Bedford stands in a pleasant situation, upon the north side of Acushnet River, in Latitude 41° 37' 30" N. and Longitude 70° 52′ 30′′ W. from Greenwich, according to Knight's Survey. It lies north and south, upon a gradual ascent from the water, and exhibits a pleasing view of the harbour. The streets, [three running north and south, and twelve east and west,] are of a good width, and cross each other at right angles. The houses, which are, with few exceptions, built of wood, are in general well finished, and possess an air of neatness. In the year 1765, there were two or three small vessels employed in the whale fishery. In the course of ten years, at the commencement of the year 1775, when a period was put to that business, the number of whalemen increased to forty or fifty.

"According to the valuation of 1801, the number of dwelling houses in the village was a hundred and eightyfive. The publick buildings are a meeting house for Friends, one for Congregationalists, two large school houses, one for each of those societies, an almshouse, and a small market house. The principal dependence of the inhabitants is on commerce. In 1790, there were only two or three square rigged vessels: there are now (1802) nearly twenty sail of ships. During the late war, they have been principally employed in the freighting business from New York and the southern ports to Europe. Voyages have also been made to Europe, and the East and West Indies, directly from this port. Since the peace, they have been returning in some measure to whaling. Ship building, the manufacture of cordage,

for which purpose there are two ropewalks, and the manufacture of spermaceti candles, are advantageously pursued.

"In 1796, a company was incorporated to build a bridge across Acushnet River, to connect Bedford with the villages of Fair-haven and Oxford; which has since: been accomplished, at the expense of about thirty thou sand dollars. The bridge, including the abutments, and the space taken up by two islands which it crosses, is upwards of four thousand feet in length."

Note added July 24th. 1807.

In Bedford there are seven wharves; between ninety and a hundred ships and brigs, containing each on an average two hundred and fifty tons; and between twenty and thirty small vessels: twelve of the ships are whalemen. In 1805 there were belonging to this place seventy-three ships and thirty-nine brigs. A lot of a quarter of an acre of land sells for five hundred dollars to two thousand dollars. Bedford contains a little short of three hundred dwelling houses; Fair-haven, about a hundred. There are three ropewalks in Bedford; and one, in Fairhaven. The depth of water in the harbour is from three to four fathoms. Common tides rise five feet. The light house, which stands on Clark's Point, shows one light. The bridge mentioned above was this year, in the month of March, swept away by the tide. It is now rebuilding; and will soon be finished.

NOTES ON NANTUCKET. AUGUST 1ST. 1807.

The County of Nantucket.

THE County of Nantucket is composed of five islands. Beginning west, the first is Muskeget, which is about six miles east from Washqua Point in Chappaquiddick Island. It is a low, sandy island, and is not used for sheep or cattle. South-east of it is Tuckanuck, an island containing thirteen hundred acres of land, which afford