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was elected, who alfo fucceeded Governor Bradford, and was annually elected, until his death in 1673, when Jofias Winflow fucceeded and continued until he died in 1680, and was fucceeded by Thomas Hinkley, who held the place, except in the interruption by Sir Edmund Andross, until the junction with the Maffachusetts in 1692.

In March 1624 Mr. Winflow, agent for the colony, arrived in the ship Charity, and, together with a good supply of clothing, brought a bull and three beifers, which were the first cattle of the kind in this part of America. From thefe, and others that were afterwards brought over from England, fprang the prefent multitudes of cattle in the northern states. None of the domeftic animals were found in America by the first European fettlers.

'This year Lyford and Oldham, two treacherous intriguing characters, influenced the factious part of the adventurers, to join them in opposing the church and government of the colony. Their artful defigns got vent, and occafioned much disturbance. Oldham was detected and banished. Lyford, who afterwards proved to be a villain, was, upon apparent repentance, pardoned and received.

At the clofe of this year, (1624) the plantation at New-Plymouth, confifted of 180 perfons, who lived in thirty-two dwelling houfes. Their ftock was a few cattle and goats, and a plenty of fwine and poultry. Their town was impaled about half a mile in compafs. On a high mount in the town, they had erected a fort of wood, lime and stone, and a handfome watch-tower. This year they were able to freight a fhip of 180 Such was the healthfulness of the place, or of the seasons, that, notwithstanding their frequent deftitution of the neceffaries of life, not one of the first planters died for three years.

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However rigid the New-Plymouth colonists may have been at their first feparation from the church of England, yet they never difcovered that perfecuting fpirit which we have feen in Maffachusetts. When Mrs. Hutchinfon and her adherents were banished from that colony, they applied to the colony of Plymouth, for leave to fettle upon Aquidnick or Rhode-Ifland, which was then acknowledged to be within Plymouth patent, and it was readily granted, although their tenets were no more approved by Plymouth than by the Maffachufetts. Some of the Quakers alfo fled to Plymouth bounds, and probably faved their lives; for although they made laws fevere enough againft erroneous opinions, yet in no cafe capital; and the Baptifts were ftill more favourably received, the town of Swanzey being principally fettled by Baptift refugees from the Maffachu fetts colony, and when one of their minifters fettled in the church of Plymouth, they were content that he should baptize by immersion or dipping any who defired it, provided he took no exception to the other minifter's fprinkling fuch for whom immerfion was not judged neceffary.

About this time feveral ineffectual attempts were made to fettle Weymouth, Dorchefter, Cape Ann and Nantasket.

The year 1625 is diftinguifhed by the death of the Rev. Mr. Robinson. He died at Leyden in March, in the 50th year of his age. He was truly a great and good man, and lived in great love and harmony with his people. He was held in high estimation by all his acquaintance, for his learning, piety, moderation and excellent accomplishments. His death was lamented as a public loss, and felt by none more than by his beloved

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and far diftant people at Plymouth. mouth, where he lived to the age of 90 years. His defcendants ftill live in Barnftable county in Maffachusetts.

After the death of Mr. Robinson, the remaining part of his congregation were extremely defirous of coming over to their friends at Plymouth, and measures were taken for the purpofe; yet it was not until feveral years after, that they effected their defign.

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In Auguft, 1629, thirty-five of the Leyden congregation, with their families, and many more pious people from England, arrived in a fhip from London, to the great joy of their friends at Plymouth. fpring, another company of Leydeners came over. Whether thefe were the whole that remained, or whether others came over after them, is not certain.

From this time New-England began to flourish. Sir Henry Rofwell and others, had received a patent of Maffachusetts from the Council of New-England. Settlements were fuccefsfully enterprized at Salem, Charleston, Bolton, Dorchefter and other places, fo that in forty years from this time (1629) 120 towns were fettled, and forty churches were gathered.

The Laudian perfecution was conducted with unrelenting feverity; and while it caufed the deftruction of thousands in England, proved to be a principle of life and vigour to the infant fettlements in America. Several men of eminence in England, who were the friends and protectors of the Puritans, entertained a defign of fettling in New-England, if they should fail in the measures they were purfuing for the establishment of the liberty, and the reformation of the religion of their own country. They folicited and obtained grants in New-England, and were at great pains in fettling them. Among these patentees were the Lords Brook, Say and Sale, the Pelhams, the Hampdens and the Pyms; names which afterwards appeared with great eclat. Sir Matthew Boynton, Sir William Conftable, Sir Arthur Haflerig, and Oliver Cromwell, were actually upon the point of embarking for New-England, when Archbishop Laud, unwilling that fo many objects of his hatred fhould be removed out of the reach of his power, applied for, and obtained, an order from the court to put a stop to thefe tranfportations. However, he was not able to prevail fo far as to hinder New-England from receiving vast additions, as well of the clergy, who were filenced and deprived of their living, and for non-conformity, as of the laity who adhered to their opinions.

New-Plymouth, until this time, had remained without a patent. Several attempts were made, agents were fent, and much money was expended, with a view to obtain one, but all hitherto had proved abortive. On the 13th of January, 1630, the council of New-England fealed a patent to William Bradford, Efq; and his heirs, of all that part of New-England lying between Cohaffet rivulet towards the north, and Narragansett river towards the fouth, the western ocean towards the east, and between and within a ftrait line directly extending up the main land towards the weft from the mouth of Narragansett river, to the utmost bound of a country in New-England, called Pokanokett, alias Sawamfett, weftward, and another like a trait line extending directly from the mouth of Cohaffett river to

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ward the weft fo far up into the main land as the utmost limits of the faid Pokanoket extend: Alfo, all that part of New-England between the utmost limits of Caperfecont which adjoineth to the river Kennebeck, and the falls of Negumke, with the faid river itself, and the space of fifteen miles on each fide between the bounds above-faid,' with all the rights, jurifdictions, privileges, &c. &c. ufual and neceffary.

This patent paffed the king's hand, and would no doubt have now been finithed, had not the agents, without the notice or advice of the colony, inferted a claufe to free the colony from cuftoms feven years inward, and twenty-one outward. But in confequence of this claufe the patent was pever finished, and they remained without a charter, until they were incorporated with Maffachufetts in 1691 or 1692. Notwithstanding this, New-Plymouth was a government de facto, and confidered as fuch by king Charles, in his letters and orders which were fent them at various times previous to their incorporation with Maffachusetts.

It was in the fpring of 1630, that the GREAT CONSPIRACY was entered into by the Indians in all parts, from the Narragansetts round to the eastward, to extirpate the English, The colony at Plymouth was the principal object of this confpiracy. They well knew that if they could effect the deftruction of Plymouth, the infant fettlement at Maffachufetts would fall an eafy facrifice, They laid their plan with much art. Under colour of having fome diverfion at Plymouth, they intended to have fallen upon the inhabitants, and thus to have effected their defign. But their plot was difclofed to the people at Charleston, by John Sagamore, an Indian, who had always been a great friend to the English. This treacherous defign of the Indians alarmed the English, and induced them to erect forts and maintain guards, to prevent any fuch fatal furprize in future. Thefe preparations, and the firing of the great guns, fo terrified the Indians that they difperfed, relinquished their defign, and des clared themfelves the friends of the English.

Such was the vast increase of inhabitants in New-England by natural population, and particularly by emigrations from Great-Britain, that in a few years, befides the fettlements in Plymouth and Maffachusetts, yery flourishing colonies were planted in Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, New-Haven and New-Hampshire. The dangers to which these colonies were exposed from the furrounding Indians, as well as from the Dutch, who, although very friendly to the infant colony at Plymouth, were now likely to prove troublesome neighbours, first induced them to think of an alliance and confederacy for their mutual defence. Accordingly in 1643, the four colonies of Plymouth, Maffachusetts, Connecticut, and NewHaven, agreed upon articles of confederation, whereby a congrefs was formed, confifting of two commiffioners from each colony, who were chofen annually, and when met were confidered as the reprefentatives of The united colonies of New-England.' The powers delegated to the commiffioners were much the fame as thofe vefted in Congrefs by the articles of confederation, agreed upon by the United States in 1778. The colony of Rhode-Inland would gladly have joined in this confederacy, but Maffachusetts, for particular reafons, refufed to admit their commiffioners. This union fubfitted, with fome few alterations, until the year

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1686, when all the charters, except that of Connecticut, were in effect vacated, by a commiffion from James the IId.

I fhall clofe this general history of New-England with a few remarks refpecting the Indians.

We cannot even hazard a conjecture refpecting the Indian population of New England, at the time of its fettlement by the English. Captain Smith, in a voyage to this coaft in 1614, fuppofed, that on the Maffachufetts lfland, there were about 3000 Indians. All accounts agree, that the fea-coast and neighbouring islands were thickly inhabited.

Three years before the arrival of the Plymouth colony, a very mortal fickness, fuppofed to have been the plague, raged with great violence among the Indians in the eastern parts of New-England. Whole towns were depopulated. The living were not able to bury the dead; and their bones were found lying above ground, many years after. The Maffachusetts Indians are faid to have been reduced from 30,000 to 300 fighting men. In 1633, the fmall-p -pox swept off great numbers of the Indians

in Maffachusetts.

In 1763, on the Island of Nantucket, in the space of four months, the Indians were reduced, by a mortal fickness, from 320 to 85 fouls. The hand of Providence is noticeable in thefe furprising inftances of mortality, among the Indians, to make room for the English. Comparatively few have perished by wars. They wafte and moulder away-they, in a manner unaccountable, difappear.

The number of Indians in the ftate of Connecticut in 1774, was 1363. Their number was again taken in 1782, but was not kept feparate from that of the Negroes. Their number is doubtlefs much leffened. The principal part of their prefent population in this state is at Mohegan, in New-London county.

The number of Indians in Rhode-Ifland in 1783, was only 525. More than half of thefe live in Charleston, in the county of Washington. In 1774, the number of Indians in Rhode-Ifland was 1482; fo that in nine years the decrease was 957. I have not been able to afcertain the exact ftate of the Indian population in Maffechusetts and New-Hampfhire. In 1784, there was a tribe of about forty Indians at Norridgewalk, in the Province of Main, with fome few other fcattering remains of tribes in other parts; and a number of towns thinly inhabited round Cape Cod.

When the English first arrived in America, the Indians had no times nor places fet apart for religious worship. The first fettlers in NewEngland, were at great pains to introduce among them the habits of civilized life, and to inftruct them in the Chriftian religion. A few years intercourse with the Indians, induced them to establish feveral good and natural regulations. They ordained, that if a man be idle a week, or at moft a fortnight, he fhall pay five fhillings. Every young man, not a fervant, fhall be obliged to fet up a wigwam, and plant for himfelf. If an unmarried man fhall lie with an unmarried woman, he fhall pay twenty hillings. If any woman fhall not have her hair tied up fhe fhall pay five hillings, &c.

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The Rev. Mr. Elliott, of Roxbury, near Bofton, who has been ftyled the great Indian Apostle, with much labour, learned the Natic dialect of the Indian languages. He published an Indian grammar, and preached in Indian to feveral tribes, and in 1664, tranflated the Bible, and feveral religious books into the Indian language He relates feveral pertinent queries of the Indians refpecting the Chriftian religion. Among others whether JESUS CHRIST, the inediator or interpreter, could understand prayers in the Indian language? If the father be bad and the child good; why fhould God, in the fecond commandment, be offended with the child? How the Indians came to differ fo much from the English in the Knowledge of GOD and JESUS CHRIST, fince they all fprang from one father? Mr. Elliott was indefatigable in his labours, and travelled through all parts of Maffachusetts and Plymouth colonies, as far as Cape Cod. The colony had fuch a veneration for him, that in any act of the general affembly, relating to the Indians, they exprefs themfelves thus, By the advice of faid magiftrates, and of Mr. Elliott.' Mr. Mayhew, who alfo learned the Indian language, was very active in propagating the knowledge of chriflianity among the Indians at Nantucket, Martha's-Vineyard, and Elizabeth-Ifland.

Mr. Brainard was a truly pious and fuccefsful miffionary among the Indians on the Sufquehannah and Delaware rivers. In 1744, he rode about 4000 miles among the Indians; fometimes five or fix weeks together without feeing a white perfon. The Rev. Mr. Kirtland, of Stockbridge, has been laboriously engaged, aad greatly ferviceable in civilizing and chriftianizing the Oneida and other Indians.

Concerning the religion of the untaught natives of America, Mr. Brainard, who was well acquainted with it, informs us, that after the coming of the white people, the Indians in New-Jerfey, who once held a plurality of Deities, fuppofed there were only three, becaufe they faw people of three kinds of complexions, viz-English, Negroes, and themfelves.

It is a notion pretty generally prevailing among them, that it was not the fame God made them who made us; but that they were created after the white people: and it is probable they supposed their God gained some fpecial fkill, by feeing the white people made, and fo made them better: for it is certain they look upon themselves, and their methods of living, which they fay their God exprefly prescribed for then, vaftly preferable to the white people, and their methods.

With regard to a future ftate of existence, many of them imagine that the chichung, i. e. the fhadow, or what furvives the body, will, at death, go fouthward, and in an unknown, but curious place-will enjoy fome kind of happiness, fuch as hunting, feafting, dancing, and the like. And what they fuppofe will contribute much to their happinefs in the next ftate is, that they fhall never be weary of thofe entertainments.

Thofe who have any notion about rewards and punishments in a future ftate, feem to imagine that most will be happy, and that thofe who are not fo, will be punished only with privation, being only excluded from the walls of the good world where happy fpirits refide.

Thefe rewards and punishments, they fuppofe to depend entirely upon their behaviour towards mankind; and have no reference to any thing which relates to the worship of the Supreme Being.

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