A Summary, Hiftorical and Political, of the first Planting, progreffive Improvements, and present State of the British Settlements in NORTH-AMERICA. VOL. II. PART I. A Supplement to the first Volume; And Introduction to the fecond Volume. T HE writer of this hiftorical fummary, does not affect a studied elegancy. This is a plain narrative of inconteftible facts delivered with freedom, a collection or common-place of many years obfervations, defigned at firft only for the writer's private amufement or remembrancer; but at the defire of fome friends it is published for the benefit of the publick, and for the ufe of future hiftorians, Deus nobis hæc otia fecit. As the writer is independent, being in no publick office, no ringleader of any party, or faction; what he writes may be deemed impartial : If facts related in truth offend any governor, commodore, or other great officer, he will not renounce impartiality and become fycophant. VOL. II. B As As this fummary has been discontinued many months from an incident which may in courfe be mentioned by way of a digreffional amufement; I find myself inclined to continue the hiftory of fundry affairs down to this time, April 1750. I. The naval affairs upon the continent coast of British North-America. Here † ends (a peace being concluded at Aix la Chapelle) our naval wars with France and Spain upon the coaft of North-America; the peace of Aix la Chapelle was figned October 7th, 1748, and proclaimed in Boston, May 10, 1749. In autumn 1747, Commodore Kn-les arrived in the harbour of Boston with a fquadron of men of war from Louifbourg of Cape-Breton, ordered all our + men of war ftationed for the protection of the North-American trade, to join him at Boston to profecute fome fecret expedition against the French and Spaniards in the gulph of Mexico; the reduction of St. Jago de Cuba was the principal defign, and was not effectuated; but en paffant, he happened to furprize the French fort of Port Louis of the island of Hifpaniola, and had the better in a fea engagement with a Spanish squadron off the Havannah of the island of Cuba; these occurrences are not within the limits of our hiftory, which is confined to the British continent fettlements in North-America; and the admiral Kn-'s conduct in thefe expeditions, as it is faid, is now upon the carpet at home. Our coaft being thus left naked in May 1748, about fourteen French and Spa The great man of the province for the time being, finding that the writer, though of his perfonal acquaintance, was not a fycophant, but wrote tranfactions with a true and impartial freedom, endeavoured that his own management might remain obfcure, and not ftare himself and the publick in the face; this he attempted in many forms, in diverting, impeding, or rather defeating this publick-fpirited laborious undertaking. The fea bickerings of Georgia and St. Auguftine are left to the fection of Georgia. They were only frigates, not fit for line of battle, or for battering of land forts. nifh privateers were roving from South-Carolina to NewYork: They failed up Delaware bay and river fo high as New-Castle, and with their armed boats to within five miles of Philadelphia: Philadelphia news-papers fay, foreign trade is now at a ftand, and the port as much "fhut up as if the river was frozen." In Chefaepeak bay of Virginia they went fo high as Repahanock river and carried off several fhips. In September 1748 two Spanish privateers failed up Cape-Fear river of North-Carolina, landed Men, plundered Brunswick, took poffeffion of fix veffels, but from fome casual difafters, they foon returned down the river. Here was a fine opportunity given to the French and Spaniards to plunder our continent ports, or put them to high contributions; but the French and Spanish pufilanimity favoured us. II. A treaty of peace with the || Abnaquie or eastern Indians. Or, rather the formal fubmiffion of these Indians by their delegates to the government of New-England. Vol. I. p. 564, ended our account of the late French and Indian incurfions in New-England; fince that account, there have been only fome fmall damages done by a few fcattered Indian banditti. As this Indian treaty or fubmiffion to King GEORGE II. is very plain, eafy, and voided of fome antiquated wild fooleries which usually accompany fuch affairs, we shall infert it here by way of a specimen of Indian treaties. The St. John's Indians of Nova-Scotia, are of the Abnaquie nation, but were not in the congrefs, becaufe lately they feem chiefly to affociate with the Mikmake Indians of Nova Scotia.-The Pigwaket tribe of Abnaquie are almost extinct, they did not engage in this war, but retired and lived amongst the English, during the war, in the county of Plymouth; fourteen of them, men, women and children, were prefent at this congrefs. The Mafifaffuck Indians on the eaft fide or Dutch fide of Lake Champlain or Corlaer, are in the Abnaquie divifion, but never do affociate with the Abnaquies. The fmall tribe of Scatacooks, on Houffuck river, eaft fide of Hudfon's great river, and the fcatter'd Mohegins on Hudson's river, though Abnaquies, are under the protection of the Mohawks or Iroquies great nations. B 2 There There was firft a previous general meeting of the Indian delegates from all the tribes in a general council, to pray the government of New-England for a treaty of peace. Some time in June 1749, nine delegates from the feveral tribes of Indians came to Boston to make propofals for a peace; they propofed the fage governor Dummer's treaty to act upon, and that the congrefs fhould be at Falmouth in Casco-Bay, about 100 miles eastward from Boston. The congrefs began at Falmouth, September 27, 1749 between the commiffioners of Maffachusetts-Bay, viz. Thomas Hutchinson, Ifrael Williams, John Otis, Efqrs. John Choate, And of New-Hampshire, Theodore Atkinson, John Downing, Efqrs. on the one part; and the delegates of the eastern Indians on the other part, viz. Eight from the tribe of Norridgowocks; Soofephnia, Toxus, Eneas, Magawombee, Harrey, Five from the tribe of* Penobscot; Eger Emmet, Maganumba, Naktoonos, Nefaqumbuit, Pereez. Nictumbouit, * The Penobscots jocofely faid, that they could answer for their young men if they were not drunk. + Thefe by the French, are called the miffion of St. Francois and of Befancourt; both lie upon the fouth fide of St. Laurence, or Canada river, one 40 the other 30 leagues above Quebec; their joining with the other tribes of the New England Indians in this fubmiffion to King GEORGE II. of Great-Britain, may well be used as an argument for New-England's reaching naturally and in the opinion of these Indians, to the fouth fide of Canada river. All |