Scots settling at Darien, and that it was contrary to the peace 1698. entered into with his allies, and that therefore he should give them no assistance; he, in his majesty's name, commanded all the king's subjects whatsoever, not to presume, on any pretence, to hold correspondence with the Scots, nor give assistance of arms, ammunition, provisions, or other necessaries, or by any of their vessels or those of the English nation." Similar proclamations were issued by the governors of Barbadoes, New York, and New England. While in Scotland all men were sanguine in their hopes that their new colony would bring them treasures of gold, these proclamations came to their knowledge, and were complained of as acts of hostility, and violations of the common rights of humanity. On the distant colony, in the mean time, those proclamations had great effect. The settlers, who had first possessed themselves of Darien, were forced to abandon it.1 A recruit of men, sent soon after from Scotland, was also frustrated by the loss of the ship, which took fire, having on board the principal stock of provisions. Another reinforcement which soon followed, stronger and better furnished, yet, falling into factions, were unable to resist the Spaniards, who now attacked and is relinthem; and they were obliged to capitulate. With this last dis- quished. aster the whole design was relinquished.2 Massachu In pursuance of instructions, given by the commissioners for Number of the propagating of the gospel among the Indians in the American Indians in plantations in New England and parts adjacent, the several plan- setts. tations of Indians within the province of Massachusetts were visited this year; and the collective number of souls was found to be about 4000.3 Louis XIV. erected a new exclusive company for 50 years, Royal Comnamed The Royal Company of St. Domingo; not for the island pany of St. Domingo. of Hispaniola only, but for all the other West India islands, to which he laid claim.4 1 Their provisions being spent, they were threatened with famine. Many of them, reduced to a wretched condition, settled at Jamaica. Univ. Hist. 2 Univ. Hist. xli. 376-379. Salmon, Mod. Hist. iii. 247, 248; and Chron. Hist. i. 296. Hist. K. William III, 472-474. The Scots called their American territory, Caledonia, and their settlement, New Edinburgh. On their arrival at Darien," they found the natives in open war on all sides with the Spaniards, against whom they besought their assistance." Univ. Hist. [xxxix. 159.] says, "through the influence of faction and private interest the British nation was deprived of the benefit of one of the most useful establishments ever projected; for while the isthmus remained in the possession of the colony, the Spanish treasures must be detained in America." "On this occasion, king William recommended a union of the Scots with the English. The lords hereupon passed a bill for it, which the commons at that time rejected. Anderson, ii. 612. The Scots abandoned their colony 20 June, 1699. 3 Stiles, MS. Miscellanea. The visitors were Rev. Grindal Rawson of Mendon, and Rev. Samuel Danforth of Taunton. See TABLES. 4 Anderson, ii. 640. This grant was confirmed in 1716. 1698. Deaths. Iberville session of A fire broke out in Salem, and destroyed several houses, and considerable property.1 Charles Morton, minister of Charlestown, died, in the 72d year of his age.2 Count Frontenac died, at the age of 78 years.3 1699. M. D'IBERVILLE, having made considerable researches on takes pos- the Mississippi, returned to the bay of Biloxi, situated between the mouth of the Mississippi and the Mobile; where he built a fort, which he committed to M. de Sauvole, and returned to France.4 the Missis sippi. French re About 300 French protestants, who left France on account of fugees come their religion, arrived at Virginia, and were soon after followed to Virginia. by others. They settled about 20 miles above the Falls of James river, on the south side of it, on land formerly the seat of a great and warlike nation of Indians, called the Monacans.5 1 Sewall, MS. Diary. It consumed 5 houses. Major Brown, who was the greatest sufferer, lost 3 or £4000. "This is the first considerable fire that ever was in Salem." 2 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. viii. 76. His epitaph (ib.), written by his successor, Rev. Simon Bradstreet, contains a sketch of his character. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, of which he was afterwards chosen fellow; and he was an eminent scholar, of extensive erudition. He began his ministry in Blisland; was ejected in 1662; and afterward preached privately at a village near St. Ives, till the fire of London in 1666; and then set up an academy at Newington Green, where, under his tuition, many young ministers were educated. After continuing in this highly useful employment about 20 years, he was so infested by processes from the bishop's court, that he was obliged to desist from it. In 1685 he came to New England, and the next year was installed pastor of the church in Charlestown, where he continued to his death. He was a fellow of Harvard College, of which he was also chosen vice president." He was of a sweet natural temper, and of a generous public spirit; an indefatigable friend, a pious, learned, ingenious, useful man; beloved and valued by all who knew him." Calamy. He wrote many treatises, the titles of which are in Calamy, who has preserved, in his Continuation, his "Advice to Candidates for the Ministry, under the present discouraging circumstances," written in the reign of Charles II. One of his manuscripts, entitled Compendium Physicæ, is in the Library of the Massachusetts Historical Society; and another, entitled "A complete system of Natural Philosophy," is in the Library of Bowdoin College. Calamy, Nonconform. Mem. (Palmer) i. 347; Contin. of Ejected Ministers, 177–197. Biog. Memoir, in 2 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. i. 158-162. Allen, Biog. Dict. 3 Charlevoix, Nouv. France, ii. 237. He retained all the firmness, and all the vivacity, of his best years; and died, as he had lived, beloved by most, esteemed by all, and with the glory of having, without scarcely any succours from France, sustained and augmented a colony, open and attacked on all sides, and which he had found on the point of ruin. Ibid. 4 Charlevoix. He says of the fort, “a trois lieuës des Pascagouslas." See 1698, 1700. 5 Beverly, b. 3. c. 13; who says, "None of the Monacans are now left in those parts; but the land still retains their name, and is called the Monacan town."-In the following year, 200 more French protestants arrived, and afterward 100 more. "The French Refugees, sent in thither by the charitable exhibition of his late majesty king William, are naturalized by a particular law for that purpose." Ib. See 1690. BRITISH COLONIES. The general assembly of Virginia passed an act for laying an imposition upon servants and slaves imported into this country, towards building the Capitol.1 1699. The assembly of Maryland, which had hitherto been holden Capital of at St. Mary's, was removed to Annapolis, which, from this time, Maryland. was considered as the capital of that province.2 against va The legislature of Massachusetts passed an act for suppress- Massachuing and punishing rogues, vagabonds, and common beggars, and setts act other lewd, idle, and disorderly persons, and for setting the poor gabonds. to work. By this act it was ordained, that a house of correction be provided in each county.3 Indians. A treaty was holden at Penobscot with the eastern Indians. Treaty with It was by advice of count Frontenac, who informed the Indians the eastern that he could no longer support them in a war with the English, with whom his nation was then at peace. By this treaty, which was concluded on the 7th of January, the Indians ratified their former engagements; acknowledged subjection to the crown of England; and promised future peace and good behaviour. It was signed by Moxus, and many other sagamores, captains, and principal men of the Indians belonging to the rivers of Kennebeck, Ammorescoggin, and Saco, and parts adjacent.* William Kidd, the noted pirate, was apprehended at Boston w. Kidd, by order of the government, committed to prison, and sent for the pirate. trial to England, where he was afterward condemned and exe cuted.5 Plainfield, in Connecticut, was incorporated." Plainfield. A new religious assembly being formed in Boston, the church Church in in Brattle street was built; and, the year following, Mr. Benja- Brattle 1 Laws of Virginia. 2 Univ. Hist xl. 475. Brit. Emp. iii. 28, 30. Douglass, ii. 365. 3 Massachusetts Laws. 4 Mather, Magnal. b. 7. 94. Belknap, N. Hamp. i. 281. He had been employed by some 5 Hutchinson, ii. 120. Brit. Emp. i. 344. noble persons in a laudable adventure; but he addicted himself to piracy. Bradish and some others were executed with him. See Smith, N. York, i. 91. Under the year 1699, Evelyn writes: "The Parliament called some great persons in the highest offices in question for setting the great seal to the pardon of the arch pirate, who had turned pirate again, and brought prizes into the West "Memoirs of Evelyn. Indies, suspected to be connived at on sharing the prey.' The Editor's Note is, "Captain Kidd: He was hanged about two years afterwards with some of his accomplices." 6 Trumbull, i. 400. In 1659, governor Winthrop obtained liberty of the assembly to purchase a large tract at Quinibaug, and soon after made a purchase of the native proprietors, Allups and Mashaushawit, of the lands comprised in the townships of Plainfield and Canterbury lying on both sides of Quinibaug river. There were some families on the lands at the time of the purchase, but the planters were few until 1689, when a number, chiefly from Massachusetts, made a purchase of the heirs of governor Winthrop, and began settlements in the northern part of the tract. VOL. I. 60 street. 1699. min Coleman, who had been ordained in London, took the pas toral care of the church and society.1 Yellow Newfound William Penn returned from England to his Pennsylvanian colony in December. A mortal disease, called the Yellow Fever, had swept off great numbers of people in Philadelphia, just before his arrival.2 An act was passed by the English parliament, to encourage land fishery. the trade to Newfoundland.3 English law wool-manu America. Complaints being made in England, that the wool and woollen respecting manufactures of the North American plantations began to be factures of exported to foreign markets, formerly supplied by England; a law was made, by which no persons might export in ships, or carry by horses, into any other place or colony out of the king's dominions, any wool or woollen manufactures of the English plantations in America, under forfeiture of ships and cargoes, and also of £500 penalty. This is the first mention in the English statute book, of woollen manufactures in the American colonies.4 French with the M. de Callieres, succeeding count Frontenac as governor of make peace Canada, terminated existing disputes between the French and the Five Nations, by agreeing to have an exchange of prisoners at Onondaga.5 Five Na tions. T.Danforth. Thomas Danforth died at Cambridge, aged 77 years.6 I Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 260. 2 Proud, i. 420, 421. "This remarkable sickness had, for some time before, been very fatal in some parts of the West India islands." 3 Salmon, Chron. Hist. i. 296. 4 Anderson, ii. 644. 5 Colden, 200-202. The inhabitants of Canada esteemed the peace the greatest blessing that could be procured for them from heaven; "for nothing could be more terrible than this last war with the Five Nations." When the French commissioners came to Onondoga, Decanesora met them without the gate, and complimented them with three strings of wampum. "By the first he wiped away their tears for the French, who had been slain in the war; by the second he opened their mouths, that they might speak freely (that is, promised them freedom of speech); by the third he cleaned the mat, on which they were to sit, from the blood that had been spilt on both sides." It is observable, that the Indian Council refused to hear the French, or to give them an answer, but in presence of the commissioners from Albany. Bruyas, a Jesuit, one of the three French commissioners, offering a belt, in token of his readiness to stay with them, the Grand Council immediately rejected it, saying, “ We have already accepted Corlear's belt, by which he offers pastors to instruct us." Ibid. See Charlevoix, Nouv. France, ii. 238. 6 Sullivan, 383. Sewall, MS. Diary. He had been president of the province of Maine. He was a magistrate in Massachusetts 40 years. Judge Sewall describes him as "a very good husbandman, and a very good Christian, and a good counsellor." Fairfield [MS. Journal] says, he was " deputy governor by choice at the anniversary election 8 years together; and three times he was chosen to the same office after the Revolution. He was chief justice of the court of oyer and terminer held at Charlestown; and had a chief hand, under God, in putting an end to the troubles under which the country groaned anno 1692." 1700. fested with pirates. THE Coast of Carolina was now infested with pirates. Several Carolina inships, belonging to Charlestown, were taken, and kept as prizes, but the crews were sent ashore. In a quarrel at length among those freebooters about the division of the spoil, nine Englishmen were turned adrift in a long boat. Landing at Sewee bay, and travelling thence to Charlestown, they were there recognized by three masters of ships, on whose testimony they were instantly taken up, tried, and condemned; and seven out of nine suffered death.1 town, S. C. During the autumn, a dreadful hurricane did great damage to Hurricane Charlestown, and threatened its total destruction. The sea, at Charles rushing in with amazing impetuosity, obliged the inhabitants to fly to the second stories of their houses, where they generally were secure. A large vessel, belonging to Glasgow, which had come from Darien with a part of the unfortunate Scotch settlers, and was riding at anchor off the bar, was driven from her anchor, and dashed to pieces against the sand banks; and every soul on board perished. Additional calamities befel the capital of Caro- Charleslina. A fire broke out, and laid most of it in ashes. The small ther desopox raged through the town, and proved fatal to multitudes. complete the distress, an infectious distemper swept off an incredible number of people.2 town far To lated. A provincial library was established in Charlestown, Carolina, S. Carolina by the munificence of the lords proprietors and of the Rev. library. Thomas Bray.3 The assembly of New York passed an act against Jesuits and Act of New Popish priests. The preamble states, that divers of them have York, and come of late, and for some time have had their residence in the remote parts of this province, and other adjacent colonies, and had by wicked and subtil insinuations, industriously laboured to 1 Hewatt, i. 141. The crew, which had entered on a course of piracy, was composed of 45 persons from different nations, Englishmen, Frenchmen, Portuguese, and Indians; who manned a ship for the purpose at the Havana. The Englishmen, being the weakest party in the quarrel, were of course the sufferers. 2 Hewatt, i. 142. "Happily few lives were lost in town," by the hurricane. Among those who died of the disease, were chief justice Bohun, Samuel Marshall the episcopal clergyman, John Ely the receiver general, Edward Rawlins the provost marshal, and above half of the members of assembly." Never had the colony been visited with such general distress and mortality. Discouragement and despair sat on every countenance." Many of the survivors thought of abandoning the country; and having heard of the flourishing state of Pennsylvania, they, in the moment of despondency, determined to retire to that colony with the remainder of their families and effects. See Drayton, S. Car. 204. I follow Hewatt, who puts these disasters "in the last year of the 17th century." 3 Miller's Retrospect, ii. 362. |