Southward of the main Coast of this and the Colony of Connecticut, lies Long Island, called by the Indians Matowacs, and named, according to an Act of Affembly in King William's Reign, Nassau. Its Length is computed at 120 Miles, and the mean Breadth twelve. The Lands on the North and South Side are good, but in the Middle fandy and barren. The Southern Shore is fortified against any Invafion from the Sea by a Beach inacceffible to Ships, and rarely to be approached, even by the smallest Long-boats, on Account of the Surge, which breaks upon it with great Fury, even when the Winds are light. The Coast East and West admits of regular Soundings far into the Ocean, and as the Lands are, in general, low for several hundred Miles, nothing can be more advantageous to our Ships, than the high Lands of Neverfink near the Entrance at the Hook, which are scarce fix Miles in Length, and often seen thirty Leagues from the Sea. This Ifland affords the finest Roads in America, it being very level and but indifferently watered. It is divided into three Counties.

Co

KING'S

OUNTY lies oppofite to New-York on the North Side of Long Island. The Inhabitants are all Dutch, and enjoying a good Soil, near our Markets, are generally in eafy Circumftances. The County, which is very fmall, is fettled in every Part, and contains feveral pleasant Villages, viz.. Bushwick, Breucklin, Bedford, Flat-Bush, Flat-Lands, New-Utrecht, and Gravesend.:

C

QUEEN'S

OUNTY is more extenfive, and equally well fettled. The principal Towns are Jamaica, Hempstead, Flushing, Newtown, and Oysterbay.. Hempflead Plain is a large, level, dry, champain, Heath, about fixteen Miles: long, and fix or feven wide, a common Land belonging to the Towns of Oysterbay and Hempstead. The Inhabitants are divided into Dutch and English Prefbyterians, Epifcopalians, and Quakers.

There are but two epifcopal Miffionaries in this County, one fettled at Jamaica, and the other at Hempstead; and each of them receives 60 l. annually levied upon all the Inhabitants.

SUF

SUFFOLK

NCLUDES all the Eaftern Part of Long Inland, Shelter Ifland, Fisher's Island, Plumb Island, and the Ifle of White. This large County has been long fettled, and except one small episcopal Congregation, confifts entirely of English Presbyterians. Its principal Towns are Huntington, Smith Town, Brookhaven, Southampton, Southhold, and Easthampton. The Farmers are, for the most part, Graziers, and living very remote from New-York, a great Part of their Produce is carried to Markets in Boston and Rhode Island. The Indians, who were formerly numerous on this Ifland, are now become very inconfiderable. Those that remain, generally bind themselves Servants to the English. The Whale Fishery, on the South Side of the Ifland, has declined of late Years through the Scarcity of Whales, and is now almost entirely neglected.

The Elizabeth Islands, Nantucket, Martin's Vineyard, &c. and Pemy Quid, which anciently formed Duke's and the County of Cornwal, are now under the Jurisdiction of the Massachufet's Bay. Sir William Phips demanded them of Governour Fletcher in February 1692-3, not long after the new Charter to that Province; but the Government here was then of Opinion, that, that Colony was not entitled to any Islands Westward of Nantucket.

An Estimate of the comparative Wealth of our Counties, may be formed from any of our Affeffments. In a 10,000 /. Part of a 45,000 l. Tax laid in 1755, the Proportions fettled by an Act of Affembly stood thus:

T

CHA P. II.

Of the INHABITANTS.

HIS Province is not fo populous as fome have imagined. Scarce a third Part of it is under Cultivation. The Colony of Connecticut, which is vastly inferior to this in its Extent, contains according to a late authentick Enquiry above 133,000 Inhabitants, and has a Militia of 27,000 Men; but the Militia of New-York, according to the general Estimate, does not exceed 18,000. The whole Number of Souls is computed at 100,000.

Many have been the Discouragements to the Settlement of this Colony. The French and Indian Irruptions, to which we have always been exposed, have driven many Families into New-Jersey. At Home, the British A&s for the Transportation of Felons, have brought all the American Colonies into Difcredit with the induftrious and honeft Poor, both in the Kingdoms of Great-Britain and Ireland. The mischievous Tendency of those Laws was fhewn in a late Paper, which it may not be improper to lay before the Reader *.

"It is too well known that in Pursuance of divers Acts of Parliament, great Numbers of Fellows who have forfeited their Lives to the Public, "for the most atrocious Crimes, are annually tranfported from Home to "these Plantations. Very furprizing one would think, that Thieves, Burglars, Pickpockets, and Cut-purfes, and a Herd of the moft flagitious Banditti "upon Earth, should be fent as agreeable Companions to us! That the fupreme Legislature did intend a Tranfportation to America, for a Punish"ment of these Villains, I verily believe: but fo great is the Mistake, that " confident I am, they are thereby, on the contrary, highly rewarded. For "what, in God's Name, can be more agreeable to a penurious Wretch,,

driven, through Neceffity, to feek a Livelihood by 'breaking of Houses, "and robbing upon the King's Highway, than to be faved from the Halter,,

* The Independent Reflectors

** redeemed

"

"redeemed from the Stench of a Goal, and tranfported, Paffage free, into a Country, where, being unknown, no Man can reproach him with his "Crimes; where Labour is high, a little of which will maintain him; and "where all his Expences will be moderate and low. There is fcarce a Thief “in England, that would not rather be transported than hanged. Life in any Condition, but that of extreme Mifery, will be preferred to Death.

tr

66

As long, therefore, as there remains this wide Door of Escape, the Num"ber of Thieves and Robbers at Home, will perpetually multiply, and "their Depredations be inceffantly reiterated.

"But the Acts were intended, for the better peopling the Colonies. And will "Thieves and Murderers be conducive to that End? What Advantage can "we reap from a Colony of unrestrainable Renegadoes? will they exalt the Glory of the Crown? or rather, will not the Dignity of the most illuftrious Monarch in the World, be fullied by a Province of Subjects fo lawless, detestable, and ignominious? Can Agriculture be promoted, when "the wild Boar of the Foreft breaks down our Hedges and pulls up our Vines? "Will Trade flourish, or Manufactures be encouraged, where Property is "made the Spoil of fuch who are too idle to work, and wicked enough to "murder and steal?

"Besides, are we not Subjects of the fame King, with the People of Eng"land; Members of the fame Body politic, and therefore entitled to equal Privileges with them? If so, how injurious does it seem to free one Part " of the Dominions, from the Plagues of Mankind, and caft them upon "another? Should a Law be proposed to take the Poor of one Parish, and "billet them upon another, would not all the World, but the Parish to be

relieved, exclaim against fuch a Project, as iniquitous and abfurd? Should "the numberlefs Villains of London and Westminster be fuffered to escape " from their Prisons, to range at large and depredate any other Part of the Kingdom, would not every Man join with the Sufferers, and condemn the "Measure as hard and unreasonable? And though the Hardships upon us, are indeed not equal to those, yet the Miseries that flow from Laws, by no Means intended to prejudice us, are too heavy, not to be felt. But "the Colonies must be peopled. Agreed: And will the Transportation Acts

ever have that Tendency? No, they work the contrary Way, and coun"teract their own Defign. We want People 'tis true, but not Villains, "ready at any Time, encouraged by Impunity, and habituated upon the flightest Occasions, to cut a Man's Throat, for a fmall Part of his Property. The Delights of fuch Company, is a noble Inducement, indeed,

"to

to the honeft Poor, to convey themselves into a strange Country. Amidst "all our Plenty, they will have enough to exercife their Virtues, and stand "in no Need of the Affociation of fuch, as will prey upon their Property, "and gorge themselves with the Blood of the Adventurers. They came << over in Search of Happiness; rather than starve will live any where, and "would be glad to be excused from fo afflicting an Antepart of the Tor"ments of Hell. In Reality, Sir, thefe very Laws, though otherwife defigned, have turned out in the End, the most effectual Expedients, that "the Art of Man could have contrived, to prevent the Settlement of these "remote Parts of the King's Dominions. They have actually taken away "almost every Encouragement to fo laudable a Design. I appeal to Facts. "The Body of the English are ftruck with Terror at the Thought of coming "over to us, not because they have a vaft Ocean to crofs, or leave behind "them their Friends; or that the Country is new and uncultivated: but " from the shocking Ideas, the Mind must neceffarily form, of the Company "of inhuman Savages, and the more terrible Herd of exiled Malefactors. "There are Thousands of honest Men, labouring in Europe, at four Pence <a Day, ftarving in Spite of all their Efforts, a dead Weight to the refpec"tive Parishes to which they belong; who, without any other Qualifications " than common Senfe, Health, and Strength, might accumulate Estates cr among us, as many have done already. These, and not the others, are "the Men that should be sent over, for the better peopling the Plantations. "Great-Britain and Ireland, in their present Circumftances, are overstocked " with them; and he who would immortalize himself, for a Lover of Man"kind, fhould concert a Scheme for the Transportation of the industriously «honeft abroad, and the immediate Punishment of Rogues and Plunder"ers at Home. The pale-faced, half-clad, meagre, and ftarved Skeletons, "that are seen in every Village of those Kingdoms, call loudly for the Pa"triot's generous Aid. The Plantations too would thank him for his Af"sistance, in obtaining the Repeal of those Laws which, though otherwise " intended by the Legislature, have fo unhappily proved injurious to his own "Country, and ruinous to us.---It is not long fince a Bill paffed the Com"mons, for the Employment of fuch Criminals in his Majefty's Docks, as "should merit the Gallows. The Defign was good. It is confiftent with "found Policy, that all those, who have forfeited their Liberty and Lives "to their Country, should be compelled to labour the Refidue of their Days "in its Service. But the Scheme was bad, and wifely was the Bill rejected "by the Lords, for this only Reason, That it had a natural Tendency to