éretary of State's office; some towns are wanting, but the whole number given in was 2713. The State probably contained about three thousand. This may serve to encourage those states, who still hold a few slaves, and who can allege none of the reasons for it, that are assigned by the southern states, to imitate our example, and free themselves from this blot on their institutions.

There is a very copious account of Plymouth; one of the most interesting towns in the history of Massachusetts, the place of the first landing of the forefathers of New-England. We shall extract from an anecdote, respecting the rock on which they landed.

'Forefather's Rock. The face of this rock was, in the year 1775, taken from its original bed, and placed by the side of a liberty pole,' which at that time was erected 'near the Court House, and where the rock still remains. "The base of the rock yet continues, in open view, in its 'original situation, at the head of the longest wharf in Plymouth, built on the precise spot which uniform tradition 'assigns as its scite. There is a tradition, as to the person who first leaped upon this rock, when the families came 'on shore, Dec. 11, 1620: it is said to have been a young woman, Mary Chilton.* This information comes from a source so correct, as induces us to admit it; and it is a very probable circumstance, from the natural impatience in a young person, or any one, after a long confinement on ship board, to reach the land, and to escape from the 'crowded boat. We leave it therefore, as we find it, in the hands of history, and the fine arts.

In the description of Kingston, which follows that of Plymouth, there is a repartee to an illiberal remark of the famous Whitfield, that is worth transcribing.

*Among those who came in the May Flower, were, Richard Chil'ton, (who died the first winter) Mary and Susanna Chilton. Mary, it 'is said, married Mr. John Winslow; and Susanna, Mr. · Latham. 'The descendants of Mr. Winslow are in Boston; and of Mr. Latham, in Bridgewater. The tradition, we have reason to believe, is ' in both families. We are disposed, however, to generalise the anec'dote. The first generation doubtless knew who came on shore in the 'first boats; the second generation related it with less identity; the 'third and fourth with still less; like the stone thrown on the calm 'lake, the circles, well defined at first, become fainter as they recede. For the purposes of the arts, however, a female figure, typical of faith, hope, and charity, is well adapted.'

and no barley are produced. The land at present is not 'manured by fish. The Indians use little barn dung; but about their hovels and stacks their land grows better. 'Some of them are farmers, and keep oxen; many of them own a cow, and a few sheep; and perhaps half a dozen of 'them possess horses. Beside corn and rye the Indians 'raise potatoes.'

'Of the twelve or thirteen thousand acres of land in the plantation, a part is appropriated to the several families, is 'held in fee simple, is mostly enclosed, and descends by 'special custom. This family land, thus held separately, is considered and used as private proverty by the respec'tive owners; and in no degree is the improvement of it affected by the special statutes made to regulate the plan'tation. The residue of the land is common and undivided, ' and wholly subject to these statutes and regulations. This land consists of a hundred and sixty acres of salt marsh, a few enclosed pastures, escheated to the plantation 'for want of heirs to inherit them, and the large tracts of 'wood land. One half of the marsh land is leased for the ' common benefit of the plantation. The overseers do not 'allow more wood to be carried to market, than can be 'spared; but it is for the general interest, that three or four 'hundred cords should be annually exported to Nantucket and other places. Besides these sources of income, several families of whites are tenants, and pay rent to the overseers for the benefit of the Indians. These monies are applied to the use of the poor, sick, and schools, and 'to the current expenses of the plantation. There are ' within the limits of Mashpee about twenty-five families of 'whites; the greatest part of whom live on a large tract ' of land in the neighbourhood of Waquoit Bay, which was 'alienated from the Indians above a century ago: they pay taxes and do duty in Falmouth. West of Whakepee is ' another tract of land in the possession of white inhabitants, C who pay taxes in Sandwich. At Coatuit is another tract possessed by whites, who are taxed in Barnstable. These two tracts also were long since alienated from the Indians. The missionary_himself, Mr. Hawley, considers himself . as belonging to Barnstable; and votes with the freeholders ' of that town. Neither the lands nor the persons of the 'Indians in Mashpee, Martha's Vineyard, or in any part of • Massachusetts, are taxed; nor are they required to per

'form services to the government in any way. They are 'not however a free people. The government views them ' as children, who are incapable of taking care of themselves: they are placed under overseers and guardians, who will not permit them to do many things which they please, ' and who in particular will not suffer them to sell their 'lands to any one.

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The inhabitants of Mashpee are denominated Indians; 'but very few of the pure race are left; there are negroes, ' mulattoes, and Germans. Their numbers have often been 'taken; and have not varied much during the past twenty 'years. At present there are about eighty houses, and 'three hundred and eighty souls.* The houses are either 'wigwams or cottages. The wigwams are few in number; some of them are about fifteen or eighteen feet square; ' and others, of nearly the same dimensions, are of an octagon shape. A fire is made in the middle of the floor; and a hole in the top suffers the smoke to escape. They are 'built of sedge; and will last about ten years. Some of 'them are comfortable habitations in winter; but in summer 'they are so infested with fleas and bugs, that it is impossible 'for any one but an Indian to sleep in them. The cottages are dirty, unfinished huts.

'The Indians in general are not neat either in their per sons or houses. Neither can they be said to be distin'guished for their industry. Beside the farmers, some of 'the men are whalemen; others catch trout, alewives, and ' other fish in the rivers. Several of the women cultivate 'the ground; and many of them make brooms and baskets, and sell them among their white neighbours, but more frequently carry them over to Nantucket. A few of the women manufacture their wool, and clothe themselves and ' their husbands with the labour of their own hands. A very few of them make butter or cheese. Several of the 'young females go to the large sea-port towns for months together, and serve in gentlemen's kitchens, to the great injury of their morals; and others of the women lead a ' vagabond life in the country, where at last they find negro

* In 1808 an exact account was taken of the Indians, Negroes, and Mulattoes in Mashpee, and the number was found to be three ⚫ hundred and fifty-seven.'

'husbands, whom they bring home to enjoy all the privi'leges and immunities of Mashpee.

There are several schools, where the children are taught 'reading and spelling; but none of them are good; for as 'the Indians are scattered over the plantation, not enough children for a school can be collected in any one place. "The females are in general better taught than the males; 'but many of the latter can write and cast accounts: and 'some of them have a mechanical turn.

'Morals are not in a good state. There are instances of 'industry and temperance; but too many of these Indians 'are unwilling to work, and are addicted to drunkenness. The females are more temperate than the males; but not "a few of the young women, as well those who are married, 'as those who are not, are unchaste. The Indians, like 'other ignorant people, are apt to be suspicious. They 'cannot believe that the officers of government, the mem'bers of the Society for propagating the gospel, their over'seers and guardians, and the other gentlemen, who have ' endeavoured to make them good and happy, and who, if ever men were disinterested, must be allowed to be so, are 'not under the dominion of selfish motives. Too many of 'them are false and trickish: their way of life disposes 'them to these vices; hunting, fishing, and fowling, the 'usual employments of savages, train them up to be insidious. But though they are cunning and sly, yet they are 'at the same time improvident. If they were to be left to ' themselves, the Indians of Mashpee, and the same thing is 'true of those of Martha's Vineyard, would soon divest 'themselves of their land, and spend the capital. The in'habitants of this place are poor; and several of them are entirely supported by the guardians. At times all of them require relief. Their stores are generally very small, as Indian depends for his daily bread upon his daily success a week's sickness therefore impoverishes the greatest part of them, and renders them destitute of every com'fort. Without the compassion of their white guardians 'many of them would perish; for they have not much pity 'for each other. Several of them have actually suffered in times passed, from want of attention. Not twenty years since, two widows, Sarah Esau and the widow Nauhaud, 'who were in usual health, but feeble and alone, perished, 'at different times, and not far from home. Their bodies

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were found ; but no coroner was called, no inquest was 'taken. These widows might be driven out by unkindness, 'or urged by want might be seeking wild fruit in the 'woods, where they got entangled and died. At that time 'the Indians of Mashpee were a body politick, and annually chose officers to provide for their poor. But the elected 'officers of any people are the people in miniature; and among savages, and those who are in a low state of civil‘ization, the sick and the aged are always treated with ne'glect for tenderness and disinterested benevolence do not spring up in the heart like indigenous plants; but they are the fruits of long, of laborious, and of intelligent 'cultivation.

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'Religion among these people is not in a better state than 'morals. Last year their meeting house resembled a cage 'of unclean birds: it may not perhaps be in so bad a con'dition at present, as a promise was then given that it 'should be cleansed. The situation of it proved, that they 'took no delight in the worship of God, as the house which is dedicated to him was more offensive to the senses, than 'even their filthy huts. When the savages of New Eng'land were first converted to the christian faith, they were styled Praying Indians; but this name cannot with *propriety be applied to the inhabitants of Mashpee; for family prayer is almost, if not altogether, unknown among • them. Not much more attention is paid to publick, than 'to domestick religion: very few of the children are bap'tized; and there are not more than ten or twelve commu'nicants. In one respect, however, there seems to be no 'indifference to religion; for, though there are not more than eighty families, yet there are two ministers of the gospel. Mr. Hawley, the missionary, is a Congregation'alist; and Mr. John Freeman, a half-blooded Indian, who 'is most followed by the natives, is a Baptist.-The Indians retain few of the superstitions of their ancestors: per'haps they are not more superstitious than their white 'neighbours. They still however preserve a regard for 'sacrifice rocks, on which they cast a stick or stone, when they pass by them. They themselves can hardly inform 'us why they do this, or when it began to be a custom among them. Perhaps it may be an acknowledgment of 'an invisible agent, a token of the gratitude of the passenger on his journey for the good hand of Providence over

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