Morals of that part of the Country so that they are become a proverb in other parts of the Country further than he has an interest with them & no man has any confidence in an Albany Jury. But who knows how far this infection may spread if all sense of shame be destroy'd & they be suffer'd to injoy the sweat of the sin & avoid the punishment justly due to it.

I look upon it as one of the happy incidents in my life that I have had the good fortune to fall into a correspondence with you because I take you to be one much of my own taste such I have often wished for to communicat some thoughts in natural philosphy which have remaind many years with me undigested for we scarcely have a man in this country that takes any pleasure in such kind of Speculations. Your communicating to me your private manner of life is the strongest instance of your friendship & in some measure makes up the loss of a personal acquaintance which I cannot hope to obtain & this incourages me to give you some account of my self believing you may expect it as I hope that you intend to continue your correspondence. I was educated in Scotland by my parents with a view to be settled in the church there & I had as great incouragement in that way by my fathers interest who was a Minister of that Church as any young man could have for my Father was adquainted with & had gain'd the Esteem of many of the Nobility & Gentry not only of those who thought as he did in respect to religeous principles but likewise of those who differ'd widely from him but my taste & Inclinations led my thoughts another way I applied my self to the Study of Physick & as my Fathers fortune was not sufficient to enable me to push my fortune in England & Scotland I went over to Pennsylvania in the year 1710 where I had some Relations. When I came first into America I was very young & tho' I had some knowlege of Books I was absolutely a stranger to the World The incouragement to a meer Schollar is very small in any part of North America & I had little sense of the Value of Money at that time when it would not have been difficult for me by trade to have rais'd my fortune as

others did about the same time I had sufficient for my present occasions & I had not then learn'd to be concern'd for the future. In the year 1715 I married & my family soon began to increase which gave me some care that I had not before Soon after this going out of curiosity to see New York. I fell into Brigadier Hunters converation who was then Gov of that place he gave me an Invitation to settle in New York with an offer of his Friendship which I accepted By his interest I was made Surveyor Gen1 of the Kings Lands in this Province. Mr Burnet soon succeeding him in the Govt I likewise gain'd his Friendship & he recommended me to be of the Kings Council for this Province in which two offices I have continued ever since. My family being considerably increased I left the City at the time Mr Burnet was remov'd from the Govt & settled them in the Country where I now live as being less expensive. I have been enabled to live above want to keep free of Debt so as never to suffer a labouring man to go from my house without his wages & I hope to be able to put my children in a way to provide for themselves by their own Industry which often proves more advantageous to them than leaving such Estates as that they can hope to live without thought or care. My eldest son has for some years kept what we call a store in this part of the Country near my own house & which I suppose you know of what kind of Mercantile business it is by your general knowlege of America. My eldest daughter is married as to fortune beyond what I could expect in regard to my own to one of the late Mr De Lancys sons. I doubt not you have heard of his Father he having been one of the most noted Merchants in America. My younger children give me reasonable hopes of their doing well in the World as they grow up by their Industry & Virtue My removing to the country I believe has been of no disadvantage to my children as it has freed them from many Temptations to vice to which youth is exposed in the City. My chief pleasure like yours is in my own family with my wife & children & I wish I could live so as never to be from them. I have allways had a view to be usefull to my Country tho' I

have had sometimes my Designs that way grossly misinterpreted & I have taken most pleasure in speculation for that end I cannot say how far I have succeeded But none now deny the Benefit of the Trade at Oswego in the forming of which Scheme & reducing it to practise I had a considerable share. I have made a small spot of the World which when I first enterd upon it was the habitation only of wolves & bears & other wild Animals now no unfit habitation for a civilized family so that I may without vanity take the comfort of not having been entirely useless in my Generation. I once intended to have attempted the Natural History of this Province & Mr. Burnet for my Incouragement annexed a small Sallary to my office of Surv Gen11 to be paid out of his Majesties Quitrents But Mr Ho. Walpole at the same time having procured an additional Sallary as Auditor of his Majesties Revenue in America mine was taken off to make way for his & I was left without any thing besides the perquesites of my office which often are very precarious This obliged me to lay aside all kind of Study that was attended with expence of time & money I hope notwithstanding of this to be able to intertain you from time to time with what may prove no disagreeable amusement according to your own taste. I have at this time too far presumed on your patience but It now begins to be difficult for me to leave of while I write to you for I really am Dear Sr Your most obliged & affectionately humble Servt

I received yours of 30 May & seriously considered the contents and now I give you the very Lowest terms upon which I can compound with and discharge you from the Legacy due to your brother viz that you make over

four hundred acres of your third part of that tract of wood Land to him so you will have something to discharge your other debts with, if this will not do I know not what will you must not blaim me if I proceed against you as the Law directs and I am sure your brother will not thank me for this condesention pray Let it be don with all expedition that I may writ to him by our fall Ships this is the Last offer I shall give Let me have your Answer Speedily and you'l oblige &c

PAT LITHGOW.

Affidavit of James McClaghry.

COLDENGHAM IN THE COUNTY OF ULSTER August 23d 1742.

Then appeared before me Cadwallader Colden Esq' one of his Majesty's Council for the Province of New York James McClaghry aged eighteen years & voluntarly made oath on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God That in the spring of the year 1741 on the day on which James Burn of Little Brittain Blacksmith rais'd his shop Luke Barington who then kept school in Little Brittain being in Company with his Deponent & several others Peter Mullender being there likewise present drank King George's health to the sa Luke Barington who taking the Bason with the liquor into his hand Drank either King Phillip of Phillip of Spains health this Deponent doth not remember which After some discourse between the said Luke Barington & some others in Company This Deponent told the said Luke that it was wrong in him to Drink the King of Spains health in this Company especially that it was war with Spain & that if any would inform against him he might be hang'd on that tree pointing to a tree near by On which the said Luke answer'd that he scorn'd to Dissemble for any body that King Phillip was his King & that if he would come over with his Army he would take up Arms for him & knock all the English on the head or words to this purpose. That the said Luke staid that night the next day & next night & then left the

neighbourhood & this Deponent hath not seen him since

& further this Deponent saith not.

Sworn before me

Cadwallader Colden

[Indorsed]

James McClaghry's affidavit,

concerning Barington

JAMES MCCLAGHRY.

Cadwallader Colden to Peter Mullender.

[Copy]

Luke Baringtone was in the Country some time before well dressed & passed under the name of Hamiltone Came up to this part of the Country in the Fall of the year 1740 & teached School till about the 23d of April when James Burns's raising was the next day he went away when he told James M'entire that he would go because he had the night before drank King Phillips Health this examinant says that he was informed he had afterwards about the begining of Harvest been at Robert McCords under the name of Singleton & passed there for a Preacher & that he either preached or pray'd there to a number of People

You may remember that about this time twelve month I Inform'd you to the purpose of the affidavit a copy of which I now enclose & that Luke Barington the person named in the affidavit had about two months after he left this been seen about ten miles from this under the Character of a Methodist preacher & had preached or