and many other things are raised here by the natural warmth of the Climate which in England require the aid of Hot Beds and Glasses-The Winter in all parts of the Province is more severe than in England, tho' the Latitude of London is about ten Degrees more North than the City of New York-Even in the Southern Part the Mercury in Farrenhight's Thermometer sinks some Degrees below 0 and rises to 90° but these extremes are always of short Duration.-At Albany and to the Northward of that City. the Harvest is about a Month later than at New York, and the Winter is much earlier. Hudson's River is generally frozen over many miles below Albany before the middle of December but no Quantity of Ice is found in the River within thirty miles of the City of New York, earlier than the Month of January-In March the Navigation is again open up to Albany; And it is observed the Seasons both as to Heat and Cold grow more temperate. Latitudes. The Latitudes of the following places have been determined by good observations. The Light House at Sandy Hook Fort George City of New York Mouth of Mackhacamac Branch of Delaware, where the Line settled between New York & New Jersey terminates 40°27′ 40′′ 40 41 50 41 21 37 42 36 00 43 16 12 43 50 07 44 57 18 44 58 48 Windmill Point Point au Pine Moores Point Longitude. The Longitude of the City of New York has been found by good Observations of the Satellites of Jupiter to be 74° 38 West from London. Question No. 2. What are the reputed Boundaries, and are any parts disputed and by whom Boundaries of the Province. Answer. The Boundaries of the Province of New York are derived from Two Sources.-First, the Grants from King Charles the Second to his Brother James Duke of York dated the 12th March 1663|4 and the 29 June 1674, which were intended to convey to the Duke all the Lands claimed by the Dutch, the first occupants of this Colony. Secondly, from the Submission and Subjection of the Five Nations of Indians to the Crown of England. As grounded on the Grants: the 24 to The Descriptive part of both the Duke's Grants is from Charles in the same Words and exclusive of the Territory James Duke Eastward of Connecticut River, since granted to the of York. Massachusetts Bay by their Charter of 1691, comprehends "All that Island or Islands commonly called Mattawacks or Long Island, together with Hudson's River, and all the Land from the West side of Connecticut River to the East side of Delaware Bay." Connecticut River extends beyond, and Hudson's River takes its rise a little to the Southward of the Forty fifth Degree of Northern Latitude; And as a Line from the Head of the River Connecticut to Delaware Bay, would exclude the greatest part of Hudson's River, which is expressly granted to the Duke of York, the Boundary most consistent with the Grants to the Duke, and the claim of New York founded thereon, is a Line from the Head of the Connecticut River to the Source of Hudson's River, thence to the Head of the Mohawk Branch of the Hudsons River and thence to the East side of the Delaware Bay. That this has been the reputed Boundary under the Duke's Title has been confirmed by the Grants of this Government extending Westward nearly to the Head of the Mohawk Branch of the Hudson's River, and Southward of that Branch to within a few miles of the North Boundary of Pensylvania. No other Construction will justify the Terms of the Grants to the Duke, nor any Lines less comprehensive include the Lands patented by this Province or ceded to the Crown by the Indians, at the Treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1768. And as groun- The Second source of the Title of this Government ded on the Five Nations claim of the is grounded on the Claim of the Five Nations who are in of Indians. the Treaty of Utrecht acknowledged by France to be subject to Great Britain. Soon after the English conquered this Country from the Dutch, pursuing their System of Policy, they entered into a strict Alliance with the Natives who by Treaties with this Colony, subjected themselves to the Crown of England, and their Lands to its protection, and from this Period were always treated as Subjects, and their Country considered by this Government as part of the Province of New York, which probably gave rise to the extended Jurisdiction of the Colony beyond the Duke's Grants, signified by the Words "The Territories depending thereon" which are found in all the Commissions of the Crown to its Governors. Nor has the Crown except by the Confirmation of the Agreement fixing the Boundary of Connecticut at about Twenty miles East of Hudson's River at any Time contracted the jurisdiction of the Colony Westward of Connecticut River & Southward of the Latitude 45 the Proclamation of His present Majesty of the 7th of October 1763, leaving the jurisdiction Southward of that Latitude as it stood before, tho' it prohibits for the present the further Extention of the Grants and Settlements into the Country thereby reserved to the Indians, to avoid giving Umbrage to that People who complained they were too much strained in their hunting grounds. It is uncertain to this Day to what Extent the Five Nations carried their claim to the Westward & Northward but there is no doubt it went to the North beyond the 45 Degree of Latitude and Westward to Lake Huron, their Beaver Hunting Country being bounded to the West by that Lake, which Country the Five Nations by Treaty with the Governor of this Province at Albany in 1701, surrendered to the Crown to be protected and defended for them-Mitchel in his Map extends their claim much further Westward and he is supported in this opinion by Maps and other Authorities very Ancient and Respectable. The above Treaty of 1701 is to be found among the Records of Indian Transactions but it is recited and the Surrender made thereby confirmed in a Deed dated the 14th September 1726 by which the Seneca, Cayouga and Onondaga Nations also surrender'd their Habitations to King George the first, a Copy whereof is inserted in the article of the Appendix, Number 1. Oswego on the South side of Lake Ontario was first established by this Colony about 1724, a Garrison of the King's Troops supported there at the Expence of this Government, and the Juris diction of New York actually exercised Westward to Oswego and its Vicinity untill the Commencement of Hostilities in the late war. His Majestys Order of the 20 July 1764 confirming the Ancient Limits as granted the Duke declares "The Western Banks of the "River Connecticut from where it enters the Province of the "Massachusetts Bay as far North as the Forty fifth Degree of "Northern Latitude," to be the Boundary Line between the two Provinces of New Hampshire and New York: And if the Agreement lately concluded at Hartford should finally be ratified by the Crown, the Eastern Limits of this Colony where it borders on the Massachusetts Province, will extend about twenty miles only East from Hudson's River. Description of lony to include Without any view to the more Westerly claim of the posing the Co- Five Nations, supposing the Colony to comprize within the Beaver its Limits or Jurisdiction the Country those Nations try surrender-Surrendered to the Crown by the Description of the hunting Coun ed Crown by Treaty with Beaver Hunting Country as before mentioned-The Boundaries of the Province of New York are as follow. this Province in 1701. On the South The Atlantic Ocean, including Long Island, Staten Island and others of less note. On the West The Banks of Hudson's River from Sandy Hook, on the Ocean, to the 41 Degree of Latitude, thence the Line established between New York and New Jersey to Delaware River-Thence the River Delaware to the North East Corner of Pensylvania or the Beginning of the Latitude 43, which in Mitchel's Map is by mistake carried thro' the whole of that degree-Thence the North Boundary Line of Pensylvania to the Northwest Corner of that Province, and continuing the same Line to a point in Lake Erie which bears due South from the East Bank of the Streights of D'Etroit and of Lake Huron to the Forty Fifth Degree of Northern Latitude. On the North A Line from a point on the East bank of Lake Huron in the Latitude of Forty Five East to the River St Lawrence, or the South Boundary Line of Quebec; Thence along the South Boundary Line of that Province across the River St Lawrence to the Monument on the East Bank of Lake Champlain fixed there in the 45 Degree of Northern Latitude; Thence East along the Line already run and marked to the Monument or Station fixed on the West Bank of the River Connecticut in the same Latitude. On the East The Western Banks of the River Connecticut from the last mentioned Station to the South-west corner of the Province of New Hampshire, in the North boundary Line of the Massachusetts bay; and from thence along that Line, (if continued) and the Western limits of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and the Colony of Connecticut. In the Appendix No 4, is a MAP of the Province of New York according to the preceding Description of its Boundaries. Disputes that The Boundary of the Province of New York (in res may still arise chusetts Bay, the Limits of with Massa pect to the other Governments) being established in every in respect to part except where it borders to the East on the Massathis Province. chusetts Bay, it was conceived the late agreement with that Province when ratified by the Crown, would extinguish every Controversy respecting the Limits of New York, the North Boundary Line of the Massachusetts having in the year 1740 been ascertained by a Royal Decree of the King in Privy Council in the Contest between that Province & New Hampshire. But the Massachusets Commissaries at the late Meeting at Hartford in 1773 declared that they had no authority to settle their North Boundary which they considered as undetermined with respect to New York, and one of those Gentlemen intimated that they still left open their Western Claim to the South Sea. Hence two very important Disputes may still arise of great Consequence to the Interests of the Crown, as well as the property of His Majesty's subjects of this Colony. Observations chusetts Nor The Massachusetts Northern Claim beyond the Line on the Massa- settled between that Province and New Hampshire, thern Claim. extends north from that Line about Fifty miles, and from thence Westward to within Twenty Miles East of Hudson's River, and after passing this Province, is commensurate with their Western Claim to the South Sea-The immediate object of their |