others to bring our oars into the house to prevent stealing. When we came into the other room (for there was five in the house) she caused us to sit down by a great fire; and after took off our clothes and washed them, of some our stockings, and some our feet in warm water, and she herself took much pains to see all things well ordered, and to provide us victuals. After we had thus dryed ourselves, she brought us into an inner room, where she set on the board, standing along the house somewhat like frumentie, sodden venison, and roasted fish; in like manner mellons raw, boiled roots, and fruits of divers kinds. Their drink is commonly water boiled with ginger, sometimes with_sassafras, and wholesome herbs, but whilst the grape lasteth they drink wine. More love she could not express to entertain us; they care but only to defend themselves from the short winter, and feed on what they find natural in summer. In this feasting house was their Idol, of whom they told us incredible things. When we were at meat, two or three of her men came amongst us with their bows and arrows, which caused us to take our arms in hand. She perceiving our distrust, caused their bows and arrows to be broken, and they beaten out of the gate but the evening approaching we returned to our boat, whereat she much grieving, brought our supper half boiled, pots and all, but when she saw us but put our boat a little off from the shore, and lie at anchor, perceiving our jealousy, she sent divers men, and 30 women to sit all night on the shore side over against us, and sent us five mats to cover us from the rain, doing all she could to persuade us to her house. Though there was no cause of doubt, we would not adventure for on our safety depended the voyage; but a more kind, loving people cannot be.

Some Religion they have, which although it be far from the truth, yet being as it is, there is hope it may be the easier reformed. They believe there are many gods, which they call Muntoac, but of different sorts and degrees. Also, that there is one chief God, that hath been from all eternity, who, as they say, when he purposed first to make the world, made first other gods of a principal order, as instruments to be used in the creation and government to follow and after the sun, moon, and stars, as petty gods, and the instruments of the other order more principal. First, they say, were made waters, out of which, by the gods, were made all diversity of creatures that are visible or invisible.

:

"For the origin of mankind, they say, a woman was made first, which, by the working of one of the gods, conceived and brought forth children; and so they had their beginning; but how many years or ages since, they know not; having no records, but only tradition from father to son. They think that all gods are of human shape, and therefore represent them by images in the forms of men; which they call Kawasowok; one alone is called Kewasa; them they place in their temples, where they worship, pray, sing, and make many offerings. The common sort think them also gods.

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They believe the immortality of the soul, when life departing from the body, according to the good or bad works it hath done, it is carried up to the Tabernacles of the Gods, to perpetual happiness, or to Popozeesso, a great pit: which they think to be at the fartherest parts of the world, where the sun sets, and there burn continually.

To confirm this they told me of two men, that had been lately dead, and revived again; the one happened but a few years before our coming into the country; of a bad man, who being dead and buried, the next day the earth over him being seen to move, was taken up, who told them his soul was very near entering into Popozeesso, had not one of the Gods saved him, and gave him leave to return again, to teach his friends what they should do to avoid such torment. The other happened the same year we were there, but sixty miles from us, which they told me for news, that one being dead, and buried, and taken up as the first, shewed, that although his body had lain dead in the grave, yet his soul lived, and had travelled far in a long broad way, on both sides whereof grew more sweet, fair, and delicate trees and fruits, than ever

ADVERTISEMENT.

THIS work, the reader will observe, is professedly a compilation. The plan of it, the number and length of its chapters, and the contents of each, were prescribed by the puplishers, to the compiler, who holds himself responsible to the public, only for his care and diligence in collecting his materials, and his judgment in arranging them. He has endeavoured to execute the laborious task assigned him with fidelity, and a strict regard to truth and facts, and in such a manner as to render it interesting and useful to all classes of his readers, especially to the generation now on the stage of action. A peculiar interest in the events here recorded has been excited by the visit of the Friend of Washington, of our country, of liberty, and of man, the Marquis La Fayette; and they will now be recurred to with a desire and feelings never before experienced. The scenes in which this distinguished man acted, and the battles which he fought, in which he bled, will be adverted to and read with lively ardour and affectionate gratitude. The whole of our history, in such a state of feeling as now exists, will be read with deeper interest and happier and more lasting good effects than it ever was before. We cannot

but notice, with much gratification, that the occurrence to which we have alluded, has taken place just in time to render the information here given particularly desirable Much of it that is appropriate, collected from scarce volumes of newspapers, the journals, public and private, of the Congress, and other sources inaccessible to the mass of readers, will be found collected in no other work. We shall deem ourselves happy if we can, in any way, contribute to increase the good effects of the visit of our respected and beloved friend, by rendering it subservient to the acquisition of a more extensive knowledge of the principles and military operations of our Revolution.

The official documents, which make a great part of the present volume, will inspire confidence in its authenticity, and furnish full accounts, written at the time of their occurrence, and sanctioned by the public authorities, of most of the prominent events in our history, during the period of our revolution.

The compiler of this work is pledged to complete the History of the United States, begun by the late venerable Dr. TRUMBULL. He intends, should his life and health be prolonged, to fulfil his engagement, in three or four volumes, in the course of as many years. In these volumes the documents in this will

be reduced to the usual form and style of regular history.

The Biographical Appendix to this work has been principally prepared by other hands, who are responsible, of course, for their own work. The compiler had expected to have prepared this part of it, but has been prevented by unavoidable occurrences.

NEW-HAVEN, Oct. 4, 1824.

CHAPTER I.

General View of the Discovery and Settlement of North America, particularly of the British American Colonies, which now constitute the United States; brought down to the present time.

NORTH AMERICA was discovered in the reign of Henry VII. a period when the arts and sciences had made very considerable progress in Europe. Many of the first adventurers were men of genius and learning, and were careful to preserve authentic records of such of their proceedings as would be interesting to posterity. These records afford ample documents for American historians. Perhaps no people on the globe can trace the history of their origin and progress with so much precision, as the British North American Colonies, particularly those who first planted New-England. These were a peculiar people, enlightened by the best education of those times, and distinguished for their wisdom and piety.

One of their eloquent descendants* thus characterizes them :

A

The fathers of New-England came hither to a land, from which they were hever to return. Hither they had brought, and here they were to fix, their hopes, their attachments, and their objects. Some natural tears they shed, as they left the pleasant abodes of their fathers, and some emotions they suppressed, when the white cliffs of their native country, now seen for the last time, grew dim to their sight. They were acting however upon a resolution not to be changed. With whatever stifled regrets, with whatever occasional hesitation, with whatever appalling apprehensions, which might sometimes arise with force to shake the firmest purpose, they had yet committed themselves to heaven, and the elements; and a thousand leagues of water were interposed to separate them from the region which gave them birth. new existence awaited them here; and when they saw these shores, rough, cold, barbarous, and barren as they were, they beheld their country. That mixed and strong feeling, which we call love of country, and which is, in general, never extinguished in the heart of man, grasped and embraced its proper object here. Whatever constitutes country, except the earth and the sun, all the moral causes of affection and attachment, which operate upon the heart, they had brought with them to their new abode. Here were now their families; their homes, and their property. Before they reached the shore, they had established the elements of a social system, and at a much earlier period had settled their forms of religious worship. At the moment of their landing, therefore, they possessed institutions of government, and institutions of religion and friends and families, and social and religious institutions, established

*Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER-Discourse delivered at Plymouth, on the Anniversary of the "Landing of the Forefathers," Dec. 22, 1820, just two centuries after their first landing.

by consent, found on choice and preference. How nearly do these fill u our whole idea of country! The morning that beamed on the first night their repose, saw the Pilgrims already established in their country. Ther were political institutions, and civil liberty, and religious worship. Poetr has fancied nothing, in the wanderings of heroes, so distinct and characteristic Here was man, indeed, unprotected, and unprovided for, on the shore of rude and fearful wilderness; but it was politic, intelligent, and educated man Every thing was civilized but the physical world. Institutious containing i substance all that ages had done for human government, were established in a forest. Cultivated mind was to act on uncultivated nature; and, more than all, a government, and a country, were to commence, with the very firs foundations laid under the divine light of the Christian religion. Happy aus pices of a happy futurity! Who would wish that his country's existence had otherwise begun ?-Who would desire the power of going back to the ages of fable?-Who would wish for an origin obscured in the darkness of antiquity? Who would wish for other emblazoning of his country's heraldry, or other ornaments of her genealogy, than to be able to say, that her first existence was with intelligence; her first breath the inspirations of liberty; her first principle the truth of divine religion?"

The Editors of the Quarterly Review give the following testimony to their character :

"There are few states whose origin is on the whole so respectable as the American-none whose history is sullied with so few crimes. The Puritans who had fled into Holland to avoid intolerance at home, carried with them English hearts. They could not bear to think that their little community should be absorbed and lost in a foreign nation they had forsaken their birth place and their family graves; but they loved their country, and their mother tongue, and rather than their children should become subjects of another state, and speak another language, they exposed themselves to all the hardships and dangers of colonizing in a savage land. No people on earth may sẽ justly pride themselves on their ancestors as the New Englanders.'

The inhabitants of New England, educated under its wise, civil, religious and literary institutions, whose sons, in great numbers in every generation, have spread themselves in every part of the United States, have had their full share of influence in forming and establishing our national character and government. But we return to the general design of this chapter.

The fame which Columbus had acquired by his first discoveries on this western continent, spread through Europe, and inspired many others with the spirit of enterprize. As early as 1495, John Cabot, a Venetian, and his three sons, Lewis, Šebastian and Sancius, obtained a commission from Henry VII. to discover and settle unknown lands and countries westward of Europe, and to annex them to the Crown.* These adventurers ranged the Continent of North America, before Columbus discovered any part of the Continent of South America, for the Court of Spain.

*See Hazard's "Historical Collections," vol. i. page 9, where this grant is recited at large. It is dated A. D. 1495.