INTRODUCTION. 155 



It is valuable, as containing a history of the progress of the settlement of western 

 New- York previous to the commencement of the present century. Joseph W. 

 Moulton, about twenty-five years since, associated with John Van Ness Yates, to 

 produce a history of New- York, and the excellence of the volume published has 

 caused a very general regret that the purpose of the authors was relinquished. 



In 1829, there appeared a work entitled " The Natural, Statistical and Civil 

 History of the State of New- York," in three volumes, by James Macaulay. This 

 work, although very comprehensive, was supposed to be inaccurate, and it has 

 not obtained rank as a standard work. William Dunlap subsequently attempted 

 to execute a history of the state, and he collected very valuable materials, but 

 his talents and acquirements were not equal to so ambitious an undertaking. 

 More recently Jabez D. Hammond has published two very interesting volumes, 

 containing the political history of the state of New- York, from the adoption of 

 the constitution until 1840. The work is written with candor and with" studied 

 accuracy. 



" A Sketch of the first settlement of the towns on Long Island," by Silas Wood, 

 is a very valuable and authentic work. " The History of Long Island," by Ben- 

 jamin F. Thompson, published in 1839, is rich in local incidents and illustra- 

 tions of public characters. " Sketches of Rochester, with Notices of Western 

 New- York," by Henry O'Reilly, published in 1838, contain very useful informa- 

 tion concerning the settlement of the western counties. The publications of the 

 New- York Historical Society deserve a conspicuous place among the historical 

 productions of the state. This society was formed in 1804, and received a 

 charter from the legislature in 1809. Among its founders were De Witt Clinton, 

 Daniel D. Tompkins and Rufus King, bishop Moore, the reverend Dr. Hobart 

 afterwards bishop, the reverend Drs. Millers and Kunrey, Drs. Mitchill and 

 Hosack, and other eminent citizens. The society subsequently received liberal 

 aid from the state. They have collected a large and valuable library of historical 

 works, in manuscript as well as printed volumes, and have already published 

 six volumes of transactions. At the instance of the Historical Society, the legisla- 



