FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 37 



At the time when power was in the hands of Charles I, and 

 the colonies for a time in his hands, a charter was granted to 

 Gorges in 1639 of all the territory between the rivers Piscataqua 

 and Kennebec, and the territory was designated by the name of 

 the Province of Maine. This included all the territory claimed 

 by Massachusetts, and many of the intermediate grants made 

 by the council of Plymouth, but it did not long hold good. 

 Massachusetts coming into favor again, took possession of the 

 country and the settlers being willing to live under her jurisdic- 

 tion, she for a time governed them. But after the death of 

 Gorges grandson, to settle the claims of the heirs, and probably 

 because the title to the lands was felt to be insecure, Massa- 

 chusetts was enabled, through John Usher, to purchase the 

 patent of Gorges for the insignificant sum of 1250 pounds 

 sterling. In 1691, under William and Mary, the charters and 

 rights were revised so that Massachusetts held, not only this 

 land, but all which lay between this Province of Maine and 

 Nova Scotia, and the limits of this land, as then laid down, were 

 renewed and confirmed in the treaty of 1783, as the northeastern 

 limits of the United States. 



From the time of this purchase in 1674 to the peace in 1763 

 the Province of Maine was frequently in danger from the 

 Indians, and, in order to protect the widely scattered settle- 

 ments, Massachusetts was obliged to keep armed forces, and to 

 expend great sums of money. Just how much no one can tell, 

 as no records have been preserved. The outlay in the district 

 must, however, have greatly exceeded any income. While the 

 value of this District to IMassachusetts was no doubt of political 

 value, it was, in a pecuniary sense, a bad investment. 



ACTS OF COUNCIL OF PLYMOUTH. 

 The Council of Plymouth seem to have understood very little 

 of the geography of the country over which they exercised their 

 jurisdiction ; for it cannot be reasonably supposed that they 

 wholly disregarded the titles they had themselves conferred; 

 or that they intended to sow the seeds of contention among their 

 dififerent grantees. In the year 1629 they granted to Richard 

 Vines, and Thomas Oldham, a tract on the west side of Saco 

 river, extending from the sea 8 miles up the river, and 4 miles 



