BULLETIN 



Vol. 2. Salem, Mass., Nov. and Dec, 1870. Nos. 11, 12. 



One Dollar a Year in Advance. 10 Cents a Single Copy. 



FIELD MEETIXG AT METHUEN, THURSDAY, SEPT. 18, 1870. 



[Concluded from page IGO.] 



After a few general remarks from the Pkesidext, alluding to this 

 first visit of the Institute to tlie town, Mr. F. W. Putnam was called 

 upon as the first speaker. lie spoke of the dry time as illustrated b}' 

 the present state of the Spicket River, and the swamps about the 

 pond. He selected as the theme of his remarks some Indian stone im- 

 plements which some one had placed upon the stand, lie urged the 

 importance of making collections of these aboriginal relics as a 

 means of tracing the progress and movements of the several Indian 

 tribes. Their line of migration could be traced by finding the partic- 

 ular kind of stone of which the articles were made, and then compar- 

 ing a large number of these relics gathered in different sections of 

 the country. He then described the several implements which were 

 either donated or placed on the table for exhibition, as hatchets, 

 arrowheads, sinkers for nets, knives and grain pestles. 



Rev. N. M. Williams, of Methuen, made a short speech, in which 

 he spoke of the pleasure with which the people welcomed the Insti- 

 tute to that town ; and, alluding to the name of the place, said it 

 was supposed to be named after a certain Lord Methven, which easily 

 became Methuen. 



Prof. E. S. Morse, of Salem, compared tlie manufacture of hats, 

 which had been witnessed by most of the party, to the formation of 

 the egg, and traced, iu his usual happy manner, the modification or 

 change of condition which each had undergone in its development. 



Essex Inst. Bulletin. ii 21 



