HISTORY OF VERMONt. 419 



same proportion. This curious fact is ascer- 

 tained by a course of observations, made m 

 several towns in the eastern parts of New Hamp- 

 shire. At Hampton, an accurate table of deaths, 

 Avith the age of each person, was kept by the 

 ministers of the parish, from the year, 1735 to 

 1791. Similar bills were kept at East Kinyrston, 

 from 1740 to 1771: At Newmarket, from 1731 

 to 1770 : At Dover, from 1767 to 1786.* ^Vhe 

 result of these observations is, that the whole 

 number which died in those towns, during those 

 years, was two thousand and ninety eight ; Of 

 these, one thousand and fifty were under sixteen 

 years of age, and one thousand and forty eight 

 above that age. In the result of so long a 

 course of observations, made in four different 

 towns, we may expect to find the regular course 

 of nature, or the natural operation of death, well 

 ascertained. And they seem fully to have es- 

 tablished this curious fact, that death has an 

 equal effect, or is constantly destroying equal 

 numbers of those whose age is above, and of 

 those whose age is below sixteen years. 



Such is the operation and efflct of death : 

 And by constantly diminishing the numbers of 

 mankind, it wiH every where prolong the period 

 of doubling, beyond the mean period of human 

 life. But to what degree will it retard this 

 event ; or to what length of time will it prolong 

 the period of doubling F It wiii prolong the pe- 

 riod of doubling, exactly in that ratio, which 

 the deaths shall bear to the births, in the same 

 period of time. The bills which were kept in 

 New Hampshire, do not contain' an accurate 



• Belknap's Hift, of New HampOiire. Vol. Ill, p. 2j8— 248. 



