84 NATURAL HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF GROTON, MASS. 



1637 to 1788," leaf eleven. According to the indorsement, 

 the paper was written in the spring of 1684. The writer was 

 Dr. William Avery, a physician of Boston, who was concerned 

 in mining researches, as made in New England more than two 

 hundred years ago ; and his correspondent was Robert Boyle, 

 of London, who was much interested in the welfare of the 

 Indians. Eliot dedicated to Boyle the second edition of his 

 translation of the Bible. 



Cold Spring lies in the northerly part of Groton, near 

 Reedy Meadow, and is still known by that name. Marcasite, 

 mentioned in the paper, is a sulphide of iron resembling 

 pyrite or common iron pyrites in composition but differing 

 in form. For many years bog-ore has been found in that 

 neighborhood, and formerly was worked to a small extent. 



In the year 1684, the highest court in England declared 

 the charter of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay null and 

 void ; and the allusion in the last paragraph of the postscript 

 is to that anticipated event. 



A Note of the mineralls. 



No I is only to shew the probabilitie that svch \_torii'] have bin 

 flvid or liqvid and have had a kind \_toni'] or concrettion 



N5. 2 is a Red Dvst that corns ovt of the side of a [^tor/i] Som 

 Doe think is a signe of som mettall 



No. 3 is a marksite that corns ovt of a Narrow long hill and this 

 matter is taken ovt at the top of the hill abovt 3 or 4 foot Deep 



No. 5 is a svlphvriovs matter lying in veines between the sqvare 

 stones sent the last yeer 



Nom 4 is a marksite or firestone that mr Whorten have sent if that 

 might be a hopefull Signe of mettalls : there is plentie of it — this 

 lyes on the top of the hills the Rooks seems to be made vp of it 



No 6 is from the Side of a great hill jvst by a brook side and was 

 taken almost at the top of the grovnd where is mvch Soft blak Stone 

 that will easily crumble to Dust 



This like a shell in the paper Sent by mr whorten only as a Raritie 



This Bitvmen or gum is fovnd by the Sea Shore cast up by the 

 water if it may be proffittable we hope to present yov with more of it 

 and also give some fvrther acount of it — at Nantastik enqvire of mr 

 gare or mr Coffin they are inhabitance there or Nantvket 



