256 The Natural Historic 



The Spring here is as pleasant and as beautiful as in any 

 place I have ever been in, and the Winter generally proves 

 so mild that it is rather like an Autumn, except the Winds 

 blow ]Srorth-V7est, at which time it is peircing and cold, but 

 proper enough for our constitutions, and very wholesome, 

 freeing these parts from many dangerous distempers that a 

 continual Summer afflicts them with, nothing being wanting 

 as to the natural Ornaments or blessings of a Country to the 

 making reasonable Men happy. 



As for the Constitution of this Government, it is so mild 

 and easy in all respects, to the Liberties and Properties of 

 the Subject, that it is the best established Government in the 

 World, and a Place where a Man may peaceably enjoy his 

 own without being invaded by another ; rank and superiority 

 always giving place to Justice and Equity, which is the 

 foundation that every government ought to be built upon, 

 and regulated by. 



Besides this Province has been settled and continued the 

 most free from the insults and barbarities of the Indians of 

 any Colony in America, which was one of the greatest bless- 

 ings that cou'd attend such a small number of People as 

 they were, and how Iregularly settled first, and at what dis- 

 tance they are from each other, and yet how undisturbed 

 they have remained and free from any Poreign danger or 

 loss, to what most of the other Colonys have been exposed to, 

 not only by the Indians, but their own Slaves the Negroes. 

 And what may well deserve Admiration is, that their Prisons 

 are never crowded with Malefactors or Debtors; as to Male- 

 factors I never knew but one that was guilty of death, for 

 Murder, which happened as follows ; two Persons well kno^vn 

 to each other, being at the Tavern, one of them was falling 



asleep, 



