139 



b}' hanging h3'his hnnds over the stern. The pnssenger wns exnmined 

 1)V a niagistrare. who gave credit to his Ptorv, and snffrred him to go at 

 Luge, but still sent a copy of the examination to the governor. The 

 account seemed untrue to the governor, who, as commissioner for trial 

 of piracies, issued a warrant to apprehend him, and he was tiied for 

 murder at a special court of admiralty. He was acquitted ; but the 

 afliiir was transferred to the politics of the time, and did nnich to in- 

 crease the popubir excitement. He was visited by several of tlu^ lead- 

 ing whigs, who allirnied their belief in his declnrjitions, and charged 

 the murder upon a vessel of the royal navy; while th(^ tories, on the 

 contrar}^ insisted that he killed ihi-ee of the crew to obtain their money, 

 and then took the life of the foiirih, who was a boy, to prevent detec- 

 tion. 



These incidents will serve to show the connexion of the fisheries 

 with the questions which caused a dismemberment of the British em- 

 pire. It remains to speak of the act of Parliament passed in 1775, 

 which, by depriving the people of New England of the right of fishing, 

 was designed to "starve them into submission." The tr;ule arising 

 from the (■; id-fishery alone, at that period, lurnished the northern colo- 

 nies witli nearly half of th(Mr jcmittances to the mother country, in 

 payment for artieles of British manufacture, and was thus tlie very life- 

 l)loo(l of their commerce. The fishing towns had become populous and 

 rich. M'arl)khe;;d, for example, next to Boston, was the most import- 

 ant ]>lace in ]M:!Ssachusetts, and was second to the capital only in pop- 

 ulatien and tax:!ble property. A fearful change awaited all. The dis- 

 ])ute wjs now to be determined bv an appeal to arms, and every mar- 

 itime eiiterprJse was to be int rinp'ed and ruined.* 



On the 10th of February, Lord North moved "that leav^- be given 



* Tlie inhaliitiuits <if the sea-shore of Massachusetts, iiiii>('ll<'il Ity their necessities, cora- 

 monced the luaniifacrure of salt from sea-water early in the Revolution. From the accounts 

 preserved, it would seem that they boiled the water at first, but were compelled to reliiii|uish 

 tJie experiment because of the expense, and of the impurity of the salt. The next aHeuipt 

 was liy sidar evapoi'ation, ou Boston Neck, by (Jeneral Palmer, "a wiuthy and enterprising 

 jrentlcman." who failed in ccmsequence of ihe rain-water which frli into liis uncovered works. 

 The third ex])eiiment is said to have been made in Dennis, ("ape Cod, by Captain John Shears, 

 who, in the end, was successful. He constructed a vat with rafters and shultrrs, so arranged 

 a.s to exclude tin- rain in storms, and to exjiose the sea-wafer to tiie acrien of the sun in pleas- 

 luit weaiher. The first year he obtained oidy eiyht bushels of salt. His nei<ihbors cijll.'d his 

 invention "Sears's Folly;" yet he perseveri'd. Tlie s.-cond yi-ar he made tliirfy buslitds of 

 salt. The fourth year, instead of pouriuf: water into Ids vat from luickets, he iutrodined a 

 //'//i^/-])ump. In J?.-'), at the suiruestioii of Major Natlianiid Freeman, of Harwich, be contrived 

 H 7r!n(/-pun)p, which he continueil to use, and which saved a vast deal itt' labor. In 17'.i:', Mr. 

 K^'ubeii Sears, of Harwitdi, invented covers for salt-vats, to nu)v»! on shives, or small wheels, 

 as in ships' l)locks. Five years later Air Hattil Ivelley, of Demds, constructed a new kind of 

 vat, and a new nsethod of movinp the covers. Various clianjics were nmde by dillerent ])er- 

 sons sMbse(picntly ; and the manufacture (d" salt from sea-water, by solar evaiioration. liecauK' 

 extensive, itnd at times profitable, ('apt. .Icdin Sears was assisted in tlie improx I'lU'-nis in his 

 works by Capt. William, Capt. Christopiier Crowell, and by ('apt Kdward Sears, of Demiis. 

 They resiijMe<l to Idm whatever claims th<'y nn;;ht have had for their aid; and in ITlMt be ob- 

 t.ained ji patent from tht^ ).;ovci-mnent. His ri;;ht was, however, disputed by others, who 

 asserted that he nmde no "new discovery." 



In IH:i'<J the number of salt-works in the comity of I'.anistalde, .^^assal■lmsetts, was i:ii). con- 

 tniinnir l".il.^>K5 feet. These W(M'ks were estimated to produce, aiimuilly, salt of (lie value of 

 $11,7011. The business increased nijiidiy; ami iu l-^i'.'i the number of feet id' sali-wcuks, in 

 fJie same county, was I,l"J.">,l)(li) : the (piaiitity of salt numiifactured, :!.')SO.'.0 bushels. The 

 rediieiiiin of the duty on the foreijiu artiide, and otiier causes, produced a prejit ( liiinye in the 

 value of thi.s description of property. Iu 16'M the nnmufuclure was ruinously de)>ressed; aud 



