10 Industrial Experiments in Colonial America. 



first, to make themselves thoroughly familiar with the best 

 methods of producing such commodities. They were next to 

 proceed to New England; there to find out accurately, by per- 

 sonal observation and otherwise, the amount of materials to 

 be had and to examine the quality by comparison with samples 

 of the best of each sort, which they were to carry over with 

 them. Explicit directions were given for the selection of timber 

 for various uses, and they were directed to tell the inhabitants 

 the fault which had been found with their tar and, since this 

 was the greatest article of consumption, to see if it could not be 

 improved. As soon as practicable, the commissioners must 

 ship some specimens to England for examination, together 

 with a report as to what quantity of each the country could pro- 

 duce. They were also required to make particular examina- 

 tion of the king's reservation, to send samples of what might 

 be had out of those woods, and to investigate the facilities for 

 water-carriage and shipping. A strict account of all purchases 

 and expenses, and a journal of proceedings must be kept. 



Bridger, Furzer and Jackson (who seems to have been sub- 

 stituted for Lamb as a member of the commission) left England 

 towards the end of the year 1697, but the ship in which they 

 sailed was, unfortunately, blown ofif the coast of New England 

 to Barbadoes, where the commissioners were obliged to land. 

 Here Furzer died, and Bridger was taken ill, so that he and 

 Jackson did not arrive in New England till May, 1698. In 

 November of that year. Partridge and Jackson wrote that as 

 this was not the proper time to cut timber they had employed 

 the summer in viewing the woods of Massachusetts Bay and 

 New Hampshire, where they had found vast quantities of ex- 

 cellent white pine for masts. They had begun to experiment 

 with tar after the Finnish method and had prepared one hun- 

 dred and forty trees. They had persuaded New Hampshire to 

 pass an act to encourage the planting of hemp, and they hoped 

 to accomplish the same thing in Massachusetts.^ 



'Jackson to Board of Trade, B. T. New Eng., C: 20. 



