Interest in Colonial Resources. 13 



much fuller and more systematic.^ They maintained that they 

 had showed Bridger where to get specimens and that he had 

 gone ahead in his own way without consulting them, and had 

 rejected the advice of Mr. Partridge, who had been twenty 

 years conversant with the woods and knew how to get the 

 specimens much cheaper. Therefore, not caring to share the 

 blame for his extravagance, they had got specimens of their 

 own. They had thought it best, however, not to send two lots, 

 although they differed with Bridger about prices; but Bridger 

 having, by exhausting his credit, failed to obtain transports, 

 they had oflfered to supply him if they might be allowed to send 

 their specimens on their own account. In their report. Part- 

 ridge and Jackson stated the quantity, quahty and prices of 

 New England products, with a detailed description of the nav- 

 igable rivers near which the timber grew. Among the recom- 

 mendations which they offered to the Board of Trade were the 

 building of transports in New England and the employment 

 of soldiers to work at naval stores. The latter suggestion had 

 already been made with reference to New York by Governor 

 Bellomont, who now claimed that the idea was his own and 

 that Jackson and Partridge were " plowing with his heifers." 

 The commissioners' plan was to erect forts in Maine and send 

 over soldiers to garrison these as a protection to the frontier 

 in time of war, and at other times to cut timber or make pitch 

 and tar. Maine was then desolate after the devastations of the 

 Indian war, and it was suggested that poor families be sent 

 over to settle and to work on stores. 



When the specimens sent by the commissioners arrived, they 

 were examined by the ofificers at Deptford and Woolwich, 

 whose criticism with a comparative Hst of the prices of each 

 sort of specimen and of the corresponding commodities used at 

 the navy yard was enclosed by the Navy Board with their own 

 report. A few of the specimens were acknowledged to be very 

 good, but most of the timber was found to be inferior to that 



^Report of Partridge and Jackson, dated at Portsmouth, Sept. 25, 

 1699, B, T New Eng., D: 30. 



