96 Industrial Experiemnts in Colonial America. 



the report that Burniston intended to act by deputy was not 

 true; for if Mr. Bridger, who was allowed to have all the quali- 

 fications and appeared to have been very active and diligent, 

 had not hitherto been able to hinder the waste, it was not likely 

 that a stranger would succeed.^ To Bridger himself the Board 

 of Trade wTote a soothing letter,- informing him of their recom- 

 mendation that his salary should go on until he was superseded 

 by some one on the spot, and expressing their favorable opinion 

 of his past service and the hope that "they might be able to give 

 him soon a more favorable account of that matter." They de- 

 sired him to continue to send them information about the woods 

 and any thoughts about making hemp, bar and rough iron, 

 and potashes; also his opinion about the land in Nova Scotia. 

 Bridger replied, with forcible directness, that he would be very 

 glad to give the information their Lordships desired, but there 

 was no living without a salary.'^ The wily Dummer, he wrote, 

 had contrived to intercept the letter from the Board of Trade 

 allowing his salary until the arrival of the deputy, and having 

 informed Burniston of the contents, kept the letter back until 

 the deputy was appointed.* The latter, a Mr. Armstrong, had 

 received no instructions, so that Bridger proposed to continue 

 his work as usual. ° Armstrong was the collector of customs. 

 and, according to Bridger's undoubtedly biased account, he had 

 been bred a clerk in a country store, and did not know an oak 

 from a pine, nor one pine from another;" while, as collector, his 

 business was with the sea and not with the woods. While 

 Bridger was in New York helping Col. Hunter settle the Pala- 

 tines, Armstrong had applied to Lord Godolphin to recommend 

 him for deputy surveyor, but the latter had refused to do so 



^The Board of Trade to the Treasury, Feb. 6, 1719, B. T. New 

 Eng., W: 48. 



^The Board of Trade to Mr. Bridger, B. T. New Eng., Entry Bk. I, 

 Feb. 20, 1719. ' 



»Mr. Bridger to the Board of Trade, B. T. New Eng., W: 64. 



^Letter to Secretary Popple, June 26, 1719. 



■'Copy of vote of thanks to Mr. Bridger passed by the General 

 Assembly of New Hampshire, B. T. New Eng., VV: 65. 



«Mr. Bridger to the Board of Trade, B. T., New Eng., W: 66. 



