51 



look to these animals for some species of shells which live at too 

 great a depth to be often otherwise secured. 



Mr. W. P. Upham read a paper giving a description of the original 

 house-lots in the central part of Salem, and the names of their first 

 occupants, so far as known. This paper is commenced on the first 

 page of the present number. 



Mr. Geo. D. Phippen followed and gave a graphic description of that 

 early period in our history, particularly of the arrival of Endicott, 

 Higginson and Winthrop, which occurred in the summer time. 

 The pleasing impressions that the country gave them as they ap- 

 proached the land, are recorded by them with much enthusiasm. 

 They write of "the gay woods and trees" that skirted the shores, 

 covered the islands, and filled the air with a delicious aroma peculiarly 

 grateful to the weary voyagers, and of the satisfaction they exper- 

 ienced when, upon landing, they first plucked the small fruits and 

 numerous flowers that decked the "hills and dales" of Naumkeag. 



Mr. P. took occasion also to speak in the highest terms of the zeal 

 and abundantly rewarded investigations of Mr. Upham, which had re- 

 moved, he thought, all doubt as to the first location of the Old Plant- 

 ers; and he was glad of the opportunity to adopt the views of Mr. 

 Upham, that the Old Planters occupied that portion of our territory 

 which has ever remained the nucleus and central body of the town. By 

 reference to an article entitled the "Old Planters of Salem, which 

 appeared in vol. 1, of "The Historical Collections of the Essex Insti- 

 tute," although that article for the most part agreed with others in 

 locating the Old Planters at the peninsula lying between the North 

 River and Collins Cove, which is known as the "Old Planters Marsh," 

 yet at the 15th line of page 103, arid in the concluding paragraphs of 

 page 197, it would appear that he himself had hinted that it was highly 

 probable that some future investigator would be rewarded by securing 

 such proofs as Mr. Upham had adduced. "The Old Planters Marsh," 

 though owned and appropriated by them, it now seerae, furnishes no 

 evidence that they ever built thereon. The absence of cottages there, 

 in the record of the Cottage Rights to the public lands, forbids that 

 assumption. For strong statements in favor of the Collins Cove 

 locality, see Rantoul in vol. vii, 3d ser., p. 254, of the Massachusetts 

 Historical Collections; and Bentley in vol. 5, 1st ser., p. 218. 



Mr. James Kimball made some interesting statements which he had 

 gleaned from the perusal of the old records in the Court house. 



Mr. Upham spoke of a recent visit to the rooms of the American 

 Antiquarian Society at Worcester, and gave an account of some of the 

 old Curwen and Bentley papers that are deposited in the library of that 

 Institution. Many of them are very interesting, and from a careful 

 examination, valuable materials for our history might be gleaned. 



