156 



northern of the sources of the numerous rivulets that form 

 so many of the beautiful cascades and waterfalls is the 

 true limit ; and three miles due north would not be far 

 from our place of meeting. 



The several grants made by the General Court of Mas- 

 sachusetts, north of Haverhill, were considered as belong- 

 ing to Essex County. 



The claims of New Hampshire, on a patent by Capt. 

 John Mason, in 1629, under the common seal of the 

 Council of Plymouth, which conveyed the land from the 

 middle of the Merrimack River and thence northward 

 along the coast to the Piscataqua River, and up the same 

 to the farthest head thereof, and through the Merrimack 

 to the farthest head thereof, were in conflict with the 

 grant of Massachusetts, and caused a long controversy as 

 to jurisdiction, not affecting, however, individual rights. 



Owing to the unsettled state of affairs, the two Prov- 

 inces were united from 1641 to 1680, and even afterwards 

 the same person would be frequently Governor of both 

 Provinces ; so that for many years no serious difficulties 

 arose. But afterwards it was deemed best to have the 

 northern line defined. In 1737 commissioners were ap- 

 pointed, and it was decided that the northern boundary 

 of the Massachusetts line should be a line three miles 

 from the mouth of the river at Newburyport, thence par- 

 allel with the river as far as the Pawtucket Falls, thence 

 west to the New York line. In 1740 His Majesty, by 

 the concurrence of the Council, adjudged and ordered this 

 boundary. 



On this occasion it is meet that we should pay a tribute 

 of respect to the memory of WILLIAM OAKES, the most 

 distinguished botanist in New England in his time, and 

 one of the founders of the Natural History Society, and 

 for many years a Vice President. A native of Danvers, a 



