LXXIX 



written by him at that time ; also a Journal kept by 

 Eleazer Craft in the Revolutionary war, at the period of 

 the surrender of Burgoyne, which was presented by Mrs. 

 A. H. Trask of Manchester. 



After some remarks upon the subject by A. C. Goodell 

 Jr., and Rev. G. D. Wildes, the communication was refer- 

 red to the Committee for publication in the Historical 

 Collections. 



The Secretary presented in the name of S. H. Phillips, 

 a portrait of President William H. Harrison, painted by 

 Abel Nichols Jr., of Danvers, who visited North Bend on 

 the Ohio, for this purpose, during the Presidential cam- 

 paign of 1840. 



The chair made some remarks upon the events connec- 

 ted with this campaign, and mentioned several incidents 

 illustrative of the character of the late President. 



Two very handsome and large specimens of sponge col- 

 lected from the piers of Beverly bridge, in the channel of 

 the river, at about ten feet below low water mark, were 

 presented by Rev. A. B. Rich of Beverly, who stated that 

 these specimens exhibited, in his opinion, the two ex- 

 tremes of the species, as he had other specimens in his 

 collection from the same locality, having intermediate 

 forms. * 



Mr Putnam spoke of the structure of sponges and the 

 various opinions of Naturalists as to their proper af- 

 finities, some holding them to be plants and others the 

 lowest form of animal life j to the latter opinion he was 

 strongly inclined. 



R. S. Rantoul stated that the War Department had 

 caused surveys to be made for one or two new forts, 

 within the limits of our County. One of these is at Bev- 

 erly and is intended as a part of the defence of Salem 

 Harbor ; for this fort the name of " Hale " would be ap- 

 propriate, in honor of Col. Robert Hale, a distinguished 



