INTRODUCTION. 155 
it is valuable, as containing a history of the progress of the settlement of western 
New-York previous to the commencement of the present century. Joseph W. 
Moulton, about twenty-five years since, associated with John Van Ness Yates, to 
produce a history of New-York, and the excellence of the volume published has 
caused a very general regret that the purpose of the authors was relinquished. 
In 1829, there appeared a work entitled “The Natural, Statistical and Civil 
History of the State of New-York,” in three volumes, by James Macaulay. This 
work, although very comprehensive, was supposed to be inaccurate, and it has 
not obtained rank as a standard work. William Dunlap subsequently attempted 
to execute a history of the state, and he collected very valuable materials, but 
his talents and acquirements were not equal to so ambitious an undertaking. 
More recently Jabez D. Hammond has published two very interesting volumes, 
containing the political history of the state of New-York, from the adoption of 
the constitution until 1840. The work is written with candor and with studied 
accuracy. 
“ A Sketch of the first settlement of the towns on Long Island,” by Silas Wood, 
is a very valuable and authentic work. “The History of Long Island,” by Ben- 
jamin F. Thompson, published in 1839, is rich in local incidents and illustra- 
tions of public characters. “Sketches of Rochester, with Notices of Western 
New-York,” by Henry O'Reilly, published in 1838, contain very useful informa- 
tion concerning the settlement of the western counties. The publications of the 
New-York Historical Society deserve a conspicuous place among the historical 
productions of the state. This society was formed in 1804, and received a 
charter from the legislature in 1809. Among its founders were De Witt Clinton, 
Daniel D. Tompkins and Rufus King, bishop Moore, the reverend Dr. Hobart 
afterwards bishop, the reverend Drs. Millers and Kunrey, Drs. Mitchill and 
Hosack, and other eminent citizens. The society subsequently received liberal 
aid from the state. They have collected a large and valuable library of historical 
works, in manuscript as well as printed volumes, and have already published 
six volumes of transactions. At the instance of the Historical Society, the legisla- 
