HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 



Rev. Richard Bourne, missionary among the Indians in 

 the Plymouth Colony, reported, in 1674, that one hundred 

 and forty-two could read their own language, seventy-two 

 could write it, and nine could read English.* 



It will be seen from this enumeration, that the seat of 

 the successes of the benevolent labor of John Eliot and 

 his compeers was upon the Elizabeth Islands, upon Cape 

 Cod, and in the country neighboring Boston; the great 

 inland and remoter tribes remaining wholly unreached or 

 unaffected by them. 



The general aspect of New England at this time, Dr. 

 Palfrey has admirably sketched in a few words. He 

 says : — 



"Along a line of rugged coast, from the Penobscot to the Hudson, 

 are scattered settlements of Englishmen, at unequal distances from 

 each other, — closely grouped together about midway of that line, 

 farther apart at the extremities. Almost all of them are reached by 

 tide-water : a very few have been planted in detached spots in the 

 interior ; the most distant of these being about a hundred miles from 

 the sea, whether measured from the east or from the south. The 

 surrounding country is not occupied, but roamed over by savages." f 



Maine was yet rough and primitive, in the extreme, in 

 the quality of its settlers. Rhode Island was the paradise 

 of schemers and dreamers, and come-outers of all sorts; 

 from the high-souled advocate of pure and entire tolera- 

 tion down to those fussy and unendurable champions of 



* 1 Mass. Hist. Coll. i : 197. 



t Hist. New England, iii : 132. 



