Chap. m. (?/ E N G L I S H /k A M E R I C A. 235 
They had a fort of CommifTion from the Government of 
the Majfacbufets Bay ; but finding they had extended their 
Plantations beyond the Limits of that Colony, they 
entered into a voluntary Affociation to obey the Laws that 
fhould be made by proper Perfons, for the common 
Good, and chofe Edward Hopkins^ Efq; their Governor ; 
and in this Situation they remained as to Conftitution, till 
John JVinthorp Junior, Efqj obtained an ample Charter 
for them from King Charles II. authorizing them to 
eled their own Governor, Council, and Magiftrates ; and 
enad fuch Laws as they thought moft advantageous to 
the Colony, not oppofite to the Laws of England ; the 
Benefit whereof they enjoy to this Day. 
8. By that Time this Settlement was brought into to- 
lerable Order, George Fenwick^ Efqj was fent to New- 
England^ in order to make choice of the moft commo- 
xlious Spot he could find, for the Heads of that Party, 
which had hitherto fupported all thefe Colonies *, and it 
was conceived he would execute his Commiflion the 
more readily, fince the Lord Vifcount Say and Seal, and 
the Lord Brook, two Heads of the Party, held Lands on 
Connehlicut, by Virtue of a Grant from the Earl PVar- 
■wick, another Puritan, v/ho held a*^ Patent for all that Part 
of the Country, extending from the River Naraganfet 
forty Leagues, in a ftrait Line near the Sea-fhore, to- 
wards Virginia, as all the Continent South of New-En- 
land was then called, as far as Florida. The Earl of War- 
wick affigned his Grant to thefe two Lords, Brook and 
■Say, Charles Fiennes, Efq; Brother to the Lord Say, Sir 
Nathaniel Rich of the Warwick Family, Sir Richard 
Salt onft all, Richard Knightly, Efq; John Pym, Efq; John 
Hampden, Efq; and Herhet Pelham, Efq; Mr. Fenwick 
feated himfelf at the Mouth of the River, and built a 
Town which he called Say brook, in which he was affift- 
ed by Mr. Winthorp Junior, Son of the Governor of 
the Majfachufets ; but the Gentlemen, for whom Mr. 
Fenwick adted, finding Matters grow more to a Head 
at home, and forfeeing they ftiould be more ufeful there 
for their Country and their Caufe, gave over the Thoughts 
of removing to New-England, and authorized Mr. Fen- 
wick to difpofe of their Lands to the Colony of Connebli- 
cut, who were the more willing to buy them becaufe 
they had no Title to their Plantation without the Limits 
of the Majfachufets Patent, than what PofTefTion gave 
them. The very next Year there came over fuch Num- 
bers of People to fettle in New England, that the old Co- 
lonies were over-ftocked, and there was an abfolute 
Neceftity of looking out for new Plantations. 
Amongft thofe who put themfelves at the Head of 
fuch as were inclined to remove in the Summer of the 
Year 1637, were Fheophilus Eaton, Efq; a noted Mer- 
chant of Eondon, and the Reverend Mr. Davenport. 
Thefe Gentlemen finding there was not room at the Maf- 
fachufets, and being informed of a large Bay to the 
South-weft of Connecticut River, commodious for Trade, 
purchafed of the Natives all the Land that lies between 
that River and New Fork, or Hudfon^s River ; thither 
they removed, feated themfelves in the Bay over againft 
Long IJland, and built New Haven % from whence that 
Colony, Province, and Government, were fo denominated, 
as alfo Guilford, Milford, Stamford, and Brainford-, they 
alfo went over to Long JJlan-d, and made there feveral 
Settlements, ereding Churches in all Places where they 
fettled ; but being without the Limits of the Majfachufets 
Jurifdidion, they had no Charter, and no other Title to 
the Lands than what they had from- the Natives; the 
Men who fettled in this Colony were generally London- 
ers and Merchants, who applied themfelves firft to Trade, 
after the Example of Governor Eaton, who had been an 
Eaft Country Merchant, and, travelling into Denmark, 
was employed by the King as his Agent at that Court. 
But the new Comers met with fo many Loffes, either as 
Novices in the Trade, or fome unfortunate Ac- 
cidents, that they were difcouraged in their Trade, and 
were going to tranfport themfelves to Maryland or Ireland, 
until at laft turning to Hufbandry, they thrived wonder- 
fully, and thought no more of removing. 
While the South-weft Parts of New England were thus 
filling with Inhabitants, the North-eaft were not negled- 
ed : The Englifh very much frequented the Coaft for the 
Benefit of fifhing and the Fur Trade, for which that Part 
of the Country lay convenient. This put fome of them 
on attempting a Settlement between the Rivers Meri- 
mack and Sagadahock, and it fucceeded fo Well in a few 
Years, that there were two Counties laid out. New Ha?np- 
Jhire and Main, and feveral Towns built, as Dover, Hamp- 
ton, Wells, Kittery, &c. Thefe Planters and Traders be- 
ing fettled without the Limits of the Maffachufef s Colo- 
ny, entered into a voluntary Combination, and formed 
themfelves into a Body Politic, after the Example of Con- 
necticut Colony ; thus they continued, till being weari- 
ed out with Feuds and Divifions, they petitioned the 
General Court of the Majfachufets to be brought within 
their Jurifdidlion, which was done: Yet, in 1684, they 
made an abfolute Refignation of their Charter, and the 
Government has remained in the Hands of the Crown 
ever fince. Thus the Reader has feen, in few Words, 
the Rife and Progrefs of the feveral Plantations raifed in 
New England, which had a quicker Growth than any that 
were ever attempted from hence, or perhaps from any 
other Country ; for, in the Space of about twenty Years, 
they had above, twice as many good Towns, well fet- 
tled, and the People in a very happy and thriving Con- 
dition ; and, indeed, it muft be allowed, the Inhabitants 
were the moft laborious and induftrious, that were any 
where fettled in America ; for though they had fcarce any 
ftaple Commodity, yet they made every thing turn to 
Account, a^d'that chiefly, as I have been informed, by 
purfuing fteadily thefe two Maxims ; firft, to fix them- 
felves well, and to raife one or more good Towns in 
convenient Places, and next to build and freight Ships 
with fuch Commodities as they had, and to fend them 
any where to find a proper Market. 
9. The Country of New England comprehends, at pre- 
fent, four confiderable Colonies, or Governments, viz. 
the Majfachufets, which with New Plymouth and the 
Main are now included in one Charter ; New Hampfhire^ 
which remains a feparate Government ; Connecticut, which 
likewife comprehends New Haven-, and Rhode IJland,N\xd\ 
Providence Plantation. The whole Country extends from 
41 to 45 Degrees North Latitude, and lies betwixt 67 
and 73 Degrees of Weftern Longitude ; bounded on 
the North-weft by Canada ; on the North-eaft by Nova 
Scotia ; on the Eaft and South by the Atlantic Ocean, and 
on the Weft by New Fork-, ftretching in Length ibme- 
what more than three hundred Miles, and in fome 
Places it is near two hundred in Breadth. The Air of this 
Country is lharper than ours, though it lies fo much 
farther to the South, and the Winters are longer and 
feverer than they are here ; but then their Summers are 
warmer, though lliorter than ours ; and, at the fame Time, 
the Inhabitants have the Advantage of a clear Sky, which 
renders the Country very wholfome ; fo that none of our 
Plantations agree better with an Englifo Conftitution. Their 
longeft Day at Bofion is about fifteen Hours, and their 
fliorteft about nine ; the Land, next the Sea, is generally 
low, and in fome Places marfhy; but farther up, the 
Land rifes into Hills ; along the North-eaft the Country 
is rocky and mountainous. 
As it is waflied by the Ocean on the Eaft and South,’’ 
it has many good Harbours, fome of them fo capacious 
as to be able to receive large Fleets. There are few 
Countries better watered ; for, befides feveral fmall Lakes 
and Rivulets, there are no lefs than feven navigable Ri- 
vers. The moft Weftern of thefe is Connecticut which, ri- 
fling in the North of New England, runs almoft diredlly 
South, till it falls into the Sea, and runs, at leaft, two 
hundred Miles, and navigable to a great Height, having 
at its Mouth two large Towns, called Say brook and Lime: 
To the Eaft of this lies the River of Fhames, though lefs 
confiderable than the former ; it likewife runs South, and 
fails into the Sea a little below New London : The River 
Patuxet rifes in the North-weft of the Country of 
Majfachufets, and, running Soiith-eaft, falls into a noble 
Bay near Swanjey : The River Merimack rifes in the 
North of New England, and runs direblly South for near 
one hundred Miles, and then, turning Eaft, falls into the 
Sea between Salijbury and Newbury : The River Piftata” 
way 
