Chap. m. of the ENGLISH in A M ERIC A. 
Outrages of one cloathed with that Authority ; but when 
he came himfelf to execute that Office, he ffiewed, what 
we very feldom fee, that there are fome Natures which 
even Power cannot corrupt ; for he behaved fo well as to 
aboliffi the Memory of pall Grievances, and to leave a 
perfect Model for his Succeffors in that Government. 
y. The Country of New 2 'ork, properly fo called fmce 
it became Englijh, is thus bounded, viz, by Canada on 
the North, New England on the Eaft, the Ocean on the 
South, and the five Nations and New Jerfey on the Weft, 
and is about two hundred Miles in Length from North to 
South, that is, from the Mouth of Hudfonf River to the 
Lake of Champlain or Corlaer^ and it might be extended 
two hundred Miles farther North if we poftefied all the 
Country we claim, as far as the River St. Laurence : But 
the French having built Forts on the Lake Champlain., 
have, in a Manner, expelled us from the North Part of 
this Country ; the Englijh only poftefs the Country South 
of that Lake at prefent, and this is exceeding narrow in 
moft Places ; particularly between Connedlicut Colony on 
the Eaft, and Nezv Jerfey on the Weft, it is fcarce twenty 
Miles broad. But to this we muft add the Eland Manhat- 
tan.f which the City of New Fork ftands upon, Staten 
Ifland and Long Ifland, all which lie before the Mouth of 
Hudfonf Fiver., and are comprehended in New Fork 
Proper. 
This Province is divided into ten Counties, which going 
from North to South down Hudfonf River, are Albany, 
Ulfier, Duchefs, Orange, Kingf County, Chefter, New 
Fork County, ^eeE s County, Suffolk County, and Rich- 
mond County, which are pretty well replenifhed with Pro- 
vifions and Farms, but have not many great Towns in 
them. The chief Towns are New Fork City, ScheneSiida, 
Albany, Wefichefier, Cfc. in all, or moft of which Towns, 
are Miffionaries, either Minifters, School-mafters, or Ca- 
techifts, fent over and maintained chiefly by the Society 
for the Propagation of the Gofpel, who have taken moft 
laudable Care in this refpedt. New Fork City is fituated 
in 40 Degrees 40 Minutes North Latitude, and 47 Degrees 
4 Minutes Weftern Longitude, at the South End of Fork 
County, being an Eland at the Mouth of Hudfonf River, 
about fourteen Miles long and two or three broad. As 
this Town ftands upon an Eminence, and contains up- 
wards of a thoufand Houfes well built with Brick and 
Stone, with a Wall and Forts, which fcrve as well for 
Ornament as Defence, there is fcarce any Town in 
North America that makes a better, and but a very few 
fo good an Appearance. It has alfo an excellent Har- 
bour, furniffied with commodious Quays and Warehoufes, 
and employs fome hundreds of Ships and Veflels in its 
foreign Trade and Filheries. The public Buildings are 
the feveral Churches belonging to thofe of the Church of 
England, to the Swedes of the Lutheran Perfuafion, to 
the Dutch Calvinifis, the French Refugees, and the En- 
glifh Se6laries ; but the Church of England may well be 
looked upon as the eftabliftied Religion, becaufe the Con- 
ftitution of the Government is the fame as in England ; 
the reft, however, are tolerated, and capable of Pofts in 
the Government, and of fitting in the Houfe of Repre- 
fentatives, as I apprehend. The other public Buildings 
are the Towm Houfe, and that were their general Aflem- 
blies and Courts of Juftice are held. As to their Fortifi- 
cations, they are not, I doubt, capable of defending them 
againft an European Enemy, any more than thofe in the 
reft of the Plantations, for this unanfwerable Reafon ; be- 
caufe they v/ere fome Years ago confefled to be fo bad, 
that it was not fit to enquire into the State of them, left 
Foreigners fliould be acquainted with our Weaknefs on that 
Side. There are, indeed, four hundred regular Troops 
fent from England to garrifon this, and fome other Towns 
of this Province j of which two Companies always are, or 
ought to be, upon Duty in this City ; but admitting 
they were always compleat, and ever fo well difciplined, 
this feems to be but a very incohfiderable Force to de- 
fend a Province of this Importance againft an Invafion, 
iinlefs their Country Militia be more to be depended upon 
than that of other Places. 
As New Fork may be looked upon to be the frontier 
Gairifon in the South againft an Invafion from any mari- 
VoL. II. Numb. 88, 
tiriie Pov/er •, fo Sch'enedlida T'own and Fortj in the Colili- 
ty of Albany, twenty Miles North of the Town of Albaty^ 
may well be deemed their Frontier on the North againft 
the French of Canada, and their Indian Allies^ whoj in 
the Year 1688, furprized and almoft demoliftied the 
Town with the Works about it ; but they have finee 
been repaired and enlargedj and Fort Nicholfon and fome 
other Forts erefted ; in which, and m Albany, the reft of 
the regular Troops are quartered, for the Defence of that 
Frontier. Albany is a confiderable Town, fituated on 
Hudfonf River, an hundred and fifty Miles North of 
New Fork, having a Fort eredted for its Defence ; and 
here it is that the Sachems, or Kings of the five Nations^ 
meet the Governors of our Northern Colonies, to renew 
their Alliances, and concert Meafures for their Defence 
againft their common Enemy, as has been intimated al- 
ready. South-weft of the Ifland and County of Nev) 
Fork, lies Staten Ifland, being about ten Miles in Length 
and fix in Breadth, and in it are a great many good 
Farms and Plantations, but not one Town that I can meet 
with in the Accounts of this Province. 
Long Ifland lies Eaft of Staten Ifland, and South-ead 
of that of New Fork, oppofite to the Colony of Connelfi- 
cut, being an hundred and fifty Miles in Length, and 
generally about twelve in Breadth, and contains three of 
the Counties above mentioned, viz. EfueeEs County, Suf- 
folk County, and Richmond County ; the chief Towns in 
Ffueen' s County, are Jamaica and Hempjlead -, in Suffolk 
County, the qhief Town is Oyfter Bay. The Town of 
Richmond gives Name to Richmond County, in which alfo 
is the Town of Southampton, in the South-eaft Part of 
the Ifland ; and there alfo are fituated the Towns of 
North Cajile and New JVindfor. There is a celebrated 
Plain in the Midft of Long Ifland, fixteen Miles long, 
and four broad, to which they have given the Name of 
Salifbury Plain ; having, as it is faid, as fine a Turf as 
that on Saliffury Plain in Old England and there being 
an excellent Breed of Horfes in the Ifland, they have 
Races here every Seafon, to which the Gentlemen of 
New England and New Fork refort, as they do to New- 
market with us. There are other good Towns which lie 
in the County Wefichefier, on the Continent, Eaft of 
the Mouth of Hudfonf River, the chief whereof are Wefi- 
chefier and Rye. 
8. At the Time we became Mafters of this Country, 
it was very thinly peopled, in comparifon to what it is 
at prefent, and in no fmall Danger from the French, who 
fettled at the back of it, and the Indians who were fettled 
on its Frontiers, but, at prefent, it is fafe enough from 
both ; the Number of People being vaftly encreafed, 
fome fay to fifty thoufand, taking in all Sorts, fo that 
the French apprehend Danger from us in their turn j and 
the Ndians think themfelves very happy under our Pro- 
tection ; and fuch Care has been taken to treat them with 
proper Kindnefs, as to preferve them in our Intereft, as 
effe^ually as if by Force they had been reduced to be our 
Subjefts. They fupply the Englijh, in the Summer, with 
Venifon, Fiffi, and Fowl, very cheap. The Trade from 
New Fork to the Sugar Iflands, particularly Barbadoes, 
which is very confiderable, is in Corn, Flower, Bread, 
Beef, Pork, Peafe, Bacon Gamons, Smoaked Beef, Ap- 
ples, Onions, Board and Pipe-ftaves, for which they re- 
ceive, in return. Sugar, Moloffes, Rum, Ginger, ^c. 
The New Fork Merchants drive alfo a very advantage- 
ous Trade with Madeira and the Azores, in Pipe-ftaves 
and Fifli, for which they load their Ships back with 
Wine and Brandy ; and, generally fpeaking, there is 
fcarce a more profitable Trade in the Britijh Commerce, 
I am very well warranted in faying this, by what the 
Agents for the Colony alledged upon the Difpute with 
the Sugar Plantations, of which we have given fo large 
an Account. They affirm that their Winters beino- fevere 
they take off more of the Woollen Manufaaure° of this 
Kingdom, than all the Iflands put together, Jamaica ex- 
cepted; and return more Gold and Silver to pay for 
them, which I never heard was denied. What they 
alledge in Juftification ot their Dealing with French 
Settlements is fingular enough, and deferves particular 
Notice, They fay that they trade with what they have, 
4 C 
