Connecticut Historical Collections

Sir — TieinK from lioine tlie last post dny, wln-ii \uui Uik-i ainvid lit'ie, 1 uiii now to tlianic you for it, ami to make answer lu « Lai wai ili luaml of nie. I'lie observations I made of ilie pndi{;ious sioims of siiuw, in the iloleliil winter jiaM, are many. But I shall mention but two at tins time, and they ore these. That the snow spangles which fell on the earth, appeared in lar^'c sexangiilar loims. ,*^'< k iiivem se.c nidia- tam ; el Stellas has niveus cbscrvavi prunl uatroirgi vulifu ndf/icclit/n dcpingunt sexli- lem. The other is, that, iiinong the small ilock of sheep, that 1 daily fold in this dis- tant pan of the wildenie.'vs, (for I am a ))oor shepherd,) to secuie them from the wile! rapacious quadrupeds of the foiest; alter the unusual and unheard of snows, the aforesaid animals from the upland parts of the countiy, weie, in j;realniind)eis forced down to the sea side among us, lor substance, « here tlicy nestled, kenneled and bur- rou<,'hed m the thick swamps of these ample pasuires, nit;hlly visiiinj^ the jieiis and yards for their necessity. * * * * I'he stoini coiitiiuud , so lonij and severe, that multitudes of all sorts of crealuie.s )icri.-.hed in the snow diilts. We lost at the island and farms, above eleven huiuiied sheep, besides s(.nie cattle and hoises, iiTTerred in the snow. And it was verv stian^e that i\u my eiL,-lii d;iys after the sloim, the leiiiuiis ut J'lsher's Island, pulliii.u' oiii iIm- iiiiiis ul niie liiiii<lii'd sheep out lif one snowbank in a v.Tlley, ( u here the snow h;id drill, d .ner iliein si.xieen leel,) found two of them alive in the di ill, which had lain on ihem all that time, and kept them- selves alive by eating llie wool olf the others, that lay dead by tliein. As soon as they were taken out of the drift lliey shed their own lleeces and are now alive and fat ; and I saw ihern at the island the last wcelc, and they are at your service. The storm had its effect also on the ocean : The sea was in a mighty ferment, and after it was over, vast heaps of the enclosed shells came ashore, in places where there had never been any of the sort befoie. Ni|>iiine with his iiident, also, drove in great schools of porpoises, so ilial the harbor and river seemed to be full of them ; but none of these came on shore, but kept a [ilay day among the disturbed waves. As for the golden fleece— the hider and hispanner mleiideil to settle in your town after they had made a i'iw more wreck voya^'es, and have come ba/-k undiscoveied like trading men, as I was told by my aiiihor. And as to mv iiilorinei , he w as always idoUing and con- tnving how to accomplish your business wiiliuiii disov.'i ing jt to any more; bin hewas so needy that I believe he had never so inmdi jiioney together to cany him down, and keep hirn there any time for the purpose; and a li-w weeks befoie he died, hewas proposing to me for a new trial and disnA'cry of iIil' thing. Sir, what I know about it I have truly, faithfully, and ingeiiiouslv cuininunicated to you, and hope, by some meansor other, you may in time be the better for it. 1 thank yjn for your publications. 1 have mentioned to my honest neighbor Timothy the rcpi lining them, without men- tioning your name in tlie matter, encouraging him to the woiic, by the quick vent of so large a number of the fust impression. I have given a dose of your fehrilugium to one of the town, which I hope, has cured him of a malignant fever, and is an excellenl remedy ob dalorcM licnis. I am NEW LONDON. 285 indebted for your mentioning my name inter F. R. S.* at Gresliam; I fim a« obscure person, less tlian ihe poorest of vonr servants, and not fit to stand before princes, but am contented to He liui among the retired pliilosopliers. I am &c. John Wintuuop. To the Rev. Doctor Cotton jMatuer. Answers to several of the queries proposed by tlie ofllcers of the British government, (1774,) relative to New London. An^iuer 1. The latitude of New London, the best harbor in Connecticut, is, by ob- rvation, 41° 25' norili, and longitude 4° 45' w est trcjin London, that is, Tl'^ 15' west ser from London, by observation of the eclipses of the moon, calcul.iled by ILilley' tables. ^ 5. New London, as above, is one of tlie principal harbors, and opens to Ihe south ; and from the light-house at the mouth of the harbor to the town is about three miles,, and a breadth of three fourths of a mile and more in sume places, from live to six lathoms water, a clear bottom, lough coze, and entirely secure and commodious- one mile above the town for large ships. 7. The principal trade of this government is to the West India Islands, excepting now and then a vessel to Ireland with flax-seed, and to England with lumber and pot ashes, and a few to Gibraltar and Barbary. There are 72 sail of vessels now belonging to this district, amounting to 3,247 tons, in which there are 400 seafaring men employed^ besides upwards of twenty sail of coasting vessels, that employ about ninety seamen. On comparing, the trade is on the decrease ; lor in the year 171)3, there were seventy nine sail of vessels belonging to this district, a dilference of seven sail. 8. It is impossible to enumeiate the various sorts of British manufactures that are- here imported ; but in general almost every sort is consumed here; which we have- principally from New York, and Boston, to the amount, upon a medium, from the best mformation I can ;,'et, of 150,000/. or IbO.OUO/. sterling per annum. 9. Besides the English islands, (which supply this goveriiinenl with more than its home consumption of rum and sugar,) it has'a trade with the French and Duicli West Indies, Gibraltar and Barbary. 'I'hose vessels that go to the French and Dutch plantations carry horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, provisions and lumber ; those for Gibral- tar and Barbary carry Hour, lumber. New En^^'land rum, and stores for muling, the whole annual amount of which, (1 should think,) about 50,000/. steiling; for which ■we receive molasses, cocoa, cotton, and some sugar, and from the Duich plantations bills of exchange; and the mules from Barbary are generally sold in the West Imlies lor bills of exchaii;.;e, the nui^l of which importalion and bills gi)es to New York and Bostoii to pay for the British goods this government receives from those places. 10. The custom house oliiccrs here are atteniive to their duty, besides which, this luirbor is so situaied, that the Coming in Irom the sea is between the east end ol Long l.sland and Block Island, and by the west end of Fisher's Island, where the king's cruisers are generally upon the look out, and very critical in examining the vessels they meet v\'ith. 11. The natural produce of this country is timber, iron and copper ore, myrtle war, &c. The produce and staple commodities are Indian corn, wheat, rye, beef, pork, llax, tlax-seed, oats, beans, peas, potatoes, cheese, cider, apples, &c. which articles are carried in the coa.sting vessels to New York, Boston, Pliiladelphia, Virginia and Caro- lina, to what value is very diliicult to iletermine ; but 1 should think to at least 20,000i. sterling, which, with the 50,000/. sterling in the forcii,'n trade, makes, on this estima- tion, the annual amount of exportation lium this dislrfct 70,000/. sterling. It is evident the whole falls short of paying tor the British manulactures we receive, as many of our traders have failed, and the New Yorkers have taken their landed interest in this colony in payments to a very considerable amount. The chief manulactures are pot and pearl ashes, bar iron, and necessary implements for husbandry, &.c. EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS. From the Connecticid Gazette, July 10/A, I7G2. We hear from New London, that on Thursday se'nnight died there Mr. Ebenezer Bolles of that town, trader, esteemed a very honest and hospitable man. He has left one child, a daughter, of about seventeen years of age ; and an estate of about live thousand pounds lawful money. The occasion of his death was as follows,— a few This appointment afterwards took place. 286 NEW LONDON. days beforo, he had been cuuiiif,' some vines or bushes which were of a nox (luaiity, whereby he was poisoned, and his body swelled to a great degree ; but being of the sect called by the name of Rogcrenes, wlio forbid the use of means in sickness, he would neither allow a physician to be near him, nor the most simple medicine admin- istered. Just before he expired, wlien iu great pain, he seemed desirous of some help, but the brethren and sisters of that profession would not allow it, lesl he should deny the faith. New London Gazette, Nu. 1, ^'ov. ISth, 17l".3. Printed by Timothy Green, at the Printing olhce, late in the occupation of Mr. Timothy Green deceased N. B. The business of Copper plate printing and Book binding is performed by said Green. Nev) London Gazette, No. IGl, December 12, 17G6. The paper on which this Gazelle is printed, was manulactuied at Norwich — a proof thai this colony can furnish itself with one very considerable article which has here- tofore carried thousands of pounds uut uf it. This should e.xcite every lover of his country, to promote as n)ueh as possible this laudable undeitaking, by saving all tlieir linen rags. New London Gazette, No. IGO, Dec. 5, 17G6. We hear from Middlelown, that on the 21st insl. the Hartftprd Heel arrived there, consisting of two sloops and a scow, conveyed by a batleau from Spnngtield. The fleet was separated in the night of the 18th, by a sudden squall, which luok them as they opened a small brook, and occasioned much damage ; one man bruised his finger cuttinLT away a ihowl pin on board the convoy, but is likely to recover. The convoy was obliged to bear away for Wingham, and by the help of jury masts, reached her port, where she is refilling ; and it is thought she will be able to put to sea in a fort- night. One of the fleet struck upon a mud turtle, but happily no lives were lost. The scow came to anclior and rode out the storm. The same day arrived two scows frono the other side of the rivei, with sand, after a fine passage of half an hour, the people all well on board.