THE vignette on the engraved title page, is a sketch of the falls on Connecticut river, where captain Turner cut off the Indians in 1676. See page 129. The plate facing page 190, presents a view of the old House in Deerfield, which escaped the conflagration of that place, in 1704. See page 189. ERRATA. OWING to the absence of the author while part of the work was in press, and the indistinct hand in which the manuscript was delivered to the printer, the following typographical errors have occurred. PAGE.LINE. 27 For different, read definite -same line for most, read more. 80 11 from bottom, for assemble read assembled. 94 16 for change read exchange. 99 16 dele crossed and. 16 from bottom, for apprised 1 for their read there. 128 11 dele over. 133 13 for craviags read cravings. 165 22 for demon read demons. Note 2d, for linto read le 184 6 10 from bottom, for Chaurin, 191 read Chauvin. 10 9 for 1808, read 1608. 13 8 from bottom for 1649, read 200 201 22 17 for impowered read em-221 powred. 30 10 from bottom, for whence read where. 249 281 43 23 where had read where he had 284 51 Note 2d. for afterwards read έ 300 father of. anto. 12 for fleeing read flaying. 23 for Wallon read Walton, 9 dele and. 310 6 for beach read beech. Several instances of transposition and omission of letters and erroneous orthography, as well as incorrect punctuation, where the meaning is not distorted, are left for the correction of the reader, rather than to swell the list, which the author regrets is so large. INTRODUCTION. THE discovery of the northern part of the Continent of America, by the Cabots, five years after the first voyage of Columbus had developed the existence of a new world in the west, gave rise to the claims of the English in North America. At that period it seems to have been a principle, at least by tacit consent, among the monarchs of Europe, that countries inhabited by savages, should become the property of the discoverer. A ship ranging along a new coast, without once entering a creek or haven, appears to have conferred a title, as complete, as those executed with all the formalities of modern times. Bigotry and superstition, sanctioned these furtive claims. Soon after the first voyage of Columbus, Pope Alexander the sixth, a Spaniard by birth, then the spiritual head of Europe, under a claim no better founded, granted to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain," all the countries inhabited by infidels, which they had discovered, or should discover, extending the grant to their heirs and successors, the Kings and Queens of Castile and Leon." A similar grant had been made to the Portuguese government, of the discoveries they were making in the east; and they claimed by the same right, the Azores. To prevent subsequent disputes between the two nations, His Holiness decreed, that a meridian line, passing through a point one hundred leagues west of these islands, should be the boundary between the newly discovered countries; the Spaniards to hold all on the west, and the Portuguese, all on the east of the prescribed line, not then possessed by any Christian prince. However well informed the pontiff might have been, in spiritual affairs, his infallibility seems not to have taught him the globular figure of the earth, nor the existence of the antipodes, to whom he was bound to extend his ecclesiastical aid. Conceiving the earth to be an extended plane, it did not occur to him that his prescribed boundary, was insufficient for the object intended, and that the two nations would, by extending their discoveries, the one east, and the other west, find themselves embarrassed with conflicting claims, in some remote part of the earth. The papal partition was not satisfactory to the Portuguese: they afterwards agreed with the Spaniards, that the boundary line should be removed two hundred leagues further to the west, and the affair was settled by the formal signatures of the kings of Spain and Portugal, in 1494, after it had been submitted to six plenipotentaries, three from each nation. France and England, though maritime nations, did not share in the munificence of the pope; and when they afterwards sent out vessels, for the purpose of discovery in the west, the two favourite nations, considered the attempt as an invasion of their rights, and a gross departure from papal authority. The king of France was not intimidated at these complaints. When he saw his brethren of Spain and Portugal, quietly dividing the continent of America between them, without allowing him to come in for a share, as a brother, he facetiously said, "I should be glad to see the clause in Adam's will, which makes that continent their inheritance exclusively."* Titles derived from prior discovery, have been considered valid in latter times; but it appears they are not always so complete, as to prevent disputes between monarchs, concerning their priority; and conflicting claims have often beeen set up, by different powers, not only on this ground, but from a want of different bounds. A most critical examination of the principles of these titles, has now taught us, that immemorable occupancy, is paramount to all other claims; and that the right of the aborigines, to the lands they occupied, when first discovered by Europeans, is no longer doubtful. As most of the wars with the Indians in North America, originated in the conflicting claims of the maritime nations of Europe, a brief history of the most important voyages of discovery in the west, seems to be necessary, as an introduction to the following work. The discoveries by John Cabot, and his son Sebastian Cabot, were made under the patronage of Henry the 7th, king of England. In the early part of May, 1497, with two ships, and three hundred men, they sailed from England; and on the twenty fourth of June, discovered land which they named Prima Vista, supposed to be some part of the Island of Newfoundland; and a few days after they saw a small Island, which they named St. John. Continuing the voyage northerly, they discovered the coast of North America, and proceeded to the latitude of 67° 30′ N. Changing their course, they sailed to the southward, along the coast as far as Florida, and thence returned to England, without attempting either settlement or conquest.t Though the English had discovered this division of the continent, no attempts were immediately made by them to colonize it; and sometime elapsed before other nations visited the coast. In 1500 a Portuguese adventurer, Casper de Cortereal, in defiance of the restrictions of the pope, sailed from Lisbon, with two ships, at his own expense, for the purpose of exploring new countries in the west. Arriving at the Island of Newfoundland, he discovered and named Conception Bay, and afterwards explored the eastern coast of the island; sailed into the mouth of the great river of Canada, and saw several other parts of the continent. Cortereal returned to Lisbon; sailed on his second voyage, and was lost. Vessels of various nations, soon began to hover on the coast of Newfoundland, for the purpose of taking fish, which were found in great abundance in the adjacent seas; and in 1508, Thomas Aubert, from Dieppe, in France, made a voyage to Newfoundland, and thence proceeded some distance up the great river of Canada. On his return, it is stated, he carried several of the natives to Paris. Francis 1st. king of France, now resolved to share with his brother monarchs, in the riches of the new world. In 1523, he sent out John Verazzani, a Florentine, with four ships, to prosecute discoveries in North America. In the course of the next year, Verazzani coasted the * Abbe Raynal, quoted in Sullivan's History of Maine. + Respecting the date of this voyage, historians are not agreed; some place it in 1494. Holmes, on whom we rely, fixes it in 1497. See Note. 1, Vol. 2. North American continent, from 28 to 50 degrees of north latitude; discovered Nantucket, or Martha's Vineyard, and is said to have entered the harbor of New York. To the country he gave the name of New France. In the following year he made another voyage, and with his crew was lost. The success of the Spaniards in amassing wealth in the southern parts of America, stimulated the king of France to further efforts in the north. In 1534, James Cartier was appointed to the command of two ships and one hundred and twenty two men, for the purpose of making discoveries in that quarter; Leaving St. Malo in April; he on the tenth of May arrived at Newfoundland-coasted nearly round the Island-entered what is now called the Gulph of St Lawrence-saw the mouth of Canada river, and discovered the bays of Gaspe and Chaleurs; but returned to France without attempting a settlement. The next year, Cartier sailed again for Canada, under a royal commission, with three ships, accompanied by a number of volunteers, desirous of making their fortunes in the new world. After a boisterous passage, he arrived at the mouth of the river of Canada, which he named St. Lawrence. Continuing his voyage up the river, he reached the Isle of Orleans, to which he gave the name of Bacchus Island, from the great quantity of vines with which it abounded. At a river higher up, which he named after himself Jaques Cartier, he left two of his ships, and proceeded with the other into lake St. Pierre, where finding the water shallow, he left the ship, and with two boats and a pinnace, well manned and armed, continued up the river to Hochelaga, now Montreal, and landed the second of October. Here he found a large body of Indians, who gave him a very friendly reception. Their village consisted of about fifty dwelling houses, each fifty paces long and fourteen broad, the whole inclosed with palisades, through which was but one passage; and around the inside of the fortification, an elevated stage, which could be ascended only by ladders. On this stage were deposited a large quantity of stones, to be thrown upon an enemy in case of an attack; the surrounding grounds were covered with handsome groves of oak, and fields of corn; provisions were abundant, and wholesome; the houses warm and convenient, and well supplied with skins and furs for lodgings: the whole exhibiting a degree of improvement, much beyond what had been seen any where among the northern savages of America. During his continuance in the river, Cartier and his men, though kindly treated by the natives, and well supplied with provisions, suffered severely from the scurvy. A remedy was at length prescribed by the Indians; but previously to its application, twenty five men died of the disease.* For the humane treatment he had received from the Indians, Cartier presented them hatchets, knives, beads and rings, which they received with demonstrations of high satisfaction. Before he left the place, the Indians conducted him to the summit of the hill, under which their village was built, and pointed out the course of the St. Lawrence from the west; and they informed him that he might sail on it for three moons, without reaching its source; that it ran through two or three lakes, beyond * The medicine was a decoction of the leaves and inner bark of the white pine, (pinus strobeus.)—Forster's Voyages and Discoveries in the North, p. 440. which there was a sea of fresh water, to which they knew of no limits; that on the other side of the mountain, there was another river which ran to the southwest, through a country where there was neither ice nor snow; and that there were such metals as silver, gold and copper to be found in the territory.* On the fourth of October, Cartier and his men, left the place-embarked on board his ships, and returned to the Isle of Orleans on the eleventh; where they wintered, and made some ineffectual efforts to found a colony. Early next spring they sailed for France, accompanied by several of the natives, one of whom was a chief. Though Cartier, on his return, gave a very flattering account of the country on the St. Lawrence, and pointed out the advantages which would accrue to the French nation, from colonization, and a trade in furs, which were found in great abundance, yet the king was not disposed to patronize a colony in a country, in which the adventurers had not been so fortunate as to discover gold and silver mines; at that time, the grand desideratum of the European monarchs. Notwithstanding the rejection of Cartier's advice, a nobleman of Picardy-Francis de la Rogue, lord of Roberval, created by the king, lieutenant general and viceroy of Canada, fitted out several ships at his own expense, and sent Cartier with a royal commission, again to Canada, in 1540. On his arrival, Cartier built a fort and began a settlement, which he called Charlebourg, near what is now Quebec. On his return in 1542, Cartier met Roberval with three ships and two hundred men, women and children, destined to recruit the intended settlement in Canada; Cartier continued his voyage to France, and Roberval proceeded up the St. Lawrence, four leagues above the Isle of Orleans; and finding a convenient harbor, built a fort and remained at the place through the winter. what time he returned to France, or how many people he left at the settlement, does not appear. But in 1549, we find that Roberval, with his brother and a numerous train of adventurers, embarked for the St. Lawrence, and were not heard of afterwards; probably they perished The few settlers in Canada were now left to their own exertions; nor did they receive further aid from their countrymen, for about fifty years. at sea. At These efforts to colonize Canada, were considered by the English, as encroachments on their territory, and to defeat the projects of the French, "Queen Elizabeth, in 1578, granted letters patent to sir Humphrey Gilbert, authorising him to discover and take possession of all remote and barbarous lands, unoccupied by any Christian prince or people. She vested in him, his heirs and assigns forever, the full right of property in the soil of those countries, of which he should take possession, to hold of the crown of England by homage, on payment of the fifth part of the gold or silver ore, found there-conferred complete jurisdiction within the said lands; and prohibited all persons from attempting to settle within two hundred leagues of any place which sir Humphrey or his associates, should have occupied during the space of six years,"t In virtue of his patent, in 1583, Gilbert sailed from England with two ships, three barks, and two hundred and sixty men, and discovered land * Holmes' Annals, Vol. i. 111. † Williams' Vermont, Vol. I. |