CORTEZ AND THE PACIFIC.-It is stated on page 36 of the Record, in a report of the proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, that "Cortez never saw the Pacific." I should like to know the authority for this proposition. I have drawn a different inference from both Robertson and Prescott. Tehuantepec was, it is understood, the private port of the conqueror, and he was largely engaged in explorations from that point of the Pacific and California. I have supposed he made personally a voyage to the Gulf of California and that he suffered with eminent peril a shipwreck on his return.1

C.

1 Many of the movements of Cortez in Mexico and Central America are shrouded in dense obscurity, and there are conflicting and contradictory accounts of them. Arthur Helps, the eminent Oxford Professor, and one of the most able and critical searchers for the truth concerning the Spanish conquest of that region of the world, has lately put forth in two volumes, a "Life of Hernando Cortez." That work does not give any positive information on the point in question.

He says Cortez was told of the great "Sea of the South" by Indian ambassadors, and sent out expeditions for its discovery, but nowhere is it mentioned that he went personally in any of these expeditions, but one. One of them discovered the "Sea of the south," Helps says, "in the maritime country of Tehuantepec, in 1522, or nine years after Vasco Nunez discovered it a thousand miles further south; and Alvarado followed in the conquest of a neighbouring province and of Guatemala the same year." He sent Sandoval to make discoveries in other directions, and Christival de Olid was commissioned to plant a settlement in Hondurus in 1524, full 1500 miles south of Mexico. To that place Cortez was obliged to go to put down the rebellious Olid, who had set up an independent government. He also sent an expedition "north of Mexico;" and finally he went in that direction himself. "Certainly he discovered California," says Helps, but does not tell us whether he went by land or water. As he started on that expedition for the city of Mexico, (or a village near it, as he was then too poor, he says, to live in the City,) he must have gone several hundred miles southward, to Tehuantepec to enter upon a voyage northward. And that would have been an easier method than travelling the country northward to the gulf of California, and crossing that body of water without adequate vessels. It seems to be a fair inference, that Cortez did see the Pacific Ocean, and voyaged upon it from Central America to California. The RECORD would like to know Mr. Hale's authority for the declaration that the Pacifie Ocean "was never seen by Cortez."-EDITOR.]

LOWER MERION MEETING-HOUSE.-On page 162 of the "RECORD," Some inquiries are made in relation to the Friends' Meeting House at Lower Merion. About thirty years ago, I clipped, for my Scrapbook, an account of this venerable edifice, from some good authority I know, and from it I cautiously pen the following:

"In 1682, the same year of Penn's Treaty at Shackamaxon on the Delaware, a large number of Welsh people colonized at a place which they called 'Merioneth,' on the west side of the Schuylkill, about seven miles from the spot designated as the site. of Philadelphia. One of their earliest. cares was to erect a meeting house for public worship. The timber of which it is built is all hewn. The house represents a cross and thus indicates that they were christians."

If the present house is built of hewn timber and in form of a cross, it is fair to conclude that it is the original.

I think other arguments may be gathered from my accounts to warrant the conclusion that the present house with the date 1695, is not the first built at Lower Merion.

W. T. R. SAffell.

ELEAZER WILLIAMS, -I was reading a very interesting account in "Putnam's Monthly," Feb. 1853, in answer to the question, "Have we a Bourbon among us?" and it seemed that such was the case; I write for your opinion, as to whether Eleazer Williams was the Dauphin or not.1 F. C. J.

Wilkes Barre.

1 That is still an open question. The circumstantial evidence in favor of the claim made for Mr. Williams, is much stronger than that upon which accused persons have been hung. I knew Mr Williams personally, during the latter years of his life. He had no Indian blood in him; and the Caughnawaga who was his reputed father, was not his father. Mr. Williams had curly hair. Ethnologists will tell you that the least taint of Indian blood, straightens the hair. I saw on the person of Mr. Williams, in 1855, some scars which Beauchesne who died in 1824, the consulting physician of the Dauphin's father, described as being upon the person of the Dauphin caused by inoculation and by acccident. Mr Williams was an artless, simple minded man, incapable of inventing the narrative which he gave Mr. Hanson, and which the latter published in the article to which you allude. The question will never be settled, probably.-[EDITOR.]

[ADMIRAL GEORGE Bridges RODNEY.] Formidable, between Gaudaloupe and Mont

serrat.

Sir:

April 14th '82.

I am this moment favored with your Excellency's letter, and have the happiness to acquaint you, that, after having had a partial engagement with the Enemy on the 9th, wherein sixteen of my rear were prevented by calms from joining in the action on the 12th, I had the good fortune to bring them to a general action, which lasted from 7 o'clock in the morning till half past 6 in the afternoon, without a moment's intermission. Count de Grasse with the Ville de Paris, and four other ships of the Line and one sunk, graced

the victory. The remainder of their fleet were so miserably shattered, and their loss in men so great from their having their whole Army, consisting of 5.500 men on board the ships of War, that I am conthem in condition for service for some vinced it will be almost impossible to put

considerable time.'

I am hastening with my whole fleet to the succor of Jamaica, and you may hourly expect me with such ships of my fleet as are in a condition to keep the sea, off the East end of your Island. Not a few will be obliged to repair to Port Royal. I have the honor to be with the highest regard,

1 Major General Charles Lee was then in the rear of Washington, who was flying before Cornwallis toward the Delaware. Washington had vainly urged Lee to join him. That officer was now nearly three miles from his troops, almost alone, at the inn of a Mrs. White near Basking Ridge, and fairly invited capture. Indeed circumstances favor the belief that he desired it, and that he was then contemplating those treasonable acts of which he was afterward guilty. [EDITOR.]

? Alarmed by the approach of the British toward Philadelphia, in pursuit of Washington, Congress left that city and held their sessions in Baltimore for several months. [EDITOR.]

will doubtless keep us in the field all winter. Our affairs wear an unfavorable aspect. The enemy are ab Eight-thousand strong at Prince Town [Princeton], Trent Town, Penningtown, and other places adjacent,

1 The fleet of the Count De Grasse remained in the vicinity of the York River after the capture of Cornwallis in 1781, until the fourth of November, when it weighed anchor and proceeded to the West Indies, where it had several engage ments with the English, during the winter. On the ninth of April, as mentioned in the above letter, De Grasse fell in with Admiral Rodney, and had a partial engagement. The French had in that battle, 724 guns less than the English. In the en gagement on the twelfth the English had 926 more guns than the French. So says the MS. narrative of a French officer who was in the engagement, edited by J. G. Shea, LL. D. and printed by the Bradford Club," New York, on page 113. The French had on board their ships a part of the army which had assisted in capturing Cornwallis, and according to the authority just cited, they lost in this eugagment 3500 men killed and made prisoners, besides many officers of distinction. He mentions the immense number of sharks that swarmed around the vessels, swallowing a dead man the moment he was thrown overboard. "There were certainly more than a thousand of these creatures," he wrote "following the vessels of the two fleets." Before striking the colors of the Ville de Paris, DeGrasse made the signal of sauve qui peut, and M. de Vandrine effected the retreat of the remnant of the fleet. De Grasse was conveyed to England and thence to France. For his services on this occasion, Rodney received the thanks of both houses of parliament and a pension of £2.000 in addition to one awarded him in 1780, of the same amount.-EɔITOR.]

not more than three thousand in one place, very unguarded. Gen' Washington has ab the same number, whose times expire the last of this month; very few are reinlisted, the militia come in slow. The Provinces of Jersey and Pensilvania seem dispirited, and great numbers inimical. It is much to be feared that General Washington will not have a force sufficient to oppose the enemy, when the Troops now with him are at Liberty, at which Time, it is very probable the Enemy will attempt to Cross

the Delaware if froze over.1 The Six Thousand Militia, ordered from the Massachusetts Bay are on their march; a few Companies have arrived at Danbury. hear nothing of the Four Regts from Connecticut.

I

I am told Mr. Deane' writes there is no doubt of a French War. This is partly Confirmed by the arrival of Eight Ships of the Line, Four Frigates and Six thousand Land Forces at Martinieo. Congress have appointed General Washington Dictator in Military Matters." In a Council of War it has been concluded to raise One hundred Battalions, Twenty for the Northern Department, Fifteen for New England, Twenty for the Southward, and The remainder In the Grand Army, with One Reg' of Horse and three of Artillery. I hope to have the pleasure of a line from you at Providence which I expect will be Head Quarters. On my arrival there you may expect to hear from me again. I am with Comp to Mr Schuyler and the Ladies,*

Dr General

Your Affectionate

Humble Servant,

B Amold

MAJOR GENERAL SCHUYLER.

1 Washington was confronting Cornwallis at Trenton, at the date of this letter. He had obtained a victory at Trenton two days before, and captured a large number of Hessians

being expired, I have the honor of enThe term assigned for the Passport closing those belonging to the servant of Major General de Riedesel, requesting the favor of their being renewed. The General's Coachman being absent his Passport is not among the number, but, if he should Term, the Generai will request the favor return before the expiration of the next of you, Sir, to renew them.

The Carpenters who were at work for Gen' Riedesel are returned to the Barracks, and I forgot to take their passes, but have sent for them, and will send them to you Sir, as soon as I receive them as the men are no more employed by the General. I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient
Humble Servant,

Aldmonstone

under Colonel Rahl. The British did not cross the Delaware but were compelled to evacuate New Jersey.-EDITOR.]

2 Silas Deane one of the commissioners sent by the Continental Congress to France, to obtain material aid from that country.-EDITOR.]

3 That was done on the 27th of December, the day after the Battle of Trenton and when Congress had determined to adjourn to Baltimore, which they did on the 31st.-[EDITOR]

4 General Arnold had been attached to the Northern army under General Schuyler, from the time he reached Quebec in November, after his marvellous march through the wilderness of Maine and Canada, until the military operations closed in that quarter, on the retreat of the British into Canada. [EDITOR.]

1 The estate near Mr. Jefferson's in Virginia owned by Mazzei. See note on page 34 of the RECORD. Archibald Edmonstone was Riedesels English Secretary. At this time the English and German troops, captured with Burgoyne, were prisoners in Virginia. Colonel Thodoric Bland had charge of them. [EDITOR.]

The answer is that Schenectady people did not mean to molest, but could say nothing farther till the Albanians received the Speech. Two men have been here just now & offered & requested to be qualified that the N. England people would be at me, as they reported, in 8 days.

I wish I could see you.

Fry

Is sly.

His brother & Yates
Deserve broken pates.

G. Johnson. His full offrights, Altho he writes.

And I wish you as much happiness as

1 Rev'd Samuel Kirkland, a missionary among the Six Nations of Indians, who performed eminent public services during the Revolution, in keeping Oneidas in a neutral attitude toward the belligerents. He was a native of Norwich, Connecticut; was educated at Dr. Wheelock's school in Lebanon, and prepared for missionary work amongst the Indians. He engaged upon it among the Senecas, in 1764, and under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. &c., he entered upon vigorous duty as a missionary to the Six Nations in the Summer of 1766. He married Dr. Wheelock's niece, and they prosecuted missionary labors together; and in 1770 she gave birth, at the house of General Herkimer, to twin sons, one of whom was President of Harvard College in after years. Their plans were disturbed by the war for independence, and Mr. Kirkland's family were placed at Stockbridge, while he contributed his labors, half religions, half political, among the Indians. He succeeded in keeping only the Oneidas to their neutrality. He continued work among the dusky people long years after the war; and in 1793, he established an institution of learning in Oneida County, called the "Hamilton Oneida Academy," the origin of now flourishing Hamilton College. Mr. Kirkland died in February, 1808.-EDITOR.]

This was

The Mohawks sent to know why a military force was allowed to enter their domain. An interview was held with some of their Chiefs, at Schenectada, when they were satisfied.

This letter from Guy Johnson, to his brother Sir John

Sunday 1 o'clock-P. M.

[GENERAL SIR WILLIAM HOWE.]

New York 12th February 1777.

Sir: Major Edmonstone has come to New York by a Passport from General Washington upon Parole to return, or send out an officer of equal Rank; and either Majors Williams, Browne or Wells are desired in exchange. I have not the least objection. to send either of those gentlemen to any place you shall be pleased to appoint, provided Major Edmonstone, who is the bearer of this, is permitted to go to Canada, agreeable to his own desire.1

Sir

I am with due respect,

Your Obedient

Humble Servant.

WHove

MAJOR GENERAL P. SCHUYLER, &c. &c.

Johnson, is without address or date. It bears internal evidence of having been writter at Guy Park," on the site of the present village of Amsterdam, in the lower Mohawk Valley, the seat of Guy Johnson, to his brother, then at Johnson Hall, at Johnsontown, further westward. It was evidently written at the time when General Schuyler, early in 1776, led a force into Tryon County, as all that region of the Mohawk was then called, to suppress Toryism there, of which these Johnsons, sons of Sir William, were the leaders.

This was so effectually done, that it was not long before Sir John and the Scotch Highlanders, who were his tenants, and espoused the British cause, found it necessary to flee the country and go into Canada. So did Guy. The New Eng landers spoken of were the troops under General Schuyler. It was a misnomer, for the troops with which he suppressed Toryism there, at that time, were composed of the New York militia.-EDITOR.]

1 General Sir William Howe had taken possession of New York, in September, 1776, and was now preparing for the campaign planned by the British ministry for separating the Eastern from the other states, by penetrating New York through the Hudson and Champlain valleys and maintaining military posts along that line from the St. Lawrence to the sea at Sandy Hook. Major Edmonstone mentioned in this letter was permitted to go to Canada, and he afterwards became the aide-de-camp and English Secretary of General Riedesel. [Editor.]

MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY.-At the meeting of the Executive Council this evening (March 11, 1872,) the President announced the following Standing Committees:

Library-Geo. A. Hamilton, Wm. H. Kelley, J. F. Williams.

Finance.-Wm. H. Kelley, J. P. Pond, Russell Blakeley.

Publication.-Rev. John Mattocks, Rev. F. T. Brown, J. B. Chaney.

Property.-James J. Hill, Hon. E. F. Drake, Geo. A. Hamilton.

Archæology.-Alfred J. Hill, Dr. R. O. Sweeney, Judge A. Goodrich.

Obituaries.-Gen. H. H. Sibley, W. R. Marshall, Jas. W. Taylor.

Lectures.-Rev. Dr. Brown, Rev. S. Y. McMasters, Rev. John Ireland.

Natural History.-Dr. R. O. Sweeney, J. B. Chaney, Rev. J. Mattocks.

Fine Arts.-Judge A. Goodrich, R. O. Sweeney, Dr. J. B. Phillips.

The Librarian stated that Geo. Horace Austin had designated this library as the one to receive the new series of Patent Office Reports now being issued, to consist of one quarto bound volume per week, and that 20 volumes had already been received. Under the rules of the Patent Office, this will be the only set in the state.

The death of Baron F.de Fruedenrick, a life member of the Society, was announced. He joined the Society in 1856. He was a native of Berne, Switzerland, and of noble blood. He came to Jefferson County N. Y. in 1851, and engaged in iron mining, an account of which may be found in Hough's "History of Lewis County," page 100. He settled in Minnesota in 1854.

The Secretary stated that the Legislature had passed a joint resolution authorizing the Society to have its first volume of collections reprinted by the State Printer, the edition to consist of 1000 copies, bound in muslin. The committee on Publication were instructed to prepare the matter at

once.

Also, that the Legislature had appropri

ated $2500 for the support of the Society during the year 1872.

The Librarian exhibited a catalogue of the books in the Library partially completed, but it was thought to be more elaborate than necessary and he was requested to prepare it in a more brief and comprehensive style.

A paper written by C. H. Baker, late of Minnesota, now of Pennsylvania, was read. It was a discussion of the etymology of the word Itasca, the name of the lake which, according to Schoolcraft, is the source of the Mississippi River. The Ojibwas anciently called it Omashkoz, or Elk Lake, and the voyageurs "Lae la Biche," Schoolcraft says he named it Itasca, a compound of Ojibwa words, as follows: Ta, to be; totosh, the breasts of a woman; Ka, a terminal sub-interflection; the whole convey. ing the idea of a fount, or origin. Some years ago, a paragraph was going the rounds of the papers, that the word Itasca had been compounded out of parts of two Latin words, veritas and caput, to signify "true head." If this is so, the author of the name must have been a poor Latin scholar, or took great liberties with grammar, as he should have recollected that veritas is the noun "truth," not the adjective "true." Mr. Baker advances the theory that the name may be neither Latin nor Ojibwa, but Dakota, as he found an old half breed voyageur who stated that the Dakotas term it Tasko Miyaka, which they think, in Dakota, is sheep, or a domestic animal, and relatively to a female Elk. Hence, Mr. Baker concludes that Schoolcraft did not invent the word as he represents, but that it was in use before his exploration.

Gen. Sibley presented to the Society several MSS., among them the minutes in full of the famous "Stillwater Convention," held by the people of what is now Minnesota, in 1848, to devise steps to secure a Territorial Government for Minnesota,and which did result in success. minutes have never been published, and contain many very interesting facts. Also,

The