Colonel Cartwright becoming fit for travell, on the 8th of June we began our journey to the Eastward parts: At Salem, Ipswich, Newberry, & Hampton we found kind entertainment: ffrom Hampton we went (accompanied by severall persons) to see the place where the bound howse once stood, a person living close by, shewed us the very place where it stood, & when the howse fell, he placed a barrell of a gun in the place where it stood, which hee shewed us standing, as the bounds of Massachusets eastwards: Between this place & the Province of Mayn are the townes of Hampton, Exeter, Dover, & Portsmouth, the three last lye in Pascaraquay river: In all those places we acted nothing; but passed over the river into the Province of Mayn, & first summoned the inhabitants of Kittery to appeare at Major Shapleys howse, to heare his Majties Commission read: They generally all peticōned, that they might be taken under his Majties immediat go'vm! not being willing any longer to remaine under the Massachusets, and as unwilling to be subject to M Gorges: with what expedicōn we could we went unto all the townes within the Province of Mayne & found the Inhabitants generally desiring, & peticōning for the same favour, as will appeare by a gen erall peticōn now sent to his Majtie by Colonel Cartwright: To satisfie them for the present, till the Kings pleasure were further knowne, we freed them from being under either of the aforesaid Governments & appointed certaine Justices of the peace to order the affaires of that Province.

Yesterday in the towne of Wells they kept the first Court, to the great joy of the people, who had been long in a confusion; S: Robert Carr & myself were present. Not withstanding those of Massachusets knew what we had don, yet on the 4th of July they sent two of magistrats, & other officers, to keepe Court at York: but finding the people would not submit to them & unexpectedly finding S: Robert Carr, and myself there, & the foot company in armes, they forthwith returned.

When we were at Casco in this Province, the Saga

more of Wesapaguaqueg* & of severall other places, came & surrendered his Country (under the hand & seale of himselfe, & other great men) to his Majte humbly craveing his protection of them; It is a far better country then Narraganset, Colonel Cartwright hath the deede in his keeping.

The whole province of Mayn is claimed by severall persons who had distinct Patents from the Councell of Plymouth for it, all subscribed by S fferdinando Gorges, as he was one of that Councell, & done long before he got the Patent for the Province: And as I have said before the Inhabitants, humbly desire they may be free from that government, and truly My Lord, neither that, nor the Massachusets will ever flourish, nor will the major part of the people be satisfied, untill they be fixed under his Majties immediat government. If all the ffreeholders may have liberty to assemble they will vote that the patents may be delivered up to his Majte & it will be carryed by ten to one.

On the 9th of Julie, we received his Majties letter of the 28th of January, & forth with in prosecucōn of what was commanded, we sent warrants to the foure townes on Pascaraquay river, ordering the inhabitants to meet us on severall dayes at their usuall places of meeting to heare his Majties letter read, & to consult with them about fortifying that river. On the 13th of Julie being the day of meeting at Portsmouth, the Governor & Councell of the Massachusets, by two of their Marshalls sent a prohibition to the people, & a letter to us, which put a stop to our indeavours, for the present.

Indeed, if it may please your Lords! it is very necessary that, that river should be secured: the harber is very good, & spacious, there is usually loaden thence above twenty ships yearly: at this time there are 7, or 8 ships lading, one of which is laden for the most with

[*"In this province also an Indian Sachem, who lives neare to the great "lake, from whence flows Merimack River, petitioned his Maty to take him "under his protection, which is also lost." Commissioners' Account of the Province of Maine, in Folsom's Catalogue, &c p. 67.]

masts, & the best that ever went hence. It is very great pitty to see how naked, & open they lye, even a booty, to any small Pickaroone. Colonel Cartwright can give you an exact accoumpt of this, as of any other things you shall desire informacōn in, especially what gunnes, ammunition &c. may be needfull, & are not here to be had, not only for securing this river, but Road Island, & other places also, who haue yet no kind of defence.

My Lord, if it had not been for the stubborness (if not rebelliousness) of the Massachusets, his Majte might by this time have had a better accoumpt of affaires here, then now he can. The far greater part of the people feare they shall still remain in bondage to their old masters the governour and Councell of the Massachusetts; Those in Hampshire are not yet freed from them, although much desired by them. Those in the Province of Mayn (although freed for the present) yet fear they may be returned again under either the Massachusets or M: Gorges government, & then look on themselves & posteritys as miserable.

Good my Lord, I beseech Lord, I beseech you hasten what you may the setlement of these poore people, I am much affraid, there may be, else, bloudshed. Î assure your Lords! we have used our indeavours according to our skill & have not forborn to travell in extreamities of cold, & heat any where, where we might have hopes to do his Majte service your Lords! hath formerly been pleased to intimat that their was a suply for us, either sent, or to be sent, of which we yet heare nothing, I beseech you to consider, that our expence is great, far more, when we are travelling, then when we are in Boston in our quarters, & it can not be avoided with honour. And I hope your Lordship will not forget to procure something from his Majte towards the expence, & trouble I was at in England in following this New England business, I shall desire M Breedon to waite on your Lords? about it.

Your Lordship knows I informed nothing but what was true, and as I said there, all things have come to pass hitherto here, I did prognostik the rebellion of the

Massachusets governour, & councell; & now they have made good what I said. I am the man they looke on to be their cheife enemy, & on that accoumpt make no conscience of abusing me: yet I praise God for it, they have nothing justly to say against me. and may I but retein your Lordships favour, I care not for what they can say or doe, which favour I humbly beg, & shall endeavo in any thing I may in some measure to deserve. And shall much rejoyce, if while I live, I be any wayes serviceable to his Majte his Highness or your Lordship,

& shall ever remaine

Cap Carterett, who ariued in May at Virginia, sent mee yo' Lords of the 11th of Feb with the inclosed Duplicate of a former which never came to my hands, these arived heere the 22th of June, and this is the first opportunity which presented to returne answer from hence to virginia, and soe into England, My Lord those high expressions of yo' Lord's care for a supply to bee sent to the releife of our necessities keepes up the spiritts, both of Planters and soldiers, who will be contented to goe naked in his Maties service, wee haue rather hopes then feares of De Ruyters arivall, being allready better fitted then any other Plantacón in America, insoemuch that the Dutch heere who have Long hoped for and expected De Ruyter, begin to pray that hee may never attempt a peece of service to their soe certaine ruine I

must not flatter yor Lp with the Imaginary strength of the ffort which is truly inconsiderable against Land forces, but all his ffleet shall doe vs noe preiudice, I haue sett double stockadoes round, and mounted 40 peice of Cannon vpon the Walls & Batteryes I haue 200 men heere for the defence, besides the other Garrisons which may not bee Left naked. I haue furnisht all the English about mee with Armes & amunicōn, and disarmed only ye Burgers of this place in this posture our affaires stand, Tis his Mates and his Royall Highnesses their infinite goodnesse to countenance my poore endeavours in these parts with their Royall approbacōn, I shall dayly endeavour to become worthy of soe high an honno! My Lord I was soe much sollicited to bee present at Boston in hopes of a fayre Issue of his Maties Comission, that after haueing settled every thing in good order heere I made a journey through the Woods to Boston, and returne back in a moneths tyme, Of those transactions Coll Cartwright will giue yo' LPP a full account, who hath taken great paynes in the Employment, and is now vpon his returne into England. from him yo' Lapp will allsoe be more fully informed that the late Indenture made to my La Berkley and St George Carterett is to the manifest destruction of the Dukes Collony, for my lord, the very name of the Dukes power heere, hath bine one great motive for weell affected men to Remove hither out of other Collonies, men well affected to Monarchy, and haue found that our new Lawes are not contriued soe Democratically as the Rest, and when I was last at Boston, I did engage a hundred famillyes to remoove, and dispersed printed papers for their Encoragment, but good land is none of the least Arguments to a Planter which was then to bee found in the Dukes Pattent, but now is wholly giuen away, In discharge of my duty to his Royall Highnesse, and the trust reposed in mee I begg pardon for being very plaine in the matter, My Lord, all that part of the Duke's Pattent ioyneing to Nova Scotia is not worth a farthing, when it comes. to Long Island which is a place of common fame, I as