gov. dongan’s report on the province of new-york.

97

the like again whereas on the contrary were it built of Lime & Stone it may bee far more easilymaintained, And truly its very necessary to have a Fort there, it being a frontier place both to theIndians @ ffrench

At Pemaquid there is another Fort built after the same manner as I am informed a particular descrip-tion whereof I am not capable of giving having never been there however its a great chargeFon m? to this Govermn 4 without being any thing of advantage to it, having officers there with

Connecticut . , . , , , f . , , , t j , .

twenty men always in pay, And which makes it yet more chargeable, 1 am iorcea to sendfrom time to time provisions @ stores thither, altho’ its near four hundred miles from this place IfHis Maty were pleased that I might draw of the men and arms from that place with the guns beingof light carriage @ that I might have leave to put them further into the country I would place themwhere I will give your Lo h P an acc 4 hereafter

And then if his Maty were further pleased to annex that place to Boston , being very convenientfor them in regard to its vicinity affording great store of Fishery @ Islands fit for that purpose lyingall along to the eastward of them—And in lieu of that to add to this Government Connecticut @Rhode Island, Connecticut being so conveniently situate in its adjacing to us and soe inconvenientfor the people of Boston by reason of its being upwards of two hundred miles distance from thence,Besides Connecticut as it now is takes away from us almost all the land of value that lies adjoyneingto Hudsons River @ the best part of the river itself, Besides as wee found by experience if that placebee not annexed to that Government it will bee impossible to make any thing considerable of hisMa‘y s customs @ revenues in Long Island they carry away with 4 entring all our oyles which is thegreatest part of what wee have to make returns of from this place: And from Albany and that wayup the river—our Beaver & Peltry.

This Government too has an undoubted right to it by charter which his late Ma‘y of Blessed Memorygranted to our present King, and indeed if the form of the Government bee altered these people willrather choose to come under this than that Govern 4 of Boston as y r Lo’p 8 will p’ceive by their pre-sent Gov iS Ires directed to me

And as for East Jersey it being situate on the other side of Hudsons river @ between us @ where thewesUetKy r * ver disembogues itself into the sea paying noe custom @ having likewise the advantageof having better land @ most of the settlers there out of this Governm 4 . Wee are like to

ee deserted by a great many of our merchants whoe intend to settle there if not annexed to thisGovernment-

Last year two or three ships came in there with goods @ I am sure that that Country cannot, noenot with the help of West Jersey consume one thousand £b in goods in two years soe that the rest oftheir goods must have been run into this Government without paying his Maty 8 customs and indeedtheres noe possibility of preventing it.

And as for Beaver @ Peltry its impossible to hinder its being carried thither, the Indians value notthe length of their journey soe as they can come to a good market, which these people can betterafford than wee they paying noe custom or excise inwards or outwards.

An other inconveniency by the Governments remaining as it does is that privateers and others cancome within Sandy Hook and take what Provisions @ goods they please from that side. Alsoe veryoften shipps bound to this place break bulk there @ run their goods into that Colony with intentafterwards to import the same privately @ at more leisure into this Province notwithstanding theiroath, they salving themselves with this evasion that that place is not in this Goverm 4 , To day anInterloper landed five tun @ one half of teeth there, to prevent all which inconveniences @ for thesecuring of this place from enemys, I desire to have an order to make up a small Fort with twelveguns upon Sandy-Hook the channell there being soe near the shore that noe vessel can goe in nor outbut she must come soe neare the Point that from on board one might toss'a biscuit cake on shore.

[Vol. I.] 13