Office, which came of course into my hands altho' I did not think proper to answer them.

The boat is at his Majesty's fort, fitted for your use, when you order it. The keys of the magazine and store-houses, I have always kept in my possession, and as soon as I have an opportunity to see the Secretary, I shall cause them to be delivered into your hands.

When you have recovered from the fatigues of your journey, and your time will permit it, I shall highly esteem the favor of your company at Little Harbor, where I have been confined for more than three years, otherwise I should have received you in the Council Chamber. I am with great truth and regard, Sir,

Your Excellency's most obedient
humble Servant,

His Excellency,

B. WENTWORTH.

JOHN WENTWORTH, Esq.

Letter from Governor John Wentworth to Col. Thomas W. Waldron.

Sir,

Mr. Benjamin Hart, Overseer of my designations in the wilderness-and Mr. William Webb who is to reside there as Farmer in future; are now on their first expedition to clear a few acres and build an humble habitation at Wolfboro' for me. They may want assistance to forward them and their stores from Dover to Rochester, and to be supplied with ten bushels of Indian meal. beg your favor in this matter, we are young settlers and depend greatly on the benevolent aid of the country to promote our work. If the soil and other advantages encourage me, I will take meas

I

ures to populate that part of the province, within ten years, more usefully than is now seen, from this town to Florida.-I rejoice with you on the reviving spring, and hope within a fortnight to see your country covered with verdure. Beginning to be a farmer, I cannot other than wish you a favorable seed time; but being also desirous of indulging myself in a more essential pleasure, I beg leave to assure you that I am with real sincerity and regard,--Dear Sir,

Portsmouth,

25th April, 1768.

Your real Friend, and most
Obedient Servant,

J. WENTWORTH.

TO THOMAS WESTBROOK WALDRON, Esq.

Col. Isaac Royall's Letter to Secretary Waldron. Charlestown, April 4th, 1752.

Sir,

I sometime ago wrote you at large, since which I am without any of your favors, and as the small pox spreads very fast in Boston, and is likely to go through our part of the country, I am afraid I shall not be able to hold a correspondence with you which I have always esteemed as an honor, therefore embrace this opportunity and would inform you of the death of that most worthy and accomplished friend of yours and mine, His Excellency Gov. Belcher, a great loss truly to New-England, as well as to the government over which he last presided.

I hear the Don has dissolved your house after making a pompous speech, casting all the blame on the house, which may perhaps more property belong to another branch of the legislative powe

among you. But I doubt not but you are both willing and able to wipe off all the aspersions cast against you, and set the affair in such a light that the saddle may lay on the right horse's back.

I have enclosed you the votes of the house and would let you know that the General Court now sits at Cambridge for fear of the small pox, and at a general council there held this day, His Honor has been pleased in his consummate wisdom to appoint Chambers Russell, Esq. one of the Judges for the province, and likewise constituted Stephen Sewall, Esq. Chief Judge over our good friend Col. Salstonstall's head, a very uncommon and I believe I may say an original and unprecedented thing, and I can't but think because I hope the Colonel will show his resentment at such an high affront offered him, and never set at the bench in a degraded seat.

I was this day invited to dinner by his Honor at his house, which by the way is a very strange thing for any one to be, but I had a very good excuse for refusing, having invited a considerable number of the house to dine with me.

His Honor sent a message to the House to consider what addition we would make to his salary granted last session which was three hundred pounds lawful money. But it would not take, but was very generally voted against, and I am apt to think the more so because of the affront offered to the house by negativing of me, and the reasons he assigned therefor.

And now I mention this I must claim a sort of promise from you to give me your advice what I had best to do before the next election, whether I had best print the letter I wrote his honor or what else, and I promise on my part to follow your directions, not doubting but I shall be guided into those measures that are most proper to be taken by me relating to that affair.

You have doubtless heard of the death of Edward Hutchinson, Esq., judge of the probate of wills for the County of Suffolk, and justice of the common pleas for said County, and yesterday his honor put Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., his nephew into those posts and also made him a justice throughout the province. Thus he provides for his creatures, and if it had laid in his power would have made him Treasurer of Harvard College too, which post the deceased Mr. Hutchinson also had. But the Corporation had elected Mr. speaker Hubbard their Treasurer. His honor has likewise in honor to his relation Thomas Palmer, Esq., who lately died in Scotland, called a town in the province by the name of Palmer Town, and out of gratitude to his patron, called a District in Salem, Danvers, a very cheap and easy way of being grateful.

Please to pay Mrs. Royall's and my compliments to your lady and Capt. Waldron, and Mr. Henry Sherburne, and accept of them in sincerity from, Sir,

Your most obliged and

very humble Servant,

ISAAC ROYALL.

Hon. RICHARD WALDRON, Esq.

Petition addressed to Gov. John Wentworth, against the location of Dartmouth College at Hanover. Found among the Belknap Papers.

Sir,

Finding by the public papers that Dartmouth College, an Institution worthy your Excellency's patronage, is to be placed in Hanover, I beg liberty (although I must secrete my name) to suggest

a few things to your Excellency's consideration, which I am moved to from a hearty desire, that learning may flourish in your Province, and that the good ends you had in view in giving a charter on the most generous and Catholic plan may be answered, which I am persuaded no other Governor on the Continent would have done, by which I, (and I am not alone in opinion,) think, you have in conjunction with the other Trustees in your Province the sole right in equity to determine at what particular Town the College shall be fixed in, without the intermeddling of any of the Trustees in Connecticut, who, (were they not of the clerical order which alone is enough to determine them unfit to that service,) can't be supposed to be sufficiently acquainted with your Province, to determine on the place and altho' I have little acquaintance with the Doctor, who I understand is appointed President, and of whom from his public character I have a good opinion, yet he is liable to be imposed on, and, from designing men may be, and I doubt not has been wretchedly imposed on in this affair. However, whether the Doctor has been imposed on or not, 'tis generally said that the Province and the publick are for a more unpleasant spot on Connecticut River, within the Province, cannot be found than Hanover, both in point of soil or prospect, it being horridly broken on the river; and in the back part of the town, very muddy and scarce a running stream upon it, and but one within the limits of the town, that can in any measure answer for mills, and 'tis thought by many who have viewed that stream, that it is not sufficient for one mill. As to my own knowledge I can say that I have travelled thro' said town twice, and am satisfied that my informers are not mistaken, and altho' I live at a good distance from the Doctor, yet as I happened to get an acquaintance, last winter, with Col.