patch: but while the colonies remain divided, and nothing can be transacted but with their universal assent, it is impossible to maintain the one, or proceed with the other. Without a general constitution for warlike operations, we can neither plan nor execute. We have a common interest, and must have a common council; one head and one purse. The French service is unexposed to those embarrassments; and hence they project without discovery; and we scarce collect their designs, before we are attacked and defeated. Hitherto they have prosecuted the war with superior advantage; and yet the militia of the province of the Massachusetts-Bay alone, undoubtedly exceeds, by some thousands, all the troops of Canada. Since the commencement of the present hostilities, his Majesty has lost above 3000 loyal subjects: and as all the Indians are at the devotion of the French, and Oswego is now lost, many thousand farms, before the opening of the next spring, will probably be abandoned; and the interior settlements deluged with the innocent blood of all ages and sexes. Indeed, my Lord, it is not beneath the most elevated station, to indulge the benevolent feelings of humanity; nor, retiring awhile from the pomp and gaiety that surrounds you, to shed a pitying tear over families inhumanly bereft of their substance, or more inhumanly slaughtered in their beds. It is a celebrated saying, and does honour to human nature, "Homo sum, et nihil humanum a me alienum puto."

What the present or the next campaign will bring forth, is known only to the Omniscient Governor of the universe. The colonies are nearly exhausted, and their funds already anticipated by expensive, unexecuted projects and whether they will still continue their efforts, or resign to a listless despair, is uncertain. I fear the worst; and yet you know, my Lord, I am not of a melancholy cast. There is too much reason for general concern and I venture to predict, what every judicious. person foresees, that unless some successful blow is struck, and speedily struck, at the power of France, Britain must inevitably lose her possessions in America: An event, my Lord, of the most tremendous consequence to us, to you, to the Protestant religion, to the peace of Europe; yes, and to the peace and happiness of all mankind.

Hitherto we have wasted our strength in lopping off branches, when the axe should have been laid to the root of the tree. Canada, my Lord, Canada must be demolished. Delenda est Carthago, or we are undone. Strength sufficient have we left, with proper assistance, for a decisive struggle: but a lingering consumption will infallibly enervate and destroy. France has been, ever can, and will be annually, throwing over fresh troops into her colony, in defiance of our great maritime force: and should peace ensue, even before our ruin is completed, what will be the state of these provinces upon the next rupture between the two crowns, when the frontier country is filled with our enemies? As you therefore value, my noble Lord, the cause of liberty; the glory of the British name; the honour and dignity of the best of Kings; and the preservation of these colonies from bloody carnage and total ruin; exert, I beseech you, exert your influence, to extirpate this brood of French savages from the face of the continent. In a scheme so decisive, and in no other, will the provinces heartily unite; and if well concerted, and our unfortified seacoasts at the same time sufficiently protected, it will doubtless succeed; humble the pride of France; and close the present war with a lasting and honourable peace. I am, my Lord, with the profoundest respect,

your Lordship's most obliged and obedient servant. NEW-YORK, Sept. 20, 1756.

A DESCRIPTION OF WISCASSET, AND OF THE RIVER SHEEPSCOT. BY REV. ALDEN BRADFORD, MINISTER AT WISCASSET, S. H. S.

JUDGE Sullivan, in his History of the District of Maine, Dr. Morse, in his Gazetteer and Geography, and the Duc de Liancourt, in his volume of travels through the United States and Canada, have given some account of Wiscasset. But they are very partial, and in some instances erroneous in their statements; and a particular and accurate description of this place and river, though considerably celebrated for the nautical enterprise of the inhabitants, and for its great advantages with respect to navigation, has never yet been published.

Wiscasset is situated on the western branch of Sheepscot river, about twenty miles from the island of Seguin;* which lies two miles off the neck, or point of land that separates the entrances into the rivers Kennebec and Sheepscot. The mouth of Kennebec is very narrow; only about half a mile; and the current exceedingly rapid. But the entrance into Sheepscot, for seven or eight miles above Seguin, presents the appearance of a large bay. The width gradually lessens. But even at the distance from its mouth, just mentioned, it is two miles and upwards. Five miles below Wiscasset, the river becomes much more confined, and the banks are high. In some places, it is little more than half a mile. The water is very deep, generally from fifteen to twenty fathoms.

In one place, a mile below Wiscasset, where the river is only about one hundred rods wide, there are not more than eleven fathoms. There is not less water in any place in the river, below this settlement: and it is navigable for the largest ships with perfect safety, as high as this place. In the year 1775, two British men of war came up the river opposite the town. And merchant ships of more than five hundred tons are owned here; which lay afleet at low water, when loaded, at some of the wharves.

Against the compact part of the town, and for a short distance above and below, the river is nearly a mile wide. The navigation is rather difficult for large vessels above this place. But those of an hundred tons may safely ascend about four miles higher up the river, to New-Castle. Here is a fall of water, which prevents any other craft than boats to proceed farther into the country. The tide-water continues yet five miles higher, where the river is very small, and fit only for the business of mills; several of which are here advantageously situated. Over the river, half a mile above the fall, there is a toll bridge, built in 1795, which is six hundred feet in length. The land, where is the compact and mercantile part of the town, approaches to a point; or, is rather two sides of a parallelogram; the longest of which is the bank of the river, lying about N. by E. and S. by W.;

* This island is in lat. 43. 52. long. 68.

and the shortest side, the margin of a small bay, or inlet, which, on the south of the settlement, encroaches on the main about one hundred and forty rods, for the distance of three fourths of a mile.

The course of the river, from its mouth, both above and below Wiscasset, is nearly N. by E. But in some places, for short distances, it varies from this direction. A little below Wiscasset point, it is diverted from its general course to a N. W. one, where the bed of the river is narrow; but soon again continues its usual direction.

On the west side of Sheepscot river, near its mouth, is Parker's island. This is in Georgetown; and extends a few miles, when the island of Jeremysquam continues to bound this shore of the river, within a mile of Wiscasset point. This island extends about twelve miles in length, and is in some places a mile and a half; but generally from one to half a mile wide. The western side of this island is separated from the southern part of Wiscasset, and from a part of Woolwich, (which is adjoining Wiscasset on the S. W.) by a cross river running from Sheepscot, and falling into the Kennebec opposite to Bath, about eight miles from its mouth. This cross river meets the Sheepscot about a mile south of Wiscasset point, where the course of this latter river, for a short distance, makes a right angle with its general direction; and thus a bay is formed of about two miles by one; which is very convenient and pleasant.

The cross river communicating with Kennebec, is a J great advantage to Wiscasset. Lumber of all kinds is brought here from various parts of the Kennebec, and from Amariscoggin. Vessels of seventy and eighty tons pass through this cross river loaded. And a new light ship of 400 tons has been carried through here, by taking advantage of the tide and current, which, in some places, where the river is narrow, is very rapid.

Beside the great depth, and the comparative stillness of the water in Sheepscot, there is another advantagefor navigation, which it has over most other rivers in the District of Maine: It is seldom obstructed by ice in the coldest and longest winters. It has sometimes been known to be frozen, for one or two days, about half the

distance from the Point, where is the lowest wharf, to the narrows; that is, half a mile. But even then, the ice was easily removed. And below this, it never freezes. Only once in six years, though there have been several very severe winters in this period, has the river been frozen as low as the Point, and then it continued only about twenty-four hours. A little higher, at the most northern wharves, the ice is often entirely across the river, and sometimes continues several days.

The water here flows and ebbs from ten to fifteen feet; generally about twelve; which is nearly the same as at Boston. And it is remarkable, that at Portsmouth, Portland, and other places between this and Boston, the tide flows less than in these two harbours.

There are ten considerable wharves in this place, one of which is 550 feet in length. It is about eighty rods higher up the river than that at the Point, which is adjoining the channel of the river. The long wharf also runs off to the edge of the channel; so that very large vessels, laden, are afleet at these, when the water is the lowest.

The compact part of the town consists of about one hundred and thirty dwelling-houses; some of which are large and elegant. The stores are numerous; and some of them spacious, and ornamental to the town. There are four streets running parallel with the river, distant from one another about twelve rods. These are intersected at right angles, about eighty rods north of the Point, by a street 140 feet wide, passing down a gentle descent by the meeting and court houses, (which are handsome buildings,) in almost a straight course to the head of the long wharf. This is the main street leading into the village from the W. and N. W. The street leading out of town to the eastward is the continuation of the third, which is parallel with the river. It leaves the main street about fifty rods from the river, and its course is straight for three quarters of a mile, when it winds to the N. E.

On the east side of the river, opposite to Wiscasset, is the town of Edgecombe. The island of Jeremysquam, which lies on the west side of the Sheepscot below Wiscasset, and as high up as the narrows, before mentioned, belongs to this town, and not to Woolwich, as Judge Sullivan asserts in his History of Maine.