farther Eastward than Boston, where a Cargo of any kind could be sold in any reasonable Time or at a good Price for cash. Yea, from there they often send Wines and West india Produce to New York & Philadelphia, which latter in fact governs the whole Marketts of this extensive Continent and is the only Place where dry goods in particular (and they must be well laid in) Can be sold with any Dispatch or to Advantage. I know it's very common for eastern Lumber Vessels on their Return from the West indies [to] putt into Boston or Salem, there sell their cargoes and carry the money home, so that except a few hh of Rum, Sugar & Molasses, nothing will answer eastward of Portsmouth-there indeed a small West india Cargoe, a few coarse Goods, Iron & Salt might sell, Fish, Lumber, Oil, Spermacetti Candles and such Articles obtain'd in payment; But no horses east of Rhode Island and Connecticut. . . ." [In the spring of the following year, 1785, Febiger made a tour into Maine to note business prospects for himself and his Danish correspondent, and among other things reported as follows, June 15:] . . I am sorry to inform you, that on my Trip Eastward, I found in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Boston such an amazing Superfluity of all kinds of European goods, and them chiefly in the hands of British agents (about which the people make a great Bustle) that a large Number of the articles you mention might lay stor❜d for years. I thought and think still, that Philadelphia and New York were too full, but by no means equall to those places-the Reason is obvious, they have no Back Country to consume their Goods, being bounded by Canada.

66

I pro

We have almost ad infinitum. ceeded to Portsmouth, and to my great surprise found it equally stuff'd with Goods without a Purchaser. No trade going on except a little in the West india way for Fish Lumber Oil &c. &c. . . . . I know Russian Rubles, But never saw one in this Country-I will try to gett one but doubt of success, be pleas'd to send me one through your son. Among the common people they would not circulate without the sanction of the Bank of North America in this Place & the Banks of New York & Boston as I believe they are a mixed metal. Spanish Dollars are of the same value all over this Continent..

[It appears incidentally from the correspondence that the Danish Minister of Marine was also looking this way for spars for the Danish Navy, whereupon Febiger extended his business trip to the northward from New York, to report on lumber prospects elsewhere than in Maine. August 29, 1785, he writes to Sobotken :]

I push'd up Hudson's River as high as Fort Edward-here I found Pine Trees growing as large and as fine as any in the Eastern Country and all along the River grows Oak Timber of the first quality and size. I understood that some few sparrs had been gott down from here before the War, but found no man or Lott of men employ'd in that Business at present. Yett many are inclin'd if sufficient Encouragement is given next Winter.

"I quitted this settlement & push across a very hilly & woody Country to the head of Connecticut River-here grows the largest and finest Mast Tim

ber in the World. I saw one stick cutt down that measur'd 38 inches diameter & 114 feet in Length-a good many people are settled who in Winter follow getting out masts & other lumber-in proceeding down the River, at a Town call'd Northampton about 150 miles from the mouth, I came across the Gentleman, whom I alluded to as head of the wood cutters in my last (his name is Henry Porter). He has a large store & drives a considerable Trade up the River -he has about 40 sparrs on hand but not well assorted, yett they could be had next spring at New London. . . He readily agreed he could furnish a Cargo or more annually of the same dimensions and some larger (that is from 34 to 37, 38 & even 39) and deliver them in Lyme Cove inside of the Barr of the river, but started the difficulty of rafting them round to New London. I prevailed on him to go down the River with me, where we saw a great Number of excellent Sparrs, though none of the largest size intended for a ship of 300 tons now loading in New London for Lisbon. We found, that in all the months of May, June, July & August, yea almost till November, the sparrs are rafted round to New London, being only 18 or 20 Miles by Water, with very little difficulty, and indeed in the 3 former months a ship might anchor & take in her cargo off the Barr.

"

[In this letter Col. Febiger also makes mention as follows of the probability of being embarrassed in these commercial ventures by certain unexpected acts of legislation he had just heard of:]

“. . . . Since my return from the eastward the state of Massachusetts (see ing the brittish monopolizing all the car

rying Trade and shutting their ports against the American flag) did on the 24th of June last pass an Act for the Regulation of their Comerce (& Newhampshire I am told are about passing a similar one) which imposes such heavy Tonnage Light monney and other Dutys on foreign Vessels as amounts almost to a total prohibition. This Law it is true and it will appear evident to you was chiefly intended to affect the Brittish only, and to force the Rest of the United States into measures of empowering Congress to regulate American Commerce on Terms of equality with other Nations. The Rest of the States seem dispos'd to give Congress the necessary Powers-it is therefore to be presum'd that this Law will not continue in Force so long as to affect our Scheme, and even if it should, I have prepar'd for the worst and can procure the Cargo elsewhere in case of necessity.

[Febiger complained of this law to his Boston correspondent, Nathaniel Paine, informing him that he should be obliged to transfer his orders from that place to Portsmouth or Connecticut River, and then, by way of a reminder, adds :]

His Danish Majesty's Ports in the West Indies has ever been open to American Vessels both under Brittish and our own Government. The Island of Faro was a free port to American Vessels in the War-the rest of his European Ports were in the war and still continue as open and unrestricted to the 13 Stripes as to any other Flag whatever. To retaliate on the haughty Brittons is truly just, But how your Legislature could either reconcile it to their Feelings, or more powerfull Interest, to putt their allies, Friends and inoffensive neutral

“.

You mention that the present Minister of Marine is much interested as well as yourself about the Sparr trade. I have fully explain'd that any quantity and usefull size can be gott in this Country and upon Comparative better Terms than from Riga or elsewhere. I wrote my Friend an officer of Rank in the french Navy at Brest, & was here in the war, who gave me the fullest Information on this subject.

"The next object of my Contemplation and Enquirys has been what staple of Denmark & Norway (without draining you of Cash) would answer best to procure them.

Iron appears to me the Principle. Butt it, as well as all other Wares and Merchandize must be made after a Model that will suit the people of this country. Inclos'd N° 1 shows the most saleable sizes both in Barrs and Manufactur'd Iron. Edge Tools, Implements of Husbandry and household must be made by Pattern that can be procur'd & sent you at a future Day or they will not answer. N° 2 explains the articles of Copper & Brass. Goods from China will answer next summer but no longer. Two large Ships is now fitting out here, one at New York and one at Baltimore destin'd for Canton encourag'd by a pretty good Voyage of last Year made by a Capt" Green in a Ship call'd the Empress of China-a ship under Command of a Capt Bell went to Pondicherry at the same time. . . ." [To the same, May 22a 1786:]

You need no longer dread

That

on a general System and upon Terms of equality with other Powers. This Salutary step will give a new Face to American affairs and I hope revive its almost expiring credit.-Agent Budenhof's Information and Opinions relative to American masts are truly erroneous. I will readily admitt that masts compos'd of many Pieces have their advantages; But when the additional expenses are calcu lated, I am well convinc'd an American Mast would have the Preference. old and experienc'd naval Power Great Brittain gott large supplies out of Connecticut River before the late war-She at the expense of much Blood and Treas ure took and maintained a Post at Penobscot for this purpose during the War, and to this Day although the Pine of Nova Scotia is at least 50 pr c1 worse than that of Connecticut, they still Continue to gett masts from thence. There is Pitch pine in the greatest Quantity to be had in Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia, and nearly at the same price though not so large as the white & yellow Pine of New England, neither is it esteem'd for masts being generally too heavy and full of Knotts.

[How far the Colonel engaged in this branch of trade and served either Sobotken or the Danish government does not appear. A few years later, his business affairs not proving wholly successful, he accepted some public offices and died, highly respected, as Treasurer of the State of Pennsylvania.]

REPRINTS

THE BOSTON MARTYRS

Our friend Ebenezer Pope informed me that he had made it a point to be particular in his inquiry, in order to ascertain the place where our Friends William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson were put to death, and he thought he could fix the spot within a few rods. The histories of Friends which mention the transaction are not explicit on that head-neither is it very material yet when one is at Boston it seems quite natural to make some inquiry about it, tho' the inhabitants now show rather an aversion to having the matter revived; and indeed, christian charity would forbid our making the children answerable for the misconduct of their forefathers, whose deeds they condemn, both in word and conduct. However, there can be nothing criminal in endeavoring to fix the place where the tragedy was enacted.

Ebenezer Pope told me several circumstances tending to fix the spot, which he led me to, very nearly. Some of them, for my own satisfaction, I will set down here: He says one of our historians mentions a boat with some sober people, coming from Nantasket, to see the bloody business, who sat therein, while it was performed, in a little creek near the gallows. The entrance of this creek is still visible near Boston Neck, and the remaining ground toward the opposite shore, a little more than a quarter of a mile over, is still low, tho' it has been filled up considerably for building.

He further says that old Friend Bagnet told him of a conversation which he had

with an Old Woman at Charleston, who informed him she was about ten years old when the occurrence happened, and got leave of her parents to go and see the execution, and after crossing Penny Ferry, as it was then called, she ran along the beach until she came in view of the gallows, which by the present situation of land and water tends to fix the place somewhere near where our Friend Pope supposed it to be.

Add to this his account of a Public Friend from England, who when here was concerned to make inquiry on the subject, and walking out to the place, and leaning on the fence, after a pause, said, "Here lie my dear Friends: I smell their bones."

Also, a sober neighbour of his, being near the spot during the late troubles, related to him (that is, E. Pope) as follows: Ruminating in his mind over the judgments which then hung over the land, and being deeply thoughtful and pensive of the cause, was made, as by a secret impulse, to stand still, and a voice as it were ran through his mind-Here lie the innocent Quakers, and the very spot, or place, seemed pointed out to him in a very particular manner.

All these circumstances unite to render it almost certain that somewhere near the place he showed me, the affecting tragedy was performed.

Bishop tells us that when their lives were taken they were denied burial, and their naked bodies cast into a hole, and not permitted to be covered; which was soon after overflowed with water which probably might have been occasioned by the rising of the tide over the low grounds already mentioned.