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" 。 - -- - 樂事 ​-。 . 。 “ 事 ​. 。 しかない​。 中​, 一 ​| : “ : : | * ・・ 。 : 一是 ​是是是​。」 : 考 ​- 子 ​“..- - : “ | 的学 ​* 。 一 ​看​, 中学 ​- 111 * ” . : 一年 ​佳 ​。 . , \ 4 ,4 了 ​一本​, : : 贸 ​lr : : . * 4 . : 1 年代​, 4. " 事 ​等等 ​*多 ​. : . . . 牛 ​| ·军事 ​- . * 本 ​高 ​, 中年 ​. - - . , - : - 車 ​-- - 单一​, 生物 ​. ” 的 ​, . ,事事​: : ·”, , * 事 ​。 中学 ​在 ​. . .. 皇上​。” - 書 ​共 ​, 了 ​4 事 ​P. 一 ​9月 ​事业单子 ​章节 ​* ** * 事 ​、 * : " 。 中学生 ​,至 ​- - 其中一个学生​, . 一 ​* f 量 ​} 4 :: Pric -- - , : .. i " ; Ter : ”。 注 ​, 李一 ​“ ** * | 其实 ​14 自己 ​” , * 特色​: ,, ; ; 是了 ​“ |一 ​是​, 更新​: ¥1,11月 ​年​, 对 ​事中事 ​" * 是​, -- 型​。 事​, 了​. 中 ​, 它 ​「哥​.” : * ty : ::: 即 ​:, 大的​, F難​。” : : 'P .. , ” *. 二岁​。 :: . 。 年1 A . 是一 ​手 ​, - , 以上 ​- t : 。 : *、 * 单集 ​” + 非 ​> 。 | · . 事由 ​- 事 ​* . "# 以上 ​- 本 ​* ' = , , - : = 國一上学 ​TA, 。 -、 * 本 ​「 * · - 了一 ​中 ​式​, 。 re 1 . 中 ​* - # 一​, Y 事件​, “ 其中​, ATM , *** * - - - - - . : 一一一一 ​. “在 ​本 ​我 ​其1.1 生了一 ​- - - - . * 事实​” - - . *4 一事​, 等等 ​- - 非會​" 事 ​, 4、 。 事 ​- 博e 年华​。 。 E身上​, .手了 ​* , てい ​其中​, “ 量 ​我 ​是的准备​: 一 ​,一擊 ​( . , ** 在學校 ​, AA " * At 主体 ​普 ​* 。 一一一一 ​F1車 ​* 非主建 ​對 ​rt, 17: 1 * ” 「 上 ​r THE 31 , 中 ​| , 鲁 ​, 「 。 = 中華 ​鲁鲁 ​一 ​, . - - - 基​”, 了一些 ​事​, : 1 . 大 ​, 。 . 事​- L 1, 4 了 ​, 代 ​NT: 1 作者 ​' 查看 ​t 、 一​。 臺 ​“ 1 It . 1 -- : 國畫​,一直 ​: e ' h || 中 ​, “ , 我 ​。 ·” ” . 一步发 ​中国​” 是 ​中 ​.. 其实​, . 量 ​معنی , - 了​, - - 本 ​身基 ​1元​,是 ​, 事 ​, . 1.重量​: - 。 ” 事业 ​, :" ” - 一 ​.. “有事​, 、 日本推出 ​rist , * * 學學 ​ht . - 事 ​一 ​「- - : . : 量- ​全書 ​: ” : 其事單一事件 ​「 ++. . , : , 好了​, . 事帶​, 事情​, | 。 主 ​: 中 ​- - . 在这儿 ​尊重 ​* lic 事业​, 的人​, AP, 持 ​r 学了 ​.. 其一 ​. + : + : :: : , . 1 . 。 Air Is - , - - - . . ** 中体 ​E Fai 「 4F半​-- - , 、 . 年 ​在 ​, 重量 ​{ - 4 - :1, . " - . ) " 是鲁鲁 ​了 ​- “人生是一對​, :: 事业等单 ​* - . . - - - 也 ​K - - 「Elix" , 4. 15 ::: 产 ​青華 ​- --- * “ 长 ​者​「 争​。 . 14: * . 了 ​- , . 4444 , | 手上非 ​11.1 - 本 ​: 年​, : ” , , 中 ​. . * :. :: . . : 特里 ​, * “. …. 中士 ​步 ​"h 14: 。 A : . 五 ​当中​, 其中一 ​- i .. . PROPERT University of max: g 1817 k ARTES SCIENTIA VERITAS BOLESTI THIS OLD SPOD WIL.. . AT - . NEWPORT, R. I. SEE . K . 2 ..? . TS hat :. : . :::.. . Si i 2! CONFIDO INO IN Fun DOM . TA 9oQoconnona00202 b oonononooOO. Seong00 ROBERT SEDGWICK. 20500noooooooorronog0000OCOOC00099999003000000000000000999000 2.D.Frenc foc!, 1896 WA MITT VINNUNNI OLD MILL, IN WARWICKSHIRE, ENGLAND. THE CONTROVERSY TOUCHING THE OLD STONE MILL, IN THE TOWN OF NEWPORT, RHODE - ISLAND. WITH REMARKS, INTRODUCTORY AND CONOLUSIVE. NEWPORT : VA CHARLES E. HAMMETT, JR. MDCCCLI. MASON & PRATT, NEWPORT, R.I. ᏢᎪᎡᎢ I : It is well known to the travelling public, and, through them, to many others, that there stands, on a beautiful and breezy hill, in the ancient and historical town of Newport, at the southern end of Rhode Island, a sin- gular stone structure, which has, from an immemorial period, defied alike the tooth of time and the wits of antiquarians. It is variously called the Round Tower, the Newport Ruin and the Old Stone Mill. Some years ago it had become celebrated as the central object of certain scenes in Cooper's Red Rover, and, within a few years, the popularity of Newport, as a summer re- sort, has made it almost the first question put to any one who goes from here to other parts of the country, " What do you make of that old stone mill?!! Concerning the origin and object of this unique structure, there are, at home and abroad, divers con- jectures. Probably ninety-nine hundredths (we had almost said nine hundred and ninety-nine thousandths) of the Newport people are satisfied that it is “ nothing but an old stone mill," though, perhaps, we ought to say that some think it may have been originally intended for a look-out, or a retreat and fortress, or perhaps for a mill, fort and watch-tower, all together. But while the inhabitants regard it as the substructure of a grist- mill, the society of Danish antiquarians at Copenhagen have published a learned dissertation to show that it was probably the superstructure of a baptistery, con- nected with a Church which, it would seem, was to have INTRODUCTION. been erected on the spot, or went to ruin, after it was erected, by the Northmen, who are 'believed to have visited Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 10th century. This, of course, is regarded by the Newport- ers as a Quixotic tilt at their old wind-mill, and one of them is disposed to hum to himself something in the style of a venerable Lilliputian Quarto, familiar to our infancy: There was an Old Mill, that stood on a hill,' And while it stands there, it stands there still. That's the Old Mill of which they tell lies, Jump into briars and scratch out their eyes, And then go home and think they're wondrous wise. However, it will have to be admitted, we think, that there has been a little too much confidence, in many quarters, as to the age, authorship and design of this strange relic; that (to borrow a word from Bailey's Festus) this instoned inystery will not soon, if ever, be solved; that this is one of the hardest nuts, that Father Time ever gave his antiquarian children to crack. If the old curiosity was here when the first settlers came in 1638, it seems almost unaccountable that they should not have left several allusions to it, some one of which, indirectly, should have escaped the destruction of records : and, on the other hand, if they or their children built it, as there is no evidence that it was according to a then common style of building, it would seem sirange, again, that it passed without notice. It is contended, however, by many Newport people, (how plausibly, the pages of this pamphlet must show,) that we have an implied account of its origin and object When we take, in connexion with trustworthy tradition, the words of an extant ancient document, the will of the first Charter Governor of the Colony, We propose, then, under these covers, partly for the sake of gratifying present curiosity, and partly as a con- tribution towards that so desirable work,the history of the quaint and memorable town of Newport,--to publish to- gether all the letters, newspaper articles and recorded doc- uments we ean find, which have been elicited by the Old 11 INTRODUCTION. reminiscences as may seem worth preserving in print. It may be well, before presenting these papers, to give a short summary, what the French might call an avant-resume, of the history of the controversy res- pecting the Newport Ruin (or, more properly, relic, for the stone work is probably as sound as ever.) Some time in the year 1847 a communication, from some stranger, appeared in the Newport Mercury, ask- ing information about the origin, age and design of the so called Old Stone Mill. It was answered by some one in the Providence Journal, over the signature of “Antiquarian, Brown University," who, in a very ela- borate article, with the utmost gravity, proceeded to impose upon the innocent inquirer an alleged histori- cal statement, which we shall call the Mill Hour ; for it is, as a historical humbug, paralleled only by the celebrated Moon Hoax, which our readers will remem- ber to have heard of, some years ago, by a (really) able mathematician in New York. He gravely an- nounced, accompanying the statement with a long array ability of the fact, that Sir John Herschel had, at the Cape of Good Hope, by the aid of the latest improve- ments in the telescope, ascertained that any object which should cover an area of not less than a square mile in the moon could be now seen from the earth. With equal coolness our wag announced that, no longer ago than 1832, one Professor Scrobein, and other emi- nent men (of our own town,) dug round and under the old mill and satisfied themselves and the Copenhagen Antiquarian Society that it was really a Scandinavian relic. We need not here anticipate any further the reader of the correspondence itself, which grew out of this audacious waggery. One would have thought the - very name of Scrobein (a sort of dog-German for a scratcher into the ground) would have thrown suspicion on the thing, but the name of Professor Graetz, con- nected with it, saved appearances very ingeniously.- We would mention here, that we ourselves, before that INTRODUCTIONC . publication, remember to have heard something about excavations having been made round the Old Mill,* and its having been ascertained that the pillars, after enter- ing the ground, converged, till the building stood, bow- legged, as it were, on a broad flat stone; and we recollect its being remarked that this was the strongest way of building a foundation. And we recollect thinking, toc, that, perhaps, this flat stone might have served as the bottom of the baptizing font. Now either we dreamed this, or else the great historical hoax was already brewing in the atmosphere. Mr. Melville's letter, speaks very cautiously about the Old Mill, and says one ought to be on the spot to judge with any confidence as to what may be inferred from architectural appearances; and he well might say this, for in the drawing of the Mill which was sent to him, all the rough corners were carefully smoothed over, and the hip joints, so to speak, disappeared, and the old elephant legs were dressed in nicely ironed pan- taloons. A similar misrepresentation may be seen in the Penny Magazine for February 1844. These mistakes were acknowledged in Dr. Webb's second communication to Prof. Rafn ; but there was a still greater misrepresentation left unacknowledged, namely, the statement that the stones in the ancient structure were “ laid in regular courses.” We cannot more appropriately close this introduction, and draw the curtain, as it were, over the Prologue of our book, than by quoting Mr. Longfellow's Poem. Tle Skeleton 2 28 of 172 Our. [Tip following ballad was suggested to me while riding on the sea-shore at Newport. A year or two previous a skeleton bad been dug up at Fall River, clad in broken and corroded armior; and the idea occurred to me of connecting it with the Round Tower at New- port, generally known hitherto as the Old Windmill, though now claimed by the Danes as a work of their early ancestors. * In fact there must have been some digging, else how could Dr. Webb kuow that the pillars are sunk four feet in the ground ? INTRODUCTION. * * I will not enter into a discussion of the point. It is sufficiently well established for the purpose of a ballad; though doubtless many an honest citizen of Newport, who has passed his days within sight of the Round Tower, will be ready to exclaim with Sancho,—“God bless me! did I not warn you to have a care of what you were doing, for that it was nothing but a windmill; and nobody could mistake it, but one who had the like in his head."7-Author's Note. “SPEAK! speak I thou fearful guest! Who, with thy hollow breast Still in rude armor drest, Comest to daunt me! Wrapt not in Eastern balms, But with thy fleshless palms Stretched, as if asking alms," Why dost thou haunt me?" Then, from those cavernous eyes Pale flashes seemed to rise, As when the Northern skies Gleam in December; And, like the water's flow Under December's snow, Came a dull voice of woe From the heart's chamber. "I was a Viking old! My deeds, though manifold, No Skald in song has told, No Saga taught thee! Take heed, that in thy verse Thou dost the tale rehearse, Else dread a dead man's curse! For this I sought thee. “Far in the Northern Land, By the wild Baltic's strand, I, with my childish hand, Tamed the ger-falcon; And, with my skates fast bound, Skimmed the half-frozen Sound, That the poor whimpering hound Trembled to walk on * Oft to his frozen lair Tracked I the grisly bear, While from my path the hare Fled like a shadow; Oft through the forest dark CO INTRODUCTION Followed the were-woll's bark, Until the soaring lark Sang from the meadow. " But when I older grew, O'er the dark sea I flew With the marauders. Wild was the life we led; Many the souls that sped, Many the hearts that bled, By our stein orders. " Many a Fassail-bout Wore the long winter out; Often our midnight shout Set the cocks crowing, As we the Berserk's tale Measured in cups of ale, Drazining the oaken pail, Filled to o'crflowing. "Once as I told in glee Tales of the stormy sea, Soft cyes did gaze on me, Burning yet tender; And as the white stars shine On the dark Norway pine, On that dark heart of mine Fell their soft splendor. “I roced the blue-eyed maid, Yielding, yet half afraid, And in the forest's shade Our vows were plighted. Under its loosened vesü Fiuttered her little breast, Like linds within tbeu nest By. the bawk frighteil. “ Bright in lier father's hall Shields gleamed upon the vall, Loud sang the minstrals all, Chanting his glory; T!!en of old Hildebrand I asked his daughter's hand, Mute did the minstrels stand To hear my story. INTRODUCTION. " While the brown ale he quaffed, Loud then the champion laughed And as the wind-gusts Traft The sea foam brightly, So the loud laugh of scorn Out of those lips unshorn, Frorn the deep drinking-horn Blew the foam lightly. “ She was a prince's child, I but a Viking wild, And though she blushed and smiled, I was discarded! Should not the dove so white Follow the sea-met's fliglit, Why did they leave that night Her nest unguarded ? “Scarce bad I put to sea, Bearing the maid with me, - Fairest of all was she Among the Norsemenk- When on the white sea-strand, Waving his armed band, Saw we old Hildebrand, With twenty horsemen. “Then launched they to the blast, Bent like a reed each mast, Yet we were gaining fast, When the wind failed us; And with a sudden flaw Came round the gusty Skaw, So that our foe we say Laugh as he hailed us. “And as to catch the gale Round veered the flapping sail, Death! was the helmsman's hail, Death without quarter ! Mid-ships, with iron keel, Struck we her ribs of steel; Down her black hulk did reel Through the black water! “ As, with his wings aslant,) Sails the fierce coriilorant, Secking some rocky launt, With his prey laden, INTRODUCTION. So toward the open main, Beating to sea again Through the wild hurricane, Bore I the maiden < Three weeks we westward bore, And, when the storm was o'er, Cloud-like we saw the shore · Stretching to leeward; There for my lady's bower Built I the lofty tower, Which, to this very hour, Stands looking seaward. “There lived we many years; Time dried the maiden's tears ; She had forgot her fears, She was a mother; Death closed her mild blue eyes; Under that tower she lieg; Ne'er shall the sun arise On such another! “Still grew my bosom then, Still as a stagnant fen! Hateful to me were men, The sun-light hateful! In the vast forest here, Clad in my warlike gear, Fell I upon my spear,— 0, death was grateful! “Thus, seamed with many scars, Bursting these prison-bars, Up to its native stars *My soul ascended! There from the flowing bowl Deep drinks the warrior's soul, Skoal to the Northland ! skoal!" -Thus the tale ended. PART II: THE CONTROVERSY. BROWN UNIVERSITY, Providence, March 27th, 1847. My attention was, a short time since, attracted to an article in one of the journals of your town, over the signature of “Visitor," asking for information, or facts in history, relative to the old ruin in Newport, com- monly known as the Old Mill. I have been patiently awaiting some answer to that communication, not doubting that it would call forth a response from some of the literati, whose names, familiar to all, are so closely interwoven with the history of the ancient town. The subject, which has been many times revived, and as often allowed to relapse into neglect and unconcern, is one which is deeply fraught with interest to the · antiquarian, and historian also; the contemplation of which, in a true spirit of inquiry, for reminiscences of ancient days, would lead, no doubt, to the development of historical facts, which, in this western hemisphere, are entirely unknown. This important work should be entered into at once, by men of our own State, of high- ly scientific attainments, and historical information. The longer it is allowed to slumber, the deeper and darker is the veil of obscurity which enshrouds it. Each progressing year but adds fresh obstacles to the satisfactory solution of historical questions, which have arisen only to harass and agitate the most learned anti- quarians of modern times. The history or tradition of the Old Mill itself is so conclusive to my own mind 3 12 THE CONTROVERSY. (having spent many hours in anxious research upon the very subject, that so far as it, of itself, is involved, it needs hardly elucidation; but connected with other interesting relics of former ages, which abound in the Eastern States, and along the borders of the St. Law- rence, volumes of facts, in relation to the first settlement of this country, ages prior to its pretended discovery by Columbus, are yet, I believe, to be rescued from oblivion, and become matter of history; but in no way except by deep research, and most patient exploration. The ancient ruins along the borders of the St. Law- rence, of temples, similar in construction to the Old Tower at Newport; the triangular rocks near Mt. Kalatda, in Maine, (supposed by some geologists to be natural formations;) the immense mounds which lie in direct line from the northern to the southern boundary of Massachusetts ; the hieroglyphic inscrip- tions on the Dighton rock ; the carved figures on the rocks of our own State, in its length and breadth, ---tend to show, most conclusively, that a race of beings, somewhat skilled in the Arts, once existed on this continent, holding communication with each other for hundreds of miles, and this even before the erection of what now stands as the Newport ruin; for according to the report of a Committee, read before the Royal Society of Antiquarians, at Copenhagen, 1836, it is con- clusively established, that the race of men who built the tower at Newport, were the offspring of emigrants from the St. Lawrence, prior to the years 1070-1075; and the inscription at Dighton had even at that time been handed down as unexplained matter of history. Professor Rafn, of Copenhagen, and Graetz, of Got- tenburg, have devoted more time and labor toward the elucidation of this mystery, than all the antiquarians of Europe or America. The report made by them, as a Committee, before the Royal College at Copenhagen, is in part (in copy) possessed by a gentleman at New Haven, who some time since favored Professor , of Brown University, and myself, with a perųsal, for the purpose of aiding us in furnishing material for a report, THE CONTROVERSY. 13 made before the Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, in 1841, which was, in part, published in the papers of the day. For the information of “ Visitor," I will sum up the report, as briefly as possible. Upon the demise of Bishop (elrischer, President of the Royal Society at Copenhagen, in 1830, 1400 reichs- thalers, (about $1000,) fell to the Society by his bequest, for the purpose of prosecuting inquiries in relation to the Northmen, who, it was known, occupied the terri- tory aforesaid, prior to 1060. By the unanimous vote of the College, this important mission was confided to Professor Scrobein, at that time of the geological depart- ment. In the early part of 1832, he left his native country for the prosecution of this work; arriving at London, where the object was fully made known and entered into by the Society of that metropolis, he be- came possessed of highly important information, gathered from the records of the British Museum, tending to throw much light upon the subject. Leaving England, he arrived at Halifax in May, whence he proceeded to Boston, gathering infor- mation and making surveys during his progress. In August he visited Newport, and having secured the co- operation of a number of scientific gentlemen of N., with several officers of the army, at that time stationed there, he then proceeded to examine and excavate around the Old Tower. The results of his labors are fully detailed in the report before alluded to, but its extreme length will prevent me from confining myself to its words. In connection with information adduced from other sources, he says, in substance, that the old ruin was an appendage to a temple, and used for religious offices, as a baptistery or baptismal font, as was the custom with the people in the mother country, numerous evidences of which still exist, in similar structures in Norway.-- It appears to have been erected by the Northmen, in the 11th century, during a sojourn of Bishop Eric in Vinland, as the island was called, from the excellence of its wine and abundance of its grapes. The excava- 14 THE CONTROVERSY. tion around the tower at the time alluded to, confirmed the opinions previously entertained. Under the centre of the ruin was clearly shown the foundation of the re- ceptimum, or place where the candidates stood while receiving the baptismal shower, which was let down from a large reservoir above, into which it was collected by a concave roof, formed of boughs, over-laid with mats of vines and leaves. In close proximity to this was a second foundation—that of the palestriun, or altar of the officiating priest. The aqueducts leading from these were clearly defined, although the greater part had been previously removed by the former pro prietor of the soil on which it stands. The temple to which this baptistery was contingent, it is supposed was either abandoned after the foundation was erected, or being built of perishable materials, its superstructure must have fallen into decay in the interval which elapsed from the evacuation of the island by the Northmen, in the 14th century, and its occupation by the confederates of Roger Williams. The foundation, which was of extreme length, extended across what is now Mill Street, at a point east of where a church was erected in 1723, at which time, as appears by the records of the church, it was displaced, and the material used in erecting the foundation of the church. That there was a large settlement in the immediate vicinity of this important ruin, most satisfactory evi-. dence exists. Ancient coins have been exhumed, some of the date of Henry II, 1160, which would lead us to believe that some kind of commercial intercoarse ex- isted in those days. The island in this part was much narrower than at present, the sea ebbing and flowing in close proximity to the temple; marine shells and aque- ous formations having been dug up where it is now thickly inhabited and settled. There are many other points of interest in the report, which I pass for the present; but it is sincerely hoped that the subject being revived, the investigation will be renewed, and the work prosecuted with vigor and ability. Let a society be formed, and with the important testi- THE CONTROVERSY. 15 mony which the labors of others has adduced, they might, by new excavations around the ruins, and in the vicinity, do much to rescue from oblivion records of a race of remarkable men, who are shown to us only by faint glimpses of tradition, almost unsupported by his- torical coincidents. [The following was in answer to a private letter, re- ceived by “Antiquarian,” from Mr. Melville : ) BROWN UNIVERSITY, Providence, May 16, 1847. When a few days since I addressed you upon the subject of the old ruin at Newport, I did not intend or expect to trespass again upon your patience. My sole object in reviewing at that time a few facts connected with that mysterious structure, was to revive, if possi- ble, an interest and exertion which, from the queries of “ Visitor,” I was led to believe, if revived, would secure the co-operation of some of the talented citizens of Newport, in tracing and elucidating other important facts connected with the history of our own section during a period of centuries, indeed of ages, which has as yet received slight notice from the historians of our own land. And from the disjointed fragments at which we catch an occasional glimpse, we are indebted to An- tiquarians of remote nations. This should not be.- We have ample material and talent to prosecute, with vigor, these important and interesting inquiries, and no section of our country, of which we have any knowl- edge, affords so extensive a field for antiquarian labor, as the island of Rhode Island and its immediate eastern vicinity, with portions of the adjacent States of Massa- chusetts and Maine, to the eastern borders of the St. Lawrence. The communications which have been ad- dressed to me by several eminent citizens of Newport, render it obligatory upon me to respond to them, and in no way can I so well or easily effect this (without multiplying MSS., which the pressure of my profes- sional duties forbids) as through the columns of some · THE CONTROVERSY. journal in their vicinity. As you received with so much favor my previous communication, I trust you: will pardon a second intrusion. An elaborate article addressed to me, over the sig- nature of the “ oldest inhabitant" of Newport, merits especial attention, not so much from its concise history of the “old stone mill," from the time of Governor Arnold, as its absurd and frivolous objections to the learned report of Professors Rafn and Graetz before the Royal Society of Copenhagen, extracts from which appeared in my former communication. This tedious document I would willingly submit, but its extreme length forbids it; and as it refers to no period prior to the 17th century, it will shed no light upon the subject of our pursuit. The facts which are contained in it have long been possessed by the Historical Society of this State, collected with much care and labor by its late Secretary,* a worthy and intelligent citizen of Newport. That the old tower was basely desecrated by Gov. Arnold for the purpose of a corn-mill, we are well aware, but I believe that the oldest inhabitant who has resided 40 years in close proximity to said ruin," is the first to assert that it was erected by Gov. Arnold. As well might it be assumed that he was also the architect of the numerous structures, on the bor- ders of the Sualculuo, (a branch of the St. Lawrence,) of those at Striumfiord in Iceland, or those more re- nrote still in Niminin, in Norway, all of which, from their similarity of design, claim an architectural affinity Western world, are, even in these late days, familiar to the inhabitants of the North of Europe. Erected in the perepteral order, they stand as monuments of a race of men, which, for centuries before the birth of Arnold; had entirely disappeared from the American continent. The excavations of Professor Scrobein are not rec- ollected by our “oldest inhabitant," neither does he believe that any such were made; this is an absurd *The late Stephen Gould, Esq. THE CONTROVERSI. 17 position, and clearly shows his dependence upon his own memory, rather than the exposition set forth by the learned Society of Copenhagen. On this point we need seek for no testimony which does not already exist. A communication received from an eminent citizen of Newport, of less years than my ancient friend, places the question in the cleurest light, wherein he says that she was present at the time alluded to, with Lieut. Barber of the Army, (Barbarin no doubt,) and enjoyed also the personal acquaintance and regard of Professor S.; but I beg leave to refer to the details of the report which before were omitted from their length, --which states " that after tedious delay in procuring the necessary implements for a minute examination, and after exposing the base of the columos upon which the superstructure rests, the pedestrium was clearly defined, consisting of a large flat rock or tableaux of hexidemital form, and immense bulk, supported from below by inverted obe- lisks of graaf stone, varying in length from 12 feet to 14 feet 6 inches;" further it states, that was a more extended excavation was forbidden, from fear of loosen- ing the bed of the ruin, the system of probing (the last resort of geologists) was decided upon, for the pur- pose of detailing the exact proportions of the staminae of the pedestrium —which was effected by piercing the ground at their sides with long iron rods of peculiar formation, made expressly for this purpose. The foun- dation of the pedestrium and receptimum consisted of single staminae without the pedestrium, of less propor- tions than those of the main structure." This mode of supporting perepteral architecture, was known and prac- ticed only by the nations of the North, in their earliest history, for the reason that the mortar or coagmentum, which so firmly united the superstructure, was powerless and useless when exposed to the genial warmth and moisture of the earth. This, I trust, has disposed of, at greater length than I intended, the principal objection urged by the oldest inhabitant;" its truth can be readily corroborated by the same process which elicited the facts, 18 THE CONTROVERSY. With the recommendation of the " oldest inhabitant," I cordially concur, that a convention to consist of the literary men of the State be assembled at Newport, at which time should be submitted the report before alluded to, with information obtained from other sources,-and this question disposed of, in such a manner as would put at rest all further cavilling and disputation. June, the period named, would be much too early; let Octo- ber next be fixed upon for the purpose, by which time, much valuable information may be derived from Mr. Bancroft, our Minister at St. James, who has recently been admitted to membership in the Royal Society of cuting a work long since commenced by him, tending to elucidate, in chronological succession, the history of first discovery of the American Coast by Bierne Hieru- flison, A. D., 931, to the occupation of Newfoundland by Raffa Thoralduson in 1347, which is intended as a supplement to his great national work now publishing. Having ready access to the treasures of that Royal Col- lege, (a privilege hitherto denied American citizens) we have every reason to believe that such information may be gathered by him, as will clearly dispose of many er- roneous impressions which exist in regard to the section and period before named. The lack of any traces of human bodies, to which “Creda," in his letter to me, refers, is readily explained by referring to Vol. III. of Antiquitates Americanæ, in the library of this Institution, and also, I believe, in the Redwood Library, of Newport, which was published some years since, by the Royal Society of Copenhagen, and furnished gratuitously to many literary institutions in the country. It will appear from this, that for many centuries, the custom prevailed among the Northern na- tions of burning the bodies of their dead, and was rigidly enforced as an essential religious rite; the ashes of which were preserved and mixed with the tears of the survivors in lachrymals, or cups, composed of ar- gillaceous earth,-one of these, on which is an obscure THE CONTROVERSY. Coptic inscription, together with a cornucochlear, or horn spoon, used in connection with it, which were found many years since amid the ruins of the temple of Kiiser, in Iceland, are now in possession of the Anti- quarian Society of Philadelphia. In all the different sectionis occupied by the Northmen, not a single trace exists of a grave or monument to the memory of the dead, except upon the borders of the St. Lawrence, where, for miles, may still be traced remains of vast mounds, which were known to contain heaps of human bones; and are supposed, by Antiquarians, to contain the relics of the race of Northmen, which were orer- come and slain by the Indians, (the so called Aborig- ines) after they had driven them from their peaceful settlements in New England. Antiquarians believe, and many facts conspire to validate the opinion, that this Continent was first discovered by the nations of the East, previous to any knowledge possessed cr imparted by Northern nations. What a field is here for the ever- searching mind of the Antiquarian! What delights must he experience, who in a manner holds silent con- verse with an unknown race, existing not centuries but ages before this vast continent was opened to the intrepid navigators of the South Sea! British Anti- quarians, to satisfy their longings,delve amid the classic remains of Greece and Rome, or study upon the burning sands of Egypt and the Holy land, where the foot-prints of travellers have for ages been impressed; but the field of the Northern Antiquarians, and those of our own coun- try, has been, as it ever should be, amid the untrodden recesses of the American Continent. We can trace, distinctly, the first Northern discoverers from the 10th through succeeding centuries; they are visibly shown to us by conclusive evidence gathered by the learned men of their own time, and transmitted by their descen- dants; but the chief question still arises,- of what country, race or tongue were those, inhabiting these re- gions, previous to the men of the North? From whence sprang those who carved indelibly the almost mystic figures on the rock at Dighton, or shaped the triangular 20 THE CONTROVERSY. formations of Mt. Kalatda ? That the Northmen were the discoverers of these in the 10th century, is strongly asserted by Bishop Pontipoddin, in his histories of the (settlement of Iceland, Newfoundland and Helluland, now New England) which have been preserved many centuries, in their original state, in the archives of the ton Rock were at that time, as described by him, distinctly legible, although mysterious, of an average length of 10 to 11 inches; whereas, at the present time, they have attained, and in different parts, exceed in length 18 inches. Here, then, reasoning by analogical deduction, we may be clearly convinced, that these mysterious landmarks of the Antiquarians, which ex- cited wonder and amazement in a period so remote, having increased in length during a period of 8 cen- turies only 5 or 6 inches, must have increased, in corresponding proportion, from the date of their for- mation to their first discovery by the Northmen. This, then, which is the only light in which it has ever been viewed by geologists, would render these remarkable inscriptions, which abound in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, coeval with those of Sumagni in Persia, Trich- which were known and historically chronicled before the Christian era. Although the inscription at Digh- ton may be considered the most prominent in New England, yet others, of the same general character, exist, which have always inspired with profound admiration the scholar and historian. The inferior inscriptions are devoid of that regularity and conjunctiveness which distinguish the superior, but possess the same general rudimenta scientiæ. The most remarkable of these are the Pakwewatanis near Mt. Holyoke, the piradomital concretions on Dover plains, the square rock, (so called locally) at Tiverton, the Nagassisit on the South-eastern extremity of the island of Rhode Island, which is the most remarkable,—the Man-a-wau-sit near Mt. Hope, and a few of lower grade. The epigraphs upon these were evidently inscribed THE CONTROVERSY. 21 by the same people, and although more distinct in some, particularly those more inland, all present the same general aspect and principles of ancient hieroglyph- icks. Mr. Schoolcraft asserts, and is supported by Mr. Catherwood, in the opinion, that they belong to that class termed Furdo Argyto Dnostick, which the most learned paleographers have as yet been unable to decipher; and the impression is supported by the most able authorities that they record remarkable events of some nation yet unknown. The Barbaric, Syrian, Scandinavian, Coptic and Persian dialects-furnish no data by which their mystery may be unravelled; but as the solution of an- cient hieroglyphicks, in both hemispheres, is now ex- citing in all countries profound attention, we hope and have every reason to believe, that in the general pro- gress these important records may eventually be illustra- ted. The idea which so long has pervaded the general mind, that they are the works of the Indians, previous to the discoveries of the Northmen, is confuted by the fact, that among the former the use of tools was entirely unknown, and the geological formation of these rocks is of such durability and compactness as to render them im. pregnable to any other than the hardest metallic substances. I have, rather diffusively, though briefly as possible, endeavored to illustrate, without citing particulars, the basis of ideas which, by study and research, may be re- solved into historical facts, to which, in a short time, by the labors of scientific and literary men, the attention of all nations may be directed, controvrting as they do, by analogical and paleological reasoning, many confirmed and erroneous impressions in relation to the early histo- ry of this continent, subverting entirely the historical creed of its first discovery by Columbus and satisfactorily establishing that it had been inhabited by three distinct and separate races, previous to the landing of the Pil- grims at Plymouth. Ist. The race of men supposed to be Ægypto-Dros- ticks, who traversed this country from the east, inscrib- ed their national chronology on the everlasting rocks of the eastern States, and retiring south with the changing 22 TIIE CONTROVERSY. season, settled in the Torrid Zone. 2d. The Northmen exploring by their nautical skill the rugged coast, whose history is faithfully transmitted by the Icelandic chronicles. 3d. The Indians, or so called aborigines, who fully overcame and expelled the Northmen beyond the eastern border of the St. Lawrence. The magnitude of this subject, the antique history of New England, is such that while it readily enlists the profound attention and support of the historian and antiquary, it also invites the attention of all who are disposed to add, either by histo- rical or traditional evidence, to the most rapid accumu- lations in this vast field of science. With respect, Yours, ANTIQUARIAN. 2 TO ANTIQUARIAN, Brown Universiiy. Newport, R. I., June 10, 1847. The object of "Antiquarian,” by his answer, appears to be, to establish as a fact that the Northnien, that is, emigrants from the North of Europe, particularly Nor- way, who, according to their history, or tradition there, emigrated to and occupied the North-eastern part of this continent, prior to 1060, and some of their des- cendants from the borders of the St. Lawrence, migra- ted along the coast as far westward as this Island, prior to the years 1070—1075, and that it was their offspring who erected what now stands as the Newport ruin, in the 11th century, "for (he says) according to the report of a committee read before the Royal Society of Antiquarians, at Copenhagen, 1836, it is conclusively established, that the race of men who built the tower at Newport, were the offspring of emigrants from the St. Lawrence," as above stated. These facts he en- deavors to establish by the architectural affinity of the old ruin to the numerous structures on a branch of the St. Lawrence, and in Norway, &c., and by making a statement purporting to be an extract from a report of Professor Scrobein, of the Geological department of THE CONTROVERSY. 23 the Royal College at Copenhagen, who, it was stated, was appointed by the unanimous vote of the College "for the purpose of prosecuting inquiries in relation to 'the Northmen, who, it was known, occupied the terri- tory aforesaid, prior to 1060." This report appears to be the same made by Professors Ráfn of Copenhagen and Graetz of Gottenburg, as a Committee, before the Royal College at Copenhagen, in 1836, which led the College to the conclusion above stated. The part of the statement made by“Antiquarian" for the information of «Visitor," purporting to be a portion of a report of one Professor Scrobein, relating to the Old Tower, pub- lished in the Newport Daily News, about the first of · April, being altogether fictitious, would have been suf- fered to pass unnoticed as one of the fabulosities of the time, had it not been used, and succeeded, (according to the statement,) in deceiving the Royal College at Co- penhagen,and been calculated, through their credulity, to deceive the world in general ;. for these reasons it re- quires a passing notice, in order to disabuse those who ject, and the influence of high-sounding names, may have been deceived. After mentioning the appoint- ment of Professor Scrobein, and the object for which he the report continues, "Proſessor Scrobein, in the early part of 1832, left his native country for the prosecution of this work : after visiting England, he arrived in Hali- fax in May, from whence he proceeded to Boston. In August he visited Newport, and having secured the com operation of a number of scientific gentlemen of Ni, with several officers of the army at that time stationed around the Old Tower." "In connection with infor- mation adduced from other sources," he says, in sub- stance, that "the old ruin was an appendage to a temple and used for religious offices, as a baptistery or baptis mal font, as was the custom with the people in the mother country, numerous evidences of which still ex- ist, in similar structures in Norway. It appears to have 24 THE CONTROVERSY. been erected in the 11th century, during a sojourn of Bishop Eric in Vinland, as the Island was called, from the excellence of its wines and abundance of grapes. Under the centre of the ruin was clearly shown the foundation of the receptimum, or place where the can- didates stood, while receiving the baptismal shower, which was let down from a large reservoir above, into which it was collected by a concave roof formed of boughs, over-laid with mats of vines and leaves. In close proximity to this was a second foundation, that of the palestrium or altar of the officiating priest." “The temple to which this baptistery was contingent it is surmised was either abandoned after the foundation was erected, or being built of perishable materials, its superstructure must have fallen into decay, in the inter- val which elapsed from the evacuation of the island by the Northmen in the 14th century, and its occupation by the confederates of Roger Williams. The founda- tion, which was of extreme length, extends across what is now Mill-street, at a point east of where a church was erected in 1723, at which time, as appears from the records of the church, it was displaced, and the material used in erecting the foundation of the church. That there was a large settlement in the immediate vi- cinity of this important ruin, most satisfactory evidence exists. Ancient coins have been exhumed, some of the date of Henry II. 1160, which would lead us to be- lieve that some kind of commercial intercourse existed in those days. The island, in this part, was much narrow- er than at present, the sea ebbing and flowing in close proximity to the temple ; marine shells and aqueous formations have been dug up, where it is now thickly inhabited and settled.” I have copied this part of the re- port attributed to Professor Scrobein, relative to the exca- vation, &c. entire, to expose its extreme absurdity and falsity, which is stamped on the very face of it, and re- quires no argument to show, except to such as are unac- quainted with the location of the Old Stone Mill and the facts stated in the report connected with it. " An- N THE CONTROVERSY. cient coins," if any were exhumed, as stated in the report, of the date of Henry II. 1160, would be no evidence that commercial intercourse existed in those days, and being an English coin, it is not probable that it was brought to this continent by the Northmen at that date. The coins might have been brought here centuries after their date; or very recently taken from the cabinet of the curious in those matters, and most probably for deception. That. sthe Island in this part was much narrower than at pres- ent,” is evidently untrue ; and the “i ebbing and flowing of the sea in close proximity to the temple” is equally so. The nearest approach of the sea to the Old Ruin, is the shore west of Thames Street, in the harbor of New- port. It is evident the land west of Thames Street has never been made or extended westward (exclusive of the wharves,) exceeding one or two hundred feet in any part of it. When I was a boy, and went in swimming in the docks, there was a clay bank at the head of all the docks from Taylor's wharf, (now Devens's) to Cowley's wharf, (now Stevens's,) up to the foot of which the sea flowed only at spring-tides ;. the bank was five or six feet high, and so steep as to be difficult of ascent and descent. North of Cowley's wharf, the land was lower, as far as the Long wharf and beyond; but has evidently never been extended from the original shore more than above stated, in any part of it. The distance from this shore to the Old Ruin on the hill, east of it, is less than one hundred and twenty rods, and the elevation of the ground from high water to the base of the ruin, is alınost 75 feet. The reader will judge from these facts whether the sea ever flowed in close proximity to the temple which, it is pretended, stood in that vicinity. To give the appear- ance of plausibility to the assertion that the sea once flowed over the land which is now thickly inhabited and settled, it is stated in the report that “marine shells and aqueous formations have been dug up” in those parts. This was evidently stated to deceive Prof. Scrobein, if it is a fact that he ever came here for the purpose stated; and if not, to deceive those at a distance from the scene; for every body here knows, that on this and the adjacent 26 THE CONTROVERSY.. islands and shores, where the Indians once inhabited marine shells of every description are dug up frequently wherever there was an Indian settlement or wigwam, even to the summit of Mount Hope, once the residence of King Phillip, and on the heights of Tiverton, &c. I once heard an old man say, 'that he remembered when the Old Stone Mill stood near the shore where the ferry wharf now is, (I would not vouch for his sanity,) and as this has, in some degree, been corroborated by Cooper, by a scene in his “Red Rover," it is as likely to be true, as that the sea ever flowed in close proximity to the phantasma temple in the vicinity of the Old Ruin. The whole report attributed to Professor Scrobein, is purely legendary without even a single fact to give it the appearance of truth to those acquainted with the subject, and so contrived as to deceive those not acquainted with the location of the old ruin, and well towards Professor Scrobein for any one, antiquarian or not, to disabuse him of the error, by showing that he had no hand in the report attributed to him, or if he had, it was founded on false information given him, and on perverted facts. It is evident that the information was given, or the pretended report written, by some one ac- quainted with facts not generally known, and which could not have been discovered or ascertained, if the pretended excavation and examination had actually been made, which facts were perverted to suit the purposes of whoever com- port. 'Edward Pelham,* (who married a grand-daughter of Gov. Arnold, to whom the Mill field, so called, came by descent,) who died in 1741, in his will, dated May 21st, 1740, bequeathed to his daughter Hermione, the wife of John Banister, (after other bequests to her,) «Also one other piece or parcel of land, situated, lying and being in Newport aforesaid, containing eight acres, or thereabouts, with an Old Stone Wind Mill thereon * Appendix. Lotter B. THE CONTROVERSY. 27 standing and being, and commonly called and known by the name of the Mill-field, &c., bounded Northerly partly upon Caleb Carr's Lane, (now Mill street,) part- ly upon a work-house standing in said lane, and partly upon a burying place, to the Northward whereof stands a Meeting-house, to be and remain to the said Hermio- ne Banister," &c. He gives and bequeaths to his daughter Penelope Pelham, after the death of her moth- er, to whom the same was bequeathed during her natur- al life, a parcel of land "on Caleb Carr's lane, as high till it comes upon a parallel line with the stone wall at the head of my upper garden running North therefrom." The foundation of the work-house, which stood in Carr's lane, near the old mill, and the aqueducts leading there- from, part of which had been removed by the former proprietor of the soil on which it stood, which of course was known, was probably the foundation perverted to the foundation of the palestrium, or altar of the of- ficiating priest. The stone wall at the head of Mr. Pelham's upper garden, and running North therefrom, must have been, according to the bounds, east of the meeting-house, and between that and the Stone Mill. This wall was known, from part of it, which extended North across what is now Mill-street, being displaced, and the materials used in erecting the foundation of the ing wall, which is of great length, is without doubt the same, which, in the report, is perverted to the founda- tion of the pretended "temple to which this baptistery was contingent." "Antiquarian," after reciting, at considerable length, a part of the report relating to the mode of operation in making the excavation and the discoveries made, &c., "until a more extended one was forbidden, from fear of loosening the bed of the ruin," says, " This, I trust, has, disposed of, at greater length than I intended, the principal objection urged by the Oldest In- habitant.' Its truth can be readily corroborated by the same process which elicited the facts.” I pre- THE CONTROVERSY. sume it is meant, by excavating about the fum this is the very course I would wish to pursue in order to prove the report totally void of truth. Those who wish to sustain the position assumed by “Antiquarian," would not consent to this process, and there is no probe ability that any excavation would be allowed,--but if it should be permitted, I can assure “Antiquarian" that, so far from corroborating the facts said to be elicited by the excavation pretended to have been made, (which is already refuted in the opinion of every one open to con- viction,) although there would be no danger “of loosen- ing the bed of the ruin," it would most assuredly prove the groundlessness of the report, and undermine the foundation and prostrate the superstructure erected on the report attributed to Professor Scrobein. It was in '32, less than fifteen years since, the excavations and discove- ries stated in the report attributed to Professor Scrobein are said to have been made, with the co-operation of a num. ber of scientific gentlemen of Newport with several officers of the Army then stationed here ; if that were the facts the time stated is so recent that some of those who co- operated in the examination &c. must be now living, to whom reference might be made in corroboration, but not one has come forward or been referred to ; of one thing I am sure, there is. 110 man of integrity and honor, whether citizen or officer of the army, who would have assented to the report, as stated to have been made by Professor Scrobein. The writer of this is not "the oldest inhabi- itant,” but “One of the oldest inhabitants of Newport, who was born, and has lived between seventy and eigh, ty years, within eighty rods of the "old stone mill,” recent- ly styled the “Newport Ruin," and has never known any excavations made near it, except once about the year 1797, when an excavation was made in the night time by a company of money diggers, directly under the centre of the ruin, which was left open, and about four or five feet deep, but did not disclose the foundation of the reeeptimum mentioned in the report in question. There is not one among the oldest in- habitants of Newport, (many of whom are older than THE CONTROVERSY, 29. myself,) of whom inquiry has been made, who recollecta any excavation having been made about the ruin, ex- cept for the purpose above stated, which has occurred several times within their recollection,--and recollecting those occurrences, they would certainly have a perfect recollection of any excavations so recently said to have rests, &c. (for the details of the report, as stated by Anti- quarian, I refer the reader to his publication in the Daily News of May 26th,) and “that, a more extended excava- tion was forbidden, for fear of loosening the bed of the ruin.” In addition to the foregoing evidence that no such excavation was made, as is stated in the report, I will add the information of a gentleman of high stand- ing, and of strict integrity and honor, who has lived some thirty or forty years within one hundred yards of the old ruin, and cannot come out of his house without seeing it, who avers that no excavation was made about or under it at the time stated in the report, for it could not have been made without his observing it, and he never knew or heard of any excavations ever having been made about it, except with the view before stated. I will refer any person who is not satisfied with this statement, to the gentleman last alluded to for its cors rectness, as far as it regards himself, which, from the freedom with which he answered my inquiries, I feel myself authorized to do. The foundation on which the false and groundless report attributed to Professor Scrobein was erected, being removed, the whole superstructure must fall into its, original nothingness; notwithstanding the commu. nication received by “ Antiquarian” from an eminent citizen of Newport, of less years than his ancient friend, which, he says, places the question in the clearest light, wherein he says that “ he was present at the time alluded to, with Lieut. Barber of the Army,” but as there was. no such person here, the writer or some other added. 30 THE CONTROVERSY. mind, who, with no better evidence than that adduced, and without seeing the refutation, as a man beside him- self, says, in the plural, "we are decidedly of the opinion of “ Antiquarian" that it (" the Old Ruin") was built by the Northmen of Europe, centuries ago, and for religious rites and ceremonies. Newport Daily News of the 26th instant, dated “ Prova idence, May 16th,” he says, “An elaborate article, addressed to me over the signature of the oldest inhabitant of Newport,' merits special attention, not so much from its concise history of the 'Old Stone Mill, from the time of Gov. Arnold, as its absurd and frivo- lous objections to the learned report of Professors Rafn and Graetz before the Royal Society of Copenhagen, extracts from which appeared in my former communi. cation. This tedious document I would willingly submit publish but its extreme length forbids it.” From the allusion of “ Antiquarian" to the tedious document which he would willingly submit, but for its extreme length, I F cation to " Visitor," under the signature of “ One of the oldest inhabitants of Newport.” I am extremely sorry that the great length of my article should have prevented its being submitted, but I believe a better reason might be given; i. e. my exposition of the foolish, ridiculous, and fallacious report of the discoveries made by a pretended excavation around the “Old Tower ;'' which, if it is true that the same was comprised in the report of a Committee read before the Royal Society of Antiquarians, at Copenhagen in 1836, and if it had any weight in bringing the society of Antiquarians, to the conclusion, that the race of men who built the tower at Newport, were the offspring of emigrants from the St. Lawrence prior to the year 1070--1075,—was a gross and palpable imposition on the Committee, the Royal Society, and the world. Having recited most of my elaborate article addressed to “ Antiquarian”, and “its absurd and frivolous objections to the learned report of THE CONTROVERSY. 31 Professors Rafn and Graetz before the Royal Society of Copenhagen,"—for the benefit of those who feel an interest in the subject and wish to come at the truth, I will now state the grounds of my opinion that “The Old Stone Mill” was built by Benedict Arnold, the first Governor of the Colony under the Charter granted by King Charles II in 1663. Benedict Arnold removed from Providence to Newport in 1653, (fifteen years af- ter the first settlement of the Town of Newport,) and was admitted a purchaser there on the 17th of May the same year; he was one of the patentees named in the aforesaid Charter to the Colony and Providence Plantations in 1663, and was appointed first Governor under it. He afterwards held the same office by the choice of the freemen for twelve years. He died in 1678, aged 63. Soon after his settlement in Newport, he had a house built on the lot on which the R. I. Union Bank now stands, directly in the rear of the site of that build- ing and about 30 feet from the road belonging to the Town, now Thames street, bounded westerly on said road, northerly on a street now Mill street, southerly on lane of Peter Coggeshall, now Green street, and easterly on lane of Walter Clarke, where Bellevue street now is; eontaining by estimation sixteen acres. On the Eastern part of said parcel of land the Old Stone Tower now stands. ✓ In Gov. Arnold's Will* which is dated the 20th day of December, 1677, of which I have an authenticated copy, is the following clause in the first item: “My body I desire and appoint to be buried at the north-east corner of a Parcel of ground containing three Rod square, being and lying in my land in or near ye line or path from my dwelling house, leading to my Stone built Wind Mill, in ye town of Newport above mentioned." " And I desire that my dear and loving wife Damaris Arnold, after her decease, may be buried near unto me on ye south side of ye place aforesaid ordered for my * Appendix. Letter A. 32 PHE CONTROVERSY. own interment.” This is the burying place south of the Unitarian Meeting house where they and many of their descendants and relatives lay interred. After making some bequest for the support of his wife during her life, and towards ye maintenance of his daughter Godsgift Arnold, during the natural life of her mother &c., the Will goes on, (Item 3d,) “I do also give and bequeath unto ye proper use and behoof of my said wife, Damaris Arnold, during her natural life, and after her decease to the use and behoof of my youngest daughter Freelove Arnold, all and singular ye lands and buildings severally hereafter named--namely, one tract of land being and lying in ye precincts of ye aforesaid Town of Newport, containing by estimation sixteen acres, dis tinguished into two parcels by a highway belonging to ye said Town, and bounded severally as follows: that is to say, the lesser parcel, whereon is erected my ware- house, and wharf (now Stevens's wharf) bounded as followeth : on ye east on ye highway aforesaid (now Thames Street,) on the west by the sea or Harbor of Newport &c.--ye other a nd greater parcel of ye tract of land abovesaid, upon which standeth my dwelling, or mansion house, and other buildings thereon adjoining or belonging, as also my Stone built Wind Mill, and in the said parcel is being and lying ye three Rod square of ground abovesaid, that I have set apart for a burying place--ye whole parcel being bounded as followeth: on ye west by ye highway aforesaid,” (now Thames street, where it runs between the R. I. Union Bank building, and Stevens' wharf :) here follow the other bounds, as before stated, designating the parcel of land on which his dwelling house formerly stood and extend- ing eastward a few rods beyond where his old stone built Wind Mill stands. Gov. Arnold's dwelling house was located as before stated, fronting west : I saw it pulled down, soon after the evacuation of this Island, by the British Army in the Revolution. The chimney and whole south end were built of rough stone and coarse mortar, and plastered on the outside with the same. TOE CONTROVERSY. 33 The rough stone and coarse mortar were so strongly ce- mented together, that they could not take it down by commencing at the top, without great labor; for that reason the house was first pulled down, then guys were made fast to the top of the chimney and set tight, by means of tackles, to trees at a distance, to cause it to fall dermined and fell, in one mass, and was afterwards broken up with sledges, &c. This I consider pretty good evi- dence that the cement with which the Old Stone Mill was built, was composed of similar materials, and erected about the same time. I said in my claborate article" addressed to “ Antiquarian, Brown University," that the Old Stone Mill was, in my opinion, built by Gov. Arnold: I did not mean to convey the idea that he built it with his own hands, or that he was the architect, (before Gov. Arnold removed to Newport, fifteen years after the first settlement of the place, the population had increased very much, as well from other parts of the Colony, as from other Colonies and from Europe, among them were probably architects and builders in masonry, &c., who had built or seen similar structures in the old world, similar to some one they had built or seen elsewhere). In answer to this, “ Antiquarian” says, in his reply “ As well might it be assumed that he was also the architect of the numerous structures on the borders of the Sualcul- no (a branch of the St. Lawrence) &c. or those more remote still, in Nimmin, in Norway, all of which, from their similarity of design, claim an architectural affinity with the Newport Ruin." Does the architectural af- finity of the "Old Ruin” to the numerous structures on a branch of the St. Lawrence and in Norway, &c. prove that the Old Stone Mill in Newport, was erected by the Northmen from Europe, or their offspring from their settlements on the St. Lawrence ? Not, at all. There are numerous buildings constructed of rough stone and mortar on the Island of Martinico similarly constructed to some in Europe, which I have seen plates of, of which 34 THE CONTROVERBY. erected. There are two, on the Island of St. Thomas, in the West Indies, built of rough stone and mortar, one of them exactly similar in its architectural construction to the Old Stone Mill in Newport; it is circular, and is supported upon eight arches resting on thick round col- umns, about ten feet high, the centre of the arches from the base is about twelve or thirteen feet, and the diame- ter of the structure at the spring of the arches is about twenty-four feet on the outside, and 18 or 19 feet inside. It is not known by the inhabitants when, or by whom, they were built : the last mentioned stands on very high ground, and is resorted to by the inhabitants and masters of vessels as a bok-out place, or observatory ; from a supposition that it was built by Pirates, it is called “ Bluebeard's Castle." This information I had from a near relation, who in his voyages to St. Thomas' visited Does not this ruin, also, claim, from its sameness of luded to ? and is it not, from this circumstance, as like- ly that it was erected by the Northmen or their offspring ages ago, as that they erected in the 11th century the ancient ruin at Newport? And is it not as evident, from the similarity of construction of this ruin at St. Thomas' to those before named, that the West Indies were also discovered and inhabited by the Northmen long prior to the discovery of them by Columbus in 1492, as that they or their offspring ever visited this island prior to its occupation by the English? For there is nothing in history or tradition to warrant the assertion that they did. These questions are merely propounded for illustration. There is a tradition ainong the inhabi- tants of the Elizabeth Islands and the continent adja- cent, that a Colony of men came from the North long before there was any English settlement on this conti- nent, and landed at the Vineyard and gave it that name in consequence of the abundance of grapes found grow- ing there, and that, after staying there a few months, THE CONTROVERSY. 35 they left the island and returned North, with the intention of coming back the next year, but never returned, and were supposed to have been lost, as they were never af- ter heard of, (this was probably in the 11th century, du- ring a sojourn of Bishop Eric, in Vinland, according to Norwegian history, as referred to by the writer of the report attributed to Prof. Scrobein;) this tradition was rife among the Indians on the Vineyard in 1729, when the island was visited by an inhabitant of this town, who related it here, and it has come down to this time through his descendants. It is of very little consequence to the public in gene- ral, whether the old fabric in Newport was erected by the offspring of the Northmen in the 11th century, or by the English settlers or Gov. Arnold in the 16th cen. tury; I do not pretend that its being named in Gov- Arnold's Will, as herein stated, is positive proof that he built it, but it warrants a very strong presumption that lie did. There are some who are of the opinion that it was built by the first English settlers, as a place of resort and defence against the Indians ; this is a ration- al conjecture, because it is constructed in the best possible form for defence against an enemy of that character ; if it had been built solid at the base as high as it is elevated on pillars, it might have been under- mined and thrown down, without the possibility of those within its wall preventing it, or annoying the enemy from the two windows by which the walls are pierced on opposite sides; which it would be impossible to ef- fect if the floor above the pillars were perforated with loopholes for musketry. I state this in answer to an observation made by your correspondent in his editori- al remark. If it had been erected for that purpose, be- ing a public work, there would have been some histo- ry, or tradition, of its origin and design. One of the strongest arguments that can be adduced, as evidence that it was not erected previous to the occupation of the Island by the first English settlers, is, that there is no record or tradition of its having been found stand- ing when they first came to the Island, and settled on . X 36 THE CONTROVERSY. it soon after, in 1638. This difficulty, however, has been ingeniously obviated and explained. In the Scientific American, a paper printed in New York, of the date of November 27th, 1845, there is a very cor- rect representation of the "Old Stone Tower at New- port, R. I.” After giving a very exact description of this mysterious monument of antiquity, the author says, “what excites so much curiosity concerning this tower, in the fact that no person living in or about Newport knows anything of its origin, and no record is found in history of its being seen or noticed by the early set- tlers of the Island. While it appears very improbable that a tower of this description should have been erect- ed by the aborigines, or that it should have been dis- covered by the early settlers, without some note thereof being made by the historian of those times," &c. “Much having been written on the subject, by antiqua- rians, without approaching any definite conclusion witli regard to the author or occasion of its construction, we shall dismiss the subject with the simple conjec- ture, that it is a fabric of remote antiquity, intended for a temple of Pagan worship, and erected by the process of heaping up earth around the building, as it progress- ed ; thus furnishing facilities for elevating the stone, as has been practised by the Chinese, and other nations ; but that the Sachem Builder having died, or failed be- fore the building was complete, the earth was left around the edifice, till, becoming overgrown with trees, the building was so far concealed from view, as not to attract the notice of the English settlers, until the land, being cleared, was gradually washed away by storms of rain, which, by a process, too slow to induce remark, eventually brought the whole fabric to view from its foundation.” A very plausible conjecture, since the time that elapsed from the settlement of the Island, to the time when the stone built Wind Mill was bequeath- ed by Governor Arnold, was the immense period of twen- ty-nine years. Although, as I said before, it is of very little conse- quence to the public in general, when or by whom the D TUL CONTROVERSY. 37 old fabric was erected, or for what purpose intended ; it is of vast importance to the Antiquarian and Histori- an, that it should be determined on the basis of truth, incontrovertibly, that it was erected by the Northmen, prior to the discovery of this continent by Columbus ; but it is unworthy of those whose duty it is to search after truth, to take false and unwarrantable means to attain their end, or countenance those who may, do so; it is their duty, when they are convinced that they have been led into error, to abandon and expose whoever niy attempt it. It seems to have been the object of sone, through whose means and deceptive information, the report of Professor Scrobein was procured, to prove that the Northmen or their offspring from the borders of the St. Lawrence, progressed as far along the coast as this island, and that the old tower in Newport was built by them, and to establish the fact on its similarity of construction to many in the North of Europe and on the St. Lawrence, &e. It is very well established from history and tradition, if founded in truth, that the Northmen discovered and inhabited the North-eastern part of this continent long prior to the discoveries of Christopher Columbus ; and that their offspring in the 11th century, coasted as far westward as the Vineyard ; that ought to be satisfac- tory to the Historian and Antiquarian, for all the pur- poses they have in view; and there is no evidence of the Northinen ever having visited this island, except the sameness of construction of the old ruin at Newport, with some in Norway, &c., and on the St. Luwrence; and that is no evidence at all, since we find there is one ex- actly similar on the Island of St. Thomis's in the West Indies. *The Newport Ruin," which, until within a very few years, was known only as "the old stone mill," was generally supposed to be built by Gov. Arnold, for a grist-mill, from the evidence already referred to, but it is corroborated by tradition from generation to genera- tion, down to his great grand-son, Sanford Arnold, who has been dead but a few years, and was well known by 38 TIIE CONTROVERSE. many of the old inhabitants of Newport. Sanford Ar- nold, with whom I was well acquainted, and never doubted his veracity, always said, when enquiries were made of him, in regard to the old stone mill, that it was andoubtedly built by his great grand-father Gov. Ar- nold; that his father, Josiah Arnold (who died at an advanced age, long since the revolution) always spoke of it as his grand-father's Stone Mill, as if he built it, and he had heard him often say, that it was erected be- tween the years 1653 and 1660). This I have heard of- ten repeated. “Antiquarian" must be satisfied by this time, there was never any excavation and examination made as related by Professor Scrobein, in the report al- gross fabrication without the least foundation in truth, and I now leave it to him to explain how the mill camo into existence and its object. ONE OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS OF NEWPORT. BROWN UNIVERSITY, Providence, June 21, 1847. . In my previous correspondence with you on the sub- ject of the “Old Ruin” at Newport, I have, at some length, presented as my reason the desire of obtaining iniscences, any of which duly authenticated, and tending in the least degree to consolidate the broken and scat- tered history of our own country and section in the earlier ages, are essentially desirable at this time. Hav- ing devoted myself to this subject (when other pursuits would permit) its importance has been gradually devel- oped to my mind. In addressing you, and throngh you the estimable citizens of your town, I have not intended, and my various duties would forbid me, were I so, dis- posed, to enter the arena of controversial strife with an unknown opponent. The facts presented cannot be controverted; they emanate from a high source, and in selecting and arranging such as are applicable to our TIIÉ CONTROVERSY. 39 location, I am but consolidating labors, ably, very ably, wrought out by other hands. As an antiquarian, not so deeply versed, perhaps, in land titles and legitimate deeds as “ One of the Oldest Inhabitants” of your an- cient town, I am content to receive and abide by the historical data and truths elicited and promulgated by the Royal Society of Copenhagen, a source, the author- ity of which, never yet doubted, I am unwilling even to question. The results attained by the labors of the dis- tinguished scholars associated with that fountain of science, have for ages been adopted as the text-book of the scholar and historian. The honored names of Pon- tipoddin, Rasenburg, Whitinler, Grissenback, and Shur- wurtz, with those of later days, Velrischen, Rafn, Graetz, Scrobein, and Greisle, will descend to remote posterity, meriting justly the laudation and respect of all true and devoted lovers of knowledge. A recent elaborate article in the Hcrald, of your place, of the 10th and 17th insts., a counterpart of that which I have previously noticed, affords sufficient ma- terial for lengthy argumentation, did the inecessity exist of refuting assertions uttered at random, and unsup- ported by any evidence to render so skeptical a position tenable. The unwavering tenacity of “One of the Oldest Inhabitants” to his (I suppose the masculine) own peculiar and self-constituted opinion of the erec. tion and intent of the "Old Ruin" should, but for the interest of science, be excused and revered rather than condemned, and its innocent fallacy exposed. Enter- taining, perhaps, froin childhood, these peculiar ideas, imbibing new strength in their belief with each pro.. gressive advance in knowledge, supported and confirmed in his opinions by the possession of a copy of the “last will and testament" of Governor Arnold, it is not therefore unreasonable that he should still adhere to his cherished fancies, and deny the evidences by which the claims of history are so positively asserted and so for- cibly maintained. The book of Nature has been always wide-spread before us, yet are we unable to fathom its mysterious depths. The book of Art is day by diy re- 40 THE CONTROVERSY. vealing new and astounding truths ; and because we cannot, with our giant minds, conceive, and with a single glance survey the mighty wonders which its mystery conceals, shall we deny its high and holy truths ? I cannot, in critical detail, review the article of “One of the oldest inhabitants." His caustic reflections upon Antiquarian for citing indisputable authorities, and the temerity with which he denounces as fabulous, established and autlienticated matter of history, betray a limited knowledge of the scientific advance of his own age, and an incapacity of exemplifying the subject of his own adoption by correct chronological memoranda of the early history of his native State. His entire misconception of the Reports of the Royal College of Copenhagen, evince a readiness, rather than ability, to contest their truth. The report of Professor Scrobeini as the result of his mission only, was communicated to the Royal Society four years previous to that of the Committee of which Profs. Rafn and Graetz constituted a majority, which latter, embodying that of Prof. S., was approved by the Royal College and published by them, in conjunction with other information, under the title of “Antiquitates Americanae, copies of which were presented to many literary Institutions in New England. After denouncing as fictitious the report alluded to, the “Oldest Inhabitant," or “one of them," arrays himself as champion and defender of the Royal College, and endeavors to show that, through their excessive credu- lity, they have been made the victims of mis-placed confidence, and thereby imposed a grand fraud upon the world in general. Truly an arrogant position, and an envious labor. To rebut this, evidence is useless, ar- guinent is unnecessary. Can it be supposed, is the idea for an instant to be harbored, that a man possessing the high literary acquirements of Prof. Scrobein, enjoying a world-wide reputation, occupying the exalted position of “ Prof. Geologiae” in one of the chief literary insti- tutions of Europe, a position in point of celebrity second to none, and attainable but by ſew, should, under any preiencc, practisc dissimulation and deceit, which would TIIE CONTROVERSY. 41 inevitably result in degradation and disgrace? or can it be admitted that the Royal Colleye, during the inter- val of six years whiclı transpires from the promulgation of the report of Profs. Rafn and Graetz, to the publica- tion of “Antiquitates Americanae”, holding uninterrupted correspondence with similar Institutions in this country, and especially with the Historical Society of Rhode Is- land, --should not have discovered so immense a fraud, > It is a remarkable philosophical fact in the human economy that as we advance in the journey of life to- ward the period of our second childhood, the objects which attracted and impressed the mind of early youth, are revived in all the freshness of life's spring-time. The chief source upon which the “ Oldest Inhabitant," 0;" one of them" relies, is lus own memory and that of a gentleman who has resided forty years in very close proximity to the “Old Ruin.” Their united memories, however, cannot recall the period, or furnish the date of the reported excavation. Of the particular hour in August, 1832, or the time consumed in the survey of Prof. S., I acknowledge myself incompetent to testify. These items do not comprise a part of the Report, nei- ther am I suprised that the memory of the “ Oldest In- habitant," or "one of them," in this particular instance, as in others, should fail, for according to his own article, from the vivid recollection which he possesses of trivial events, transpiring at the early period of the Revolution, it is but reasonable to apprehend that he has attained that measure of human experience when the mental en- ergies, if apparently retaining their pristine vigor, are writhing under the inflictions which the hand of Time · imposes. His memory upon which he so confidently trusts, appears to be of peculiar constitution ; not of the in- fallible and comprehensive order, but diverging, scat- tering, eccentric. Where money is the object in '97 it gathers its energies and applies its powers ; but when, in '32, the claims of science demand a tribute, it takes to itself wings and is soon enveloped in the mist, 42 I THE CONTROVERSY. of forgetfulness. Not only are the excavations report- ed totally denied, but others known to have been made at prior and subsequent dates; and one only, in which those ubiquitous adventurers, the money-diggers, were conspicuous, is in any degree admitted or remembered ; and tliis, though perfected at the tranquil hour of mid- night, is so minutely and vividly described, that we could fain believe experimental knowledge far the best. That the excavations reported were made, no doubt can exist, except in the minds of those who, from prejudice or policy, are disposed to withhold their as- sence of the officers of the Army alluded to, and the removal by death, of other witnesses of 1832, it might be difficult in connexion with other causes, were tive locations of the survivors known, to collect, at this day, persons of a Genoese gentleman residing at Newport, (a Mr. Burtimer,) and the gentlemanly proprietor of the Old Ruin" in question. These, I am credibly inform- ed by estimable citizens, are ready at any time to yield their testimony, should it be required. Other sources, however, remain, by which the frivo. lous objections of the “Oldest Inhabitant," or "one of them,” are easily refuted. Since the period of '32, two distinct and separate excavations have been made, the latter of which, in 1841, was projected and comple- ted by a gentleman residing at Newport, who was in some subordinate capacity attached to the Treasury Department. This, though unimportant, and not at- tended by any novel developements, is sufficient con- ·clusively to prove that, for historical accuracy, the meni- ories of two of the “Oldest Inhabitants” are not to be implicitly confided in. The Icelandic Chronicles, for many years deposited in the archives of the Royal Society of Copenhagen, are the authority upon which are based the labors of that Institution. All that is known of the early his- tory of this continent is contained in them, and sub- stantiated by the records of the vovages of Thorrin TIE CONTROVERSY. 43 "Thornifiddin an: Kurlsene Gunaulasson, previous to the discovery of Hellulani, Vinland, and Forda-stran-dir, which are now New England. These, in the original parchment on which they were transcribed, are still in the possession of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, at Schalhult, in Dönmark. From this it was shown that portions of their own people were in possession of a far- distant country ; its climate, prod!ictions and natural, beauties were vividly described. Prompted by fraternal sympathy as well as national pride, the Royal College, as early as 1716, under sanction and with support of the Danish Government, first undertook the laborious task of tracing the history of their own people on this conti- nent. From these it becomes known, that besides many others in different locations, there was at Newport, R. 1., a temple of their own order, built by men of their own nation, in their own peculiar and enduring style ; and when the period arrived which was to consummata this important undertaking, and solve the mystery of the lost colonists, it was but natural to suppose that their atten- tion would be attracted hitherward. Had it not been for these, the history of the “ON Ruin," would have remained unwritten, and the opin- ion been generally received, that this important struc- ture, built at a period when architectural facilities were unknown, with so great labor and inevitable expense, of mysi bzıutiful design, anil enduring as the rocks be. low it, was built by Governor Arnold, in the 17th centu- ry for the ordinary purposes of a Wind-mill. As will might it be assumed, centuries hence, that Trinity Church of Newport, the most symmetrical architectural monument in New England, was erected for a cider-mill in the 19th century. The history of the "Old Ruin," siibsequent to the settlement of Aquidneck is not our pi17p233. That it existed at that time can not only bo inferred from various Indian inscriptions upon its inte- rior surface, but positively proved. Had it, as claimed, * These inscriptionz, evidently Inlia:, WATI-VIT-A, UNA-ATA-WIX, thoz! Jistin.tly traced hy Catherwool an l others, are not reliech upp.1 by Antiquians, as they might posibly be impozilin . 44 THE CONTROVERSY. been erected by Arnold, it would certainly have descend- ed in record or tradition ; for no structure of so great proportions exists which is attributed to the first settlers, (so called.) That it was not intended as a mill is evi- dent, for at the period claimed for its erection, there was not in that settlement or those adjacent, a Wind-mill of any description. The corn used was ground, among the wealthier classes, in small hand-mills of foreign man- ufacture, while the poorer classes were content with us- ing two flat stones. The structure at St. Thomas, re- ferred to by the « Oldest Inhabitant,” is another con- vincing proof of the great age of the “Old Ruin.” Blue- beard's Castle, to which he refers, was standing some- what dilapidated, as at present, when the island was first discovered by Columbus; and it is matter of history, that the great navigator, in attempting to improve upon the design, by building a castle of immense magnitude, lost his liberty, by order of Queen Isabella. After tra- versing great space, over which I cannot follow at pres- ent, the "Oldest Inhabitant," or "one of them," takes a fina) leave of the old wind-mill, and assigns to Antiqua- rian the task of explaining its object and history. This is the design in the lecture proposed, and although it may be insufficient to remove the prejudices which three- of facts, gathered from authentic sources, and illustrated by drawings and diagrams, from the Royal College at as will secure the approbation of the reverent and can- did scholar. Very truly, yours, IQUARIAN. To ANTIQUARIAN, Brown University, Providence, R. I. When at the termination of my last article on the subject of the “Old Stone Wind Mill," I assigned to “Antiquarian" the task of explaining its origin and object, it was with a view of giving him an opportunity to correct the error in which he was involved. I was 45 confident from the opinion universally expressed, that the report attributed to Professor Scrobein was a fic- tion, and without the least foundation in truth; that Antiquarian must have been convinced of his error, and would be ready to acknowledge the total groundlessness of the pretended report alluded to and attributed to Prof. Scrobein, and which, if made by him to the Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, had grossly deceived the Royal College, and their action, founded on the report, (so well contrived to operate upon their national pride, as an evidence that they were the discoverers of the New World, long prior to the discovery by Columbus,) had deceived the world, and that himself was among those deceived,—and that I should not again have occasion to revert to the subject. But the tenacity with which Antiquarian adheres to liis former error, regardless of the indubitable evidence already adduced, by which the Report attributed to Prof. Scrobein had been proved false and groundless, and the manner in which he endeavors to turn that evi- dence into ridicule, which he could not gainsay, and avoids by expressing his indisposition “ to enter the arena of controversial strife with an unknown oppo- nent," --as he avoided the same evidence once before on the pretence that the tedious document could not be submitted [published] in consequence of its great length :--the ridiculously positive manner in which An- tiquarian has treated the subject in his communication in the Newport Daily News of the 21st and 22d inst., obliges me, in support of the opinions and statements I have already expressed and made, to advert once more to the subject. Antiquarian again refers to the report of Prof. Scrobein, as if he considered it correct and ten- his own knowledge of facts, is stamped on the face of it. If I have not already, I will before I dismiss the subject, prove the absolute falsity of the report alluded to, and the correctness of my own statements to every unprejudiced and candid mind. When, in a former communication in answer to "An- 46 TIIE CONTROVERSY. tiquarian,” I stated and proved by undeniable evidence, that it was within the knowledge or memory of the old- est inhabitants, who had lived from forty years to “three score and ten," within a short distance of the Old Ruin, that no excavation had been made around it to their certain knowledge, as stated in the report attributed to Prof. Scrobein, I did not depend on my own mem- ory or that of the Hon. Stephen Cahoone, General Treasurer of the State, the gentleman to whoin I alluded, who had lived many years within 100 yards of the Old Ruin, and who was most likely to recollect if any excavation had been inade, excepting such as be- fore noticed, which both that gentleman and myself recollected, but on the testimony of many others, who did not reside in the immediate vicinity of the Ruin. I am aware that the old fabric was visited some years since (it may have been as long ago as 1832,) by Col. Totten, of the U. S. Engineers, with several officers of the Army then stationed here, accompanied by a stran- ger who might have been, as far as I know, Prof. Scro- bein. I understood the object of Col. Totten was to ascertain whether the foundation of the Ruin com- menced on the rock, which in some places on that ridge of land lies near the surface, or whether it was laid on inverted arches, for what object I never knew, but he was not allowed by the proprietor to dig sufficiently deep to effect his purpose. I am also aware that Capt. Fatio, wlien he commanded the Revenue Cutter on this sta- tion, came on shore with part of his crew with a view of making excavations around the Old Ruin, and I was informed at the time by Capt. Fatio, that he could not obtain permission from the proprietor. I have been re- cently informed by a citizen of this place, of strict integrity and honor, that he accompanied Col. Totten and the Officers with him at the time above alluded to, and was present during the whole time of their opera- tions, that he was the only citizen of Newport present, and that there was a stranger present, but not hearing him speak, he did not know whether he was a foreigner or a native citizen. They had an iron bar and pick-axe TAX CONTROTERST. with them, and sounded with the iron bar to ascertain the depth of the top of the foundation below the sur. face-they removed a few sods on the outside, and dug a few holes near the pillars, none of them exceed- ing one foot deep, when they were forbid proceeding further and desisted. This slight examination could not by any means be considered an excavation, particu- larly of the magnitude of that stated in the report at- tributed to Professor Scrodein as having been made by U After the publication of the report now under dis- cussion, some few years since, which was represented to be a report of Professor Scrobein in relation to the old ruin at Newport, it was generally supposed to be the public, written by some Trollope of the masculine gender, as a hoax, not so much for deception, as to jer the Yankees for their many foolish pretensions in rela- tion to origin, discoveries, birth, descent, &c. It was then considered in this vicinity, to be so totally void of truth as not to require an attempt to refute it, bem cause it was thought no one could believe it a genuine report, and the evil would correct itself as the misrep- resentations of Madam Trollope had uniformly done. If this could be proved to have been the origin of the report, (and there is good ground to believe it can,) and that it was palmed off upon Professor Scrobein in so plausible a manner by some misci'cant who had gain- ed his confidence, as to induce him to believe it cor- rect in its details, and to present it as the result of his labors, it would exonerate him from the design to deceive the Royal College-and although his extreme credulity would add nothing to his merits, or exalt his character in the opinion of the world, it would prove the truth of the adage tkat “when great men err they err greatly''; and in some degree relieve him from the dilem- ma in which he has involved himself, which inust oth- erwise "inevitably result in degradation and in disa grace." It would tend much more to the credit of Antiquarian, whose object ought to be to put down false. THE CONTROVERSY. hood and sustain the truth, to take some plausible and tenable means to relieve the Professor from the unen- viable position in which he is involved, if he is deserv- ing of the character so vividly portrayed by Antiqua- rian, (from which I feel no desire to detract) than to fasten upon him a report so evidently false in all its parts. I shall not attempt to follow "Antiquarian" through all his sarcasms, and inuendoes, which I deem unwor- thy of notice. I have never in any instance “denied the evidences by which the claims of history have been positively asserted," and the truth of which has been maintained. Nor do I acknowledge having cast caustic reflections upon Antiquarian for citing indis- putable authorities, or. denounced as fabulous, estab- lished and authenticated matters of history. I may have, in the opinion of Antiquarian, “betrayed a limit- ed knowledge of the scientific advances of the age- and an incapacity to exemplify the subjects of my own adoption by correct chronological memoranda of the early history of my native State," as is exem- dence, R. I.” Although I have not had the advanta- ges of a College education, and have passed my grand climacterick, I have the vanity to think that I have not an "eníire misconception of the reports of the Royal College of Copenhagen," nor have "evinced a readiness rather than ability to contest their truth.” Happily my faculties are not so much impaired, nor am I so heavily pressed by the hand of time, that I cannot dis- tinguish fair and undisguised truths, from barefaced and palpable falschoods. In the foregoing, I have recited the report attribu- ted to Professor Scrobein, as publislied by “Antiquari- an' himself. I have heretofore asserted that no exca- vation was made around the old ruin by Professor Scro- bein, as stated in his report, and have referred to am- ple evidence to satisfy every candid and unprejudiced mind of the entire truth of the assertion.. When the facts stated in this communication shall be . 'THE CONTROVERSY. represented to the "Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen" as they assuredly will be, if the Royal College does not retract the position they have assum- ed in consequence of the imposition, and publish their recantation in such a manner as shall render the anti- dote as diffusive as the poison, they will not do their duty to the world, and the records of the "Royal So- ciety of Antiquarians at Copenhagen," which has hith- erto enjoyed the confidence of the world in general, will no longer be relied upon as “the iext-book of the scholar and historian," or the “Antiquarian." When at the close of my former communication, I took my leave of the old wind mill, I really thought I had given "Antiqnarian his quietus, and that I should hear no more from him on the subject, but he has again referred to it, in a vein of irony, still more ridiculous than heretofore. He ridicules the opinion expressed by me, which coincides with the opinion always enter- tained by nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the island, that the old ruin was built by Gov. Arnold in the 17th century, for the ordinary purposes of a wind-mill, and says, “As well might it be assured, centuries hence, that Trinity Church of Newport, the most symmetrical architectural monument in New England, was erect- ed for a cider-mill, in the 18th century." This simile, in which there is as much rhyme as reason, is totally unworthy of a Professor in Brown University, as set- ting an example of exceeding bad taste to the students in the institution. “Antiquarian" may rest assured, that without looking centuries ahead, the opinion of mankind, taken at this day, would decide that there is as much probability that Trinity Church was original- ly built for a cider-mill, as that the old stone mill was erected for a Baptistery, or a place of religious W01* ship. The question has been asked why build it with stone, when the land was covered with trees? and why build it on pillars and open below? To the first, I answer, because at that period there were no saw-mills to saw the timber into plank and boards, and the stone of THE CONTROVERSY. which it was built was on the land near where it was erected ; the shells to make the lime, and the sand and gravel to make the mortar, were on the beach, within three quarters of a mile ; and the wood to burn the shells to line was on the spot. To the second question I answer, because it was built by people just from Europe, where the Wind-mills at that time were: built, and have been from that time to this, of the same form. In the Penny Magazine of the Society for the diffusion of useful knowledge, for November, 1836, page 480, there is an engraving of a Wind-mill at. Chesterton, Warwickshire, England, erected after a de- sign of Inigo Jones, which, without the roof and vanes, would be a fac simile of the old mill at Newport. An aged ship master of this town, of the first respectability, and of undoubted integrity, who has been many voyar ages to the North of Europe, informs me, that he has seen there more than forty Wind-Mills of the same material and construction as the. Old Wind Mill here, and he had the curiosity, once to ask, at one of them, why they were built on pillars and open between them, and was informed that on this construction, the wind having a free passage through, there was no eddy wind caused, to make a back sail, and lessen the power. - A gentleman just returned from a two years' tour ini in Europe, informs a friend who feels an interest in the present discussion, that in his travels he has seen in different parts of Europe more than a hundred Wind- mills of the same material and construction. A gen- tleman a few days since procured a quantity of the cement or mortar from the wall of the old stone house in Spring street, which was built by Henry Bull, one of the first purchasers of the Island, inimediately after the first settlement of the town, in 1638, and speci- mens from several other ancient buildings and stone chimneys, and some from the tombs of Governor Ar- nold and his wife, and from the stone mill, and ana- lyzed and compared them, found them of the same quality, and composed of shell lime, sand and gravel, and considered it à very strong evidence that they were THE CONTROVERSY. 51 built not far from the same time, all probably within a period of thirty or forty years from each other. I feel no enmity towards “Antiquarian," because I con- sider him under a delusion, as it respects the old ruin. I should be pleased to hear a lecture from him on the Antiquities of Rhode Island, and the adjacent States, illustrated if you please by drawings and diagrams from the Royal College at Copenhagen and the British Mu- seum. But if he should attempt, after reading this communication, to prove the correctness of the report attributed to Professor Scrobein, which every body here knows to be entirely without foundation in truth, --or to prove any thing from the decisions of the Roy- al College at Copenhagen founded on the deception, he will fail to alter the universally expressed opinion of the citizens of Newport, as well as that of the stran- gers now here, on the subject, and render himself at the same time supremely ridiculous. ONE OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS. NEWPORT, March 23, 1848. In conformity to the declared intention of the writer to represent the facts to the Royal Society of Antiqua- rians at Copenhagen, he forwarded to the President of the Institution by the favor of the Hon. George Ban- croft, our Minister in England, through the Danish Le- gation in London, a copy of the Heraid of the Times and Rhode Islander of Aug. 6th 1847, which contained the full report attributed to Professor Scrobein, as pub- lished by « Antiquarian, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island," with a letter calling the attention of the Royal College to the subject, (which is too lengthy and quite unnecessary to be published) asking the favor of an answer, if such a report had ever been made to the Society, and acted upon as stated in the report. To this communication the writer has just received an an- swer,*in respect to wliich it is barely necessary to remark, that the description given by Dr. Webb, as well as the * Appardia. Letter C. 52 THE CONTROVERSY. · drawings which were transmitted, though in their gen- eral contour correct, are in their minutiæ visibly incor- rect, so decidedly so, as to mislead the judgment of those best skilled in the history of architecture, and to render it impossible for them to determine with any re- liable precision the period to which the structure may be referred; there is no reliance therefore upon the opinions pronounced by the ablest judges skilled in the history of architecture, founded on data so incorrect as those submitted to their inspection, The Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, which is universally considered as the source of correct information on facts relating to subjects of Antiquity, have been imposed upon by unprincipled miscreants in this country. As an instance of their success in their attempts at deception, I would refer to the following :- The inscription on the Dighton Rock, which is un- doubtedly an Indian inscription in commemoration of some great battle, and was so pronounced by General Washington, (when a copy of it was shown to him at Cambridge during the Revolutionary War, he having seen many similar to it in the Indian country,) and is so considered by Henry R. Schoolcraft, Esq., Professor of Geology in the service of the United States, who visited the Rock the last summer, and who has seer many of the same description in various parts of the country from Maine to the source of the Mississippi, and is acquainted with the meaning of many of the characters in the inscription, this inscription has been copied by some designing wretch, * and forwarded to the Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, undoubt- edly for deception, and published in the work alluded to by Professor Rafn, entitled Antiquitates Americanaca The version of the inscription published in that work, and distributed throughout Europe and America, was altered so as to make it appear to have been the work * The author of this imposition, as well as the report attributed to Scrobcin, is supposed to be a foreigner, a few years since a residcut in this town. THE CONTROVERSY, of the Scandinavians, by altering the characters, and adding in the body of the inscription, the characters, O RIN X, which is said to be the name of one of their early navigators; such unwarrantable conduct is dis- graceful to the authors, an imposition on that highly res- pectable institution and the world, and ought to be discountenanced and exposed by every admirer of the correctness of facts relating to ages passed. The so- ciety have (from misrepresentations made to them in regard to the “ Newport Ruin," as it has of late beenz called) been drawn into an error in supposing that their Scandinavian forefathers visited in the 10th century, the island of Rhode Island. At the remote period referred to in the letter of Professor Rafn, they may have visited Massachusetts, and reported it by its true Indian name, and if they had visited this Island, it is reasonable to suppose they would have called it by the name it was called by the native inhabitants, Aqucthneck. It was not called Rhode Island until 1645, as appears from the following extracts from the Old Colony Records. " At a General Court held at Newport on the 15th day of the 1st month 1644:- It is ordered by this Court that ye Island commonly called Aquethneck, shall be from henceforth called the Isle of Rhodes, or Rhode Island.” There is no doubt that the Northmen discovered ili the 10th century, the Eastern coast of this Continent, and visited that part called by the Indian inhabitants Massachusetts, but it is doubtful if they visited at that period the Island of Aquethneck, now Rhode Island. There does not appear from any history, or tradition from our ancestors, that there was any tradition among the Indians of Aquethneck ever having been visited by white men, before the settlement of the country by our British ancestors. When the first white inhabitants settled on the Elizabeth Islands, there was a tradition among the Indians, that the Vineyard had been visited many ages before by a colony of white men, who came there in a vessel from the North, and remained there for a season, and returned to the Nortlı in the Winter, with an intention of returning there again the next year, but 54 THE CONTROVERSY. nerer came back, and were supposed to have been lost;: and the saine tradition was rife among the Indians on the main and remains to this day. It is very probable those were the Northmen from the borders of the St. Lawrence, and that the Vineyard Island was the extent of their progress westward along the coast. From this circumstance, and from sinister motives, it has been en- deavored to be shown that the Northmen visited this Island in the 10th or 11th century, and called the Island “Vineland &c." and the Newport Ruin has been en- deavored to be palmed upon the world through the Roy- al Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, as evidence of the fact of the visit of the Northmen, and the work of their hands, but “ Let Antiquarians say what they will, It's nothing but an Old Stone Mill.”* ONE OF THE OLDEST INHABITANTS. (* Our respected friend has, in his accidental alteration of the coup. Let he professes to quote from the Poem of Aquidneck betrayed not a little poetic inventiveness himself. We quote the paragraph, to the last two lines of which he probably refers.] Speak I thou stone mystery that o'ertopp'st the hill, Fort, baptistery, monument or mill, Which, or what art thou ? say! And is there, then, No faithful Mather's fact-compelling pen To let men know both whence and what thou art, And set at rest the antiquarian heart? How long hath Time held on his mighty march: Since first arose thy time-defying arch? Die thus the astonished Indian on thee, A mystery staring at a mystery ? A son of Canaan, shall we rather say, Viewing the work of brethren passed away? Was it Phænician, Norman, Saxon toil That sunk thy rock-based pillars in the soil ? How looked the bay—the forest and the hill, When first the sun bebeld thy walls, old Mill ? Alus ! the Antiquarian's dream is o’or, Thou art an old sionc windmill.,--nothing more. 4411 CONTROVERSY. 5: (For symmetry's sake, that each of the three parts of our little book may be rounded with a dream,* we introduce here the following graceful lines, by a lady of this town : 1 THE OLD STONE MILL. * & stern round Tower of other days" Old ruined Tower! Time from his wings hath shakon The dust of ages o'er thy history : In vain conjecture would explore, or wakeu Ono echoing toue to tell thy mystery. Years have rolld on since thou, in strength gigantic, Hast stood the storms, which, battling in their miylıt, Lash'd into fury all the broad Atlantic, And toss'd its wayes around thy sea-girt beighty Embower'd'in shades of forests all primeval, Thy stones were laid for shelter or defence, But no traditiou, with thyself coeval, Glides phantom-like from out the darkuess densc, That lovely Bay, spread out in placid beautz Beneath thy walls, upon its bosom bore Full oft the Pirate rover with his booty; And did he rear thee to secure his store ! The Norseman wandering from his regions froze, Perchance thou mark’st the spot his heart had choses, Raised to protect from enemies his hoine. Or—did Aquidians lay thy strong foundation When Narragansett warriors bold assail'd ! If so,but little to that luckless nation Their "stern round Tower" of massive strength avail'ci? But ere they quail'd, from thy grey walls relsounder) The baffled arms of many å savage foe; Wild vhoops and yells among the stones lcsoundcri, And gory scalps bung reeking from thy brot. * Shakspere says: "Our little life is rouoded with a scop" THE CONTROVERSY. Vanquished, enfeebled, did they then forsake thee, Such warlike efforts evermore to cease ? And thus, fair Island I did they once more make thee What they had fondly term'i thee, Isle of Peace ? Then solemn silence reigned among thy arches, Unbroken, save when Nature's voices spoke; The Hosts of heaven, in majestic marches, The only Sentinels who round thee woke. The wild Deer bounded fearlessly before thee, The Wolf's fierce eye-balls 'neath thy shadow gleam'd, The Eagle wheel'd his flight aerial o'er thee, And from thy battlements the Vulture scream'd. Ere long, thy solitude again invaded, Saw, mid dim aisles of overarching trees, The Pilgrim stranger, worn with toil and jaded, Pour out vain prayers upon his bended kuees. Then fell the forest year by year around thee, And babitations rose--and men were born, Who in no scene of sylvan beauty found thee, But on a street, of all thy romance shorn! Yet on thy fate, 'tis said, still hangs suspended The red man's destiny--whose hapless race Shall on the earth become extinct and ended, When thy last stone sball totter from its place ! ROSE. NOTE TO THE SIXTH STANZA.--Rhode Island was named by the Indians, Aquidnet, or Aquidneck (i. e. Isle of Peace) the Aquidians were driven out by the Narragansetts, shortly before it was settled by whites. DS Hivatal LINE IUNI Down JAWAT We In KIS ASUTA sh ILIST ES SUISSE Home RICHADSUT, ŠU.N.Y. old stone M111. PART III: CONCLUSION. It remains, now, that we sum up the case, before dismissing it to the jury of the public and of posterity, and, as is not uncommon with the most impartial judges on earth, show which way our own opinion leans; although, in this our charge, we may do what is not generally thought proper, we believe, in the courts of law,-put forward some additional items of evidence which the counsel had not noticed. We shall in- timate, we said, which way cur opinion leans, for we think it would be presumptuous to say that the advocates of either or any theory about the Old Stone Mill have yet produced testimony or probability that closes the question. We have already alluded, in our cpening remarks, to the theory of the Copenhagen Antiquarians, as express- ed by their Secretary, Professor Ratn. This was give en in the Supplement to the "Antiquitates America- näe," published in 1840, a volume containing an inter- esting letter to him from Dr. Thomas C. Webb of Bos- ton, communicating the first information the Society had received of the old structure, together with Rafn's dissertation on the subject, accompanied by illustra- tive plates. To this book, of which there are probably many copies in the country, we need only refer the cu- 11 CONCLUSION. rious reader, as we shall give, in the course of our rc- marks, the substance of what it presents, to the point before us. It will be seen that Professor Rafn must have expe- time of his letter to Mr. Melville. He says there, as we Have scen, that any one ought to be on the spot, to pro- nounce with much confidence as to what is to be in- ferred from architectural appearances. But let this be contrasted with the tone of the following extracts from his dissertation, particularly of the sentence we have given in Italics ; the clause in capitals we quote as we find it printed :- “There is no mistaking in this instance the style in which the more ancient stone edifices of the North were constructed, the style which belongs to the Ro- man or Ante-Gothic architecture, and which, especially after the time of Charlemagne, diffused itself from Italy over the whole West and North of Europe, where it .continued to predominate until the close of the 12th century ; that style which some authors have, from one of its most striking characteristics, called the round style, the same which, in England, is denominated Sax- on, and sometimes Norman architecture." “On the ancient structure in Newport there are no ornaments remaining, which might, possibly have served to guide us in assigning the probable date of its erection. From such characteristics as remain, however, we can scarcely form any other inference than one, in which, I am persuaded, all who are familiar with old Northern architecture will concur, THAT THIS BUILD- THAN TIE XIIth CENTURY. “This remark applies, of course," (lie very judiciously adds) “to the original building only, and not to the alterations that it subse- quently received ; for there are several such alterations in the upper part of the building, which cannot be mistaken, and which were, most likely, occasioned by: its being adapted, in modern times, to various uses, as the substructure of a wind-mill,and latterly as a hay-magam CONCLUSION. zine. To the same times may be referred the windows, the fire-place, and the apertures made above the col- linns. That this building could not have been crected for a wind-mill," (this is the sentence we referred to,) "bis what an architect will easily discern"--and what we think, in Newport, it will be difficult to prove. . But we shall reserve our remarks on this theory till we have heard it through. "For what use," continues the Professor, “was this Ante-Columbian building originally intended ? That the primary and principal object of its erection was to serve as a watch tower, is what I cannot admit, al- though very possibly it may have been occasionally used as a station from whence to keep a look-out over the adjacent sea. On the contrary, I am more inclined to believe that it had a sacred destination, and belonged to some monastery or Christian place of worship in one of the chief parishes in Vinland. In GREENLAND there are still to be found ruins of several round buildings in the vicinity of the Churches. These round buildings have been most likely Bap- tisteries ; for it was the practice, in early times, to erect separate buildings as Baptisteries, distinct from that no one could enter the sacred edifice of the church, until he had first been initiated by the rite of baptism. .6 Among the ruins of MELLIFONT ABBEY, in the county of Louth in Ireland, there is found, close to the Chapel of St. Bernard, an octagonal structure, in the Roman style of the XIIth century, probably coeval with the foundation of the monastery (A. D., 1141.) Each side is perforated by an arched door-way, and the ex- terior angles are formed by pilasters, on which the whole structure rests. The inhabitants of the neigh- borhood call it a bath ; but it seems more probable, and this is also the conjecture of the Irish Antiquarians, “The Ante-Columbian Structure in Newport bears so much resemblance to this octagonal building, that it enust appear probable, that it was intended for a similar CONCLUSION. Christian use, and has possibly belonged to a churcir, car a monastery founded in Vinland, by the ancient Northmen." Such is the theory of Professor Rafn, and we confess that it would seem to us very probable, were it not for the traditions of our own neighborhood and perhaps, even in the face of those traditions, it would stagger us, were it not for one refractory fact, we mean Arnold's designation of it in his will. "Mr. Joseph Mumford," (says a deposition signed by him and dated Nov. 17, 1834) “now residing at Hali- fax, aged about eighty years, formerly of Newport, states that his father was born in 1699 in said Newport, and that his father always spoke of the Stone Mill in this town as the Powder Mill, and that when he was a boy" (say in 1764) “ his father used it as a hay-mow—that there was a circular roof on it at that time and a floor above the arches-that he has himself, when a boy, re- peatedly found powder in the crevices, sometimes to the amount of two or three pounds, and has likewise known other boys to find quantities of it.” Indeed there is abundant tradition to show that the building has been used for various purposes, and that, as has been proper- ly said, does not prove its original design, and in fact the variety of designations given to it at periods not very remote from each other might seem to favor the theory of its having been, as far back as our own tra- ditions extend, too old to admit its original object's being known. Still all the titles, whether Wind Mill, Powder Mill or (simply) Stone Mill, have the name Mill in com- inon and point to our great central argument, Arnold's will. It will be seen that Mumford notices the circular roof which it had about the middle of the last century. This agrees with many other old men's testimony, and it is even remembered that, when the change of wind required that the wings, with the top, should be turned round, it took a yoke of oxen to do it. Mr. John Lang- ley, now living in the lower part of the town, about eighty years of age, used to hear his father say that, when he was a boy,he carried corn to that mill to be grouna CONCLUSION. All this, to be sure, does not prove that it was built for a mill. But, we confess, the language of Governor Arnold in his will (which is given in the Appendix*) in connexion with the traditions and with the well-re- membered fact that the chimney of his house (pulled down in 1780) was built of just such stone and (very hard) shell-cement-does strongly incline us to the con: clusion that it was built for a Wind Mill and built by Are nold. We would not, indeed, go to the length, as some have, of maintaining that “ my stone-built” means " which I built of stone," but it does seems to us diffi- cult, almost to the degree of impossibility, to conceive that Arnold would have called it his Wind-Mill, built of stone, if it had been merely an old structure which he had found on his land and used for the substructure of a wind mill. And we submit one consideration, to which we beg the reader's particular attention, as it seems to our minds to have great force. It is this : Ar- nold, as we have seen, calls the structure "my stone- built Wind Mill." But Edward Pelham, to whom the building came as the husband of Arnold's grand-daugh- Mill &c." Now whence this difference in their respec- tive modes of designating the object? If Arnold had simply found the old relic on his land, or bought it with the land, why should he say, “ my stone-built Wind Mill” any more than Pelham should, who was the owner of it just as much as he had been ? Why should Arnold, as it were, express so much nearer an interest in it than Pelham ? Will it be said that it was because Pelham only got it by marriage, whereas it had been personally as well as legally Arnold's ? But Pelham speaks in the same will of " my upper garden," and why not of “my stone-built Wind Mill”? We see but one satisfactory so lution of this difference of language and that is the sun- position that Arnold built the Mill and so could call it * Letter A. † Appendix. Letter B. CONCLUSION. ? my stone-built Wind Mill.” It has, indeed, been said, on the other hand, that Pelham's calling it, in 1743,“ ar Old Stone Wind Mill” indicates that it could hardly have been the work of his wife's grand-father, but would seem to favor the theory of its having been of unknowir origin. This suggestion, however, seems to us to be balanced by the fact that Arnold calls it “my stone-built Now, further, we shall present certain facts and considerations which tend to show with what peculiar propriety Arnold could call this structura "My stone built wind-mill." We have a journal kept by Peter Easton, one of the earliest settiers of Newport. In 1603 lie writes : “ This year we built the first wind mill"'** and under date of August 28, 1675, he inakes entry : "on Saturday night, 40 years after the great storm iu 1635, came much the like storm, blew down our wind mill and did much harın.” Now if we suppose, as it is very natural to do, that upon this Arnold proceeded to build a new and stronger mill, and that this was pre- cisely "the old Stone Istill,"mas only two years elapsed between this and the date of his will, he might well call it“ my stone-built wind-ınill." Once more, and finally, we shall now proceed to show, by a chain of circumstantial evidence, how prob- building as this during the period when he inust have done it if at all. We are indebted for most of our facts to Elton's Edition of Callender's Century Lecture and E. R. Potter's very curious and valuable contribution to Rhode Island history, being Vol. III. of the R.I. Historical Society's collections. From these authori- ties we glean the following items: Wm. Arnold, (father of Benedict) "came up the first year with Mr. Williams" i. e, came up from Salem to the Providence Plantation in 1636. He was then 47 * The Editor of these papers, in a note to the Poem of Aquid- neck, asked why this "first wind-mill,” might not be the nowolil informed, CONCLUSION. 65 fears old. He was one of the twelve with whom Roger: Williams shared his Providence and Pawtuxet lands,and, "at the same time the isla!ıd” (of Rhode Islınd) “was inhabited, a number of Providence people, Mr. Arnold &c., sate down at Pawtuxet, a place adjoining and within their grant.” The son, Benedict Arnold, * "came up, a man grown, the first winter.” Having been born in England, in 1615, Dec. 21st) he was about 22, when we find him an inhabitant of Provi- dence, and the oldest remnant of the town Records, dated Aug. 20, 1637, contains liis nane among the signers of a covenant, promising conſorinity to the civil laws which the majority shall establish. We very soon find young Arnold one of the most prominent inen in the Colony, as owner of lands, agent in purcha- sing them for others, in collecting tribute of the Indi- ans, acting as interpreter with them, and other like public business. When we say in the Colony, however, we use the phrase somewhat loosely, as, indeed, the early historians often do. For we find that in 1649 in certain Sachem having deeded considerable land in Warwick to Arnold and others, and rival claimants dis- puting his right to sell it, Arnold and liis party applied to the Massachusetts Government for support, and re- ceived it, only on condition of subinitting themselves 'ilnd their lands to Massachusetts, which they did Sept. 8, 1642. In 1643, Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connect- icut and New Haven, formed a confederation for mu- tual defence, but they refused to admit Rhode-Island. In 1645, “The commissioners (of the confederate coi- onies) sent Benedict Arnold and others, messengers to the Narragansetts, who returned with an answer. The Indians afterwards declared that Arnold had misrep- resented them, and it seems he was afraid to venture among them for some time after." Already there would seem to have been a growing distance between Arnold and Williams, too. For Williams, in a letter about this time, speaks of Wm. Arnold's being with him (on some 1 . * Gov. Arnold was great-grand-father to the Traitor. CONCLUSION. occasion) “instead of his son Benedict, who withdress himself, though sent unto.” Whatever inay have been the cause, Arnold removed to Newport in 1653. He was probably by this time married, as we find his son Benedict, old enough in 1679, to go in an armed sloop to visit the garrison at Providence. In 1651 Wm. Coddington had got himself appointed by the Council of State, in England, Governor of Rhode Island for life. The people on the main-land sent Williams and Clarke over to England, and had his commission re- pealed next year and procured a Patent, under which Williams was chosen first President of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations. His successor was Bene dict Arnold, who served from 1657 to 1660, and again from 1662 to 1663. Arnold was also the first Governor and was twice re-elected to the office under the Char- ter of Charles II, and the chair is still in existence in which he sate when inducted. We find Gov. Benedict Arnold, then, one of the most prominent, active and wealthy men in the Colony. At his death, besides his large grounds on the Island, he was principal owner of Conanicut, (Dutch, Goat and Coaster's Harbor Islands, he had shortly before sold to Newport,) and of extensive tracts on the Nar- ragansett shore. It was a time when the feuds of the Indians among themselves and with the other colonies, kept Rhode Island in continual uneasiness. This Isl- and itself, indeed, was for the most part, unmolested. “The Indians," says Callender, 'never landed on the Is- land in the war time,armed boats being kept plying round, to break their canoes, and prevent their making any attempts." Arnold, as we have seen, had made him- self obnoxious to the Indians, and there is a gentleman living, who has heard his father say that Arnold had a fort on the wharf back of his house to prevent their landing. Moreover we are told by Callender that "there was a misunderstanding and some hostilities occa- sioned, I think, by some of the Indians (if not Mian- tonomi himself) kindling fire in Mr. Easton's land" (this was Nicholas Easton, brother of Peter) "Lord'« CONCLUSION. · 67 Day, April 4, 1641, whereby an house of his was burnt." This, he says, “ though they did not know whether it was intentional or accidental, alarmed the people, and, among other measures, they fitted out an armed boat to keep off the Indians from landing. They likewise appointed garrison houses to which the people were to repair on an alarm.” Now, then, when we consider all these circumstanes : that the first wind mill had been blown down; that the first house had been burnt down by the Indians; that Governor Arnold was not popular with the Indians; that he was an able and ambitious man:-is it not altogether natural to suppose that, if he did build a wind mill, he would build a strong and showy one, one that would stand storm and fire, and that would look like a fort at least? It is not important to our argument to insist upon the interval between 1775 and 177, as the date of its erection, though the objection on the score of short- ness of time for such a work does not strike us as very weighty,-but if any find that date too improba- ble, we are willing to ascribe it to any part of the file teen years between the building of " the first wind-mill" alluded to by Peter Easton, and the date of Arnold's will;-only, if we suppose the structure in dispute to have been begun immediately after the destruction of Easton's, there is a greater accumulation of reasons to show why it should have been built so strongly, as it has been proved to have been by the storms of nearly two hundred years. * The architectural style of the Old Mill (so called) has been brought as an objection to the theory of its having been built by any of our first settlers. But whu shall say that Gov. Arnold had not a fancy as well as pol- icy about the matter? It has been handed down by the old men that his house had a stately fence before it, and * And by the fact, which we have received from the old men, that in the Revolutionary war, wlici the British had possesoion of the Island, siispecting that signals were made from the Old Mill to the mainland), they undertook to tear it down, but after dulling their pickers at it for some time, desisted from the attempt. CONCLUSION. pou the gate posts tall images. To the construction of his chinney allusion has been made. Possibly, during the years of his youth in England, he may have seen old mills of the kind. Opposite our title-page is an engraving of one taken from the Penny Magazine on 1836, called, as we are informed by a gentleman of most accurate observation, memory and judgment, re- siding on the hill, “ an ancient mill,” which struck him, when he was passing through Leamington, England, ten years ago, as the very counterpart of our old relic, and which, tradition says, was built after a design by the famous Inigo Jones, and we may add, that Jones flourished precisely during the period of Arnold's living in the old country. It will be observed that in the pic- ture there are stairs in the middle leading up into the mill. The object of leaving open arches may have been partly appearance and partly to allow free vent for the wind and so obviate a loss of power occasioned, where the sail falls vertically beside a dead wall, by what is called the backing of the wind. But all these speculations, however they may strike our readers, are unnecessary to our cause; whatever theory may be adopted as to the date of the Old Mill's erection and the reasons for this or that peculiarity in its structure, we ask for an explanation, that shall do away ours, if possible, of the simple and stubborn fact, of Arnold's calling it, in a carefully drawn legal docu- inent, “iny stone-built wind mill”; and, waiting for this, we “leave," in the words of Professor Rafn's con- clusion, "to future investigations and researches, whether the ancient Tholus in Newport, did really belong to a Scandinavian Church or Monastery, where in alternation with Latin masses, the old Danish tongue was heard seren hundred years ago;" and, meanwhile, we will let our readers listen to the “Song of the Wind Mill Spir- its," overheard by one of our Rhode Island Poets and Antiquarians, who, in the part which we have indicated by Italics, scems to have had our old mill in his mind, IC CONCLUSION. 69 Sons of the lVind Mill Spirits.. Ha, ha !here we are, and the moon has not set; And the mossy old Windmill is standing here yet. The harvest is gathered, the summer has gone, Aud again we rejoice in the scent of the coin. Up all,--to the wings now! blow high, or blow low, Round on the old Windmill once more we will go! The trees have been leafless, their branches all thi'e, Since we left it, last autumn, one cold, frosty night, And went far away from the region of snow, To see the magnolia and locust-tree blow: Then, the warm, sunny fields of the south we have trod, And then, far away to the bright torrid zone, Where the orange, and lemon, and citron have blown. But once more, the scason we love has come round, And here, to enjoy it, again we are found; And while the bright moon which now lends us her beam, Is looking alone on the rock and the stream, And gently the dews of the midnight distil, Stretch out, then, stretch out, to the end of each wing, And send them all round, with a good, hearty swing; Up and down—up and down—send them merrily round, - Bear them down on that side, from the sky to the ground: Now up !-send them up:-on this side let them fly With a bound from the ground, till they point to the sky- Now they crack: never mind,—they are used to the strain: Up with them once more, --now down with them again! How gaily, that morning, we danced on the hill, When we saw the old Pilgrims here building a mill ; There, at day-break, we stood when they laid the first stone, And came, cvery night, till their labor was done. How often around its old wings we have hung, And have gambolled and laughed, and have shouted and sung. Its frame-uork all fell, ere a century waned, And only the shaft and the inillstones renained. It was built all of wood, Sound hearted and merry, as long as it could: And the hardy old men Determined that there Of firm, solid stone they would build it again, With a causeway and drar, Because they foresaw CONCLUSION. It would make a good fort in some hard Indian war. But they are all gone, its old builders are gone. They are all in their graves, and a new race is born :- All, all of its bruilders,—the head which had planned, Each hand which helped raise it' each honest old hand, - Tlicy are gone, all arc gone,—:21l are low in the mould, A:n the net mill itself is an hundred years old. But still, when the harvest has been gathered in, Ip here in the inoonlight we always have been; In the soft aucuman miiluight, still, year after year, The wind and the moonlight have founil us all here. But when the frost cones and the sleet and the snow, And the green leaves are dead, then f:ur southward we go, And rove 'mid the rich fields of rice and of cane, Till the bright northern sunmer recalls us again. We love the clear breeze o'er the pine-covered hill, As it sings through the wings of the si:urdy old niill. There it comes! not spring out to the end of each sail,- And let each arm bend like a mast in a gale. Round with them,-round with them, the wind is too slow, Bear down all together, hallo! there, hallo! Fill the hoppers below--heap them up till they choke, - And let the old stones then ily round till they smoke! Round, round, send them round with a merry good will; Hil! ha! we are back to the rattling old mill. And Ephraim, the miller, the drottsy old head, Who lies now at midnight asleep in bis bed, Should be wake, rould suppose That because the wind blows, And for no other reason,-around the mill goes, Wzen, at sunrise, he comes, and our work he has found, How little he'll know how luis grist has been ground, Then, round, -send it round !--for cur work must be done Ere old Father Ephraim appears with the sun. Though fair are the plains of the south and the prest, We love the green fields of New-England the best. For here, while we see o'er the golden-edged plain, Each low, fertile hillock all waring with grain, We know, that rewarding its patience and toil, The band of the free reaps the fruit of the soil. We are free as the blue air wound us is free, And so we would have all God's creatures to be. He, ba! a freski breeze now comes over the hill: Kach sail feels its breath :-Dow they stiffen and el! CONCLUSION: Now, now, all is straining above and below, — And round the quick circle we merrily go- Round, round,--and now hark to the musical tones That come quivering out from the whirling old stones! What joy can compare With the life that we bear? The earth is our play-ground, our home is the air. How happy are we, How happy are re, 'Midst the beautiful things of the land and the sea i When the moonbeams fall clear, through the silence of night. And the dew-drops are sparkling like gems in the lights We love, bounding forth with the speed of the gale, The rich, teeming cornfield's sweet breath to inhale; While each stalk gently bends, as they bear us along, And waves its grecu arms in response to our song, And the spindle's tall plume that droops over its head, Just moves in the air, as it springs from ou tread. And when our gay levels bave drawn to a close, 'Mid the cool, verdant foijage, how sweet to repose ! Or to rock in the leaves, when all round us is stilled, and commune with the life with which nature is filled, Which above and below, Forever doth flow Rejoicing around us, wherever tre go,-- And to mortals unkuowa, To us hath been shewn By Him who made all and who sees all alone How often we listen delighted, to hear, Beside the green folds of the delicate ear, The voice of thie teader young mother of coin Singing 'mid her fair brood which within it were born, While breathing in fragrance and cradled in silk, They are drawing forth life froin her fuluess of milk. And when the bright days of the summer have fled, Its beauty ail withered. its verdure all dead, The care and the toil of the season all past, And the full, golden harvest is gathered at last,-- When the gay, merry groups to the busking repair, 'Though unseen and unbeard, yet tre often are there, While thic chinks of the barn are all streaming with light, And sounds of loud glee wake the cchoes of viglit, Ou voices prolong The laugh and the song, And answer each shout that bursts forth from the throng. 13 :72 CONCLUSYON. And when the new grain comes its hoppers to fili, How dearly we love the old coin-scented mill. Hallo, then,-rouse all! Ere the night watch is past, One more merry round let us have, and the last. To the ends of each arm !--and now pour in the corn: The daylight is coming, and we must be gone. Round with them !--ba, ha! how like willows they spring i And the saile go down skimming like birds on the wing. Rise all with them cheerly;—then down let them come: And now hear the stones, how they sparkle and bum. As they rapidly swing, In its fire-circled ring Each seems like a glad living creature to sing ! Hark, hark ! to their song, how it gushes and swells With sounds like the low, distant chinuing of bells. Once more, all together :-now, up from below: There is light in the East ;-we must go we must go There's a cloud passing by, Over head in the sky, And there, for an hour, we our fortune will try; It is time to be gone, For the day will soon dawn, And the cloud reddens now with the tints of the moro. It is waiting us there, And our troop it must bear On a cool, pleasant sail through the pure morning air. See, the coming of day, We must not delay: Upl through the blue ether! up, up, and away! And now, the old mill May, go on, if it will, Or fold up its wings, for a while, and be still APPENDIX A. BENEDICT ARNOLD'S WILL By the permission of God Almighty, I, BENEDICT ARNOLD, of Newport, in ye colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, &c., senior, aged sixty and two years, finding myself. subject to weak ness and Infirmities ye usual attendants on aged persons, and consid- ering my days are not like to be many that I have to abide in this temporal life, and now at the writeing hereof being (tho somewhat weak of body yet) in perfect memory and reasonable understanding, and resolving it necessary for preventing ye many inconveniencies that may arise for want of seting my house in order and setling my temporal estate while I am alive, do tberefore make this my last will and testament in manner and form following: Imprimis. And in ye first place I having full assurance of ye infl. nite mercy of my Almighty Creator unto my soul do cheerfully and willingly recommend ye same into his blessed hands from whom I received it, and by whose grace am made willing to wait his pleasure for my change from this transitory life, unto a life in and with him. self eternally, and my body unto ye earth from whence by ye Al- mighty power and Decree of ye same God it was taken, willing and appointing that after my decease my body may be decently interred by my Executors hereafter in this writing named, ye charge of said interment to be defrayed out of my personal estate. My body I desire and appoint to be buried at ye North E.ust corner of a par- cell of ground containing three rol square being of and lying in my land in or near ye line or path froin my dwelling house leading to my Stone built Wind-inill, in ye town of Newport, abovemen- tioned, the middle or center of which three rods square of ground is and sh:1ll be ye tomb already erected over ye grave of my grand-child, Dinaris Goulding, there buried on ye fourteenth day. if August, 1677, and I desire that my dear & loving wife. D.imaria An 4 APPENDIX. side of ye place aforesaid ordered for my own interment, and I do order my Executors to erect decent tombs over her grave and my plished, and further I do hereby solemnly prohibit ye selling or otherwise disposing of said three rod square of ground or any part thereof, but that it be wholly reserved to yc use of my kindred relations for so many of them as shall please to buy their dead in the said ground and therefore do order and appoint that they shall have from time to tinie ou all such occasions to and from ye said burying place, frec egress and regress without any molestation froma. any that shall succeed ine in ye land about it. Item. In ye next place I will and ordain that all my just debts- shall be paid, all which at ye writing hereot do not amount to thirty pounds sterling, in New England noney, cither by bill or book due to any or all mea wbatsoever, aul after clearing all such debts as shall appear just, I do give and bequeath wuto my de:ur, loviug and beloved wife, Dama'is Arnold, aforenamied, and to her proper use and behoofi during her natural life, and after her decease, to ye proper use and behoof of our beloved daughter, Godsgift Arnold, and to her heirs and assigns to have and to hold, possess anil enjoy as her and their own true rights and lawful inheritance forever, that is to say; ye lands and tenements hereafter mentioned, namely: ye house and two acres - of land, be it more or less, that I bought of Williain Haviland, being and lying in ye precints of ye town of Newport, above said, bounded on ye South and on:ye East parts by lam now or late in the possession of Thomas Cliftou or his assigns, ou ye West by a highway belong. ing to said town, and on ye North by land that I have bequeathed to my son Josias Arnold, and I order ye said line of fence to be made and forever maintained by ye occupants of ye premises which I bouglit of Wm. Haviland aforesaid, as also all that land which I bought of Wn: Vaughan being and lying in ye precincts of the said town of Newport, and by me named Spring Harbor lands containing ninety acres more: or less io. two parcels ye greater of which two parcels is bounded On: ye North by land now or later in. ye possession of Henry Bull, on. ye East by land in ye possession of ye assigns of Wn. Brenton, Esq., deceased, on ye south by land iu ye pussession of John Cogges- ball, senior, and on ye West by a highway belonging to ye said Town. The lesser of ye saiul parcels of land is bounded on ye. North by land of Henry Bull aforesaid, on ye East by ye bighway aforesaid, on ye South partly by a broach way and parily by land in ye possession of ye assigns of Gcorge Garduer deceased, and on yo West by a creek or cove of salt water, all which the premises to- gether with a certain parcell of land in the Close called Stillhouse. close, being and lying in the preciicts of ye aforesaid Town, contain- ing by estimation two acres and a quarter, more or less, in two dis- tinct parcells each bounded as followcth, namely ye bigger parcel on. ye North and West in part by Roger Goulding's land and on ye APPENDIX. 75 Worth and East more largely by a highway belonging to ye said *Town, on ye South by my son Benedict Arnold's lan:), and on yo West by a highway puralell with ye Towa’s bighway le:xdiag to- wards this ye said Bana lict Arnol.l's land; aal ye lesser pucell of the premises is boun:led on ye North by a parcel of Roger Gould- ing's laud aforenuned, on yc East by ye highway last mentioned as aforesaid, on ye South by Benedict Aruold's land aforesaid, and on ye West by ye seż or b:urbour of the Towa aforementioned, and it is ordered that the said Benedict Arnold his heirs and assigns are to make and forever maintain a good and sufficient fence in ye line be- tween his said land unil both ye said parcels of ye premises and yo least or last discribed parcell thereof is to make and forever main- tain by ye occup:ints thereof a good and sufficient fence in ye line between it and Roger Goulding's land thereto adjoining as aforesaid all which ye premised purcells of land lying and being in five dis- tinct parts, each bounded as aforesaid, I do give and bequeath to ye only proper use and behoof of my said wife Damaris Arnold for ber support and in order also toward ye maintainance of my daugh- ter Godsgift Arnold duriaz ye natural life of her mother my said wife Damaris Arnold, and in ye mean time to be carefully kept and reserved to ye only use and behoof of my said daughter Gods- gift Arnold, after her said mothers decease for her my said daugh- ter Godsgift Arnold to have and to hold use and enjoy to her self And to her heirs and assigns as her and theirs and every or either their undoubted rights and lawful inheritance forever. Item. I do also give and bequeath unto ye proper use and be- hoof of my said wife Dainaris Arnold, during her naturall life and after her decease to ye use and beloof of my dearly beloved and youngest daughter Freelove Arnold, all and singular ye lands and · buildings severally hereafter mentioned in particular, that is to say. my dwelling house and lands buildings, and tenements hereafter named, namely one tract of land being and lyeing in ye precincts of J'e aforesaid Town of Newport containing by estiination sixteen acres distinguished into two parcells by a highway beionging to ye said Town and bounded severally as followeth, that is to say, the lesser parcell whereou is erected my Warehouse and Wharf, and bounded as followeth on ye East by ye highway aforesaid, on ye South by a parcell of land I have bequcathed unto my son Oliver Arnold, on ye West by the sea or harbour of Newport, on ye North by land now or late in. ye possession of Pardon Tillinghast or his assigns, ye other and greater parcell of ye tract of land abovesaid upon which stand- eth my dwelling cr mansion house and other buildings thereto ad- joining or belonging as also my Stone Bui't Wind Mill, and in the said parcell is being and lying ye three rod square of ground abovesaid that I have set apart for a burying place ye whole parcell being bounded as followeth, on ye West by ye highway aforesaid on part of ye North and part of ye East by a quillet of land containing fifty . foot square that I sold and now or late in ye possession of Jeremiah . 14: 576 APPENDIX Brown, and on ye rest of ye North by a highway belonging also as ye aforesaid highway to ye said Town, ou ye East by laud now or late in ye possession of Walter Clarke or his assigns save only as ye Town inay order a highway between, and on ye South by land I have bequeathed to my son Josiah Ainold, he ye said Jusiah Arnold his heirs or assigns being to maintain a good and suficient feace in ye line between ye premises and his said land. Moreover, I give and bequeath unto my said wiſe, Damaris Arnold, as above said, during her natural life, and after her decease to ye use of our said daughter, Freelove Arnold, a certain tract of land being and lying in ye precincts of the said town, :und by me called Lemmington farm, containing by estimation, one hundred and thirty acres morė or less, and bounded as followeth: that is to say, on ye North by ye sea or harbor of ye said town for yo greater part, and by land in possession of John Stanton on ye rest of the North part; on the East by ye rest of John Stanton's laud aforesaid ; on ye South by ye Common, and on ye West by ye Common, down to ye sea or har- bor aforesaid, ye Northermost part being divided at present by a stone wall from ye Southermost part of ye premises, which as yet is not fenced, from ye Common on which it is bouuded as aforesaid, all which ye premises. tracts and parcels of land as distinguished by ye respective bounds of each of said tracts and parcels before mentioned, together with all ye buildings, improvements, fences and conveniences upon any and every part of ye premises erected or thereupon being or to any part thereof properly belonging, or iu any wise hereiuto appertaining, I do give and bequeath' as above said unto ye proper use, and behoof of my said wife Damaris Arnold, for: her support, and in order toward ye maintenance of my daughter Freelove Arnold atorenamed, during ye natural life of her mother, my said wife. Damaris Aruold, and all ye premises I will and order to be carefully reserved and kept to ye use of my said daughter; Freelove Arnold, after her said mother's, Damaris Arnold's, decease, for her, my said dauglter Freelove Arnold, ye premises and every part and parcel of ye same above mentioned, to have and to hold, possess, use and enjoy to herself; my said daughter Freelove Arnold, to her own proper use, and behoof and to ye proper use; and behool of her heirs and assigns as her and their and every or either of her or their true rightful and lawful inheritance forever. Item. For ye more comfortable subsistence of said wife and. toward ye maintenance of my two daughters aforesaid, I hereby Shecp and Swine, that are nine in ye precincts of ye town of New- port aforesaid, shal all be delivered and left in ye possession and to ye use of my said wife Damaris Arnold, to ye end and purpose be- ye said cattle and their increase shall remain, I order to ye peculiar use and behoof of my saiul daughters Godsgift Arnold and Freelove Arnold, to be speedily-and equally divided between them two, their APPENDIX. by heirs or assigns, for stocking their respective lands hereby given as aforesaid. Item. And to ye end ye business and work may be carried on: ye more conveniently, I order and appoint, that all my servants of what sorts socver, and all my household stuff and utensils, shall be and remain to ye use of my said wife Damaris Arnold, during her natural life, and after her decease what remains to be divided among niy children, to wit: to each of my daughters aforesaid, one third part thereof and ye other third also to be equally divided between them except my said wife do otherwise dispose of that part to somo other of our children before her death. Item. Unto my eldest and well beloved son Benedict Arnold, I give and bequeath half of my neck of laud, being ye Southermost part of ye Island, called Quonanaquit, lying in Narrayanset Bay, near Rhode Island, in ye colony aforesaid, ye said neck of land being by me named Beaver Neck, and doth contain one thousand acres, nanacut by a narrow beach or sponge of land called Parting Beach, which said beach where it joineth to ye said neck is to be fenced off therefroin by my said son. Benedict Arnold, and a gate therein to be banged or bars to be put up and down upon occasion of going or coming into or out of said neck by any and every of my sons, their heirs and assigns, to whom I have bequeathed land at ye Southern end ye Island, to wit: my son Josiah Arnold, and my son Oliver Arnold, ordering and hereby providing that there shall be a mutual privilege and liberty to my said sons Benedict, Josiah and Oliver, their heirs and assigns, forever (being that these lands will lie join- ing or near into each other) to pass and repass through one anoth- er's lands on their necessary occasions, either of carting, driving cat- tle or ye like, as also for fishing and fouling about ye shores and creeks, and for sheltering boats or canoes in any ye ponds, coves, creeks or nooks of ye see, as occasion shall require from time to time, and also free passage to and from ye boats over each other's lands, they not otherwise damnifieing one another by leaving open gates or bars or ye like; and whereas I give and bequeath one half of have ye Northermost end thereof, and that the neck shall be equally divided in two, as near as may be, over thwart ye breadth of it from ye East shore to ye West shore, and ye fence that shall be inade and maintained in ye said line, three parts of four beginning at yo West end of sd. line shall be made and forever maintained by iny son Josiah Arnold and his heirs and assigns, and ye other fouth part. of that line of fence shall be made and forever maintained by my said son Benedict Arnold and his heirs and assigns, from time to time, the premises to him bequeathed is five hundred acres, bounded on ye South by ye aforementioned line; on ye East by an arm of ye sea called Mackrell Cove; on ye North partly by the beach en:) aforementioned, and ye rest by ye pond called Eel Pond, and ye 78. APPENDIX... outlet thereof into ye sea down to ye place called Fox Hill: and 00. - ye West by ye sea; as also to my said son Benedict Arnold, I give and bequeath onc third part of my interest in Dutch Island, lying near adjacent to that part of Quononicut, all which, and premises, I will and order to ye only use, and behoof of my said son Benedict Arnold and his heirs and assigns forever. Item. Unto my beloved son Josiah Arnold aforenamed, I give- and bequeath a certain parcell of land, being and lying in ye precincts of ye town of Newport above mentioned, ye said land containing by estimation, four acres more or less, being cight rod in breadth from North to South, and eighty rod in length from East to West, bound- ed on ye North by land I have bequeathed to his mother Damaris Arnold, &c. on ye East by land of Walter Clarke on ye South in part by land now or late 'in ye possession of Thomas Clifton or his assigns and partly by ye land above said, I bought of Win. Haviland and bequeathed to ye said Damaris Arnold, &c. and partly by a high way belonging to the said Town and on ye West by a highway be- longing also to ye same Town, as also to my said son Josiah Ar- nold, I give and bequeath. a certain parcell of land lying in ye said town containing near a quarter of an acre, being in length North and South nine rod, more or less, and in breadth East and West sixty two feet, bounded at each end by ve street ways belonging to the said town and on each side by land in ye possession of Thomas Ward, as also unto my said son Josiah Arnold, I give and bequeath a certain parcell of land, being and lying on ye South end of Quononicut Is- land above mentioned, in ye neck of land Beaver Neck, ye premises containing five hundred acres and bounded as followetli; on you North by land above given and bequeathed to my sou Benedict Ar- nold, and on ve East, South and West, by ye sea, and therewith free egress and regress to and through ye said Benedict Arnolds land, and to and through ye land I have given to my son Oliver Ar- nold, on occasions more particularly above expressed, to be mutually used and allowed by ye said Benedict Arnold, Josiah Arnold and Oliver Arnold, according to my true intent and meaning in that mat- ter, and together with ye aforesaid lands, I give and bequeath unto my said son Josiah Arnold one third part of my interest in ye island called Dutch Island aforementioned, all which ye premises together with ye priviledges, advantages and commodities thereupon, or upon any part or parts of ye same being or thereunto belonging or apper: taining, are to be and remain to ye only proper use of my said son- Josiah Arnold and his heirs and assigns forever. Item. Unto my youngest and well beloved son, Oliver Arnold aforenamed, I give and bequeath ye lands, tenements and beredita- ments hereafter mentioned that is to say, a certain parcell of land being and lying in ye precincts of ye aforesaid Town of Newport, containing one fourth part of an acre, more or less; being six rods in breadth from North to South, and bounded on ye North by ye land given and bequeathed to my wife Damaris Arnold, &c. as abovesaid APPENDIXI. .on ye Last by ye street way or highway aforementioned belonging to ye said Town, on ye South by land I sold to Simon Parrot, and on ye West by ye sea or barbour of ye same Town, he ye saili Oliver Arnold, his heirs and assiyus, being to make and forever main- tain a good and sufficient fence in ye line between ye said land hereby granted to my s'd soni Oliver Arnold, & ye land aforemen- tioned, lying on ye north side thercof which I have given unto his nother, my wife Damaris Arnold as abovesai), the South line of yo land hereby given to my said son Oliver Arnold, being to be made and forever maintained by Simon Parrot, his heirs and assigus as by ye deed he had of me doth appear, as also I give and bequeath untu my said soul Oliver Arnold, a certain tract of land being and lying upon ye Island of Quononiquut aforementioned, containing by esti- mation three bundred acres, more or less, and called Cajiset land, and bounded as followeth ; on ye north partly by a highway two rod wide, lying between ye premises and ye land now or late in ye possession of Caleb Carr, senior, or his assiyns and partly by land now or late iu ye possession of ye assigns of Wm. Weeden, deceased, on ye West and on ye South by a tract of land called ye township as ou ye plat or draft of ye said Island it doth appear, and on yo Easterly part ye premises is bounded by ye seà in ye severall turnings &c. of ye said land on that part thereof &c. and also that with ve foresaid tract, I give and bequeath another certain tract of land being and lying on ye said Island Quonquicut, in a tryangu- lar fornz containing sixty four acres by ye surveyors, Plat of that Is- land and is boun:led as followeth, that is to say, ou ye North line by ye so called Towuship laud afurernentioned, on the Easterly part by ye broad high way that goeth upon a line North Easterly to ye said Township land so called and on ye South and West partly by yo end of je Beach aforenilmed, and partly by Eele Pond aforesaid, and by ye ipfluxx thereof into ye sea, as also I give and bequeath unto my said sou Oliver Arnold, all ye land that now is my right to and in said tract called ye Township ye said tract containing by ye surveyor's acco't. two hundred and sixty acres my said interest therein being more than one third part of ye said tract as belonginy unto my other tracts and shares and to all and every of them iu ye said Island as by me purchased and lawfully procured so that my i'd rights in ye said tract called ye sai:] Tovuship is and ought to be eighty three acres and upward the bounds whereof will be as vo committee shall appoint when they divided ye said tract to ye rég- pective owners thereof uutill when it is however contained within ye tract aforesaid called the township land ; further I order that Evliereas there is supposed to be some land belonging to Francis Brinley that may be furty acres which may fall in or about some part of ye premises to wit: forty acres belonging to a two hundret : part and a three hundredth part of ye said Island &c., I say for making up ye said forty acres to said Brinley, I order that he shall have forty acres of ye North part of ye triangular tract of label APPEXDII. aforementioned as once he proposed or else some land at north end of said Island near or next to his land there which he earnestly de- sired, and to gratifie him I have procured to that end to acomidate him with in way of Exchange for that aforementioned lying near ye premises, and I order that to make ye premises given to said Oliver Arnold five hundred acres he shall have it out of my land, that I bought of John Tripp, George Bliss, Edward Thurston, Win Cadman and Bartholomew West as by deed in writing it may ap- pear under their hands and seals and being and lying in ye maiu tody of said Island, Northward from a tract there granted to Wm. Brenton Esq, deceased, by and among ye first purchasers of said Eslands, ye names of ye persons of whom I bought ye aforesaiờ lands being written in, ye place on ye plat of said Island, shewing where they are to lye and together with yo aforesaid land, I give and bequeath unto my said son Oliver Arnold one third part of my in- terest in ye Island called Dutch Island aforementioned, and also an equall priviledge as is aforepremised and ordered to either his broth- ers Benedict Arnold. or Josiah Arnold, for free and mutuall egress and regress to and through each other's land on all occasions as aro afore more particularly expressed, all which ye lands and priviledges whatever are to be and remain to ye proper use and behoof of my aid son Oliver Arnold and“ his heirs and assigns forever (withye.. houseing and building thereupon.) Item. I also together with ye lands on Quonanicut aforesaid given and bequeathed to my said sons Benedict Arnold, Josiah Arnold and Oliver Arnold, do by these presents give and bequeath all my cattle that are or may hereafter be found within any the said lands lying southward from ye said Caleb Carr's land whether horse kind, meat cattle, sheep and any other sorts ye said cattle to be equally shared amongst them, to each of my said sons one third part to stock their respective lands, by these presents given and bequeathed as afore- said. Item. Whereas I`have formerly given unto my well beloved son Caleb Arnold, a considerable sum as by my book accounts may ap. pear to value of two hundred pounds sterling in current pay, yet in my tender respects to my said son Caleb Arnold, I domoreover give and bequeath a certain purcell of land lying and being in yo preciucts of ye Town of Newport abovesaid, containing a quarter of an acre more or less and boundeth as followeth, that is to say, od se North by land now or late in possession of ye assigns of Wm Brenton E:jq., deceased, on ye East by the street way belonging to ye said Town, on ye South by land now or late in ye possession of Robt. Carr sen'r., and on ye West by ye harbour belonging to ye said Fuwn, and together with ye premises I give and bequeath unto my gaid son Caleb Arnold, eight score acres of land, being and lying in the Island Quonanicut above mentioned, and boundeth as followeth, that is to say, on yc North and South by land in my own possession or in ye possession of my: assigns at ye wiiting hereof, on ye East.by ye sea, APPENDIX. find on ye West by the broad bigbway ye premised land being and lying on ye east side and northern part of Quonanicut, near to yo land of Francis Brinley, above mentioned, all which ye premises to: gether with all ye commodities thereon or thereunto properly be- longing and appertaining are to be and remain to ye only proper use and behoof of ye said Caleb Amold for and during his natural life, or until his eldest son then living shall come to ye age of one and twenty years, which said son of his shall at that age euter upon and enjoy the premises to him and bis heirs forever. Iten. Unto my beloved daughter Damaris Bliss ye wife of John Bliss of Newport, I give and bequeath a certain parcell of land be ing and lyiug in ye precincts of ye said Town, containing seven and twenty acres more or less and bounded as followeth, painely on.yo North partly by land I sold to James Card lately, and partly by land in ye possession of Joseph Card, on ye east partly by Joseph Gards land aforesaid, and more largely by land in possession of Wil- liam Weeden, on ye South by land now or late in ye possession of the assigns of Lieut. Joseph Torry dec'd., and on ye West by ye Great Common of .ye s'd Town ye premises to be and remain to ye only proper use and behoof of my said daughter Damaris Bliss and to her heirs and assigns forever. Item. Unto my beloved daughter Penelope Goulding, ye wife of Roger Goulding I give and bequeath a certain parcell of land being and lying in ye precincts of ye Towo aforesaid, ye said land by me named Scirt field, and is that which I purchased of Wm. Dyre sen'r., now late deceased, containing by nieasure two and twen- ty acres and a half, and is bounded as followeth, that is to say, on North by land in ye possession of Peleg Sanford, or bis assigns, on ye East by ye Great Common aforesaid as also on ye South by ye same common and on ye West partly by land now or late in ye possession of ye assigns of Wm. Dyre aforesaid, deceased, the prem- ises to be and remain to ye only use and behoof of ny said daugh- ter Penelope Goulding and her heirs forever. Item. I give and bequeath unto my two youngest daughters to wit: Godsgift Arnold and Freelove Arnold beforenamed, to each of them fifty pounds sterling New England silver money to be de- livered to each of my said daughters at ye age of twenty years on ye day of their respective marriages hereby adviseing them to be advised by their mother in that point of marriage wherein either of them being refractory then ye money even both of said fifty pounds to be delivered to ye use of ye obedient party in that point and ye same in case of ye death of either of them in ye mean time ye whole to ye survivor is to be delivered to her use and to no other. Item. What silver spoons, cups, bowls, beaker's, and porringers, are now mine I leave them to ye use of my said wife during her Dáturall life, or untill in her life time she shall please to give aby of it to either our sons, daughters, grand-children and ye rest to be re- served and kept to ye use of such of them as my said wife chall dis.. 82 APPENDIX. pose it to be theirs after her decease. Item. Concerning my interest in ye purchase of Petaquamscot in ye Narraganset country my said interest being one part of seven of that purchase both of land, mineralls, and all other the commodi- ties, privileges and conveniences on ye said part of ye said purchase being or thereunto iu any wise belonging or appertaining I do by these présents give and bequeath my said seventh part unto my said sons Bencdict Arnold, Josiah Arvold, and Oliver Arnold, togetdi- er with my cattle of all sorts that shall be found upon or about ye premises to be equally divided amongst them, to ye proper use and behoof of my said sous and to every of them their heirs or assigns respectively forever. Only excepting and willing with ye advice and consent of ye rest. of ye partners that some tract or tracts five miles to the North- ward and Westward of ye Rock called (by ye Indian natives) Pettaquamscut Rock, may be set apart and proposed to ye use of this Colony upon very casie terms for accommodating one or two Townships to be ordered and erected by ye General Assembly of this colony, in which said Township I desire and order may be ac- commodated more especially my aforesaid three sons and also my 800 Caleb Arnold aforenamed, as also Major Juhn Cranston, Capt. Peleg Sanford, Capt. Roger Guulding, Mr. James Barker Ensign, John Biiss, Mr. John Coggoshall sen’r., with other deserving persons that may be proposed by ye rest of ye partners and I further will and order that iu case ye settling of a Town or two be not effected yet however that my said sons together with Major Cranston, Capt, Peleg Sanford, Capt. Roger Goulding, Mr. James Barker and Ensign John Bliss, and John Coggeshall, sen r., afores'd, shall," out of my owa interest in ye said tracts five miles distant from ye said Rock called Petaquaniscut Rock, each and every of them respectively have two hundred and fifty acres of land, in and of ny said shares to every and either of their cwn proper use and behoof & to ye use and behoof of their heirs and assigus respectively forever, and what shall remain of my said part of said tract or tracts distanced from and not lying within ye said distance of five miles of ye said Rock I desire my Executors hereafter named to take care thereof and cause it to be disposed towards erecting and maiotaining a free school in Newport aforesaid and toward ye relief of ye poor people of ye said Town and to be ordered & disposed of to ye ends prom- ised by ye council of ye said Town & their successors from time to time forever. Item. For ye better execution of this my last will & testament I do hereby nominate, appoint, constitute and ordain to be my Exe- cutors ye persons hereafter paned to witt: my said beloved wife Dáinaris Arnold my Exccutrix, and my said sons Benedict Amold, Josias Arnold and Mr. James Barker sen'r., my executor, to assist in ye execution of this my last Will & Testament and what they four my said Executors or any three or two of them or survivors of them APPENDIX 83 (nay said wife Damaris Arnold to be also one while she liveth,) shall do or cause to be done in or about the premises, and in order to put- ting this, my will, in actual execution according to ye contents and true intent & meaning of these presents, sball be held for firm and good to all intents and purposes whatever in ye law, as if I, myself, had actually done the same in my own person while I was living.“ Iu witness whereof I have set iny hand and seal to every page of this, my will and testament, and finally to ye whole contents thereof nine and twentieth year of ye reign of our sovereign Lord, Charles ye second, King of England, Scotland, France and Lreland ,&c., Anno que Domini, 1677. BENEDICT ARNOLD, Senior. Sigued and sealed in ye presence of us- Edmond Calverly, William Hefferman, Beriah Browne. I, Benedict Arnold, abovenamed, senior, having by ye good grace and favour of God, had my days lengthened unto this time, in which time I having considered more maturely of soine circumstances in iny abovesnið will, and being and remaining through his grace in reasonable understanding and perfect memory, do find it necessary for ye regulation, explanation and confirmation of my said last will and testament, I add as followeth: as to ye place above appointed for my interment, being at ye North East corner of ye three rod square, appointed for a burying place abovesaid, I do order and appoint that I and my wife may be buried in ye three rod square, as near as con- veniently may be, at ye East end of the tomb, there erected on my Grand-child, Damaris Goulding's grave abovesaid, myself ou ye North and my said wife on ye South side of me, and that my kindred re- about my grave. Now, whereas, in ye first article of my last will that concerneth ye disposition of my lands in Duononicut, it is said that my eldest son, Benedict Arnold, Jun’r, shall have for his part in ye middle of ye neck of land called Beaver Neck. having hereby ordered that as he is ye first in nomination to whom I have disposed of land in ye said neck, so he shall be ye first in situation, and at ye South end of ye said neck, which said part of said neck containeth by estimation five hundred acres, be they more or less, and is to be divided in all equality from the remaining part of ye said neck by one straight line of fence, being at ye Eastern side thereof, so to run over to ye West- ern shore on a straight line from sea to sea, and ye said line of fence to be made and forever maintained by ye said Bcnedict Ar- nold, Jr., and the heirs occupant of ye said land; and whereas it is said in ye second article concerning ye premises that my son Josialı Arnold aforesaid should have his sd. (third part) share of ye said neck at ye South end thereof, he shall have his on ye North siile of 15 APPENDIX, and adjoining unto Benedict Arnold, Jun's., aforesaid share, upori ye Eel Pond, which said pond is ye Northern bounds of his, ye said Jo- siah Arnold's, share, and he ye said Josiah Arnold is to secure him- self on ye North and Eastern parts by fence or otherwise, and from and to ye Northward of said pond, called Eel Pond home to ye highway of two rods wide that Iyeth between Caleb Carr's land & the premises within which tract is contain'd my farm called Cajaset farm, my dwelling house & other houses already erected, all which my said houseing and land shall be ye proper share and inheritance of my son Oliver Arnold, and if it shall appear that there is not land enough in that said tract to make his share five hundred acres equal with the rest, he shall have so much land as to make it up according as in an article to this effect is more plainly described to ye Northward of ye premises, to be always to be understood that ye privileges and communities that are ordered that they, ye said Benedict Arnold, Jun., Josiah Arnold and Oliver Arnold, are to have in, upon or through each other's respective lands shall be duly observed by each of them respectively, according to ye rules set down in a former ar- ticle concerning that matter, with this further additional proviso, that they, ye said three brothers or either of them shall not alienate by. sale or otherwise ye property of any part of their foresaid lands from their heirs by these presents given and granted unto them as in a foregoing article relating to ye premises is more plainly ex- pressed Signed and sealed in ye BENEDICT ARNOLD, Senior: presence of us afore-named, &c. &c. The copy of the above will from which we have printed is one be- longing to David Melville, Esq., (who kindly lent it to us,) taken by Wm. Čoddington Jr., Council Clerk, in 1762, from Town Council Books No. 2 (the first record of the will, now probably lost forever.)] EDITOR'S NOTE.--Arnold, on page 76, speaks of a farm which he calls his Lemmington farm. The coincidence may be worth men- tioning that the Old Mill in our frontispiece is only five miles from Leamington, in the west of England, from which part we have ascer- tained that the Arnolds came. APPENDIX. B. EDWARD PELHAM'S WILL. In the name of God, I, EDWARD PELHAM, of Newport, in the coun- ty of Newport, in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plan- tations, in New England, Gentleman, being of good and perfect mind and understanding, do make this, my last Will and Testament, in manner following: First I commit my soul to God that gave it, and my body to the earth. Item. I do hereby order and appoint, that my lot or parcel of land situate, lying and being in Newport aforesaid, containing about three acres, and called or known by the name of the Lower Field, bounded as followeth, Easterly upon a street or highway, leading into the neck, Southerly upon land in the possession of Peter Cog- geshall, Westerly partly upon land in possession of Hezekiah Car- penter and John Banister, and partly upon a yard and garden ad- joining to my now dwelling-house, and Northerly partly upon said yard and garden, and partly on a lane or highway commonly called Caleb Carr's land, or however otherwise butted and bounded, shall be laid out into house-lots, and such and so many of them shall be sold by my Executors, as will be sufficient to pay off and satisfy all ye just dues and debts that shall be due and owing to any person or persons at ye time of my decease. Item. I do hereby order and appoint that my well-beloved wife, ÅRABELLA PELHAM, shall have ye possession and benefit of my now dwelling-house, out-house or kitchen-yard and gardens hereunto be- longing, scituate, lying and being in Newport aforesaid, bounded East- erly and Southerly, partly on land that I have herein before ordered to be laid out into lots and sold, and also Southerly, partly on a lot herein after bequeathed unto my beloved daughter Hermione, the wife of John Banister of Newport aforesaid, Merchant, Westerly OLI Thames-street partly, and partly on land and shops in ye occupation of Robert Duncan, Mordecai Dunbar, Benjamin Wilson and Williapı King, Northerly partly upon land belonging to John Brown and part- ly upon said Caleb Carr's land and partly upon Land belonging to and in ye present occupation of Charles Smith, James Green, Timo- thy Peckham Jr., and Mary Channing, widow, and to run East so far as ye stone wall at the head of my upper garden, for and during the term of her natural life, and I do hereby give and bequeath wto my said wife Arabella Pelham all my household goods, implements and utensils of household (my silver tankard only excepted) a negro girl named Margaret, one horse or mare which she will please to choose out of my stock at my farm in the Neck, and one cow, and both to be pastured in ye sumuner at said farm if my wife shall send then there for that purpose, and to be provided for with hay in the win- ter from said farm, and I do further give unto my said wife Arabel- 12 Pelbam for and during the term of her natural life the sum of two 86 APPENDIX hundred pounds in current bills of publick credit per ann. in lieu of her thirds and right of dower to be paid by my two beloved daughters Elizabeth Pelham and Penélope Peñam to their said mother in equal proportion out of ye rents and issues of the legacies I have hereinafter bequeathed them, or whoever shall hereafter enjoy ye same, by even half-yearly payments during the term afores'd. Item. I give and bequeath to my said beloved daughter, Her- mione, all that lot of land on which the dwelling house of the said John Banister now standeth, in Newport aforesaid, and the yard and garden thereunto belonging being from Thames street about one hundred feet back, and to extend Northerly upon a paralel line with the rear of the lot I sold to Major Hezekiah Carpenter, bounded as followeth :-Easterly, partly upon my said yard and partly upon the land that I have before ordered to be laid out into lots, Southerly upon the said lott sold to Hezekiah Carpenter but now in the pos- sesion of David Melvill, Westerly upon said Thames street and Northerly partly upon my garden and yard, ye North side of said dwelling house to be the North bounds from said Thames street upon a direct line to the East to the rear of said lot to be and re- main to the said Hermione Banister her heirs and assigns and to her and their proper use and behoof forever. I also give and bequeath to my said dâughter Hermione one other lot or parcell of land in Newport aforesaid fronting on Thames street, seventy-eight feet or thereabout, adjoining and of the same dimensions with a lot of land already belonging to the said John Banister, bounded as followeth : East upon said Thames street, South upon the said lot of the said John Banister, West upon the Salt water or barbor of Newport, and North upon a lot of land that I shall hereinafter bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Pelham. And also one other piece or par- cell of land situate lying and being in Newport aforesaid contaiñing cight acres or thereabout, with an Old Stone Wind-Mill thereon stand- ing and being commonly called or known by the name of the Mill Field, or Upper Field, bounded as followeth :-Easterly upon land now or late in the possession of Josias Coggesball and Jacob Barney, Southerly partly upon land now or late in the possession of Major James Brown, and partly upon land in the possession of Peter Coggeshall, Westerly partly upon land in posscasion of the said Peter Coggeshall, and partly upon the said street or highway that leads into the Neck, Northerly partly upon ye said Caleb Carrºs land, partly upon a work-house standing in said lane, and partly upon à buying placemto the Northward thereof stands a mecting house~and to be and remain to the said Hermione Banister and to the heirs of her body lawfully issuing. Item. I give, devise and bequeath unto my said daughter Eliza- beth Pelham all that my farm or tract of land situate lying an being in Newport aforesaid commonly called or known by the name of Lemington containing by estimation one hundred and sixty acres or thereabout butted and bounded as followeth, Easterly on land be APPENRIŠ. 07 longing to John Brown, Southerly on land partly belonging to the said John Brown and partly to Jahleel Brenton, Westerly on land belonging to ye said Jahleei Brenton, and Northerly partly on ye salt water or harbour of Newport and partly upon land belonging to the said John Brown, together with the dwelling house and all the build- ings and improvements, and also the stock that shall be thereon at ye time of my decease (except the Horse or Mare and Cow, that I fave herein before bequeathed to her said mother) she paying ont of the rents and issues of the said premises to her said mother Ara- bella Pelham, the sum of one hundred pounds in good and passable publick bills of credit of said colony every year by even half yearly payment for and during the term of the natural life of her said mother. And I likewise give uuto my said daughter Elizabeth, one other lot or parcell of land scituate lying and being in Newport aforesaid, fronting on Thames Street, seventy eight feet or there- about adjoining to a lot of land herein before given to my said daugh- ter Hermione Banister bounded as followeth :— East upon said Thames street, South upon said lot of land last mentioned, West upon the salt water or barbor of Newport, and Northerly upon a lot of land that I shall hereinafter bequeath to my said daughter Pene- lope Pelham, together with all my right and interest in the buildings on said lot erected, all of which premises shall be and remain to my. said daughter Elizabeth Pellam, and the heirs of her body lawfully issuing. And I also give my said daughter Elizabeth Pelbam my Negro man named Jupiter to her own proper use and behoof. Item. I give and devise and bequeath to my said daughter Pen- elope Pelham, after ye decease of fer mother, all that lot or parcel) of land with my now dwelling house, out-house or kitchen, and the yard and garden thereunto belonging, scituate lying and being in Newport afores'd and herein before described, the possession and benefit whereof is herein before given to her said mother for and during the term of her natural life, with ye buildings and improve- ments thereon made. And I further give and bequeath to my said daughter Penelope all my land in Thames street in ye present occu- pation of ye s'd Robert Duncan, Mordecai Dunbar, Benjamin Wilson and William King and on Caleb Carr's land in ye present occupa: tion of ye s'd John Brown, Charles Smith, James Green, Timothy Peckham, jun'r and Mary Channing, as high till it comes upon a par- alell line with the stone wall at ye head of my upper garden run- ning North therefrom, together with my right and interest in any buildings thereon and the rents, issues, profits thereof. And I do also hereby give devise and bequeath unto my said daughter Pene- lope one other lot of land scituate lying and being in Newport afore- s'd, fronting on Thames street, seventy-eight feet or thcrcabouts, bounded as followeth ;-East upon Thames street, Southerly upon ye lot bequeathed to my said daughter Elizabeth, Westerly upon ye Salt water or Harbor of Newport, and Northerly upon land be: longing to the heirs of Charles Tiilinghast, dec'd. Together with pe wharf and warehouses thereon crected and all my right and inter- 1:6 88 APPENDIX. est in all the other buildings thereon. Al which premises shall be and remain to my said daughter Penelope Pelham and the heirs of her body lawfully issuing; she paying out of ye rents and issues of the said premises to her said mother Arabella Pelham the sum of one hundred pounds in good and passable bills of publick credit of said colony every year by half yearly payments for and during the term of ye natural life of her said mother. And I also give my said daughter Penelope Pelbam my Negro man named Frank and my silver tankard with the arms of ye family thereon, to her own prop- er use and behoof. Item. I do hereby order and appoint that after my said Execu- tors have sold lots sufficient to discharge ye just dues and debts that shall be oping at ye time of my decease, the remaining lotts shall be equally divided between my daughters Hermione Banister and Penelope Pelham, and then to be and remain to each of them and the respective heirs of their body lawfully issuing And also that if either of my daughters shall die without issue, that the estate of her so dying shall descend to and be equally divided amongst ye survivors and be and remain to each of them and ye respective heirs of their bodies lawfully issuing as aforesaid. Item, I give and bequeath unto my loving friend James Martin, of Newport afores'd, Gentleman, the sum of tbirty pounds in good and passable bills of public credit of s'd Colony to be paid bim by my Executors, in a convenient time after my decease. And lastly, I make and ordain my said wife Arabella Pelham, the said John Banister, James Martin, and John Bennet, of Newport afores'd, Tanner, Executors of this my last will and testament for the intents and purposes therein contained and to see ye same per- formed according to my true intent and meaning and I give to each of them a mourning ring. In witness whereof I, ye said Edward Pelhám, have to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal the twenty-first day of May Anno Dom. one thousand seveu hundred and forty, and in ye thirteenth year of ye reign of our Sov- ereign Lord, George ye Second, King of Great Britain, &c. EDWARD PELHAM, Sigued, sealed, published, pronounced and declared &c. JAMES ROBINSON, RobT. DUNCAN, Jos. Fox. (The above is printed from the original will. I APPENDIX. PROFESSOR RAFN'S LETTER. Copenhagen, January, 4th, 1848. David Melville, Esq., Newport R. I. Sir:-Your letter of the 12th of August with the Herald of the Times and Rhode Islander of August 5th, 1847, I duly received a few days ago and deem it my duty to inform you that the article which lately ap- peared in your journals on the subject of the ancient structure in Newport is from beginning to end a downright fabrication, no such report having ever been made to the Royal Society of Northern An- tiquaries as the one alluded to; the persons mentioned in the article, too, Bishop Delrischer, Professors Scrobein, Graetz, &c., are all ficti- tious characters, there never having existed here individuals bearing those names. Thus the entire botice is nothing more than a fiction, the object of which is to mystify the public. It were to be wished tliat such of the American Journals as have admitted the article in question into their columns, would apprize the public of its entire falsity. sources to the Ante-Columbian history of America in the work en- titled ANTIQUITATES AMERICANÆ. Taking the astronomi- cal, nautical and geographical evidences contained in the ancient rec- cords themselves for a groundwork, I have endeavored to prove that our Scandinavian fore-fathers in the tenth century discovered a por- tion of the eastern coast of North America, and in particular visited Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Inquirers of the greatest celebrity here in Europe, have looked upon the arguments used by me as coll- clusive, among whom I may mention Alexander Humboldt, in his re- cently published Kosmos vol. II. page 269-272, where he considers the results of my investigations as historical facts fully demonstrated. At the time when I published the work above alluded to, I was not aware of the ancient structure in Newport, which consequently cannot have led in the remotest degree to the results deduced, nor is there a single word said about it in my work, which moreover is to be met with in most of the larger libraries in America, as well as in Europe, and thus opens an easier access to the study of the original written sources themselves. The right interpretation of the accounts in the ancient parchment copies clearly proves that it was precisely visited and where they established themselves. The agreement of the astronomical, nautical and geographical evidences leads, in this re- spect, to so certain a result that doubtless nothing further is required. The early monuments which are met with in those regions, unques- 00 APPENDIX sonably merit the attention of the investigator, but we must be cau. dious in regard to the inferences to be drawn from them. Concerning the ancient structure in Newport, (of which we had no previous knowledge whatever,) we first received a communication on the 22d of May 1839, from Thomas H. Webb, M. D., (now of Boston- quaires du Nord 1836-1839 page 361, and I feel assured that who, ever reads that article will therein discern all the caution which a scientific investigation demands, and all the respect due to an institu- tion which has acquired confidence in and out of Europe. From the drawings transmitted to us by a trust-worthy hand, our ablest judges skilled in the history of architecturc, have pronounced the architec- tural style of the building to be that of the 12th century, from which period a structure exactly corresponding has been pointed out, along with others in the same style. It is difficult however, without being on the spot, to offer any decided opinion as to the period to which the structure itself is to be referred, uor has any one here ventured to do 50. Here, in the North, no wind-mills occur of this construction, and a gentleman distinguished for his knowledge in the progressive bis- tory of the arts, and who has travelled much in Europe, bas declared that he never met with any such. It would seem better therefore to leave the matter undecided until further information can be obtained. But even supposing that the origin of this and other monuments cannot be ascertained with precision, this in no way affects the sta- bility of the historical fact deduced from the ancient manuscripts, that the Scandinavians in the tenth century, discovered and estab- lished themselves in Rhode Island and Massachusetts; in proof of which no other testimony is required than wbat is afforded by the ancient records themselves. Our Society would be glad to receive trust-worthy communications on the subject of Ante-Columbian monu- ments of America, to be preserved in the American section of the Society's historico-archæological archives, and also for insertion in their Memoires, in as far as they may be suited for the purpose. Such ar- ticles as the one you have made known to us, merit no place within are estimated according to their deserts. I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, CHARLES C. RAFN, Secry, R. S. N. A. APPENDIX. 91 POSTCRIPT.--On page 66 (near the top) we left it uncertain what Arnold's motive was for removing from Providence to Newport. It may.amuse those who have seen Thames St. in Newport to know (what we have recently learned) that the cause of his leaving Provi- dence was his dissatisfaction with the building of certain warehouses which narrowed the main street, whereupon he came to Newport and laid out Thames Street a hundred feet wide. NOTE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.–We take this opportunity to ex- press our obligations to Hon. Henry B. Anthony, (from whom we and William C. Gibbs, Esq's., and all the friends who have aided us, by information or suggestion in the preparation of a work, of more difficulty than at first would appear. IL 101 . .. 2 HER til . 100 . LLC tots .. UN SS * CU with ir 22 S ullt tuleb . . Se SISUS . . IN DYA wwww *** * . AMI . ww IRLIT www . 1 Le ht AN YUR VE LATV Y SY TV . www TAS 6 . TEL: st HA17 Y STA . wa . SC 2 14 : .. V BOTAS ASE OLD BAPTISTERY NEAR MELLIFONT ABBEY, IRELAND, (SEE Page 61.) 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