New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-06

ne lahor. and counsee tending 20 this end, Joho
White Of Dorchester appears to have oeen Tue person
~ greatest activity and influences and when al was
rrena, ed for the expedition, and the ArooeHa AMI
bey chosen company were ready 10 set sali, the
"IInmbc Request" as II IL called, addressed TO
che churches Of England, setting iortn IN fangoge
,he motives and feelings which influenced
sbe pious adventures, Ia ascribed TO his pen.
With us, fellow citizens Of Dorchester his con-
,,oct;on II etill more intimate. There large
hodv Of s'West Country" or Dorchester men" in
Gov Winihrops expedition, who were many of them
OF Mr. Whites Church, and all we're enlisted-so TO
sayunder bis auspices and announcement; aud they
were the first In the field Early in March, 1880, hey
were ready TO depart, aud large vessel was chartered
at Plymouth for their separate CONVEYANCE. Inc
faithful pastor guide at once in things divine ana hu
man-whch in that age Of trial strangely together
az in what age do they not went WITH them 10 tnsf
port; met with them in the New Hospital q, ny
mouth, where they gathered themselves INTO enuIcn
under the ministers Of hs selecuoni hsip H.. e.
solemn fast of preparation and preached 10 hem INC
last sermon they were to hear from hs lp-;
- prompt e. every call,
He watched and wept, he felt and prayed for all
And 90 on the 10th March 1880 the Dorchester en-
,,ysns ernbsrke ed In the Mary and John, Capt Sqaeb
,3ester veesel OF 400 tuns. They had prosperous
passage OF only seventy days laaghterl, and aTvei
a. Nantasket the 30th of May, about ten DAYS IN
advance of the Arabella" and the vessels which as
COMMANDED her. The Dorchester company contained
several persons Of consideration and substance
numerous party Of emigrenfs with their wives
and children. and frugal store OF worldly goods
They were attended by tberpastors, Messrs Maverick
and Warham-from whom says Roger Clap, IN his
narrative of the voyage, We had preaching and
"expoupdng of the word Of God every day for ten
'weeks" "A general smiel. Captain Squeb was
under engagement 10 convey the company TO tharles
RIVER but by latitude Of Interpretation not peculiar
10 him and not perhaps strange at time when the
localities we're so little Understood he insisted, greatly
10 their discomfort, on putting them on shore, men,
women children and Cattle at NaDtesket. This spot
furnished no room nor other facilities for the proposed
now set;IemefIt besides being already occupied by
"Old Planters as they called, ('O Old on the
oonst OF Massachusetts in 1880 . lLaughter That is
individuals who had separated themselves from the
other independent settlements such as those OF Ply
mouth, Cape Ann, Weymouth, or Salem, or nad found
their way in the fishing vessels to these COASTS From
one Of these old planters boat was borrowed by the
newly arrived company, and party OF ten, headed
by brave Captain SOuthcoat who had served IN the
Low countries, wos sent up to explore Charles River
In search of place for q settlement. Roger Clap
was one of THE party they went up the river as
far as WatertOwn, passed day or two on spot
near the present arsenal, and still called dor
"chester fields" and held friendly com nunications
with the Indians of that place. which afterwards be-
came the first field of the apostolic labors OF Eliot who
psed TO cit is that chair where the Governor is
seated The main body meantime had explored the
ooasts rearer Nantucket, and having found " neck
of land fit TO keep their cattle on called the Matapan
had established themselves there This after
hesitation was adopted as the permanent seat OF the
settlement This meek of land was the present
South Boston, winch WllUul my ttOntcUOu was btlli
called Dorchester Neck. The curving bay which
sweeps round between the Neck and Savn Hill, still
bears on maps the name OF "Old Harbor, aud
the rising grounds TO the south were the site OF the
first habitatons. The first humble Westinghouse
with its thached roof-which caught year two
afterwards % Mr.. Maverick the minister drying
little powder which took fire by the heat ofthe fire.
"pan," being ore of the first cares OF the Puritan
fathers TO keep their powder dry lcheers though they
did not always keep II dry with drying-pan over the
fire renewed cheerngl-stood probably at the north
erp end of the plain, now Peasantst.; and close by
its sde-sOmewhat to the east of the present ancient
cemetry-was the first place of burial. 1t first
supposed that Dorchester might become the emporium
Of the new colony. Captain Smith IN his rude map
of the coast had placed the name London" on the
place afterwards and still called Squantum cheers and
laughter and fort built on Saviu Hill, and a
battery at its base for the protection of the future
metropolis. 1t soon appeared, however, that
the water was not Of sufficient depth for the
purpose and Boston was ascertained to be the spot
mark out by nature as the future capital of New
England. On the nth of September, 1880, at met
ing Of the Court of Assistants at Charlostown which
had already received that name it was "orieced that
"Trimountaine shall be called Boston, Mattapan Dor
leicester aud the town upon c larles River Water
"ton" Such, iellow-czens, is the simple tale of the
foundation of Dorchester, which preceded by few
DAYS the settlements made by the main body of Gov.
Wintlrops party at The other towns lust named. The
hardsips of the entire emigration for the first
season severe. They were disappointed in the ex-
pectation Of deriving supplies from the settlers at
Salem there dearth there. The stock of provis-
ions brought from England inadequate for the
support Of so large company, and 1t was too late IN
the wear TO pani the diseases to be engendered
by want and anxiety prevailed the native tribes in
the neghborbo0d were en- object OF exaggerated
though natural terror; alarms of invasion from the
French and Dutch penetrated 10 these remote corners
Of the earth, and the hearts of some failed at the
thoughts of their distant home as want stared them in
the face. "ln our beginnings says Roger Clap,
s'many were in great sraghts for want of provisions
"for themselves and little ones. OH the hunger
"that many suffered and hope in an eye ofrea-
"son TO be supplied only by clans, muscles and fish.
With all our contemporary accounts and traditions
1 imagine we form very inadequate conceptions of the
hardships endured by the first settlers of tins country.
Modern art with its various astonishing applications
traverses the ocean its chariot wheels of fire and
transports the traveller in ten or twelve days from
Europe TO America. Even the sailing vessels accom-
psh the voyage in three or four weeks. The passages
in the seventeenth century were more frequently OF
two or three months duration. The Mary and John
without having met with any disaster was out seventy
days. Modern enterprise encounters the expected
navgstors at sends out her piot-boat-bounding
like a sea bird the waves-a hundred miles from
mort iwho that has witnessed the sight homeward
bound will ever forget itll-unros her charts,
where every shoal aud rock is projected and the
soundngs laid down so carefully, that you may find
your way in the dark--studs the coast W tn light
kouses-and receives the weather-bcaten ship con-
yeuent landing places. The first settlers obliged
TO feel their way into unknown harbors ignorant of
the depths and shadows, the rocks and the currents,
often finding the greatest discomiorts and dan
gers of the voyage awaiting them at its close.
Nor were the difficulties less after landing. The
Estate of nature in which they found the country,
"bare creation il is expressvely called by early
writer, drummer, the gaol of their wishes and
prayers a far different thing ren that which pre-
SCENTS itself the mind when those words used by
Us. Few, fear, even in this intelligent audience
have formed an adequate notion of the hard, rough
nature that confronted fathers two centuries aud
quarter ago these delightful spots. The natu
which we think of consists of dreamy lawns, dotted