Page:History of American Journalism.djvu/39

Rh the Vessels touching a Ground stopt a Tide; by which means, young Bracket, who was a considerable distance up the River, above Amonoscoggin Fort, being advised by an Indian that ran away from Amonoscoggin, that an English Army was there attempted his Escape, and came down to the Sloop, just as they came on their Sail.

On Thursday, they landed at Saco; a Scout of 60 men of ours discover a party of the Enemy, and had the Advantage of killing three of them, and taking nine Canoos, and an English captive named, Thomas Baker, who informed, that the Enemy had left a considerable Plunder at Pegypscut-Plains, which he supposed the Enemy was gone to secure. Whereupon the Army immediately embark'd, and arriving there that night, the next morning found the Bever-Plunder accordingly.

While our Vessels where at Anchor in Cascoe-Bay, our Auxiliary Indians lodging on shore, and being too careless in their Watch, the Enemy made an Attaque upon them. The English forth with repair'd to their Relief; but were sorely galled, by an Embuscado of Indians, The Enemy soon quitted the Field, escaping with their Canoo's, whereof ours took several. In the Surprise, we lost 9 men, and had about 20 wounded; the blow chiefly fell on our dead Friends, the Plimouth Forces; 15 being kill'd and wounded of Captain South worth's Company.

In spite of the fact that Publick Occurrences was ordered suspended, Benjamin Harris later met with public favor. In December, 1692, the official records show that he was ordered "to print the acts and laws made by the Great and General Court, or Assembly of their Majesties of Massachusetts-Bay in New England." Along about 1695 he returned to England where he became the publisher of The London Post.

Substitutes for the newspaper were found in two rather striking places the public tavern and the local church. In the former, items of community interest were freely passed along over pipes and ale. The walls of the tavern were frequently decorated with notices of what to-day appear in the newspaper; some in the advertising columns, others in the text. Foreign news was found in the different gazettes for which the tavern subscribed. In order that such papers might be available for the perusal of news, a notice was frequently posted to the effect that persons learning to read would please use old copies of the ga-