Page:Publick Occurrences (page 2).jpg

 dyed in Boton by this lat Viitation is about three hundred and twenty, which is not perhaps half o many as fell by the former. The Time of its being mot General, was in the Months June, July, and Augut, then 'twas that ometimes in ome one Congregation on a Lords-day there would be Bills Deiring prayers for above an hundered Sick. It eized upon all orts of people that came in the way of it, it infected even Children in the bellies of Mothers that had themelves undergone this Dieae many years ago; for ome uch where now born full of the Ditemper. 'Tis not eay to relate the Trouble and Sorrow that poor Boton has felt by this Epidemical Contagion. But we hope it will be pretty high Extinguished, by the time twelve month when it firt began to Spread. It now unhappily preads in everal other places, among which our Garrions in the Eat are to be reckoned ome of the greatet Sufferers.

Altho' Boton did a few weeks ago, meet with a Diater by Fire, which conumed about twenty Houes near the Mill-Creek, yet about midnight, between the ixteenth and eventeenth Intant, another Fire broke forth near the South-Meeting-Houe, which conumed about five or ix houes, and had almot carried the Meeting-houe it elf, one of the fairest Edifices in the Country, if God had not remarkably aited the Endeavours of the People to put out the Fire. There were two Calamities of this Fire, one was that a young man belonging to the Houe where the Fire began, unhappily perihed in the Flames; it eems that tho' he might ooner awake then ome others who did ecape, yet he ome way lot thoe Wits that hould have taught him to help himelf. Another was that the bet furnihed PRINTING-PRESS, of thoe few that we know of in America, was lot; a los not preently to be repaired.

There lately arrived from Picataqua, one Papoon from Pebobcot, in a mall Shallop, wherein he had ued to attend upon the pleaure of Cateen, but took his opportunity to run away, and reports: That a Veel of mall Bulk bound from Britol to Virginia, having been o long at Sea, till they were pret with want, put in at the Penobcot intead of Picataqua, where the Indians and French eized her, and Butchered the Mater, and everal of the men : but that himelf who belonged unto the Ships Crew, being a Jerey-man, what more farourably ued, & found at length an advantage to make his Ecape.

The chief dicourse this month has been about the affairs of the Wetern Expedition against Canada. The Albanians, New-Yorkers and the five Nations of Indians, in the Wet, had long been preing of the Maachusers, to make an Expedition by Sea, into Canada, and till made us believe, that they tayed for us, and that while we aaulted Quebeck, they would pas the Lake, and by Land make a Decent upon Mount Real. Accordingly the Colony with ome aitance from our kind Neighbours of Plimouth; fitted out an Army of near five and twenty hundred men, and a Navy of two and thirty Sail ; which went from hence the beginning of the lat Augut, under the Command of the Honourable Sir William Phips.

In the mean time the Englih Colonies & Provinces in the Wet raied Forces, the Numbers whereof have been reported five or ix hundred. The Honourable General Winthrop was Head of thee, and advanced within a few miles of the Lake; He there had ome good Number of Maqua's to joyn his Forces, but contrary to his Expectation, it was found that the Canoo's to have been ready for the Tranportation of the Army over the Lake, were not prepared, and the other Nations of Indians, that hould have come to this Campaign, ent their Excues, pretending that the Small-pox was among them, and ome other Trifles. The General Meeting with uch vexing diappointments, called a Councel of War, wherein 'twas agreed, That it was impoible for them to Proecute their Intended Expedition. However he dipatched away the Maqua's to the French Territories, who returned with ome Succes, having lain everal of the French, and brought home everal Prioners, whom they ued in a manner to barbarous for any Englih to approve. The General coming back to Albany, there happened a miundertanding, between him and the Lieutenant Governour of New-york which occaioned much dicoure, but produced not thoe effects which were feared of it. Where lay the bottom of thee micarriages is variouly conjectured, if any people further Wet then Albany have been Tampering with the Indians, to deert the buines of Canada, we hope time will dicover it. And if Almighty God will have Canada ubdu'd without the aitance of thoe mierable SalvagesSavages [sic], in whom we have too much conided, we hall be glad, that there will be no Sacrifice offered up to the Devil, upon this occaion; God alone will have all the Glory.

'Tis poible, we have not o exactly related the Circumtances of this buines, but this Account, is as near exactnes, as any that could be had, in the midt of many various reports about it.

Another late matter of dicoure, has been an unaccountable detruction befalling a body of Indians, that were our Enemies. This body of French Indians had a Fort omewhere far up the River, and a party of Maqua's returning from the Eat Country, where they have a great rate purued and terrified those Indians which have been invading of our North-Eat Plantations, and Killed their General Hope Hood among the ret; reolved