Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/252

 2 24 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

The inscription can still be entirely read by much study, but is fast wearing away, and must soon entirely disappear under the constant action of the elements. Recognizing this fact, the Lake Company, on whose domains it stands, have had several plaster casts taken, one of which is to be seen in their office at Lake Village; while others have been presented to the Historical Societies of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

When, and by whom, the discovery of this interesting relic was made, is not definitely known, but is supposed to have been made by Stephen Lyford and Nathan Batchelder, of Meredith Bridge, the constructors ot the " Old Bel- knap," as they built a dam across the channel on the Meredith side, in 1832, for the purpose of deepening the other one, in order that that famous steamer could pass down to Lake Village, which was then a large and thriving place of about a dozen houses. Others claim that Messrs. Daniel Tucker and John T. Coffin, president and cashier of the Meredith Bridge Savings Bank, were the original discoverers.

The cause of the visit of these old-time explorers was thus: During the early history of the Colony, many disputes arose from the boundary lines of the original proprietors. In 1652, when New Flampshire was united with Massachusetts under the jurisdiction of that stern old Puritan, John Endicott, an attempt to establish the northern boundary of the Colony was made. Dr. Belknap, in his " History of New Flampshire," says: —

" Charles I, in the fourth year of his reigu. by letters patent, conferred a grant, by the Council at Plymouth, to certain persons, of a territory thus described, namely: "All that pare of New England in America, which lies and extends between a great i-iver, that is commonly called Monomack, alias Merrimack, etc' A committee of the General Court, attended b_y Jonathan Ince and John Sherman, surveyors, and several Indian guides, went up the Merrimack to find the northern part thereof, which the Indians told them was Aquedocketan, the outlet of Lake Wiunipiseogee.'"

��The following is a verbatim report of the surveyors: —

��"■Whereas wee, John Sherman and Johnathan Ince were provided by the afore- said committee to take the latitude of the place above named. Our answer is that at Aquedakeen, the name of the head of the Merrimack, where it issued out of the Lake called Winnapusseakit upon the first of August. 1652, wee observed, and by observation found that the Latitude of the place was fortj^-three degrees, forty minutes, twelve seconds, besides those minutes to be allowed for the three min- utes more north w'ch run into the Lake.

In wi^^^ness whereotl", wee have subscribed our names this nineteenth of October, sixteen, fifty-two.

JOHN SHERMAN, JOHN INCE.

��Jur coram me. JOHN ENDICOTT,

Gub'r."

��The inscription reads as follows: —

��EI S W.

W. P. I O H N E N D I C V T, GOV.

�� �