"Mr. Downs as well as his neighbours were of opinion, that "unless the accidents of the sheep eating off the rye twice had "happened, the whole would have been lost by reason of its "falling or lodging. If this opinion be right, by this experi"ment we are taught the necessity of cutting or feeding off "the grain on lands highly manured, in order to preserve the "crop. Perhaps the thicker such land is sown, the less neces"sity there will be for cutting or feeding, as there will be more "original strong stalks. Most lands in this country of the "same quality will bring more bushels of wheat than rye"and I trust by improvements on this experiment which was "merely accidental, we may soon be informed of a much larger "quantity of wheat being raised on an acre, than hitherto has "been raised in Europe or America.

"It was expected, that the taking of these fish in such large "quantities on the sea coast for manure, would in a few years "destroy them; but hitherto they have increased. This year "I saw 250,000 taken at one draught, which must have been "much more than 100 tons. One seine near me caught more "than one million the last season, which season lasts about "one month. Various are the modes of manuring land by "fish. Those that are taken early in the season are by some "carted on the land, spread lightly, and ploughed under the fur"row, for raising Indian corn; this corn is taken off in the "fall, and the land ploughed and sowed for wheat. By this "mode they have two good crops by manuring once."

The Eastern towns on Long Island were, for the most part, originally settled on a different basis from most of the other colonies of this country. They had no royal charter or proprietary patent as the foundation of civil government. Having purchased their lands of the original proprietors of the soil, and secured a corresponding grant from the patentee, without any restrictions to their civil rights, they found themselves absolutely in a state of nature, possessing all the personal rights and privileges which the God of nature gave them, but with. out the semblance of authority one over another. From the necessity of the case they were thrown back upon the source of all legitimate authority, the sovereign people; and entered into a social compact, in which every man had an equal voice and equal authority. On this platform, they founded a pure democracy; and for several years each town maintained a perfectly independent government; making their own laws in public town meeting, and executing them by magistrates of

their own appointment. And it is worthy of remark, that the invaluable privilege of trial by jury was at once introduced, though with this peculiarity, that a majority was sufficient to render a verdict. And when, afterwards, one town after an. other, deemed it expedient to unite themselves with the larger colonies of New-England, it was not because they felt themselves incapable of managing their own internal affairs; but solely for defence from foreign aggression. And the nature of the union was rather that of an alliance, than of subjection.

Being thus trained up in the possession and exercise of all their natural rights and privileges, they exhibited through the whole course of their colonial existence, the most unyielding determination to maintain these sacred immunities. And in this they generally agreed to a man. It is a fact, though little known, but worthy of being handed down to posterity, that the declaration of rights, and a solemn pledge not to submit to British taxation, proposed in a meeting in the city of New York, April 29th, 1775, and distributed for signatures in every town in the province, was signed, by the 6th of July of that year, by every man capable of bearing arms in the town of Easthampton, to the number of 280 individuals. This is surely a much more notable fact than that since the establishment of the present government, the elections of that town have often been returned without a dissenting vote; and the former gives a ready explanation of the latter. A similar unanimity, though not as entire, characterized the most of the towns of this county during "the times that tried men's souls."

There is another fact, however great the contrast with the present state of things, which gives this and the adjoining counties a consequence that has long since been lost sight of. There was a period, and that of some considerable duration, when Long Island constituted the great body of the province of New York. It was the first occupied by actual immigrants for the purpose of a permanent settlement and agricultural pursuits. Here the first churches were organized and the first towns formed. And in the easternmost town, within less than twenty miles of Montauk Point, and at Flatbush, near the western extremity, the first incorporated academies in the great state of New York were erected and put in successful operation.

The first Assembly of Deputies that the representative of royal power condescended to convoke for consultation, the year after the surrender of the province to British arms, was held

at Hempstead, March 1st, 1665, and (with the exception of two,) was composed entirely of representatives from the several towns of the island.

The first legislative Assembly convened in 1683, was not only procured through the remonstrances and demands of Long Island, more than any other part of the colony, but was in a great measure made up of its representatives. The first speaker of that body was either then or afterwards a resident of the island, and the same office was afterwards held by one of its representatives 16 out of 21 years. Though now regarded as the mere "fag-end," Long Island was once both the body and soul of the Province of New-York. Nor has she deteriorated in her intrinsic worth, though she has been completely lost sight of, and almost cast into oblivion, in the extending glory of a great commonwealth, which has arrogated to itself the proud title of the "Empire State."

But patriotic views and love of rational liberty do not constitute the chief glory of old Suffolk. It is her primitive puritanism which, it is believed, has been illustrated here, in piety towards God, and love to men, for two hundred years, and now exists, in more of its original purity, than can be found on any spot of equal extent, on the American continent. Let it be proclaimed in trumpet-tongued accents, that here, no man was ever persecuted and disfranchised for his religious opinions, nor man or woman executed for heresy or witchcraft. On the contrary, from the first organization of their civil institutions, they ordained the widest toleration of religious opinions, so long as it was not exercised for the seduction of others and the injury of the community; and that too, while as yet such an article had not been enacted, if it had been conceived, on the continent of America.

From the natural reserve of a people brought up in seclusion from the rest of the world, which still, in a measure, distinguishes them, these traits of character may not be readily recognised by the casual observer. But if the present generation have not greatly degenerated from the sentiments and practices of their immediate predecessors, among whom the writer spent some of the happiest years of his early life, a residence of a few months or even weeks among these primitive people on the east end, will afford complete conviction of the correctness of these remarks.

Suffolk County contains nine towns, of which the following statistical view is given :

On this topic, taken in its widest sense, it must be confessed at the outset, that the people of Long Island have not much to boast of. And yet, upon a candid investigation of the whole ground, it will appear, that they are not entirely destitute of all claims. There is abundant evidence on record, that the first settlers of all these towns, from the east to the west, considered the establishment of schools, as second in importance to nothing but the institutions of the Gospel; and many of them were as careful to bring their schoolmasters as their ministers with them. Indeed, their schools were regarded as nurseries for the church, and learning, as the handmaid of religion. Then the Bible, instead of being excluded from the school, or read only at its opening, was a principal readingbook, and the writer speaks advisedly when he asserts, that in the use of that blessed volume, greater proficiency was made in the mere art of reading, and the correct orthography of the English language, than is now usually obtained in the use of all the "improved books" for reading, with which the country is inundated.

But the schools established by the forefathers of the island, were not designed for the acquisition of mere secular knowledge-they were made the vehicles of moral and religious instruction. The school was literally a school of morals, where children were taught to understand and practise the relative duties of life-to respect and observe the institutions of religion, and where every immorality was visited with a suitable

recompense. And such the schools of Long Island continued to be, till within the memory of many now living. The writer can well recollect, that, in the first school he ever attended, the recitation of the Catechism was as regular an exercise on Saturday, as the preaching of the Gospel, in the Church, on the succeeding day. Moreover, the schoolmaster was regarded as occupying a place second only to the minister, and a sort of helper in his sacred work. Hence he was generally the chorister of the congregation, and in the absence of the minister, he was depended on to read a sermon, for the instruction of the people. In the Dutch towns, these and various other duties were generally stipulated, in their contracts with their teachers.

The following regulations adopted at an early period, and for a long time maintained in the town of Flatbush, may be regarded as a curiosity, and will serve as an illustration.

"When the school begins, one of the children shall read the morning prayer, as it stands in the catechism, and close with the prayer before din ner; in the afternoon, it shall begin with the prayer after dinner, and end with the evening prayer. The evening school shall begin with the Lord's prayer, and close by singing a psalm.

He (the schoolmaster) shall instruct the children on every Wednesday and Saturday, in the common prayers, and the questions and answers in the catechism, to enable them to repeat them the better on Sunday, before the afternoon service, or on Monday, when they shall be catechised before the congregation. Upon all such occasions, the school-master shall be present, and shall require the children to be friendly in their appearance, and encourage them to answer freely and distinctly.

In the Church service, "Before the sermon is commenced, he shall read a chapter out of the Holy Scriptures-the ten commandments, and the twelve articles of our faith, and then take the lead in singing. In the afternoon, he shall read a short chapter or one of the Psalms of David, &c. "When the minister shall preach at Brooklyn or New Utrecht, he shall be required to read twice before the congregation, from the book commonly used for that purpose. In the afternoon, he shall also read a sermon, catechise the children, &c.

For the administration of holy baptism, he shall provide a basin with water, for which he shall be entitled to receive from the parents, or witnesses, 12 stivers. He shall, at the expense of the church, provide bread and wine for the celebration of the Holy Supper.

"He shall give the funeral invitations, &c., &c., for which service he shall receive for a person of 15 years and upwards, 12 guilders, and for one under that age, 8 guilders."

Hence, it appears that the schoolmaster was a very important personage in the parish..

But, it may be asked, what has all this to do with the literary character of Long Island. The answer, if nothing more, it shows that the persons employed to teach their children,