Contents of the First Newspaper.

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abroad and at home; which may not only direct their Thoughts at all times, but at some times also to assist their Business and Negotiations.

Thirdly, That some thing may be done towards the Curing, or at least the Charming of that Spirit of Lying, which prevails among us, wherefore nothing shall be entered, but what we have reason to believe is true, repairing to the best fountains for our Information. And when there appears any material mistake in any thing that is collected, it shall be corrected in the next.

Moreover, the Publisher of these Occurrences is willing to engage, that whereas, there are many False Reports, maliciously made, and spread among us, if any well minded person will be at the pains to trace any such false Report, so far as to find out and Convict the First Raiser of it, he will in this Paper (unless just Advice be given to the contrary) expose the Name of such person, as A malicious Raiser of a False Report. It is supposed that none will dislike this Proposal, but such as intend to be guilty of so villanous a Crime.

This chronicle seems to have had no name, but it is not unlikely that the intention of the proprietor was to have it called Publick Occurrences. That appears prominent in his public announcement. Ten years afterward a paper with a similar name, Pue's Occurrences, was published in Dublin. The Genius for names, who has flourished so extensively in these latter days, had not been born at that early period. What Editor Harris's idea of public occurrences were may be judged by reading the contents of his first and only number. We annex them entire :

[The figures inclosed in brackets denote the ends of the columns.]

HE Christianized Indians in some parts of Plimouth, have newly appointed

a

to God for mercy

pinching Necessities under their late want of Corn, and for His giving them now a prospect of a very Comfortable Harvest. Their Example may be worth Mentioning.

'Tis observed by the Husbandmen, that altho' the With-draw of so great a strength [1] from them, as what is in the Forces lately gone for Canada, made them think it almost impossible for them to get well through the Affairs of their Husbandry at this time of the year, yet the season has been so unusually favorable that they scarce find any want of the many hundred of hands, that are gone from them; which is looked upon as a merciful Providence.

While the barbarous Indians were lurking about Chelmsford, there were missing about the beginning of this Month a couple of Children belonging to a man of that Town, one of them aged about eleven, the other aged about nine years, both of them supposed to be fallen into the hands of the Indians.

A very Tragical Accident happened at Watertown the beginning of this Month, an Old man, that was of somewhat a Silent and Morose Temper, but one that had long Enjoyed the reputation of a Sober and a Pious Man, having newly buried his Wife, The Devil took advantage of the Melancholy which he thereupon fell into, his wives discretion and industry had long been the support of his Family, and he seemed hurried with an impertinent fear that he should now come to want before he dyed, though he had very careful friends to look after him who kept a strict eye upon him, lest he should do himself any harm. But one evening escaping from them into the Cow-house, they there quickly followed him, found hanging by a Rope, which they had used to tye their Calves withal, he was dead with his feet near touching the Ground.

Epidemical Fevers and Agues grow very common, in some parts of the Country, whereof, tho' many dye not, yet they are sorely unfitted for their imployments; but in some parts a more malignant Fever seems to prevail in such sort that it usually goes thro' a Family where it comes, and proves mortal unto many.

The Small pox which has been raging in Boston, after a manner very Extraordinary, is now very much abated. It is thought that far more have been sick of it than were visited with it, when it raged so much twelve years ago, nevertheless

it has not been so Mortal. The number of them that have [2] dyed in Boston by this last Visitation is about three hundred and twenty, which is not perhaps half so many as fell by the former. The time of its being most General, was in the Months June, July and August, then 'twas that sometimes in some one Congregation on a Lords-day there would be Bills desiring prayers for above an hundred sick. It seized upon all sorts of people that came in the way of it. 'Tis not easy to relate the Trouble and Sorrow that poor Boston has felt by this Epidemical Contagion. But we hope it will be pretty nigh Extinguished, by that time twelvemonth when it first began to Spread. It now unhappily spreads in several other places, among which our Garrisons in the East are to be reckoned some of the Sufferers.

Altho' Boston did a few weeks ago, meet with a Disaster by Fire, which consumed about twenty Houses near the Mill-Creck, yet about midnight, between the sixteenth and seventeenth of this Instant, another Fire broke forth near the SouthMeeting-House, which consumed about five or six houses, and had almost carried the Meeting-house itself, one of the fairest Edifices in the Country, if God had not remarkably assisted the Endeavours of the People to put out the Fire. There were two more considerable Circumstances in the Calamities of this Fire, one was that a young man belonging to the House where the Fire began, unhappily perished in the Flames; it seems that tho' he might sooner awake than some others who did escape, yet he some way lost those Wits that should have taught him to help himself. Another was that the best furnished PRINTING PRESS, of those few that we know of in America was lost; a loss not presently to be repaired.

.

There lately arrived at Piscataqua, one Papoon from Penobscot, in a small Shallop, wherein he had used to attend upon the pleasure of Casteen, but took his opportunity to run away, and reports: That a Vessel of small Bulk bound from Bristol to Virginia, having been so long at Sea, till they were prest with want, put in at Penobscot instead of Piscataqua, where the Indians and French seized her, and Butchered the Master, and several of the men; but that himself who belonged unto the Ships Crew, being a Jersey-man, was more favorably used and found at length an advantage to make his Escape.

The chief discourse of this month has been about the affairs of the Western Expedition against Canada. The Albanians, New Yorkers and the five Nations of Indians, in the West, had long been pressing of the Massachusetts to make an Expedition by Sea into Canada, and still made us believe, that they stayed for us, and that while we assaulted [3] Quebeck, they would pass the Lake, and by Land make a Descent upon Mount Real. Accordingly this Colony with some assistance from our kind Neighbours of Plimouth; fitted 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 last August under the Command of the Honourable Sir William Phips.

In the mean time the English Colonies and Provinces in the West raised Forces, the Numbers whereof have been reported five or six hundred. The Honourable General Winthrop was in the Head of these, and advanced within a few miles of the Lake; He there had some good number of Maquas to joyn his Forces, but contrary to his Expectation, it was found that the Canoo's to have been ready for the transportation of the Army over the Lake, were not prepared, and the other Nations of Indians, that should have come to this Campaign, sent their Excuses, pretending that the Small-pox was among them, and some other Trifles. The General Meeting with such vexing disappointment called a Councel of War, wherein 'twas agreed, That it was impossible for them to prosecute their Intended Expedition. However he despatched away the Maqua's to the French Territories, who returned with some Success, having slain several of the French, and brought home several Prisoners, whom they used in a manner too barbarous for any English to approve. The General coming back to Albany, there happened a misunderstanding between him and the Lieutenant Governor of New York which occasioned much discourse, but produced not those effects which were feared of it. Where lay the bottom of these miscarriages is variously conjectured, if any people further West than Albany, have been tampering with the Indians, to desert the business of Canada, we hope time will discover it. And if Almighty God will have Canada to be subdued without the assistance of those miserable Salvages,

Contents of the First Newspaper.

47

in whom we have too much confided, we shall be glad, that there will be no sacrifice offered up to the Devil, upon this occasion; God alone will have all the glory.

'Tis possible we have not so exactly related the Circumstances of this business, but the Account, is as near exactness, as any that could be had, in the midst of many various reports about it.

Another late matter of discourse, has been an unaccountable destruction befalling a body of Indians, that were our Enemies. This body of French Indians had a Fort somewhere far up the River, and a party of Maqua's returning from the East Country, where they have at a great rate pursued and terrified those Indians which have been invading of our North East Plantations, and Killed their General Hope Hood among the rest; resolved [4] to visit this Fort; but they found the Fort ruined, the Canoo's cut to pieces, and the people all either Butchered or Captived. This gave them no little surprise and they gave the English this account of it. That a body of Maqua's lately returning from the spoil of Canada brought several French Prisoners with them; That calling at this Fort in their way, the Indians there seeing themselves unable to resist them did pass divers Complements with them and partake of their Booties. That a French Captive after this, escaping from the Maqua's informed the French that these Indians had revolted unto the Maqua's, and hereupon the French or their Indians made a sudden Sally forth upon them, and utterly destroyed them, tho' they were in reality of their own party still.

Two English Captives escaped from the hands of Indians and French at Pscadamoquady, came into Portsmouth on the sixteenth Instant & say, That when Capt. Mason was at Port Real, he cut the faces, and ript the bellies of two Indians, and threw a third over board in the sight of the French, who informing the other Indians of it, they have in revenge barbarously Butcher'd forty Captives of ours that were in their hands.

These two captives escaped in a Shallop, which our enemies intended to have set out with all the Circumstances of a Fishing Shallop but to have indeed filled with Indians that should have Clap't on board any English Vessel that came in their way; They say that about three or four weeks ago, some Indians were coming this way to War, but crossing a path which they supposed to be of the Maqua's, they followed it untill they discovered a place where some Canoo's were making, whereupon twenty Kennebeck Indian-Warriors went to look further after the business, who never yet returned, Which gives hope that they may come short home but upon this the Squaws are sent to Penobscot, and the men stand on their De

fence.

Portsmouth, Sept. 20th. Two days since arrived here a small Vessel from Barbadoes, in which is a letter to Captain H. K. of 19th August that speaks thus,

Christophers is wholly taken from the French as also a small island called Stacia: we are very strong in Shipping, and our Ships of War are now gone for Tobago, a very good place to shelter from any Storms, after the suspicious months are over, they will Attack the rest of the French places. We have News here that K. William is safe arrived in Ireland, and is marched with one hundred and forty thousand Foot and Horse. Himself leads the Body, Duke Scomburgh the right Wing, and the Earl of Oxford the left Wing, Duke Hamilton of Scotland leads the forlorn Hope with ten thousand men under him. Great victory they dayly have, and much people daily come in to him, with submission; He has [5] 200 Shipping with him of one sort or other, above one hundred Sail dayly run between Ireland and England, with meat for Man and Beast; His Majesty being unwilling to trust false Ireland for it. France is in much trouble (and fear not only with us but also with his Son, who has revolted against him lately, and has great reason) if reports be true. He has got all the Hugonots, and all the dissatisfied Papists, with the great force of the D. of Loraign, and are now against him, resolving to depose him of his Life and Kingdom.

It's Reported the City of Cork in Ireland has proclaimed K. William, and turned their French Landlords out of Doors: of this there wants further confirmation. From Plimouth Sept. 22, We have an Account that on Friday the 12th Instant, in the night, our Forces Landing privately, forthwith surrounded Pegypscot Fort; but finding no Indians there, they March'd to Amonoscoggin. There on the Lordsday, they kill'd and took 15 or 16 of the Enemy, and recovered five English Cap

tives, mostly belonging to Oyster River; who advised, that the men had been gone about ten days down to a River, to meet with the French, and the French Indians: where they expected to make up a Body of 300 men, and design first against Wells or Piscataqua.

On Tuesday, the Army came to our Vessels at Macquoit, but one of 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 of taking nine Canoo's, and an English captive named, Thomas Baker, who informed, that the Enemy had left a considerable Plunder at Pegypscot-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 [were] 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 forthwith repair'd to their Relief; but were sorely galled by an Embuscade 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 dear Friends, the Plimouth Forces, 15 being killed and wounded of Captain Southworth's Company. The imprint of the paper was as follows:

Boston, Printed by R. Pierce for Benjamin Harris, at the London-Coffee-House. 1690.

This specimen number attracted especial official notice. Editor Harris had touched upon local and military matters. It was frowned upon at once by the authorities, and killed outright within twentyfour hours. In alluding to this fact, Buckingham, in his Reminiscences, says:

Immediately on its publication it was noticed by the legislative authorities. Four days after, they spoke of it as a pamphlet; stated that it came out contrary to law, and contained "reflections of a very high nature." They strictly forbade “any thing in print, without license first obtained from those appointed by the government to grant the same."

This nipped Harris's enterprise in the bud, and no other effort was made to establish a paper in America till 1704. The authorities, it would seem, were peculiarly sensitive to any infringement of their power. They feared the influence even of a sheet simply giving the news of the day. There was nothing very offensive in any of the intelligence published by Harris. There was no effort at sensation. The news, some of which was really important, and which would be given with startling head-lines and learned editorial comments nowadays, is very quaintly and quietly told. There was evidently no excitement in the printing-office at the London Coffeehouse, Boston; and it is clear that the system of paying so much a line was not in vogue with the proprietor of Publick Occurrences. If any of the expressions of 1690 reflected in any way upon the conduct of the office-holders then, it is a fortunate circumstance that none of them live and hold office now, to read and act upon some

The Reprinted Gazette in New York.

49

of the matter of many of the journals of the present day. What would become of such men as Emile de Girardin, of La Liberté; or James Gordon Bennett, père et fils, of the Herald; or James Walter, of the Times; or Henri Rochefort, of La Lanterne and Mot d'Ordre; or Horace Greeley, of the Tribune?

But, simple and guileless as Harris's paper appeared to be in a political point of view, there was something more about the man and his antecedents, we think, than about his publication per se, that alarmed the provincial authorities, and led them to suppress the initial number so summarily. They feared the future issues of the paper. An English bookseller, named Dunton, in a curious work called "Life and Errors," published in London in 1705, in speaking of Harris, states:

He was a brisk asserter of English liberties, and once printed a book with that very title. He sold a Protestant Petition in King Charles's reign, for which he was fined five pounds; and he was once set in the pillory, but his wife (like a kind Rib) stood by him to defend her husband against the mob. After this (having a deal of mercury in his natural temper) he traveled to New England, where he followed book selling, and then coffee selling, and then printing, but continued Ben Harris still, and is now both bookseller and printer in Grace Church street, as we find by his London Post; so that his conversation is general (but never impertinent) and his wit pliable to all inventions. But yet his vanity, if he has any, gives no alloy to his wit, and is no more than might justly spring from conscious virtue; and I do him but justice in this part of his character, for in once travelling with him from Bury Fair, I found him to be the most ingenious and innocent companion, that I had ever met with.

Manifestly the authorities of Massachusetts felt that such a man should not be permitted to create a new power and a new influence in that province, and in their midst. They therefore crushed the new enterprise in its cradle. But Harris was a good printer, and a man of energy and ability as a publisher; he must dabble in some public work. Two years after the suppression of his paper he was appointed "Printer to His Excellency the Governor and Council." This may have been balm to him for a time, as such appointments have since been to the journalists of Washington, New York, and Albany. Here is Harris's commission as State Printer:

By his Excellency.-I order Benjamin Harris to print the Acts and Laws made by the Great and General Court, or Assembly of Their Majesties Province of Massachusetts-Bay in New England, that we the People may be informed thereof.

Boston, December 16, 1692.

WILLIAM PHIPPS.

Harris, however, was too restless to remain in Boston merely as a printer of laws. He returned to London in 1694 or thereabouts, and was not only a printer and bookseller in that metropolis as late as 1705, but publisher of the Post, showing his progressive spirit, for he had found a name for a newspaper which has lived to this day. This effort of Harris in Boston forms an epoch in itself in the history of newspapers in America. It was the beginning. In 1692,

D