the town on the outlet of which stands a grist mill, carding machine and tan works; said pond contains about 15 acres.

Shape of the Town. For the shape and situation of the town and adjacent islands which make a part of the same, I must refer you to Greenleaf's map.

2d. Lands. The original titles to the lands were obtained of General Henry Knox in 1801 and generally surveyed about the same time. About 60 have the tee simple in themselves. Cleared land is worth about $18 per aere, wild land about $6.

Wealth. There is not, strictly speaking, a very rich man in our town, so on the other hand there can be hardly a poor man found. The inhabitants in respect to wealth are on nearly an equal footing. They are principally land holders and good livers. There are 562 tons of vessels owned in the town. There are about 1,000 bushels of wheat raised annually: number of cows kept in the town, 394 Paupers supported by the town, 6.

Religion. There is but one parish, one meeting-house and one sect of Christians which are Baptists, number of members belonging to the church, 49. The first settled minister was Thomas Ames, who was ordained in June, 1794, since his removal, no settled minister. We are, however, frequently visited by ministers of the neighboring towns and have preaching the most part of the time.

Literature. The inhabitants are generally acquainted with the common branches of education. such as reading, writing, arithmetic, &c., and a considerable number with surveying and navigation, but there are no men of collegiate education among us. Our town is divided into 7 districts: number of scholars from 4 to 16 years of age is 203. Physicians we have none. Political State voters, 107. Rateable polls 128. We were never represented in the General Court until after our separation from the State of Massachusetts. Since that time, our town in conjunction with the town of Vinalhaven has been authorized to send one representative, and in 1820 we made choice of Thomas Waterman, of Vinalhaven, to represent us in the General Court.

Character and employments of the inhabitants. The people are generally industrious and prudent and very exemplary in their morals. Their employments are pretty equally divided between the land and water. Nearly one-half of the able bodied men follow the sea; the remainder are farmers.

Sufferings and captivity of Mr. John Gilkey, one of the ancient settlers in this town, who settled here in April, 1778. A year after, being about three years after the commencement of the American Revolution, he had occasion to leave his family on some business and while he was absent a party of the British forces who had possession of Castine at that time landed on the Island, near the settlement of Mr. Gilkey, collected his cows together near the shore, being five in number, and shot them all down, leaving a large family of small children without any apparent means of support. His wife in great distress at the event went to the shore, not considering the danger she would be in from the firings of those merciless wretches who were killing her cows,

firing at them in the same direction that she had to travel to get to the shore. Several balls passed very near her, but she was so fortunate as to reach the place where they were stationed unhurt. She represented to them the situation she should be in, telling them that they had deprived her of the means of support by killing her cows, which were her sole dependence, begging them at the same time to give her up one of the carcasses of her cows, if no more. They accordingly agreed to let her take one of the carcasses, and with the rest they returned to Castine. Mr. Gilkey, on account of this loss and the danger he considered himself and family to be in was under the necessity of returning to the south shore or Cape Cod, his former place of residence. Before the close of the war he attempted to return to the Island, again was taken by the enemy and was kept in bondage about a year. He was then liberated and returned to his family, which had removed to the island during his absence. Soon after this another robbery was committed on him by a party of men in a boat called a shaving mill, which plundered him of articles to a considerable amount, such as provisions, clothing, firearms, &c., leaving him in a wretched situation in a wild and uncultivated country.

About this time Mr. Shubal Williams was falsely accused of offering his service to bring off a drunken sailor who gave oath that he offered to bring him off, in consequence of which he was tried by a Court Martial and sentenced to receive 500 stripes on the naked back. He was taken from his house in this town and carried to Castine by the British, and received the full complement of five hundred lashes.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF OCTOBER, 1780.

(FROM RESOLVES OF THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS.)

Contributed by Joseph Williamson, Esquire, of Belfast. Resolve, directing the Board of War to fit out the State Galley for the conveyance of Rev. Samuel Williams hollisian professor of mathematice, etc., to Penobscot, to make observations on the eclipse of the sun, to be on the 27th of October next. (Passed) Sept. 12, 1780.

Whereas, representation has been made to this Court by the Hon. James Bowdoin, Esq., and others, lovers of learning and mankind, that on the 27th day of October next, there will happen in the neighborhood of Penobscot, a central and total eclipse of the sun, a phenomenon never apparent in these States since their settlement, and as observations thereon may be of much consequence in science, particularly in geography and navigation: and that the Rev. Samuel Williams, hollisian professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in the University at Cambridge in this State, will be ready to give his aid, with such assistance as may be proper, to make the necessary observations, at the most convenient place near Penobscot: therefore,

Resolved, That the Board be, and they hereby are ordered and

The Rev. Samuel Williams, LL.D., graduated at Harvard College in 1761, and was professor from 1780 to 1788. He died in 1817.-J. W.

directed to fit out the State Galley, with proper stores and accomodations, for the conveyance of the Rev. Samuel Williams, hollisian professor of the mathematics and natural philosophy, at the University at Cambridge, and such attendance as he may think proper to take with him, to make the aforesaid observations on the central and total eclipse of the sun, which will happen on the said 27th day of October, at or near Penobscot, and that the council be and they are hereby requested to write proper letters to the British Commander of the garrison at Penobscot, that the important designs of the said observations may not be frustrated.

*

(From Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1, 86.)

6. Observations of a solar eclipse, Oct. 27, 1780, made on the east side of Long Island, in Penobscot Bay.-By Professor Williams.

A total eclipse of the sun is a curious and uncommon phenomenon. From the principles of astronamy it is certain that a central eclipse will happen in some part of the earth, in the course of every year: but it is but seldom that a total eclipse of the sun is seen in any particular place. A favorable opportunity presenting for viewing one of these eclipses on October, 27, 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the University at Cambridge were desirous to have it properly observed in the eastern part of the State, where, by calculation it was expected it would be total. With this view they solicited the government of the Commonwealth, that a vessel might be prepared to convey proper observers to Penobscot Bay; and that application might be made to the officer who commanded the British garrison there, for leave to take a situation convenient for this purpose. Though involved in all the calamities and distresses of a severe war, the government discovered all the attention and readiness to promote the cause of science, which could have been expected in the most peaceable and prosperous times; and passed a resolve, directing the Board of War to fit out the Lincoln galley to convey me to Penobscot, or any other part at the eastward, with such assistance as I should judge necessary. Accordingly, I embarked October 9, with Mr. Stephen Sewall, Professor of the Oriental Languages; James Winthrop, Esq., Librarian; Fortesque Vernon, A. B., and Messrs Atkins, Davis, Hall, Dawson, Rensalear and King, students in the University. We took with us an excellent clock, and astronomical quadrant of 2 1-2 feet radius, made by Sissons, several telescopes and such other apparatus as were necessary.

On the 17th we arrived in Penobscot Bay. The vessel was directed to come to anchor in a cove on the eastern side of Long Island. After several attempts to find a better situation for observations, we fixed on this place as the most convenient, we had reason to expect; and on

Penobscot, now Castine, and the whole of Eastern Maine, were then under the control of the British, having been invested by them in June, 1776.

As the officer who commanded at Penobscot, in his answer to the application of the government, had limited us to a time wholly inadequate to our purpose, from the 25th to the 30th of October, we were obliged to make a second application for leave to enter Penobscot Bay. Leave was granted, but with a positive order to have no communication with any of the inhabitants, and to depart on the 28th, the day after the eclipse. Being thus retarded and embarassed by military orders, and allowed no time after the eclipse to make any observations, it became necessary to set up our apparatus and begin our observations without any further loss of time. In the course of which, we received every kind of assistance from Capt. Henry Mowatt, of the Albany, which it was in his power to give.

the 19th we put our instruments on shore, set up the clock and quadrant in a building* facing towards the south, near the house of Mr. Shubael Williams, where the following observations were made:

(Here follows a minute account of observations, from Oct. 20 to Oct. 27, inclusive, covering eighteen pages of the Memoirs.)

FROM OBSERVATIONS OF THE ECLIPSE.

The greatest obscuration was at 12 hours, 30 minutes, 12 seconds; at which time the sun's limb was reduced to so fine a thread, and so much broken as to be incapable of mensuration. * * There was little wind while we were making the observations, and no cloud to be seen. But the air was not perfectly clear, being a little thick or hazy.

From the beginning of the eclipse unto the time of the greatest obscuration, the colour and appearance of the sky was gradually changing from an azure blue to a more dark or dusky colour, until it bore the appearance and gloom of night. * *

As the darkness increased a chill and dampness were very severely felt. In 1 hour and 19 minutes. when the light and heat of the sun were rapidly decreasing. there fell two-thirds as much dew as fell the night before or the night after the eclipse. * *

In this we may add, so unusual a darkness, dampness and chill, in the midst of day, seemed to spread a general amazement among all sorts of animals; nor could we, ourselves, observe such unusual phenomena without some disagreeable feelings.

INSCRIPTIONS FROM GRAVE STONES IN OLD CEMETERY AT AUGUSTA, WEST SIDE.t

62.

Thomas Dickman, merchant of Augusta, died Nov. 26, 1809, age

Mrs. Rachel Dickman died Sept. 9, 1856, age 84

George Andrews, died August 27, 1808, age 26.

Mrs. Elizabeth Andrews died March 19, 1814, age 60,

Ezekiel Page, died May 10, 1830, age 84. Wife Betsey died Nov. 9, 1818 age 68.

Peter Jones, died Mar. 9, 1796, age 30.

Caleb Gordon, died July 8, 1833, age 78. Wife Maria, died Sept. 24, 1843; age 85.

Capt. Thomas E. Gage, died Nov. 28, 1844, age 82. Wife Mercy, died Dec. 11, 1846, age 80.

Solomon Wells, died July 1, 1841, age 79. Wife Lovisa, died May 8, 1850, age 79.

Charles Randlett, died Mar. 16, 1814, age 40.

David Randlett, died June 3, 1821, age 42.

Widow Hannah Lamb of Oxford, died May 14, 1810. age 76.

S. Rockwood, died Oct. 1, 1824, age 52. Wife Susannah, died Nov. 12, 1859, age 85. Miss Emeline Rockwood, died June 8, 1838, age 27.

The site, marked by a few stones, can now be identified.

Shubael Williams' farm was just above the Narrows, and extended across Islesboro from the northerly end of Bounty Cove to Seal Harbor. The southerly part is now owned by the Islesboro Land and Improvement Co.-J. W.

+ I cannot guarantee the absolnte correctness of these deaths, as the stones in some cases were hardly legible.

PAY ROLLS OF MEN UNDER COMMAND OF CAPT. DANIEL SULLIVAN, OF SULLIVAN, IN THE REVOLUTIONAY WAR, 1777-80.

CONTRIBUTED BY JOHN S. EMERY, OF BOSTON.

No. I.

Pay Roll of Capt. Daniel Sullivan's Company of Militia in Col. Foster's Regiment in the County of Lincoln, who marched to Machias three different times, 50 % bounty-1777.

These men belonged in Sullivan, Gouldsborough, Steuben, Mt. Desert, Narraguagus, now Cherryfield, Union River, now Surry and Ellsworth.-EDITOR.