1. What Councills, Assemblies and Courts of Judicature are within your Corporation, and of what nature and kinde?

2. What Courts of Judicature relating to the Admiralty?

3. Where the Legislative and Executive powers of the Government are seated?

4. What Statutes, Laws and Ordinances, are now made and in force?

5. What number of Horse or Foot are within your Government, whether they be trained bands or standing Forces, how they are armed, divided and exercised ?

6. What Castles and Forts are within your Corporation, and how situated and fortified; as also what stores and provisions they are furnished withall?

7. What number of Privateers or Pyrates do frequent your Coast, and what their burthens are, the number of their men and gunns, and the names of the Commanders?

8. What is the strength of your bordering neighbours, whether Indians or of any other nation, by sea and land, and what is the state and condition of their trade and commerce?

9. What correspondence do you keep with your neighbours?

10. What are the Boundaries, Longitude, Lattitude and contents of Land within your Government, and what number of acres Pattented, settled, or unsettled, and how much is manureable Land?

11. What are the principall Towns and places of trade, and what manner of buildings are most used in your Corporation, as to the strength and largeness of them ?

12. How many Parishes, Precincts, or divisions are within your Government ?

13. What Rivers, Harbours and Roads are within your Corporation, and of what depths and soundings they are?

14. What comodities are there of the production, groth and manufacture of your Government, and of what value yearly, either exported or consumed upon the value, and what materials are there already growing, or may be produced for shipping, as also what are the comodities imported, and of value yearly?

15. Whether salt petre is or may be produced within your corporation, and if so, in what quantity, and at what rates it may be delivered in England?

16. What number of merchants and planters, English or foreigners, servants and slaves, and how many of them are men able to bear arms?

17. What number of English, Scotch, Irish or foreigners have (for these 7 yeares last past, or for any other space of time) come yearly to plant and inhabit within your corporation; and also what blacks and slaves have been brought in, within the said time, and at what rates?

18. What number of whites, blacks or mulattos have been born and christened for these seven years last past, or any other space of time, for as many years as you are able to state an acount of?

19. What number of marriages for seven years last past, or any other time, for as many years as you are able to state an account of?

20. What number of people have yearly dyed within your Government, for seven years past, or any other time, for as many years as you are able to state an account of?

21. What estimate can you make, touching the estates of the severall degrees of merchants and planters within your corporation; and how you may compute the wealth of the corporation in generall?

22. What number of ships, sloops or other vessells do trade yearly to and from your Government, and of what built and burthen, and whether there be any belonging to the country?

23. What obstructions do you find to the Improvement of the trade and navigation of your Corporation?

24. What advantages and improvements do you observe that may be gained by your trade and navigation?

25. What Rates and Duties are charged and payable upon any goods exported out of your Government, whether of your own groth or manufacture, or otherwise, as also upon goods imported ; and likewise what other Revenue doth or may arise within your Corporation, and how the same are applyed &c.?

26. What Perswasion in Religious matters is most prevalent, and among the varieties which you are to express, what proportion in number and quallity of people the one holds to the other?

27. What course is taken for the instructing of the People in the Christian Religion: how many Churches and Ministers are there within your Government, and how many are yett wanting for the accommodation of your Corporation; what provision is there made for their maintenance, as also for relieving poor decayed and impotent persons, and whether you have any beggars and idle vagabonds?

By command of the Right, Honnourable, the Lords of his Majesties most Honnourable Privy Councill, appointed a Committee for Trade and Forreign Plantations,

WILLIAM BLATHWAYT.

1. We have yearly two General Courts, according as they are stated in his Majesties gracious charter, granted to this Colony. We have two Courts of Assistants, which consist of the Governor and six Assistants, which are for the tryall of cappitall offences, and for the hearing of all appeals, with a jury.

Our Colony is divided into four Counties, and in each County there are two County Courts annually, consisting of Magistrates, with a Jury, to heare and determine all actions of debts, slander, and of the case, and Criminall matters of lesser nature, as there is any special occasion ; the Governour calls his Assistants who are his Councill, to meet and consider of such matters as fall in, in the intervall of the Courts, and to order and determine the same.

2. We have little traffique abroad, and small occasion for such a Court and so have not considered or stated any such Court at present distinct from the rest, but it is left with the Court of Assistants.

3. The Legislature is only in the General Court, and the Executive in those Courts appointed as before.

4. We have herewith sent you one of our Law Books, wherein are what Laws were in force when we printed them, since which, some few orders have been made, but are not yet printed, and so have not sent them: your Lordships may please to take notice, that in our preface to our Laws, we say we have been carefull not to make any repugnant to the Stattute Laws of England, so farr as we understand them, professing ourselves always ready and willing to receive light for emendation or alteration, as we may have opportunity, what we then said is our present purpose, and shall be our practice as occasion requires.*

5. For the present, we have but one Troop setled, which consists of about sixty Horss, yet we are upon raising three Troops more, one in each County, of about 40 Horss in each Troop, our other forces are Trained Bands, there is a Major in each County, who commands the Militia of that, under the Governour for the time being, who is the General of all the Forces within our Colony, the whole amounts to 2507; the names of our several Counties are:

Hartford County, where are about 835 Trained Souldiers—New Haven County, where are about 623 Trained Souldiers—New London County, where are about 509 Trained Souldiers—Fairfield County, where are about 540 Trained Souldiers—Total 2507 men.

Our Hossmen are armed with Pistols and Carbines, the Foot Souldiers, with Muskett and Pike, for the present, in our late wars with the Indians, we found Dragoons to be the most usefull, and therefore improved about 300 of them in the service to good success,

6. We have one small Fort within our Colony, which is at the mouth of Connecticott River, at a place called Saybrook, and our stores of Provision are but slender, we having Towns about it that can convey Provisions to it upon all occasions—other good Harbours we have, and one especially, at a Town called New London, formerly called Pequott, near which the English of Connecticott obtained a memorable victory over the Pequotts, the first and most fatall blow the Indians rec'd from the English in New England, till the late warr in 1675 and 1676, The Harbour lyeth about a league up the River, where the Town is: ships of great burthen may come up to Town and lye secure in any winds, where is great need of Fortification, but we want estate to make Fortification, and purchase artillery for it, and we should thankfully acknowledge the favour of any benefactors that would contribute towards the doing of something towards the good work.

7. It is rare that ever there comes any here on those dangerous coasts, only about two years agoe there came a French Captain called Lamoine, with three shipps, one of which wintered at New London, and in the spring went of to sea.

8. As for our Indian neighbours in this Colony, we compute them to be about 500 fighting men, as for our neighbours of York, Massachusetts and Plimouth, we suppose they are to answer to the same questions, and know better what their strength, and the number of the natives is amongst them; as to the French, we are strangers to them, and know nothing of their strength or comerce. Our chief trade for procureing of cloathing, is by sending what Provisions we raise to Boston, where we buy goods with it to cloath us, the trade with the Indians in this Colony is worth nothing, for by reason of warrs they have with other remote Indians, they gett little Peltry.

9. We have neighbourly correspondence with New Plimouth, and the Massachusetts, and since Sr Edmund Andross is come to York, our correspondence with him, is not like what it was with his predecessor in that Government; as for Rhoad Island, we have not so good correspondence with them as we desire,

10. Our Boundaries are expressed in our Charter. As to the number of acres settled, or unsettled, or how much is manureable, we cannot guess, the country being a mountainous country, full of rocks, swamps, hills, and most that is fit for plantations is taken up, what remains must be subdued, and gained out of the fire, as it were, by hard blows and for small recompence.

11. Our principall Towns are Hartford, upon Connecticott River, New London, upon Pequott River, New Haven and Fairfield, by the sea side, in which towns is managed the principall trade of the Colony; our buildings are generally of wood, some there are of stone and brick, many of them of good strength and comliness for a wilderness, both those of wood, stone and brick.

12. We have twenty-six small Towns* already setled in our Colony, and in one of them we have two Churches,

13. Between the Narragansett River, our last Bounds, and Momoronack Rivolett, our Western Bounds, are those Rivers following; The River of Connecticott, at the entrance of which there is but about 10 or 12 foot at high water, vessels of 50 or 60 tunns, sometimes 80 tunns will goe up 60 miles in that River, to the Town of Hartford, but by reason of flatts and falls, they cannot goe above 6 miles beyond Hartford—New London or Pequott River, where a ship of 500 tunns may go up to the Town, and come so near the shoar, that they may toss a biskitt on shoar, and vessells of about 30 tons may pass up about twelve miles above New London, near to a Town called Norwich— at New Haven and Fairfield, ships of three hundred tonns or bigger, may come into the Harbours—at Guilford, Milford, Norwalk, Stratford and Rye, vessells of about 30 or 40 tonns may come in, and they are pretty good Tide Harbours.

14. The commodities of the country are wheat, peas, rye, barly, Indian corn, and pork, beef, wool, hemp, flax, cyder, perry, and tarr, deal boards, pipe staves, horses; but to say the yearly value of what is exported, or spent upon the place, we cannot. The most is transported to Boston, and there bartered for cloathing, som small quantities directly sent to Barbadoes, Jamacia and the Carribbe Islands, and there bartered for sugar, cotton wool and rumm, and som money; and now and then rarely some vessells are loaden with staves, pease, pork and flower, to Madera and Ffyal, and then barter their comoditys for wine; we have no need of Virginia trade, most people planting so much tobacco as they spend, our wheat having been much blasted, and our peas spoiled with worms for sundry years past, our trade is much abated. For the materials for shiping, here is good timber, of oak, pine and spruce for masts, oak boards and pine boards, tar, pitch and hemp. The value of the comoditys imported yearly, we cannot compute, but possible it is 8000 or 9000 pounds.

15. We have no Salt Peter raised in our Colony, neither do we know how to raise it, or whether here be the materials that will make it.

16. In our Colony there are about 20 petty merchants, som trade only to Boston, som to Boston and the Indias, others to Boston and New York, others to Boston, the Indias and Newfoundland. As for Forreigne Merchants, a few, and very few seldom trade hither; as to the number of Planters, they are included in our train bands, all from 16 to 60, being to bear arms. There are but a few Servants amongst us, and less Slaves, not above 30 as we judge in the Colony,

17. For English, Scotch and Irish, there are so few come in, that we cannot give a certain account, some years comes none, sometimes a family or two in a year, and for Blacks, there comes sometimes 3 or 4 in a year from Barbadoes, and they are sold usually at the rate of £22 a piece, sometimes more, and sometimes less, according as men can agree with the masters of vessells or Merchants that bring them hither.

18. We can give no account of the perfect number of either, born, but few Blacks, and but two Blacks christened, as we know of.

19. We can give no perfect account of it.

20. This we cannot give account of, but as to the increase, take it as followeth:
In the year, 1671, our number of men was 2050.
In the year 1676, our number was 2303.
In the year 1677, our number was 2365.
In the year 1678, our number was 2490.
In the year 1679, our number was 2507.

21. As to the Estates of the Merchants, we can make no guess of them, but for the Estates of the Corporation in general, it doth amount to about £110,788. Houses are so chargable to maintain, that they are not valued in the above mentioned sum.

22. It is rare any vessels come to trade with us, but what come from Massachusetts Colony or New York; but sundry of their vessels do come and transport our provision for our Merchants to Boston, the account of our own vessels followeth:
In Stamford 1 Pink, 80 ton, and 1 Sloop, 10 tonns.
In Stratford 1 Sloop, 12 tonns.
In Milford 1 Pink, 80 ton, 1 Bark, 12 ton, I Ketch, 50 tons.
In New Haven 1 Pink, 60 ton, 1 Sloop, 30 ton, 1 Ketch, 24 tonns, and 1 Sloop 12 tonns, and 1 Sloop 8 tons.
In Brandford 1 Barque, 30 tonns.
In Kinnelworth 2 Sloops, one 18, one 14 tonns.
In Saybrook 2 small Sloops.
In Middletown 1 Ship, 70 tonns,
In Hartford 1 Ship, 90 tonns.
In Lyme 1 Ketch. 70 tonns,
In New London 2 Ships, 1 70 tonns, 1 90 tonns, 3 Ketches about 50 tonns a piece, 2 Sloops, 15 tonns a piece.
In Stonington 1 Sloop, 10 tonns.

23. The want of men of Estates to venture abroad, and of money at home, for the management of trade and labour, being so with us.

24. If so be that Hartford, New London, New Haven and Fairfield might be made free Ports for 20 or 15 years, it would be a means to bring trade there, and much increase the navigation, trade and wealth of this poor colony.

25. We take no duties of goods exported out of our Government, nor of any goods imported, except on wine and liquors, which is inconsiderable, and improved towards the maintenance of free schools.

26. Our people in this colony, are some strict Congregationall men, others, more large Congregational men, and some moderate Presbiterians: and take the Congregationall men of both sorts, they are the greatest part of people in the colony: there are 4 or 6 sevenths day men, and about so many more quakers.

27. Great care is taken for the instruction of the people, in the Christian Religion, by ministers Chattechising of them, and preaching to them twice every Sabbath day, and sometimes on Lecture days, and so by masters of families, instructing and chattechising their children and servants, being required so to do by law. In our corporation are 26 towns as aforesaid, and there is 21 Churches in them. There is in every town in our colony a setled minister, except it be in two towns new begun, and they are looking out for a minister to settle amongst them. For the maintenance of the ministers, it is raised upon the people by way of rate, and it is in some places, £100 per annum, some 90, some 80, but in no place less than 50 pounds per annum, as we know of, and so the proportion raised, is according as the occasion of the minister calls for it, and the peoples ability will allow. For the poor it is ordered that they be relieved by the towns where they live, every town providing for their own poor, and so for impotent persons, there is seldom any wants relief, because labour is dear, viz, 2s and sometimes 2s 6d a day, for day labourers, and provisions cheap, viz. wheat 4s per bushell, Winchester measure, pease 3s per bushell, indian corne 2s 6d per bushell, pork 3d per pound, beeif 2 l-2d per pound, butter 6d. Beggars and vagabond persons are not suffered, but when discovered bound out to service, yett sometimes a vagabond person will pass up and down the country, and abuse the people with fals news, cheat and steal, but when they are discovered they are punished according to their offence.

WILLIAM LEET, Governour.

Pr. order, JOHN ALI.YN, Sec'y.
Hartford, July 15th, 1680.

These for Mr. Blathwayte, Esq. at the Plantation office at White Hall, pr. him to be delivered to the Right Hon'ble, the Lords of his Ma'ties most Hon'ble Privy Councill.

RIGHT HON'BLE—

Your letter of the 1st day of August 1679, we have received, and it is greatefully accepted pr, us, that such hon'ble personages as yourselves are pleased to take notice of us, your honours poor countrymen, in so remote a part of this wilderness, and that you are so studious to promoate the publique good, we have returned a brief answer to those questions your honors have been pleased to require an answer of us, which with all plainess and truth, charitableness be acceptable to your hands, you may farther please to understand, that we are but a poor people, we have lost and spent much of o'r estates in the last Indian war o'r expences w'th o'r loss cannot be estimated less than £30,000, and no other advantage gayned by it than the riddance of some of o'r bad neighbours; in o'r answers you will understand o'r way of liveing, for the most part, we labour in tilling the ground, and by that time a yeares travels and labour hath gathered some small parcell of provision, it is transported to the market at Boston, and halfe a crown will not buy so much goods of any sort as 18 pence will in England ; besides for sundry years past the holy providence of God hath smitten us year after year, with blastings and mildues, whereby we have lost the great part of our wheat every yeare, and these 3 or 4 last years, there is a worme breads in o'r pease which doth much damnify them, so that we are like, (by reason of o'r losses at, home and the heightened price of goods from abroad) to remaine a poor but loyall people, and we humbly request your honours to represent us to his sacred Ma'tie and if by your Lordships mediation his Ma'tie be pleased to cast any raves of his favour upon us, and grant unto us that New London, or some other of our Ports might be made free Ports for 20 or 15 or 10 yeares, it would be a great means to move men of estates to trade and settle there, it would bring trade hither, so that the wealth of this his Ma'ties colony would be encreased and his Ma'tie in the conclusion receive no damage thereby; Right hon'ble we request your pardon for o'r boldness herein, and desire that we may enjoy your favours, and that you would graciously be pleased so to tenderness as that we may be upheld under your honours shaddow in the full injoyment of all those priviledges and immunities his Ma'tie hath been pleased to grant unto us, and for your honour, we shall ever pray and remayne your honours most obedient and dutifull servants, the Govr. and Councill of Connecticott.

WM. LEET, Govr.

Hartford, July 15, 1680.