Rev. Joseph Lord.        299

REV. JOSEPH LORD

[Copy of a letter from Rev. Joseph Lord[1] to Judge Samuel Sewall, of Boston, from the original in possession of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.]

Honoured Sir,

This comes w^th thanks for y^e Letter I received from you, bearing Date, Feb. 6^th 1705/6, & for y^e Prints you sent me all w^c I have received, ex­cept y^e Elegy in Obitum Crucis, w^c I cannot find among y^e other Papers; The books intitled, Bdptistes, I suppose to be exceeding usefull for y^e recovery & settlem^t of such as are wavering in that point. M^r Adams being in Charlestown wⁿ I received y^m of Cap^t. Belcher, I delivered those w^c yo^r Hono^r so ordered to him presently; & soon heard, an enquiry aft^r those books concerning Baptism was made by some y^t had been staggering, who saw some of them y^t I had delivered to him w^c has occasioned y^e Dispersion of almost half y^e Hundred already.  M^r Adams is comeing to N. Engl^d w^th Cap^t Everton, by w^m yo^r Hono^r will understand something of y^e state of affairs here; w^c seem not near so encourageing to me, as they did six years ago. It is true y^e Countrey, is more frequented by way of Trade than formerly; but o^r Tarr & Rice take up so much room, y^t a Cargo of Barbadoes Commodities (& of y^e commodities of some oth^r places) is worth so much more yⁿ a Cargo of o^rs, y^t our Trade is like to leave y^e countrey moneyless.  We have been favoured by God's Providence beyond expectaon in o^r freedom from annoyance by y^e Spaniards, especially considering we, so soon aft^r y^e Proclamaon of War, began w^th them: & y^e freedom I think y^e most ground of encouragem^t to expect y^e carrying on of y^e work of Christ in these ends of y^e Earth (next to y^e Promise of the Father) y^t I can take notice of. For why sh^d Christ give us (an undeserving as well as a much exposed people) so much peace in a time of war, if he has no work to be carried on here? We have no reason to suppose it is because we are less sinful) yⁿ others. The means of o^r Safety, are, partly, y^e Indians y^t dwell ab^t Wachessy Creek, who are, the most of y^m, such as have formerly left y^e Spaniards, and are great enemies to y^m, but friends to y^e English; but among y^m are some, Westoes, we, in all probability, are a remnant of y^e Pequods, y^t escaped, wn y^e Rest were destroyed in N. Engl^d. These Indians, since war has been proclaimed, have not ceased to molest ye Spaniards & Spanish In­dians. For joining w^th y^e Savanas (supposed by some to be a remnant of y^e Narragansetts) w^e came into these parts about. five & twenty or thirty years ago, & ye Ammesees (a People y^t fled from y^e Spaniards about S^t. Augustine (I cannot tell how long it is since) & came to dwell near to y^e English, as counting y^m bett^r neighbo^rs yⁿ y^e Spaniards have made divers inroads upon y^e lndians y^t remain among y^e Spaniards, & taken many Prisoners & also killed many & some Spaniards too: So y^t y^e whole countrey of Apalathea is Deserted, some being taken & made slaves, others haveing Gone to dwell among y^e conquero^rs.  Since w^c they have begun to fall upon y^e Tymachaws (a People between us & S^t Augus­tine) being glad y^t y^e English will suffer y^m to fall upon y^e Spanish In­dians, w^e they could never obtain of y^e English before these Wars.  But as to y^e Gospellizeing of these Indians, or any others in these parts, I doubt y^re is little hope: because y^e Trad^rs, y^t go among y^m & converse w^th  y^m, are so much like heathens ,y^mselves.  Yet if it sh^d please God to work upon more of these trad^rs, as he has lately done upon one, there might be some hopes of something to be done; if wo were w^th all furnished w^th Minist^rs as New-England is.  But neither are our circumstances much more encourageing this way, yⁿ those of y^e Indians: but God is able to raise up Instrum^ts for his own work. The Obligaons you have laid upon me, & y^e things contained in yo^r Letter to me, have drawn these _.things from me, who am           Yo^r Hono^rs Humble Serv^t

Dorchest^r in Carolina

Mar. 25, 1706.                                                 

[In Judge Sewall's writing—" Recd April 19, 1706.]

SO. CA. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE Vol 21

Page 6

LETTER FROM JOSEPH LORD

"5. "   Sir,

Since that w^e came by Pensylvania, Dated, Nov. 17, 1706.  I have rec^d. no Lett^r from you. I sent a Lett^r & a Box of Collec­tions by Capt. Gill Belcher, y^e last year (y^e Lett^r. dated, Jan. 2, 1707/8, w^e I hope are come to hand. In yo^r last y^t I rec^d., you mention a Bill of a Bird w^e was sent either by Mad^m Williams or me, concerning w^e I have since written you word, y^t. I did not rememb^r y^t I sent you any such: but I call to mind y^t I sent you y^e Bill of a Garr-fish, w^e has sharp teeth set all along both sides: of w^e I have also one now ready to send you, as I have also Divers oth^r things w^e I have collected. Anoth^r sort of Tortoise, yⁿ that w^e you sent me y^e figure of marked 76.4. I have y^e shell of, w^e I intend to send you e'er long. Here are divers sorts of y^m., tho' I don't often meet w^th y^m The shell 71.8 & 71.9 is, I suppose, y^t w^e y^e wood-snail carries on his back, & houses himself in. I have sent divers of y^m, if I forget not, but perhaps they might be broken before they came at you, for I find y^m very brittle. The Centipes, 74.3 is very like a worm w^th us, w^e, wⁿ it dies, gathers almost into a circle as yo^r figure represents: but wⁿ y^e worm is liveing, as it crawls, that side w^re y^e feet are seems flat. You figure a Cowry, 80.9. w^e I don^'t know w^t distinguishes from oth^r shells: but yo^r figure puts me in mind of a sort of Insect here, y^t is covered w^th hair, between chestnut & ash colour; y^e belly w^re of is flat, & y^e two sides run up to a ridge, W^re is long^r hair yⁿ on y^e rest of y^e body, & carries some resemblance of hog^'s bristles.  The insect is ab^t an inch long, & ab^t. half an inch broad at y^e belly; & ab^t. as deep from y^e ridge to y^e belly. The year before-last came a neighbo^r to me in great pain & Heart-sick, by being bitten by one of y^m in y^e neck; & would (for ought I know) have died, if suitable remedies both inward & outward, had not been applied. I had observed y^e insect before, & would have sent it to you, if I had known how. Yo^r desire thereof prevailed
 

EARLY LETTERS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA          7

w^th me to make some remarks, in my last, on yo^r Natural History of Brasile; w^e (tho^r I know my unskilfulness) I shall now proceed, as well as I can, a little farth^r in Ch. 2. 87. The Partridge] That w^e is here called a Partridge, we called a Quail in N. Engl^d., w^e seems to be of y^e colo^r spoken of in this place: but we had a Par­tridge in N. Engl^d. speckled w^th white specks (if I forget not) w^e was twice as big as this here in Carolina. 88. The Great Par­tridge] There was, in N. Engl^d. another Fowl y^t resembled y^e Partridge, but larger (yet not so large as this great Partridge is Described) w^e was called an Heath-hen. 93. American Sparrow.] I suppose o^r Red-bird to be a Sparrow; w^e is y^e same w^t y^e Vir­ginia Red-bird; & y^refore I need not describe it. Also wⁿ I was a boy I caught another sort of red Sparrow; but have forgot wherein it differed from other sparrows, except in being Red. They were rare there.  I have some notion y^t. I then reckoned it of y^e same species w^th that a red head: divers whereof had reddish Breasts too: whether it were those y^t. were old^r yⁿ others, I can-not tell. 94. The Black Sparrow] we had in N. Engl^d. a sparrow w^th. a red spot on y^e head; but y^e body was of a greyish brown colo^r. There is also a Sparrow here y^t. is like that of N. England; only y^e spot on y^e head is not so red. I have heard them in N. Engl^d. called Tom Tits. 95. The Blewish Sparrow] We have here a Sparrow y^t is between blew & ash-colo^r, whose bill is white, & his belly & y^e outermost feath^r on each side of his tail. 96-101. Divers Starlings are mentioned, & described. We have here two or three sorts of Back birds w^e flock togeth^r :y^e male of one sort has a scarlet spot on each wing; & y^e female is a dark grey almost black. 103. The Swallow] The male, here, is shineing black on his back, head, & breast; y^e female more muddy, & on y^e breast of a yellowish brown colo^r. 108. The Throstle] That w^e was called, in N. Engl^d., a Robin (but at Dorchest^r in New England, a Field-fare) I have heard a Lancashire man call a Throstle: It comes hither in y° Wint^r, but is not seen here in y^e summ^r. 110.111. We have a Turtle dove here, but wheth^r y^e leggs be red or white or eith^r I can’t now say; but I think y^Y are red. The New England wild Pidgeon, is also a large sort of Turtle, w^th red leggs: they come hith^r sometimes in y^e Wint^r. 114-116. Woodpeck^re] We have three or four sorts; some as large as Teal. Thus I end y^e 2^d Chapt^r of Birds, I cannot now proceed to any oth^rs: only
 

8              SO. CA. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE

Ch. 9. 158. The Dysentterick Vomit] concerning this I w^d enquire, is it not Ipecacuanha y^t. you here intend? If it be, please to let me know wheth^r you have had any of it from hence, & at what it's flow^es & berries may likliest be sought. I put a small plant in y^e Lett^r, w^e in y^e Wint^r had 5 or 6 Leaves together at y^e top: please

to let me know, by y^e next opportunity, what is. Which is all, at present, from

Sir,                                                                         

Yo^r humble servant             

“Joseph Lord.”  5”

[Indorsed]

“Dorchest^r in Carolina.  Mar. 7, 1708/9”

“Rec^d. Aug^t. 19, 1709. p Post.”          

LETTER FROM JOSEPH LORD

"6. "Worthy Sir,

Yo^rs of Mar. 15, 1709/10. I received Jun. 30: wrapped up in a Monthly Mercury for January last, w^th. some oth^r Prints, w^e is y^e first News book or Pap^r I ev^r received, of all y^t ev^r you sent. You write you are glad to understand I received y^e things y^t. you sent last year, & I sh^d have been glad I c^d have given you to understand y^t you were rightly informed; for I much regret y^e loss of y^e box & w^t was in it. But not going to Charlestown myself, I wrote to desire my friend, M^r Samuel Eveleigh, to enquire of him ab^t it; who sent me word y^t. Capt. Belch^r s^d, there was indeed such a Box, but he had delivered it to some body, he c^d not tell who; so I nev^r saw it. I thought (as I had written to you) y^t. he w^d have been more carefull than so. I received, indeed, y^e lea^r y^t gave an account of it, & w^t was enclosed therein: & delivered to M^r. Henchman^'s widow, y^e lett^r directed to him, but what you sent to him being put into my box, she came short as well as I.  I don't know weth^r yo^r directing to me near stony point (from w^e my habitation is 14 or 15 miles distant) mayn^'t be some disadvantage to me. M^r Henchman (as Capt. Belch^r informed you)       died suddenly of an Apoplexy last Novemb^r was twelve month. I have spoken w^th his wife ab^t what he left in writeing, w^e I had looked ov^r while he was alive; & she promises to lend y^m me to take copies of, w^e I think to do, & send to you, when I can find opportunity: but multiplicity of business hind^rs
 

EARLY LETTERS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA      9

much y^t. I w^d of this nature. Before y^e comeing of yo^r form^r by Capt. Belch^r, w^e I rec^d. not till Jun. 16, 1709. tho' it were dated Nov. 30, 1708. I wrote a lett^r to you, wherein I proceeded w^th. my observations (such as they were) on yo^r Natural History of Brasile, as far as y^e end of y^e second chapt^r w^e speaks of Birds: wherein also I informed you, y^t. I sent no bill of a bird, yet I had sent y^e bill of a Garr-fish, w^e, perhaps, you might take for y^e bill of a fowl; w^e I mention here, because yo^rs mentions nothing of that lett^r, w^e makes me suspect it's miscarriage. I have a small Box of Collections ready, & sh^d have had more, but partly y^e inconvenience of doing it w^thout collecting-books, partly my much oth^r necessary business, & partly y^r confusions & distrac­tions of y^e countrey, especially at this time, w^e, tho' I would, I cannot altogeth^r avoid all concern in, have been an hindrance to Inc; & w^th all being at a great distance from Charlestown, I find great difficulty in getting thith^r what I have to send, & many times lose y^e opportunity of y^e Ship, before I can obtain a con­veyance from hence to Charlstown. In that Box I have put such anoth^r bill, besides many oth^r things, w^e I cannot now particularly enumerate. I w^d have sent y^e box now, but I have no oppor­tunity to send it to Charlstown. I w^d. also have proceeded farth^r in my observations upon yo^r Natural History of Brasile, but time & oth^r occasions, will not give leave. With thanks for w^t you have sent, both w^t I have received, & w^t I have not, I take y^e boldness to request you, if you can obtain y^e seed of Sena of Alexandria, y^t you will please to send me a little. I have Italian Sena growing; but whether it be y^t it contains more lixivi­ous salt than y^e oth^r, or y^t y^e Air of y^e countrey is more moist yⁿ of oth^r countrys w^re Oriental Sena is kept or first dried, I cannot, w^th all y^e care I can use, prevent it's turning black in a little time. Here is a sort of bindweed w^e I am apt to conceit may be Scammony; w^e I believe I may formerly have sent you y^e branches of.  If I sh^d. send you that, or any oth^r usefull drugg, if you will please to let me know it, you will much oblige, Sir,

  Yo^r humble Serv^t.

"Joseph Lord."    6

Dorchest^r, in Carolina,

"Aug .9, 1710.
 

SO. CA. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE Vol 22 

Page 50

LETTER FROM JOSEPH LORD

The letter given below should have preceded those appearing in the last number of this Magazine; it was not available when that issue was printed.

Being addressed to James Petiver,[1] it settles the question as to whom the other letters were addressed. Petiver contributed to Philosophical Transactions, May, 1705 (no. 299, vol. 24, p. 1951) ^"An Account of Animals and Shells sent from Carolina to Mr. James Petiver, F. R. S.;^" most of the shells, he states, were received from ^"Madam Williams, a Gentlewoman.^" He also mentions several other people, either Carolinians, or having touch with that Province, such as Major Halstead; Mrs. Danson, daughter of Mr. John Archdale; Mr. Edmund Bohun, and ^"my curious Friend Mr. Job [sic] Lord;" but Madam Williams was the most frequent donor, and mention is made of reptils, lizards and insects lately sent by her. (See the January issue of this Magazine.) 

LETTER FROM  JOSEPH LORD TO JAMES PETIVER.

1705 

[Sloane MSS. 4046, f. 69]

"Worthy Sir,

Altho I have received no line from yo^r self, since you sent y^e first. & sec.^d Decads of yo^r. Gazophylacium' &c. yet there being a vessel bound for London, I send a Box of Collections, most of w^e are of last year. As to y^e Plants, I have, as I use, wrapped papers about y^m; but there are some things w^e have no papers; as a piece of red earth, often found w^re trees have been turned up by y^e roots; two arrow-heads, made by y^e Indians, of a sort of Flint, to make their arrows do more execution; a shell or two w^e I found upon y^e Land; such a case-worm as that of M^r. Bohun,[2] on y^e twig of a Percimmon tree (w^e I have found also upon Oak, Apple, & (I think) Chinquepine trees): & perhaps there may be

LETTER FROM JOSEPH LORD        51

more w^thout Papers w^c I have forgot. My friend M^r. Pinkney,[3] to whom I desired you to direct yo^r letters y^t you sent to me is dead, by w^c means I am at some loss, at present, how to get any thing sent to you, liveing my self at so great a distance from Charlstown, & having little or no acquaintance w^th any Sea fareing men y^t use to go to London. I have but little skill in natural Production, & have very few advantages to increase my skill (Books of that nature not being here to be bought, & Ger­rards[4] Herbal, w^o I had borrowed, & was y^e only considerable help I had to get such skill by being called for by y^e owner) & by that means I am not capable of ranking them und^r their Proper Heads; w^e make me so often desire Information from yo^r self w^t such & such plants be, & of w^t nature (tho', perhaps, sometimes such as are commonly known w^th you) & whether it be such a Plant. There is a book, w^e w^t I have read concerning it makes me greatly to desire, tho' I know not of what bulk it is; & that is Butler of Bees;[5] w^e if you can get for me you will greatly oblige

                                                                Yo^r Serv^t to Command

Joseph Lord.^"

Endorsed at side: "Dorches^tr in Carolina

"Rec". July 30, 1705." Ap^r. 10, 1705"

^"I set [sic] a letter & a box of collections last year, ab^t ye end of April or beginning of May.^"

Addressed  "To

M^r. James Petiver, Apothecary to y^e Chartreux, & fellow of y^e Royal Society, in Alders-gate-Street, London,

Deliver &c.^"

[a postmark ^"IV/30^"].