the quaker colonies-第24部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


was　held　at　night；　and　the　Indians　in　canoes；　the　white　men　in　boats；　passed　down　Cooper's　Creek　and　along　the　river　to　Newton　Creek　where　the　graveyard　was；　lighting　the　darkness　with　innumerable　torches；　a　strange　scene　to　think　of　now　as　having　been　once　enacted　in　front　of　the　bustling　cities　of　Camden　and　Philadelphia。　Some　of　the　young　settlers　took　Indian　wives；　and　that　strain　of　native　blood　is　said　to　show　itself　in　the　features　of　several　families　to　this　day。

Many　letters　of　these　settlers　have　been　preserved；　all　expressing　the　greatest　enthusiasm　for　the　new　country；　for　the　splendid　river　better　than　the　Thames；　the　good　climate；　and　their　improved　health；　the　immense　relief　to　be　away　from　the　constant　dread　of　fines　and　punishment；　the　chance　to　rise　in　the　world；　with　large　rewards　for　industry。　They　note　the　immense　quantities　of　game；　the　Indians　bringing　in　fat　bucks　every　day；　the　venison　better　than　in　England；　the　streams　full　of　fish；　the　abundance　of　wild　fruits；　cranberries；　hurtleberries；　the　rapid　increase　of　cattle；　and　the　good　soil。　A　few　details　concerning　some　of　the　interesting　characters　among　these　early　colonial　Quakers　have　been　rescued　from　oblivion。　There　is；　for　instance；　the　pleasing　picture　of　a　young　man　and　his　sister；　convinced　Quakers；　coming　out　together　and　pioneering　in　their　log　cabin　until　each　found　a　partner　for　life。　There　was　John　Haddon；　from　whom　Haddonfield　is　named；　who　bought　a　large　tract　of　land　but　remained　in　England；　while　his　daughter　Elizabeth　came　out　alone　to　look　after　it。　A　strong；　decisive　character　she　was；　and　women　of　that　sort　have　always　been　encouraged　in　independent　action　by　the　Quakers。　She　proved　to　be　an　excellent　manager　of　an　estate。　The　romance　of　her　marriage　to　a　young　Quaker　preacher；　Estaugh；　has　been　celebrated　in　Mrs。　Maria　Child's　novel　〃The　Youthful　Emigrant。〃　The　pair　became　leading　citizens　devoted　to　good　works　and　to　Quaker　liberalism　for　many　a　year　in　Haddonfield。

It　was　the　ship　Shields　of　Hull；　bringing　Quaker　immigrants　to　Burlington；　of　which　the　story　is　told　that　in　beating　up　the　river　she　tacked　close　to　the　rather　high　bank　with　deep　water　frontage　where　Philadelphia　was　afterwards　established；　and　some　of　the　passengers　remarked　that　it　was　a　fine　site　for　a　town。　The　Shields；　it　is　said；　was　the　first　ship　to　sail　up　as　far　as　Burlington。　Anchoring　before　Burlington　in　the　evening；　the　colonists　woke　up　next　morning　to　find　the　river　frozen　hard　so　that　they　walked　on　the　ice　to　their　future　habitations。

Burlington　was　made　the　capital　of　West　Jersey；　a　legislature　was　convened　and　laws　were　passed　under　the　〃concessions〃　or　constitution　of　the　proprietors。　Salem　and　Burlington　became　the　ports　of　the　little　province；　which　was　well　under　way　by　1682；　when　Penn　came　out　to　take　possession　of　Pennsylvania。

The　West　Jersey　people　of　these　two　settlements　spread　eastward　into　the　interior　but　were　stopped　by　a　great　forest　area　known　as　the　Pines；　or　Pine　Barrens；　of　such　heavy　growth　that　even　the　Indians　lived　on　its　outer　edges　and　entered　it　only　for　hunting。　It　was　an　irregularly　shaped　tract；　full　of　wolves；　bear；　beaver；　deer；　and　other　game；　and　until　recent　years　has　continued　to　attract　sportsmen　from　all　parts　of　the　country。　Starting　near　Delaware　Bay；　it　extended　parallel　with　the　ocean　as　far　north　as　the　lower　portion　of　the　present　Monmouth　County　and　formed　a　region　about　seventy…five　miles　long　and　thirty　miles　wide。　It　was　roughly　the　part　of　the　old　sandy　shoal　that　first　emerged　from　the　ocean；　and　it　has　been　longer　above　water　than　any　other　part　of　southern　Jersey。　The　old　name；　Pine　Barrens；　is　hardly　correct　because　it　implies　something　like　a　desert；　when　as　a　matter　of　fact　the　region　produced　magnificent　forest　trees。

The　innumerable　visitors　who　cross　southern　Jersey　to　the　famous　seashore　resorts　always　pass　through　the　remains　of　this　old　central　forest　and　are　likely　to　conclude　that　the　monotonous　low　scrub　oaks　and　stunted　pines　on　sandy　level　soil；　seen　for　the　last　two　or　three　generations；　were　always　there　and　that　the　primeval　forest　of　colonial　times　was　no　better。　But　that　is　a　mistake。　The　stunted　growth　now　seen　is　not　even　second　growth　but　in　many　cases　fourth　or　fifth　or　more。　The　whole　region　was　cut　over　long　ago。　The　original　growth；　pine　in　many　places；　consisted　also　of　lofty　timber　of　oak；　hickory；　gum；　ash；　chestnut；　and　numerous　other　trees；　interspersed　with　dogwood；　sassafras；　and　holly；　and　in　the　swamps　the　beautiful　magnolia；　along　with　the　valuable　white　cedar。　DeVries；　who　visited　the　Jersey　coast　about　1632；　at　what　is　supposed　to　have　been　Beesley's　or　Somer's　Point；　describes　high　woods　coming　down　to　the　shore。　Even　today；　immediately　back　of　Somer's　Point；　there　is　a　magnificent　lofty　oak　forest　accidentally　preserved　by　surrounding　marsh　from　the　destructive　forest　fires；　and　there　are　similar　groves　along　the　road　towards　Pleasantville。　In　fact；　the　finest　forest　trees　flourish　in　that　region　wherever　given　a　good　chance。　Even　some　of　the　beaches　of　Cape　May　had　valuable　oak　and　luxuriant　growths　of　red　cedar；　and　until　a　few　years　ago　there　were　fine　trees；　especially　hollies；　surviving　on　Wildwood　Beach。

The　Jersey　white　cedar　swamps　were；　and　still　are；　places　of　fascinating　interest　to　the　naturalist　and　the　botanist。　The　hunter　or　explorer　found　them　scattered　almost　everywhere　in　the　old　forest　and　near　its　edges；　varying　in　size　from　a　few　square　yards　up　to　hundreds　of　acres。　They　were　formed　by　little　streams　easily　checked　in　their　flow　through　the　level　land　by　decaying　vegetation　or　dammed　by　beavers。　They　kept　the　water　within　the　country；　preventing　all　effects　of　droughts；　stimulating　the　growth　of　vegetation　which　by　its　decay；　throughout　the　centuries；　was　steadily　adding　vegetable　mold　or　humus　to　the　sandy　soil。　This　process　of　building　up　a　richer　soil　has　now　been　largely　stopped　by　lumbering；　drainage；　and　fires。

While　there　are　many　of　these　swamps　left；　the　appearance　of　numbers　of　them　has　largely　changed。　When　the　white　men　first　came；　the　great　cedars　three　or　four　feet　in　diameter　which　had　fallen　centuries　before　often　lay　among　the　living　trees；　some　of　them　buried　deep　in　the　mud　and　preserved　from　decay。　They　were　invaluable　timber；　and　digging　them　out　and　cutting　them　up　became　an　important　industry　for　over　a　hundred　years。　In　addition　to　being　used　for　boat　building；　they　made　excellent　shingles　which　would　last　a　lifetime。　The　swamps；　indeed；　became　known　as　shingle　mines；　and　it　was　a　good　description　of　them。　An　important　trade　was　developed　in　hogshead　staves；　hoops；　shingles；　boards；　and　planks；　much　of　which　went　into　the　West　Indian　trade　to　be　exchanged　for　rum；　sugar；　molasses；　and　negroes。*　

*　Between　the　years　1740　and　'50；　the　Cedar　Swamps　of　the　county　＇Cape　May＇　were　mostly　located；　and　the　amount　of　lumber　since　taken　from　them　is　incalculable；　not　only　as　an　article　of　trade；　but　to　supply　the　home　demand　for　fencing　and　building　material　in　the　county。　Large　portions　of　these　swamps　have　been　worked　a　second　and　some　a　third　time；　since　located。　At　the　present　time　＇1857＇　there　i