■'■'"■V" ^-^s^"^ •* 
 
 
 
 
 ^•^ -^^ 
 
OLD MILL, IN WARWICKSHIRE. ENGLAND. 
 
THE 
 
 ; 
 
 TOUCHING THE 
 
 OLD ^TONE MILL, 
 
 IN THE TOWN OF 
 
 NEWPORT, 
 
 RHODE - ISLAND. 
 
 WITB: remarks. mTRODUCTORY AKTD COIvrCLUSIYR 
 
 NEWPORT : •^^^Washi'^'^^^ 
 CHARLES E. HAMMETT, JR. 
 MDCCCLI. 
 
PRINTER 
 
 KEWPORT, R. L 
 
 f %^ 
 
PART I ; 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 It is well known to the travelling public, and, through 
 them, to many others, that there stands, on a beautiful 
 and breezy hill, in the ancient and historical town of 
 Newport, at the southern end of Rhode Island, a sin- 
 gular stone structure, which has, from an immemorial 
 period, defied alike the tooth of time and the wits of 
 antiquarians. It is variously called the Round Tower, 
 the Newport Ruin and the Old Stone Mill. Some years 
 ago it had become celebrated as the central object of 
 certain scenes in Cooper's Red Rover, and, within a 
 few years^ the popularity of Newport, as a summer re* 
 sort, has made it almost the first question put to any 
 one who goes from here to other parts of the country, 
 '' What do you make of that old stone mill?" 
 
 Concerning the origin and object of this unique 
 structure, there are, at home and abroad, divers con- 
 jectures. Probably ninety-nine hundredths (we had 
 almost said nine hundred and ninety-nine thousandths) 
 of the Newport people are satisfied that it is " nothing 
 but an old stone mill," though, perhaps, we ought to 
 say that some think it may have been originally intended 
 for a look-out, or a retreat and fortress, or perhaps for 
 a mill, fort and watch-tower, all together. But while 
 the inhabitants regard it as the substructure of a grist- 
 mill, the society of Danish antiquarians at Copenhagen 
 have published a learned dissertation to show that it 
 was probably the superstructure of a baptistery,, con- 
 nected with a Church which, it would seem, was to have 
 
4 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 been erected on the spot, or went to ruin, after it was 
 erected, by the Northmen, who are believed to have 
 visited Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 10th 
 century. This, of course, is regarded by the Newport- 
 ers as a Quixotic tilt at their old wind-mill, and one 
 of them is disposed to hum to himself something 
 in the style of a venerable Lilliputian Quarto, familiar 
 to our infancy : — 
 
 There was an Old Mill, that stood on a liill, 1 
 And while it stands there, it stands there still. 
 That's the Old iMill of which they tell lies^ 
 Jump into briars and scratch out then' eyes, 
 And then go home and tliiuk they're wondi-ous wisa 
 
 However, it will have to be admitted, v,e think, that 
 there has been a little too much confidence, in many 
 quarters, as to the age, authorship and design of this 
 strange relic ; that (to borrow a word from Bailey's 
 Festus) this instoned mystery will not soon, if ever, be 
 solved ; that this is one of the hardest nuts, that Father 
 Time ever gave his antiq^uarian children to crack. 
 If the old curiosity was here when the first settlers 
 came in 1638, it seems almost unaccountable that they 
 should not have left several allusions to it, some one of 
 which, indirectly, should have escaped the destruction 
 of records : and, on the other hand, if they or their 
 children built it, as there is no evidence that it was 
 according to a then common style of building, it would 
 seem strange, again, that it passed without notice. It 
 is contended, however, by many Newport people, (how 
 plausibly, the pages of this pamphlet must show,) that 
 we have an implied account of its origin and object 
 when we take, in connexion with trustworthy tradition, 
 the words of an extant ancient document, tlie will of 
 the first Charter Governor of the Colony. 
 
 We propose, then, under these covers, partly for the 
 sake of gratifying present curiosity, and partly as a con- 
 tribution towards that so desirable work, the history of the 
 quaint and memorable town of Newport, — to publish to- 
 g3ther all the letters, newspaper articles and recorded doc- 
 U-'uents we can find, which have been elicited by the Old 
 
II^TRODUCTIOK. 5 
 
 Stone Mill controversy, with such oral traditions and 
 reminiscences as may seem worth preserving in print. 
 
 It may be well, before presenting these papers, to 
 give a short summary, what the French might call an 
 avant-rcsume, of the history of the controversy res- 
 pecting the Newport Ruin (or, more properly, relic, for 
 the stone work is probably as sound iis ever.) 
 
 Some time in the year 1847 a communication, from 
 some stranger, appeared in the Newport Blercury, ask- 
 ing information about the origin, age and design of the 
 so called Old Stone 31111. It was answered by some 
 one in the Providence Journal, over the signature of 
 "Antiquarian, Brown University," who, in a very ela- 
 borate article, with the utmost gravity, proceeded to 
 impose upon the innocent inquirer an alleged histori- 
 cal statement, which we shall call the 3Iill Hoax ; for 
 it is, as a historical humbug, paralleled only by the 
 celebrated Moon Hoax, which our readers will remem- 
 ber to have heard of, some years ago, by a (really) 
 able mathematician in Nev\^ York. He gravely an- 
 nounced, accompanying the statement with a long array 
 of mathematical calculations, to show th-e a priori prob- 
 ability of the fact, that Sir John Herschel had, at the 
 Cape of Good Hope, by the aid of the latest improve- 
 ments in the telescope, ascertained that any object 
 which should cover an area of not less than a sq^inre 
 mile m the moon could be now seen from the earth. 
 With equal coolness our wag announced that, no longer 
 ago than 1832, one Professor Scrobein, and other emi- 
 nent men {of our own town,) dug round and under the 
 old mill and satislied themselves and the Copenhagen 
 Antiquarian Society that it was really a Scandinavian 
 relic. ¥/e need not here anticipate any farther the 
 reader of the correspondence itself, which grew out of 
 this audacious waggery. One would have thought the 
 very name of Scrobein (a sort of dog-German for a 
 scratcher into the ground) would have thrown suspicion 
 on the thing, but the name of Professor Graetz, con- 
 nected with it, saved appearances very ingeniously. — 
 We would mention here, that we ourselves^ before tha'^ 
 
(f IKTEODirCTION. 
 
 publication, remember to have heard something about 
 excavations having been made round the Old Mill,* and 
 its having been ascertained that the pillars, after enter- 
 ing the ground, converged, till the building stood, bow- 
 legged, as it were, on a broad flat stone; and we recollect 
 its being remarked that this was the strongest way of 
 building a foundation. And we recollect thinking, too, 
 that, perhaps, this flat stone might have served as the 
 bottom of the baptizing font. Now either we dreamed 
 this, or else the great historical hoax was already 
 brewing in the atmosphere. 
 
 It will be seen that Professor Rafn, in his reply to 
 Mr. Melville's letter, speaks very cautiously about the 
 Old Mill^ and says one ought to be on the spot to judge 
 with any confidence as to what may be inferred from 
 architectural appearances ; and he well might say this,, 
 for in the drawing of the Mill which was sent to him, 
 all the rough corners were carefully smoothed over, 
 and the hip joints, so to speak, disappeared,, and the 
 old elephant legs were dressed in nicely ironed pan- 
 taloons. A similar misrepresentation may be seen in the 
 Penny Magazint for February 1844. 
 
 These mistakes were acknowledged in Dr, Webb's 
 second communication to Prof. Rafn ; but there was 
 a still greater misrepresentation left unacknowledged, 
 namely, the statement that the stones in the ancient 
 structure were " laid in regular courses." 
 
 We cannot more appropriately close this introduction, 
 and draw the curtain, as it were, over the Prologue of 
 our book, than by quoting Mr. Longfellow's Poem. 
 
 The Skeleton in •Mrnionr. 
 
 [The folio-wing luillad was suggested to me while ricling on tho 
 sea-shore at Newjiort. A yeai' or two pi-evious a skeleton had been 
 dug up at Fall River, c\i\d in broken and coiToded armor ; jmd tlie 
 idea oociuTed to me of connecting it with the Rovmd Tower at New^ 
 I)ort, generally kno^\^l hitbeito jis the Old Windmill, though now 
 claimed bv the Danes as a work of tbeii" eai-ly ancestors. 
 
 * hi fact there must have been some digging, else how could Dr, 
 Webb know that the pillars are siuik fcnir feet in the grouud ( 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 T will not enter iiito a disctission of tlie point It is sufficiently 
 TV ell established for the pm-pose of a ballad ; though doubtless nu^ny 
 nu honest citizen of JSTewport, who has passed his days within eight 
 of the Round Tower, will be ready to exclaim with Sancho, — " God 
 bless mc ! did I not warn you to have a care of v/hat you were 
 doing, for that it was nothing but a windmiU; and nobody could 
 xaiBtiike it, but one who had the like in his head."] — Atcthor'$ NotCv 
 
 " Speak ! speali ! thou feai-fiil guest ! 
 Who, with thy hollow breast 
 Still in rude ai'mor drest, 
 
 Coniest to daunt me \ 
 Wrapt not in Eastern balnrw, 
 But with thy fieshless palms 
 Stretched, as if asking alms," 
 
 Why dost thou haunt me ! " 
 
 Then, from those cavernous eyes 
 Pale flashes seemed to rise, 
 As when tlie Northern skies 
 
 Gleam in December ; 
 And, like the water's flow 
 Under December's snow, 
 Came a dull voice of woe 
 
 From the heart's chamber. 
 
 " I was a Viking old I 
 My deeds, though manifold, 
 No Skald in song has told, 
 No Saga taught thee ! 
 Take heed, that in thy verse 
 Thou dodt the tale rehearse, 
 Else di'ead a dead man's curse ! 
 For this I sought thee. 
 
 " Far in the Northern Land, 
 By the wild Baltic's strand, 
 I, with my childish hand, 
 
 Tamed the ger-falcon ; 
 And, witli my skates fast boiind, 
 Skimmeii the half-frozen Soua^I, 
 Tliat the poor whimpering houu ! 
 
 Trembled to walk on, 
 
 " Oft to his frozen lair 
 Tracked I the grisly bear, 
 While from my path the hare 
 
 Fled Itko a shadow ; 
 Oft through the forest dark 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 Followed the Were-wolf's bark, 
 Until the soaring lark 
 Saug fi-om the meadow. 
 
 " But when I older grew, 
 Joining a corsair's crew, 
 O'er the dark sea I flew 
 
 With the marauders. 
 Wild was the Ufe we led ; 
 Many the souls that sped, 
 Many the hearts that bled, 
 
 By oui- stem orders. 
 
 " Many a Wassail-bout 
 Wore the long winter out ; 
 Often our midnight shout 
 
 Set the cocks crowing, 
 As we the Berserk's tale 
 Measured in cups of ale, 
 Draining the oaken pai!. 
 
 Filled to o'erflowing. 
 
 " Once as I told in glee 
 Tales of the stormy sea, 
 Soft eyes did gaze on me, 
 
 Burning yet tender ; 
 And as the white stars shine 
 On the dark Norway pine, 
 On that dark heart of mine 
 
 Fell their soft splendor. 
 
 ''■ I wooed the blue-eyed maid, 
 Yielding, yet half afraid. 
 And in the forest's shade 
 
 Om- vows were plighted. 
 Under its loosened vest 
 Fluttered her little breast, 
 Like birds within then- nest 
 By the hawk frighted. 
 
 ■' Bright in her father's hall 
 Shields gleamed upon the wall. 
 Loud sang the minstrels all, 
 
 Chanting his gloiy ; 
 When of old Hildebraud 
 I a^ked his daughter's hand. 
 Mute did the minstrels stand 
 
 To hear my story. 
 
INTRODUCTIO:;. 
 
 " Wliile the brown file lie quaffed. 
 Loud then the chamj^ic'n laughed. 
 And as the wind-gusts vs'aft 
 The sea foam brightly, 
 So the loud laugh of scorn 
 Out of those Hps unshorn, 
 From the deep di-inldug-horn 
 Blew the foam lightly. 
 
 " She was a piince's chUd, 
 
 I but a Viking wUd, 
 
 And though she blushed and smile; 
 
 I was discai'ded ! 
 Should not the dove so white 
 Follow the sea-mew's flight, 
 Why did they leave that night 
 
 Her nest unguarded ? 
 
 " Scarce had I put to sea, 
 Beaiing the maid with me, — 
 Fairest of all was she 
 
 Among the Norsemen ! — 
 When on the white sea-strand, 
 Waving his armed hand, 
 Saw we old Hildebrand, 
 With twenty horsemen 
 
 " Then launched they to the blast. 
 Bent like a reed each mast, 
 "i et we were gaining fast. 
 
 When the wind failed us ; ^ 
 And with a sudden flaw 
 Came romid the gusty Skaw, 
 So that om- foe we saw 
 
 Laugh as he hailed us. 
 
 " And as to catch the gale 
 Round veered the flapping sail, 
 Death ! was the helmsman's hail, 
 
 Death without quarter ! 
 Mid-ships, with ii'on keel, 
 Struck we her ribs of steel ; 
 Down her black hulk did reel 
 
 Thi-ough the black water ! 
 
 " As, ■^s'ith his wings aslant, 
 Sails the fierce coriftorant, 
 Seeking some rocky haunt, 
 With his prey laden, 
 
10 INTRODUCTIOMo 
 
 So towai'd the open main, 
 Beating to sea again 
 Thrtiugh the Avild hun-icane, 
 Bore I the maiden. 
 
 * Tliree "weeks we westward bora, 
 And, when the storm was o'er, 
 Cioud-iike we saw the shore 
 
 Stretching to leevrard ; 
 There for my lady's bower 
 Built I the lofty tower, 
 Which, to this very hour, 
 
 ►Stands looking eeawai-d. 
 
 ** There lived we many years ; 
 Time di-ied the maiden's teai's ; 
 She liad forgot her fears, 
 
 She was a mother ; 
 Death closed her mild blue eyes; 
 Under that tower she hee ; 
 Ne'er shall the sun arise 
 
 On such another ! 
 
 " Still grew my bosom then, 
 Still as a stagnant fen 1 
 Hateful to me were men, 
 
 ITie sun-light hateful ! 
 In tlie vast forest here, 
 Clad in my wai'like geai*, 
 Fell I upon my ejjear, — 
 
 O, death was grateful ! 
 
 " Thus, seamed with many scais, 
 Bursting these piison-bars, 
 Up to its native stars 
 
 Islj soul ascended ! 
 There from the flowing bowl 
 Deep di-inks the wanior's soul, 
 Skoal to the Northland ! skoal,''' 
 
 — Thus the tale ended 
 
 — -f-^C^'l^^ — 
 
PART 11: 
 
 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 Brown University, > 
 Providence, March 27th, 1847. } 
 
 My attention was, a short time since, attracted to an 
 article in one of the journals of your town, over the 
 signature of " Visitor," asking for information, or facts 
 in history, relative to the old ruin in Newport, com- 
 monly known as the Old 3IilI. I have been patiently 
 awaiting some answer to that communication, not 
 doubting that it would call forth a response from 
 some of the literati, whose names, familiar to all, are so 
 closely interwoven with the history of the ancient town. 
 The subject, which has been many times revived, and 
 as often allowed to relapse into neglect and unconcern, 
 is one which is deeply fraught with interest to the 
 antiquarian, and historian also; the contemplation of 
 which, in a true spirit of inquiry, for reminiscences of 
 ancient days, would lead, no doubt, to the development 
 of historical facts, which, in this western hemisphere, 
 are entirely unknown. This important work should be 
 entered into at once, by men of our own State, of high- 
 ly scientific attainments, and historical information. 
 The longer it is allowed to slumber, the deeper and 
 darker is the veil of obscurity which enshrouds it. 
 Each progressing year but adds fresh obstacles to the 
 satisfactory solution of historical questions, which have 
 arisen only to harass and agitate the most learned anti- 
 quarians of modern times. The history or tradition of 
 the Old Mill itself is so conclusive to my own mind 
 
 3— 
 
12 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 (having spent many hours in anxious research upcn the 
 very subject,) that so far as it, of itself, is involved, it 
 needs hardly elucidation ; but connected with other 
 interesting relics of former ages, which abound in the 
 Eastern States, and along the borders of the St. Law- 
 rence, volumes of facts, in relation to the first settlement 
 of this country, ages prior to its pretended discovery 
 by Columbus, are yet, I believe, to be rescued from 
 oblivion, and become matter of history ; but in no way 
 except by deep research, and most patient exploration. 
 The ancient ruins along the borders of the St. Law- 
 rence, of temples, similar in construction to the Old 
 Tower at Newport ; the triangular rocks near Mt. 
 Kalatda, in Maine, (supposed by some geologists to 
 be natural formations;) the immense mounds which 
 lie in direct line from the northern to the southern 
 boundary of Massachusetts ; the hieroglyphic inscrip- 
 tions on the Dighton rock ; the carved figures on the 
 rocks of our own State, in its length and breadth, — tend 
 to show, most conclusively, that a race of beings, 
 somewhat skilled in the Arts, once existed on this 
 continent, holding communication with each other for 
 hundreds of miles, and this even before the erection of 
 what now stands as the Newport ruin ; for according 
 to the report of a Committee, read before the Royal 
 Society of Antiquarians, at Copenhagen, 1836, it is con- 
 •clusively established, that the race of men who built the 
 tower at Newport, were the offspring of emigrants from 
 the St. Lawrence, prior to the years 1070 — 1075; and 
 the inscription at Dighton had even at that time been 
 handed down as unexplained matter of history. 
 
 Professor Rafn, of Copenhagen, and Graetz, of Got- 
 tenburg, have devoted more time and labor toward the 
 elucidation of this mystery, than all the antiquarians of 
 Europe or America. The report made by them, as a 
 Committee, before the Royal College at Copenhagen, is 
 in part (in copy) possessed by a gentleman at New 
 
 Haven, who some time since favored Professor , 
 
 of Brown University, and myself, with a perusal, for the 
 purpose of aiding us in furnishing material for a report. 
 
TfH£ CONTROVERSY, 
 
 1^ 
 
 vnade before the Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, 
 in 1841, which was, in part, published in the papers of 
 the day. For the information of " Visitor," I will sum 
 up the report, as briefly as possible. 
 
 Upon the demise of Bishop Oelrischer, President of 
 the Royal Society at Copenhagen, in 1830, 1400 reichs- 
 thalers, (about $1000,) fell to the Society by his bequest, 
 for the purpose of prosecuting inquiries in relation to 
 the Northmen, who, it w^as know^n , occupied the terri- 
 tory aforesaid, prior to 1060. By the unanimous vote 
 of the College, this important mission w^as confided to 
 Professor Scrobein, at that time of the geological depart- 
 ment. In the early part of 1832, he left his native 
 country for the prosecution of this work ; arriving at 
 London, where the object was fully made known and 
 entered into by the Society of that metropolis, he be- 
 came possessed of highly important information, gathered 
 from the records of the British Museum, tending to 
 throw much light upon the subject. 
 
 Leaving England, he arrived at lif^lifax iii May, 
 whence he proceeded to Boston, gathering infor- 
 mation and making surveys during his progress. In 
 August he visited Newport, and having secured the co- 
 operation of a number of scientific gentlemen of N., 
 with several officers of the army, at that time stationed 
 there, he then proceeded to examine and excavate 
 around the Old Tower. The results of his labors are 
 fully detailed in the report before alluded to, but its 
 extreme length will prevent me from confining myself 
 to its words. 
 
 In connection with information adduced from othei 
 sources, he says, in substance, that the old ruin was an 
 appendage to a temple, and used for religious offices, as 
 a baptistery or baptismal font, as was the custom with 
 the people in the mother country, numerous evidences 
 of which still exist, in similar structures in Norway. — 
 It appears to have been erected by the Northmen, in 
 the 11th century, during a sojourn of Bishop Eric in 
 Vinland, as the island was called, from the excellence 
 of its wine and abundance of its grapes. The exQava- 
 
14 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 tioii around the towTr at the time alluded to, confirmed 
 the opinions previously entertained. Under the centre 
 of the ruin was clearly shown tlie foundation of the re- 
 ceptimum, or place where the candidates stood while 
 receiving the baptismal shower, which ^vas let down 
 from a large reservoir above, into which it was collected 
 by a concave roof, formed of boughs, over-laid with 
 mats of \ines and leaves. In close proximity to this 
 was a second foundation — that of the palestrium, or 
 altar of the officiating priest. The aqueducts leading 
 from these were clearly defined, although the greater 
 part had been previously removed by the former pro- 
 prietor of the soil on which it stands. The temple to 
 which this baptistery was contingent, it is supposed was 
 either abandoned after the foundation was erected, or 
 being built of perishable materials, its superstructure 
 must have fallen into decay in the interval which elapsed; 
 from the evacuation of the island by^ the Northmen, in' 
 the 14th century^ and its occupation by the confederates 
 of Roger Williams. The foundation, which was of 
 extreme length, extended across what is now Mill Street,, 
 at a point east of wlxere a church was erected* in 1723V 
 at which tinire, as appears by the records of the churchy 
 it was displaced, and the material used in erecting the 
 foundation of the church. 
 
 That there was a large settlement in the immediate 
 vicinity of this important rmn, most satisfactory evi- 
 dence exists. Ancient coins have been exhumed, some 
 of the date of Henry II, 1160, which would lead us U> 
 believe that some kind of commercial intercourse ex- 
 isted in those days. The island in this part was much 
 narrower than at present, the sea ebbing and flowing in- 
 close proximity to the ten>ple ; marine shells and aque- 
 ous fomiations having been dug up where it is now 
 thickly inhabited and settled. 
 
 There are many other points of interest in the report, 
 which I pass for the present ; but it is sincerely hoped 
 that the subject being revived, the investigation will be 
 renewed, and the work prosecuted with vigor and ability. 
 Let a society be formed, and with the important testi- 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 15 
 
 many wliich the labors of others has adduced, they 
 might, by new excavations around the ruins, and in the 
 vicinity, do much to rescue from oblivion records of a 
 race of remarkable men, who are shown to us only by 
 faint glimpses of tradition, almost unsupported by his- 
 torical coincidents. 
 
 [The following was in answer to a private letter, re- 
 ceived by "Antiquarian," from Mr. Melville : ] 
 
 Brow^n University, ^ 
 Providence, May 16, 1847'. j 
 
 When a few diys since I addressed you upon the 
 subject of the old ruin at Nevv^part, I did not intend or 
 expect to trespass again upon your pitience. My sole 
 object in reviewing at that time a few facts connected 
 with that mysterious structure, was to revive, if possi- 
 ble, an interest and exertion which, from the queries of 
 *' Visitor," I was led to believe, if revived, would secure 
 the co-operation of some of the talented citizens of 
 Newport, in tracing and elucidating other important 
 facts connected with the history of our own section 
 during a period of centuries, indeed of ages, which has 
 as yet received slight notice from the historians of our 
 own land. And from the disjointed fragments at which 
 we catch an occasional glimpse, we are indebted to An- 
 tiquarians of remote nations. This should not be. — 
 We have ample material and talent to prosecute, with 
 vigor, these important and interesting inquiries, and no 
 section of our country, of which we have any knowl- 
 edge, affords so extensive a field for antiquarian labor, 
 as the island of Rhode Island and its immediate eastern 
 vicinity, with portions of the adjacent States of Massa- 
 chusetts and Maine, to the eastern borders of the St. 
 Lawrence. The communications which have been ad- 
 dressed to me by several eminent citizens of Newport, 
 render it obligatory upon me to respond to them, and 
 in no way can I so well or easily effect this (without 
 multiplying MSS., which the pressure of my profes- 
 sional duties forbids) as throuo-h the columns of some 
 4-^ 
 
16 THE CONTKOVEKSr. 
 
 journal in their vicinity. As you received with sc 
 much favor my previous communication, I trust you» 
 will pardon a second intrusion. 
 
 An elaborate article addressed to me, over the sig- 
 nature of the " oldest inhabitant"" of Newport, merits^ 
 especial attention, not so much from its concise history 
 of the " old stone mill," from the time of Governor 
 Arnold, as its absurd and frivolous objections to th'e 
 learned report of Professors Rafn and Graetz before 
 the Royal Society of Copenhagen, extracts from which' 
 appeared in my former communication. This tedious 
 document I would willingly submit, but its extreme 
 length forbids it ; and as it refers to no period prior to 
 the 17th century, it will shed no light upon the su"bject 
 of our pursuit. The facts which are contained in it 
 have long been possessed by the Historical Society of 
 this State, collected with much care and labor by its 
 late Secretary,* a worthy and intelligent citizen of 
 Newport. That the old tower was basely desecrated" 
 by Gov. Arnold for ihe purpose of a corn-mill, we are 
 well aware, — but I believe that the "oldest inhabitant 
 who has resided 40 years in close proximity to said 
 ruin," is the first to assert that it was erected by Gov. 
 Arnold. As well might it be assumed that he was also* 
 the architect of the numerous structures,, on the bor- 
 ders of the Sualcusluo, (a branch of the St. Lawrence,) 
 of those at Striumfiord in Iceland, or those more re- 
 mote still in Nimmin, in; Norway, all of wiiich, froin 
 their similarity of design, claim an architectural affinity 
 with the Newport ruin. These, so mysterious to the 
 Western world, are, even in these late day^, familiar to 
 the inhabitants of the North of Europe. Erected in 
 the perepteral order, they stand as monuments of a race 
 of men, which, for centuries before the birth of Arnold,- 
 had entirely disappeared from the American continent. 
 The excavations of Professor Scrobein are not rec- 
 ollected by our " oldest inhabitant," neither does he 
 believe that any such were made; this is an absurd 
 
 ■^The late Stephen Grould, Esq. 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 17 
 
 position, and clearly shows his dependence upon his own 
 memory, rather than the exposition set forth by the 
 learned Society of Copenhagen. On this point we need 
 seek for no testimDny which does not already exist. A 
 communication received from an eminent citizen of 
 Newport, of less years than my ancient friend, places the 
 question in the clearest light, wherein he says that " he 
 was present at the time alluded to, with Lieut. Barber of 
 the Army, (Birbarin no doubt,) and enjoyed also the 
 personal acquaintance and regard of Professor S. ; but 
 I beg leave to refer to the details of the report which 
 before were omitted from their length, — which states 
 ** that after tedious delay in procuring the necessary 
 implements for a minute examination, and after exposing 
 the base of the columns upon which the superstructure 
 rests, the pedestrium was clearly defiued, consisting of 
 a large flat rock or tableaux of hexidemital form, and 
 immense bulk, supported from below by inverted obe- 
 lisks of graaf stone, varying in length from 12 feet to 
 14 feet 6 inches;" further it states, that "as a more 
 extended excavation was forbidden, from fear of loosen- 
 ing the bed of the ruin, the system of probing (the 
 last resort of geologists) was decided upon, for the pur- 
 pose of detailing the exact proportions of the staminas 
 of the pedestrium — which was effected by piercing the 
 ground at their sides with long iron rods of peculiar 
 formation, made expressly for this purpose. The foun- 
 dation of the pedestrium and receptimum consisted of 
 single staminae without the pedestrium, of less propor- 
 tions than those of the main structure." This mode of 
 supporting perepteral architecture, was known and prac- 
 ticed only by the nations of the North, in their earliest 
 history, for the reason that the mortar or coagmentum, 
 which so firm'y united the superstructure, was powerless 
 and useless when exposed to the genial warmth and 
 moisture of the earth. This, I trust, has disposed of, 
 at greater length than I intended, the principal objection 
 urged by the "oldest inhabitant;" its truth can be 
 reiiily corroborated by the sams process which elicited 
 the facts. 
 
IS THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 With the recommendation of the " oldest inhabitant,'^ _ 
 I cordially concur, that a convention to consist of the 
 literary men of the State be assembled at Newport, at 
 which time should be submitted the report before alluded 
 to, with information obtained from other sources, — and 
 this question disposed of, in such a manner as Would 
 put at rest all further cavilling and disputation. June, 
 the period named, would be much too early ; let Octo- 
 ber next be fixed upon for the purpose, by which time, 
 much valuable information may be derived from Mr. 
 Bancroft, our Minister at St. James, who has recently 
 been admitted to membership in the Royal Society of 
 Antiquarians, at London, for the very purpose of prose- 
 cuting a work long since commenced by him, tending 
 to elucidate, in chronological succession, the history of 
 the Northmen, in New England, from the time of the 
 first discovery of the American Coast by Bierne Hieru- 
 flison, A. D., 931, to the occupation of Newfoundland 
 by Ratfd Thoralduson in 1347, which is intended as a 
 supplement to his great national work now publishing. 
 H'lving ready access to the treasures of that Royal Col- 
 lege, (a privilege hitherto denied American citizens) we 
 have every reason to believe that such information may 
 be gathered by him, as will clearly dispose of many er- 
 roneous impressions v/hich exist in regard to the section 
 and period before named. 
 
 The lack of any traces of human bodies, to v/hich 
 '* Creda," in his letter to me, refers, is readily explained 
 by referring to Vol. III. of Antiquitates Americanae, in 
 the library of this Institution, and also, I believe, in the 
 Redwood Library, of Newport, which was published 
 some years since, by the Royal Society of Copenhagen, 
 and furnished gratuitously to many literary institutions 
 in the country. It v/ill appear from this, that for many 
 centuries, the custoin prevailed anung the Northern na- 
 tions of burning the bodies of their dead, and was 
 rigidly enforced as an essential religious rite ; the ashes 
 of which were preserved and mixed with the tears of 
 the survivors ni lachrymah, or cups, composed of ar- 
 gillaceous earth, — one of these, on which is an obscure 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 19 
 
 Coptic inscription, together with a cornucocltlear, or 
 horn spoon, used in connection with it, which were 
 found many years since amid the ruins of the temple of 
 Kiiser, in Iceland, are now in possession of the Anti- 
 quarian Society of Philadelphia. In all the different 
 sections occupied by the Northmen, not a single trace 
 exists of a grave or monument to the memory of the 
 dead, except upon the borders of the St. Lawrence, 
 where, for miles, may still be traced remains of vast 
 mounds, which were known to contain heaps of human 
 bones ; and are supposed, by Antiquarians, to contain 
 the relics of the race of Northmen, which were over- 
 come and slain by the Indians, (the so called Aborig- 
 ines) after they had driven them from their peaceful 
 settlements in New England. Antiquarians believe, 
 and many facts conspire to validate the opinion, that 
 this Continent was first discovered by the nations of tlie 
 East, previous to any knowledge possessed or imparted 
 by Northern nations. What a field is here for the ever- 
 searching mind of the Antiquarian ! What delights 
 must he experience, who in a manner holds silent con- 
 verse with an unknown race, existing not centuries but 
 ages before this vast continent was opened to the 
 intrepid navigators of the South Sea ! British Antir- 
 quarians, to satisfy their longings, delve amid the classic 
 remains of Greece and Rome, or study upon the burning 
 sands of Egypt and the Holy land, where the foot-printn 
 of travellers have for ages been impressed : but the field 
 of the Northern Antiquarians, and those of our own coun- 
 try, has been, as it ever should be, amid the untrodden 
 recesses of the American Continent. We can trace, 
 distinctly, the first Northern discoverers from the 10th 
 through succeeding centuries ; they are visibly shown 
 to us by conclusive evidence gathered by the learned 
 men of their own time, and transmitted by their descen- 
 dants ; but the chief question still arises, — of what 
 country, race or tongue were those, inhabiting these re- 
 gions, previous to the men of the North ? From whence 
 sprang those who carved indelibly the almost mystic 
 figures ou the rock at Dighton, or shaped the triangulai' 
 
20 THE CONTROVERSV. 
 
 tormations of Mt. Kalatda? That the Northmen were 
 the discoverers of these in the 10th century, is strongly 
 asserted by Bishop' Pontipoddin, in his histories of the 
 (settlement of Iceland, Newfoundland and Helluland, 
 now New England) which have been preserved many 
 centuries, in their original state, in the archives of the 
 Copenhagen colleges. The characters upon the Digh- 
 ton Rock were at that time, as described by him, 
 distinctly legible, although mysterious, of an average 
 length of 10 to 11 inches ; whereas, at the present time, 
 they have attained, and in different parts, exceed in 
 length 18 inches. Here, then, reasoning by analogical 
 deduction, we may be clearly convinced, that these 
 mysterious landmarks of the Antiquarians, which ex- 
 cited wonder and amazement in a period so remote, 
 having increased in length during a period of 8 cen- 
 turies only 5 or 6 inches, must have increased, in 
 corresponding proportion, from the date of their for- 
 mation to their first discovery by the Northmen. This^ 
 then, which is the only light in which it has ever been 
 viewed by geologists, would render these remarkable 
 inscriptions, which abound in Massachusetts and Rhode 
 Island, coeval with those of Sumagni in Persia, Trich- 
 l>en in Egypt, and Indinissoni in Ancient Greece, 
 which were known and historically chronicled before 
 the Christian era. Although the inscription at Digh- 
 ton may be considered the most prominent in New 
 England, yet others, of the same general character, exist, 
 which have always inspired with profound admiration 
 the scholar and historian. The inferior inscriptions are 
 devoid of that regularity and conjunctiveness which 
 distinguish the superior, but possess the same general 
 rudimmta sdentice. The most remarkable of these are 
 the Pakwewatanis near Mt. Holyoke, the piradomital 
 concretions on Dover plains, the square rock, (so called 
 locally) at Tiverton, the Nagassisit on the South-eastern 
 extremity of the island of Rhode Island, which is the 
 most remarkable, — the Man-a-wau-sit near Mt. Hope, 
 and a few of lower grade. 
 
 The epigraphs upon these were evidently inscribed 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. ^1 
 
 by the same people, and although more distinct in some, 
 particularly those more inland, all present the same 
 general aspect and principles of ancient hieroglyph- 
 icks. Mr, Schoolcraft asserts, and is supported by Mr, 
 Catherwood, in the opinion, that they belong to that class 
 termed Furdo Argyto Dnostick, which the most learned 
 paleographers have as yet been unable to decipher ; and 
 the impression is supported by the most able authorities 
 that they record remarkable events of some nation yet 
 unknown. The Barbaric, Syrian, Scandinavian, Coptic 
 and Persian dialects — furnish no data by which their 
 mystery may be unravelled ; but as the solution of an- 
 cient hieroglyphicks, in both hemispheres, is now ex- 
 citing in all countries profound attention, we hope and 
 have every reason to believe, that in the general pro- 
 gress these important records may eventually be illustra- 
 ted. The idea which so long has pervaded the general 
 mind, that they are the works of the Indians, previous to 
 the discoveries of the Northmen, is confuted by the 
 fact, that among the former the use of tools was entirely 
 unknown, and the geological formation of these rocks is 
 of such durability and compactness as to render them, im- 
 pregnable to any other than the hardest metallic substances. 
 
 I have, rather diffusively, though briefly as possible, 
 endeavored to illustrate, without citing particulars, the 
 basis of ideas which, by study and research, may be re- 
 solved into historical facts, to which, in a short timie, by 
 the labors of scientific and literary men, the attention of 
 all nations may be directed, controvrting as they do, by 
 analogical and paleological reasoning, many confirmed 
 and erroneous impressions in relation to the early histo- 
 ry of this continent, subverting entirely the historical 
 creed of its first discovery by Columbus and satisfactorily 
 establishing that it had been inhabited by three distinct 
 and separate races, previous to the landing of the Pil- 
 grims at Plymouth. 
 
 1st. The race of men supposed to be ^gypto-Dros- 
 ticks, who traversed this country from the east, inscrib- 
 ed their national chronology on the everlasting rocks of 
 the eastern States, and retiring south with the changing 
 
S>'2 TDE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 season, settled in the Torrid Zone. 
 
 2d. The Northmen exploring by their nautical skill 
 the rugged coast, whose history is faithfully transmitted 
 by the Icelandic chronicles. 
 
 3d. The Indians, or so called aborigines, who fully 
 overcame and expelled the Northmen beyond the eastern 
 border of the St. Lawrence. The magnitude of this 
 subject, — the antique history of New England, is such 
 that while it readily enhsts the profound attention and 
 support of the historian and antiquary, it also invites the 
 attention of all who are disposed to add, either by histo- 
 rical or traditional evidence, to the most rapid accumu- 
 lations in tliis vast field of science. 
 
 With respect, Yours, 
 
 Antiquarian- 
 
 To Antiquarian, Brown University. 
 
 Newport, R. /., June 10, 1847. 
 The object of ''Antiquarian," by his answer, appears 
 to be, to establish as a fact that the Northmen, that is, 
 emigrants from the North of Europe, particularly Nor- 
 way, who, according to their history, or tradition there, 
 emigrated to and occupied the North-eastern part of 
 tliis continent, prior to 1060, and some of their des- 
 cendants from the borders of the St. Lawrence, migra- 
 ted along the coast as far westward as this Island, prior 
 to the years 1070 — 1075, and that it was their offspring 
 who erected what now stands as the Newport ruin, 
 in the 11th century, "for (he says) according to the 
 report of a committee read before the Royal Society of 
 Antiquarians, at Copenhagen, 1836, it is conclusively 
 established, that the race of men who built the tower at 
 Newport, were the offspring of emigrants from the 
 St. Lawrence," as above stated. These facts he en- 
 deavors to establish by the architectural affinity of the 
 old ruin to the numerous structures on a branch of the 
 St. Lawrence, and in Norway, &c., and by making a 
 statement purporting to be an extract from a report of 
 Professor Scrobein, of the Geological department of 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 23 
 
 *.lie Royal College at Copenhagen, who, it was stated, 
 was appointed by the unanimous vote of the College 
 *'for the purpose of prosecuting inquiries in relation to 
 the Northmen, who, it was known, occupied the terri- 
 tory aforesaid, prior to 1C60." This report appears to 
 be the same made by Professors Rafn of Copenhagen 
 and Graetz of Gottenburg, as a Committee, before the 
 Royal College at Copenhagen, in 1836, which led the 
 College to the conclusion above stated. The part of the 
 statement made by "Antiquarian" for the information of 
 ''Visiter," purporting to be a portion of a report of one 
 Professor Scrobein, relating to the Old Tower, pub- 
 lished in the Newport Daily News, about the first of 
 April, being altogether fictitious, would have been suf- 
 fered to pass unnoticed as one of the fabulosities of the 
 time, had it not been used, and succeeded, (according to 
 the statement,) in deceiving the Royal College at Co- 
 penhagen, and been calculated, through their credulity, to 
 deceive the world in general ; for these reasons it re- 
 quires a passing notice, in order to disabuse those who 
 from a lack of knowledge of fact in relation to the sub- 
 ject, and the influence of high-sounding names, may 
 have been deceived. After mentioning the appoint- 
 ment of Professor Scrobein, and the object for which he 
 was appointed by the Royal Society, as before stated, 
 the report continues, "Professor Scrobein, in the early 
 part of 1832, left his native country for the prosecution 
 of this work : after visiting England, he arrived in Hali- 
 fax in May, from whence he proceeded to Boston. In 
 August he visited Newport, and having secured the co- 
 operation of a number of scientific gentlemen of N., 
 with several officers of the army at that time stationed 
 there, he then proceeded to examine and excavate 
 around the Old Tower." "In connection with infor- 
 mation adduced from other sources," he says, in sub- 
 stance, that "the old ruin was an appendage to a temple 
 and used for religious offices, as a baptistery or baptis- 
 mal font, as was the custom with the people in the 
 mother country, numerous evidences of which still ex- 
 ist, in similar structures in Norway. It appears to have 
 5 
 
24 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 been erected in the 11th century, during a sojourn of 
 Bishop Eric in Vinland, as the Island was called, from 
 the excellence of its wines and abundance of grapes. 
 Under the centre of the ruin was clearly shown the 
 foundation of the receptimum, or place where the can- 
 didates stood, while receiving the baptismal shower, 
 which was let down from a large reservoir above, into 
 which it was collected by a concave roof formed of 
 boughs, over-laid with mats of vines and leaves. In 
 close proximity to this was a second foundation, that 
 of the palestrium or altar of the officiating priest." 
 **The temple to which this baptistery was contingent it 
 is surmised was either abandoned after the foundation 
 was erected, or being built of perishable materials, its 
 superstructure must have fallen into decay, in the inter- 
 val which elapsed from the evacuation of the island by 
 the Northmen in the 14th century, and its occupation 
 by the confederates of Roger Williams. The founda- 
 tion, which was of extreme length, extends across what 
 is now Mill-street, at a point east of where a church 
 was erected in 1723, at which time, as appears from 
 the records of the church, it was displaced, and the 
 material used in erecting the foundation of the church. 
 That there was a large settlement in the immediate vi- 
 cinity of this important ruin, most satisfactory evidence 
 exists. Ancient coins have been exhumed, some of the 
 date of Henry II. 1160, which would lead us to be- 
 lieve that some kind of commercial intercourse existed in 
 those days. The island, in this part, was much narrow- 
 er than at present, the sea ebbing and flowing in close 
 proximity to the temple ; marine shcjlls and aqueous 
 formations have been dug up, where it is now thickly 
 inhabited and settled." I have copied this part of the re- 
 port attributed to Professor Scrobein, relative to the exca- 
 vation, &;c. entire, to expose its extreme absurdity and 
 falsity, which is stamp 2d on the very face of it, and re- 
 quires no argument to show% except to such as are unac- 
 quainted with the location of the Old Stone Mill and 
 the facts stated in the report connected with it. " An- 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 25 
 
 cient coins," if any were exhumed, as stated in the report, 
 of the date of Henry II. 1160, would be no evidence that 
 commercial intercourse existed in those days, and being 
 an English coin, it is not probable that it was brought to 
 this continent by the Northmen at that date. The coins 
 might have been brought here centuries after their date ; 
 or very recently taken from the cabinet of the curious in 
 those matters, and most probably for deception. That 
 "the Island in this part was much narrower than at pres- 
 ent," is evidently untrue ; and the '"ebbing and flowing 
 of the sea in close proximity to the temple" is equally so. 
 The nearest approach of the sea to the Old Ruin, is 
 the shore west of Thames Street, in the harbor of New- 
 port. It is evident the land west of Thames Street has 
 never been made or extended westward (exclusive of the 
 wharves,) exceeding one or two hundred feet in any part 
 of it. When I was a boy, and went in swimming in the 
 docks, there was a clay bank at the head of all the docks 
 from Taylor's wharf, (now Devens's) to Cowley's wharf, 
 (now Stevens's,) up to the foot of which the sea flowed 
 only at spring-tides; the bank was five or six feet high, 
 and so steep as to be difficult of ascent and descent. 
 North of Cowley's wharf, the land was lower, as far as 
 the Long wharf and beyond ; but has evidently never been 
 extended from the original shore more than above stated, 
 in any part of it. The distance from this shore to the 
 Old Ruin on the hill, east of it, is less than one hundred 
 and twenty rods, and the elevation of the ground from, 
 high water to the base of the ruin, is almost 75 feet. 
 The reader will judge from these facts whether the sea 
 ever flowed in close proximity to the temple which, it is 
 pretended, stood in that vicinity. To give the appear- 
 ance of plausibility to the assertion that the sea once 
 flowed over the land which is now thickly inhabited and 
 settled, it is stated in the report that "marine shells and 
 aqueous formations have been dug up" in those parts. 
 This was evidently stated to deceive Prof. Scrobein, if 
 it is a fact that he ever came here for the purpose stated ; 
 and if not, to deceive those at a distance from the scene ; 
 for every body here knows, that on this and the adjacent 
 
f6 THE CONTROVERSr. 
 
 islands and shores, where the Indians once inhabited^ 
 marine shells of every description are dug up frequently 
 wherever there was an Indian settlement or wigwam, 
 even to the summit of Mount Hope, once the residence 
 of King Phillip, and on the heights of Tiverton, &c. 
 
 I once heard an old man say, that he remembered 
 when the Old Stone Mill stood near the shore where the 
 ferry wharf now is, (I would not vouch for his sanity,) 
 and as this has, in some degree, been corroborated by 
 Cooper, by a scene in his "Red Rover," it is as likely to 
 be true, as that the sea ever flowed in close proximity to 
 the phantasma temple in the vicinity of the Old Ruin. 
 
 The whole report attributed to Professor Scrobein, 
 is purely legendary without even a single fact to give 
 it the appearance of truth to those acquainted with 
 the subject, and so contrived as to deceive those not 
 acquainted with the location of the old ruin, and well 
 known facts relating to it. It would be an act of charity 
 towards Professor Scrobein for any one, antiquarian or 
 not, to disabuse him of the error, by showing that he 
 had no hand in the report attributed to him, or if he had^ 
 it was founded on false information given him, and on 
 perverted facts. It is evident that the information was 
 given, or the pretended report written, by some one ac- 
 quainted with facts not generally known, and which could 
 not have been discovered or ascertained, if the pretended 
 excavation and examination had actually been made,which 
 facts were perverted to suit the purposes of whoever com- 
 municated them, or wrote or dictated the pretended re- 
 port. Edward Pelham,* (who married a grand-daughter 
 of Gov. Arnold, to whom the Mill field, so called, came 
 by descent,) who died in 1741, in his will, dated May 
 21st, 1740, bequeathed to his daughter Hermione, the 
 wife of John Banister, (after other bequests to her,) 
 "Also one other piece or parcel of land, situated, lying 
 and being in Newport aforesaid, containing eight acres, 
 or thereabouts, with an Old Stone Wind Mill thereon 
 
 * Appendix Letter K 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 27 
 
 standing and being, and commonly called and known 
 by the name of the Mill-field, &c., bounded Northerly 
 partly upon Caleb Carr's Lane, (now Mill street,) part- 
 ly upon a work-house standing iji said lane, and partly 
 upon a burying place, to the Northward whereof stands 
 a Meeting-house, to be and remain to the said Hermio- 
 ne Banister," &c. He gives and bequeaths to his 
 daughter Penelope Pelham, after the death of her moth- 
 er, to whom the same was bequeathed during her natur- 
 al life, a parcel of land "on Caleb Carr's lane, as high 
 till it comes upon a parallel line with the sto?ie mall at 
 the head of my upper garden running North therefrom." 
 The foundation of the work-house, which stood in Carr's 
 lane, near the old mill, and the aqueducts leading there- 
 from, part of which had been removed by the former 
 proprietor of the soil on which it stood, which of course 
 was known, was probably the foundation perverted 
 to the foundation of the palestrium, or altar of the of- 
 ficiating priest. The stone wall at the head of Mr. 
 Pelham' s upper garden, and running North therefrom, 
 must have been, according to the bounds, east of the 
 meeting-house, and between that and the Stone Mill. 
 This wall was known, from part of it, which extended 
 North across what is nov/ Mill-street, being displaced, 
 and the materials used in erecting the foundation of the 
 church, which appears by their records. The remain- 
 ing wall, which is of great length, is without doubt the 
 same, which, in the report, is perverted to the founda- 
 tion of the pretended "temple to which this baptistery 
 was contingent." 
 
 "Antiquarian," after reciting, at considerable length, 
 a part of the report relating to the mode of operation in 
 making the excavation and the discoveries made, &c., 
 "until a more extended one was forbidden, from fear of 
 loosening the bed of the ruin," says, " This, I 
 trust, has, disposed of, at greater length than I intended, 
 the principal objection urged by the ' Oldest In- 
 habitant.' Its truth can be readily corroborated by 
 the same process which elicited the facts." I nre- 
 6 
 
28-. . THE CONTEOVKRST- 
 
 sume it is meant, by excavating about the ruin ,— 
 this is the very course I would wish to pursue in order 
 to prove the report totally void of truth. Those who 
 wish to sustain the position assumed by "Antiquarian," 
 would not consent to this process, and there is no prob- 
 ability that any excavation would be allowed, — but if it 
 should be permitted, I can assure "Antiquarian" that, so 
 far from corroborating the facts said to be elicited by 
 the excavation pretended to have been made, (which is 
 already refuted in the opinion of every one open to con- 
 viction,) although there would be no danger "of loosen- 
 ing the bed of the ruin," it would most assuredly prove 
 the groundlessness of the report, and undermine the 
 foundation and prostrate the superstructure erected on 
 the report attributed to Professor Scrobein. It w^as in '32, 
 less than fifteen years since, the excavations and discove- 
 ries stated in the report attributed to Professor Scrobein are 
 said to have been made^ with the co-operation of a num- 
 ber of scientific gentlemen of Ncicport with several ojicers 
 of the Army then stationed here; if that were the fact, 
 the time stated is so recent that some of those who co- 
 operated in the examination &c. must be now living, to 
 whom reference might be made in corroboration, but not 
 one has come forward or been referred to ; of one thing I 
 am sure, there is no man of integrity and honor, whether 
 citizen or officer of the army, who wou'd have assented 
 to the report, as stated to have been made by Professor 
 Scrobein. The writer of this is not ''the oldest inhabi- 
 itant," but "■One of the oldest inhabitants of Newport, 
 who was born, and has lived between seventy and eigh- 
 ty years, within eighty rods of the "old stone mill," recent- 
 ly styled the "Newport Ruin," and has never known any 
 excavations made near it, except once about the year 
 1797, when an excavation was made in the night 
 time by a company of money diggers, directly under 
 the centre of the ruin, which was left open, and 
 about four or five feet deep, but did not disclose the 
 foundation of the reeeptimum mentioned in the report 
 in question. There is not one among the oldest in- 
 habitants of Newpoit, (many of whom are older than 
 
THE CONTFtOTEHeY. 29 
 
 myself,) of whom inquiry has been made, who recollects 
 any excavation having been made about the ruin, ex- 
 cept for the purpose above stated, — which has occurred 
 several times within their recollection, — and recollecting 
 those occurrences, they would certainly have a perfect 
 recollection of any excavations so recently said to have 
 been made, and of such extent and depth as to expose 
 the base of the columns upon which the superstructure 
 rests, &c. (for the details of the report, as stated by Anti- 
 quarian, I refer the reader to his publication in the Daily 
 News of May 26th,) and "that, a more extended excava- 
 tion was forbidden, for fear of loosening the bed of the 
 ruin." In addition to the foregoing evidence that no 
 such excavation was made, as is stated in the report,?;! 
 will add the information of a gentleman of high stand- 
 ing, and of strict integrity and honor, who has lived 
 some thirty or forty years within one hundred yards of 
 the old ruin, and cannot come out of his house without 
 seeing it, who avers that no excavation was made about 
 or under it at the time stated in the report, for it could 
 not have been made vv^iihout his observing it, and he 
 never knew or heard of any excavations ever having 
 been made about it, except with the view before stated. 
 I Will refer any person who is not satisfied with this 
 statement, to the gentleman last alluded to for its cor- 
 rectness, as far as it regards himself, which, from the 
 freedom with which he answered my inquiries, I feel 
 myself authorized to do. 
 
 The foundation on which the false and groundless 
 report attributed to Professor Scrobein was erected, 
 being removed, the whole superstructure must fall into 
 its original nothingness ; notwithstanding the commu- 
 nication received by '' Antiquarian" from an eminent 
 citizen of Newport, of less years than his ancient friend, 
 which, he says, places the question in the clearest light, 
 wherein he says that " he was present at the time alluded 
 to, with Lieut. Birber of the Army," but as there was 
 no such person here, the writer or some other added 
 ("Birbarin no doubt.") I pity the poverty of that man's 
 
30 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 mind, who, with no better evidence than that adduced, 
 and without seeing the refutation, as a man beside him- 
 self, says, in the plural, "?/;e are decidedly of the opinion 
 of " Antiquarian" that it (" the Old Ruin") was built 
 by the Northmen of Europe, centuries ago, and for 
 religious rites and ceremon'es. 
 
 In an article published by " Antiquarian" in the 
 iVewport Daily News of the ^Gth instant, dated " Prov- 
 idence, May 16th," he says, " An elaborate article, 
 addressed to me over the signature of the ' oldest 
 inhabitant of Newport,' merits special attention, not so 
 much from its concise history of the ' Old Stone Mill,' 
 from the time of Gov. Arnold, as its absurd and frivo- 
 lous objections to the learned report of Professors Rafn 
 and Graetz before the Royal Society of Copenhagen, 
 extracts from which appeared in my former communi- 
 cation. This tedious document I would willingly submit 
 [publish] but its extreme length forbids it." From the 
 allusion of " Antiquarian" to the tedious document which 
 he would willingly submit, but for its extreme length, I 
 recognize one written to him in reply to his communi- 
 cation to *' Visitor," under the signature of " One of 
 the oldest inhabitants of Newport." I am extremely 
 sorry that the great length of my article should have 
 prevented its being submitted, but I believe a better 
 reason might be given ; i. e. my exposition of the foolish, 
 ridiculous, and fallacious report of the discoveries made 
 by a pretended excavation around the "Old Tower;" 
 which, if it is true that the same was comprised in the 
 report of a Committee read before the Royal Society of 
 Antiquarians, at Copenhagen in 1836, and if it had any 
 weight in bringing the society of Antiquarians, to the 
 conclusion, that the race of men who built the tower at 
 Newport, were the offspring of emigrants from the St. 
 Lawrence prior to the year 1070 — 1075, — was a gross 
 and palpable imposition on the Committee, the Royal 
 Society, and the world. Having recited most of my 
 elaborate article addressed to " Antiquarian", and "its 
 absurd and frivolous objections to tlie learned report of 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 31 
 
 Professors Rafn and Graetz before the Royal Society 
 of Copenhagen," — for the benefit of those who feel an 
 interest in the subject and wish to come at the truth, 
 I will now state the grounds of my opinion that " The 
 Old Stone Mill" was built by Benedict Arnold, the first 
 Governor of the Colony under the Charter granted by 
 King Charles II in 1663, Benedict Arnold removed 
 from Providence to Newport in 1653, (fifteen years af- 
 ter the first settlement of the Town of Newport,) and 
 was admitted a purchaser there on the 17th of May 
 the same year ; he was one of the patentees named in 
 the aforesaid Charter to the Colony and Providence 
 Plantations in 1663, and was appointed first Governor 
 under it. He afterwards held the same oflice by th© 
 choice of the freemen for twelve years. He died in^l678, 
 aged 63. Soon after his settlement in Newport, he had a 
 house built on the lot on which the R. I. Union Bank 
 now stands, directly in the rear of the site of that build- 
 ing and about 30 feet from the road belonging to the 
 Town, now Thames street, bounded westerly on said 
 road, northerly on a street now Mill street, southerly on 
 lane of Peter Coggeshall, now Green street, and easterly 
 on lane of Walter Clarke, where Bellevue street now is, 
 containing by estimation sixteen acres. On the Eastern 
 part of said parcel of land the Old Stone Tower now 
 stands. 
 
 In Gov. Arnold's Will* which is dated the 29th day 
 of December, 1677, of which I have an authenticated 
 copy, is the following clause in the first item : " My 
 body I desire and appoint to be buried at the north-east 
 corner of a Parcel of ground containing three "^Rod 
 square, being and lying in my land in or near ye line or 
 path from my chcclling house, leading to my Stone huilt 
 Wind Mill, in ye town of Newport above mentioned." 
 " And I desire that my dear and loving wife Damaris 
 Arnold, after her decease, may be buried near unto me 
 on ye south side of ye place aforesaid ordered for mj 
 
 * Appendix Letter A, 
 
32 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 own interment." This is the burying place south of 
 the Unitarian Meeting house where they and many of 
 their descendants and relatives lay interred. After 
 making some bequest for the support of his wife during 
 her life, and towards ye maintenance of his daughter 
 Godsgift Arnold, during the natural life of her mother 
 &/C., the Will goes on, (Item 3d,) "I do also give and 
 bequeath unto ye proper use and behoof of my said wife, 
 Damaris Arnold, during her natural life, and after her 
 decease to the use and behoof of my youngest daughter 
 Freelove Arnold, all and singular ye lands and buildings 
 severally hereafter named — namely, one tract of land 
 being and lying in ye precincts of ye aforesaid Town 
 of Newport, containing by estimation sixteen acres, dis- 
 tinguished into two parcels by a highway belonging to 
 ye said Town, and bounded severally as follows : that is 
 to say, the lesser parcel, whereon is erected my ware- 
 house, and wharf (now Stevens's wharf) bounded as 
 followeth : on ye east on ye highway aforesaid (now 
 Thames Street,) on the west by the sea or Harbor of 
 Newport &:-c. — ye other and greater parcel of ye tract of 
 land abovesaid, upon which standeth my dwelling, or 
 mansion house, and other buildings thereon adjoining or 
 belonging, as also ?ni/ Stone built Wind Mill, and in the 
 said parcel is being and lying ye three Rod square of 
 ground abovesaid, that I have set apart for a burying 
 place — ye whole parcel being bounded as followeth: on ye 
 west by ye highway aforesaid, " (now Thames street, 
 where it runs between the R. I. Union Bank building, 
 and Stevens' wharf :) here follow the other bounds, 
 as before stated, designating the parcel of land on 
 which his dwelling house formerly stood and extend- 
 ing eastward a few rods beyond where his old stone 
 built Wind Mill stands. Gov. Arnold's dwelling house 
 was located as before stated, fronting west : I saw it 
 pulled down, soon after the evacuation of this Island, by 
 the British Army in the Revolution. The chimney and 
 whole south end were built of rough stone and coarse 
 mortar, and plastered on the outside with the same. 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 33 
 
 The rough stone and coarse mortar were so strongly ce- 
 mented together, that they could not take it down by 
 commencing at the top, without great labor ; for that 
 reason the house was first pulled down, then guys were 
 made fast to the top of the chimney and set tight, by 
 means of tackles, to trees at a distance, to cause it to fall 
 in a direction from the building near ; when it was un- 
 dermined and fell, in urn mass, and was afterwards broken 
 up with sledges, &c. This I consider pretty good evi- 
 dence that the cement with which the Old Stone 31ill 
 was built, was composed of similar materials, and erected 
 about the same time. I said in my •' elaborate article'' 
 addressed to " Antiquarian, Brown University," that the 
 Old Stone Mill was, in my opinion, built by Gov. Arnold: 
 I did not mean to convey the idea that he built it with 
 his own hands, or that he was the architect, (before 
 Gov. Arnold removed to Newport, fifteen years after the 
 first settlement of the place, thefpopulation had increased 
 very much, as well from other parts of the Colony, as 
 from other Colonies and from Europe, among them were 
 probably architects and builders in masonry, &c., who 
 had built or seen similar structures in the old world, 
 who might have been employed to erect a structure here, 
 similar to some one they had built or seen elsewhere). 
 In answer to this, '' Antiquarian" says, in his reply " As 
 well might it be assumed that he was also the architect 
 of the numerous structures on the borders of the Sualcul- 
 no (a branch of the St. Lawrence) &c. or those more 
 remote still, in Nimmin, in Norway, — all of which, from 
 their similarity of design, claim an architectural affinity 
 with the Newport Ruin." Does the architectural af- 
 finity of the " Old Ruin" to the numerous structures on 
 a branch of the St. Lawrence and in Norway, ^c. prove 
 that the Old Stone Mill in Newport, was erected by I the 
 Northmen from Europe, or their offspring from their 
 settlements on the St. Lawrence ? Not, at all. There 
 are numerous buildings constructed of rough stone and 
 mortar on the Island of Martinico similarly constructed 
 to some in Europe, which I have seen plates of, of which 
 
S4 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 it is not known, at what period, or by whom, they were 
 erected. There are tico, on the Island of St. Thomas, 
 in the West Indies, built of rough stone and mortar, one 
 of them exactly similar in its architectural construction 
 to the Old Stone Mill in Newport ; it is circular, and is 
 supported upon eight arches resting on thick round col- 
 umns, about ten feet high, the centre of the arches from 
 the base is about twelve or thirteen feet, and the diame- 
 ter of the structure at the spring of the arches is about 
 twenty-four feet on the outside, and 18 or 19 feet inside. 
 It is not known by the inhabitants when, or by whom, they 
 were built : the last mentioned stands on very high 
 ground, and is resorted toby the inhabitants and masters 
 of vessels as a look-out place, or observatory ; from a 
 supposition that it was built by Pirates, it is called 
 " Bluebeard's Castle.^' This information I had from a 
 near relation, who in his voyages to St. Thomas' visited 
 it frequently. 
 
 Does not tiiis ruin, also, claim, from its sameness of 
 construction, an architectural affinity to those before al- 
 luded to 1 and is it not, from this circumstance, as like- 
 ly that it was erected by the Northmen or their offspring 
 ages ago, as that they erected in the 11th century 
 the ancient ruin at Newport? And is it not as evident, 
 from the similarity of construction of this ruin at St. 
 Thomas' to those before named, that the West Indies 
 were also discovered and inhabited by the Northmen 
 long prior to the discovery of them by Columbus in 
 1492, as that they or their offspring ever visited this 
 island prior to its occupation by the English ? For there is 
 nothing in history or tradition to warrant the assertion 
 that they did. These questions are merely propounded 
 for illustration. There is a tradition among the inhabi- 
 tants of the Elizabeth Islands and the continent adja- 
 cent, that a Colony of men came from the North long 
 before there was any English settlement on this conti- 
 nent, and landed at the Vineyard and gave it that name 
 in consequence of the abundance of grapes found grow- 
 ing there, and that, after staying there a few months, 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 35 
 
 they left the island and returned North, with the intention 
 Df coming back the next year, but never returned, and 
 were supposed to have been lost, as they were never af- 
 ter heard of, (this was probably in the 11th century, du^ 
 ring a sojourn of Bishop Eric, in Vinland, according to 
 Norwegian history, as referred to by the writer of the 
 report attributed to Prof. Scrobein;) this tradition was 
 rife among tlie Indians xm the Vineyard in 1729, when 
 the island was visited by an inhabitant of this town, 
 who related it here, and it has come down to this time 
 through his descendants. 
 
 It is of very little consequence to the public in gene- 
 ral, whether the old fabric in Newport was erected by 
 the offspring of the Northmen in the 11th century, or 
 by the English settlers or Gov. Arnold in the 16th cen. 
 tury ; I do not pretend that its being named in Gov- 
 Arnold's Will, as herein stated, is positive proof that he 
 built it, but it warrants a very strong presumption that 
 he did. There are some who are of the opinion that 
 it was built by the ferst English settlers, as a place of 
 resort and defence against the Indians ; this is a ration- 
 al conjecture, because it is constructed in the best 
 possible form for defence against an enemy of that 
 ■character ; if it had been built solid at the base as high 
 as it is elevated on psllars, it might have been under- 
 mined and thrown doicn, without the possibility of those 
 within its wali preventing it, or annoying the enemy 
 from the two windows by which the walls are pierced 
 on opposite sides; which it would be impossible to ef- 
 fect if the floor above the pillars were perforated with 
 loopholes for musketry. I state this in answer to an 
 observation made by your correspondent in his editori- 
 al remark. If it had been erected for that purpose, be- 
 ing a public work, there would have been some histo- 
 ry, or tradition, of its origin and design. One of the 
 strongest arguments that can be adduced, as evidence 
 that it was not erected previous to the occupation of 
 the Island by the first English settlers, is, that there is 
 no record or tradition of its having been found stand- 
 ing when they first came to the Island, and settled oji 
 
36 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 it soon after, in 1638. This difficulty, however, has 
 been ingeniously obviated and explained. In the 
 Scientific American, a paper printed in New York, of 
 the date of November 27th, 1845, there is a very cor- 
 rect representation of the "Old Stone Tower at New- 
 port, R. I." After giving a very exact description of 
 this mysterious monument of antiquity, the author says, 
 •'what excites so much curiosity concerning this tower, 
 in the fact that no person living in or about Newport 
 knows anything of its origin, and no record is found in 
 history of its being seen or noticed by the early set- 
 tlers of the Island. While it appears very improbable 
 that a tower of this description should have been erect- 
 ed by the aborigines, or that it should have been dis- 
 covered by the early settlers, without some note thereof 
 being made by the historian of those times," &.c. 
 "Much having been written on the subject, by anticjua- 
 rians, without approaching any definite conclusion with 
 regard to the author or occasion of its construction, 
 we shall dismiss the subject with the simple conjec- 
 ture, that it is a fabric of remote antiquity, intended for 
 a temple of Pagan worship, and erected by the process 
 of heaping up earth around the building, as it progress- 
 ed ; thus furnishing facilities for elevating the stone, as 
 has been practised by the Chinese, and other nations ; 
 but that the Sachem Builder having died, or failed be- 
 fore the building was complete, the earth was left 
 around the edifice, till, becoming overgrown with trees, 
 the building w^as so far concealed from view, as not to 
 attract the notice of the English settlers, until the land, 
 being cleared, was gradually washed away by storms of 
 rain, which, by a process, too slow to induce remark, 
 eventually brought the whole fabric to view from its 
 foundation." A very plausible conjecture, since the 
 time that elapsed from the settlement of the Island, to 
 the time when the stone built Wind Mill was bequeath- 
 ed by Governor Arnold, was the immense period of twen- 
 ty-nine years. 
 
 Although, as I said before, it is of very little conse- 
 quence to the public in genera), when or by whom the 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. o/ 
 
 old fabric was erected, or for what purpose intended ; 
 it is of vast importance to the Antiquarian and Histori- 
 an, that it should be determined on the basis of truth, 
 incjntrovertibly, that it was erected by the Northmen, 
 prior to the discovery of this continent by Columbus ; 
 but it is unworthy of those whose duty it is to search 
 after truth, to take false and unwarrantable means to 
 attain their end, or countenance those who may, do so ; 
 it is their duty, when they are convinced that they have 
 been led into error, to abandon and expose whoever 
 may attempt it. It seems to have been the object of 
 soms, through whose means and deceptive information, 
 the report of Professor Scrobein was procured, to prove 
 that the Northmen or their offspring from the borders 
 of the Si. Lawrence, progressed as far along the coast 
 as this island, and that the old tower in Newport was 
 built by them, and to establish the fact on its similarity 
 of construction to many in the North of Europe and on 
 the St. Lawrence, &lq>. 
 
 It is very well established from history and tradition, 
 if founded in truth, that the Northmen discovered and 
 inhabited the North-eastern part of this continent long 
 prior to the discoveries of Christopher Columbus ; and 
 that their offspring in the 11th century, coasted as far 
 westward as the Vineyard ; that ought to be satisfac- 
 tory to the Historian and Antiquarian, for all the pur- 
 poses they have in view; and there is no evidence of the 
 Northmen ever having visited this island, except the 
 sameness of construction of the old ruin at Newport,with 
 some in Norway, &-c., and on the St. Lawrence; and 
 that is no evidence at all, since we find there is one ex- 
 actly similar on the Island of St. Thomas's in the West 
 Indies. 
 
 "The Newport Ruin," which, until within a very 
 few years, was known only as '7As old stons mill,^' was 
 generally supposed to be budt by Gov. Arnold, for a 
 grist-mill, from the evidence already referred to, but it 
 is corroborated by tradition from generation to genera^ 
 tion, down to his great grand-son, Sanford Arnold, who 
 has been dead but a few years, and was well known by 
 
38 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 many of the old inhabitants of Newport. Sanford Ar- 
 nold, with whom I was well aeqiiainted, and never 
 doubted his veracity, always said, when enquiries were 
 made of him, in regard to the old stone mill, that it was 
 undoubtedly built by his great grand-father Gov. Ar- 
 nold;, that his father, Josiah Arnold (who died at an 
 advanced age, long since the revolution) always spoke 
 of it as his grand-father's Stone Mill, as if he built it, 
 and he had heard him often say, that, it was erected be- 
 tween the years 1653 and 1660. This I b^ve heard of- 
 ten repeated. "Antiquarian" must be satisfied by this 
 time, there was never any excavation and examination 
 made as related by Professor Scrobein, in the report al- 
 luded to, if he was the author of it, and that it was a 
 gross fabrication without the least foundation in truth, 
 and I now leave it to him to explain how the mill came 
 into existence and its object. 
 
 One of the Oldest Inhabitants 
 OF Newport. 
 
 Brow^n University, > 
 
 JProvideiice^ June 21, 1847. | 
 In my previous correspondence with you on the s ub- 
 ject of the " Old Ruin" at Newport, I have, at some 
 length, presented as my reason the desire of obtaining 
 and imparting historical knowledge, and analogical rem- 
 iniscences, any of which duly authenticated, and tending 
 in the least degree to consolidate the broken and scat- 
 tered history of our own country and section in the 
 earlier ages, are essentially desirable at this time. Hav- 
 ing devoted myself to this subject (when other pursuits 
 would permit) its importance has been gradually devel- 
 oped to my mind. In addressing you, and through you 
 the estimable citizens of your town, I have not intended, 
 and my various duties would forbid me, were I so dis- 
 posed, to enter the arena of controversial strife with an 
 unknown opponent. The facts presented cannot l)e 
 controverted ; they emanate from a high source, and in 
 selecting and arranging such as are applicable to our 
 
THE COiVTROVERSY. 39 
 
 location, I am but consolidating labors, ably, very ably, 
 wrought out by other hands. As an antiquarian, not 
 so deeply versed, perhaps, in land titles and legitimate. 
 deeds as " One of the Oldest Inhabitants" of your an- 
 cient town, I am content to receive and abide by the 
 historical data and trutlis elicited and promulgated by 
 the Royal Society of Copenhagen, a source, the author- 
 ity of which, never yet doubted, I am unwilling even to 
 question. The results attained by the labors of the dis- 
 tinguished scholars associated with that fountain of 
 science, have for ages been adopted as the text-book of 
 the scholar and historian. The honored names of Pon- 
 tipoddin, Rasenburg, Whitinler, Grissenback, and Shur- 
 wuriz, with those of later days, Velrischen,Rafn, Graetz, 
 Scrobein, and Greisle, will descend to remote 
 posterity, meriting justly the laudation and respect of 
 all true and devoted lovers of knowledge. 
 
 A recent elaborate article in the ^Herald, of your 
 place, of the 10th and 17th insts., a counterpart of that 
 which I have previously noticed, affords sufficient ma- 
 terial for lengthy argumentation, did the necessity exist 
 of refuting assertions uttered at random, and unsup- 
 ported by any evidence to render so skeptical a position 
 tenable. The unwavering tenacity of *' One of the 
 Oldest Inhabitants" to liis (I suppose the masculine) 
 own peculiar and self-constituted opinion of the erec- 
 tion and intent of the " Old Ruin" should, but for the 
 interest of science, be excused and revered rather than 
 condemned, and its innocent fallacy exposed. Enter- 
 taining, perhaps, from childhood, these peculiar ideas, 
 imbibing new strength in their belief with each pro- 
 gressive advance in knowledge, supported and confirmed 
 in his opinions by the possession of a copy of the *' last 
 will and testament" of Governor Arnold, it is not 
 therefore unreasonable that he should still adhere to his 
 cherished fancies, and deny the evidences by which the 
 claims of history are so positively asserted and so for- 
 cibly maintained. The book of Nature has been always 
 wide-spread before us, yet are we unable to fathom its 
 mysterious depths. The book of Art is day by day re- 
 8 
 
40 -rfE CON.TROVKRSY. 
 
 vealing new and astounding truths ; and because we 
 cannot, with our giant minds,, conceive, and with a single 
 glance survey the mighty wonders which its mystery 
 conceals, shall we deny its high and holy truths ? 
 
 I cannot, in critical detail, review the article of " One 
 of the oldest inhabitants." His caustic reflections 
 upon Antiquarian for citing indisputable authorities, 
 and the temerity with which he denounces as fabulous ^ 
 established and authenticated matter of history, betray 
 a limited knowledge of the scientific advance of his own 
 age, and an incapacity of exemplifying the subject of 
 his own adoption by correct chronological memoranda 
 of the early history of his native State. His entire 
 misconception of the Reports of the Royal College of 
 Copenhagen, evince a readiness, rather than ability, to 
 contest their truth. The report of Professor Scrobein 
 as the result of his mission only, was communicated to 
 the Royal Society four years previous to that of the 
 Committee of which Profs. Rafn and Graetz constituted 
 a majority, which latter, embodying that of Prof S., was 
 approved by the Royal College and published by them, 
 in conjunction with other information, umfer the title 
 of " Antiquitates Americanae," copies of which were 
 presented to many literary Institutions in New England. 
 After denouncing as fictitious the report alluded to, the 
 '-' Oldest Inhabitant," or " one of them,'' arrays himself 
 as champion and defender of the Royal College, and 
 endeavors to show that, through their excessive credu- 
 lity, they have been made the victims of mis-placed 
 confidence, and thereby imposed a grand fraud upon the 
 world in general. Truly an arrogant position, and an 
 envious labor. To rebut this, evidence is useless, ar- 
 gument is unnecessary. Can it be supposed, is the idea 
 for an instant to be harbored, that a man possessing the 
 liigh literary acquirements of Prof Scrobein, enjoying 
 a world-wide reputation, occupying the exalted position 
 of " Prof Geologiae" in one of the chief literary insti- 
 tutions of Europe, a position in point of celebrity second 
 to none, and attainable but by few, should, under any 
 pretence, practise dissimulation and deceit .which would 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 41 
 
 inevitibly result in degradation and disgrace! or can 
 it be admitted that the Royal College, during the inter- 
 val of six years which transpires from the promulgation 
 of the report of Profs. Rafn and Graetz, to the publica- 
 tion of "Antiquitates Americanae", holding uninterrupted 
 correspondence with similar Institutions in this country, 
 and especially with the Historical Society of Rhode Is- 
 land, — should not have discovered so immense a fraud, 
 had any existed ? * * * * * 
 
 It is a remarkable philosophical fact in the human 
 economy that as we advance in the journey of life to- 
 ward the period of our second childhood, the objects 
 which attracted and impressed the mind of early youth, 
 are revived in all the freshness of life's spring-time. 
 The chief source upon which the *' Oldest Inhabitant," 
 or '* one of them''' relies, is his own memory and that 
 of a gentleman who has resided forty years in very close 
 proximity to the " Old Ruin." Their united memories, 
 however, cannot recall the period, or furnish the date of 
 the reported excavation. Of the particular hour in 
 August, 1832, or the time consumed in the survey of 
 Prof. S., I acknowledge myself incompetent to testify. 
 These items do not comprise a part of the Report, nei- 
 ther am I suprised that the memory of the " Oldest la- 
 habitant," or "o/ze of tliern^^ in this particular instance, 
 as in others, should fail, for according to his own article, 
 from the vivid recollection which he possesses of trivial 
 events, transpiring at the early period of the Revolution, 
 it is but reasonable to apprehend that he has attained 
 that measure of human experience when the mental en- 
 ergies, if apparently retaining their pristine vigor, are 
 writhing under the inflictions which the hand of Time 
 imposes. 
 
 His memory upon v\fhich he so confidently trusts, 
 appears to be of peculiar constitution ; not of the in- 
 fallible and comprehensive order, but diverging, scat- 
 tering, eccentric. Where money is the object in '97 
 it gathers its energies and applies its powers ; but 
 when, in '32, the claims of science demand a tribute, it 
 takes to itself wings and is soon enveloped in the misi^. 
 
42 THE rONTROVFRSr, 
 
 of forget fulness. Not only are the excavations report- 
 ed totally denied, but others known to have been made 
 at prior and subsequent dates ; and one only, in which 
 those ubiquitous adventurers, the money-diggers, were 
 conspicuous, is in any degree admitted or remembered ; 
 and this, though perfected at the tranquil hour of mid- 
 night, is so minutely and vividly described, that we 
 could fain believe experimental knowledge far the best. 
 
 That the excavations reported were made, no doubt 
 can exist, except in the minds of those who, from 
 prejudice or policy, are disposed to withhold their as- 
 sent to established truths. Owing to the necessary ab- 
 sence of the officers of the Army alluded to, and the 
 removal by death, of other witnesses of 183:2, it might 
 be difficult in connexion with other causes, were the 
 locations of the survivors known, to collect, at this day, 
 the living testimony required, except, perhaps, in the 
 persons of a Genoese gentleman residing at Newport, 
 (a Mr. Burtimer,) and the gentlemanly proprietor of the 
 "Old Ruin" in question. These, I am credibly inform- 
 ed by estimable citizens, are ready at any time to yield 
 their testimony, should it be required. 
 
 Other sources, however, remain, by which the frivo- 
 lous objections of the "Oldest Inhabitant," or "one of 
 them," are easily refuted. Since the period of '32, 
 two distinct and separate excavations have been made, 
 the latter of which, in 1841, was projected and comple- 
 ted by a gentleman residing at Nev/port, who was in 
 some subordinate capacity attached to the Treasury 
 Department. This, though unimportant, and not at- 
 tended by any novel developements, is sufficient con- 
 clusively to prove that, for historical accuracy, the me//.- 
 07'ies of two of the "Oldest Inhabitants" are not to be 
 implicitly confided in. 
 
 The Icelandic Chronicles, for many years deposited 
 in the archives of the Royal Society of Copenhagen, 
 are the authority upon which are based the labors of 
 that Institution. All that is known of the early his- 
 tory of this continent is contained in them,' and sub- 
 stantiated by the records of the voyages of Thorrin 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 43 
 
 Thornitidditiaiii Kirls.?ns Gutiaulasson, previous to the 
 discovery of Helluland, Vinland, and Forda-stran-dir, 
 which are now New England. These, in the original 
 parchment on which they were transcribed, are still in 
 the possession of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, at 
 Sohalhult, in Denmark. From this it was shown that 
 portions of their own people were in possession of a far- 
 distant country ; its climate, productions and natural 
 b3aatie3 were vividly described. Prompted by fraternal 
 sympathy as well as national prid3, the Royal College, 
 as early as 1716, under sanction and with support of the 
 Dmish Government, first undertook the laborious task 
 of tracing the history of their own people on this conti- 
 nent. From these it b3comes known, that besides many 
 others in different locations, there was at Newport, R. I., 
 a temple of their own order, built by men of their own 
 nation, in their own peculiar and enduring style ; and 
 when the period arriv3d which was to consummate this 
 important undertaking, and solve the mystery of the lost 
 colonists, it was but natural to suppose that their atten- 
 tion would be attracted hither ward. 
 
 Had it not been for these, the history of the " Old 
 Ruin," would have remained unwritten, and the opin- 
 ion been generally received, that this important struc- 
 ture, built at a period when architectural facilities were 
 unknown, with so great labor and inevitable expense, of 
 most beautiful design, and enduring as the rocks be- 
 low it, was built by Governor Arnold, in the 17th centu- 
 ry for the ordinary purposes of a Wind-mill. As will 
 might it be assumed, centuries hence, that Trinity 
 Church of Newport, the most symmetrical architectural 
 monument in New England, w^as erected for a cider-mill 
 in the 19th century. The history of the "Old Ruin," 
 subsequent to the settlement of Aquidneck is not our 
 purpose. That it existed at that time can not only be 
 inferred from various Indian inscriptions* upon its inte- 
 rior surface, but positively proved. Had it, as claimed, 
 
 * These inscriptions, evidently Indian, Wafi-xit-a, Uxa-ata-win-, 
 tliougii distinctly traced by Catherwood and otliers, are not relie i 
 upon hj A,ntiquxriau3, as they mijht p^Wibly bo iinpuitiau:*. 
 
44 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 been erected by Arnold, it would certainly have descend- 
 ed in record or tradition ; for no structure of so great 
 proportions exists which is attributed to the first settlers, 
 (so called.) That it was not intended as a mill is evi- 
 dent, for at the period claimed for its erection, there was 
 not in that settlement or those adjacent, a Wind-piill of 
 any description. The corn used was ground, among 
 the wealthier classes, in small hand-mills of foreign man- 
 ufacture, while the poorer classes were content with us- 
 ing two flat stones. The structure at St. Thomas, re- 
 ferred to by the " Oldest Inhabitant," is another con- 
 vincing proof of the great age of the "Old Ruin." Blue- 
 beard's Castle, to which he refers, was standing some- 
 what dilapidated, as at present, when the island was first 
 discovered by Columbus ; and it is matter of history, 
 that the great navigator, in attempting to improve upon 
 the design, by building a castle of immense mas^nitude, 
 lost his liberty, by order of Queen Isabella. After tra- 
 versing great space, over which I cannot follow at pres- 
 ent, the " Oldest Inhabitant," or "one of them," takes a 
 final leave of the old wind-mill, and assigns to Antiqua- 
 rian the task of explaining its object and history. This 
 is the design in the lecture proposed, and although it 
 may be insufficient to remove the prejudices which three- 
 score years and iQn have confirmed, still, such an array 
 of f^icts, gathered from authentic sources, and illustrated 
 by drawings and diagrams, from the Royal College at 
 Copenhagen, and the British Museum, will be presented, 
 as will secure the approbation of the reverent and can- 
 did scholar. Very truly, yours, 
 
 Antiquarian. 
 
 To Antiquarian, ) 
 
 Bruwn University, Providence, R. I. ] 
 When at the termination of my last article on the 
 subject of the "Old Stone Wind Mill," I assigned to 
 " Antiquarian" the task of explaining its origin and 
 object, it was with a viev/ of giving him an opportunity 
 to correct the error in wliich he was involved. I was 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 45 
 
 confident from the opinion universally expressed, that 
 the report attributed to Professor Scrobein was a fic- 
 tion, and v/ithout the least foundation in truth ; that 
 Antiquarian must have been convinced of his error, and 
 would be ready to acknowledge the total groundlessness 
 of the pretended report alluded to and attributed to 
 Prof Scrobein, — and which, if made by him to the 
 Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, had 
 grossly deceived the Royal College, and their action, 
 founded on the report, (so well contrived to operate 
 upon their national pride, as an evidence that they were 
 the discoverers of the New World, long prior to the 
 discovery by Columbus,) had deceived the world, and 
 that himself was among those deceived, — and that I 
 should not again have occasion to revert to the subject. 
 But the tenacity with which Antiquarian adheres to 
 his former error, regardless of the indubitable evidence 
 already adduced, by which the Report attributed to 
 Prof. Scrobein had been proved false and groundless, 
 and the manner in which he endeavors to turn that evi- 
 dence into ridicule, which he could not gainsay, and 
 avoids by expressing his indisposition " to enter the 
 arena of controversial strife with an unknown oppo- 
 nent," — as he avoided the same evidence once before 
 on the pretence that the tedious document could not be 
 submitted [published] in consequence of its great 
 length : — the ridiculously positive manner in which An- 
 tiquarian has treated the subject in his communication 
 in the Newport Daily News of the 21st and 22d inst., 
 obliges me, in support of the opinions and statements I 
 have already expressed and made, to advert once more 
 to the subject. Antiquarian again refers to the report 
 of Prof Scrobein, as if he considered it correct and ten- 
 able, although its falsehood as he must be aware from 
 his own knowledge of facts, is stamped on the face of 
 it. If I liave not already, I will before I dismiss the 
 subject, prove the absolute falsity of the report alluded 
 to, and the correctness of my own statements to every 
 unprejudiced and candid mind. 
 
 When, in a former communication in answer to '^\n- 
 
46 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 tiquarian," I stated and proved by undeniable evidence^ 
 that it was within the knowledge or memory of the old- 
 est inhabitants, who had lived from forty years to " three 
 score and ten," within a short distance of the Old Ruin, 
 that no excavation had been made around it to their 
 certain knowledge, as stated in the report attributed 
 to Prof. Scrobein, I did not depend on my own mem- 
 ory or that of the Hon. Stephen Cahoone, General 
 Treasurer of the State, the gentleman to whom 
 I alluded, who had lived many years within 100 yards of 
 the Old Ruin, and who was most likely to recollect if 
 any excavation had been made, excepting such as be- 
 fore noticed, which both that gentleman and myself 
 recollected, — but on the testimony of many others, who 
 did not reside in the immediate vicinity of the Ruin. 
 I am aware that the old fabric was visited some years 
 since (it may have been as long ago as 1832,) by Col. 
 Totten, of the U. S. Engineers, with several officers of 
 the Army then stationed here, accompanied by a s^tran^ 
 ger who might have been, as far as I know, Prof. Scro- 
 bein. I understood the object of Col. Totten was to 
 ajscertain whether the foundation of the Ruin com- 
 menced on the rock, which in some places on that ridge 
 of land lies near the surface, or whether it was laid on 
 inverted arches, for what object I never knew, but he 
 was not allowed by the proprietor to dig sufficiently deep 
 io eifect his purpose. I am also aware that Capt. Fatio, 
 when he commanded the Revenue Cutter on this sta- 
 tion, came on shore with part of his crew with a view 
 of making excavations around the Old Ruin, and I was 
 informed at ihe time by Capt. Fatio, that he could not 
 obtain permission from the proprietor. I have been re- 
 cently informed by a citizen of this place, of strict 
 integrity and honor, that he accompanied Col. Totten 
 and the Officers with him at the time above alluded to, 
 and was present during the whole time of their opera- 
 tions, that he was the only citizen of Newport present, 
 and that there was a stranger present, but not hearing 
 him speak, he did not know whether he was a foreigner 
 or a native citizen. They had an iron bar and pick-axe 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. 47 
 
 with them, and sounded with the iron bar to ascertani 
 the depth of the toj) of the foundation below the sur- 
 face — they removed a few sods on the outside, and 
 dug a few holes near the pillars, none of them exceed- 
 ing one foot deep, when they were forbid proceeding 
 further and desisted. This slight examination could 
 not by any means be considered an excavation, particu- 
 larly of the magnitude of that stated in the report at- 
 tributed to Professor Scrobein as having been made by 
 him. 
 
 After the publication of the report now under dis- 
 cussion, some few years since, which was represented V 
 to be a report of Professor Scrobein in relation to the 
 old ruin at Newport, it was generally supposed to be 
 an absurd legendary tale, too absurd to gain credit with 
 the public, written by some Troilopc of the masculine 
 gender, as a hoax, not so much for deception, as to jer 
 the Yankees for their many foolish pretensions in rela- 
 tion to origin, discoveries, h'uih, descent, &c. It was 
 then considered in this vicinity, to be so totally void 
 of truth as not to require an attempt to refute it, be- 
 cause it was thought no one could believe it a genuine 
 report, and the evil would correct itself as the misrep- 
 resentations of Madam Troilopc had uniformly done, 
 if this could be proved to have been the origin of the 
 report, (and there is good ground to believe it can,) 
 and that it v/as palmed oif upon Professor Scrobein in 
 so plausible a manner by some miscreant who had gain- 
 ed his confidence, as to induce him to believe it cor- 
 rect in its details, and to present it as the result of his 
 labors, it would exonerate him from the design to 
 deceive the Royal College — and although his extreme 
 credulity would add nothing to his merits, or exalt his 
 character in the opinion of the world, it would prove 
 the truth of the adage that 'Svhen great men err they err 
 greatly''; and in some degree relieve him from the dilem^ 
 ma in which he has involved himself, which must oth- 
 erwise "inevitable/ result in degradation and in dis- 
 grace.'' It would tend much more to the credit of 
 Antiquarian, whose object ought tobe toput down false' 
 8 
 
4fc< THE CONTROVEUbJY. 
 
 hood and sustain the truth, to take some plausible and 
 tenable means to relieve the Professor from the unen- 
 viable position in which he is involved, if he is deserv- 
 ing of the character so vividly portrayed by Antiqua- 
 rian, (from which I feel no desire to detract) than to 
 fasten upon him a report so evidently false in all its parts. 
 I shall not attempt to follow "Antiquarian" through 
 all his sarcasms, and muendoes, which I deem unwor- 
 thy of notice. I have never in any instance "denied 
 the evidences by which the claims of history have 
 been positively asserted," and the truth of which has 
 been maintained. Nor do I acknowledge having cast 
 caustic reflections upon Antiquarian for citing indis- 
 putable authorities, or denounced as fabulous, estab- 
 lished and authenticated matters of history. I may 
 have, in the opinion of Antiquarian, "betrayed a limit- 
 ed knowledge of the scientific advances of the age — 
 and an incapacity to exemplify the subjects of my 
 own adoption by correct chronological memoranda 
 of the early history of my native State," as is exem- 
 plified by the learned Professor, who writes under the 
 signature of "Antiquarian, Brown University, Provi- 
 dence, R. I." Although I have not had the advanta- 
 ges of a College education, and have passed my grand 
 climactcrirk, I have the vanity to think that I have not 
 an ^'entire misconception of the reports of the Royal 
 College of Copenhagen," nor have "evinced a readiness 
 rather than ability to contest their truth.'* Happily 
 my faculties are not so much impaired, nor am 1 sa 
 heavily pressed by the hand of time, that I cannot dis- 
 tinguish fair end undisguised truths, from barefaced 
 and pnlpnhle falsehoods. 
 
 In the foregoing, I have recited the report attribu- 
 ted' to Professor Scrobein, as published by "Antiquari- 
 an" himself. I liave heretofore asserted that no exca- 
 vation was made around the old ruin by Professor Scro- 
 bein, as stated in his report, and have referred to am- 
 ple evidence to satisfy every candid and unprejudiced 
 mind of the entire truth of the assertion. 
 
 When the facts stated in this communication shall be 
 
thl: controversy^. 
 
 4D 
 
 represented to the ''Royal Society of Autiquamus al. 
 Copenhao-en" as they assuredly will be, if the Royal 
 College does not retract the position they have assum- 
 ed in consequence of the imposition, and publish their 
 recantation in such a manner as shall render the a«^i- 
 dote as diffusive as the poison, they will not do their 
 duty to the world, and the records of the "Royal So- 
 ciety of Antiquarians at Copenhagen," which has hith- 
 erto enjoyed the confidence of the world in general, 
 will no longer be relied upon as 'Hlic text-book of thz 
 scholar and historian,'^ or the ''Antiquarian,'^ 
 
 When at the close of my former communication, I 
 took my leave of the old wind mill, I really thought 
 I had given "Antiquarian his quietus, and that I should 
 hear no more from him on the subject, but he has again 
 referred to it, in a vein of irony, still more ridiculous 
 than heretofore. He ridicules the opinion expressed 
 by me, which coincides with the opinion always enter- 
 tained by nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the island, 
 that the old ruin was built by Gov. Arnold in the 17th 
 century, for the ordinary purposes of a wind-mill, and 
 says, "As well might it be assumed, centuries hence, 
 that Trinity Church of Newport, the most symmetrical 
 architectural monument in New England, was erect- 
 ed for a cider-mill, in the 18th century." This simik, 
 in which there is as much rhyme as reason, is totally 
 unworthy of a -Prq/ess(>r in Brown University, as set- 
 ting an example c^ exceeding bad taste to ihe students 
 in the institution/ "Antiquarian" may rest assured, 
 that without looking centuries ahead, the opinion of 
 mankind, taken at this day, would decide that there is 
 as much probability that Trinity Church was original- 
 ly built for a cider-mill, as that the old stone mill was 
 erected for a Haptistcry, or a place of religious wor- 
 - nhip . 
 
 The question has been asked v/hy build it with stone, 
 when the land was covered with trees ? and why build 
 it on pillars and open below ? To the first, I answer, 
 because at that period there were no saw-mills to saw 
 th3 timber into plank and boards, and the stone of 
 
^" THE CO>{TKOVERSY". 
 
 which it was built was on the land near where it was 
 erected ; the shells to make the lime, and the sand 
 and gravel to make the mortar, were on the beach, 
 within three quarters of a mile ; and the wood to burn 
 the shells to lime was on the spot. To the second 
 question I answer, because it was built by people just 
 from Europe, where the Wind-mills at that time were 
 built, and have been from that time to this, of the same 
 form. In the Penny Magazine of the Society for the 
 diffusion of useful knowledge, for November, 1836, 
 page 4S0, there is an engraving of a Wind-mill at 
 Chesterton, Warwickshire, England, erected after a de- 
 sign of Inigo Jones, which, without the roof and vanes, 
 would be a fac simile of the old mill at Newport. An 
 aged ship master of this town, of the first respectability, 
 and of undoubted integrity, who has been many voy- 
 ages to the North of Europe, informs me, that he has 
 seen there more than forti/ Wind-Mills of the same 
 material and construction as the Old Wind Mill here, 
 and he had the curiosity once to ask, at one of them, 
 why they were built on pillars and open between them, 
 and was informed that on this construction, the wind 
 having a free passage through, there was no eddy wind 
 caused, to make a back sail, and lessen the power. — • 
 A gentleman just returned from a two years' tour in 
 in Europe, informs a friend who feels an interest in 
 the present discussion, that in his travels he hgs seen 
 in different parts of Europe more than a hundred^N'iYni- 
 mills of the same material and construction. A gen- 
 tleman a few days since procured a quantity of the 
 cement or mortar from the wall of the old stone house 
 in Spring street, which was built by Henry Bull, one 
 of the first purchasers of the Island, immediately after 
 the first settlement of the town, in 1638, and speci- 
 mens from several other ancient buildings and stone 
 chimneys, and some from the tombs of Governor Ar- 
 nold and his wife, and from the stone mill, and ana- 
 lyzed and compared them, found them of the same 
 quality, and composed of shell lime, sand and gravel, — 
 and considered it a very strong evidence that they were 
 
THE CONTROVERSY. .>! 
 
 built not far frora the same time, all probably within 
 a period of thirty or forty years from each other. I 
 feel no enmity towards "Antiquarian," because I con- 
 sider him under a delusion, as it respects the old ruin. 
 I should be pleased to hear a lecture from him on the 
 Antiquities of Rhode-Island, and the adjacent States, 
 illustrated if you please by drawings and diagrams from 
 the Royal College at Copenhagen and the British Mu- 
 seum. But if he should attempt, after reading this 
 communication, to prove the correctness of the report 
 attributed to Professor Scrobein, which every body 
 here knows to be entirely \vithout foundation in truth, 
 — or to prove any thing from the decisions of the Roy- 
 al College at Copenhagen founded on the deception, 
 he will fail to alter the universally expressed opinion of 
 the citizens of Newport, as well as that of the stran- 
 gers now here, on the subject, and render himself at 
 the same time supremely ridiculous. 
 
 One or the Oldest Inhabitants. 
 
 Newport, March 23, 1843. 
 In conformity to the declared intention of the writer 
 to represent the facts to the Royal Society of Antiqua- 
 rians at Copenhagen, he forwarded to the President of 
 the Institution by the favor of the Hon. George Ban- 
 croft, our Minister in England, through the Danish Le- 
 gation in London, a copy of the. Herald of the Times 
 and Rhode Islander of Aug. 6th 1847, which contained 
 the full report attributed to Professor Scrobein, as pub- 
 lished by " Antiquarian, Brown University, Providence, 
 Rhode Island," with a letter calling the attention of the 
 Royal College to the subject, (which is too lengthy and 
 quite unnecessary to be published) asking the favor of 
 an answer, if such a report had ever been made to the 
 Society, and acted upon as stated in the report. To 
 this communication the waiter has just received an an- 
 swer, *in respect to which it is barely necessary to remark, 
 that the description given by Dr. Webb, as well as the 
 
 * Appcivibc. Letter C. 
 9 
 
52 THE CONTttOrEESr.- 
 
 drav/ings which were transmitted, though in their geji- 
 eral contour correct, are hi their minutioe visibly incor- 
 rect, so decidedly so, as to mislead the judgment of 
 those best skilled in the history of architecture, and to 
 render it impossible for them to determine with any re- 
 liable precision the period to which the structure may 
 be referred^ there is no reliance therefore upon the 
 opinions pronounced by the ablest judges skilled in the 
 history of aixhitecture, founded on data so incorrect as 
 those submitted to their inspection. 
 
 The Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, 
 wiiich is universally considered as the source of correct 
 information on facts relating to subjects of Antiquity, 
 have been imposed upon by unprincipled miscreants in 
 this country. As an instance of their success in their 
 attempts at deception, I would refer to the following : — 
 The inscription on the Dighton Rock^ which is un- 
 doubtedly an Indian inscription in commemoration of 
 some great battle, and was so pronounced by General 
 Washington, (when a copy of it was shown to him at 
 Cambridge during the Revolutionary War, he having 
 seen many similar to it in the Indian country,) and is 
 8o considered by Henry R. Schoolcraft, Esq., Professor 
 of Geology in the service of the United States, who 
 visited the Rock the last summer, and who has seen 
 many of the same description in various parts of the 
 country, from Maine to the source of the Mississippi, 
 and is acquainted with the meaning of many of the 
 characters in the inscription, — this- inscription has been 
 copied by some designing wretch,* and forwarded to the 
 Royal Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, undoubt- 
 edly for deception, and published in the work alluded to 
 by Professor Rafn, entitled Antiquitates Americanac .. 
 The version of the inscription published in that work, 
 and distributed throughout Europe and America, was 
 altered so as to make it appear to have been the work 
 
 * The autiior of this imposition, as well as the report attributed to- 
 
 Scrobciv, is suppoded to be a foreigner, a few years ."niice a resident 
 iii thii town. 
 
THE CONTKOV'EKSr, 53' 
 
 of the Scaiidiiiuv^iaiis, by altering the cliaracler3, ami 
 additiir ill the body of the inscription, the characters, O 
 R I N X, which is said to be the name of one of their 
 early navigators; such unwarrantable conduct is dis- 
 graceful to the authors, an imposition on that highly res- 
 pectable institution and the world, and ought to be 
 discountenanced and exposed by every admirer of the 
 correctness of facts relating to ages passed. The So- 
 ciety have (from misrepresentations made to them in 
 regard to the " Newport Ruin," as it has of late been 
 called) been drawn into an error in supposing that their 
 Scandinavian forefathers visited in the 10th century, the 
 island of Rhode Island, At the remote period referred 
 to in the letter of Professor Rafn, they may have visited 
 Massachusetts, and reported it by its true Indian name, 
 and if they had visited this Island, it is reasonable to 
 suppose they would have called it by the name it was 
 called by the native inhabitants, Aqucthneck, It wa» 
 not called Rhode Island until 1645, as appears from the 
 following extracts from the Old Colony Records. " At 
 a General Court held at Newport on the 15th day of 
 the 1st month 1644 : — It is ordered by this Court that 
 ye Island commonly called Aquethneck, shall be from 
 henceforth called the Isle of Rhodes, or Rhode Island." 
 There is no doubt that the Northmen discovered in 
 the 10th century, the Eastern coast of this Continent, 
 and visited that part called by the Indian inhabitants 
 Massachusetts, but it is doubtful if they visited at that 
 period the Island of Aquethneck, now Rhode Island 
 There does not appear from any history, or tradition 
 from our ancestors, that there was any tradition among 
 the Indians of Aquethneck ever having been visited by 
 white men, before the settlement of the country by our 
 British ancestors. When the first white inhabitants 
 settled on the Elizabeth Islands, there was a tradition 
 among the Indians, that the Vineyard had been visited 
 many ages before by a colony of white men, who came 
 there in a vessel from the North, and remained there for 
 a season, and returned to the North in the Winter, with 
 asi intention of returning there anrain the next vear.but 
 
o4 THE CONTROVERSY. 
 
 never came back, and were supposed to have been lost; 
 and the same tradition was rife among the Indians on 
 the main and remains to this day. It is very probable 
 those were the Northmen from the borders of the St. 
 Lawrence, and that the Vineyard Island was the extent 
 of tlieir progress westward along the coast. From this 
 circumstance, and from sinister motives, it has been en- 
 deavored to be shown that the Northmen visited this 
 Island in the 10th or 11th century, and called the Island 
 " Vineland «S^c." and the Newport Ruin has been en- 
 deavored to be palmed upon the world through the Roy- 
 al Society of Antiquarians at Copenhagen, as evidence 
 of the fact of the visit of the Northmen, and the work 
 of their hands, but 
 
 " Let AntiqvMrkins say ivhat they willy 
 It's noth'mg but an Old Stone If ill"* 
 
 One of the oldest inhabitants. 
 
 [" Oiir respected fiienJ has, m bis accidental alteration of the coup- 
 let be professes to quote from tbe Poem of Aquitlneck betrayed not 
 a little poetic inventiveness himself. We quote the paragraph, to the 
 last two lines of which he probably refers.] 
 
 Speak ! thou stone mystery that o'ertopp'st the b^ll, 
 
 Fort, baptistery, monunaent or miU, — 
 
 Which, or what art thou ? say ! And is there, ther 
 
 j^io faithful Mather's faet-compelUug pen 
 
 To let men know both whence and what thou art, 
 
 And set at rest the antiquarian heart ? 
 
 How long hath Time held on lus mighty march 
 
 Since first arose thy time-defying archf 
 
 Die thus the astonished Indian on thee, 
 
 A mystery staving at a mystery ? 
 
 A son of Canaan, shall we rather say, 
 
 Viewing the work of brethi-en passed away? 
 
 Was it Phcenician, Norman, Saxon toil 
 
 That sunk thy rock-based pillars 'u the soil? 
 
 How looked the bay — the forest and the hill, 
 
 When first the sua beheld thy walls, old Mill ? 
 
 Alas ! the Antiquarian's dream is o'er, 
 
 Thou art an old stone ivindmill,— nothing more. 
 
THE CONTilOVERS'/. ij) 
 
 [For symmetry's s;\ke, that each of t{ie three parts 
 of our little book may be rounded with a dream* we 
 introduce here the following graceful lines, by a lady 
 of this town :] 
 
 THE OLD STONE MILL. 
 
 " A stern round Tower of other days" 
 
 Old ruined Tower ! Time from his win 53 bath shall eu 
 
 The dust 01 ages o'er thy history : 
 In vain conjecture would explore, or waken 
 
 One echoing tone to tell thy mystery. 
 
 Years have roli'd oa since thou, in strength gigautit', 
 Hast stood the storms, which, battling in their might, 
 
 Lash'd into fury all the broad Atlantic, 
 
 And to3s"d its waves around thy sea-girt height, 
 
 Embower'd in shades of forests all primeval. 
 Thy stones were laid for shelter or defence, 
 
 But no tradition, with thyself coeval, 
 
 Glides phantom-hke from out the dai-biess dense. 
 
 That lovely Bay,' spread out in placid beauty 
 
 Beneath thy Vails, upon its bosom bore 
 Full oft the Phate rover with his booty ; 
 
 And did he rear thee to secure liis store ? 
 
 The Norseman wandering from his regions frozen, 
 On "Vineland's" shores delighted once to roam ; 
 
 Perchance thou mark'st the spot his heart had chosen, 
 Raised to protect from enemies his home. 
 
 Or — did Aquidians lay thy strong foimdation 
 When Narragaasett warriors bold assail'd ? 
 
 If so, — but little to that luckless nation 
 
 Tlicir "stern round Tower" of massive strength avaiiM !. 
 
 But ere they quall'd, from thy grey walls rebounded 
 
 The baffled arms of many a savage foe; 
 Wild whoops and yells among the stones resounded. 
 
 And gory scalps hung reeking from thy bi-ow. 
 
 ■«■ 
 
 Shaksporo says : 
 
 " Our little life is rounded with a sleep.'* 
 
^56 THi: CONTROVEIISY. 
 
 TuaquiaheJ, enfeebled, did thej then forsake thee, 
 
 Such warlike efforts evermore to cease ? 
 Auii thus, fair Island ! did tliey once more mike tliee 
 
 What they kii foudly tcnn'd thee, Isle of Peace * 
 
 Then solemn sUencc reigned among thy arches, 
 Unbroken, save when Nature's voices spoke ; 
 
 The Hosts of heaven, in majestic marches, 
 The only Seutineb who round thee woke. 
 
 The wild Deer bounded fearlessly before thee, 
 
 The Wolf's fierce eye-balls 'neath thy shadow gleam'd, 
 
 The Eagle v/heel'd his "flight aerial o'er thee, 
 
 And from tliy battlements the Vulture scream' d. 
 
 Ere long, thy solitu le again mvadcd, 
 
 Saw, midi dim aisles of overarching trees. 
 
 The Pilgi-hii str.iuger, worn with toil and jaded, 
 Poui* out wann prayers upon hLi bended Icnees. 
 
 Then fell the forest year by year around thee, 
 And habitations rose — and men vv^ere bom, 
 
 Who in no scene of sylvan beauty found thee, 
 But on a street, of all thy romance shorn ! 
 
 Yet on thy fate, 'tis said, still hangs suspended 
 The red man's destiny — whose hapless race 
 
 Shall on the earth become extinct and ended, 
 When thy last stone shall totter from itd place ! 
 
 Rose. 
 
 Note to ths Sixth Stanza. — Rhode-Island was named by the 
 Indians. Aqiiidnot, or Aquidneck (i. e. Isle of Peace) the Aquidians 
 were driven out by the Narragaasetts, shortly before it was settled 
 bv whites. 
 
^^acn ^ocs^Loc^ ^L>_gaaa 
 
PART III: 
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 It remains, now, that we sum up the case, before 
 dismissing it to the jury of the public and of posterity, 
 and, as is not uncommon with the most impartial 
 "^udores en earth, sliow which way our own opinion 
 leans ; although, in this our charge, we may do what is 
 not generally thought proper, we believe, in the courts 
 of law, — put forward some additional items of evidence 
 Avhich the counsel had not noticed. We shall in- 
 timate, we said, which way our opinion leans, for we 
 think it would be presumptuous to say that the advocates 
 of either or any theory about the Old Stone Mill have 
 yet produced testimony or probability that closes the 
 question. 
 
 We have already alluded, in our opening remarks, to 
 the theory of the Copenhagen Antiquarians, as express- 
 ed by their Secretary, Professor Rafn. This was giv- 
 en in the Supplement to the ''Antiquitates America- 
 nse," published in 1840, a volume containing an inter- . 
 esting letter to him from Dr. Thomas j^. Webb of Bos- rT- 
 ton, communicating the first information the Society / 
 
 had received of the old structure, together with Rafn's 
 dissertation on the subject, accompanied by illustra- 
 tive plates. To this book, of which there are probably 
 manv copies in the country, we need only refer the cu- 
 ll 
 
CONCLl's'ION" 
 
 rious reader, as we shall give, in the course of ciif n- 
 marks, the substance of what it presents, to the point 
 before us. 
 
 It will be seen that Professor Rafn must have expe- 
 rienced some abatement of his first confidence by the 
 time of his letter to Mr. Melville. He says there, as we 
 have seen, that any one ought to be on the spot, to pro- 
 nounce with much confidence as to what is to be in- 
 ferred from architectural appearances. But let this be 
 contrasted with the tone of the following extracts from 
 his dissertation, particularly of the sentence we have 
 given in Italics ; the clause in capitals we quote as wp 
 find it printed : — 
 
 " There is no mistaking in this instance the style m 
 which the more ancient stone edifices of the North 
 were constructed, the style which belongs to the Ro- 
 man or Ante-Gothic architecture, and which, especially 
 after the time of Charlemagne, diffused itself from Italy 
 over the whole West and North of Europe, where it 
 continued to predominate until the close of the 12th 
 century ; that style which some authors have, from one 
 of its most striking characteristics, called the round 
 style, the same which, in England, is denominated Sax- 
 on, and sometimes Norman architecture." 
 
 "On the ancient structure in Newport there are no 
 ornaments remaining, which might, possibly, have served 
 to guide us in assigning the probable date of its erection _ 
 From such characteristic- as remain, however, we 
 can scarcely form any otiier inference than one, in 
 which, 1 am persuaded, all who are familiar with old 
 Northern architecture will concur, that this build- 
 ing WAS ERECTED AT A PERIOD DECIDEDLY NOT LATER 
 
 THAN THE Xllth CENTURY. "This remark applies, of 
 course,'" (he very judiciously adds) "to the original 
 building only, and not to the alterations that it subse- 
 quently received ; for there are several such alteration.'* 
 in the upper part of the building, which cannot be- 
 mistaken, and which were, most likely, occasioned by 
 its being adapted, in modern tiines, to various uses, as- 
 the substructure of a wind-mill, and latterlv as a hay-maora- 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 *-.7 
 
 JAWC. To the same times may be referred the windows, 
 the fire-place, and the apertures made above the col- 
 \imns. That this building could not have been erected 
 for a tclnd-miU,'' (this is the sentence we referred to,) 
 ''is what ail architect will easili/ discern'' — and what irt 
 think, in Newport, it will be difficult to prove. 
 
 But we shall reserve our remarks on this theory till 
 we have heard it through. 
 
 "For what use," continues the Professor, '^ was this 
 Ante-Columbian building originally intended 1 That 
 the primary and principal object of its erection was to 
 serve as a watch tower, is what I cannot admit, al- 
 though very possibly it may have been occasionally 
 used as a station from whence to keep a look-out over 
 the adjacent sea. On the contrary, I am more inclined to 
 believe that it had a sacred destination, and belonged 
 to some monastery or Christian place of worship in one 
 of the chief parishes in Vinland. In Greenland there 
 are still to be found ruins of several round buildings in 
 the vicinity of the Churches. 
 
 " These round buildings have been most likely Ba-p- 
 tisteries ; for it was the practice, in early times, to 
 erect separate buildings as Baptisteries, distinct from 
 the churches near them, it being the received opinion 
 that no one could enter the sacred edifice of the church, 
 until he had first been initiated by the rite of baptism. 
 
 '^ Among the ruins of Mellifont Abbey, in the 
 county of Louth in Ireland, there is found, close to the 
 Chapel of St. Bernard, an octagonal structure, in the 
 Roman style of the Xllih century, probably coeval witli 
 the foundation of the monastery (A. D., 1141.) Each 
 side is perforated by an arched door-way, and the ex- 
 terior angles are formed by pilasters, on which the 
 w^hole structure rests. The inhabitants of the neigh- 
 borhood call it a bath ; but it seems more probable, 
 iuidthis is also the conjecture of the Irish Antiquari-ins. 
 that it was a Baptistery. 
 
 " The Ante-Columbian Structure in Newport bears so 
 much resemblance to this octagonal building, that it 
 must appear probable, that it v/as intended for a siuiilar 
 
<>2 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Christian use, and has possibly belonged to a church, 
 or .1 monastery founded in Vinland, by the ancient 
 Northmen." 
 
 Such is the theory of Professor Rafn, and we confess 
 tliat it would seem to us very probable, were it not for 
 the traditions of our own neighborhood and perhaps^ 
 even in the face of those traditions, it would stagger us, 
 were it not for one refractory fact, we mean Arnold's^ 
 designation of it in his will. 
 
 *' Mr. Joseph Mumford," (says a deposition signed by 
 him and dated Nov. 17, 1834) "now residing at Hali- 
 fax, aged about eighty years, formerly of Newport, states 
 that his father was born in 1699 in said Newport, and 
 that his father always spoke of the Stone Mill in this 
 town as the Powder Mill, and that when he was a boy" 
 (say in 1764) " his father used it as a hay-mow — that 
 there was a circular roof on it at that time and a floor 
 above the arches — that he has himself, when a boy, re- 
 peatedly found powder in the crevices, sometimes to the 
 amount of two or three pounds, and has likewise known 
 other boys to find quantities of it." Indeed there is 
 abundant tradition to show that the building has been 
 used for various purposes, and that, as has been proper- 
 ly said, does not prove its original design, and in fact 
 the variety of designations given to it at periods not 
 very remote from each other might seem to favor the 
 theory of its having been, as far back as our ov/n tra- 
 ditions extend, too old to admit its original object's being 
 known. Still all the titles, vvhether Wind Mill, Powder 
 Mill or (simply) Stone Mill, have the nam.e Mill in com~ 
 mon and point to our great central argument, Arnold't* 
 wilL It will be seen that Mumford notices the circular 
 roof which it had about the m.iddle of the last century. 
 This agrees with many other old men's testimony, and 
 jt is even remembered that, when the change of wind 
 required that the wings, with the top, should be turned 
 round, it took a yoke of oxen to do it, Mr. John Lang- 
 ley, now living in the lower part of the town, about 
 eighty years of age, used to hear his. father say that,, 
 when he was a boy, he carried corn to that mill to be ground 
 
CONCLUSION. Chi 
 
 All this, to be sure, does not pi'ovc that it was buili 
 (or a mill. But, we confess, the language of Governor 
 Arnold in his will (which is given in the Appendix*) 
 where he calls it '^ my stone-built Wind Mill" — taken 
 in connexion with the tradituns and with the well-re- 
 membered fact that the chimney of his house (pulled 
 down in 1780) was built of just ruch stone and (very 
 hard) shell-cement — does strongly incline us to the con- 
 clusion that it ./as built for a Wind Mill and built by Ar- 
 nold, We would not, indeed, go to the length, as soHie 
 have, of maintaining thai " my stone-built" mean?; 
 " which I built of stone," but it does seems to us dith- 
 cult, almost to the degree of impossibility, to conceive 
 that Arnold would have called it his Wind-Mill, huilt of 
 stone, if it had been merely an old structure which he 
 had found on his land and used for the substructure. 
 of a Vi^ind mill. And we submit one consideration, to 
 which we beg the reader's particular attention, as it 
 seems to our minds to have great force. It is this : Ar- 
 nold, as we have seen, calls the structure '' my t^tone- 
 built Wind Mill." But Edward Pelham, to whom the 
 building came as the husband of Arnold's grand-daagli- 
 ter, simply calls it in his will, t " aw Old Stone Vv^inji 
 Mill &c." Now whence this difference in their respec- 
 tive modes of designating the object? If Arnold had 
 simply found the old relic on his land, or bought it witli 
 the land, why should he say, *' my stone-built Wind 
 Mill" any more than Pelham should, who was the owner 
 of it just as much as he had been ? Why should Arnold., 
 as it w^ere, express so much nearer an interest in it than 
 Pelham? Will it be said that it was because Pelham only 
 got it by marriage, whereas it had been personally as 
 well as legally Arnold's ? But Pelham speaks in the 
 .same will of " my upper garden," and why not of " niv 
 stone-built Wind Mill" ? We see but one satisfactory so- 
 lution of this difference of language and that is the sup- 
 position that Arnold built the Mill and so conhl call i? 
 
 ■:^ Letter A. 
 
 4- Appetidi.Y. Letter B, 
 
 12 
 
€4 CONCLUSION. 
 
 " my- stone-built Wind Mill." It has, indeed, been said, 
 on the other hand, th'itPelham's calling it, in 1743, *' an 
 Old Stone Wind Mill" indicates that it could hardly 
 have been the work of his wife's grand-father, but would 
 seem to favor the theory of its having been of unknown 
 origin. This suggestion, however, seems to us to be 
 balanced by the fact that Arnold calls it " my stone-built 
 wind mill." 
 
 Nov/, further, we shall present certain facts and 
 considerations which tend to show with what peculiar 
 propriety Arnold could call this structure "iSi?/ stone 
 built wind-milL" We have a journal kept by Peter 
 Easton, one of the earliest settlers of Newport. In 1663 
 he writes : " This year we built the first wind milV* 
 and under date of August 28, 1675, he makes entry : 
 "on Saturday night, 40 years after the great storm in 
 1635, came much the like storm, hleio doion our wind 
 mill and did much harm." Now if we suppose, as it 
 is very natural to do, that upon this Arnold proceeded 
 to build a new and stronger mill, and that this was pre- 
 cisely "the old Stone Mill," — as only two years ejapsed 
 between this and the date of his will, he might well call 
 it " 7ny stone-built wind-mill." 
 
 Once more, and finally, we shall now proceed to 
 show, by a chain of circumstantial evidence, how prob- 
 able it is that Arnold should have put up some such 
 building as this during the period when he must have 
 done it if at all. We are indebted for most of our facts 
 to Elton's Edition of Cailender's Century Lecture and 
 E. R. Potter's very curious and valuable contribution 
 to Rhode-Island history, being Vol. III. of the R. I, 
 Historical Society's collections. From these authori- 
 ties we glean the following items : 
 
 Wm. Arnold, (father of Benedict) "came up the first 
 year with JMr. Williams" i. e. came up from Salem to 
 the Providence Plantation in 1636. He was then 47 
 
 * The Editor of tliose papers, in a note to the Poem of Aquid- 
 neck, asked why this "Mr.st Avind-imll," might not be the uow old 
 ttone mill. It will be seen that he has since bcwme bettev 
 infonn^d. 
 
CONCLUSION. 05 
 
 fears old. He was one of the twelve with whom Roger 
 Williams shared his Providence and Pawtuxet lands, and, 
 "at the same time the island" (of Rhode Island) " was 
 inhabited, a number of Providence people, Mr. Arnold 
 &c., sate down at Pawtuxet, a place adjoining and 
 within their grant." The son, Benedict Arnold,* 
 ''came up, a man grown, the first winter." Having 
 been born in England, in 1615, (Dec. 21st) he was 
 about 22, when we find him an inhabitant of Provi- 
 dence, and the oldest remnant of the town Records, 
 dated Aug. 29, 1637, contains his name among the 
 signers of a covenant, promising conformity to the civil 
 laws v/hich the majority shall establish. We very 
 eoon find young Arnold one of the most prominent 
 men in the Colony, as owner of lands, agent in purcha- 
 sing them for others, in collecting tribute of the Indi- 
 ans, acting as interpreter with them, and other like 
 public business. When we say in the Colony, however, 
 we use the phrase somewhat loosely, as, indeed, the 
 early historians often do. For we find that in 1644 a 
 certain Sachem having deeded considerable land in 
 W^arwick to Arnold and others, and rival claimants dis- 
 puting his right to sell it, Arnold and his party applied 
 to the Massachusetts Government for support, and re- 
 ceived it, only on condition of submitting themselves 
 and their lands to Massachusetts, which they did Sept. 
 8, 1642. In 1643, Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connect- 
 icut and New Haven, formed a confederation for mu- 
 tual defence, but they refused to admit Rhode-Island. 
 In 1645, "The commissioners (of the confederate col- 
 onies) sent Benedict Arnold and others, messengers to 
 the Narragansetts, who returned with an answer. The 
 Indians afterwards declared that Arnold had misrep- 
 resented them, and it seems he was afraid to venture 
 among them for some time after'' Already there would 
 seem to have been a growing distance between Arnold 
 and Williams, too. For Williams, in a letter about this 
 time, speaks of Wm. Arnold's being with him (on some 
 
 * Gov, Arnold wgus great-grand-father to the Traitor, 
 
IJO CONCLUSION. 
 
 occasion) ''instead of his son Benedict, who withdrnc 
 himsdf, though sent unto." Whatever may have been 
 the cause, Arnold removed to Neu-port in 1653. He 
 was probably by this time married, as we find his son 
 Benedict, old eno igh in 1679, to go in an armed sloop 
 to visit the garr-son at Providence. In 1651 Wm. 
 (^oddington had got himself appointed by the Council 
 of State, in England, Governor of Rhode Island for 
 life. The people on the main-land sent Yv^illiams and 
 Clarke over to England, and had his commission re- 
 pealed next year and procured a Patent, under which 
 Williams was chosen first President of Rhode-Islraid 
 and Providence Plantations. His successor was Bene- 
 <iict Arnold, who served from 1657 to 1669, and again 
 from 1663 to 1663. Arnold w^as also the first Governor 
 and was twice re-elected to the office under the Char- 
 ter of Charles II, and the chair is still in existence 
 in which he sate^when inducted. 
 
 We find Gov. Benedict Arnold, then, one of the 
 most prominent, active and wealthy men in the Colony. 
 At his deatu, besides his large grounds on the Island, 
 he was principal owner of Conanicut, (Dutch, Goal 
 and Coaster's Harbor Islands, he had shortly before 
 sold to Nevv-port,) and of extensive tracts on the Nar- 
 ragansett shove. It was a time when the feuds of the 
 Indians among themselves and with the other colonies, 
 kept Rhode Island in continual uneasiness. This Isl- 
 and itself, indeed, was for the most part, unmolested, 
 "The Indians," says Callender, '*never landed on the Is- 
 land in the war time, armed boats being kept plying round, 
 to break their canoes, and prevent their making any 
 attempts." Arnold, as we have seen, had made him- 
 self obnoxious to the Indians, and there is a gentleman 
 living, who has heard his father say that Arnold had a 
 fort on the wharf back of his house to prevent their 
 landing. Moreover we are told by Callender that 
 "there was a misunderstanding and some hostilities occa- 
 sioned, I think, by some of the Indians (if not Mian- 
 tonomi himself) kindling fire in Mr. Easton's land" 
 (this was Nicholas Easton, brother of Peter) "Lord's 
 
CONCLUSION. (>7 
 
 Day, April 4, 1641, whereby an liouse of his was burnt.'' 
 This, he says, " though they did not knov/ whether it 
 was intentional cr accidental, alarmed the people, and , 
 among other measures, they fitted cut an armed boat to 
 keep On the Indians from lending. They likewise 
 appointed garrison houses to which the people were 
 to repair on an alarm." 
 
 Now, then, w^hen we consider all these circumstanes : 
 that tlie first wind mill had been blown down ; that the 
 first house had been burnt down by the Indians ; that 
 Governor Arnold was not popular with the Indians ; that 
 he was an able and ambitious man : — is it not altogether 
 natural to suppose that, if he did build a wind mill, he 
 would build a strong and showy one, one that would 
 stand storm and fire, and that would look like a fort at 
 least? It is not important to our argument to insist 
 j upon the interval between 1775 and '77, as the date of 
 j its erection, though the objection on the score of short- 
 j ness of time for such a work does not strike us as very 
 I weighty, — but if any find that date too improba- 
 ble, we are walling to ascribe it to any part of the fif- 
 teen years between the building of " the first wind-mill" 
 alluded to by Peter Easton, and the date of Arnold's 
 will ; — only, if we suppose the structure in dispute to 
 have been begun immediately after the destruction of 
 Easton's, there is a greater accumulation of reasons to 
 show why it should have been built so strongly, as it has 
 been proved to have been by the storms of nearly two 
 hundred years.* 
 
 The architectural style of the Old Mill (so called) 
 has been brought as an objection to the theory of its 
 having been built by any of our first settlers. But who 
 shall say that Gov. Arnold had not a fancy as well as pol- 
 icy about the matter ? It has been handed down by the 
 old men that his house had a stately fence before it, and 
 
 * Aud by tlie fiict, whicii we liavo received from the old men, 
 that in the Revolutionary -vrax, vv-lien the British had posses^cion of 
 the Island, suspecting that signals were made fi-om the Old Mill tu 
 the mainland, they midertook to tear it down, but after dulling their 
 pickers at it for some time, desisted from tlie attempt. 
 
6^ (CONCLUSION. 
 
 on the gate posts tail images. To tlie coustrLiction of 
 l^is chimney allusion has been made. Possibly, durinnr 
 the years oi' his youth in England, he may have seen 
 old mills of the kind. Opposite our title-page is an 
 engraving of one taken from the Ptnny Magazine of 
 1836, called, as we are informed by a gentleman of 
 most accurate observation, memory and judgment, re- 
 siding on the hill, " an ancient mill," which struck him, 
 v.-hen he was passing through Leamington, England, 
 ten years ago, as the very counterpart of our old relic, 
 and which, tradition says, was built after a design by 
 the famous Inigo Jones, and we may add, that Jones 
 flourished precisely during the period of Arnold's living 
 in the old country. It will be observed that in the pic- 
 ture there are stairs in the middle leading up into the 
 mill. The object of leaving open arches may have 
 been partly appearance and partly to allow free vent for 
 the wind and so obviate a loss of power occasioned, 
 where the sail falls vertically beside a dead wall, bv 
 what is called the backing of the wind. 
 
 But all these speculations, however they may strike 
 our readers, are unnecessary to our cause ; whatever 
 theory may be adopted as to the date of the Old Mill's 
 erection and the reasons for this or that peculiarity in 
 its structure, we ask for an explanation, that shall do 
 away ours, if possible, of the simple and stubborn fact, 
 of Arnold's calling it, in a carefully drawn legal docu- 
 ment, "my stone-built wind mill"; and, waiting for 
 this, we " leave," in the words of Professor Rafn's con- 
 clusion, "to future investigations and researches, whether 
 the ancient Tholus in Newport, did really belong to a 
 Scandinavian Church or Monastery, where, in alternation 
 v.ith Latin masses, the old Danish tongue was heard 
 seven hundred years ago ;" and, meanwhile, we will let 
 our readers listen to the *' Song of the Wind Mill Spir- 
 its," overheard by one of our Rhode Island Poets and 
 Antiquarians, who, in the part which we have indicated 
 by Italics, seems to have had our old mill in his mind. 
 
COXf:Ll'.*il()N. 6*0 
 
 .^ons €f Ihe Wind Mill fipirlis. 
 
 Ha, iia I — here "vre are, and the moon has not set ; 
 
 And the mossy old Windmill is standing here yet. 
 The harvest is gathered, the summer has gone, 
 
 And again -we rejoice in the scent of the coin. 
 Up all, — to the mngs now ! blow high, or blo^v low. 
 
 Round on the old Windmill once more we Avill go I 
 The trees have been leafless, their branches all whi'-e. 
 
 Since we left it, last autumn, one cold, frosty night, 
 A)id went far* away from the region of snow, 
 
 To see the magnolia and locust-tree blow : 
 Then, the warm, sunny fields of the south we tiave trod. 
 
 To see the wliite cotton Imrst out fom its pod ; 
 And then, far away to the bright to]-rid zone, 
 
 Where the orange, and lemon, and citron have blovai. 
 But once more, the season we love has come roimd, 
 
 And here, to enjoy it, again we are found ; — 
 And while the bright moon which now lends vis her beam. 
 
 Is looking alone on the rock and the stream, 
 And gently the dews of the midnight distil, 
 
 We will have one more ride on the wings of the mill ! 
 
 Stretch out, then, stretch out, to the end of each wing, — 
 
 And send them all roimd, with a good, hearty swing ; 
 Up and down — up and down — send them merrily round, — 
 
 Bear them down on that side, from the sky to the ground : 
 Now up ! — send them up : — on this side let them fly 
 
 With a bound from the gi'ound, till they point to the sky — 
 Kow they crack : never mind, — they are used to the strain : 
 
 Up with them once more, — now down with them again ! 
 
 Hoiv gaily, that morning, we danced on the hill, 
 
 When \oe saiv the old Pilgrims here building a rnill ; 
 There, at day-break, we stood lohcn they laid the first stone. 
 
 And came, every night, till their labor was done. 
 Hmo often around its old wings we have hung, 
 
 Arid have gambolled and laughed, and have shouted and sunff. 
 Its frame-work all fell, ere a century waned, — 
 And only the shaft and the millstones remained. 
 It was built all of iiiood, 
 And bravely had stood, 
 Sound hearted and merry, as long as it could : 
 And tlie hardy old men 
 Determined that then 
 Of firm, solid stone they vjoidd build it again. 
 With a catiseiray and draw, 
 Because they foresaw 
 
' CONCLUSION. 
 
 .// would make a good fort in sane hard Indian icar. 
 
 But thcj are all gone, its old biiililers ai-e gone, — 
 Tiiey are all in their graves, and a new race is bom : — 
 
 All, all of its builders, — the head which had planned, 
 E;ich liand which helped raise it' each honest old hand, — 
 
 They are gone, all are gone, — all are low in the mould , 
 And the new mill itself is an hundi'ed years old. 
 
 But still, when the harvest has been gathered in, 
 Up here in the moonhght we always have been ; 
 
 [n the soft autumn midnight, still, year after year, 
 Tlie "wind and the moonlight have found us all here. 
 
 But when the fi'ost comes and the sleet and the snow, 
 And the green leaves are dead, then far southward we go, 
 
 And rove 'mid the rich fields of rice and of cane, 
 Till the bright noi-thern summer recalls us again. 
 
 We love the cleai- breeze o'er the pine-covered hill. 
 As it sings through the wiugs of the stiu'dy old mill. 
 
 There it comes ! now spring out to the end of each sail, — 
 And let each arm bend like a mast in a gale. 
 
 Hound with them, — round with them, — the wind is too slow. 
 Bear dovra all together, hallo I there, hallo ! 
 
 FiU the hoppers below — heap them up till they choke, — 
 And let the old stones then fly round till they smoke I 
 
 Round, round, send them round with a merry good will : 
 Ha ! ha ! we are back to the rattling old mill. 
 
 And Ephraim, the miller, the drowsy old head, 
 Who Ues now at midnight asleep in his bed, 
 Should he wake, would suppose 
 That because the wind blows, 
 And for no other reason, — around the mill goes, — 
 Wlien, at sumise, he comes, and our work he has found. 
 
 How little he'll know how his gi-ist has been ground, 
 
 Tlien, round, — send it round ! — for our wo]-k must be done 
 Ere old Father Ephraim appears with the sun. 
 
 Though fair are the plains of the south and the west. 
 
 We love the gi-een fields of New-England the best. 
 For here, while we see o'er the golden-edged plain, 
 
 Each low, fertile liillock all waving with grain. 
 We know, that rewai-ding its patience and toil, 
 
 The hand of the free reaps the fruit of the soil. 
 We are fi-ee as the blue air around us is free, — 
 
 And so we would have all God's creatiu-es to be. 
 
 Hi), ha I a fi-esh breeze now comes over the liiil : 
 
 Each sail feels its breath : — now thev stiiien and till ! 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 Now, now, all is straining above and below,: — ■ 
 And round the quick cii'cle we merrily go — 
 ilound, round, — and now hark to the musical tones 
 That come quivering out from the whii'liug old stones ! 
 What joy can coinpi.re 
 With the life tliat we bear ? 
 The earth is our p!ay -ground, our home is the ah\ 
 How happy are we, 
 How happy are we, 
 'Midst the beautiful things of the laud and the sea I 
 
 When the moonbeams fall clear, thi-ough the silence of night 
 
 And the dew-ch-ops are sparkhug Uke gems in the light, 
 We love, bounding forth w-ith the speed of the gale. 
 
 The rich, teemiug cornfield's sweet breath to inhale ; 
 While each stalk gently bends, as they bear us along, 
 
 And waves its green arms in response to our song, 
 And the spmdle's tall plume that droops over its head, 
 
 Just moves in the air, as it springs fromoui- tread 
 
 And when our gay revels have drawn to a close, 
 
 'Mid the cool, vordaut foliage, how sweet to repose 1 
 Or to rock in the leaves, when all round us is stilled, 
 And eon^Dune with the life with which natui'e 13 iuled, 
 Which above and below, 
 Forever doth flow 
 Rejoicing around us, wherever we go, — ■ 
 And to mortals unknown, 
 To us hath been shewn 
 By Him who made all and who sees all alone. 
 
 How often we listen delighted, to hear, 
 
 Beside the green folds^'of the delicate ear, 
 The voice of the tender young mother of cora 
 
 Singing 'mid her iau- brood which within it were bom. 
 While'' breathing in fragi'ance and cradled in silk. 
 
 They are drawing forth Hfe from her fukiess of milk 
 
 And when the bright days of the summer have fled. 
 
 Its beauty all withered, its verdui-e all dead, 
 The care and the toil ol the season all past, 
 
 And the full, golden harvest is gathered at last,— 
 When the gay, men-y groups to the husldng repair, 
 
 'Though miseen and unheard, yet we often are there. 
 While the chinks of the barn are aU streaming with light, 
 
 And sounds of loud glee wake the echoes of mght, 
 Our voices. prolong 
 The laugh and the song, 
 And ajiswcr each shout that bui-ats foiih from the throng. 
 
 13 
 
 71 
 
72 CONCLUSION. 
 
 And •when the new gi-ain comes its hoppers to fill, 
 How clearly we love the old corn-scented mill. 
 
 Hallo, then. — rouse all ! Ere the night watch is past, 
 One more meny round let us have, and the last. 
 
 To the ends of each arm ! — and now pour in the com : 
 The daylight is coming, and we must be gone. 
 
 Eound with them ! — ha, ha ! how like wiUows they spring ; 
 And the sails go down skimming like birds on tlie wing. 
 
 Rise all with them cheerly, — then down let them come : 
 And now hear the stcnes, how they spaikle and hum. 
 As they rapidly swing, 
 In its fire-ciicled ling 
 
 Each seems like a glad hving creature to sing ! 
 Hark, bark ! to their song, how it gushes and svrcUs 
 
 With sounds like the low, dic^tant chiming of beUs. 
 Once more, all together : — now, up from below : 
 
 There is light in the East ; — we must go — we must go. 
 
 There's a cloud passing by. 
 
 Over head in the sky, 
 And there, for an horn-, we our fortune will tiy ; 
 
 It is time to be gone, 
 
 For the day will soon davm, 
 And the cloud reddens now with the tints of the mom. 
 
 It is waiting us there, 
 
 And oiu- troop it must bear 
 On a cool, pleasant sail through the pme moming air. 
 
 See, the coming of day, 
 
 We must not delay : 
 Up ! thi-ough the blue ether ! up, up, and away ! 
 
 And now, the old mill 
 
 May, go on, if it will, — 
 Or fold up its wings, for a while, and be stilL 
 
APPENDIX ( 
 A, 
 
 BENEDICT ARNOLD'S WILL. 
 
 By the permission of God Almighty, I, Benedict Arnold, of 
 Newport, in ye colony of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantation3, 
 Ac, senior, aged sixty and two years, finding myself subject to weak- 
 ness and Infirmities ye usual attendants on aged persons, and consid- 
 ering my days are not like to be many that I have to abide in this 
 temporal life, and now at the writeing hereof being (tho somewhat 
 weak of body yet) in perfect memory and reasonable understanding, 
 and resolving it necessary for preventing ye many inconvenienciea 
 that may arise for want of seting my house in order and setling my 
 temporal estate while I am alive, do therefore make this my last will 
 and testament in manner and form following: 
 
 Imprimis. And in ye first place I having full assui'ance of ye infi- 
 nite mercy of my Almighty Creator unto my soul do cheerfully and 
 willingly recommend ye same into his blessed hands from whom I 
 received it, and by whose grace am made willing to wait his pleasure 
 for my change from this transitory life, unto a fife in and with him- 
 self eternally, and my body unto ye earth fi-om whence by ye Al- 
 mighty power and Decree of ye same God it was taken, wilhng and 
 appointing that after ray decease my body may be decently interred 
 by my Executors hereafter in this writing named, ye charge of said 
 interment to be defriiyed out of my personal estate. My body I 
 desire and appoint to be buried at ye North East corner of a par- 
 cell of ground containing three rod square being of and lying in my 
 land in or near ye line or path from my dwelling house leading to 
 my Stone built WiuJ-mill, in ye town of Newport, abovemen- 
 tioned, the middle or center of which three rods square of ground 
 is and shall be ye tomb already erected over ye grave of my 
 gi-and-child, Damaris Goulding, there buiied on ye fourteenth day 
 of August, 1677, and I desu-e that my deai- & loving wife, Damaris Ar- 
 
; 4 APPENDIX. 
 
 nold, after her death may be buried near unto nic, on ye South 
 side of ye place aforesaid ordered for my own interment, and I do» 
 order my Executors to erect decent tombs over her grave and my 
 grave in such convenient time as it may be effectually accofm- 
 plished, and further 1 do hereby solemnly prohibit ye selling or 
 otherwise disposing of said tlxi'ee rod square of ground or any pait 
 thereof, but that it be wholly reserved to ye use of my kindred 
 relations for so many of them as shall please to buiy their dead 
 in the said gi'ound and therefore do or^ier and appoint that they 
 shall have fi-om time to time on all such occasions to and from ye said 
 burying place, free egress and regress without any molestation from • 
 any that shall succeed me in ye land about it. 
 
 Item. In ye next place I will and ordain that all my just debts 
 shall be paid, all which at ye writing hereof do not amount to thirty 
 pounds sterling, in New England money, either by bill or book due ta 
 any or all men whatsoever, imd after clearing all such debts as shall 
 appear just, I do give and bequeath vuito my dear, loving and beloved 
 wife, Damaris Arnold, aforenamed, and to her proper use and behoof 
 during her natural life, and after her decease, to ye proper use and 
 behoof of our beloved daughter, Godsgift Arnold, and to her heirs 
 and assigns to Lave and to hold, possess and enjoy as her and their ■ 
 own true rights and lawful inlieritance forever, that is to say, ye land* 
 and tenements hereafter mentioned, namely : ye house and two acres 
 of land, be it more or less, that I bought of "VViUiam Haviland, being 
 and lying in ye precints of ye town of Newport, above said, bounded 
 on ye South and on yc East parts by land nt)w or late in the p )ssession 
 of Thomas Clifton or his assigns, on ye West by a highway belong- 
 iagtosaid town, and onyeNoith by land that I have bequeathed ta 
 my son Josias Ai'uold, and I order ye said line of fence to be made and 
 forever maintained by ye occupants of ye premises which I bought of 
 "Wm. Haviland aforesaid, as also all that land which I bought of Wnx 
 V^ughau being and lying in ye precincts of the said town of Newpoit, 
 and by rrie named Spring Harbor lauds containing ninety acres more 
 or less in two parcels ye greater of wdiich two pai-cels is bounded on 
 ye Noitli by land now or later in ye possession of Henry Bull, on 
 ye East by land in ye possession of ye assigns of Wm. Bi-enton» 
 Esq., deceased, on ye south by land in ye possession of John Cogges- 
 hall, senior, and on ye West by a highway belonging to ye said 
 Town. The lesser of ye said parcels of land is bounded on ye 
 North by land of Henry Bull aforesaid, on ye East by ye highway 
 aforesaid, on ye South paitly by a bi*oad way and partly by land in 
 ye possession of ye assigns of George Gardner deceased, and on ye 
 West by a creek or cove of salt water, all which the premises to- 
 gether with a certain parcell of land in the Close called Stillhouse 
 close, being and lying in the precincts of ye aforesaid Town, contain- 
 ing by estimation two acres and a quarter, more or less, in two dis- 
 tinct parcella each bounded as folioweth, namely ye bigger parcel 
 on ye Noi-th and West m part by Roger Goulding's land and on y<i 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 75 
 
 North and Exst more lari^ely bj a liiirli^ray belo:i^in5 to ye saii 
 Town, oa ye Soafca by m/ so.i 8213 lijs A-aolda laai, aal oa ye 
 West by a hlg-liway p.xralell with ye Tx>wa3 highway lea. ling to- 
 wards this ye said Beaadict Arnold's" land; and ye lesser parcell of 
 the premises is bounded on ye North by a parcel of Roger Gould- 
 ing's land aforenamed, on ye East by ye highway last mentioned as 
 aforesaid, on ye South by Benedict Arnold's land aforesaid, and on 
 ye West by ye sea or harbour of the Town aforementioned, and it is 
 ordered that the said Benedict Arnold his heirs and assigns are to 
 make and forever maintain a good and sufficient fence in ye line be- 
 tween His said land and both ye said parcels of ye premises and ye 
 least or last di scribed parcell thereof is to make and forever main- 
 tain by ye occupants thereof a good and sufficient fence in ye line 
 between it and Roger Groulding's land thereto adjoining as aforesaid 
 •11 which ye premised pircells of land lying and being in five dis- 
 tinct parts, each bounded as aforesaid, I do give and bequeath to 
 ye only proper use and behoof of my said wife Damaiis Arnold for 
 her support and in order also toward ye maiutainance of my daugh- 
 ter Godsgift Arnold during ye natural life of her mother my said 
 wife Damaris Arnold, and in ye mean time to be carefully kept and 
 reserved to ye only use and behoof of my said daughter Gods- 
 giffc Arnold, after lier said mothers decease for her my said daugh- 
 ter Godsgift Arnold to have and to hold use and enjoy to her self 
 and to her heirs and assigns as her anl theirs and every or either 
 their undoubted rights and lawful inheritance forever. 
 
 Item. I do also give and bequeath unto ye proper use and. be- 
 hoof of my said wife Damaris Arnold, during her naturall life and 
 after her decease to ye use and behoof of my dearly beloved and 
 youngest daughter Freelove Arnold, all and singular ye lands and 
 buildings severally hereafter mentioned in p.articular, that is to say 
 my dwelling liouse and lands buildings and tenements hereafter 
 named, namely one tract of land being and lyeing in ye precincts of 
 ye aforesaid Town of Newport containing by estimation sixteen acrea 
 distinguished into two pircells by a hi^'hway belonging to ye said 
 Town and bounied severally as followeth, thxt is to say, the lesser 
 parcell whereon is erected my Warehouse and Wharf, and bounded 
 as followeth on ye East by ye highway aforesaid, on ye South by a 
 parcell of land 1 have bequeathed mito my son Oliver Arnolcl, on ye 
 West by the sea or harbour of Newport, on ye North by land now 
 or late in ye possession of Pardon Tillinghast or his assign?, ye other 
 and greater pucoll of ye tract of land abovesaid upon which stand- 
 cth my dwelling or mansion house and othei- buildings thereto ad- 
 joining or belonging as also my Stone Built Wind Mill, and in the said 
 parcell is being and lying ye three rod squire of groan 1 abovesaid 
 that! hive set apart for a burying p'ace ye whole pareell being 
 bounde I as followeth, on ye West by ye highway aforesaid on part 
 of ye Noi-th an 1 part of ye Ea^t by a qulUefc of land cont.v.aiag fifty 
 ioot sqiare thit I sold and i»w o:* late ia ye.p333e33ioa of Jeremiah 
 U 
 
(O APFEXDIX 
 
 BroTTii, and on ye rest of ye Nortb by a highway, belonging also ka 
 ye aforesaid liighway to ye said Town, on ye East by laud naw or 
 late in ye possession of Walter Clavlie or his assigns save only a? 
 yc Town may order a highway between, an.i on ye S(<nth by laud I 
 have bequeathed to my son Jo>iah Arnold, he ye wiid Jusiah Arnold 
 his heirs or as^dgns being to maintain a good and sufficient fence in 
 ye line between ye premises and his said land. Moreover, I give 
 and bequeath unto my said wife, Damaris Arnold, as above said, 
 during her natural life, and after her decease to ye use of our said 
 daughter, Freelove Arnold, a certain tract of land being and lying 
 in ye precincts of the said town, and by me called Lemmington 
 farm, containing by estimation, one hundred and thuty acres more 
 or less, and bounded as followeth ; that is to say, on ye North by ye 
 sea or harbor of ye said town fur ye greater part, and by land in 
 possession of John Stanton on ye rest of the North part ; on the Ea^ 
 by ye rest of John Stanton's land aforesaid ; on ye South by ye 
 Common, and on ye Vf est by ye Common, down to ye sea or har- 
 bor aforesaid, ye Northernmost part being divided at present by a 
 stone wall from ye Southermost part of ye premises which as yet 
 is not fenced, from yc Common on wliich it is bounded as aforesaid, 
 all which ye premises, tracts and pai-cels of laud as distinguished by 
 ye respective bounds of each of said tracts and parcels before 
 mentioned, togetlier with all ye buildings, improvements, fences and 
 conveniences upon any and every part of ye pi-emises erected or 
 thereupon being or to any part thereof properly belonging, or in any- 
 wise hereimto appertaining, I do give and bequeath as above said 
 unto ye proper use, and behoof of my said wife Damaris Arnold, for 
 her support, and in order toward .ye maintenance of my daughter 
 Freelove Arnold aforenamed, dming ye imtural life of her mother, 
 my said wife. Damaris Aiilold, and all ye premises I will and order 
 to be carefully reserved and Icept to ye use of my said daughter, 
 Freelove Arnold, after her said mother's, Damaris Arnold's, decease, 
 for her, my said daughter Freelove Arnold, ye premises and every 
 part and parcel of ye same above mentioned, to have and to hold, 
 possess, use and enjoy to herself, my said daughter Freelove Arnold, 
 to her own proper use. and behoof and to ye proper use, and behoof 
 of her heirs and assigns as her and their and every or either of her 
 or their true rightful and lawful inheritance forever. 
 
 Ife77i. For ye more comfortable subsistence of said wife and 
 toward ye maintenance of my two daughters aforesaid, I hereby 
 win and order that aU my cattle, either Horse kind, neat cattle, 
 Sheep and Swine, tlwtt are mine in ye precmcts of ye town of New- 
 port aforesaid, shal all be delivered and left in yc possession and to 
 ye use of my said wife Damaris Arnold, to ye end and purpose be- 
 fore exprest during her natur.al life, and after her decease what of 
 ye said cattle and their in:irease shall remain, I order to ye peculiar 
 use and behoof of my said daughters Godsgift Arnold and l-'reelove 
 Arnold, to be speedily and equally divided between them two, tbcnr 
 
heirs or assigns, for stocldng theii- respective lands hereby given c* 
 aforesaid. 
 
 Item. And to ye end ye business and work may be carried oft 
 ye moi-e conveniently, I order and appoint, that all ray servants of 
 what sorts soever, and all my household stuif and utensils, shall be 
 and remam to ye use of my said wife Damaris Arnold, during her 
 natural Hfe, and after her decease what remains to be divided among 
 my cliildren, to wit : to each of my daughters aforesaid, one third 
 part therecjf and ye other third also to be equally divided between 
 them exce])t my said wife do otherwise dispose of that part to some 
 other of om' children before her death. 
 
 Itmi. Unto my eldest and well beloved son Benedict Arnold, 
 I give and bequeath half of my neck of land, being ye Southermost 
 part of ye Island, called Quonanaquit, lying in Nai-raganset Bay, 
 near Rhode Island, in ye colony aforesaid, ye said neck of land being 
 by me named Beaver Neck, and doth contain one thousand acres, 
 Bun-ounded by sea excepting where it is joined to ye rest of Quo- 
 nanacut by a naiTow beach or sponge of land called Parting Beach, 
 which said beach where it joineth to ye said neck is to be fenced off 
 therefrom by my said son. Benedict Arnold, and a gate therein to be 
 lianged or bars to be put up and down upon occasion of going or 
 coniing into or out of said neck by any and every of my sons, their 
 heirs and assigns, to whom I have'^beque:ithed land at ye Southern 
 end ye Island, to wit : my son JosiVn Arnold, and my son Oliver 
 Arnold, ordering and hereby providing that there shall be a mutual 
 privilege and liberty to my said sous Benedict, Joi-iah and Oliver, 
 their heirs and assigns, forever (being that these lauds will lie join- 
 ing or near unto each other) to pass and repass tlii'Ough one anoth- 
 er's lands on their necessary occasions, either of carting, driving cat- 
 tle or ye like, as also for lishiug and fouling about ye thcres and 
 creeks, and for sheltering boats or canoes in any ye ponds, coves, 
 creeks or nooks of ye see, as occasion shall require from time to time, 
 and also free passage to and from ye boats over each other's lands, 
 they not othervase dammfieing one another by leaving open gates 
 or bars or ye like ; and whereas I give and bequeath one half of 
 ye said Beaver Neck unto my -son Benedict Arnold, I intend he shall 
 have ye Northermost end thereof, and that the neck sr.all be equally 
 divided in tv\'o, as near as may be, over thwart ye breadth of it from 
 ye East shore to ye West shore, and ye fence "that shall be made 
 and maintained in ye said line, three parts of four beginning at ye 
 West end of sd. line shall be made an;l forever maintained by my 
 son Josiah Arnold and liis heirs and assigns, and ye other fourth part 
 of that line of fence shall be made and forever maintained by my 
 said son Benedict Arnold and his heirs and assigns, from time to 
 time, the premises to him bequeathed hfive hundred acres, bounded 
 on ye South by ye aforementioned line ; on ye East by an arm of 
 ye sea called Mackrell Cove ; on ye North partly by the beach end 
 o^rejncutioned, and ye rest by ye pond called Eel Pond, and .y^_ 
 
/3 APPENDIX. 
 
 outlet thereof iato ye sea down to ye place called Fox Hill : aa.i on 
 ye West by ye sea ; a3 also to ray sai I son Benedict Arnold, I give 
 end bequeath one third part of ray interest in Dutch Island, lying 
 near adjacent to that part of Qurmonicut, all which, and premises, I 
 will and order to ye only use, and behojf of my said son Benedict 
 Arnold and his heirs and assigns forever. 
 
 Item. Unto my beloved son Josiah Arnold aforenamed, I give 
 ani bequeath a certain parcell of land, being an 1 lying in ye precincts 
 of ye town of Newport abave mentioned, ye said land containing by 
 estimation, four acres more or less, being eight rod in breadth from 
 North to South, and eighty rod in length from East to West, bound- 
 ed on ye North by laui I have bequeathed to his mother Damaria 
 Arnold, &C. on ye East by land of Walter Clarke on ye S3uth in 
 part by land now or late in ye possession of Thomas Ciifton or bis 
 assigns and partly by ye laud above said, I bought of Wm. Haviland 
 and bequeatiied to ye said Damaris Arnold, ttc. and partly by a high 
 way belonging to the taid Town and on ye West by a highway be- 
 longing also to ye same Town, as also to my said son Jotiah Ar- 
 nold, I give and bequeath a certain parcell of land lying in ye said 
 town c 'Utaiaing near a quarter of an acre, being in length North and 
 South nine rod, more or less, and in breadth East and West sixty 
 two feet, bounded at each end by ye street ways belonging to the said 
 town and on each side by land in ye possession of Thomas Ward, aa 
 also unto my said son Josiah Arnold, I give and bequeath a certain 
 
 Eiarcell of land, being and lying on ye South end of Quononicut Is- 
 md above mentioned, in ye neck of land Beaver Neck, ye premises 
 containing live hundred acres and bounded as foUoweth; on ye 
 North by land above given and bequeathed to my son Benedict Ar- 
 nold, and on ye East, South and West, by ye sea, and therewith 
 free egress and regress to and through ye said Benedict Arnold s 
 land, and to and through ye land I have given to my son OUver Ar- 
 nold, on occasions more particularly above expressed, to be mutually 
 used and allowed by ye said Benedict Arn )ld, Josiah Arnold and 
 Oliver Arnold, according to my true intent and meaning in that mat- 
 ter, and together with ye aforesaid lands, I give and bequeath unto 
 my said son Josiah Arnold one third part of my interest in ye island 
 called Dutch Island af >re;nentioaod, all which ye premises together 
 with ye priviledges, advantages and commodities thereupon, or upon 
 any part or parts of ye same being or thereunto belonging or apper- 
 taining, are to be and remain to ye only proper use of my s:ud son 
 Josiah Arnold and liis heirs and assigns forever. 
 
 Item. Unto ray youngest and well beloved son, Oliver Arnold 
 aforenamed, I give and bequeath ye lands, tenements and heredita- 
 ments hereafter mentioned that is to say, a certain parcell of land 
 being and lying in ye precincts of ye aforesaid Town of Newport, 
 containing one f>urth part of an acre, more or less ; being six rods in 
 breadth from North to South, and bounded on ye North by ye land 
 given and bequeathed to my wife Damaids Arnold, <fcc. as abovesaid 
 
iippBNDiJ:. 7S>> 
 
 on yc East by ye street way or highway aforementioned belonging 
 to ye said Town, on ye South by land 1 sold to Simon Parrot, and 
 on ye West by ye sea or harbour of ye same Town, he ye said,, 
 Oliver Arnold, his heirs and assigns, being to make and forever main- 
 tain a good and sufficient fence in ye line between ye said land 
 hereby granted to my s'd son Oliver Arnold, <fe ye land aforemen- 
 tioned, lying on ye north side thereof which I have given unto hu 
 mother, my wife Damaris Arnold as abovesaid, the South line of ye 
 land hereby given to my said son Oliver Arnold, being to be made 
 and forever maintained by Simon Parrot, his heirs and assigns as by 
 ye deed he had of me doth appear, as also I give and bequeath unto 
 my said son Oliver Arnold, a cortain tract of land being and lying 
 upon ye Island of Quononiquut aforementioned, containing by esti- 
 mation three hundred acres, more or less, and called Cajaset land, 
 and bounded as followeth ; on ye north partly by a highway two 
 rod wide, lying between ye premises and ye laud now or late in ye 
 possession of Caleb Carr, senior, or his assigns and partly by land 
 now or late in ye possession of ye assigns of Wm. Weeden, deceased, 
 on ye West and on ye South by a ti-act of land called ye township, 
 as on ye plat or diaft of ye said Island it doth appear, and on ye 
 Easterly part ye premises is bounded by ye sea in ye severall 
 turnings &c. of ye said land on that part thereof <fec. and also that 
 with ye foresaid tract, I give and bequeath another certain tract 
 of land being and lying on ye said Island Quouonicut, in a tryrmgu- 
 lar form containing sixty fom- acres by ye surveyors, Plat of that Is- 
 land and is bounded as followeth, that is to say, on ye North Une by 
 ye 8o called Township land aforementioned, on the Easterlj' part by 
 ye broad high way that goeth upon a hne North Easterly to ye said 
 Township land so called and on ye South and West partly by y© 
 end of ye Beach aforenamed, and partly by Eele Pond aforesaid, 
 and by ye influxx thereof into ye sea, as also I give and bequeath 
 unto my said son Oliver Arnold, all ye land that now is my right 
 to and in said tract called ye Township ye said tract containing by 
 ye sm-veyor's acco't. two hundi-ed and sixty acres my said interest 
 therein being more than one third part of ye said tract as belonging 
 unto my other tracts and shares and to all and evei-y of them in yo 
 said Island as by me purchased and lawfully procured so that my 
 B'd rights in ye said tract called ye said Township is and ought to be 
 eighty three acres and upward the bounds whereof will be as yo 
 committee shall appoint when they divided ye said tract to ye res- 
 pective owners thereof uutill when it is however contained within 
 ye tract aforesaid called the township land ; further I order that 
 whereas there is supposed to be some land belonging to Franci* 
 Brinley that may be forty acres which may fall in or about some 
 part of ye premises to wit: forty acres belonging to a two huadreth 
 part and a three hundredth part of ye said Island &c., I say for 
 making up ye said forty acres to said Brinley, I order that he shall 
 have forty acres of ye North part of ye ti-iangular tract of lami 
 
S6 APPENDIX. 
 
 aforementioned as ones ho proposed or else some land at north end 
 of said Islmd near or next to his land tliore which he earnestly de- 
 sired, and to gratifie him I have procured to that end to aconiidate 
 him with in way of Exchange for that aforementioned lying near 
 ye premises, and I order th.it to make ye premises given to said 
 Oliver Arnold five hundred acres he shall have it out of my land, 
 that I bought of John Tripp, George Bliss, Edward Thurstoia, Wm. 
 Gadman and Bartholomew West as by deed in writing it may ap- 
 
 Eear under their hands and seals and being and lying in ye main 
 ody of said Island, J^orthward from a tract there granted \o "Wm. 
 Brentoa Eiq., deceased, by and among ye first purchasers of said 
 Islands, yo names of ye persons of whom I bought ye aforesaid 
 lands being written ia ye place on ye plat of said Island shewing 
 where they are to lye and together with ye aforesaid land, I give and 
 bequeath unto my said son Oliver Arnold one third part of my in- 
 terest in ye Island called Datch Island aforementioned, and also an 
 equall privile Ige as is aforepremised and ordered to either liis broth- 
 ers Benedict Arnold, or Josiah Arnold, for free and mutuall egress 
 and regress to and through each other's land on all occasions as are 
 afore more particularly expressed, all which ye lands and priviledges 
 whatever are to be and remain to ye proper use and behoof of my 
 aid 3 in Oliver Arnold and his heirs and assigns forever (with ye 
 houseing and building thereupon.) 
 
 Item. I also together with ye lands on Quonanicut aforesaid given 
 and bequeathed to my said sons Benedict Arnold, Josiah Arnold and 
 Oliver Arnold, do by these presents give and bequeath all my cattle 
 that are or may hereafter be found within any the said lands lying 
 southward from ye said Caleb Carr's land whether horse kind, meat 
 cattle, sheep and an3'- other sorts ye said cattle to be equally shared 
 amongst them, to each of my said sons one third part to stock their 
 respective lands, by these presents given and bequeathed as afore- 
 said. 
 
 Item. Whereas I have formeidy given unto my well beloved son 
 Caleb Arnold, a considerable sum as by my book accounts may ap- 
 pear to value of two hundred pounds sterling in current pay, yet in 
 my tender respects to my said son Caleb Arnold, I domoreover 
 give and bequeath a certain parcell of laud lying and being in ye 
 precincts of ye Town of Newport abovesaid, containing a quarter 
 of an acre more or less and boundeth as f jlloweth, that is to say, on 
 ye North by land now or late in possession of ye assigns of Wm. 
 Brenton Esq., deceased, on ye East by the street way belonging to 
 ye said Town, on ye South by land now or late in ye possession of 
 Robt. Carr een'r., and on ye West by ye harbour belonging to ye said 
 Town, and together with ye premises I give and bequeath unto my 
 eaid son Caleb Arnold, eight score acres of land, being and lying in the 
 Island Quonanicut above mentioned, and boundeth as foUoweth, that 
 is to say, on ye North and South by land in my ovni possession or in 
 ye possession of my assigns at ye wi-iting hereof, on ye East by ye sea, 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Si 
 
 ahd on ye "West by the broad higlnvay ye premised land being and 
 lying on ye east side and northern part of Qucnanicut, near to ye 
 land of I'rancis Brinley, above mentioned, all which ye pvemises to- 
 gether with all ye commodities thereon or thereunto properly be- 
 longmg and appertaining are to be and remain to ye only proper 
 use and behoof of ye said Caleb Arnold for and dining his natural 
 life, or mitil his eldest son then Uving diall come to ye age of one 
 and twenty years, which said son of his shall at that age enter upon 
 and enjoy the premises to hmi and his lieirs forever. 
 
 Item. Unto njy beloved daughter Damaris BJiss ye wife of John 
 Bliss of Newpoit, I give and bequeath a certain parcell of land be- 
 ing and lying in ye precincts of ye said Town, containing seven and 
 twenty acres more or less and bounded as followeth, namely on ye 
 North partly by land I sold to James Card lately, and partly by 
 land in ye possession of Joseph Cai-d, on ye east partly by Joseph 
 Cards land aforesaid, and more largely by land in possession of ^ il- 
 liam Weeden, on ye South by land now or late in ye possession of 
 the assigns of Lieut. Joseph Torry deed., and on ye West by ye 
 Great Common of ye s'd Town ye premises to be and reniaui to 
 ye only proper use and behoof of my said daughter Daniaiis Biisa 
 and to her heii-s and assigns forever. 
 
 Item. Unto my beloved daughter Penelope Goulding, ye wife 
 of Roger Goulding I give and bequeath a certain parcell of land 
 being and lying in ye precincts of ye Town aforesaid, ye said land 
 by me named Scirt field, and is that wliich I purchased of ^Wm. 
 Dyre sen r., now late deceased, containing by measure two and twen- 
 ty acres and a half, and is b >unded as followeth, that is to say, on 
 North by land in ye possession of Peleg Sanford, or his assigns, on 
 ye East by ye Great Common afuiesaid as also on ye South by ye 
 same common and on ye West partly by land now or late m ye 
 possession of ye assigns of Wm. Dyre aforesaid, deceased, the prem- 
 ises to be and remain to ye only use and behoof of my said daugh- 
 ter Penelojje Goulding and her heirs forever. 
 
 Item. I give and bequeath unto my two youngest daughters 
 to wit: Godsgift Arnold and Freelove Arnold beforenamed, to each 
 of them fifty pounds sterling New England silver money to be de- 
 livered to each of my said daughters at ye age of twenty years on 
 ye day of their respective marriages hereby adviseing them to be 
 advised by their mother in that point of maniage wherein either of 
 them being refractory then ye money even both of said fifty pounds 
 to be deUvered to ye use of ye tibedient party in that point and ye 
 same m case of ye death of either of them in ye mean time ye 
 whole to ye sui'vivor is to be deUvered to her use and to no other. 
 
 Item. What silver spoons, cups, bowls, bealjers, and porringers, 
 are now mine I leave them to ye use of my eaid wife during her 
 naturall hfe, or untill in her life time she shall please to give any of 
 it to either our sons, daughters, gi-and-children and ye rest to be re- 
 eerved and kept to ye use of such of them as my eaid v/iie shall dis- 
 
82 APFEI^DIX. 
 
 pose it to be theirs after her decease. 
 
 Item. Concerning my interest in ye purchase of Petaquamscot 
 in ye Narraganset country my said interet^t being one part of seven 
 of that purchase botli of land, miaei-alls, and all other the commodi- 
 ties, privileges and conveniences on ye said part of ye said pui-chase 
 l)eiiig or thereunto in any wise belonging or appertaining I do by 
 these presents give and bequeath my said seventh part vmto my 
 eaid sons Benedict Arnold, Jo^iah Arnold, and Oliver A mold, togeth- 
 er with my cattle of all sorts that shall be found upon or about ye 
 premises to be equally divided amongst them, to ye proper use and 
 behoof of my said sons and to every of tliem theii* heu's or assigns 
 respectively forever. 
 
 Only excepting and wiUiug with ye advice and consent of ye rest 
 of ye partners that some tract or tracts five miles to the 'N'orth- 
 ward and Westv.ard of ye Rock called (by ye Indian natives) 
 Pettaquamscot Kock, may be set apart and proposed to ye use of 
 this Culony upon very easie terms for acconnnodating one or two 
 Townships to be ordered and erected by ye General Assembly of 
 this colony, in which said Townsliip I de-ue and order may l>e' ac- 
 commodated more especially my aforesaid thj-ee sons and also -my 
 son Caleb Arnold aforenamed, as also Major John Cranston, Capt 
 Peleg Sanford, Capt. Roger Gouiding, Mr. James Barker Ensign, 
 Jolm Bliss, Mr. John Coggeshall sen'r., with other deserving persons 
 that may be proposed by ye rest of ye partners and I further will 
 and order that in case ye settling of a Town or two be not effected 
 yet however that my said sons together with Maj(n- Cranston, Capt 
 Peleg Sanford, Capt. Roger Gouldiug, Mr. James 'Barker, and Ensign 
 John Bliss, and John Coggeshall, sen'r., afores'd, shall, out of my 
 own interest in ye said tracts five miles distant from ye said Rock 
 called Petaquamscut Rock, each and every of them respectively 
 have two hundred and fifty acres of land, in and of my said shares 
 to every and either of tlieir own proper use and behoof & to ye use 
 and behoof of then- heirs and assigns respectively forever, and what 
 shall remain of my said part of said tract or tracts distanced from 
 and not tying within ye Siiid distimce of five miles of ye said Rock 
 I desire my Executors hereafter named to take care thereof and 
 cause it to be disposed towards erecting and maintahiing a fiee 
 school in Newport aforesaid and toward ye relief of ye poor people 
 of ye said Town and to be ordered & disposed of to ye ends prom- 
 ised by ye council of ye said Town & theii- successors from time to 
 time forever, 
 
 Item. For ye better execution of this my last will & Testament 
 I do hereby nominate, appobt, constitute and ordain to be liiy Exe- 
 cutors ye persons hereafter named to witt : my s:iid beloved wife 
 Damans Arn;>ld my Executrix, and my said sons Benedict Arnold, 
 Josias Arnold and Mr. James Barker sen'r., my executor, to assist in 
 ye execution of this my last Will <fe Testament and what they four 
 my said Executors or any three or two of them or survivors of them 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 83 
 
 (^y said wife Damaris Arnold to be also one wlule she livctli,) shall 
 do or cause to be done in or about the premises, and in order to put- 
 ting this, my will, in actual execution according to ye contents and 
 true intent & meaning of these presents, shall be held for firm and 
 good to all intents and purposes whatever in ye law, as if I, myself, 
 liad actually done the same in my own person while I was hving.— 
 In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal to every page of 
 this, my will and testament, and finally to ye whole contents thereof 
 in this last place, this ye four and twentieth day of December, in ye 
 nine and twentieth year of ye reign of our sovereign Lord, Charles 
 ye second. King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland ,<fcc.. Anno 
 que Domini, 1677. 
 
 BENEDICT ARNOLD, Senior. 
 Signed and sealed in ye presence of us — 
 Edmond Calverly, 
 WiUiam Hefferman, 
 Beriah Browne. 
 
 I, Benedict Arnold, abovenamed, senior, having by ye good gi-ace 
 and favoui' of God, had my days lengthened unto tliis tune, in which 
 time I havmg considered more maturely of some circumstances in 
 my abovesaid will, and being and remaining thi'ough his grace in 
 reasonable understanding and perfect memory, do find it necessary 
 for ye regulati<ni, explanation and confirmation of my said last will 
 and testament, I add as foUoweth : as to ye place above appointed for 
 my interment, being at ye North East corner of ye three rod square, 
 appointed for a bmying place abovesaid, I do order and appoint that 
 I and my wife may be buried in ye three rod square, as near as con- 
 veniently may be, "at ye East end of the tomb, there erected on my 
 Grand-child, Damaris Goulthng's grave abovesaid, myself on ye Noit]\ 
 and my said wife on ye South side of me, and that my kindi-ed re- 
 lations nmy as they die be buiied at convenient distance around 
 al)out my grave. 
 
 Now, whereas, in ye fii-st article of my last will that concerneth 
 ye disposition of my lands in Quononicut, it is said that my eldest 
 son, Benechct Arnold, Jun'r, shall have for his part in ye middle of 
 ye neck of land called Beaver Neck, having hereby ordered that as 
 he is ye first in nomination to whom I have disposed of land in ye 
 said neck, so he shah be ye first in situation, and at ye South end of 
 ye said neck, Avhich said part of said neck containeth by estimation 
 five hundred acres, be they more or less, and is to be divided in all 
 equahty from the remaining part of ye said neck by one straight fine 
 of fence, beiag at ye Eastern side thereof, so to run over to ye West- 
 ern shore on a straight fine from sea to sea, and ye said line of 
 fence to be made and forever maintained by ye said Benedict Ar- 
 nold, Jr., and the heirs occupant of ye said land ; and whereas it is 
 said in ye second article concerning ye premises that my sen Josiali 
 Arnold aforesaid should have his sd. (third part) share of ye said 
 neck at ye South end thereof, he shall have his on ye North side of 
 15 
 
84 APPENDIX. 
 
 and adjoining unto Benedict Arnold, Jun's., aforesaid share, upon ye 
 South and from thence to extend Northward up to ye pond called 
 Eel Pond, which said pond is ye Northern bounds of his, ye said Jo^ 
 siah Arnold's, share, and he ye said Josiah Ai-nold is to secm-e him- 
 self on ye North and Eastern pai-ts by fence or otherwise, and fi-om 
 aad to ye Northward of said pond, called Eel Pond home to ye 
 highway of two rods wide that lyeth between Caleb Can-'s land & the 
 premises within which tract is contain'd my faim called Cajaset farm^ 
 my dweUing house & other houses ah-eady erected, all which my said 
 houseing and land shall be ye proper share and inheritance of my 
 son Oliver Arnold, and if it shall appear that there is not land enough 
 in that said tract to make his share five himdi-ed acres equal with 
 the rest, he shall have so much land as to make it up according as 
 in an article to this effect is more plainly described to ye Northwai'd 
 of ye premises, to be always to be vmderstood that ye privileges and 
 communities that are ordered that they, ye said Benedict Ai-nold, 
 Jun., Josiah Arnold and Ohver Arnold, are to have in, upon or 
 tJii-ough each other's respective lands shall be duly obsei*ved by each 
 of them respectively, according to ye i-ules set down in a former ar- 
 ticle concerning that matter, with this fui'ther additional proviso, that 
 they, ye said thi-ee brothers or either of them shall not alienate by 
 sale or othei-wise ye property of any part of thek foresaid land* 
 from theu- heus by these presents given and granted unto them as 
 in a foregoing ai'ticle relating to ye premises is more plainly ex 
 
 Signed and sealed in ye BENEDICT ARNOLD, Senior, 
 
 presence of us afore-named, 
 &c. «fec. 
 
 [The copy of the above wiU from which we have piinted is one be 
 longing to David Melville, Esq., (who kindly lent it to us,) taken by 
 Wm. Coddington Jr., Council Clerk, in 1752, from Town Council Book 
 No. 2 (the fii'st record of the will, now probably lost forever.)] 
 
 Editor's Note. — Arnold, on page 16, speaks of a farm which he 
 calls his Lemmington fai-m. The coincidence may be worth men 
 tioning that the Old Mill in owr frontispiece is only five miles from 
 Leamington, in the west of England, from which part we have ascer 
 tained that the Arnolds came. 
 
APPENDIX. gS 
 
 EDWARD PELHAMS WILL. 
 
 I'll the name of God, I, Edward Pelham, of Newport, iii the couii 
 ty of Nf^wport, in the Colony of Rhode-Island and Providence Plan 
 tations, in New-England, Gentleman, being of good and perfect 
 mind and understanding, do make this, my last Will and Testament, 
 in manner following : First I commit my soul to God that gave it, 
 and my body to the earth. 
 
 Item. I do hereby order and appoint, that my lot or parcel of 
 land situate, lying and being in Newport aforesaid, containing about 
 Ihi-ee acres, and called or known by the name of the Lower Field, 
 bounded as foUoweth, Easterly upon a street or highway, leading 
 into the neck. Southerly upon land in the possession of Peter Cog- 
 geshall, Westerly partly upon laud in possession of Hezekiah Car- 
 penter and John Banister, and partly upon a yard and garden ad- 
 joining to my now dwelling-house, and Northerly partly upon said 
 yard and garden, and partly on a lane or liighway commonly called 
 Caleb Can-'s land, or however otherwise butted and bounded, shall 
 be laid out into house-lots, and such and so many of them shall be 
 sold by my Executors, as will be sufficient to pay off and satisfy all 
 ye just dues and debts that shall be due and owing to any person 
 or persons at ye time of my decease. 
 
 Item. I do hereby order and appoint that my well-beloved wife, 
 Arabella Pelham, shall have ye possession and benefit of my now 
 dwelling-house, out-house or kitchen-yai-d and gardens hereimto be- 
 longing, scituate, lying and being in Newport aforesaid, bounded East- 
 erly and Southerly, partly on land that I have herein before ordered 
 to be laid out into lots and sold, and also Southerly, partly on a lot 
 herein after bequeathed unto my beloved daughter Hemiione, the 
 wife of John Biinister of Newport aforesaid. Merchant, Westerly on 
 Thames-street partly, and partly on land and shops in ye occupation 
 of Robert Duncan, Mordecai Dunbar, Benjamin Wilson and William 
 King, Northerly partly upon land belonging to John Brown and part- 
 ly upon said Caleb Carr's land and partly upon Land belonging to 
 and in ye present occupation of Charles Smith, James Green, Timo- 
 thy Peckham Jr., and Mary Channing, widow, and to run East so fai- 
 jis ye stone wall at the head of my upper garden, for and dm-ing th.' 
 term of her natm-al life, and I do hereby give and bequeath unto mV 
 said wife Arabella Pelham all my household goods, implements and 
 utensils of household (my silver tankard only excepted) a negro gu-I 
 jiamed Margaret, one horse or mare which she will please to choose 
 out of my stock at my farm in the Neck, and one cow, and both to 
 be pastui'ed in ye summer at said farm if my wife shall send them 
 there for that pm-pose, and to be provided for with hay in the win- 
 J,er from said farm, and I do further give unto my said wife Arabel- 
 la Pelham for and during the term of her natm*al life the sum of two 
 
CO APPENDIX. 
 
 hmidred pounds iii current bills of publick credit per ann. in lieu of her 
 thirds and right of dower to be paid by my two beloved daughters 
 Elizabeth Pelham and Penelope Pelham to then- said motJier in 
 equal proportion out of ye rents and issues of the legacies I havo 
 hereinafter bequeathed them, or whoever shaU hereafter enjoy ye 
 -ame, by even half-yearly payments dm-ing the term afores'd. 
 
 Item. I give and bequeath to my said beloved daughter, Her- 
 mioue, all that lot of laud on which the dwelling house of the said 
 John Banister now standeth, in Newport aforesaid, and the yard and 
 garden thereunto belonging being from Thames street about one 
 himdred feet back, and to extend Northeiiy upon a paralel line with 
 the rear of the lot I sold to Major Hezekiah Carpenter, bounded as 
 followeth : — Easterly, partly upon my said yard and partly upon the 
 land that I have before ordered to be laid out into lots. Southerly 
 upon the said lott sold to Hezekiah Carjjenter but now in the pos- 
 sesion of David Melvill, AVe.-,terly ujx)n said Thames street and 
 x^ortherly partly upon my garden and yard, ye North side of said 
 dwellmg house to be the North bounds from said Thames street 
 uj3on a dii-ect line to the East to the rear of said lot to be and re- 
 main to the said Hermione Banister her heirs and assigns and to her 
 and their proper use and behoof forever. I also give and bequeath 
 to my said daughter Hermione one other lot or parcell of land in 
 Newport aforesaid fronting on Thames street, seventy-eight feet or 
 thereabout, adjoining and of the same dimensions with a lot of land 
 already belonging to the said John Banister, bounded as followeth : 
 East upon said Thames street, South upon the said lot of the said 
 John Banister, West upon the Salt water or harbor of Newport, 
 and North upon a lot of land that I shall hereinafter bequeath tt/ 
 juy daughter Elizabeth Pelham. And also one other piece or par- 
 cell of land situate lying and being in Newport aforesaid containing 
 eight acres or thereabout, with an Old Stone Wind-Mill thereon stand- 
 ing and beiug commonly called or known by the name of the Mill 
 Field, or Upper Field, bounded as followeth : — Easterly upon land 
 now or late in the possession of Josias Coggeshall and Jacob Barney, 
 Southerly partly upon land now or late in the possession of Major 
 James Brown, and partly upon land in the possession of Peter 
 Coggeshall, Westerly partly upon land in jr.osse&sion of the said 
 Peter Coggeshall, and partly upon tlie .said street or highway that 
 leads into the Neck, Northerly partly upon ye said Caleb Carr 8 
 hind, partly upon a work-house standing in said lane, and partly 
 upon a burying place — to the Northward thereof stands a meeting 
 house — and to be and remain to the said Hermione Banister and to 
 the heirs of her body lawfully issuing. 
 
 Item. I give, devise and bequeath unto my said daughter Eliza- 
 beth Pelham all that my farm or tract of land situate lying and 
 being in Newport aforesaid commonly called or known by the name 
 of Lemington containing by estimation one hundred and sixty acres 
 or thereabout butted and bounded as followeth, Easterly on land be- 
 
APPENDIX. 'Slf 
 
 longing to John Brown, Southerly on land partly belonging to the 
 said John BroAvn and partly to Jahleel Brenton, Westerly on land 
 belonging to ye said Jahleel Brenton, and Northerly partly on ye salt 
 water or harboui* of Newport and partly upon land belonging to the 
 said John Brown, together with the dwelling house and all the build 
 ings and improvements, and also the stock that shall be thereon ai 
 ye time of my decease (except the Horse or Mare and Cow, that 1 
 have herein before bequeathed to her said mother) she paying out 
 of the rents and issues of the said premises to her said mother Ai-a- 
 bella Pelham, the sum of one hundred pounds in good and passable 
 pubhck bills of credit of said colony every year by even half yearly 
 payment for and dm-ing the term of the natm-al life of her said 
 mother. And I likewise give uuto my said daughter Ehzabeth, one 
 other lot or parcell of land scituate lying and being m Newport 
 afoi-esaid, fronting on Thames Street, seventy eight feet or there- 
 about adjoining to a lot of land herein before given to my said daugh 
 ter Hermione Banister bounded as followeth: — East upon said 
 Thames street, South upon said lot of land last mentioned. West 
 upon the salt water or harbor of Newport, and Northerly upon a lot 
 of land that I shall hereinafter bequeath to my said daughter Pene 
 lope Pelham, together with all my right and interest in the buildings 
 on said lot erected, all of which premises shall be and remain to my 
 said daughter Elizabeth Pelham, and the heirs of her body lawfully 
 issuing. And I also give my said daughter Elizabeth Pelham my 
 Negro man named Jupiter to her own proj^er use and behoof 
 
 Item. I give and devise and bequeath to my said daugliter Pen- 
 elope PeUiam, after ye decease of her mother, all that lot or parcell 
 of land with my now dwelhng house, out-house or kitchen, and the 
 yard and garden thereunto belonging, scituate lying and being in 
 Newport afores'd and herein before described, the possession and 
 benefit whereof is herein before given to her said mother for and 
 during the term of her natural hfe, with ye buildings and improve- 
 juents thereon made. And I further give and bequeatli to my said 
 daughter Penelope all my land in Thames street m ye present occu- 
 pation of ye s'd Robert Dimcan, Mordecai Dunbar, Benjamin Wilson 
 and William King and on Caleb Carr's land in ye present occupa 
 tion of je s'd John Browm, Charles Smith, James Green, Tunothv 
 Peckham, jun'r and Mary Chamung, as high till it comes upon a par 
 alell line with the stone wall at ye head of my upper garden run- 
 ning North therefrom, together with my right and interest in any 
 buildings thereon and the rents, issues, profits thereof And I d« > 
 also hereby give devise and bequeath unto my said daughter Pone 
 lope one other lot of land scituate lying and being in Newport afuit- 
 s'd, fronting on Thames street, seventy-eight feet or thereabouts, 
 bounded as followeth : — East upon Thames street. Southerly upon 
 ye lot bequeathed to my said daughter Elizabeth, Westerly upon 
 ye Salt water or Harbor of Newport, and Northeriy upon land be 
 longing to the heirs of Charles TUunghast, dec'd. Together with v=- 
 wharf and ^varehouses thereon erected and all my rrglit find int.' i 
 10 
 
0» APPENWX. 
 
 est in all tlic other buildiugs thereon. All which promises shall br 
 and remain to my said daughter Penelope Pelham and the heirs of 
 her body lawfully issuing, slie paying out of ye rents and issues of 
 the said premises to her said mother Arabella Pelham the sum ol' 
 one hundred poimds in good and passable bills of publick credit of 
 said colony every year by half yearly payments for and during the 
 term of ye natui-al life of her said mother. And I also give my said 
 daughter Penelope Pelham my Negro man named Frank and my 
 silver tankard with the arms of ye family thereon, to her own prop 
 or use and behoof. 
 
 Item. I do hereby order and appoint that after my said Execu- 
 tors have sold lo4s sufficient to discharge ye just dues and debts 
 that shall be owing at ye time of my decease, the remaining lotts 
 shall be equally divided between my daughters Hermionc Banister 
 and Penelope Pelham, and then to be and remain to each of them 
 and the respective heirs of their bcnly lawfully issuing And also 
 tliat if either of my daughters shall die without issue, th:it the estate 
 of her so dying shall descend to and be equally divided an\ongst yo- 
 survivors and be and remain to each of them and ye respective heu's 
 of their bodies lawfully issuing as aforesaid. 
 
 ftem. I give and bequeath unto my loving fiiend James Martiiy, 
 of Newport afores'd. Gentleman, the sum of thirty pounds in good 
 and passable bills of public credit of s'd Colony to be paid him by 
 luy Executors, in a conveniout time after my decease. 
 
 And lastly, I make and ordain my said wife Arabella Pelham, the 
 said John IBanister, James Martin, and John Bonnet, of Newport 
 afores'd. Tanner, Executors of this my last will and testament for 
 the intents and purposes therein contained and to see ye same per- 
 formed according to my true intent and moaning and I give to each 
 f»f them a mourning ring. In witness whereof I, ye said Edward 
 Pelham, have to this my last will and testam.ent set my hand and 
 seal the twenty-first day of May Anno Dom. one thousand seven 
 hundred and forty, and in ye thirteenth year of ye reign of our Sov- 
 ereign Lord, George ye Second, King of Great Britain, (tc. 
 
 EDWARD PELHAM. 
 Signed, sealed, published, pronounced and declared <tc. 
 J^uiEs Robinson, 
 RoBT. Duncan, 
 Jos. Fox. 
 
 [The above is printed from the original will.] 
 
APPENDIX. ^«^ 
 
 c 
 
 PROFESSOR RAFN'S LETTER. 
 
 Copenhagen, Jamiary, ^ih, 1848. 
 t)avid Melville, Esq., Newport R. I. 
 
 Sir:— Your letter of the 12th of August with the Herald of the 
 Times and Rhode Islander of August 6th, 1847, 1 duly received a ' 
 few days ago. 
 
 I beg to return you my thanks for the communication transmitted, 
 and deem it my duty to inform you that the ailicle which lately ap 
 peared in your journals on the subject of the ancient structui-e in 
 Newport is from beginning to end a downright fabrication, no awh 
 report having ever been made to the Royal Society of Northern An- 
 tiquaries as the one alluded to ; the persons mentioned in the article, 
 too, Bishop Oeh-ischer, Professors Scrobein, Graetz, &c., are all Jlcti- 
 fimis characters, there never having existed here individuals bearing 
 those names. Thus the entire notice is nothing more than a fiction, 
 the object of which is to mystify the public. 
 
 It were to be wished tliat such of the American jom-nals as have 
 admitted the article in question into their columns, w^ould apprize the 
 pubhc of its entire falsity. 
 
 In 1837 I published, on behalf of om- Society, the Old Northern 
 sources to the Ante-Columbian history of America in the work tn 
 titled ANTIQUITATES AMERICAN./E. Taking the astronomi- 
 cal, nautical and geographical evidences contained in the ancient i-ee- 
 cords themselves for a groundwork, I have endeavored to prove that 
 om- Scandinavian fore-fathers in the tenth century discovered a pw- 
 tion of the eastern coast of North America, and in particular visited 
 Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Inquirers of the greatest celebrity 
 here in Europe, have looked upon the arguments used by mp as con- 
 clusive, among whom I may mention Alexander Humboldt, in his re- 
 cently published Kosmos vol. II. page 269— 272, where he considers 
 the results of my investigations as historical facts fully demonstrated. 
 At the time when I pubUshed the work above alluded to, I was 
 not aware of the ancient structm-e in Newport, which consequently 
 camiot have led in the remotest degree to the results deduced, nor is 
 there a single word said about it in my work, which moreover is to 
 be met with in most of the larger hbraries in America, as well as in 
 Europe, and thus opens an easier access to the study of the original 
 written som-ces themselves. The right interpretation of the accounts 
 in the ancient parchment copies clearly proves that it was precisely 
 Massachusetts and Rhode Island which the ancient Scandinavians 
 visited and where they established themselves. The agreement ot 
 the astronomical, nautical and geogi-aphical evidences leads, in this re- 
 spect, to so certain a result that doubtless nothing further is requned. 
 The earlv monuments which are met with in those regions, unque* 
 
90 APPENDIX. 
 
 Honably merit the attention of the investigator, but we must be cau 
 tious in regard to the inferences to be drawn from them. 
 
 Concerning the ancient structm-e in Newport, (of which we had n»> 
 j^revious knowledge whatever,) we first received a communication on 
 the 22d of May 1839, from Thomas H. Webb, M. D., (now of Boston- 
 formerly of Providence) which is inserted in om' Memoires des Anti- 
 quaii-es du Nord 1836 — 1839 page 361, and I feel assured that who, 
 I'ver reads that article will therein disceni all the caution wliich a 
 scientific investigation demands, and all the respect due to an institu- 
 tion which has acquu'ed confidence in and out of Em'ope. From the 
 drawings transmitted to us by a trust- worthy hand, om* ablest judges 
 skilled in the liistoiy of arcliitecture, have pronounced the architec- 
 tural style of the building to be that of the 12 th centuiy, fi-om which 
 period a structure exactly corresponding has been pointed out, along 
 with others in the same style. It is difficult however, without bemg 
 on the spot, to offer any decided opinion as to the period to which the 
 sti'uctui'e itself is to be refeired, nor has any one here ventm-ed to do 
 so. Here, in the North, no wind-mills occur of this constniction, and 
 a gentleman distinguished for his knowledge in the progi-essive his- 
 tory of the arts, and who has travelled much in Europe, has declared 
 f/iat he never met ivith any such. It would seem better therefore to 
 leave the matter undecided until further information can be obtained, 
 liut even supposing that the origin of this and other monimients 
 cannot be ascertained with precision, this in no way affects the sta- 
 bihty of the historical fact deduced fi-oni the ancient manuscripts, 
 that the Scandinavians iu the tenth century, discovered and estab- 
 lished themselves iu Rhode Island and Massachusetts; in proof of 
 which no other testimony is required than v.hat is afforded by the 
 ancient records themselves. Om* Society would be glad to receive 
 trust-worthy connnunications on the subject of Ante-Columbian monu- 
 ments of America, to be preserved in the American section of the 
 Society's historico-archaological archives, and also for insertion in their 
 Memoires, in as far as they may be suited for the pm-pose. Such ar- 
 ticles as the one you have" made kno\vn to us, merit no place within 
 the pale of science, and we are glad to observe that by you also, thev 
 are estimated according to their deserts. 
 
 I have the honor to be, sir. 
 
 Your obedient sei-vant, 
 
 Charles C. Raf.n, 
 Secrv, R. S. N. A. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 91 
 
 PosTCEiPT. — On page 66 (near tlie top) we left it imcertain what 
 Arnold's motive was for removing fi-om Providence to Newport. It 
 may amuse those who have seen Thames St. in Newport to know 
 (what we have recently learned) that the cause of his leaving Provi- 
 dence was his dissatisfaction with the building of certain warehouse* 
 which naiTowed the main street, whereupon he came to Newport an<l 
 laid out Thames Street a hundred feet wide. 
 
 Note of Acknowledgement. — We take this opportiuiity to ex- 
 press our obligations to Hon. Henry B. Anthony, (from whom we 
 received the much desired engraving given below,) David Melville 
 :md William C. Gibbs, Esq's., and all the friends who have aided U8. 
 by infomiation or suggestion in the preparation of a w^ork, of inoif 
 difficulty than at first would appear. 
 
 OLD BAPTISTERY NEAR MELLIFONT ABBEY, IRELAND. 
 (See Page 61.) 
 
Pagt' -T', lino "JT for ■•les's" road '•not loss.'* 
 
 21 " 4 " "that my" " "of my." 
 
 43 '• 29 " "will" '• "well.'' 
 
 47 " 17 " "jt'r" " "jeer." 
 
 54 The 9th line of the quotation iii the >'. 
 
 4K>uld read : — 
 
 •' Did thn* the astonished Indian jraze 
 
 »u rh< 
 
sd 
 
 6 6i^ 
 
J 
 

 
 jT. AUGUSTINE 
 
 m.^'-'^' ^^ <V 
 
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