1692. Danvers, then a part of Salem, Massachusetts, was disgraced by an implicit belief in the power of witchcraft. This mad delusion rapidly spread to different parts of New England. Twenty persons suffered death for their supposed agency with the Prince of Darkness, 150 were imprisoned, and upwards of 200 were accused. Reason at length pre ́vailed, and triumphed over these mad proceedingsproceedings which caused anguish to many an upright heart, and frightened the colony from all sense of propriety.

1697. A treaty was concluded at Ryswick, in Germany, by which mutual restitution was agreed upon by France and England of all the countries, ports, and colonies taken by each party during the war. Previous to its conclusion, the French, in conjunction with the Indians, committed sanguinary atrocities on the unfortunate settlers in different American colonies.

1707. The French and Spaniards were repulsed in an attempt to annex Carolina to Florida.

1710. A large number of emigrants from Germany, settled on the Roanoke, in Albermarle and Bath counties.

1712. The Corees and Tuscaroras, with other Indian tribes, formed a plot to massacre the whole number of these settlers; and they so far succeeded as to butcher in a single night 107 of them.

1713. A treaty of peace was concluded at Utrecht between England and France. One stipulation was, that "the subjects of France, inhabiting Canada, and other places, shall hereafter give no hinderance or molestation to the Five Nations, or to the other nations of Indians who are friends to G. Britain.

1719. The charter of Carolina was declared by the King's privy council to have b.en forfeited; and from this time until the American revolution, it continued under the royal protection.

1722. A general war was commenced by the Indians, who had been irritated to this measure by the intrigues of the French Jesuits.

1725. A termination was put to these hostilities, during which great distress had been inflicted on the Eastern settlements.

1733. George II. of England began the settlement of Georgia.

1740. War having being declared by England against Spain, General Oglethorpe marched at the head of 2,000 men for Florida, took the forts of St Diego and Moose, and invested St. Augustine. After sustaining great loss, he was compelled to raise the siege.

1742. The Spaniards, in retaliation, invaded Georgia; but the expedition completely failed in its object.

1744. Louisburgh was captured from the French by troops from New England, under the command of Sir William Pepperell. This town was situated in the island of Cape Breton, and was called "The Gibraltar of America. The French expended five millions and a half of dollars on its fortifications.

1746. The French government stimulated by a spirit of revenge, for the loss of Louisburgh, fitted out a fleet of forty ships of war, and forty-six transports, with three thousand five hundred men, and forty thousand stand of arms for the use of the Canadian Indians. Its object was the recapture of Cape Breton, and the destruction of the colonies. The fleet however met with a delay, and its aim was frustrated by the damages it received in a storm.

1748. Feace was concluded between France and England at Aix-la-Chapelle, to the great joy of the colonies.

1756. Owing to the encroachments of the French on the frontiers of the American colonies, a declaration of war was issued against France by George II. George Washington, who had just attained his majority, gave proofs on this occasion of an enterprise and perseveranee which were the preludes of still more important services.

1758. The expeditions of the English in America had been marked by disaster; a change, however, having taken place in the administration, the celebrated Lord Chatham being placed at the head of the Cabinet, a succession of victories added lustre to the arms of Great Britain.

1759. On the 13th of September a bloody contest took place on the plains of Abraham, between the English and French armies, under the command of General Wolfe and General Montcalm. The French sustained a loss of one thousand men killed and one thousand prisoners. The killed and wounded of the English did not exceed six hundred. Wolfe and Montcalm fell in the conflict.

1761. Virginia and South Carolina were invaded by the Cherokees; they were completely defeated: peace was immediately sued for by these savages, and on safe conditions terms were granted.

1763. By a definitive treaty, Nova Scotia, Canada, the Isle of Cape Breton, and all other islands in the gulf and river St. Lawreace, were ceded to the British crown by the French government.

1764. Before the peace of '63, the subject of taxation had been wisely let alone. The colonies had

been permitted to tax themselves, without the interference of the parliament. But from and after this period, the ancient system was set aside, and a different and oppressive policy adopted. The first act, the avowed purpose of which was a revenue from the colonies, passed the parliament, Sept. 29. The preamble to which began thus-" Whereas it is just and necessary that a revenue be raised in America, for defraying the expenses of defending, protecting, and securing the same, we the commons," &c. The act then proceeds to lay a duty on clayed sugar, indigo, coffee, &c. &c., being the produce of a colony not under the dominion of his majesty." This act thecolonies could not approve-because it recognized the existence of a right to tax them-a right not founded in justice, and which, since their extstence, nearly one hundred and fifty years, had, until now, seldom been named.

1763. The famous stamp act passed both houses of parliament. This ordained that instruments of writing such as deeds, bonds, notes, &c. among the colonies, should be pull and void, unless executed on stamped paper, for which a duty should be paid the crown. On the arrival of this news in Ameica, a general in dignation spread through the country, and resolutions were passed against the act, by most of the colonial assemblies. The act came into operation, 1st Nov.

1766. This year was also marked with still further aggressions on the rights of the colonies. Charles Townsend, chancellor of the exchexuer, of the new parliament, in connexion with Lord Grens ville, introduced a second plan for taxing America, by imposing duties on g ass, paper, pasteboard, painters' colors, and tea. These three acts reached

America at the same time, and again excited universal alarm. The excitement also, at this time, was still further increased, in consequence of the arrival of two regiments of troops under the command of Col. Dalrymple. These were designed to assist the civil magistrates in carrying their odious measures into effect.

1769. Both houses of parliament went a step beyond all that had preceded, in an address to the king, re questing him to give orders to the governor of Massachusetts-the spirited conduct of which province was particularly obnoxious to the ministry-to take notice of such as might be guilty of treason, that they might be sent to England and tried there.— 1770. While affairs were thus situated, an event occurred, which produced great excitement in America, particularly in Massachusetts. This was an affray, on the evening of the 5th of March, between several of the citizens of Boston, and a number of British soldiers, stationed at the custom-house. Several of the inhabitants were killed, and others were severely wounded.

1772. The people of Rhode Island destroy a British armed schooner, called Gaspee, which had been stationed in that colony to assist the board of custom in the execution of the revenue and trade laws.

1773. The colonies appoint Committees of Correspondence and Inquiry in various parts of their respective territories, by which a confidential interchange of opinions in relation to the aggressions of the English government was kept up between them. This year was made memorable in the annals of the revolution by the decided opposition which the citiizens of Boston took against the revenue laws by the destruction of tea at that place.