Stony Brook just below where the water for the supply of the moat that surrounded the fortress was taken by a ditch. Several years ago a dam was built by the side of the road for the supply of a mill, now the paper mill of William Roberts, Esq., and when this dam was removed by the authorities of Cambridge, for the construction of their immense work some distance above, the ditch was laid bare and found complete and well defined.

From the point where the ditch took the water from Stony Brook to the moat I find to be nine hundred and thirty feet. The moat itself about one thousand feet in circuit, and from this, extending off along the bank of the river, is a ditch five hundred feet long, evidently as a waste wear for the water from the moat. The water being allowed to run off along its whole length to prevent gullying at any point. The space inclosed by the moat is a rounded bluff, nearly level on the summit, which is thirty or more feet above the moat. This bluff is surrounded by low ground on all sides, except the neck of land on the side opposite the river through which the moat had to be dug, to bring it to a water level, much deeper than elsewhere, and here the embankment from the earth thrown out is still high and the remains of the moat deeper than elsewhere.

The antiquity of this ditch and moat is apparent from the remains of the large stumps of trees that had grown up in it and on its sides. The trees, some of them more than a century old, were cut nearly a half century ago. Some years must have passed after the moat was abandoned before these trees could have started, which would altogether carry us back to at least two hundred years. That

brings us to about the period of the close of King Phillip's war. But then, nor at any time after the advent of the Puritans to the shores of Massachusetts Bay, this work could not have been constructed without some record of it. So that we are necessarily pushed back probably more than a hundred years prior to this, and that brings us to the time of the existence of Norumbega, for Milton, in his Paradise Lost, refers to it, and it must have been founded years prior to that.

One of the early writers represents it as the capital of the fur trade, standing on the banks of a beautiful river, and indulging in the fancy which at that time "run riot" over anything connected with the New World, tells us of its quartz hills, quarries of diamonds, its granite hills, pouting with untold stores of mineral wealth, and its rivers rolling over sands of gold-a magnificent city of marvelous wealth and resources. It was, indeed, the metropolis or capital of the fur trade, and for this no more fortunate location could have been selected in all New England. It was but three or four miles from the head of tide-water, navigable for vessels of the size used by early discoverers and navigators in crossing the Atlantic, and stood in the midst of a large territory most remarkably interlaced with the branches and tributaries of three rivers, the home of all the fur-bearing animals such as were sought after by Europeans. In another particular the works at the mouth of Stony Brook agree with the old authorities which represent the fortress as "surrounded by a deep moat filled with water."

The question will naturally arise, Why has not this discovery been made before? The people of the neighborhood and the owners of the territory have always known of singular traces or remains of some kind, and believed the Indians or some one else must have attempted here a system of irrigation. But without mattock or hoe, and with only such means as the wild fox or woodchuck has to dig his hole, the Indians would hardly have attempted it; and even with every facility for doing it the more enlightened white men would not have expended such labor to irrigate a cobble-stone and gravel hill when all around rich and fertile land invited the hand of the cultivator unclaimed. The skill and art in military engineering manifest in the plan, location, and execution of the work show that it was selected and designed by an experienced head, and for something more than a temporary purpose.

As to who were the founders of Norumbega, whether English or French, is matter of some doubt. The French early gained foothold at the North. They remained in America despite the rigors of the Canadian winters, and pushed their trading posts and Catholic missions inland. The English, meanwhile, contented themselves with the possession of the Atlantic coast under the milder skies of Virginia. And it was not till the beginning of the seventeenth century that Captain John Smith aroused the people of England to the importance of New England. Hence it appears that the most probable founders of Norumbega were the French.

ALBANY'S HISTORIC DAY

[HISTORICAL JOTTINGS]

The 22d of July, 1886, will ever be regarded as a great day in the annals of Albany. The celebration which culminated on that eventful Thursday commenced with memorial observances in all the churches of that ancient city on Sunday, July 18th. On Monday, in the morning, there was choral singing by thousands of school-children, and in the afternoon a monster parade of the business men of Albany, with moving tableaux portraying the contrasts of two centuries in manufacture and trade. By Tuesday the city had become warm with excitement, and in the morning of that day a parade of the various nationalities-French, Dutch, German, Irish, Scottish, English, Italian, American Indian, and others-with decorated floats and symbolical tableaux, attracted the attention of thousands who lined the streets; and in the afternoon there were special observances by the various nationalities, among which was the planting of a memorial oak in Washington Park by the Germans, with choral singing, and a tribute to Dongan at the Academy of Music by the Irish Societies. A review of decorated and illuminated steam-boats on the river was the great event of the evening. Wednesday was ushered in by a salute of thirty-eight guns at sunrise; the firemen and other civic organizations paraded in the forenoon, every variety of fire apparatus, from the most antique to the most modern, being exhibited. The evening of that day was devoted to the Historical Pageant, illustrating scenes and incidents connected with the history of Albany during its two hundred years. At midnight, after this unique parade, the two hundredth anniversary of the city's birth was ushered in by ringing of bells, singing of hymns, and other joyful demonstrations. At sunrise, a salute of two hundred guns awoke all who were caught napping at that hour. The city was crowded with people from every part of the State and from other States, and flags floated from every flag-staff, roof, and window, were fastened in arches across the streets in all directions, adorned the fences and trees, and brightened the vehicles that crushed along the thoroughfares. It was a brilliant scene. In the morning there was a military parade of great magnitude and striking effect. The public exercises of the day began about noon, at the rink. The President of the United States and the gentlemen of his cabinet occupied seats on the platform, and the orator of the day was the Governor of New York, David B. Hill; the poet of the occasion was Mr. William H. McElroy, and his subject was "Peter Schuyler's Mandate." The recital was from memory, in a clear, rich voice, and held the large audience captive, with occasional bursts of laughter and applause, to the end. In the evening. magnificent fire-works were exhibited in the park.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS

WASHINGTON'S LAST TOOTH

It is Retained as an Heir-loom by the Family of Washington's Dentist.

[In the Commercial Advertiser of July 24 appeared the following: "It is perhaps not generally known that the last one of George Washington's teeth is an heir-loom in the family of the late John Greenwood, a gentleman who sustained the responsible and interesting relation of dentist to the father of his country.' That fact was incidentally mentioned by the lawyers in a case before the surrogate court yesterday afternoon. Mr. Hamilton Squire, as counsel for the heirs of one Henry Weaver, long since deceased, yesterday made application to Surrogate Rollins to compel the representatives of the Greenwood estate to pay over to the Weaver heirs a sum of money which it is claimed has been held by the Greenwood family as trustees for the heirs of Jane Weaver since the year 1816, and which was left by Jane Weaver with Mr. John Greenwood at that time. Mr. Greenwood acted as Washington's dentist for several years. After Washington went to Virginia from New York, he sent by letter to Mr. Greenwood the last one of his natural teeth, to be used by the latter as a pattern for a new set. This tooth has been bequeathed from generation to generation in the Greenwood family, and is yet in their possession.. This circumstance, which was mentioned in the course of an argument by Mr. Rudd, the counsel for the Greenwood estate, furnishes another proof of the humanity of General Washington, in that in the plenitude of his powers he suffered the dentist to survive him." In connection with this curious bit of information we are able, through the courtesy of Mr. William Alexander Smith, of New York, to publish the original letter written by Greenwood to Washington in relation to his false teeth.-EDITOR.]

Letter of John Greenwood to George Washington

[From the Collection of Mr. William Alexander Smith.]

Sir

New York December 28, 1798

I send you enclosed two setts of teeth, one fixed on the old barrs in part, and the sett you sent me from Philadelphia which when I received was very black, occasioned either by your soaking them in port wine, or by your drinking it. Port wine being sower, takes off all the polish and all Acid has a tendency to soften every kind of teeth and bone. Acid is used in coloring every kind of Ivory, therefore it is very pernicious to the teeth. I advise you to either take them out after dinner and put them in clean water and put in another sett, or clean them with a brush and some chalk scraped fine. It will absorbe the acids which collect from the mouth and preserve them longer-I have found another and better way of using the sealing wax when holes is eaten in the teeth by acids &c.— First observe and dry the teeth, then take a piece of Wax and cut it into small pieces as you think will fill up the hole; then take a large nail or any other piece

of iron and heat it hot into the fire, then put your piece of wax into the hole and melt it by means of introducing the point of the nail to it. I have tried it and found it to consolidate, and do better than the other way and if done proper it will resist the saliva. It will be handier for you to take hold of the nail with small plyers than with a tongs thus, the wax must be very small not bigger than this. . . . If your teeth grows black take some chalk and a pine or cedar stick, it will rub it off. If you want your teeth more yellow soak them in Broth or pot liquor, but not in tea or acids. Porter is a good thing to color them and will not hurt but preserve them, but it must not be in the least pricked-You will find I have altered the upper teeth you sent me from Philadelphia. Leaving the enamel on the teeth dont preserve them any longer than if it was off, it only holds the color better, but to preserve them they must be very often changed and cleaned, for whatever attacks them must be repelled as often, or it will gain ground and destroy the works. the two setts I repaired is done on a different plan than when they are done when made entirely new, for the teeth are screwed on the barrs, instead of having the barrs cast red hot on them, which is the reason I believe they destroy or dissolve so soon near to the barrs.

Sir,

in the same way,

Sir,

After hoping you will not be obliged to be troubled very soon

I subscribe myself

Your very humble

Servant,

John Greenwood

the additional charge is fifteen dollars.

P. S. I expect next spring to move my family into Connecticut State. If I do

I will write and let you know, and whether I give up my present business or not, I will as long as I live do anything in this way for you if you require it.