NEW YORK: WILLIAM GOWANS. 1869. 5 Not entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by W. GOWANS, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. J. MUNSELL, PRINTER, ALBANY. DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF LORD BALTIMORE. ADVERTISEMENT. The subscriber announces to the public, that he intends publishing a series of works, relating to the history, literature, biography, antiquities and curiosities of the Continent of America. To be entitled GOWANS’ BIBLIOTHECA AMERICANA. The books to form this collection, will chiefly consist of reprints from old and scarce works, difficult to be produced in this country, and often also of very rare occurrence in Europe; occasionally an original work will be introduced into the series, designed to throw light upon some obscure point of American history, or to elucidate the biography of some of the distinguished men of our land. Faithful reprints of every work published will be given to the public; nothing will be added, except in the way of notes, or introduction, which will be presented entirely distinct from the body of the work. They will be brought out in the best style, both as to type, press work and paper, and in such a manner as to make them well worthy a place in any gentleman’s library. A part will appear about once in every six months, or oftener, if the public taste demand it; each part forming an entire work, either an original production, or a reprint of some valuable, and at the same time scarce tract. From eight or twelve parts will form a handsome octavo volume, which the publisher is well assured, will be esteemed entitled to a high rank in every collection of American history and literature. Should reasonable encouragement be given, the whole collection may in the course of no long period of time become not less voluminous, and quite as valuable to the student in American history, as the celebrated Harleian Miscellany is now to the student and lover of British historical antiquities. W. GOWANS, _Publisher_. INTRODUCTION.