fourteen miles of real estate sandwiched between the North and East Rivers; Winne-bago, which sets one sneezing a coltish sneeze even at the head-waters of the Missis-sippi, and in her matronly presence; and a thousand other spicy aboriginal condiments, sprinkled, like pepper and salt over a luscious ham, over our continent, to make it more piquant and relishable in the taking. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BOOK SECOND. SETTLEMENTS AND COLONIES. 1607 TO 1775. “And vaguely here, Through the dim mists that crowd the atmosphere, We draw the outlines of weird figures cast In shadows on the background of the past.” LONGFELLOW’S “_New England Tragedies_.” “’Tis pleasant through the loopholes of retreat To peep at such a world.” COWPER. CHAPTER I. OF AMERICAN SETTLEMENTS GENERALLY. Some American Grounds, like Coffee, unsettled.—Some Settlements pulled up by the Roots; others chilled by Fever and Ague.—Moist Soils objected to except by Doctors.—Unexpected Crops of Tomahawks from Wheat sown.—Settlements in America because of the Impracticability of making any at Home with Creditors.—Wild Oats sown between thirty-fourth and thirty-eighth Parallels.—Frequent Settlements make long Friends.—Settlements of Old Tavern Scores in Chalky Districts.—Religious Squalls prostrate some Plantations.—Indian Tempests uproot others.—Growth of Virginia, although Queen Elizabeth a _femme sole_.—Clergymen’s Settlements.—Brides unsettled.—Drake around the World. [Illustration: THE FIRST YEAR’S CROP IN THE NEW SETTLEMENTS. ] Clergymen’s discourses, like grape clusters, usually show two sides,—a positive or sunny one and a negative or shady one. Desirous of bringing out the native bunches of our history more roundly against the leafy background of its verdant youth, we begin by showing alternating merits and demerits. And first the negative, or shady side. The first damp observation shows that many parts of America have never been settled at all. In certain districts, grounds are found, as in coffee, unsettled; and good grounds exist for this, and, contradictory as it may seem, these are generally discovered in poor water.