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the west part of this town, which last shot and entered two bullets into him; but not killing him, the Bear made directly towards the boat and got one paw upon the side, upon which one of the men struck an adze into his skull, and despatched him in an instant, and brought him ashore.
The whole of the body weighed 196 pounds. When he was opened, a great number of the bones of fowls &c. were found in his belly.
The earliest notice which I have seen of a fire-engine in
Cambridge is dated March 3, 1755, when, “upon the motion of
Capt. Ebenezer Stedman and others, referring to the town's agreeing with
Henry Vassall Esq., who has an Engine and is willing the same should be improved for the town's use on certain conditions, the question was put whether the town would act on said motion, and it passed in the negative.”
In all probability, however, the town then possessed one or more engines.
Boston had one before 1679, and seven as early as 1733;
1 and
Cambridge would not be likely to remain entirely destitute.
Yet the machines then in use might seem almost worthless, compared with the powerful
steam-engines recently introduced.
The
Town Record of Births and Deaths in the last three quarters of the eighteenth century is very imperfect; all the deaths recorded between 1722 and 1772 are contained on two folio pages.
Professor Winthrop inserted brief bills of mortality, for a few years, in his interleaved almanacs, which afford a glimpse of the truth:—
1758. Bill of mortality in first Parish in
Cambridge.
2
| Under 2 years old | 12 |
| Between 2 and 5 | = 2 |
| Between 5 and 10 | = 0 |
| Between 10 and 20 | = 1 |
| Between 20 and 30 | = 2 |
| Between 30 and 40 | = 2 |
| Between 40 and 50 | = 1 |
| Between 50 and 60 | = 1 |
| Between 60 and 70 | = 1 |
| Between 70 and 80 | = 0 |
| Between 80 and 90 | = 3 |
| —— |
| 25 |
| Whites, | 20 |
| Blacks, | 5 |
| —— |
| 25 |
1762. Causes of death, etc.
| Accidental, | 1 |
| Age, | 1 |
| Colic, | 1 |
| Consumption, | 7 |
| Dysentery, | 2 |
| Fits, | 1 |
| Infancy, | 2 |
| Palsy, | 1 |
| Sore, | 1 |
| Stillborn, | 1 |
| — |
| 18 |
| Males, | 10 |
| Females, | 8 |
| — |
| 18 |
| Whites, | 15 |
| Blacks, | 3 |
| — |
| 18. |
