Constable, who was the owner of Macomb's Purchase.

This tract lay along both sides of the Black River below the High Falls, and extended westerly through the counties of Lewis and Jefferson to Lake Ontario, and easterly into the heart of the Great Wilderness. The Castorland purchase at first comprised the whole of Great Lot No. 5 of Macomb's Purchase, and contained six hundred and ten thousand acres. But subsequently all south and west of the Black River, being the part which now constitutes the richest towns of Lewis and Jefferson counties, was given up, and only that lying to the north and east of the river retained. The portion so retained contained only two hundred and ten thousand acres. This was the Castorland of the olden time.

The name Castorland, that is to say, the Land of Beavers, is doubtless a literal translation of the old Indian Couch-sach-ra-ge, which means in the Iroquois tongue, the "Beaver Hunting Country," Castorland being taken out of the western half of this old Indian hunting ground.

During the negotiations between Constable and Chassanis for this tract, the Revolution that had been so long smouldering, burst forth in all its savage fury, and the streets of Paris were slippery with human gore. Constable locked the door of the apartment in which they met, with the remark that, "if they parted before the purchase was completed they might never meet again." The Palace of the Tuilleries was already surrounded by the bloodthirsty mob. The attendants of the royal family were butchered, and the feeble king cast into a dungeon. In comparison with such awful scenes as these in the very heart of the highest civilization the world had ever seen, the savage wildness of the old American forests was a scene of peace

ful rest. To the fugitive noblesse of France, the former possessors of titles, rank, wealth and culture, the quiet shades of Castorland afforded a secure asylum from the horrors of the Reign of Terror.

III.

SCHEME OF SETTLEMENT.

A romantic scheme was at once conceived and perfected by the company in Paris for the settlement of Castorland. In pursuance of this scheme a pamphlet was printed in Paris and issued by the Company, containing a programme of colonization under its auspices. This pamphlet was entitled "Association for the purchase and settlement of six hundred thousand acres of land, granted by the State of New York, and situated within that state, between the 43d and 44th degrees of latitude, upon Lake Ontario, and thirtyfive leagues from the city and port of Albany where vessels land from Europe." It set forth, among other things, in glowing colors, the wealth of agriculture presented by its fertile soil, the fine distribution of its waters, its facilities for an extended commerce on account of its location in the vicinity of a dense population, and above all the security afforded to its inhabitants by the laws of a people who were independent and rich with their own capital, thus extending to the immigrant all the benefits of liberty with none of its drawbacks. It was stated that the object of the proprietors was to form of the colony a sort of family, in some way united by common interests and common wants, and that to maintain this union of interests a plan had been devised that rendered each member directly interested in the

whole property. It was all to be done by and in the name of Sieur Chassanis, in whose name they had purchased the estate, and who alone had power to issue certificates of ownership.

There were six thousand certificates to be issued, each entitling the holder thereof to ownership in manner following: The whole tract at that time consisted of six hundred and thirty thousand acres. Of this, six hundred thousand acres were divided into twelve thousand lots of fifty acres each, and the price of each share fixed at eight hundred livres ($152.38.) In the beginning six thousand lots were set apart for individual properties, and the other six thousand lots were to belong to a common stock which was to be divided at some future time, after improvements had been made thereon by the Company. Each holder of a certificate was to receive at once a deed for a separate lot of fifty acres, to be drawn by lot, and also a lot of fifty acres in the common undivided stock.

Of the thirty thousand remaining acres, two thousand were set apart for a city to be formed on the great river in the interior, and two thousand more for another city on Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the river, which was to form a port and entre-pot of commerce. Among artizans six thousand acres were to be divided, and rented to them at twelve sous per acre. The proceeds of the twenty thousand acres remaining were to be expended by the Company in the construction of roads, bridges and other improvements.

The two cities were divided into fourteen thousand lots each. Of these lots, two thousand were set apart for churches, schools, markets, &c. The remaining twelve thousand lots were to be divided among the six thousand holders of cer

tificates in the same manner as the large tract. Each holding one separate lot and one in common.

The affairs of the Company were to be managed by five trustees, three to remain in Paris and two upon the tract. Such was the scheme matured in the salons of Paris for the settlement of Castorland. Beautiful and promising beyond measure upon paper, as an ideal, but utterly impracticable and bitterly disappointing as a reality. Yet many shares were eagerly taken.

IV.

ORGANIZATION.

There

On the 28th of June, 1793, it being the second year of the French Republic, the actual holders of certificates convertible into shares of La Compagnie de New York met in the rooms of citizen Chassanis, in Paris, to organize their society upon the basis already established, and to regulate the division, survey and settlement of their lands. were present at that meeting forty-one shareholders in all, who represented one thousand eight hundred and eight shares. They perfected and completed their organization; they adopted a long and elaborate constitution; they chose a seal for their corporation, and appointed five commissaries to manage its affairs, three for Paris and two for Castorland. In the meantime the tract had been re-conveyed, and the large part lying west and south of the Black River given up, the part retained being that lying east and north of the river, and containing only two hundred and ten thousand acres, as before stated. To accord with this fact the number of shares was reduced from six thousand to two thou

sand. It was at this meeting that a silver piece was order. ed to be struck, termed a Jetton de presence, one of which was to be given at every meeting to each Commissary as an attendance fee.*

The Commissaries appointed for America were Simon. Desjardines and Pierre Pharoux, who lost no time in proceeding to America to execute their important trust. Desjardines had been a Chamberlain of Louis XVI. He was of middle age, an accomplished scholar and gentleman, but knew not a word of English when he arrived. He had with him his wife and three children, and his younger brother, Geoffrey Desjardines, who shared his labors and

*These pieces occur in coin cabinets, and have been erroneously called "Castorland half-dollars." A Jetton is a piece of metal struck with a device, and distributed to be kept in commemoration of some event, or to be used as a counter in games of chance. The one here noticed was termed a Jetton de presence, or piece "given in certain societies or companies to each of the members at a session or meeting." (Dic. de l'Acad. Francaise.) It was engraved by one of the Duvivier brothers, eminent coin and metal artists of Paris. The design represents on the obverse the head of Cybele, who personified the earth as inhabited or cultivated, while on the reverse Ceres has just tapped a maple tree. The Latin legend on the reverse is a quotation from Virgil, which, with its context, reads:

"Salve magna parens frugum, Saturnia tellus
Magna virum

Geor. ii, 173.

-Hough's History of Lewis County.