It is evident from the Record that soon after this they were under the jurisdiction of that Colony,

or rather composed a part of it, altho' nothing is said of their men's returning.

Probably the General

PAPERS RELATING TO LONG ISLAND.

Court at Hartford did not pay any attention to the latter part of the business on which Baker & Hand were sent. This poor woman had a trial in E. Hampton for Witchcraft, but nothing was done.

It was referred to the Gen 1

Court at Hartford.

At this day it appears surprising that not only those who settled in the American Wilderness should be so infatuated about Witches and Witchcraft but that King James I., Lord Justice Holt and some of the first characters in the English Nation should be so carried away with notions of this kind.

If

the affair of witches has made more noise in this country than it has in some Countries of Europe, it is not

owing to their having been more executed for that supposed crime here

there has been, during the same time, as

:

for I have no doubt

many executed in England only, as there have been in all

New England & Virginia, for it was not confined to New England but prevailed also in other parts. In Europe, the execution of a few individuals would be effaced from the page of History by more

important events that were continually taking place during the last century. But in this country it was a singular affair, & has been handed down by our own writers, and dwelt upon, with wonder, by European writers who have endeavored to account for it from the enthusiastic ideas of the Inhabitants here, not considering that they acquired these ideas in Europe from books published by men of character & information.