21.  Commodore Timothy A. Hunt, U.S.N., of Connecticut.

The History of Georgia, by Charles C. Jones, Jr., LL.D. (Boston:  Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 2 vols.) This is one of the most important recent contributions to American history.  Mr. Jones has done for Georgia what Palfrey did for New England.  The first volume deals with the settlement of the State, while the second covers its history during the war of the Revolution.  With the single exception of omitting to give a picture of the manners and customs of the people, which is always essential to a comprehensive history of any community or nation, the work merits the high praise it has already received.

The first volume of Suffolk County Deeds was published more than two years ago, by permission of the city authorities of Boston.  The second one, upon petition of the Suffolk bar, was also printed and distributed at the close of 1883.  These volumes contain valuable original historical information of the county, and of the city itself.  Among other historically-famous names appear those of Simon Bradstreet, John Endicott, John Winthrop, and Samuel Maverick.  The Indian element of the colony, also, is shown here several times.  The local topography of Boston and its suburbs, as they existed more than two centuries ago, are all preserved in this second volume.  Other volumes will no doubt follow in time, thus preserving records that are indeed precious.

The advanced state of our civilization, and the general prevalence of intelligence, naturally leads to the desire to contrast the past with the present; and to trace to their origin, the laws, customs, and manners of the leading civilized nations of the world.  Much research and strength have been expended in this direction, with gratifying results.  Two such accomplishments have been recently published, which discuss the early history of property.  The first is entitled The English Village Community, by Frederic Seebohm, (London:  Longmans, Green, & Co. 1 vol.) The other, by Denman W. Ross, PH.D., treats of The Early History of Landholding among the Germans. (Boston:  Soule & Bugbee. 1 vol.) It is generally admitted that the earliest organization of society was by family group, and that the earliest occupation of land was by these same family groups, and it is with the discussion of the theories growing out of these two that both books are occupied.

An Old Philadelphian contains sketches of the life of Colonel William Bradford, the patriot printer of 1776, by John William Wallace.  (Philadelphia.  Privately printed, 1 vol.) “He was the third of the earliest American family of printers, and his memoir serves as an admirable account of the interesting period in which he was one of the prominent figures in Philadelphia, and when that city was, in every sense, the capital of the country.”  It should be printed for public sale.