Clarke, who married Barbary, the daughter of the late Joseph Cundall, Esq., of Portsmouth. Judge Clarke furnished the author with the subjoined facts: "The earliest notice of the Cundall family in my possession is, an indenture of apprenticeship of Joseph Cundall, son of widow Cundall, of Bruntloff, in the county of York, England; said indenture is dated first day of ye first month, called March, in the fifth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Anne, A. D. 1706.' As the term of time required to learn a trade was seven years at least, it may be supposed that said Joseph Cundall was born about 1692. Said Joseph Cundall erected, or purchased, a small fulling-mill, where a stone factory now stands, in which to dress woolen cloths, &c., and purchased a third of a dwelling house, in the north-east corner of Hunting Swamp, (where sportsmen resorted for game); said house stood on the south side of the highway, nearly opposite the residence of what was then Abraham Anthony's, who was Town Clerk of the town of Portsmouth. At this house, the wife of said Joseph Cundall died, on the 3rd day of June, 1745. Said Joseph Cundall purchased, of James Sisson, the farm, long called Cundall's Homestead. It contained forty-six acres, with a fulling-mill, and other buildings thereon." The farm at present consists of one hundred and forty acres. The descendants now living are Isaac Cundall, Samuel B., and Mary, the wife of Perrin Burdick, merchant, of Newport, and Barbary, the wife of Judge Clarke, who resides at the place. On Christmas-eve, December 24th, a violent snow storm occurred, in which Mr. Cundall, on leaving his mill for home, perished, having lost his way. Cundall's Mills is one of the most romantic spots on the island, and has become a general resort of strangers, who visit Newport in summer, to enjoy the salubrity of its climate, and its picturesque scenery. The walk through the shady bower of trees, which opens to the east passage, with Tiverton and Little Compton in view, is a rural scene, at once grand and imposing, suited to convey a just appreciation of the enjoyment of retirement, over the busy whirlpool of fashion. The stream of water, which propels the small fulling-mill, adds beauty and sublimity to the scene. It flows on uninterruptedly in its course, agreeably to the language of the poet : "How steadily thou murmurest on, thou tangled little stream, That stealthily in this deep glen hides—from the day's broad beam; LAWTON'S VALLEY. This valley, or gulley, as it was once called, is situated on the west side of the island, in the town of Portsmouth. This is a delightful retreat in summer; blooming wild weeds hang luxuriantly in waving wreaths from innumerable impending projections of rock. Many beautiful vagrant rills gently steal through various crevices, while some, impeded in their course by rude frag. ments of stone, impetuously break a passage, and precipitate the sparkling foam down the declivity, till it pauses in the many windings of a gentle stream. It is sublimely beautiful to contemplate this wild luxuriance of prolific nature. No spot furnishes more inviting rides and walks than the island of Rhode Island, and to the mind of perception and taste, is presented a wide field for contemplation on the beauties of nature. The entrance to this rural retreat, is situated about midway of the road running west from the Union Meeting-house, near the bridge, known as Cuff's bridge. Cuff was an old family negro, belonging to the Lawton family. His residence was a small cottage at the base of the hill, near the bridge. The old cellar is all that remains to mark the spot. We well remember his coming to market, in his old-fashioned coat, with the produce of his small plantation. These reminiscences afford pleasure and delight, far beyond anything of the present day. This portion of the island is very interesting, and to one who prefers solitude to the vortex of fashion, presents attractions of a highly interesting character. COUNT SEGUIN'S VIEWS ON SEEING NEWPORT. "Other parts of America were only beautiful by anticipation, but the prosperity of Rhode Island was already complete; COUNT SEGUIN'S VIEWS ON SEEING NEWPORT 141 industry, cultivation, activity of trade, were all carried to great perfection. "Newport, well and regularly built, contained a numerous population, whose happiness was indicated by its prosperity It offered delightful circles, composed of enlightened men and modest and handsome women, whose talents heightened their personal attractions. All the French officers who knew them, recollect the names and beauty of Miss Champlin, the two Misses Hunter, and several others. "Like the remainder, of my companions, I rendered them homage, to which they were justly entitled, but my longest visits were paid to an old man, very silent, who very seldom bared his thoughts, and never bared his head. His gravity and monosyllabic conversation announced at first that he was a Quaker. It must however be confessed, in spite of all the veneration I felt for his virtues, our first interview would probably have been our last, had not I seen the door of the drawing-room suddenly open, and a being which resembled a nymph rather than a woman, enter the apartment. So much beauty, so much simplicity, so much elegance, and so much modesty, were perhaps never combined in the same person. It was Polly Leighton, (the way it was then pronounced, but it was always spelt Lawton,) the daughter of my grave Quaker. Her gown was white, like herself, while her ample muslin neckerchief, and the envious cambric of her cap, which scarcely allowed me to see her light-colored hair, and the modest attire, in short, of a pious virgin, seemed vainly to endeavor to conceal the most graceful figure, and the most beautiful form imaginable. Her eyes appeared to reflect, as in a mirror, the meekness and purity of her mind, and the goodness of her heart; she received us with an open ingenuity which delighted me, and the use of the familiar word thou,' which the rules of her sect prescribed, gave to our acquaintance the appearance of an old friendship. "In our conversation she excited my surprise, by the candor, full of originality, of her questions: "Thou hast, then,' she said, 'neither wife nor children in Europe, since thou leavest thy country, and comest so far to engage in that cruel occupation, war ?' "But it is for your welfare,' I replied, 'that I quit all I held dear, and it is to defend your liberty that I come to fight the English.' "The English,' she rejoined, 'have done thee no harm, and wherefore shouldst thou care about our liberty? We ought never to interfere in other people's business, unless it be to reconcile them together, and prevent the effusion of blood.' "But,' said I, my king has ordered me to come here, and engage his enemies, and your own.' "Thy king, then, orders thee to do a thing which is unjust, inhuman, and contrary to what thy God ordereth. Thou shouldst obey thy God and disobey thy king, for he is a king to preserve, and not to destroy. I am sure that thy wife, if she has a good heart, is of my opinion.' "What could I reply to that angel? for, in truth, I was tempted to believe that she was a celestial being. Certain it is, that, if I had not been married and happy, I should, whilst coming to defend the liberty of the Americans, have lost my own, at the feet of Polly Leighton. "The impression produced upon me by this charming girl, was so different from what is experienced in the gay vortex of the world, that, as a natural consequence, it diverted my mind, at least for a time, from all idea of concerts, fêtés, and balls. "However, the ladies of Newport had acquired strong claims upon our gratitude, by the kind reception they had honored us with, and by the favorable opinion they expressed of our companions in arms, whose absence they deeply regretted; we resolved to give them a magnificent ball and supper, a step not dictated by absolute prudence, since we were only seven or eight officers, ten leagues distant from our army. "Long Island, which was occupied by our enemies, was not far from Newport; and we were told that the English priva teers sometimes made their appearance on the coast. Such being the case, and the report of our fêté having got abroad, they might have paid us a visit, and rather strangely disturbed our jovial party. This apprehension, however, appeared to us quite unfounded, and I quickly sent for some musicians belong. ing to the regiment of Soissonnais Desoteux. Desoteux, who since acquired some celebrity during our revolution, as a leader of 'Chouans,' under the name of Comartin, took upon himself, assisted by Vauban, to make the necessary preparations for the ball and supper, whilst we went about town, distributing our invitations. "The little fêté was one of the prettiest I have ever witnessed; it was adorned by beauty, and cordiality presided over the reception and entertainment of the guests. But Polly Leighton could not be present, and I cannot deny that this circumstance occasionally cast a gloom over my spirits. "Time glided on so agreeably at Newport, that we were not anxious to return to our tents, and, relying upon the indulgence of our General, we exceeded by a few days the leave of absence he had given us. But M. De Rochambeau, who knew all the importance of a strict adherence to discipline, dispatched positive orders for us to join immediately our respective regi ments; we therefore reluctantly quitted Newport, and quickly returned to our head quarters, which were at Providence, and which, at that period, contained three thousand inhabitants."Count Seguin's Memoirs. Polly Leighton, or Lawton, lived in the house, corner of Spring and Washington-square, now Touro, changed in honor of Abraham Touro, Esq., for his noble bequest. Count Seguin's vivid description of Newport, cannot fail to convince the reader, of the justness of the high-wrought encomiums which have been passed upon her, by those who well knew her past history. There were acknowledged leaders of the ton, and their elegant and polished manners, with minds intelligent and cultivated, combined to draw around them the elite of the capital, and to render their mansions a most attractive place of resort. Entertainments of every description was the order of the day, and the prominent fashionables were emulous in gaiety. Newport gave the ton to the surrounding country, who looked to them for fashions and manners, previous to the revolution. THE WARD FAMILY. As this family held a high rank, and occupied an important position in the early history of Newport, we have felt called |