1620

figure being doubled in turn twenty-four years later, or in 1767,-the latter reduplication being delayed a little, doubtless by the effect of intervening wars.

In the Congress of 1774 the colonists ventured for the first time on a guess at their own strength, their estimate being a little over three millions; but the true number cannot have been much more than two millions and a half, and this in turn was the double of the figure reached about twenty-three years before, which period is the usual time of doubling shown by our later censuses down to the date of the Civil War.

These results differ slightly from those approved by Mr. Bancroft in his last edition, who exceeds my estimates from

4,000,000.

35

30

25

20

15

10

1660

1670

1680

1690

1750 to 17702 by amounts varying from 50,000 to 100,000, or from 4 to 5 per cent. of the totals.

With the limited time at my disposal, I refrain from entering on the many interesting deductions to which these statistics open the way.

2 Bancroft (ii., 390) quotes Chalmers's estimates of 434,600 in 1714, 580,000 in 1727, 1,455,634 in 1754; I should assume at these dates, 400,000, 600,000, and 1,360,000, respectively. For himself he gives 1,260,000 in 1750, 1,425,000 in 1754, 1,695,000 in 1760, 2,312,000 in 1770, and 2,945,000 in 1780; for this last date, E. B. Elliott, in Walker's Statistical Atlas of U. S. (1874), computes the total as in round numbers 3,070,000. My own figures are, for 1750, 1,207,000; for 1760, 1,610,000; for 1770, 2,205,000; for 1775, 2,580,000; and for 1780. 2,780,000. The published figures of the census of 1790 (3,929,214) do not include Vermont or the Territory northwest of the Ohio, which would bring the total above 4,000,000.

5

REPORT OF THE TREASURER.

THE Treasurer of the American Antiquarian Society herewith submits his semi-annual report of receipts and disbursements for the six months ending October 1, 1887.

Under the direction of the Finance Committee the Treasurer has carried to each fund, from the income of the investments, two and one-half per cent. on the amount of each fund as it stood April 1, 1887.

A detailed statement of the investments is given as a part of this report, showing the par and market value of the various stocks and bonds.

The total of the investments and cash on hand October 1, 1887, was $103,906.17, divided among the several funds as follows:

The income of the Tenney Fund for the past six months and the gift from Rev. R. C. Waterston of one hundred dollars, have been transferred to the Librarian's and General Fund.

The cash on hand, included in the following statement, is $2,626.32.

The detailed statement of the receipts and disbursements for the past six months, ending Oct. 1, 1887, is as follows: