We copy the following from the celebrated but quite rare work of Oldmixon, published in 1708. The capitals, orthography and italics are about as in the original.

After describing Middlesex county, he says: "We cross over the river from Middlesex into

Monmouth County; Where we first meet with Middleton a pretty Good Town consisting of 100 Families and 30,000 Acres of Ground on what they call here Out Plantations. 'Tis about 10 or 12 miles over Land, to the Northward of Shrewsbury and 26 miles to the Southward of Piscattaway. Not far off, the Shoar winds itself about like a Hook and being sandy gives Name to all the Bay.

Shrewsbury is the most Southern Town of the Province and reckon'd the chief Town of the Shire. It contains about 160 Families and 30,000 Acres of Out Plantations, belonging to its Division. 'Tis situated on the Side of a fresh Water Stream, thence called Shrewsbury River, not far from its Mouth. Between this Town and Middleton is an Iron Work but we do not understand it has been any great Benefit to the Proprietors. Col. Morris is building a Church at the Falls. There's a new town in the County called

Freehold, which has not been Laid out and inhabited long. It does not contain as yet above 40 Families, and as to its Out Plantations we suppose they are much the same in number with the rest and may count it about 30,000 acres.

We have not divided the counties into Parishes and that for a good reason, there being none, nor indeed a Church in the whole Province worth that Name. But there are several Congregations of Church of England men as at Shrewsbury, Amboy, Elizabeth Town and Freehold whose Minister is Mr. John Reak; his Income is 65£ a year; and a Church is building at Salem.

In another place Oldmixon in speaking of the first settlers of New Jersey says:

"We must note that most of the first English Inhabitants in this country (East and West Jersey) were Dessenters, and most of them Quakers and Anabaptists. These people are generally industrious; Be their Hypocrisy to themselves if they are Hypocrites; but we must do them the Justice to own, that they are the fittest to inhabit a new discovered Country, as possessing Industry, and shunning those public Vices which beget Idleness and Want. Their enemies drove great numbers of them out of England, and the Jerseys had their share of them. The People here are for this Reason Dissenters to this Day, there being but two Church of England Ministers in both Provinces; and this may be one reason why there are no Parish Churches, which the Inhabitants may be afraid to build, least it might be a temptation for more Orthodox Divines to come among them.

A gentleman asking one of the Proprietaries 'If there were no Lawyers in the Jerseys?' Was answered 'No.' And then 'If there were no Physicians?' The Proprietor replied 'No.' 'Nor Parsons?' adds the Gentleman. 'No,' says the Proprietor. Upon which the other cry'd 'What a happy place must this be and how worthy the name of Paradice!' We do not perhaps differ more from this gentleman than we agree with him."

Oldmixon derived his information of New Jersey from two of the Proprietors as will be seen by the following extract from his preface:

"Mr. Dockwra and Dr. Cox were both so kind as to inform him fully of the Jerseys and Mr. Pen did him the same Favor for Pennsylvania; these three Gentlemen doing him the Honor to admit him into their Friendship."