s frame in some place near the water where it may be rafted
at any time." The house was erected in July following by the company's
carpenters and laborers. When nearly finished it was unfortunately
destroyed by fire. A new house was begun the next year, which like the
other was built at Mr. Hazen's expense by the company's carpenters and
laborers.

As soon as the house was ready for occupation Mr. Hazen repaired to
Newburyport to bring on his family, and in the month of May, 1775,
they embarked in the Company's sloop Merrimack of 80 tons. Mr. Hazen's
tribulations were by no means ended, for on the voyage the Merrimack
was unluckily cast away on Fox Island and a good deal of her cargo,
together with papers containing accounts of the Company's business,
was lost. However, all the passengers were saved, as well as most of
their valuables, and were brought to St. John in Captain Drinkwater's
sloop. Drinkwater was obliged to throw overboard a load of cordwood to
make room for the rescued passengers and crew and their possessions.
For this he was of course remunerated by the Company. The Hazen family
proved a great addition to the limited society of Portland Point. We
learn from an enumeration of the inhabitants made this year that the
Hazen household included 4 men, 3 women, 3 boys and 2 girls, 12 in
all. Mr. Hazen's nephew, John, who subsequently removed to Oromocto,
was one of the family at that time. With such a family to provide for
the grocery bill at the Company's store grew rapidly. The first item
charged to the account of the household after their arrival was 67
lbs. of moose meat at 1d. per lb.; and it is of interest to notice
that beef was then quoted at 2d. per lb., or double the price of moose
meat. It is altogether likely that with the Hazens moose steak was a
much greater rarity on their arrival than it subsequently became, for
at the time it was one of the staple articles of food and almost any
settler who wanted fresh meat could obtain it by loading his musket
and going to the woods.

[Illustration: OLD HAZEN HOUSE AND GROUNDS.

This illustration is taken from a water color sketch of
St. John now in possession of Mrs. William Hazen. The original sketch was
made by a member of the Hazen family more than eighty years ago. In the
foreground appears the Hazen house, square and substantial, and nearly in
line with and beyond it is the Chipman house, overlooking the valley;
these two houses are the oldest now st