ficer who, on observing them,
naturally enough drew his sword. As they approached, one of
the Indians drew a pistol, and said to the officer, 'The
path is wide enough for us all; we have nothing to do with
you, and intend you no harm; if you keep your own way
peaceably, we shall keep ours."

Henry Purkitt, Samuel Sprague and John Hooten, (all living in 1835,)
were apprentices of about the same age. Purkitt and Dolbear were
apprentices with Peck, the cooper, in Essex Street. While at their work
they heard a loud whistle, which startled them, and which they followed
till it brought them to the wharf. Their part of the play was on the
flats, by the side of one of the vessels,--for it was nearly low
tide,--and with other boys, by direction of the commander, to break up
more thoroughly the fragments of chests and masses of tea thrown over in
too great haste. They found their return upon deck much facilitated by
the immense pile which had accumulated beneath and around them. The
commander acted as an interpreter for those persons,--apparently five or
six aboard each vessel,--who especially assumed the Indian guise. These
were no doubt among the principal directors of the whole affair. They
affected to issue their orders from time to time in an Indian jargon,
the interpreter communicating what the chiefs said; attended to the
procuring of keys and lights, the raising of the derricks, trampling the
tea into the mud, sweeping the decks at the close of the scene, calling
up the mate to report whether everything (except, of course, the tea)
was left as they found it, etc.

Purkitt and Dolbear went home early. Peck, who was believed to be one of
the chiefs, came in rather softly, at one o'clock in the morning. The
boys noticed some indications of red paint behind his ears, next day.
The only tools they used were staves, which they made before starting.

* * * * *

David Kinnison, the last survivor of the tea party, died at Chicago in
1852, at the great age of one hundred and fifteen. He was one of
seventeen inhabitants of Lebanon, Maine, who had associated themselves
together as a political club, and, who had determined, at all hazards,
to destroy the tea, whether assisted or not. Some of them repairing to
Boston, joined the party, and twenty-four, disguised as Indians,
hastened on board the ships, twelve armed with muskets and bayonets, the
rest with tomahawks and clubs. They