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HISTORY OF FALMOUTH. 45
after this vote the town was called on to pay its proportion of forty pounds for two old wolfs heads that had been killed by some Sandwich men. It is generally the case in all newly settled countries that controversies arise respecting the boundaries of lands -- such disputes are almost unavoidable even where each party is disposed to contend only for its supposed rights. In 1716 these controversies became quite frequent and we find frequent notices of meetings called by the proprietors for the purpose of more particularly defining their boundaries and preventing encroachments on their rights. They seemed now to realize the importance of fixing definitely all bounds public and private not only for their own convenience, but to avoid all dispute or litigation in future. Meeting after meeting was held for this purpose, at which their leading men were appointed to fix the bounds and have them recorded, and several assessments were made on the proprietors for defraying the expense. They thus showed their good judgment. They foresaw the evil arising from a neglect of this duty, and in performing it so faithfully have saved their descendants a great amount of difficulty and litigation. Their misunderstandings among themselves appear to have been amicably settled, and it is much to their credit that in all the ancient records I have examined there is but one account of a lawsuit growing out of this vexed question, and that suit commenced not by themselves but by a resident of Barnstable. At this time a noted controversy arose concerning a claim to a certain part of the old purchase. The dispute seems to have been confined principally to the line running from the head of Five Mile river to Tateket, and was raised as it would seem, not
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