to have fifty acres of land for themselves; fifty for each man fervant, and as many for each woman fervant that was marriageable; and every fervant after his or her fervitude was expired, was deemed to be free, and to have fifty acres, paying the quit rent of one penny an acre. But the proprietaries were careful where any of the colonists bought their quit rents, to except the mines and minerals, and quarries of precious ftones. In the year 1670, Colonel William Sayle was appointed governor of Carolina by the proprietaries. At this time, the lands about Albemarle and Port-Royal Rivers, as being moft convenient for trade, were moft frequented; but experience foon taught the colónifts, that pafturage and tillage were neceffary for their establishment, fo that Afhley and Cooper rivers drew hitherto fuch numbers, that that neighbourhood foon became the beft inhabited part of the country. In 1661, Captain Halftead arrived with a fupply of provifions of all kinds from the proprietaries in England, who created James Carteret, Sir John Yeoman, and John Locke, Efq; landgraves and caciques. At this time alfo fome deviations were made from the original conftitutions. It was difcovered that the number of landgraves and caciques, required by the original conftitution, were not to be found, and therefore a governor was named by the palatine, The. council was to confift of feven deputies of proprietaries, as many chofen by the affembly, or as it was called, the parliament, and as many of the landgraves and caciques. To thofe were added all of them nominated by the proprietaries; an admiral, a chamberlain, chancellor, chief juftice, fecretary, furveyor, treafurer, high steward, high conftable, register of births and burials and marriages, regifter of writings, and marthal of the admiralty. The quoram of the coun

cil

cil was to confift of the governor and fix of the members, three of whom were to be proprietary deputies; and an affembly was compofed of the governor, the deputies of the proprietaries, ten members to be chofen by the freeholders of Berkley county, and ten by thofe of Colliton county; this number was to be encreased according to the encrease of the colony.

The first palatine of this colony was the Duke of Albemarle, who was fucceeded by the Earl of Craven, in 1671. At this time the proprietaries had conceived very fanguine hopes of their colony; for they ordered Captain Halstead to fail up Ashley river to make difcoveries; and the model of a very magnificent town was fent over with him, to be built as the metropolis of the province. At this time the majority of the colonifts were diffenters; but the promising appearance of the colony invited over to it many of the old cavilier character, and others, whose irregular and libertine conduct and behaviour gave great scandal to the original planters, which in time produced a fchifm, or rather a civil war in the colony. Sir John Yeoman fucceeded Colonel Sayle as governor; but the disorders of the colony encreased fo much, that the Indians were abused, and though at that time very numerous in Carolina, were provoked to a war, in which much blood was fhed, and many lives loft on both fides. These imprudent proceedings would have proved fatal to the colony, had it not been for the wisdom and prudence of the proprietaries; for their party, and that of the planters befides, having the natives on their fides, came often to blows; and one of the name of Culpepper was fent over prifoner to England, where he was tried for high treafon in Westminster hall, for raising a rebellion in Carolina, but acquitted. Thefe unruly proceedings plainly fhew

that

317 that nothing contributes more to the peace and happiness of a people than the practical principles of pure and undefiled liberty. The tory principles of cavaliers, which always will incline their votaries to aim at dominion, will ever be inimical to the peace and tranquility of fociety; whereas, juft ideas of liberty make men grant as much liberty to others as they take to themselves, and by that means they are not ready to quarrel and fall out.

To put a period to thefe diforders, or at least to provide fome remedy, the proprietaries chofe a Col. West to be their governor, and from his character and behaviour he appears to have been a man of wisdom, fagacity, and courage. He found great licentiousness prevailing in the colony when he came to the government, parties risen to a great height, and the Indian war not extinguished. This new governor, by taking the popular fide, in a great measure cured the public divifions fo much, that the parties united in repelling the Weftoes, an Indian nation who were very troublefome to the inhabitants. In 1682 he held a parliament at Charlestown, where feveral good laws paffed; and particularly an act for highways, for fuppreffing drunkenness and profane fwearing, for obfervation of the Lord's day, and for fettling the militia. Thofe, and fome other popular acts were difpleafing to the proprietaries; and Weft, in 1683, was removed from his government, and was fucceeded by Jofeph Moreton, Efq.

The wisdom of the proprietaries did not appear in this change of a governor, nor in the commiffion which they fent to appoint and determine differences between the English and the Indians of Carolina. The commiffioners that were appointed for the purpose above mentioned were, Morice Matthews, William

Fuller,

Fuller, Jonathan Fits, and John Boon, Efqrs: Those: gentlemen were accused of unfair practices in their decifions, and were foon diffolved. Though there were many difcouraging circumstances attended the colony at this time, yet it ftill profpered; and Charlef town was built and fortified in a very fine and inviting fituation, upon a rock between Afhley and Cooper rivers. Three counties, thofe of Berkley, Craven, and Colliton, were laid out and divided into fquares of 12000 acres, proportioned to the fhares held in them by the proprietaries, landgraves, and caciques. The colonifts at this time carried on a trade with the Indians, which the proprietaries did not at all approve of; for they wanted to engrofs this trade into their own hands, which rendered their authority lefs refpectable in the efteem of the inhabitants. To anfwer their feveral purpofes they frequently changed their governors, with little advantage to themselves, and with little fatisfaction to the colonifts. Men who refide in England, and are engaged in forming Utopian fchemes of wealth and riches, are ready to imagine, before they try experiments, that there is nothing to ftand in the way of their imaginations, and form their fchemes of government, according to what they wish to happen, rather than according to principles of certainty or real probability. Mr Weft, who was again reftored to his government, did not long continue; he became popular by doing good, and was envied by the proprietaries. He was fucceeded by James Colliton, Efq; a Barbadoes gentleman, who was exceedingly unpopular. He and his friends attempted to alter the fundamental conftitutions of the colony, and to fubftitute other articles under the title of standing laws, and temporary laws. This proceeding pleafed none of the principal parties concerned, but was difagreeable

to

to both the proprietaries and the planters; fo that Mr Colliton was not only deprived of his office, but driven out of the colony. Upon the expulfion of Colliton, fome of the most confiderable gentlemen had the management of affairs, till a new governor was appointed. Four governors fucceeded one another in a fhort period; the laft of whom fent notice to the proprietaries, that unless fome of themfelves, or one in the character of proprietary, came among them with full power to fettle all grievances, matters would never be put to rights. Upon this the Lord Afhley, eldest fon to the Earl of Shaftsbury, was chofen by the proprietaries to be governor. This was the famous author of the Characteristics, a book, though condemned by many who never were able to understand it, contains fome as juft and good reafonings as is to be met with in most modern compofitions. Lord Ashley's conftitution not being fuited to fuch active scenes of life, he declined accepting of the government. It was at this time conferred upon Mr Archdale, who published an account of Carolina, to which the public is indebted for the principal things we know of that colony at that time.

Mr Archdale foon found that he had more to do than he expected, and that he had a very difficult task to perform; but he behaved fo well, and managed with fo much prudence, difcretion, and patience, that the affembly voted him an addrefs of thanks. There was at this time a good understanding between the government of Spain, and that of Great Britain; but it was a common practice for the people of Jamaica and Barbadoes to buy Spanish Indians for flaves, who had been taken prifoners by other Indian favages. The Tammafees were a nation under the protection of the English, though they had been formerly under that of