Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/122

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94
Southern Colonies
[1699

then, or never was the Time to maintain the Queen's Prerogative, and put a stop to those wrong pernicious Notions, which were improving daily, not only in Virginia, but in all her Majesty s other Governments. A Frown now from her Majesty, will do more than an Army hereafter, &c.

With those inhuman false Imputations, did those Gentlemen afterwards introduce the Necessity of a standing Army.

§. 150. Thus did this Gentleman continue to rule till August 1705. . . .

[Robert Beverly], The History of Virginia (London, 1722), 87-97 passim.

34. Report of an Investigating Agent in Carolina (1699)

BY EDWARD RANDOLPH

Randolph was sent over by the king as a special agent to investigate the manner in which the colonies carried out the British laws. —Bibliography : Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, ch. v; Channing and Hart, Guide, §102 ; Contemporaries, I, No. 133. —For previous history of the Carolinas, see Contemporaries, I, ch. xii.

AFTER a dangerous voyage at Sea, I landed at Charles Town, in the Province of So. Carolina, & soon after my arrival, I administered the Oath to Mr. Jos. Blake, one of the Proprietors & Governor of this Province. But he is not allowed of by his Matys. Order in Council to be Govr., the Act of Parlt. for preventing frauds being not taken notice of by the Proprietors.

There are but few settled Inhabitants in this Province, the Lords have taken up vast tracts of lands for their own use, as in Colleton County & other places, where the land is most commodious for settlement, which prevents peopling the place, & makes them less capable to preserve themselves. As to their civil Governt., 'tis different from what I have met with in the other Proprieties. Their Militia is not above 1500 Soldiers White men, but have thro the Province generally 4 Negroes to 1 White man, & not above 1100 families, English & French.

Their Chief Town is Charles Town, and the seat of Govt. in this Province, where the Governor, Council & Triennial Parliam . set, & their Courts are holden, being above a league distance from the entrance to their harbour mouth, weh. is barred, & not above 17 foot water at the highest tide, but very difficult to come in. The Harbour is called by the Spaniards, St. George ; it lyes 75 leagues to the Northward of