A Discourse Concerning the Design'd Establishment of a New Colony to the South of Carolina/Of the Form propos'd in Settling

by Robert Montgomery (1680–1731)

Of the Form propos'd in Settling.

OUR Meaning here relates to what immediate Measures will be taken, for Security against the Insults of the Natives, during the Infancy of our Affairs; To which End we shall not satisfie ourselves with building here and there a Fort, the fatal Practice of America, but so dispose the Habitations, and Divisions of the Land, that not alone our Houses, but whatever we possess, will be enclos'd by Military Lines, impregnable against the Savages, and which will make our whole Plantation one continued Fortress.

It need not be suppes'd, that all the Lands will thus he fortified at once; The first Lines drawn will be in just Proportion to the Number of Men they enclose; As the Inhabitants enerease, New Lines will be made to enclose them also, so that all the People will be always safe with a well defended Lime of Circumvallation.

The Reader wall allow, it is mot necessary, that these Retrenchments be of Bulk, like those of Europe; small Defence is strong against the poor unskilful Natives of America; They have accomplish’d all their bloody Mischief by Surprizes, and Incursions, but durst never think of a Defyance to Artillery.

The Massacres, and frequent Ruins, which have fallen upon some English Settlements for want of this one Caution, have sufficiently instructed us, that Strength, producing Safety, is the Point, which shou'd be chiefly weigh'd in such Attempts as these: Solon had Reason when he said to Cræfus, looking on his Treasure—, You are rich indeed, and so far you are mighty; But if any Man shou'd come with sharper steel then Yours, how easily will he be made the Master of your Gold?

At the Arrival therefore of the first Men carried over, proper Officers shall mark, and cause to be entrench'd a Square of Land in just Proportion to their Number; On the Outsides of this Square, within the little Bastions, or Redoubts of the Entrenchment, they raise light Timber Dwellings, cutting down the Trees, which every where encompass them: The Officers are quartered with the Men, whom they command, and the Governour in Chief is plac'd exactly in the Center: By these means the labouring People (being so dispos'd, as to be always watchful of an Enemies Approach) are themselves within the Eye of those, set over them, and All together under the Inspection of their Principal.

The Redoubts may he near enough to defend Each other with Musquets, but Field Pieces, and Patarero's will be planted upon Each, kept charged with Cartridge shot, and Pieces of old Iron; Within these Redoubts are the Common Dwellings of the Men who must defend them; Between them runs a Palisadoc'd Bank. and a Ditch, which will be Scour'd by the Artillery, One Man in Each Redoubt kept Night and Day, upon the Guard, will give alarm upon Occasion to the others at their Work. So they cultivate their Lands, Secure their Cattle, and follow their Business with great Ease, and Safety. Exactly in the Centre of the inmost Square will be a Fort, defended by large Cannon, pointing Every way, and capable of making strong Resistance, in Case some Quarter of the outward Lines shou'd chance to be surpriz'd, by any sudden Accident, which yet with tolerable Care wou'd be impracticable.

The Nature of this Scheme, when weigh'd against the Ignorance, and wildness of the Natives, will shew, that Men thus settled, may at once defend, and cultivate a Territory, with the utmost Satisfaction, and Security, even in the Heart of an Indian Country, Then how much rather in a Place considerably distant from the Savage Settlements.

As the Numbers shall encrease, and they go on to clear more Space of Land, they are to regulate their Settlements with like Regard to Safety, and Improvement: And indeed the Difference, as to Time, and Labour, is not near so great as may be thought, betwixt enclosing Land this Way, and following the dangerous common Method; But what is here already said will serve the End, for which it has been written, which was only to give a general Notion of the Care and Caution we propose to act with.

It will not, however, be amiss, as you have seen the first rude Form of our Azilia in her Infancy, to view her also in the Fulness of her Beauty; And to that End we have affix'd a Plan of one whole District, clear'd, planted, and inhabited; For as the Country thrives, all future Townships will be form'd according to this Plan, and measur'd out as near Each other as the Rivers, Hills, and other natural Impediments will any way admit of.

But least it shou'd be fear'd from the Correctness of this Model, that twill be a Work of too great Difficulty, and require a mighty Length of Time to bring it to perfection, we think it proper to declare, that Purchasers will not be obliged to wait this Form of Settlement, but are entitled to the immediate Profits of peculiar Lands, assign'd them, from the very first Arrival of the Colony; which Lands, being set apart for that Purpose, will be strongly enclos'd, and defended by the Lines, or Entrenchments before mention'd.

Neither wou'd we have it thought a Labour so tedious, as 'tis generally fancy'd, to establish in this manner a Colony, which may become not only an Advantage, but a Glory to the Nation: We have Prospects before us most attractive, and unprecedented, in the three tempting Points Wealth, Safety, and Liberty: Benefits, like these, can never fail of drawing Numbers of Inhabitants from Every Corner: And, Men once got together, 'tis as easy to dispose them regularly, and with due Regard to Order, Beauty, and the Comforts of Society, as to leave them to the Folly of fixing at Random, and destroying their Interest by indulging their Humour; So that we have more than ordinary Cause to expect. that in a very short Time, we shall be able to present the solid Life its self, as now we give the Shadow only, in the following Explanation.

You must suppose a level, dry, and fruitful Tract of Land, in some fine Plain or Valley, containing a just Square of twenty Miles Each Way, or two hundred and fifty six thousand Acres, laid out, and settled, in the Form, presented, in the Cut annex'd.

The District is defended by sufficient Numbers of Men, who, dwelling in the fortified Angles of the Line, will be employ'd in cultivating Lands, which are kept in Hand for the particular advantage of the Margrave; These Lands surround the District just within the Lines, and every where contain in Breadth one Mile exactly.

The Men, thus employ'd, are such, as shall be hir'd in Great Britain or Ireland, well disciplin'd, arm'd, and carried over, on Condition to serve faithfully for such a Term of Years, as they before shall agree to; And, that no Man may be wretched in so happy a Country, at the Expiration of those Peoples Time; besides some other considerable, and unusual Incouragements, all such, among them, who shall marry in the Country, or come married thither, shall have a Right of laying claim to a certain Fee-Farm, or Quantity of Land, ready clear'd, together with a House built upon it, and a stock sufficient to improve, and cultivate it, which they shall enjoy, Rent, and Tax free, during Life, as a Reward for their Services; By which Means two very great Advantages must naturally follow: Poor labouring Men, so secur'd of a fix'd future Settlement, will be thereby induc'd to go thither more willingly; and act, when there, with double Diligence, and Duty; And when their Time expires, possessing just Land enough to pass their Lives at Ease, and bring their Children up honestly, the Families they leave will prove a constant Seminary of sober Servants, of Both Sexes, for the Gentry of the Colony; whereby they will be under no necessity to use the Dangerous Help of Blackamoors, or Indians; The Lands set apart for this Purpose, are two Miles in Breadth, quite round the District, and lie next within the Margraves own reserv'd Lands abovemention'd.

The 116 Squares, Each of which has a House in the Middle, are, Every one a Mile on Each Side, or 640 Acres in a Square, bating only for the High Ways, which divide them; These are the Estates, belonging to the Gentry of the District, who, being so confin'd to an Equality in Land, will be profitably Emulous of out doing Each other in Improvement, since that is the only way, left them to grow richer than their Neighbours; And when the Margravate is once become strong enough to form many Districts, the Estates will be all given gratis, together with many other benefits, to honest and qualified Gentlemen in Great Britain, or elsewhere, who having Numerous and well-educated Families, possess but little Fortunes, other than their Industry; and will therefore be chosen to enjoy these Advantages, which they shall pay no Rent, or other Consideration for; and and yet the Undertaking will not tail to find its own Account in their Prosperity.

The four great Parks, or rather Forrests, are Each four Miles Square, that is 16 Miles round each Forrest, in which are propagated Herds of Cattle of all Sorts by themselves, not alone to serve the uses of the District, they belong to, but to store such New Ones, as may from Time to Time be measur'd out, on Affluence of People.

The Middle hollow Square, which is full of Streets crossing each other, is the City, And the Bank, which runs about it, on the outside surrounded with Trees, is a large void Space, which will be useful for a thousand Purposes, and, among the rest, as being airy, and affording a fine Prospect of the Town in Drawing near it.

In the Center of the City stands the Margraves House, which is to be his constant Residence, or the Residence of the Governour, and contains all sorts of publick Edifices for Dispatch of Business; and this again is separated from the City by a Space, like that, which, as above, divides the Town from the Country.