the county of James City, extending on the south side from Chippoak to Lawnes Creek, and from the Chickahominy River on the north side to a point nearly opposite the mouth of the creek, by eight hundred and eighty-six persons; the county of Warrasquoke, extending from the southern limit of the county of James City to Warrasquoke River, by five hundred and twenty-two. The counties of Warwick River and Elizabeth City, which included all the remaining settlements on the James River, contained sixteen hundred and seventy. The plantations lying on the modern York formed the county of Charles River, and had a population of five hundred and ten. The county of Accomac had a population of three hundred and ninety-six. It will be seen from this brief enumeration, that the plantations continued to be more thickly grouped in the county of James City than in any other part of the Colony.[1]
In spite of the fact, that the enlargement of the area under cultivation in tobacco in Virginia, in consequence of the steady encroachment of the cleared estates upon the line of forest, was rapidly increasing the volume of the English customs, Charles still persisted in allowing no opportunity to pass without urging upon the attention of the planters the advisability of diversifying their crops. In 1636, the addition to the royal revenue from the importation of tobacco by one ship alone amounted to three thousand three hundred and thirty-four pounds sterling, energies to the production of other commodities.[2]
