sent his Man to tell me, That what I wanted, send to him Captain John for and I should have it. Collier. Ordinary inn. The next Morning we took our Journey towards Maryland, accompanied with Robert Wade and another Friend: We travelled hard and late at Night, so came to William Southerby's at Saxifrax River. From thence we went among Sassafras Friends on the Eastern Shore in Maryland . William Edmundson, Journal (London, 1774), 107-109. River, Maryland. 27. Progress of Georgia (1733) WE This account was written either by or sanction of GENERAL JAMES EDWARD THORPE (1696-1785), founder of See ContemGeorgia. poraries, II, No. 39.Georgia was founded as a philanthropic enterprise, to give homes to poor people; slavery was for nearly twenty years E set sail from Gravesend, on the 17th of Novr. with the 1732, in the ship Anne, of 200 tons, John Thomas, Master, being about 130 persons, and arrived off the bar of Charlestown on the 13th day of January following. Mr. Oglethorpe went on shore to wait on the Governour; was received with great marks of civility and satisfaction; obtained an order for Mr. Middleton, the King's pilot, to carry the ship into Port Royal; and for small craft to carry the Colony from thence to the river Savannah, with a promise of further assistance from the Province. He returned on board the 14th day; and came to an anchor within the bar of Port Royal, at about 16 miles' distance from Beaufort. On the 18th, he went on shore upon Trench's island, and left a guard of 8 men upon John's; being a point of that island which commands the channel, and is about halfway between Beaufort and the river Savannah : orders to prepare Huts, for the reception of the Colony, against they should lie there in their passage. From thence, he went to Beaufort town, where he arrived about one o'clock in the morning; and was saluted with a discharge of all the Artillery, and had the new Barracks fitted up; where, the Colony landed on the 20th day; and were, in they had forbidden. Till after the Revolution Georgia had very few See Contemporaries, II, few in h. vi. every respect, cheerfully assisted by Lieut. Watts, Ensign Farrington, and the other officers of his Majesty's independent company, as also by Mr. Delabarr, and other gentlemen of the neighborhood. While the Colony refreshed themselves there, Mr. Oglethorpe went up the River, and chose a situation for a Town; and entered into a treaty with Tomochichi, the Micco, or Chief of the only nation of Indians living near it. He returned on the 24th day; and they celebrated the Sunday following, as a day of Thanksgiving for their safe arrival; and a sermon was preached by the Revd. Mr. Jones, (the Revd. Dr. Herbert, who came with the Colony, preaching that day at Beaufort town.) There was a great resort of the Gentlemen of that neighborhood, and their families; and a plentiful Dinner provided for the Colony, and all that came, by Mr. Oglethorpe; being 4 fat hogs, 8 turkies, vivial habits besides fowls, English Beef, and other provisions, a hogshead of punch, a hogshead of beer, and a large quantity of wine; and, all was disposed in so regular a manner, that no person was drunk, nor any disorder happened. On the con of the time, see Contemporaries, II, No. 84. I.e. John's Tithing = a company of ten householders. On the 30th, the Colony embarked on board a sloop of 70 tons, and 5 Periaugers [dugouts], and made sail; but were forced by a storm, to put in at a place called the Lookout, and to lie there all night :- the next day, they arrived at John's; where they found huts capable to contain them all, and a plentiful supper of venison. They re-embarked the next day; and in the afternoon arrived at the place intended for the Town. Being arrived, on the 1st of February, at the intended Town, before night they erected 4 large tents, sufficient to hold all the people, being one for each tything; they landed their bedding, and other little necessaries; and all the people lay on shore. The ground they encamped upon is the edge of the river where the key [wharf] is intended to be. Until the 7th was spent in making a Crane, and unlading the goods: - which done, Mr. Oglethorpe divided the people; employing part, in clearing the land for seed; part, in beginning the palisade; and the remainder, in felling of trees where the Town is to stand. Col. Bull arrived here, with a message from the General Assembly to Mr. Oglethorpe, and a letter from his Excellency Governor Johnson and the Council; acquainting him, that the two Houses, upon a conference, had agreed to give 20 barrels of Rice and 100 head of Cattle, besides Hogs, to the Trustees; and, that they had commanded a detachment of the Rangers (which are Horse, kept in the pay of the Province, for the scouring of the frontiers) and the Scout-boat (which is an armed Bark, employed for the same purpose by water) to attend him, and take his orders. Col. Bull brought with him 4 of his Negroes, who were Sawyers, to assist the Colony; and also, brought provision for them, being resolved to put the Trust to no expense; and by this means, to bestow his benefaction in the most noble and useful manner. On the 9th day, Mr. Oglethorpe and Col. Bull marked out the Square, the Streets, and 40 Lots for houses for the town; and the first House (which was ordered to be made of clapboards) was begun that day. The Town lies on the south side of the river Savannah, upon a Flat on the top of a hill; and 60 yards of it is reserved between it and the Key. The river washes the foot of the hill; which stretches along the side of it about a mile, and forms a terrace 40 feet perpendicular above high-water. A Brief Account of the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia, under Gen. James Oglethorpe, February 1, 1733, in Force, Tracts, etc. (Washington, 1836), I, No. ii, 8–10. Savannah. By GOVERNOR JOHN WINTHROP, for whom see above, No. 21. His journal throws light upon almost every phase of New England life in the first half of the seventeenth century. - See Contemporaries, I, No. 107. - On early colo nial life, see Contemporaries, I, chs. xiii, xxi, xxvi. Morton's settlement at Merrymount had been broken up by John Endicott in the summer of 1628.-See 103. Oct. 25.1 CHAPTER V-COLONIAL LIFE IN 28. New England Life (1630-1635) TH `HURSDAY, 17 [June, 1630.] We went to Mattachusetts, to find out a place for our sitting down. We went up Mistick River about six miles. . . Thursday, 8 [July.] We kept a day of thanksgiving in all the plantations. . . . ... [Sept. 30.] The wolves killed six calves at Salem, and they killed one wolf. Thomas Morton [was] adjudged to be imprisoned, till he were sent into England, and his house burnt down, for his many injuries offered to the Indians, and other misdemeanours. Capt. Brook, master of the [ship] Gift, refused to carry him. [Oct. 25.] The governour, upon consideration of the inconveniences which had grown in England by drinking one to another, restrained it at his own table, and wished others to do the like, so as it grew, by little and little, to disuse. ... [Feb. 10, 1631.] The poorer sort of people (who lay Contempora- long in tents, etc.) were much afflicted with the scurvy, and ries, I, No. many died, especially at Boston and Charlestown; but when this ship came and brought store of juice of lemons, many recovered speedily. It hath been always observed here, that such as fell into discontent, and lingered [longed] after their former conditions in England, fell into the scurvy and died. . . . A very early example of temperance sentiment. "This ship," i.e. the "Lion." [Nov. 4.] The governour, his wife and children, went Small pieces of artillery. on shore, with Mr. Peirce, in his ship's boat. The ship gave them six or seven pieces. At their landing, the cap- I.e. fired a salute. tains, with their companies in arms, entertained them with a guard, and divers vollies of shot, and three drakes; and divers of the assistants and most of the people, of the near plantations, came to welcome them, and brought and sent, for divers days, great store of provisions, as fat hogs, kids, venison, poultry, geese, partridges, etc., so as the like joy and manifestation of love had never been seen in New England. It was a great marvel, that so much people and such store of provisions could be gathered together at so few hours' warning. . . . [April 16, 1632.] A wear [dam] was erected by Watertown men upon Charles River, three miles above the town, where they took great store of shads. A Dutch ship brought from Virginia two thousand bushels of corn, which was sold at four shillings sixpence the bushel. [July 5.] At Watertown there was (in the view of divers witnesses) a great combat between a mouse and a snake; and, after a long fight, the mouse prevailed and killed the snake. The pastor of Boston, Mr. Wilson, a very sincere, holy man, hearing of it, gave this interpretation: That the snake was the devil; the mouse was a poor contemptible people, which God had brought hither, which should overcome Satan here, and dispossess him of his kingdom. Upon the same occasion, he told the governour, that, before he was resolved to come into this country, he dreamed he was here, and that he saw a church arise out of the earth, which grew up and became a marvellous goodly church. . . . December 5 [1633.] John Sagamore died of the small pox, and almost all his people; (above thirty buried by Mr. Maverick of Winesemett in one day). The towns in the bay took away many of the children; but most of them died soon after. |