The History of Virginia, in Four Parts. I. the History of the First Settlement of Virginia, and the Government Thereof, to the Year 1706
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Library of Congress The history of Virginia, in four parts. I. The history of the first settlement of Virginia, and the government thereof, to the year 1706. II. The natural productions and conveniences of the country 356 3131 THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, In Four PARTS. I. The HISTORY of the First Settlement of Virginia, and the Government thereof, to the Year 1706. II. The natural Productions and Conveniencies of the Country, suited to Trade and Improvement. III.The Native Indians, their Religion, Laws, and Customs, in War and Peace. IV. The present State of the Country, as to the Polity of the Government, and the Improvements of the Land, the 10 th of June 1720. By a Native and Inhabitant of the PLACE. The SECOND EDITION revis'd and enlarg'd by the AUTHOR. LONDON: Printed for B. and S. TOOKE in Fleetstreet; F. FAYRAM and J. CLARKE at the Royal- Exchange, and T. BICKERTON in Pater-Noster Row, 1722. LIBRARY OF CITY OF WASH No 1 F229 ?58 The history of Virginia, in four parts. I. The history of the first settlement of Virginia, and the government thereof, to the year 1706. II. The natural productions and conveniences of the country http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.06557 Library of Congress THE PREFACE. MY first Business in the World being among the public Records of my Country, the active Thoughts of my Youth put me upon taking Notes of the general Administration of the Government; but with no other Design, than the Gratification of my own inquisitive Mind; these lay by me for many Years afterwards obscure and secret, and would forever have done so, had not the following Accident produced them. In the Year 1703, my Affairs calling me to England, I was soon after my Arrival, complimented by my Bookseller with an Intimation, that there was prepar'd for Printing a general Account of all her Majesty's Plantations in America, and his Desire, that I would overlook it before it was put to the Press; I agreed to overlook that Part of it which related to Virginia. Soon after this he brings me about Six Sheets of Paper written, which contain'd the Account of Virginia and Carolina: This it seems was to have answered a Part of Mr. Oldmixon's British Empire in America. I very innocently (when I began to read) placed Pen and Paper by me, and made my Observations upon the first Page, but found it in the Sequel so very faulty, and an Abridgment only of some Accounts that had been printed 60 or 70 Years ago; in which also he had chosen the most strange and untrue A 2 true Parts, and left out the more sincere and faithful, so that I laid aside all Thoughts of farther Observations, and gave it only a Reading; and my Bookseller for Answer, that the Account was too faulty and too imperfect to be mended: Withal telling him, that seeing I had in my junior Days taken some Notes of the Government, which I then had with me in England, I would make him an Account of my own Country, if I could find Time, while I staid in London. And this I should the rather undertake in Justice to so fine a Country; because it has been so misrepresented to the common People of England, as to make them believe, that the Servants in Virginia are made to draw in Cart and Plow, as Horses and Oxen do in The history of Virginia, in four parts. I. The history of the first settlement of Virginia, and the government thereof, to the year 1706. II. The natural productions and conveniences of the country http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.06557 Library of Congress England, and that the Country turns all People black, who go to live there, with other such prodigious Phantasms. Accordingly before I left London, I gave him a short History of the Country, from the first Settlement, with an Account of its then State; but I would not let him mingle it with Oldmixon's other Account of the Plantations, because I took them to be all of a Piece with those I had seen of Virginia and Carolina, but desired mine to be printed by it self. And this I take to be the only Reason of that Gentleman's so severely reflecting upon me in his Book, for I never saw him in my Life that I know of. But concerning that Work of his, I may with great Truth say, that (notwithstanding his Boast of having the Assistance of many original Papers and Memorials that I had not the Opportunity of) he no where varies from the Account that I gave, nor advances any thing new of his own, but he commits so many Errors, and imposes so many Falsities upon the World. To instance some few out of the many. Page 210. He says, that they were near spent with Cold, which is impossible in that hot Country. Pag. Pag. 220. He says, that Captain Weymouth in 1605 enter'd Powhatan River Southward of the Bay of Chesapeak; — whereas Powhatan River is now call'd James River, and lies within the Mouth of Chesapeak Bay some Miles, on the West side of it; and Captain Weymouth's Voyage was only to Hudson's River, which is in New York, much Northward of the Capes of Virginia. Pag. 236. He jumbles the Patowmeck and Eastern Shore Indians, as if they liv'd together, and never quarrell'd with the English; whereas the last liv'd on the East side the great Bay of Chesapeak, and the other on the West. The Eastern Shore Indians never had any quarrel with the English, but the Patowmecks used many Treacheries and Enmities The history of Virginia, in four parts. I. The history of the first settlement of Virginia, and the government thereof, to the year 1706. II. The natural productions and conveniences of the country http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.06557 Library of Congress towards us, and join'd in the intended general Massacre, but by a timely Discovery were prevented doing any thing. Pag. 245. He says, that Morison held an Assembly, and procur'd that Body of Laws to be made.—Whereas Morison only made an Abridgment of the Laws then in being, and compil'd them into a regular Body; and this he did by Direction of Sir William Berkley, who, upon his going to England, left Morison his Deputy Governor. Pag. 248. He says (viz. in Sir William Berkley's Time) the English could send 7000 Men into the Field, and have twice as many at Home.—Whereas at this Day they cannot do that, and yet have three times as many People in the Country as they had then. By Pag. 251. he seems altogether ignorant of the Situation of Virginia, the Head of the Bay and New York, for he there says, “ When the Indians at the Head of the Bay travell'd “to New York, they past, going and coming, by “the Frontiers of Virginia, and traded with the “Virginians, &c.— Whereas the Head of the A 3 Bay Bay is in the common Rout of the Indians travelling from New York to Virginia, and much about half Way. Pag. 255. He says Sir William Berkley withdrew himself from his Government; — whereas he went not out of it, for the Countries of Accomack and Northampton, to which he retir'd, were two Counties of his Government, and only parted from the rest where the Rebels rise by the Bay of Chesapeak. Pag. 266. He says, Dr. Tho. Bray went over to be President of the College in Virginia;— whereas he was sent to Maryland, as the Bishop's Commissary there. And Mr. Blair in the Charter to the College, was made President during Life, and is still alive. He also says, that all that was subscribed for the College came to nothing; — whereas all the Subscriptions were in a short time paid in, and expended upon the College; of which 2 or 3 flood Suit, and were cast. The history of Virginia, in four parts. I. The history of the first settlement of Virginia, and the government thereof, to the year 1706. II. The natural productions and conveniences of the country http://www.loc.gov/resource/lhbcb.06557 Library of Congress Pag. 269. He tells of Camels brought by some Guinea Ships to Virginia; but had not then heard how they throve with us; — I don't known how he should, for there never was any such thing done. Then his Geography of the Country is most absurd, notwithstanding the wonderful Care he pretends to have of the Maps, and his expert Knowledge of the new Surveys (Pag. 278.) making almost as many Faults as Descriptions. For Instance, Pag. 272. Prince George County, which lies all on the South Side James River, he places on the North. And says, that, Part of James City County and four of the Parishes of it lie on the South side James River —; whereas not one Inch of it has so done these sixty years. Pag. Pag. 273. His Account of Williamsburgh is most romantick and untrue; and so is his Account of the College. Pag. 302, 303. Pag. 274. He makes Elizabeth and Warwick Counties to lye upon York River; whereas both of them lie upon James River, and neither of them comes near York River. Pag. 275. He Places King William County above New Kent, and on both Sides Pamnuky River; whereas it lies side by side with New Kent, and all on the North Side Pamnuky River.