pioneers of the old south-第26章

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southward　yet　to　the　mouth　of　the　Savannah。　Here　there　was　further　tarrying
while　Oglethorpe　and　picked　men　went　in　a　small　boat　up　the　river　to　choose
the　site　where　they　should　build　their　town。

Here；　upon　the　lower　reaches；　there　lay　a　fair　plateau；　a　mile　long；　rising
forty　feet　above　the　stream。　Near　by　stood　a　village　of　well…inclined
Indiansthe　Yamacraws。　Ships　might　float　upon　the　river；　close　beneath　the
tree…crowned　bluff。　It　was　springtime　now　and　beautiful　in　the　southern
landthe　sky　azure；　the　air　delicate；　the　earth　garbed　in　flowers。　Little
wonder　then　that　Oglethorpe　chose　Yamacraw　Bluff　for　his　town。

A　trader　from　Carolina　was　found　here；　and　the　trader's　wife；　a　half…breed；
Mary　Musgrove　by　name；　did　the　English　good　service。　She　made　her　Indian
kindred　friends　with　the　newcomers。　From　the　first　Oglethorpe　dealt　wisely
with　the　red　men。　In　return　for　many　coveted　goods；　he　procured　within　the
year　a　formal　cession　of　the　land　between　the　two　rivers　and　the　islands
off　the　coast。　He　swore　friendship　and　promised　to　treat　the　Indians
justly；　and　he　kept　his　oath。　The　site　chosen；　he　now　returned　to　the　Anne
and　presently　brought　his　colonists　up　the　river　to　that　fair　place。　As
soon　as　they　landed；　these　first　Georgians　began　immediately　to　build　a
town　which　they　named　Savannah。

Ere　long　other　emigrants　arrived。　In　1734　came　seventy…eight　German
Protestants　from　Salzburg；　with　Baron　von　Reck　and　two　pastors　for　leaders。
The　next　year　saw　fifty…seven　others　added　to　these。　Then　came　Moravians
with　their　pastor。　All　these　strong；　industrious；　religious　folk　made
settlements　upon　the　river　above　Savannah。　Italians　came；　Piedmontese　sent
by　the　trustees　to　teach　the　coveted　silk…culture。　Oglethorpe；　when　he
sailed　to　England　in　1734；　took　with　him　Tomochi…chi；　chief　of　the
Yamacraws；　and　other　Indians。　English　interest　in　Georgia　increased。
Parliament　gave　more　money26；000　pounds。　Oglethorpe　and　the　trustees
gathered　more　colonists。　The　Spanish　cloud　seemed　to　be　rolling　up　in　the
south；　and　it　was　desirable　to　have　in　Georgia　a　number　of　men　who　were　by
inheritance　used　to　war。　Scotch　Highlanders…there　would　be　the　right　folk！
No　sooner　said　than　gathered。　Something　under　two　hundred；　courageous　and
hardy；　were　enrolled　from　the　Highlands。　The　majority　were　men；　but　there
were　fifty　women　and　children　with　them。　All　went　to　Georgia；　where　they
settled　to　the　south　of　Savannah；　on　the　Altamaha；　near　the　island　of　St。
Simon。　Other　Highlanders　followed。　They　had　a　fort　and　a　town　which　they
named　New　Inverness；　and　the　region　that　they　peopled　they　called　Darien。

Oglethorpe　himself　left　England　late　in　1735；　with　two　ships；　the　Symond
and　the　London　Merchant；　and　several　hundred　colonists　aboard。　Of　these
folk　doubtless　a　number　were　of　the　type　the　whole　enterprise　had　been
planned　to　benefit。　Others　were　Protestants　from　the　Continent。　Yet
othersnotably　Sir　Francis　Bathurst　and　his　familywent　at　their　own
charges。　After　Oglethorpe　himself；　most　remarkable　perhaps　of　those　going
to　Georgia　were　the　brothers　John　and　Charles　Wesley。　Not　precisely
colonists　are　the　Wesleys；　but　prospectors　for　the　souls　of　the　colonists；
and　the　souls　of　the　IndiansYamacraws；　Uchees；　and　Creeks。

They　all　landed　at　Savannah；　and　now　planned　to　make　a　settlement　south　of
their　capital　city；　by　the　mouth　of　Altamaha。　Oglethorpe　chose　St。　Simon's
Island；　and　here　they　built；　and　called　their　town　Frederica。

〃Each　Freeholder　had　60　Feet　in　Front　by　90　Feet　in　depth　upon　the　high
Street　for　House　and　Garden；　but　those　which　fronted　the　River　had　but　30
in　Front；　by　60　Feet　in　depth。　Each　Family　had　a　Bower　of　Palmetto　Leaves
finished　upon　the　back　Street　in　their　own　Lands。　The　side　toward　the　front
Street　was　set　out　for　their　Houses。　These　Palmetto　Bowers　were　very
convenient　shelters；　being　tight　in　the　hardest　Rains；　they　were　about　20
Feet　long　and　14　Feet　wide；　and　in　regular　Rows　looked　very　pretty；　the
Palmetto　Leaves　lying　smooth　and　handsome；　and　of　a　good　Colour。　The　whole
appeared　something　like　a　Camp；　for　the　Bowers　looked　like　Tents；　only
being　larger　and　covered　with　Palmetto　Leaves。〃*

*　Moore's　〃Voyage　to　Georgia〃。　Quoted　in　Winsor's　〃Narrative　and
Critical　History　of　America〃；　vol。　V；　p。　378。


Their　life　sounds　idyllic；　but　it　will　not　always　be　so。　Thunders　will
arise；　serpents　be　found　in　Eden。　But　here　now　we　leave　themin　infant
Savannahin　the　Salzburgers'　village　of　Ebenezer　and　in　the　Moravian
village　nearbyin　Darien　of　the　Highlandersand　in　Frederica；　where　until
houses　are　built　they　will　live　in　palmetto　bowers。

Virginia；　Maryland；　the　two　Carolinas；　Georgiathe　southern　sweep　of
England…in…Americaare　colonized。　They　have　communication　with　one　another
and　with　middle　and　northern　England…in…America。　They　also　have
communication　with　the　motherland　over　the　sea。　The　greetings　of　kindred
and　the　fruits　of　labor　travel　to　and　fro：　over　the　salt；　tumbling　waves。
But　also　go　mutual　criticism　and　complaint。　〃Each　man；〃　says　Goethe；　〃is
led　and　misled　after　a　fashion　peculiar　to　himself。〃　So　with　those　mass
persons　called　countries。　Tension　would　come　about；　tension　would　relax；
tension　would　return　and　increase　between　Mother　England　and　Daughter
America。　In　all　these　colonies；　in　the　year　with　which　this　narrative
closes；　there　were　living　children　and　young　persons　who　would　see　the　cord
between　broken；　would　hear　read　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　Sobut
the　true　bond　could　never　be　broken；　for　mother　and　daughter　after　all　are
one。



THE　NAVIGATION　LAWS

Three　acts　of　Parliamentthe　Navigation　Act　of　1660；　the　Staple　Act　of
1663；　and　the　Act　of　1673　imposingg　Plantation　Dutieslaid　the　foundation
of　the　old　colonial　system　of　Great　Britain。　Contrary　to　the　somewhat
passionate　contentions　of　older　historians；　they　were　not　designed　in　any
tyrannical　spirit；　though　they　embodied　a　theory　of　colonization　and　trade
which　has　long　since　been　discarded。　In　the　seventeenth　century　colonies
were　regarded　as　plantations　existing　solely　for　the　benefit　of　the　mother
country。　Therefore　their　trade　and　industry　must　be　regulated　so　as　to
contribute　most　to　the　sea　power；　the　commerce；　and　the　industry　of　the
home　country　which　gave　them　protection。　Sir　Josiah　Child　was　only
expressing　a　commonplace　observation　of　the　mercantilists　when　he　wrote
〃That　all　colonies　or　plantations　do　endamage　their　Mother…Kingdoms；　whereof
the　trades　of　such　Plantations　are　not　confined　by　severe　Laws；　and　good
execution　of　those　Laws；　to　the　Mother…Kingdom。〃

The　Navigation　Act　of　1660；　following　the　policy　laid　down　in　the　statute
of　1651　enacted　under　the　Commonwealth；　was　a　direct　blow　aimed　at　the
Dutch；　who　were　fast　monopolizing　the　carrying　trade。　It　forbade　any　goods
to　be　imported　into　or　exported　from　His　Majesty's　plantations　except　in
English；　Irish；　or　colonial　vessels　of　which　the　master　and　three　fourths
of　the　crew　must　be　English；　and　it　forbade　the　importation　into　England　of
any　goods　produced　in　the　plantations　unless　carried　in　English　bottoms。
Contemporary　Englishmen　hailed　this　act　as　the　Magna　Charta　of　the　Sea。
There　was　no　attempt　to　disguise　its　purpose。　〃The　Bent　and　Design；〃　wrote
Charles　Davenant；　〃was　to　make　those　colonies　as　much　dependant　as　possible
upon　their　Mother…Country；〃　by　preventing　them　from　trading　independently
and　so　diverting　their　wealth。　The　effect　would　be　to　give　English；　Irish；
and　colonial　shipping　a　monopoly　of　the　carrying　trade　within　the　Empire。
The　act　also　aided　English　merchants　by　the　requirement　that　goods　of
foreign　origin　should　be　imported　directly　from　the　place　of　production；
and　that　certain　enumerated　commodities　of　the　plantations　should　be
carried　only　to　English　ports。　These　enumerated　commodities　were　products
of　the　southern　and　semitropical　plantations：　〃Sugars；　Tobacco；
Cotton…wool；　Indicoes；　Ginger；　Fustick　or　other　dyeing　wood。〃

To　benefit　British　merchants　still　more　directly　by　making　England　the
staple　not　only　of　plantation　products　but　also　of　all　commodities　of　all
countries；　the　Act　of　1663　was　passed　by　Parliament。　〃No　Commoditie　of　the
Growth　Production　or　Manufacture　of　Europe　shall　be　imported　into　any　Land
Island　Plantation　Colony　Territory　or　Place　to　His　Majestie　belonging　。。　。
but　what　shall　be　bona　fide　and　without　fraude　laden　and　shipped　in　England
Wales　＇and＇　the　Towne　of　Berwicke　upon　Tweede　and　in　English　built
Shipping。〃　The　preamble　to　this　famous　act　breathed　no　hostile　intent。　The
design　was　to　maintain　〃a　greater　correspondence　and　kindnesse〃　between　the
plantations　and　the　mother　country；　to　encourage　shipping；　to　render
navigation　cheaper　and　safer；　to　make　〃this　Kingdome　a　Staple　not　only　of
the　Commodities　of　those　Plantations　but　also　of　the　Commodities　of　other
Countries　and　places　for　the　supplying　of　them〃it〃　being　the　usage　of
other　nations　to　keepe　their　＇Plantations＇　Trade　to　themselves。〃

The　Act　of　1673　was　passed　to　meet　certain　difficulties　which　arose　in　the
administration　of　the　Act　of　1660。　The　earlier　act　permitted　colonial
vessels　to　carry　enumerated　commodities　from　the　place　of　production　to
another　plantation　without　paying　duties。　Under　cover　of　this　provision；　it
was　assumed　that　enumerated　commodities；　after　being　taken　to　a　plantation；
could　then　be　sent　directly　to　continental　ports　free　of　duty。　The　new　act
provided　that；　before　vessels　left　a　colonial　port；　bonds　should　be　given
that　the　enumerated　commodities　would　be　carried　only　to　England。　If　bonds
were　not　given　and　the　commodities　were　taken　to　another　colonial　port；
plantation　duties　were　collected　according　to　a　prescribed　schedule。

These　acts　were　not　rigorously　enforced　until　after　the　passage　of　the
administrative　act　of　1696　and　the　establishment　of　admiralty　courts。　Even
then　it　does　not　appear　that　they　bore　heavily　on　the　colonies；　or
occasioned　serious　protest。　The　trade　acts　of　1764　and　1765　are　described
in　〃The　Eve　of　the　Revolution〃。EDITOR。



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE

The　literature　of　the　Colonial　South　is　like　the　leaves　of　Vallombrosa　for
multitude。　Here　may　be　indicated　some　volumes　useful　in　any　general　survey。

VIRGINIA

Hakluyt's　〃Principal　Voyages。〃　12　vols。　（Hakluyt　Society。　Extra　Series；
1905…1907。）　〃The　Prose　Epic　of　the　modern　English　nation。〃

〃Purchas；　His　Pilgrims。〃　20　vols。　（Hakluyt　Society；　Extra　Series；　1905…1907。）

Hening's　〃Statutes　at　Large；〃　published　in　1823；　is　an　eminently　valuable
collection　of　the　laws　of　colonial　Virginia；　beginning　with　the　Assembly　of
1619。　Hening's　own　quotation　from　Priestley；　〃The　Laws　of　a　country　are
necessarily　connected　with　everything　belonging　to　the　people　of　it：　so
that　a　thorough　knowledge　of　them　and　of　their　progress　would　inform　us　of
everything　that　was　most　useful　to　be　known；〃　indicates　the　range　and
weight　of　his　thirteen　volumes。

William　Stith's　〃The　History　of　the　Discovery　and　First　Settlement　of
Virginia〃　（1747）　gives　some　valuable　documents　and　a　picture　of　the　first
years　at　Jamestown。

Alexander　Brown's　〃Genesis　of　the　United　States〃；　2　vols。　（1890）；　is　a　very
valuable　work；　giving　historical　manu