Hon sir I have laid the true state of this government before you to the best of my knowledge and capacity; and knowing myself to be of weak judgement and without experience in matters of so great moment, would therefore humbly beg the favor (by the bearer) of your Honor's best advice in this juncture. The Matamuskeet Indians have killed and carried away about twenty persons at Roanoke Island and at Croatan, and two Tuscaroras have killed a man upon this shore, about twelve miles distant from where I live [FROM CALENDAR OF VIRGINIA STATE PAPERS. VOL. 1. P. 164.] March* 1713 To Coll: Pollock ST Last night, I reed by Charleton yo" of the 2nd instant woh gives occasion to rejoice with you upon y good news of y' succeff of yr ForcesI very readily agree with you that the pursuing this blow is the surest way to put an end to the war, but the difficulties in the execution thereof, Wch you have justly stated are too great, to be surmounted by the Resolutions of two or three persons, how zealous soever they may be— Where other means are uncertain, it is prudent to make ye best use of such as are in ones' own power-You have already experienced how ruinous the continuance of this war hath proved to y' Country & there is little hopes of bettering yr: Condition, by the prosecution of it under the unhappy circumstances you now labour: Wherefore, I think if an honorable peace can be obtained while the terror of the late severe Connection is fresh in y° minds of y Enemys, it would prove ye best Expedient to free you from yr: troubles, and in all probability to quiet the Tuscoruroes for a long time, at least while the memory of the loffes they have sustained remains among them. To this purpose it may be proper to talk high to Blunt, as if you expected not only a Reinforcemt from S Carolina, but that Virginia also was moving to yr: affistance. This will be the more duely credited by him, because upon advice that a Body of the Northern Indians have lately croffed our Frontiers, and are gone towards Morattuck, in all probability to ye assistance of ye Tuscororoes, *The date should be April, 1713. See date of preceding letter, to which it is an answer.-ED. I have ordered all our Rangers weh compose a Body of near 150 men, to march that way, and tis very like, some of the Tuscororoes that have fled from y Forces may fall into their hands-It may likewife be proper to let Blunt know that you are so well satisfied with his Conduct, and especially in delivering up to you, the two persons who committed the late murder, that you are willing to conclude a peace with him and all other Indians of the Tufcaroro and Masammaskete nation, that will put themselves under his Govern, and that you will make him King of all those Indians under the protection of North Carolina. This proposal will stir up his ambition; and no doubt oblige him to be faithful to the English for the future; and it seems reasonable to believe that the Tuscaroroes will now very readily embrace such an opportunity of making their peace. And by this means, you may also engage Blunt to deliver to you the greater part of the murderers that are yet alive. You will in all appearance, be more secure by this means of any attempts of those Indians, or at leaft if they should again begin their old practices, you will be better able to provide agst them in time of Peace, after the Country hath had fome Respite from their present Calamitys. As I have no other intention than to contribute to the Relief of yr: province, I shall very readily concur with you in thefse or any other measures that may be judged proper. And you may affure Blunt, that upon his concluding such a peace, he shall be owned by this Govt as the Chief of the Tuscarora Nations. This I offer only as my prefent thoughts, but next week I shall have a meeting of the council and then if any thing further can be thought of for yr: assistance I shal communicate it to you by Express. [COUNCIL JOURNAL.] NORTH CAROLINA—SS Att a council holden at ye house of the Honble Thom Pollock Esq' Chowan on y 14th day of Aprill Ano Dni 1713 Present the Honble Tho Pollock Esq' presid* &© The Honbles Tho Boyd Esq Lds propts Depty Daniell Richardson Esq' Presented to this board a Comission from his Excelley yo most noble Henry Duke of Beaufort Pallatine and y rest of y true and absolute Lds propts of Carolina thereby appointing him to be ReceivTM Gen" of this part of ye province of Carolina and also Instructions thereon which said Comission and Instructions was read allowed of and ordered to be Recorded and then ye said Daniell Richardson tooke and subscribed ye several oathes by Law appointed to be taken for his quallification and thereupon was admitted accordingly It is Ordered by this Board that from henceforward noe Lands be survey'd within a mile of either side of Marattock river and if any Land are already Survey'd Within ye Bounds afsd It is Ordered that noe Grants or pattents be passed for ye Same untill farther Order of this Board fforasmuch as it has been represented to this Board that divers persons in this Governm and especially in ye County of Bath Doe under pretense of purchase hold large tracts of Land not haveing paid or Secured the purchase money to ye Lds proptrs nor haveing any other title thereto then a bare Entry and Survey to y° great Loss and prejucdice of ye Lds propts and also to yo hindrance of y Good Settlem of the Governm' and this Board haveing taken ye Same into their Consideration. It is hereby Ordered that noe person that Doe pretend any title to any Land within this Governm upon purchase as afs that shall not pay or Secure to be paid unto to y° Receiv' Gen" for ye tyme being the purchase money due therefore on or before the 25th day of December next all such Lands shall be ffree and Cleare for any person to enter on and take up as if the same had never been entered or Survey'd before and all persons that shall from henceforward Survey any Lands on pretence of purchase and shall not pay or Secure to be paid yo purchase money therefore to yo Receiver Gen" as afsd within six monthes after such a Survey the same shall be also ffree and Cleare for any other person to enter upon as if y same had never been Survey'd before. Dan" Richardson Esq Receiver Gen" haveing represented to this Board that by his Instructions ye Lds proptrs Doe require that y° purchase money of Lands hereafter to be Sold as also y Chiefe Rents resurved thereon shall be paid in Sterl money of Great Brittiane on ye true Vallue thereof which cannot by any meanes be strictly Comply'd with in this Country and yo said Dan" Richardson being also directed in his said Instructions to take ye advice of all matters therein Conteyned of y Presid' & Councill Did apply himselfe to this Board for advice herein And this Board haveing Considered thereupon and Compared ye afsa Instructions with ye Instructions lately sent upon that head to y° late Gov Hyde dec'd are of oppinion that ye said Dan" Richardson may for any Tyme within Seaven yeares from ye Date of ye said Gov Hyde's Instructions agree for & Contract with any person for Lands at ye rate of Twenty pounds thousand acres to be paid in any Good & Merchantable Commoditys of this country at ye rated price And it is further yo oppinion of this Board that Rice well dress" and Cleaned at y rate of Seaventeen shillings & Six pence hund weh is ye true value of Sterl money. Forasmuch as Divers persons were Imploy'd in receiving of Quit Rents in this Governmt by ye late Gov' Hyde Dec'd and have not Yet Rendered any acco' thereof to this Board It is hereby Ordered that all such receivers as afs within the County of Albermarle Doe render a true & Just account of their preceedings therein unto Dan" Richardson Esq the present Receiver Gen" within one month after ye Date hereof and all Such persons who have been Imploy'd as afs in ye County of Bath Doe rend Account thereof to y° said Daniell Richardson within Two month after ye Date hereof as they will Answare y Contrary at their perrills Daniell Richardson Esq the Lds Props Receiver Gen" haveing requested this oppion of this Board whether it be practicable or possible for him to pay the Severall Officers Sallary at quarterly paym' persuant to a paragraph of his Instruction for that purpose. It is the oppinion of this Board that ye same Cannot be Comply'd with and it is sufficient if paym' thereof be made once in every Yeare Whereas it dos appear to this Board that there was Twenty Guns Impres'd from Mr Thos Peterson by Order of the late Gov' Hyde for y Service of y publick and they not being returned againe It is Orderd by this Board that ye provost Marsh" or his Deputy Doe make dilligent Enquiry & Search for y Said Gunns and Gather them together and deliver them to y° Said Tho Peterson as Soon as possibly he Cann Whereas Daniell Richardson Esq' Receiver Gen" is Directed in his Instructions to pay unto y° Chiefe Justice of this Province the Sume of Sixty pounds Annum for his support in ye Said Office And Maj Christo Gale Esq' haveing Executed that Office from ye first of July last and still Continues in ye Same therefore it is the oppinion of this Board that ye Said Sallary Doe of right belong and Ought to be paid to ye Said Maj' Christo Gale from ye afs first of July last untill he shall be Superseaded in that Office Whereas the Lds proptrs Doe Strictly require that an exact Rent Roll be forthwith taken as well to satisfy their Lds proptrs What Land are dis posed off as also to enable the Receiv' Gen" to demand & recieve yo rents Due therein and for the more expedition therein It is Ordered by this Board that y° Several persons hereafter named be Impowered to take an exact acct upon Oath of all persons how much Land they hold in this Governm by Survey or pattent how long they have held the Same and wt rent is is Due thereon (Viz) in y° precinct of Chowan George Smyth ffra Parrott Lenard Lofflin Jn° Jordan & Tho Perterson Esqr In y° precinct of perquimons Maj' James Coles & Capt Jno Hecklefeild In Pasquotank precinct Dan" Richardson Esq' Mr Jno Palin Tho* Miller and Cap Ludford, In Corratuck precinct Mr Ja' Wicker and Capt Richard Sanderson Jun'. In the County of Bath Capt Jno Drinkwater Jno Jordan ffarnfold Green & Richard Graves and all persons within their Several precincts whoo doe not appear before Some one of ye persons above named and give in an Exact account upon Oath as above s of all Such Lands as they hold how they hold ye Same and how long they have Soe held And w Rents are Due thereon without any Concealm* on or before the last day of October next Such Lands shall be ffree and Clear for any person to Enter upon and take up as if yo Same had never been Entered Survey'd or pattented before Mary Burke adm" of y Goods & Chatles of Richard Burke Dec'd came before this Board and acknowledged that to her Certaine knowledge the said Richard Burke in his life tyme did receive of and from James Curlee Sen' the Sume of Ten pounds Ten Shillings on y ace of ye Honble Tho Pollock Esq' which money was in Consideration of a plantation Sold by ye Said Richard Burke to Tho' Jones of Verga Shoemaker It is ordered by this Board that for the future any Indyans Shall be sent into ye Honble presd for any Crimes or misdemeanors the said presid' is hereby fully Impowered to Inflict Such Imediate punishment on them as he shall think y° Crime requires as might or Could be done if the Councill were there present A power of Atto from Tho Jones of Eliza Citty County of Verg to the Honble Pollock Esq' fformerly prove before the Honble William Glover Esq' was presented to this Board by y° afs Thomas Pollock Esq' & Ordered to be recorded C GALE T KNIGHT THO POLLOCK THO BOYD N CHEVIN |