The History of Virginia Part 21

If no person oppose the inquest, the land is given to the man that shews the best equitable right thereto; and if there be none such, it is then granted to any one, that the governor and council shall think fit, the grantee always paying two pounds of tobacco per acre into the treasury of the country, as a fine of composition with his majesty for his escheat: and thereupon a patent issues reciting premises.

CHAPTER XIII.

OF THE LIBERTIES AND NATURALIZATION OF ALIENS IN VIRGINIA.

-- 62. Christians of all nations have equal freedom there, and upon their arrival become _ipso facto_ ent.i.tled to all the liberties and privileges of the country, provided they take the oaths of obedience to the crown and government, and obtain the governor's testimonial thereof.

The method of obtaining naturalization is thus: the party desiring it goes before the governor, and tenders his oath of allegiance, which the governor thereupon administers, and immediately makes certificate of it under the seal of the colony. By this means, the person alien is completely naturalized to all intents and purposes.

-- 63. The French refugees sent in thither by the charitable exhibition of his late majesty king William, are naturalized, by a particular law for that purpose.

In the year 1699, there went over about three hundred of these, and the year following about two hundred more, and so on, till there arrived in all between seven and eight hundred men, women and children, who had fled from France on account of their religion.

Those who went over the first year, were advised to seat on a piece of very rich land, about twenty miles above the falls of James river, on the south side of the river; which land was formerly the seat of a great and warlike nation of Indians, called the Manicans, none of which are now left in those parts; but the land still retains their name, and is called the Manican town.

The refugees that arrived the second year, went also first to the Manican town, but afterwards upon some disagreement, several dispersed themselves up and down the country; and those that have arrived since have followed their example, except some few, that settled likewise at the Manican town.

The a.s.sembly was very bountiful to those who remained at this town, bestowing on them large donations, money and provisions for their support; they likewise freed them from every public tax, for several years to come, and addressed the governor to grant them a brief, to ent.i.tle them to the charity of all well disposed persons throughout the country; which together with the king's benevolence, supported them very comfortably, till they could sufficiently supply themselves with necessaries, which now they do indifferently well, and have stocks of cattle and hogs.

The year 1702, they began an essay of wine, which they made of the wild grapes gathered in the woods; the effect of which was a strong bodied claret, of good flavor. I heard a gentleman, who tasted it, give it great commendation. Now if such may be made of the wild vine in the woods, without pruning, weeding, or removing it out of the shade, what may not be produced from a vineyard skilfully cultivated? But I don't hear that they have done any thing since towards it, being still very poor, needy, and negligent.

CHAPTER XIV.

OF THE CURRENCY AND VALUATION OF COINS IN VIRGINIA.

-- 64. The coin which chiefly they have among them, is either gold, of the stamp of Arabia, or silver and gold, of the stamp of France, Portugal or the Spanish America: Spanish, French and Portuguese coined silver is settled by law at three pence three farthings the pennyweight.

Gold of the same coin, and of Arabia, at five shillings the pennyweight.

English guineas at twenty-six shillings each, and the silver two pence in every shilling advance, English old coin goes by weight as the other gold and silver.

OF THE HUSBANDRY AND IMPROVEMENTS OF VIRGINIA.

PART II.

CHAPTER XV.

OF THE PEOPLE, INHABITANTS OF VIRGINIA.

-- 65. I can easily imagine with Sir Josiah Child, that this, as well as all the rest of the plantations, was for the most part, at first, peopled by persons of low circ.u.mstances, and by such as were willing to seek their fortunes in a foreign country. Nor was it hardly possible it should be otherwise; for 'tis not likely that any man of a plentiful estate should voluntarily abandon a happy certainty, to roam after imaginary advantages in a new world. Besides which uncertainty, he must have proposed to himself to encounter the infinite difficulties and dangers that attend a new settlement. These discouragements were sufficient to terrify any man, that could live easily in England, from going to provoke his fortune in a strange land.

-- 66. Those that went over to that country first, were chiefly single men who had not the inc.u.mbrance of wives and children in England; and if they had, they did not expose them to the fatigue and hazard of so long a voyage, until they saw how it should fare with themselves. From hence it came to pa.s.s, that when they were settled there in a comfortable way of subsisting a family, they grew sensible of the misfortune of wanting wives, and such as had left wives in England sent for them, but the single men were put to their shifts. They excepted against the Indian women on account of their being pagans, as well as their complexions, and for fear they should conspire with those of their own nation to destroy their husbands. Under this difficulty they had no hopes, but that the plenty in which they lived might invite modest women, of small fortunes, to go over thither from England. However, they would not receive any, but such as could carry sufficient certificate of their modesty and good behavior. Those, if they were but moderately qualified in all other respects, might depend upon marrying very well in those days, without any fortune. Nay, the first planters were so far from expecting money with a woman, that 'twas a common thing for them to buy a deserving wife, that carried good testimonials of her character, at the price of one hundred pounds, and make themselves believe they had a bargain.

-- 67. But this way of peopling the colony was only at first. For after the advantages of the climate, and the fruitfulness of the soil were well known, and all the dangers incident to infant settlements were over, people of better condition retired thither with their families, either to increase the estates they had before, or else to avoid being persecuted for their principles of religion or government.

Thus, in the time of the rebellion in England, several good cavalier families went thither with their effects, to escape the tyranny of the usurper, or acknowledgement of his t.i.tle. And so again, upon the restoration, many people of the opposite party took refuge there, to shelter themselves from the king's resentment. But Virginia had not many of these last, because that country was famous for holding out the longest for the royal family, of any of the English dominions. For which reason the Roundheads went, for the most part, to New England, as did most of those that in the reign of King Charles II were molested on account of their religion, though some of these fell likewise to the share of Virginia. As for malefactors condemned to transportation, tho'

the greedy planter will always buy them, yet it is to be feared they will be very injurious to the country, which has already suffered many murders and robberies, the effect of that new law of England.

CHAPTER XVI.

OF THE BUILDINGS OF VIRGINIA.

-- 68. There are three fine public buildings in this country, which are said to be the most magnificent of any in the English America: one of which is the college before spoken of, another the capitol or state house, as it was formerly called; that is, the house for convention of the general a.s.sembly, for the sitting of the general court, for the meeting of the council, and for keeping of their several offices, belonging to them.

Not far from this, is also built the public prison of the country for criminals, which is a large and convenient structure, with part.i.tions for the different s.e.xes, and distinct rooms for petty offenders. To this is also annexed a convenient yard to air the criminals in, for the preservation of their life and health, till the time of their trial; and at the end of that, another prison for debtors.

The third is a house for the governor, not the largest, but by far the most beautiful of all the others. It was granted by the a.s.sembly in Governor Nott's time, begun in President Jennings' time, but received its beauty and conveniency for the many alterations and decorations, of the present governor, Colonel Spotswood; who, to the lasting honor and happiness of the country, arrived there, while this house was carrying up.

In his time was also built a new brick church, and brick magazine for arms and ammunition, and the streets of the town altered from the fanciful forms of Ws and Ms to much more conveniences.

These are all erected at Middle plantation, now named Williamsburg, where land is laid out for a town. They all are built of brick, and covered with shingle, except the debtors' prison which is flat roofed anew; a very useful invention of the present governor also.

-- 69. The private buildings are also in his time very much improved, several gentlemen there, having built themselves large brick houses of many rooms on a floor; but they don't covet to make them lofty, having extent enough of ground to build upon; and now and then they are visited by high winds, which would incommode a towering fabric. They love to have large rooms, that they may be cool in summer. Of late they have made their stories much higher than formerly, and their windows larger, and sashed with crystal gla.s.s; adorning their apartments with rich furniture.

All their drudgeries of cookery, washing, dairies, &c., are performed in offices apart from the dwelling houses, which by this means are kept more cool and sweet.

Their tobacco houses are all built of wood, as open and airy as is consistent with keeping out the rain; which sort of building is most convenient for the curing of their tobacco.

Their common covering for dwelling houses is shingle, which is an oblong square of cypress or pine wood; but they cover their tobacco houses with thin clap board; and though they have slate enough in some particular parts of the country, and as strong clay as can be desired for making of tile, yet they have very few tiled houses; neither has any one yet thought it worth his while to dig up the slate, which will hardly be made use of, till the carriage there becomes cheaper, and more common; the slate lying far up the frontiers above water carriage.

CHAPTER XVII.

OF THE EDIBLES, POTABLES, AND FUEL IN VIRGINIA.

-- 70. The families being altogether on country seats, they have their graziers, seedsmen, gardeners, brewers, bakers, butchers and cooks, within themselves. They have plenty and variety of provisions for their table; and as for spicery, and other things that the country don't produce, they have constant supplies of them from England. The gentry pretend to have their victuals dressed, and served up as nicely, as if they were in London.

-- 71. When I come to speak of their cattle, I can't forbear charging my countrymen with exceeding ill husbandry, in not providing sufficiently for them all winter, by which means they starve their young cattle, or at least stint their growth; so that they seldom or never grow so large as they would do, if they were well managed; for the humor is there, if people can but save the lives of their cattle, though they suffer them to be never so poor in the winter, yet they will presently grow fat again in the spring, which they esteem sufficient for their purpose. And this is the occasion, that their beef and mutton are seldom or never so large, or so fat as in England. And yet with the least feeding imaginable, they are put into as good case as can be desired; and it is the same with their hogs.