pioneers of the old south-第26部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


or　with　ease　by　sailboat　and　rowboat　along　the　innumerable　waterways。
Though　here　and　there　manorslarge；　easygoing；　patriarchal　places；　with
vague；　feudal　ways　and　customswere　to　be　found；　the　moderate　sized
plantation　was　the　rule。　Here　stood；　in　sight　usually　of　blue　water；　the
planter's　dwelling　of　brick　or　wood。　Around　it　grew　up　the　typical
outhouses；　household　offices；　and　storerooms；　farther　away　yet　clustered
the　cabin　quarters　alike　of　slaves　and　indentured　labor。　Then　stretched　the
fields　of　corn　and　wheat；　the　fields　of　tobacco。　Here；　at　river　or　bay
side；　was　the　home　wharf　or　landing。　Here　the　tobacco　was　rolled　in　casks；
here　rattled　the　anchor　of　the　ship　that　was　to　take　it　to　England　and
bring　in　return　a　thousand　and　one　manufactured　articles。　There　were　no
factories　in　Maryland　or　Virginia。　Yet　artisans　were　found　among　the
plantation　laborers〃carpenters；　coopers；　sawyers；　blacksmiths；　tanners；
curriers；　shoemakers；　spinners；　weavers；　and　knitters。〃　Throughout　the
colonies；　as　in　every　new　country；　men　and　women；　besides　being
agriculturists；　produced　homemade　much　that　men；　women；　and　children
needed。　But　many　other　articles　and　all　luxuries　came　in　the　ships　from
overseas；　and　the　harvest　of　the　fields　paid　the　account。



CHAPTER　XIV。　THE　CAROLINAS

The　first　settlers　on　the　banks　of　the　James　River；　looking　from　beneath
their　hands　southward　over　plain　land　and　a　haze　of　endless　forests；　called
that　unexplored　country　South　Virginia。　It　stretched　away　to　those　rivers
and　bays；　to　that　island　of　Roanoke；　whence　had　fled　Raleigh's　settlers。
Beyond　that；　said　the　James　River　men；　was　Florida。　Time　passed；　and　the
region　of　South　Virginia　was　occasionally　spoken　of　as　Carolina；　though
whether　that　name　was　drawn　from　Charles　the　First　of　England；　or　whether
those　old　unfortunate　Huguenots　in　Florida　had　used　it　with　reference　to
Charles　the　Ninth　of　France；　is　not　certainly　known。

South　Virginia　lay　huge；　unknown；　unsettled。　The　only　exception　was　the
country　immediately　below　the　southern　banks　of　the　lower　James　with　the
promontory　that　partially　closed　in　Chesapeake　Bay。　Virginia；　growing　fast；
at　last　sent　her　children　into　this　region。　In　1653　the　Assembly　enacted：
〃Upon　the　petition　of　Roger　Green；　clarke；　on　the　behalfe　of　himselfe　and
inhabitants　of　Nansemund　river；　It　is　ordered　by　this　present　Grand
Assembly　that　tenn　thousand　acres　of　land　be　granted　unto　one　hundred　such
persons　who　shall　first　seate　on　Moratuck　or　Roanoke　river　and　the　land
lying　upon　the　south　side　of　Choan　river　and　the　ranches　thereof；　Provided
that　such　seaters　settle　advantageously　for　security　and　be　sufficiently
furnished　with　amunition　and　strength　。　。　。　。〃

Green　and　his　men；　well　furnished　presumably　with　firelocks；　bullets；　and
powder…horns；　went　into　this　hinterland。　At　intervals　there　followed　other
hardy　folk。　Quakers；　subject　to　persecution　in　old　Virginia；　fled　into
these　wilds。　The　name　Carolina　grew　to　mean　backwoods；　frontiersman's　land。
Here　were　forest　and　stream；　Indian　and　bear　and　wolf；　blue　waters　of　sound
and　sea；　long　outward　lying　reefs　and　shoals　and　islets；　fertile　soil　and　a
clime　neither　hot　nor　cold。　Slowly　the　people　increased　in　number。　Families
left　settled　Virginia　for　the　wilderness；　men　without　families　came　there
for　reasons　good　and　bad。　Their　cabins；　their　tiny　hamlets　were　far　apart；
they　practised　a　hazardous　agriculture；　they　hunted；　fished；　and　traded
with　the　Indians。　The　isolation　of　these　settlers　bred　or　increased　their
personal　independence；　while　it　robbed　them　of　that　smoothness　to　be　gained
where　the　social　particles　rub　together。　This　part　of　South　Virginia　was
soon　to　be　called　North　Carolina。

Far　down　the　coast　was　Cape　Fear。　In　the　year　of　the　Restoration　a　handful
of　New　England　men　came　here　in　a　ship　and　made　a　settlement　which；　not
prospering；　was　ere　long　abandoned。　But　New　Englanders　traded　still　in
South　Virginia　as　along　other　coasts。　Seafarers；　they　entered　at　this　inlet
and　at　that；　crossed　the　wide　blue　sounds；　and；　anchoring　in　mouths　of
rivers；　purchased　from　the　settlers　their　forest　commodities。　Then　over
they　ran　to　the　West　Indies；　and　got　in　exchange　sugar　and　rum　and
molasses；　with　which　again　they　traded　for　tobacco　in　Carolina；　in
Virginia；　and　in　Maryland。　These　ships　went　often　to　New　Providence　in　the
Bahamas　and　to　Barbados。　There　began；　through　trade　and　other
circumstances；　a　special　connection　between　the　long　coast　line　and　these
islands　that　were　peopled　by　the　English。　The　restored　Kingdom　of　England
had　many　adherents　to　reward。　Land　in　America；　islands　and　main；　formed　the
obvious　Fortunatus's　purse。　As　the　second　Charles　had　divided　Virginia　for
the　benefit　of　Arlington　and　Culpeper；　so　now；　in　1663；　to　〃our　right
trusty　and　right　well…beloved　cousins　and　counsellors；　Edward；　Earl　of
Clarendon；　our　High　Chancellor　of　England；　and　George；　Duke　of　Albemarle；
Master　of　our　Horse　and　CaptainGeneral　of　all　our　Forces；　our　right　trusty
and　well…beloved　William；　Lord　Craven；　John；　Lord　Berkeley；　our　right
trusty　and　well…beloved　counsellor；　Anthony；　Lord　Ashley；　Chancellor　of　our
Exchequer；　Sir　George　Carteret；　Knight　and　Baronet；　ViceChamberlain　of　our
Household；　and　our　trusty　and　well…beloved　Sir　William　Berkeley；　Knight；
and　Sir　John　Colleton；　Knight　and　Baronet；〃　he　gave　South　Virginia；
henceforth　called　the　Carolinas；　a　region　occupying　five　degrees　of
latitude；　and　stretching　indefinitely　from　the　seacoast　toward　the　setting
sun。

This　huge　territory　became；　like　Maryland；　a　province　or　palatinate。　In
Maryland　was　one　Proprietary；　in　Carolina　there　were　eight；　though　for
distinction　the　senior　of　the　eight　was　called　the　Palatine。　As　in　Maryland；
the　Proprietaries　had　princely　rights。　They　owed　allegiance　to　England；　and　a
small　quit…rent　went　to　the　King。　They　were　supposed　to　govern；　in　the　main；
by　English　law　and　to　uphold　the　religion　of　England。　They　were　to　make　laws
at　their　discretion；　with　〃the　advice；　assent；　and　approbation　of　the　freemen；
or　of　their　deputies；　who　were　to　be　assembled　from　time　to　time　as　seemed
best。〃

John　Locke；　who　wrote　the　〃Essay　Concerning　Human　Understanding〃；　wrote
also；　with　Ashley　at　his　side；　〃The　Fundamental　Constitutions　of　Carolina；
in　number　a　Hundred　and　Twenty；　agreed　upon　by　the　Palatine　and　Lords
Proprietors；　to　remain　the　sacred　and　unalterable　form　and　Rule　of
government　of　Carolina　forever。〃

〃Forever〃　is　a　long　word　with　ofttimes　a　short　history。　The　Lords
Proprietors　have　left　their　names　upon　the　maps　of　North　and　South
Carolina。　There　are　Albemarle　Sound　and　the　Ashley　and　Cooper　rivers；
Clarendon；　Hyde；　Carteret；　Craven；　and　Colleton　Counties。　But　their
Fundamental　Constitutions；　〃in　number　a　hundred　and　twenty；〃　written　by
Locke　in　1669；　are　almost　all　as　dead　as　the　leaves　of　the　Carolina　forest
falling　in　the　autumn　of　that　year。

The　grant　included　that　territory　settled　by　Roger　Green　and　his　men。　Among
the　Proprietors　sat　Sir　William　Berkeley；　Governor　of　Virginia；　the　only
lord　of　Carolina　actually　upon　American　ground。　Following　instructions　from
his　seven　fellows　Berkeley　now　declared　this　region　separated　from　Virginia
and　attached　to　Carolina。　He　christened　it　Albemarle。　Strangely　enough；　he
sent　as　Governor　that　Scotchman；　William　Drummond；　whom　some　years　later　he
would　hang。　Drummond　should　have　a　Council　of　six　and　an　Assembly　of
freemen　that　might　inaugurate　legislation　having　to　do　with　local　matters
but　must　submit　its　acts　to　the　Proprietaries　for　veto　or　approval。　This
was　the　settlement　in　Carolina　of　Albemarle；　back　country　to　Virginia；
gatherer　thence　of　many　that　were　hardy　and　sound；　many　that　were
unfortunate；　and　many　that　were　shiftless　and　untamed。　An　uncouth　nurse　of
a　turbulent　democracy　was　Albemarle。

Cape　Fear；　far　down　the　deeply　frayed　coast；　seemed　a　proper　place　to　which
to　send　a　colony。　The　intrusive　Massachusetts　men　were　gone。　But　〃gentlemen
and　merchants〃　of　Barbados　were　interested。　It　is　a　far　cry　from　Barbados
to　the　Carolina　shore；　but　so　is　it　a　far　cry　from　England。　Many　royalists
had　fled　to　Barbados　during　the　old　troubles；　so　that　its　English
population　was　considerable。　A　number　may　have　welcomed　the　chance　to　leave
their　small　island　for　the　immense　continent；　and　an　English　trading　port
as　far　south　as　Cape　Fear　must　have　had　a　general　appeal。　So；　in　1665；　came
Englishmen　from　Barbados　and　made；　up　the　Cape　Fear　River；　a　settlement
which　they　named　Clarendon；　with　John　Yeamans　of　Barbados　as　Governor。　But
the　colony　did　not　prosper。　There　arose　the　typical　colonial
troubles…sickness；　dissensions；　improvidence；　quarrels　with　the　aborigines。
Nor　was　the　site　the　best　obtainable。　The　settlers　finally　abandoned　the
place　and　scattered　to　various　points　along　the　northern　coast。

In　1669　the　Lords　Proprietaries　sent　out　from　England　three　ships；　the
Carolina；　the　Port　Royal；　and　the　Albemarle；　with　about　a　hundred　colonists
aboard。　Taking　the　old　sea　road；　they　came　at　last　to　Barbados；　and　here
the　Albemarle；　seized　by　a　storm；　was　wrecked。　The　two　other　ships；　with　a
Barbados　sloop；　sailed　on　anal　w