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religious disputes originating in a series of persecuting laws against the dissenters from the church of England.

Henceforward the proprietary government was involved in constant disputes with the colonists, excepting a short interval during the administration of Charles Craven, until 1729, when the company of proprietaries was dissolved, the chief part of the chartered interests being sold to the crown. The war of the Yemassees occurred in 1715. It was attended with every circumstance of savage treachery and barbarity. Ninety persons were massacred by the Indians, on the first onset at Pocotaligo, and the neighbouring plantations. Port Royal escaped by a timely warning, most of the inhabitants being conveyed to Charleston by a vessel which was fortunately lying in the harbour.

It was soon found that this was but the opening of the drama. All the southern tribes, from Cape Fear to Florida, were in arms, and seven thousand warriors were speedily arrayed against the Carolinas. Governor Craven mustered 1200 men; marched into the enemy's country; defeated them in a pitched battle, and drove them into Florida. Their lands were taken by the colony, and offered to purchasers. A body of 500 Irishmen was speedily settled on them, but being afterwards displaced by the injustice of the proprietors, the land was again left vacant, and the frontier exposed.

For nearly a century after its first settlement, South Carolina, like North Carolina, had nearly all its population confined to the neighbourhood of the sea coast. But subsequently a flood of inhabitants poured into the western woods of the country, from the more northern provinces; and before the revolutionary war commenced, the population amounted to 2-18,000.

CHAPTER XX.

COLONISATION OF GEORGIA.

GEORGIA was the last of the colonies settled before the declaration of independence. It had been originally included under the first charter for Carolina, but no settlements were made under that charter. The whole tract of

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OGLETHORPE'S TREATY WITH THE INDIANS.

country lying between the Savannah and Altamaha, remained unoccupied by Europeans till the year 1732. In that year a company was formed in England for transporting into this unsettled wilderness such of the suffering poor in the parent country as might be willing to emigrate for the purpose of gaining a livelihood.

A charter was obtained from George II., incorporating the company under the name of Trustees for settling and establishing the colony of Georgia.' Large sums of money were subscribed for defraying the expenses of transportation and settlement; and in November one hundred and sixteen persons embarked at Gravesend, under the direction of General James Oglethorpe, who arrived early the next year at Charleston. He was cordially received by the inhabitants, who were gratified with the prospect of establishing a barrier between themselves and the Spaniards of Florida.

Having explored the country which he was about to occupy, Oglethorpe fixed upon a high bluff on the Savannah river as a suitable situation for a settlement, and there founded the town of Savannah. Having completed the erection of a fort, his next object was to treat with the Indians for a share of their possessions. He accordingly summoned a congress at Savannah, composed of the chiefs of the Upper and Lower Creeks and the Yamacraw Indians, represented to them the wealth, power, and intelligence of the English, and the advantages which would accrue to the natives from an alliance with them, and finally offered to purchase so much of their lands as might be required for the use of the new colony.

After he had distributed presents among the Indians his terms were accepted; and Tomochichi, in the name of the Creek warriors, addressed him in a set speech. Among other observations, he said, 'Here is a little present;' and then gave him a buffalo's skin, painted on the inside with the head and feathers of an eagle, and desired him to accept it, because the eagle signified speed, and the buffalo strength. The English,' he proceeded, are as swift as the bird and as strong as the beast; since, like the first, they fly from the utmost parts of the earth, over vast seas, and, like the second, nothing can withstand them. The feathers of the eagle are soft, and signify love; the buffalo's skin is warm, and signifies protection. He hoped therefore they would love and protect their little families.'

When this treaty was concluded with the natives, and the

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colony placed in a state of defence, Oglethorpe returned to England, taking with him Tomochichi, his queen, and several other Indians. On their arrival in London, they were introduced to the king and the nobility, and treated with much distinction. Curiosity, and a desire to conciliate the native tribes, were sufficient motives with the English for lavishing upon them an abundance of civilities and presents, and all classes strove to render their visit agreeable. At the end of four months they returned to their country; and by their influence with the Indian tribes, contributed much to the good understanding which subsequently prevailed between them and the colonists.

During the following year, five or six hundred emigrants arrived and took up their abode in the colony. But it was soon found that the paupers of England were not sufficiently hardy and industrious to form prosperous establishments in a new country. The trustees offered lands to other emigrants; and in consequence of this encourgement, more than four hundred persons arrived from Germany, Scotland, and Switzerland, in 1735. The Highlanders built a fort and town at Darien; and the Germans formed an establishment on the Savannah, which they called Ebenezer. In 1736, Oglethorpe arrived with two ships and three hundred emigrants. In the same year the celebrated John Wesley came out to Georgia, and commenced preaching to the colonists and Indians. His benevolent efforts met with much opposition; and he was soon compelled to return to a more congenial sphere of usefulness in England.

Soon after his return, another distinguished methodist preacher, George Whitefield, arrived in the colony, and formed a project for establishing an orphan house for the education of poor children. He travelled all over the colonies and England, preaching and soliciting subscriptions for this purpose. His eloquence was very efficient in promoting his design; the orphan asylum was established, and still exists, although in no very flourishing condition.

Oglethorpe's attention was now directed to the defence of the colony. He erected a fort on the banks of the Savannah, and another near the mouth of the Altamaha, where a town called Frederica, was laid out and built. Ten miles nearer the sea, on Cumberland Island, he raised a battery, commanding the entrance to Jekyl Sound, and protecting Frederica from ships of war.

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HOSTILITIES OF THE SPANIARDS.

The Spaniards sent a commissioner from Havannah, demanding the evacuation of all the territories south of St. Helena Sound, as belonging to the king of Spain. Oglethorpe, having vainly remonstrated against this claim, broke up the conference and returned to England. Here he received the appointment of general and commander-in-chief of all his majesty's forces in South Carolina and Georgia; and returned with a regiment of six hundred men, designed for the protection of the southern frontier.

The Spaniards, mean time, had been busy in attempting to detach the Creeks from their alliance with the English; but Oglethorpe, on his return, defeated their intrigues; and formed a new treaty of friendship with the chieftains. The Spaniards next employed a most unwarrantable stratagem against the English. Having corrupted an English soldier, who had been in their service, they employed him to excite a mutiny in Oglethorpe's camp, and an audacious attempt was made to assassinate the general. But his life was fortunately preserved, and the principal conspirators were shot.

By a report of the trustees, made in 1740, it appeared that twenty-five hundred emigrants had been sent out to the colony, and five hundred thousand dollars expended on its settlement, without rendering it independent of charitable contributions for support.

An expedition was undertaken in 1740, for the reduction of St. Augustine, under the command of Oglethorpe, with an army consisting of four hundred troops, from Georgia and South Carolina, and a large body of Auxiliary Indians. Two of the Spanish forts were taken, and St. Augustine was formally besieged. But the Spaniards, famous since the days of Scipio, for resisting sieges, maintained their post; and the colonial army was compelled to retire.

In two years afterwards, this invasion was retaliated by a formidable land and naval force, chiefly from Havannah. The army consisted of three thousand men; and their object was to drive Oglethorpe from the frontiers; break up the Georgia settlements, and then march on South Carolina and Virginia. As the South Carolinians had not yet sent him any assistance, the founder of Georgia was now left to his own resources, His operations, in this emergency, are thus described by Dr. Ramsay.

'When the Spanish force proceeded up the Altamaha, Oglethorpe was obliged to retreat to Frederica. He had but about

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seven hundred men besides Indians; yet, with a part of these, he approached within two miles of the enemy's camp, with the design of attacking them by surprise, when a French soldier of his party fired a musket and ran into the Spanish lines. His situation was now very critical, for he knew that the deserter would make known his weakness. Returning, however, to Frederica, he had recourse to the following expedient, He wrote a letter to the deserter, desiring him to acquaint the Spaniards with the defenceless state of Frederica, and to urge them to the attack. If he could not effect this object, Oglethorpe desired him to use all his art to persuade them to stay three days at Fort Simon's; as, within that time, he should have a reinforcement of two thousand land forces, with six ships of war; cautioning him, at the same time, not to drop a hint of Admiral Vernon's meditated attack upon St. Augustine. A Spanish prisoner was intrusted with this letter, under promise of delivering it to the deserter; but he gave it, as was expected and intended, to the commander-in-chief, who instantly put the deserter in irons. In the perplexity occasioned by this letter, while the enemy was deliberating what measures to adopt, three ships of force, which the governor of South Carolina had sent to Oglethorpe's aid, appeared on the coast. The Spanish commander was now convinced, beyond all question, that the letter, instead of being a stratagem, contained serious instructions to a spy; and, in this moment of consternation set fire to the fort, and embarked so precipitately as to leave behind him a number of cannon, with a quantity of military stores. Thus, by an event beyond human foresight or control, by the correspondence between the suggestions of a military genius, and the blowing of the winds, was the infant colony providentially saved from destruction, and Oglethorpe gained the character of an able general. He now returned to England, and never again revisited Georgia. In 1775, he was offered the command of the British army in America. He professed his readiness to accept the appointment, if the ministers would authorise him to assure the colonies that justice would be done them; but the command was given to Sir William Howe. He died in August, 1785, at the age of 97, being the oldest general in the service. Nine years before his death, the province of Georgia, of which he was the father, was raised to the rank of a sovereign independent state, and had been for two years acknowledged as such by the mother country, under whose auspices it had been planted.'