第 26 节
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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