EAST-FLORIDA 233 



ceded by Spain to Great Britain ; the latter power held 

 the possession of these provinces to be necessary as a 

 guaranty of all possible security to its other colonies 

 in America, north and south. As long as the Spanish 

 held Florida there was scarcely any thought given to 

 the tillage of the interior country. They maintained 

 the garrison at St. Augustin, merely to keep their hold 

 on the country, but without drawing the least profit 

 from it. For fear of the neighboring Indians, long 

 objects of especial hatred to the Spanish, no Spaniard 

 dared concern himself with agriculture at any distance 

 from Augustin. The English had long-standing 

 claims upon Florida, on the ground of its discovery by 

 Sebastian Cabot before the country was known to the 

 Spanish. So soon as England came into possssion, 

 all necessary provisions were adopted for the settle- 

 ment and tillage of the country, and tempting offers 

 were made with those ends in view. Settlers began to 

 come in in numbers, from all parts of North America. 

 The southern situation of the country, however, gave 

 grounds for hoping that the culture of silk and of the 

 vine might be carried on to the greatest advantage. 

 To this end, a company of persons of means in Eng- 

 land spent great sums in bringing over a colony of 

 Greeks from the Archipelago, and of Minorcans 

 desirous of emigrating.* Dr. Turnbull who from a 



* The government at that time also sent to Florida the 

 widely known and industrious collector, Bartram the elder, 

 to examine into that region. His journal has been published, 

 but against his will. Descriptions of the country have been 

 given by, William Roberts : Account of the first discovery & 

 natural history of East-Florida. London 1763. 8, and D r Will. 

 Storck, : Description of Eastflorida. London 1769. 4 

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