55 
on the arrival of the women is given by Miss Johnson in her book 
(a novel pourtrait of the Company). The bachelors were arranged 
all up the river to see the ship arrive, Next morning all the 
girls were properly looked after. After the service in the church 
was over, the ninety young women were turned out into a country 
meadow, and she describes how they drifted off into little 
communities, how the men went after them, and made up their 
little engagements for their marriage before the proper author- 
ities. ‘lhe Company were careful not to lose anything. If there 
were any deaths on the way the price of the rest went up, so that 
if half had been lost on the voyage, the price would have been 
£240 each, One can easily see why tobacco flourished—a great 
deal of it was due to slave labour. Soon the sons of people with 
capital came out, and the people began to want schools, colleges, 
and better parsons. When a representation was made to the 
Prime Minister that the Virginians had souls as well as English 
people, the Prime Minister’s reply was ‘‘d your souls; grow 
tobacco.’’ The prisoners who were sent out were not criminal, but 
mainly political prisoners. Englishmen had a way of accommo- 
dating themselves to circumstances, and of learning by experience. 
Virginia flourished, and was called the mother of Presidents— 
Washington came from Virginia, and Jefferson of the Confed- 
erates. Virginia had done her duty by the United States. The 
constitution was based on the English constitution. The common 
law of England was the basis of their laws. They were thorough 
English people—perhaps a little bit bigoted in religious matters, 
but that was the fault of the time. It was the first of English 
colonies, its pioneers had shown the way to colonization, had 
borne the brunt of the battle, and if it had not been for those 
brave Englishmen who had founded Virginia, English colon- 
ization would not have succeeded as it had done. (Cheers.) 

A brief discussion followed, and was taken part in by the 
President, Mr. J. Kay, J.P., Mr. Geo. Gill, and Mr, J. A. Osborn, 
B.A., and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Lecturer. 


Soce O10 %sa¢ 

