So ANNALS OF SCOTLAND. 



tnent to be expedited under the great feal, confirm- 

 ing this ac"t, without farther application to, or war- 

 rant from the' crown. 



Shares in the new company were purchafed with 

 fuch readinefs, that, notwithftanding the low Mate 

 to which the kingdom had been reduced, a capital 

 of . 400,000 was actually raifed in Scotland ; 

 . 300,000 had been fubfcribed privately in En- 

 gland; and . 200,000 was offered by Hamburgh. 

 It was determined to raife the capital to . i ,000,000, 

 and to eftablilh a fettlement upon the Ifthmus of 

 Darien, which joins the two continents of America 

 in fuch a manner, as to enable the colony to carry 

 on a trade with the South Seas, the Atlantic, the 

 Eaft and Weft Indies. 



Depending on the royal word, the new India 

 company refolved to execute their pro] eel without 

 delay. For this purpofe, they purchafed fhips of 

 large burden, at Hamburgh, and Amfterdam, which, 

 with a number of tranfports, they loaded with mer- 

 chandize, artillery, and military ftores. Having 

 embarked 1200 experienced veterans, who had 

 ferved abroad in king William's wars, the fleet 

 failed from Leith in July, 1698, went round by the 

 Orkney Iflands, took in fome wines at Madeira, 

 and had a fafe paflfage to Darien. 



The natives, ftrongly preporTefTed againft Spain, 

 and acknowledging no dependence on that king- 

 dom, received the Scots with open arms, lived with 

 them like fubje&s or brothers, and afTifted in the 

 cftablifhment of the infant colony, which foon be- 

 gan to affume a favourable appearance, and was 

 named Caledonia. A fafe and commodious harbour 

 which they took pofTeflion of, was declared to be 

 free $ the town of New Edinburgh and Fort St. An- 

 drew * were begun to be formed, and every com- 

 mercial advantage was opening to their view, when 

 all their hopes were fruftrated by an oppofition, 



which 



