42 ST. HELENA 



you, which indeed, we find, by a medium of six years last past 

 amounts but to fifty-eight pounds per annum : a great mite 

 to such a vast charge. The reason of which order is as the 

 Negros increase upon the island, it will be necessary for the 

 Honourable Company proportionably to increase the garrison 

 and soldiers for the security of the inhabitants as well as the 

 island. 



LYSENCE TO SHOOT. 

 I7thly. 



You desire that each chief of a family that have guns allowed 

 you, may have liberty to go ashooting for your diversion. 



You must keep within the law of the preservation of game. 

 But if any person should desire any further privilege, they 

 are not to presume to do it without leave first had of the 

 Governor, which is left to his pleasure to give or let alone. 

 " Sattisfied." 



GREAT WOOD. 

 iSthly. 



You desire leave of the Great Wood and Common. Provided 

 you will agree to make a law to plant one acre of wood in every 

 ten acres of land you possess, otherwise you shall have no 

 benefit of our wood or common as our published order. 

 " Agreed to and Sattisfied.'* 



. 



You desire lessees may vote for election of parish officers, 

 and serve in their turn. We shall dispense with that, and 

 write to the Lords Proprietors to repeal that law, and hope 

 they will comply. 



" Sattisfied.' 1 



Judging from the i8th clause, the landowners readily 

 acceded to any terms rather than lose the advantage of so 

 valuable a common ; and the proposition of the Council on 

 this subject, as well as on the other articles submitted to 

 their consideration, appears to have met with the acquiescence 

 of the Company ; but the law which required the hide, ears, 

 and horns of every beast slaughtered to be exhibited to cer- 

 tain specified persons was enforced with greater rigour than 

 before, as will be seen by the following : 



A LAW FOR THE BETTER PREVENTION AND APPREHENDING OF 



FELONS. 



Whereas great and grievous complaints have been made by 

 severall good people of the island, that divers felonyes, larcenys 

 and pelfrages, and such like offences are many times done, to their 

 great loss and prejudice. And that severall idle and evil-disposed 



