LANCASTER COXTIfTT. 55 



ing the country, as he had done, without permission; 

 and what was the meaning of these discourses about 

 mines."' 



The Governor stated to the hoard, February 25, 1707, 

 that the above was the substance of his talk witli him, 

 and that Mitchel rephed, " He had been employed by 

 divers of his countrymen, who were in treaty with the 

 crown and proprietor for land here for a convenient tract 

 to settle a colony* of their people on, to come over and 

 search for such a place as might best suit them, and 

 upon this head, he was large in giving an account of the 

 design." 



The Governor further stated that he asked " How he 

 durst presume to range this country, on any such design, 

 without applying first to him; to which he answered 

 that he would have done it, but that he lost his creden- 

 tials, and expected others over.'' 



The Governor also added, "that he had some notion 

 of mines, and had his thoughts much bent that way, that 

 he was willing to let him proceed, and had not dis- 

 couraged him ; that he had advised him to take some of 

 the Indians with him; that of the persons before men- 

 tioned, he had ordered two that he could confide in to be 

 there, that he might have a full account of their proceed- 

 ings; but that he knew notliing that so many had 

 gone out, nor could think it was fit to be suffered.'' 



The council agreed that none except those who had 

 Ucense to do so, should remain among the Indians on the 

 forks of the Potomac; and thus the matter ended. 



This was a critical juncture to the provmcials, to 

 Governor Evans, and to the proprietary. The unsettled 

 state of Indian affairs, perplexed the people; the execu- 



*This colony settled in 1710, in North Carolina^ at a place 

 which they subsequently called IS^iw Bern. 



