112 



it all that of Albcrmarle sound and its waters. Secon- 

 dary to this j)]ace, arc the towns at tlio hej'.d of the tifle 

 waters, to wit, Pctersl"';;rg on Appomattox. liich- 

 irioiid on James river. Kewcastle on Vorii river. Alex- 

 andria on Patowmac, and Bahimoreon Fatapsco. From 

 these the distribution will he to subordinate situations 

 in the country. Accidental cncumstances however 

 may control the indications of nature, and in no in- 

 stances do they do it more frequently than in the rise 

 and fall of towns. 



QUERY XIIT. 



The constitutioi^ of the state, and its several char- 

 ters ? 



Queen Elizabeth by lier letters patent, bearing date 

 ]\Iarch 25, 1584, licensed Sir Walter Raleigh to search 

 for remote heathen lands, not inbabited by Christian 

 I)eople, and gr;iuted to him, in fee simple, all the soil 

 witliin 200 leagues of the places where his people 

 should, within six years make their dwellings or al)id- 

 ings ; reserving only to hersell'and her successors, tlieir 

 allegiance and one filtb part of all the gold and silver 

 ore they shoidd obtain. Sir Walter iuuuediately sent 

 out two shi])S whicli visited Wococon island in North 

 Carolina, and tbp next year despatched seven with 107 

 men who fc:ettled in KoauoMk island, about latitmle 35° 

 50'. Here ( )kiskoo, king of the Weopomeiocs, in a fidl 

 council of his people is said to have acknowledged 

 himself the homager of the Queen of England, and af- 

 ter lier, of Sir Walter Raleigh. A supply of 50 men 

 were sent in 1586, and J 50 in 1587. With tliese last, 

 Sir Walter sent a governor, a|)pointed him 12 assistants, 

 gave them a charter of incorporation, and instructed 

 them to settle on Cbesapeak bay. They landed, how- 

 ever, at Ilatorask. \n 1586, when a fleet was ready to 

 sail with a new supj)ly of colonists and necessaries, they 

 were detained by the Queen to assist against the Span- 



