185 



gates. Allowing- 8 men, the British average, for every 

 gun, their annual expense, including subsistence, cloth- 

 ing, pay and ordinary repairs, would be about 1280 dol- 

 lars for every gun, or 2,304,000 dollars for the Avhole. 

 I state this only as one year's possible exertion without 

 deciding whether jnore or less than a year's exertion 

 should be thus applied. 



The value of our lands and slaves, taken conjunctly, 

 doubles in about twenty years. This arises from the 

 multiplication of our slaves, from the extension of cul- 

 ture, and increased demand for lands. The amount 

 of what may be raised will of course rise in the same 

 proportion. 



QUERY XXIII. 



The histories of the state, the memorials published in 

 its name in the time of its being a colony, and the pam- 

 phlets relating to its interior or exterior afiairs present 

 or ancient ? 



Captain Smith, who next to Sir Walter Raleigh may 

 be considered as the founder of our colony, has written 

 its history, from the first adventures to it, till the year 

 1624. He was a member of the council, and afterwards 

 president of the colony ; and to his efforts principally 

 may be ascribed its support against the opposition of 

 the natives. He was honest, sensible, and well inform- 

 ed ; but his style is barbarous and uncouth. His his- 

 tory, however, is almost the only source from which 

 we derive any knowledge of the infancy of our state. 



The reverend William Stith, a native of Virginia, 

 and president of its college, has also written the his- 

 tory of the same period, in a large octavo volume of 

 small print. He was a man of classical learning, and 

 very exact, but of no taste in style. He is inelegant, 

 therefore, and his details often too minute to be tolera- 

 ble, even to a native of the country, whose history he 

 writes. 



16* 



