ST. HELENA 



27 



Cabbages, peas, beans, cauliflowers, turnips, carrots, 

 beetroot, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes were raised in 

 abundance. The land was portioned out to various settlers, 

 and in 1679 it was ordained that when a soldier married a 

 free planter's widow, and became entitled to her deceased 

 husband's land, he should be given ten acres and one cow 

 from the Company ; and if he married a farmer's daughter 

 or a young woman sent out from England who had no land, 

 he was in such case to have twenty icres and two cows. 

 Every unmarried man sent out from England as a settler 

 was to have ten acres of land and one cow, and ten acres 

 more and another cow if he married a planter's daughter 

 or an Englishwoman. If a planter's son married an 

 Englishwoman during his father's life-time, he became en- 

 titled to twenty acres and two cows ; but if the marriage took 

 place after his father's death, the son being possessed of the 

 whole or a part of his father's land, he had then given him 

 only ten acres and one cow. A planter's son or any Eng- 

 lishman resident on the island (not being in the Company's 

 pay, nor having been assigned lands) was allowed, on his 

 marrying a planter's widow, ten acres and one cow, if his 

 wife had children living by her former husband ; but, if 

 she had no child, no further allotment was granted. On 

 every ten acres of land one cow at least was to be maintained, 

 and if a farm was not occupied and improved in twelve 

 months after possession, or if, being occupied, it became 

 deserted for six months, it could be seized by the Company 

 and granted to some one of more industrious habits. Some 

 who were dispossessed for this reason were sent off the 

 island as drones. No lands could be sold or disposed of by 

 the proprietors until after they had improved and occupied 

 them for a period, which at first was fixed at four years, 

 then at seven years, but in 1683 was altered to five years. 

 For every ten acres of land the holder was obliged to main- 

 tain on the premises an Englishman who was capable of 

 bearing arms for the defence of the island, and who was 

 occasionally to do garrison duty ; while for twenty acres, 

 two men were required to be maintained, one of whom was 

 to take turn in mounting guard. In 1683, however, this 

 service was remitted on payment of 2s. per acre, afterwards 

 reduced to is. per acre ; but the planters themselves were 



