iHOMAs] NORTH Carolina's policy toward the Indians G25 



Yeardly. The only mention of this is in a letter by the younger Yeardly 

 to John Ferrar, esq. The paragraphs referred to are as follows : ' 



In September last, a young man, a trader for boavera, being bonud out to the 

 adjacent parts to trade, by accident his sloop left him; and he, supposing she had 

 been gone to Roanoke, hired a small boat, and, with one of his comijany left with 

 him, came to crave my license to go to look after his sloop, and sought some relief 

 of provisions of me; the which granting, he set forth with three more in company, 

 one being of ray family, the others were my neighbors. They entered in at Caratoke, 

 ten leagues to the southward of Cape Henry, and so went to Ehoauoke Island; 

 where, or near thereabouts they found the great Commander of those parts with 

 his Indians a-hunting, who received them civilly, and showed them the ruins of 

 Sir Walter Raleigh's fort, from whence I received a sure tokeu of their being 

 there. . . . Immediately I disiiatched away a boat with six hands, one being a 

 carpenter, to build the King an English house, my promise, at his coming first, 

 being to comply in that matter. I sent £200 sterling in trust to purchase and pay 

 for what land they should like, the which in little time they effected and purchased, 

 and paid for three great rivers, and also all such others as they should like of, 

 southerly; and in solemn manner took possession of the country, in the name, and 

 on the behalf of the Commonwealth of England ; and actual possession was solemnly 

 given to them by the great Commander, and all the great men of the rest of the 

 proviuces, in delivering them a turf of the earth with an arrow shot into it; and so 

 the Indians totally left the lands and rivers to us, retiring to a new habitation, 

 where our people built the great Commander a fair house, the which I am to furnish 

 with English utensils and chattels. 



Although no boundaries are mentioned, the territory embraced must 

 have been of considerable extent, as it is said "they purchased and 

 paid for three great rivers, and also such others as they should like of, 

 southerly." 



The next purchase mentioned, and the earliest one of which a record 

 has been preserved, was from the chief of the Ycopim (Weopemeoc) 

 Indians. This graut was made March 1, 1G61, to George Durant for 

 a tract of laud then called Wecocomicke, lying on Perquimans river 

 and Eoauoke sound. The place is now known as " Duraut's jSTeck." 

 This, as given in the Colonial Records and purporting to be a copy of 

 the record in Perquimans county, is as follows : 



Know All men by these presents that I, Kilcacenen, King of Yeopim have for a 

 valeiable consideration of satisfaction received with the consent of mj' people sold, 

 and made over and to George Durant a Parcell of land lying and being on Roueoke 

 Sound and on a Kiver called by the name of I'cnjuimans which. Issueth out of the 

 North Side of the aforesaid Sound which Land at present bears the name of Weco- 

 comicke, begining at a marked Oak Tree, which divides this land from the land I 

 formily sold to Saml Pricklove and extending westerly up the said Sound to a Point 

 or Turning of the aforesaid Perquimans River and so up the eastwjird side of the 

 said River to a creek called by the name of Awoscake, to-wit ; — All the Land betwixt 

 the aforesai<I Bounds of Samuel Pricklove and the said Creek; thence to the Head 

 thereof. And thence through the Woods to the first Bounds. - 



To have and to hold the qui^t possession of the same to him and his heirs forever, 

 with All Rights and Priviledges thereunto forever from me or any Person or Persons 

 whatsoever. As witness my hand this first day of March 1661.' 



I Colonial Kecords, vol. I, p. IS. ^Ibid.. ii. 19. =Ibiil.,ii. 19. 



