THOMAS] SOUTH Carolina's policy toward the inihans 631 



known tliivt for the piupose of aftbiiling rooui for tlie expansion of the 

 colony which liad settled at the junction of Asliley and Cooper rivers, 

 land was ])urchased from tiie natives. 



iMills' says the first public deed of conveyance found on record is 

 dated ]\Iarch 10, 1G75. This was probably while the settleis were still 

 occujiying the site first selected on tlie western bank of Ashley river 

 and before the removal to Oyster point. The deed as given by Mills 

 is as follows : 



To all uianiiei- of people. Know ye, that we the casBiciiies, natm-al born heirs and 

 sole owners and piopiietors of greater and lesser Casor, l.\ iuK on the river of Kyewaw, 

 the river of Stouo, and the fresher of the river Edistoh, doe, for us, ourselves and 

 subjects and vasscls, demis<>, sell, grant, and forever ([uit and resign, the whole 

 parcels of laud called by the name and names of great and little Casor willi all the 

 timber of said land or hinds, and all manner of tlie appurtenances anyway belonging 

 to any part or parts of the said land or lands, unto the Right Honorable Anthony 

 Earle of Shaftsbnry, Lord Baron Ashley of Winboon, St. Gyles's, Lord Cooper of 

 Pawlett, and to the rest of the lords proprietors of Carolina for and in consideration 

 of a valuable parcel of cloth, hatchets, beads, and other goods and manufactures, 

 now received at the hands of Andrew Percivall, Gent, in full satisfaction of and 

 for these our territories, lands, and royalties, with all manner the appurtenances, 

 privileges, and dignities, any manner of way to us, ourselves or vassals belonging! 

 In confirmation whereof we the said cassicjues have hereunto set our handstand 

 atlixed our seals, this tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord God one thousand 

 8i.\-huudred seventie and five, and in the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Charles 

 the second of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, defender of the faith etc. 



By another deed, dated February 28, 1C83, the chief or "cassique" 

 of Wirnbee (or Wimbee Indians) cedes "a strip of country between the 

 Combahee and Broad river extending- back to the mountains." 



Another <leed, dated February 13, 1C84, is a conveyance by the "Oas- 

 sique of Stouo."' Another of the same date is by the "Cassique of 

 Combahee;" and another also of tlie same date is by "the Queen of 

 St Helena;" and also of the same date is one by the "Ca.ssique of Kis- 

 sab." On the same day '-all these cassiques joined to make a general 

 deed conveying- all the lands which they before conveyed separately to 

 the lords proprietors." 



It would seem from these facts that the South ( 'arolina colony adopted 

 at the outset a correct, just, and humane policy in treating- with the 

 Indians for their lands. Not only was the territory purchased, but the 

 grants were made to tlie jiroperly constituted authorities, the Lords 

 Pro])rietors. Ami yet tiiis was at a time when there was constant fric- 

 tion between the people and the rulers. "The continued struggles with 

 the proprietaries hastened the emancipation of the people from their 

 rule; but the praise of having- been always in the right can not be 

 awarded to the colonists. The latter claimed the right of weakening 

 the ueighboiing Indian tribes by a partisan warfare, and a sale of the 

 captives into West India bondage; their antagonists demanded that 

 the treaty of peace with the natives should be preserved." ^ 



■ statistics or Sonlli (■.■,i„Hna (I826),p. 100. ^Bancroft, Uietorv .)f Die rnitB.I States, vol. u ~ 

 18 KTII — PT 1! 8 



