COLONIZATION OF MARYLAND.

HE whole territory of Maryland was included under the second charter of Virginia; but the dissolution of the London Company by James I., restored to the crown the right to make a fresh grant; and this right was not considered to have been vitiated by the trading colony established on Kent Island, in the heart of the province, by William Clay

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borne, in 1631. The effective settlement of the province was destined to be made under the auspices of the Calvert family. George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, had early become interested in American colonization. His first attempts were made on the inhospitable shores of Newfoundland; and he twice visited his settlement on that island, freely expending his fortune in planting, and risking his life in defending the colony against the attacks of the French, whose participation in the fishery rendered them jealous of the English settlers.

The project was at length abandoned, and Lord Baltimore, turning his attention towards a more fertile soil and a milder climate, visited Virginia with the intention of founding a settlement there. But he was a conscientious Catholic; and his attempts to gain a footing on the soil were resisted by the government tendering to him the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. Observing that the country north of the Potomac was still unappropriated, and learning that the French, the Dutch, and the Swedes were preparing to occupy it, he conceived the design of obtaining possession of this region, and colonizing it himself, and easily prevailed with Charles I. to bestow on him the investiture he desired.

Having thus obtained a grant of the country, he proceeded to settle it; and while he aimed at rendering his colony the asylum of civil liberty, he, at the same time, conceived the laudable design of raising here a shelter for the persecuted of every Christian denomination. He had hardly completed the construction of his charter, when death terminated his honourable and useful career. His son, Cecil, inherited, with his father's title and fortune, his liberal views with respect to religious liberty, and his determination to plant the colony. In his name was completed and executed the charter; which described the district assigned him as "that region bounded by a line drawn from Watkins's point of Chesapeake Bay; thence to that part of the estuary of Delaware on the north which lies under the fortieth degree, where New England is terminated; thence in a right line by the degree aforesaid, to the meridian of the fountain of Potowmack;

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ARRIVAL OF CALVERT.

thence following its course by the farthest bank, to its confluence."

In honour of the queen, Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henry IV. of France, it received its name of Maryland; and in honour of her majesty's faith, more ample immunities were conferred on it than were possessed by any other of the colonies. Lord Baltimore was created the absolute proprietary, save the allegiance due to the crown. He was empowered, with the consent of the freemen, to make laws for the province, and to execute the laws of assembly. With the agreement of the people, he might impose all just and proper subsidies; and, on the part of the king, it was covenanted that neither his majesty, nor his successors, should impose any taxes upon the colonists, their goods, or commodities. This exemption was to be perpetual with Maryland, while, to the other colonies, it was granted for a term of years only.

Thus was Maryland erected into a palatinate; the proprietary invested with all the royal rights of the palace; while the king exercised towards him the highest prerogatives of a feudal sovereign, holding the palatine and his domain in feudal tenure. For the population of the new colony, license was given to his majesty's subjects, without distinction of sect or party, to transport themselves thither; and in addition to the immunities already mentioned as being granted to them, they were declared to be liegemen of the king, and entitled to all the liberties of Englishmen born in the realm.

The first body of emigrants, under this charter, consisted of about two hundred English gentlemen, and a large number of inferior adherents, who sailed with Leonard Calvert, the first governor of the province, in November, 1633. Having taken the route by the West Indies, and spent some time in Barbadoes and St. Christopher, they at length landed on the shores of St. Mary's river, about four leagues from its junction with the Potomac, on the 27th of March, 1634. Here Calvert erected a cross and took possession of the country, "for our Saviour, and for our sovereign lord, the King of England." Aware that the Virginians had given offence to the Indians,

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oy possessing themselves of their lands, without offering any remuneration for them, or even obtaining their permission to occupy them; the governor wisely determined to procure their friendship, as the first step towards effecting a happy and successful settlement. He therefore submitted to a neighbouring chief, his propositions for settling; but received from him an answer of sullen indifference; "I will not bid you go, neither will I bid you stay; but you may use your own discretion." Such was the address and courtesy of the governor, however, that not only was this sullen warrior subsequently won over to the interest of the colony, but he also persuaded the neighbouring tribes to preserve peace with the newcomers. They procured, for a moderate price, a considerable tract of country, within the limits of which was the Indian town of Yoacomoco. To this town they gave the name of St. Mary's, and here was established the capital of the colony.

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FRIENDLY INDIANS.

A guard-house and a store-house were erected, and corn was planted. A friendly visit was received from Sir John Harvey, the Governor of Virginia, who appears not to have participated in the jealous feelings of his people towards the new colony. Several Indian chiefs from the interior came to pay their respects to the governor, and were sumptuously entertained on board a ship which lay at anchor in the river, the King of Patuxent being seated, at table, between the Governor of Virginia and the Governor of Maryland.

The store-house being finished, and it becoming necessary to unload the ship, and bring the stores for the colony on shore, the governor, to impress the natives with respect, ordered it to be done with some solemnity. The colours were brought on shore, and the colonists were all paraded under arms. Volleys of musketry were fired, which were answered by discharges of cannon on board the ship. The Kings or Werowances of Patuxent and Yoacomoco being present at this exhibition, the former took occasion to advise the Indians of Yoacomoco to keep the league which they had made with the English. He remained in town several days afterwards; and it is said that when he took his leave, he made this remarkable speech to the governor: "I love the English so well, that if they should go about to kill me, I would command the people not to revenge my death; for I know they would not do such a thing, except it were through my own fault."

During the remainder of the year, while the English and the Indians lived together, in St. Mary's, each community occupying half of the town, according to a stipulation made between them, the utmost harmony prevailed.

The natives testified their friendly disposition, by going every day into the woods with their new neighbours, pointing out the best resorts of game, joining them in the chase, and bringing home venison and wild turkeys in abundance; well satisfied with a cheap requital in knives, tools, and toys. They also supplied them with fish in plenty, and their women instructed the wives of the colonists in making bread of maize. As a certain mark of the entire confidence of the Indians, their