3. For that the Indians, since the said grant, have sold several parts of the said country, and taken full satisfaction for it of people of this Colony, who bought and possessed it quietly, until in this four or five years the other Colonies, by clandestine purchases and forced mortgages, have encroached both upon that these people had purchased as aforesaid, and the rest as yet unsold, and this is fully cleared to be true by the Indian Sachems own acknowledgments, in their address to his royal Majesty in April, 1662, which address was, by the honourable Commissioners, Sir Robert Carr, Knight, George Cartwright and Samuel Maverick, Esqrs. here produced, and to the said Sachems read, and by them clearly understood and owned.

4. Forasmuch as the whole is contained in his Majesty's late royal grant to this Colony in 1663, and to divide the same in two several parts will render both so inconsiderable as that neither will in any measure be sufficient for any competent number of people to live upon, besides the inconveniences that will arise by mixture of one with the other which would render both in a state of much trouble and discouragement to people for building or settling upon it except contained in one entire tenure as granted to the Colony aforesaid and under that one government.

5. For that the whole is considered to be fully granted in our patent under the great seal containing all that is now called the King's province, and the rest is no way answerable unto the least of the other Colonies in quantity, as by map calculated in that respect according to true information and knowledge, and herewith presented, it doth appear, so that on either part (if parted) there can be no competency to raise any considerable supply of provisions for trade for his Majesty's other plantations, nor can this Colony grow to any maturity of strength to serve his Majesty, but groan under the weight of poverty, and be subjected still to the will of the other Colonies to give what they please for the little we raise, we being not able to transport it, as being not worth while, far abroad, 15

VOL. VII.

to make the best of it, because of the little quantity thereof.

6. For that by experience we have found, that by reason of the interruption this Colony hath had in the possessing the Narraganset, now called the King's province, which interruptions was by force from the other Colonies, as it is cleared to the Honourable Commissioners aforementioned, many of the people of this Colony have been forced to expose themselves to seek out other plantations, to their utter ruin and undoing, and some into Plymouth claims 12 or 16 miles from Rhode Island; which had we had the use of that said Narraganset Country, would have in a good measure sufficed and encouraged our own people, and have given strength and growth to the Colony to have set upon trading and fishing, &c.

7. And lastly that country of the Narraganset of right belongs to this Colony, not for the aforesaid reasons only, but also for that although the Sachems did about 20 years since submit it and selves to his Majesty's late royal father, of glorious memory, yet no cognizance could be or was then or ever after by his said Majesty taken of the same, nor until the Sachems made their last address unto his royal Majesty, in the year 1662, which their address being taken notice of and it mentioning the said country and owning it to be contained in our former grant, &c. his most royal Majesty was thereupon and thereafter however graciously pleased to give and grant the said Narraganset country expressly unto this corporation, all it and the rest under the name of the English Colony of Rhode Island, &c. as in the said charter, under the great Seal, is more particularly mentioned, which said grant we humbly and cheerfully expect to be firm and good, and will so be accounted and confirmed by his Majesty's royal grace to us and ours forever: And the rather because his Majesty granted that which the Indian Sachems had so freely and fully surrendered to his royal will and pleasure to order and dispose.

Some reasons humbly presented to the Right Honble. Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord high Chancellor of England, by the Gov. and Company of his Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, for settling the Eastern line according to the meaning and letter of the Charter.

1. BECAUSE that line entrencheth not on Plymouth patent (such as it is) for that it is not bounded by the sea on the south in that grant, but by a river called Narraganset river, no such river being known.

2. Because Rhode Island lieth as enclosed, and in a manner embayed, within the land which Plymouth would have to be within their jurisdiction: And yet it is the Narraganset bay and therefore good reason that the main land inclosing and so near adjoining to the island should pertain to it, especially being expressly granted by his royal Majesty in our late charter, in express words, three miles to the east of the most easterly and north easterly part of the said bay.

3. Because the Island being small, scarcely holding three miles broad, any great part of it, and fifteen long, the inhabitants, especially on that side the island lying very near the main, are forced there to winter their cattle, and otherwise also to keep them there, which land hath otherwise never been improved by Plymouth, but it hath lain waste near forty years since they first began that plantation. Besides, many of ours for mere necessity, have bought lands near the water on that side of the Indian owners, and possessed it many years peaceably; it being so very remote from Plymouth town and from any town of that Colony, as that it would be of little use to them if they had it.

4. Because the nearness of that land on the east side is by experience an annoyance to this government, by being only at present out of the jurisdiction of this Colony there being farms made by some of this Island people, just over the river within call of the Island, where any that are culpable ( ) by the law here,

make their escape over and there are out of reach, even ) Plymouth town so very remote, that

under three or four days time we (

) whatever the occasion be, in which time the offender is enabled to make a final escape, nor can we make the chief *part of this colony but on this Island, having none else fit, as this, which is indeed hard to be equalized in New-England for reception and safe riding of vessels of all sorts and in all seasons, and hardest frosty winters, which is not so in any other parts of this country.

5. Because the main land on the east side as aforesaid is so near the Island, and the river between so convenient, that a town on that side would answer to them on this side very commodiously on all occasions of relief or defence; and indeed this Colony can never be secured from invasions, if that side (for such a quantity as is mentioned in our charter) be not in this jurisdiction and at its devotion, it lying so remote from Plymouth, as afore is said, that it cannot answer them to fortify it, it being near fifty miles from them by land, but above 100 by

water.

6. Because the people of this Island there settled and settling themselves, having been used to and lived in this government, do earnestly long still to be under the protection and direction thereof, as also they being so near us and so very remote from Plymouth, by which means it is very difficult for them to attend their Courts of Justice.

7. Because the native Indians, both Sachems and others, not only, and often, in former times have mentioned and desired to be in, or under this government, but even also of late, since we received the late royal grant under the great seal, have by word and writing desired they might be esteemed, deemed and owned, within this jurisdiction, having always for near thirty years had very near, frequent and friendly commerce and intercourse with us.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF RHODE ISLAND TO GOVERNMENT OF

PLYMOUTH.

Newport, November. 2d. 1671.

Much Honrd. and beloved friends,

THESE are to give you to understand, that your loving and welcome lines, both of Sept. 14th. and 29th. last past, hath been communicated unto us by our Honrd. Govr. &c. the contents of both being very much obliging, and doth indeed move us to be thankful unto the Most High, for preserving us yet in peace, and diverting the cloud which he was pleased to let hang over the country, threatening a storm of war, or the sad effects that attend thereupon as burning, massacreing, and destroying persons and estates, which would inevitably have followed upon an absolute breach with the natives, as we were well aware of. And it exercised our minds, and put us upon labour and charge to withstand or prevent it. Neither can we but, together with you, acknowledge the goodness of the Lord, in so mercifully sparing the country. Also acknowledge your prudent and patient proceedings in that matter, and your candid respect and great affection expressed unto us, in giving us seasonable information of your apprehensions, resolutions and conclusions had, taken and made, concerning those matters. And you may assure yourselves, that you may expect from us, as occasion shall require it, such demonstrations of our love and duty to yourselves, as is becoming us, not only as we are English subjects, to one and the same king, but also as neighbours and friends, very nearly obliged to love and serve your Honrs. in all sincerity. And it is not a little grievous unto us, that we cannot procure the like cause from our honored the Colony of Connecticut, from whom we meet with very hard, harsh and undesirable passages, which we would be glad they would forbear. But they are put upon it by the ambition and covetousness of some few. And truly it presseth upon us very much, to complain to our Sovereign for relief, which, if we be forced to do, it