vice to England of the growing power of Spain in East Florida, and acquainted the trustees that such preparations were making there, as evidently portended hostilities; and as the Spaniards pretended to have a claim to Georgia, there were strong grounds to believe that they intended to assert their claim by force of arms. The king resolved to vindicate the honor of his crown, and maintain the right to his territories in Georgia, together with the freedom of commerce and navigation in the Mexican seas. The pacific disposition of his minister, Sir Robert Walpole, had drawn upon him the displeasure of the nation, particularly of the mercantile part; and that amazing power and authority which he had long maintained, began to decline: the spirit of the nation was roused, and the administration could no longer wink at the insults, depredations and cruelties, which had been practised by Spain. Instructions were despatched to the British ambassador at Madrid, to demand in absolute terms, a compensation for the injuries of trade this produced an order from the Spanish court to the ambassador, to allow the amount to the British merchants, upon condition of the Spanish demand upon the south-sea company being deducted, and Oglethorpe's settlers recalled from Georgia; and no more employed in that quarter, as he had there made great encroachments on his catholic majesty's dominions. These conditions were received at the court of Great-Britain with

that indignation which might have been expected from an injured nation. The Spanish ambassador at London, was informed that the king of England was determined, never to relinquish his right to a single foot of land in the province of Georgia; and that he must allow his subjects to make reprisals, since satisfaction for their losses in trade could in no other way be obtained.

The Hector and Blanford ships of war, had been ordered to transport general Oglethorpe's regiment to Georgia, where they arrived in September 1738. The colonists rejoiced at their arrival, having been harrassed by frequent alarms; they now found themselves relieved, and placed in such circumstances as enabled them to bid defiance to the Spanish power.

The general established his head-quarters at Frederica and placed small garrisons on Jekyl and Cumberland islands to watch the motions of the enemy. While preparations were making in England to guard against the hostility of Spain, the Spanish agents from Augustine, had been busily employed in seducing the Creek Indians, who had formed a great attachment for general Oglethorpe, and impressed them with a belief that he was at Augustine, and promised them considerable presents if they would pay him a visit at that place. Accordingly some of them went down to see their beloved man, as they called him; but finding he was not there, they were highly offended at the deception attempted to be

practised upon them. The Spanish governor in order to cover the fraud, or probably with a design to convey their leaders out of the way, that he might have the less difficulty in corrupting their nation by a Pizarro stratagem, pretended that the general was sick on board of a ship in the harbor, where he would be extremely glad to see them; but the Indians, suspicious of some deep design, refused to go, rejected their presents and offers of alliance, and immediately left the place : when they returned to their towns, they found an invitation from the general, to meet him at Frederica, which evidenced to them the insidious designs of the Spaniards, and tended to increase the general's influence and power over them. A number of the chiefs and warriors repaired to the place appointed, where they received the thanks of the general for their fidelity : he made them many valuable presents and renewed the treaty of friendship and alliance. At this meeting, they offered the general every aid in their power; agreed to march a thousand men to his assistance whenever he demanded them, and invited him to pay a visit to their towns: he excused himself by stating the multiplicity of business, which would necessarily occupy his time in settling the province, and making arrangements for its defence. against the Spaniards; but promised them a visit the next summer, and dismissed them much pleased with his kindness and hospitality, and disgusted with the Spaniards for the deception

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which was evidently intended to be practised up on them at Augustine.

In this state of anxiety and perplexity, the ge neral's mind was harrassed with the complaints of the colonists. They wanted rum, they wanted slaves, and they wanted fee-simple titles to their lands. The following is offered as a sample of their outrageous discontents; and in which was enclosed a copy of the petition from the people at Savannah to the trustees :

To the honorable James Oglethorpe, Esquire, ge neral and commander in chief over all his majes ty's forces in South-Carolina and Georgia, &c. at Frederica.

" SIR,

"It is the common misfortune of all who act in the higher stations of life, to be surrounded by flatterers, who consult rather the humors, passions and prejudices of their patrons, than their honor and interest: this should induce every person in such station, who regards his own ho nor, interest and fame, to lend an open and attentive ear to truth, in whatever shape, or from whatever hand delivered. I have no other basis, motive or interest in view, farther than as I am a member of the colony, and a well wisher to the happiness of society, unless a real and sincere regard to your honor and welfare, and an earnest desire to restore you to that quiet of mind and the now suspended affections of the people, which

the present state of affairs must necessarily deprive you of; it is not therefore of consequence to enquire who writes, but what is written. I am, sir, a plain dealer, and shall, with the greatest respect, use you with more sincerity than ceremony, and if any arguments can attain the desired effect, you will, I doubt not, think me your and the colony's real friend. When a skilful physician would relieve his patient of a disease, he traces it from the beginning, and examines the sources and progress of it, in order that by finding out the cause, he may the more certainly apply a re medy in the body politic the same process is necessary to effect a cure. The present languishing and almost desperate condition of the affairs of this province, is too obvious to your ex. cellency to need a description: be pleased then, to lay aside prepossession and prejudice, to retire unto yourself, and examine impartially whence the present misfortunes take rise; in order to do which, let me present your excellency with a view of the nations designs in establishing this colony; and indeed they were and are nothing unsuitable to a British or Roman spirit; the establishing a strong and numerous settlement as a barrier and safe guard to British America. To employ those persons in effecting this end who were least useful at home, and others who from reasonableness of profit should voluntarily profer their service: to restore liberty and happiness to those who, oppressed by the common misfortunes of man.