x                    Preface.

     Governors, and Trustees of the free schools of Maryland. Provision

     was made for its support by an export duty on furs; and whenever

     the yearly income from all sources should exceed £120, the overplus

     should go to founding another school at Oxford.

       In 1698 Nicholson returned to Virginia as Governor, where one of

     his first acts was to transfer the capital from unhealthy Jamestown to

     a more salubrious site on the peninsula between the James and York

     rivers, where he laid out a city which he named Williamsburg. He

     was still disquieted at the aggressive plans of the French; and per

     ceiving that it was not possible to induce the colonies to cooperate in

     any system of defence, he wrote to the English government recom

     mending that they should all be placed tinder a viceroy with regal

     powers, and a standing army organizcd.

       Nicholson was recalled to England in 1705, and I have not found

     any record of his career until 1709, when he was placed in command

     of a force intended to operate in conjunction with a British fleet against

     the French at Montreal. He began his work with great diligence, and

     strengthened the frontier defences, but the promised fleet failed to

     arrive in time and the plan was abandoned.

       He then returned to England to advise as to the further pros

     ecution of the war. The French had made firm friends of the Algon

     kin tribes of Indians (known in our records as “ Canada Indians “) and

     Nicholson was urgent that alliances should be maintained with their

     enemies, the Five Nations, or Iroquois. To enforce his arguments

     he took with him to England five great Sachems of the Mohawk tribe,

     whose appearance made a strong impression upon the Londoners,

     as may be seen by references in the literature of the time. Oddly

     enough, these Indians furnished the name of “Mohocks” to a

     ruffianly crew who infested the streets of London for years, and

     with whose outrages all who have read the literature of Anne's reign

     are familiar.

       Nicholson was also commissioned by the Massachusetts Assembly

     to urge action against the French Acadians. This suggestion was

     carried out, a force was sent, and Acadia seized as well as Port

     Royal, in which latter operation Nicholson commanded, and of which

     he afterwards published an account.

       In 1711 there were renewed operations against Canada, and

     Nicholson was placed at the head of all the land forces, to be

     assisted by a British fleet. Again the plan resulted in failure; the

     fleet was wrecked, and an attack upon Quebec having failed, he