266 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1676-81.

P. R. O.
Colonial
Papers.
B. B.

doe in the first place Resort But it cann hardly be call'd a
Towne It beeing in Length by the Water about five Myles and
in Breadth upwards towards the Land not above one Myle in
all which space excepting only my owne house and Buildings
wherein the said Courts and Publique Offices are kept There
are not above Thirty houses and those at considerable
distances from each other and the buildings (as in all other
parts of the Provynce very meane and Little and Generally
after the manner of the meanest farme houses in England
Other places wee have none That are called or cann be called
Townes. The people there not affecting to build nere each
other but soe as to have their houses nere the Watters for con-
veniencye of trade and their Lands on each syde of and
behynde Their houses by which it happens that in most places
There are not ffifty houses in the space of Thirty Myles And
for this Reason it is that they have beene hitherto only able to
divide This Provynce into Countyes without beeing able to
make any subdivision Into Parishes, or Precincts which is a
Worke not to be effected untill it shall please God to encrease
the number of the People and soe to alter their Trade as
to make it necessary to build more close and to Lyve in
Townes/.
To the 13: I cannott answer Otherwise Then by referring
to the Printed Mapp before menconed/.
To the: 14: I answer that the only considerable Comodity
of this Provynce is Tobacco and perhapps they will never be
able to fynde any comodity for Trade which cann ever bring
soe great an advantage to the Crowne of England in poynt of
coustomes as this comodity brings. The Coustumes thereof
due to the Kings Majesty amounting (soe nere as I cann guess)
unto more then 4oooo^lb paid which is more Then Double the
value for which the said Comodityes is sold by the Planters
I knowe of no Other Comodity of the Production groweth, or
Manufacture of this Provynce Except some few skinns of
Beasts sometymes bought from the Indian Neighbours which
are not considerable. Nor of any Materialls there groweing
for shipping or any to be produced unless the Planters should
fynde it more for their profitt to sowe Hempe Then Tobacco
The comodityes Imported there are all Manner of Cloaths
& other necessaryes for weareing as also Iron Tooles All
which are given in Exchange for Tobacco soe that generally
speakeing the value of what is Imported aryseth to be nere the
value of what is exported. All which may be best knowne
from his Majestyes coustome houses in England. Where
entryes are made as well of what is exported from England
to this Provynce As of what is Imported from thence into
England.