Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1681-85. 375

both agreed to meete the sixteenth of October next following,
in order to take observation for the ascertaineing the fortieth
degree of northern latitude; the said Markham haveing
promised, and assured the Lord Baltemore, that he would send
to New York to borrow of one Col. Lewis Morris there a
sextile of six or seaven foote radiis, being the only fit instru-
ment that could be heard of. Captain Markham meeting with
a long passage up Chesapeake Bay writes to the Lord Balte-
more, that he could not possibly attend the sixteenth as had
been agreed on, but desired it might be on the twenty sixth of
October. But soone after that, came another letter from
Captain Markham, wherein he gave the Lord Baltemore advice,
that he was relapsed, and soe ill that he should not be able to
attend the business of the bounds till the Spring. Whilst the
said Markham was said to be thus ill, many reports were
given out by the friends (vulgarly called Quakers) both of
Maryland, as well as those of Pensylvania, that the degree of
forty northerly latitude would be as lowe as Pooles Island in
the Bay of Cheaspeak; and it seems that M^r Pen had bin so
far possesst therewith,, that he made bold to write a letter dated
the sixteenth of September (1681.) and directed the same to
James Frisby, Edward Jones, Augustine Herman, George
Oulfield, Henry Ward and Henry Johnson, at their Plantations
in Pensylvania; for soe was the letter superscribed, the con-
tents of which being, that as he was confident, and ready to
beleeve they were within his bounds they should not pay any
more taxes,- or sessments by any Order or law of Maryland &c.
This letter soe alarmed the Inhabitants of Baltemore and
Cecell Countys, that they immediately refused paying their
levys, which had bin assessed by a Law past but two months
afore this happened. Notice hereof being given to the Lord
Baltemore, and his Councill orders were immediately issued
out to the military Officers of the said Countys to assist the
respective Sheriffs in the due execution of theire office, and
with great difficulty it was that some of the inhabitants were
made to comply with the then Publick leavy; tho' the parties
to whom that letter was particularly directed, gave little credit
to it, being confident that M^r Pen had been misinformed, as it
will sufficiently appeare, both he, and many others have been
in relation to the fortieth degree of northern latitude. The
trouble and indeed sedition that the said letter had occasioned
for some little time, made the Lord Baltemore judge it abso-
lutely necessary to have the bounds speedily fixst; but Captain
Markham was said to have a tertian Quartan ague, soe that
the Lord Baltemore could not procure the settlement of the
bounds, as he then desired; some time after this, reports came
down to the Lord Baltemore, that one William Haig a Quaker,

P. R. O.

Colonial
Papers.