Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1684-89. 455

and their Lord^ps taking into consideration what might be the
proper Boundaries of the Country of Delaware now in question
it is proposed that the whole Peninsula or tract of land called
Delaware from East to West as far as Cape Hinlopen South-
ward may be divided into two equal parts between His Majesty
and my Lord Baltemore Whereupon his Lord^p demanding
further time to consider of this Proposal the Committee allow
him a week longer to offer his objections.

P. R. O.

Colonial
Entry Book,
Vol. 52.

Saturday 7^th November 1685.

My Lord Baltemore & M^r Penn attending concerning the
Boundaries of the Country of Delaware are called in and being
heard their Lord^ps resolve to report their opinion to His Majesty
that for avoiding further differences the Tract of land lying
between the river and bay of Delaware and the Eastern Sea
on the one side and Chesapeak Bay on the other be divided
into two equal parts by a line from the Latitude of Cape Hen-
lopen to the 40^th degree of Northern Latitude and that one
half thereof lying towards the Bay of Delaware and the Eastern
Sea be adjusted to belong to His Majesty and that the other
half remain to the Lord Baltemore as comprised within his
Charter.

p. 225

At the Court at Whitehall 13^th November 1685.

Present
The King's most Excellent Majesty in Councill The follow-
ing report from the Right Honorable the Lords of the Com-
mittee for Trade and foreign Plantations being this day read at
the Board.

Mem^d
The Lords of the Committee for Trade and Plantations hav-
ing pursuant to His late Majesty's Order in Councill of the 31.
of May 1683 examined the Matters in Difference between the
Lord Baltemore and William Penn Esq^re in behalf of his pres-
ent Majesty concerning a Tract of Land in America commonly
called Delaware, their Lordships find that the Land intended to
be granted by the Lord Baitemore's Patent was only Land
uncultivated and inhabited by savages, and that this Tract of
Land now in dispute was inhabited and planted by Christians
at and before the Date of the Lord Baitemore's Patent as it
hath been ever since to this time and continued as a distinct
colony from that of Maryland, so that their Lordships humbly
offer their opinion that for avoyding further differences the
Tract of Land lying between the River and Bay of Delaware
and the Eastern Sea on the one side and Chesapeak Bay on
the other, be divided into two equall parts by a line from the

p. 107