Assembly Proceedings, May 26-June 11, 1697. 521

could be noe murder comitted but what they either did or
knew off, and that they had noe body else to tax but them
and that they were but a hand full of men & went too &
againe doeing of mischeife in the woods like wolves & noe
body could prove any thing against them. And that the Coll
should say he would engage to take the ffort with Thirty men
and that they were informed Cap^t Holliday should say he would
with forty men engage to take the ffort himselfe And that
they further sayd That M^r Stoddert & another man should
offer to sweare that two or three of the women were con-
cerned in that murder which they know to be an Vntruth for

Original
Journal.

that none of them were concerned with him but suppose it to
be done by fforreigne Indians.
Another Reason they alleadge for their goeing was that
severall people bought their lands over their heads soe that
they had noe certainty thereof without their leave and that
there could be noe hoggs or Shoats killed but they were still
blamed for it & called Rogues & doggs and that the English
yearely time after time puld downe their fences & destroyed
their Corne feilds with their horses before they can gather it.
As to their coming back they vtterly refuse as also Excuse
themselves from coming to the Assembly being very weary
& not able to travell soe farr but with all doe say that they
desire to live peaceable there & to passe too & froe without
trouble as formerly and that the English should be welcome
to come to their ffort as often as they please.
And further sayes that he finds the greatest part of the
Indians are inclinable to returne back to Maryland, especially
the Comon sort of men & woemen & that severall of them
are already come back & more resolved to come sud-
denly provided they may live peaceably & quietly & that
they see the English are not angry with them & that they
speake very well of his Ex^cy Saying that they knew him to be
in noe fault but that he was alwayes kind to them and that it
was the men vnder him that continually abused them.
W^m Barton

Then read the deposicons of George Achey William Clark-
son Thomas Gatton Terrence Drumer Margaret Robert
Robinson William Stinson & ffrancis Marbery relating to the
piscattoway & mountaine Indians yet not particularly Effect-
ing them with the murder of the negroe.
His hon^r Coll Charles Hutchins being desired to declare

what he knew of the Nanticoakc Indians on the Eastern shoare

wherevpon he relates that they have made a new Emperor &
that they Entertain & receive strange Indians, three Cannoes
of Indians from the westerne shore being met some where
about the streights goeing over to them.

p. 16