Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97. 337

    of Cattell & hogs, it is modestly computed, the better half of Lib. H. D.

    what was in the province are dead; And this year by the vn

    seasonnableness of the summer we have scarce made half

    Crops of Tobacco & little better of Corn, by which means

    this province is mightily impoverished; As for the raising of p. 258

    Men, the very noise & alarm thereof has already had such

    fatall consequence in affrighting the labouring ffreemen of

    this Province that by sad Experience Wee find our selves this

    present year decreased above 400 & odd Taxables to the

    great lessening of his Mats Revenue & damage of this Prov

    ince, And if the Men should be actually Raised, it would

    occasion the greatest part of the ffreemen within this province

    to desert it & leave the Countrey altogether vndefended &

    an open pray to the Enemy who are much nearer to Us than

    New York; And altho such Men were raised, this Province is

    not in any capacity of paying or equipping them forth with

    Arms &Ca for that the publick Revenue thereof is very small,

    and his Lordship the Lord Baltemore hath above halfe thereof

    so that of necessity the forces so raised must be paid by an

    equall assessmt vpon the Taxables of this province and the

    same will amount to the third part of their Estates; As for

    Arms & Ammunition, We are altogether destitute thereof,

    not having sufficient for our small train bands, nor can We

    procure any vntill such time as those shall Arrive, which his

    Exncy our present Governr hath sent for from England Never

    theless it is Unanimously Resolved by this House that if his

    Exncy will be pleased to advance so much Money for the assist

    ance of New York, as with what We have already transmitted

    thither, will make vp our Quota proportionable to our Neigh

    bouring Colony of Virginia, being 1 33lbs 08s o7d the House do

    hereby Resolve he shall be gratefully refunded the same out

    of the first money accruing to this Province, out of the publick

    Revenue thereof.

                            W Bladen Clk Assembly

     The Gentlemen of the Councills Letter to the honoble his Whitehall

    Mats Councill of New York, is as follows, Vizt

                    Port of Annapolis, Octobr 19th 1695.

    The Gentle- Gentlemen

            There was laid before Us by our Governr a Letter

    Letter to the of yours of the of September past, the which was

    New York sent down to the House of Burgesses: His Excellency p. 259

    Governmt our Governr has prest Us for assistance to New

    York, And We have caused the same to be put home severall

    times to the House of Burgesses & Delegates, but his Excell

    having been pleased to communicate to Us a Letter of his

    22