Assembly Proceedings, June 29-July 22, 1699. 481

of his Ma'^ys Governor here upon all Tobbacco that shall here-
after be Exported out of this Province by Land or Water
allowing four hundred pounds of Tobbacco to each hogshead
and the like quantity in bulk may be raised leavied and paid
by the Master of every Ship or Vessell trading into this
Province in ready money or Bills of Exchange att the Election
and Charge of the said Master to be Collected by the Navall
Officer of the Porte or District where Such Ship or Vessell
shall Enter or such other person as his Excellency shall think
fitt to appoint And be it further Enacted and declared that if
any Tobacco should by any Casuall means be lost after the
Imposition paid that then and in all such Cases the Owner
or freighter of all such Tobbacco shall have free Liberty to
freight and Ship of the like quantity again without paying
the Additional three pence this Act to Endure so long as the
said Nathaniel Blakiston Esq^r shall Continue Governor of
this Province

An Act Ascerteining the Bounds of Land.

Whereas att the first takeing up of Lands in this Province,
Necessity Constreined his Lordship to Comissionate such
persons to be Surveyors as was but very meanly Skilfull in
the Art of Surveying and for the Windings Courses and
Turnings of the Sev^rall Rivers Riveletts Creeks and Coves
many times by these Branches folding one in Another were
unknown to the Surveyors nor for fear of the Indian Enemy
then numerous and Strong dar'st they freely Stay on Shore
to Examine the Windings and Courses afores^d but marking
some Trees by the side of such Rivers Creeks &c. did

without further Troubles proscribe Ccrtcin Bounds and

Courses to the Severall Tracts by them Surveyed or In-
tended to be Surveyed and the said Bounds are Generally
Expressed in such uncertein terms and being many times

Lib. L. L.

p. 207

Contradictions and inconsistent in themselves whereby it
Comes to pass that at this time is very uncertein and many
Chargeable and Tedious Suites in Law happen about such
Bounds which are most times (as it were) by the favour &
Inclinations of Jurors Arbitrarily determined differing ways
in Parallel Cases To prevent which for the future and that
Judgment may go more direct and that Neighbours may more
Certeinly know their Bounds and avoyd Trespassing upon
one another and for the more generall Ascerteining the meets
and Limitts of every Particular mans Land then can be no
better way then by a Law to put one Certein Interpretation
upon such Contradictory Expressions observed to be in

31

p. 208