Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 145

    God knew who murder'd the Negro, he did not, and that he Lib. H. D.

    would not tell a lye, & further that he Loved the English so

    well that he would not injure their persons or Estates or to

    this purport.

      As to making Satisfaction for the Negro to the Owner for

    his loss, desir'd further time to give their Answer, which we

    Assented to, So proceeded to the other Articles. They

    Seem'd to be very well pleas'd and chearfully Answer'd that

    they would Return as soon as possibly they could into the

    Governmt of Maryland and settle either at their old ffort nigh

    Piscattoway or about Rock Creek, that they might not any

    more annoy the Inhabitants Stock or Occasion any differences

    between them and the English; but they could not remove

    their ifamilies till the next Spring, Corn being planted and

    wed there, and ifiourishing; the women and Children not able

    to travell. That is the properest place for hunting the next

    winter likewise.

      Then the Emperr and his men withdrew, and about Nine a

    Clock that Evening he return'd with his great men to Us.

    again and Signifyed that tho they were not Guilty of the

    murder of the Negro, yet for peace and out of their Affection

    to the English they would give reasonable Satisfaction, but

    hoped we would Consider their poverty, then propose what

    would Satisfye. We demanded only Eighty Buck Skins,

    what the Committee first proposed, they readily complyed

    with promise of paymt which induced us with Consideracon

    of their Lowe Estate to abate them Twenty Skins, they

    paying Sixty in two Years, which they Agreed to.

      Then we proposed to them to Send Some Indians with us

    to take possession of their ffort and what charge they had

    there; they Answer'd they would, accordingly did the next

    Morning being ifryday the 11th day as soon as we got our

    horses parted with the Emperor and his Indians very good p. 525

    ifriends and took their directions to Avoid the dangerous

    Runes and ways that we passed upwards. about Noon one of

    our horses tired, we drove him as ffarr as we could, then Mr

    Hutchins and Mr Hawkins's Man Offer'd his Service to tarry

    with the Horse an hour or two till he was Refreshed then he

    would drive him to the inhabitants we Judged our Selves

    about ten miles distant when we parted with the Man, but

    found our Selves mistaken that we could not get to any

    plantacon but lodged in the woods On Saturday the 12th we

    got to a Plantacon in the Woods and were directed into the

    main Road. About ten a Clock Came to one Giles Vander

    Castels house with whom we left a letter directed to Capt

    George Mason for Covert to our Letter directed to his

    EXnCY Sr Edmund Andros—whilst we tarried at the sd House

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