The Lower House. 369

the Inhabitants of Dorchester County, and pray Redress
therein from this Government.

L. H. J.

By all Which it appears to this Committee that the Indian
Title to the Lands at Chiccocan did not any ways determine
according to the Purport and true Meaning of the Proviso
in the Act mentioned by their Removing Twenty Miles
Higher up the River for that in November 1721 Coll^o Richard
Tilghman and Matthew Tilghman Ward two of the Commis-
sioners appointed by Act of Assembly for Resurveying and
Ascertaining the Indian Bounds did see Sundry Corn fields
in the Chiccocan Town as they Informed this Comittee, the
most of the Indians then being gone out to their Hunting
Quarters according to their Usuall Practice Except W^m Ash-
quash the Late Emperours Son, who had a handsome Settle-
ment and a good Corn field fenced after the English Manner
and possibly fixed there by the Indians with design to hold
possession, as was Edward Wright also, who in the Deposi-
tion of Tho: Abbott Amongst Cap^t Riders papers Marked
D. D. is declared to be a Tennant to the Nanticoke Indians
and therefore no Desertion or Leaving the place within the
Intention of the Provisoe in the Act of 1698 Altho the Injuries
by English Mens Horses &c: Induced the Choptank Indians
to retire to a place Called Locust Neck upon the Choptank
Tract.
It appears also to this Comittee that the facts alledged
by Cap^t Rider as to his taking possession of and building
a Small Clapboard House in the Chiccocon Town, and the
Indians leaving the Place after the burning of W^m Ashquash
Cabin, and Cornfield fence, are true, but it is very untruly
represented that those Indians themselves had destroy'd their
Cabbins or burnt their fences as a token of Deserting and
Leaving the place or that the small Improvements made by
Cap^t Rider were any Inducement to those Indians in the Re-
possessing the place, for they Return'd again of themselves
in the fall of the same Year, and Sometime after as Cap^t
Rider himself did suppose burnt down his Improvements,
but Complained in the mean time to the Commissioners ap-
pointed by Act of Assembly for Determining Indian Differ-
ences, that the English had burnt W^m Ashquash's house and
part of his Corn field fence, with design to drive them away
from the said town which doth not seem Improbable Seeing
that the fact was done About the time of planting Corn, and
the Damage Irreparable for that Season, but W^m Ashquash
who did not Remove Twenty Miles hier up the River as it
is alledged Remained amongst the English during the Sum-
mer for his Subsistance and Return'd again to the Town with
24

p. 71