To the Council of Trade, 8 February 1711, My Lords:
- - - - The Baron de Graffenried being obliged, while he was a prisoner among the Indians, to conclude a Neutrality for himself and his Palatines, lives as yet undisturbed by the Heathen, but is sufficiently persecuted by the people of Carolina for not breaking with the Indians, though will afford him neither provisions of War or Victuals nor Assistance from them. He has always declared his readiness to enter into a War as soon as he should be assisted to prosecute it, but it would be madness in him to expose his handful of people to the fury of the Indians, without some better assurance of help than the present confusions in that province gives him reason to hope for, and the Indians would soon Either Entirely destroy that settlement or starve them out of the place by killing their stocks and hindering them from planting corn. In the meantime the people of Carolina receive very great advantage by this Neutrality, for by that means the Baron has an opportunity of discovering and communicating to them all the designs of the Indians, though he runs the Risque of paying dear for it if they ever come to know it. This makes him so apprehensive of his danger from them, and so diffident of help or even justice from the Government under which he is, that he has made some efforts to remove with the Palatines to this Colony upon some of her Majesty's Lands; and since such a number of people as he may bring with him, with what he proposes to invite over from Swisserland and Germany, will be of great advantage to this Country and prove a strong Barrier against the incursions of the Indians if they were properly disposed above our Inhabitants. I pray your Lordships' direction what encouragement ought to be given to their design, either as to the quantity of Land or the terms of granting it. - - - - [Spotswood forms a frontier policy in 1711.]
To the Council of Trade, 8 May 1712, My Lords:
- - - - According to what I had the honor to write to Your Lordships in my last, The Baron de Graffenried is come hither with a design to settle himself and several Swiss familys in the fforks of Potomack, but when he expected to have held his Land there of her Majesty, he now finds Claims made to it by both the Proprietors of Maryland and the Northern Neck. The Lord Baltimore's Agents claiming it in his behalf to the head springs of the South West Branch of Potomack, and my Lady Fairfax's Agent claiming to the head Springs of the North West branch, though by the Copys of the grants which I have seen, it appears to me that her Majesty has the Right to that Tract of Land exclusive of both Proprietors. I have writt to the Baron to send me a Draught of both those Branches, which I shall by the first Opportunity transmitt to Your Lordships, and as the Record of both Grants may be seen in the Chancery Office, I shall wait Your Lordships directions whether it be necessary to insist on her Majesty's Rights for taking up Land in this Colony - - - -
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