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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 189
necessary.* These laws were for the purpose of regulating the trade
with the Indians in the interest of peace with them, of preventing the
importation of rum into Georgia, and of prohibiting the use of negro
slaves within the province. They were all productive of later troubles
within the colony, and they were all in some respects ill advised because
not suited to the people and to the circumstances in the case; but they
seemed reasonable to the trustees, and doubtless Oglethorpe in urging
them felt that they were for the best interests of the province.!
The powers granted him on his second trip to Georgia were very
similar to those possessed by him the first time. He was given authority
to divide and lay out the land given in trust for the new settlement of
Frederica; he was authorized to grant licenses to persons wanting to
leave Georgia; it was his business to administer oaths to the newly
appointed officers of the town. In addition, he was granted the power
to put the act for keeping peace with the Indians into execution. | On
the first expedition, he was authorized to appoint officers for the militia,
while now he was himself appointed to train and instruct them.** He
was definitely given the right to draw bills on the trustees, and he was
the only person in the province to have this right, tt All the notes or
sola bills issued by the trustees had to be signed by him. JJ We have
noted already that he exercised on his first trip the power to draw bills,
though it had not been formally given him. In a few respects, there
fore, the powers granted him were more definite and implied an expec
tation of a somewhat extended stay in Georgia to a greater extent than
when he first went out; but they were still far from comparable to the
powers exercised by any ordinary governor in any of the American
colonies.
The company led by Oglethorpe' to Georgia in 1735 was the largest
number of mere colonists that went to the province during the proprie
tary period. There were more than 280 settlers in the party, occupying
two ships and being accompanied by a sloop of war. Instead pf going
on the comparatively comfortable sloop, as he had the privilege of doing,
Oglethorpe chose to go in one of the crowded ships, paying the passage
of his servants, in order that he might better take care of the colonists.
He had provided himself with live stock and other refreshments for the
missionaries and other companions, but he rarely ate himself anything
but the ship's stores. He visited the sick on board, giving them fowls
and other dainties from his own stores; and he also visited the accom
panying ship as often as possible to render assistance' and comfort to
the people on it. He lectured the freeholders on the nature of the coun
try they were to settle and told them how best to conduct themselves
in it. In all these affairs he showed a strong paternal interest in the
people going with him.***
One of the first things Oglethorpe had to do upon his return to Geor-
*C.R. I: 70.
t C.E. I: 31 et seq.
t O.K. II: 120.
**C. E. I: 228.
tt B. T., Ga., VIII: Verelst to Causton, Dec. 2, 1735.
n G. E. II: 113.
*** Moore in Ga. Hist. Collee. I: 85-88.