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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 43
cultivate the land immediately .around them; that they should be hired
for a definite term of "years, and that at the expiration of this time such
among them who should marry or come married hither might have a
right of laying claim to a ' certain Fee Farm, ready cleared, together with
a house built upon it, and a stock sufficient to improve and cultivate it,
to be enjoyed Tax and Rent free during life as a reward for service.'
'By which means two great advantages must naturally follow: (1)
Poor laboring men, so secured of a fixed future settlement, will thereby
be induced to go thither more willingly and act when there with double
diligence and duty and (2) When the time of service expires, possession
just long enough to pass their lives upon at ease and to bring up their
children on honestly, the families they have will prove a constant semi
nary of sober servants of both sexes for the Gentry of the colony, where
by they will be under no necessity to use the dangerous help of Blacka
moors or Indians. The lands set apart for the purpose are to be two
miles in width, surrounding the district, and lying next within the Mar
grave's own reserved land. The 116 squares into which the inner
quadrangle is divided are to be one mile each way, or 640 acres, bating
only for the highways which divide them. These are the estates be
longing to the Gentry of the district, who being so confined to an equality
in land, will be profitably emulous of outdoing each other in improve
ment; and when the Margravate is strong enough to form many dis
tricts the estates will be given gratis to honest and qualified gentlemen
in Great Britain and elsewhere who, having numerous and well edu
cated families, possess but little fortune and will therefore be chosen to
enjoy these advantages. The four great parks or forests are each to be
four miles square; sixteen miles around each forest, in which are to be
propagated herds of cattle of all sorts. The middle hollow square, which
is full of streets crossing each other, is the city, and the belt embroidered
with trees is to be used for a thousand purposes, among the rest as being
airy and affording a fine prospect of the town near it. In the center of
the city stands the Margrave's house. This is to be his constant resi
dence, and to contain everything requisite for the dispatch of business.
This likewise is to be separated from the city by an embroidered belt
like the one separating the city from the rural districts.'
"Sir Robert enlarges upon the profits to be realized from this charm
ing country in the cultivation of rice, tea, figs, raisins, currants, almonds,
olives, silk and cochineal. Large gains were expected from the manu
facture of potash. Liberal offers were made to all who might wish to
become colonists in the Margravate of Azilia and ample guarantees
given for protection. Although subscription books were opened in the
Carolina Coffee House, near' the Royal Exchange, it does not appear that
much stock was taken in the enterprise. To the King, Sir Robert ad
dressed a petition specifying the tract of land called Azilia, with which
he had been invested by the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, declaring
that he had a bona fide intention of founding a colony there and request
ing the privilege of establishing in the city of Edinburgh a lottery of
100,000 tickets, at the rate of forty shillings per ticket, for the purpose
of raising funds with which to defray the expenses of the adventure.
A memorial was received from the Lords Proprietors, explaining the
proposal of Sir Robert for settling the most southern parts of Carolina,