Old Virginia and her neighbours

THE CAROLINA FRONTIER. 217its governor. Such were the beginnings of Albemarle,the colony which in time was to developinto North Carolina.Meanwhile in 1660 a party from New Englandmade a settlement at the mouth of Cape FearRiver ; or perhaps we ought rather to call it avisit. It lasted no longer than Thorfinn Karlsefni'svisit to Vinland,^ for the settlers had alldeparted by 1663. There is a tradition that theywere sorely harassed by the natives, in revenge fortheir sending sundry Indian lads and girls aboardship, to be taken to Boston and " educated," i. e.sold for slaves.^This is not improbable....1 -VT T-i 1 1The visit ofAt all events, these JNew Jl.nglanders went New Eng-.landers.off in a mood not altogether amiable,leaving affixed to a post, at the mouth of the river,a " scandalous writing . . . the contents whereoftended not only to the disparagement of the land. . . but also to the great discouragement of allsuch assettle." 3should hereafter come into those parts toBut this emphatic warning did not frightenaway Sir John Yeamans,.who arrived at Cape Fearearly in October, 1663, and ascended the river formore than a hundred and fifty miles. Sir Johnwas the son of a gallant Cavalier who had lost lifeand estate in the king's service, and he had comeout to Barbadoes to repair his fortunes, rpjjg ciaren-*^°" colony,His report of the Cape Fear country wasso favourable that by the end of May, 1665, we1 See my Discovery of America, i. 167-169.2 Hawks, History of North Carolina, ii. 72.^ Lawaon, A Description of North Carolina, London, 1718, p. 73.