1 HE conftitution of the ftate, and its feveral charters?
Queen Elizabeth by her letters patent, bearing date March 25, 1584, licenfed Sir Walter Raleigh to fearch for remote heathen lands, not inhabited by Chriftian people, and granted to him, in fee fimple, all the foil within 200 leagues of the places where his people fhould, wuthin fix years make their dwellings or abidings;
referving only to herfelf and her fucceflbrs, their allegiance and one-fifth part of all the gold and filver ore they fhould obtain.
Sir Walter immediately fent out two fhips which vifited Wococon ifland in North- Carolina, and the next year difpatched feven with 107 men, who fettled in Roanoke ifland, about latitude 35^ 5o\ Here Okilko, king of the Weopomeiocs, in a full council of his people is faid to have acknowledged himfelf the homager of the Queen of England, and, after her, of [ 2o6 ] Sir Walter Raleigh. A fupply of 50 men were fent in 1586, and 150 in 1587. With thefe laft. Sir Walter fent a govern- or, appointed him 12 affiftants, gave them a charter of incorporation, and in- ftruded them to fettle on Chefapeak bay.
They landed however at Hatorafk. In 1588, when a fleet was ready to fail with a new fupply of colonifts and neceffaries, they were detained by the Queen to affift againft the Spanifh armada. Sir Walter having now expended 40,000!. in thefe enterprifes, obftrufted occafionally by the crown without a IhiUiiig of aid from it, was under a neceffity of engaging others to adventure their money. He therefore, by deed bearing date the 7th of March, 1589, by the name of Sir Walter Raleigh, Chief Governor of Affa- macomoc, (probably Acomac,) alias Win- gadacoia, alias Virginia, granted to Tho- mas Smith and others, in confideration of