should come over to occupy and improve them. Each township was to form a
parish, and all the inhabitants were to have an equal right to the river.
So soon as the parish should increase to the number of an hundred
families, they were to have right to send two members of their own
election to the Assembly, and to enjoy the same privileges as the other
parishes already established. Each settler was to pay four shillings a
year for every hundred acres of land, excepting the first ten years,
during which term they were to be rent free. Governor Johnson issued a
warrant to St. John, Surveyor-general of the province, empowering him to
go and mark out those townships. But he having demanded an exorbitant sum
of money for his trouble, the members of the council agreed among
themselves to do this piece of service for their country. Accordingly
eleven townships were marked out by them in the following situations; two
on river Alatamacha, two on Savanna, two on Santee, one on Pedee, one on
Wacamaw, one on Watcree, and one on Black rivers.

[Sidenote] A struggle about lands.

The old planters now acquiring every year greater strength of hands, by
the large importation of negroes, and extensive credit from England,
began to turn their attention more closely than ever to the lands of the
province. A spirit of emulation broke out among them for securing tracts
of the richest ground, but especially such as were most conveniently
situated for navigation. Complaints were made to the Assembly, that all
the valuable lands on navigable rivers and Creeks adjacent to Port-Royal
had been run out in exorbitant tracts, under colour of patents granted by
the Proprietors to Cassiques and Landgraves, by which the complainants,
who had, at the hazard of their lives, defended the country, were
hindered from obtaining such lands as could be useful and beneficial, at
the established quit-rents, though the Attorney and Solicitor-General of