"Your Majesty's most dutiful subjects of this province, having often
felt, with hearts full of gratitude, the many signal instances of your
Majesty's peculiar favour and protection, to those distant parts of your
dominions, and especially those late proofs of your Majesty's most
gracious and benign care, so wisely calculated for the preservation of
this your Majesty's frontier province on the continent of America, by
your royal charter to the Trustees for establishing the colony of
Georgia, and your great goodness so timely applied, for the promoting the
settlement of the Swiss at Purisburgh; encouraged by such views of your
Majesty's wise and paternal care, extended to your remotest subjects, and
excited by the duty we owe to your most sacred Majesty, to be always
watchful for the support and security of your Majesty's interest,
especially at this very critical conjuncture, when the flame of a war
breaking out in Europe may very speedily be lighted here, in this your
Majesty's frontier province, which, in situation, is known to be of the
utmost importance to the general trade and traffic in America: we,
therefore, your Majesty's most faithful Governor, Council, and Commons,
convened in your Majesty's province of South Carolina, crave leave with
great humility to represent to your Majesty the present state and
condition of this your province, and how greatly it stands in need of
your Majesty's gracious and timely succour in case of a war, to assist
our defence against the French and Spaniards, or any other enemies to
your Majesty's dominions, as well as against the many nations of savages
which so nearly threaten the safety of your Majesty's subjects.

"The province of South Carolina, and the new colony of Georgia, are the
southern frontiers of all your Majesty's dominions on the continent of
America; to the south and south-west of which is situated the strong
castle of St. Augustine, garrisoned by four hundred Spaniards, who have
several nations of Indians under their subjection, besides several other