The isolation of these settlers bred or increased their
personal independence, while it robbed them of that smoothness to be gained
where the social particles rub together. This part of South Virginia was
soon to be called North Carolina.
Far down the coast was Cape Fear. In the year of the Restoration a handful
of New England men came here in a ship and made a settlement which, not
prospering, was ere long abandoned. But New Englanders traded still in
South Virginia as along other coasts. Seafarers, they entered at this inlet
and at that, crossed the wide blue sounds, and, anchoring in mouths of
rivers, purchased from the settlers their forest commodities. Then over
they ran to the West Indies, and got in exchange sugar and rum and
molasses, with which again they traded for tobacco in Carolina, in
Virginia, and in Maryland. These ships went often to New Providence in the
Bahamas and to Barbados. There began, through trade and other
circumstances, a special connection between the long coast line and these
islands that were peopled by the English. The restored Kingdom of England
had many adherents to reward. Land in America, islands and main, formed the
obvious Fortunatus's purse. As the second Charles had divided Virginia for
the benefit of Arlington and Culpeper, so now, in 1663, to "our right
trusty and right well-beloved cousins and counsellors, Edward, Earl of
Clarendon, our High Chancellor of England, and George, Duke of Albemarle,
Master of our Horse and CaptainGeneral of all our Forces, our right trusty
and well-beloved William, Lord Craven, John, Lord Berkeley, our right
trusty and well-beloved counsellor, Anthony, Lord Ashley, Chancellor of our
Exchequer, Sir George Carteret, Knight and Baronet, ViceChamberlain of our
Household, and our trusty and well-beloved Sir William Berkeley, Knight,
and Sir John Colleton, Knight and Baronet," he gave South Virginia,
henceforth called the Carolinas, a region occupying five degrees of
latitude, and stretching indefinitely from the seacoast toward the setting
sun.
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