s of the James near the present site of Richmond,
Robert Beverley on the Rappahannock, and other frontier commanders on
the York and Potomac, continued to undertake colonial defense. The
system of mounted rangers was established in 1691, by which a
lieutenant, eleven soldiers, and two Indians at the "heads" or falls of
each great river were to scout for enemy,[85:1] and the Indian boundary
line was strictly defined.

By the opening years of the eighteenth century (1701), the assembly of
Virginia had reached the conclusion that settlement would be the best
means of protecting the frontiers, and that the best way of "settling in
co-habitations upon the said land frontiers within this government will
be by encouragements to induce societies of men to undertake the
same."[85:2] It was declared to be inexpedient to have less than twenty
fighting men in each "society," and provision was made for a land grant
to be given to these societies (or towns) not less than 10,000 nor more
than 30,000 acres upon any of the frontiers, to be held in common by the
society. The power of ordering and managing these lands, and the
settling and planting of them, was to remain in the society. Virginia
was to pay the cost of survey, also quit-rents for the first twenty
years for the two-hundred-acre tract as the site of the "co-habitation."
Within this two hundred acres each member was to have a half-acre lot
for living upon, and a right to two hundred acres next adjacent, until
the thirty thousand acres were taken up. The members of the society
were exempt from taxes for twenty years, and from the requirements of
military duty except such as they imposed upon themselves. The
resemblance to the New England town is obvious.

"Provided alwayes," ran the quaint statute, "and it is the true intent
and meaning of this act that for every five hundred acres of land to be
granted in pursuance of this act there shall be and shall be continually
kept upon the said land one christian man between sixteen and sixty
years of age perfect of limb, able and fitt for service who shall alsoe
be continually provided with a well fixed musquett or fuzee, a good
pistoll, sharp simeter, tomahawk and five pounds of good clean pistoll
powder and twenty pounds of sizable leaden bulletts or swan or goose
shott to be kept within the fort directed by this act besides the powder
and shott for his necessary or useful shooting at game. Provided also
that the said warlike chris