Dutch
had also planted a colony on the Hudson River, within the Virginia
territory, and their trade in furs amounted to ten thousand pounds per
annum. Cape Cod was then looked upon as the point of demarcation between
Virginia and New England. Cattle, corn, and other commodities were
shipped from Virginia to New England. Sir William Berkley had made an
experiment in the cultivation of rice, and found that it produced thirty
fold, the soil and climate being well adapted to it, as the negroes
affirmed, who, in Africa, had subsisted mostly on that grain. There were
now many thousands of acres of cleared land in Virginia, and about one
hundred and fifty ploughs at work. Captain Brocas of the council, a
great traveller, had planted a vineyard, and made excellent wine.

At Christmas, 1647, there were in the James River ten vessels from
London, two from Bristol, twelve from Holland, and seven from New
England. Mr. Richard Bennet expressed twenty butts of excellent cider
from apples of his own orchard. They began now to engraft on the
crab-apple tree, which was found indigenous. Another planter had for
several years made, from pears of his own raising, forty or fifty butts
of perry. The governor, Sir William Berkley, in his new orchard, had
fifteen hundred fruit trees, besides his apricots, peaches, mellicotons,
quinces, wardens, and the like.

Captain Matthews, an old planter, of above thirty years' standing, one
of the council, and "a most deserving commonwealth man," had a fine
house, sowed much hemp and flax, and had it spun; he kept weavers, and
had a tannery, where leather was dressed; and had eight shoemakers at
work; had forty negro servants, whom he brought up to mechanical trades;
he sowed large crops of wheat and barley. The wheat he sold at four
shillings (about a dollar) a bushel. He also supplied vessels trading in
Virginia, with beef. He had a plenty of cows, a fine dairy, a large
number of hogs and poultry. Captain Matthews married a daughter of Sir
Thomas Hinton, and "kept a good house, lived bravely, and was a true
lover of Virginia."

There was a free school, with two hundred acres of land appurtenant, a
good house, forty milch cows, and other accommodations. It was endowed
by Mr. Benjamin Symms. There were, besides, some small schools in the
colony, probably such as are now known as "old-field schools."[209:A]

FOOTNOTES:

[200:A] 1 Hening, 230; Burk, ii. 68.

[201:A] Art. by J. Wingate Thornton, Es