Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/448

 counties, it was to be maintained by the equal contribution of both. No fee was to be asked of any passenger in crossing, and the man in charge was expected to perform his duties from the rising to the setting of the sun. A few years later, as the expense of maintaining ferries fell very heavily upon the planters of small means, the power was conferred upon the County Courts to establish them only where absolutely essential to the convenience of the people, and the commissioners were authorized to prescribe such rates and to lay down such conditions as to time of service and to appoint such persons as the interests of the population at large dictated. As the counties were not to be called upon to support these ferries by the public levy, it is to be inferred that each passenger was to be required to pay his own charge. In some instances the ferryman was instructed to be at his post only at stated hours of the day, as ten o&#8217;clock in the morning and two in the afternoon, and if he failed to attend at these times, without a sound excuse, he was liable to be heavily fined for his negligence. In some cases it was also his duty to take people on board ships.

In 1673, it was determined by the General Assembly to establish free ferries again, and commissioners were appointed to designate the most convenient places in the different counties.