Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/137

 Early History of the Bermuda Islands.

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��ticipating that, however, some twenty- years, Christian North was tried for it in 1668, but was acquited. Somewhat later a negro woman, Sarah Basset, was burned at Paget for the same offence. The Quakers were persecuted by fines, impnsonment, and banishment, by the siern and darlc-souled Puritans, who had emigrated to this place to escape op- pi sssion, and to enjoy rehgious tolera- tion, but were not willing to grant to others who differed from them in their religious belief the same privileges as they themselves enjoyed.

The company discovered by degrees that the Bermudas were not the Eldo- rado which they had fondly imagined them to be. The colonists were now numerous, and every day showed a strong disposition to break away from the control of the company. The com- pany had issued an order forbidding the inhabitants to receive any ships but such as were commissioned by them. The company complained against the quality of tobacco shipped to London, as well as the quantity.

The people were forbidden to cut cedar without a special license, and as they were in the habit of exporting oranges in chests made of this wood, the regulation operated very materially to the injury of the place. Previous to this order many homeward bound West Indiamen arrived at Castle Harbor to load with this fruit for the English mar- ket. Whaling was claimed as an exclu- sive privilege, and was conducted for the sole benefit of the proprietors. Nu- merous attempts were made to boil sugar, but the company directed the Governor to prevent it, as it would require too much wood for fuel.

In consequence of instructions from England Governor Turner called upon all the inhabitants of the islands to take tlie oath of supremacy and allegiance to

��his majesty, but as the Puritans had left their native country on account of their i-epublican sentiments, they refused to comply, and the prisons were soon filled to overflowing.

The rapid change of affairs in Eng- land during the civil war, in which the Puritans were victorious, and Cromwell was elevated to the Protectorship, opened the doors of the prisons, and stopped all furtlaer persecutions, both political and religious.

It must be said in favor of the com- pany that they had, at an early period, established schools throughouc the col- ony, and appropriated lands in most ot the tribes or parishes, for the maintain- ance of the teachers.

From 1630 to 1680 many negro and Indian slaves were brought to the col- ony ; the negroes from Africa and the W^est Indies, and a large number of In- dians from INIassachusetts, prisoners taken in the Pequot and King Philip's wars. The traces of their Indian ances- try can readily be seen in many of the colored people of these islands at the present time.

In October, 1661, the Protestant in- habitants were alarmed by rumors of a proposed combination between the ne- groes and the Irish. The plan was to arm themselves and massacre the whites who were not Catholics. Fortunately the plot was discovered in time, and meas- lures adopted to disarm the slaves and the disaffected.

The proprietary form of government continued until 1685, with a long suc- cession of good, bad, and indifferent Governors.

Many acts of piracy were perpetrated at different times by the inhabitants of these islands. In 1665 Captain John Wentworth made a descent upon the island of Tortola and brought off about ninety slaves, the property of the Gov-

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