USA > Maryland > Anne Arundel County > Annapolis > The Ancient City.: A History of Annapolis, in Maryland, 1649-1887 > Part 40
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ยท Leonard Calvert.
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-of the litany of the holy cross. Our governor, however, having understood that the great chief of Piscataway was obeyed by many petty chiefs, determined to visit him, to explain the objects of our "coming ; that having conciliated his good will, our settlement might be more favourably regarded by the rest. Having, therefore, joined to our pinnace another, which he had procured in Virginia, and leav- ing the ship at anchor off St. Clements, retracing his course, he sailed up the southern bank of the river. Finding the savages had fled into the interior, he proceeded to the village, which, taking its name from the river, is yet called Potomac. Here he found Archihu, the uncle and tutor of the king, who was yet a boy. The regency was in prudent and experienced hands. Father Altham, who accompanied the governor, (for I was detained with the baggage, ) explained, by means of an interpreter, the truths of the Christian religion. The chief listened to him willingly, after acknowledging his own faults. Being informed that no hostile motives had brought us among them, but that feelings of benevolence prompt us to impart to them the ad- vantages of civilization, and to open the path of Heaven to them, and to the more distant regions, he expressed himself not only well satisfied, but very grateful at our arrival. The interpreter was from the Protestants of Virginia. As the Father could not explain every thing at once, he promised to return in a short time. 'I think,' said Archihu, 'that we should all eat of the same table ; my young men will visit the hunting grounds for you, and all things shall be in common with us.' From hence we went to Piscataway, where all immediately flew to arms. About one hundred, armed with bows, were drawn up with their chief at their head. On learning our pacific intentions, laying aside his fears, the chief stepped into the pinnace, and on understanding our benevolent views in their regard, gave us liberty to settle in any part of his kingdom we might select. In the meantime, while tha governor was on his journey to the emperor, the savages of St. Clements becomining more bold, mixed familiarly with our sentries. We were accustomed to keep up & patrol day and night, to protect our wood-cutters, and our vessel, which was now undergoing repairs, from any sudden attack. The natives expressed their surprise at the size of our vessel, and wondered what part of the earth produced a tree large enough to make such a boat ; for they thought that it, like an Indian canoe, was hewn out of the trunk of a single tree. The report of our cannon struck them dumb with fear.
"In his visit to the emperor, our governor carried with him as a companion, one Henry Fleet, a captain among the settlers in Vir- ginia, a man much beloved by the natives, and skilled in the know- ledge of their language and settlements. In the beginning he was very obliging to us, but being seduced by the malicious counsels of a certain Claibone, he became very hostile, and, in the most artful man- ner, inflamed the minds of the natives against us. However, while he was our friend, he pointed out to our governor a suitable place for a settlement, than which a more heavenly and lovely spot Europe could not furnish. Having proceeded from St. Clements about nine leagues to the north, we glided into the mouth of a river, to which we gave the name of St. George .* This river flows from south to . Now called St. Mary's river.
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north about twenty miles before it loses, like the Thames, the salt water taste. In its mouth are two harbours, in which three hundred ships of the line could ride at anchor. We placed one of them under the protection of St. George, the other, more interior, under that of the B. V. Mary.' t
"On the left side of the river was the settlement of Yaocomico. We ascended on the right side, and having halted about a thousand paces from the shore, we selected a site for the city, to be designated by the name of St. Mary, And to avoid all imputation of injury and occasion of enmity, having given in payment hatchets, axes, hoes, and some yards of cloth, we bought from the king about thirty miles of that part of the country now called Augusta Caroline. *
"A fierce and warlike nation of savages called the Susquehannahs, particularly hostile to king Yaocomico, made frequent incursions into his territory and devastated his settlements. The inhabitants, through fear of these savages, were forced to seek other homes. This was the cause of our having so promptly obtained possession of that part of his kingdom : God, in his goodness, opening a path for his law and eternal light by these means. The natives emigrate here and there daily, leaving behind them the fields and clearings that sur- rounded their homes. It amounts almost to a miracle that sa vages, who but a few days before arrayed themselves in arms against us, should now with the meekness of the lamb throw themselves on our mercy, and deliver up every thing to us. Here the finger of God is evident, and doubtless Providence has some good in store for this nation. A few have been permitted to retain their dwellings for one year, but the lands are to be delivered free into our hands the next year.
"The natives are tall and handsome in their persons, their skin is naturally of a copper colour, but they daub it over with red paint mixed with oil, to protect them from the flies.# This practice, which is decidedly more of a convenience than an ornament, gives them a hideous appearance. They daub their faces with other colours, at one time sky blue, at another red, and occasionally in the most dis- gusting and terrific manner. Being deficient in beard, at least until late in life, they draw painted lines from the corners of their mouths to the ears, in imitation of it. The hair, which is generally black, is tied around with a fillet, and drawn in a knot to the left ear, with the addition of any ornament in their possession which they consider valuable. Some wear as an ornament a copper plate with the figure of fish engraved upon it, placed upon the forehead. Others wear necklaces of glass beads ; beads are esteemed of less value by them, and do not answer the purposes of traffic so readily. They are dressed generally in deer skins, or something of that nature, which hangs from the back in the fashion of a pallium, and is bound round the navel like an apron, the rest of the body is naked. Boys and girls move about perfectly uncovered ; they tread on thorns and thistles, without sustaining injury, as if the soles of their feet were horn. Their arms are the bow and arrow, two cubits long, pointed
t This harbor must be either the mouth of what is called St. George's river, or the entrance to St. Inigce's creek.
. Now St. Mary's county.
# Moschettoes.
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HISTORY OF ANNAPOLIS.
with a piece of buckhorn, or sharp edged flint. They shoot these with such dexterity, as to transfix a sparrow at a considerable dis- tance. Their bows are not very tightly strung, and they are unable to strike objects at a very great distance. By the use of these arms, however, they secure a sufficient quantity of food, as squirrels, par- tridges, turkeys, &c., of which there is a great abundance. They live in huts of an oblong and oval form, nine or ten feet high ; an opening of a foot and a half in size, through the roo", admits light and allows the smoke to escape. They construct a fire on a pave- ment in the centre, and sleep in a circle around it. The kings and principal chiefs have each a hut of his own, and a bed made by driv- ing four stakes in the ground and laying poles over them.A tent of this description is allotted to my companion and myself, in which we are comfortably enough accommodated until a better house can be erected. This may be considered the first chapel in Maryland; it is, however, furnished in a more becoming manner than when it was in- habited by the Indians. In our next voyage, should Providence smile on our undertaking, we shall be supplied with all that is neces- sary for furnishing houses generally. The disposition of the tribe is sprightly and ingenious ; their taste is very discriminating, and they excel the Europeans in the senses of sight and smell. Their food consists of certain preparations of corn, which they call pone and ominy, to which is added fish and any thing that they have caught in hunting or in their snares. They have neither wine nor spirits, nor can they be easily induced to taste them, except such as the Eng- lish have infected with their vices. As to their deportment, it is ex- tremely modest and proper. In neither male nor female have I seen any action contrary to chastity. They come voluntarily and mingle with us daily, offering us, with a joyful countenance, what they have caught in hunting or fishing, and partaking of our food with us, when invited by a few words in their language. As yet we are able to con - verse with them very little except by signs. Many of them have wives, and preserve their conjugal faith unsullied. The countenances of the women are sedate and modest. The natives seemed possessed of generous dispositions, and reciprocate liberally any acts of kind- ness. They decide on nothing rashly, nor are they affected by any sudden impulses of feeling ; but when any thing of importance is sub- mitted to their consideration, they reflect on it in silence, as if anxious to be governed entirely by reason ; then having formed their determination, they express it briefly, and adhere to it most obsti- nately. If they were once imbued with the principles of Christianity (for which indeed nothing seems to be wanting but a knowledge of their language) they would certainly become examples of every moral and Christian virtue.
"They are much pleased with the courteous language, as well as the dress of the Europeans, and would now be clothed in our manner, if the avarice of our traders did not prevent it. Ourignorance of their idioms has hitherto prevented us from learning accurately their opinions on religion. We have, however, through the aid of inter- preters, (not always to be relied on,) caught these particulars : They acknowledge one God of heaven, whom they call our God. They pay him no external honours, but endeavour in various ways, to pro- pititate a certain evil spirit whom they call Ochre, that he may not
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injure them. I understand they worship also grain and fire, as deities very benevolent to mankind. Some of our men say they saw the follow- ing ceremony in the temple Barcluxen. On a certain day, all the men and women of all ages, from many villages, assemble around a large fire ; the younger ones are in advance, nearer the fire ; then having thrown some deer's fat on the fire, they raise their hands aloft and cry out with a loud voice, 'Taho, Taho !' During an interval, some one holds out a large bag, which contains a pipe, similar to those we use for smoking tobacco, though much larger, and some powder which they call potu. The bag is then carried around the fire, followed by boys and girls singing alternately in an agree- able voice, 'Taho, Taho.' The circuit being finished, the pipe and the powder are drawn out of the bag. The potu being distributed to each one standing around, and lighted in the pipe, each person present smokes it, and consecrates every member of the body by blowing it over them. We are not in possession of other facts, ex- cept that they seem to have some knowledge of & flood in which the world was destroyed, on account of the sins of mankind.
"We have been but one month here : the remainder must conse- quently be reserved for another voyage. I can, however, assert that the soil is especially rich. The earth, soft and black to the depth of a foot, is overspread with a fat and reddish coloured clay, covered everywhere with widely spreading trees, of great value and surpass- ing beauty, except here and there a small patch of cultivated ground. The land is also refreshed by abundant springs of excellent drinking water. The only quadrupeds we have seen, are the deer, beaver, and squirrels which equal in size the European rabbit. The flocks of birds are innumerable, such as eagles, herons, swans, geese, ducks, and partridges. Hence, you may suppose there is nothing wanting here which may minister to the necessities or the pleasure of its in- habitants."
The town of Saint Mary's became the capital of the province ; and the first legislative assembly of the province was called and held there, about the commencement of the year 1635-(to wit, on the 26th of February, 1634 5, old style.)
- :0:
THE CHARTER
-OF THE -
CITY OF ANNAPOLIS.
AS NOW EMBODIED IN ARTICLE TWO OF THE CODE OF PUBLIC LOCAL LAWS OF MARYMAND, TITLE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, SUB- TITLE, ANNAPOLIS .*
SEC. 30. The boundaries of the City of Annapolis shall be follows: Beginning at the water's edge at Windmill Point; thence by & * From the Revised Code, 1881.
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straight line to Sycamore Point; and thence again by a straight line from Sycamore Point to the wharf at Fort Madison; and thence by a drawn line from the wharf at Fort Madison, to the south wall of the Naval Academy, at the eastern terminus of Hanover street, and fol- lowing the present enclosures of the Naval Academy to the Severn River, at the north-eastern terminus of Tabernacle street; thence along the south shore of said river and College Creek, to the head of said creek ;. thence by a stright line from the head of said creek, to the head of Acton's Cove on Spa Creek; and thence following the northeast of said creek to the place of beginning; and the said city shall be divided. into three wards by the Corporation of said city, and the citizens of. Annapolis, qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly of Maryland, shall, on the second Monday of July, in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, and every two years thereafter, elect by. ballot, a Mayor, Counsellor, and the voters in each ward shall at the same time elect by ballot two residents thereof as Aldermen, who shall constitute the Corporation of said city, under the name and style of the Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen of the City of Annapolis.
SEC. 31. The Corporation shall appoint three persons judges of. said election, any two of whom shall be competent to hold such. election, and shall also appoint the necessary clerks of said election, and the judges and clerks shall qualify in the same manner as judges and clerks of elections are required by law to qualify, and shall in the execution of their respective duties, and in the manner of con- ducting elections, conform in every respect to the provisions of Article thirty-tive of the Code, and shall be subject to the same penalties as other judges and clerks of elections in this State.
SEC. 32. The Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen shall designate the place of holding elections, and the polls shall be kept open from nine o'clock in the morning until six o'clock in the evening, and the- returns shall be made to the Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen, and. recorded among their proceedings.
SEC. 33. All persons, qualified to be members of the General Assem- bly, shall be eligible as Mayor, Counsellor and Aldermen.
SEC. 34. In case of the death, refusal to serve, disqualification or removal out of the City of any of the members of the Corporation,. a majority of the remaining members shall fill the vacancy for the residue of the term .*
SEC. 36. The Mayor shall qualify as directed by section six of article sixty-eight of the Code; the Aldermen, Counsellor, and judges and clerks of elections, and all other officers of the City, shall, before they enter upon the duties of their respective offices, take and sub- scribe before the Mayor the following oath : "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of - to the best of my knowledge and ability, without favor, affection, or partiality."
SEC. 37. The Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen shall hold their first session in Annapolis on the second Monday in April, and shall meet on the second Monday in each month thereafter, but the Mayor may summon them to convene whenever and as often as it may ap- pear to him that the interests of the City require their deliberations, and a majority of the whole Board shall be a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day.
* By Act of 1867, c. 240, secs. 34 and 35 were repealed, and the present sec. 84. enacted in lieu of both.
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"'THE ANCIENT CITY. ''
SEC. 38. They may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as they may by ordinance provide; shall settle their rules of proceedings; appoint their own officers and remove them at pleasure.
SEC. 39. They shall judge of the election returns and qualifications of their own members, and may, with the concurrence of their whole number, expel any member for disorderly behavior or misconduct in office, but not a second time for the same cause.
SEC. 40. The Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen shall have power to enact all laws and ordinances necessary to preserve the health of the City; to prevent and remove nuisances; to prevent the intro- duction of contagious diseases within the City; to establish night watches and patrols; to light the City; to establish new streets, lanes, and alleys, and to widen, straighten, extend, stop up, or discontinue any streets, lanes, and alleys; and when any street, lane, or alley is opened, widened, straightened, extended, stopped up or discontinued by the Corporation, the full value of all property taken and used for public street, lane, or alley, or damages to be sustained in closing the same, shall be assessed by a jury of twelve citizens, and the said full value so assessed first paid or tendered to the proprietor of said property; and if, in opening, widening, straightening or extending any street, lane or alley in said city, any benefit shall thereby accrue to the owner or possessor of any ground or improvement, within or upon said street, lane, or alley, for which such owner or possessor ought to pay compensation, said benefits shall be assessed and paid by the owner or possessor in like manner as above provided; to erect and repair bridges; to have, construct, and keep in repair all necessary drains and sewers, and to pass all necessary regulations for the regu- lation, repair, and preservation of the same; to regulate and fix the assize of bread; to provide for the appointment, and define the duties of City Commissioner, Police Officers, Market Masters, Gangers, Wood Corders, Harbor Masters, Hay Weighers, Coal Weighers, and Inspectors, and all other officers which they may create, and to de- fine the duties and compensation thereof; to provide for the safe keep- ing of the standard of the weights and measures, fixed by Congress, or by an Act of the State of Maryland, and for regulating thereby all weights and measures used within the City; to regulate party walls and partition fences; to erect and regulate markets; to provide for licensing and regulating the sweeping and burning of chimneys, and fixing the rates thereof, and to prescribe the size of those to be built in the City; to establish and regulate fire wards and fire companies; to restrain or prohibit gaming; to license bowling saloons, bowling alleys, nine or ten pin alleys, billiard tables, rondo tables, bagatelle tables, or any other tables or devices, or structures of a similar kind; to license carriages of pleasure and burden, and to provide for licens- ing, regulating, or restraining theatrical or other public amusements within the limits of the City; to license hawkers, pedlers, travelling physicians, venders of patent medicines or other articles, and their vehicles, to sink wells; to make and regulate pumps, water pipes, hydrants, water plugs, fountains, sewers, and so forth, in the streets, lanes, and alleys of the City, and to pass laws to protect the same; to impose and appropriate fines, penalties and forfeitures for the breach of their by-laws and ordinances; to levy and collect taxes; not ex-
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ceeding one per centum per annum on all the assessable property in the City; to pass ordinances for the prevention and extinguishment of fires; and for paving and keeping in repair the streets, lanes, and alleys in said city; and in addition to the power aforesaid, to tax any particular part or district of the City for paving the streets, lanes and alleys therein, or for constructing sewers, sinking wells, making pumps, water pipes, fountains, hydrants and water plugs therein, which in their judgment may appear for the benefit of such particular part or district, in a sum not exceeding one per centum on the asses- sable property in said particular part or district; and to make a new assessment of all the assessable property in said city not exempt from taxation by the laws of this State, as often as they may deem the same necessary; to borrow money on the credit of the Corporation for the purpose of promoting or effecting any important and permanent pub- lic improvement in the City, or for paying its present debts; and to issue from time to time, as they may deem proper, the bonds of the said Mayor, Counsellor and Aldermen, payable at such timesand in such sums as may deem proper, not exceeding in the aggregation the sum of fifty thousand dollars, and to pledge their property for the payment thereof, and the interest thereon; provided, however, that a majority of the legal voters shall approve the act at an election to be held on a day at a place to be named by the Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen of the City of Annapolis, when the legal voters of said city shall express by ballot their assent or dissent to the loan proposed; and provided, that the entire public debt of said city shall not exceed the sum of fifty thousand dollars; to provide for taking up, fining or committing to the jail of Anne Arundel county, all vagrants, drunken, loose and disorderly persons and such as have no visible means of support and livelihood, and common disturbers of the peace, that may be found within the jurisdiction of the City, and the keeper of said jail shall receive and safe keep all persons so committed, ac- cording to the tenor of the commitment; to cause a survey, as often as they may think necessary, of the City, its harbor, streets, lots, and the additions thereto to be made; to establish and fix permanent boun- daries and stones at such places as they may think necessary, with proper marks and devices thereon; to ascertain the lines of the City and the additions thereto; and the survey of the said city and ad- ditions thereto, and of the streets, lanes, alleys, and harbor thereof, when made shall be signed by the Mayor, and the seal of the Corpor- ation thereto affixed, and shall be deposited with the Clerk of the Corporation of the City, and received as evidence of the boundaries of the said city, and of the harbor, lots, streets, lanes, and alleys therein; to declare and adjudge as nuisances any encroachments on the streets. lanes, and alleys, and cause the same to be removed at the expense of the person offending; to lay off and divide the City into election dis- tricts, and to define their bounds and limits, and correct the same from time to time, so as to preserve as accurately as may be an equal number of inhabitants in each of said districts, and to designate places for taking the vote at all elections to be held in each of said districts; to prevent the running at large of dogs, and to impose an annual tax on the owners and keepers thereof in the City not exceed- ing five dollars; to restrain or prohibit the running at large of horses,
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cows, sheep, goats, or other animals; to direct in what parts of the City buildings of wood shall not be erected, and to regulate the con- struction of the same; to pass ordinances for preserving order, seeur- ing persons and property from violence, danger or destruction; for protecting the public and city property, rights and privileges from waste or encroachment, and generally for promoting and securing the good government of the City.
SEC. 41. Before the Mayor, Counsellor, and Aldermen of the City of Annapolis shall pass any ordinance to open, widen, straighten, ex- tend, stop up, or discontinue any streets, lanes, or alleys, or any part thereof, in pursuance of the authority herein delegated, at least thirty days' notice shall be given before the passage of such ordinance, in some newspaper or newspapers published in said city, and before any street, lane, or alley shall be so opened, strightened, extended, stopped up or discontinued, in whole or in part, the proprietors of lots or any part or section of the streets, lanes, and alleys so to be opened, widened, straightened, extended, stopped up, or discontinued, in whole or in part, whose property will be depreciated by the act of the Corporation, may apply to any Justice of the Peace in said city, who is hereby empowered, upon an affidavit of facts, to summon a jury of twelve citizens, whose duty it shall be to examine the premises and assess the damages sustained by the complainant; the full value of such assessment shall be paid or tendered to the complainant, as hereinbefore provided, before the final execution of such ordinance, and any Justice of the Peace shall have the same power to summon & jury for the assessment of benefits.
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