wed several Tracts of Lands in Nova
Scotia at our Expense and advised us to settle upon St. John's
River about seventy miles from the Mouth in one of the Extreme
parts and Frontiers of Nova Scotia, that we therefore applyed to
the Governor and Council of Nova Scotia for a Grant of the Lands,
not doubting of having the same confirmed to us, as they had
Granted several Townships in this Province of Nova Scotia to other
New England Proprietors who had not been in the Service. That the
Governour and Councill of Nova Scotia gave your Memorialists
encouragement, by telling your Memorialists that the Lands about
St. John's River were reserved by your Lordships for disbanded
Troops and that they would refer your Memorialists' Petition to
your Lordships.

In confidence of this, and being ourselves Soldiers, we
apprehended we might with great safety prepare ourselves for
settling the Lands we Petitioned for, and accordingly sold our
Estates in New England, and have at near a Thousand Pounds
Sterling expence Transported ourselves, Families and Stock, and
are now Settled to the number of one Hundred persons, on St.
John's River seventy miles from the Mouth; and a large number of
disbanded officers and soldiers in confidence of the same
Encouragement have now sold all their Possessions in New England
and are hiring Vessels to Transport themselves and Settle among
us.

We were not a little astonished when we were informed by his
Majesty's Governor and Council here that we could not have a Grant
of the Lands we have settled ourselves upon.

We therefore humbly apply to your Lordships to Lay our Cause
before his most Gracious Majesty for whose service we have often
exposed our lives in America, that he would be pleased to direct
the Governor and Council here to Grant us these Lands, we are now
settled upon, as the Removal therefrom would prove our utter Ruin
and Destruction. We have been at no expence to the crown and
intend to be at none, and are settled two hundred miles from any
other English Settlement.

And your Memorialists as in duty bound shall ever pray.

Recd. & Read Decr. 16, 1763.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE FIRM OF HAZEN, JARVIS, SIMONDS & WHITE.

The circumstances under which James Simonds, William Hazen and their
associates organized the first trading company at St. John have been
already related. Their business contract was signed on the