"18. What number of Whites, Blacks or Mulattos have been
born and christened, for these seaven yeares last past, or
any other space of time, for as many yeares as you are able
to state on account of?"[436]

To these the governor replied as follows:--

"17. _Answ_. For English, Scotts and Irish, there are so few
come in that we cannot give a certain acco't. Som yeares
come none; sometimes, a famaly or two, in a year. And for
Blacks, there comes sometimes 3 or 4 in a year from
Barbadoes; and they are sold usually at the rate of 22'li. a
piece, sometimes more and sometimes less, according as men
can agree with the master of vessells, or merchants that
bring them hither.

"18. _Answ_. We can give no acco't. of the perfect number of
either born; but fewe blacks; and but two blacks christened,
as we know of."[437]

It is evident that the number of slaves was not great at this time,
and that they were few and far between. The sullen and ofttimes
revengeful spirit of the Indians had its effect upon the few Negro
slaves in the colony. Sometimes they were badly treated by their
masters, and occasionally they would run away. The country was new,
the settlements scattered; and slavery as an institution, at this time
and in this colony, in its infancy. The spirit of insubordination
among the slave population seemed to call aloud for legislative
restriction. In October, 1690, the Legislature passed the following
bill:--

"Whereas many persons of this Colony doe for their necessary
use purchase negroe seruants, and often times the sayd
seruants run away to the great wronge, damage and
disapoyntment of their masters and owners, for prevention of
which for [221] the future, as much as || may be, it is
ordered by this Court that Whateuer negroe or negroes shall
hereafter, at any time, be fownd wandring out of the towne
bownds or place to which they doe belong, without a ticket
or pass from the authority, or their masters or owners,
shall be stopt and secured by any of the inhabitants, or
such as shall meet with them, and brought before the next
authority to be examined and returned to their owners, who
shall sattisfy for the charge if any be; and all ferrymen
within this Colony are hereby required not to suffer any
negroe without such certificate, to pass over their ferry by