DUSK GLADNESS

Oh, this whole dusk is poetry!

Which word I cannot find To best record its ecstasy

Of wonder for my mind.

Or beauty, glamor, tenderness,
Or mystery or love,

I cannot tell which words are less
Or which one stands above.

For this whole dusk is poetry,
My heart makes echoings,
And words to bind its imagery
At best are fragile things.

THE LITERARY MATERIAL IN THE COLONIAL RECORDS OF NORTH CAROLINA

DERRICK NORMAN LEHMER

The Colonial Records of North Carolina are not apt to attract the attention of the casual reader. Even if he should give the bulky volumes a passing glance he would be apt to get little more than an impression of tedious official letters and court proceedings quaintly spelled and worded. If, however, he should happen to open the second volume, which covers the period from 1713 to 1728, and if he should by chance happen to be a little familiar with the story of the scandalous relations which existed between the government of North Carolina and the notorious Captain Teach, his eye would likely be caught by certain letters from Governor Spottiswood of Virginia to the Lords of Trade, in which, after describing the engagement in which Captain Teach was killed with nine of his crew, he explains why the government of North Carolina was not invited to participate in this suppression of piracy and why the goods which "Tech" had piratically taken should have to be carried into Virginia to be condemned and sold.

Spottiswood explains in one letter very tactfully his failure to notify Governor Eden of his plans. "Now, my Lord," he writes, "it seems to be taken very much amiss that this Project of Suppressing the Pyrates should have been concealed and put in Execution without the participation of your Lordship's Gov'r, and, in the next place that the Goods w'ch Tach had Piratically taken should be brought into this Colony to be condemned. To the first of these I beg leave

to Answer That your Gov'r living very remote from hence, in a Place thinly Populated, and where these Pyrates had their chief resort, I considered that should ye design Miscarry, your Gov'r must have been exposed to their Revenge for being lett into that Secret; that he was there without force to defend himself, and consequently could contribute nothing to the Success of the Design, and, besides, the business required such Secresy that I did not so much as communicate to His Maj'ty's Council here nor to any other Person but those who were necessarily to be employed in the Execution, least among the many favourers of Pyrates we have in these Parts some of them might send Intellegence to Tach. To the second, as I gave no directions for the seizure of any goods upon your Lo'p's Soil so I have taken care that the whole Effects brought from thence be duly Inventoried and secured. . . ..

But it appears that Governor Eden was little pleased with the action of Virginia in sending two of "His Ma'ty's Ships" into Carolina waters for the suppression of piracy, and in another letter written some four months later the real situation appears. "Having in my last taken Notice of some Goods in the possession of Thach and his crew of Pyrates in North Carolina w'ch were brought hither by Capt. Brand, of his Maj'ty's Ship the Lyme, and the other Officers of the Sloops sent for Suppressing that Gang of Villains, I think it is necessary now to inform you that these Goods, being proved to be piratically taken by this Thach in a ffrench Ship bound home from Martinico have, by a decree of the Court of Vice Admiralty of this Colony been condemned as such, and being perishable have been sold at publick Auction . . . . . But it's fit also to Represent to you that notwithstanding the Governm't of No. Carolina admitted Thach and his Crew to make Oath that this ffrench Ship and Cargo, which he brought in thither, was found by him as a Wreck at Sea without Men or Papers, tho' the same Government suffered these Effects to continue for some months in the possession of these Pyrats, and tho' after Thach was killed and his whole Crew subdued, the Effects,

w'ch had been landed by Thach were by order of the Governor of No. Carolina voluntarily delivered up to Capt. Brand. Yet a pretension has been set up by that Government to have the whole of these Effects delivered up to them as of right belonging to the Lords Proprietors, being once upon their Soil. At first they only claimed them as Wreck, but when it plainly appeared that they were not Wreck, but piratically taken, then the Gov'r claimed a Right of having those Goods Tryed and Condemned within that Province

... And tho' I am Credibly informed that Affidavits were taken in No. Carolina to contradict what has been plainly proved here upon the Tryal of the pirats, and to prove that Capt. Brand took away these piratical Effects by force, I hope the Lords proprietors will give little Credit to such Clandestine Testimonials when they shall know how dark apart some of their Officers have acted, particularly one who enjoyed the post of Secretary Chief Justice, one of their Lord'p's Deputys and Collector of the Customs held a private Correspondence with Thach, concealed a Robbery he committed in that Province, and received and concealed a considerable part of the Cargo of this very ffrench Ship w'ch he knew Thach had no right to give nor he to receive, admitting ye same to have been Wrecked Goods as pretended."

The correspondence referred to seems to have been between Chief Justice Tobias Knight and Thatch. After the death of the pirate a letter from Knight was found on his sloop the "Adventure." It reads:

My ffriend

If this finds you yet in harbour I would have you make the best of your way up as soon as possible your affairs will let you I have something more to say to you than I can write the bearer will tell you the end of our Indian Warr and Ganet can tell you in part what I have to say to you so referr you in some measure to him.

I really think these men are hartily sorry of their difference with you and will be very willing to ask your pardon if I may advise be friends again, its better than falling out among yourselves.

I expect the Governor this night or tomorrow who I believe would be likewise glad to see you before you goe, I have not time to add save my hearty respects to you and am your real ffriend And Servant T. KNIGHT.

Further evidence of Knight's connection with the "Pyrates" was furnished by Captain Ellis Brand, who declared that "having recd Information of Twenty Barrels of sugar and Two baggs of Cotten lodged by Edward Thache at the house of Tobias Knight he asked the sd Knight for these goods they being part of the Cargoe piraticaly taken in the ffrench Ship and that the sd Knight with many asservations possitively denyed that any such goods were about his plantation but yet the next day when he the sd Capt Brand urged the matter home to him and told him of the proofs he could bring as well by the persons concerned in landing the sd goods as by a Memdm in Taachs pocket Book he the sd Knight owned the whole matter and the piratical Goods afsd were found in his Barn covered over with fodder."

In justice to Mr. Knight it should be noted that at a Council held at the "House of ffred Jones Esq, the Honble Charles Eden Esq. Governor, Capt General & Admiral presiding the Board of Lds proptrs Deputys" "haveing taken the whole into their serious consideration and it appearing to them that the four Evidences called by the names of James Blake Richd Stiles James White and Thomas Gates were actually no others than four negroe Slaves and since Executed as in the remonstiances is set forth and that the other Evidences so far as it relate to the sd Tobias Knight are false and malitious and that he hath behaved himself in all that and all other affairs wherein he hath been intrusted as becomes a good and faithful Officer and thereupon it is the opinion of this Board that he is not guilty and ought to be acquited of the sd Crimes and every of them laid to his charge as aforsd."

In spite of this triumphant vindication at the hands of the Governor we read three months later that Mr. Duckingfield "appear'd and desir'd to be made Secretary of North Carolina Mr. Knight the Secretary being very ill."