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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from William Tryon to Wills Hill, Marquis of Downshire
Tryon, William, 1729-1788
June 07, 1770
Volume 08, Pages 210-211

[From Tryon's Letter Book.]
Letter from Governor Tryon to Lord Hillsborough.

Newbern the 7th June 1770.

On the 16th of April last I made an excursion to Charles Town, in expectation of obtaining Governor Bull's concurrence to the dividing line I proposed to his Majesty to be continued between the Carolinas from the Eastward boundary of the Catawba lands (where Commissioners agreeable to royal instruction stopped in 1764) a due west course till it intersects the partition line dividing this province from the Cherokee nation.

Mr Bull who behaved in the most polite manner to me the eight days I remained in Charles Town, could not be induced to deviate from the partition he said he had recommended home, however he gave me authority to declare to your Lordship, that he agreed with me in opinion that there was an absolute necessity to close the line of the two governments as soon as possible, in order to put a stop to the disorders daily increasing on the western frontiers of both bordering upon the undivided tract included between the Catawba lands and the Cherokees; its extent from east to west computed at upwards of eighty miles: A tract of country settled with inhabitants who receive neither law nor gospel among them, denying they are in the Jurisdiction of any government. Such lawless settlers on our frontiers I apprehend may soon provoke the Cherokees to commence hostilities. On the part of this province therefore I beg leave to refer your Lordship to my letters of the 12th of December 1768 (No. 10) and 11th February 1769 (No. 22) with the inclosures in the former and shall rest the propriety of continuing the present temporary line a due west course, in preference to any traverse lines, on the candor, equity and truth of the arguments stated in those letters.

My satisfaction was not limited wholly to a view of opulence and beauty of the metropolis of South Carolina. I had the pleasure of finding there my very worthy friend Sir William Draper, who made

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me happy in his company three weeks in this government and sailed from hence the 24th of last month for Virginia.

The palace being in such forwardness as to afford me a residence I am just removed into it from Brunswick. The whole structure I am in expectation will be completed by next Christmas.

I still wish furniture may be obtained and precedent cease to be a bar to so well directed a liberality.