In this artificial and unhealthy state of the colony, the cultivation of tobacco no longer paid the planter, and in order to raise the price, a “stint” was proposed, that is to say, that the cultivation of tobacco should cease for one or more years, so as to raise the price. About the time when this extraordinary measure was proposed, Sir William Berkeley sent out an exploring party, who crossed the first ridge of the Blue Mountains, and discovered the wonderful succession of valleys beyond, full of the richest vegetation, and abounding “with turkey, deer, elk, and buffalo, gentle and undisturbed as yet by the fear of man.” These beautiful and affluent regions, which it might have been expected would have attracted settlers immediately, were however, owing to the sorrows which were coming upon the colony, not penetrated again for fifty years. About the same time also, a question was started with regard to negro slaves, the decision of which was, as might be expected, prejudicial to that unhappy class. The lawfulness of holding African slaves had been supposed in part to rest upon their being “heathen;” but now, as considerable numbers were converted and baptized Christians, this former plea, if valid, ceased to be so. But the assembly soon settled the question to the satisfaction of the planters, by an enactment which made the negro, whether Christian or not, a slave; and furthermore it was enacted that to cause the death of a slave by excess of punishment should not be considered as felony. As regarded Indians being held as slaves, a new law was provided, which made all servants, not being Christians imported by shipping, slaves for life; and Indian slaves were imported into Virginia from the West Indies and the Spanish main.