Biographical Memorials of James Oglethorpe: Founder of the Colony of Georgia, in North America.Harris, Thaddeus Mason
History
Biographical Memorials of James Oglethorpe: Founder of the Colony of Georgia, in North America.
Harris, Thaddeus Mason
Georgia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Oglethorpe, James Edward, 1696-1785
Among the first emigrants who sailed with Oglethorpe from England in
November 1732, was Mr. Amatis, from Piedmont, who was engaged by the
Trustees to introduce the art of silk-winding into the colony, and who
for that purpose brought with him several Italians and some adequate
machinery. White mulberry trees were planted in a portion of land on
the eastern border of the city, called the Trustees' garden; eggs were
hatched, and silk spun "as fine as any from France or Italy." They
soon, however, came to a mutual rupture, and the whole process was for
a time suspended by the treachery of those employed, who broke the
machinery, spoiled the seed, destroyed the trees, and then escaped to
Carolina. Sufficient, however, had been wrought to test its value,
and they were not discouraged by this inauspicious commencement. The
Trustees still adhered to their design, and the more effectually to
advance it, required of every settler that there should be on his
grant, ten mulberry trees to each acre.
Mr. Camuse and his wife, both Italians, were now entrusted with this
business, in which they were continued six years; the two first at a
salary of 60_l_. per annum, and the four last at 100_l_. besides the
rent of a dwelling house and garden.
In June 1734, General Oglethorpe carried eight pounds of raw silk, the
first produced in Georgia, to England, which was followed by a small
trunk full of the same article, on the 2d of April, 1735, and after
being made into orgazine, by the engine of Sir Thomas Lombe, at Derby,
who said that it "proved exceedingly good through all the operations,"
was sent up to London on the 13th of August, 1735, when the Trustees,
together with Sir Thomas Lombe, waited on her majesty Queen Caroline
and exhibited to her the elegant specimen of Georgia silk. The queen
selected a portion of this parcel to be wove into a pattern, and being
again waited on by these gentlemen and Mr. Booth, the silk weaver, on
the 21st of September, she expressed "a great satisfaction for the
beauty and fineness of the silk, the richness of the pattern, and
at seeing so early a product from that colony;" and to express her
pleasure at such a favorable result, a complete court-dress was made
from it, and on His Majesty's next birth-day, she appeared at the
levee in a full robe of Georgia silk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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