A Tour in the United States of America [1]

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o I

R

u N T H E

UNITED STATES O

F

AMERICA. VOL.

I,

•In ftruggling with misfortunes Lies the true proof of virtue.

Shakspeare.

Cold, hunger, prifons, ills without a cure, All thefe men muft, and guiltlefs, oft endure. I

——Permitted Th'unworthy Faith

flies,

And Juftice,

laurels grace the lawlefs

rais'd,

brow,

the worthy caft below.

and Piety in exile mourns. here opf rgfs'd, to Heav'n returns.

Drydkn,

WEK^n

tff

PlTtSBl«R6«

A

T

O

R

U THE

IN

UNITED STATES O F

AMERICA: CONTAINING

An Account of the Present Situation

of

that Country J

The Population, Agriculture, Commerce,

Customs, and Manners

of the Inhabitants

j

of feveral Members of the CONGRESS, General Officers in the American Army

Anecdotes and

;

AND Many

A

other very lingular and intereiling Occurrences.

Defcription of the

INDIAN NATIONS,

the general

Face of the Country, Mountains, Forells, Rivers, and the mofl: beautiful, grand, and picturefque Views throughout that vafl Continent.

LIKEWISE Improvements

By

Husbandry

that may be adopted with great Advan,tage in Europe. in

SMYTH,

F?'D.-

J.

VO

E

s

q^

L.

LONDON, Pr'yitcd for

G.

New

R

B

I

N

s

o N, Pater-nofter-Row J. R o B and J. S e w E l L, Cornhill. ; ;

Bond-Street

MDCCLXXXIV.

s o.-N,

X
Lincoln's-Inn efq.

Eardly Wilmot, efq. Enfign Webb, Coldilream Reg. Guards

Mr. James WVight, Heafield

W. Z.

5

copies

Go-

ADVERTISEMENT,

THE

late

great and very extraor-

dinary revolution in America, a revolution with unparalleled

its

in

attending circumftances the annals

of

having excited the curiofity of

hiftory, all

ranks

of people, not only of Great Britain, but of every nation in Europe, to procure the

moll

authentic

that country,

the kind

information

and there being nothing of

hitherto

publifhed

any fatisfadory account caufe of

my

concerning

that gives

thereof,

is

the

offering thefe volumes to the

public.

The moft this

painful talk to

work has been

to

me

throughout

mention the hardfliips

ADVERTISEMENT.

ii

fhips and fever itie&

now

thefe are

given

I

an end, and freely

at

for although

;

lament,

have undergone,

for-*

may have much

I

folemnly declare that

I

2i4

I

to

have no

refentments to indulge, no revenge to purfue

;

and the few inilances

forded

me

met with of

treatment have

generous

kind and

I

and

infinite gratification

af'*

plea-*

fure to relate.

Far be

from

it

me

and

vindidive

which hitherto appear the public as welt

rica,

feem

as

ill

to

;

but

principles

have aduated

private conduct of in

Ame-

calculated for that

conci-

prevailing

the prefent

widen a

much extended

breach already too thofe illiberal

to wiiii to

party

which it is certainly ftjll more the intereft of America than of Great Britain liation

to effeift

As

and cheriih.

the fword of

to the fcabbard, pea?:e

may

cultivated,

war

and the

is

now

returned

beneficial arts

of

be fafely and advantageoufly it

would

afford infinite fatis-

fadiori

ADVERTISEMENT, fadion and pleafure

mind

to every benevolent

between thefe new American

to fee,

republics,

iii

and Great Britain

their parent

a contention in good offices, liberal

ftate,

condudt, and generofity, and in fhewing fubftantial proofs

on both

buried in oblivion

all

fides

their

mofities

and

diftrulls.

more

the

power of the

in

than of the

difpofition,

condu

United States of America gerally

by

raifed

fubfcriptlon,

2

and

are

gained by the horfe that wins two fourmile heats out of three

;

they amount to

an hundred pounds each for the running, and after

the

;

races

day's

pounds each every day

commonly continuing

There

week.

for a

fifty

firft

are alfo matches

and

fweepftakes very often, for confiderable

fums.

Befides

thefe

at

Willfamfburg,

there are races eftablifhed annually, al-

moft

at

every town and confiderable place

in Virginia

;

and frequent matches, on

which large fums of money depend inhabitants, almoft to a

;

the

man, being quite

devoted to the diverfion of horfe-racing.

Very

capital

horfes

are

ftarted

here,

make no defpicable figure Newmarket; nor is their fpeed, bot-

fuch as would at

tom, or blood inferior the

to their

appearance

;

gentlemen of Virginia fparing no

pains, trouble, or expence

in

importing

the beft ftock, and improving the excellence

of the breed by proper

ajid

judicious

crofling.

C

3

Indeed

A

22

Tour

in the

Indeed nothing can be more elegant

and beautiful than the horfes bred here, the road,

either for the turf, the field,

or the coach

;

and they have always

long, full, flowing riage horfes

tails

fine

but their car-

;

feldom are polfeffed of that

weight and power, which diftinguifh thofe of the fame kind in England.

Their ftock

is

from old Cade, old Crab,

old Partner, Regulus,Babraham,Bofphorus,

CuUen Arabian,

Devonfliire Childers, the

the Cumberland Arabian, &c. in England;

and fize,

and

a horfe

from Arabia, named the Bell-

which was imported is

now

into America,

in exiftence.

In the fouthern part of the colony, and in

North Carolina, they are much attached

to quarter-racing,

which

between two horfes, ter

of

a

mile

always a match

is

run one quar-

to

ftreight

out

merely an excurfion of fpeed

have a breed that perform

it

;

;

being

and they

with aftonifh-

ing velocity, beating every other, for that diftance,

with great eafe

no bottom.

However,

;

but they have

I

am

confident that

United States of America* that there

is

23

not a horfe in England, nor

perhaps the whole world, that can excel

them make

in rapid fpeed

and thefe likewife

:

excellent faddle horfes for the road.

The

Virginians, of

all

ranks and deno-

minations, are exceffively fond of horfes,

and efpecially thofe of the

race breed.

The

gentlemen of fortune expend great fum$

on

their

fome

generally keeping hand^

finds,

carriages,

and

feveral elegant fets of

horfes, as well as others for the race

road

:

even the moft indigent perfon has

his faddle- horfe,

place,

which he

rides to every

and on every occafion

;

for in this

country nobody walks on foot the diftance, except

man

and

when hunting

will frequently

go

:

fmalleffc

indeed a

five miles to catch

a horfe, to ride only one mile upon after-

wards. pleafure,

In fhort, their horfes are their

and

their pride.

CHAP.

A Tour in the

24

CHAP. Xbe

beautiful Situations^

different

Seats, on

INwere

III.

and Gcntlemens

James River.

Mr.

the evening,

R

and

I

unfortunately feparated, occa-

lioned by a very ridiculous and fmgular accident

the efFedt of which had like to

;

have been

tragical

when we were (liip,

enough

Juft

ready to return to the

by fome miftake, wrong

brought to the door it,

him.

to

we mounted them

horfes

were

;

and not obferving

:

thefe horfes being

and Mr.

R

,

having

bid adieu to the gentlemen with

whom,

very

we

fpirited,

dined, fuddenly clapped both his fpurs

with

in his horfe's fides, inadvertently,

great force; the horfe inftantly reared up,

and fprung forwards, leaving poor

R—

upon

on

the ground, at the door,

back,

By

with his

this

flat

his

fkuU almoft frad:ured.

means the miftake

in

the change

of our horfes was difcovered and re6lihed but Mr.

R

'.

was

fo

much

hurt,

that

he

United States of America,

be was obliged

to

be blooded, and carried

into the Raleigh again, v^^here

and was thereby reduced of returning alone to the

On

25

him

I left

;

to the necefiity fliip.

the ninth of Auguft the

fliip

under weigh, and proceeded up the

got

river,

paffing the delightful fituatlons of SandyPoint, Cabin-Point, Brandon, Flow^er de

Hundred, Maycox, fide

;

&c.

on the fouth

and Swine- Yards, belonging

to

Mr.

Cole, Colonel Byrd's beatuifulfeatof Weftover,

Colonel Harrifon's of Barclay, &c.

on the north to

fide

:

we anchored

oppofite

City- Point, at the confluence of the

Appamatox River and

and

the James,

about an hundred and thirty miles within land,

from the capes of Virginia.

Here the fecond mate was carried on ihore to the houfe of a Mrs. Brown, having been for a confiderable time languilliing,

and

in great pain,

occafioned by a

violent contufion he received

by a

fall

on

the deck from the main-yard-arm, reef-

ing the main-fail in a gale of wind

;

and

foon after he ended his days there.

As

A Tour in the

26

As

the fhip was

not to go

much

far-

ther up, and was to receive great part of

her cargo at this place,

I

hired a boat and

four negroes, for one dollar and a half

per day (about

pence

fterling)

;

fix

fhillings

and nine-

and on the tenth

I

left

the fhip moored, and proceeded up the river in the boat

;

propofmg

to

land at

every place whofe beauty of perfpedive, or fmgular appearance of any kind, might ftrike the attention, or excite

had almoft omitted

I

to

my curiofity.

mention an un-

fortunate accident that happened at this place, before I left the fliip.

A young

having killed and cut up a

failor,

large flurgeon, that

fine

had leaped out of the

water and fallen into the boat, along fide of the fhip, which happens frequently here

j

bringing in the

lafl

piece himfelf,

in his hand, his foot flipped off the

gun-

wale of the boat, between which and the fhip he

fell

into the river,

and was never

feen or heard of more.

The manded

com-

principal

fituations

my

and admiration, were

notice

that

Shirley

United States of America. Shirley Hundred,

a feat of Charles Car-

occupation of Mr.

efq. at prefent in

ter,

Bowler Cock place

this

:

27

is

indeed a charming

the buildings are of brick, large,

j

now

convenient, and expenfive, but

fall-

ing to decay; they were ereded

at a great

charge, by Mr. Carter's father,

who was

fecretary of the colony,

and

The

favourite feat of refidence.

proprietor has a moft

and

was

this

his

prefent

opulent fortune,

pofiefles fuch a variety

of

feats,

in

fituations fo exceedingly delightful, that

he overlooks and fuffers it buildings

fum

this

fweet one of Shirley,

to fall to ruin,

muft

have

in conftruding

;

coft

although the

an

immenfe

and would certainly

be expenfive to keep in repair, which expence, however, muft be greatly increafed

by

this

negled.

--

Varina, the feat of Ryland Randolph, efq.

a moft lovely and delightful fpot

an elegant building, but unfinifhed, occafioned tafte,

by the owner's

and perpetual

verfatility

of

alterations.

Chat-

7

A Tour in the

28

Chatfworth, the

of William Ran-

feat

dolph, efq. whofe father was furveyorgeneral of the fouthern diflrid: of North-

America, &c,

is

a very good houfe, with

aa agreeable perfpedtive

A Mr.

Mayho's All on

alfo.

a very pretty place

;

north

the

lide

of the

James.

On little

the fouth

are

fide

the

beautiful

towns of Bermuda Hundred, Of-

born's,

and Warv/iek

:

and a

be-

feat

longing to a Mr. Gary, a lovely fituation,

who

has alfo erected fome extremely va-

luable mills,

iron-works,

&c. of equal

emolument and importance

to

himfelf

They

are fituated

near the town of Warwick,

about five

and the community.

miles below Richmond, and the

falls

of

James-River.

[Thefe valuable mills and iron works

have been ftroyed,

m

1781,

fet

fire

during the in

an

to,

and entirely de-

late

unhappy war,

expedition

under the

com-

United States of America,

command

of

Brigadier

zg

General

Ar-

nold.]

I flept

on board the boat

and on the

;

eleventh, in the forenoon, landed at the

town of Shokoes,

at the falls

of James-

and immediately difcharged the

River, boat. I

then waited on Mr.

chant, at that place, on

been furnifhed with

He

——— — a merwhom I had been

letters

,

of

credit,

&c.

home, and received me with kindnefs, attention, and friendiiiip. He was

me

offered

which

at

I

to ferve

apartments in

his

houfe,

accepted, and he feemed fludious

and amufe me.

CHAP.

A Tour

30

H A

C Richmond.

AT

in the

IV.

P.

Falls of James-River^

&c.

whole appearance

this place the

of the country undergoes a

From

change.

the fea to the

one hundred and not a

hill

nence, being

;

fcarcely

one continued

about

falls,

fifty-five miles,

to be feen

total

there

is

an emilevel,

flat

without even a fingle flone to be found

on the

;

nothing but fand and

Ihells

and the land

of loam, fand, and

confifts

clay, but univerfally covered

Here

of feven miles v^^hich, that vaft

;

river, for the

length

during the courfe of current of water rufhes

raging with impetuofity, tumb-

ling and dafhing

an

with woods.

a ledge of rocks interrupts the

whole flream of the

down,

fhores,

from rock

aflonifliing roar, that

miles diftance.

The

is

to rock,

heard for

with

many

land fuddenly fwells

into hills of a great height,

and abounds with

United States of America,

^

i

with prodigious rocks, and large ftones, as well as trees.

On

the fummits of thofe hills, mofi: of

which over-look,

many

and

of them

over-hang the falling torrent of the James,

handfome houfes

mand

which com-

are built,

mod

and

a wild, grand,

elegant

perfpedtive.

The wide

;

of the

James, here,

is

the tide flows

up

falls,

about half a mile to the

which continue

very rocks

to interrupt

the current for the length of feven miles

There are

above. river

among

covered with

the

feveral iflands in the

falls,

which

wood and

of fmall extent

:

the

rocks

tide

lower end of one of thefe is

fervifeable

are chiefly j

but are

reaches

iflands,

the

which

in checking the violence

the torrent of the water in the

falls,

of

and

thereby favours the paflage of the ferry boats below.

There

are three

Richmond, the and

is

towns

largeft, is

feparated only

by

at

this place-

below the a creek,

falls,

named

Shokoes, from the town of Shokoes, which joins

A

32

the

in

lower end of the

joins the are both

Tour

on the north

on the fouth Chefterfield,

;

thefe

of the river

lide

town of known by the name of the

ftands

fide

befl:

falls

Rocky- Ridge, from

its

fituation.

come up

VefTels of fmall burthen

the rocks of the

to

and large fhips

falls,

come within two miles of them to load. At James town, the river is between two and three miles wide; and is

always frefh water

juft

above

it

the breadth de-

:

creafes gradually to the falls.

During

made

my

refidence at

Richmond,

feveral little excurfions

the adjacent country, on

gentlemen,

who

invitations.

Among

I

around in

vifits to feveral

honoured thofe,

me

from

with

whom

I

received particular attention and civilities,

were Thomas

Mann

Randolph, of Tucka-

hoe, efq. R. Good, of Chefterfield, efq.

Mr. Gary, &c. I

alfo

rode as

far

as

Weftham,

a

town on the James, feven miles above Richmond, juft where the falls

fmall

commence.

Tobacco, the grand ftaple

of

XJnifed States of America.

of Virginia,

navigated

is

down

3^

tlie

river

from the back country toWeftham, inhogfheads of a thoufand weight each, ready for

upon two ca-

exportation, every hogfliead

noes

laflied

together

;

then

brought

it is

by land-carriage to Shokoes, or Richmond, as the falls totally intercept and preclude all communication by water for their continuance of feven miles.

In floods, an immenfe body of water

comes down the James, which

fwells to a

height and aftonifhing

widenefs,

great

overflowing miles

all

the low ground for

but at the

;

falls,

tains arife abruptly

many

where the mouri-

on each

fide,

and con-

more narrow bounds,

fine the river within

the noife, violence, and impetuofity of the torrent,

not to be defcribed.

It is

dread-

tremenduous and awful.

fully It

is

when the river was man, who was bringing

feems that once,

in fuch a ftate, a

down

his

landing

at

tobacco to market, inilead of

Weftham, being

cated with Ipirituous liquor,

down the torrent Vol. L

j

quite intoxi-

was carried

and, amazing to think

D

on

i

A T^our In the

34

on

!

arrived fafe at Shokoes warehoufe-

•wharf below, with his tobacco

been brought to the Ihore, got over

all

from thence

who

the

falls,

he had

after

by boats

to his afliftance,

fent out

by

thofe,

with aflonilhment and horror, ob-

ferved

him

in his dreadful rapid defcent

When

and paflage over them. brought to the ftate

having

;

fliore,

he was

he was

ftill

in a

of infenfibility and ftupefadion, oc-

cafioned

This

by is

inebriation and terror.

indeed one of the moft extra-

ordinary accidents that has occurred, or

perhaps was ever heard of; but I have

no reafon lated to

to doubt the fa£t, as

me, and vouched

for,

perfons of credit and veracity,

it

was re-

by

feveral

who were

ey^-witnefTes of this fingular event.

CHAP.

of America

tJnited States

CHAP. Climate.

Inhahttants.

Face of the Country.

mendous Sounds.

V. 'Thunder

Sky.

35

Bullfrogs.

and Llghimhgi

Strange and treNegroes,

Inchantment.

TH

E

here,

muft confefs, did not a

cuftoms and manner of living

of mofl of the white inhabitants

prife

I

me

little

fur-

being inadive, languid, and

;

enervating to the

degree.

lafl

Indeed the whole appearance of the country, and face of nature,

is

ftrikingly

novel and charming to an European, efpecially to a Briton.

The

the fky, the water, the land,

air,

and the inhabitants,

being

two- thirds

blacks, are objeds entirely different all that he

fore.

had been accuftomed

The

from

to fee be-

fky clear and ferene, very

feldom over-caft, or any haze to be ob^ ferved in the atmofphere

ing in torrents, ately difperfing.

i

the rains falN

and the clouds immediFrequent dreadful thun-

D

2

deJf

A Tour

36 der

in

in the

loud contending peals

;

thunder

gufts happening often daily, and always

within every two or three days, at this Erufcations and flafhes

feafon of the year.

of lightning, conflantly fucceeding each

The

quick and rapid traufitions.

in

other,

and intenfely hot

air dry,

in

the

fummer, cold and piercing in the winter, and always keen

arid penetrating.

During

the night, thoufands of lights, like bright

burning candles^ being large winged infects, gliding through the air

called fire-flies,

in every direction

;

frequently vanifhing,

and perpetually fucceeded by new ones.

The

rivers, large

enormous

extent,

eye as far as

and fpreading under the

can comprize

it

being on fach

expances of water, of

a icale, that

great rivers in Europe,

dered only rivulets.

as

The

extended on out

bounds

afcents,

pendous

and

;

at

or

are called

are here

arifing

confi-

creeks or

an immenfe plain,

fiat

nature here

what

inconfiderable land,

a

;

foreft,

almoft withinto

abrupt

length fwelling into ftu-

mountains,

interfperfed

with rocks

United States of Amenca.

37

rocks and precipices, yet covered with

venerable trees, hoary with age, and torn

The mountains

with tempefts.

fuddenly

broken through, and fevered by mighty raging in torrents at the bottom o£

rivers,

tremendous chafm,

the

awful majeftic

the

plantations

The

thing in Europe

on

agriculture

from every

different

is

in

along the deep val-

filence

between them.

lies

gliding

or

being either tobacco,

;

three feet high, with the plants a yard apart

or

;

at the diftance

between each

feet

fix

Indian corn,

in

ftalk,

of

regular

ftreight rows, or avenues, frequently twelve

or fifteen feet in height.

While

the

mind

is filled

ment, and novel objects,

all

with aftonifhthe fenfes are

gratified.

The the

flowery ihrubs which over-fpread

land,

ferous perfumes relifh

fmell with odori-

regale the :

and

fruits

of cxquifite

and flavour, delight the

aff'ord a

The

tafte,

and

moft grateful refrefhment. prodigious

frogs, reptiles,

multitude

of

green

and large infers, on the

D

3

Irees,

A Tour in the

38

well

as

trees,

the bull-frogs in the

as

fwarnps, ponds, and places of water, dur-

ing the fpring, fummer, and

an

inceflant noife

and clamour

fall,

make

the bull-

;

frogs, in particular, emitting a moft tre-

mendous

roar,

louder than

from the

ing of a bull,

is

of

fimilarity

whofe voice they obtained but their note

the bellow-

name

their

harfh, fonorous,

and ab-

rupt, frequently appearing to pronounce articulate founds,

in ftriking refemblance

to the following words,

Knee

deep.

Ancle

Pia?ikita?2k,

Hogfiead

Deeper and deeper,

deep.

and many others

man

but

;

They

equally grating and diflbnant. prife a

tobacco^

all

fur-

exceedingly, as he will hear

their hoarfe, loud, bellowing clamor juft

by him, and fometimes yet

around him,

he cannot difcover from whence

proceeds; they being

and

all

juft

all

covered in water,

raifmg their mouth only a

above the furface

when they

then inftantly draw

it

afs of the fize of a

it

roar out,

under again.

man's

little

They

foot.

Nor

United States of America*

Nor can you

from whence the founds

among at

in the trees pro-

moft

they being

ceed,

animals

the

perceive

efFedually

hid

So

that

the leaves and branches. this abfolutely

firfl:

39

appears

be a

to

country of enchantments.

As

I

obferved

before,

thirds

of the inhabitants

whofe

difference of features

and rank ofFenfive

fmell,

two-

leaft

at

negroes,

are

and colour,

are extremely

difagreeable and difguftful to Europeans but, poor creatures

and fubmiffion

lity

pleafure of their

!

;

they are

and

lives,

it is

all

:

humi-

the greateft

when they

caa

pleafe the whites.

You

cannot underftand

all

of them, as

great numbers, being Africans, are inca-

pable of acquiring our language, and at bell

many

but

very

imperfedly,

of the others

alfo

if

at

all

fpeak a mixed

dialed between the Guinea and Englifh. It

is

fortunate

thefe poor creatures

humanity,

that

polfefs fuch a

fund

for

of contentment and refignation in their

D

4

minds

-,

A

^o minds

;

happieft

Tour

in the

for they indeed

inhabitants

in

feem to be the America,

not-

withftanding the hardnefs of their fare, the feverity of their labour, and the unkindnefs, ignominy, and ofteu barbarity

of their treatment,

CHAP.

XJmted States of America,

CHAP.

VI.

JUanner of Life of each Rank of

TO

^i

the Inhabitants^

manner

give an idea of the

in

which a white man fpends his this country, a defcription is

time in

ne-

cefTary of each degree in Hfe.

The gentleman of

fortune rifes about

nine o'clock; he perhaps

may make an

excurfion to walk as far as his ftables to fee his horfes, fifty

a

or

and very thin

butter,

on

feldom more than

he returns to

;

between nine and ten, which

generally tea

ham,

is

yards from his houfe

breakfaft, is

which

hung beef. pallat, on the

coffee,

bread and

flices

of venifon-

He

or

floor,

then

lies

down

in the cooleft

^-oom in the houfe, in his (hirt and troufers only,

another

with a negro

at his feet, to

off the flies

takes

a

^ liquor

;

at his head,

and

fan him, and keep

between twelve and one he

bombo, or toddy, compofed of water, fugar, jum, and draught

of

A

42

Tour in the

and nutmeg, which kept cool

and

there

may

cabbage,

he dines between two

:

three,

at

ham and

a

or

always a Handing difh;

at

cyder,

rally excellent here glafTes

toddy, punch,

and madeira, which

port, claret,

elfe

greens

be,

is

and

every table, whatever

dinner he drinks

few

made weak, and

is

:

gene-

is

having drank fome

of wine after dinner, he re-

turns to his pallat, with his two blacks to fan

him, and continues to drink toddy,

or fangaree,

all

the afternoon

:

he does

not always drink tea; between nine and t^n in the evening, he eats a light fupper

of milk and friiit,

fruit,

or wine, fugar,

&c. and almoft immediately

to bed,

for the

night

;

and

retires

in which,

if

it

be not furnlfhed with mufketoe curtains,

he

is

generally io molefted with the heat,

and harrafled and tormented with thofe pernicious

infeds

he receives very

the little

mufketoes,

that

refrefhment from

deep.

This

is

his family,

his general

when he

way

of living in

has no company.

Nq

Untied States of America.

No

doubt

one

many

refpedt,

/^ollow

it

The

from

fome in

it,

fome in another

;-

but more

than do not.

lower, and

many

of the middling

very differently.

live

claffes,

differ

43

A

man

morning about

in

this line

rifes in

o'clock

he then diinks a julap, made

;

of rum, ftrong rally

;

water,

fix

and fugar, but v^ry

then he walks, or more gene-

rides,

round his plantation, views

and

his ffock,

all

the

his crop, breakfails

all

about ten o'clock, on cold turkey, cold meat, fried

homminy,

toaft

and cyder,

ham, bread and butter, tea, coffee, or chocolate, which laft, however, is feldom tailed but

by the women

;

the reft of the

day he fpends much in the fame manner before defcribed in a

man of the

firft

rank,

only cyder fupplies the place of wine dinner,

and he

eats

never even think of

no fupper it.

j

at

they

The women

very feldom drink tea in the afternoon;

men never. The poor negro

the

gnd fare

ftill

Haves alone

harder.

It

is

work

hard,

aftoniililng,

and

^

44

^^^^

and unaccountable

^'«

^'^^

amazing degree of fatigue but happy, wretches

He

can fupport.

morning lowed

at

mouthfuls but

is

is

enough

thefe poor,

do undergo, and called

day break, and

time

what an

to conceive

is

up

feldom al-

fwallow

to

of homminy,

or

three

hoe-cake,

driven out immediately to the field

which he continues,

to hard labour; at

without intermiflion, until noon is

in the

obferved, as

and

-,

it

a fmgular circumftance,

that they always carry out a piece of fire

with them, and kindle one juft by their

work, fultry.

let

the weather be ever fo hot and

About noon

his dinner, and he

is

is

hour for that purpofe.

the time he eats

feldom allowed an

His meal

confiils

homminy and fait, and, if his mailer be a man of humanity, he has a little of

fat,

fkimmed milk,

rufty bacon,

herring to relifh his cake,

which

flaves twice a

homminy,

or

or hoe-

kind mafters allow their

week

:

but the

number of

thofe,

it is

much

few

for

the poor flave generally

^

fait

8

to be

lamented, are very farejj

the

United States of America, tlie

45

worfe for his mafter's riches, which of

confifting

numbers

and

land

negroes,

their

and di-

inereafe their hardHiips,

minifh their value to the proprietor, the

expence precluding an extenfion of indul-

gence and

They

liberality.

then

return

which continues the evening,

to

in the field until

when they

bacco-houfes,

fevere labour,

repair to the to-

where each has his talk in

flripping allotted him, that

for

duik in

fome hours.

If

it

employs him

be found, next

morning, that he has negleded, flighted, or not performed his labour, he

is

tied

up, and receives a number of lafhes, on his bare back, moft feverely infli«rted, at

the difcretion of thofe unfeeling fons of the

barbarity,

overfeers,

who

are

per-

mitted to exercife an unlimited dominion

over them. It is late at

night before he returns to

his fecond fcanty meal, and even the time

taken up

at

it,

encroaches upon his hours

of deep, which, altogether, do never exceed

A

46

number, for eating and

eight in

ceed

'Tour in the

repofe.

But

inftead of retiring to reft, as

might

would be glad out from home,

naturally be concluded he

he generally

to do,

and walks

fets

fix or feven miles in the night,

be the weather ever fo

to a negroe

fultry,

dance, in which he performs with afton-

and the moft vigorous exkeeping time and cadence, moft

ifhing agility, ertions,

exadly, with the mufic of a banjor

(a

large hollow inftrument with three ftrings),

and a quaqua drum),

until

(Ibmewhat refembling a he exhaufts himfelf, and

fcarccly has time, or ftrength,

home

before the hour he

is

to return

called forth

to toil next morning.

When qually lies

he

fleeps,

miferable

his comforts are e-

and limited

;

for

he

on a bench, or on the ground, with

only an old fcanty fingle blanket, and not always even that, to ferve both for his

bed and his covering. ing

lefs

Nor

is

his cloath-

niggardly and wretched, being

nothing but a

ftiirt

and

troufers,

made of coarfe

United States of America. coarfe thin

hard hempen

47 the

in

fluff

fummer, with the addition of a

fordid

woollen jacket, breeches, and fhoes, in the winter.

The

female flaves fare, labour, and re-

pofe, juft

when

in

the

fame manner;

which

they breed,

lofe

generally

is

every two or three years,

even

they feldom

more than a week's work thereby, or fuckling the

the delivery,

in

either child.

In fubmifllon to injury and

infults,

they

are likewife obliged to be entirely pafiive,

nor dare any of them

refill,

or even de-

fend himfelf againft the whites, fhould attack

him without

provocation;

for the

groe's

arm

his

own

defence,

they

the fmallefl

ne-

directs a

to be llruck off,

againfl a white perfon,

in

law

if

who

fhould

it

raifes it

be only

againft the

moft

wanton and wicked barbarity and outrage.

Yet

notwithllanding

fituation,

and rigid

has fubjei^ed

this

this

feverity to

degrading

which

fate

wretched race, they are certainly

A Tour

48

in the

certainly devoid of care,

and a£tually ap-

pear jovial, contented, and happy. tunate

it is

For-

indeed for them, that they are

bleffed with this eafy, fatisfied difpofition

of mind,

the weight, fure

of

human nature, unequal to muft fmk under the pref-

elfe

complicated

fuch

mifery

and

ivretchednefs.

Having had to

occafioa

more than once

mention homminy, hoe-cake,

may

it

not be improper at this time to ob^

ferve, that

homminy

made of Indian hufl^s, boiled

beanSi until

is

corn,

an American difh, freed

it

large

kind of French

becomes almoll a pulp

in general ufe, and to

agreeable.

ground

from the

whole, along with a fmall

proportion of a

it is

^r,

Hoe-cake

into meal,

is

my

tafte,

Indian

very corn,

kneaded into dough,

and baked on a hot, broad, iron hoe. This is alfo in common ufe, and to my palate,

extremely harlh and unpleafant.

CHAP.

United States vf America,

CHAP. Ordinaries^

Houfes.

A Jirange

Inns.

or

note Birds in the Air.

THE

VII.

Devour Frogs and

Black Snakes.

49

Flying Squirrels ^

covered

with

Fafci-

isfc.

houfes here are almoft

wood,

Animal.

Alice.

the

all

of

fame

the roof with fhingles, the fides and ends

with thin boards^ and not always lathed

and

plaiftered wichin

better

;

only thofe of the

are finiflied in that

fort

and painted on the

outfide.

manner,

The chim-

neys are fometimes of brick, but more

commonly of wood, coated on the infide with clay. The windows of the beft fort have

in

glafs

them

and only wooden

There

is

the reft have none,

fh utters.

no diftindion here between

inns,

taverns,

houfes

;

ordinaries,

they are

known by

;

all

in

and publicone,

the appellation of taverns, pub-

Kc-houfes, or ordinaries, which, general are

acceptance of the

fynonymous terms.

Vol.

I.

and are

E

in the

names here,

They

are

all

very

^o

A Tour

^

in the

very indifferent indeed, compared inns

the

England

in

fourths of

them

than mere

fhelters

are in reality

three-

little

better

from the weather; yet

them

the worft of

and

:

with

by no means

is

defi-

cient in charging high.

When his ears

a perfon arrives at

Richmond,

are continually aflailed with the

prodigious noife and roaring of the

which almoft

him from

ftuns him,

falls,

and prevents

fleeping for feveral nights,

it

being a confiderable time before he be-

comes habituated

to

it.

My principal amufement was walking I

took great delight in wandering

among

the rocks and

around the

lituations,

curfions

I

folitary falls.

aloiie

romantic

In thefe ex-

my

always carried a book in

when I came to any commanded my attention,

pocket, and that

place either

from the wildnefs and grandeur of perfpedive, the

raging

or

lie

down

ol

below, after admir-

ing the beauties of the fcene, frequently

the

from the obfervation

torrent

:

in the

I

would

fhade,

and

amuf^

United States of America.

amufe myfelf with reading,

which

recreation,

But

I

until I infen-

my

was

This

fibly dropt afleep.

51

daily

never negle(3:ed.

I

was once extremely

beholding, as foon as

lurpriled at

opened

I

my

eyes,

a prodigious large fnake, within a few

of me, bafldng hlmfelf in the fun.

feet

He

was

belly, very leafl:

me

with a copper-coloured,

jet black,

feven feet long.

no injury

for

;

and

at

However he

did

fparkling

fine

I

did not didurb him,

me

nor did he molefh

eyes,

but as foon as

;

he heard the ruiliing of the

my

on

leaves,

moving, he went oif with great pre-

cipitation

and fpeed.

Another time, whilft

I

was reading

a very folitary retired place

among

rocks and trees, on hearing fome noife near

me,

I

la

the

little

looked around, and juft

had the glimpfe of a very ftrange and fmgular animal, fuch as

I

had never ittn

even any refemblance of before. peared to

me more

than any thing fight I

had of

like a fiddle

elfe it

that

was

E

2

I

juft as

with

know it

It

ap-

feet, j

the

was running

A

52

Tour

in the

ning beliind a rock. every where for purpofe, for

fought there, and

I

immediately, to no

it

could not difcover even a

I

trace thereof remaining.

When had feen

returned,

mentioned ^vhat

I

but no one, from

;

inform

could

tion,

was

I

me

my

I

defcrip-

w^hat animal

it

*.

However, nothing

more common

is

He

here than the black fnake. bold and daring

yet, to the

;

is

very

human

race,

entirely harmlefs and inofFenfive

and

his bite poifonous,

as the fcratch of a briar

whicli,

faid,

is

truth, that

he

even the

rattle-fnake

is

arifes

is

as readily cured

:

notwithftanding

beheve with

I

mafter of

This fuperiority

nor

is

and

it

;

all

other fnakes

fubmits to

him.

from the ftrength

and power of his mufcles,

for

he infinuates

himfelf in fpiral wreaths around his antagonift,

and then contrad:ing,by that means

conquers or

kills

him.

His prey,

for

food, he fwallows whole. * For a defcription of

S

this animal, fee

chap.xtin, It

Unked It is

53

confidently reported, and univer-

fally credited,

and

States of America,

that they devour fquirrels,

they

that

have

whole in

fquirrels

been found with

their bellies.

myfelf

I

have feen them fwallow frogs of a very large fize. After the frog in,

if

you

ftrike

ftantly difgorge

it,

is

almoft wholly

the fnake, he will in-

and the frog will leap

away.

The

black fnakes are particularly fer-

viceable in deftroying rats and mice,

which

they feek after very eagerly, and devour for food

more

:

for this purpofe, they are even

ufeful than cats, becaufe,

by

their

form and peculiar make, they are enabled to purfue thefe vermin into their ilender

lurking holes and hiding places, which

they generally do, and thereby deflroy the

at

once

all,

have

whole progeny.

But the Americans, one and fuch an averfion and

antipathy to the

very appearance of the whole fpecies, that notwithftanding this kind of ferpents are abfolutely harmlcfs, and indeed extremely ferviceable for the purpofes juil

E

3

men-

tioned,

^

54

Tour

in the

tioned, yet they are as eager to kill

an4

deftroy them, as the mpft noxious, viru-

and deleteiious of the

lent, rattle,

have heard

I

fpecies, the

moccaflbp, and horn-fnakes.

many

flrange relations of

the power of fnakes,

in

charming

birds,

and drawing them down out of the to

air,

devour them, by a certain fafcination

in their eyes.

To

gave no credit; but viction

thefe tales I formerly I

now had

have

con-

of their truth, by frequent ocu-

lar demonflration. I

have obferved a

little

bird, fluttering

in the air, within a fmall compafs, gra-

dually defccnding until

it

came down on

a bufh, then hopping from fpray to fpray,

every time lower, condantly fending forth a tremulous, doleful note, expreffive of

dread

and

would drop

furprife,

until

at

length

into the jaws of a fnake

it

on

the ground, that was gaping open ready to

devour

On fnake,

it.

fuch occafions,

and the

I

inftant

always ftruck the

he moved,

the bird

Vnited States of America, bird

became

liberated

tion,

flying

away with

nefs,

and would chirp, and

head in the

as if grateful for

his

fafcina-

the greateft alert-

fome

for

air,

from

^^

foar over little

my

diftance,

deliverance from fo

its

This very extra-'

formidable an enemy. ordinary circumllance

I

have taken

parti-

cular notice of feveral different times. Squirrels of

many

various kinds abound

prodigioufly, but the grey fox-fquirrels are the moft plenty, and

you may

them

fee

mod common

any where

in

:

the

any time, jumping from

woods, and

at

tree to tree,

and making moft aftonifhing

leaps,

often fifteen,

times

thirty

feet,

twenty, and fome-

from one branch

Thefe are the

another.

flying-fquirrel,

jumps twice

though

as far

;

to

largeft,

but the

much

fmaller,

and indeed he takes

fuch prodigious vaults, that he feems to fly,

and appears

to

have wings, but they

are only an expanfion cf

on each fome

fide

little

fome

loofe fkin

of him, which affords him

fupport in the

E

4

air,

and breaks his

A

46 his fall

indeed

Tour in the

when he is

mifles his hold,

which

very feldom.

The moft

beautiful of the

whole fpe-

which

cies is the

ground

and moft

delicately ftriped with contrails

of

and lighter fhades.

dfirl^ier

fquirrel,

is

fmall,

CHAP.

United States of America,

CHAP.

VIIL

Quality and Jppearance of Soil Tobacco.

Corn*

Wheat.

Indian-

Falls of Jppamattox.

PeJerJhurg.

Pokahuntas. Indian Emperor's

Blandford-

Randolph and Boiling Families.

ter.

^j

Daugh'

The River

jppamattox.

THE

mofl commanding and excel-

lent fituations about

the feat of a

of the

hill

to the late colonel

who

are,

Mr. Adams, on the fummit which over-looks the town ;

and Belvidera, an elegant

over,

Richmond

villa

belonging

William Bird, of Weft-

formerly poffeffed a princely

fortune in America, and was' almoft the fole proprietor

of

the

many

for

falls,

the land adjoining

all

miles,

even above

Weftham. Juft

below the

tive fi(heries,

there are

falls

there are very lucra-

on each

fide

many more on

of the river; as

the James in dif-

ferent places, that yield great profit to the

owners.

On mills

the fouth fide

are moft valuable

and iron-works, which are worked

by

A Tour in the

58

by means of ing

falls

a canal, cut

from the adjoin-

of the James.

The low grounds on tremely rich and

the

fertile,

James

producing

quantities of Indian-corn, wheat,

The

bacco. lour,

foil

is

are ex-

and

vafl:

to-

of a dark redifh co-

and one foot and a half deep pure

loam.

The high

land

yet fufficiently

of an inferior quality,

is

fertile

to

produce good

crops of tobacco, wheat, and Indian corn

fome of

it

is

of a redifh colour, mixed

with clay, which worft

is

the beft

is

;

and the

of a light brown, intermixed

with fand.

The low grounds

yield an increafe in

wheat of twenty- five, times

thirty-five

feed

the high land

:

for one.

of one tity

This

acre.

is

and fome-

from one of

bufhels,

from eight

to fifteen

generally the produce

Much

of Indian corn

acre,

thirty,

about the fame quanis

produced from an

according to the quality and excel-

knce of the

foil,

though

it

does not require

United States of America.

more than

a peck of feed to plant

The produce

of an acre, in the cul-

quire it.

59

ture of tobacco, in the beft land,

is

about

fixteen

hundred and fixty pounds weight

on the

worfl, about five

An

weight.

hundred pounds

acre always contains nearly

twelve hundred and

of Indian-

fifty hills

corn, with two, three, and fometimes, in

flrong land, four ftalks in each

hill

or

;

about five thoufand plants of tobacco.

Above

the

falls,

again tolerably

the high land becomes

and

level,

height to the fummit of the

is

equal in

firft hills.

The towns of Richmond and Shokoes are in

or

Henrico county; and Chefterfield,

Rocky

Bridge,

is

in

the

county of

Cheflerfield.

On

the twenty-eighth of Auguft,

I fet

out on a journey to the fouihward, and as there

is

no fuch thing

be obtained in

all

as poft-chaifes to

America

to hire,

and

not having furnifhcd myfeif with horfes at

Richmond, becaufe

I

could purchafe them

I

was informed that

much

better

and

pheaper at Peterfb-urg, which was about

twenty-

A Tour in the

6o

twenty-five miles diflant, and dircdly in

my way, who I

I

rode a horfe of Mr.

prefled

me

to

make

was fortunate

ufe of him.

company of a

in the

Mr. Buchanan, who was

We

far as Peterfburg.

in the ferry-boat,

's,

alfo

going as

croffed the

James

early in the morning,

rode through the towns of Rocky-bridge,

and Warwick, which

from

about five miles

is

it.

We

halted at a

town named Ofborn's,

eight miles farther on, to bait our horfes, paffing

after

Chefterfield

county court-

houfe, and a church, or chapel, at this little

Here we dined, and

town.

afternoon, mounting our horfes,

in the

we

rived at Blandford, having croffed the

pamattox at the

river,

on a

lofty

wooden

ar-

Ap-

bridge,

town of Pokahuntas.

Here we put up

at

Boyd's, which

is

the beft houfc of public entertainment in the place. I fhall

never forget the prodigious and in-

ceffant noife affailed

my

and clamour

ears,

that continually

during the whole of this day's

United State> of America.

6

day's ride, proceeding from tbegreen-frogs*

and a multitude of other large

on the

infedls

and the bull-frogs in the

trees,

fwamps and

places of water,

of the road.

I

on bath

fides

was perpetually queflioning

Mr. Buchanan if they were not birds ; and was aftoniilied that I could not poffibly difcover

one of them

:

but the noife

of the buli-frogs was abfolutely tremendous.

Here,

at the

falls

of the river Appa-

mattox, are three towns, vi%, Elandford, Peterfburg, and Pokahuntas.

Over the there

is

a

river, juil

wooden

large

town of Pokahuntas the

below the bridge,

the daughter of the famed or

chief,

alfo the Indian

James),

at the

which ftands on

north fide of the river

peror,

falls,

named

after

Indian em-

Powhattan (which

is

appellation of the river

who gave

all

the land around this

place, as a portion in marriage,

with his

daughter Pokahuntas, to an anceftor of the prefent Randolph and Boiling families,

Trom which

ancient royal blood, a branch

of

A

62

Tour

in the

of the Randolphs, and the whole of th$ houfes

of the moil refpedable

(two

Boilings

Virginia),

in

are

a^ftually

de-

fcended.

On

the fouth fide of the river

town of Peterlburg,

fituated

and

amongft rocks,

is

is

under a

the hill,

extremely un-

healthy.

A

little

dillance, perhaps half a mile

below, on the fouth fide alfo of the Ap-

pamattox,

ftands

the

charming

pretty

town of Blandford, in a beautiful plain, on the river brink, on a very pleafant and delightful fpot.

The town field

county

of Pokahuntas Peterfburg

;

of Dinwiddle,

is

is

in Cheller-

in the

in the lower corner

Blandford ftands in the upper Prince George's county

them

is

The

county

;

;

and

end of

but neither of

a county- town. principal tobacco trade in

America

centers at Peterfburg, or Boiling's Point,

which

it

name of

is

generally called, from the

a family, (a branch of whofe

origin I have juft related), to

which the greater

United States of America.

63

of the town and adjoining

greater part

lands belong. It

fomething remarkable, that no

is

grew up

child born at this place ever

to

maturity, excepting the prefent proprietor,

Mr. Boiling, whofe

feat

over-looks

Peterfburg and the adjacent country and river

i

which

is

occafioned by the infalu-

brity of the air,

and the

healthinefs of the fituation.

There

are alfo

extreme un,

fome valuable mills

the vicinity of this place, ereded by Bannifter,

who

a

very public

refides in

terfburg,

fpirited

in

Mr.

man,

an elegant houfe near Pe-

which are

carried

on by means

of a canal, cut from the neighbouring

falls

of the Appamattox.

The Appamattox about the into the

fize

James

is

a fmall river,

much

of the Thames, and runs at City Point,

miles, in a dired: line,

about twelve

below Blandford.

Sailing veffels, floops, fchooners, and flats,

or lighters, falls

;

come up

to the bridge at the

but fhips of burden take in their

cargoes five and eight miles below.

In

A Tour in the

64

In Blandford

I

found an excellent or-

dinary at Boyd's, and a tolerably agreeable

mixed company of

men. Amongft the

ladies

reft,

and gentle-

were a couple of

v/hom was a mathe army, with gay young wives,

old gentlemen, one of jor in

who in to

did not feem altogether at eafe, nor,

all

be

probability, fo

;

diverfion

had they every reafon

however,

they afforded

us

and entertainment ^ enough to

obferve their various manoeuvres on both fides, or rather

on

the four appeared to be a chief,

and

to

for each

of

commander

ii"^

all fides

;

have different purfuits and

objects in view.

CHAP.

Ufiiied States

C

A

ri

(f America,

65

1X0

Po

Ceneral CharaBer^ and great Uofp'itaUty of the

Number of Inhabitants

ginlarts.

THE

Vir-^

in Virginia.

Virginians are generous, ex-

tremely

and

hofpitable,

poffefs

very liberal fentiments.

There

is

a greater diftindion fupported

between the different

clafles

of

than perhaps in any of the colonies

;

nor does that

fpirit

life

reft

here,

of the

of equality,

and levelling principle, which pervades the greateft part of America, prevail to fuch

an extent in Virginia.

However, there appears degrees of rank amongft

be but three

all

the inhabi-

exclufive of the negroes.

tants,

The

firft

confids of gentlemen of the

bell families

who

to

and fortunes in the colony,

much more

are here

numerous than America.

in

any other province

I.

in

Thefe in general have had a

liberal education, poflefs

VoL.

refpedable and

.

F

enlightened un-

denland-

A

66

Tour

in

the

knowledge

derftandings, and a thorough

of the world, that furnifhes them with

an

eafe

and freedom of manners and conhighly to their advantage in

verfation,

exterior,

which no

of fortune

viciffitude

or place can diveft them of; they being actually,

according to

agreeable and

befl:

my

ideas, the

companions, friends>

and neighbours, that need be

The

moft

defired.

number of them keep their and have handfome fervices of

greater

carriages,

but they

plate

;

have

ftuds,

all,

without exception,

as well as fets of elegant

and

beautiful horfes.

Thofe of the fecond degree

in

rank are

very numerous, being perhaps half the inhabitants,

and

fingularity,

and mixture of

confift

of fuch a variety, characflers,

that the exadt general criterion

and lead-

ing feature can fcarcely be afcertained.

However, they and hofpitable

are generous, friendly,

in the extreme

;

but mixed

with fuch an appearance of rudenefs, ferocity,

and haughtinefs, which

fadt only a

want of

is

polifh, occafioned

in

by

their

United States of America, deficiences

their

education,

in

knowledge of mankind, their general intercourfe

whom

and

as well

with

in

as

flaves,

by

over

they are accuftomed to exercife an

harfh and abfolute

Many to

67

of them

fome of the

command*

poITefs fortunes fuperior firft

rank, but their fa-

milies are not fo ancient, nor refpedtable

;

a circumftance here held in fome eftimation.

They every

are

all

fpeciesl

exceffively

attached

of fport, gaming, and

to

diffi-

pation, particularly horfe-racing, and that

moft

of

barbarous

all

diverfions,

that

peculiar fpecies of cruelty, cock-fighting.

In

fliort,

take

them

all

together, they

form aftrange combination of incongruous contradictory qualities, and principles di-

redly oppofite; the beft and the worft, the moft valuable and the moft worthlefs,

elegant accomplifhments and favage brutality,

being in

many of them moft

unac-

countably blended.

Yet indeed, notwlthftanding

this

appa-

rent inconfiftency of charader, principle,

F

2

and

A

68 and

Tour

in the

numbers of them

(Jondu£l:,

members of

valuable

are truly

and few,

foclety,

or none, deficient in the excellencies of intelledual

the

faculties,

which, though in a great mea-

genius,

fyre unimproved,

fplendid in an

The

and a natural

is

generally bright and

uncommon

third, or

lower

clafs

degree.

of the people

(who ever compofe the bulk of mankind), are in Virginia more few in number, in proportion to the

reft

of the inhabitants,

than perhaps in any other country in the

Even

univerfe. ble,

thefe are kind, hofpita-

and generous

;

yet illiberal,

noify,

and rude.

They

and averfe

They ail

much

are

to

addi(Sted to inebriety,

labour.

are likewife over-burdened

with

impertinent and infuperable curiofity,

that renders

them

and troublefome

peculiarly difagreeable

to ftrangers

:

yet thefe

undefirable qualities they pofTefs

by no

an equal degree with the gene-

means

in

rality

of the inhabitants of

land,

whofe

religion

New

Eng-

and government have

United States of America,

69

have encouraged,

and indeed

and

kind of inquifition, of

eftablifhed, a

inftituted

forwnVd impertinence and prying intrufion, againft every perfon

may

that

be

compelled to pafs through that troublefome,

illiberal

fcription,

country

:

from which de-

however, there are no doubt

many exceptions. To communicate

an idea of the ge-

neral hofpitality that prevails in Virginia,

and indeed through vinces, fent

it

may

all

the fouthern pro-

not be improper to repre-

fome peculiar cuftoms that are uni-

verfal

;

for inftance:

If a traveller, even a negroe, obferves

an orchard

full

of

or near his way, he

ples or peaches, in, alights, without

either ap-

fine fruit,

ceremony, and

fills

his

pockets, or even a bag, if he has one,

whhout afking

permiffion

;

proprietor fhould fee him, he leaft ojffended,

but makes

welcome, and

affifls

the fineft

him

and is

him

if the

not in the perfectly

in choofing oul

fruit.

F

3

But

A

70 But it

is

for

Tour in the

this is lefs to

be admired

confidered that there

any kind of

no

is

at,

here

fale

and the

fruit,

when fineft

peaches imaginable are fo abundant, that the inhabitants daily feed their hogs with

them during

the feafon.

In the time of prefTing cyder,

if a tra-

veller fhould call, to enquire his

way, he

is

generally offered as

he can drink, flay

all

is

night,

much

fine cyder as

frequently requefted to

and made heartily drunk

in the bargain, if he choofes

When gure than (the

perfon

a

common

name of

it.

of more calls

genteel

fi-

an ordinary

at

their inns), for refrefhment

and lodging for a night,

as foon as

any

of the gentlemen of fortune in the neigh-

bourhood hears of

him

himfelf,

it,

he either comes for

or fends

him

a polite

and

where he

preffing invitation to his houfe,

meets with entertainment and accommodation,

infinitely fuperior,

every re-

in

fped, to what he could have received at the inn.

If he fhould

happen

tigued with travelling, he

is

to be fa-

treated

in

th^

Jinked States of America.

yi

die moft hofpltable and genteel manner

and

his fervants

and horfes

alfo fare plen-

teoufly, for as long a time as

All this

to ftay.

grace

imaginable,

is

he choofes

done with the

beft

without even a hint

being thrown out of a curiofity or wifh to

know

name.

his

However, that

many

the lower

it

mufl be acknowledged,

of the fecond, and almoft

clafs

all

of the people, are ignorant

in the extreme.

Their fentiments, and illiberal,

fioned fined

their ideas are

narrow, and contracted

by to

all

a

their inadive

occa-

;

fituation,

con-

fmall compafs, and very

li-

mited fphere of knowledge, wherein the

fame objedls are ever prefented to

their

view, without any variation, change, or novelty,

being thereby precluded from a

more general and the

intercourfe with the world,

different

members of

fociety at

large.

About the commencement of

the late

unfortunate difturbances, and inaufpicious hoitilities,

the

American congrefs pre-

F 4

tended

A

72

T^our

in

the

tended to have a calculation made of the

numbers of

all

the inhabitants

in each

province and colony included within their

domination, v^hich they publifhed.

But

I

tenfible

have always concluded that

of-

enumeration of theirs to be greatly

exaggerated, purpofely to magnify their refources,

numbers, and prowefs. calculation,

Vir-

to contain fix

hun-

In that oftentatious ginia

was reprefented

dred and

which near I

fifty

thoufand inhabitants

;

of

tv\'o-thirds are blacks.

computed the true number of

in Virginia to be then about five

fouls

hundred

thoufand in the whole, with a fimilar proportion of flaves included Jiave

certainly

decreafed

in

;

and they

population

fince that time.

CHAP.

United States of America.

CHAR

X.

Nottoway-Rlver.

j9 wretched Situation,

73

Horfes re*

Troublefome Companion,

fufe to cat Bacon,

Ma-

hirrin-River.

IPurchafed two

horfes at

gave

the beft I

for

the worft coft

me

Peterfburg;

pounds,

fifteen

twenty- five pounds

and a negro boy, whofe

price

was forty

pounds.

began to prepare for

I

my

journey'

fouth ward, having had the honour to

by

vifit,

invitation, feveral of the principal fa-

and near

milies

in

whom

were

ling's,

Mr.

place,

among

Mr. Buchanan's, Mr. BoiMr. Bannifter's, Mr. Eppes'5,

Bland's,

took

I

this

my

&c. departure from Blandford,

on the fourth of September, in company with a young lad from North Carolina,

then on his return.

After having rode about fifteen miles

we

(lopped to

bc^it

our horfes, and dine, at Hattan's

-^ 'Tour in the

74

ordinary, where the

^'•Hattan's

^%rdinary indeed, and very

The day

was

fare

indifferent.

extremely hot and

being

fultry,

it

was

rather late in the afternoon

before

we

fet

out again on our journey,

&iM by

that

reaching

means

up

I intended to put

very

growing dark, ihelter

ordinary,

Stewart's

being taken

in a

an overfeer

was prevented

I

houfe

the

at that night

ill,

was

I

from,

and

for

it

was

to

take

as

obliged

;

of a houfe, wherein

fhell

and

lived,

fix

ne-

Carolina

left

five

or

groes befides.

The young man from

me

here,

My

and continued on

accommodation

at

his journey. this

place was miferable indeed, fortunate for me, better in the

that

I

morning, or

wretched

and

it

was

found myfelf I

might have

been in adual danger of perifhing for

want of common nefs

had detained

If

my

neceffaries, if

me

fituation,

fo intolerable,

fick-

therein.

but for one night, was

what muft

conftant refidence

my

it

was

his be,

whofs

\

it

United States of America.

y^

indeed hardly to be conceived

It is

what an uncomfortable forlorn

that

flate

young man, the

ir

pc.

overfeer, then

lived.

>

There might be about

fifty acrf§

land cleared of woods, and chiefly

of

uf^ jer

culture for Indian corn.

There was not another houfe nor hut

Upon the

plantation, nor a fingle fruit-

tree.

That

poor apology

miferable fhell, a

a houfe, confifted but of one fmall

for

room, which ferved for the accommodation of the overfeer and fix negroes

was not lathed nor ceiled nor

for

door in each

no

above,

lofted

thin boards

neither

;

had a

it

and one window, but had not even a brick

it

chimney, and, as

it

and only very

coveting

its

fide,

glafs in it;

plaiftered,

:

it

flood

on blocks about

a foot above upon the ground, the hogs lay confi:antly

made

it

near

half

very bad

under

fwarm with

;

a

mile

there

which

the floor, fleas

;

difiant,

water was

and

that

was not a neighbour within

A Tour

y6

in the

on one

vvithin five miles

miles on the other

;

and

fide,

eiglit

no book, no con-

venience, no furniture, no comfort in the

houfe, unlefs

you

by

call

name a

that

mi&rable thin chaff bed, fomewhat raifed

from the

which

in a corner of the

floor,

alternately

and

chair, his table,

him

ferved

room,

for

his

had

little

his couch.

In this wretched habitation

I

and no refrefhment, although the

fleep,

poor young

man

permitted

me

to lie

on

his bed alone,

and did not come there

himfelf, but lay

on the

groes

for they

;

were

with their hands the

night,

awake; and

all

when

floor

with the ne-

fhelling.

the former part of

their

fongs kept

of the mufketoes, prevented

me

fleep until day-break,

I

this

fnoring af-

and having of

all

fame room with me, with the

fiftance

from

me

the difagreeable idea of fuch

a parcel of nafty black devils, in the

Indian-corn

gratified the

my

horfe,

I

arofe,

poor inhabitants

manfion of mifery

mounted

when

w^ith a trifle,

and purfued

my

journey.

This

United States of America*

This morning river

I croffed

named Nottoway,

which

is

at Swede's-bridge,

fome very good land on low grounds and high

is

;

its

There

by the

this river, it

is

both

what

planters,

is

from

colour.

This

river is here about as large as the

Thames at Kew, but with wood and fallen by

over a pretty-

of timber.

conftrucSted

called mulattoe land

77

much incumbered trees, brought dowa is

the floods. I arrived at Stewart's

faft,

which was

ordinary to break-

toafled Indian hoe-cake,

and very excellent cyder,

after a ride this

morning of about eleven miles. Being always particularly careful of horfes,

and they having fared very indif-

ferently the

night before, I ordered the

hoftler to give

man

my

flared at

them plenty ^f meat. The me, and ajked me if they Being fomewhat

would

eat

at his

feeming impertinence, and out of

it ?

humour by want of

reft,

fatigue, I

irritated

indifpofltion,

anfwered, that

I

and

deflred

he would make the experiment, and imS

mediatelv

A

78

Tour in the

away from him, went

mediately, turning into the houfe.

In a few minutes, on looking out the window,

fore the door

and going out to enquire

;

the caufe of their affembling there,

into

a.

furprifed to find

the people of the place in the road be-

all

I

was much

I

at

met the

hoftler

my

and

boy, with each

large piece of bacon in his hand, telling

me of

the horfes would

not eat a morfel

it.

They

acquainted me, that

the horfes eat meat, derftood curiofity,

the road.

it

was

to fee

by which they un-

that excited the people*

bacojiy

and had drawn them forth into laughed heartily, and di-

I

leded the hoftler, fmce the poor filly horfes could not be prevailed on to tafte his ba-

them whatever

con, to give

would choofe

to eat,

elfe

they

and as much of

it

as they pleafed.

By

the bye,

nience,

my

was a great inconve-

it

and extremely troublefome, that

boy, being an African, was of very

little fervice to

me

;

for he fcarcely under-

3

ftood

United States of America*

word

ftood a fingle

nor did

know one

I

that I

faid

fyllable

79 him,

to

of his Ian-

guage.

This

Andrew

ridiculous

T

on

his

rior

his

way

I

company,

my

he was then

refided.

tafte

North

His exte-

peculiarly forbid-

declined his propofal, having

inclination to fuch

in this

as

to Halifax town, in

being to

ding,

one

who pretended to be make me an offer of the

wheje he

Carolina,

induced

,

a humourift, to

honour of

affair

I

was

altogether

an acquaintance.

But

and

egregioufly miftaken,

difappointed

Mr.

:

no

T—

>—.—

was not to be repulfed with fuch facility he was determined to amufe himfelf at :

my

expence, and at

my

ignorance of the

cuftoms of his country, and

mofl compelled to

fuffer

his

for I certainly did not accept

deavoured

my

I

was

al-

company, it,

but en-

utmoft to avoid that ho-

jiour. I told

I

him, that as

would not

it

threatened rain,

rifque getting wet,

but in-

tended to ftay fome time, the length of vv'hich

A Tour in the

8o

might be

however,

wliich,

T

Well, fo would Mr.

When

I

found

this,

—

.

determined to

I

out in the rain, which had

fet

on

and adually did

;

my

fo

to

T

company ; but Mr. commodate himfelf

uncertain^

now come avoid

his

would

ac-

every change of

to

mind, and he departed along with

me.

When flow,

I

rode

fo did

faft,

he went flow

alfo

:

at

he; when length I

turned fhort from him, along a path on but

the light,

my

llupid

fervant con-

tinued to accomp? .j Mr. *T

obliged faft to

me

to

return,

overtake him,

as

;

this

and gallop very

he had thereby

got fome miles before me.

But defcending a

declivity too rapidly,

and without caution, the road being on clay very wet fell

and

down with me

by which

I

was

ilippery,

my

in three-parts fpeed,

exceffively dirted, as well

^

as hurt.

Having remounted, and rode on I

cut

horfe

a

moft

again,

wretched figure, being

daubed

Ufiited States of America.

daubed from head the

befides

with red clay,

to foot

farther injuries

them

Mr.

:

—

T

which

and

ill

manners

I

much

but was

black, yet could

ftand

fit

adt of rudcnefs

did not feem to notice, incenfed

not

my expreffions

greatly encreafed fion,

overtook

a laughing

fell

'

to biirft his fides,

fall.

plight I

ridiculous

this

had re-

I

ceived from contufions by the

In

8i

my

at

ftupid

make him underThis

of refentmerit.

Mr.

T

's

diver-

and ill-timed noify mirth.

In this difagreeable condition, and uncourtly guife,

we

croffed

confiderable

a

named the Three Creeks, on three wooden bridges; and a confiderable river named Maherrin, larger than the Thames, at Hicks's bridge which is

ftream of water,

remarkably all

lofty,

in the fouthern

pear to be tion,

J

built

of timber, as

part of

America ap-

having pafled a

the feat of

fortune,

and

Mr. WiUIs,

a

man

of

and proprietor of the original

flock of extraordinary

Vol.

fine planta-

I.

G

fwift

horfes, for

whick

A

8a

Tour in the

•which this part of America

vanquifh

all

About fide

is

noted, that

others in quarter- racing.

on the

thirty miles higher up,

of this

near one Ingram's plan-

river,

tation, there

have been lately difcovered

fome very valuable medicinal fprings of mineral waters, which have already per-

formed many moll remarkable and aftonifliing cures on perfons afflided with various

kinds of lamenefs, infirmity, and

who

annually

from an hundred and

thefe

to

refort

difeafe,

fprings,

miles around.

fifty

We took fome refreihment at Edwards's ordinary,

with

an

exceeding good building,

accommodations,

excellent

erected at this

place,

which

is

lately

exadlly

twenty-eight miles north from Halifax, in

North Carolina, and forty-feven fouth

from Peteriburg

We

in Virginia.

relied but a very Ihort time here,

and, although

it

continued to rain

fall,

proceeded on our journey.

At

the

diftance

of

Hicks's bridge and ford,

ten

we

miles

entered the

province of North Carolina, and S

from three

miles

XJmted States of America. farther on, crofled a

tniles

83

large ftream

of water named Fountain's creek,

which we

miles north of Halifax town,

reached

that

night,

Roanoak,

river

in a flat ferry boat,

Towards the conclulion of ride, .

I

the

croffing

after

bank of which the town

fouth

fifteen

is

on the

built.

this day's

had the fatisfadion of retorting

the laugh on Mr.

T

—

fomely,

horfe

tumbled down,

and

fairly

his

him

rolled

in

the

mire,

all

three times moft completely.

over,

He and

for

very hand-

was

in fuch

a ridiculous condition

lamentable plight, being befides a

moft unwieldy, uncouth figure, that you could fcarcely difcover whether the creature

was human or not; nor would

it

have

been pofhble for the mofl rigid Cynic refrain

from

immoderate

laughter,

beholding his rueful countenance,

WTetched

to at

and

guife.

This was a moft unpleafant journey bad accommodation, bad roads, bad com;

.

pany and attendance, and,

in fhort, every

thing difagieeable in the extreme.

G

2

CHAP,

^

§4

^otir in the

CHAP. North Carolina,

Halifax Town.

Rock Fight,

Falls.

ALIFAX fouth fide larger, or

XI.

at

'Roanoak-Rlver,

Floods.

town on the of the Roanoak (a river a pretty

Is

leaft

containing more water

than the James), about eight miles be-

low the

and near

falls,

firft

miles

fifty

higher up than the tide flows; but floops, fchooners, and

or lighters, of great

flats,

burden, come up to this town flream, which 4

is

deep and gentle.

Halifax' enjoys

commerce and fome

the

againfl:

a tolerable

of

fliare

in tobacco, pork, butter, flour, tar,

turpentine, fkins, furs, and

cotton.

There

are

Halifax and

moft

all

white

;

many handfome its

vicinity, but

confl:rudled of timber,

among them

are

buildings in

they are

al-

and painted

Mr. Mountfort's,

Mr. Abner Nafh's, Mr. Martin's (now an ordinary, or inn, 7

built by,

and

for-

merly

"United States

of America,

%^

merly the refidence of a Mr. Elmfley, an

Mr.

eminent pradiitioner in the law),

Long's, Mr. Eaton's, and Mr. Jones's the

laft

Occoneachy-neck, an ex-

in

is

treme rich and valuable trad of land, about two miles from town, and

deed an elegant Halifax

is

in-

feat.

twenty- five miles due fouth

is

from Peterfburg, and one hundred from.

Richmond,

is

of a

the capital

diftrid:,

and the county- town of Halifax county. In and around the town

fandy

;

the

foil

the banks of the river on

is

the

fouth fide are high, but low on the north,

and very

fubjed:

to inundations, fo re-

markably, that the ferry-houfe, a wooden building, which ftands

on

that

fide,

is

obliged to be faflened with ropes, tied to the trees, to prevent

it

from being wafhed

away by the floods. The quantity of water

that

comes down

the Roanoak, on fuch occalions,

amazing 4>orp,

and

tobacco,

enormous horfes,

,G 3

;

is

trees,

cattle,

indeed fences,

and even Jiojifes,

A

86 houfes,

Tour

in the

fwept away by the tor-

are all

and caried down with the ftream.

rent,

There

phenomenon

a fingular

is

tends this river,

which

is,

days, or feafons of rain,

any thing, or but very

common magnitude

it

little

at-

that during

does not

rife

beyond the

but two or three

;

when

days after the rain has ceafed,

the

iky and fun are again become bright and fine,

and the bad weather

is

forgotten, then,

and not before^ the Roanoak begins to and encreafes with fuch rapidity

fvvell,

and

violence,

that

the inhabitants have

fcarcely time to drive their cattle, horfes,

iheep,

hogs,

^c.

off

from

the

low-

grounds up to the high, before the whole are overflowed tion

all their

away ^nd

;

and without

live flock

deflroyed,

this precau-

would be fwept which frequently

happens, notmthflanding every exertion

and

care.

There this river;

is

another

that

i*s,

peculiarity

attends

the low grounds are

generally higher, next the river fide, than

where they adjoin the high-land

5

thus,

by

U?2ifed States of America.

by means of

87

communicating from

guts,

the river to the back part of the low-

grounds, which

is

mofl:

commonly

fwamp with caufeways of the floods

ter

by which the creature

is

it,

miry

the

wa-

foon brought there,

is

of every

retreat

living

cut off in a very fhort time

begin to encreafe, and

the waters

after

over

a

confequently

included

all

within

mufl:

inevitably perifii, fhould the inundation

overfpread the whole.

However, the there

fpot,

in the

floods feldom cover every

being fome particular places

low grounds conflderably higher

than the

which, on fuch occafions,

refl:,

crowded with the poor

are

mals

:

fwells feveral feet above the

highefl: of thofe places.

The Roanoak, called, the

It

is

at

~

or as

Morattuck,

of a mile over

and

ani-

but once every two or three years

Roanoak

the

terrified

it

is

at Edinton,

itfelf

fometimes

above a quarter

Halifax, but very deep,

much wider many

empties

is

miles above.

into Albemarle

where

it is

G

4

Sound,

feven miles wide,

and

A

88

and

on

receives

Cho wan-River, by

north

the

Maherrin,

fide,

or Sound; vsrhich

confluence of the

the

and

Tour in the

formed-

three

and

Nottov^^ay,

is

the-

rivers,

Elackwater,

fomething more than two miles

Is

in breadth.

The communication with this

enormous body of water,

Roanoak

inlet,

where

fluduating banks,

from

the fea,

there

is

through bar,

a

is

and fhifting quick-

fands, that prevent fhips of

burden frorn

entering this extenfive bay. I

put up at Martin's, the beft houfe of

public entertainment in Halifax.

Here

was

I

difpofed of

my

in fadt totally ufelefs to

my

gained ten pounds by

From fions

this

around

vifiting,

by

me

;

but I

bargain.

made many excur-

place I it,

who

black boy,

and had the honour of

invitation,

every family of

note, for a confiderable

diftance in the

vicinity.

Being one of a party that

fome days on a jaunt

in

v as to

pafs

the country, I

propofe4 calling to take a view of the fall^

S9

United States of America. falls

We were accompanied

of Roanoak.

by Charles Eaton, whof^ feats are in

efq.

and Mr.

W.

Park,

the neighbourhood of

thefe falls.

There was nothing remarkable obferved

in

body of water, over rocks the

falls

:

only

them,

dalhing

but to thofe

of the James,

to

be

prodigious

a

and

tumbling

who

have feen

thefe

no

are

objed.

There

is

a very extraordinary clrcum-f

however, attends thefe

ftance,

fpring, about the

May^

eighth of

called the rock fight.

This

at

the

dog thrown not be able to in

it

fame time

to

acrofs,

fiflies,

to the

would

nor could live

one quarter of an hour

actually fee

is

fpawn, that a

into the river then,

fwim

it

occafioned

is

by fuch amazing numbers of thofe here called Bafs- Rocks, coming up falls

every

falls

:

you may

them crowded thick upon

each other, even to the furface of the w^ater.

This fmgular phenomenon continues for ^hree days, but

on one of

thefe days, in particular,

A Tour

9©

moil

agitation of the water

the

particular,

in the

the whole river being in a

violent,

foam.

•

There and

many

are

valuable

fiflierles at,

in the vicinity of Halifax,

on each

falls,

is

During

Mount

fide

Pleafant,

Dawfon,

efq.

of the river.

excurfion

this

below the

the

we

feat

at

called

—

of

on the banks of the Roan-

oak, about eighteen miles above Halifax,

and feats

in returning flayed

fome days, at the

of Mr. Eaton, and Mr. Park.

About a mile out of Halifax town creek

named Quankey

pellation for red paint,

(the

a

is

Indian ap-

with which

it

a-

bounds), with an exceeding lofty bridge

thrown over

built

it,

fouth fide of which

Nicholas

ings

in

drink

to

the feat of a

where we

Long,

walked out

is

of timber, on the

Mr.

frequently

the mornings and even-

cow's

milk, which

was

there excellent.

About

five or fix miles farther on, in the

fame diredion,

upon a

is

a confiderable fettlement,

pretty large water-courfe,

named the

"United States of America,

the Marfli,

on

where we

invitation

efq.

9

fcveral times went,

from Alexander M*Colloch,

a ^gentleman of confiderable note,

and Archibald Hamilton, efq.* a merchant of eminence,

who

on a

carried

very extenfive and valuable commerce in Virginia, as well as in North Carolina;

and we were entertained with great hofpitality

We

and politenefs by each of them. vifited Willie Jones,

Cathcart's,

William Williams,

among many met with a reception

efq.

dodor

efq.

&c.

other gentlemen's feats, and moft. courteous and friendly

from

all.

* This gentleman's brother, lieutenant colonel

John Hamilton, is now commanded a provincial

in the Britifli fervice,

corps,

named

the North

and

Ca-

rolina loyalifts, having behaved vfhh great gallantry,

both under the earl of Cornwallis and lord

Rawdon,

CHAP.

A Tour

92

in

the

CHAP.

Method of clearing Land.

Lsfty Timher. Fire.

TH

E

XIL Woods $n

Dreadful Conflagrations.

low grounds of Roartoak are

extremely rich and

fertile,

but ia

general too light and fandy for the cul^

which here grows much

ture of wheat,

too luxuriant and high,

whereby

and lodges before the ears

The

foil is

feet deep,

fill

and

is

indeed

fubjed:

to

which fweep away whole as

and ripen.

a fine black loam, for feveral

but extremely

well

falls

it

inexhauflible,

inundations, inclofures,

the crops, and often leave

land covered with wrecks

and incumbered with large trees, brought

as \}i\^

of the flood,

vaft quantities

down by

of

the tor-

rent.

The low-grounds d.

are generally

quarter to a mile wide

fervable,

Roanoak,

for

the

that the

;

and

it

from

is

ob-

whole length of the low-grounds are

al-

ways

tJm'ud States of America,

ways on one

fide

of the river only, never

on both together, but

when

thus,

north fouth

ftill

promifcuoufly

the low grounds

fide, there ;

9 5.

are

on the

high lands on the

are

and where the low grounds are

on the fouth

fide,

the land on the north

high, almoft

fide

is

the

river.

It

is

fliifh

to the brink

remarkable

they are rich and

fertile,

join the low grounds

that

alfo,

wherever the high lands join the

of

river,

but where they

only, they are of

a very inferior quality.

The

timber

is

the low grounds,

of an immenfe bulk on

and

confifts

of white

and yellow poplars, black wallnut, hornbeam,

red bud,

fycamores,

On

oaks,

fweet afh,

gum, dog wood, beech,

the rich high land,

it

elm,

G?r.

confifls

of

hickory, faffafrafs, oaks, ^c. and on the inferior

high land, of lofty pines,

of a

great height, mixed with fcrubby oaks,

black-gum, and maple. In this part of America there are feven different fpecies of oak, i;/z.

black-oak, white-.

-^ T'our in the

94

white-oak, red-oak, Spani£h-oak, wlllowoak, live-oak, and fcrubby oak.

The in

appearance and colour of the

the

beft

with a lArith

high lands,

very

either

iliffj

crooked

timber,

excepting

which generally grow every where,

is

is

and

fandy

the

large,

pines,

tall,

and

they are

unlefs

But the worft timber,

crowded together. ance, and

v,'orft

wet, and livery, with low,

light, or

on the worfl

and covered

That of the

timber.

whitifh-brown,

ftraight

dark brown,

tinge of red,

flight

tall

is

foil

land,

makes

a better appear-

larger than the trees in St*

James's and Hyde-parks.

The

general

mode of

clearing the land

where timber

in this country,

value, and labour

of great,

is

is

of no

by cut-

is

ting a circle round the tree, through the

bark, quite to the w^ood, before the fap rifes,

which

kills

it

;

and they

the ground below immediately,

cultivate

leaving

the trees to rot ftanding, which happens

within a very few years, and they never bear leaves more.

A

large

United States of America.

A large

field in this fituation,

g^ makes a

and tremendous

moft fingular,

ftriking,

appearance

would feem indeed dan-

it

:

gerous to walk in

it,

as the trees are of a

height and magnitude

prodigious

-,

vafl

and branches of enormous

limbs,

impending

in

awful ruins,

fize

from a great

height, fometimes breaking off, and fre-

quently whole trees falling to the ground,

with a horrible crafh, the found of which increafed and protraded

is

by the reverbera-

tioilof the furrounding echoes.

Yet, not-

withftanding this apparent danger, very

few I

accidents

happen

ever

never heard

any

of

from

it.

excepting

to

beads.

When

they faw

falls,

pieces,

huge

the timber

cut

fmaller

down, or in

trees

and heap them up together

piles,

where they at'

the

is

and in many fet fire to

in

different places,

them

in the winter,

which time the whole country around

appears in a blaze

;

and the atmofphere

is

then extremely incommoded, and totally

pervaded with fmoak.

For

A ^our in the

g6

For very frequently the large,

dry,

and almofl rotten flanding timber, catches and blazes with great fury

fire,

is alfo

communicated

;

the

to the leaves

fire

on the

ground, in the furrounding woods, which are there accumulated to a great depth,

by

falling

from the

trees

to the

earth,

where they have been encreafmg, jlratum fiiper

Jlratum^ from the moft remote pe-

riod of time; being

very dry and com-

they inftantly catch

buftible,

like

fire

the conflagration quickly fpreads

tinder

;

many

miles on every fide, and at length

becomes general and dreadfully tremendous

;

for there

tinguiihing,

is

no

poffibility

or retraining

the violence

and velocity of the devouring

which deftroy and confume timber,

clofures,

and

driving even the wild

and

all

beafl:s

of ex-

flames,

fences,

in-

vegetation

before

them

their progrefs, at length,

in

flocks

is

only terminated by fome large river,

or

by heavy

;

rains.

This

United States ofAmericdi

This has induced the

97

leglflature to

en-

deavour to guard agahift fuch alarming accidents,

by paffing ads

ting

to

fire

the

to prevent fet-

woods, &c.

notwith-

flanding which, thefe terrible conflagrations are

Vol.

ftill

I.

frequent every year.

H

C

H

x^

P,

A

^S

Tour in the

CHAP. Inhabitants of the Country

of People.

XIII.

and of the Towns.

ClaJJcs

Methods of Trade

Planters,

Stores.

and Commerce.

'

^

I

HE

inhabitants of

this

of

part

America may be comprehended in

jS.

a very few

clafTes.

All in the country, without exception,

are planters,

ftore-keepers or perfons

and hunters

trade,

:

in

thefe laft are chiefly

confined to the back country and frontiers

next the Indians. In

the

mechanics, keepers line,

towns

there

lawyers,

furgeons,

or perfons

fome

are

in

few flore-

the commercial

and tavern-keepers.

However, the are fo .

•

generality of the towns

inconfiderable,

that

in

England

they would fcarcely acquire the appellation of villages.

The

different diftind branches of

ma-

nufacturers, fuch as hofiers, haberdafhers,

7

clothiers,

Vnited States of America, clothiers,

linen-drapers,

gg

grocers,

flatlo-

&c. are not known here they comprehended in the fingle name

ners,

;

are all

and occupation of merchant, or

flore-

keeper.

What are called fhops in England, are known here by the appellation of ftores, and fupply the inhabitants with every dividual article neceflary in

life,

in-'

fuch as

linens, woollens, filks, paper, books, iron, cutlery, hats, ftockings, fhoes, wines, fpi-

fugars,

rits,

which ftins,

in

&c, and even jewelry

return

furs,

they receive

cotton,

butter,

;

for

tobacco,

flour,

&c^

in confiderable quantities at a time, being

obliged to give a year's credit.

By little is

this

it

fpccie

in

appears, that there circulation

no great occafion

raifes

his

his

own

cyder,

for

cloathing,

but

indeed there

;

for a planter

;

own

meats, beef, and bacon,

corn

and

bread,

and brandy,

peaches,

it

is

&c.

and

which

is

his

drink,

his

fruit,

apples,

great

part

of his

cotton.

Ha

He

A

lOO

He

Tour

hi the

has no market to repair to but the

neareft ftore

;

which

him

chiefly fuppHes

with finery, befides the ufeful and neceiTary articles for

agriculture,

and what

little

clothing his flaves require, for which he

pays his crop of tobacco, or whatever

may

be his ftaple produce, and

is

elfe

always

twelve months in arrear.

CHAP.

United States of America.

CHAP. 'Tarhiirg.

Got

oi

XIV.

Attacked by an itinerant New-light Preacher. Strange Ignorance and uncouth Appear^

Lojl.

Injlance of extraordinary

ance of the Inhabitants. Hofpltallty

and Benevolence. Chowan Sound. MocCure for

Rattle. Snakes.

cojfon Snakes.

Made an

I

i

excurfion

named Tarburg

to a is

it

:

large as Halifax, being

their Bite.

town,

little

not half fo

a very infignifi-

eant place indeed. I

was entertained by a Mr. Hail, the

night

I

remained in

place,

this

and

re-

turned to Halifax next day.

Tarburg

is

about forty miles due fouth

and has not been

from Halifax,

many years. The chief produce around is

tar,

place

this

Indian corn, and hogs.

There

is

a large

wooden bridge over

Tar-river, at this town,

and wide, yet carried

built

which

feveral as

away by

is

very high

good have been

the floods.

H

3

I

made

A Tour in the

102

made another

I

on account of the yentures therein,

was

It

jniles

Cho\yan- found.

to

Fulham's

ferry

below the town),

(about

where

fifteen

I

croffed

and that evening reached Mat-

the river,

thew

fhall relate.

1

the fouth fide of the Roanoak, as

as

far

fingularity of the ad-

out from HaHfax, and rode along

I fet

down

which

peregrination,

Brickie's ordinary.

Here

I

tions, but

found tolerable

had

to

accommoda-

defend myfelf againft the

formidable attacks of a new-light itinerant preacher,

who had

perverted this family,

as well as moil of the vicinity

of his

;

and

after

artillery,

fpiration,

upon

inhabitants in the

exhaufting

cant,

me

all

the

fire

and pretended inin

vain,

he

very

gravely and formally concluded, and pro-

nounced with great an

obfcinate

foleranity, that I

unbeliever^,

and

that

was

my

hour of receiving light and divine grace

was not yet

arrived.

Having rode I

fet

thirty-fix miles that day,

out next morning, and proceeded

through

United States of America,

103

through the dreary pines, which compofe

woods

ahiioft all the

way

;

that

grow down

this

and about twelve o'clock, following

me

a path that led

my

out of

entirely bewildered and

road,

I

got

loft.

Being extremely fatigued, hungry, and dry,

feveral miferable hovels,

I called at

at the diftances of five or fix

but could neither obtain diredions

der,

my way,

on

afun-

jr.iles

or

any kind of refreftiment

even the water was

and

infalubrious,

very

fo

that

it

;

tailed,

ill

could fcarcely

be drank. I

rode on in this

and precarious

fi

miferable

tuatlon,

among

dilemma thefe ig-

norant wretches, until night approached,

when they

all

refufed to permit

lodge un^er their fhelters **

ing (as they faid) where

*'

or

why

I

come

fhouid

" nobody comes

;

'* :

I

came from, where

there,

but (telling me)

could get to Mr. Tyers's, about

**

miles

I

to

Wonder-

*'

off,

me

might get quarters

if

I

it\^txi

for

;

''

he often had ftrange, outlandifh folks

^*

to lodge at his houfe

H

4

;

and was a rich *'

man,

I

A

©4

*'

Tour

man, and had a

in the

and

mill,

" fmith's fhop, and a

a black-

flill.*'

Thefe people are the moll wretchedly ignorant of any could not

county,

me

tell

or

3ny other

They

ever met with.

I

the

parifh

name of

the place,

they refided

nor

in,

place in the adjacent country

me

neither could they furnifli directions,

by which

I

with any

might again

dif-

cover and afcertain the right way.

Their appearance

alfo is equally fordid

and mean, being of a fallow complexion

and yellowifh hue, almoft mulattoes, with the

v/ood (the roots

named clothed

fmoak of the

is

their

cotton rags,

in

whole

that

dirt

With much

fo

fuel,

had been

once dyed of fome colour, and veloped in

as

light-

and knots of pine,

which

here),

tawney

as

all

en-

perfuafion, I procured

one

and

naftinefs.

of thefe lumps of mortality to accom-

pany me

as a

where, after

guide to this Mr. Tyers's,

much difficulty, and no

fmall

hazard in paffing over feveral deep and

miry

Vti Hed St a tcs of

miry fwamps,

I

at

America,

105

length arrived, a

little

after dark.

Here

I

of

churlifhnefs

the

for

ample compenfation

obtained

creatures

whom

I

thofe

ignorant

had been among, by

the hearty welcome, and kind hofpitable

entertainment

who

I

received from

appears to be a

little

Mr. Tyers,

monarch

in

this

domain, being the only magiflrate in

this

place for thirty miles around, aid,

I

had almoft pronounced, the only

in-

telligent being.

His houfe was the plainnefs, mirth

feat

of plenty and

and good-humour, and

genuine hofpitality without oflentation but entirely out of the

way from

;

all

public roads.

Here

I

found a large table loaded with

fat roafted turkies, ^tti^^

and ducks, boiled

fowls, large hams, hung-beef, barbicued pig,

^c.

enough

for

five-and-

twenty

men.

Mr. Tyers

told

me, that

It

was but

feldom he was favoured with the com-

pany of any

ftrangers

;

but

when he was fo

A I'our

lo6 fortunate,

io

in the

him

always afforded

it

great pleafure to entertain them, becaufe

he was

they could obtain no

fenfible that

refrediment any where near

him, and

for that reafon, he

had given diredtions

to the

for

inhabitants

round him, to fend

all

twenty miles aflrangers to

his

houfe.

Mr. Tyers, with a benevolence and grace that> would do honour to any ftation, mounted his horfe, next morning, to

accompany

me

day

for the

;

both to

fhew me the way, and the country.

We arrived at a miles over a

on Chowan-river,

(named Cotton's)

or found

upon

ferry

we

;

croffed

it,

is

it

is

three

and rode along

wooden caufeway,

marlh, which

:

through a

here called a poccofon,

growing thick with

tall

reeds, near three

miles over.

Down

way

this

I

numbers of cyprefs and

lofty,

in

Jow grounds

;

many

alfo obferved trees,

tall,

great

ftraight,

of the fwamps and

befides multitudes of

fm-

gular

U?2tfed States of America,

named

gular excreflences,

107

cyprefs knees,

which make a very odd appearance,

arif-^

ing in the form of knees, out of the moft

miry

places.

We

then

and reached

returned,

Matthew

old fandified landlord

and

in the

Brickie's,

where Mr. Tyers flayed

that night,

morning we parted

:

my alfo

he return-

ing to his houfe, the manfion of benevolence and virtue tily tired, I

and

;

andfick of

to Halifax, hear-

I

my

excurfion.

cannot omit obferving a fmgular and

very difagreeable fight

Chowan- river ferpents,

:

I

noticed in pafTmg

was numbers of large

it

lying upon logs and fallen trees

in the river,

balking themfelves in the

fun. It

feems

cofon, as

abounds

marfli, morafs,

this

fuch

places

with thefe

are

or poc-

named

noxious difguPiful

x

creatures.

Moft of them called

here,

were

of

the

kind

moccoifon fnakes, as large as the

rattle-fnake, deftitute

of

but

thicker,

rattles^

fhorter,

and

which renders them

more

A

lo8

Tour in the

more dangerous, bite

by

as

this

means they

without previous warning, which the

and

fattle-fnake never does,

and

equally poifonous

more

fatal;

fome fay

fo.

They

are beautifully

manner

fame

the

their bite is

fpeckled, juft In

the

as

though they appear

duller,

rattle- fnake,

the colours

of each being the fame, but thofe of the moccoffons not fo bright; for the fimilitude

between them

fo

is

very ftrong,

that thefe are generally reckoned the fe-

male

by the more ignorant

rattle fnakes,

inhabitants.

Although the

bite

of both thefe fnakes

have always proved certain death, yet is

it

that the inhabi-

furprifing to obfcrve,

under very flender apprehen-

tants

are

fions

from them

:

indeed they feem to

dread themno more than any other ferpent.

However, to

have

whole It

a

all

the

particular

Americans antipathy

appear to

the

fpecies.

has but very lately been difcovered,

that there

is

a

remedy of

efficacy for

the bite

United States of America.

i

o^

of thofe fnakes, and an antidote a-

bite

gainfl: their poifon.

This

of the juice

equal quantities

is

of hore-hound and plantain, adminiftered

and frequently,

internally, largely

poultices to the

of the bruifed plants

applied

wound.

was a poor negroe

It

and

flave that firfl

difcovered this valuable fovereign

remedy;

and the aflembly, or parliament of North-

him with

Carolina, rewarded

and two hundred pounds

A

it.

and an nity

;

his freedom,

for

divulging

laudable example to governments, inftance of their fuperior

which

will

huma-

for ever reflect

upon

them the higheft honour. Notwithftanding

remedy may be

readily

eafily adminiftered

as

this plain

and fimple

obtained,

and

by the moft ignorant,

both horehound and plantain grow

fpontaneoufly near almoft every houfe, and in moft places

cleared of

where the land has been

woods

j

yet the

knowledge of

this great benefit to be derived

from them

has extended but very

oecafioned

little,

by

.A

11

by

T!our in the

th$ fmall intercourfe, and very limited

communication there

tween the thinly and

is

in

general be-

diftantly fcattered

inhabitants of this wide-fpread country fo that

from

this ignorance, the

bite

of

thefe noxious

and deadly ferpents con-

tinue

prove almoft as

ftill

to

fatal as

ever.

CHAP.

XJnited States of America,

CHAP. Woman.

Extraordinary

XV.

American General an Inn*

SlmpHchy of the

Dreadful Thunder-clap.

keeper.

An

Negroes.

extraordinary Injlance thereof.

BOUT ber

I

1 1

Novem-

the beginning of

departed from Halifax, where

with great fatisfadion I had enjoyed a very agreeable focicty, on

borough, which

twenty-two miles called

I

bait

my

at

horfe,

my

juft

is

route to Hillf-

one hundred and

diftant.

Edmundfon's ordinary and

to breakfaft

;

which

to is

about ten or eleven miles from Halifax.

At

this

ftrongeft

houfe

I

faw the

woman, perhaps,

largeft

in the

and

world

:

fhe was fix feet two inches and a half in

height, well built in proportion, ftrong, robuft,

and mufcular

flature.

She

pofleffed

fpirit inferior to

no

bully,

as a

no man

man

of the fame

a boldnefs ;

bruifer, wreftler,

and

and there was or any per-

fon that excelled in athletic power and agility,

A

J 1

'Tour in the

miles around, that

agility, for fifty

had not complimented with a complete drubbing perfedl virago,

;

in

and

fair

was a

fhe

of great courage and

tonilhing ftrength and I

fhort,

flie

ill

af-

nature.

fubmitted to fome fmall impofition

in her charge, rather than enter the

lifts

with her in difpute, and run the rifque of experiencing her prowefs this

flie

for indeed

conftantly

upon all that frequent houfe, of which fhe is mafter as well or

levies this

only a contribution

is

;

exacfts

as miftrefs, her infignificant

hulband be-

ing an abfolute cypher.

Having

received an invitation to fpend

fome days with Thomas Eaton, his feat

efq.

at

on the banks of the Roanoak,

twenty- eight miles above Halifax,

I

ar-

rived there to dinner. It

fide

pleafantly fituated

is

of the

river,

wider here than

There place,

great

is

which

on the fouth is

one half

at Halifax.

a very public

ferry

at this

belonging to Mr. Eaton, and of

emolument

to

him.

The

of Amenta.

Vftiied States

1

1

The low grounds are more extenfivehere than any where

Mr. Eaton

on the Roanoak.

poflefles a

very fine

alone

worth

plantation

this

elfe

is

eftate

at

:

lead

three thoufand pounds, containing about

hundred acres

fifteen

;

yet

his

father

purchafed the whole for thirty pounds.

With

fuch aftonifhing rapidity has the

value of landed property increafed in this province.

During the few days

that I remained

Mr. Eaton's, we made many pleafant exeurfions in the vicinity, on vifits to every

at

perfon of any note.

In a

little

feries's, efq.

emigration to Ofborri

on the banks of Tar-River,

my

horfe

call

and make fome ftay

inn,

or

houfe,

lame,

falling

tavern,

kept

Jef->

by

at

obliged at

us

to

an ordinary,

Bute county court-

one Jethroe Sumner,

where we found an excellent dinner

as

well as an agreeable facetious hoft.

[This inn-keeper has diftinguifhed himfelf in the courfe

Vol. L

of the late war, being I

the

A Tour in the

114

who

army,

of the American

Sumner,

the general

has been

adiive

fo

in

ths

lufly,

antl

eafy

and

CaroHnas.

He

a

is

man

of a perfon

handfome,

rather

genteel

addrefs

marriage with

his

:

an

with

young woman of a good

whom

being a captain

war

j

but

above

of provincials his violent

all

and keeping an inn

houfe (which

is

fcarcely

oircumftance

in the

to his

may

at

lafl:

princi-

the court-

thought a meaa

fingular

occupation here),

more

with

he received a handfome fortune

his

ples,

family,

a

appear,

as the latter

contributed

appointment and promotion

American army, thaa any other

merit.

For

it

Is

one third of

more

than

their general officers

have

a

fad,

that

been inn-keepers, and have been chiefly indebted to that circumflance for

fuah

rank.

Becaufe by that flation, their

public,

principles

but inferior

and perfons be-

came more generally known; and

liy

the

United States of America, the mixture and variety of

and

ideas

their

nefs,

company they

way of

converfed with, in the

115

their bufi-

ambitious

their

views were more excited and extended the generality of the

than

who remained

planters,

refpeclable

and

honeft

in

peace at their homes.]

There rich

is

an extreme valuable body of

high land that extends

whole

county court-houfe

Bute

around

trad: is ftrong

common

and

fertile in

There

degree.

miles

five :

this

an un-

fcarcely

is

a

pine-tree to be found within that diftance,

although the furrounding woods on every fide,

are very

much

mix:ed with them.

Having been favoured with

a kind and

preffing invitation to vifit Robert der,

efq.

I

left

Mr.

upon him, from

Eaton's,

whom

every attention and

I

and called

alfo received

civility.

Mr. Alexander accompanied view a remarkable place

named

the

Horfe-ford

where horfcs can

Alexan-

in the ;

the

to

Roanoak, only

crofs the river,

I 2

me

one

in that

manner,

A

ii6

manner, for a above

miles

month

is

difficult

;

it

fifteen

it is

:

and

at

this

more than half a mile only during one

of the year,

in the drieft feafon

and even then and

vaft diftance

fordable

is

it

:

the

in

Eaton's ferry,

place the river

wide

Tour

is

extremely hazardous

the water being never lefs

than four feet deep, and the current very rapid. .

The

land on each fide of the river at

place

this

being very

The year,

nor

is

is

broken and

(lerile

and poor in

weather here, at really

quality.

of the

this feafon

charming, neither too cold,

much incommoded with

and iky being always lerene,

befides^

hilly,

clear,

heat

;

the air

bright,

and thunder and ftorms much

and lefs

frequent. I

forgot to mention, that while I

was at

Mr. Eaton's, one morning having very early,

{landing at the door,

arofe I

ob-

ferved a fmgle fmall black cloud, and not

another, of any kind, to be feen in the

hemifphere, the fky being a pure bright aaure:

that

inftant,

all

on a fudden, there

Vnked States of America. came the moft

there

and tremen-

violent

remember lightning flruck Mr.

^dous thunder-clap that ever to have heard; the

Eaton's kitchen,

fplit

down

performed a multitude of of eledricity, and

iiy

killed

I

the chimney,

fantaftic freaks

two negroe men,

but did no hurt to two infants, then in their arms.

This was accounted the more extraordinary, as there

was only

that fingle ex-»

plofion:

and

in the moft violent thunder

ftorms,

when

peals fucceed each other, in

ioud contention, for a confiderable duration

of time, any accident

therefrom

feldom ever heard of; only

is

large, lofty trees in

quently

the

in fliivers,

fplit

tom, and

happening

fet

on

fire

woods

are fre-

from top

to bot-

by the lightning on

fuch occafions.

Both Mr. Alexander and Mr. Eaton pofTefs excellent plantations, rich,

and very valuable and eminent felves

duftry,

:

they are both great

planters,

and value them-

highly upon their

and

fertile,

fkill,

their

in-

their fuperior crops. I

3

At

1

A 'Tour

1

At Mr. Eaton's that it

I

I

in the

faw the large ft turnip

can recollect ever to have heard of:

was four

feet eight inches in

but was of the

ference,

and not

circum-

fpungy kind,

flat

This

at all thick in proportion.

turnip was not cultivated alone, but grew in a large field untnanured, promifcuouf-

many

iy with

thoufands more,

of which were perhaps lor I meafured

as large as this,

myfelf in the

it

I fhall here relate

field.

a trifling, or rather

diverting circumftance that terefting to fome,

numbers

may

be in-

by evincing the great

fimplicity of the blacks.

Having taken with me Richmond, from I

had

me

a negroe

named

a plantation here,

which

juft piirchafed

over, the

and

Roanoak

carry

fettled, to

in a canoe,

that I

might contemplate on and enjoy an elegant, wild perfpedive, from the fummit of a confiderable eminence that arofe abruptly

on a river,

peninfula, alnioft furrounded I

ordered

him

to

meet

by the

me

with

the canoe at the oppofite fide of the peninfula.

When

United States of America,

Wh-en

arrived

I

there,

at

119 the

time

no

appointed, there was no canoe, and

negroe

called out for

I

:

loud as

Richmond,

but had no

could vociferate,

I

as

anfwer. It

was about the middle of th-e day, which

happened fultry ;

I

uncommonly hot and

be

to

was much

indifpofed and reduced

very weak with an intermittent fever After waiting until

the

of

heat

;

th-c

weather and the fever had almoft over-

come me,

refolved to

I

jthe fid€

of the

or

fi-nd

him

be

afleepj

river, until I fhould

as I

;

which

ly addided to

:

walk down, along

meet

apprehended he might

all

negroes are extreme-

but in this attempt

I

found

the utmoft difficulty, from the almoft infuperable impediments of trees fallen, and

impending over the water, deep miry foil

and leaves that funk

every

ftep,

to

my

knees

impenetrable briars and under-

wood, black muddy gutts from the river, which compelled me to make circuits of half a mile

of them,

and

to get

innumerable I

4

round

each

fwarms of

muike^

^ Tour in the

120

infeds,

fnufketocs, ticks, poifonous

Jtnd

fnakes.

Every quarter of a mile

loudly called

I

Frequently

him, but received no anfwer. quite

down

fatigue, I funk

for

and

overpowered with weaknefs

mere

and as often,

to reft,

felf-prefervation

and defence,

jp^s' compelled to arife again to infup-r

portable

toil.

my

me, with

At length night overtook cloaths torn,

my

flefh lace?

rated and bleeding with briars and thorns^

ftung

over by poifonous infeds,

all

fuffo-r

patcd with thirft and heat, and fainting

^nder fatigue, imbecility, and

difeafe.

In this wretched miferable condition, I at lerigth arrived at the place

where

I

had

landed 'm the morning, having travelled

about

a

five miles in

feven hours, through

perpetual thicket

of ^Imoft impene-

trablewoods.

Here tlje

}

I

found Richmond,

faft alleep

ir^

canoe, jexadly in the fame fpot where

had

left

him

in the

Being incenfed ffjfCf^t^ried

t

him

morning.

in the higheil degree, I

witli

fevere punifhment^

XJmted States of America.

svhenKe begged

me

Kay

mafla (fays

*

me,

me

^

into de canoe

*

fifh,

^

me

'*

•*

jnafTa

very

fit

jump

h'e);

;

me den

flill,

and no

malTa,

now,

^

ging, caufe if great

*

de canoe, he

mqifTa,

maffa,

fo,

*

flogging.'

ment

fine'

dei>

;

vsrake

me

fee

fifh

me

you come

till

me know me

fall afleep,

deferve flog-

did

jump

afleep,

into

den he

out again, and I no catch him;.

^

My

jump up

very grad

into de canoe; but

^

jump

juft leave

until another great fifh

«

^

you

here he be, maffa,

3

2%^

to liften to his excufe,

here, great fifh

fit

1

me

willing

now

take good

pain and vexation were for a

forgotten, and

I

mo-

laughed heartily at

the poor fellow's ignorance, and extreme fimplicity, in waiting there for

to

jump

more

into his canoe, becaufe

happened

to

do

fo

j

fifhe^

one had

and therefore forgave

\i\% crinie,

CHAP.

1

A Tour in the

22

CHAP. XVL Member of

ISiUtbuJh Creek,

the

Congrefs^

famous Mender[on, and

the

Anecdotes of

Origin of

the npvJ

Settlement of Kentucky,

WHEN

I

left

Mr. Alexander's,

I

proceeded up the river fide to Taylor's

ferry,

which

the moll fre-

is

quented of any on Roanoak, and ated on the great road leading

fitu-

is

from the

moft populous parts of the Carolinas, to the

richefl:

and mofl thick

fettled.

divifiOn

of Virginia. I

th^n flruck out on

a very fine

my left

fettlement

called

hand, into

Nutbufh,

from a creek of that name, which runs and it is a large body of ex^ through it ;

cellent land. I

put up

man

at the

houfe of a Mr. Penn, a

of fome property,

been furnifhed with

mendation and

From liteBi

this

3

whom

letters

I

had

of recom-

civility.

gentleman

attentions,

to

I

and we

received the po-

entered

on a very

United States of America.

123.

very ferious and private converfatlon oa political fubjeds,

his

mind, and

wherein he fullv opened

difclofed his fentiments

on

that head with the moft undifguifed confidence, freedom,

and candour.

[The above Mr. Penn was afterwards a delegate to Congrefs from the ftate of North Carolina 5 and a few days fubfequent to their declaration

of

dence, while I was a prifoner

Americans,

having

an

indepen-

among

opportunity of

cbnverfmg with him, and finding litical

the

his

principles fo totally different

what they appeared to me to be I gave him a hint thereof, which

po-

from

before, calling

back his recolledion to our former confidential

him,

cohverfation,

fo that

making any Here lawyer,

much

perfedly

he adually was incapable of farther reply.

I alfo called at

who

filenced

is

faid to

]

one Williams's, a be,

and

is

very

like a mulattoe»

At

A Tour

tZ4^

in

the

At this houfe I happened to fall in company, and ha^^^e a great deal of converfation with one of the

moft fingular,

add extraordinary perfons and excentric geniufes in America, and perhaps in the.

world.

His name father

is

is ftill

refidence

is

Nathaniel Henderfon; his

alive,

a poor man,

in the fettlement of

where he was

at this

time on a

This Ton was grown up fore

whofe

NutbuQi, vifit.

to maturity be-

he had been taught to read or write,

and he acquired thofe rudiments of education,

and arithmetic

alfo,

by

his

own

indefatigable induftry.

He

then obtained the inferior

conftable; office

from

that

office

was promoted

of

to the

of under- fherifF; after this he pro-

cured a licenfe to plead as a lawyer, in the inferior or county courts, and foon 3.fter

in the fuperlor, or higheft courts

of

judicature.

Even there,where oratory and eloquence is

as brilliant

and powerful as in Weft^

minfler-hall, he foon

became

diftinguiffied

an4

VJnited States

of America.

i

^5

and eminent, and his fuperior genras (honef forth with great fplendor, and univerfal applaufe.

He

man

was, at the fame time, a

and pliant

pleafure, gay, facetious,

of nor

;

did his amazing talents, and general praife, create

him a

enemy.

fingle

In (hort, while yet a very young manj

he was promoted from ^he bar

and

bench,

the

to

appointed Affociate

Chief

Judge of the province of North Carolina, with a falary adequate to the dignity.

Even tation

in this elevated ftation, his repu-

and renown continued

But having chafes,

made

and having

feveral

to

increafe.

large

pur-

fallen into a train

cxpence that his circumftances and

of fi-

nances could not fupport, his extenfive genius ftruck out on

a bolder

tra

JMifTouri

TheMiflburi, upon the

river Miflburi

The Sioux of the woods The Sioux of the mea-

-\

[^

dows

The

3 49

3000

towards the 1800 heads of the

^ Miffiilippi

2500

Blancs, Barbus, or white Indians

with beards

^,

»

rr.

M

-

-1

TheAffiniboils ^, ^, -n The Chriftaneaux

The

-

-

1500

(.

,

r^

,

r

lakesot the lame

I

\

name

•^

^5^0

3000

Ouifcanfms, on a river of that

name

that falls into the

Mafcoutens Sakis

Miffiffippi

-

in the eaft fide

The The

-

1 far north near- the

-

-

^ co

coo ISouthofPuans Bay 400

-j

The Mechecouakis 3

2 co

Folle Avoine, or the^

Wildcat Indians

The Pucans The Powtewatamis;

'

?ro Near Pucans Bay

700

J

River, and Detroit

near

St. -

Jofeph's -

350 The

-^

35^ Names

The

T(?z/r

m

of the Nations,

the Situation.

or River

Meflefagues,

Warriors,

Indians,

being wandering tribes on the Lakes Huron and Superior The Ottahwas Near the Lakes SupeThe Chlpwas j rior and Michigan The Wiandots, near Lake Erie The Six Nations, or as the French call "1

2000

900 5000 300

them, the Iroquois, on the frontiers

New- York, &c.

of

The Round-headed

1500

-

-

Indians, near the

head of the Ottahwa River

2500

-

The Algonquins, near the above The Nipiflins, near the above alfo The Chalas 1 r t t t ^t. Laurence Indi_, i-n The Amalutes .

^„.

,

>

-

,

ans, ^^

,

t

r-

on the back or

The Michmacks o o Nova-Scotia, ccc. Ai J The Abenaquis The Conawaghrunas, near the falls of I

rm

•

St.

400 i

'^o

I

f

^.

300

Lewis

I

-

-

-

-

Total amount

'J^o

-^ -^

7°® 35^

200 58,930

This

United States of America,

351

This being the whole number of men fit

may

from hence we

for bearing arms,

be enabled to form fome idea of the

num-

the Indian inhabitants,

men,

ber of

all

women and

children,

which

of North America;

however, rather a

I

am

on the continent calculation,

ready to confefs can be but

vague conjedture.

There being hundred and

fifty- eight

thirty warriors,

it is

computed

that about one-third of the fame

more

are old

men

nine

thoufand

number

unfit for bearing

arms,

which makes the number of males come to maturity

thoufand

five

multiplied

and

amount

by

hundred and feventy fix will

produce

thirty-one thoufand

and twenty, which

number of children,

are

to about eighty-eight

come

all

four

the

and

hundred

hundred

confider as the

fouls, viz.

of in

I

five

;

whole

men, w^omen and Indian nations that

any degree vathin our know-

ledge throughout the continent of North

America. It is

a mofl: melancholy confideratlon to

refledl, that thefe

few

are

all

that

remaih 04

A

2^2

Tour in the

of the many millions of

natives,

original inhabitants with

which

continent was peopled

vered by the Whites will foon be extind lated,

when

or abthis vafl

firft

difco-

and that even thefe

;

and

confidering the

totally annihi-

amazingly

rapid

depopulation they have hitherto experienced, fince that (to them) fatal period, or sera

of the

firft

arrival

of the whites in

America.

CHAP.

tint fed States

of America.

CHAP. Leave Kentucky, the Ohio. Jlffippiy

Sail

XLV*

down

the Ohio.

Agreeahle Companions.

and proceed down

Chickcfaws.

353

'The Falls

that River.

Their fine Horfes.

of

Enter the Mif-'

Meet fome

A gallant t^ation.

Attacked by a va/l Superiority of French and Indians,

Defeat them*

Their Origin,

ABOUT rival

at

fix

Their Cavalry.

weeks

after

my

ar-

Kentucky two gentlemen

from Virginia, on a tour from thence to New Orleans, called to view the fettlement.

They came from in a very fine

by water, which they had

Pittfburg,

batteau

purchafed, and Intended to proceed in the

fame manner down the Ohio and MUTfiffippl, being furniflied with letters of

recommendation to the Spaniih governor of

New

Orleans, &c.

Having remained along with us at Mr. Henderfon's fome days, I difcovered them to be uncommonly fenfible intelliVoL.

I.

A

a

gent

-^ Tour in the

354

gent perfons, pofTefTing an extraordinary

of genius,

(liare

and was not difRcult

accompany them

and

fpirit

enterprize,

to be perfuaded to

in their batteau to

New

Orleans.

For

promifed myfelf abundance of

I

fatisfadion and gratification in this voyage

down

the Ohio and IM iilifTippi

Befides

I

fatigued in

had been

my

fo exceffively over-

journey here, over the

mountains, that

abfolutely dreaded the

I

thoughts of returning in the fame

man-

ner.

For thefe reafons

I

embraced

with great pleafure, and

Mr. Henderfon, and iox:

their

entertainment,

I

returning

feveral other of the

principal inhabitants of

thanks

after

this offer

Kentucky,

civility

many

and hofpitable

embarked on board Mr.

Wood's and Mr. Lewis's batteau, along w4th my young favage whom I brought from the

eaft lide

of the Alegany

Moun-

tains.

This young man, whofe name was Wiliiam Fortune,folicited memoftearnefllyfor per-

^r-

XJinted States of America*

jiermlfTion to attend I

me

voyage, which

this

very readily granted, having hitherto

found him of great ufe

and

refpedt,

an

me

to

excellent

in every

hunter and

Woodfman. In both thefe offers felf

I

extremely fortunate.

tendant, whdfe fidelity

perienced thefe

and next

me

appeared equally

me

iri

perfuad-

v/ith

very to-

accommodations.

My prefent companions vellers

company of

undertake the voyage, and in

being able to furnifh lerable

at-

had already ex-

by having fucceeded to

my-

my

Tirft in

in the

who

gentlemen

gratified

ing

;

I

confidered

and fellow-tra-

were two gentlemen j the

James Wood,

efq,

firft

who was member

named of the

affembly of Virginia for the county of Frederick, was

young, adtive and vigorous was

frank, open and communicative in his diipofition,and poffefled a degree of candour and liberality

of fentiment, that rendered his ac-

quaintance valuable in the highefi: degree; the other was Charles LewiSj of Augufta

county in Virginia,

A

efq. fcarcely inferior to

a 2

Mr.

A

35^

Mr.

Wood

and

defert.

Tour

in the

in every eftimable qualification

They had two Chickefaw Indians, and three white men in their batteau, and as they juft wanted one man more to complete their

my

number,

fervant fupplied

the place.

However, although

now

I

call this

man

my fervant, yet he himfelfnever would have fubmitted to fuch an appellation, although

he mofl

readily performed every menial of-

and indeed any

fice,

yet fuch culous

-,

the infolence, folly, and ridi-

is

of thofe

pride

woods men, an

fervice I could defire

that they

ignorant

back-

would conceive

it

and infamy to be

indelible difgrace

ftyled fervants, even to his Majefty,

not-

withanding they will gladly perform the loweft

and mofl degrading

hire.

fervices

for

^

At the dawn of day on the nineteenth of July we

left

the Kentucky, and had a

very pleafant voyage Miififlippi, if

down

the

Ohio and

one can give that appel-

lation to fuch a one,

where we

flept

every night

United States of America, night on terra firma, or at the

2 57

our

fliore in

batteau.

We

by

pafTed

tude of fine

magnitude,

rivers,

mouth of and fome

of vafl into

Miffiffippi.

our right were the mighty rivers

Ouabache or

St.

Jerome's, and

many

River, befides a great fize,

muki-

a

empty themfelves

that

the Ohio and

On

the

whofe names

that run into the

BufFaloe

inferior in

v^e could not difcover,

Ohio before the con-

fluence thereof with the Miffiffippi.

On

the

left,

the following rivers

empty

themfelves into it, viz. Rotten or Bear Creek,

Reedy River, rokee or

the prodigious

Hogohegee,

Muddy

river

Che-

River,

Deep

many leffer ones. As we failed down the Miffiffippi, on our right were the rivers La Sonde, Aux Creek, befides

Prunes, Metchigamias Lake or River, the river St. Francis, the

White River, the

ver Sotouis or Akanfas,

Red

mines River, befides a others,

River, Piake-

vaft

number of

fome of a prodigious extent,

A

a 3

ri-

as

weU

A

35^ well as

many

Tour in the inferior ones,

we never heard. And oxi the left

fide

whofe names

were the Kafki-

nompa,the L'hickefaw, Prudhomme River,

Maggotty River, yoiic

Margot River, Ba-

or

River, Soto River, YafTons River,

Tioux River,

GoufFre River, Little

Petit

River, and the Ibberville which fcarcely deferves the

name of

known by

being the Eaflern boundary

and

a river,

only

is

of the Spaniards, forming the ifiand of

New the

whofe

Orleans, Ibberville

Southward

banks of the MifTiffippi titude of water- courfes, Vv'e

from

territory,

;

includes

both

a

mul-

befides

whofe very names.

could not poSibly learn.

The day paUed the

after

we

left

Kentucky we

of the Ohio very

falls

fafely,

by keeping well over on the

right

north -vveftern

for thefe

fiills

are

by no means dangerous ; and had palled them we obferved

after

we

the

low

fliore,

grounds on each

fide

very confiderably, itfclf,

until

we

or

of the river widea

as well

entered

as

the

the river

MiiTiiTippi,

where

United States of America,

where the land

fo

is

low

that

it

3^9 is fubje(5l

to frequent inundations.

we had

After

got fome diftance

down

the MiflifTippi, the high land, and fome-

times the mountains approached the river, fo

low grounds on each

as to render the

fide

very narrow, which however were

luxuriantly rich and

even beyond

fertile,

a pofTibility of defcription.

There places,

likewife

are

illands

in

many

and fome of them almoft covered

with reeds.

As we MiffiiTippi

as they

defcended the

we

flream of the

obferved feveral lakes,

or

are termed here Lagimes^ fome-

times on one

fide,

fometimes on the other

iide of the river.

Thefe lagunes generally had

vaft

quan-

tities

of large reeds growing round the

edges

;

and

within

thoufand's of water

them fowl

were

there

of every fpe-

cies.

Although there was no killing multitudes

of them,

difficulty

yet

it

in

was

almoft impoffible to get them, becaufe of

A

a 4

the

A

360

Tour

in the

the reeds, which rendered that part of the lagiine,

where they were, almoft inag-

ceflible.

Thefe lagunes were formed by the

body of water,

that

comes down

annual periodical floods, forcing

many

acrofs the necks of

in the

its

and meandering courfe of the

crooked

Miffiffippi,

and diverting the channel of the itfelf,

from

peninfula,

neck of

to

it,

where the

its

old

river

direction around the

new one

this

way

different penin-

formed by the extreme

fulas

vaft

acrofs

the

by which means thp place

river formerly flowed

becomes

a large lake of ftanding water, here de-

nominated a lagune.

One day \he

mouth of

tiful,

we were on

while

fhore at

the Yaflbus, a placid, beau-

and noble

river,

a fmall hunting

party of the Chickelaws came up to us,

and

at the requeil

Indians,

as

of our two Chickefaw

well as the

others,

we

re-

mained there two days along with them.

The Chickefaws

are a very brave

and

refpe(Sable nation, not for their numbers, for

United States of America . for

361

they are few, but for their virtue,

and unconquerable

They

fpirit.

remarkably handfome,

are alfo

have a beau-

iand

what

tiful

breed of horfes amongft them, which

is

very fingular,

they carefully preferve umnixed.

The ChickefawSjit is faid,and I make no doubt of the fad, came originally from South America, having travelled acrofs the continent for upwards of two thoufand miles, and brought thefe horfes along with

them, which

admired

arc;

kind

of the breed of that called

Spanlfh

much

gennets,

having long fince taken them from the Spaniards.

There tinent of

fome

as

is

no Indian nation on the con-

North America near the ChickefavvTs.

come next them

hand-

The Hurons

in beauty.

The Chickefaw

nation

been fteady friends and

and

fo

their fidelity

have

always

allies to Britain,

was never fhaken,

al-

though the French have often attempted it,

by promifes,

threats,

and the moft

formidable attacks with a force confider-

ably

A^oiir

•562

in the

ably more than four times the number of all

the warriors in the Chickefaw nation,

either to detach

of Great Britain

them from the or to cut them

interefl

entirely

off.

In the former war, while the French

were in

of Canada, they

poflfeffion

tached about fix hundred and

fifty

de-»

regular

more than two thoufand

troops, and

five

hundred Indians from Canada and nois,

againd

munity,

for

this fmall,

but heroic com-

avowed purpofe,

the

with pofitive orders, of completing a conqueft,

and

even

whole Chickefaw •

all

They

fet

total

extirpation of the

out on this expedition with confidence of fuccefs

imaginable, at leall in their

men

and

nation.

the fecrecy and

but they

Illi-

little

own minds

;

confidered what fort of

they were going to attack, and foon

found, by dire experience, that no fuperiority in

numbers

is

equal to a deter-

for mined valour and innate heroifm the whole detachment was totally de;

feated, the

French regulars being almoft to

United States of j^mcrica. \o a

man

cut ofF, and the Indians their

allies

faved only a fmall

their

number,

by

wounded and

a

proportion of

precipitate

them

behind

leaving

363

flight,

of

multitudes

flain.

This was the

laft

formidable attack

on the Chickefaw nation,

by the

either

French, or the northern Indians

made

for there

;

always has been a rooted enmity between the northern and fourhern Indians, v^'ho

have been almoft perpetually each other, without any

without any

at

real,

war with

and indeed

oftenfible caufe.

But the Chickefaws have always been diftinguiihed

and

feats

for

gallant

their

adions,

of the highefl heroifm, which

has rendered them, even individually, to

be particularly refpecled throughout

all

the nations of North America.

For are

which reafon Chickefaw guides

more fought

more

after,

and

ferviceable than thofe of

are

much

any other

nation.

For although

pommonly made

their

language

ufe of in

is

not

any nation but their

A

364 their

own, yet

Tour in the underftood by

is

it

and among Indians

is

all,

confidered as the

language of politenefs and univerfahty.

Another fingularity that feems pecuhar to

to

be

this nation is, their frequently

going out to meet

theii*

enemies on horfe-

back, which, with their very fine horfes take fuch delight in,

that they

renders

them in fact a nation of cavalry. This indeed is the cafe with no other nation either in North or South America,

we

unlefs

men

except the Patagonians, thofe

of vaft

ftature,

lately

and

uncommonly

difcovered

by

large

admiral

Byron, and the other circumnavigators,"

&c. on the

coafi;

of Patagonia, near the

freights of Magellan,

C

H A P.

United States of America.

CHAP. Orleans.

XLVL Proceed

Arrive at Natches.

Leave TnJJous.

French Inhabitants

Government,

averjc

Number

Liberty.

to

to

Nev/

Span'iJJ)

Earnejily w^Jh

Infurreillon quelled.

for British

365

of Fa?niUes

In.

Nezu Orleans and Louifana.

^N the

third

morning we fet out from

YafTous River, on our voyage the

Miffiffippi,

after

tionate leave of our really

taking

an

down affec-

and as

friendly,

we

found them, hofpitable Chickefaws.

We

met with nothing very material nor

interefting until

we arrived

at the

which we did on the 20th

Natches,

ot Auguft,

being juft thirty-two days from the time

we

left

Kentucky.

Here we time received

ftaid

three days, and in that

many

civilities

and marks of

kindnefs from Major Fields and Claiborne, w^ho were fettled

Mr. L.

on very

fine

and valuable plantations, upon the banks of the Miffiffippi, having come there from Virginia, of which colony they were alfo

4

natives

A

366 natives

;

Tour

and we really found them

very entertaining, prlling

From

in th'e

lenfible

to be

and enter-

men.

we

Natclics

proceeded on

our

voyage on the fourth morning, and arrived

New

at

Orleans in four days, being on

the twenty-feventh of Auguil.

Here we found almofi: all were French derftanding

;

the inhabitants

very few of them even un-

the Spanifh language

and

;

they entertained the moft rooted and im-

pl

-cable

averfion

and government,

the Spanifli

to

nation

as well as a ftrong

pie-

dlledion for the Britifh.

As

a proof of this, although there

is

a

penalty incurred, by proclamation of the

Spanifh Governor, of four hundred or

hundred tifh

five'

even admitting a Bri-

dollars, for

fubjed into one of their houfes, unlefs

they immediately make government acquainted with

it,

yet they

make no

fcruple

nor difficulty of receiving any Englifhman,

and entertaining him

in the

molr generous

and hofoitable manner openly fame time taking care

to

at

the

enhance the

efti-

,

mation

United States of j^merica.

367

matlon of their kind reception, by making

him

acquainted with the rifque they run,

and the penalty they incur the

forfeiture

of thereby.

This

New

of

is

the general pradice in the ifland

Orleans, at fome diftance from the

town, which however being the

government, and being a Spanilh garrifon, for

it

alfo

feat

of

occupied with

would be impoffible

the French inhabitants to

fuch

fulfil

hofpitable intentions and purpofes therein

with

fafety.

They were

at this

time extremely mor-

humbled and intimidated by a circumfl:ance that had occurred but a lliort time, tified,

at leaft but a

Soon

few years before our

after the

territory

leans had been ceded

of

arrival.

New

by France

Or-

to Spain,

the French inhabitants afiTembled together, in a large body, on the thirtieth of Odober,

one thoufand feven hundred and fixtyeight, determined to expel

Don Antonio

d'Uloa the Spanifli Governor, and other Spanifh officers

fecond of

9

-,

all

the

accordingly on the

November they

fent

them on board

A

368

Tour in the

board a large SpaniHi

with orders

to

the harbour,

fliip in

leave the

ifland

imme-

diately.

Previoufly to the above exploit

confined

they

M. Aubry, who was Command-

ant while the place belonged

The occauon was,

to France.

the Spaniards want-

ing to introduce their commercial regulations,

fubmit

which the inhabitants refufed to and declared they would be

to,

either French of Britifh fubjeds, but never

would confent

to be Spanifh.

The Governor

and the

nifh Officers failed for the left

ill

reft

of the Spa-

Havannah, and

the harbour a Spanifh frigate with

the marines, not in a condition to put to fea,

due

and two hoftages to the

for

payment of debts

French.

Four of the principal inhabitants embarked foon afterwards

to lay a reprefenta-

tion of their affairs before the Court

France, and

folicit redrefs

of

of their griev-.

ances.

Things continued fome time, but

at

in this condition for lafl

General Count O'Reiley,

United States of America,

O'Reiky, a brave experienced

(who claims

Irifh defcent,

Jamaica

in the

when

prietor

Weft

369

officer

of

the Ifland of

Indies, as lord pro-

the Spaniards pofTefled

it,)

was ordered there by the Court of Madrid,

New

Orleans, with three

thoufand Spaniards,

and three or four

and landed

at

fhips of war.

The tnitted

inhabitants then imrnediately fub-

and General O'Reiley ordered

;

thirty of the leading

men

in this affair to

be executed, and confifcated the

eftates of

about two hundred more.

This feverity reftrained their adions, but cannot

At under

this

command

the wall.

time fo great

Britifti

is

their defireto

government, and

be

fo general,

fo hearty, fo rooted is their deteftation to

that of Spain, that only a

of Britons, of

Spaniards

;

and enterprize, would

fpirit

be able to wrcft as

all

dozen or two

that country

the

from the

inhabitants

are

all

French, excepting the garrifon which confifts

only of a handful of lazy, proud, mi-

ferable Spaniards,

Vol.

I.

who

Bb

defpife the

French fettlers

570 5/

A Tour m the

I

fettlers as cordially as

they themfelves are

hated by them In return.

At

this

time there would be nothing

wanting or necelTary but ard

of Great Britain,

inhabitants fo

and to fuch a

wifli

.

for

all

French

fupport

II;

Britifh liberty,

degree do they deteft the

government of Spain.

The number of and

ered the ftand-

and the

would one and

much do they

arbitrary

to

ifland

of

New

families

to twelve thoufand at leaft, to

the

town

Orleans, and on the

weft fide of the Miffiffippi,

are thus averfe

in

may amount all

of

whom

be governed by the

Spaniards.

CHAP.

United States of America,

CHAP. Wait

i

XLVII.

Vaji Fertility of the SolL Spa-^

Dangerous JUigators, mjh Beards.

37

on the Governor. Nciv Orleans.

Great DiJireJJes of feme Englifh and French hnprifoncd by the Spaniards in Ne-w Alexico. VaJi Flocks

of Cattle and Horfes. Extenjive Savannahs. Pricfi.

Leave

Coaji along the

New

Orleans..

Jrrive

at

Gulf of Mexico. Mobile^

A good

Manchac* Penfacola,

Jpalachicolaj ^c.

INbanks, the

river

are

MifTiffipi,

many

and on the

very fingular ap-

pearances*

In the river, and in the creeks, rivulets

and water-courfes

falling into

efpecially

it,

near the mouth, are large dangerous ani-

mals named

alligators,

from ten

teen feet and upwards in length

;

to eigh-

they are

a fpecies of the crocodile, and equally, if not

more dangerous than thofe of the river Nile in Egypt; thefe alfo devouring men, oxen, or whatever elfe they can get within their

horrid jaws, in that crafty fubtle manner, fo

often defcribed

already

in

different

authors.

B

b 2

Thefe

A "Tour in the

272

Thefe render

it

dangerous to fleep in

open batteaux on the

MifTiffippi,

and on

account travellers are obliged to

this

on fhore every night, near

lie

to a large fire,

which always prevents the approach of any

beafts of prey.

On rich,

this river the foil

and

is

fo

extremely

fo luxuriantly fertile, that reeds

grow even on

the

cumftance that

I

believe

any where

paralleled

The grand indigo, this

high land is

a

;

not

cir-

to

be

elfe in the univerfe.

culture and ftaple here being

amazing

fertility

of the

foil

not

only produces larger crops thereof than are obtained from equal quantities of ground in

any other land or country, but

alfo

hances the value of the quality of

which

is

always greater according

fuperior richnefs and depth of the

enit,

to the

foil.

Another very fingular and flriking appearance

numerous

is

a kind of mofs, in long and

filaments,

Beardsy which tities,

hang

impending

in

here called Spanifi in prodigious

quan-

hoary majefty from all

United States of America* all

373

the large branches of the lofty oaks,

fometimes touching the very ground.

Thefe convey a venerable idea of antiquity,

and

ftrike the

vail

mind with an awe,

and a fenfation of reverential regard that can fcarcely be defcribed.

This has

alfo its

ferviceable and

beds is

when we

convenient to fleep in the

clean, foft, agreeable,

The town on the

being extremely

ufes,

New

of

woods

;

and

it

and abundant.

Orleans

banks

eaft^rn

make our

is

fituatcd

of the Mifliffippi,

about ninety miles above Cape Laos or

Mud'Cape, where

that river falls into the

gulf of Mexico.

The banks of

the river are fo perpen-

dicular,

and the water

ihip of

any burthen may lay her broad-

fide to the is

is

fo deep, that a

bank, to land and unload, and

moored by

on the

fhore.

The

river

a cable faftened to the trees

is

above a thoufand yards

and the current runs

wide,

all

down-

wards, as the tide does not reach near the

town

5

is

fcarcely perceived

Bba

at

indeed the fide

^

374

^^'^^

mouth of

at all within the

this aftonifhlng

whofe waters, efpccially during the

river,

may

be diftinguillied in

the gulf of Mexico for

many leagues, fome

periodical floods,

•

^^ i^^

fay above an hundred miles out at fea.

The

ftreets

of

in redangular

New

Orleans are laid out

direftions,

the houfes are

many of

generally only one ftory high, yet

them in

pretty good, and they

number

The pretty

and

to three or four

ifland

of

New

may amount

hundred.

Orleans

good land, and

all

of

is it

generally

very low

tiat.

It

is

about an hundred and eighty or

ninety miles in length, but not more than five

miles from navigable water at any

place throughout the whole of

at

it.

On the very next day after our New Orleans, Mr. Wood, Mr.

and

I

arrival

Lewis

waited on the Spanifh Governor; but

being informed that he was engaged for that day,

my companions

him any of

declined fending

the letters of introduction and

recommendation

they

were

furnifhed

with.

Thefe

United States of America,

375

Indeed thefe haughty Virginians were fo

extremely incenfed fion, that

it

of admif-

at this refufal

was with the utmoft

difficulty

could prevail upon them to confent to

I

pay

their perfonal refpeds to the

any more

at all, or to

credentials; to

Governor

fend or prefent their

efpecially as

it

did not appear

them, nor indeed to me, that he was

really

engaged

the time

at

we

received

that meflage

and apology of excufe f*om

him,

could

as

vv^e

plainly difcern him,

through a window, obferving and making his remarks, as

we judged, on

us, while

we

were walking backwards and forwards in the piazza, in expedation of his anfwer

walking ercife a

in that

manner being

a kind

of ex-

Spaniard holds in great contempt.

However we were admitted on the day following, and were even honored by a very friendly reception

;

though

that there appeared to

me

I

muft confefs

a fiiffnefs

and

formality, in his Excellency,,that indicated

a diftruft, and feemed to fay that he could

have difpenfed with our there was

vifit

;

not that

any thing perfonal meant

B

b 4

to us,

for

^

37^

T^our in

the

the frequeQt proofs of civility.

for

an4

pven generous attention, we received fron;

him

afterwards, evinced the contrary.

But we imputed

it

to that

narrow,

illi-

and jealous policy of the Spanish

beral,

government, by which they endeavour to preclude

all

other nations,

any communication with,

much from

the

but even as

knowledge of

American fettlements

The

not only from

reftridtions

all

their

as pofTible.

of the Spanifh govern-

ment on commerce render the

prices of all

European goods here very much advanced, and they would adually be almoft

intoler-

able, if the inhabitants did not contrive tq

get

many

things underhandedly from the

Englifh, French, and Dutch, by rneans of

an

illicit

trade.

Indeed almoft

New

Orleans

is

all

the flour that fupports

imported from PhiladeU

phia, in veifels belonging to a commercial

houfe there, viz. Meffrs. Willing and Morris,

who

have obtained an exclufive privi-

ledge, for that fole purpofe,

from the King

pf Spain,

from

United States of America.

From

this the

quifite of

Governor makes a per-

twenty thoufand

King of Spain,

vernor,

v\^ho

annu-.

dollars

being configned to

ally, as all the flour,

the

3 77

paid for by the

is

orders

Go-

to be diflributed

it

to the inhabitants at the rate of a dollar barrel, clear gain

^fter

the

a

advanced on the price,

dedudllon

of

cofts

all

and

charges.

During the time

I

was

at

New

a gentleman from Maryland, fallen,

by a very unfortunate

who had

accident, into

the hands of the Spaniards in co,

Orleans,

New Mexi-

and with feveral other Britlfh fubjeds

had been moft cruelly treated by them, arrived there.

Having

at

length obtained his liberty,

had been a confiderable time very

for he

rigidly confined,

he came to

endeavour

leans,

to

either

to Virginia,

New

Or-

to procure a paiTage,

Maryland, or Phila-

delphia.

This gentleman, defcended from a Rot.

man

Catholic family in Maryland,

was

mafter of a veflel belonging to his brother

Atha-

A

2y^

Tour in the

Athanafms Ford, of Leonard Town, in St. Mary's County, and had failed from the

Potowmak, loaded ;with the French Neutrals (as they were called,) who had

river

been removed from Nova-Scotia by the

government on account of

Britifh

their

ilrong prediledlon to the French intereft there,

which

ways ready

The failors,

to

veffel

at

every rifk they were

al-

promote and fupport.

was navigated by

and was bound

Britifh

to the MiffifTippi,

in order to carry thefe French Accadians to their

country-men

intended to

there,

where they

fettle.

But having got

into the trade-winds,

and

being unacquainted with the navigation of thatpart of the gulf of Mexico, after having

beenreducedto thegreateft

diftrefs for want

of provifions, their whole flock being exbaufted for fome time, having fubhfted en the

rats, cats,

and even

leather in the veflel,

la

the

fhoes and

they ran into Ber-

nard's bay, and landed

Hio de

all

at

the

mouth of

Norte, or Rio Grande, in the

king-

United States of America,

379

New

Mexico,

kingdom

or province of

inftead of the Miffiflippi.

Happening

to difcover a horfe,

diately after their killed

him

coming on

for food,

imme-

fhore, they

which was

certainly-

very ex^cufable in their emaciated ftarving condition.

They had repaft, when

fcarce finifhed their

the veffel was feized on

the Spaniards,

of the King

of them

fome

wretched

;

to the

and

by

confifcated for the ufe

and they were

town of

carried,

New

to Santa Fe, the capital,

moft

Mexico, and

no

lefs

than

eighty-fix days journey within land

from

the place where they

came on fhore on

this inhofpitable coaft.

Here they were

all

clofely confined for

fome time. But

at

length the

common people were

permitted to go at large, in the day, on condition of their labouring for the

,in-

habitants.

Yet the

officers

belonging to the

as well as all the Englifh failors,

vefTel,

were

ftill

impri-

380

A Tour

,

in the

.'

imprifoned with the moft rigid and barv barous feverity.

However they were

alfo

offered a

li-

mited enlargement, on condition of their

Hgning a paper, written language,

which however they privately

contrived to obtain

found

it

in the Spanifli

a tranflation of, and

contained an acknowledgment on

their parts of

having been guilty of the

mofl unjuftiBable and aggravated crimes, treated with the greateft

and of being

manity and tendernefs during

hu-

this their

captivity.

had the refolution and virtue

irhis they

of refufmg to fubfcribe

were adually

in

to,

although they

danger of ftarving and

perilhing for want of neceflary food.

At length

a prieft, poflefled

manity than

the

reft

of more hu-

of the barbarous

inhabitants of that country, having called to

vifit

them, took compaflion on their

extreme wretchedncfs, made them a prefent of a fat bullock every day, reited himfelf foefFedually for

and inte-

them

as to

obtain their enlargement.

But

3S

United States of America.

But

fo

numerous were

this

i

man's flocks

of cattle, as well as of horfes, that although received

thefe poor unfortunate creatures

above an hundred oxen from him, yet they could not be mifled out of the whole flock.

And Mr.

Ford

more than

fefl^ed

afl\ired

me

that

he pof-

thoufand horned

fifteen

cattle,

and near ten thoufand horfes and

colts,

which were kept

fat

without any

trouble the whole year round by the lux-

which

uriant pafture

For

it

feems the land there

grown with woods, but

rica,

that country aff'ords.

is

as in the reft

a rich

univerfally

abounding with the

fineil

world, and interfperfed

with clumps or

not over-

is

clufters

meadow,

grafs

tall

in

the

and there

here

of

Ame-

of

and

ftately

trees. I

made no

confiderable

Orleans, which to

me

flay at

New

as well

as to Air.

Wood, Mr. Lewis, and Mr.

Ford, was

rather a difagreeable place; and

Mr. Lewis

and

I

fet

out in a batteau for

leaving both there,

Mr.

who were 9

Wood

Manchac,

and Mr. Ford

about engaging a paflage for

A

382

Philadelphia in one of Willing and

for

Morris's It

was

Edmund I

Tour in the

veffels.

five

days before

we arrived at Mr.

Gray's near Manchac

was moll agreeably

;

furprifed at

but here

meeting

with an old acquaintance from Georgia,

whom

along with

I

had been

initiated

into the the myfteries of free-mafonry, in

my journey

through North-Carolina.

His name was Allan Groves, and propofed

fame route

returning

to

as I did,

we

as

he

Georgia by the all

agreed to join

company together. Having procured a batteau on the lbberville, or Amit River, which falls into Lake Maurepas, we embarked, andcoafted along the lakes, viz. Maurepas and Ponchatrain, pafling

by the mouth of the Nita

Albany River, the Tangepahoa River, the Chefondo River, and the Pearl River which

is

divided into

Weft River and

two branches,

Eaft River,

into the lake or bay of St. river

the

when

Lewis

;

called

it falls

alfo the

Ookahootoo, the Chencala River,

Booka Hooma River, Hunting River, Pafqua-

United

JS fates

of America.

383

Pafquagoocula River, Cedar River, Pines

Bay, and Pool River.

Having touched by

many

iflands,

among

way

the

a

at

v^^hich are

vafl;

Mattheu-

raux Ifland, Roebuck Ifland, Cat Ifland,

Ship

Broad Key,

Ifland,

Ifland,

we

arrived at Mobile point, at the

mouth of the is

and Dauphin

great bay of Mobile,

formed by a

vafl:

which

concourfe af mighty

waters.

Here we made no proceeded on our the

fl:ay,

coafl:ing

but immediately

voyage

;

pafllng

mouth of Perdido River, Efcambe or

Jordan River, Middle or Governors River, Chefl:er River,

and

Ifland,

St.

Rofa River, Bay

Chatahooche River,

St.

An-

drew's Bay, River, and Ifland, Roebuck point, St. Jofeph's Bay,

Efcondido, and

St.

Cape

George's Ifland which

forms the mouths of the river

and of the mighty

which

is

St. Bias or

Califl:obole,

river of Apalachicola,

the eafl;ern boundary of the,

province of Wefl; Florida. 2

The

^ four

384

The

lands in this province afe indeed

moft amazingly

fertile

on the banks of the Old fifty

that

and

rich, efpecially

Mifliflippi.

plantations, cultivated

or fixty years, is

the

in

by the French

produced

the year before I

was

lafl:

year,

there,

from

forty to fixty bufhels of Indian corn to

the acre.

The

culture of every thing here

is

al-*

together by hand hoes, and manual labour

of

flaves,

without the

afliftance

of horfea

or oxen.

CHAP.

United States of America,

HA

C

385

XLVIIL

P.

The Rivers Mljjijpppiy MiJJouris,

Illinois^

Taffous,

Akanjas^ Rotige^ Jpalachkola, Mubilcy i^c. Colo-

North River ^

rado.

or

Rio Bravo,

Neiv

A-fexlco.

Gulf of California. Mines of Potoft. Acapulco, Old Mexico. La Vera Cruz. Diflances of Places, JDefcrlptlon of the Country.

BEFORE

I

take

my

Weft

province of

leave

Florida,

of the it

may

not be improper to give a iketch of the courfes, extent, rivers

;

the

on the weft

as

of the Bay of Mexico; as

coall:

ftaple

the province,

of the river Miftiftippi,

fide

alfo the ftate foil,

between different

diftances

well within

places, as

along the

and combination of the

of the colony, culture of the

commodities, and population,

of Weft Florida.

Weft Florida

is

bounded on the fouth

by Ihe Gulf of Mexico, iflands, coaft,

&c.

including

all

within fix leagues of the

from the mouth of Apalachicola

the lake Ponchartrain

by

bounded

Vol.

I.

the

;

lake

C

c

on the weft Maurlpas,

it

to is

and

a canal

A Tour

386

a canal, or river, laft

fiffippi,

and by

on

north

from

eaft

Ibberville,

the

Miffiflippi

by a

line

the

in

lies

that

Mif-

to the

itfelf;

drawn due

that part of the river

which

fippi,

named

mentioned lake

joins the

the

in the

Miffif-

of

latitude

thirty-one degrees north, until

it

inter-

feds the river Apalachicola or Catahouachee

and on the

;

until

it

is its

faid river,

Gulf of Mexico. from

greateft length

Its

viz.

the

falls into

by the

eaft

from Apalachicola

eaft to weft,

to the Miffiflippi,

about four hundred ftatute miles breadth

fouth,

is

inconfiderable

being in

;

but

from north

to

few places fixty-nine

miles according to thefe boundaries.

From Rofe Bay, and to the north line,

miles,

which

is

St.

Mary's Bay,

not more than forty

is

the

general

diftance

acrofs, as far weft as the lakes Ponchartrain.

and Mauripas.

From

the

mouth of

the rivers Callfto-

bole and Apalachicola to the north line is

eighty-five miles,

which

is

the wideft

part of the province.

5

From

United States of America*

From

cape Loas, or

Mud

387

Cape,

at the

mouth of the MifTiffippi, to the canal cut by the French from the Ibbervllle to the Miffiflippi, being the northern boun-

dary of

New

Orleans on the

eaft

of the

hundred

and

wideft part of the ifland of

New

Mifliffippi,

an

about

is

eighty miles by land.

The Orleans Ifles

is

Aux

from Turtle Point, and the

Affiettes, oppofite to

to the Miffiflippi, and

is

Cat Ifland,

not more than

forty miles at the broadeft part,

which

is

about thirty-five miles above the mouth

of the river

:

then above that place, from

lakes Ponchartrain

and Mauripas,

from the Amit and

Ibberville rivers,

and it

is

not more than five miles, in general, to the Miffiffippi.

The town narrow lake

part,

of

New

Orleans

is

in that

between the fouth end of

Ponchartrain

and the

Miffiffippi,

about ninety miles fouth from the canal or river of

Ibberville,

and about

the

fame diftance north from the mouth of the Miffiffippi.

C

c 2

From

A 'Tour

j88

From

in the

the uppermoft, or moft northerly

end of the Ifland of that part of the firft

New

Orleans, to

MifTifTippi at the thirty-

degree of north latitude,

is

juft fifty

miles.

Thefe over

are

diilances

land,

in diredl courfes

by no means following the

meanders of the generally render

rivers,

which would

them double.

This boundary, already mentioned, was that

Weft

firll

eftablifhed for the province

Florida

;

but

I

of

have underftood that

the north line has been extended farther

up the river fnice, to include the Natches, and the mouth of the river YafTous, to which laft place it was carried back by Governor Johnftone's proclamation.

From

New

the upper part of the?ifland of

Orleans to the confluence of the

YafTous

is

about a hundred and thirty

miles north.

From fouth to

eighty

mouth of the river YafTous, Natches Old Town, is about

the

miles

;

from Natches, fouth

Baton Rouge, and

6

Fort Bute,

Is

to

about

feventy-

United States of America, feventy-five miles

the

389

•

from thence fouth to

;

mouth of Hooma

where

River,

enters the lake Mauripas,

is

it

about feventy-

five miles.

From

mouth of the Yaflbus up to the

the

firft

confiderable fork,

weft

fide,

Yaffous

from

its

which

about twelve miles

is

on the

is

and the

;

navigable forty- five

is

leagues

confluence with the MifTiflippi.

This province, extending

fo far along

the coaft of the Gulf of Mexico, and a-

long the rivers Miffiffippi and Apalachicola,

being about fix

hundred

five

hundred and ninety, or muft confequently

miles,

number of

include a prodigious

the

chief of which,

as

rivers

well as of

North America and perhaps in world, is the mighty and majeftic MifTiffippi, navigable

to the

Anthony, which is computed

falls

;

all

the river

of

St.

to

be eighteen

hundred miles, and afterwards

for a thou-

above

fand miles

and canoes

;

the falls

having the

c

3

batteaux

richeft lands,

happieft and moft delightful

C

in

variety

the

of

climates^

390

A

^

Tour

in the

climates,

and paffing through the

and

country upon earth.

fineft

Where

derives

it

its

fource

largeft

not

is

known,

having been traced

fifty-five

degrees north latitude,

as

far

as

and an

hundred and ten degrees weft longitude

from London

j

being even there a very

large river.

The

country in that part

very

is

flat

and marfhy, and the Indians themfelves cannot

tell

weft

has

it

From

how much its

fource.

that place

direction

farther north ar^d

the

to

it

runs in a fouth-eaft

degree

forty-fecond

north latitude, and ninetieth weft tude

;

then

with

many

longi^

bendings,

vaft

continues almoft a due fouth courfe, until it falls

into the

twenty- nine

latitude

nutes, five

Gulf of Mexico

and

degrees

ten

eighty-nine degrees

minutes weft longitude

ceived a vaft

and mighty

in north

j

rivers,

thirty-

having

number of wide, and having

mi-

re-

extenfive, ft

retched

along this globe in a diredt courfe, which has been

traced, above

three

thoufand miles

5

United States of America.

391

and including the prodigious nun;iber of its bendings and meanders not

miles

iefs

3

than

name

Its

faid to

feven thoufand miles.

fix or

the Indian language

in

is

fignify parent of rivers, or eldeft

fon of the Ocean. It

more than an hundred very

receives

confiderable rivers in

its

many of

courfe,

them fome thoufand miles in chief of which on the eaftern

length, the fide are the

following, viz. Firfl;

tween

whofe fource

the Illinois,

the

lakes Illinois

Huron, and Erie in one of

its

;

or

is

be-

Michegan,

as the MifTiffippi itfelf,

vaft bendings, approaches

near to lake Superior.

The

fecond

is

the vaft river Ohio, or Fair

River, a prodigious concourfe of mighty waters, extending behind fettlements,

New

whofe

fource

all

the Britifh

is

almoft in

York government, being navigable

in large batteaux within fourteen miles

of lake Erie

;

fo that the

French, before

the conqueft of Canada by the fent three thoufand

C

c

men, with 4

Britiili,

artillery,

military

A

^Q2

Tour in

the

&c. from Que-

military ftores, baggage,

New

bec to

Orleans

;

up

viz.

the river St.

Laurence, acrofs lake Ontario, and lake

and down French Creek, the Ohio,

Erie,

and the

Miffiffippi.

The Ohio hundred

which

in

rivers

above an

receives

itfelf

courfe,

its

(particularly the

Cherokee

fome of or

Hogo-

liegee) are equal to the largeft in Europe.

The

lail river

on the

ilippi

notice of,

is

that falls into the Miffi-

eaftern fide, that I fhall take

the YaiTous,

a fine, placid,

*

and beautiful ftream, being navi-

deep,

gable near an hundred and fifty miles. It

takes

its

rife

near the

of the

falls

Cherokee, or Elogohegee River, and runs

through the Chickefaw nation, receiving

many

branches,

able, in

its

but none very confider-

courfe of three hundred miles

to the Miffiffippi, line,

or

five

which

hundred

is

in

miles

a direct

with

its

windings. From, the fource to the mouth of this

fcry fine g:oui]tfy,

river,

it is

a

mod

delightful

with few mountains or

opea hills,

con-

United States of America, confidering

its

inland

fituation,

393 and

is

the happieft, and moft excellent and agreeable climate in the world. It

by

poffelTed chiefly

is

the Chicke-

faws, a very gallant, brave, and refpedable

and firm Allies of Great

nation,

Britain, as has been already mentioned.

On

the weftern fide of the MiiTiffippi

many

are

vaft rivers,

but none more con-

However not known.

than the Ohio.

fiderable

one of them

is

The largeft

is

fo well

the Pohitenous,orMifouri,

whofe fource has not been

"difcovered,

and whofe courfe extends (perhaps) fome thoufand miles, before fiffippi,

which

confluence

is

it

enters the

Mif-

almoft oppofite to the

of the

only

Illinois,

about

twenty-feven miles below.

A large the

river

north

river north of the

Moingona,

St. Peter's

is

and

is

;

Hill

is

farther

River,

South of the Miffouri Francis

MifToury

is

the river St.

proceeding fouthward, the next

the Imahans or

Akanfaw

River.

Then

^ ^^^^

394

Then

which

is

tremely crooked,

of

and

or

ex-

vaft extent,

placid,

beautiful

defcription.

The Red River

Ox

Black River, and into the

two very large

receives

branches on the north

River, and

almoft

MiffifTippi

laft river

fhall

I

wefliern fide

named the

fide,

Tonikas in Weft: Florida

The

and

named Rio Rouge,

river,

River,

beyond

^^^

that moft excellent, valuable,

delightful

Red

^^^

oppofite this

:

falls

to

the

is

take notice of on the

of the

Mifliffippi.

moft remarkable places weft,

a-

long the coaft of the great Bay of Mexico,

from Cape Laos, or

mouth of

Mud

the Mifliflippi,

Cape,

Enfe-

is

Woods Bay and

the

Balife

is firft la

Fort and Ifland, fome diftance weft

nada de Palos, then

at

Ifland,

Ouachas Lake, Afcenfion Bay, Vermillion Bay, then from Ouachas Lake

Cape

are eight fmall rivers,

There in

is

alfo

which indeed

difcovered

an is

to

and two lakes.

ifland at the

the

in the year

North

Cape

Cape,

itfelf,

firft

one thoufand

fe-

ven hundred and twenty-fix.

Weft

"United States

Weft of

of America.

the Cape, the

395 a imall

is

firft

and a large bay named Jacdaiches

river,

Bay, with three rivers running into the next

is

it';

Mexicana River, which fome

diftance from the fea

is

named Adayes River;

then a fmall but long ifland; then the river Floris; a long ifland

another ifland

Rio de falls

River

and a fmall

;

into St.

the

M. was

;

river

Bernards or

;

then

Colorado or River

Leon River

St.

;

River which

;

and

Rio del

5

and Honda or Deep River,

Bay of

On

Dun

Cane

little

Guadaloupe River

Vino

;

Maligne River ;

Magdalen;

the river

Trinidad

la

into la

Cane

;

;

all fall

Lewis's Bay, and

St. Jofeph.

the fouth-weft of Maligne River

year 1685, and

la Salle fettled in the

killed about three

hundred miles up

Trinidad River, in the year 1687.

On

the river Sablomini

and fettlement of Prefidio are five iflands thefe diff^erent

;

is

the

town

within the bay

and upon the banks of rivers' and their branches ;

are the nations of Killamouches

and Al-

lacappa, wandering Indians,

The

A Tour

396

The

in the

Guadaloupe and Leon

rivers

on the fouth-weft

into St. Jofeph's Bay,

of which

is

fall

a very long and large ifland

named St. Jofeph's ifland; and the rivers Honda, Del Vino, Sacro, and Nuces or Nutts, fall into a Bay on the fouth-weft of it, forming St. Jofeph's Lake or Bay.

On

the fouth fouth-weft

of the great river Bravo, or

De

>

New

Leon, and

very large and noble

The next las

Palmas, which

Nacos is

its

river

at

is

Norte,

la

which bounds on the north and

kingdom of

mouth

the

is

eaft the

indeed a

river.

of any note is

is

Rio de

named Rio de

fome dlQance from the

a line beautiful large river,

las

This

fea.

and derives

fource within an hundred miles of the

Gulf of California Rio de

la

in the

South Sea.

Norte or North River

is

alfo

a very extenfive and charming river, confiderably larger than

one,

fornian Gulf, los

laft

mentioned

running in a courfe about middle

way between le

the

the Mifriffippi and the Cali-

and the

Martyres,

rivers

Colorado,

and Rio Grande

le los

Apoftolosj

United States of America,

397

Apoflolos, or Del Coral or Blue River,

which form or nearer

is

hundred miles than Thefe

by

California

to

but

or

five

fix

to the Miffiffippi.

Rio de

efpecially

vaft rivers,

Norte, and the

the Gulf,

into

fall

la

head very near

MifTo^iri,

each other, about the forty-fixth degree north latitude, and the hundred and

fifth

weft longitude.

have thus inveftigated the fource of

I

prodigious

thefe

and extenfive

on a foundation that

and

it

juft

and

give

will

may

power

to

form a more

by

the diftances thefe vaft waters,

and principal

places, are

From Cape Loas

from each other.

to

Bernard's

about four hundred and

thence to the

to

feventy-five rniles,

Rio de

Norte

la

las

Bay

miles,

fifty

mouth of Rio de

two hundred, then is

be relied on

perfect idea of the country,

mentioning

is

waters,

Palmas

which make altoge-

ther feven hundred and twenty- five miles.

The nearly five

courfe of Rio de las eaft,

Palmas

and the extent of

hundred and

it

is

about

fifty miles.

From

-^ Tour in the

39^

From

mouth of Rio de

the

Palmas,

las

Gulf of Mexico, weft to the South at the mouth of the river Culiacan,

in the Sea,

the beginning of is fix

the Californian Gulf,

hundred miles.

From Tonlkas on

the

Mlffiffippi

Mexico, or Juan Baptifta on Rio de Norte, to

viz.

hundred and

fix

is

eroding of

the

hundred and five, to

Red River an feventy-i'

Trinidad feventy-five, to the Rio

Marco

St.

la

miles

fifty

Adayes

to

fifty,

to

is

Mexico on

an hundred and

the North River

fifty,

to

two hun-

dred.

From Mexico

Bay Bay of

to California, at the

Lucas, Pearl River, or the

of

St.

St.

Mary's near Cinaloa, or

to Culiacan, is

hundred and feventy-five miles viz. to the head of Pearl River three hundred and five

;

feventy-five miles, to the

dred and

fifty

fouth part of

miles, this being in the

New

New Mexico

mouth two hun-

Navarre.

or

St.

Paul's

is

about fix

hundred miles, up the North Kiver, from -the

Gulf of Mexico.

From

United States of America.

From Mexico, on the mines of Potofi to

the

is

399

North River,

five

to

hundred miles,

Old Mexico feven hundred,

Aca-

to

pulco nine hundred, and the fame to

La

Vera Cruz.

From Acapulco

to

La Vera Cruz

is

hundred miles, from Old Mexico

three

to

La

Vera Cruz two hundred and feventy, and to

Acapulco two hundred and feventy. All this country, to the weft of the Mif-

fiflippi, is

incomparably pleafant and de-

lightful.

In the

fertility

of the

foil,

in the agreeable

mildnefs of the climate, in the foftnefs and falubrity of the air, as well as in the

abun-

dance and excellence of moft beautiful water- courfes,

it is

not exceeded, perhaps

not equalled, by any other part of the

whole immenfe continent of America. Indeed

it

can be furpaifed by no country in

the univerfe.

The

multitude of moft ele-

gant and charming fituations that excel in grandeur

and delightfulnefs of perfpec-

tive, as well as the aftonifhing

of the

foil,

are far

can be conceived.

luxuriance

beyond any thing that

There

A

400

There are alfo

Tour^ &c. vaft

numbers of excellent

harbours, and beautiful extenfive navigable

The

rivers.

earth pours forth every ve-

getable producftion in the moft abundant profufion, almoft fpontaneoufly, and in a

manner without labour. Black cattle, horfes, and every

ufeful animal, multiply to an in-

credible degree, without ble, as there

is

no occalion for providing a

Hock of provender In

any kind of trou-

fhort, there

is

for

them

againft winter.

no advantage, charm, or

defirable qualification,

that bountiful na-

ture can beflow, but

heaped, with a de-

is

gree of profufion, on this lovely country, that

is

not to be defcribed in language, or

conceived in idea. For

it

really is capable

of being rendered, not only the garden of ,

America, but of the whole world.

Yet

this fine

country

is

at prefent little

better than an uncultivated defart,

owing

to the mifl:aken and narrow policy of the

Spanifh government, under whofe abfolute,

and uncontrouled domination

it

ever remained.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

has