112 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



unlading' at a distance from the town by means of light- 

 ers. And when at last a ship is freighted and past all 

 obstacles, shortly after getting into the ocean the Gulf 

 Stream must be contended with, which in this latitude 

 approaches very near the main-land. In this way 

 various circumstances unite to hamper shipping and 

 make it difficult, but these notwithstanding are over- 

 come by patience in times of peace, and during a war 

 are made use of to the positive advantage of the place. 

 By reason of this especial and unfavorable situation of 

 the place, during the last war the trade here grew un- 

 commonly active and flourishing. It was certain that 

 no hostile vessels of any size could venture over the 

 Bar and the Swash. Thus most of the American 

 trading ships took refuge here, where they could take 

 in or put off cargoes in security ; Philadelphia mer- 

 chants established themselves here ; the Virginians 

 brought hither their tobacco by land-carriage, taking 

 in exchange West Indian or other wares, which at that 

 time were over-plentiful here. With this stimulus to 

 trade, Edenton found itself in such good circum- 

 stance that the inhabitants wished peace away, which 

 made their town be again deserted. At the time there 

 were lying in the harbor but three ships, top-sail vessels, 

 and in good condition, but many large and small craft 

 were there which at the outbreak of the war had run 

 in here and were now half gone to pieces. The worm 

 does little damage here, the water being only brackish. 

 It will be odds whether, without especial and serious 

 attention on the part of the government, Edenton will 

 ever come again into the trade it once had, for it ap- 

 pears that most of the vessels entering the Sound pass 

 by the town and go immediately to Hallifax and other 



