NORTH CAROLINA 123 



disticha (Bald Cypress) is plentiful in these swamps. 

 Its seeds fall at this time of the year ; each scale of the 

 seed-vessel has at the stud a little blister of fragrant, 

 clear resin, of which no use is made. The wood is 

 light and durable, and hence makes the best shingles 

 and boards. Callicarpa americana (Sourbush) was 

 still hanging full of its pale purple berries, which give 

 a bright purple color to cotton stuffs. A splendid tree, 

 very useful in ship-building, is the Ever-green Oak, 

 Quercus Phellos sempervirens ; Marshall, Amer. 

 Grove which begins to appear in this region, and 

 grows continually more abundant towards the south. 

 It is found also in the western country, on the Ohio 

 and the Mississippi. Other commoner trees, seen here 

 and everywhere, I need not mention. But the Melia 

 Azedarach, the Bead or Paternoster tree, deserves 

 notice. It is not indigenous, but thrives prodigiously 

 and belongs among the rapid growing trees. They 

 showed us one at Edenton, five years old and raised 

 from the seed, which measured 9 inches in diameter 

 and had made a shoot or sprig 11 ft. long, one year's 

 growth. + 



From the Sound we went 15 miles to Squire 



H 's, who was a Justice of the Peace in his district. 



Of what dignity is a North Carolina Justice in these 

 times the following incident will show, which hap- 

 pened immediately after our arrival. A young man 

 who rode up after us, offered his hand to another 

 whom he found here but it was not accepted, because 

 the latter fancied the man had injured him on some 

 former occasion. After a brief exchange of words 

 there was a challenge, and both young men, laying 

 aside their coats and shirts, hurriedly prepared them- 



