of North Carolina. 263 



before they could come to any Planters House, or meet with 

 any Person to inform them which way to go; yet I never 

 heard of any perish for want of Provisions, under these mis- 

 fortunes, there being not only great Plenty of several good 

 Fruits to be met with, all over the Woods most parts of the 

 year, but likewise variety of Birds and Beasts, necessary for 

 the support of Life; but I have known some lost for eight, 

 others for fourteen Days, before they could meet with any 

 human Creature to inform them what part of the Province 

 they were in. 



The Negroes sometimes make use of these Advantages in 

 the Woods, where they will stay for Months together before 

 they can be found out by their Masters, or any other Person ; 

 and great E'umbers of them would act after the same man- 

 ner (which would be detrimental to the Planters) were they 

 not so much afraid of the Indians, who have such a natural 

 aversion to the Blacks, that they commonly shoot them when 

 ever they find them in the Woods or solitary parts of the 

 Country. 



There are no Wind-Mills in this Province at present, and 

 not above two or three W^ater-Mills, which are for the most 

 part continually grinding their Wheat; for the small Sloops 

 and Periaugers are continually coming and going with Corn 

 and Flower : But the common method that the Planters use 

 to grind their Corn is with Hand-Mills, which almost every 

 one of them has. The Stones for these Mills are got up the 

 Kiver Neiis, which are very soft when dug out of the Earth, 

 but grow exceeding hard and durable after they are some 

 time in the Air, and are serviceable upon these occasions. 

 These Stones seem more like a parcel of Oyster-shells petri- 

 fied, than any natural Stone, for through the whole Grain of 

 this Stone there is no other appearance, but the exact shape 



of 



