of North Carolina. 361 



When they are disposed to hunt in the Woods, they gen- 

 erally go out in great lumbers together, and several Days 

 Journies from home. They always begin these Hunting 

 matches at the approach of Winter, when the Leaves, are 

 fallen from the Trees, and become dry, or when Skins and 

 Furs are best in Season. It is then they burn the Woods, 

 by setting fire to the wither'd Leaves, Bent and dry Grass, 

 which they do with matches made of the Black Moss that 

 hangs on the Trees, which is sometimes above six Feet 

 long. This Moss when dead becomes black (though of an 

 Ash colour before) and will then hold Fire as well as the 

 best Match in Europe. In places where this Moss is not to 

 be found (as towards the Mountains and Heads of the Riv- 

 ers) they make Lentels of the Bark of Cypress, which serves 

 as well. 



Thus they frequently leave their Houses and retire into 

 the Woods for four or five Months together, viz. November, 

 December, January, February, and March, at which time 

 the Skins are in Season, and set Fire to the Woods for many 

 Miles together to drive out the Deer and other Game into 

 small Xecks of Lands, and other places where they fix their 

 Guards, by which means they kill and destroy what they 

 please, especially such as strive to escape the Fire and get 

 through the passes they have made for that purpose. 



In these Hunting matches they bring their Wives and 

 Mistresses along with them, where they eat several kinds of 

 Fruits which that Country produces, and live in all the 

 Mirth and Jolity that it is possible for such People to enter- 

 tain themselves with. It is in these Hunting matches they 

 get their complement of Deer-Skins, Furs, and many other 

 commodities to trade with the Christians, the Deer-Sl'ins 

 being in Season here in ^Yinte1', which is contrary in Eng- 



Zz land 



