148 LAWSON'S HISTORY 



in the spring sometimes, blight the fruits ; but 

 they very seldom endure long, being blown away 

 by westerly winds, and then all becomes fair and 

 clear again. 



Our spring in Carolina is very beautiful, and the 

 most pleasant weather a country can enjoy. The 

 fall is accompanied with cool mornings, which como 

 in towards the latter end of August, and so con- 

 tinue (most commonly) very moderate weather till 

 about Christmas ; then winter comes on apace. 

 Though these seasons are very piercing, yet the 

 cold is of no continuance. Perhaps you will have 

 cold weather for three or four days at a time, then 

 pleasant, warm weather follows such as you have 

 in England, about the latter end of April or be- 

 ginning of May. In the year 1707, we had the se- 

 verest winter in Carolina, that ever was known 

 since the English came to settle there ; for our riv- 

 ers, that were not above half a mile wide, and 

 fresh water, were frozen over, and some of them, 

 in the north part of this country, were passable 

 for people to walk over. 



One great advantage of North Carolina is, that 

 we are not a frontier, and near the enemy, which 

 proves very chargeable and troublesome in time 

 of war to those colonies that are so seated. An- 

 other great advantage comes from its being near 

 Virginia, where we come often to a good market, 

 at the return of the guinea ships for negroes, and 

 the remnant of their stores, which is very commo- 

 dious for the Indian trade, besides in wartime, we 



