'OF NORTH CAROLINA. 221 



part of this land, and make enquiries therein, 

 when, at least, we consider that the westward of 

 Carolina is quite different in soil, air, weather, 

 growth of vegetables, and several animals too, 

 which we at present are wholly strangers to, and 

 to seek for. As to a right knowledge thereof, I 

 say, when an other age is come, the ingenious 

 then in being may stand upon the shoulders of 

 those that went before them, adding their own ex- 

 periments to what was delivered down to them by 

 their predecessors, and then there will be some- 

 thing towards a complete natural history, which, 

 in these days, would be no easy undertaking to 

 any author that writes truly and compendiously 

 as he ought to do. It is sufficient, at present, to 

 write an honest and fair account of any ot the set- 

 tlements, in this new world, without wandering 

 out of the path of truth, or bespattering any man's 

 reputation anywise concerned in the government 

 of the colony ; he that mixes invectives with rela- 

 tions of this nature rendering himself suspected 

 of partiality in whatever he writes. For my part, 

 I wish all well, and he that has received any se- 

 vere dealings from the magistrate or his superiors, 

 had best examine himself well, if he was not first 

 in the fault ; if so, then he can justly blame none 

 but himself for what has happened to him. 



Having thus gone through the insects, as in the 

 table, except the eel-snake, (so called though very 

 improperly, because he is nothing but a loach, 

 that sucks, and cannot bite as the snakes do.) He 



