1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



531 



held and maintained in Virginia, considerations of 

 economy alone would instruct him to reject the fatal 

 gift, as he would avoid certain bankruptcy and ruin. 

 On the other hand, if all the slaves of Virginia were at 

 once emancipated, and left to provide for themselves, 

 want, wretchedness and disease, would make such ha- 

 voc among them, as to threaten finally, and at no re- 

 mote period, the extinction of the race. The adult 

 males, and even the females not burthened with chil- 

 dren, might possibly do well; bnt the greater number 

 of the feeble and infirm, from old age, infancy, or dis- 

 ease, would inevitably perish. Marriages would near- 

 ly cease, and births greatly diminish, and the work of 

 death proceed as if a general pestilence was raging. 

 The effects of emancipation, in equal time, would di- 

 minish the African race in Viginia, more than the 

 operation of any scheme that philanthropy has yet 

 devised, though aided by the general will, and all the 

 the disposable wealth of the country," — Review of 

 the Slavery Question fyc. p 48, vol. I. Farmers' Regis- 

 ter. 



For the Farmers' Register. 



A TRIP TO SOME OF THE SEA ISLANDS OF 

 VIRGINIA.* 



While in Northampton county for a short time 

 during ihe last, summer, I sought an opportunity to 

 see some of the neighboring sea islands, which 

 have not attracted so much curiosity as to induce 

 many of their near neighbors on the "main" to 

 examine them, though residing within the dis- 

 tance of twelve or fifteen miles — and they are 

 scarcely known to exist, by most persons west of 

 the Chesapeake. These circumstances stimulated 

 me the more to incur the difficulties of making the 

 passage to this almost terra incognita. The short 

 time which I had to spare, and the necessity of 

 bringing the trip within the extent of 24 hours, 

 made my excursion more hurried, and the view 

 more cursory, than was desirable. 



After all preparations had been made, and we 

 were ready to set sail at the appointed time, a 

 change of wind compelled us to abandon the at- 

 tempt for that day. The next morning, as it was 

 arranged by W., (whom I had engaged as a 

 guide,) to make use of the early tide, we were all 

 to be on the shore two hours before day break. 

 I thought that this appointment would not be 

 likely to be kept by all — and so it proved. It was 

 day break when we reached the shore, and the 

 tide of the little creek was too low for our canoe to 

 swim. There was no help, but to wait (patiently 

 or otherwise) for the rising tide, which was not 

 high enough for several hours. Even at the ear- 

 ly hour when we arrived, the horse which drew 

 our "carry-all' was soon beset by the green-head- 

 ed flies, which are so abundant every summer as 

 to be the greatest pest of the sea-side, and which 

 are said to be uncommonly numerous at this time. 

 They are seldom very troublesome except during 



*It is proper to state that the following piece was 

 written soon after the date to which it refers, and was 

 on hand some time before our receiving the interesting 

 account of another part of the range of islands, which 

 was published in No. 7: which later and more par- 

 ticular statements were sought, and published first, be- 

 cause of the acknowledged haste, and therefore proba- 

 ble incorrectness of of the view of which the sketch 

 was made that is now submitted. — Ed. 



the heat of the day: but now, one of us alone 

 could not keep the horse clear of them: and if the 

 attempt had ceased for a few minutes, the tortured 

 animal, though well used to such attacks, would 

 have broken loose, and taken to his heels. A ser- 

 vant soon reached the place, and we were glad to 

 send the horse away. The dogs during the same 

 time showed by their antics that if they suffered less 

 than the horse, it was only because they had bet- 

 ter means of ridding themselves of their torment- 

 ors. They were continually biting their rumps, 

 or wallowing on the ground, or running about, as 

 I have seen when one had incautiously poked his 

 nose into a yellow-jackets' nest. These flies in 

 July and August often compel the working horses 

 to be taken from their ploughs by 10 o'clock, and 

 to be kept in their stables until even 4 in the eve- 

 ning. But at this time, it is with great difficulty, 

 and in torture to the horses and mules, that they 

 can plough at all in the day. One proprietor has 

 lately discarded the effort altogether, and for the 

 last week has been ploughing his corn only during 

 the night, for which the moon happened to suit 

 well. He intends (as I afterwards heard from 

 him) to cover his mules in full dresses of* old sail- 

 cloth, as the only probable mode of protecting them. 

 These flies are known through all lower Virginia, 

 but are no where numerous, or very troublesome, 

 except on lands immediately adjoining these sea 

 marshes, where they breed in the marsh grass. 

 They are about five-eigths or three-fourths of an 

 inch in length, here as elsewhere. This plague 

 must be a serious offset to the value of lands, and 

 the great advantages of living on the sea-side 

 farms. 



Where we were waiting was a tide mill, 

 the pond of which usually was filled and then 

 drawn low every day, and the bottom of which 

 was now becoming bare rapidly. Flocks of sea- 

 gulls were busy fishing in the deeper part of the 

 retreating waters, and some hogs were advancing 

 "in line" through the mud flats, catching shell- fish, 

 or other food left by the tide. Our oarsmen went 

 in for their share of the harvest, and picked up 

 oysters, which were thrown upon a fire prepared 

 for the purpose, and thus soon provided them- 

 selves with a breakfast. 



Our pilot, and owner of our little vessel, was 

 a regular sea-side fisherman, a sort of salt-water 

 "Leather-Stocking," who was as much at home 

 in the pursuit of his game, furnished by the wa- 

 ters, as the other renowned character was in the 

 woods. His name might have been coveted for 

 the hero of a lady-author's novel: but rough old 

 Charles Dillon was any thing but what such a 

 name would have indicated in romance. In his 

 early days he had been employed enough on ship- 

 board to make him a thorough sailor: but he pre- 

 ferred, and had now long pursued the business of 

 fisherman, varied occasionally, according to his 

 account (though of course not recently,) by the 

 more adventurous and spirit-stirring exploits of 

 smuggling and wrecking, but always in a decent 

 and "civil way. With all the poin's of character 

 and of habits which belonged to his station, there 

 were glimpses of better feelings exhibited from 

 time to time, which made him appear to me as 

 one of nature's gentlemen, marred by chance, 

 and the force of circumstances. Taken altogether, 

 there was much to admire in old Charles, and we 

 soon became good friends and cronies?. My first 



