24 THE HISTORY OF 



to come to short allowance, and consequently to work hard without fiJh'ng 

 their bellies. Though this was very severe upon English stomachs, yet the 

 people were so far from being discomfited at it, that they still kept up their 

 good humour, and merrily told a young fellow in the company, who looked 

 very plump and wholesome, that he must expect to go lirst to pot, if matters 

 should come to extremity. This was only said by way of jest, yet it made 

 him thoughtful in earnest. However, for the present he returned them a very 

 civil answer, letting them know that, dead or alive, he should be glad to be 

 useful to such worthy good friends. But, after all, this humorous saying had 

 one very good effect, for that younker, who before was a little inclined by his 

 constitution to be lazy, grew on a sudden extremely industrious, that so there 

 might be less occasion to carbonado him for the good of his fellow travellers. 

 While our friends were thus embarrassed in the Dismal, the commissioners 

 began to lie under great uneasiness for them. They knew very well their 

 provisions must by this time begin to fall short, nor could they conceive any 

 likely means of a supply. At this time of the year both the cattle and hogs 

 had forsaken the skirts of the Dismal, invited by the springing grass on the 

 firm land. All our hopes were that Providence would cause some wild game 

 to tall in their way, or else direct them to a wholesome vegetable for their 

 subsistence. In short they were haunted with so many frights on this occa- 

 sion, that they were in truth more uneasy than the persons whose case they 

 lamented. We had several visiters from Edenton, in the afternoon, that came 

 with Mr. Gale, who had prudently left us at Coratuck, to scufHe through that 

 dirty country by ourselves. These gentlemen, having good noses, had smelled 

 out, at thirty miles' distance, the precious liquor with which the hberality of 

 our good friend Mr. Mead had just before supplied us. That generous per- 

 son had judged very right, that we were now got out of the latitude of drink 

 proper for men in affliction, and therefore was so good as to send his cart 

 loaded with all sorts of refreshments, for which the commissioners returned 

 him their thanks, and the chaplain his blessing. 



21st. The surveyors and their attendants began now in good earnest to be 

 alarmed with apprehensions of famine, nor could they forbear looking with 

 some sort of appetite upon a dog which had been the faithful companion of 

 their travels. Their, provisions were now near exhausted. They had this 

 morning made the last distribution, that so each might husband his small pit- 

 tance as he pleased. Now it was that the fresh coloured young man began 

 to tremble every joint of him, having dreamed, the night before, that the In- 

 dians were about to barbacue him over live coals. The prospect of famine 

 determined tl.e people, at last, with one consent, to abandon the line for the 

 present, which advanced but slowly, and make the best of their way to firm 

 land. Accordingly they set off very early, and, by the lielp of the compass 

 which they carried along with them, steered a direct westwardly course. 

 They marched from morning till night, and computed their journey to amount 

 to about four miles, which was a great way, considering the difficulties of the 

 ground. It was all along a cedar swamp, so dirty and perplexed, that if they 

 had not travelled for their lives, they could not have reached so far. On their 

 way they espied a turkey buzzard, that flew prodigiously high to get above 

 the noisome exhalations that ascend from that filthy place. This they were 

 willing to understand as a good omen, according to the superstition of the 

 ancients, who had great faith in the flight of vultures. However, after all this 

 tedious journey, they could yet discover no end of their toil, which made 

 them very pensive, especially after tliey had eaten the last morsel of their 

 provisions. But to their unspeakable comfort, when all was hushed in the 

 evening, they heard the cattle low, and the dogs bark, very distinctly, which, 

 to men in that distress, was more delightful music than Faustina or Farinelli 



