THE DIVIDING LINE. 27 



their apprehensions were now at an end, when tliey understood that all the 

 territory which liad been controverted was like to be left in Carolina. In the 

 afternoon, those who were to re-enter the Dismal were furnished with the ne- 

 cessary provisions, and ordered to repair the over-night to their landlord, Pe- 

 ter Brinkley's, that they might be ready to begin their business early on 

 Monday morning. Mr. Irvin was excused from the fatigue, in compliment to 

 his lungs ; but Mr. Mayo and Mr. Swan were robust enough to return upon 

 that painful service, and, to do them justice, they went with great alacrity. 

 The trutli was, they now knew the worst of it ; and could guess pretty near 

 at the time when they might hojie to return to land again. 



25th. The air was chilled this morning with a smart north-west wind, 

 which favoured the Dismalites in their dirty march. They returned by the 

 path they had made in coming out, and with great industry arrived in the 

 evening at tiie spot where the line had been discontinued. After so long and 

 laborious a journey, they were glad to repose themselves on their couches of 

 cypress-bark, where their sleep was as sweet as it would have been on a bed 

 of Finland down. In the mean time, we who stayed behind had nothing to 

 do, but to make the best observations we could upon that part of the country. 

 Tl;e soil of our landlord's plantation, though none of the best, seemed more 

 fertile than any thereabouts, where the ground is near as sandy as the deserts 

 of Africa, and consequently barren. The road leading from thence to Eden- 

 ton, being in distance about twenty-seven miles, lies upon a ridge called 

 Sandy ridge, which is so wretchedly poor that it will not bring potatoes. The 

 pines in th'S part of the country are of a different species from those that 

 grow in Virginia: their bearded leaves are much longer and their cones much 

 larger. Each cell contains a seed of the size and figure of a black-eye pea, 

 which, shedding in November, is very good mast for hogs, and fattens them 

 in a short time. The smallest of these pines are full of cones, which are 

 eight or nine inches long, and each affords commonly sixty or seventy seeds. 

 This kind of mast has the advantage of all other, by being more constant, 

 and less lial^Ie tn be nipped by the frost, or eaten by the caterpillars. The 

 trees also abound more with turpentine, and consequently yield more tar, 

 than either the yellow or the white pine; and for the same reason make 

 more durable timber for building. The inhabitants hereabouts pick up knots 

 of light wood in abundance, which they burn into tar, and then carry it to 

 Norfolk or Nansemond for a market. The tar made in this method is the less 

 valuable, because it is said to burn the cordage, though it is full as good for 

 all other uses, as that made in Sweden and Muscovy. Surely there is no 

 place in the world where the inhabitants live with less labour than in North 

 Carolina. It approaches nearer to the description of Lubberland than any 

 other, by the great felicity of the climate, the easiness of raising provisions, 

 and the slothfulness of the people. Indian corn is of so great increase, that 

 a little pains will subsist a very large family with bread, and then they may 

 have meat without any pains at all, by the help of the low grounds, and the great 

 variety of mast that grows on the high land. The men, for their parts, just 

 like the Indians, impose all the work upon the poor women. They make their 

 wives rise out of their beds early in the morning, at the same time that they 

 lie and snore, till the sun has risen one third of his course, and dispersed all 

 the unwholesome damps. Then, after stretching and yawning for half an 

 hour, they light their pipes, and, under the protection of a cloud of smoke, 

 venture out into the open air; though, if it happens to be never so little cold, 

 they quickly return shivering into the chimney corner. When the weather is 

 mild, they stand leaning 'with both their arms upon the corn-field fence, and 

 gravely consider whether they had best go and take a small heat at the hoe : 

 but generally find reasons to put it off till another time. Thus they loiter 



