28 THE HISTORY OF 



away their lives, like Solomon's sluggard, with their arms across, and at the 

 winding up of the year scarcely have bread to eat. To speak the truth, it is 

 a thorough aversion to labor that makes people file .off to North Carolina, 

 where plenty and a warm sun confirm them in their disposition to laziness for 

 their whole lives. 



26th. Since we were like to be confined to this place, till the people re- 

 turned out of the Dismal, it was agreed that our chaplain might safely take 

 a turn to Edenton, to preach the Gospel to the infidels there, and christen 

 their children. He was accompanied thither by Mr. Little, one of the Caro- 

 lina commissioners, who, to show his regard for the church, offered to ti'eat 

 him on the road with a fricassee of rum. They fried half a dozen rashers of 

 very fat bacon in a pint of rum, both which being dished up together, served 

 the company at once both for meat and drink. Most of the rum they get in 

 this country comes from New England, and is so bad and unwholesome, that 

 it is not improperly called " kill-devil." It is distilled there from foreign 

 molasses, which, if skilfully managed, yields near gallon for gallon. Their 

 molasses comes from the same country, and has the name of " long sugar" 

 in Carolina, I suppose from the ropiness of it, and serves all the purposes of 

 sugar, both in their eating and drinking. When they entertain their friends 

 bountifully, they fail not to set before them a capacious bowl of Bombo, so 

 called from the admiial of that name. This is a compound of rum and wa- 

 ter in equal parts, made palatable with the said long sugar. As good humour 

 begins to flow, and the bowl to ebb, they take care to replenish it with sheer 

 rum, of which there always is a reserve under the table. But such generous 

 doings happen only when that balsam of life is plenty ; for they have often 

 such melancholy times, that neither landgraves nor cassiques can procure one 

 drop for their wives, when they lie in, or are troubled with the colic or 

 vapours. Very few in this country have the industry to plant orchards, 

 which, in a dearth of rum, might supply them v/ith much better liquor. The 

 truth is, there is one inconvenience that easily discourages lazy people from 

 making this improvement : very often, in autumn, when the apples begin to 

 ripen, tliey are visited with numerous fliglits of paroquets, that bite all the 

 fruit to pieces in a moment, for the sake of the kernels. The havoc they 

 make is sometimes so great, that whole orchards are laid waste in spite of all 

 the noises that can be made, or mawkins that can be dressed up, to fright 

 them away. These ravenous birds visit North Carolina only during the 

 warm season, and so soon as the cold begins to come on, retire back towards 

 the sun. They rarely venture so far north as Virginia, except in a very hot 

 summer, when they visit the most southern parts of it. They are very beau- 

 tiful ; but like some other pretty creatures, are apt to be loud and mischievous. 



27th. Betwixt this and Edenton there are many whortleberry slashes, 

 which afford a convenient harbour for wolves and foxes. The first of these 

 wild beasts is not so large and fierce as they are in other countries more 

 northerly. He will not attack a man in the keenest of his hunger, but run 

 away from him, as from an animal more mischievous than himself. The 

 foxes are much bolder, and will sometimes not only make a stand, but like- 

 wise assault any one that would balk them of their prey. The inhabitants 

 hereabouts take the trouble to dig abundance of wolf-pits, so deep and per- 

 pendicular, that when a wolf is once tempted into them, he can no more 

 scramble out again, than a husband who has taken the leap can scram- 

 ble out of matrimony. Most of the houses in this part of the country are 

 log-houses, covered with pine or cypress shingles, three feet long, and one 

 broad. They are hung upon laths with pegs, and tlieir doors too turn upon 

 wooden hinges, and have wooden locks to secure them, so that the building 

 is finished without nails or other iron work. They also set up their pales 



