34 



THE HISTORY OF 



neral characters, industrious people. Tliis held good in our landlord, who 

 had many houses built on his plantation, and every one kept in decent repair. 

 His wife, too, was tidy, his furniture clean, his pewter bright, and nothing 

 seemed to be wanting to make his home comfortable. 



Mr. Kinchin made us the compliment of his house, but because we were 

 willing to be as little troublesmiie as possible, we ordered the tent to be 

 pitched in his orchard, where the blossoms of the apple trees contributed not 

 a little to the sweetness of our lodging. 



5th. Because the spring was now pretty forward, and the rattlesnakes began 

 to crawl out of their winter quarters, and might grow dangerous, both to the 

 men and their horses, it was determined to proceed no farther with the line 

 till the fall. Besides, the uncommon fatigue the people had undergone for 

 near six weeks together, and the inclination they all had to visit their respective 

 families, made a recess highly reasonable. 



The surveyors were employed great part of the day, in forming a correct 

 and elegant map of the line, from Coratuck inlet to the place where they left 

 off. On casting up the account in the most accurate manner, they found the 

 whole distance we had run to amount to seventy three miles and thirteen 

 chains. Of the map they made two fair copies, which agreeing exactly, were 

 subscribed by the commissioners of both colonies, and one of them was deli- 

 vered to those on the part of Virginia, and the other to those on the part of 

 North Carolina. 



6th. Thus we finished our spring campaign, and having taken leave of our 

 Carolina friends, and agreed to meet them again the tenth of September 

 following, at the same Mr. Kinchin's, in order to continue the line, we crossed 

 Meherrin river near a quarter of a mile from the house. About ten miles 

 from that we halted at Mr. Kindred's plantation, where we christened two 

 children. 



It happened that some of Isle of Wight militia were exercising in the 

 adjoining pasture, and there were females enough attending that martial 

 appearance to form a more invincible corps. Ten miles farther we passed 

 Nottoway river at Bolton's ferry, and took up our lodgings about three miles 

 from thence, at the kouse of Richard Parker, an honest planter, whose labours 

 were rewarded with plenty, which, in this country, is the constant portion of 

 the industrious. 



7th. The next day being Sunday, we ordered notice to be sent to all the 

 neighbourhood that there would be a sermon at this place, and an opportunity 

 of christening their children. But the likelihood of rain got the better of 

 their devotion, and what, perhaps, might still be a stronger motive of their 

 curiosity. In the morning we despatched a runner to the Nottoway town, to 

 let the Indians know we intended them a visit that evening, and our honest 

 landlord was so kind as to be our pilot thither, being about four miles from his 

 house. Accordingly in the afternoon we marched in good order to the town, 

 where the female scouts, stationed on an eminence for that purpose, had no 

 sooner spied us, but they gave notice of our approach to their fellow citizens 

 by continual whoops and cries, which could not possibly have been more dis- 

 mal at the sight of their most implacable enemies. This signal assembled 

 all their great men, who received us in a body, and conducted us into the 

 fort. This fort was a square piece of ground, inclosed with substantial pun- 

 cheons, or strong palisades, about ten feet high, and leaning a little outwards, 

 to make a scalade more difficult. Each side of the square might be about a 

 hundred yards long, with loop-holes at proper distances, through which they 

 may fire upon the enemy. Within this inclosure we found bark cabins sufficient 

 to lodge all their people, in case they should be obliged to retire thither. 

 These cabins are no other but close arbours made of saplings, arched at the 



