38 



THE HISTORY OF 



tlirown the men into sundry acute distempers ; especially the Dismal, where 

 the soil was so full of water, and the air so full of damps, that nothing but a 

 Dutchman could live in them. Indeed the foundation of all our success was 

 the exceeding dry season. It rained during the whole journey but rarely, 

 and then, as when Herod built his temple, only in the night or upon the sab- 

 bath, when it was no hinderance at all to our progress. 



Septemljcr. The tenth of September being thought a little too soon for the 

 commissioners to meet, in order to proceed on the line, on account of snakes, 

 it was agreed to put it off to the twentieth of the same month, of which due 

 notice was sent to the Carolina commissioners. 



Sept. 19. We, on the part of Virginia, that we might be sure to be punctual, 

 arrived at Mr. Kinchin's, the place appointed, on the nineteenth, after a jour- 

 ney of three days, in which nothing remarkal^le happened. We found three 

 of the Carolina commissioners had taken possession of the house, having 

 come thither by water from Edenton. By the great quantity of provisions 

 these gentlemen brought, and the few men they had to eat them, we were 

 afraid they intended to carry the line to the South sea. They had five hun- 

 dred pounds of bacon and dried beef, and five hundred pounds of biscuit, 

 and not above three or four men. The misfortune was, they forgot to 

 provide horses to carry their good things; or else trusted to the uncertainty 

 of hiring them here, which, considering the place, was leaving too much 

 to that jilt, hazard. On our part we had taken better care, being completely 

 furnished with every thing necessary for transporting our baggage and 

 provisions. Indeed we brought no other provisions out with us but a thou- 

 sand pounds of bread, and had faith enough to depend on Providence for 

 our meat, being desirous to husband the public money as much as possible. 

 We had no less than twenty men, besides the chaplain, the surveyors and 

 a;ll the servants, to be subsisted upon this bread. However, that it might 

 hold out the better, our men had been ordered to provide themselves at 

 home with provision for ten days, in wliich time we judged we should get 

 beyond the inhabitants, where forest game of all sorts was like to be plenty 

 at that time of tlie year. 



20th. This being the day appointed for our rendezvous, great part of it 

 was spent in the careful fixing our baggage and assembling our men, who 

 were ordered to meet us liere. We took care to examine their arms, and 

 made proof of tlie powder provided for the expedition. Our provision-horses- 

 had been hindered by tlie rain from coming up exactly at the day ; but this 

 delay was the less disappointment, by reason of the ten days' subsistence the 

 men had been directed to provide for themselves. Mr. Moseley did not join 

 us till the afternoon, nor Mr. Swan till several days after. 



Mr. Kinchin had unadvisedly sold the men a little brandy of his own 

 making, which produced mucli disoixler, causing some to be too choleric, and 

 others too loving ; insomuch that a damsel, wlio assisted in the kitchen, had 

 certainly suffered wliat tlie nuns call martyrdom, had she not capitulated a 

 little too soon. This outrage would have called for some severe discipline, 

 had she not bashfully withdrawn herself early in the morning, and so carried 

 off the evidence. 



21st. We despatched away the surveyors witliout loss of time, wlio, with 

 all their diligence, could carry the line no farther than three miles and a 

 hundred and seventy-six poles, by reason the low ground was one entire 

 thicket. In that distance they crossed Meherrin river the fourth time. In 

 the mean while the Virginia-commissioners thought proper to conduct theu' 

 baggage a farther way about, for the convenience of a clearer road. 



The Carolina gentlemen did at length, more by fortune than forecast, hii*e 

 a clumsy veliicle, son)etIiing like a cart, to transport their effects as far as 



