THE LAND OF EDEN. \ \Q 



grubbed. About nine miles ft-oai John Butcher's, we crossed Allen's creek, 

 foiu' miles above Mr. Stith's mine. Near the mouth of this creek is a good 

 body of rich laud, whereof Occaneeche neck is a part. It was entered for 

 many years ago by Col. Harrison and Col. Allen, but to this day is held, 

 without patent or improvement. And they say Mr. Boiling does the same, 

 with a thousand acres lying below John Butcher's. After beating the new 

 road for twenty miles, we struck off towards Meherrin, which we reached 

 in eight miles farther, and then came to the plantation of Joshua Nicholson, 

 where Daniel Taylor lives for halves. There was a poor dirty house, with 

 hardly any thing in it but children, that wallowed about like so many pigs. 

 It is a common case in this part of the country, that people live worse upon 

 good land ; and the more they are befriended by the soil and the climate, 

 the less they will do for themselves. This man was an instance of it, for 

 though his plantation would make plentiful returns for a little industry, yet 

 he wanting that, wanted every thing. The woman did all that was done in 

 the family, and the few garments they had to cover their dirty hides were 

 owing to her industry. We could have no supplies from such neighbours as 

 these, but depended on our own knapsacks, in which we had some remnants 

 of cold fowls that we brought from Blue Stone Castle. When my house 

 was in order, the Avhole family came and admired it, as much as if it had been 

 the grand vizier's tent in the Turkish army. 



14th. The sabbath was now come round again, and although our horses 

 would have been glad to take the benefit of it, yet we determined to make 

 a Sunday's journey to Brunswick church, which layabout eight miles off. 

 Though our landlord could do little for us, nevertheless, we did him all the 

 good we were able, by bleeding his- sick negro, and giving him a dose of 

 Indian physic. We got to church in decent time, and Mr. Betty, the parson 

 of the parish, entertained us with a good honest sermon, but whether he 

 bought it, or borrowed it, would have been uncivil in us to inquire. Be that 

 as it will, he is a decent man, with a double chin that sits gracefully over his 

 band, and his parish, especially the female part of it, like him well. We were 

 not crowded at church, though it was a new thing in that remote part of the 

 country. What women happened to be there, were very gim and tidy in 

 the work of their own hands, which made them look tempting in the eyes of 

 us foresters. When church was done, we refreshed our teacher with a glass 

 of wine, and then receiving his blessing, took horse and directed our course 

 to major Embry's. The distance thither was reputed fifteen miles, but ap- 

 peared less by the company of a nymph of those woods, whom innocence, 

 and wholesome flesh and blood made very alluring. In our way we crossed 

 Sturgeon creek and dueocky creek, but at our journey's end were so unlucky 

 as not to find either master or mistress at home. However, after two hours 

 of hungry expectation, the good woman luckily found her way home, and 

 provided very hospitably for us. As for the major, he had profited so much 

 by my prescription, as to make a journey to Williamsburg, which required 

 pretty good health, the distance being little short of one hundred miles. 



1 5th. After our bounteous landlady had cherished us with roast beef and 

 chicken-pie, we thankfully took leave. At the same time we separated from 

 our good fi'iend and fellow traveller, major Mayo, who steered directly home. 

 He is certainly a very useful, as well as an agreeable companion in the 

 woods, being ever cheerful and good-humoured, under all the little crosses, 

 disasters, and disappointments of that rambling life. As many of us as re- 

 mained jogged on together to Sapponi chapel, where I thanked major Mum- 

 ford and Peter Jones for the trouble that they -had ta,ken in this long jonrney. 

 That ceremony being duly performed, I filed off with my honest fi-iend, Mr. 

 Banister, to hi.s habitation on Hatcher's run, which lay about fourteen miles 



