PROGRESS TO THE MINES. 141 



at Bristol they are both of equal price. The man strikes down the knife 

 once at every motion of the screw, so that his hand and foot keep exact 

 pace with each other. After the tobacco is cut in this manner, it is silled 

 first through a sand riddle, and then through a dust riddle, till it is perfectly 

 clean. Then it is put into a tight hogshead, and pressed under the nut, till 

 it weighs about a thousand net. One man performs all the work after the 

 tobacco is stemmed, so that the cliarge bears no proportion to the profit. 

 One considerable benefit from planting long green tobacco is, that it is much 

 harder, and less subject to fire than other sweet scented, though it smells not 

 altogether so fragrant. I surprised Mrs. Woodford in her housewifery in the 

 meat-house, at which she blushed as if it had been a sin. We all walked about 

 a mile in the woods, where I showed them several useful plants, and explained 

 the virtues of them. This exercise, and the fine air we breathed in, sharpened 

 our appetites so much that we had no mercy on a rib of beef that came attend- 

 ed with several other good things at dinner. In the afternoon, we tempted all 

 the family to go along with us to major Ben. Robinson's, who lives on a high hill, 

 called Moon's Mount", about five miles off. On the road we came to an eminence, 

 from whence we had a plain view of the mountains, which seemed to be no 

 more than thirty miles from us, in a straight line, though, to go by the road, it 

 was near double that distance. The sun had just time to light us to our jour- 

 ney's end, and the major received us with his usual good humour. He has a 

 very industrious wife, who has kept him from sinking by the weight of gam- 

 ing and idleness. But he is now reformed from those ruinous qualities, and 

 by the help of. a clerk's place, in a quarrelsome county, will soon be able to 

 clear his old scores. We drank exceeding good cider here, the juice of the 

 white apple, which made us talkative till ten o'clock, and then I was conduct- 

 ed to a bed-chamber, where there was neither chair nor table ; however, I 

 slept sound, and waked with strong tokens of health in the morning. 



6th. When I got up about sunrise, I was surprised to find that a fog had cov- 

 ered this high hill ; but there is a marsh on the other side the river that sends 

 its filthy exhalation up to the clouds. On the borders of that morass lives 

 Mr. Lomax, a situation fit only for frogs and otters. After fortifying myself 

 with toast and cider, and sweetening my lips with saluting the lady, I look 

 leave, and the two majors conducted me about four miles on my way, as far 

 as the church. After that, Ben. Robinson ordered his East Indian to conduct 

 me to Col. Martin's. In about ten miles, we reached Caroline court-house, 

 where Col. Armstead and Col. Will. Beverley, have each of them erected an 

 ordinary, well supplied with wine and other polite liquors, for the worshipful 

 bench. Besides these, there is a rum ordinary for persons of a more vulgar 

 taste. Such liberal supplies of^trong drink often make Justice nod, and drop 

 the scales out of her hands. Eight miles beyond the ordinary, I arrived at 

 Col. Martin's, who received me with more gravity than I expected. But, 

 upon inquiry, his lady was sick, which had lengthened his face and gave him 

 a very mournful air. I found him in his night-cap and banian, which is his 

 ordinary dress in that retired part of the country. Poorer land I never saw 

 than what he lives upon ; but the wholesomeness of the air, and the good- 

 ness of the roads, make some amends. In a clear day the mountains may 

 be seen from hence, which is, in truth, the only rarity of the place. At my 

 first arrival, the colonel saluted me with a glass of good Canary, and soon after 

 filled my belly with good mutton and cauliflowers. Two people were as 

 indifferent company as a man and his wife, without a little inspiration from 

 the bottle; and then we were forced to go to the kingdom of Ireland, to help 

 out our conversation. There, it seems, the colonel had an elder brother, a phy- 

 sician, who threatens him with an estate some time or another ; though pos- 

 sibly it might come to him sooner if the succession depended on the death of 



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