J 42 PROGRESS TO THE MINES. 



one of his patients. By eight o'clock at night we had no more to say, and I 

 gaped wide as a signal for retiring, whereupon I was conducted to a clean 

 lodging, where I would have been glad to exchange one of the beds for a 

 chimney. 



7th. This morning Mrs. Martin was worse, so that there were no hopes of 

 seeing how much she was altered. Nor was this all, but the indisposition of 

 his consort made the colonel intolerably grave and thoughtful. I prudently ate 

 a meat breakfast, to give me spirits for a long journey, and a long fast. My 

 landlord was so good as to send his servant along with me, to guide me 

 through all the turnings of a difficult way. In about four miles we crossed 

 Mattaponi river at Norman's ford, and then slanted down to King William 

 county road. We kept along that for about twelve miles, as far as the new 

 brick church. After that I took a blind path, that carried me to several of 

 Col. Jones's quarters, which border upon my own. The colonel's overseers 

 were all abroad, which made me fearful I should find mine as idle as they. 

 But I was mistaken, for when I came to Gravel Hall, the first of my planta- 

 tions in King William, I found William Snead (that looks after three of them) 

 very honestly about his business. I had the pleasure to see my people all 

 well, and my business in good forwardness. I visited all the five quarters on 

 that side, which spent so much of my time, that I had no leisure to see any of 

 those on the other side the river ; though I discoursed Thomas Tinsley, 

 one of the overseers, who informed me how matters went. In the evening 

 Tinsley conducted me to Mrs. Sym's house, where I intended to take up my 

 quarters. This lady, at first suspecting I was some lover, put on a gravity 

 that becomes a weed ; but so soon as she learned who I was, brightened up 

 into an unusual cheerfulness and serenity. She was a portly, handsome dame, 

 of the family of Esau, and seemed not to pine too much for the death of her hus- 

 band, who was of the family of the Saracens. He left a son by her, who has all 

 the strong features of his sire, not softened in the least by any of hers, so that the 

 most malicious of her neighbours cannot bring his legitimacy in question, not 

 even the parson's wife, whose unruly tongue, they say, does not spare even the 

 reverend doctor, her husband. This widow is a person of a lively and cheer- 

 ful conversation, with much less reserve than most of her countrywomen. 

 It becomes her very well, and sets off her other agreeable qualities to advan- 

 tage. We tossed off a bottle of honest Port, which we relished with a broil- 

 ed chicken. At nine I retired to my devotions, and then slept so sound that 

 fancy itself was stupified, else I should have dreamed of my most obliging 

 landlady. 



8th. I moistened my clay with a quart of milk and tea, which I found alto- 

 gether as great a help to discourse as the juice of the grape. The courte- 

 ous widow invited me to rest myself there tliat good day, and go to church 

 with her, but I excused myself, by telling her she would certainly spoil my 

 devotion. Then she civilly entreated me to make her house my home when- 

 ever I visited my plantations, which made me bow low, and thank her very 

 kindly. From thence I crossed over to Shaccoe's, and took Thomas Tins- 

 ley for my guide, finding the distance about fifteen miles. I found every 

 body well at the Falls, blessed be God, though the bloody flux raged pret- 

 ty much in the neighbourhood. Mr. Booker had received a letter the day 

 before from Mrs. Byrd, giving an account of great desolation made in our 

 neighbourhood, by the death of Mr. Lightfoot, Mrs. Soan, Capt. Gerald and 

 Col. Henry Harrison. Finding the flux had been so fatal, I desired Mr. 

 Booker to make use of the following remedy, in case it should come amongst 

 my people. To let them blood immediately about eight ounces; the 

 next day to give them a dose of Indian physic, and to repeat the vomit 

 again the day following, unless the symptoms abated. In the mean time, 



