1837.J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



593 



the air in supporting the combustion of the coal. 

 No coal of any kind, should ever be burned in a 

 room not provided with a proper passage for the 

 escape of the vitiated air, and the renewal of the 

 atmosphere of the apartment, by the introduction 

 of that which is pure. 



The idea that a room can he too tifrht. either 

 for a fire place or stove, in which wood is burned, 

 is absurd; the temperature of such a room may 

 be raised too hi<jh, and in properly finished rooms 

 it frequently is so; but iliat proves nothing, except 

 that fuel has been wasted, and more heat produced 

 than was necessary for the purpose required. 



To have a winter residence in this climate com- 

 fortable, our dwellinus should be constructed with 

 particular reference to that subject. The large 

 airy rooms open to the external air, so requisite in 

 summer, are not a1 all suitable in winter, and the 

 ex|)enses of most householders are materially in- 

 creased by inattention in this respect. Show 

 should always be compelled to give way to health 

 and comfort; and these should, if possible, always 

 be combined with convenience and economy. The 

 rooms to be occupied by the family should be on 

 the least exposed part of Ihe dwelling, and in no 

 case should the doors open directly into the exter- 

 nal air. Proper balls and entries assist most ma- 

 terially in the exclusion of winters blasts. 



If a fire-place is used lor warming the room, it 

 should be so constructed as to give out as much of 

 the heat as»possible into the apartment. To do 

 this the fire-place must be shallow, and in com- 

 bining wiih such a one the draft necessary to 

 prevent smoke, and at the same time not be so 

 strong as to force the heated air of the ro6m too 

 rapidly away, lies the cjreat skill of the successful 

 mason. In our opinion, an open fire is the most 

 agreeable when properly managed, and we think 

 there is about as much difierence in the effect on 

 the feelings, between an open fire and a stove, as 

 there is between the former and that of the sun. 

 We would give one hint to those who use fire- 

 places, and have no wood houses, and that is, 

 never to fill the corners within the jambs with (jreen 

 snowy wood for the purpose of drying it. Much 

 of the heat thrown into an apartment is reflected 

 ii-om the back and jambs, and this heat is very un- 

 prolifably employed in seasonino' green wood, or 

 nieliing snow. Better, where such wood must be 

 used, to put a stick or two at a time on to a lively 

 burning fire, and enjoy an equal temperature, 

 than half freeze while the wood is warming, and 

 then be as effectually roasted while it is burning. 



People who use stoves, in close rooms, in most 

 cases live in a temperature much higher than they 

 apprehend, which is probably one great reason 

 why such fires are in general considered less 

 healthy than open ones. Observation has con- 

 vinced us tiiat this difference between the heat of 

 a room with a stove, and one with an open fire, is 

 not, on an average, less than six or eight degrees. 

 In the matter of a fire, seeing is believing. Where 

 a stove is used, a thermometer is absolutely es- 

 sential ; for the man who comes from the open air 

 into a room heated to 75 or 80, is not satisfied 

 without an additional stick in the stove. 



But whatever may be the nature of the appa- 

 ratus used for heating a room, whether a stove or 

 a fire-place, let no one dream of a proper tempe- 

 rature, if he intends using green wood. What 

 a black account will be presented to that man lor 



Vol. IV— 75 



settlement, who shall be called upon to answer for 

 the weak eyes and baconed complexion of his 

 children, and the maledictions of his spouse, oc- 

 casioned by unseasoned wood. Comlbit and 

 economy, domestic quiet and a happy ftunily, and 

 green wood, cannot exist together. 



G. 



THE EAULIEST PASSAGE THROUGH THE DIS- 

 MAL SWAIWP. 



Extract from the Journal of Coi.. William Byrd, of Westover, 

 wliili! artinir as one of the coinniisisionirs to .survey find fix 

 the line between Virginia and Norlli Carolina, in 1728. 



1728, March 13. Early this morning our chap- 

 lain repaired to us vvilh the men we had left at 

 Mr. Wilson's. We had sent for them the evening 

 before, to reiieve those who had the labor oar Irom 

 Coraluck Inlet. But to our great surprise, they 

 petitioned not to be relieved, hoping to gain im- 

 mortal reputation by being the first of mankind 

 that ventured through the great Dismal. But the 

 rest being equally ambitious of the sapiie honor, it 

 was but fiiir to decide their pretensions by lot. 

 After Fortune had declared herself, those which 

 she had excluded, offered money to the happy 

 persons, to go in their stead. But Hercules would 

 have as soon sold the glory of cleansing the Au- 

 gean Stables, which was pretty near the same sort 

 of work. 



No sooner was the controversy at an end, but 

 we sent those unfortunate fellows back to their 

 quarters, whom chance had condemned to remain 

 upon firm land, and sleep in a whole skin. In the 

 mean while the surveyors carried the line 3 miles, 

 which was no contemptible day's work, consider- 

 ing how cruelly they were entangled with briers 

 and gall bushes. The leaf of this last shrub be- 

 speaks it to be of the alaternus faiTiily. 



Our work ended within a quarter of a mile of 

 the Dismal abovementiohed, where the ground 

 began to be already full of sunken holes and slash- 

 es, which had here and there some few reeds grow- 

 ing in them. 



'Tis hardly credible how Httle the bordering 

 inhabitants were acquainted with this mighty 

 swamp, notwithstanding they had lived fheir 

 whole lives within smell of it. Yet, as great 

 strangers as they were to it, they pretended to be 

 very exact in their account of its dimensions, and 

 were positive it could not be above 7 or 8 miles 

 wide; but knew no more of the matter than star- 

 gazers know of the distance of the fixed stars. 

 At the same time they were simple enough to 

 amuse our men with idle stories of the lions, pan- 

 thers, and alligators, they were like to encounter, 

 in that dreadful place. 



In short we saw plainly there was no intelli- 

 gence of this terra incognita to be got, but from 

 our own experience. For that reason, it was re- 

 solved to make the requisite dispositions to enter it 

 the next morning. We allotted every one of the 

 surveyors for this painful enterprise, with 12 men 

 to attend them. Fewer than that could not be 

 employed, in clearing the way, carrying the chain, 

 marking the trees, and bearing the necessary bed- 

 ding and provisions. Nor would the commission- 

 ers Themselves have spared their persons on this 

 occasion, but for fear of adding to the poor men's 

 burthen, while they were certain they could add 

 nothing to their resolution. 



