298 Histoby of Methodism 



up again and bear it higher, and cast it down upon a 

 hard spot of ground, until they effect their purpose. 

 We are now in Bladen Circuit, and it seems as though 

 old Brunswick, in North Carolina, would be a Method- 

 ist county, and that most of the rulers would believe 

 in Christ. 



Sunday, October 20, 1799. This is my American 

 birthday; I have now passed twenty-eight years upon 

 this continent. 



Tuesday, 22. We had a laborious ride of thirty 

 miles to William White's, on John's River, Burke 

 county. In this route we had to cross the Yadkin ten 

 times; Elk and Buffalo each twice. I have renewed 

 my acquaintance with these rivers; they afford valua- 

 ble levels, with rising hills and high mountains on 

 each side. The prospect is elegantly variegated. Here 

 are grand heights, and there Indian corn adorns the 

 vales. The water flows admirably clear, murmuring 

 through the rocks, and in the rich lands gently gliding 

 deep and silent between its verdant banks; and to all 

 this may be added pure air. 



Wednesday, 23, and Thursday, 24. Our quarterly- 

 meeting was held at William White's, grand patriarch 

 of this settlement, whose family of children and grand- 

 children are numerous and extensively established 

 here. Jesse Lee preached each day. My discourse 

 the first day was 1 Tim. iv. 12-16. 



Friday, 25. Came to Connelly's, twenty-five miles; 

 saw a natural curiosity in the mountains: an old 

 trunk of a poplar had fallen, and four limbs of it had 

 taken root at proper distances from each other, and 

 had grown to be large trees, from fifty to sixty feet 

 high and eighteen inches in diameter. 



Sunday, 27. Must needs go to the quarterly-meet- 



