OF NORTH CAROLINA. 121 



bonny. We took their bows and arrows from them, 

 and gave them beads to their content. Then we 

 led them by the hand to the boat, and showed 

 them the arrow head sticking in her side, and 

 related to them the whole passage, which, when 

 they understood, both of them showed a great con- 

 cern, and signified to us, by signs, that they knew 

 nothing of it. So we let them go, and marked a 

 tree on the top of the bank, calling the place 

 mount skerry. We looked up the river as far as 

 we could discern, and saw that it widened, and 

 came running directly down the country. So we 

 returned, viewing the land on both sides the river, 

 and finding the banks steep in some places, but 

 very high in others. The bank sides are general- 

 ly clay, and as some of our company did affirm, 

 some marl. The land and timber up this river is 

 no way inferior to the best in the other, which we 

 call the main river. So far as we could discern, 

 this seemed as fair, if not fairer, than the former, 

 and we think runs farther into the country because 

 a strong current comes down, and a great deal 

 more drift wood. But to return to the business 

 of the land and timber. We saw several plots of 

 ground cleared by the Indians after their weak 

 manner, compassed round with great timber trees, 

 which they are no wise able to fell, and so keep 

 the sun from corn fields very much ; yet neverthe- 

 less, we saw as large corn stalks, or larger, than 

 we have seen anywhere else. So we proceeded 

 down the river till we found the canoe. The In- 

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