OF NORTH CAROLINA. 127 



iug away some of their children (as I have been 

 told) under pretence of instructing them in learn- 

 ing and the principles of the christian religion, 

 which so disgusted the Indians, that, though they 

 had then no guns, yet they never gave over till they 

 had entirely rid themselves of the English, by 

 their bows and arrows ; with which they did not 

 only take oif themselves but also their stocks of 

 cattle ; and this was so much the more ruinous to 

 them in that they could have no assistance from 

 South Carolina, which was not then planted, and 

 the other plantations were but in their infancy. 

 Were it not for such ill practices, I say, it might, 

 in all probability, have been at this day, the best 

 settlement in their lordships' great province of 

 Carolina. 



The Sound of Albermarl, with the rivers and 

 creeks of that country, afford a very rich and du- 

 rable soil. The land, in most places, lies indif- 

 ferent low, (except in Chuwon and high up the 

 rivers) but bears an incredible burden of timber ; 

 the low grounds being covered with beech, and 

 the high land yielding lofty oaks, w^alnut trees, 

 and other useful timber. The country, in some 

 plantations, has yearly produced indian corn, or 

 some other grain ever since this country was first 

 seated, without the trouble of manuring or dress- 

 ing ; and yet, to all appearance, it seems not to 

 be, in the least, impoverished, neither do the plan- 

 ters ever miss of a good crop, unless a very unnat- 

 ural season visits them, which seldom happens. 



