188 lawson's history 



I was taking my leave of my friends. He assured 

 me, that their intent was to propagate vines, as 

 far as their present circumstances would permit ; 

 provided they could get any slips of vines, that 

 would do. At the same time I had gotten some 

 grape seed, which was of the Jesuits white grape 

 from Madera. The seed came up very plentiful- 

 ly, and, I hope, will not degenerate, v/hich if it 

 happens not to do, the seed may prove the best 

 way to raise a vineyard, as certainly it is most easy 

 for transportation. Yet I reckon we should have 

 our seed from a country, where the grape arrives 

 to the utmost perfection of ripeness. These 

 French refuges have had small encouragement in 

 Virginia, because, at their first coming over, they 

 took their measures of living, from Europe ; which 

 was all wrong ; for the small quantities of ten, fif- 

 teen, and twenty acres to a family did not hold 

 out according to their way of reckoning, by reason 

 they made very little or no fodder ; and the win- 

 ter there being much harder than with us, their 

 cattle failed ; chiefly, because the English took up 

 and surveyed all the land round about them ; so 

 that they were hemmed in on all hands from pro- 

 viding more land for themselves or their children, 

 all which is highly prejudicial in America, where 

 the generality are bred up to planting. One of 

 these French men being a fowling, shot a fowl in 

 the river, upon which his dog went down the bank 

 to bring it to his master ; but the bank was so 

 high and steep that he could not get up again. 



