THE WATERS OP NORTH CAROLINA. 7 



lands; but in summer the water is generally clear, with a brownish color, and is 

 what is known as "juniper water". The bottom is mostly of fine sand mixed 

 with mud, and is fairly hard. This section was at one time inhabited by a tribe 

 of Indians, and the lake has received the tribal name of Mattamuskeet. The 

 Indian tradition as to the origin of the lake — which is the popular one to-day — is 

 that it was due to a fire which burned many months, affecting a far larger area 

 than is now covered by the lake. In support of this theory the people point out 

 blackened and water-worn cy3)ress stumps everywhere abundant near the shores 

 and argue that the surrounding territory, being swampy and peaty and covered 

 with cypress trees, is even now liable to have just such another fire. Prof. 

 Holmes, however, states that this tradition is untenable and that Mattamuskeet, 

 like others with the same story of origin — Lake Drummond, in the Dismal Swamp , 

 for instance — is a natural lake. The northern and western shores are swampy 

 and marshy, while on the south and east there are extensive farms, generally dry 

 and very fertile. Cypress and willow trees form an almost continuous border 

 around the lake and grow out into it. The lake is fed by drainage from swamps 

 and farms, and discharges into Alligator River and Yeosocking Bay through 

 canals. 



The lake supports but little sport fishing and no market fishing, although 

 considerable quantities of fish are taken for local consumption with rod and line 

 and gill net. While the variety of food-fishes found in the lake is rather small, 

 it embraces a number of first-class species. The most highly prized and the 

 most important from a local standpoint is the white perch, which is exceedingly 

 abundant, reaches a large size, and occurs everywhere in the lake and drainage 

 ditches. The yellow perch, locally called "redfin", is also abundant, but less so 

 than formerly. The blue bream is very common and ranks next to the white 

 perch in popular estimation. The large-mouth black bass, having the local names 

 of "chub" and "Welshman", is present in considerable numbers. The pike 

 {Esox reticulatus) attains a large size and is numerous, and the pickerel (Esox 

 americanus) , called "jack", also occurs. Cat-fishes and eels are abundant. The 

 latter are not much used, although at one time a religious sect called "The 

 Sanctified" made a business of catching eels in the lake and shipping them north. 

 Other fishes inhabiting this interesting lake are the pumpkin-seed and several 

 other sun-fishes,- the roach or dace, the carp, the dog-fish or grindle, the hog- 

 choker, and various minnows. 



The remaining lakes of this group have a combined area less than half of 

 that of Lake Mattamuskeet. They are similar to the latter in their physical 

 characters and, so far as known, in their fish life. Phelps, the largest, is the 

 source of Scuppernong River. 



On the peninsula south of Neuse River, in Craven and Jones counties, there 

 is a compact group of 5 lakes known as Great, Long, Ellis, Catfish, and Little 

 lakes. The first is largest, being 5 miles long and 3 miles wide, with a maximum 

 depth of 10 to 12 feet. Ellis Lake is nearly 2 miles in diameter, but averages 

 less than 2 feet in depth. These waters, which are connected with the Neuse 



