THE VINES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 181 



Dr. Hunter, who has given much attention to the 

 history of our Grapes, has communicated most of the 

 following items in regard to the Isabella. Dr. Las- 

 peyre was probably its first cultivator in the United 

 States, probably as early as 1805, as he sold it in the 

 Wilmington Market in 1810. Judge Ruffin culti- 

 vated it in Orange County in 1811, under the name 

 of Laspeyre Grape. It is a tradition that Gov. Smith 

 brought it to Sniithville in 1809. About the year 

 1810 Mrs. Isabella Gibbs took a rooted cutting from 

 Gov. Smith's garden to Brooklyn, New York, accord- 

 ing to a current account. According to Dr. Las- 

 peyre, she got the vine from him. These statements 

 may, in a sort, be reconciled, if Gov. Smith obtained 

 his stock from Dr. Laspeyre. In 1819, Gen. Swift 

 bought the Gibbs place, and it was there the elder 

 Prince first saw and obtained this Grape, which he 

 named the Isabella in compliment to Mrs. Gibbs. 

 Dr. Hunter has some of these statements from Gen. 

 Swift. Dr. Laspeyre was under the impression that 

 this, which he called the Black Cape, was one of the 

 vines which he brought from St. Domingo, but it 

 was probably the accidental introduction of an Amer- 

 ican among his foreign stocks. Dr. Hunter seems to 

 be of opinion that it came to the Cape Fear region 

 from South Carolina, according with the tradition 

 mentioned in Dr. Hawks's History. 



The Catawba Grape, as I am informed by Dr. 

 Hunter, originated in Buncombe County on Cain 

 Creek, an affluent of the French Broad. His views 



