261 



In 1763, George Washington, then twenty-one years of age, 

 penetrated the swamp and in his own language "encompassed the 

 whole.'' He camped one night on the eastern border of the lake, 



ing ramble before breakfast, made the interesting discovery that 

 the water of several very small streams ran out of, instead of into, 

 the lake. Washington wrote to Hugh Williamson that he had no 

 doubt the water was running into some of the rivers of Albe- 

 marle Sound. The youthful surveyor had in fact discovered the 

 source of Northwest River which runs into Currituck Sound. 



Washington also ascertained that the surface of the lake was 

 nearly level with the western edge of the swamp and considerably 

 higher than the eastern border, or in other words that the swamp 

 was neither a hollow, nor a plain, but a hill-side. More careful 

 measurements since have shown that the surface of the lake is 

 twenty-one feet higher than mid-tide, and twelve feet higher than 

 the eastern border of the swamp. 



Com. Barron and others sounded across the lake and found the 

 depth, in the middle, to be fifteen feet, with a bottom of swamp- 

 mud, covered in s6me places with white sand. The soil, if soil it 

 can be called, taken one foot below the surface, contains more 

 than !>G per cent, of organic matter. Workmen in the swamp as- 

 sert that they can run a pole down from ten to fifteen feet in tins 

 soft mud or sponge. This sponge is really a peat when taken 

 near the surface, and has been used as fuel. Shaded and kept 

 moist by the dense growth of ferns, reeds, and juniper trees, which 

 with their long deep roots stand firm in the trembling mud, the 

 annual accumulation of vegetable growth does not decay, but 

 gradually aids in raising the level of this growing bog. But 

 when the mud is thrown up in ridges by the excavations for 



The trees of past centuries, buried in the swamp, as well as the 

 present growth are of great value for shingles, staves, and other 

 purposes where durability is desired. 



During dry seasons extensive fires prevail, not only burning the 

 vegetation above the surface but the peaty soil itself, leaving 



In this way the lake was probably formed. It is not to be sup- 

 posed that the bed of the lake was thus burned to the depth of 

 fifteen feet, but that at some remote time, the large area of its 



