NORTH AMERICA. 
417 
inquiry, my affociate informed me they were for 
the purpofe of boiling tar to pitch, there being vafl 
forefts of Pine trees in the vicinity of this place. In 
Carolina the inhabitants purfue a different method ; 
when they defign to make pitch, they dig large 
holes in the ground, near the tar kiln, which they 
line with a thick coat of good clay, into which they 
conduct a fufficient quantity of tar, and fet it on 
fire, fuffering it to flame and evaporate a length of 
time fufficient to convert it into pitch, and when 
cool, lade, it into barrels, and fo on until they have 
confunied all the tar, or made a fufficient quantity 
of pitch for their purpofe. 
After re-imbarking, and leaving this bluff a few 
miles, we put in to more again, and came to a 
farm houfe, a little diM.ance from the water, where 
we f applied ourfelves with Corn meal, Batatas, 
bacon, &c. The French gentleman (proprietor of 
the plantation) was near eighty years old, his hair 
almoft white with age, yet he appeared active, 
ftrong and mufcular ; and his mother who was pre- 
fent, was one hundred and five years old, active 
and cheerful, her eyes feemed as hriik and fpark- 
ling as youth, but me was of a diminutive fize, not 
half the ftature and weight of her fon : it was now 
above fifty years fince ine came into America from 
old France. 
I embarked again, proceeding down the bay, and 
in the evening doubled the weft point or cape of 
the bay, being a promontory of the main, between 
which and Dauphin ifland, we entered the channel 
Oleron. From this time, unril we arrived at this gen- 
tleman's habitation on Pearl river, I was incapable 
of making any obferyations, for my eyes could not 
bear the light, as the leaft ray admitted feemed 
