NORTH AMERICA. 1 4 I 
It took me an hour or more to clear the water out 
of my bark. I then croffed the lake before a brifk 
and favourable breeze (it was about a mile over}* 
and landed fafely at the plantation. 
When I arrived* my friend was affrighted to fee 
me, and immediately inquired of me in what man- 
ner I came there ; iuppofmg it impoflible (until I 
had fhowed him my boat) that I could have arrived 
by water through fo tremendous a hurricane. 
Indeed I faw plainly that they were greatly terri- 
fied, having fuffered almoft irreparable damages 
from the violence of the ftorm. All the buildings 
on the plantation, except his own dwelling- houfe, 
were laid almoft flat to the ground, or the logs and 
roof rent afunder and twifted about; the manfion- 
houfe fhook and reeled over their heads. He had 
nearly one hundred acres of the Indigo plant almofl 
ripe for the firft cutting, which were nearly ruined i 
and feveral acres of very promifing fugar-cane, to- 
tally fpoiled for the feafon. The great live oaks 
which had been left Handing about the fields, were 
torn to pieces, their limbs lying fcattered over the 
ground : and one very large one which flood near 
his houfe torn down, which could not have been 
done by the united flrength of a thoufand men. But 
what is incredible, in the midfl of this devaflation 
and ruin, providentially no lives were loft ; although 
there were about fixty Negro flaves on the planta- 
tion, and mo ft of them in their huts when the ftorm 
came on, yet they efcaped with their lives, though 
feveral were badly wounded. 
I continued here three days : indeed it took moft 
of the time of my abode with him, to dry my books 
and fpecimens of plants. But with attention and 
care 
