NORTH AMERICA* 
417 
inquiry, my affociate informed me they were for 
the purpofe of boiling tar to pitch, there being 
Vaft forefts of Pine trees in the vicinity of this pi ace . 
In Carolina the inhabitants purfue a different me- 
thod ; 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 condudt a fufficient quantity 
of tar, and fet it on fire, buffering it to flame and 
evaporate a length of time fufficient to convert it 
into pitch, and when coo], lade it into barrels, and 
fo on until they have confirmed all the tar, or made 
a fufficient quantity of pitch for their purpofe. 
After re-imbarking, and leaving this bluff a few 
iniles, we put into ffiore again, and came to a 
farm houfe, a little diftance from the water, where 
we fupplied ourfelves with Corn meal, Batatas, 
bacon, &c. The French gentleman (proprietor of 
the plantation) was near eighty years old, his hair 
almoff white with age, yet he appeared aTive, 
ftrong and mufcular; and his mother who was pre~ 
lent, was one hundred and five years old, acdive 
and cheerful, her eyes feemed as b rifle and fpark- 
ling as youth, but ffie was of a diminutive fize, not 
half the ftature and weight of her fon s it was now 
above fifty years fince ffie 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 ifiand, we entered the channel 
Oleron. From this time* until v/e arrived at this gen- 
tleman's habitation on Pearl river, I was incapable 
of making any obfervations, for my eyes could not 
bear the light, as the leaf!; ray admitted feemed 
E e m 
