Chap. III. of the E N G L I S 
on the Capacity and Condu6l of the Governors they fend 
thither, who ought to have true Notions of the Interefts 
of King and People, and a Firmnefs of Mind equally ca- 
pable of refilling Flattery and defpifmg Clamour, to 
both which he will be as much expofed in thefe, as in 
any other Countries in the World, if from what has al- 
ready palfed, we may form any Judgment of what will 
happen in fucceeding Times. 
3. After having given the Reader an Account of the 
Time and Manner in which we became polfelfed of this 
Colony, arid the Means by which its Government has 
been changed lince it was fettled, we are next to enter 
into an exa6l Defcription of the Country itfeJf, that the 
Reader may be the better able to judge of the Value of 
this Plantation, and of the Certainty of thofe Rules, for 
determining the bell Climates, and the Commodities that 
may be expected, either from the Bounty of Nature, or 
the Indullry of the Inhabitants ; with refpeil to which, 
more rational Hopes could fcarce be formed of any Place 
in our PolTeffion, or, indeed, of any European Nation in 
America^ than of this ; which, in Point of Situation, as 
J have hinted more than once, is as happy as could be 
Widied, and in that relpedl certainly merits the Reader’s 
particular Attention. Carolina is fituated between the 
Extremes of Heat and Cold, but the Heat is more 
troublefome in Summer than the Cold in Winter, their 
Winters being very diort, and their frolly Mornings fre- 
quently fucceeded by warm Days. The Air is, for the 
moll Part, ferene and clear, both in Summer and Winter; 
yet they have theirWinter Rains, and fometimes very heavy 
Showers about Midfummer ; and efpecially if the Wind 
changes fuddenly from the South-eall to the North- weft, for 
then it blows exceeding cold, and brings Diflempers on 
thofe who do not take care to guard againft it ; but the Coun- 
try is generally healthful, where People live regularly, and ufe 
any Precaution : Thofe, indeed, who after a hot Day ex- 
pofe themfelves to the cool Breezes of the Evening, ufual- 
ly feel the Effe6ls of it, as others do that indulge their 
Appetites in eating Fruit, and drinking pernicious Li- 
quors toExcefs. 
They are fubjeft to Hurricanes as well as the Carihhee 
IJlands^ but thefe do not happen every Year ; and fome- 
times are fo favourable as not to do much Mifchief in 
feven Years. There was a very terrible one which hap- 
pened in the Year 1729., This Province is now divided 
into North and South Carolina , and, as we have before 
Biewn, the Country now known by the Name of Georgia 
is alfo within the original Limits of this Colony. At pre- 
fent we fhall concern ourfelves only with the two firft 
mentioned Provinces, intending to fpeak more of the 
laft in its proper Place. North Carolina is bounded by 
Virginia on the North, the Ocean on the Fall, by a Line 
drawn in 34 Degrees from the Ocean to the Mountains 
on the South, and by that Part of Florida^ polfelfed by 
Indians, on the Well, and is fubdivided into fourteen 
Townlhips or Parifhes. But there is not one Town or 
Church, as I can learn, in the Country ; and it is but 
> very lately that the Society for the propagating the Gof- 
I pel has fent idnerant Preachers amongll them. South 
! Carolina is divided from North Carolina, by the abovefaid 
imaginary Line on the North, by the Ocean on the Eall, 
by the River Savannah, which feparates it from Georgia] 
on the South, and by the Country of the Indians on the 
Well, being fubdivided into fourteen Parilhes or Town- 
I Ihips, each of them having a good Church of Brick or 
Timber. 
But the chief and almoll the only Town in both Ca- 
rolina's, is Charles Town, fituate in 32 Degrees 45 Mi- 
nutes North Latitude, and on the Point of a Peninfula, 
1 lormed by AJhly and- Cooper Rivers ; the former of which 
IS navigable for Ships twenty Miles above the Town ; 
and lor Boats and Pettyaugers (large Canoes) near 40 
i Hies. 1 he other River is not navigable for Ships fo 
lar, but for Boats and Pettyaugers much farther ; the Bar 
terore the Harbour has fixteen Foot Water at a low 
1 ide, and there is good riding when a Ship is got clofe 
j <v 7 Harbour being fecured by a Fort, 
called Johnfon s Fort, which has about twenty Guns in 
It, level with the Surface of the Water. The Town was 
VOL. II. Numb. 88 . ^ 
H h AMERICA, 277 
regularly fortified fome Years ago, and feveral of the 
Baftions, near the Water, are Hill in being, and in good 
repair. But the Baftions, Pallifadoes, and Folfe, next the 
Land, being much damaged by a Hurricane, and deem- 
ed of too great an Extent to be defended by the Inhabit- 
ants, General Nicholfon caufed them to be demolillied. 
The Town now contains upwards of fix hundred Houfes, 
generally well built, fome of them of Brick, but more of 
Timber, and moll of them fafiied, forming regular and 
fpacious Streets ; and their Church is much the moll 
magnificent In Englijh America, having three Ifles, an 
Organ, and Gallery all round the Church. 
The Tov/n of Beaufort is fituated on the Illand of 
Port Royal, in 3 1 Degrees 40 Minutes North Latitude, 
an hundred Miles South of Charles Town-, the Conti- 
nent and Illand forming a fine capacious Harbour, which 
might hold the Royal Navy of England. The Ifland on 
which the Town ftands, confifts of near one thoufand 
Acres, and is navigable all round for Boats and Pettyau- 
gers, and one half of it for Shipping, having four Fathom 
Water clofe to the high Bluff, fo that Ships may load 
and unload from the Shore, without the Afliftance of 
Boats. The Harbour is fecured by a Fort built fomeYears 
fmce, on which twelve Culverins are mounted, but the 
Town and Illand have no Fortification ; nor is the Har- 
bour fo well fortified as a Place of this Importance de- 
fer ves, efpecially as it lies fo nigh Spanijh Florida, and is 
faid to be demanded by the Spaniards as Part of their 
Territories. There is not, indeed, above fifty or three- 
fcore Houfes in the Town of Beaufort at prefent, but 
from its advantageous Situation, and the Goodnefs of the 
Harbour, it is expeded that this Town will one Day be 
the Capital of Carolina : It is already the Station for the 
Britifh Squadron in thofe Seas. There is another Port- 
Town lately eredled at Wingaw, about fifty Miles to the 
Northward ol Charles Town, to which they have given the 
Name of George Town, and the Society for the Propa- 
gation of the Gofpel have a Miffionary here. 
It would be needlefs to enter into a large Defcriptiori 
of this Country, or of the Towns that are eredled in it ; 
only it may not be amifs to fay that North Carolina is 
within this few Years become quite a different Country 
from what it was, and the Number of People therein is 
continually increafing ; fo that there is good Reafon to 
believe that whenever the Inhabitants are bleffed with a 
wile, aftive, prudent, and public-fpirited Governor, this 
Country may be fo improved, as to become infinitely 
more valuable than from any of the Accounts hitherto re- 
ceived of it could be expelled. Indeed it may juftly 
be affirmed, that the Welfare and Profperity of all our 
Colonies depend fo much upon the Choice of Governors, 
that we can fcarce conceive any thing of fo great Import- 
ance as the Crown’s being extremely careful to veil none 
with fuch Authority, but Men of known Capacity, efta- 
blilhed Reputation, and competent Fortunes. 
4. As to the Produce, Strength, and Commerce of 
Carolina, the bell Account we have, is from Colonel 
Purry, a Man of great Judgment, Indullry, and inte- 
grity, who went thither with a View to fettle, as he did, 
and therefore his Accounts may be very fafely depended 
upon. He obferves that all Sorts of Trees and Plants 
will grow there as well as can be wilhed ; particularly 
Vines, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Pcafe, Beans, Hemp, Flax, 
Cotton, Tobacco, Indico, Olives, Orange Trees, and Citron 
Trees, as alfo white Mulberry Trees for feeding of Silk- 
worms ; and that the Lands are not difficult to clear, be- 
caufe there are neither Stones nor Brambles, but only great 
Trees, which do not grow very thick, fo that more 
Land may be cleared there in one Week, than could be 
done in Europe in a Month, The Cuftom of the Country 
is, that after having cut down thefe great Trees, they 
leave the Stumps for four or five Years to rot, and after- 
wards eafily root them up, in order to manure the Land. 
It is therefore very certain that Carolina is in general an 
excellent Country. 
It is true the Ground is fandy, but then it is a Sand 
impregnated with Salt or Nitre, fo that it brings forth in 
great abundance, as the like Soil does in diverfe Parts of 
Europe, But what feems peculiar to Carolina^ there 
4 S are 
