THE DIVIDING LINE. 
25 
could have made. In the mean time the commissioners could get no news of 
them from any of their visiters, who assembled from every point of the compass. 
But the good landlord had visiters of another kind while we were there, that 
is to say, some industrious rqasters of ships, that lay in Nansemond river. 
These worthy commanders came to bespeak tobacco from these parts to 
make up their loadings, in contempt of the Virginia law, which positively for- 
bade their taking in any made in North Carolina. Nor was this restraint at 
all unreasonable ; because they have no law in Carolina, either to mend the 
quality or lessen the quantity of tobacco, of so much as to prevent the turn- 
ing out of seconds, all which cases have been provided against by the laws 
of Virginia. Wherefore, there can be no reason why the inhabitants of that 
province should have the same advantage of shipping their tobacco in our 
parts, when they will by no means submit to the same restrictions that we do. 
22d. Our patrol happened not to go far enough to the northward this 
morning, if they had, the people in the Dismal might have heard the report of 
their guns. For this reason they returned without any tidings, which threw 
us into a great though unnecessary perplexity. This was now the ninth_^day 
since they entered into that inhospitable swamp, and consequently we had 
reason to believe their provisions were quite spent. We knew they worked 
hard, and therefore would eat heartily, so long as they had wherewithal tO: 
recruit their spirits, not imagining the swamp so wide as they found it. Had 
we been able to guess where the line would come Out, we would have sent 
men to meet them with a fresh supply ; but as we could know nothing of 
that, and as we had neither compass nor surveyor to guide a messenger on 
such an errand, we were unwilling to expose him to no purpose ; therefore, 
all we were able to do for them, in so great an extremity, was to recommend 
them to a merciful Providence. However long we might think the time, yet 
we Were cautious of showing our uneasiness, for fear of mortifying our land- 
lord. He had done his best for us, and therefore we were unwilling he should 
think us dissatisfied with our entertainment. In the midst of our concern, we 
were most agreeably surprised, just after dinner, with the news that the Dis- 
malites were all safe. These blessed tidings were brought to us by Mr. Swan, 
the Carolina surveyor, who came to us in a very tattered condition. After 
very short salutations, we got about him as if he had been a Hottentot, and 
began to inquire into his adventures. He gave us a detail of their uncom- 
fortable voyage through the Dismal, and told us, particularly, they had pur- 
sued their journey early that morning, encouraged by the good omen of Seeing 
the crows fly over their heads ; that, after an hour’s march over very rotten 
ground, they, on a sudden, began to find themselves among tall pines, that 
grew in the water, which in many places was knee deep. This pine swamp, 
into which that of Coropeak drained itself, extended near a mile in breadth ; 
and though it was exceedingly wet, yet it was much harder at bottom than 
the rest of the swamp ; that about ten in the morning they recovered firm 
land, which they embraced with as much pleasure as shipwrecked wretches 
do the shore. After these honest adventurers had congratulated each other’s 
deliverance, their first inquiry was for a good house, where they might satisfy 
the importunity of their stomachs. Their good genius directed them to Mr. 
Brinkley’s, who dwells a little to the southward of the line. This man began 
immediately to be very inquisitive, but they declared they had no spirits to 
answer questions, till after dinner. But pray, gentlemen,” said he, “ answer 
me one question at least ; what shall we get for your dinner V’ To which 
they replied, “ No matter what, so it be but enough.” He kindly supplied 
their wants as soon as possible, and by the strength of that refreshment they 
made a shift to come to us in the evening, to tell their own story. They all 
