THE DIVIDING LINE. 
27 
their apprehensions were now at an end, when they understood that all the 
territory which had been controverted was like to be left in Carolina. In the 
afternoon, those who were to re-enter the Dismal were furnished with the ne- 
cessary provisions, and ordered to repair the over-night to their landlord, Pe- 
ter Brinkley’s, that they might be ready to begin their business early on 
Monday morning. Mr. Irvin was excused from the fatigue, in compliment to 
his lungs ; but Mr, Mayo and Mr. Swan were robust enough to return upon 
that painful service, and, to do them justice, they went with great alacrity. 
The truth was, they now knew the worst of it ; and could guess pretty near 
at the time when they might hope to return to land again. 
25th. The air was . chilled this morning with a smart north-west wind, 
which favoured the Dismalites in their dirty march. They returned by the 
path they had made in coming out, and with great industry arrived in the 
evening at the spot where the line had been discontinued. After so long and 
laborious a journey, they were glad to repose themselves on their couches of 
cypress-bark, where their sleep was as sweet as it would have been on a bed 
of Finland down. In the mean time, we who stayed behind had nothing to 
do, but to make the best observations we could upon that part of the country. 
The soil of our landlord’s plantation, though none of the best, seemed more 
fertile than any thereabouts, where the ground is near as sandy as the deserts 
of Africa, and consequently barren. The road leading from thence to Eden- 
ton, being in distance about twenty-seven miles, lies upon a ridge called 
Sandy ridge, which is so wretchedly poor that it will not bring potatoes. The 
pines in this part of the country are of a different species from those that 
grow in Virginia : their bearded leaves are much longer and their cones much 
larger. Each cell contains a seed of the size and figure of a black-eye pea, 
which, shedding in November, is very good mast for hogs, and fattens them 
in a short time. The smallest of these pines are full of cones, which are 
eight or nine inches long, and each affords commonly sixty or seventy seeds. 
This kind of mast has the advantage of all other, by being more constant, 
and less liable to be nipped by the frost, or eaten by the caterpillars. The 
trees also abound more with turpentine, and consequently yield more tar, 
than either the yellow or the white pine; and for the same reason make 
more durable timber for building. The inhabitants hereabouts pick up knots 
of lightwood in abundance, which they burn into tar, and then carry it to 
Norfolk or Nansemond for a market. The tar made in this method is the less 
valuable, because it is said to burn the cordage, though it is full as good for 
all other uses, as that made in Sweden and Muscovy. Surely there is no 
place in the world where the inhabitants live with less labour than in North 
Carolina, It approaches nearer to the description of Lubberland than any 
other, by the great felicity of the climate, the easiness of raising provisions, 
and the slothfulness of the people. Indian corn is of so great increase, that 
a little pains will subsist a very large family with bread, and then they may 
have meat without any pains at all, by the help of the low grounds, and the great 
variety of mast that growls on the high land. The men, for their parts, just 
like the Indians, impose all the work upon the poor women. They make their 
wives rise out of their beds early in the morning, at the same time that they 
lie and snore, till the sun has risen one third of his course, and dispersed all 
the unwholesome damps. Then, after stretching and yawning for half an 
hour, they light their pipes, and, under the protection of a cloud of smoke, 
venture out into the open air; though, if it happens to be never so little cold, 
they quickly return shivering into the chimney corner. When the weather is 
mild, they stand leaning with both their arms upon the corn-field fence, and 
gravely consider whether they had best go and take a small heat at the hoe : 
but generally find reasons to put it off till another time. Thus they loiter 
