28 
THE HISTORY OF 
away their lives, like Solomon’s sluggard, with their arms across, and at the 
winding up of the year scarcely have bread to eat. ^To speak the truth, it is 
a thorough aversion to labor that makes people file off' to North Carolina, 
where plenty and a warm sun confirm them in their disposition to laziness for 
their whole lives. 
26th. Since we were like to be confined to this place, till the people re- 
turned out of the Dismal, it was agreed that our chaplain might safely take 
a turn to Edenton, to preach the Gospel to the infidels there, and christen 
their children. He was accompanied thither by Mr. Little, one of the Caro- 
lina commissioners, who, to show his regard for the church, offered to treat 
him on the road with a fricassee of rum. They fried half a dozen rashers of 
very fat bacon in a pint of rum, both which being dished up together, served 
the company at once both for meat and drink. Most of the rum they get in 
this country comes from New England, and is so bad and unwholesome, that 
it is not improperly called “kill-devil.” It is distilled there from foreign 
molasses, which, if skilfully managed, yields near gallon for gallon. Their 
molasses comes from the same country, and has the name of long sugar” 
in Carolina, I suppose from the ropiness of it, and serves all the purposes of 
sugar, both in their eating and drinking. When they entertain their friends 
bountifully, they fail not to set before them a capacious bowl of Bombo, so 
called from the admiral of that name. This is a compound of rum and wa- 
ter in equal parts, made palatable with the said long sugar. As good humour 
begins to flow, and the bowl to ebb, they take care to replenish it with sheer 
rum, of which there always is a reserve under the table. But such generous 
doings happen only when that balsam of life is plenty ; for they have often 
such melancholy times, that neither landgraves nor cassiques can procure one 
drop for their wives, when they lie in, or are troubled with the colic or 
vapours. Very few in this country have the industry to plant orchards, 
which, in a dearth of rum, might supply them with much better liquor. The 
truth is, there is one inconvenience that easily discourages lazy people from 
making this improvement : very often, in autumn, when the apples begin to 
ripen, they are visited with numerous flights of paroquets, that bite all the 
fruit to pieces in a moment, for the sake of the kernels. The havoc they 
make is sometimes so great, that whole orchards are laid waste in spite of all 
the noises that can be made, or mawkins that can be dressed up, to fright 
them away. These ravenous birds visit North Carolina only during the 
warm season, and so soon as the cold begins to come on, retire back towards 
the sun. They rarely venture so far north as Virginia, except in a very hot 
summer, when they visit the most southern parts of it. They are very beau- 
tiful ; but like some other pretty creatures, are apt to be loud and mischievous. 
27th. Betwixt this and Edenton there are many whortleberry slashes, 
which afford a convenient harbour for wolves and foxes. The first of these 
wild beasts is not so large and fierce as they are in other countries more 
northerly. He will not attack a man in the keenest of his hunger, but run 
away from him, as from an animal more mischievous than himself The 
foxes are much bolder, and will sometimes not only make a stand, but like- 
wise assault any one that would balk them of their prey. The inhabitants 
hereabouts take the trouble to dig abundance of wolf-pits, so deep and per- 
pendicular, that when a wolf is once tempted into them, he can no more 
scramble out again, than a husband who has taken the leap can scram- 
ble out of matrimony. Most of the houses in this part of the countr)'^ are 
log-houses, covered with pine or cypress shingles, three feet long, and one 
broad. They are hung upon laths with pegs, and their doors too turn upon 
wooden hinges, and have wooden locks to secure them, so that the building 
is finished without nails or other iron work. They also set up their pales 
