THE DIVIDING LINE. 
31 
their surveyor in Mr. Swan’s stead, but he thought it 'not proper to accept of 
it, because he had hitherto acted as a volunteer in behalf of Virginia, and 
did not care to change sides, though it might have been to his advantage. 
30th. The line was advanced this day six miles and thirty-five chains, the 
woods being pretty clear, and interrupted with no swamp, or other wet ground. 
The land hereabout had all the marks of poverty, being for the most part sandy 
and full of pines. This kind of ground, though unfit for ordinary tillage, will 
however bring cotton and pototoes in plenty, and consequently food and 
raiment to such as are easily contented, and, like the wild Irish, find more 
pleasure in laziness than luxury. It also makes a shift to produce Indian corn, 
rather by the felicity of the climate than by the fertility of the soil. They 
who are more industrious than their neighbours may make what quantity of 
tar they please, though indeed they are not always sure of a market for it. 
The method of burning tar in Sweden and Muscovy succeeds, not well in 
this warmer part of the world. It seems they kill the pine trees, by barking 
them quite round at a certain height, which in those cold countries brings 
down the turpentine into the stump in a year’s time. But experience has 
taught us that in warm climates the turpentine will not so easily descend, 
but is either fixed in the upper parts of the tree, or fried out by the intense 
heat of the sun. 
Care was taken to erect a post in every road that our line ran through, 
with Virginia carved on the north side of it, and Carolina on the south, that 
the bounds might every where appear. In the evening the surveyors took 
up their quarters at the house of one Mr. Parker, who, by the advantage of a 
better spot of land than ordinary, and a more industrious wife, lives com- 
fortably, and has a very neat plantation. 
31st. It rained a little this morning, but this, happening again upon a 
Sunday, did not interrupt our business. However the surveyors made’ no 
scruple of protracting and plotting off their work upon that good day, be- 
cause it was rather an amusement than a drudgery. Here the men feasted 
on the fat of the land, and believing the dirtiest part of their work was over, 
had a more than ordinary gaiety of heart. W e christened two of our landlord’s 
children, which might have remained infidels all their lives, had not we car- 
ried Christianity home to his own door. The truth of it is, our neighbours of^ 
North Carolina are not so -zealous as to go much out of their way to procure 
this benefit for their children : otherwise, being so near Virginia, they might, 
without exceeding much trouble, make a journey to the next clergyman, 
upon so good an errand. And indeed should the neighbouring ministers, 
once in two or three years, vouchsafe to take a turn among these gentiles, 
to baptize them and their children, it would look a little apostolical, and they 
might hope to be requited for at hereafter, if that be not thought too long to 
tarry for their reward. 
April 1st. The surveyors getting now upon better ground, quite disengaged 
from underwoods, pushed on the line almost twelve miles. They left Som- 
merton chapel near two miles to the northwards, so that there was now no 
place of public worship left in the whole province of North Carolina. 
The high land of North Carolina was barren, and covered with a deep 
sand ; and the low grounds were wet and boggy, insomuch that several of 
our horses were mired, and gave us frequent opportunities to show our 
horsemanship. 
The line cut William Spight’s plantation in two, leaving little more th& n 
his dwelling house and orchard in Virginia. Sundry other plantations were 
split in the same unlucky manner, which made the owners accountable to 
both governments. Wherever we passed we constantly found the borderers 
laid it to heart if their land was taken into Virginia: they chose much rather 
