34 
THE HISTORY OF 
neral characters, industrious people. This held good in our landlord, who 
had many houses built on his plantation, and every one kept in decent repair. 
His wife, too, was tidy, his furniture clean, “his pewter bright, and nothing 
seemed to be wanting to make his home comfortable. 
Mr., Kinchin made us the compliment of his house, but because we were 
willing to be as little troublesome as possible, we ordered the tent to be 
pitched in his orchard, where the blossoms of the apple trees contributed not 
a little to the sweetness of our lodging. 
5th. Because the spring was now pretty forward, and the rattlesnakes began 
to crawl out of their winter quarters, and might grow dangerous, both to the 
men and their horses, it was determined to proceed no farther with the line 
till the fall. Besides, the uncommon fatigue the people had undergone for 
near six weeks together, and the inclination they all had to visit their respective 
families, made a recess highly reasonable. 
The surveyors were employed great part of the day, in forming a correct 
and elegant map of the line, from Coratuck inlet to the place where they left 
off. On casting up the account in the most accurate manner, they found the 
whole distance w^e had run to amount to seventy three miles and thirteen 
chains. Of the map they made two fair copies, which agreeing exactly, were 
subscribed by the commissioners of both colonies, and one of them was deli- 
vered to those on the part of Virginia, and the other to those on the part of 
North Carolina. 
6th. Thus we finished our spring campaign, and having taken leave of our 
Carolina friends, and agreed to meet them again the tenth of September 
following, at the same Mr. Kinchin’s, in order to continue the line, we crossed 
Meherrin river near a quarter of a mile from the house. About ten miles 
from that we halted at Mr. Kindred’s plantation, where we christened two 
children. 
It happened that some of Isle of VYlght militia were exercising in the 
adjoining pasture, and there w’ere females enough attending that martial 
appearance to form a more invincible corps. Ten miles farther we passed 
Nottoway river at Bolton’s ferry, and took up our lodgings about three miles 
from thence, at the house of Richard Parker, an honest planter, whose labours 
were rewarded with plenty, wdiich, in this country, is the constant portion of 
the industrious. 
7th. The next day being Sunday, we ordered notice to be sent to all the 
neighbourhood that there would be a sermon at this place, and an opportunity 
of christening their children. But the likelihood of rain got the better of 
their devotion, and what, perhaps, might still be a stronger motive of their 
curiosity. In the morning we despatched a runner to the Nottoway town, to 
let the Indians know we intended them a visit that evening, and our honest 
landlord was so kind as to be our pilot thither, being about four miles from his 
house. Accordingly in the afternoon we marched in good order to the town, 
where the female scouts, stationed on an eminence for that purpose, had no 
sooner spied us, but they gave notice of our approach to their fellow citizens 
by continual whoops and cries, which could not possibly have been more dis- 
mal at the sight of their most implacable enemies. This signal assembled 
all their great men, who received us in a body, and conducted us into the 
fort. This fort was a square piece of ground, inclosed with substantial pun- 
cheons, or strong palisades, about ten feet high, and leaning a little outwards, 
to make a scalade more difficult. Each side of the square might be about a 
hundred yards long, with loop-holes at proper distances, through which they 
may fire upon the enemy. Within this inclosure we found bark cabins sufficient 
to lodge all their people, in case they should be obliged to retire thither. 
These cabins are no other but close arbours made of saplings, arched at the 
