THE DIVIDJNG LINE. 
n 
will stand several years, in spite of the worm, which bites here very much,, 
but may be soon repaired in a place where so many pines grow in the neigh- 
bourhood. 
The commissioners endeavoured, in this town, to list three more men to- 
serve as guides in that dirty part of the country, but found that these people' 
knew just enough of that frightful place to avoid it. They had been told that 
those Netherlands were full of bogs, of marshes and swamps, not fit for 
human creatures to engage in, and this was reason enough for them not to 
hazard their persons. So they told us, flat and plain, that we might even dag- 
gle through the mire by ourselves for them. 
The worst of it was, we could not learn from any body in this town, what 
route to take to Coratuck inlet; till at last we had the fortune to meet with a 
borderer upon North Carolina, who made us a rough sketch of that part of 
the country. Thus, upon seeing how the land lay, we determined to march 
directly to Prescot landing upon North-west river, and. proceed thence 
by water to the place where our line was to begin. 
4th. In pursuance of this resolution we crossed the river this morning to 
Powder point, where we all took horse ; and the grandees of the town, with 
great courtesy, conducted us ten miles on our way, as far as the long bridge 
built over the south branch of the river. The parson of the parish, Mr. 
Marston, a painful apostle from the society, made one in this ceremonious 
cavalcade. 
At the bridge, these gentlemen, wishing us a good deliverance, returned, 
and then a troop of light horse escorted us as far as Prescot landing, upon 
North-west river. Care had been taken beforehand to provide two periau- 
gas to lie ready at that place to transport us to Coratuck inlet. Our zeal was 
so great to get thither at the time appointed, that we hardly allowed ourselves 
leisure to eat, which in truth we had the less stomach to, by reason the din- 
ner was served up by the landlord, whose nose stood on such ticklish terms, 
that it was in danger of falling into the dish. We therefore made our repast 
very short, and then embarked with only the surveyors and nine chosen men, 
leaving the rest at Mr. W n’s to take care of the horses and baggage. 
There we also left our chaplain, with the charitable intent, that the gentiles 
round about might have time and opportunity, if they pleased, of getting 
themselves and their children baptized. 
We rowed down North-west river about 18 miles, as far as the mouth of 
it, where it empties itself into Albemarle sound. It was really a delightful 
sight, all the way, to see the banks of the river adorned with myrtle, laurel 
and bay trees, which preserve their verdure the year round, though it must 
be owned that these beautiful plants, sacred to Venus and Apollo, grow com- 
monly in a very dirty soil. The river is, in most places, fifty or sixty yards 
wide, without spreading much wider at the mouth. It is remarkable it was 
never known to ebb and flow till the year 1713, when a violent storm opened 
a new inlet, about five miles south of the old one ; since which convulsion, 
the old inlet is almost choked up by the shifting of the sand, and grows both 
narrower and shoaler every day. 
It was dark before we could reach the mouth of the river, where our way- 
ward stars directed us to a miserable cottage. The landlord was lately re- 
moved, bag and baggage, from Maryland, through a strong antipathy he had 
to work and paying his debts. For want of our tent, we were obliged to 
shelter ourselves in this wretched hovel, where we were almost devoured by 
vermin of various kinds. However, we were above complaining, being all 
philosophers enough to improve such slender distresses into mirth and good 
humour. 
5th. The day being now come, on which we had agreed to meet the com- 
