m?OGRESS TO THE MINES. 
135 
acres-. Rappahannock forks about fourteen miles below this place, the northern 
branch being the larger, and consequently must be the river that bounds my 
lord Fairfax’s grant of the Northern Neck. 
30th. The sun rose clear this morning, and so did I, and finished all my 
little affairs by breakfast. It was tlien resolved to wait on the ladies on 
horseback, since the bright sun, the fine air, and the wholesome exercise, all 
invited us to it. We forded the river a little above the ferry, and rode six 
miles up the neck to a fine level piece of rich land, where we found about 
twenty plants of ginseng, with the scarlet berries growing on the top of the 
middle stalk. The root of this is of wonderful virtue in many cases, par- 
ticularly to raise the spirits and promote perspiration, which makes it a spe* 
eificin colds and coughs. The colonel complimented me with all we found, 
in return for my telling him the virtues of it. We were all pleased to find 
so much of this king of plants so near the colonel’s habitation, and growing 
too upon his own land; but were, however, surprised to find it upon level 
ground, after we had been told it grew only upon the north side of stony 
mountains. I carried home this treasure, with as much joy, as if every root 
had been a graft of the tree of life, and washed and dried it carefully. This 
airing made us as hungry as so many hawks, so that between appetite and 
a very good dinner, it was difficult to eat like a philosopher. In the 
afternoon the ladies walked me about amongst all their little animals, with 
which they amuse themselves, and furnish the table ; the worst of it is, they 
are so tender-hearted, they shed a silent tear every time any of them are 
killed. At night the colonel and I quitted the threadbare subject of iron, 
and changed the scene to politics. He told me the ministry had receded 
from their demand upon New England, to raise a standing salary for all 
succeeding governors, for fear some curious members of the house of com- 
mons should inquire how the money was disposed of, that had been raised 
in the other American colonies for the support of their governors. And 
particularly what becomes of the four and a half per cent., paid in the sugar 
colonies for that purpose. That duty produces near twenty thousand pounds 
a year, but being remitted into the exchequer, not one of the West India 
governors is paid out of it; but they, like falcons, are let loose upon 
the people, who are complaisant enough to settle other revenues upon 
them, to the great impoverishing of these colonies. In the mean time, 
it is certain the money raised by the four and a half per cent, moulders away 
between the minister’s fingers, no body knows how, like the quitrents of 
Virginia. And it is for this reason that the instructions, forbidding all govern- 
ors to accept of any presents from their assemblies, are dispensed with in the 
sugar islands, while it is strictly insisted upon every where else, where the as- 
semblies were so wise as to keep their revenues among themselves. He said 
further, that if the assembly in New England would stand bluff, he did not 
see how they could be forced to raise money against their will, for if they 
should direct it to be done by act of parliament, which they have threatened 
to do, (though it be against the right of Englishmen to be taxed, but by their 
representatives,) yet they would find it no easy matter to put such an act 
in execution. Then the colonel read me a lecture upon tar, affirming that it 
cannot be made in this warm climate, after the manner they make it in Swe- 
den and Muscovy, by barking the tree two yards from the ground, whereby 
the turpentine descends all into the stump in a year’s time, which is then split 
in pieces in order for the kiln. But here the sun fries out the turpentine in 
the branches of the tree, when the leaves are dried, and hinders it from 
descending. But, on the contrary, those who burn tar of lightwood in the 
common way, and are careful about it, make as good as that which comes 
from the east country, nor will it burn the cordage more than that dom. 
