142 
PROGRESS TO THE MINES. 
one of his patients. By eight o’clock at night we had no more to say, and I 
gaped wide as a signal for retiring, whereupon I was conducted to a clean 
lodging, where I would have been glad to exchange one of the beds for a 
chimney. 
7th. This morning Mrs. Martin was worse, so that there were no hopes of 
seeing how much she was altered. Nor was this all, but the indisposition of 
his consort made the colonel intolerably grave and thoughtful. I prudently ate 
a meat breakfast, to give me spirits for a long journey, and a long fast. My 
landlord was so good as to send his servant along with me, to guide me 
through all the turnings of a difficult way. In about four miles we crossed 
Mattaponi river at Norman’s ford, and then slanted down to King William 
county road. We kept along that for about twelve miles, as far as the new 
brick church. After that I took a blind path, that carried me to several of 
Col. Jones’s quarters, which border upon my own. The colonel’s overseers 
were all abroad, which made me fearful I should find mine as idle as they. 
But I was mistaken, for when I came to Gravel Hall, the first of my planta- 
tions in King William, I found William Snead (that looks after three of them) 
very honestly about his business. I had the pleasure to see my people all 
well, and my business in good forwardness. I visited all the five quarters on 
that side, which spent so much of my time, that I had no leisure to see any of 
those on the other side the river; though I discoursed Thomas Tinsley, 
one of the overseers, who informed me how matters went. In the evening 
Tinsley conducted me to Mrs. Sym’s house, where I intended to take up my 
quarters. This lady, at first suspecting I was some lover, put on a gravity 
that becomes a weed ; but so soon as she learned who I was, brightened up 
into an unusual cheerfulness and serenity. She was a portly, handsome dame, 
of the family of Esau, and seemed not to pine too much for the death of her hus- 
band, who was of the family of the Saracens. He left a son by her, who has all 
the strong features ofhis sire, not softened in the least by any ofhers, so that the 
most malicious of her neighbours cannot bring his legitimacy in question, not 
even the parson’s wife, whose unruly tongue, they say, does not spare even the 
reverend doctor, her husband. This widow is a person of a lively and cheer- 
ful conversation, with much less reserve than most of her countrywomen. 
It becomes her very well, and sets off her other agreeable qualities to advan- 
tage. We tossed off a bottle of honest Port, which we relished with a broil- 
ed chicken. At nine I retired to my devotions, and then slept so sound that 
fancy itself was stupified, else I should have dreamed of my most obliging 
landlady. 
8th. I moistened my clay with a quart of milk and tea, which I found alto- 
gether as great a help to discourse as the juice of the grape. The courte- 
ous widow invited me to rest myself there that good day, and go to church 
with her, but I excused myself, by telling her she would certainly spoil my 
devotion. Then she civilly entreated me to make her house my home when- 
ever I visited my plantations, which made me bow low, and thank her very 
kindly. From thence I crossed over to Shaccoe’s, and took Thomas Tins- 
ley for my guide, finding the distance about fifteen miles. I found every 
body well at the Falls, blessed be God, though the bloody flux raged pret- 
ty much in the neighbourhood. Mr. Booker had received a letter the day 
before from Mrs. Byrd, giving an account of great desolation made in our 
neighb(Jlrhood, by the death of Mr. Lightfoot, Mrs. Soan, Capt. Gerald and 
Col. Henry Harrison. Finding the flux had been so fatal, I desired Mr. 
Booker to make use of the following remedy, in case it should come amongst 
my people. To let them blood immediately about eight ounces; the 
next day to give them a dose of Indian physic, and to repeat the vomit 
again the day following, unless the symptoms abated. In the mean time, 
