Exploration and Settlement

ORIGIN OF THE NAME CAPE FEAR.

By GrorGE DAvIs.

The origin of the name Cape Fear and its confusion in some
of our early maps with Cape Fair led, many years ago, to a dis-
cussion by the Historical and Scientific Society of Wilmington,
of which this writer was the secretary. A prominent Wilming-
tonian of his day, Mr. Henry Nutt, to whose indefatigable, in-
telligent efforts and public spirit the closure of New Inlet was
largely due, stoutly maintained in a forceful address before that
body that the name was originally Fair and not Fear.

Mr. George Davis subsequently took the opposite view in his
valuable contribution entitled An Episode in Cape Fear History,

published in the South Atlantic Magazine, January, 1879, which
I here reprint under the above title.

Is it Cape Fair? Or Cape Fear? Adjective or noun?
“Under which king, Bezonian?”’ This old familiar name
under which our noble river rolls its waters to the sea, is it the
true prince of the ancient line, or a base pretender, usurping
the seat of the rightful heir, and, after the fashion of usurpers,
giving us terror for beauty, storm for sunshine ?

There are some among our most intelligent citizens who
maintain that the true name was, and ought to be now, Cape
Fair; and that it was originally so given because the first adven-
turers, seeing with the eye of enthusiasm, found everything here
to be fair, attractive, and charming. And it has even been said
very lately that it was never called by its present name until
after 1750, and never officially until 1780. (Address of H.
Nutt before H. and 8. Society.) Unfortunately, in the mists
which envelop some portions of our early history, it is some
times very difficult to guard against being betrayed into erro-
neous conjectures by what appear to be very plausible reasons;
and the materials for accurate investigation are not of easy ac-
cess. It is not surprising, therefore, that this opinion should
have existed for some time, not generally, but to a limited ex-
tent. Beyond all doubt it is erroneous, and the proofs are con-
clusive that our people have been right in finally rejecting the
Beautiful theory, and accepting the Fearful. I know of no au-
thority for this opinion except the occasional spelling of the
word. The strength of the argument seems to be this: Captain

1

. ee
ee renee emit et TE et

 

a
*