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40 Chronicles of the Cape Fear Rwer

sawmills, from which lumber, along with the products of the
farms, was shipped in plantation brigs and schooners to distant
ports. At Orton a large sawmill was run by water power, and
vessels were loaded in the river opposite the mill with lumber,

rice, and indigo.

In its early years Brunswick was in Carteret Precinct, for

when Carteret Precinct, as the counties were formerly called,
was established in 1722, it ran down the coast to the unknown
confines of North Carolina, and back into the wilderness with-

out limitation.

So the settlement at Brunswick, in 1725, was in Carteret,

until New Hanover Precinct was established; and then it was

in New Hanover, which at first embraced the territory now
in Duplin, Sampson, Bladen, and Brunswick Counties. It was
not until shortly before the Revolution that Brunswick was cut
off from New Hanover.

As the Cape Fear region was originally in Carteret Precinct,
some of the early grants and deeds for lands in New Hanover
and Brunswick were registered at Beaufort, the county seat of

Carteret.

A VISIT TO THE CAPE FEAR IN 1784.

(Georgia Historical Papers, Vol. II, page 54.)

I intend after my return to Charleston to take a journey, by
land, to Cape Fear in North Carolina, which I have heard so

‘much talk of. * * *

I set out from Charleston on the 10th of June, on my
travels to Cape Fear, in North Carolina, in company with thir-
teen more, and the first night reached Mr. More’s, in Goose
(ee ce

The next morning, just as we were setting out from thence,
our tired horses came in, when we ordered them to be left there
till further orders; we left the boys behind to come after us as
well as they could. We reached Little Charlotta by dinner
time, which is about fifteen miles from Ash’s, or Little River ;
we dined there, and in the afternoon crossed the ferry, where
we intended to sleep that night. We reached there about eight
the same night, after having crossed the ferry.

It [Lockwood’s Folly] is so named after one Lockwood, a

Barbadian, who attempted to settle it some time ago; but, by his
eruel behavior to the Indians, they drove him from thence, and

 

 

Permanent Settlement 41

Feiy ie ee settled above ten years. We left Lockwood’s
eR of = aagnt the next morning, and by two reached the
oa citi as which is the chief town in Cape Fear; but
aii Sonik — two of the same horses which came with us
Roger More ] arolina. We dined there that afternoon. Mr.
horses for © hearing we were come, was so kind as to send fresh
kindly rs - ey hees to his house, which we did, and were
Cape Fear ep y him ; he being the chief gentleman in all
antly eh : is house is built of brick, and exceedingly pleas-
oe eeeees about two miles from the town, and about half
the-ees: i rt steed, though there is a creek comes close up to
length. A — two beautiful meadows, about three miles
another aaeae- 14 prospect of the town of Brunswick, and of
him, belon “i . brick house, a building about half a mile from
mons H ee 8 * Eleazar Allen, Esq., late speaker to the Com-
There were = Assembly, in the province of South Carolina.
but I shall a vessels lying about the town of Brunswick,
the 20th of J rbear giving a description of that place; yet on
Bkothas Rts: we left Mr. Roger More’s, accompanied by his
Northwest e aniel More, Esq., to a plantation of his, up the
fully cease of Cape Fear River. The river is wonder-
continent elng, next to the Savannah, the finest on all the
We reached The Forks, as they call it, that same night, where

the river div;
r divides into two very beautiful branches, called the

Northeast
and the Ne :
fons on both sides. orthwest, passing by several pretty planta-

Davie’; and tz We lodged that night at one Mr. Jehu
brains a next morning, proceeded up the Northwest

a ; - got about two miles from thence, we came to
oo —— belonging to Captain Gabriel, who is a
See Fie where were two ships, two sloops, and a
st s ed with lumber for the West Indies: it is about
: miles from the bar ; when we came about four miles

briga

m
oe but there is not any one settled on it.

My Beursie we came to another plantation belonging to

build Sa ore, called the Blue Banks, where he is a-going to

einiees haar: large brick house. This bluff is at least a

ebiig — and has a beautiful prospect over a fine large

built ae = © opposite side of the river; the houses are all
© southwest side of the river, it being for the most