42 Chronicles of the Cape Fear Rwer

part high champaign land: the other side is very much subject
to overflow, but I cannot learn they have lost but one crop. I
am credibly informed they have very commonly fourscore bush-
els of corn on an acre of their overflowed land. It very rarely
overflows but in the wintertime, when their crop is off. I must
confess I saw the finest corn growing there that.I ever saw in
my life, as likewise wheat and hemp. We lodged there that
night at one Captain Gibbs’, adjoining to Mr. More’s plantation,
where we met with very good entertainment. The next morning
we left his house, and proceeded up the said river to a plantation
belonging to Mr. John Davis, where we dined. The plantations
on this river are very much alike as to the situation; but there
are many more improvements on some than on others ; this house
+s built after the Dutch fashion, and made to front both ways—
on the river, and on the land. He has a beautiful avenue cut
through the woods for above two miles, which is a great addition
to the house. We left his house about two in the afternoon, and
the same evening reached Mr. Nathaniel More’s plantation,
which is reckoned forty miles from Brunswick. It is likewise
a very pleasant place on a bluff upwards of sixty feet high. I
forbore mentioning any thing either as to the goodness or the
badness of the land in my passage from South Carolina, it be-
ing, in short, nothing but a sandy bank from Winneaw ferry to
Brunswick; and, indeed, the town itself is not much better at
present: it is that which has given this place such a bad name on
account of the land, it being the only road to South Carolina
from the northern part of the continent, and as there are a great
many travellers from New York, New England, &c., who go to
Charleston, having been asked what sort of land they have in
Cape Fear, have not stuck out to say that it 1s all a mere sand
bank; but let those gentlemen take a view of the rivers, and they
will soon be convinced to the contrary, as well as myself, who,
must confess, till then was of their opinion, but now am con-
vinced by ocular demonstration, for I have not so much as seen
one foot of bad land since my leaving Brunswick. About three
days after my arrival at Mr. More’s, there came a sloop of one
hundred tons, and upwards, from South Carolina, to be laden
with corn, which is sixty miles at least from the bar. I never
yet heard of any man who was ever at the head of that river, but
they tell me the higher you go up the better the land, and the
river grows wider and wider. There are people settled at least
forty miles higher up, but indeed the tide does not flow, at the

 

Permanent Settlement 43

ne — twenty miles higher, Two days after, I was taken
ape metabo and fever, which continued on me for near a
South Carol; Re eon my companions left me, and returned to
Ecasitiasad an ic hen I began to recover my health a little,
Sea Poe ; sayy More the great desire I had to see Wacca-
a eas as - heard so much talk of it, and been myself
country | oe. e river; that I was sure by the course of the
tld tee Ye asd not be above twenty miles from thence. He
tik; “end a. ; yeaa fellow, who he thought could carry me
Pree ong e would accompany me himself, with some
fad ie ta acquaintance, On the 18th of July we set out
ae ia rg on horseback, with every one his gun, and took
through Siig us. We rode about four miles on a direct course
Swamp, “SS ta ap pee when we came to a large cane
hour’s time SaaS a mile through, which we crossed in about an
mVsquetAes, o was astonished to see the innumerable sight of
wade eek = largest that I ever saw in my life, for they
coats, and sak s etch blood of us through our buckskin gloves,
mide ts a s. As soon as we got through that swamp, we
of deer, the lg r Open pine barren, where we saw a great herd
we made shift ge and fattest that ever I saw in those parts:
dines tas 40 0 kill a brace of them, which we made a hearty
another cane rode about two miles farther, when we came to
cubs. It was et where we shot a large she-bear and two
through it: 3, arge that it was with great difficulty we got
very hard, or aaa we got on the other side, it began to rain
ten brace of d erwise, as far as I know, we might have shot

eer, for they were almost as thick as in the parks

in England, and di

; d

I daetisk erak ses neg to be in the least afraid of us, for
lives before, f

shift as well as
had but little pl
a large fire of

we could to reach the lake the same night, but
easure ; 1t continued to rain very hard, we made

hight. The eneaalbrig and slept as well as we could that
I think it is th sisal we took a particular view of it, and
It is at eae pe easantest place that ever I saw in my life.
good: land Eh Alors miles round, surrounded with exceedingly
There jg oe fies of all sorts, hickory, and fine cypress swamps.
merly inhabited a field to be seen, which shows it was for-
Years, for oo by them, but I believe not within these fifty
bclbnstia te * 18 scarce one of the Cape Fear Indians, or the

| 8, that can give any account of it. There is plenty of