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IN the province of North
Carolina there are several rivers, which run a considerable way into the
country. Upon the south is Cape Fear river, which is navigable for ships
of large burden as far as a shoal which they call the Flats, about seven
miles above Brunswick town, which is situated twelve miles within the
bar. In consequence of this impediment, vessels which have a draught of
above nine and a half feet of water cannot go up to Wilmington, which is
the next port above and the most considerable town on the river, even at
spring tides, till they are lightened to that draught. Above, or rather
at Wilmington, the Northeast and Northwest branches of the river join.
The Northwest is the least considerable, and upon the whole extent there
is no town, tho' its banks are very well settled. The first town is
Cross Creek, about 100 miles above Wilmington. Here the whole trade with
the back settlers is carried on for a great way round.
"From Fort Johnston at
the mouth of the river to Brunswick is twelve miles. From Brunswick to
Wilmington there are two roads: one goes up the right side of the river
upon which Brunswick stands and crosses two ferries opposite to
Wilmington, occasioned by the river being there divided by a large
swampy island, through which there is a very bad road of a mile and a
half. The length of this road is reckoned sixteen miles. To go by the
other road, one must cross a ferry at Brunswick of a mile over, from
whence to Wilmington it is about ten miles. Every part of these roads is
more or less sandy. Some of them for miles together is very deep, as the
surface often is a pure white sand, without a particle of soil to bind
it together. This is the case with almost every part of the province
near the sea.
"The roads on both sides
of the river cross a few water runs, which in the country are called
creeks; they are generally swampy along the sides, which are crowded
with trees, bushes, vines, and brambles. Over all these creeks are
wooden bridges. Wherever the land is dry, there is little or no brush.
The woods in general are in the style of open groves in England, except
in such places as have once been cleared and afterwards abandoned. These
are always covered with brush. The roads upon the Northwest branch of
the river grow more solid every mile above Wilmington, and long before
they reach Cross Creek are v'ry hard. The only making they bestow upon
the roads in the flat part of the country is cutting out the trees to
the necessary breadth, in as even a line as they can, and where the
ground is wet, they make a small ditch on either side. The roads through
swamp land are made by first laying logs in the direction of the road
and covering them cross ways with small pine trees, layd regularly
together over sod, with which the logs are previously covered. The roads
run constantly thro' woods, which tho' they are generally pretty open,
yet objects at any considerable distance are intercepted from the eye,
by the trees crowding into the line of direction as the distance
increases.
"The next navigable river
to the northward is the Neuse, upon which Newbern, the Governor's
residence, is situated, about forty miles from the Sound. This river can
admit only of small vessels.
"Albemarle sound is the
inlet to Roanoke River, upon which Edenton is situated, sixty miles
within land, and about 140 miles further up the river is Halifax, which
carries on considerable trade. In the neighborhood of Halifax they have
a good breed of horses; to the southward the horses are smaller, but
spirited and handy.
"The lower parts of the
province are subject to agues, pleurises and bilous complaints; the
people of the hack counties are not subject to these disorders.
"The rivers in the lower
parts of the country have no fords. Their banks are in general covered
with impenetrable swamps and bottomless morasses, a very few spots
excepted, upon which generally plantations are settled in the back
country, they have good fords. "The settlements upon the lower part of
Cape Fear river do not produce grain enough, particularly wheat, to
answer their own demand. Large quantities are therefore sent down from
Cross Creek in row boats, which in return carry up whatever goods are
wanted for the use of the back settlers.
"Every proprietor of ever
so small a piece of land raises some Indian corn and sweet potatoes and
breeds some hogs and a calf or two, and a man must be very poor who
walks on foot.
"Brunswick county
contains fewer of the lower class of country people than any part of the
whole province, particularly near the sea.
"There is no specie in
the province and there never was a person who could command a sum of any
consequence even of their paper currency. Nothing in the stile of a
banker or money merchant was ever heard of.
"Governor Tryon left the
province very soon after the submission of the Regulators, and when
Colonel Martin succeeded to the Government, their wounds were still
bleeding and they had received no protection from the oppression of the
pettyfogging attorneys, whose rapacity had been the original cause of
the rebellion. Governor Martin arrived in the province at this very
critical time. He made a progress through his Government ; and when he
was in this part of the country his attention to the relief of these
poor people was such as won him their highest confidence and esteem.
"There is now a numerous
body of the sons and grandsons of the first Scotch highland settlers,
besides the later emigrants who retain that enthusiastic love for the
country from which they are descended, which indeed scarce a highlander
ever loses, that they will support its dignity at every risk. The
Governor has attached them strongly to him, as well as the later
emigrants by many services he has had opportunities of doing them. Many
highland gentlemen are now in that country, several of whom have been
officers, and still retain their influence among the people.
"Many of the people of
the largest property in the country, tho' they now languish under the
hand of oppression, will instantly join to support the Constitution,
upon the first appearance of a chance of support.
"The low country people
in general have fire-arms. I never was in a house without seeing one or
more muskets. Indeed the militia laws required them. The highland
emigrants carried few arms with them and the Regulators delivered up the
greater part of theirs to Governor Tryon.
"The town of Brunswick,
which is indeed but a straggling village, is twelve miles within the
bar. At low water there is ten feet of water upon the bar; at spring
tides there is from 19 to 20 feet, so that in fine weather ships of
deeper draught can easily go in. The water, both below and above the
flats is deep enough for any vessel. Vessels can run from the bar to
Brunswick in three or four hours with the tide, with almost any wind.
"There is good anchorage
within half a musket shot of the town. The bank is pretty high for this
country and the woods are cut down a good way round the town. This is
the only town on the west side of the river. Brunswick county is thinly
settled, consequently cattle and horses are few." (Alexander Schaw to
Lord Dartmouth, written from Orange Street, London, October 31, 1775.
Dartmouth Papers.)
An earlier and more
particular account of the province can he found in Governor Dobbs's
"Answers to Queries" of December, 1761, N. C. R. VI, 605-623; and
another and contemporary account in American Husbandry (1775). |
