Good Bricks And Tiles Are Made,
And Several Sorts Of Useful Earths, As Bole, Fullers-Earth, Oaker,
And Tobacco-Pipe-Clay, In Great Plenty; Earths For The Potters Trade,
And Fine Sand For The Glass-Makers.
In building with Bricks,
we make our Lime of Oyster-Shells, tho' we have great Store of Lime-stone,
Towards the Heads of our Rivers, where are Stones of all sorts
that are useful, besides vast Quantities of excellent Marble.
Iron-Stone we have plenty of, both in the Low-Grounds and on the Hills;
Lead and Copper has been found, so has Antimony heretofore;
But no Endeavours have been us'd to discover those Subteraneous Species;
otherwise we might, in all probability, find out the best of Minerals,
which are not wanting in Carolina. Hot Baths we have an account of
from the Indians that frequent the Hill-Country, {Salt-peter.}
where a great likelihood appears of making Salt-peter, because the Earth,
in many places, is strongly mix'd with a nitrous Salt, which is much coveted
by the Beasts, who come at some Seasons in great Droves and Herds,
and by their much licking of this Earth, make great Holes in those Banks,
which sometimes lie at the heads of great Precipices, where their Eagerness
after this Salt hastens their End, by falling down the high Banks,
so that they are dash'd in Pieces. It must be confess'd,
that the most noble and sweetest Part of this Country, is not inhabited
by any but the Savages; and a great deal of the richest Part thereof,
has no Inhabitants but the Beasts of the Wilderness:
For, the Indians are not inclinable to settle in the richest Land,
because the Timbers are too large for them to cut down,
and too much burthen'd with Wood for their Labourers to make Plantations of;
besides, the Healthfulness of those Hills is apparent,
by the Gigantick Stature, and Gray-Heads, so common amongst the Savages
that dwell near the Mountains. The great Creator of all things,
having most wisely diffus'd his Blessings, by parcelling out
the Vintages of the World, into such Lots, as his wonderful Foresight saw
most proper, requisite, and convenient for the Habitations of his Creatures.
Towards the Sea, we have the Conveniency of Trade, Transportation,
and other Helps the Water affords; but oftentimes, those Advantages
are attended with indifferent Land, a thick Air, and other Inconveniences;
when backwards, near the Mountains, you meet with the richest Soil,
a sweet, thin Air, dry Roads, pleasant small murmuring Streams,
and several beneficial Productions and Species, which are unknown
in the European World. One Part of this Country affords
what the other is wholly a Stranger to.
{Chalybeate Waters.}
We have Chalybeate Waters of several Tastes and different Qualities;
some purge, others work by the other Emunctories. We have,
amongst the Inhabitants, a Water, that is, inwardly, a great Apersive,
and, outwardly, cures Ulcers, Tettars, and Sores, by washing therewith.
{Coal-Mine in Virginia.}
There has been a Coal-Mine lately found near the Mannakin Town,
above the Falls of James-River in Virginia, which proves
very good, and is us'd by the Smiths, for their Forges;
and we need not doubt of the same amongst us, towards the Heads of our Rivers;
but the Plenty of Wood (which is much the better Fuel)
makes us not inquisitive after Coal-Mines. {French Refugees.}
Most of the French, who lived at that Town on James-River, are remov'd
to Trent-River, in North-Carolina, where the rest were expected daily
to come to them, when I came away, which was in August, 1708.
They are much taken with the Pleasantness of that Country,
and, indeed, are a very industrious People. At present, they make
very good Linnen-Cloath and Thread, and are very well vers'd in cultivating
Hemp and Flax, of both which they raise very considerable Quantities;
and design to try an Essay of the Grape, for making of Wine.
{Planters.}
As for those of our own Country in Carolina, some of the Men
are very laborious, and make great Improvements in their Way;
but I dare hardly give 'em that Character in general. The easy Way of living
in that plentiful Country, makes a great many Planters very negligent,
which, were they otherwise, that Colony might now have been
in a far better Condition than it is, (as to Trade, and other Advantages)
which an universal Industry would have led them into.
{Women good Houswives.}
The Women are the most industrious Sex in that Place, and,
by their good Houswifry, make a great deal of Cloath of their own Cotton,
Wool and Flax; some of them keeping their Families (though large)
very decently apparel'd, both with Linnens and Woollens,
so that they have no occasion to run into the Merchant's Debt,
or lay their Money out on Stores for Cloathing.
{Natives of Carolina.}
The Christian Natives of Carolina are a straight, clean-limb'd People;
the Children being seldom or never troubled with Rickets,
or those other Distempers, that the Europeans are visited withal.
'Tis next to a Miracle, to see one of them deform'd in Body.
The Vicinity of the Sun makes Impression on the Men, who labour
out of doors, or use the Water. {Beautiful.} As for those Women,
that do not expose themselves to the Weather, they are often very fair,
and generally as well featur'd, as you shall see any where,
and have very brisk charming Eyes, which sets them off to Advantage.
They marry very young; some at Thirteen or Fourteen; and She that stays
till Twenty, is reckon'd a stale Maid; which is a very indifferent Character
in that warm Country. The Women are very fruitful; most Houses
being full of Little Ones. It has been observ'd, that Women long marry'd,
and without Children, in other Places, have remov'd to Carolina,
and become joyful Mothers. They have very easy Travail
in their Child-bearing, in which they are so happy, as seldom to miscarry.
{Not Passionate.} Both Sexes are generally spare of Body,
and not Cholerick, nor easily cast down at Disappointments and Losses,
seldom immoderately grieving at Misfortunes, unless for
the Loss of their nearest Relations and Friends, which seems to make
a more than ordinary Impression upon them.
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