{Climate.}
Lastly, As To The Climate, It Is Very Healthful; {Summer.} Our Summer
Is Not So Hot As In Other Places To The Eastward In The Same Latitude;
{No Earthquakes.} Neither Are We Ever Visited By Earthquakes, As Many Places
In Italy And Other Summer-Countries Are.
Our Northerly Winds, in Summer,
cool the Air, and free us from pestilential Fevers, which Spain, Barbary,
and the
Neighbouring Countries in Europe, &c. are visited withal.
{Serene.} Our Sky is generally serene and clear, and the Air very thin,
in comparison of many Parts of Europe, where Consumptions and Catarrhs reign
amongst the Inhabitants. The Winter has several Fitts of sharp Weather,
especially when the Wind is at N.W. which always clears the Sky,
though never so thick before. However, such Weather is very agreeable
to European Bodies, and makes them healthy. The N.E. Winds
blowing in Winter, bring with them thick Weather, and, in the Spring,
sometimes, blight the Fruits; but they very seldom endure long,
being blown away by Westerly Winds, and then all becomes fair and clear again.
{Spring.} Our Spring, in Carolina, is very beautiful,
and the most pleasant Weather a Country can enjoy. {Fall.}
The Fall is accompanied with cool Mornings, which come in
towards the latter end of August, and so continue (most commonly)
very moderate Weather till about Christmas; then Winter comes on apace.
Tho' these Seasons are very piercing, yet the Cold is of no continuance.
Perhaps, you will have cold Weather for three or four days at a time;
then pleasant warm Weather follows, such as you have in England,
about the latter end of April or beginning of May. In the Year 1707,
we had the severest Winter in Carolina, that ever was known
since the English came to settle there; for our Rivers,
that were not above half a Mile wide, and fresh Water, were frozen over;
and some of them, in the North-part of this Country, were passable
for People to walk over.
{No Frontier.}
One great Advantage of North-Carolina is, That we are not a Frontier,
and near the Enemy; which proves very chargeable and troublesome,
in time of War, to those Colonies that are so seated. {Near Virginia.}
Another great Advantage comes from its being near Virginia,
where we come often to a good Market, at the Return of the Guinea-Ships
for Negro's, and the Remnant of their Stores, which is very commodious
for the Indian-Trade; besides, in War-time, we lie near at hand
to go under their Convoy, and to sell our Provisions to the Tobacco-fleets;
{Mariland.} for the Planting of Tobacco generally in those Colonies,
prevents their being supplyed with Stores, sufficient for victualling
their Ships.
{Necessaries for Carolina.}
As for the Commodities, which are necessary to carry over to this Plantation,
for Use and Merchandize, and are, therefore, requisite for those
to have along with them, that intend to transport themselves thither,
they are Guns, Powder and Shot, Flints, Linnens of all sorts,
but chiefly ordinary Blues, Osnabrugs, Scotch and Irish Linnen,
and some fine: Mens and Womens Cloaths ready made up, some few Broad-Cloaths,
Kerseys and Druggets; to which you must add Haberdashers-Wares,
Hats about Five or Six Shillings apiece, and a few finer;
a few Wiggs, not long, and pretty thin of Hair; thin Stuffs for Women;
Iron-Work, as Nails, Spades, Axes, broad and narrow Hoes, Frows, Wedges,
and Saws of all sorts, with other Tools for Carpenters, Joiners, Coopers,
Shoemakers, Shave-locks, &c. all which, and others which are necessary
for the Plantations, you may be inform'd of, and buy at very reasonable Rates,
of Mr. James Gilbert, Ironmonger, in Mitre-Tavern-Yard, near Aldgate.
You may also be used very kindly, for your Cuttlery-Ware,
and other advantageous Merchandizes, and your Cargo's well sorted,
by Capt. Sharp, at the Blue-gate in Cannon-street; and for Earthen-Ware,
Window-Glass, Grind-Stones, Mill-Stones, Paper, Ink-Powder,
Saddles, Bridles, and what other things you are minded to take with you,
for Pleasure or Ornament.
And now, I shall proceed to the rest of the Vegetables,
that are common in Carolina, in reference to the Place where I left off,
which is the Natural History of that Country.
[The Natural History of Carolina.]
Of the Vegetables of Carolina.
The spontaneous Shrubs of this Country, are, the Lark-heel-Tree;
three sorts of Hony-Suckle-Tree, the first of which grows in Branches,
as our Piemento-Tree does, that is, always in low, moist Ground;
the other grows in clear, dry Land, the Flower more cut and lacerated;
the third, which is the most beautiful, and, I think,
the most charming Flower of its Colour, I ever saw, grows betwixt
two and three Foot high, and for the most part, by the side of a swampy Wood,
or on the Banks of our Rivers, but never near the Salt-Water. All the Sorts
are white; the last grows in a great Bunch of these small Hony-Suckles
set upon one chief Stem, and is commonly the Bigness of a large Turnep.
Nothing can appear more beautiful than these Bushes, when in their Splendour,
which is in April and May. The next is the Honey-Suckle of the Forest;
it grows about a Foot high, bearing its Flowers on small Pedestals,
several of them standing on the main Stock, which is the Thickness
of a Wheat-Straw. We have also the Wood-bind, much the same as in England;
Princes-feather, very large and beautiful in the Garden; Tres-Colores,
branch'd Sun-flower, Double Poppies, Lupines, of several pretty sorts,
spontaneous; and the Sensible Plant is said to be near the Mountains,
which I have not yet seen. Saf-Flower; (and I believe,
the Saffron of England would thrive here, if planted) the yellow Jessamin
is wild in our Woods, of a pleasant Smell. Ever-Greens are here
plentifully found, of a very quick Growth, and pleasant Shade;
Cypress, or white Cedar, the Pitch Pine, the yellow Pine,
the white Pine with long Leaves; and the smaller Almond-Pine, which last
bears Kernels in the Apple, tasting much like an Almond; and in some years
there falls such plenty, as to make the Hogs fat.
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