for the waters, accumulating every mile, to discharge themselves into the ocean.

hardly a mile

Through this
But Ocrecok

Pamlico found is a kind of lake or inland fea, from ten to twenty miles broad, and nearly one hundred miles in length. It is separated from the fea, in its whole length, by a beach of fand wide, generally covered with fmall trees or bushes. bank are several small inlets by which boats may pass. inlet is the only one that will admit veffels of burthen into the diftricts of Edenton and Newbern. This inlet is in latitude 35° 10, and opens into Pamlico found between Ocrecok island and Core bank; the land on the north is called Ocrecok; on the fouth Portsmouth. A bar of hard fand croffes this inlet, on which, at low tide, there is fourteen feet water. Six miles within this bar is a hard fand shoal, called the Swafh, lying across the channel. On each side of the channel are dangerous fhoals, fometimes dry. There is from eight to nine feet water at full tide, according to the winds on the Swash. Common tides rife eighteen inches on the bar, and ten on the Swash. Between the bar and the Swash is good anchoring ground, called the Upper and Lower anchorages. Ships drawing ten feet water do not come farther than the first anchorage, till lightened. Few mariners, though acquainted with the inlets, choose to bring in their own veffels, as the bar often shifts during their absence on a voyage. North of Pamlico found, and communicating with it, is Albemarle found, fixty miles in length, and from eight to twelve in breadth.

Core found lies fouth of Pamlico, and communicates with it. These founds are fo large when compared with their inlets from the fea, that no tide can be perceived in any of the rivers which empty into them, nor is the water falt even in the mouths of these rivers.

Cape Hatteras is in latitude 35° 15'. At the time of Sir Walter Raleigh's approaching the American fhores, the fhoals in the vicinity of Hatteras were found to be extremely dangerous, and no vessels in that latitude ventured within feven leagues of the land. From a furvey of the ancient drafts of this part of the coaft, there can be no doubt but the fears of former navigators were not without foundation, as thefe fhoals are laid down very large in extent, and in many places covered with not more than five or fix feet water, at a great distance from the land.

The conftant experience of the coafting trade of the United States demonstrates, either that the ancient drafts were purposely falfified

In order to deter feamen from venturing too near a coaft, with which they had as yet a very flender acquaintance, or, which is the most probable, that by the strong currents hereabouts, which are only counter currents of the gulph ftream, the fands, which were originally heaped up in this part of the ocean by fome ancient convulfion of nature, have been gradually wearing away, and diminishing to what we find them to be at this time.

At prefent the out fhoals, which lie about fourteen miles fouthweft of the cape, are but of five or fix acres extent, and where they are really dangerous to veffels of moderate draught, not more than half that number of acres. On the fhoaleft part of these there is, at low water, about ten feet, and here at times the ocean breaks in a tremendous manner, fpouting, as it were, to the clouds, from the violent agitations of the gulph ftream, which touches the eastern edge of the banks, from whence the declivity is fudden, that is to fay, from ten fathoms to no foundings. On the fpot abovementioned, which is firm fand, it has been the lot of many a good veffel, in a gale of wind, to ftrike, and go to pieces. In moderate weather, however, these fhoals may be pailed over, if neceffary, at full tide, without much danger, by veffels not drawing more than eight, nine, or ten feet water.

From this bank, which was formerly of vaft extent, and called the Full Moon Shoal, a ridge runs the whole distance to the Cape, about a north-weft courfe: this ridge, which is about half a mile wide, has on it at low tide, generally ten, eleven, and twelve feet water, with gaps at equal intervals, affording good channels of about fifteen or fixteen feet water. The moft noted of these channels, and most used by coasting veffels, is about one mile and a half from the land, and may easily be known by a range of breakers which are always feen on the west fide, and a breaker head or two on the eastern fide, which, however, are not fo conftant, only appearing when the fea is confiderably agitated. This channel is at least two and a half miles wide, and might at full fea be fafely paffed by the largest fhips; these however rarely attempt it. The common tides fwell about fix feet, and always come from the fouth-eaft. A little north of the cape is good anchoring in four or five fathoms, and with the wind to the westward, a boat may land in fafety, and even bring off cafks of fresh water, plenty of which is to be found every where on the beach, by digging a foot or two, and putting a barrel into the fand.

Cape

Cape Lookout is fouth of cape Hatteras, oppofite Core found, and has already been mentioned as having had an excellent harbour, entirely filled up with fand fince the year 1777.

Cape Fear is remarkable for a dangerous fhoal, called from its form the Frying-pan. This fhoal lies at the entrance of cape Fear river, the fouth part of it, fix miles from cape Fear pitch, in latitude 33° 32'.

There are in this State two swamps, that have obtained the names of Great and Little Difmal.

Great Dismal is on the dividing line between Virginia and NorthCarolina, It is chiefly owned by two companies. The Virginia company, of whom the Prefident of the United States is one, owns one hundred thoufand acres. The North-Carolina company owns forty thousand acres. In the midst of this Difmal there is a lake about feven miles long, called Drummond's pond. The waters of which in rainy feafons discharge themselves to the fouthward into the Paíquotank, and to the north and eastward into the branches of the Nanfemond, Elizabeth river, and a river which runs into Currituck found; a navigable canal is to be dug from the head of the Pasquotank to the head of Elizabeth river in Virginia; the distance is about fourteen miles. This canal will pass about a mile to the eastward of Drummond's pond, and will receive water from that lake: to pass through the lake would not be fafe for low-fided veffels. The company by whom this canal is to be cut, have been incorporated by the concurring laws of Virginia and North-Carolina. In September, 1791, the subscription was nearly full, and the company chose their directors, and other officers. By this canal the exports of Norfolk must be greatly increased.

Little Difinal is in Currituck county on the fouth fide of Albemarle found. This Dismal had not drawn the public attention as an object of importance before the end of the late war, at which time it was chiefly taken up. It is now fuppofed to contain one of the most vàJuable rice estates in America. In the midst of this Dismal there is a lake of about eleven miles long, and feven miles broad. In the year 1785, and 1786, Jofiah Collins, Efq. of Edenton, in company with Meffrs. Allen and Dickinson of that place, took up near one hundred thoufand acres of land round the lake, for the purpose of making a navigable canal from the lake to the head of Skuppernong river; the distance of which is five and a half miles. This canal, twenty feet wide, was finifhed in 1790, and the company in 1791 raised above

one

one hundred and twenty acres of rice on the margin. The natural channel by which the lake used to discharge its waters is now stopped, and the waters pass off by the canal. About five hundred yards from the lake, the company have erected several saw mills. The water in the lake is higher than the furface of the ground for about half a mile distance on both fides of the canal; whence it follows, that the company can at any time lay under water about ten thoufand acres of a rich fwamp, which proves admirably fitted for rice.

SOIL, PRODUCTIONS, &c.

On the banks of fome of the rivers, particularly of the Roanoke, the land is fertile and good, interfperfed through the other parts are glades of rich fwamp, and ridges of oak land of a black fertile foil. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, and flax, grow well in the back hilly country. Indian corn and pulfe of all kinds in all parts. Ground peas run on the surface of the earth, and are covered by hand with a light mould, and the pods grow under ground: they are eaten raw or roafted, and taste much like an hazle nut. Cotton and hemp are alfo confiderably cultivated here, and might be raised in much greater plenty. The cotton is planted yearly: the ftalk dies with the froft. The labour of one man will produce one thousand pounds in the feeds, or two hundred and fifty, fit for manufacturing. The country is generally friendly to the raising of fheep, which yield from three quarters of a pound to two pounds and a half of wool, which is fhort and not very fine.

The large natural growth of the plains in the low country is almost univerfally pitch pine, which is a tall, handsome tree, far fuperior to the pitch pine of the northern States. This tree may be called the staple commodity of North-Carolina. It affords pitch, tar, turpentine, and various kinds of lumber, which together conftitute at least one half of the exports of this State. This pine is of two kinds, the common and the long-leaved. The latter has a leaf shaped like other pines, but is nearly half a yard in length, hanging in large clusters. No country produces finer white and red oak for staves. The swamps abound with cyprus and bay trees. The latter is an evergreen, and is food for the cattle in the winter. The leaves are shaped like those of the peach tree, but larger. The most common kinds of timber in the back country are, oak, walnut, and pine. A species of oak grows in the moift, fandy foil, called black jack. It feldom grows larger than eight or nine inches diameter. It is worthy of remark,

that

that the trees in the low country, near the fea coaft, are loaded with vast quantities of a long fpecies of mofs, which, by absorbing the noxious vapour that is exhaled from stagnated waters, contributes much, it is fuppofed, to the healthinefs of the climate. This hypothefis is confirmed by experience, fince it is commonly obferved, that the country is much lefs healthy for a few years after having been cleared, than while in a state of nature.

The misletoe is common in the back country. This is a fhrub which differs in kind, perhaps, from all others. It never grows out of the earth, but on the tops of trees. The roots, if they may be fo called, run under the bark of the tree, and incorporate with the wood. It is an evergeen, refembling the garden box wood.

The principal wild fruit are plums, grapes, ftrawberries, and blackberries.

The country is generally covered with herbage of various kinds, and a fpecies of wild grafs. It abounds with medicinal plants and roots; among others are the ginfeng; Virginia fnake root; Seneca fnake root, an herb of the emetic kind, like ipecacuana; lion's heart, which is a fovereign remedy for the bite of a serpent. A fpecies of the fenfitive plant is alfo found here; it is a fort of brier, the ftalk of which dies with the froft, but the root lives through the winter, and fhoots again in the fpring. The lightest touch of a leaf caufes it to turn and cling clofe to the ftalk. Although it so easily takes the alarm, and apparently fhrinks from danger, in the space of two minutes after it is touched, it perfectly recovers its former fituation. The mucipula veneris is alfo found here. The rich bottoms are overgrown with canes; the leaves are green all the winter, and afford an excellent food for cattle; they are of a fweefish tafte, like the ftalks of green corn, which they in many refpects refemble.

There is a long ridge of lime-ftone, which, extending in a fouthwesterly direction, croffes the whole State of North-Carolina. It croffes Dan river to the weftward of the Sawro towns, croffes the Yadkin about fifty miles north-weft from Salisbury, and thence proceeds by the way of King's mountain to the fouthern States. No lime-ftone has been found to the eastward of that ridge. A fpecies of rock has been found in feveral places, of which lime is made, which is obvioufly a concretion of marine fhells. The State is traverfed nearly in the fame direction by another ftratum of rocks which paffes near Warrenton. It is a circumftance worthy of obfervation, that the

fprings