miles within this bar, is a hard fand fheal, called the Sea, lying across the channel. On each fide of the channel are dangerous fhoals, fometimes dry. There is from 8 to 9 feet water at full tide, according to the winds, on the Swafh. Common tides rife 18 inches on the bar, and 10 on the Swafh. Between the bar and the Swath is good anchoring ground, called the Upper and Lower Anchorages. Ships drawing 10 feet water do not come farther than the rft anchorage, till lightened. Few mariners, though acquainted with the inlets, choofe to bring in their own veffels, as the bar often fhifts during their absence on a voyage. North of Pamlico found, and communicating with it, is Albemarle found, 60 miles in length, and from 8 to 12 in breadth.

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

ter.

Cape Hatteras is in lat. 35° 15'. In old charts the fhoals of this cape are marked as having in fome places only 3, 4 and 5 feet water upon them. Experienced pilots and mariners, however, now fay that there is in no place, after you get two miles from the land, lefs than nine feet waThe beft channel for veffels is about a league and a half from the land at the cape, having in no place, at this difance, less than two and a half fathoms of water. Veffels from the northward, by displaying a jack from the fore top-maft, are ufually bearded by a pilot from the land. Some of the pilots carry branches, and fome good ones carry none. This cape has been dreaded by mariners failing fouthward when they have been in large veffels; for if they come within 20 miles of the land at the cape, it is in fome places too fhoal for them; if they ftand further off they are in danger of falling into the Gulph Stream, which would fet them 3 or 4 miles an hour northward. It is obfervable that violent ftorms of rain and gufts of wind, are uncommonly frequent around this 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 land 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.

Dismal Swamp fpreads over the whole tract of country which lies between Pamlico and Albemarle founds, and needs no other defcription than is conveyed by its name. There is another large fwamp north of Edenton, which lies partly in this ftate, and parly in Virginia.

This fwamp is owned by two companies; the Virginia campany, of which General Washington is a member, hold 100,000 acres; and the North-Carolina company, who hold about 40,000 acres. It is in contemplation to cut a canal through this fwamp, from the head of Pafquetank, to the head of Elizabeth river, in Virginia, 12 or 14 miles in length.

Civil Divifions.] This ftate is divided into 8 diftricts, which are fubdivided into 58 counties, as follows:

Diftricts.

These five diftricts, beginning on the Virginia line, cover the whole ftate weft of the three maritime diftricts before mentioned; and the greater part of them extend quite across the ftate from north to fouth.

Principal Towns.] Newbern, Edenton, Wilmington, Halifax, Hillsborough and Fayetteville, each in their turns have been confidered as the capital of the flate. At prefent they have no capital. The convention which met to cofider the new conftitution, fixed on a place in Wake county to be the feat of government, but the town is not yet built.

NEWBERN is the largest town in the state. It stands on a flat, sandy point of land, formed by the conЯuence of the rivers Neus on the north, and Trent on the fouth. Oppofite the town, the Neus is about a mile and a half, and the Trent three quarters of a mile wide. The town contains about 400 houses, all built of wood, excepting the palace, the church, the gaol and two dwelling houfes, which are of brick. The palace is a building erected by the province before the revolution, and was formerly the refidence of the governors. It is large and elegant, two ftories high, with

two

two wings for offices, a little advanced in front towards the town; these wings are connected with the principal building by a circular arcade. This once handfome and well furnished building is now much out of repair. One of the halls is used for a dancing, and another for a school room; -which are the only prefent uses of this palace. The arms of the king of Great-Britain still appear in a pediment in front of the building. The Epifcopal church is a small brick building, with a bell. It is the only house for public worship in the place. A rum diftillery has been lately erected in this town. It is the county town of Craven county, and has a courthoufe and goal. The court-house is raised on brick arches, fo as to render the lower part a convenient market-place; but the principal marketing is done with the people in their canoes and boats at the river fide.

EDENTON is fituated on the north fide of Albemarle found, and has about 150 indifferent wood houfes, and a few handfome buildings. It has a brick church for Epifcopalians, which for many years has been much neglected, and ferves only to fhew that the people once had a regard, at leaft, for the externals of religion. Its local fituation is advantageous for trade, but not for health. It is the county town of Chowan county, and has a court-house and goal.

In or near this town lived the

proprietory, and the firit of the royal governors.

WILMINGTON is a town of about 180 houfes, fituated on the east fide of the eastern branch of Cape Fear river, 34 miles from the fea. The courfe of the river, as it paffes by the town, is from north to south, and is about 150 yards wide.

In 1786, a fire broke out, fuppofed to have been kindled by negroes. and confumed about 25 or 30 houses. The town is rebuilding flowly, A printing-office was established here in 1788.

WASHINGTON and TARBOROUGH are two flourishing, trading towns on Tar river. About 130 fmall veffels enter annually at the customhoufe for this river.

HILLSBOROUGH is an inland town, fituated in a high, healthy, and fertile country, 180 miles north of the west from Newbern. It is fettled by about 60 or 70 families, and has an academy of 60 or 80 ftudents, under the care of fuitable inftructors, and patronized by the principal gentlemen in the ftate, who have been liberal in their donations.

Face of the Country, Soil and Productions.] North-Carolina, in its whole width, for 60 miles from the fea, is a dead level. A great proportion of this trat lies in foreft, and is barren. 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. In all this champagne country, marine productions are found by digging 18 or 20 feet below the furface of the ground. The fea coaft, the founds, inlets, and lower parts of the rivers, have uniformly a muddy, foft bottom. Sixty and eighty miles from the fea, the country rifes into hills and mountains, as defcribed under this head in South-Carolina and Georgia.

That part of North-Carolina which lies weft of the mountains, a tract about 500 miles in length, caft and weft, and upwards of 100 in breadth, (except the Cumberland barrens, and fome broken lands) is a fine fertile country, watered by the broad Tenneffee, and abounds with

oaks,

oaks, locuft trees of feveral kinds, walnut, clm, linn, and cherry trees, fome of which are three feet in diameter.

Wheat, rye, barley, oats and flax grow well in the back hilly country. Indian corn and pulic of all kinds in all parts. Ground peas run on the fnrface of the earth, and are covered by hand with a light mould, and the pods grow under ground. They are eaten raw or roasted, and taste much like a hazlenut. Cotton is alfo confiderably cultivated here, and might be raised in much greater plenty. It is planted yearly: the fialk dies with the frot.

Trade.] A great proportion of the produce of the back country, confifting of tobacco, wheat, Indian corn, &c. is carried to market in SouthCarolina and Virginia. The fouthern interior counties carry their produce to Charleston; and the northern to Petersburg, in Virginia. The exports from the lower parts of the ftate, are, tar, pitch, turpentine, rofin, Indian corn, boards, feanding, ftaves, fhingles, furs, tobacco, pork, lard, tallow, bees-wax, myndle-wax, and a few other articles. Their trade is chiefly with the Weft-Indies, and the northern states. From the

latter they receive flour, cheefe, cyder, apples, potatoes, iron wares, cabinet wares, hats, and dry goods of all kinds, imported from GreatBritain, France, and Holland, teas, &c. From the Weft-Indies, rum, fugar, and coffee.

Climate, Difenfes, &c.] In the flat country near the fea coast, the inhabitants, during the fummer and autumn, are fubject to intermitting fevers, which often prove fatal, as bilious or nervous fymptoms prevail. These fevers are feldom immediately dangerous to the natives who are temperate, or to ftrangers who are prudent. They, however, if fuffered to continue for any length of time, bring on other diforders, which gteatly impair the natural vigor of the mind, debilitate the conftitution, and terminate in death. The countenances of the inhabitants, during these seasons, have generally a pale yellowish caft, occafioned by the prevalence of bilious. fymptoms. They have very little of the bloom and freshness of the people in the northern ftates.

It has been obferved that more of the inhabitants, of the men efpecially, die during the winter, by the pleurifies and peripneumonies, than during the warm months by bilicus complaints. Thefe pleurifies are brought on by intemperance, and by an imprudent expofure to the weather. Were the inhabitants cautious and prudent in thefe refpects, it is alledged by their phyficians, that they might, in general, efcape the danger of thefe fatal difcafes. The ufe of flannel next to the fkin is reckoned an excellent preventative, during the winter, of the difeafes incident to this climate. The western hilly parts of the ftate are as healthy as any of the United Statcs. That country is fertile, full of fprings and rivulets of pure water. The air there is ferene a great part of the year, and the inhabitants live to old age, which cannot fo generally be faid of the inhabitants of the flat country. Though the days in fummer are extremely hot, the nights are cool and refreshing. Autumn is very pleafant, both in regard to the temperature and ferenity of the weather, and the richness and variety of the vegetable productions which the feafon affords. The winters are fo mild in fome years, that autumn may be faid to countinue till fpring. Wheat harvest is the beginning of June, and that of Indian corn early in September. Natural,

Natural history.] The large natural growth of the plains in the low country, is almoft univerfally pitch pine; which is a tall, handfome trec, far fuperior to the pitch pine of the northern ftates. 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 leaft one-half of the exports of this ftate. 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 itaves. The fwamps abound with cyprefs and bay trees. The latter is an ever-green, and is food for cattle in the winter. The leaves are shaped like thofe of the peach tree, but larger. The most common kinds of timber in the back country, are, oak, walnut, and pine. A fpecies of oak grows in the moift, gravelly foil. called Black Jack. It feldom grows larger than 8 or 9 inches diameter, It is worthy of remark, that the trees in the low country, near the fea coaft, are loaded with vast quantities of a long, fpongy kind of mofs, which, by abforbing the noxious vapour that is exhaled from ftagnated 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 less healthy after having been cleared, than while in a flate of nature.

The Milletoe is common in the black 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 ever-green, refembling the garden box-wood.

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

The country is generally covered with herbage of various kinds, and a fpecies of wild graís. It abounds with medicinal plants and roots. Among others are the ginfeng, Virginia fnake root, Seneca fnake root, an herb of the enetic kind, like the ipecacuanha. Lyons heart, which is a fovereign remedy for the bite of a ferpant. 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 lighteft touch of a leaf caufes it to run and cling close to the ftalk. Although it fo entily 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. Their leaves are green all the winter, and afford an excellent food for cattle. They are of a sweetish tafte like the ftalks of green corn, which they in many respects resemble. Religion.] The weitern parts of this ftate, which have been fettled within the last 35 years, are chiefly inhabited by Prefbyterians from Pennfylvania, the deicendents of the people from the North of Ireland, and are exceedingly attached to the doctrines, difcipline, and ufages of the church of Scotland. They are a regular induftrious people. Almost all the inhabitants between the Catawby and Yadkin rivers, are of this denomination, and they are in general well fupplied with a fenfible and learned

miniftry