The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-06-16

The Presbyterian church is very
ordinary building, ri only one stor,
high. Thc English church is estab-
lishcd here, but | blush when | have
to tell you that one of its pastors
keeps negro strumpct, aud AZ he
has hardly enough salary to set him
bread, the only means he has Of pay
ing the wench is IN the sill scaris
and gloves he collects ut funerals.
There are several banks here, and
IN the vicinity the one nj Darien
has capital of four millions, and IS
SO we'll managed, that their bills are
boarded instead Of specie il has in
circulation more than 100000, and
its bills command a premium over
those Of other banks of so per cent.
The United Statos bank here has
very small capital, 4 make, no Ill
yidcnds. nor pay specie for It's notes.
which at this momrnt are at n dis
count of SO per cent. below Darlen
notes.
This place carries on good deal
oitrade with Augusta in the state oil
Maine. and with Hamburg in Eu.
rope, by means OF steamboats, which
go with q velocity much greater than
English boats, IA they perform the
immense distance there and back IN
Il week. wonder that Bolton aud
Watt let these Americans beat
them so. These boats also make a
voyage from Hamburg Ia Charleston
in Massachusetts in ten days.
The principal products arc cotton
and rice. Cotton grows on large
tees, and in bowls or pods about the
size of "A watermelon each pod con
tains seven pounds. wound round in
ono ball like Il silk worm. When
ripe, this ball is taken out, and I'M
wound in order to dry, it is then
chopped up in bits about an inch long.
and packed into bales as you see IT..
Rice is not u vegetable as is com-
monty supposed in England. but
small alligator's eggs. These alliga
tors arc sopIcnty III the rivers ol this
state, that they sometimes impede Il
vessels progress +; indeed the other
day wanted to cross the ferry to
look at the country around, and !
had to wait two hours for the negroes
to bring their hafpoons to clear
passage for the boat. In the month
Of January, these alllgators creep
upon the wharfes in the night and
lay their egga, and they are collect
ed in the morning by the inhabitants
and put into tierces. Alllgators are
so useful, that by the laws OF this
country it is death to Kill one oil
them they arc easily tanned, and
are made SO docilc, that You sec them
in most houses, playing about the
rooms-an old maid | know here has
two of them TO sleep with her.
The Sea Island cotton is much IN
ferior to the Upland cotton.
Thunder storms happen every day
but they are mild, not striking hous-
es, nor doing damage more than once
a week, or killing more than two
persons on an average IN the same
time,
The people are talking about con
atructing Il canal to improve the sys-
TEN of Transporting goods by land
il i9 to run from Savannah 10 the
town Of AIabamcba Oh the Pacific
and thus they will make an artificial
north east passage to the West In
dies, a dcsidcratun so long sought
for.
Canals arc absolutely necessary
here, as the country, particularly
that part nearest the sca-coast, is We
ry mountainous, n the hills so s'ccp,
that they can only be travelled ON
horseback, aud cotton is now brO't
IN on the backs Of mules.
The country people are not well
acquainted with things in general,
and are is consequence often imposed
upon by the traders. | am told that
man here made fortune by selling
them gimbIct handles for nutmcgs.
The country people now in turn have
cheated the traders, by putting stones
in thcirpaeks Of cotton--a bale OF
cotton WAS opened last week, and in
the centre WAS rock "eighinS near
~ half Il ton.
There is one remarkable thing
have noticed here. witch - that M
ny Of the men 4 Women have but ouo
eye. This comes from an inclinati-
on 10 FIGHT and wrcstle, which gcn-
cl.nllY nrrKa IL. and ,,hnnnNnrn nl1nl.