The North-Carolina standard., 1843-11-08
For the North Carolina Standard.
A VISIT TO "THE BANKS"

Now, my dear reader, if you think l intend to
give you learned haranguc on the State Banks,
United States Banks, Mountebanks or Clay-banks,
let ME tell you in time, (lest your disappointment
be too great) that you never were more mistaken
in all your life; for the Banks, of which pro"
pose to speak, are nothing more or less than mere
Sand Banks near the mouth OF New River Ii
you can bring your mind to contemplate Things OF
so ordinary a nature, you may follow me down to
the Sand Banks; if not you may return TO your
airy regions in the Skies and see what new things
YOU can discover there-but stop, l see you have
determined to 90 with me. Well, were you ever
one of the happy individuals of large party who,
flushed with the pleasing and exhilarating excite
ment of preparing for pleasure excursion, en-,
loved and delighted in the delicious hustle and
confusion attendant on such occasions? If you
ever were then congratulate yourself on your
good fortune. and thank your stars that you have
not lived thus long for nothing but IT, on the con
trary you have never enjoyed such scene, go
hang thys,lf and cease to remain in a world
whose choicest blessings have been denied thee
Yet stay, friend, would not have thee commit su-
icdG before thou shalt have seen some OF the pleas
urcs thou hast missed. "To begin at the begin
ming" some of the most distant members of our
party residing in some of the upper counties, start
ed on the 9th inst. and never was Il more beau
tifuI morning permitted to break upon the dewy
earth since the days when the first Lord OF Crea-
ton with his blooming bride, sat in Eden's
ROSY bowers Old Sol himself seemed flushed
with triumph, he put out the myriads OF twink
ling little eyes that had been peeping down upon
his sleeping bride; and old mother Earth awoke
from her sIumber with smile upon her face that
gladdcned the hearts of all her sons and daughters
and inspired all nature with mirth and JoyouSneSs
The little feathcred tribes caroled forth their
hvnns of gladnrss, and earth's green robe waved
with the inward emotion she felt at the kiss of the
morning zephyr. But one incident occurred du-
ring the day to mar our happiness; and that came
in the form of judgment for our profanity: 1t
was unanimously agreed upon that we should, for
the time being, sacrilegiously make dnlng-room
of a certain tIme-worn, venerable looking Meet
inc house, near which we CHANGED to stop; and
accordingly, the cloth was laid and each one OF
US ready to pay his respects, in the most unequIVo-
cal manner, to the tempting vlands, Wnen our at
tention was called to some occurrence without
Just picture to yourself our horror and amaze
ment when, on our return to the house, we 1ouno
that a number of plaques, in the shape OF hungry
dogs had, most unceremoniously, and without the
slightest regard for our wheted appetltes, devour-
ed every particle "of what was once so tan" IN
our ewes, leaving "not a crunpb behind" But we
were amply compensated for all our sutterlngs
and misforunes upon our arrival that night at
the house of hosptable and intelligent citizen OF
Onslow, where we enjoyed, not only all the tenn
! moral comforts conducive to the welfare OF the
nhvscaI part of our natures but the feast OF rea-
SON and the flow of SOUL" After recruiting our
mental, as we'll as our corporeal natures, for day
with our friends, we again took up our line oil
march. with an accession Of some dozen or more
choice spirits to our company, who cheered and
IenIivened us on our way with the bright sclntll-
Iations of wit and humor which they would oc'
casionally diffuse throughout the party That eve
nno brought US in sight of the long wished Tor
Ranks: and after doing proper reverence to
old Ocean. by the waving of sundry flags &C
we soupbt the arms of Somnus with the bright
homes and high expectations of the future. we
were bv no means disappointed in our antIc1Pa
3 Itions-the morning was clear and beautiful, anc
nature seemed to have arrayed herself In her hoil
dav dress. for our enjoyment After an early
breakfast on the incompatible fish and.Oysters O
New River, another pleasant little edition OF
hustle. (bless them y was got up in the preparra
tion Of the boats for little voyage across the
sonnd Our cargo-consisting in part OF ladies'
3 gentlemen. cloaks, umbrellas, Mrs. Hemans
works. guns, overcoats, "American Poets" nd
dies flutes. guitars, and babies-.being at length
slowed. we spread our sails ard gllded buoyantly
over the waters to the music of ga life on the
Ocean wave" To say the scene before us was
beautiful. conveys but cold, faint idea OF the re-
ality. Nearly as faras the eye could reach was
seen the transparent sheet of water on which we
sailed interpersed with islands of the richest green
and giving one the idea of sea of diamond thick
" set with emerald; here and there upon these