The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-08-29

tribe with which we are all familiar. The
period for hauling the seincs commences i'll
November, and the work does not cease till
April. The crops on Church's Island are
poor, as we learned from gentleman who
came off to us---as they are on Crow Island |
| The former is about four miles long ard
Que wide, and is 1nhabiLed by fourteen or
more families. Potatoes and corn are the |
chief productions. A few families are settled
on the sea coast side, engaged chiefly in fish
ing aud grazing We passed in this portion
of our trip prominent points of land point
| ed ont to us by the pilot rs Whales Head, |
| Piper's Hill, and several prominent sand Hills
which formed pleasing contrast to the
wootlel land. On the coast to OH left staads.
the Club House, a building which has been
erected by party of about twenty Northern
sportsmen, who resort here in the winter for
the purpose Of killing game. which affords
them fine sport and in great abundance!
Thousands Of ducks, geese, plover, swan, aud
other game, are gathered in" during the
season. There are thick beds of prolific grass
in the shallow portion of the Sound, to which
these birds are attracted, and which affords
them abundant food-and upon the margin
are fine grazing grounds for cattle, in raising
which portion of the population find ell
ployment. We entered lower Currituck
Sound from the upper Sound, through pas
sage called the Narrows, formery AN island /
Here the land was low and marshy, and the
margins abounded in growth called the
water braSh or brush, which has a pretty
purple flower, not unlike, at distance the
Grape myrtle. in appearance, After getting
through the Narrows and entering the lower
Sound, We hailed small fishing smack, sloop
rugged, with the American flag flying, from
which we procured swapping turtle, which
was duly served in the mess on the following
day, and was prodigiousy enjoyed by our.
agreeable party. Z
The owner Of the smack was young fish,
erman, who sails about the SQUAD In search
Of these testudinat@, in which occupation,
during the season, he passes his life on the
Sound. We asked him how he caught them,
and he replied, "as soon as see head I
make for him, and if he dives | job my hand
down after him." The animal we purchased
was fierce specimen, and one of the deck
hands had to "bridle" him. This was done
by passing rope yarn in his mouth and
making 1T fast round the body and legs, to
prevent lecomotion as much as possible.
We thought the process rather a cruel
one, and plain case for the nterposition of
Mr. BERGE. lie was not long subjected, how
ever, to this taboo an his movements from
which, indeed he was soon raliaved hv hav-
ing his head cbopped off hvs epr adm;rahla
Soyer.
At 1.30 P, M. on Sunday we were off
Dew's Quarter. an island on o,,r r;gbt
/ where there is excellent grazing and on
which we saw a number of fine locking sheen.
On our left, on the coast side, we were
abreast of what was once Cafav Inlet which
closed in the wear 1900 Pic Point l;ttls 70
the nerthward of Powelps Po;nt wh;ch 10 tho
Southern extremity If Cnr,ituck count he
ing ahead Of us y '''''' 10
On Dews Quarter Island i COLI snr;,o
which during the summer season il nerr ,.an'
slly boiling over cover;no tba ground orfp,,,d
for considerable space With Tia ovarAo,r;se,s
and leaving the earth whitened nv the ras;'
dunn. after the evaporation Tho sell far tho
space of. PERHAPS. two acres or more h. hs; NO
rendered unproductiye. At3P M an Suns
day, we arrived off the Rev Mr. GaIlon's
Between this farm and the strin of wooded.
land hiding the ocean ia q craek or chonnol
in which we anchored After dinner ,,a ,rart
ashore 70 view the ocean-anu penetrated the
strip OF land to which we have alluded. This
was unduatlng, and abounds in cypress and
1--we OAK OF the scrub species, pine, white OAK, ).
cedar, holly, and maple, and much of it is
heart timber If the underground was clear
ed, as we have seen IN some Of the mountain
Gus portions OF our own State, it could be
made beautiful park. diversified with hill
and dale, nature having already provided the
deer which are said to frequent this strip.
After emerging from the woods we ca me
to the sand, and after brief trudging we
reached the beach, and had magnificent
view Of the ocean, and listened to its surgng
aud dashing, and melancholy and monotonots
moan, that eternal roar ana roll aud illinita-
BILE expallse, which have formed an apt en-
blem Of eternity in the 'dreamer's eys,'S The
beach was ey tended in an unbroken line. on