The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-04-12

to the eastward aud along the sound.
left here in an oyster boat manned h,
Capt. Day and his son !. and with a fai,
breeze we reached Goose Creek about
dark, too late TO 60 ashore that night a
distance OF 40 miles from Washington
Next morning we went ashore and stopped
at a., Mr. 9 IS, who was very hospitable
The people here seem contented and ar,
quite primitive in their habits. The,
dress in homemade clothes and live in !
plain way, and have never learned the
eStravagancies that ease and luxury bepet
was told that there never had been a law
snit IN this whole community, even before
magistrate and their smoke houses and
corn cribs were never locked, and larceny
was crime unknown to them. Some oi
our fast folks who pretend to the create,
rehnements Of modern civilization would
call these people behind the age, and So
they are, and so may they ever be, when
the age thrusts forward mental culture At
the expense of moral worth. When the
time came to leave, we were unable to find
buggy to take us, and so we got into a
small cart drawn by n pony like our
oeachers. Thus we jolted and logged
along a distance of 90 miles to Bay River,
most Of the time on foot far ahead of the
pony cart, which came along ut a snail.
pace seldom getting out of slow walk.
AT Bay River made the acquaintance
OF DIR. A. and a very tall N. C. preacher,
hev. II. who told me he was only 6 feet
as inches in his stockings, and that he
knew of.seven men in his eounty--Green
% feet inches tall. That portion of N.
Z. that lies between the table lands and
the tide water region, is noted for its tall,
6ony and muscular people This part Of
Craven county has been recently set off,
and formed into a new county, called
Pamplico. The location for the county
seat is not yet fully determined, and the
people around Bay River want to make it
at the junction of Bay River and Trent
River. A beautiful site it is for town,
with good navigation on both rivers, and
quite central for the whole county.
then went out some two or three miles
in southerly direction and saw some as
good land as | ever saw anywhere. A
gentleman told me he made 2522 lbs OF
seed cotton, or $40 lbs lint, per acre,
which at l6 cts. per h. would be s134 40
per acre. But this was an exceptional
crop. met Mr.. A. however, who told
me he could pay 500 per acre for cleared
land, around there, in five years, without
having dollar to pay down He said the
land raid from 800 to s33 year per acre,
rent--and | thought SO too, from what |
saw. Many persons told me the average
product in corn was from 40 to 60 bushels
per acre, and no manure-though after
about six crops manure is beneficial. An
afflicted man close by, and unable to work
has three daughters who made last year
with their own labor and one small pony,
1900 bushels Of corn, A bales of cotton
and 300 bushels of sweet potatoes. The
average crop of sweet potatoes is 400 bush
els per acre, aud | saw some Is inches long
and large in proportion, and was told that
40 potatoes filed a barrel All of this
land has to be well drained, and the tim
Der on it is very heavy, of pine, poplar and
gum, mixed on the same soil.
They have an economical way of clearing
the land had never before Witnessed it
is thus: They first ditch the land, and
then from August to March, cut down the
timber; in May they burn it thoroughly,
which consumes all but the bodies Of the
trees they then take pointed stick punch
holes in the ground and drop the corn.
1t is left to grow till about waist high, when
man or boy with stick in hand beats
down the butter weeds around the hills Of
corn, and this is all the labor that crop
gets. No horse or plow is used, They
get from 20 to 30 bushels per acre this
crop. The next year the logs are cut and
rolled in heaps and burnt, when the land
is plowed aud planted, and they usually
get from 40 to go bushels per acre. After
the land is cultivated three or four years
in corn, it is then in condition for cotton,
which pays much better.
was struck with one remarkable for
nation throughout this section of the
country. Mari Of marine character under
hes this whole region. In some places it
crops out at the surface in other localities
it is from one to four feet below 1t is
composed of little shells from the size of a
grain of wheat TO that Of your thumb nail,
and then again there are large sea shells,
oyster, clam, &c. 1t has a good effect up
on the crops, and is inexhaustible.
On Sunday it was quite cold, and
showed and rained alternately; neverthe-
less, there had been no preaching for eight
weeks, and we must have sermon. So
off VIC started to church and made up a
congregation of nine persons. The house
was quite large and no stove. 1t was not
yet plastered, and there was abundance of
ventilation. There | sat and shivered
anxiously expecting the preacher to omit
the usual services ON account of the small
audience and bad weather This, knew,
our ministers, under similar circumstances,
usually did. But he did no such thing,
and took his text and gave us an excellent
sermon; yet, highly as | appreciated all
that was said, ! must own | felt great
pleasure when the benediction was said.
BY this time was chilled through and
hastened to good fire at Capt. BIS,
Mrs. B. had nice dinner, which | enjoyed
The next day | was to start for New
bern, some % miles across the country, in
u oue-horse hack When the morning
came, Rev. II. said he would take me in
his buggy. This | accepted with many
thanks, and We started. | soon found
there was a perfect understanding between
Bro II. and his horse Dolly Most Of
the entire journey was measured in slow
walk, and when TIE beast did trot, it ap-
peared to me she went slower than in a
walk Country only passable, and in many
places no more than barren heath Bro.
III. told me there was new ferry below
the old one, which would cut of mile, so
we bent our course that way, and stopped
at Mr.. LIS. where the horse was left, and
We took it afoot q miles to the ferry,
Mr.. L. was very kind and gave me some
cuttings of the Scuppernong grape, which
| brought home; he also accompanied us
part Of the way to the ferry.
This ferry and its surroundings l shall
nevar fnrret Itisawned hv n Mr. Howard