Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-03
OUR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE
Early History of North Carolina
ssMcn of Cape Fears = BOdIeian
Library ssNIartyrs Mepaoriai'' -
University of Oxford, &C., &c.
SCOTLAND, Sept. Is, 1873.

A gentleman, whose name is init
mately and most honorably associated
with the prosperity of Wilmington,
and with all her efforts towards inter
nal Improvement for thel last quarter of
a CT injury, suggested, by letter, the
propriety OF certain enquiries relative
to the early history of North Carolina.
and more particularly to the River and
Harbor of Cape Fear. Unfortunately,
I had not sufficient influence, without
calling ii the aid of acquaintance
whose time was otherwise fully en-
ployed, to gain free access TO the man
uscripts, drawings and books in the
British Museum. The library there is
very rich in records of the kind de-
sired, and would amply repay a careful
study.
While at the University of Oxford,
however, one of the attendants in the
Bodleian Library kindly permitted me
to examine ell the old manuscripts
concerning the Provinces of North
and South Carolina. Many of them
would be invaluable to the Historian,
and copies should, at any reasonable
cost, rest upon the shelves of one or
more of our State Libraries. There
are original charters, and copies of
charters, and of various important
acts "sent over for confirmation
there are, moreover, essays and re-
monstrances. There is q ''draught of
Forts at Cape Fear"-but aaoachere any
chart or survey which could be of any
value to the scientific man. I took the
time to read the following:
sTwo Hundred and Twenty eight
Questions respecting the Province on
behalf of an intending body of Luthe-
ran SetGlers-17O5."
"Party Tyranny-1705."
can act for the better ordering Of
slaves-1701.
can act for en!isting trusty slaves"
sTestimonialsfr from eighteen members
of the French Church at Charleston to
their minister, IA March, II" Be
sides these, there are many printed
works of much interest, such as:
can Historical Account of the Rise
and Progress of the Colonies of South
Carolina and Georgia" and one en-
titled, ga brief Description of Colo
MES ON the Coasts of Florida, and
more particularly of New Plantation
begun at Cape Fear on that River now
by them called Charles River, 1864
The learned author of the last publ
cation, (of whose grammar and
geography hereby wash my hands,,
locates the Province of North Carolina
between parallels 80 deg. and SO deg,
and states that 'the said Province is
bounded on the North and South by
Virginia, on the East by Mare Atlantl-
cum, and on the West by the Wealthy
South Sea-" Having taken this new
departure West, which will doubtless
stagger the ''tender idea," as repre-
sented in our latter-day school boys;
he gives a particular description of
Cape Eear,-latitrde 81 deg. "a
colony of English who landed 18th of
May, 1864, and who are now 0666)
about 800 strong. The river itself is
barred at the entrance, but there is a
channel close abord the Cape that will
convey a ship of 300 tons, and, as soon
as a ship is over the Bar, the
River is 5 or fathom deep for 100
miles from the sea. This Bar is
a great security to the colony against
foreign invasion, the channel being
hard to find by those that have not ex-
perience of it, and yet safe enough to
those that know it," He then becomes
quite enamored of his subject. and,
warming GO Lo ~~ritoS, doelaroa that
here are as brave old oaks as eye ever
beheld here the silk-worm breeds
naturally wild turkeys weighing over
fifty pounds each may be had for the
catching, and, having delivered him
self of this last .jayrcr, he grows quite
| reckless and says the streams abound
with salmon, bass, herring, trout, and
| Spanish mackerel that the climate is
mild to the verge of imbecility, as a
proof of which, in the first settling
down, when there was no kind of
shelter from the inclemencies of the
| weather, not soul got sick.
OF course the ancient chronicler
could not conclude without saying
something handsome for the ladies. so,
as sort of ''iinale, my hearers" he
remarks: eff any maid or single Uo-
man have a desire to go over, they
will think themselves i'll the golden
age, when men paid a dowry for their
wives for, if they be but civil and
under fifty years of age some honest
man or other will purchase them II
their wives. Further information may
be had on application to Matthew VII
kinson, 1rOnmonger, sign of the
Three Feathers, Bishopgate street,
London"
Old Matthew certainly had a bomb
proof position, and l can imagine him
lolling back in his armchair, his legs
crossed, a tankard of ale i'll ono. hand
and long stem pipe in the other, re-
plying, with a good-natured smile to
the anxious queries OF bouncing
English unfortunates whom fate or
dained to be the mothers OF the
famous "men of Cape Fear" Little
!
dream, good easy soul, that in less
"men of the noble old Cape Fear
tongue of many a desperate orator,
that the descendants Of these very
such mighty men of valor that their
deeds should furnish inspiration to
the stump speaker at the "Oaks,' at
'Boney Bridge" and the further con
fines of Texas" and should be bla-
zoned, night after night, from out the
smoke and flame of expiring tar
barrels!
Attached to the Bodleian Library is
an excellent collection of paintings,
models of ancient buildings and copies
of famous works of art. The visiting
North Carolinian will not fail to notice
fine original portrait Of Flora
Mcdonald, which represents the hero
inc as both young and pretty, and
gives to her features an expression of
daring enthusiasm quiet consonant
with the history of her life.
Near the centre of the city OF Oxford
is the Martyrs Memorial" erected
where Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley
were burnt. gazed at it with a sort
of tender melancholy, and did my
best to feel righteous indignation,
but confess to an ignominious failure,
having just risen from comfortable
DINNER Of cold English Roast Beef:
Succeeded much better, indeed. on a
former occasion at the spot where
Jeanne dare event up as there was
a brisk gale blowing great clouds of
fine gravel down the streets of RoIlven.) |
Everybody knows that this Univer-
sity is ''the most ancient seat of CLASH
cal learning in England" Many of |
the Colleges at Cambridge are perhaps |