The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-08
A SUMNER TRIP TO THE TOWN OF OLD BATH.
BY w. j. PEEI.E.

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the top of which. they say. his servant
watched for the approach of ships.
1t was SO still at dawn that the
splash of 9 dew drop would have been
noticed, but in a little while the song
birds were filing the woods with their
rejoicings over the advance of morn
ing. They were ushering i'm the dav
of our picnic to Bath.
We took the gas boat of Mr.. Proc
tor at Grimes landing and in a little
While we were speeding on our way
down the river watching its gradually
widening banks. Presently it made
couple Of goose neck bends and the
Tar had spread out into the Pamlico
though the government makes the
latter river begin a mile or two be-
low. at the mouth of 'Franters Creek.
Arrived at Washington we doubled
our picnic party. This thriving town
of some eight or ten thousand inhabi-
tants appeared from its water front to
be too essentially present to take up
much of our time-We were hunting
the past and we were soon on our
way down the rapidly expanding river.
its shores receded Nearly two CEN
turtles ago. September %. I'LL. its
banks were alive with the fleeing col
onists and their savage pursuers-
they were in the midst of the Tusca-
rora massacre.
The bays, bluffs and points along
the river were once the homes of the
prominent pioneers and colonial ofii-
ciais. A deep indentation on the
Southern shore was ChockWiniteh Bay
ON which John Porter lived. A mile
or two below, on the same side, the
land juts into the river and forms
what is known as Maule's Point. ri
home. On the next. called Cores
Point. was a warehouse of the Colon
ial Government. Here, also, Col. Ben
jamin Peyton lived. Nearly opposite
to Bath Creek on the iutting head
land which was easy to fortify against
the Indians, the early settlers kept a
garrison--it is still called Garrison
Point. A fresh breeze was blowing
from the Sound as we turned to go
into Bath Creek and mbing the light
green waters of the river into waVe-
let's some four or five feet high up1a
which our little boat danced as it rode
Cnon our left graceful cape had run
out and partly divided the waters of
the creek from those of the river. Its
lovely green landscape retired modest
~ from the shore. Approoriata.v dis
tanced for effect. pretty trees ADD
shrubs posed in the studied negligenoe
of nature. The picture was perfect
and extended clean up to the old Eden
mansion, a half mile away l Nou,
like to own 4 lot on Paradise Poi 4"
myself-if green wears we'll and if il
always looks as Ii did on that summer
morning. / can't see why Eden ever
left its vicinity unless he was afraid
of being associated with Teach-his
neighbor. across the creek-nor why
the sight of it never softened Teachs
heart. In one respect Teach showed
a better North Carolina spirit than
Eden, for he built his house of Bath
county brick found a turkey rack
on one of them. turkeys were hardly
i'm England at that time-besides the
brick bore strong family resemb-
lance TO the clay in the neighborhood
while Eden imported brick from
England to adorn his mansion. for
pieces of foreign manufacture may
still be picked UP near its foundations.
Teachs Bluff has been a subject of
investigation for e century or two. We
found pits dug about in il by treasure
hunters. apparently for several gener-
atoms, for in some. large trees were
growing.
The caption of this article calls for
a "trip TO Bath; the town and its his
tory make. another story" which will
be better told at the coming of the
bi-centennial by some native of Beau
fort county. We landed in the old
town, nov a village of some two hum
dred inhabitants. beautiful for situa-
ton only, rested under the shade Of
its elms,. inspected its quaint build
ings. admired its water front and be-
fore sunset we We're sailing out of itsl
commodiouS harbor into the Pamico
river, past the tugs with barges in tow,
the sail boats and smaller craft pas,
the lights which soon glimmered be-
laa f~a al e.l.c
leaving behind US the broad water once
plowed only by the canoes OF the In
dians-the Tuscaroras. the Corees, the
Cotechneys, the Mattamoskeets. the
Meherrins the Matclapungos. The
darkness behind us deepened by i'm,
perceptible increments as the lights in
the town of Washington multiplied in
front of us and now on our starboard
a few more boat lengths and we were
alongside our wharf; and suddenly we
were ushered out of the past into o
busy mart of trade.