The farmer and mechanic., 1913-01-14

traditions Oh cur coast.
ManY-spot along our sounds and |
rivers have been honey -combed by |
tiggers after the pirates buried hoard.
Tradition says that it was the grue-
come custom Of those fierce sea rob-
hers to bury the murdered body OF
one OF their own band beside the |
stolen gold that his restless spirit !
might walk" as the guardian of the
spot. And weird tales are still told
Of treasure seekers, who searching for
the hidden riches Of Teach and his
band, on lonely islands and in tangled
swamps along our eastern waterways.
have been startled at their midnight
task by strange sights and sounds,
weird shapes and balls OF fire. which
sent the rash intruder fleeing in terror
from the haunted spot.
Hardly river that flows into our
eastern sounds but claims to have
once borne on it's bosom the dreaded
Adventure" Black Boards pirate
craft; hardly settlement along those
streams but retains traditions OF the
days when the Hack flag OF that
dreaded ship could be seen streaming
in the breeze as the swift sails sped
the pirates by on murder and on
plumber bent. Up Little river that
flows by George Durants home down
10 the broad waters Of Albemarle
sound, Teach and his drunken crew
would come, seeking refuge after some
bold marauding expedition. In the
hidden arms OF that lovely stream.
Up the beautiful Pasquotank. into the
quiet waters Of SymOnd's creek and
Newbegun creek, the dreaded bark
would speed, and the settlers along
those ancient streams would quake
and tre1nble at the sound Of the loud
carousing. the curses and shouts that
made hideous the night.
ON all these waters "a. achs Light
Is still said to shed a ghostly gieam
OH dark winter nights; and where its
rays are seen to rest there, so the
eredulous believe, his red gold still
hides, deep down in the waters or
buried along the shore.
few miles down the Pasquotank
from Elizabeth City, n. c.. there
stands near the river shore a quaint
old building known as "The Old Brick
House." which is said to have been
one Of the many widely scattered
haunts Of Black Beard. A small slab
Of granite, circular IN shape, possibly
an old mill wheel, is sunken in the
ground at the foot OF the steps and
bears the date 1893 and the initials
'.E IT,
The ends of the house are OF
mingled brick and stone, the mair
body Of wood. The wide entrance
hall. paneled to the ceiling. opens into
. large roOm also paneled, in which
- a wide fireplace with richly carvet
mantel reaching to the ceiling. Oh
each side Of this mantel there is
closet let into the wall, one Of which
communicates by a secret door will
the large basement room below. TIA
ditiOn says that from this room
secret passage led TO the river; tina
here the pirate confined his captive
and that certain ineffaceable stain
upon the hoor in the room above hin
Of dark deeds, whose secret wa
known only to the underground tun
mel and the unrevealing waters below
standing on a low cliff OverloOkin
the Pasquotank. whose amber water
come winding down from the grea
Dismal Swamp some ten miles away
the old house commands a good vie,
Of the river, which makes a wild
bend just where the ancient edific
stands And a better spot the pirat
could not have found to keep a look
out for the avenging ship that shoul
track him to his hiding place. An
should a strange sail heave in sigh
or one which he might have cause
fear was bringing an enemy to h
door. quickly to the secret closet nea
the great mantel in the banquet ha
would Black Beard slip. drop Quietl
down TO the basement room beneatl
bending low. rush swiftly through tt
underground tunnel. slip into tk
waiting sioop and be of and ava
mp the river or down, which ever W.
safest, out Of the reach OF the enem
s;ut though many Of the stream
and towns in the Albemarle regio
retain these traditions OF Bla1
Beard. in little Bath, the oldest tow
in North Carolina, can the create
number OF these tales be heard. Ar
with good reason. for here in this hi
toric village the freebooter made h
home for a month or so after he hs
availed himself of the kings offer
pardon to the pirates who would su
render themselves and promise
give over their evil mode OF life.
This ancient village. founded
uif fod OF