Observations in Several Voyages and Travels in America in the Year 1736

In leaving the Lowlands of Maryland, and passing into Virginia, you find the Scene greatly alter'd; and Hills and Dales, with more frequent Plantations, seem, entirely, to take off the Rudeness of the Country's aspect. The Roads, also, thro' the two Counties of Acomoco and Northampton, save here and there, are equal to most in England; tho' not near so commodious, as in the Counties on the other Side of the Bay. You pass over several considerable Rivers, and Branches, and find many lofty and commodious Bridges; whilst the same Hospitality, Simplicity and Honesty reigns amongst the Inhabitants, as in the Part of Maryland I have just traced; Indeed, you find greater, and more considerable Marks of Opulency; and we begin to regale with excellent Wines, and good Brandies and Rum, and, here and there, with English Porter, which is imported generally in Bottles. Trade, also, seems to flow in a brisker Channel, and the Stores of the Merchants to be better provided; nor are the Gentlemen a little vain, of their being of the King's Government, and look down with an Air of Contempt, upon the neighbouring Patentee Colonies.

The Inhabitants on the Western Shore, are supply'd with prodigious Quantities of Beef, Pork, and Grain from this Eastern Shore, as they call them, by Way of Distinction; to whom they give, also, ironically, the Epithet of Buckskins, alluding to their Leather Breeches, and the Jackets of some of the Common People; which is, all over Virginia, as great a Reproach, as in England, to call a Man Oaf, or Clown, or Lubberkin. This Eastern Shore is a Neck of Land, resembling a Peninsula, having its Junction, in about 40 N. with the Main Land, somewhat above Annapolis, near Baltimore and Elsingburgh, upon the Frontiers of Pensilvania, where the Delaware Bay, and River, forms, to the East, and the Heads of Chesapeak Bay, to the Westward, a kind of Isthmus; and thence trending away South-Easterly, terminates at Cape Charles, nearly in Lat. 37, and is one of the Arms, that confines the Noblest Bay in the Universe, tho' with all the Winds it is not so convenient to ride in, as having a dangerous Plenty of Sands, Sholes, and Reefs, that have prov'd very often full of Distress. In this Bay, the whole Navies of Great Britain, Holland and France might ride at Anchor; it being, from Magidi Bay to the Entrance of York River, more than 20 Miles over; and into which, a Number of the noblest navigable Rivers disembogue themselves, which you may, as far as Eyes can reach, see overspread with waving Forests of European Vessels, and a lesser Tribe, who trade from Shore to Shore, and exchange their own Products for those of their Neighbours. The common Harbour of the Men of War, in this Station is Sarah's Creek, on the Glocester Side of York River, which a late Commander, the thrice renown'd Sir Yel, Peace be to his Ashes -- render'd as shamefully famous, as ever Turtle Bay was render'd by P---- or E----s; or Hobcaw, by some others. But to return, we made two States, from Acomoco Court House; lying at Pongoteag the first Night, and at the Ferry House at Magidi Bay (where a Chaloupe attends to transport Passengers and their Horses to York, Norfolk, Glocester, James Town, or other Parts, at a Pistole a Horse and Man) the second Day, being two Days and a half from the Line, the Distance being more than 100 miles from Snow Hill in Maryland. There are no considerable Towns on this Shore, only a
few scatter'd Hamlets, particularly, at the Court Houses of the two Counties, which renders them far less polite, than the Inhabitants on the other Side of the Bay, where large Towns abound, and, which are the Rendezvous of the several Tobacco Fleets that sail from Europe; but to their Honesty, and Kindness to one another, and to Strangers, be justly call'd the Elysian Fields of Virginia. I shall have, again, Occasion to mention this part of the Colony, I find, when I begin to enter into the Nature of the Tobacco Trade.

No sooner the Morning dawn'd than we rous'd from our Beds, and address'd ourselves to our Voyage, in one of those delicious Mornings, in which Nature seems to take Pride, in displaying her whole Profusion of Charms; and when a Wretch must be quite inanimate, not to rejoice with the whole Creation, at the infinite Kindness and Benevolence of Providence. All hail! Eternal Sovereign of the Universe! Low, on the sandy Beach, surrounded with these venerable Shades, and whilst the waves are laying at my Feet, let me adore the great, the awful Dispositions of thy creating Wisdom! Alas! how my importance droops, and how inconsiderable I appear; when, but now, I imagin'd myself one of the Lords of this Globe, and rashly suggested to myself, that all these mighty Store of Blessings, were intended to solace and delight Mankind alone! But if so, why are the most remote Regions so bespangled with they Goodness; Regions but lately known, and yet, scarce one ten thousandth Part people? My Mind opens -- surely, thy wise Intention was to excite the Benevolence of thy more happy Creatures, and to make thy saving Health known to all Nations, by spreading the Knowledge of true Religion and Virtue, even amongst the sable Inhabitants of these lovely Deserts.

After being victualled for our Voyage, which generally employs three or four Hours, and we had gotten our Baggage and Part of our Attendants on board, we ourselves step'd into a small Punt [A very small and dangerous Sort of Canoa, liable to be overturn'd by the least Motion of the Sitters in it.], and put off to the Shallop; which by Reason of the Shallowness of the Water, lay at Anchor near a Mile from Shore, and beyond a
very ugly Reef, on which the Waves broke with great Fury; attended by Scores of Porpoises, who were wantoning about us. We had very nearly gained the Vessel, when two of these stupid Hogs came souse against one Side of the Punt, and overturn'd us just upon the Back of the Shoal.

The Pain we are sensible of in our last Moments, must be very trivial, when no foregoing Apprehensions of our Dissolution has intruded itself on our Minds, fraught with all the gloomy Terrors, so naturally representant to us, on this awful Occasion. Here, no real Danger, at first, could be imagin'd; for being good Swimmers, a Circumstance of great Account in traveling in this Country, the escaping on Shore again, could be no great Trouble; but in the very first Stroke, bruising my Arm against the Buoy of the Anchor, I was so disabled, as to be driven with the Tide, precipitately, and with so much Violence, into the Current, running swiftly out to Sea, that I soon lost all Sense of my forlorn Condition. Reflection, as near as I can guess, did not long remain, and two Seconds put me into the State of an Inanimate. Only continued Roarings, and various unform'd Sounds, introduced upon my Ears for some Time, and then, as it were, I ceas'd to be. King of Terrors! Thou perpetual and everlasting Dread of the human Race, in how many different Ways thou surprizest unhappy Mortals! No Fences can keep thee out, and thou work'st thy Purposes, often, with the most unforeseen, and most minute Instruments! Lingering, all pale and emanciated, on a Bed of lengthen'd Sickness; all but the deploring Eye, and the conscious Principle, lost to their Functions; how dreadful the Situation! But, prepar'd by a constant Endeavour to do good, and inspir'd with a Regard to the Dictates of Morality and Virtue, conducted by a humane Turn of Mind; how eligible this quick Transition from Life to Death! Here, then, is one principle Qualification of a Traveller, so to conduct his Steps as to be ready at every Stage, to enter that Eternal Mansion or Resting Place, where Pains shall lose their Sting, and Cares shall vex no more! Hurry'd down the Stream thus, and quite lost to myself, I had soon been lost to my Friends, had not my worthy Associate pursu'd my floating coarse, and overtaken it, at near half a Mile from the Vessel:
When, instantly, seizing me by one Arm, and getting me on his Shoulders, he recover'd a Canoa, which had been dispatch'd from Shore, after us; and, in my first signs of recover'd Sense, I found myself in Bed, surrounded by a weeping Crew, and my dear Deliverer spent with Fatigue by me, in a little better Situation than myself.

But, ah! thou 'rt fled, and now exists no more,

In mortal semblance; dearest shade, attend!

Ah! hover over me with thy angel wings!

And chase away the grief that hurts my soul;

Cou'd rocks and sands, or warring waves, conjoin'd,

With howling winds, or all the hideous tribe

Of savages, that prowl the desart waste;

Could these and more have wing'd thy latest hour,

We jointly then had rend'r'd up our breath,

Happy to fall united! Now alone,

I wander comfortless from place to place,

And, like the shipwreck'd mariner, aghast,

On some curs'd barren shelve, I seek in vain,

With wandering eyes for help in my despair.

[This Gentleman died afterwards in Jamaica.]

The first Emotion I experienced, was that of the most live and piercing Gratitude to Providence and the Arm that saved from the deep Abyss; that Cave of continued Destructions.

[See some Lines under the Title of Fidenia, or the Explanation, in the London Magazine, March, 1744, page 147.]

In two or three Days we embark'd, being perfectly recover'd, and address'd ourselves once more to the Passage; and here, how can I help sketching out the various Beauties and Adornments of Nature, that elucidated our pleasing Voyage? Suppose us now near ten Miles from either Shore, about the Meridian of one of the most transporting Days, that could have occurred for us, whilst

----every storm

Is hush'd within its cavern, and a breeze,

Soft-breathing, lightly with its wings, along

The slacken'd cordage glides; the sailors ear

Perceives no sound, thro'out> the vast expanse,

None but the murmurs of the sliding prow,

Which gently parts the smooth and azure main.

-- Glover.