that at some distance the Trees appear as if they grew in the Water;
and as you approach nigher to emerge thence. For a hundred Miles up
into the Country, there are few Stones to be found, only in some
places, Rocks of Iron Oar appear, which made me expect to have found
many Waters turn Purple with Galls, but never met with any. Providence
has supplied the common use of Stones, by making the Roads very good:
so that they ride their Horses without shooing them; which yet are more
rarely beaten on their Feet, than ours are in _England_, the Country
and Clime being dry, their Hoofs are much harder; For I observed, that
take a Horse out of the wet Marshes, and Swamps, as they there call
them, and ride him immediatly, and he'll quickly be tender-footed. In
some places, for several Miles together, the Earth is so intermix'd
with Oyster-shells, that there may seem as many Shells as Earth; and
how deep they lie thus inter-mingled, I think, is not yet known: for
at broken Banks they discover themselves to be continued many Yards
perpendicular. In several places these Shells are much closer, and
being petrefied, seem to make a Vein of a Rock. I have seen in several
places, Veins of these Rocky Shells, three or four Yards thick, at the
foot of a Hill, whose Precipice might be twenty Yards perpendicular,
whose Delf, I suppose, shot under the Hill, pieces of these Rocks
broken off, lie there, which, I suppose, may weigh twenty or thirty
Tuns a piece, and are as difficult to be broken as our Free-stone.
Of these Rocks of Oyster-shells that are not so much petrified, they
burn and make all their Lime; whereof they have that store, that no
Generation will consume. Whether these were formerly Oysters, which
left by the subsiding Seas, (as some suppose, that all that Tract of
Land, now high Ground, was once overflowed by the Sea) were since
petrefied, or truly Stones, _sui Generis_, I leave to the Honourable
Society to determin. But when I consider the constant and distinct
shooting of several Salts, Nature's Curiosity, in every thing, so
far exceeding that of Art, that the most Ingenious, when referr'd
thereto, seem only endued with an Apish fondness, I cannot think any
thing too difficult or wonderful for Nature; and indeed I do not
apprehend, why it may not be as feasible to suppose them to have been
Rocks, at first shot into those Figures, as to conceive the Sea to
have amass'd such a vast number of Oyster-shells one upon another, and
afterwards subsiding, should leave them cover'd with such Mountains
of Earth, under which they should petrify: But not to launch forth
too far into those Disputes, since I must modestly remember to whom
I write. Often, in the looser Banks of Shells and Earth, are found
perfect Teeth petrefied, some whereof I have seen, could not be less
than two or three Inches long, and above an Inch broad: Tho' they
were not Maxillary Teeth, the part that one might suppose grew out of
the Jaw, was polish'd, and black, almost as Jet; the part which had
been fasten'd in the Jaw and Gums, was brown, and not so shiningly
polish'd, or smooth; if they were, as they seemed to be, really Teeth,
I suppose, they must have been of Fishes. The back-Bone of a Whale,
and as I remember, they told me of some of the Ribs, were digg'd out
of the side of a Hill, several Yards deep in the Ground, about four
Miles distant from _James Town_, and the River. Mr. _Banister_, a
Gentleman pretty curious in those things, shew'd me likewise the Joint
of a Whale's back-Bone, and several Teeth, some whereof, he said, were
found in Hills beyond the Falls of _James_ River, at least, a hundred
and fifty Miles up into the Country. The Soil in general is Sandy:
I had designed, and I think it might be worth a critical Remark, to
observe, the difference of Soils seem appropriated to the several
sorts of Tobacco: For there is not only the two distinct sorts of a
sweet-scented, and Aranoko Tobacco, but of each of these be several
sorts much different, the Seeds whereof are known by distinct Names,
they having given them the Names of those Gentlemen most famed for
such sort of Tobacco, as of _Prior_-seed, _&c._ Nay, the same sort
of Seed in different Earths, will produce Tobacco much different,
as to goodness. The richer the Ground, the better it is for Aranoko
Tobacco, whose Scent is not much minded, their only aim being to have
it specious, large, and to procure it a bright Kite's Foot colour.
Had not my Microscopes, _&c._ Tools to grind Glasses, been cast away,
with my other things, I had made some critical Enquiries into their
several Natures, I would have examin'd what proportions of Salts, all
the sorts of Earths had afforded, and how Water impregnated with their
Salts, would have changed with infusing Galls, how with the Syrup of
Violets, and how they would have precipitated Mercury, or the like, and
so far forth as I had been able, examined them by the several Tryals of
Fire. I conceive Tobacco to be a Plant abounding with Nitro-Sulphurious
Particles; for the Planters try the goodness of their Seed, by casting
a little thereof into the Fire; if it be good, it will sparkle after
the manner of Gun-powder: so will the Stalks of Tobacco-leaves, and
perhaps has something analogous to the Narcotick Sulphur of _Venus_,
which the Chymists so industriously labour after. The World knows
little of the efficacy of its Oyl, which has wonderful Effects in the
curing of old inveterate Sores, and Scrophulous Swellings, and some,
otherwise applied and qualified. The goodness of Tobacco I look on
primarily consists in the volatility of its Nitre: And hence the
sandy Grounds that are most impregnated therewith, and whose Nitrous
Salt is most Volatile, for such Grounds are quickliest spent, yield
Tobacco's that have the richest Scent, and that shortly becomes a
pleasant Smoak; whereas, in Tobacco that grows on stiff Ground, the
Salts seem more fix'd, and lock'd up in the Oyl, so that whilst new,
'tis very heady and strong, and requires some time for its Salts to
free themselves, and become Volatile; which it manifests, by its having
an Urinous Smell. The same Reason satisfies, why Tobacco that grows
on low Lands as far as the Salts, tho' the Plant be never overflowed
with Salt Water, yet the Ground that feeds the Plant being impregnated
with Salt Water, that Tobacco Smoaks not pleasantly, and will scarcely
keep Fire, but do all that a Man can, will oft go out, and gives much
trouble in frequent lighting the Pipe, 'till after it has been kept
some considerable time: Which may be assign'd to the fixeder Saline
Particles of the Marine Salt in these Plants, which require more time
e'er they be render'd Volatile. Here it might be worthy an Enquiry
into the Nature of Filtration of Plants, since we may hence gather,
Particles of the Marine Salt are carried along with the _Succus
Nutritius_ of the Plant; concerning which, if it were not too much to
deviate from the Matter in hand, I should offer some Reflections of
my own, which the Learned Society might perhaps improve: For I think
thence might be made many happy Conjectures as to the Virtues of
Plants. So where we see Plants, or Trees, of an open Pore growing low,
we shall find their Juice has subtile Parts: So have all Vines, whether
the Grape Vine, or Briony, or a Smilax, or the like. If a Gummous Plant
or Tree, that grows low, and close Pored, it abounds with acid Spirits,
as _Lignum Vitæ_, &c. if it grow tall, and be open Pored, it abounds
with a subtile Volatile Spirit, as your Firs, and the Turpentine
Tree. But to insist no further herein, than as this may be applicable
to the present Discourse: For I have observed, that that which is
called Pine-wood Land, tho' it be a sandy Soil, even the Sweet-scented
Tobacco that grows thereon, being large and porous, agreeable to
Aranoko Tobacco; it smoaks as coarsely as Aranoko: Wherefore 'tis,
that I believe the Microscope might make notable Discoveries towards
the knowledge of good Tobacco: For the closer the Composition of the
Leaf, the better the Tobacco; and therefore the Planters and Merchants
brag of the Substance of their Tobacco; which word, did they always
take it in a true Sence, for the Solidness, and not mistake it for the
Thickness, it would be more consonant to a true Observation: for as I
said of the Pine-wood Tobacco, some of it is thick and not Solid, and
differs from the best Tobacco, as Buff does from Tann'd Leather; so
that if the Tobacco be sound and not Rotten, you may give a great guess
at the goodness of Tobacco, when you weigh the Hogsheads, before you
see them: For if an equal care be taken in the packing of them the best
Tobacco will weigh the heaviest, and Pack the closest. Now I said,
that the Sweet-scented Tobacco most in vogue, which was most fam'd for
its Scent, was that that grew on sandy Land; which is true, if you
would Smoak it whilst new, or whilst only two or three Years Old; but
if you keep the stiff Land Tobacco, which is generally a Tobacco of
great Substance five or six Years, it will much excel: For tho' the
sandy Land Tobacco abound with a Volatile Nitre at first, yet the stiff
Land Tobacco abounds with a greater quantity of Nitre, only that it is
lock'd up in its Oyl at first, and requires more time to extricate it
self, and become Volatile; but the Pine-wood Land having little of the
Nitro-Sulphurious Particles, neither is, nor ever will make any thing
of a rich Smoak. Discoursing hereof some days since, to a Gentleman
of good Observation, that has been versed with Malting, he assured
me, to back this my Supposition, or Hypothesis, he had observed, that
Barly that grew on stiff Ground, requir'd more time considerably to
Mellow, and come to perfection, than that that grew on light Land.
Having proceeded thus far to speak of Tobacco, I shall add one or two
things more. The Planters differ in their Judgments about the Time of
Planting, or Pitching their Crops: Some are for Pitching their Crops
very early, others late, without any distinction of the Nature of the
Soils; and 'tis from the different Effects that they find, in that,
sometimes early, sometimes the late Planting succeeds: But they have
not the Reason to judge of the Cause, to consider the Accidents of the
Year, and the Difference of the Soils. In sandy Grounds they need not
strive so much for early Planting, the Looseness of the Earth, and the
kind natur'd Soil, yielding all that it can, easily and speedily, and
Sand retaining the Heat, makes the Plants grow faster. But in stiff
Soils, if the Crops be not early pitch'd, so that during the Season
of Rains it have got considerable Roots, and shot them some depth,
if early Droughts come, it so binds the Land, that the Roots never
spread or shoot deeper, or further than the Hill that they are planted
in: For they plant them as we do Cabbages, raising Hills to set every
Plant in, about the bigness of a common Mole-hill: observing this on
the Plantation where I lived, that it was stiff Ground, I advised them
to Plant their Crops as early as possible; and in order thereunto, I
tried several ways to further the Plants; but not to trouble you with
the several Experiments that I made, in reference thereto: What I found
most advantageous was, by taking an infusion of Horse-dung, and putting
thereon Soot, and then my Seeds; this I kept Forty eight Hours in an
ordinary digestive heat, I had two Beds left me to Sow, in the midst of
those the People sow'd, and the quantity of Seed that they generally
allotted to the same quantity of Ground; when I sow'd, I mix'd Ashes
with the Seed, having decanted the Liquor, that the Seed might sow
the evener: The effect was, that my Plants came up much sooner, grew
swifter, and I had five Plants for one more than any of the other Beds
bore; I left the Country shortly after, and so no certainty of the
final Result. There be had various Accidents and Distempers, whereunto
Tobacco is liable, as the Worm, the Fly, Firing to Turn, as they
call them, French-men, and the like. I propos'd several ways to kill
the Worm and Fly, as by Sulphur and the like; but had no opportunity
to experiment it: I shall set down that I had most hopes of, which
perhaps may give a hint to others to try or improve. Tobacco-seed is
very small, and by consequence so is the young Plant at first, that
if gleamy Weather happen at that time, it breeds a small Fly, which
consumes the Plume of the Plant; now it being early in the Year when
they Sow the Seed, _viz._ about the fourteenth of _January_, they cover
the Ground, to secure, as well as they can, their tender Plants, from
the nipping Frosts, that may happen in the Nights; they cover them only
with a few Oak-leaves, or the like; for Straw they find apt to Harbour
and Breed this Fly: I therefore would advise them to smoak Straw
with Brimstone, once in two or three Nights, and so they might cover
them securely, with that which would preserve them infinitely beyond
the Covering with Oak-boughs; indeed, I would advise them to keep
peculiarly so much of their _Indian_ Corn-blades, which they gather
for their Fodder, for this very purpose, being as I conceive, much the
best, there being no Chaff to foul their Beds, and prejudice them when
they should weed them. What they call Firing is this: When Plants are
of small Substance, as when there has been a very Wet and Cold Season,
and very hot Weather suddainly ensues, the Leaves turn Brown, and dry
to dust: the cause I conceive to be hence: The Plant being feeble, and
having a small quantity of Oyl, which makes the more solid part of the
Plant, the Earth being suddainly heated by the Sun's fiercer Beams, the
Roots are rather scorch'd and dried up in the Earth, than nourish'd;
so that the Plant consisting only of watry parts, is consumed, as it
were, by Fire: sometimes hopeful Plants, when by a sudden Gust some
Master Veins are broken, if suddain heat ensues, they likewise Fire:
For being not come to maturity, and being deprived of the Supports of
Life and Vegetation, they likewise perish, are dried up, and fall to
dust. _French-men_ they call those Plants, whose leaves do not spread
and grow large, but rather spire upwards, and grow tall; these Plants
they do not tend, being not worthy their Labour. Were they so Critical,
I believe, they might have great Guess what Plants were most likely to
turn _French-men_, by observing whether the Roots of the Plants run
downwards, as those whose Branches are aptest to spire upwards: For
tho' I have not made positive proof thereof, I have something more
than bare fancy for my conjecture; I have pull'd up some of these
_French-men_, and compar'd them with the Roots of some other Plants,
and found them much longer than others; and 'tis observable, loose
Soils, and sandy Ground, are more subject thereto than the stiff Land.
The Country of it self is one entire Wood, consisting of large Timber
Trees of several sorts, free from Thickets or under Wood, the small
Shrubs growing only on Lands, that have been clear'd, or in Swamps; and
thus it is for several Hundreds of Miles, even as far as has yet been
discover'd. But that shall be reserv'd 'till another opportunity.
_I am_, &c.
_Mr. _John Clayton_, Rector of _Crofton_ at _Wakefield_, his Letter
to the _Royal Society_, giving a farther Account of the Soil, and
other Observables of _Virginia_._
I shall here present you with a continuation of my Remarks on the
River, Soil, and Plants of _Virginia_. And first, as to the River
on the other side the Mountains, said to Ebb and Flow. I have been
assured by Col. _Bird_, who is one of the Intelligentest Gentlemen
in all _Virginia_, and knows more of _Indian_ Affairs than any Man
in the Country, that it was a Mistake; for that it must run into a
Lake, now called _Lake Petite_, which is fresh Water; for since that
time a Colony of the _French_ are come down from _Canada_, and have
seated themselves on the back of _Virginia_, where _Fallam_ and the
rest suppos'd there might be a Bay, but is a Lake, to which they have
given the Name of _Lake Petite_, there being several larger Lakes
'twixt that and _Canada_. The _French_ possessing themselves of these
Lakes, no doubt will in short time be absolute Masters of the Beaver
Trade, the greatest number of Beavers being catch'd there. The Colonel
told me likewise, that the common Notion of the Lake of _Canada_, he
was assured was a Mistake, for the River supposed to come out of it,
had no Communication with any of the Lakes, nor the Lakes one with
another, but were distinct. But not to ramble after hear-say, and
other matters; but to return to the Parts of _Virginia_ inhabited by
the _English_, which in general is a very Fertile Soil, far surpassing
_England_, for there _English_ Wheat (as they call it, to distinguish
it from _Maze_, commonly called _Virginia_ Wheat) yields generally
'twixt Fifteen and Thirty fold, the Ground only once plow'd; whereas
'tis a good Crop in _England_ that yields above Eight fold, after all
their Toil and Labour. And yet in truth 'tis only the barrennest Parts
that they have cultivated, Tilling and Planting only the High-Lands,
leaving the Richer Vales unstirr'd, because they understand not any
thing of Draining. So that the Richest Meadow-Lands, which is one third
of the Country, is Boggy, Marsh, and Swamp, whereof they make little
Advantage, but loose in them abundance of their Cattle, especially at
the first of the Spring, when the Cattle are weak, and venture too far
after young Grass. Whereas vast Improvements might be made thereof; for
the generality of _Virginia_ is a Sandy Land with a shallow Soil. So
that after they have cleared a fresh piece of Ground out of the Woods,
it will not bear Tobacco past two or three Years, unless Cow-pen'd;
for they Manure their Ground by keeping their Cattle, as in the South
you do your Sheep, every Night confining them within Hurdles, which
they remove when they have sufficiently dung'd one spot of Ground;
but alas! they cannot Improve much thus, besides it produces a strong
sort of Tobacco, in which the Smoakers say they can plainly taste the
fulsomeness of the Dung. Therefore every three or four Years they must
be for clearing a new piece of Ground out of Woods, which requires much
Labour and Toil, it being so thick grown all over with Massy Timber.
Thus their Plantations run over vast Tracts of Ground, each ambitioning
to engross as much as they can, that they may be sure to have enough
to Plant, and for their Stocks and Herds of Cattel to Range and Feed
in, that Plantations of 1000, 2000, or 3000 Acres are common, whereby
the Country is thinly inhabited; their Living solitary and unsociable;
Trading confused and dispersed; besides other Inconveniences: Whereas
they might Improve 200 or 300 Acres to more Advantage, and would make
the Country much more Healthy; for those that have 3000 Acres, have
scarce cleared 600 Acres thereof, which is peculiarly term'd the
Plantation, being surrounded with the 2400 Acres of Woods: so that
there can be no free or even motion of the Air, but the Air is kept
either stagnant, or the lofty Sulphurous Particles of the Air, that
are higher than the tops of the Trees, which are above as high again
as the generality of the Woods in _England_, descending when they pass
over the cleared spots of Ground, must needs in the violent heat of
Summer, raise a preternatural Ferment, and produce bad Effects. Nor
is it any advantage to their Stocks, or Crops; for did they but drain
their Swamps, and Low-Lands, they have a very deep Soil, that would
endure Planting twenty or thirty Years, and some would scarce ever
be worn out, but be ever longer better, for they might lay them all
Winter, or when they Pleased in Water, and the product of their Labour
would be double or treble, whether Corn or Tobacco; and that this is no
fond Projection, (though when I have discoursed the same to several,
and in part shewn them how their particular Grounds might be drained
at a very easie rate) they have either been so conceited of their old
way, so sottish as not to apprehend, or so negligent as not to apply
themselves thereto. But on the Plantation where I lived, I drained a
good large Swamp, which fully answered expectation. The Gentlewoman
where I lived, was a very Acute Ingenious Lady; who one day Discoursing
the Overseer of her Servants, about pitching the ensuing Year's Crop.
The Overseer was naming one place where he designed to Plant 30000
Plants, another place for 15000, another for 10000, and so forth the
whole Crop, designed to be about 100000 Plants: Having observed the
Year before he had done the like, and scattered his Crop up and down
the Plantation, at Places a Mile, or a Mile and a half asunder, which
was very Inconvenient, and whereby they lost much time. I interposed,
and asked, why they did not Plant all their Crop together? The Fellow
smiled as it were at my Ignorance, and said, there was very good
Reason for it. I replied, that was it I enquir'd after. He returned,
the Plantation had been an old planted Plantation, and being but a
small Plot of Ground, was almost worn out, so that they had not Ground
altogether that would bring forth Tobacco. I told him then they had
better Ground than ever yet they had planted, and more than their Hands
could manage. He smil'd again, and asked me, where? I then named such a
Swamp. He then said scornfully, he thought what a Planter I was; that
I understood better how to make a Sermon, then managing Tobacco. I
replied with some warmness, tho' I hoped so, that was Impertinence, and
no Answer. He then said, that the Tobacco there would drown, and the
Roots rot. I replied, that the whole Country would drown if the Rivers
were stopt, but it might be laid as dry as any Land on the Plantation.
In short, we discoursed it very warmly, till he told me, he understood
his own Business well enough, and did not desire to learn of me. But
the Gentlewoman attended somewhat better to my Reasoning, and got me
one day to go and shew her how I projected the draining of the Swamp,
and thought it so feasible, that she was resolved to have it done; and
therefore desir'd me I would again Discourse her Overseer, which I did
several times, but he would by no means hearken thereto, and was so
positive, that she was forc'd to turn him away, to have her Servants
set about the Work; and with three Men in thirteen Days I drained the
whole Swamp, it being Sandy Land, soaks and drains admirably well, and
what I little expected, laid a Well dry at a considerable distance.
The Gentlewoman was in _England_ last Year, and I think Dr. _Moulin_
was by when she asked me. Now to teach her how she might make her
Tobacco that grew in the Swamp less, for it produced so very large,
that it was suspected to be of the _Aranoko_ kind: I told her, though
the complaint was rare, yet there was an Excellent Remedy for that, in
letting every Plant bear eight or nine Leaves instead of four or five,
and she would have more Tobacco, and less Leaves. Now you must know
they top their Tobacco, that is, take away the little top-bud, when
the Plant has put forth as many Leaves as they think the Richness of
the Ground will bring to a Substance; but generally when it has shot
forth four or six Leaves. And when the top-bud is gone, it puts forth
no more Leaves, but Side-branches, which they call Suckers, which they
are careful ever to take away, that they may not empoverish the Leaves.
I have been more tedious in the Particulars, the fullier to evince how
resolute they are and conceitedly bent to follow their old Practice
and Custom, rather than to receive Directions from others, tho' plain,
easie, and advantageous. There are many other Places as easie to drain
as this, tho' of larger extent, and richer Soil, for some of which I
have given directions, and have only had the return perhaps of a flout
afterwards: Even in _James Town Island_, which is much what of an Oval
Figure, there's a Swamp runs Diagonal-wise over the Island, whereby is
lost at least 150 Acres of Land, which would be Meadow, which would
turn to as good Account as if it were in _England_: Besides it is
the great annoyance of the Town, and no doubt but makes it much more
unhealthy. If therefore they but scour'd the Channel, and made a pretty
ordinary Trench all along the middle of the Swamp, plac'd a Sluice at
the Mouth, where it opens into the back Creek; for the Mouth of the
Channel there is narrow, has a good hard bottom, and is not past two
Yards deep when the Flood is out; as if Nature had designed it before
hand: They might thus drain all the Swamp absolutely dry, or lay it
under Water at their Pleasure. I have talked several times hereof to
Mr. _Sherwood_, the owner of the Swamp, yet nothing is essayed in Order
thereto. And now since we are speaking of _James Town_ give me leave to
adjoin some Reflections as to the Situation and Fortifications of the
Place. The Natural Situation of the place is such, as perhaps the World
has not a more commodious Place for a Town, where all things conspire
for Advantage thereof.
_James Town Island_ is rather a _Peninsula_, being joined to the
Continent by a small Neck of Land, not past Twenty or Thirty Yards
over, and which at Spring-Tides is overflow'd, and is then an absolute
Island. Now they have built a silly sort of a Fort, that is, a Brick
Wall in the shape of a Half-Moon, at the beginning of the Swamp,
because the Channel of the River lies very nigh the Shoar; but it is
the same as if a Fort were built at _Chelsey_ to secure _London_ from
being taken by Shipping. Besides Ships passing up the River are secured
from the Guns of the Fort, till they come directly over-against the
Fort, by reason the Fort stands in a Vale, and all the Guns directed
down the River, that should play on the Ships, as they are coming up
the River, will lodge their Shot within Ten, Twenty, or Forty Yards in
the rising Bank, which is much above the Level of the Fort; so that if
a Ship gave but a good Broad-side, just when she comes to bear upon
the Fort, she might put the Fort into that confusion, as to have free
Passage enough. There was indeed an old Fort of Earth in the Town,
being a sort of _Tetragone_, with something like Bastions at the four
Corners, as I remember; but the Channel lying further off to the middle
of the River there, they let it be demolished, and built that new one
spoke of, of Brick, which seems little better than a blind Wall, to
shoot Wild Ducks or Geese.