here in the summer time, for fear of the worm: it is about thirty miles by land from Charleston, and about sixty by water. We stayed there about an hour and a half, and then pursued our journey; we rode about ten miles farther on the road, through an open pine barren, without so much as seeing any house, where we encamped to refresh ourselves, making a large fire with lightwood, and having plenty of provisions with us, we stayed there till three in the afternoon, when we mounted our horses and pursued our journey: we rode about four miles farther, when we came to a small tavern on the road, which goes by the name of Witton's, where we drank one bowl of punch, and inquired how far it was to the next house on the road, which they told us was about ten miles farther, which was the place we intended to sleep at that night. When we came within two miles of the house, my horse made a full stand and immediately dropped down dead under me, though he had no symptoms in the least of any distemper, till the moment he died. We made shift as well as we could to reach the next house, which proved to be one Captain Screen's, at French Santee on Santee river, where we were kindly received by his wife, he not being at home; the next morning I was obliged to buy another horse of her to pursue my journey, which cost me fifty pounds. The next morning, about ten, we left his house, and crossed the Santee river, which is a very beautiful river, but very liable to overflow, and the freshes being then so very high, we were obliged to go at least two miles in the ferry-boat, up a large cypress swamp, before we could get to the landing, which is called Le Breys, or the Ferry, though it seems it is sometimes so low, that it is not above a quarter of a mile over. The land is exceeding good thereabouts, but the people run great risks in planting, on account of the freshes; we rode about two miles farther, where we came to a large pine savannah, when it began to rain very hard. When we were about in the middle of the savannah, we saw several wild beasts, which we rode up to as near as possible without danger, which proved to be four tigers and six bears, which made off as fast as they could on sight of us; but being willing to be satisfied what might be the occasion of their being there together in such an open place, we rode up to the spot where we first saw them, and found the remains of a young calf they had killed, and did imagine, by the trampling of the grass, they had been fighting about it. About a mile farther we came within sight of a house at a distance, through a large cypress swamp, which we were obliged to cross, but it raining very hard, and thundering very much, could not make any body hear us halloo; so that we then concluded to take every one his horse, and lead them over the best we could; but sure, no men in the world ever met with a worse place; sometimes our horses would be over their backs, and sometimes ourselves up to our necks, but by the providence of God, we got over safe in about two hours' time, though the place was not above a hundred yards through. It goes by the name of Cedar creek, but they say it is not so bad at all times, only when the freshes are up, as it is a creek out of Santee river; but it is always bad at best. We slept there that night at one Mr. Roberts's, who is the owner of it, who gave us a hearty welcome. The next morning about ten, we set out on our journey, and having crossed over the six Causeways, which is a very remarkable place, we came at last to one Lewis's, about twelve miles from his house, and about fifteen miles from Georgetown in Winneaw; it being a small tavern, we called for some punch; but he had nothing to drink but a little bumboe, which is rum, sugar, and water, and some hominy and milk, and potatoes. Hominy is a sort of a meal much resembling our oat meal in England, made of their Indian corn; we stayed there till three in the afternoon, when we mounted our horses and reached George Fort the same night. Georgetown is a very pleasant place, being situated on a fine bluff on Sandpit creek, and about ten miles from the bar; the said creek heads about ten miles above the town, but any ship that can come over the bar, may come up to the town. The bar indeed, they say, is not extraordinary good, but there has been several ships of a hundred and fifty tons there and upwards. The town is laid out very regular, but at present there are a great many more houses than inhabitants; but do believe it will not be long ere it is thoroughly settled, it being a place that has a very good prospect for trade, though I must confess, the land to the southward is much preferable, only this place, they say, is not in much danger, in case of an Indian war, which the people to the southward are in daily fear of; though for my part, I think, without any reason. We stayed there two days, and on the 7th of February set out from thence in a large canoe, leaving our horses behind us, with an intent to take a view of the lands on Waccumaw river. There are three rivers which vent themselves into one, which make the bar of Georgetown, which are Waccumaw on the main, and P. D., out of which there are several cut offs into Waccumaw, and Black river. The same night we reached Mr. Gordon's on P. D., where we slept; it is about ten miles from Georgetown. The next morning we set out, accompanied by himself, to Major Pauly's, on Waccumaw, and from thence proceeded up the said river, accompanied by them both, and on which we found a great deal of good land; but it is all entirely taken up for above forty miles. We slept that night on a bluff belonging to one Captain Matthews, in Charleston, about ten miles from the Major's, passing by several pretty settlements on the main ; we found there two half barrels of pitch, and being very cold, set fire to them, and dressed some salt beef and rice for our suppers. We left that place about four the next morning, and by eight came to a bluff belonging to one of the Major's sisters, adjoining to which there was vacant land, which, after having breakfasted, we took a view of; but it proving to be mostly pine barren, and that is but very indifferent, and not fit for any thing but tar and turpentine, we left it for the use of others that might have occasion for it; from thence we came to another beautiful bluff, but an island, and very small, not being above one hundred acres at most, and inquiring the name of it, found it had none; so one in our company named it after his, by throwing a bottle of rum against the largest pine tree, and it goes after his name to this day. We slept there that night, and the next morning proceeded on our voyage, and came to a beautiful bluff on P. D. side, about two miles from the other of the opposite side, which we took a particular view of, and liking the situation of the place very well, we encamped there, and found a great deal of good oak and hickory, and the pine land very valuable, and a great deal of good cypress swamp, which is counted the best for rice; and having a surveyor with us, one gentleman in company concluded to run some out, which he did the next morning; but in the interim, while we were running out the land, our companions went up the said river in the boat to look for more, leaving only one bottle of punch, and a biscuit a piece, promising to be back again in the afternoon; but in short, they never came near us that night, nor the next day, in which time we had like to have been starved, and not knowing what might be the occasion of their stay, we concluded to tie some trees together, and make a barque, as the Indians call it, to ford over to the main, where we might possibly find a house. But the next morning, when we were in the midst of our work, our companions came back to us, but without one morsel of provision, the oarsmen having eat it all up, so that we were then almost as bad off as before, save only our having our guns again, which we had unluckily left in the boat. We made shift to shoot some crows and woodpeckers, which we lived on that day; but inquiring what might be the occasion of their staying so long, they told us one of the men had straggled out in the wood by himself a shooting, and it was with great difficulty they found him again. The next morning we went out with an intent to shoot some venison; but having hunted a considerable time, and not meeting with any, concluded to return to our camp; but in our return met with a wolf in full chase after a deer, and had the good fortune to kill them both; so that we had then provisions sufficient for two days longer, which time we spent very pleasantly; and finding by our companions that there was still a better land higher up, we concluded to see it, trusting to our guns to supply us with provisions, which they did very plentifully. The next bluff we came to was the bluff on which Kingstown is to be settled, but there are yet no inhabitants; the lower part of the township is not above fifty miles from Georgetown, but the tide runs seventy miles up; it is much the boldest river in all South Carolina; in a parallel line with the sea coast, which runs north-east snd south-west, and is not above two miles across to it in some places. But the township is now settled on P. D. side, though it was first run out, half on one side and half on the other. The people have great advantage in settling in these townships, for they pay no tax for ten years, nor quit rent, which those that settle out of them are obliged to do the first year. The land hereabouts is, for the generality, very good, and for the most part high champaign land, and is not subject to overflow, as a great many of the rivers do, particularly P. D. and Santee; this river runs about two hundred and fifty miles up, and heads in a beautiful lake. [Vide the particulars in my travels to Cape Fear.] The next night we encamped on Bear Bluff, about thirty miles above the township: I think this tract is much the finest on all the river; and, I believe, if we had had each of us a warrant, we should have fell out about the choice of it but we had neither of us one with us, so were obliged to leave it for some other. That night we had a very odd affair happened. One of our men had killed a venison in the evening, and about 12 o'clock at night as we were all of us fast asleep, one of my companions was waked by a noise he heard at a small distance from him, and as I lay the next to him, he endeavored to wake me as gently as he could: when I awaked, he bid me present my piece, for he had just seen something not above six yards from him, which he did imagine was a bear; we lay in that posture with our pieces presented to the same place where we first saw him, for near half an hour, when we heard him coming again, and soon after saw him, when we both fired and shot him dead on the spot: but instead of a bear, it proved to be a wolf, that had stole one quarter of venison before, and was just then come for a second; and, indeed, it was very lucky for us that we killed him, or otherwise we must have come to short allowance. On the 20th of February, we set out on our voyage back again, and the first night reached Kingstown bluff, where we had the good fortune to kill one bear, some of which we barbicued for our suppers. The next morning we sat out from thence, and the same night reached Major Pauly's, where I had the misfortune to lose my pocket-book, with fifteen pounds in it, but could not find it again, though I offered the negroes the money, so I could but have my book. The next morning we set out from the Major's, and reached Georgetown the same night, where we stayed two days to refresh ourselves, after our fatiguing voyage. On the 20th of February, we set out on our journey to Charleston; one of our companion's horses having strayed away in our absence, he was obliged to borrow another; the first night we reached Captain Smith's, about ten miles from Georgetown, who is one of the Assembly in that province, who told us he had got a warrant, and did intend to run out Bear Bluff the next week, but was very much afraid lest we had been beforehand with him, but having assured him to the contrary, he entertained us very handsomely. The next morning we left the house, and by noon reached Lewis, |