Chap. V Of the Habits, Customs, Parts, Imployments, Trade, &c. of the Virginians; and of the Weather, Coin, Sickness, Liquors, Servants, Poor, Pitch, Tar, Oar, &c.
The Habits, Life, Customs, Computations, &c. of the Virginians are much the same as about London, which they esteem their Home; and for the most Part have contemptible Notions of England, and wrong Sentiments of Bristol, and the other Out-Ports, which they entertain from seeing and hearing the common Dealers, Sailors, and Servants that come from those Towns, and the Country Places in England and Scotland, whose Language and Manners are strange to them; for the Planters, and even the Native Negroes generally talk good English without Idiom or Tone, and can discourse handsomly upon most common Subjects; and conversing with Persons belonging to Trade and Navigation from London, for the most Part they are much civilized, and wear the best of Cloaths according to their Station; nay, sometimes too good for their Circumstances, being for the Generality comely handsom Persons, of good Features and fine Complexions (if they take Care) of good Manners and Address. The Climate makes them bright, and of excellent Sense, and sharp in Trade, an Ideot, or deformed Native being almost a Miracle.
Thus they have good natural Notions, and will soon learn Arts and Sciences; but are generally diverted by Business or Inclination from profound Study, and prying into the Depth of Things; being ripe for Management of their Affairs, before they have laid so good a Foundation of Learning, and had such Instructions, and acquired such Accomplishments, as might be instilled into such good natural Capacities. Nevertheless thro’ their quick Apprehension, they have a Sufficiency of Knowledge, and Fluency of Tongue, tho’ their Learning for the most Part be but superficial.
They are more inclinable to read Men by Business and Conversation, than to dive into Books, and are for the most Part only desirous of learning what is absolutely necessary, in the shortest and best Method.
Having this Knowledge of their Capacities and Inclination from sufficient Experience, I have composed on Purpose some short Treatises adapted with my best Judgment to a Course of Education for the Gentlemen of the Plantations; consisting in a short English Grammar; an Accidence to Christianity; an Accidence to the Mathematicks, especially to Arithmetick in all its Parts and Applications, Algebra, Geometry, Surveying of Land, and Navigation.
These are the most useful Branches of Learning for them, and such as they willingly and readily master, if taught in a plain and short Method, truly applicable to their Genius; which I have endeavoured to do, for the Use of them, and all others of their Temper and Parts.
They are not very easily persuaded to the Improvement of useful Inventions (except a few, such as Sawing Mills) neither are they great Encouragers of Manufactures, because of the Trouble and certain Expence in Attempts of this kind, with uncertain Prospect of Gain; whereas by their staple Commodity, Tobacco, they are in hopes to get a plentiful Provision; nay, often very great Estates.
Upon this Account they think it Folly to take off their Hands (or Negroes) and employ their Care and Time about any thing, that may make them lessen their Crop of Tobacco.
So that though they are apt to learn, yet they are fond of, and will follow their own Ways. Humours, and Notions, being not easily brought to new Projects and Schemes; so that I question, if they would have been imposed upon by the Missisippi or South-Sea or any other such monstrous Bubbles.
In their Computations of Time, Weights and Measures both of Length, Superficies, and Solidity, they strictly adhere to what is legal; not running into precarious Customs, as they do in England. Thus their Quart is the true Winchester, their Hundred is 100, not 112, and they survey Land by Statute Measure.
Indeed, what English Coin is there, is advanced in Value; so that a Shilling passes for 14 d. and a Guinea goes by Tale for 26 s. but the Current Money is the Spanish which in Reality is about 15 l. per Cent. inferior to our English Coin, as settled by Law; but frequently the Value of this varies in Respect of Sterling Bills according to the Circumstances of Trade; Currency and Sterling being sometimes at a Par; but for the Generality 10 per Cent. Discount is allowed for Sterling Bills.
As for Education several are sent to England for it; though the Virginians being naturally of good Parts, (as I have already hinted) neither require nor admire as much Learning, as we do in Britain: yet more would be sent over, were they not afraid of the Small-Pox, which most commonly proves fatal to them.
But indeed when they come to England they are generally put to learn to Persons that know little of their Temper, who keep them drudging on in what is of least Use to them, in pedantick Methods, too tedious for their volatile Genius.
For Grammar Learning taught after the common round-about Way is not much beneficial nor delightful to them; so that they are noted to be more apt to spoil their School-Fellows than improve themselves; because they are imprisoned and enslaved to what they hate, and think useless, and have not peculiar Management proper for their Humour and Occasion.
A civil Treatment with some Liberty, if permitted with Discretion is most proper for them, and they have most Need of, and readily take polite and mathematical Learning; and in English may be conveyed to them (without going directly to Rome and Athens) all the Arts, Sciences, and learned Accomplishments of the Ancients and Moderns, without the Fatigue and Expence of another Language, for which most of them have little Use or Necessity, since (without another) they may understand their own Speech; and all other Things requisite to be learn’d by them sooner and better.
Thus the Youth might as well be instructed there as here by proper Methods, without the Expence and Danger of coming hither; especially if they make Use of the great Advantage of the College at Williamsburgh, where they may (and many do) imbibe the Principles of all human and divine Literature, both in English and in the learned Languages.
By the happy Opportunity of this College may they be advanced to religious and learned Education, according to the Discipline and Doctrine of the established Church of England; in which Respect this College may prove of singular Service, and be an advantageous and laudable Nursery and strong Bulwark against the contagious dissentions in Virginia; which is the most ancient and loyal, the most plentiful and flourishing, the most extensive and beneficial Colony belonging to the Crown of Great Britain, upon which it is most directly dependant; wherein is establish’d the Church of England free from Faction and Sects, being ruled by the Laws, Customs, and Constitutions of Great Britain, which it strictly observes, only where the Circumstances and Occasion of the Country by an absolute Necessity require some small Alterations; which nevertheless must not be contrary (though different from and subservient) to the Laws of England.
Though the Violence of neither Whig nor Tory reigns there, yet have they Parties; for the very best Administration must expect to meet with some Opposition in all Places; especially where there is a Mixture of People of different Countries concerned, whose Education and Interest may propose to them Notions and Views different from each other.
Most other Plantations, especially they that are granted away to Proprietors, are inferior to Virginia: where the seeming Interest and Humour of the Owners often divert them from Pursuit of the most proper Methods; besides, they cannot have such a right Claim to the Favour of the Crown, nor demand its best Protection, since they may often interfere with its Interest: whereas Virginia is esteemed one of the most valuable Gems in the Crown of Great Britain.
Thus Virginia having to itself (with Maryland) the staple Commodity of Tobacco, has a great Advantage of all other Plantations on the Continent for the Encouragement of the Crown; whereas others belonging to Gentlemen, or having no peculiar Trade, cannot expect such Power to advance and promote their Interest.
To this add, that Virginia equals, if not exceeds, all others in Goodness of Climate, Soil, Health, Rivers, Plenty, and all Necessaries, and Conveniencies of Life: Besides she has, among others, these particular Advantages of her younger Sister Maryland, viz. Freedom from Popery, and the Direction of Proprietors; not but that Part of Virginia, which is between the Rivers Potowmack and Rappahannock belongs to Proprietors, as to the Quit-Rent; yet the Government of these Counties (called the Northern Neck) is under the same Regulation with the other Parts of the Country.
If New England be called a Receptacle of Dissenters, and an Amsterdam of Religion, Pensylvania the Nursery of Quakers, Maryland the Retirement of Roman Catholicks, North Carolina the Refuge of Run-aways, and South Carolina the Delight of Buccaneers and Pyrates, Virginia may be justly esteemed the happy Retreat of true Britons and true Churchmen for the most Part; neither soaring too high nor drooping too low, consequently should merit the greater Esteem and Encouragement.
The common Planters leading easy Lives don’t much admire Labour, or any manly Exercise, except Horse-Racing, nor Diversion, except Cock-Fighting, in which some greatly delight. This easy Way of Living, and the Heat of the Summer makes some very lazy, who are then said to be Climate-struck.
The Saddle-Horses, though not very large, are hardy, strong, and fleet; and will pace naturally and pleasantly at a prodigious Rate.
They are such Lovers of Riding, that almost every ordinary Person keeps a Horse; and I have known some spend the Morning in ranging several Miles in the Woods to find and catch their Horses only to ride two or three Miles to Church, to the Court-House, or to a Horse-Race, where they generally appoint to meet upon Business; and are more certain of finding those that they want to speak or deal with, than at their Home.
No People can entertain their Friends with better Cheer and Welcome; and Strangers and Travellers are here treated in the most free, plentiful, and hospitable Manner; so that a few Inns or Ordinaries on the Road are sufficient.
As to the Weather, the Spring and Fall are not unlike those Seasons in England, only the Air is never long foggy, nor very cloudy; but clear, sometimes of a bluish Colour, occasioned by the thin Smoak, dispersed in the Air, from the Flames of the Woods and Leaves, which are fired in Hunting, to drive the Beasts from their lurking Places; or in the Spring to burn the old Leaves and Grass, that there may be the better Pasture the next Summer.
The Months of December, January and February are generally much colder, and June, July and August are much hotter than in England; tho’ sometimes ’tis on a sudden very cool in Summer, and pretty warm in Winter, the Weather being governed by the Wind; which with sudden Storms from the North-West, and sometimes from the West and South-West bring violent Gusts or Tempests, with Thunder, Lightning, and Rain very terrible, but soon over.
The North West Winds are exquisitely sharp and cold, proceeding from Clouds arising from the vast Lakes and prodigious snowy Mountains that lie to that Quarter; but the Southerly Winds and others are very warm.
The Days and Nights are there always much nearer the Equality of twelve Hours, than in the Latitude of England.
At the sudden Changes of the Weather, from Heat to Cold, People are apt to take Cold, often neglecting to shift their Cloaths with the Weather; which with Abundance of Damps and Mists from the Water, and by eating too plentifully of some delicious Fruits, makes the People subject to Feavers and Agues, which is the Country Distemper, a severe Fit of which (called a Seasoning) most expect, some time after their Arrival in that Climate; but the Goodness of God has furnished us with a perfect Catholicon for that Sickness, viz. the Bark; which being taken and repeated in a right Manner, seldom fails of a Cure, unless the morbifick Matter comes to a Head again from fresh Causes, and so returns with Mastery; upon which Recourse must be had to the same specifick Remedy; besides which there are several Ways of Cure, but none so universal and sure as that.
Some for Want of timely Care, through Ignorance or Obstinacy, will permit the Distemper to lurk about them so long, till at last it has reduced them to an irrecoverable, lingering, ill Habit of Body; especially if they live meanly, drinking too much Water, and eating too much salt Meat; and this Cachexy generally ends their Lives with a Dropsy, Consumption, the Jaundice, or some such Illness.
Besides this, some are troubled with the dry Gripes, proceeding from Colds (I suppose) which take away for a long Time the Use of the Limbs of some, especially hard Drinkers of Rum; some that have lain out in mighty cold Weather have been Frost-bitten, and lost their Fingers or Toes.
There is no Danger of wild Beasts in traveling; for the Wolves and Bears, which are up the Country, never attack any, unless they be first assaulted and hurt; and the Wolves of late are much destroyed by Virtue of a Law, which allows good Rewards for their Heads with the Ears on, to prevent Imposition and cheating the Publick; for the Ears are crop’d when a Head is produced.
The Bears are also much destroyed by the Out-Planters, &c. for the Sake of their Flesh and Skins.
As for Rattle-Snakes, &c. they make off from you, unless you by Carelesness chance to tread on them; and then their Bite is found now not to be mortal, if Remedies can be applied in Time.
The worst Inconveniency in travelling a-cross the Country, is the Circuit that must be taken to head Creeks, &c. for the main Roads wind along the rising Ground between the Rivers, tho’ now they much shorten their Passage by mending the Swamps and building of Bridges in several Places; and there are established Ferries at convenient Places, over the great Rivers; but in them is often much Danger from sudden Storms, bad Boats, or unskilful or wilful Ferrymen; especially if one passes in a Boat with Horses, of which I have great Reason to be most sensible by the Loss of a dear Brother at Chickohomony Ferry, in Feb. 1723/4.
As for their Drink, good Springs of excellent Water abound every where almost, which is very cooling and pleasant in Summer, and the general Drink of abundance: not so much out of Necessity, as Choice.
Some Planters, &c. make good small Drink with Cakes of Parsimmons a kind of Plumbs, which grow there in great Plenty; but the common small Beer is made of Molossus, which makes extraordinary brisk good tasted Liquor at a cheap Rate, with little Trouble in brewing; so that they have it fresh and fresh, as they want it in Winter and Summer.
And as they brew, so do they bake daily, Bread or Cakes, eating too much hot and new Bread, which cannot be wholsom, tho’ it be pleasanter than what has been baked a Day or two.
Some raise Barley and make Malt there, and others have Malt from England, with which those that understand it, brew as good Beer as in England, at proper Seasons of the Year; but the common strong Malt-Drink mostly used, is Bristol Beer; of which is consumed vast Quantities there yearly; which being well brew’d and improv’d by crossing the Sea, drinks exceedingly fine and smooth; but Malt Liquor is not so much regarded as Wine, Rack, Brandy, and Rum, Punch, with Drams of Rum or Brandy for the common Sort, when they drink in a Hurry.
The common Wine comes from Madera or Phial, which moderately drank is fittest to cheer the fainting Spirits in the Heat of Summer, and to warm the chilled Blood in the bitter Colds of Winter, and seems most peculiarly adapted for this Climate: Besides this, are plentifully drank with the better Sort, of late Years, all Kinds of French, and other European Wine, especially Claret and Port.
Here is likewise used a great deal of Chocolate, Tea and Coffee, which, with several Sorts of Apparel, they have as cheap, or cheaper than in England, because of the Debenture of such Goods upon their Exportation thither: Besides, they are allowed to have Wines directly from Madera, and other Commodities are brought from the West-Indies, and the Continent, which cannot be brought to England without spoiling.
As for grinding Corn, &c. they have good Mills upon the Runs and Creeks: besides Hand-Mills, Wind-Mills, and the Indian Invention of pounding Hommony in Mortars burnt in the Stump of a Tree, with a Log for a Pestle hanging at the End of a Pole, fix’d like the Pole of a Lave.
Though they are permitted to trade to no Parts but Great Britain, except these Places: yet have they in many Respects better and cheaper Commodities than we in England, especially of late Years; for the Country may be said to be altered and improved in Wealth and polite Living within these few Years, since the Beginning of Col. Spotswood’s Government, more than in all the Scores of Years before that, from its first Discovery. The Country is yearly supplied with vast Quantities of Goods from Great Britain, chiefly from London, Bristol, Liverpool, Whitehaven, and from Scotland.
The Ships that transport these Things often call at Ireland to victual, and bring over frequently white Servants, which are of three Kinds. 1. Such as come upon certain Wages by Agreement for a certain Time. 2. Such as come bound by Indenture, commonly call’d Kids, who are usually to serve four or five Years; and 3. those Convicts or Felons that are transported, whose Room they had much rather have than their Company; for abundance of them do great Mischiefs, commit Robbery and Murder, and spoil Servants, that were before very good: But they frequently there meet with the End they deserved at Home, though indeed some of them prove indifferent good. Their being sent thither to work as Slaves for Punishment, is but a mere Notion, for few of them ever lived so well and so easy before, especially if they are good for any thing. These are to serve seven, and sometimes fourteen Years, and they and Servants by Indentures have an Allowance of Corn and Cloaths, when they are out of their Time, that they may be therewith supported, till they can be provided with Services, or otherwise settled. With these three Sorts of Servants are they supplied from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, among which they that have a Mind to it, may serve their Time with Ease and Satisfaction to themselves and their Masters, especially if they fall into good Hands.
Except the last Sort, for the most Part who are loose Villains, made tame by Wild, and then enslaved by his Forward Namesake: To prevent too great a Stock of which Servants and Negroes many Attempts and Laws have been in vain made.
These if they forsake their Roguery together with the other Kids of the later Jonathan, when they are free, may work Day-Labour, or else rent a small Plantation for a Trifle almost; or else turn Overseers, if they are expert, industrious, and careful, or follow their Trade, if they have been brought up to any; especially Smiths, Carpenters, Taylors, Sawyers, Coopers, Bricklayers, &c. The Plenty of the Country, and the good Wages given to Work-Folks occasion very few Poor, who are supported by the Parish, being such as are lame, sick, or decrepit through Age, Distempers, Accidents, or some Infirmities; for where there is a numerous Family of poor Children the Vestry takes Care to bind them out Apprentices, till they are able to maintain themselves by their own Labour; by which Means they are never tormented with Vagrant, and Vagabond Beggars, there being a Reward for taking up Run-aways, that are at a small Distance from their Home; if they are not known, or are without a Pass from their Master, and can give no good Account of themselves, especially Negroes.
In all convenient Places are kept Stores or Ware-Houses of all Sorts of Goods, managed by Store-Keepers or Factors, either for themselves or others in the Country, or in Great Britain.
This Trade is carried on in the fairest and genteelest Way of Merchandize, by a great Number of Gentlemen of Worth and Fortune; who with the Commanders of their Ships, and several Virginians (who come over through Business or Curiosity, or often to take Possession of Estates, which every Year fall here to some or other of them) make as considerable and handsom a Figure, and drive as great and advantageous a Trade for the Advancement of the Publick Good, as most Merchants upon the Royal-Exchange.
At the Stores in Virginia, the Planters, &c. may be supplied with what English Commodities they want.
The Merchants, Factors, or Store-Keepers in Virginia buy up the Tobacco of the Planters, either for Goods or current Spanish Money, or with Sterling Bills payable in Great Britain.
The Tobacco is rolled, drawn by Horses, or carted to convenient Rolling Houses, whence it is conveyed on Board the Ships in Flats or Sloops, &c.
Some Years ago there was made an Act to oblige all Tobacco to be sent to convenient Ware-Houses, to the Custody and Management of proper Officers, who were by Oath to refuse all bad Tobacco, and gave printed Bills as Receipts for each Parcel or Hogshead; which Quantity was to be delivered according to Order upon Return of those Bills; and for their Trouble and Care in viewing, weighing, and stamping, the Officers were allowed 5 s. per Hogshead.
The Intent of this Law was to improve the Commodity, prevent Frauds in publick Payments; and for Ease of the common Planters, and Expedition and Conveniency of Shipping.
But though the first Design was for publick Tobacco only, yet the private Crops of Gentlemen being included in the Law, was esteemed a great Grievance; and occasioned Complaints, which destroyed a Law, that with small Amendments might have proved most advantageous.
The Abrogation of this Law reduced the Sailors to their old Slavery of rolling the Tobacco in some Places; where they draw it for some Miles, as Gardeners draw a Roller, which makes them frequently curse the Country, and thro’ Prejudice give it a very vile Character.
The Tobacco purchased by the Factors or Store-Keepers, is sent Home to their Employers, or consign’d to their correspondent Merchants in Great Britain.
But most Gentlemen, and such as are beforehand in the World, lodge Money in their Merchant’s Hands here, to whom they send their Crop of Tobacco, or the greatest Part of it.
This Money is employed according to the Planter’s Orders; chiefly in sending over yearly such Goods, Apparel, Liquors, &c. as they write for, for the Use of themselves, their Families, Slaves and Plantations; by which Means they have every Thing at the best Hand, and the best of its Kind.
Besides English Goods, several Merchants in Virginia import from the West-Indies great Quantities of Rum, Sugar, Molossus, &c. and Salt very cheap from the Salt Islands; which Things they purchase with Money, or generally with Pork, Beef, Wheat, Indian-Corn, and the like.
In some of the poorer Parts of the Country abounding in Pine, do they gather up the Light-wood, or Knots of the old Trees, which will not decay, which being piled up (as a Pit of Wood to be burnt to Charcoal) and encompassed with a Trench, and covered with Earth, is set on Fire; whereby the Tar is melted out, and running into a hole is taken up, and filled into Barrels; and being boiled to a greater Consistency becomes Pitch.
Of Pitch and Tar they send Home great Quantities, though not near so much at North Carolina, which formerly was the South Part of Virginia; but has long since been given away to Proprietors, tho’ the Bounds between the Colony of Virginia, and the Government of North Carolina are disputed; so that there is a very long List of Land fifteen Miles broad between both Colonies (called the disputed Bounds) in due Subjection to neither; which is an Asylum for the Runagates of both Countries.
The greatest Part of Virginia is uneven: and near the Water they are free from great Stones, Rocks, and high Hills; but far in the Country they have vast Rocks, Stones, and Mountains; and though in the Salts there is no Stone for Lime nor Building; (but with Oyster-Shells they make good Lime and enough) yet up the Freshes, and above the Falls of the Rivers are discovered free and common Stone of several Sorts, among which may be expected Lime-Stone.
Here are also vast Quantities of Iron Oar, and various Kinds of Minerals, whose Nature and Vertues are as yet undiscovered.
Moses’s Words of Exhortation to the Israelites for Obedience to God’s Laws, Deut. viii. 6, 7, 8, 9, may be applied to the Virginians; and particularly when he saith that God had brought them into a Land whose Stones are Iron; and for what we know the following Words may also be applied to them, when he saith out of the Hills of that Land might be digged Brass, for which there is no small Prospect and Expectation; and in all Probability there may be found the nobler Metals of Gold and Silver, if we did but search for them in the Bowels of the Earth, if we would but be at the Expence and Trouble to seek for them.
Why may not our Mountains in America, for what we know, be as rich as those of Mexico and Peru in the same Country? Since the little Hills so plentifully abound with the belt of Iron; for the digging, melting, working, and Exportation whereof Providence has furnish’d us with all wonderful Conveniences; if we would add but a little Expence, Art, and Industry.
This Iron has been proved to be good, and ’tis thought, will come at as cheap a Rate as any imported from other Places; so that ’tis to be hoped Col. Spotswood’s Works will in a small Time prove very advantageous to Great Britain, which undoubtedly will be carried to great Perfection and universal Benefit, by his skilful Management and indefatigable Application to such noble Undertakings and glorious Projects.