Left Urbanna about 8
in the morning. Our Boat manned with three Negroes. At 2 in the afternoon got
into the mouth of Potowmeck River, which is about 12 Miles wide. A great number
of pleasant seats on the Banks of the River. At 10 in the evening came to an
Anchor in Majotack Creek.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, pp. 16-7
Nanjemoy, Maryland.
Early this morning weighed and stood over to Ladlor's Ferry in Maryland, where
we got breakfast at the Ferry house. After Breakfast got under way again, but
run the Boat aground on a sand bank in the River where we stuck two hours, but
by lashing the Canoe to the Masthead and filling her with stones, Heeld the
Vessel on one side and got her off. Arrived at Nanjemoy in the afternoon. Captn.
Knox's Brother has a House here, but he is not at home. He introduced me to his
Brother's partner, Mr. Bayley, who behaves very civilly to me and insists that
I shall stay a week with him. Don't intend staying any longer than I can get a
passage to Alexandria.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 17
Alexandria. This is
a small Village of about five houses. All Planters except Knox and Bayley, who
keep a store. (What they call stores in this country are Shops in England.) In
the afternoon drank Tea with Captn. Knox and Mr. Wallace (Knox and Bayley's
Clerk) at Colonel Harrison's. Captn. Knox introduced me to every house in the
Village. The people are remarkably civil and obliging, appear to live very
well, and exceedingly happy.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 17
Captn. Knox and I
went to Mrs. Marsden, a widow lady in the neighbourhood. Got some very indifferent
Strawberries and Cherries.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 17
Dined on Board a
Scotch Ship called the Jenny, Captn. McLeash, Master.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 17
Saw them plant
Tobacco. The Land is first hoed into small round hills about the size of
Molehills and about 4000 of them in an acre. The plants are something like
small Cabbage plants; they only make a hole with their fingers or a small
stick and put them in, one in each hill. Two Negroes will plant three acres in
one day. Small Blisters are broke out all over my body, attended with an
intolerable itching. They call it the Prickly heat and say it is very
wholesome. It may be so, for everything I can tell, but it is very troublesome.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, pp. 17-8
Waiting for an
opportunity to go to Alexandria by water, but I believe Captn. Knox does
everything in his power to disappoint me, for fear I should go away. Drank Tea
at Mrs. Leftwich's.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 18
Dined on Board
the Jenny, McLeash. It is true we had excellent Porter and Wine,
but had our stomachs been of a squeamish nature, they would have been
disobliged at their Scotch cleanliness.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 18
The Land here is
level, sandy and barren in general, except where it is mixed with Oyster shells
which renders it very fertile. Agriculture is in a very poor state. In short,
they know very little about farming. Tobacco and Indian corn is all they make
and some little wheat. All done by Negroes. The Tobacco is all worked with
Hoes, the Indian corn with Ploughs, but of a bad sort and without a Colter. The
furrow they make is not more than two inches deep and does little more than
kill the weeds. Land sells upon an average here, at about three Dollars pr.
acre. (Thirteen shillings and Sixpence Sterling.)
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 18
Captn. Knox went to
Bulo in Virginia to see his brother. Here is no Church within 14 or 15 miles of
the place. Mr. Bayley and I went to see a Negro Ball. Sundays being the only
days these poor creatures have to themselves, they generally meet together and
amuse themselves with Dancing to the Banjo. This musical instrument (if it may
be so called) is made of a Gourd something in the imitation of a Guitar, with
only four strings and played with the fingers in the same manner. Some of them
sing to it, which is very droll music indeed. In their songs they generally
relate the usage they have received from their Masters or Mistresses in a very
satirical stile and manner. Their poetry is like the Music — Rude and
uncultivated. Their Dancing is most violent exercise, but so irregular and
grotesque. I am not able to describe it. They all appear to be exceedingly happy
at these merrymakings and seem as if they had forgot or were not sensible of
their miserable condition.
SOURCE: Nicholas
Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas
Cresswell 1774—1777, pp. 18-9
