Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/339

Narrative of a I'oyage to Maryland, i/0^-i/o6 329 Cuntrey of Maryland is a Noble fine Cuntrey fitt for any Manner of Buisness that Concernes the life of man provided they had People that would take that paines that such a Cuntrey is worthy off itt being Niether too hott in the Summer nor too Cold in the Winter, itt abounds in abundance of all sorts of Timbers either fitt for houses or shipping with a Bundance of fire wood, there are Good Oakes, Ash, Elm. hickery, Poplar, Beech, fir, Ceader, Locust, etc. as besides abundance of fruite of all sorts as aple Peare Cherry qunces in great quantity and innumer- able Quantities [of] Peaches to that degree that they knock downe Bushells att a time for there hogs, besides what vast quantities they still and make a verry good spirritt off nott much inferior to Brandy and they allso distill a great quantity of Brandy from sider which they make great quantitys off they haveing for the most Part very large orchards, and yett att some Certain times of the Yeare if You would give five Pounds You Cannott gett a Pint of Brandy unless itt be upon an exter- ordinary occasion and that from some Merchantt or exterordinary Cockarouse' ffor they are so Generous one to another that as long as one has itt the other never wants itt as long as he has any; for if they know a Man has a Gallon of Brandy by him they will goe halfe a dozen honest ffellows to pay him a vissitt and never leave him tell all be out tho the [sic' goe tenn Miles an end which is no more to them then if itt were butt to the next Tavern here, there old feilds and woods abound in straw berries and huckle berries, there are abundance of Chesenutts which att the ffall of the Leaffe fall fifrom the trees that the Hogs ffatten themselves with 'em. I have fformerly seen Hogs about Oct"", and Nov^ come out of the woods so ffatt that they could Scarcely wallow, you would have thought they had bin kept up eight or tenn weekes att Pease or Beanes they have bin so fatt and with nothing butt the mast of the woods ; butt now indeed itt is nott so for the Cuntrey is More Populous, and there are a great many Hundred Plantations more Cleared so that the timber is Cutt downe that used to Beare that mast, [4] and those plantations that Lye farther up in the Woods are still the same for att the fall of the Leaffe they have fatt Beefe and fatt Porke Comes home to their Doores without giving 'em any Corne when at the same time the people that live upon the River sides and the plan- tations being thick together they are forced to give there Hogs a great Deall of Corne to ffatt 'em. there is abundance of Venison att the time of the Yeare ffree for any one to kill. I have seene Bucks as fatt in July there as I have here ; indeed in the winter they are meere Carron for then the Indians Come Downe a mong the English and hunt for 'em; they will kill you seven Bucks or does for a match Coat; that is a sort of stuff like a Blankett Dyed Red or Bleu which they Rap about em, goeing for the most Part Naked, onely tying a peice of a Clout or a ffox skin just before their Privities ; they are exterordinary good Marks men and will kill You ' Indian word, meaning a person of consequence.