Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/89

J^^ John Mab ijgi 79 with their number' amounting to upwards of 200 sail, and most of these large ships or Brigs; the old Fortifications are destroy'd. its natural situation is very strong, being flank'd by two rivers (Cooper and Ashley) and the lines across the main land cou'd soon be made very strong; the Market for meat etc is pretty good, but very dear, indeed every Article is to the full as dear as in the West Indies, and the profits must be very great to afford the Expence, yet it wou'd seem by the complaints I heard that money is very scarce, and the produce of the rice plantations are by no means in general adequate to the expenditures in forming them, one reason indeed of the houses in town letting so high, is, that every planter that can afford it, has a residence, there, for the heat of summer (which is infinitely greater than in the W : I: it having remain'd 4 days last summer at 104 degrees) is so dangerous to the health, that they then come to town ; the climate however from Novr. to April is generally mild ; when the wind call'd the Hobeaw (N: W:) blows it is sometimes piercing cold. I also felt some days when it was at South East as unseasonably warm, the dust in the streets is unsufferable, one inhales enough when the weather is dry and the wind high to choak one. the inhabitants are much divided and I think from the Interest some families maintain, and the suppleness of the Merchants and Tradesmen that they verge very much towards an Aristocricy ; when alone people live very frugally, when they entertain, it is allways to a crou'd and then they cram their Tables with solids of an enormous size, they drink little else but Madeira, they have no regular Assembly, we strangers gave one Ball, the Freemasons another and in the Race week which was the 2d. March, at which all the contiguous planters flock'd, the Jockey club gave another, the Assembly room is infinitely too small, and the Musick and supper-rooms wretched beyond Idea, they have Concerts once in 14 days tho' they are but indifferent, the Sex here are very handsome, tho' in general they want colour, most of them have been educated in Europe, but quitted it too early to have form'd their Manners to the stile there. they have lately establish'd the meeting of the Legislature at Colum- bia, as a place more central than Charlestown, and the Govt, was this year new model'd. and a new code of laws made which according to appearance are fully equal to exigencies, they have inumerable Lawyers, but what pleadings I heard did not give me a high Idea of their Ora- tors, and their Courts are totally void not only of majesty but even want decency. I heard the tryal of a Man (who had serv"d as a Major in the Wars, and had took the name of Washington) for forging indents, they were very delicate in their proceedings, but on the most glaring proofs he was condemn'd and executed. the country contiguous, is all a sand, and but little clear'd, being mostly what they call Pine Barens. the Rice swamps begin 10 or 12 Miles distance, and are either on the rivers which are embank'd to keep