Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/346

 33^ Documents hommony. itt is verry harty and what the servants make there Constant food on. there is no want in any Family where there is plenty of that which is all the Cuntrey over, nott butt that they have good Beefe and Bacon sometimes Mutton and abundance of Greenes as Cabbages, Parsnips, Turnips, Carrots, Pottatoes Simnels squashes and watter mellons and also abundance of other things too tedious to be here incerted; butt the cheifest Comodity which is so [15] much Looked affter if Tobacco which imploys all hands in every Family, for with that they by there slaves and white servants as also theire Cloaths and all there liquors as Wine, Brandy, Rum, stout English Beere. etc: and also Cattle horses sheep, and they likewise buy there Land with itt. there is more Paines taken to raise itt then any one thing in the world again, itt is a mighty fatigue to the sailors to fetch itt from Plantations to Carry itt aboard theire ships some times being forced to rowle itt by land four or five mile, nay some times I have knowne 'em Rowle itt seven miles an end befor the could bring itt to there Boates and then p'haps they have forty or fivety Miles to Cary itt to there ships. there are abundance of snakes of severall sorts as the Black snake which is a long snake about 6 or 7 foot long and Black the red Bellied snake, the viper Corne Snakes watter snakes and the Rattle snake which is a verry fine snake to looke upon provided he had no vennom butt itt is Death to be bitt with one of them without p'sent help, they are a very large snake with a fine skin of severall Collours. I have heard of 'em have bin 10 or 12 foot Long butt I never saw one above 5 or six foot. I have Killed a great many my selfe butt never one above five foot Long. There was one Mr. Sweatman that Kept an ordinary in wey River upon the eastern shore and he killed a small Rattle snake and a fancy tooke him to skin itt and affter had itt Boyled and putt Into a Plate like an Eele with some Butter and Parsly Melted over itt and so sett by. [16] itt hapned that that evening there came a Receiver of one Coll Loyds to the house to stay there all Night, he asked what Victuall they had in the house for he was very hungry nott eateing any thing that Day. Sweatnam makeing answer they had nothing att all ready, butt att last sayes I have a rare cold eele if you like that : says the Receiver with all my harte there's nothing better, itt was brought forth and a cleane Napking laid, itt look'd Charmingly and espeshally to one that was sharp sett, itt Cooked verry white and the Butter and Parsly over itt made itt inviteing. the p'son fell too and eate hartily and made a good supper butt affter super they had a boule of Punch and smoaked two or three pipes of Tobbacco and so went to Bed. in the morning he gott up for he was to receive some Tobacco about 3 or 4 Miles from thence butt promised to Come and dine there att Noone which accordingly he did and affter Dinner he asked him how his super agreed with him. he told him verry well and that he never supped better in his Life he thanked God for itt was what he lovd and comeing so unawares he liked itt the Better, the man of the house asked him if he knew what itt was he had