Mr John Peck.
Nassau-Hall
[JOURNAL]
Saturday 16.
The Colonel, Ben, & myself rode on Horse-back about Six to Mr Atwels; four lusty, hearty Men had gone on foot before who were Oarsmen: Here we were to enter a Boat never Rowed before, & proceed down the River Machodock to Mr Carters Store-Houses which are now building near the mouth of that River—But I am going to venture upon a Description of a Scene which I am sure I shall not do Justice to—A Scetch of three Rivers—Their Beautiful Banks—Several Gentlemens Seats—Their commodious harbours—In particular that near which Mr Carter is erecting Store-Houses—The whole is to be an account of our peregrination this 16th burning day of July 1774—With several remarks.—What a Crack of Thunder there was! I must run to the Window & view the Cloud—It is a small white remote Cloud in the North-West. I am summoned to Coffee—Mrs Carter gave us a Dish round—Amazing what a Flash of Lightning! how fast it rises!—Ben child, says the lovely Woman, take my Seat & fill out the Coffee. Please to excuse me; & She then retired up chamber—We finished our Coffee—The Gust came up, & to be sure I have seldom seen one more terable! Long, bright, forked bolts seemed to dart incessantly through the broken parts of the Cloud; some of them would appear perpendicular others horizontal, and some would split, & in a Moment seem to bespangle, with sparks of Fire, the whole Front of the Cloud! And these were continually succeeded with alarming alternate Cracks of Thunder!—It brings, however to the scorched Earth a plenteous needful Supply—By nine it is past, & opens a serene beautiful western Sky—I resume my Description.
I have said, that we rode on Horseback to Mr Atwels where we were to go on board & have our Horses sent back. This House is called six Miles from the mouth of Machodock—It stands on the Bank of the River; The Boat that carried us is built for the purpose of carrying the young Ladies and others of the Family to Nominy Church—It is a light neat Battoe elegantly painted & is rowed with four Oars—We went on board; The Sun beamed down upon us, but we had each an Umberella—The River is here about Gunshot over; the Banks are pretty low, but hard to the very Water—I was delighted to see Corn & Tobacco growing, or Cattle & Sheep feeding along the Brink of this River on both Sides, or else Groves of Pines, Savins & Oaks growing to the side of the Bank—We passed by an elegant small Seat of Mr Beal;[190] it was small, but it was neat—We arrived at Mr Carters Store-Houses in 50 minutes, they are 5 Miles from Mr Atwels, & one from Potowmack—These Houses are building for the reception of Iron, Bread, Flour &c. there are two Houses each 46 Feet long by 20.—They stand at the Bottom of a Bay which is a safe & spacious harbour—Here we Breakfasted at ten.—At twelve we pushed of from thence & rowed by parson Smiths Glebe & in sight of his house in to the broad beautiful Potowmack—: I think it is here ten Miles or twelve over has a fine high hard Bank; no Marshes—but Cornfields, Trees, or Grass!—Up the lovely Water we were rowed six Miles in to the Mouth of Nominy—We went on Board a small Schooner from Norfolk which lay in Nominy-Bay—Mr Carter is loading her with Flour & Iron—Here we were in Sight of Stratford, Colonel Lee's, Seat.—We were in Sight too of Captain Cheltons—And of Colonel Washingtons Seat at Bushfield—From the Schooner we Rowed up Nominy-River—I have forgot to remark before that from the time of our setting out as we were going down Machodock, & along the Potowmack-Shore, & especially as we were rowing up Nominy we saw Fishermen in great numbers in Canoes, & almost constantly taking in Fish Bass & Perch—This was beautiful!—The entrance of Nomini is very shoal, & stony, the Channel is very narrow, & lies close to the Easternmost Side—On the edges of these shoals, or in Holes between the Rocks is plenty of Fish—The Banks of Nominy are steep and vastly high, twenty & thirty Feet, & in some places almost perpendicular; The Course of the River is crooked, & the prospects on each Side vastly romantic & diversified—We arrived at the Granary near Nominy-Hall about six—I went to my room to take off an Account of the expedition—When the Gust soon hindred.
Sunday 17.
The Air this morning serene & cool—I do not go to Church. At last I have finished my Presbyterial pieces roughly they are to be reviewed & corrected; In the mean Time tho', (as Workman say) I must blow a little, for to be sure I am fatigued—Mr Fithian, says Mr Carter at Dinner with a serious Air, you see we cannot with conveniency attend Ucomico Church. If I should propose having prayrs read in the great Room on that vacant Day would you encourage & assist me?—I answered him that I was heartily agreed—You then, Sir, says he, may read the prayrs—& I will read the Lessons. The Afternoon extremely hot I could not leave my Room til the Sun had hid his flaming Place behind the Earth—Then I walked through the Garden—The whole Family seem to be now out Black, White, Male, Female, all enjoying the cool evening—
Pray Sir let all our Windows be put up, says Bob the Moment he came down from his chamber, & let the Doors be set open or we shall faint with Heat—Such a night I never spent before—The Heat says he, and these cursed Chinches made me intirely restless—I scribbled over a Letter to Mr John Peck, & one to Miss ... pray Mr Fithian says Nancy draw me a picture such as you drew for Fanny last Week—At two, just before we sit Down to Dinner a Cloud appear'd in the West—Mrs Carter excused herself from Dinner; while we were dining the Cloud came over, very moderate tho' with plenty of Rain—It is now, says Mrs Carter at Coffee, cool enough, a fine fair evening, a Northerly breeze & lovely evening—Mrs Oakly came into my Room this evening—It was to take her leave; she is to leave us early tomorrow morning—Good night, said I to the little Woman, I wish you a safe passage over the Rappahannock, & a pleasant journey home—I drew off as well as I could a rough plan of Nominy-Hall for Nancy.
Teusday 19.