Chiefly if they be unstaid and young,
And with all persons do converse among ;
Yea some are so wretched and full of vice,
As they take pleasure others to entice ;
And though it be' a thing most vile and bad,
Yet they will do it, and thereat be glad ;
And laugh and scoff, when any they draw in
For to do evil, and to commit sin.
But let these, and all profane scoffers, know,
That unto God they do a reckoning owe,
And to account ere long he will them bring,
When they must answer for this, their foul sin.
Was it not enough for them evil to do,
But they must needs cause others do so too ?
Herein indeed they act the devil's part,
And if they repent not, with him they'll smart ;
For God to such is a consuming fire,
And they shall perish in his dreadful ire.

But a most desperate mischief here is grown,
And a great shame it is it should be known :
· But why should I conceal so foul a thing,
That quickly may our hurt and ruin bring!
For base covetousness hath got such a sway,
As our own safety we ourselves betray ;
For these fierce natives, they are now so fill'd
With guns and muskets, and in them so skill'd,
As that they may keep the English in awe,
And when they please, give to them the law;
And of powder and shot they have such store,
As sometimes they refuse for to buy more ;
Flints, screw-plates, and moulds for all sorts of shot

Thiey have, and skill how to use them have got ; • And mend and new stock their pieces they can,

As well in most things as an Englishman,
Thus like madmen we put them in a way,
With our own weapons us to kill and slay ;
That gain hereof to make they know so well,
The fowl to kill, and us the feathers sell.
For us to seek for deer it doth not boot,
Since now with guns themselves at them can shoot.
That garbage, of which we no use did make,
They have been glad to gather up and take ;
But now they can themselves fully supply,
And the English of them are glad to buy.
And yet, if that was all, it might be borne,
Though hereby th' English make themselves a scorn ;

But now they know their advantage so well,
And will not stick, to some, the same to tell,
That now they can, when they please or will,
The English drive away, or else them kill.
Oh base wretched men, who thus for gain
Care not at all, if their neighbours be slain !
How can they think that this should do them good,
Which thus they purchase with the price of blood !
I know it is laid upon the French or Dutch,
And freely grant that they do use it much,
And make thereof an execrable trade,
Whereby those natives one another invade ;
By which also the Dutch and French do smart
Sometimes, for teaching thern this wicked art ;
But these both from us more remote do lie,
And ours from them can have no full supply.
In these quarters, it is English guns we see,
For French and Dutch, more slight and weak they be ;
And these Indians are now grown so wise, .
As, in regard of these, theirs they do despise.
Fair fowling pieces, and muskets they have,
All English, and keep them both neat and brave ;
And to our shame, speak it we justly may,
That we are not furnished so well as they ;
For traders them will sell at prices high,
Whereas their neighbours of them cannot buy ;
Good laws have been made, this evil to restrain,
But, by men's close deceit, they are made vain.
The Indians are nurtured so well,
As, by no means, you can get them to tell,
Of whom they had their guns, or such supply,
Or, if they do, they will feign some false lie :
So as, if their testimony you take
For evidence, little of it you can make.
And of the English, so many are guilty,
And deal under-band, in such secrecy,
As very rare it is some one to catch,
Though you use all due means them for to watch.
Merchants, shopkeepers, traders, and planters too,
Sundry of each, spare not this thing to do ;
Though many more that do the same abhor,
Whose innocence will one day answer for,
If (which God forbid) they should come to see,
By this means, some hurt or sad tragedy ;
And these heathen, in their furious mood,
Should cruelly shed our innocent blood.
Lord, shew mercy, and graciously spare,
For thy name's sake, those lhat thy servants are,

And let their lives be precious in thy sight;
Divert such judgments, as fall on them might ;
Give them not up into these heathen's power,
Who like the greedy wolves would them devour,
And exercise on them their cruel rage,
With torments great and most salvage ;
They are not content their foes only to kill,
But, most inhumanly, torment them they will.
They are men that are skilful for to destroy,
And in others misery they do take joy.
O Lord, take pity on thy people poor,
Let them repent, annend, and sin no more ;
Forgive, dear Father, what is done and past,
Oh save us still, and not away us cast.
Ourselves are weak, and have no strength to stand,
Do thou support us, Lord, by thine own hand ;
When we have need, be thou our succour then,
Let us not fall into the hands of men.

When I think on what I have often read, How, when the elders and Joshua were dead ; Who had seen those great works, and them could tell, What God had done and wrought for Israel ; Yet they did soon forget and turn aside, And in his truth and ways did not abide ; But in the next age did degenerate ; I wish this may not be New England's fate.

To you therefore that are for to succeed,
Unto this fair precedent, give you good heed,
And know that, being warn’d, if you do not,
But fall away, God's wrath 'gainst you'll be hot :
For if he spared not those that sinned of old,
But into the hands of spoilers them sold,
How can you think that you should then escape,
That do like them, and will no warning take.

O my dear friends, and children whom I love,
To cleave to God, let these few lines you move,
So I have done, and now will say no more,
But remember, God punished them sore.

Melius es peccatum cavere quam emendare.

A TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY OF PRINCE

GEORGE, IN VIRGINIA, 1793. BY THE Rev. JOHN JONES SPOONER, A. M. A. A. S. RECTOR OF MARTIN'S BRANDON, IN SAID County.

TWA

HIS county is bounded on the north, by James river, which

washes it about thirty-five miles : on the east, partly by upper Chippoah creek, and partly by the Surry line ; on the south, by Surry, Sussex, and Dinwiddie counties ; and on the west, by Appomattox river.

It is in length about thirty miles ; its breadth is various ; the medi. um is sixteen miles. It originally formed part of Charles city county, which is now confined to the northern side of James river.

The river is here about one mile wide at the points ; but in the bays, from two to three miles ; at the confluence of the Appomattox is Citypoint, which with Bermuda-Hundred, on the opposite side of the Appomattox, forms the port of this district. Vessels of five hundred tons may bere load and unload. At Hoods, about eighteen miles below, a a British ship of forty-four guns bas lain.

Appomattox is navigable for square rigged vessels seven miles ; from this to Petersburg, it is only navigable for vessels of less than sixty tons.

The James is one of the most noble rivers in the United States. From its mouth to City-point, it varies in breadth from one to six miles, except at Hoods, where it is only four hundred yards in width. (Here is a very eligible situation to erect a fort for the defence of the upper part of the river, in a case of necessity.) It is navigable for vessels of one hundred' and forty tons burthen to Richmond, which is one hundred and sixty miles from Cape Henry, the entrance to the bay of Chesapeak from the Atlantick ocean. In its progress it receives a great number of smaller streams, which are for the most part navigable for several miles. From Prince George it receives, besides the Appomattox and Chippoah, Bailey's, Powell's, and Ward's creeks, with some others of less note. The southern part of this county is watered by Black Water, and the streams which fall into it. This is an extensive swamp rising in the south-west part of Prince George, and running a very lengthy course, it empties into Albemarle sound, in North Carolina. In summer it is, however, confined to a narrow breadth, and is navigable only for canoes.

These rivers and creeks abound with fish of various kinds. In James river are found the sturgeon, shad, bass, carp, sheep's-bead, drum, herrings, perch, and cats, &c. It has also a great abundance of oysters and crabs; of the former, there are none so high up as this, and but few of:he latter. In the spring there are immense numbers of shads and herrings taken in seines ; upwards of five thousand of the former have been taken at a single haul; the same number of the latter is not un- a common.

It is not digressing far, to mention here the improvements now making in the navigation of this river.

The falls coinmence at Richmond, and extend seven miles above. The bed of the river is filled with innumerable rocks ; over and between which the waters rush with great rapidity. Canals have been dug round these falls, and partly excavated from a solid rock, and locks have been constructed. The various impediments higher up the river have been reinoved, all with infinite labour and great expense ; so that it is rendered navigable for large flat boats, carrying twenly hogsheads of tobacco, from Lynchburg, more than a hundred and forty miles above Richmond.

It is intended to connect this canal with the tide waters which flow to the lower edge of the falls ; this will be completed in the course of the summer The head branches of the river have been explored, and a report made, that the navigation may be carried through the ridges, to the foot of the Alleghany mountains, which will be attempted, when the canal is finished. Not unconnected with this is the attempt now making to unite the waters of James river with those of Albemarle sound, in North Carolina, by the way of Elizabeth river, and a canal through the Dismal swamp, to the head of Pasquotank. This is in considerable forwardness.

In the winter season, there is a great number of wild fowl on this river and its waters, viz. swans, geese, shelldrakes, a variety of ducks and teal. The woods afford wild turkies, partridges in abundance, a few pheasanis, pigeons, some deer, and other game common to the rest of America. Here is also that singularanimal, the opossum. The reptiles are nearly the same as in the more northern parts of America, with some not known there. The scorpion, which is very venomous, is frequently seen here. Lizards of various colours are common, but are quite harmless. The snakes are much the same. Rattle snakes are not often seen, but in lieu of them, the mocasson is frequently found on the water courses : these are venomous and bold. The jointed and spur snakes are sometimes met with. Of the two latter I have not seen any ; but am well informed the former is composed of joints about an inch in length, which are scaly and brittle : It is said, on being struck, it immediately breaks off at every joint.

The latter takes its name from a spur or dart at the end of its tail, with which it inflicts a dangerous wound, and is the same which Carver cails the thorn tail snake.

The face of the country is neither level nor hilly, but in some degree broken and rising into gentle swellings. Upon the water courses, are commonly rich low grounds, admirably adapted for grass, hemp, or flax, and when drained, produce abundant crops of corn and wheat. The high lands are generally of a light loam, interspersed with tracts of sandy or clayey soils. The whole, totally free from rocks, and almost so from loose stones, Many of the points, making into the riyer, are formed of a rich, deep, black loam, capable, without manure,