which there is found great store of muskles, in which there are pearls ; likewise there descendeth into this Occam another river called Nomopana, on the one side whereof standeth a great town called Chawanook.” 5. "Towards the southwest, four days' journey, is situate a town called Sequotan," and near to this was "an out island, unhabited, called Wocokon."

6. Adjoining to Sequotan was a country called Pomouik, and next to that, westward, was "the country Newsiok, situate upon a goodlye river called Neus."

7. "Beyond this island, called Roanoak, are many maine islands." When the adventurers arrived they supposed the land they first saw to be the continent; "but after we entered into the haven," (thus they say), "we saw before us another mighty long sea; for there lyeth along the coast a tracte of islands, two hundreth miles in length, adjoining to the ocean sea, and between the islands two or three entrances : when you are entred between them (these islands being very narrow for the most part, as in most places sixe miles broad, in some places lesse, in fewe more), then there appeareth another great sea, containing in bredth in some places forty, and in some fifty, in some twenty miles over, before you come unto the continent; and in this inclosed sea there are about an hundreth islands of divers bignesses." These are all the portions of the narrative which have reference to localities, and it is by the aid of these chiefly, if at all, we are to discover the inlet by which the vessels entered. Fortunately, some of the places indicated still retain the original native names. Thus, we still have Roanoke island; in Chawan-ook we readily find our Chowan, and "the goodlye river, called Neus," still bears the same name. But what do we now call the Occam, Cipo, and Nomopana of the natives? Where are Sequotan and Wocokon?

Taking Roanoak island as a point allowing of no dispute, we will first endeavor to ascertain the inlet by which the vessels must have entered from the ocean. The general opinion seems to be that it was the present entrance at Ocracoke. This, however, is scarcely reconcilable with the statements of Barlow in the text.

The distance from his anchorage to Roanoak island he expressly states to be about seven leagues, and his anchorage was just within the entrance from the ocean, "about three harquebus-shot within the haven's, mouth." Now the distance of Ocracoke inlet from the southern end of Roanoak island is more than twice seven leagues.

Again, on the voyage from the vessels to Roanoak island, which was

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made in the ship's boat (for Barlow had but seven men with him on the excursion), he went on the first day twenty miles "into the river, which they call Occam." It is difficult to understand how any one entering Pamlico Sound at Ocracoke would apply the term "river" to the expanse of water before him, which in its narrowest part, visible from that inlet, is fully twenty miles in breadth. The accuracy of Barlow's description of the general aspect of the sound forbids the idea that he called it a "river." He says it is " a great sea, containing in bredth, in some places, forty, and in some fifty, in some twenty miles over, before you come to the continent." But further still, he expressly tells us that this river Occam is over against this island ;" [Roanoak] and then "falleth into this spacious water," [the sound]. It could not then have been as far south as Ocracoke. Again, Barlow says, speaking of the islands that border the coast, that between them were "two or three entrances." We are inclined to think that Ocracoke was not at that day, 1584, recognized as one of them by this expedition, nor indeed for some time after, because we find the Lords Proprietors, under a charter as long after as 1663, directing Sir William Berkeley, one of their number, and then Governor of Virginia, to procure a vessel of light draught and explore the inlets to the sound, particularly one of which they had heard, near the rivers Neuse and Pamlico. This, as the map will show, must have been Ocracoke. first published account of Ocracoke as an inlet was by Lawson in 1714, though it probably had been examined some years before that time. We are for these reasons induced to doubt whether the received opinion of the entry of the first expedition at Ocracoke is correct. Where, then, did the vessels enter? We cannot with certainty say, but the probabilities all point to some inlet more north than Ocracoke. It may have been Hatteras inlet, or there may have been an entrance where our modern maps show "New inlet" at the northern end of Chickomicomico banks. This point is just about seven leagues from Roanoak island. And here, too, lies a body of water between the outer banks, and a long island parallel to them, which might very well be taken for a "river;" and this water extends up to Roanoak island, and may be the " Occam" spoken of. At any rate, all along the eastern side of the island, and thence down to New inlet, is a narrow strip of water separated from the rest of the sound by the islands there, which strangers might suppose to be a river; and no where else is there any: thing resembling a river which would take the voyager to Roanoak island. We incline, therefore, to think that this strip of water must be the "Occam" of the natives.

The

We know not that we can identify the Cipo of the aborigines. It may have been Currituck sound; but more probably was one of the rivers emptying into Albermarle sound, between it and the Chowan. As to Nomopana, it is said to have emptied into the Occam, and to have had on its banks a great town called Chawan-ook. How far Barlow may have supposed the Occam to extend to the west, we do not know, as he made no explorations in that direction; indeed, he does not appear to have gone much beyond Roanoak island, and possibly supposed Albermarle sound to terminate much nearer to Roanoak island than it does. It is hard to resist the conviction that the name of the town is retained in the county we now call Chowan; and if so, the locality of Chawan-ook was in that district of country. In such case, Nomopana would be the 'Chowan river, and the ancient native town may have been but the predecessor of our Edenton, or at any rate not far from its site. As to Secotan, it was southwest from Roanoak island, "four days' journey," and near it, on the coast, was an island called "Wocokon." The "four days' journey" here spoken of, we learn from future narratives, was about eighty miles, and fortunately our older maps still retain Wocokon. We have before us no less than four such, one of which, published in 1666, is appended to “a brief description of the province of Carolina," and is pronounced on the title page of the pamphlet of some twenty-five pages, to be “ a most accurate map of the whole province." On this Wocokon appears to be our Ocracoke, and the same is true of all the maps alluded to. Secotan, therefore, was on the coast somewhere not far from Ocracoke, and Martin says, though we know not his authority, it was "equi distant from Neuse and Tar rivers and Pamplico sound." This would place Secotan on the borders of Craven and Beaufort counties, somewhere near the head waters of Bay river.

It only remains to ask where was Pomouik? It adjoined Sequotan, and Martin says was the chief town of the king of the Newsioks, whose country was on the Neuse. Barlow calls it a "country," not a town, and says that Newsiok was immediately west of it. It was probably in the tract lying between the head of Bay river and Newbern.

The map at the close of this narrative furnishes the nearest approximation we can make to Indian localities discovered on the first visit to North Carolina by Amadas and Barlow, and is a copy from that which was made on the expedition by the adventurers themselves, and was published by De Bry. Of this map certain particulars are worthy of note. First. Ocracoke inlet does not appear on it at all. The delineation of the coast does not extend to a point so far south. This would seem to

be conclusive proof that they did not enter at Ocracoke. They surely never would have omitted in their map so important a locality. Secondly. Five inlets are marked, of which two only have names—Hatorask and Trinity Harbor. Does this imply that they named those only of which they had some experimental knowledge? Does the use of the word "harbor" imply that here was their usual anchorage outside? Thirdly. At every inlet, without exception, is the representation of a vessel foundering. Does not this mean that all were equally dangerous, and negative the idea suggested by some that they designed to picture the comparative excellency of the several inlets? The most northern wreck is that of a sloop, the other four represent two masted vessels. This may indicate the comparative depths of water at the inlets, but clearly intimates also that vessels were likely to be lost at all. As confirmatory of the idea that the entrance was made at New inlet, we may remark that on one of our old maps, made in Germany, and, for the date, remarkably correct as to the coast, "Trinity Harbor" is placed at "New Inlet." Here, we think, the larger vessels rode outside, as is pictured in the map, and never entered the sound at all. One of the small craft, in which oars are represented, it will be observed appears to be returning from Roanoak island toward the inlet near "Trinity Harbor," and this, according to the Nuremberg map, is "New Inlet." We must not omit to call attention to the uplifted cross in the hand of one in the stern of the boat, as it seems to intimate that the adventurers (like all the rovers of that day) professed at least to desire the propagation of christianity as much as the profits of discovery. Most of the old charters are uncommonly pious in avowing as a motive holy zeal for the spread of the gospel.

We return to the narrrative]:

Which being performed [i. e. possession taken], according to the ceremonies used in such enterprises, we viewed the land about us, being, whereas [where] we first landed very sandy and low toward the water side, but so full of grapes, as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them, of which we found such plenty as well there as in all places else, both on the sand and on the green soil, on the hills as in the plains, as well on every little shrub, as also climbing towards the tops of high cedars that I think in all the world the like abundance is not to be found; and myself having seen those parts of Europe that. most abound, find such difference as were incredible to be written.

[One familiar with North Carolina will not be surprised at this abundance of grapes. The state might unquestionably be made the greatest vine-growing country on the eastern side of the continent. In the time of Lawson (1714), there were six varieties of native grape known to him, which he particularly describes: we believe there were more than six varieties. Those which he knew, however, were two kinds of black bunch grapes, one yielding a crimson and the other a white juice; and four varieties of the fox-grape, two being a summer, and two a winter grape. Beside these, Lawson says he once saw a spontaneous white bunch grape in North Carolina. We of this day know there is such a grape, though some modern writers have said that no native white grape was ever found on this continent. Mr. Wiley, we believe, is the first who has called attention to the fact, that the three finest native grapes of our country all spread from North Carolina. These are the Scuppernong, the Catawba, and the Isabella. The Scuppernong derives its name from Scuppernong creek or river, at the mouth of Albermarle sound. The first vine was found in Tyrrel county by some of the first explorers under Amadas and Barlow, and tradition relates that they transplanted a small vine with its roots, to Roanoak island. That vine is yet alive, and covers an immense extent of ground. The true Scuppernong is a white grape, round, very sweet and large, and furnishes a wine like Malmsey. But there are no less than five varieties of grape about Albermarle sound, which, from the contiguity of the Scuppernong creek, are called by its name. That which we have described, however, is the true Scuppernong, and no grape is more luscious.

The banks of the Catawba furnish the native home of the grape known by the name of the river. It is now celebrated at the north as a table grape, and in Ohio as a wine grape. It is still found wild in North Carolina.

The Isabella is now more generally cultivated for table use than any grape on the continent. It is supposed to be a hybrid between the Burgundy, introduced into South Carolina by the Huguenots, and the native fox grape of the Carolinas. The tradition is, that it first showed itself at Dorchester, South Carolina. There Governor Benjamin Smith, of North Carolina, obtained cuttings which he planted at Smithville near Wilmington. From this stock Mrs. Isabella Gibbs transported a vine to Long Island, where the grape, which is one of our hardiest, flourished and attracted attention. It was called the Isabella, in compliment to Mrs. Gibbs, who introduced it at the north. It is certain that the Long Island stock came from North Carolina: it is not equally certain