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Nov. 10.

It began to clear a little. The river, however, was still higher, and we spent most of the day drying our blankets, mending, and darning our stockings. We also bought some bushels of corn and some meat from our neighbors, who were glad that we had to stay here so long, and that it meant money for them. In the afternoon we held a little Lovefeast, and rested our souls in the loving sacrifice of Jesus, wishing for our beloved Brethren in Bethlehem that they and we might live ever close to Him. Br. Nathanael conducted evening prayers, and then we lay ourselves down to rest.

Nov. 11.

Sweet potatoes, which the brothers call “Virginia potatoes.” Image source. About the photograph

Several Brethren went early to the river to see whether we could cross and found it had fallen two feet. We had a man show us the ford, and one of us rode through on our gray horse, then we ventured it, and crossed safely. The banks were fairly easy to climb. We drove through a swamp, stuck quite a while in a hole, and had much difficulty in getting out. Mr. Hikki, who lives half a mile from here and who has a store, came to meet us and was very friendly. It was a bad bit of road to his house where we bought some provisions. (This will be the nearest place where we can buy salt.) A couple of miles from there we met a man from North Carolina, who lives near our land. He told us that it is generally known that we will soon arrive, that he had heard that we had two Ministers with us, which was a good thing, for the people lived like wild men, never hearing of God or His Word. He was also glad that we had a Doctor in the company. Two and a half miles beyond Hikki’s we stopped for noon at a creek, where there is good pasturage, the road thither being fairly good. Then again it led through marshy places and over steep hills, with water every half or quarter mile, often accompanied by deep mud. We set up our tent by a creek, and made only eight miles today, although we hurried all we could. We were glad for the pleasantly warm weather. For supper we cooked Virginia potatoes, which tasted good. Br. Nathanael held evening prayers, and then we went peacefully to rest.

Nov. 12.

We rose very early, and about 3 A.M. ate our pumpkin broth. Then the road led on through thick and thin, and often up steep hills where we had to push with all our strength. A boggy place, fully 100 paces long, we avoided by cutting a new road on the left across the hill, which was a great help. We came to a creek called Horse Pasture which is about as large as the Manakis; it had been very high within the last few days, but had fallen again. Here we had one of the worst banks we had seen, and people had told us some way back that we would hardly be able to cross; but our grubbing hoes and shovels did us good service and we made it safely. Near this creek is a new plantation, and they call it fully twelve miles from here to Smith’s River. We went on four miles, and stopped for noon at Adam Loving’s plantation, where we bought ten bushels of corn, and the people were very friendly. The men showed us the ford through the first branch of the Meho River, which is not much wider than the Manakis at Bethlehem, but has such steep banks that it took us two hours to cross. It is a great blessing that the water has fallen since the last rain, for otherwise we might have been detained a long time. Three miles beyond we reached the main branch of the Meho, which is about as large as the Lecha at Gnadenhütten. The approach was fairly easy but the other side much worse, and we worked into the night before we could make the bank passable, and even then we had trouble enough to get out. We spent the night there, and as we had little wood we all gathered around one fire, sleeping for the last time on Virginian soil. We made 13 miles today. A man who lives not far from here came to us, asking about Valentin Fuhrer, and whether he still lives in Bethlehem; he knew him well, for 15 years ago he lived near Fuhrer’s father on North River.

Nov. 13.

We rose at three o’clock, for it began to rain, and we hastened on our journey, but lost our way, going too far to the right. At dawn we crossed the boundary of North Carolina, where the road crosses a creek two miles from our last camp. Br. Haberland lost his hat trying to cross on a tree that lay across the stream, but he found it again when it grew lighter. The road was fair, apart from some steep hills, and we had water every mile or two. We stopped for noon on a little mountain seven miles from the Meho; near by runs a creek with a high fall. In the afternoon we had some hills so steep that we could hardly climb them; also bad banks to some of the creeks. Toward evening it began to rain and we hurried as fast as we could to reach Ten River but it grew so dark that we had to stop three miles from it at a creek. We made a fire and cooked a little food; then it began to clear with the north-west wind. At midnight we started again, in order to cross Ten River. One Brother went ahead of the wagon with a torch of pinewood to light the way, and at 2 A.M. we reached Ten River, and as it had not rained any more we thought it would not rise and we might spend the rest of the night on its bank before crossing. It was cold and we had little wood to burn. We were all very tired, having come 25 miles today from the Meho River. Our hearts today have been with our Brethren, and each of us in spirit has drawn near the nail-torn hands and pierced heart of our “Chief Elder.”

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About this work

From Travels in the American colonies, ed. under the auspices of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, by Newton D. Mereness.

Original source available from Library of Congress.

This edition copyright ©2008. Terms of use

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Definitions

darn v.

To fix a hole in clothing or fabric by weaving thread or yarn across it.

bushel n.

Unit of measurement for dry goods, equal to four pecks or eight gallons.

lovefeast n.

A traditional Moravian religious service that includes singing, a talk, and the sharing of a simple meal.

ford n.

A place in a river or other body of water that is shallow enough to be crossed without a boat.

pasturage n.

Land suitable for grazing animals.

thither adv.

There; in that direction.

grubbing hoe n.

A heavy tool with a long handle and a thin, flat blade, used for digging up roots and stumps.