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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Robert Jones to Edmund Fanning
Jones, Robert, 1718-1766
July 25, 1765
Volume 07, Pages 100-101

[From MS. Records in Office of the Secretary of State.]
Letter from the Attorney General to Edmond Fanning

Ocanechy July 25th 1765

Dear Sir

I returned on the 25th curt from the desirable Land of Health and Plenty after a stay there of four weeks, during which time I received very considerable Benefit from bathing in the Warm Springs. I was sensible of my Imprudence in leaving them so soon as I did, since I had reason to hope that the use of them in time would have effected a Cure of my Disorder; but the great Difficulty of getting Provisions, the Solitude of the Place, the want of agreeable Company & my Interest suffering at home on account of my Absence compelled me to return, & the same motives hurrying me on my Way back through Drought, Heat, & bad Roads; my Health (and that of my Horses) was much impaired before I reached home. You no doubt will expect to hear something of the Country, Inhabtants &c., and I will gratify you, as far as I am capable of making Observations. The Country I suppose is as healthy as any under the Sun, for altho' the cold is very intense in Winter, occasioned by the No Side of the Mountains being covered continually with Snow

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from December till the middle of March, yet the Weather I am told is not liable to those sudden Changes from Hot to Cold that we experience here & in Summer the air is the most agreeable medium between those Extremes that can be conceived, accompanied with pleasant Breazes. The Inhabitants are hospitable in their way, live in Plenty & Dirt, are stout, of great Prowess & manual Athletics, & in private conversation bold impertinent & vain. In the art of War (after the Indian manner) they are well skilled, are enterprizing & fruitful in Stratagems, and when in Action as bold & intrepid as the antient Romans. The Shawanese acknowledge them their Superiors even in their own way of fighting—The Land, such as is capable of Cultivation, is fertile beyond Conception, being much better than any I ever saw before, but of that there is a very small Proportion, much the greater Part being too stony & barren. It may truly be called the Land of Mountains, for they are so numerous that when you have reached the Summit of one of them you may see thousands, of every Shape that the Imagination can suggest, seeming to vie with each other which should first raise his lofty head to touch the Clouds. The Mountains & the Vallies abound with medicinal herbs, of almost every kind and there are some curious Flowers and other curiosities well worth seeing. There are warm, hot, emetick & sweet Springs, most of which I saw; but their Virtues time must discover: however it seems to me that Nature has been wanton in bestowing her Blessings on that Country & that these Waters are the choicest of them.

I received of Willie your favour of June 3d & am much obliged to you for the List you inclosed & the Care you took of my Letter to Beaty. Willie in my absence tendered Ray the money you sent, which he readily agreed to take rather than go to Law & you have herewith his Receipt in full. There was no Occasion for an Apology for the trouble of settling that affair, had it been ever so great, for you may on all Occasions freely command,

Dr Sir,
Your most affectionate friend
And very hum. Servt
ROBERT JONES Junr.