Early Narratives of the Northwest, 1634-1699, Volume 18

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C. Scribners's sons, 1917 - History - 382 pages
The history of a State, or a county, writes author J. B. Alexander, "is almost entirely the history of the people who constitute the inhabitants." Indeed, Alexander devotes a substantial portion of his History of Mecklenburg County from 1740 to 1900 to biographical sketches of former citizens of the county, often giving such information as date and place of birth, parents' names, date of arrival in Mecklenburg County, education, profession, military service, and names of spouse and children. Many of these Mecklenburg residents descended from the Scotch-Irish immigrants who populated the early settlements of the county, which was formed in 1762 and originally encompassed a large area that included what is now Union, Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, and Rutherford counties, as well as the upper portions of present-day South Carolina. Later waves of immigration brought settlers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Germany, and Ireland to the area.
 

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Page 241 - I thank thee, Blackgown, and thee, Frenchman,' addressing M. Jollyet, 'for taking so much pains to come and visit us; never has the earth been so beautiful, nor the sun so bright, as today; never has our river been so calm, nor so free from rocks, which your canoes have removed as they passed; never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it today.
Page 286 - LA SALLE, FROM THE YEAR 1678 TO THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, AND BY THE SIEUR DE TONTY TO THE YEAR 1691.
Page 268 - The blessed Virgin Immaculate has taken such care of us during our wintering that we have not lacked provisions, and have still remaining a large sack of corn, with some meat and fat. We also lived very pleasantly, for my illness did not prevent me from saying holy mass every day. We were unable to keep Lent, except on Fridays and Saturdays.
Page 274 - Thus did he speak with them as they sailed along the lake, till, perceiving the mouth of a river with an eminence on the bank which he thought suited for his burial, he told them that it was the place of his last repose. They wished, however, to pass on, as the weather permitted it and the day was not far advanced ; but God raised a contrary wind which obliged them to return and enter the river pointed out by Father Marquette.
Page 16 - He wore a grand robe of China damask, all strewn with flowers and birds of many colors. No sooner did they perceive him than the women ajad children fled, at the sight of a man who carried thunder in both hands — for thus they called the two pistols that he held. The news of his coming quickly spread to the places round about, and there assembled four or five thousand men.
Page 237 - When we cast our nets into the water we caught sturgeon, and a very extraordinary kind of fish. It resembles the trout, with this difference, that its mouth is larger. Near its nose, which is smaller, as are also the eyes, is a large bone shaped like a woman's busk, three fingers wide and a cubit long, at the end of which is a disk as wide as one's hand.
Page 274 - Then he undertook to prepare them for the sacrament of penance, which he administered to them for the last time. He gave them also a paper on which he had written all his faults since his own last confession, that they might place it in the hands of the Father Superior, that the latter might be enabled to pray to God for him in a more special manner. Finally, he promised not to forget them in Paradise. And, as he was very considerate, knowing that they were much fatigued with the hardships of the...
Page 256 - Virginia, whose sea-coast is at 34 degrees latitude, — which we had passed, without, however, having yet reached the sea, — or to the west in California, because in that case our route would have been to the west or the west-southwest, whereas we had always continued It toward the south. We further considered that we exposed ourselves to the risk of losing the results of this voyage, of which we could give no information if we proceeded to fling ourselves into the hands of the Spaniards who,...
Page 62 - When they see litle men they are afraid & cry out, which makes many come help them. Their arrows are not of stones as ours are, but of fish boans & other boans that they worke greatly, as all other things. Their dishes are made of wood. I having seene them, could not but admire the curiosity of their worke.

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