(seq. 63)

52
Province South Carolina

Canaan, for it will fully answer their Industry, and all Methods of European
culture, and do as well for European, than American Produce (: the Rice only
excepted :) for Provisions of all kinds, as also Indigo Silk, Cotton, Hemp,
Flax, Oil, and Wine; be it for raising stocks of Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Goats,
and Hogs; be it for Metals, Minerals, Fossils and Stones; or be it for manu
facturies of all kinds. This Country seems longing for the Hands of Industry
to receive its hidden Treasures, which Nature has been collecting and toiling
since its Beginning, ready to deliver them up; and altho' she has left no
Difficulty to receive, yet it must also be observed, that she has made no Commu-
nications fit to export them; for many Passages from one Ridge of Mountains
to another are Ridges of half and three quarters of a mile in Length, both sides
near perpendicular, between 4 & 500 feet high, and not above six feet wide at
the top, which properly may be called natural Bridges, on which two Horses, when
meeting, cannot pass by each other, unless their Burthens, Saddles and Bridles
are taken off, and carried behind them, so that they only meet each other quite bare,
when these Creatures, apprehensive of the Danger, sometimes will brush against each
other so close, that they rub off their Hairs. These Natural Bridges may be artificial-
ly widened by Wall Parapets on both Sides, or crossways the Bridges Beams layed,
on the Beams Slippers, and on the latter Planks secured with Posts and Rails
on both sides. But there are still worse Places, on which one descends or ascends, which
Places form prominent Ridges not much unlike a Pair of Stairs, whose Steps are
two and three feet high, about four feet wide, and not above five feet long with both
sides Precipices; on these Stairs is not so much Room as
to admit the Leader to go on one side of his Horse, bt must either go a-head, rid
or follow the Beast. To go a-head is dangerous, for shold the Horse stumble
forward, it will infalliby send the Leader before it, down either of the Precipices to
both their Destruction; to ride the Horse is as bad, if not worse, for when the Horse
descends from one step to another (: which it must perform with both feet together,
and is with a kind of a Fall :) at that time the Rider must lay himself back
upon the Horses Rump (: which in this Case is near three feet highter, that its
shoulders :) if the Gird and Crupper shold give way, the Rider will, without Remedy,
slip over the Horses Head, and run the Risque of his Life.

The Author made once their Experiment, but had so compleat a
Prospect of his eminent Danger, that He never after attempted a second Tryal of
that kind; consequently to follow the Horse is the only sure Method, as the Beast
will be the sole perishing in case of Accident; but the Difficulty remains,
that few Horses are willing to go a-head.

The ascending on these Steps is likewise dangerous, for the
author mounting moderately, and leading his Horse, at times the Animal
would set his Hoof upon his Spur and embarrass him from disengaging
his foot otherwise, than by slipping his Spur; again when he ascended
briskly, and with a mis-tep made a Fall; the Horse in a Hurry to