Theky, who was the Housewife of the Family. At that hour we met over a
Pot of Coffee, which was not quite strong enough to give us the Palsy.
After Breakfast the Colo. and I left the Ladys to their Domestick
Affairs, and took a turn in the Garden, which has nothing beautiful
but 3 Terrace Walks that fall in Slopes one below another. I let him
understand, that besides the pleasure of paying him a Visit, I came to
be instructed by so great a Master in the Mystery of Making of Iron,
wherein he had led the way, and was the Tubal Cain of Virginia. He
corrected me a little there, by assuring me he was not only the first
in this Country, but the first in North America, who had erected a
regular Furnace. . . That the 4 Furnaces now at work in Virginia
circulated a great Sum of Money for Provisions and all other
necessarys in the adjacent Countys. That they took off a great Number
of Hands from Planting Tobacco, and employ'd them in Works that
produced a large Sum of Money in England to the persons concern'd,
whereby the Country is so much the Richer. That they are besides a
considerable advantage to Great Britain, because it lessens the
Quantity of Bar Iron imported from Spain, Holland, Sweden, Denmark,
and Muscovy, which us'd to be no less than 20,000 Tuns yearly. . .

Then I inquired after his own Mines, and hoped, as he was the first
that engaged in this great undertaking, that he had brought them to
the most perfection. . . He said it was true His works were of the
oldest Standing; but that his long absence in England, and the
wretched Management of Mr. Greame, whom he had entrusted with his
Affairs, had put him back very much. That what with Neglect and
Severity, above 80 of his Slaves were lost while he was in England,
and most of his Cattle starved. That his Furnace stood still great
part of the time, and all his Plantations ran to ruin. That indeed he
was rightly serv'd for committing his Affairs to the care of a
Mathematician, whose thoughts were always among the Stars. That
nevertheless, since his return, he had apply'd himself to rectify his
Steward's Mistakes, and bring his Business again into Order. That now
he contriv'd to do every thing with his own People, except raising the
Mine and running the Iron, by which he had contracted his Expence very
much. Nay, he believ'd that by his directions he cou'd bring sensible
Negroes to perform those parts of the work tolerably well. . . Our
Conversation on this Subject cont