New Bern 19th. May 1755

My Lords

I wrote to your Lordships ten days ago from Portsmouth harbour Core Banks near Ocacock Inlet, in which I acquainted you that I had view'd and fixed upon a Situation for the Seat of Governmt. near Stringers' ferry on the North Side of Neuse, healthy, high, and well watered, about 50 miles by water and 40 by land above Newbern, to which, Small Craft Periaguas and Canoes or flats may Come in the dryest summers which may easily be made fit for larger Vessells, which is agreable to the whole Province, north, South, and west, provided his Majesty approves of it; and had also fixed with the Comrs. a proper place for a Battery to Command and Secure the Ships in the Harbour, and have given Directions to begin the Work to Which letter I refer your Lordships.

On Wensday I left that place, and passed the Southern Channel from that harbour to neuse River, and took the Soundings and Believe for a moderate expence that passage might be made 2 or 3 feet Deeper than the swash, which all vessells going up the 3 Rivers, must pass, which has only 8 or 8½ feet water; when this Channel has 12 feet every where, but in 3 narrow Reefs, 2 of which are 9 feet deep, and only forty yards over, and the other gradually Shoals to 5½ feet deep, and in 300 yards again deepens to 12 feet; which by piling that length about 150 feet wide for 300 yards and gradually widening it at each ends, to increase the Current of the tide between the double row of piles, and breaking up the Shelly surface of the hard Sand with large Iron Harrows, and Scooping up part of it into Lighters and carrying it away to a distant Shoal, the Current of the Tyde woud Increase thro' it and force the loosend sand away to the depth of the Channell which woud Improve the navigation greatly by the addition of 3 feet water By which means ships drawing near 12 feet water Cou’d proceed with Safety up to Newbern, Bath Town, and Edenton, without unloading or loading by lighters as all Vessells drawing above 8½ feet water must now do at great expense and Delay.

I Proceeded from thence up Neuse to Clubfoot Creek and went 10 miles by land to Newport River, which falls down to Beaufort, and old Topsail Inlet to view the Situation, they had chosen to erect a Battery there, which I disaproved of; it was fixed about 2 or 300 yards from the Town, and coud only secure Such vessells as lay near the Town, but any vessells might come over the Bar, and ly in a Safe Harbour, where most Vessells ly for a wind, without being hurt it being 2 miles at least from the Battery; a Shoal at a miles distance lying over against the Town, and a large Deep channel coming in from a Bar was within [¼] a mile of the Point, and a fine sandy point well fixed, above high water about 5 or 6 feet, where the Roots of the Trees in the sand made a sure foundation for a Battery where they woud have good water, and wood for firing, and fixed with the Commissioners [to] raise a fascine Battery with 2 faces, Containing 6 guns each, one 9 pounders to command the passage at the Bar and the other of 6 pounders, to Command and secure the Shipping in the Channel within the point; where the Channel to the Shoal is not a mile over, and the depth of the channel near the Battery from Beaufort I went to view the fine Harbour at Cape Lookout of which I sent your Lordships a plan, and found it very exactly drawn except in the narrow place for the hawl Over which is only 230 yards over; which is about ½ a mile further to the westward without the Harbour I went Round the harbour and also round the Peninsula which forms the Cape and makes the Harbour and went thro' the Cape lands, which are all low and Covered with grass, hard and Strong, but much liked by the Cattle, I had Several people with me who were many years acquainted with this harbour and confirmed the depths set down in the chart I having gone up in a canoe within core sound, and no vessell being in the harbour I had no boat to Sound it, but all agreed to the depth laid down and that the French and the Spanish Privateers had Known it of late years brought in their prizes there, wooded watered and heaved down their vessells, and sent ashore and killed the cattle and furnished themselves with fresh provisions and excellent fish; I found neither wood nor water on the Cape side of the harbour and no foundation but a low sandy Beach not above one or two Sand hills on the point but the Peninsula rather rising than lowering; by a long Shoal on the S.E. side and a shelving Bank of Sand higher than the Cape, which if overflowed in any great storm lodged more sand on the Cape, and Raised the Soil; they also informed me that the Sandy point which formed the S.W. of the harbour was increasing and straddlening the entrance, but at the Same time it extended further S.W. into the Bay and lengthend the Harbour; having an account that Ships wooded and watered on the Core Banks side, there being no proper place for a Fort on the Cape side, I went and Viewed the other Side and found that good water might be had every where, by sinking in the Bottoms betwixt the Sand hills, that the lands on that side were above a mile over all coverd with Cedar, live oak, and shrubs even to the tops of the Sand hills which sand hills were about 20 feet high where the Fort coud be supplyed with fire wood and water; and a Level Bank above 5 or 6 feet high above the highest Tyde where it Commanded the entrance over against the Sandy point of the harbour and the greatest part of the Bay; This I fixed upon as the only proper place to build a Fort upon. But as this Harbour is the best, altho small, of any harbour from Boston to Georgia, and may be of the utmost Consequence to the trade and navigation of England where all our cruisers can Ride in Safely, as in a mill pond, and warp out at any time in an hour; where they can wood water [c]lean, and be at Sea in a few hours; where the whale fishers from the Northward have a Considerable fishery from Christmas to April, when the whales return to the northward, and where our trade ships may have always a safe harbour upon easterly Storms, and a whole bay without but a safe road against all but Southwest winds, when they Can run into the Harbour; and since in time of war it has been, and will be, a place of Safety for French and Spanish Privateers; to Infest the whole Coast, where they can at pleasure have a safe Port under their Lee; a place to wood and water, to clean in, and get fresh provisions, by shooting the cattle on the Banks. I think it of the utmost Consequence to the Protection of the trade of all the Southern Colonies on the Continent, to have a proper Fort and Garrison there to Defend it; and think it shoud be made a Station for our Guardships or Cruizers, instead of Cape Fear, Charles Town, or even the Rivers in Virginia, where They are Confined and Cant get to Sea when they woud, which they only do from hence in 3 or 4 hours, and get round the Shoals in 48 hours be either at the Capes of Virginia or at Charlestown Bar, or Port Royal, with a favourable gale; and may from their mast head in harbour see all ships within View of the Coast, as they pass along. Taking this harbour in this View, I can't in Duty to His Majesty and to the Publick, but lay this before your Lordships to be laid before his Majesty and his Cabinet Council for their Consideration, and if it shoud strike them the Same way it does me I must beg leave further to observe, it will be of Consequence to have it a Fort with a Sufficient Garrison and an experienced Govr., not to be taken by a Small force without a siege; for if it shoud be a Fort which might be taken by a few Privateers, it woud be of greater damage to our trade than to have none, for it woud then be a Gibralter in their hands against the greatest part of this Continent, and woud be soon made of much Greater strength against our Colonies.

This is Therefore of two great Consequence to be attempted by any Sum that can be raised in this Province; and if done, must not only be built but maintaind for some time at the expense of Britain until the Provinces on the main unite in their General defense; for this harbour is of general use to all the Provinces, and to all the Trading ships from Braitain passing this Coast.

I cant neglect an hour giving your Lordships my observations upon it, as I cant probably get a Council these 3 Months without Sending expresses thro' the whole Province, but if Your Lordships think my Report is not sufficient to lay it before his Majesty, at the first notice you may have not only a Representation to the Same purpose from the Council and Assembly of this Province, but also from Virginia and South Carolina to add weight to it, it being the general Sense of all the Traders in these Provinces, to have it Secured for our Safety, and the prejudice of our enemies, who will not then have one place of safety to enter on the American Coast.

I Submit this to Your Lordships and am with the greatest Respect my Lords

Your Lordships

most Obedient

and most Humble Servt.

Arthur Dobbs

Letter from Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Govr. of North Carolina, to the Board, dated at Newbern the 19th. of May 1755. relatig to the Expediency of building a Fort on Cape Lookout.

Recd. July 15th
Read ——16 1755.

C. 83.