Customer Reviews

A New Voyage to Carolina

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Young John Lawson describes his adventure canoing and hiking through the Carolina Coastal Plain and Piedmont in the winter of 1700. Lawson's descriptions are detailed, especially of the many generous Native Americans who helped him on his way. His journey started in Charleston, continued through the Charlotte area, then east to Okeneechee Village on the Eno River (now Hillsborogh) and on to the coast near New Bern. This book is an unknown classic.

John Lawson is my immigrant ancestor, and a legend in my family, and yet I was 52 years old before I knew this book was still in print. I was thrilled to find out, and gave it to my siblings and cousins for Christmas. Reading the book was an amazing experience to me, because I felt I was reading it from the inside out. I understand John Lawson so well, and he gave me the gift of understanding myself better.

For people who don't have a personal stake in the story, it's still an amazing read. Lawson was an excellent writer, a keen observer and his sensibilities are such that he was able to see all that was admirable about the native Americans without losing sight of all that was horrific. He was a victim of that paradox, as he was burned alive by the people he so admired.

He is known as one of the nation's first humorists, I learned, and in my own generation I see his dry wit. It's also interesting to me that in my generation, there are two professional writers and one humor columnist, and we all recognized our own voices in his.

He was a man who left a very comfortable life in London to come and trek through North Carolina before it existed. He chose to begin his trip at the end of December -- a fact that I find astounding -- and he describes life-threatening incidents as if they were minor inconveniences. The courage and love of adventure that define his spirit shine through on every page. Regardless of my lack of objectivity, he was a remarkable man; he wrote a remarkable book.

Detail , on his movements but as well his short fall of completing the languages he did but detaled all that he met .This would be the oldest recorded languages of Natve Americans .

Being born and rasied in South Carolina, I thought it a very interesting read. I know a lot of the places he is referring too.

Ray