First, a WARNING! The mosquitoes on this island can be ferocious
and thick as fog. I speak from personal experience.
Anecdote: Having camped on South Core Banks near the lighthouse
numerous times in every season without being tormented by mosquitoes, I wasn't
too concerned about the bugs at Portsmouth Island on a nice June day. Beside,
if I am in a group of 8 or 10 people enjoying dinner outdoors on a summer
evening, I am usually the last person to get bitten.
So my wife and I were totally unprepared for the blitzkrieg that
erupted almost the moment we left Rudy Austin's charter boat (from Ocracoke)
and started for Portsmouth Village. Sure, we had several bug sprays containing
DEET in various concentrations, but even the strongest would only keep them
from biting. Hundreds, (I promise I'm not exaggerating) swarmed us even after
we were lathered in DEET. Like the dust cloud that trailed Pig Pen of
Peanuts fame, they followed us everywhere we went, trying to fly into
our eyes, noses, ears and mouths, and biting any shred of skin that wasn't
heavily lathered with repellent.
Despite the torment, we did a perfunctory tour of the village and
then made our way across the tidal flat to the beach. Finally, thanks to
an ocean breeze, we were able to enjoy our lunch relatively unmolested while
sitting in the surf.
What did I learn? Next time I go to Portsmouth, I will wear mosquito
netting. The people I saw who had netting covering their head, neck and torso,
and wearing long pants, were strolling around like it was a day in the park.
(Well, actually it was a day in the park.) And nothing I have endured in the
outdoors has given me a greater appreciation for the hardships our ancestors
endured than our encounter with the mosquitoes of Portsmouth Island. Imagine
living here in the 1700's without screens on your windows!!
On the positive side, I have talked with people who have visited
the island in March and April who had no problems with the the insects. But
I would be prepared for insects in every season.
Now you are forewarned.
Bugs or no bugs, Portsmouth is worth more than one visit.
Portsmouth, on North Core Banks, was established by North Carolina's
colonial assembly in 1753 and settled shortly thereafter. At its
peak in 1860, the village had 505 permanent residents, of which 117
were slaves.
Over the years, residents earned a living by fishing, transfering
freight, lifesaving, and scavenging goods that washed ashore from shipwrecks.
The last permanent residents left the island in 1971, and it came
under ownership of the National Park Service as part of the Cape Lookout National
Seashore in 1976.
Today, Portsmouth Village is on the National Register of Historic
Places. It is scattered over 250 acres and contains about 20 structures. A
mile of tidal flats, sometimes underwater, separates the village from the
Atlantic Ocean.
For a detailed history, read
this piece
by Julie Ann Powers and reprinted from
Coastwatch
.
