DUKE UN I V E R S I T Y LIBRARY treasure %ooin Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from Duke University Libraries Iittp://www.arcliive.org/details/travelstlirouglino01bart 4^1 TRAVELS NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, EAST AND WEST FLORIDA, THE CHEROKEE COUNTRY, THE EXTtWSiVii iTERRITORlES OF THE MUSCOGULGES OR cKXi:.!^ coim:r>EiVi-^c-i-, AND THE COUNTRY OF THE CHACTAWS. CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE SOIL AVD NATURAl PRODUC- TIONS OF THOSE REGION'S; TOGLTHER WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THK MANNERS OF THI INDIANS, EMBELLISHED WITH COPPER-PLATES. c^ Lo G> u 0 By WILLIAM BARTRAM, DUBLIN: *-^ For J. MgoRE, W. Jones, R. M'AtfcJUER, AND J. RiCt, I793. « ♦% ■» X." * » •►«v Biology LiUnujr CONTENTS, PARTI. ^r. n. INTRODUCTION. ^J "2, 9 ^{^ '^ CHAP. I. The Author embarks at Philadelphia — arrives at Charlcfion Page I CHAP. II. Embarks again for Georgia and arrives at Savanna — proceeds South\^'ard and arrives at Sunburn- — oblervations on the town, harbour, and ifland of St. Catharine, its foil .ind producfticns — account of the eftablifhment of St. John's diftri(51: and Midway mecting-houfe — defcription of a beautiful fifti — rproceeds for tht river Alataniaha, defcription of a tremendous thupder ftorm 4 CHAP. III. Crofies the river at Fort Barrington and arrives at St. Ille — palTes the frontier fettlenients and meets an hoftilc Indian — croffesthc river St. Mary and arrivc> at the trading-houfe, account of the country thereabout, its natural produClions, of the lake Ouaquaphenogaw, faid to be the fource of the river St. Mary rctnmc »o thn A\:,tnrr,nh^ cnA thnnrp tn .Savanna t6 CHAP. IV. Sets off from Savanna to Augufta, one hundred fixty-five miles North- Weft from the fea coaft — dcfcribcs the face of the country, the river Sa- vanna, the catnra(5ls ard village of AuguftaT— congrefs with the Indians at St. Augufta — the village of Wrightfborough on Little River — mc^uments of an ancient Indian town on Little River — Buffaloc Lick — begins the furvey of the New Purchafe — high proof of Indian fagacity — returns to Savauna 2S CHAP. V. The Author leaves Brougbton ifland and afcends the Alatamaha — night fccne — a tempcft — defcription of the river — ruins of an ancient fortifica- tion— Indian monuments at the Oakmulge fields — Creeks, account of their fettlcmtnt in Georgia /^y PART II. CHAP. I. Eet« ofT from Sava.;ina to Eaft Florida, proceeding by land to the Ala- famalia — defcends that river to Frederica on the ifland of St. Simon's — - defcribes the ifland and the city 55 CHAP. II. Leaves Frederica for the lower trading-houfe on St. Juan's. — paffc? through and defcribes the found. Sec. 6 1 C H A P. III. Leaves Amelia ifland and arrives at the Cowford, on the river Sr, Juan's — proceeds up ilie river alone in a fmall canoe ; fuffers by a gale nf wind in crofling the river; is hofpitably entertained at a gentleman's houfe, where be refits and fails again — defcribes fort Picolata — various productions, viz. Magnolia grandiflora, Tillandfia ufneadfcites, floating fields of the Piftia ftratiotc, the river and cuuntry, touches at Charldtte- ville — arrives at the lower trading-houfe 68 C H A P. IV. Proceeds farther up the river — paflcs by Mount Hope, and comes to ar Mount Royal — defcribes the mount, Indian highway, &;c.^beautifui Jdiiiiii :«pc of the country ard prcfpecl of ti>e lake — enters Lake George — deUript'Oi- ZG (0 0 0 iV CONTENTS. defcrlption of the lake — forced by flrefs of weather to put into the beautiful ille Edelano, dcfcription of the ifland, ancient Indian town, mount and highway — croffes over the lake and arrives at the upper trading-houfe 95 CHAP. V. Provides for continuing his voyage higher up the river, engages an In- dian to aflifl: in navigating his bark, and fcts fail, the Indian becomes tired and requefts to be fct on fhore — encamps at a delightful Orange grove — continues again alone up the river : defcription of the Palma Elata : enters the Little Lake, and comes to camp at an Or?nge grove — fight of alligators ; a battle with them ; great embarrafTmcnts with them ; kills one : vaft affemblage of fiih : defcription of the alligator and its nefl, &c. — defcribes the Carica papaya — a very curious bird — in danger of being taken napping by a huge crocodile — the banks of the river admirably ornamented with fefloons and tapeftry, the work of nature — fepulchres of the ancients — a hurricane — vifitsa plantation on the banks of the Long Lake; defcription of the lake, a large fulphureous fountain — account of the founding and prefent ftate of New Smyrna, on the Mufquitoe river — returns down the river — Eail Lake — curious birds and a beautiful fill: — leaves Cedar Point, touches at the ifle of Palms; robbed by a wolf — arrives at Six Mile Springs — an account ot that admiranic louniam — aeftribcs the Gordonia, Zamia, Caeftus opuntia, Erythrina, Cacalia, &c. — touches at Rocky Point — ar- rives again at the lower trading-houfe. l ■ a CHAP. VI. Proceeds on a journey to Cufcowilla — defcrlbesthe country and waters '— Annona incana, Annona pygmea, Kalmia ciliata, Empetrum album, Andromeda ferruginea, Rhododendron fpurium. Pica glandaria non crif- tata, Lanius, Lacerta, Snakes, Chionanthus, Andromeda forniofiflima, Cyrilla — encamps at the Half-way Pond — dcfcribes the pond and meaJows, a beautiful landfcapc — pilgrimage of fifli — defcribes various kinds of fifh— great foft fhclled tortoife and great land tortoife — moral refleiflions and meditations — leaves Half-way Pond and proceeds — fituation, quality, and furniture of the earth — arrives at Cufcowilla — reception from the Indian chief : his charaifter — Siminoles predileffiion for Spanilh cufloms and ci- vilization— India Have?, their condition — departs for the Alachua favanna ; defcription of the favanna — Siminoles on horfeback — returns to Cufco- willa— a council and Indian feafl: — defcription of the town and Cufcowilla lake — returns to the favanna — glafs fnake — makes the tour of the favanna . — vefages of the ancient Alachua — Orange groves, turkeys, deer, wolves, favanna crane — arrives at the great bafon or fink — defcription of the fink — account of the alligators, incredible number of fifti ; their fubterranean migrations — returns — old Spanifh highv.-ay — Indian village — arrives again at the trading-houfe on St. Juan's — character and comparifonof the nations of the Upper Creeks, and Lower or Siminoles 168 CHAP. VII. Sets out again on a journey to 'I'alahafochte — defcription of the Siminole horfe — ercamps at an enchanting grotto on the banks of a beautiful lake — rocky ridges and dcfcrt wilds — engagement between a hawk and * coach whip fnake — defcription of the fnake — account of the country, grand Pine forcll — encamps on the borders of an extenfive favanna— defcrij)tion of the favanjia crane — comes upon the verge of e.\teiifive favannas, lying on a beautiful lake — the expanfive fields of »Japola, decorated with delightful groves — fquadrons of Siminole horfes — a troop under the conduvft and care of an Indian dog — the fields of C.ipola a delightful region — ferruginous rocks, rich iron ore — arrives at Talahafoclvie on the river Little St. Juan's — dcfcribes the town and river — lud;..a caiio-.s — ihiir royagfrs and trafiic — InJiaa C O N .T E N T S. "^ —Indian voyages to Cuba — a fifliing party and naval race — an eicui'fion in the Manatee fpring — defcription of that incomparable nynipha;uni — aa account of the Manatee — crofTes the river to explore the country — Spanifli remains — vali cane wildernefles — ancient Spanifti plantations — Apalachean old fields — returns to town — White Kinjr's arrival — a council and fcaft — charadler of the Icing— -leaves the town on rcfearchcs, and encamps in the forefls — account of an extraordinary eruption of waters — joins his compa- nions at camp — entertainment by the White King in Talahafochtc—Contcc, its preparation and ufe — returns to camp — great defcrt plains — entertain- ment with a party of young Siminole warriors — various natural wells and finks; conjectures concerning them — account of the 1-ong Pond, and de- lightful profpcc'Js adjacent — returns for the trading-houfe at St Juan's — cmbarraffments occafioned by the wild horfes — cncantps at Bird Ifland pond — vaft number of wild fowl tending their nefts — engagement with an alligator who furprifcd the camp by night — obfirvations on the great Alachua favanna and its environs — arrival at the trading-houfe 21 j CHAP. vin. The Author makes an excurfion again up St. Juan's to Lake Georje— rcvifits SL\ Mile Springs and Ulicium groves, makes collcdions, and re- crolfes the lake to the EaRt i ii laaft— tK»t fliore ninre bold and rocky than the oppoiite — coafts round that fliore, toucliing at old defertcd plantations — Perennial Cotton — Indigo — unpardonable devaftation and neglccft of the white fcttlcrs, with rcfpcd to the native Orange groves — returns to the trading-houfi; i£% C H A P. IX. Indian warriors, their frolic — curious conference with thf Long War- rior— ludicrous Indian farce rehtivc to a rattlc-fna'icc — war farce 453 C H A P. X. Farther account of the rattb-fnake — account and defcription of other fnakes and animals — catalogue of birds of North America ; obfcrvations concerning their migration or annual pafl;:ges from Isorth to boulh, and back again 262 C H A P. XI. Vifits an Indian village on the river — water nitlon feaft — defcription of the banqucting-houfe — makes an escurfion acrolstfee river; great dangers in crofiing ; lands on the oppoiite fliore — difc^ers a bee tree, which yielded a great quantity of hoiiey — returns to the Ihore — embarks for Fre- derica in Georgia; vifus the plantations down tlie river; enters the found and palTes through ; arrives at Frcdcrica — embarks again — -touchei at Sirnbury — arrives at Ciarle^'ton, South C.iroi'na — meditates a journ<;y to the Cherokee country and C.eck nation, in Wnl Florida jjl PART III. C H A P. 1. The Author fets out frr the C'nerokee territories — paffes through a fine cultivated country — crcffes Savanna river and cr.urs the ilate of Georgia — Dirca paluftrls — covvpens — civil entertainmeuc at a pIan«iion — purfues the road to Augulla, and rccrofTes the river at Silver Elnff — account of Mr. Golphin's villa and trading ftor;-«, Silver Blufl", fort ivlcore, Augufta, Saviinna river, mountains of Lrge folTil oyftcr-(h;lls 306 C H A P. « CONTENTS. C H A P. II. Procerus for fm t James, Dartmouth — curious fpcclcs of Azalea — r rofTes Broad River — cftabliiTimcnt of Dartmouth — Indian mount, &c. croffcs. Sa- vanna river — violent guft of rain — curious fpecies of JEiculus paviu — town of Sinica — ^fort Prince George, Keowe— defcribes the countiy 318 Chap. hi. Ocone vale — monuments of the ancient town — crofTes the mountains — their fituation, views, and producftions — refts on the top of Amount Mag- nolia— difcription of a new and beautiful fpecies of Magnolia — cafcades *f Falling Creek — thunder florm — head of Tanafee — vale of Cowe — Indian graves — towns of Echoe, Nucaflee, and Whatoga — nobly entertained by the Prince of Whatoga — arrives at the town of Cowe — makes an cxcurfioii with a young trader on the hills of Cowe — incomparable profpcifls— horlc- flamp — difcovers a company of Cherokee nymphs — a frolic with them — returns to towc 33 1 CHAP. IV. Sets off from Whatoga to the Overhill towns — Jore village: — Roaring Creek-r^the Author and his guide part — furprifcd by an Indian — falute and part friendly — mountainous vegetable productions — arrives on the top of Jore mountain — fublime profpetfls — Atta-kul-kulla, grand Cherokee chief — gracious reception — returns to Cowe — great council-houfe — curious Indian dance — returns and flops at Sinica — arrives again at fort James, Dartmouth — liil of Cherokee towns and villages 357 CHAP. V, Sets off from Dartmouth to the Upper Creeks and Chacflaws country- Flat Rock — a curious plant — Rocky Comfort — Ocone old Town — migra- tion of the Ocones — crofles the river — fords the Oakmulge at the Oakniulgf fields — Stoney Creek — Creat and Little Tabofachte — new fpecies of Hy- crangia — croffes Flint River — defcribes the country — pcrfecuted by cx- traordin:iry heats and incredible numbers of biting flics — Hippobofca and Afilus — extraordinary thunder guft — erodes Ch?ta Uche river— defcribes the town — very large and populous—proceeds and arrives at the Apalachucla town — vifits the old town — extraordinary remains and monuments of the ancients — general face of the country and vegetable produ(5i:Jons — new fpecies of ifclfculus 373 CHAP. VI. Proceeds, and after three days journey arrives at Taibfe, on the Talla- roofc river — Coloome, a handfome town — great plains — turther account of the countiy — Dog woods — croffcs the river Schambe — conie= to Taenfa on the Eafl banks of the Mobilo, thirty miles above the city — French in- habitants— paffc down the river, arrives at the city of Mobile — fbort account of the city and fort Cond. — returns to 'I'aenfa, and proceeds up the river as far as the entrance of the Chicafaw branch — floating forclls of the Nymphxa Nelumbo — vifits the adjacent lands — returns to Mobile — - goes to ihc river Perdido — continues on to Penfacola — cordially received ■by CJQvrrnor Chcftcr — fome account of the town — difcovers a new and beautiful fpecies of Sarracenia — returns to Mobile 394 C H A P. VII. Leaves M'-bilc for Manchac on the MifTiffipp; — proceeds by water tci Pearl Ifiand-kindly entortained by Mr. Rumfcy--dcfcribesthe ifland— large crimfon Plum — a delicate fpecies of Mimofa — paiTes li^ic Pontchartrain •— toucties CONTENTS. tS •—touches at the river T^enfapaoa — pafTe"; over Lake Maurepas — proceed* lip to Iberville — croffes by land to Manchac — goes up the MifTifTippi — fettlements of New Richmond — White Plains — furious nuifcle flicUsin tht fiver— croffes over to Point Coupr; — Spanifh village and fortrcfsr— high cliffs oppofite Point Coupe — returns to the Amite, thence down throiug;fa the lanks and founds back a~ain to 7tIobiic 416 CHAP. VIII. Leaves Mobile on his return — proceeds with a company of traders lor the Creek nation — his horfe tires — is in ereat diftrefs — meets a company of traders, of whom he purchafes a frefli hoffs — Uliciura groves — meets a company of emigrants from Georgia — great cnii*;irra.Tniiint at a large creek fwolicn with late heavy rains — arrive* at the banks of the AUbaaia — croffes it and arrives at Mucclafle — Indian marriage — ferious reflec- tions— perilous Qtuation of the trader of AIucclalTe — fets off for Ottaffe — <lefcribes the country contiguous to the Tallapoofe river — pLntatious and towns — Coolome — I^Kkabatchc— croffes the rivtr and arrives at Octaflf — rotunda and ^uai.. — blank drink — fpiral fire — Sabbath or holy day te the Great Spirit — fets off with a company of traders for Georgia — Chehaw and Uffeta, Creek towns on the Apa'rchucla river, almolt join each other, yet the inhabitants fpenU t-wn lannuafrfs radicallv different — arrives at the Oakmulge— croffes the river in a portable leather boat — croQes the river Oconne — head branches of Grtat Ogeche — arrives at Augufta — takes leave of Augufta and his friends there, and proceeds for Savanna — lift of Mwfcogulgc towns and villages— conjeiiluies concerning tht rife of the A^ufcogulge cojofcdcracy 433 CHAP. IX. Short eicurfion in the South of Georgii— makes collcdtions-— gatJicrs faed of two new and veiy curious ftirubs 465 C H A P. X. Proceeds for Charlcfton — Calls at a gentleman's plantation — Adoe— Tannier— wild pigeons — After fruticofus — leaves Charlcllon, proceeds on his return home to Pcnnfylvania — croffes Cjoper river, nine miles above the city — Long Bay — reefs of rocks — meets a gang of Negroes — paffcs the boundary houfc — large favanna— -Dion3.a muf..ipula — old towns — Brunf- vick — the C.arendon or Cape Tear river— North Weft — Livingfton's creek — Wackamaw lake— Carver's creek — Afluvood — various vegetable produiflions — cultivated vegetables — defcrihcs the face of the country on the banks of the North Weft: and the adjacent lands — ftrata of the earth or f. il — rocks — petrifactions — ancient fubmarine produClious, &c.— -leaves Afliwood, continues up the river — vaft trunks of trees, with their roots, and ftumps of limbs, with the bark on, turned into very hard ftonc — Rock-filh creek — Crof* Creeks — the rife, progrefs, and prefeiK ftate of Cambelton — curious fpecies of fcandcnt Fern — Deep River — croffes Haw River— Meherren river in Virginia — Cucurbita lagenaria — curious fpecii.'s of Prinos — Alexandria — George town — fuddcn fall of fnow — extreme cold — croffes the river Sufquehauna i pon the ice — river Schuylkill — arrives at his father's houfc, within three miles of Philadelphia 467 PART IV. CHAP. 1 Perfons, charai5ler, and qualifications of the Aborigines— moft perfect Kunian figure — Mufcogulge women — women of the Cherokees — arrogance 2f thcMufsogulges, yet magnaoiiiigui and mcrtL''ul to a van-jniflied eui^mv 4«i C H A P. »lu CONTENT S. CHAP. II. Government and civil fociety — conftitution funply natural — the mico or king prcfidesin the fenatc — eledivc — yet myfterious — tlic next man in dig- nity and power is the great war chief — entirely independent of the mico — his voice in council of the greateft weight concerning military affairs — tht high prieft a perfon of confequence, and maintains great influence in their conflitution and councils of ftate-— thefc Indians not idolaters — they adore the Great Spirit, the giver and taker away of the breath of life, with the xnoft profound homage and purity— anecdote 49* CHAP. III. Drefs, feafts, and divertifemcnts — youth of both fexes are fond of deco- rations with refpedl to drefs — their ears lacerated — diadem plumes, &c. — paint their flcin — drefs of the females different from that of the men — great horned owl fkin fluffed and born about by the priefls — infignia of wifdom and divination — fond of mufic, dancing, and rout — different clafles of fongs — variety of fteps in their dances — fenQble and powerful effe<5t» — ball play— feftival of the Bulk 499 CHAP. IV. Conccrnin{r property, agriculture, arts, and manufactures — private property — produce of their agricultural labours — common plantation — king's crib — public treafury — women the mofl ingenious and vigilant in mechanic arts and manufadures J09 CHAP. V. Marriages and funeral rites — pelygamy — take wives whilft they are yet young children — adultery — Mufcogulges bury their dead in a fitting pof- ture — ftrange cuftomsof the Chacftaws relative to duties to the deceafed — bone houfe — dirges— feaft to the dead — methods which the nurfcs purfue to flatten the infant's IkuU and retain its form 514 CHAP. VI. Language and monuments — Mufcogulge language fpoken throughout the confederacy — agreeable to the ear — Cherokee language loud — pyrami- dal artificial hills or mounts, terraces, obelilks — high way* and artificiil lakci — chunk yards — Have polls J17 INTRODUCTION. INTRODUCTION, 1 HE attention of a traveller fliould be particularly turned in the lirll place, to the various works of Nature, to mark the diftinclions of the climates he may explore, and to offer fuch ufeful obfervations on the different produdions as may occur. Men and manners undoubtedly hold the tirll rank — what ever may contribute to our exiftence is alio of equal importance, whether it be found in the animal or vegetable kingdom ; neither are the various articles, which tend to promote the happincfs and conveni- ence of mankind, to be difregarded. How far the writer of the following flieet? has fucceedcd in fur- niftiing information on thefe fufcjecls, the reader will be capable of determining. From the advantages the journalift enjoyed under his father John Bar- tram, bntanifl: to the king of Great Britain, "and fellow of the Royal Society, it is hoped that his la^ hours will prefent new as well as ufeful information to the botanift and zoologifl. This world, as a glorious apartment of the bounc- lefs palace of the fovereign Creator, is furnilhed wiih an infinite variety of animated fcenes, inexpreffibly beautiful and pleafmg, equally free to the infpetftioii and enjoyment of all his creatures. Perhaps there is not any part of creation, within the reach of our obfervations, which exhibits a more glorious difplay of the Almighty hand, than the ve- getable world ; fuch a variety of pkafmg fcenes, ever changing throughout the feafons, arifmg from various caufes, and affigned each to the purpofe and ufe determined. It is difficult to pronounce which divifion of the earth, between the polar circles, produces thegreateft b variety X INTRODUCTION. variety. The tropical divifion certainly affords thofe which principally contribute to the more luxurious fcenes of Iplendour, as Myrtus communis, Myrt. ca- ryophyllata, Pvlyrt. pimenta, Caryophillus aromati- cus, Laurus cinnam. Laurus camphor. Laurus Perfi- ca, Nux mofch. lliicium, Camtlia, Punica, Cadus melo-caclus, CaCius granditlora, Gloriofa faperba, 'I'heobroma, Adanfonia digitata, Nyftanthcs, Pfidi- um, Mufa paradifica, Mufa fapientum, Garcinia mangoliana, Cocos nucifera, Citrus, Citrus auranti- um, Cucurblta citruUus, Hyacinchus, Amaryllis, NarciiTui;, Poinciana pulcherrima, Crinum, Cad:us cochirieliifer. But tlie temperate zone (including by far the greater portion of the earth, and a climate the moft favourable to the increafe and fupport of animal life, as well as for the exercife and acliviry of the human faculties) exhibits fcenes of infinitely greater variety, magnificence, and confequence, with refpett to hu- man economy, in regard to the various ufes cr vc- .getablss. For inflance ; Triticum Cereale, which affords us bread, and is ternted by way of eminence, the .italf of life, the mod plealant and nourifliing food to all terreiurial animals. Vitis vinlfcra, whofe ex- hilarating juice is faid to cheer the hearts of gods and men. Oiyza, Zea, Pyrus, Pyrus malus, Pru- nus, Pr. cerafus, Ficus, Nectarin, Apricot, Cydo- nia. Next follow the illuilrious famiiies of forefl- trees, as the Magnolia grandiHora and Quercus fempervirens, which form the venerated groves and folemn ftades, on the -MiiTifiippi, Ahitaniaha and Florida ; the magnificent CuprelTus dillicha of Caro- lina and Florida ; the beautiful Water Oak*, whofe vaft hemifpheric head piefents the likenefs of a dif- tant grove in the fields and favannas cf Carolina ; the * QLcrcas I-'tii i'pherlca. gigantic INTRODUCTION. Xi gigantic Black Oak j-, Platanus occidentalis, Liquid- ambar ftyraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fagus callanea, Fagus fylvatica, Juglans nigra, Juglans cinerea, Jug. pecan, Ulmus, Acer faccharinum, of Virginia and Pennfylvania ; Pinus phcenix, Pinus tceda, Magnolia acuminata, Nyfla aquatica, Populus heterophylla, and the floriferous Gordonia hilan- fhus, ot Carolina and Florida ; the exalted Pinus ftrobus, Pin. balfamica, Pin. abies, Pin. Canadenfis, Pin. larix, Fraxinur, excelfior, Robinia pfeudacacia, Guilandina dioica, iEfculus Virginica, Ma ;no!'a acuminata, of Virginia, Maryland, Pennfylvania, New Jerfey, New "I'ork, New England, Ohio, and the regions oi Erie and the Illinoi,^ j and the aroma- tic and floriferous flirubs, as Azalea coccinea. Aza- lea rofea, Rofa, Rhododendron, Kalmia, Syringa, Gardenia, Calycanthus, Daphne, Franklinia, Sty- rax, and others equally celebrated. In every order of nature we perceive a variety of qualities diflributed amongfl individuals, defigncd for dlilercnt purpofes and ufes ; yet it appears evi- dent, that the great Author has impartially diftri- buted his favours to his creatures, fo that the attri- butes of each one fecm to be of i'ufficient importance to manifell the divine and inimitable workmanfliip. The pompous Palms of Florida, and glorious Mag- nolia, llrikes us with the fenfe of dignity and mag- nificence ; the expanfive umbrageous Live Oak | with awful veneration; the Carica pafjaya, feems fupercilious wiih all the harmony of beauty and gracefulnefs ; the Lilium fuperbum reprefents pride and vanity ; Kalmia latifolia and Azalea coccinea, exhibit a ported (how of mirth and gaiety ; the Illi- cium Floridanum, Crinum Floridanum, Convallaria majalis of the Chcrokces, and Calycanthus floridus, charm with their beauty and fragrance. Yet they arc not to be compared for ufefulnefs with the nutri- -f- Qutrcui- tiiitSloria. f Quercus femp srvirecs. b 2 tious '"^'n INTRODUCTION. tious Triticum, Zea, Oryza, Solanum' tuberofum, Mufa, Convolvulus Batata, Rapa, Orchis, Vitis vinifera, Pyrus, Olea ; for clothing with Linuni Cannabis, GolTypium, Morus ; for medicinal vir- tues with liyffopus. Thymus, Anthemis nobilis, Papavcr fomniferum, Quinquina, Rheum rhabarba- rum, Pifuin, c:c. Though none of thefe mod ufe- ful tribes are confpic;:ous for ftateUnefs, figure, or fplenJour, yet their valuable qualities and virtues excite love, gratitude, and adoration to the great Creator, who was pleafed to endow them with fuch eminent qualities, and reveal them to us for our fuf- tenance, amuftment, and delight. But there remain of the vegetable v/orld feveral tribes that are dillinguiihed by very, remarkable pro- perties, whicli excite our admiration, fome for the elegance, fingularity, and fplendour of their veft- ment, as the Tulipa, Fritillaria, Colchicum, Pri- mula, Lilium fuperbum, Kalmia, &c. : others aflo- nifh us by their figure and difpofal of their vefture, as if defigned only to embellilh and pleafe the ob- ferver, as the Nepenthes didiilatoria, Ophrys infec- loria, Cypripcdium calceolus, Hydrangia quercifo- lia, Bartramia bracleata. Viburnum Canadenfe, Bartfia, S:c. Obferve thefe green meadov/s how they are deco- rated f they feem enamelled v»ith the beds of fiov/ers. The blufiiing Chironia and Rhexia, the fpiral Ophrys with immaculate white iiowers, the Limo- dorum, Arethufa pulcherrima, Sarracenia purpurea, Sarracenia galeata, Sarracenia lacunofa, Sarracenia uava. Shall we analyze thefe beautiful plants, fmce they feem cheerfully to invite us ? How greatly the fi,ov/ers of the yellow Sarracenia reprefent a filken canopy ? the yellow pendant petals arc the curtains, and the hoilov/ leaves are not unlike the cornucopia or Amaithea's horn ; what a quantity of water a leaf is capable of containing, about a pint ! tade of it — INTRODUCTIOy. XUl n- — how cool and animating — limpid as the mcrning dew : nature fecras to havefiirnif]:ed them with this cordatcd appendage or lid, wliich turns over, to prevent a too fudden and copious lupply of water from heavy Ihowers of rain, which would bend down the leaves, never to rife again ; bccaufe their ftraight parallel nerves, which extend and fupport them, are fo rigid and fragile, the leaf would inevitably break when bent down to a right angle ; therefore I fuppofe the waters w hich contribute to their fupply, are the rebounding drops or horizontal ilrcams waft- ed by the winds, which adventitioufly fmd their way into them, when a bhift of wind fhifls the lid: fee ihefe fhort ftiff hairs, they all point downvvards, which dired: the condenfed vapours down into the funiculum ; thcfe ftift hairs alfo prevent the varieties oi infects, which are cauglit from returning, being- invited down to i\p the mellifluous exudation, from the interior furface of the tube, where they inevitably perifli ; what quantities there are of them ! Thefc latent waters undoubtedly contribute to the fupport and refreilmient of the plant : perhaps defigned as a refervoir in cafe of long continued droughts, or other cafualties, fince thefe plants naturally dwell in Kow^ favannas liable to overflows, from rain water : for although I am not of the opinion that vegetables re- ceive their nourifhment onlv through the afcendinp- part of the plant, as the (lem, branches, leaves, &c.; and that their defcending parts, as the root and fibres, only ferve to hold and retain them in their places ; yet I believe they imbibe rain and dews through their leaves, Hems, and branches, by ex- tremely minute pores, which open on both furfaces of thejeaves and on the branches, which may com- municate to little auxilary du<5ls or velTels ; or, per- haps the cool dews and fliowers, by conflricting thefe j^'ores, and thereby preventing a too free perfpiration, may XIV IXTIIODUCTION. may recover alid again invigorate the languid nerves of thofe which feem to fuft'er for want of water, in- great heats and droui^hts : but whether the infeds caught in their leaves, and which dilfolve and mix with the fluid, ferve for aliment or fupport to thefe kind of plants, is doubtful. All the Sarraccnias are infeft catchers, and fo is the Dioflea rotundifolia. But admirable are the properties of the extraordi- nary Dionea mufcipula ! A groat extent on each fide of that ferpentine rivulet is occupied by thofc fportive vegetables — let us advance to the ipot in which nature has feat^d them. Aftonifning pro- du6lion ! lee the incarnate lobes expanding, how gay and fportive they appear ! ready on the fpring to intrap inca^^rious deluded infeds ! what artifice ! there behold*one of the leaves juft clofed upon a ftruggling fly ; another has gotten a worm ; its hold is furc, its prey can never efcape — carnivorous ve- getable ! Can we after viewing this objeft, hefitate a moment to confefs, that vegetable beings are en- dued with fome fenfible faculties or attributes, fimi- lar to thofe that dignify animal nature ; they are organical, living, and felf-moving bodies, for we fee here, in this plant, motion and volition. What power or faculty is it, that dire£ls the cirri of the Cucurbita, Momordica, Viti.-, and other climbers, towards the twigs of flirubs, trees, and other friendly fupport ? vi^e fee them invariably lean- ing, extending, and like the fingers of the human hand, reaching to catch hold of what is neareft, juft as if they had eyes to fee with ; and when their hold is fixed, to coil the tendril in a fpiral form, by which artifice it becomes more elafliic and effec- tual, than if it had remained in a dired hne, for every revolution of the coil adds a portion of ftrength ; and thus collected, they are enabled to dilate and contrad as occafion or neceffity requires, and INTRODUCTIO . :^ and thus by yielding to, and hunioiirmg the motion of the limbs and twigs, or other fupport on which they depend, are not fo liable to be torn ofF by fud- den W.ads of wind or other afiauks : is it f^nfe or inftincl that influences their aftions ? it mui^ be lome impulfe ; or does the hand of the Almighty •a£l and perform this work in our fight ? The vital principle or ef?icient caufe of motion and aftion, in the animal and vegetable '^' fydem, perhaps, may be more fimilar than we generally ap- prehend. Where is the eflential diffcrcnrc between the feed of peas, peaches, and other tribes of plants and trees, and the eggs of oviparous animals, as of birds, fnakes, or bvitrerflles, fpawn of fidi, &c. ? Let us begin at the foiirce of terreftrird exiftence. Are not the feeds of vegetables, and the eggs of oviparous animals fecundated, or influenced with the vivific principle of life, througii the approxima- tion and intimacy of the fexes ? and immediately after the eggs and feeds are hatched, does not the young larva and infant plant, by heat and moiflure, rife into exidence, increafe, and in due time arrive to a flate of perlecl maturity ? The phyfio'ogifts agree in opinion, that the work of generation in vi- viparous animal.;, is exacl:ly fimilar, only mere fc- cret and enveloped. The mode of operation that nature purfues in the produclion of vegetables, and oviparous animals, is infinitely more uniform and manifefl, than that which is or can bedifcovercd to take place in viviparous animals. The mod apparent difference be-tween animals and vegetables is, that animals have the povvers of found, and are locomotive, whereas vegetables are not able to thift themfclves from the places where nature has planted them : yet vegetables have the ^^ower of moving and exercifing their members, and * Vid. Sponfalia plantarum, -Vmoen. Acad 1. n. ii. I-iiin. have XVI I-^rtRODUCTION. have the means of tranfplanting or colonifing their tribes ahnoft over the furface of the whole earth ; -fome feeds, for inflance, grapec, nuts, fmihw, peas, and others, whofe pulp or kernel is food for animals, will remain feveral days without being injured in ftomachs of pigeons and other birds of palfage ; by this means fuch forts are diftributed irom place to place, even acrofs fcas ; indeed fomc feeds require this preparation by the digeftive heat of the ftomach of animals, to diilolve and detach the oily, vifcid pulp, or to foften the hard fhells. Small feeds are fometimes furnifhed with rays of hair or down ; and others with thin light membranes attached to them, which ferve the purpofe of wings, on which they mount upward, leaving the earth, float in the air, and are carried away by the fvvift winds to very re- mote regions before they Tettle on the earth j fome are furniflied with hooks, which catch hold of the wool and hair of animals palling by them, and are by that means fpread'abroad ; other feeds ripen in pericarpes, which open with elaftic force, and flioot their feed to a very great diftance round about ; fome other feeds, as of the Moffes and Fungi, are fo very minute as to be invifible, light as atoms, and thefe mixing v.'ith the air, are vv'afted all over the world. The animal creation alfo excites our admiration, and equally manifefts the almighty power, wifdom, and beneficence of the Supreme Creator and Sove- reign Lord of the univerfe ; fome in their vail fize and Ib-ength, as the mammoth, the elephant, the whale, the lion, and aUigator ; others in agility ; others in their beauty and elegance of colour, plu- mage, and rapidity of flight, having the faculty of moving and living in the air ; others for their imme- diate and indifpenfable ufe and convenience to man, in furnifliing means for our clothing and fufl:enance, and INTRODUCTION. XVi and adminiftei'ing to our help in the toils Tend labours of life : how wonderful is the mechanifm of thefe finely formed felf-moving beings, how comphcated their fyftem, yet what unerring uniformity prevails through every tribe and panicular fpecies! the ef- fed we fee and contemplate, the caufe is invillble, incomprehcnfible ; how can it be otherwife ? when we cannot fee the end or origin of a nerve or vein, while the divifibility of matter or fluid, is infinite. We admire the mechanifm of a watch, and the fa- bric of a piece of brocade, as being the production of art; thefe merit our admiration, and mud excite our efteem for the ingenious artilt or modifier ; but nature is the work of God omnipotent; and an ele- phant, nay even this world, is comparatively but a very minute part of his works. If then the vifible, the mechanical part of the animal creation, the mere material part, is fo admirably beautiful, harmoni- ous, and incomprehenfible, wliat mufl be the intel- ledual fyftem ? that incxpreflibly more ellential prin- ciple, which fecretly operates within ? that which animates the inimitable machines, which gives them motion, impowers them to act, fpeak, and perform, this muft be divine and immortal ? I am fenfible that t!ie general opinion of philofo- phers, has uiitinguiflicd the moral fyllem of the brute creature from that of mankuid, by an epithet which impHes a mere mechanical impulfe, which leads cind impels them to neceffary actions, without any premeditated defign or contrivance ; this we term inftind", which faculty we fiipj-jofe to be infe- rior to reafon in man. The parental aiul filial aifections feem to be as ardent, their fen-fibility and attacliment as attive and iaithful, as thofe obfervedin human nature. When travellln^^ on the eaft coaft of the ifthmus of Florida, afcending the fouth Mufquito river, in a canoe. XVlll INTRODUCTION. a canoe, we obferved numbers of deer and bears, near the banks, and on the iflands of the river ; the bears were feeding on the fruit of the dwarf creeping Chamasrops ; (this fruit is of the form and fize of dates, and is deHcious and nourifhing food :) we faw eleven bears in the courfe of the day, they feenied no way furprifed or affrighted at the fight of us. In the evening, my hunter, who was an excellent markfman, faid that he would fhoot one of them, for the fake of the ilvin and oil, for we had plenty and variety of provifions in our bark. We accordingly, on fight of two of them, planned our approaches as artfully as poflible, by crofTing over to the oppolite fhore, in order to get under cover of a fmall ifland ; this we cautioufly coafted round, to a point, which we apprehended would take us within Ihot of the bears ; but here finding ourfelves at too great a diftance from them, and difcovering that we rauft: openly fliow ourfelves, we had no other alternative to effe6l our purpofe, but making oblique approaches. We gained gradually on our prey by this artifice, without their noticing us : finding ourfelves near enough, the hunter fired, and laid the largefl dead on the fpot where fhe flood ; when prefently the other, not feeming the Isafl moved at the report of our piece, approached the dead body, fmelled, and pav/ed it, and appearing in agony, fell to weeping and looking upwards, then towards us, and cried out like a child. Whilfl our boat approached very near, the hunter was loading his rifle in order to fhoot the furvivor, which was a young cub, and the flaiii fuppofed to be the dam. The continual cries of this afflided child, bereft of its parent, affefted me very fenfibly ; I was moved with compalTion, and charging m^-felf as if acceffary to what now appeared to be a cruel murder, endeavoured to prevail on the hunter to fave INTRODUCTION. XIX fave its life, but to no efleel ! for by habit he had become infenfible to compafhon towards the brute creation : being now within a few yards of the harmlefs devoted vidim, he fired, and laid it dead upon the body of the dam. If we beftow but very little attention to the eco- nomy of the animal creation, we (liall find manifefl examples of premeditation, perfeverance, refolu- tion, and confummate artifice, in order to effeft their purpofes. The next morning, after the flaugh- ter of the bears, whilft my companions were fi:rik- ing our tent and preparing to re-embark, 1 refolved to make a little botanical excurfion alone : crofling over a narrow ifthmus of fand hills which fcparatcd the river from the ocean, I pafi'ed over a pretty high hill, its fummit ciefled with a few palm trees, .furrounded with an Orange grove : this hill, whofe bafe was vvaflied on one fide by the floods of the Mufquito river, and en the other fide by the billows of the ocean, was about one hundred yarJs diame- ter, and feemed to be an entire heap of fea fliells. I continued along the beach a quarter of a mile, and came up tc a foreft of the Agave vivipara (thouoh compofed of herbaceous plants, I term it a foreft, becaufe their fcapes or flower-ltcms avofe ered: near 30 feet high) : their tops regularly branching in the form of a pyramidal tree, and thefc plants growing near to each other, occupied a fpace of ground of feveral acres : when their feeds are ripe they vegetate, and grow on the branches, until the fcape dries, when the young plants fall to the ground, cake root, and fix ihemfelves in the fand : the plant grows to a prodigious fize before the fcape fhoots up from its centre. Having contemplated this ad- mirable grove, 1 proceeded towards the flirubberies on the banks of tha river, and though it was now Jate in December, the aromatic groves appeared in full .-tX INTRODUCTION. full bloom. The broad-leaved fweet Myrtus, Eiy- thiina corallodendrum, Cadus cochinellifcr, Caca- iia fuffruticofa, and particularly, Rhizophora con- jugata, which ftood clofe to and in the fait water of the river, were in full bloom, with beautiful white fweet fcented flowers, which attracted to them two or three fpecies of very beautiful butterflies, one of which was black, the upper pair of its wings very long and narrow, marked with tranfverfe flripes of pale yellow, with fome fpots of a crimfon colour near the body. Another fpecies remarkable for fplendour, was of a larger fize ; the wings v/ere undulated and obtufely crenated round their ends, the nether pair terminating near the body, with a long narrow forked tail ; the ground light yellow, flriped oblique-tranfverfely, with flripes of pale ce- leflial blue, the ends of them adorned with little eves encircled with the fined blue and crimfon, which reprefented a very brilliant rofary. But thofe which were the mofl numerous were as white as fnov/, their wings large, their ends lightly crenated and ciliated, forming a fringed border, faintly marked with little black crefcents, their points downward, with a clufler of little brilliant orbs of blue and crimfon, on the nether wings near the body -, the numbers were incredible, and there feemed to be fcarcely a flower for each fly, multitu- dinous as they were, befides clouds of them hover- ing over the melhfluous groves. Befides thefe pa- piles, a variety of other infefts come in for a fliare, particularly feveral fpecies of bees. As I was gathering fpecimens of flowers from the flirubs, 1 w^as greatly furprifed at the ludden appear- ance of a remarkably large fpider on a leaf, of the genus Araneus fallens : at fight of me he boldly faced about, and raifed himfelf up, as if ready to fpring upon me j his body was about the fize of a pigeon's INTRODUCTIO!^. XTLX pigeon's e^^, of a buff colour, which, with his legs, were covered with fnort filky hhir ; on the top of the abdomen was a rouiid red fpot or ocelle encircled with black. After I had recovered from the furprife, obferving that the wary hunter had re- tired under cover, I drew near again, and prefently difcovered that I had furprifed him on predatory at- tempts again(i the infed tribes. I was therefore de- termined to watch his proceedings. I foon noticed that the objed: of his wiflies was a large fat bomble bee (apis bombylicus), that was vifiting the Hovvers, and piercing their nectariferous tubes : this cunninr intrepid hunter conducted his fubtil approaches with the circumfpedion and perfeverance of a Siminole when hunting a deer, advancing with flow fteps obliquely, or under cover of dcnfe foliage, and be- hind the limbs, and when the bee was engaged in probing a flov/er, he would leap nearer, and then infl:antly retire out of Hght, under a leaf or behind a branch, at the fame time keeping a fiiarp eye upon me. When he had now gotten within two feet of his prey, and the bee was intent on fipping the deli- cious nedlar from a flower, with Iiis back next the fpider, he inft:antly fprang upon him, and grafped him over the back and fnoulder, when for forae moments they boih difappeared. I expedited the bee had carried oif his enemy, but to my furprife, they both together rebounded back again, fufpended at the extremity of a flrong elaftic thread or web, which the fpider had artfully let fall, or fixed on the twig, the inftant he leaped from it : the rapidity of the bee's wings, endeavouring to extricate himfclf, made them both together appear as a moving va- pour, until the bee became fatigued by vv^hirhng round, firfl one way and then back again : at length, in about a quarter of an hour, the bee quite c;!chaufled by his ftruggles, and the repeated wounds of XXll INTRODUCTION. of the butcher, became motlonlefs, and quickly expired in the arms of the devouring fpider, who, afcending the rope with his game, retired to feail on it under cover of the leaves ; and perhaps before night, became himfelf the delicious evening repaft of a bird or lizard. Birds are in general focial and benevolent crea- tures ; intelligent, ingenious, volatile, aclivc be- ings ; and this order of animal creation confifts of various nations, bands, or tribes, as may be ob- ferved from their different ftrudlure, manners, and languages, or voice ; each nation, though fubdi- vided into many different tribes, retaining its general form or ftrudture, a fimilaiity of cuftoms, and a fort of dialed or language, particular to that nation or genus from v/hich thofe tribes feem to have de- fcended or feparated. What I mean by a language in birds, is the common notes or fpeech, that they ufe when employed in feeding themfelves and their young, calling on one another, as well as their me- naces againft their enemy ; for their fongs feem to be mufical compofitions, performed only by the males, about the time of incubation, in part to di- vert and amufe the female, entertaining her with melody, S:c. This harmony, v.'ith the tender foli- citude of the male, alleviates the toils, cares, and diflreffes of the female, confoles her in folitary re- tirement whilll; fitting, and animates her with affec- tion and attachment to himfelf in preference to any other. The volatility of their fpecies, and opera- tion of their paffions and affe£lions, are particularly confpicuous in thd different tribes of the thruili, fa- mous for fong. On a fweet PJay morning we fee the red thruflres (turdus rufus) perched on an ele- vated fprig of the fnovvy Hawthorn, fweet flower- ing Crab, or other hedge fhrub, exerting their -ac- complifliments in fong, ifriving by varying and ele- vating IKTRCDUCTICr. XXlll vatlng their voices to excel each other ; we obferve a very agreeable variation, not only in tone but in modulation ; the voice of one is flirill, ot another lively and elevated, of others fonorous and quiver- ing. The mock-biid (turdus poly;^lottos) who ex- cels, diftinguiflies himfelf in a variety of adion as well as air ; from a turret he bounds aloft with the celerity of an arrow, as it were to recover or recal his very foul, expired in the lall elevated ilrain. The high forefts are filled with the fymphony of the fong or wood thrufh (turdus minor) Both faxes of fome tribes of birds fing equally finely ; and it is remarkable, that thefe reciprocally aflift in their domeftic cares, as building their nefts and fitting on their eggs, feeding and defendinir their young brood, &c. The oriolus (idlcrus, Cat.) is an inftance of this cafe ; and the female of the idterus minor is a bird of more fplendid and gay drefs than the male bird. Some tribes of birds \\ ill relieve and rear up the young and helplefs, of their own and other tribes, when abandoned. Animal fubftance feems to be the liril food of all birds, even the granivorpus tribes. Having pafl'ed through fome remarks, which ap- peared of fufficient confequence to be offered to the public, and which were moil fuitable to have a place in the iiUroduclion, I lliall now olfer fuch obfcrva- tions as muft neceffarily occur, from a careful atten- tion to, and invefdgaLion of, the marners of the Indian nations ; being induced, while travcllincr among them, to afibciate with them, that I mio-h^t judge for myfelf, whether they v.-ere deferving'of the fevere cenfure which prevailed again ft them among the white people, that they were incaoable of civiUzation. In the confideration of this important fub'ecc ir will be neceifary to inquire, whether thev were in- clined xxiv Introduction, dined to adopt the European modes of civil fociety ? Whether fuch a reformation could be obtained, without ufing coercive or violent means ? And lailly, whether fuch a revolution would be produftive of real benefit to them, and confequently beneficial to the public ? I vi^as fatisfied in difcoveiing that they were defirous of becoming united with us, in civil and religious fociety. It may, therefore, not be foreign to the fubjedH:, to point out the propriety of fending men of ability and virtue, under the authority of government, as friendly viators, into their towns : let thefe men be inflrudled to learn perfedly their languages, and by a liberal and friendly intimacy become acquainted with their cuftoms and ufages, religious and civil ; their fyftem of legiflation and police, as well as their mod ancient and prefent traditions and hiftory. Thefe men thus enlightened and infl:ru61:ed would be qualified to judge equitably, and when returned to us, to make true and jufl reports, which might aififl the legiflature of the United States to form, and offer to them, a judicious plan for their civili- zation and union with us. But I prefume not to dictate in thefe high concerns of government, and I am fully convinced that fuch important matters are far above my ability ; the duty and refpeft we owe to religion and rectitude, the mod acceptable incenfe we offer to the Almighty, as an atonement for our negligence in the care of the prefent and future well being of our Indian bre- thren, induce me to mention this matter, though perhaps of greater concernment than we generally are aware. TRAVELS "*'■ s.'J,./,„ TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA. CHAP. L The author fets fail from Philadelphia ^ and arrives at Charleflon^ from whence he begins his travels. At the requefl of Dr. Fothergill, of London, to fearch the Floridas, and the wellern parts of Ca- roUna and Georgia, for the difcovery of rare and ufeful produftions di nature, chiefly in the vege- table kingdom; in April, 1773, I embarked for Charlerton, South Carolina, on board the brigan- tine Charlellon packet, captain Wright, the brig - - - , captain Mafon, being in company with us, and bound to the fame port. We had a plea- fant run down the Delaware, 150 miles to cape Henlopen, the two veffels entering the Atlantic to- gether. For the firfl twenty-four hours we had a piofperous gale, and were cheerful and happy in the profped of a quick and pleafant voyage ; but, alas ! how vain and uncertain are human expeda- tions ! how quickly is the flattering fcene chang- ed ! The powerful winds, now rufhing forth from B their « TRAVELS IN their fecret abodes, fuddenly fpread terror and de- vaftation ; and the wide ocean, which, a few mo- ments part, was gentle and placid, is now thrown into diforder, and heaped into mountains, whofe white curling crefts feem to fweep the fkies ! This furious gale continued near two days and nights, and not a Httle damaged our fails, cabin furniture, and ftate-rooms, befides retarding our paiTage. The florm having abated, a lively gale from N. W. continued four or five days, when fliifting to N. and laftly to N. E. on the tenth of our departure from cape Henlopen, early in the morning, we defcried a fail aflern, and in a Ihoit time difcovered it to be capt. Mafon, who foon came up with us. We hailed each other, being joyful to meet again after fo many dangers. He fuffered greatly by the gale, but providentially made a good harbour within cape Hatteras. As he ran by us, he threw on board ten or a dozen bafs, a large and delicious fifh, having caught a great number of them whilll he was detained in harbour. He got into Charleflon that evening, and we the next morning, about eleven o'clock. There are few objeds out at fea to attract the notice of the traveller, but what are fublime, aw- ful, and majeflic : the feas themfelves, in a tem- ped, exhibit a tremendous fcene, where the winds affert their power, and, in furious conflict, feem to fet the ocean on fire. On the other hand, nothing can be more fublime than the view of the encircling horizon, after the turbulent winds have taken their flight, and the lately agitated bofom of the deep has again become calm and pacific ; the gentle moon lifing in dignity from the eaft, attended by thou- Lnds of glittering orbs : the luminous appearance of NORTH A.MERiCA- 3 of the feas at night, when all the waters feem tranf- muted into liquid filver ; the prodigious bands of porpoifes foreboding temped, that appear to cover the ocean ; the mighty whale, fovereign of the wa- tery realms, who cleaves the feas in his courfe ; the fudden appearance of land from the fea, the ftrand ftretching each way, beyond the utmofl reach of fight J the alternate appearance and recefs of the coaft, whilil the far diltant blue hills flowly retreat and difappear ; or, as we approach the coaft, the capes and promontories firft ftrike our fi ^ht, emerg- ing from the watery expanfe, and, like mighty gi- ants, elevating tl^eir crefts towards the fkies ; the water fuddenly alive with its fcaly inhabitants ^ fquadrons of fea-fowl fweeping through the air, im- pregnated with the breath of fragrant aromatic trees and flowers ; the amplitude and magnificence of thefe fcenes arc great indeed, and may i '-e'ent to the imagination, an idea of the firfl: appearance of the earth to man at the creation. On my arrival at Charlefton, I waited on do6tor Chalmer, a gentleman of eminence in his profeilion and public employments, to whom I was recom- mended by my worthy patron, and to whom I was to apply for counfel and aflillance, for carrying into eftedl my intended travels. The dodor received me with perfeft politenefs, and, on every occafion, treated me with friendfhip ; and by means of the countenance which he gave me, and the marks of efteem with which he honoured me, I became ac- quainted with many of the worthy families, not only of Carolina and Georgia, but alfo in the diflant countries of Florida. a a CHAP. TRAVELS IN CHAP. ir. ARRTv'iNG in Carolina very early in the fpring, •vegetation was not fufficiently advanced to invite me into the weftern parts of this flate ; from which circumflance, I concluded to make an excurfion into Georgia ; accordingly, 1 embarked on board a coafling vellel, and in twenty four hours arrived in Savanna, the capital, where, acquainting the go- vernor, Sir J. Wright, with my bufmefs, his ex- cellency received me with great politenefs, fliewed me every mark of efleem and regard, and furnifli- ed me with letters to the principal inhabitants of the flate, which were of great fervice to me. Another circumflance very opportunely occurred on my arri- val : the aflenibly was then fitting in Savanna, and feveral m<;mbers lodging in the fame houfe where I took up my quarters, I became acquainted with fe- veral worthy charaders, who invited me to call at their feats occafionaily, as I palled through the coun- try j particularly the hon. B. Andrews, efq. a dif- tinguiflied, patriotic, and liberal charafter. This gentleman's feat, and well cultivated plantations, arc fituated near the fouth high road, which I often travelled ; and I feldom paifed his houfe without calling to fee him, for it was the feat of virtue, where h.fpitality, piety, and philofophy, formed the happy family ; where the weary traveller and flranger found a hearty welcome, and from whence it muft be his own fault if he departed without being greatlv benefited. After NORTH AMERICA. 5 After reding, and a little recreation for a few days in Savanna, and having in the mean time purchafed a good horfe, and equipped myfelf for a journey fouthvvard, I fet oil' early in the morninpf for Sunbury, a fea-port town, beautifully fituated on the main, between Medway and Newport ri- vers, about fifteen miles fouth of ^reat Ogeeche river. The town and harbour are defended from the furv of the feas by the north and fouth points of St. Helena and South Catharine's illands ; be- tween which is the bar and entrance into the found : the harbour is capacious and fafe, and has water enough for (liips of great burthen. I arrived here in the evening, in company with a gentleman, one of the inhabitants, who politely introduced me to one of the principal families, where I fuppcd and fpent the evening in a circle of genteel and polite ladies and gentlem.en. Next day, being defirous of vifiting the iflands, I forded a narrow flioal, part of the found, and landed on one of them, which employed me the whole day to explore. The fur- face and vegetable mould here is generally a loofc fand, not very fertile, except fome fpots bordering on the found and inlets, where are found heaps .or mounds of fea-fliell, either formerly brought there by the Indians, who inhabited the ifland, or which, were perhaps thrown up in ridges, by the beadng furface of the fea: poflibly both thefe circumftances may have contributed to their formation. Thefe fea fhells, through length of tinffe, and the fubtle penetrating cfleds of the air, which diflblve them to earth, render thefe ridges very fertile; and, when clear of their trees, and culdvated, they become profufely produdive of almoin every kind of vegetable. Here arc alfo large plantations of indio;o.. O TRAVELS IN indigo, corn, and potatoes*, with inany other forts of efculent plants. I obferved, amongll the (hells of the conical mounds, fragments of earthen vef- fels, and of other utenfils, the manufa6lure of the ancients : about the centre of one of them, the rim of an earthen pot appeared amongft the Ihells and earth, which I carefully removed, and drew it out, almoft whole : this pot was curioufly wrought all over the outfide, reprefenting baiket work, and was undoubtedly efteemed a very ingenious perform- ance, by the people, at the age of its conliru6lion. The natural produce of thefe teflaceous ridges, be- fides many of lefs note, are, the great Laurel Tree, (Magnolia grandiflora) Pinus taeda, Laurus Bor- bonia, Quercus fempervirens, or Live Oak, Prunus Lauro-cerafus, Ilex aquifolium, Corypha palma, Juniperus Americana. The general lurface of the illand being low, and generally level, produces a very great variety of trees, flirubs, and Jierbaceous plants ; particularly the great long-leaved Pitch- Pine, or Broom-Pine, Pinus paluflris, Finus fqua- mofa, Pinus lutea, Gordonla Lafianthus, Liquid ambar (Styraciflua) Acer rubrum, Fraxinus excel- cior, Fraxinus aquatica, Quercus aquatica, Ouercus phillos, Quercus dentata, Quercus humila varietas, Vaccinium varietas, Andromeda varietas, Prinos va- rietas. Ilex varietas, Viburnum prunifoUum, V. den- tatum, Cornus florida, C. alba, C. fanguinea, Car- pinus betula, C. oftrya, Itea Clethra alnifolia, Hale- fia tetraptera, H. diptera, Iva, Rhamnus frangula, Callicarpa, Morus rubra, Sapindus, CalTnie, and of fuch as grow near water-courfes, round about ponds and favannas, Fothergilla gardini, Myrica cerifera, Olea Americana, Cvrilla racemiflora^ * Convolvulus batata. Magnoli: NOR,TH AMERICA. 7 Magnolia glauca. Magnolia pyramidita, Cercis, Ralmia augultifolia, Kalmia ciliata, Chionanthus, Cephalanthos, vEfculus parva ; and the interme- diate fpaces, furrounding and lying between riie ridges and favamias, are interfe(5led with plains of the dwarf prickly fan-leaved Palmetto, and lawns of grafs variegated with (lately trees of the great Broom-Pine, and the fpreading ever-green Water- Oak, either difpofed in - clumps, or fcatteringly planted by nature. The upper furface, or vegeta- tive foil of the ifland, lies on a foundation, or ftra- tum, of tenacious cinereous-coloured clay, whicii perhaps is the principal fupport of the vail grovvtU of timber that arifes from the furface, which is lit- tle more than a mixture of fine white fand and dif- folved vegetables, ferving as a nurfery bed to hatch or bring into exillence the infant plant, and to fup- ply it vvith aliment and food, fuitable to its delicacy and tender frame, until the roots, acquiring fufli- cient extent and folidity to lay hold of the clay, foon attain a magnitude and (lability fufHcient to main- tain its (lation. Probably if this clay were dug out and cafl upon the furface, after being meliorated by the faline or nitrous qualities of the air, it would kindly incorporate with the loofe fand, and become a produclive and lading manure. The roebuck, or deer, are numerous on thi-' ifland ; the tyger, wolf, and bear, hold yet fomc poileflion ; as alio raccoons, foxes, hares, fquirrels, rats, and mice, but I think no mole;. There is a large ground rat, Diore than twice the (ize of the common Norway rat. Jn the night time it throws out the earth, forming .little mounds, or hillocks, oppofTums are here in abundance, as alfo pole-CcUs, wild-cats, rattle-fnakes, glafs-fnake, clach-wTiip fnake, and a variety of otlu-^.r fc-rpcnt';. ITer- 8 TRAVELS IN Here are alfo a great variety of birds, throughout the feafons, inhabiting both fea and land. Firfl: I iliall name the eagle, of which there are three fpe- cies. The great grey eagle is the largeft, of great ftrength and high flight ; he chiefly preys on fawns and other young quadrupeds. The bald eagle is likewife a large, ftrong, and very adive bird, but an execrable tyrant : he fup- ports his aflTumed dignity and grandeur by rapine and violence, extorting unreafonable tribute and fub- fidy from all the feathered nations. The lafl: of this race I fhall mention is the falco pifcatorius, or fifhing-hawk. : this is a large bird, of high and rapid flight ; his wings are very long and pointed, and he fpreads a vaft fail, in proportion to the volume of his body. This princely bird fubfifts entirely on filh which he takes himfelf, fcorning to live and grow fat on the dear earned labours of ano- ther ; he alfo contributes liberally to the fupport of the bald eagle. Water-fowl, and the various fpecies of land-birds, alfo abound, mod of which are mentioned by Ca- tefby, in his Hift. of Carolina, particularly his paint- ed finch (Emberiza Ceris Linn.) exceeded by none of the feathered tribes, either in variety and Iplen- dour of drefs, or melody of fong. Catefoy's ground doves are alfo here in abund- ance : they are remarkably beautiful, about the fizc of a fparrow, and their foft and plaintive cooing per- fedly enchanting. Hov/ chafte the dove! " never known to vlclue the conjugal contract." She flees the feats of envy and ftrife, and feeks the retired paths of peace. The NORTH AMERICA. 9 The fight of this delightful and produ(5tive ifland, placed in front of the rifing city of Sunbury, quickly induced me to explore it ; which I appre- hended, from former vifits to this coaft, would ex- hibit a comprehenfive epitome of the hiftory of all the fea-coafl iflands of Carolina and Georgia, as likewife in general of the coaft of the main. And though I confidered this excurfion along the coaft of Georgia and northern border of Florida, a de- viation from the high road of my intended travels, yet I performed it in oidcr to employ to the moft advantage the time on my hands, before the treaty ot Augufta came on, where I was to attend, about May or June, by defirc of the Superintendant, J. Stewart, cfq. who, when I was in Cliai lefton, pro- pofed, in order to facilitate my travels in the Indiari territories, that, if 1 would be prcfeut at the Con- grcfs, he would introduce my bufmcfs to the chiefs of the Cherokees, Creeks, and other nations, and recommend me to their friendfhip and protetllon j which promife he fully pel formed, and it proved of great fervice to me. Obedient to the admonitions of my attendant fpirit, curiofity, as well as to gratify the expe(5ta- tions of my worthy patron, I again fet oft' on my fouthern excurfion, and left Sunbury, in company with feveral of its polite inhabitants, who were going to Medway meeting, a very large and well con- ftrufted place of worfliip, in St. John's parifti, where I aflbciated with them in rehgious exercife, and heard a very excellent fermon, delivered by their pious and truly venerable paftor, the Rev. Ofgood. This rcfpeclable congregation is independent, and ccnfirt chiefly of families, and profclytes , to TRAVELS IN profelytes to a flock, which this pious man led about forty years ago, from South Carolina, and fettled in this fruitful difirid:. It is about nine miles from Sunbury to Medway meeting-houfe, ■which ftands on the high road oppofite the Sun- bury road. As foon as the congregation broke up, 1 re-alfumed my travels, proceeding down the high road towards Fort Barrington, on the Alatamaha, palling through a level country, well watered by large ftreams, branches of Medway and Newport rivers, courfmg from extenfive fwamps and marfhes, their fources : thefe fwamps are daily clearing and improving into large fruitful rice plantations, aggrandizing the well inhabited and rich diftrict of St. John's parifli. The road is ftraight, fpacious, , and kept in excellent repair by the induftrious in-, habitants ; and is generally bordered on each fide with a light grove, confiding of the following trees and fhrubs : Myrica, Cerifera, Calycanthus, Haleiia tetraptera, Itea, ftewartia, Andromeda nitida, Cy- rella racemiflora, entwined with bands and gar- lands of Bignonia fempervirens, B. crucigera, Lo- nicera, fempervirens and Glycene frutefcens ; thefe were overfhadowed by tall and fpreading trees, as the Magnolia grandiiiora. Liquid ambar, Lirio- dendron, Catalpa, Quercus fempervirens, Quercus dentata, Q^ Phillos ; and on the verges of the canals, where the road was caufwayed, flood the Cupref/us diflicha, Gordonia Lacianthus, and Magnolia glauca, all planted by nature, and left {landing, by the virtuous inhabitants, to Ihade the road, and perfume the fultry air. The extenfive plantations of rice and corn, now in early ver- dure, decorated here and there with groves of flo- liferous and fragrant trecr, and ilirubs, under the cover NORTH AMERICA. II cover and protedion of pyramidal laurels and plumed palms, which now and then break through upon the fight from both fides of the way as we pafs along ; the eye at intervals Healing a view at the humble, but elegant and neat habitation, of the happy proprietor, amidft arbours and groves, all day, and moon-light nights, filled with the melody of the cheerful mockbird, warbling nonpareil, and plaintive turtle-dove, altogether prefent a view of magnificence and joy, inexpreffibly charming and animating. In the evening I arrived at the feat of the Hon. B. Andrews, efq. who received and entertained me in every refpedl, as a worthy gentleman could a ftranger, that is, with hearty welcome, plain but plentiful board, free converfation and liberaUty of fentiment. I fpent the evening very agreeably, and the day following (for I was not permitted to de- part fooner) : I viewed with plcafure this gentleman's exemplary improvements in agriculture ; particu- larly in the growth of rice, and in his machines for /helling that valuable grain, which ftands in the water almofl from the time it is fown, until within a few days before it is reaped, when they draw otT the water by fluices, which ripens it all ar once, and when the heads or panicles are dry ripe, it is reaped and left (landing in the field, in fmall ricks, until the ftraw is quite dry, when it is hauled, and ftack- ed in the barn yard. The machines for cleaning tlie rice are worked by the iorcc of water. They (land on the great refer voir which contains the waters that flood the rice fields below. Towards the evening we made a little party at fiftiing. We chofe a (haded retreat, in a beautiful grove of magnolias, myrtles, and fweet bay trees, which 12 TRAVELS IN which were left (landing on the bank of a fine creek, that, from this place, took a flow ferpen- tine courfe through the plantation. "VVe prefently tookfome fifh, one kind of which is very beautiful ; they call it the red-belly. It is as large as a man's hand, nearly oval and thin, being compreffed on each fide ; the tail is beautifully formed ; the top of the head and back of an olive green, befprinkled with rulfet fpecks ; the fides of a fea green, inclin- ing to azure, infenfibly blended with the olive above, and beneath lightens to a filvery white, or pearl colour, elegantly powdered with fpecks of the fined green, ruffet and gold ; the belly is of a bright fcarlet red, or vermilion, darting up rays or fiery ftreaks into the pearl on each fide ; the ultimate angle of the branchiodega extends backwards with a long fpatula, ending v/ith a round or oval parti- coloured fpot, representing the eye in the long feathers of a peacock's train, verged round with a thin flame-coloured membrane, and appears like a brilliant ruby fixed on the fide of the filh ; the eyes are large, encircled with a fiery iris , they are a voracious fifti, and are eafily caught with a fuit- able bait. The next morning I took leave of this worthy family, and fet off for the fettlements on the Ala- tamaha, ffill purfuing the high road for Fort Bar- riu'^ton, till towards noon, when I turned off to the left, following the road to Darian, a fettlement on the river twenty miles lower down, and near the coafl. The fore part of this day's journey was pleafant, the plantations frequent, and the roads in tolerriblc good repair ; but the country being now lefs cultivated, the roads became bad. I purfued my journey almoft continually through fv.amps and creeks, waters of Newport and Sapeilo, till night, when I NORTH AMERICA. J3 when I loft my way ; but coming up to a fence, I faw a glimmering light, which conducled me to a houfe, where I ftayed all night, and met with very civil entertainment. Early next morning I fet off again, in company with the overfeer of the farm, who piloted me through a large and diflicult fwamp, when we parted ; he in chafe of deer, and I to- wards Darian. I rode feveral miles through a high foreft of pines, thinly growing on a level plain, which admitted an ample view, and a free circula- tion of air, to another fwamp ; and crolling a con- fiderable branch of Sapello river, I then came to a fmall plantation by the fide of another fwamp : the people were remarkably civil and hofpitable. The man's name was M'Intoih, a family of the firft co- lony eflabHflied in Georgia, under the conduct of general Oglethorpe. Was there ever fuch a fcenc of primitive fnnplicity, as was here exhibited, fmce the days of the good king Tammany. The vener- able grey-headed Caledonian fmilingly meets me coming up to his houfe. " Welcome, Itranger ; come in, a>nd reft ; the air is now very fultry ; it is a very hot day.'* I was there treated with fome excellent venifon, and here found friendly and fe- cure ftielter from a tremendous thunder ftorm, which came up from the N. W. and foon afler my arrival began to difcharge its fury all around. Stepping to the door to obferve the progrefs and diredion of the tempeft, the fulgour and rapidity of the Itreams of lightning, paffing from cloud to cloud, and from the clouds to the earih, exhibited a very awful fcene ; when inftantly the lightning, as it were, opening a fiery chafm in the black cloud, darted with inconceivable rapidity on the trunk of a large pine tree, that ftood thirty or forty yards from me, and fct it in a blaze. The flame inftantly afcended 14 TRAVELS IN afcended upwards of ten or twelve feet, and conti- nued flaming about fifteen minutes, when it was gradually extlnguifncd by the deluges of rain that fell upon it. I faw here a remarkably large turkey of 'the na. tive wild breed : his head was above three feet from the ground when he flood ereft ; he was a ftately beautiful bird, of a very dark dufky brown colour, the tips of the feathers of his neck, breaft, back, and flioulders, edged with a copper colour, which in a certain expofure looked like burnifhed gold, and he feemed not infenfible of the fplendid appearance he made. He was reared from an eggy found in the foreft, and hatched by a hen of the common domeflic fowl. Our turkey of America is a very different fpe- cies from the meleagris of Afia and Europe ; they are nearly thrice their fize and weight. 1 have feen feveral that have weighed between twenty and thirty pounds, and feme have been killed that weighed near forty. They are taller, and have a much longer neck propordonally, and likewife longer legs, and ftand more ereft j they are alfo very dif- ferent in colour. Ours are all, male and female, of a dark brown colour, not having a black feather on them ; but the male exceedingly fplendid, with changeable colours. In other particulars they differ not. The temped being over, I waited till the floods of rain had run off the ground, then took leave of my friends, and departed. The air was now cool and falubrious, and riding feven or eight miles, through a pine foreft, 1 came to Sapello bridge, to which the fait tide flows. 1 here flopped, at Mr, NORTH AMER'CA. I5 Mr. Bailey*s, to deliver a letter from the governor. This gentleman received me very civilly, inviting me to flay with him ; but upon my urging the ne- ceflity of my accelerating my journey, he permitted me to proceed to Mr. L. IM'Intolh's, near the river, to vi'hofe friendfhip I v.'^ recommended by Mr. B. Andrews. Perhaps, to a grateful mind, there is no intellec- tual enjoyment, which regards human concerns, of a more excellent nature, than the remembrance of real a6ls of fiiendfhip. The heart expands at the pleafing recollet!ilion. When I came up to his door, the friendly man, fmiling, and with a grace and dignity peculiar to himl'elf, took me by the hand, and accofted me thus : " Friend Bartram, come " under my roof, and I defire you to make my houfe " your home, as long as convenient to yourfelf ; re- " member, from this moment, that you are a part *' of my family, and, on my part, I fhall endeavour " to make it agreeable," which was verified du- ring my continuance in, and about, the fouthern territories of Georgia and Florida ; for I found here fincerity in union with all the virtues, under the in- fluence of religion. I fliall yet mention a remarka- ble inftance of Mr. M'Intofli's friendlhip and refped for me ; which was, recommending his eldeft fon, Mr. John M'Into(h, as a companion in my travels. He was a fenfible virtuous youth, and a very agree- able companion through a long and toilfome journey of near a thoufand miles. Having been greatly refrefhed, by continuing a few days with this kind and agreeable family, I pre- pared to profecute my journey ibutherly. CHAP. l6 TRAVELS IN CHAP. III. I Sat off early in the morning for the Indian trading-houfe, in the river St. Mary, and took the road up the N. E. fide of the Alatamaha to Fort-Bar- rington. 1 pafled through a well inhabited diftritt, moftly rice plantations, on the waters of Cathead creek, a branch of the Alatamaha. On drawing near the fort, I was greatly delighted at the appear- ance of two new beautiful fhrubs, in all their bloom- ing graces. One of them appeared to be a fpecies of Gordonia * but the flowers are larger, and more fragrant than thofe of the Gordonia, Lafcanthus, and are feffile ; the feed veffel is alfo very different. The other was equally diftinguiflied for beauty and fmgularity ; it grows twelve or fifteen feet high, the branches afcendant and oppofite, and terminate with large panicles of pale blue tubular flowers, fpeckled on the infide with crimfon ; but, what is fmgular, thefe panicles are ornamented with a number of ovate large braftese, as white, and like fine paper, their tops and verges fl:ained with a rofe red, which, at a little diftance, has the appearance of clufl:ers of rofes, at the extremities of the limbs : the flowers are of the CI. Pentandria monogynia ; the leaves are nearly ovate, pointed and petioled, {landing op- pofite to one another on the branches. After fifteen miles riding, I arrived at the ferry, which is near the fite of the fort. Here is a confi- derable height and bluff on the river, and evident * Franklinia Ajatahama vefl:iges NORTH AMERICA. 1'] veftiges of an ancient Indian to\vn may be feen,' fuch as old extenfive fields, and conical moujids, or artificial heaps of earth. I here croffed the ri- ver, which is about five hundred yards over, in a good large boat, rowed by a Creek Indian, who was married to a white woman ; he feemed an ac- tive, civil, and fenfible man. I faw large, tall trees of theNyffa coccinea, fi. Ogeeche, growing en the banks of the river- They grow in the water, near the fliore. There is no tree th^t exhibits a more defirable appearance than tliis, a\ nhe autumn, when the fruit is ripe, and the tree diverted of its leaves ; for then they lock as red as fcailct, with their fruit, which is of that colour aHo. It is of the fhape, but larger than the olive, containing an agreeable acid juice. The leaves are oblorg lan- ceolate and entire, fomewhat hoary underneatn ; their upper furface of a full green, and Ihining ; the petioles fliort, pedunculis multifloris. The molt northern fettlemcnt of this tree, yet known, is on Great Ogeeche, where they are calle.i Ogeeche limes, from their acid fruit being about the fize c£ limes, and their being fometimcs ufed in their flead. Being fafely landed on the oppofite bank, I mounted my horfe, and followed the high road to the ferry on St. Ille, about fixty miles fouth of the Alatamaha, palling through an uninhabited wilder- nefs. The fuddcn traniition from rich uncultivated fettlements, to high pine forefts, dark and graffy favannas, forms in my opinion no difagreeable con- traits ; and the new objeds of obfervation in the works of nature foon reconcile the furprifed ima- gination to the change. As foon as I had loft fight of the river, afcending fome iand-hill:i, I obferved C a new l8 TRAVELS ]N a new and moft beautiful fpecies of Annona, hav- ing cluftef s of large white fragrant flowers ; and a diminutive but elegant Kalmia. The (terns are very fmall, feeble, and for the mofl part undivided, furnifhed with little ovate pointed leaves, and ter- minate with a fimple racemi, or fpike of flowers,- falver formed, and of a deep rofe red. The whole plant is ciliated. It grows in abundance all over the moifl: favannas, but more efpecialiy near ponds and bay-fwamp.>. In fimilar fituations, and com- monly a near neighbour to this new Kalmia, is feen a very cuiious fpecies of Annona. It is very dwarf, the Pccms feldo;n extending from the earth more than a foot or eighteen inches, and are weak and almoil decumbent. The leaves are long, extremely narrow, almofl lineal. However, fmall as they are, they retain the figure common to the fpecies, that is, lanceolate, broadeft at the upper end, and atte- nuating down to the petiole, which is very fliort , their leaves fl.and alternately, nearly ereft, forming two fcries, or wings, on the arcuated ftems. The flov^ers, both in fizc and colour, refemble thofe of the Antiilobe, and are Tingle from the axiilas of the leaves on incurved penduncull, nodding downwards. I never faw the fruit. The dens, or caverns, dug in the fand-hilis, by the great land-tortoife, called here Gopher"^, preient a* very lingular appearance: ihefe vail caves are their caftles and diurnal retreats, from <vhence tiiey iflue forth in the night, in fearch ©f prey. The little mounds, or hillocks of frefli earth, thrown up in great numbers in the night, have alfo a cujIous appearance. In the evening I arrived at a cow-pen, where there was a habitation, and the people received me * Toiludo Polyphfmus. very J'l.J 17. Z. C V////<'V/a (//y///y//u>jrr,^ NORTH AMERICA. 1 9 very civilly. I ftaid here all night, and had for fupper plenty of milk, butter, and very good cheefe of their own make, which is a novelty in the mari- time parts of Carolina and Georgia ; the inhabitants being chiefly fupplied with it from Europe and the northern dates. The next day's progrels, in ge- neral, prefentcd fcenes fimilar to the preceding, though the land is lower, more level and humid, and the produce more varied : high open forefts of ftately pines, flowery plains, and exjenfive green favannas, chequered with the incarnate Chironia pulcherrima, and Afclepias fragrans, perfumed the air whilfl they pleafed the eye. I met with forae troublefome cane fwamps, law herds of horned cattle, horfes and deer, and took notice of a pro- cumbent fpecics of Hibifcus, the leaves palmated, the flowers large and expanded, pale yellow and^ white, having a deep crimfon eye ; the whole plant, except the corolla, armed with ftifF hair. I alio faw a beautiful fpecies of Lupin, having pale green villous Hngulate * leaves; the flowers are difpofed in long ercft fpikes ; fome plants produce flowers of the fincll celeflial blue, others incarnate, and fome milk white, and though they all three feem to be varieties of one fpecies, yet they aflbci- ate in feparate communities, fomctimcs approach- ing near each other's border, or in fight at a dif- tance. Their diflrids are fltuated on dry fandy heights, in open pine foreili', which are naturally thin of undergrowth, and appear to great advan- tage ; generally where they are found, they occu- py many acres of furface. The vegetative mould is compofed of fine white fand, mixed, and colour- ed, with diilolvedand calcined vegetable fubflancesj * Liijinus brcur.is, foliis integerhnisoblongisvillolis. C 2 bui- id TRAVELS m but this {Iratum is not very deep, and covers one of a tenacious cinereous coloured clay, as we may ob- ferve by the earth adhering to the roots of trees, torn up by ftorms, &c. and by the little chimnies, or air holes * f cray-fifh, which perforate the favan- nas. Turkeys, quails, and fmall birds, are here to be (een ; but birds are not numerous in defert fo- refts ; they draw near to the habitations of men, as I have conftantly obferved in all my travels. I arrived at St. Ille*s in the evening, where I lodged ; and next morning, having croffed over in a ferry boat, fet forward for St. Mary's. The fitua- tion of the territory, its foil and productions, be- tween thefe two lall rivers, are nearly fimilar to ihofe which I had paffed over, except that the fa- vannas are more frequent and extenfive. It may be propjsr to obferve, that I had now paffed the utmoft frontier of the white fettlements un that border. It was drawing on towards the clofe of day, the jTs:ies ferene and calm, the air tem- perately cool, and gentle zephyrs breathing through the fragrant pines ; the profpeft around enchant- ingly varied and beautiful ; endlefs green favannas, chequered with coppices of fragrant fhrubs, filled the air with the richeft perfume. The gaily attired plants which enamelled the green had begun to im- bibe the pearly dew of evening ; nature feemed lilent, and nothing appeared to ruffle the happy moments of evening contemplation ; when, on a fudden, an Indian appeared crofling the path, at a coniiderable diftance before me. On perceiving that he was armed with a rifle, the firft fight of him itartled me, and I endeavoured to elude his fight, by (lopping my pace, and keeping large trees be- tween us J but he efpied me, and turning fhort about. J.'ORTM AMERICA. il about, fet fpurs to his horfe, and came up on full gallop. I never before this was afraid at the fight of an Indian, but at this time, I mull own that my ipirits were very much agitated : I faw at once, that being unarmed, I was in his power ; and hav- ing now but a few moments to prepare, 1 refigned myfelf entirely to the will of the Almighty, truft- ing to his mercies for my pvefervation : my mind then became tranquil, and I refolvcd to meet the dreaded foe with reiolution and chearful confi- dence. The intrepid Siminole ftopped fuddenly, three or four yards before me, and filently viewed me, his countenance angry and tierce, fhifling his rifle from fhoulder to fhoulder, and looking about inftantly on all fides. I advanced towards him, and with an air of confidence offered him my hand, baiUng him, brother ; at this he haftily jerked back his arm, with a look of malice, rage, and dif- dain, feeming every way difcontented ; when again looking at me more attentively, he inftantly fpurred up to me, and with dignity in his look and aclion, gave me his hand. Poflibly the filent language of his foul, during the moment of^ fufpenfe (for 1 be- lieve his defign was to kill me when he firit came up) was after this manner : " White man, thou " art my ejiemy, and thou and thy brethren may *' ha.ve killed .mine ; yet it mav noi. be fo, and even " were that the cafe, thou art now alone, and in " my power. Live ; the great Spirit forbids me " to touch thy life ; go to thy brethren, tell them '' thou faweft an Indian in the forells, who knew " how to be humane and compaiEonate.^' in tine, we (hook hands, and parted in a friendly manner, in the midft ot a dreary wildernefs j and he inform- ed me of the courfe and diftance to the trading- houfe, where I found he had been extremely ill- treated the day before. I now 22 TRAVELS INT, I now fat forward again, and after eight or ten miles riding, arrived at the banks of St. Rlary's, op- pofite the liores, and got fafe over before dark. The river is here about one hundred yards acrofs, has ten feet water, and, following its courfe, about fixty miles to the fea, though but about twenty miles by land. The trading company here received and treated me with great civility. On relating my adventures on the road, particularly the lafl: with the Indian, the chief replied, with a counte- nance that at once befpoke furprife and pleafure, " My friend, confider yourfelf a fortunate man : " that fellow,'* faid he, " is one of the greatefl vil- " lains on earth, a noted murderer, and outlawed *' by his countrymen. Lafl evening he was here, *' we took his gun from him, broke it in pieces, " and gave him a fevere drubbing : he, however, *' made his efcape, carrying off a new rifle gun, " with which, he faid, ^oing off, he would kill '* the firfl white man he met." On ferioufly contemplating the behaviour of this Indian towards me, fo foon after his ill treatment, the following train of fentiments infenfibly crowded in upon my mind. Can it be denied, but that the moral prineiple. which direds the favages to virtuous and praife- worthy aftions, is natural or innate ? It is certaii. they have not the afliftance of letters, or thofe means of education in the fchools of philofophy, where the virtuous fentiments and aiflions of the moft illuftrious charafters are recorded, and care- fully laid before the youth of civilized nations : therefore this moral principle muft be tnnate, or they mud be under the immediate influence and guidance of a more divine and powerful preceptor. who. NORTH AMEPvICA. CJ who, on thefe occafiohs, inftantly infpircs them, and as with a ray of divine light, points out to them at once the dignity, propriety, i\nd beauty of vir- tue. The land on, and rfdjaccnt to, this river, not- withftanding its arenaceous furface, appears natu- rally fertile. The peach trees are large, healthy, and fruitful ; and Indian corn, rice, cotton, and indigo, thrive exceedingly. This fandy furface, one vvould fuppoi'c, from its loofe texture, would poflefs a percolating quality, and fuffer the ruin- waters quickly to drain off; but it is quite the con- trary, at Icaft in thefe low maritime fandy coun- tries of Carolina and Florida, beneath the moun- tains ; for in the fands, even the heights, where the arenaceous firatum is perhaps five, eight, and ten feet above the clay, the earth, even in the longcit droughts, is moifl an inch or two under the furface ; whereas, in the rich tenacious low lands, at fuch times, the ground is dry, and, as it were, baked ma- ny inches, and fometimes fome feet deep, and the crops, as well as ahnoll nil vegetation, fuffer in fuch foils and fituations. The reafon of this may- be, that this kind of earth admits more frcelv of a tranfpiration of vapours, arifmg from inteftine wa- tery canals to the furface ; and probably thefe va- pours are impregnated with faline or nitrous prin- ciples, friendly and nutritive to vegetables ; how- ever, of thefe caufes and fecret operations of nature I am ignorant, and lefume again niy proper eni- ploymenr, that of difcovering and colleding data for theexercife of more able phyfiologiffs. The favannas about St. Mary's, at this feafon, difplay a very charming appearance of flowers and yerdure \ their more elevated borders are varied with fl4 TRAVEr.S IN wi-th beds of violets, lupins, Amaryllis atamafco, and plants of a new and very beautiful fpecies of Mimofa lenfitiva, which I think as admirable and more charming than the celebrated Humble plant, equally chafle and fearful of the hafty touch of the furprifed admirer. The flower is larger, of a bright damafk rofe colour, and exceedingly fragrant : the whole plant is deftitute of prickles, but hairy : it is procumbent, reclining itfelf upon the green turf, and from thefe trailing branches proceeds an upright peduncle, fix or eight inches high, fupporting an oblong head of flowerets, which altogether, at a imall diflance, have the appearance of an exuber- ant field of clover ; and, what is fmgular, and richly varies the fcene, there are interfpetfed patches of the fame fpecies of plants, having flowers of the fined golden yellow, and others fnow white ; but the incarnate is mofl prevalent. Magnolia glauca, Itea Clethra, Chionanthus, Gordonia lafi- anthus. Hex auguilifolium, Olea Americana, Ho- pea tincloria, &c. are feated in detached groves or clumps, round about the ponds or little lakes, at the lower end of the favannas. I obferved, growing on the banks of this fequeitered river, the following trees and flirubs : Quercus fempervirents, (^ aquatica, CX Phillos, Q^ dentata, NylTa aquati- ca, N. fylvatica, N. Ogeeche, fi. coccinca, Cupref- fus difl:icha, Fraxinus aquatica, Rhamuus frangula, Prunus laurocerafa, Cyrilla racemiflora, Myrica cerifera, Andromeda ferruginia, Andr. nitida, and the great evergreen Andromeda of Florida, called Pipe-ftem Wood, to which I gave the name of An- dromeda formofiffima, as it far exceeds in beauty every one of this family. The river St. Mary has its fource from a val'^ lake, or marfh, called Ouaquaphenogav^', which lie-^ betweei; 2<0RTH AMERICA. 25 between Flint and Oakmulge rivers, and occupies ?. fpace of near three hundred miles in circuit. This vaft accumulation of waters, in the wet feafon, appears as a lake, and contains fome large illands or knolls, of rich high land ; one of which the pre- fent generation of the Creeks reprefent to be a moll blifsful fpot of the earth ; they fay it is inhabited by a peculiar race of Indians, whofe women are in- comparably beautiful ; they alfo tell you that this terreftrial paradife has been feen by fome of their enterprifmg hunters, when in purfuit of game, who being loll in inextricable Iwamps and bogs, and on the point of perilhing, were unexpectedly relieved by a company of beautiful women, whom they call daughters of the fun, who kintlly gave them fuch provifions as they had with them, which were chiefly fruit, or nges, dates. Sec. and fome com cakes, and then enjoined them to fly for fafety to their own country ; for that their hulbands were ■ fierce men, and cruel •. to Grangers : they further fay, that ihefe hunters had a view of their fettle ments, fituated on the elevated banks of an ifland, or piomontory, in a beautiful lake ; but that in their endeavours to approach it, they were in- volved in perpetual labyrinths, and, like enchanted land, fi.i!l as they imagined they had jufl: gained it, it feemed to fly before them, alternately appearing and difappearing. They refolved, at length, to leave the delufive purfuit, and to return ; which, after a number of inexpreffible difficulties, they ef- fc<fi:ed. When they reported their adventures to their countrymen, their young warriors were en- flamed with an irrelilfible defire to invade, and make a conquell of, fo charming a country ; but all their attempts hitherto have proved abortive, never having been able again to find that en- chanting 26 TRAVELS IN chanting fpot, nor even any road or pathway to it ; yet they fay that they frequently meet with certain iigns of its being inhabited, as the building of ca- noes, footileps of men, &c. They tell another fhory concerning the inhabitants of this fequeftered country, which fcenis probable enough, which is, that they are the pofterity of a fugitive remnant of the ancient Yamafes, who efcaped mafTacre after a bloody and decifive conflict between them and the Creek nation (who, it is certain, conquered, and nearly exterminated, that once powerful people), and here found an afylum, remote and fecure from the fury of their proud conquerors. It is, however, certain that there is a vail lake, or drowned fwamp, well known, and often vifited both by white and In. dian hunters, and on its environs the moft valuable hunting grounds in Florida, well worth contending for, by thofe powers whofe territories border upon it. From this great fource of rivers *, St. Mary arifes, and meanders through a vail plain and pint^ forell, near an hundred and fifty miles to the ocean, with which it communicates, between the points of Amelia and Talbert iflands ; the waters flow deep and gently down from its fource to the fea. Having made my obfervations on the vegetable produtiions of this part of the country, and ob- tained fpecimens and feeds of fome curious trees and flirubs (which were the principal objefts of this excurfion) I returned by the fame road to the Ala- tamaha, and arrived fafe again at the feat of my good friend, L. M-Intofii, Efq. where I tarried a few days to rcll and refreih myfelf, and to wait for * Source of rivers. It is faid, that St. (lie, St. Miry, and the beautiful river Little St. Juan, which difcharges its waters into the b ;y of Apalachi, a: Sc. Miik's, take their rile from this fwimp. my NORTH AMERICA. IJ my young companion and fellow pilgrim, Mr. John M'Intofli, who, being fond of the enterprife, had been fo active during my ab fence, in the neceflfary preparations, that we had nothing to wait for now hut Mrs. M'Intofh's final confent to give up her fon to the perils and hardfhips of fo long a journey; which difficult point being fettled, we fet off with the prayers and benevolent wifhes of my compa- nion's worthy parents. CHAP. 23 TRAVELS IN C II A P. IV. E \ Ri.y in the moining, wc mounted our horfc.^^ and in two days arrived in Savanna ; here we>leamed that the fuperintendant of Indian affairs had left the capital, and was on his way to Augufta. I re-' mained but one day in Savanna, which was em- ployed in making up and forwarding the colle£lions for Charlefton. The day following we fet off for Auguffa, which is on Savanna river, at leaft an hundred and fifty miles by land from the capital, and about three hundred by water. We followed the courfe of the river, and arrived there after having had a profpe- rous journey, though a little incommoded by the heats of the feafon. As nothing very material occurred on the road, I fhall proceed to give a fummary account of the obfervations I made concerning the foil, fituation, and natural produdions of the country. In our progrefs from the fea coaft, we rife gra- dually, by feveral (leps or afcents, in the following manner : Firft, from the fea-coaft, fifty miles b^ick, is a level plain, generally of a loofe fandy foil, producing fpacious high forefts, of pinus taeda, P. lutea, P. fquarrofa, P. echinata, i. Quercus femper- virens, 2 Quercus aquatica, 3. Q^ phillos, 4. Q. tinftoria, 5. Q^ dentata, 6. (^ prinos, 7. Q. alba, 8. O. fmuata, 9. Q^ rubra, Liriodendron tuli- I. Live Oak. 2. Delia-leaved Water Oak. 3. Willow-leaved Oak. A. Great Black Oak. 5. Narrow-leaved Wintergreen Oak. 6. Swamp White Oak. 7. White Oak. 8. Spanifh Oak. 9. P.ed Oak. pifeva. NORTH AMERICA. 2^ pifcra, I.iquidambar ftyraciflua, Morus rubra, Cercis tilia, Populus heterophylla, Platanus ccci- deiitalis, Laurus faiiatras, Lauras Borboiiia, Ho- pea tincloria, Fraxinus excelfior, Nyilk, Ulmus, Juglaus exakata, Halefa, Stewartia. Nearly one third of this vait plain is what the inhabitants call fwamps, which are the fources of numerous fmaU rivers and their branches : thefe they call fait ri- vers, bccaufe the tides flow near to their fources, and generally carry a good depth and breadth of water for fmall craft, twenty or thirty miles up- wards from the fea, when they branch and fpread abroad like an open hand, interlocking wiih each other, and forming a chain of fwamps acrofs tht: Carolinas and Georgia, fcvcrai hundred miles pa- rallel with the fea coaft. Thefe fwamps are fed and repleniflied conftantly by an infinite number of rivulets and rills, which fpring out of the firll bank or afcent : their native trees and fhrubs are, befides moft of thofe already enumerated above, as fellow : Acer rubrum, Nyifa aquatica, Cbionanihus, Celtis, Fagus fylvatica, Sambricus ; and the higher knoils afford beautiful clumps of Azalea nuda and Aznalea vifcola, Corypha palma, Corvpha pumila, and Wiig- nolia grandiiiora ; befides, the whole furface of the ground between the trees and fhrubs appear to be occupied with canes (Arundo gigantea) entangled with feftoons of the floriferous Glycine frutefcens, Bignonia fempervirens, Glycine apios, Smilax, va- rious fpecies, Bignonia crucigera, Bign. radican?:, Loniccra fempervirens, and a multitude of other trees, , fhrubs, and plants lefs confpicuou^ ; and, in very wet places, Cuprcffus diilicha. The upper foil oi thefe fwamps is a perfedly black, foapy, rich earth, or flit! mud, two or three feet deep, ©n a foundation or flratum of calcarejus foflil, whicli %0 TRAVELS IN which the inhabitants call white marie ; and this is the heart or flrength of thefe fwamps : they never wear out or become poor, but, on the contrary, are more fertile by tillage ; for when they turn up this white marie, the air and winter frofts caufmg it to fall like quicklime, it manures the furface : but it has one difadvantage, that is, in great droughts, when they cannot have water fufficient in their re- fervoirs to lay the furface of the ground under wa- ter, it binds, and becomes fo tough as to burn and kill the crops, efpecially the old cleared lands ; as, while it was frefh and new, the great quantity of rotten wood, roots, leaves, &c. kept the fur- face loofe and open. Severe droughts feldom hap- pen near the fea coaft. We now rife a bank of confiderable height, which runs nearly parallel to the coaft, through Carolina and Georgia : the afcent is gradual by feveral flights or fteps, for eight or ten miles, the perpen- dicular height whereof, above the level of the ocean, may be two or three hundred feet (and thefe are called the fand-hills), when we find ourfelves on the entrance of a vaft plain, generally level, which extends weft fixty or feventy miles, rifing gently as the former, but more perceptibly. This plain is moftly a foreft of the great long-leaved pine (P. pa- luftris Linn.) the earth covered with grafs, inter- fperfed with an infinite variety of herbaceous plants,- and embellifhed with extenfive favannas, always green, fparkling with ponds of water, and ornament- ed with clumps of evergreen, and other trees and fhrubs, as Magnolia grandifiora, Magnoha glauca, Gordonia, Illex aquifolium, Quercus, various fpe- ciec, Laurus Borbonia, Chionanthus, Hopea tincto- ria, Cyrilla, Kalmia anguftlfolia, Andromeda, va- rieties, NORTH AMERICA. 3I rieiies, Viburnum, Azalea, Rhus vernix, Prinos, varieties, Fothergilla, and a new fhrub of great beauty and fingularity : it grows erecl, feven or eight feet high ; a miikitude of ereft items arifc from its root ; thefe divide themfelves into afcend- ant blanches, which are garnilhed with abiiAiance of narrow lanceolate obtufe pointed leaves, of a light green, fmooth and fliining. Thele branches, with their many fubdivifions, terminate in fnnple racemes of pale incarnate tlowers, which make a fine appearance among the leaves ; the flowers are fuccecdcd by deficcated triquetrous pcricarpi, each containing a fmgle kernel. The lowed fides of thefe favannas arc generally joined by a great cane fwamp, varied with coppices and hommocks of the various trees and (hrubs al- ready mentioned. In thefe fwamps feveral rivulet? take their rife, which drain them and the adjoining favannas, and thence meandering to the rivers- through the forefts, with their banks decorated with Ihrubs and trees. The earth under this level plain may be defcribed after the following manner : the upper furface, or vegetative mould, is a light fandy loam, generally nine inches or a foot deep, on a firatum of cinereous coloured clay, except the fand-hills, where the loofe fandy furface is much deeper upon the clay ; Hone of any fort, or gravel, i^ feldom feen. The next afcent, or flight, is of much grea'cr and more abrupt elevation, and continues riung by broken ridges and narrow levels, or vales, for ten or fifteen miles, when we reft again on another extenfive nearly level plain of pine forefts, mixed with various other Ixjrell trees, which continues wefl forty cr fifty milts farther, and exhibits much the 3S TRAVJEJLS I a the fame appearance with 'the great fored lad men- tioned ; its vegetable produdions nearly the fame, excepting that the broken ridges by which we af- cend to the plain are of a better foil ; the vegeta- tive mould is fixed with particles of clay and fmall gravely and the foil of a dufky brown colour, lying on a rtratum of reddilh brown tough clay. The trees and fhrubs are, Pinus lacda, great black Oak, Quercus tin6loria, Q^ rubra, Laurus, Salfafras, Mag- nolia grandiflora, Cornus Florida, Cercis, Halefia, Juglans, acuminata, Juglans exaltata, Andromeda arborea : and, by the fides of rivulets (which wind about and between thefe hills and fwamps, in the vales) Sty rax latifolia, Ptelea trifoliata, Stewartia, Caiycanthus, Chionanthus, Magnolia tripetala, A- zaiea, and others. Thus have I endeavoured to give the reader a. fhort and natural defcription of the vafl plain lying between the region of Auguila and the fea coaft ; . for from Augufta the mountainous country begins (when compared to the level fandy plain already paffed), although it is at leall an hundred and fifty miles weft, thence to the Cherokee or Apaiachean mountains ; and this fpace may \\ith propriety be called the hilly country, every where fertile and de- lightful, continually repleniihed by innumerable ri- vulets, either courling about the fragrant hills, or fpringing from the rocky precipices, and forming many cafcades ; the coolnefs and purity of which waters invigorate the air of this otherwife hot and fultry climate. The village of Augufta is fituated on a rich and fertile plain, on the Savanna river j the buildings are near its banks, and extend nearly two miles up to the caiarafts, or fails, which are formed by the finft ^ NORTH AMERICA. 33 firft chain of rocky hills, through which this fa- mous river forces itfelf, as if impatient to repofe on the extenfive plain before it invades the ocean. When the river is low, which is during the fummer months, the cataracts are four or five feet in height acrofs the river, and the waters continue rapid and broken, rufhing over rocks five miles higher up : this river is near five hundred yards broad at Augufta. A few days after our arrival at Augufta, the chiefs and warriors of the Creeks and Cherokees being arrived, the Congrefs and the bufinefs of the treaty came on, and the negociations continued un- determined many days ; the merchants of Georgia demanding at lead two millions of acres of land from the Indians, as a difcharge of their debts, due, and of long (landing : the Creeks, on the other hand, being a powerful, and proud fpirited people, their young warriors were unwilling to fub- mit to fo large a demand, and their condud evi- dently betrayed a difpofition to difpute the ground by force of arms, and they could not at firft be brought to liften to reafon and amicable terms ; however, at length, the cool and deliberate coun- fels of the ancient venerable chiefs, enforced by liberal prefents of fuitable goods, were too power- ful inducements for them any longer to refift, and finally prevailed. The treaty concluded in unanimity, peace, and good order ; and the ho- nourable fuperintendant, not forgetting his promife to me, at the conclufion, mentioned my bufinefs, and recommended me to the protedion of the Indian chiefs and warriors. The prefents being diftributed amongft the Indians, they departed, re- turning home to their towns. A company of fur- D veyors 34 JRAVELS IN veyors were appointed, by the governor and coun- cil, to afcertain the boundaries of the new pur- chafe ; they were to be attended by chiefs of the Indians, felefted and delegated by their country- men, to aflift, and be witnelies that the articles of the treaty were fulfilled, as agreed to by both par- ties in Congrefs. Col. Barnet, who was chofen to condu£l this bufinefs on the part of the Georgians, a gentleman every way qualified for that important truft, in a very friendly and obliging manner, gave me an in- vitation to accompany him on this tour. It was now about the middle of the month of May ; vegetation, in perfedion, appeared with all her attraftive charms, breathing fragrance every where ; the atniofphere was now animated with the efficient principle of vegetative life ; the arbuftive hills, gay lawns, and green meadows, which on every fide invefl the villa of Augafla, had already received my frequent vifits ; and although here much delighted with the new beauties in the vege- table kingdom, and many eminent ones have their fequeflercd refidence near this place, yet, as I was never long fatisfied with prefent polfeflion, however endowed with every poffible charm to attradt the light, or intrinfic value, to engage and fix th^ ef- leem, I was reftlefs to be fearching for more, my curiofity being infatiable. Thus it is with regard to our affections and at- tachments, in the more important and interefting concerns of human life. Upon the rich rocky hills at the catarafts of Au- jTufta, I firft obferved the perfumed rhododendron ferrugineum. NORTH AMERICA. 35 ferruginelim, white-robed philadelphus Inodorus, and cerulean malva ; but nothing in vegetable na- ture was more pleafing than the odoriferous pancra- tium fluitans, which almoft alone poflefles the little rocky iflets which jufl appear above the water. The preparatory bufmefs of the furveyors being riow accompliflied, Mr. J. M'Intofh, yet anxious for travelling, and defirous to accompany me on this tour, joined with me the caravan, confilling of fur- veyors, aftronomers, artifans, chain-carriers, mark- ers, guides, and hunters, befides a very refpcdtable number of gentlemen, who joined us, in order to fpeculate in the lands, together with ten or twelve Indians, altogether to the number of eighry or ninety men, all or moft of us well mounted on horfeback, befides twenty or thirty pack-horfes, loaded with provifions, tents, and camp equipage. The fummer feafon now rapidly advancing, the •air at mid-day, about this region, was infufferably hot and fultry. We fet oft' from Augufta, early in the morning, for the Great Buffalo Lick, on the Great Ridge, which feparates the waters of the Sa- vanna and Alatamaha, about eighty miles diftanc from Augufta. At this Lick the furveyors were to fcparate themfelves, and form three companies, to proceed on different routes. On the evening of the fecond day's journey, we arrived at a fmall vil- lage on Little River, a branch of the Savanna : this village, called Wrightfborough, was founded by Jof. Mattock, efq. of the fed called quakers. This public fpirited man having obtained for himfelf and his followers a diftricl, comprehending up- wards of forty thoufand acres of land, gave the new town this name, in honour of Sir James Wright, then Governor of Georgia, who greatly promoted D 2 the 3^ TRAVELS IN the eftabliihment of the fettlement. Mr. Mattock^ uho is now about feventy years of age, heahhy and adive, and prefides as Chief Magiftrate of the fet- tlement, received us with great hofpitality. The diflance froni Augufta to this place is about thirty miles ; the face of the country is chiefly a plain of high forefls, favannas, and cane fwamps, until we approach Little River, when the landfcape varies, prefenting to view high hills and rich vales. The foil is a deep, rich, dark mould, on a deep ftratum of reddifli brown tenacious clay, and that on a foun- dation of rocks which often break through both flrata, lifting their backs above the furface. The foreft trees are chiefly of the deciduous order, as, quercus, tindloria, q. laciniata, q. alba, q. rubra, q. prinus, with many other fpeci'es ; celtis, fagus fylvatica, and, on the rocky Iiills, fagus caftanea, fag. pumila, quercus caftanea ; in the rich vales, juglans nigra, jug. cinerea, gledrtfia triacanthos, magnolio acuminata, liriodendron, platanus, fraxi- nus excelfior, cercea, juglans exaltata, carpinus, morus rubra, calycanthus, halefia, scfculus pavia, sefc. arborea^ Leaving the pleafant town of Wrightfborough we continued eight or nine miles through a fertile phin and high foreft, to the north branch of Little River, being the largefl of the two, crofling which, we entered an extenfive fertile plain, bordering on the river, and fhaded by trees of vaft growth, which at once fpoke its fertility. Continuing fome time through thefe Ihady groves, the fcene opens, and difclofes to view the moft magnificent forefl I had ever feen. We rofe gradually a floping bank of twenty or thirty fept elevation, and immediately entered this fubUme forefl. The ground is perfedly a iev4 NORTH AMERICA: 37 a level green plain, thinly planted by nature with the moll {lately foreft trees, fuch as the gigantic black * oak (q. tin£loria), liriodendron, juglans nigra, platanus, juglans exaltata, fagus lylvatica, ulmus fylvatica, liquidambar ftyraciflua, whole mighty trunks, feemingly of an equal height, ap- peared like fuperb columns. To keep within the bounds of truth and reality, in defcribing the mag- nitude and grandeur of thefe trees, would, I fear, fail of credibility ; yet, I think I can affert, th?t many of the black oaks meafured eight, nine, ten, and eleven feet diameter five feet above thirty feet as we meafured feveral that were above the ground, girt, and from hence they afcend perfedlly Itraight, with a gradual taper, forty or fifty feet to the limbs ; but, below five or fix feet, thefe trunks would mea- fure a third more in circumference, on account of the projeding jambs, or fupports, which are more or lefs, according to the number of horizontal roots that they arife from : the tulip tree, liquidam- bar, and beech, were equally (lately. Not far diflant from the terrace, or eminence, overlooking the low grounds of the river, many very magnificent monuments of the power and induflry of the ancient inhabitants of thefe lands are vifiblc. I obferved a flupendous conical pyramid, or artifi- cial mount of earth, vafl tetragon tei races, and a large funken area, of a cubical form, encompalTed with banks of earth ; and certain traces of a larger Indian town, the work of a powerful nation, whofc period of grandeur perhaps long preceded the dif- covery of this continent. ♦ Gigantic black oak. Querc. tinAoria ; the oark cf this fpccies of oak is found to afford a valuable 'yellow dye. This tree is known hv the name of black oak ia Pennfylvania, New-Jerl«v, New-York, and New- England. After jB TRAVELS IN After about feven miles progrefs through this foreft of gigantic black oaks, we enter on terri- tories, which exhibit more varied fcenes : the land tifes ahnoft infenfibly by gentle afcents, exhibiting defart plains, high forefls, gravelly and ftony ridges, ever in fight of rapid rivulets ; the foil, as already defcribed. We then pafTed over large rich favannas, or natural meadows, wide fpreading cane fwamps, and frequently old Indian fettlements, now deferted and overgrown with forells. Thefe are always on or near the banks of rivers, or great fwamps, the artificial mounts and terraces elevat- ing them above the furrounding groves. I ob- feived, in the ancient cultivated fields, i. diofpy- ros,, 2. gleditfia triacanthos, 3. prunus chicafaw, 4. callicarpa, 5. morus rubra, 6. juglans exaltata, 7. juglans nigra, which inform us, that thefe trees •were cultivated by the ancients, on account of their fruit, as being wholefome and nourifhing food. Though thefe are nativesof thcforefl*, yet they thrive better, and are more fruitful, in cultivated planta- tions, and the fruit is in great eftimation with the prefent generation of Indians, particularly juglans exaltata, commonly called fiiell-barked hiccory. The Creeks ftore up the laft in their towns. I have feen above an hundred bufhels of thefe nuts belong- ing to one family. 'I'hey pound them to pieces, and then caff them into boiling water, which, after pafling through fine drainers, preferves the mofl oily part of the liquid : this they call by a name which fignifies hiccory milk ; it is as fvveet and rich as frefh cream, and is an ingredient in mod of their cookery, efpecially homony and corn cakes. * The Chicafaw plumb I think muft be excepted, for though certainly a native of America, yet I never law it wild in the foreft , but always in •Id deferted Indian plantations : I fuppofe it to have be(*n brought froin the S. W. bevond the Miffiflippi^ by the Chicafaws. After NORTH AMERICA, 39 After four days moderate and pleafant travel- ling, we arrived in the evening at the Buifalo Lick. This extraordinary place occupies feveral acres of ground, at the foot of the S. E. promontory of the Great Ridge, which, as before obferved, divides the rivers Savanna and Alatamaha. A large cane fwamp and meadows, forming an immenfe plain, lie S. E. from it ; in this fwamp I believe the head branches of the great Ogeeche river take their rife. The place called the Lick contains three or four acres, is nearly level, and lies between the head ot the cane fwamp and the afcent of the Ridge. The earth, from the fupcrticies to an unknouii depth, is an almofl white orcinereous coloured tenacious fattifh clay, which all kinds of cattle lick into great caves, purfuing the delicious vein. It is the com- mon opinion of the inhabitants, that this clay is im- pregnated with faline vapours, arifmg from foflile falts deep in the earth ; but I could difcover nothing faline in its tafte, but I imagined an iniipid fweet- jjefs. Horned cattle, horfes, and deer, are immo- derately fond of it, infomuch, that their excrement, which almoft totally covers the earth to fome dif- tance round this place, appears to be perfe«5v: clay ; which, when dried by the fun and air, ;s almoft as Jiard as brick. We were detained at this place one day, in ad- jufting and planning the feveral branches of the furvey. A circumflance occurred during thi^ time, which \va$ a remarkable inftance of Indian faga- city, and had nearly difconcerted iill our plans, and put an elid to the bufmefs. The furveyor having fi?:ed his compafs on the (lafF, and being about to afcer- lain the courfe frcm our place of departure, which "vlas to ftrike Savanna river at the confluence of a certain river, about feventy miles diflance from us ; juft 40 TRAVELS IM juft as he had determined upon the point, the In- dian chief came up, and obferving the courfe he had fixed upon, fpoke, and faid it was not right ; but that the couife to the place was fo and fo, hold- ing up his hand, and pointing. The furveyor replied, that he himfelf was certainly right, adding, that that little inilrument (pointing to the compafs) told him fo, which, he faid, could not err. The Indian anfwered, he knew better, and that the little wicked inftrument was a liar ; and he would not ac- quiefce in its decifions, fmce it would wrong the Indians out of their land. This miltake (the fur- veyor proving to be in the wrong) difpleafed the Indians ; the difpute arofe to that height, that the chief and his party had determined to break up the bufmefs, and return the ihortefl way home, and forbad the furveyors to proceed any further : how- ever, after fome delay, the complaifance and pru- dent conduct of the colonel made them change their refolution ; the chief became reconciled, upon con- dition that the compafs Ihould be difcarded, and rendered incapable of ferving on this bufmefs ; that the chief himfelf fhould lead the furvey ; and, more- over, receive an order for a very confiderable quan- tity of goods. Matters being now amicably fettled, under this new regulation, the colonel having detached two companies on feparate routes, Mr. M'Intofh and myfelf attaching ourfelves to the colonel's party, whofe excurfion was likely to be the moft extenfive and varied, we fet off from the Buffalo Lick, and the Indian chief, heading the party, conduced us on a ftraight line, as appeared by collateral obfer- vation, to the defired place. We purfued nearly a north courfe up the Great Ridge, until we came near the branches of Broad River, when we turned NORTH AMERICA. 47 off to the light hand, and encamped on a confide- rable branch of it. At this place we continued al- mod a whole day, conftituting furveyors and aftro- nomers who were to take the courfe, diftance and obfervations on Broad River, and from thence down to its confluence with the Savanna. The Great Ridge confifts of a continued high foreft ; the foil fertile, and broken into moderately elevated hills, by the many rivulets which have their fources in it. The heights and , precipices abound in rock and flone. The forell trees and other vegetable produ£lions are the fame as already mentioned about Little River: I obferved hale- fia, ftyrax, asfculus pavia, a^fc. fylvatica, robinia hifpida, magnolia acuminata, mag. tripetala, and fome very curious new fhrubs and plants, particu- larly the phyfic-nut, or Indian olive. The ftem.s arife many from a root, two or three feet high ; the leaves fit oppofite on very {hort petioles ; they are broad, lanceolate, entire, and undulated, hav- ing fmooth furfaces of a deep green colour. Froni the bofom of each leaf is produced a fmgle oval drupe, (landing eredl, on long flender ftems ; it has a large kernel, and thin pulp. The fruit is yellow when ripe, and about the fize of an olive. The Indians when they go in purfuit of deer, carry this fruit with them, fuppofmg that it has the power of charming or drawing that creature to them ; from whence, with the traders, it has ob- tained the name of the phyfic-nut, which means, with them, charming, conjuring, or fafcinatin"-. raalva fcandens, filix fcandens, perhaps a fpecies of trichomancs ; the leaves are palmated, or ra- diated ; it climbs and roves about, on fiirubs, in moid ground. A very fingular and elegant plant, of an unknown 4'2 TRAVELS IN unknown family, called Indian lettuce, made its firft appearance in thefe rich vales ; it is a biennial ; the primary or radical leaves are fomewhat fpatuled, or broad, lanceolate, and obtufe pointed, of a pale yellowifh green, fmooth furface, and of a delicate frame, or texture ; thefe leaves fpread equally on every fide, almoft reclining on the ground ; from their centre arifes a (Iraight upright ftem, five, fix, or feven feet high, fmooth and poliflied : the ground of a dark purple colour, which is elegantly pow- dered with greenifh yellov/ fpecks ; the ftem, three- fourths of its length, is embellifhed with narrow leaves, nearly of the fame form with the radical ones, placed at regular diftances, in verticilate order. The iuperior one-fourth divifion of this ftem is formed into a pyramidal fpike of flowers, rather diffufe ; thefe flowers are of the hexandria, large, and ex- panded ; of a dark purple colour, delicately pow- dered with green, yellow, and red, and divided into fix parts, or petals ; thefe are fucceeded by tri- quetrous dry pericarpi, when ripe. This great ridge is a vaft extended projedion of the Cherokee or Alegany mountains, gradually in- creafing in height and extent, from its extremity at the Lick, to its union with the high ridge of mountains anciently called the Apalachian moun- tains; it every where approaches much nearer the ■waters of the Alatamaha than thofe of the Savanna. At one particular place, where we encamped, on the Great Ridge, during our repofe there part of a day, our hunters going out^ underftanding that their route was to the low lands on the Ocone, 1 accompanied them : we had not rode above three miles before we Ci'rrie to the banks of that beautiful river. The c^ine fwair.ps, of immenfe .extent, 2^'" ''^ " oak.forefts, on the level lands, are NORTH AMERICA. 43 are incredibly fertile ; which appears from the tall reeds of the one, and the heavy timber of the other. Before we left the waters of Broad River, having encamped in the evening on one of its confiderable branches, and left mv companions, to retire, as ufual, on botanical refearches, on afcending a fteep rocky hill, I iccidentally difcovered a new fpecies of ca- ryophillata (geum odoratiflimum) ; on reaching to a (hrub my foot flipped, and, in recovering myfelf, I tore up fome of the plants, whofe roots filled the air with animating fcents of cloves and fpicy perfumes. On my return towards camp, I met my philo- fophic companion, Mr. M'lntoHi, who was feated on the bank of a rivulet, and whom I found highly entertained by a very novel and curious natural ex- hibition, in which I participated with high relifh. The waters at this place were flill and fhoal, and flowed over a bed of gravel juil beneath a rocky rapid : in this eddy (hoal were a number of little gravelly pyramidal hills, whofe funmiits rofe almofl to the furface of the water, very artfully conftrud- ed by a fpecies of fmall cray-filh (cancer macrou- rus) which inhabited them : here feemed to be their citadel, or place of retreat for their young againfl the attacks and ravages of their enemy, the gold- fifli : thefe, in numerous bands, continually infefted them, except at Ihort intervals, when fmall detach- ments of veteran cray-fifh fallied out upon them, from their cells within the gravelly pyramids, at which time a brilliant fight prefented : the little gold fi(h inilantly fled from every fide, darting through the tranfparent waters like flreams of lightning ; fome even iprang above the furface, into the air, but all quickly returned to the charge, furround- ;ng the pyramids as before^ on the retreat of the crayr 44 TRAVELS IN cray-fifh ; in this manner the war feemed to be con- tinual. The gold-fifli is about the fize of the anchovy, nearly four inches long, of a neat flender form ; the head is covered with a falade of an ultramarine blue, the back of a reddifh brown, the fides and belly of a flame, or of the colour of a fine red lead ; a nar- row duflcy line runs along each fide, from the gills to the tail ; the eyes are large, vi^ith the iris like burnifhed gold. This branch of Broad River is about twelve yards wide, and has two, three, and four feet depth of water, and winds through a fer- tile vale, almofl: overfhadowed on one fide by a ridge of high hills, well timl:)€red with oak, hic- cory, liriodendron, magnolia acuminata, pavia fyl- vatica, and on their rocky fummits, fagus caftanea rhododendron ferrugineum, kalmia latifoHa, cornus Florida, &c. One of our Indian young men, this evening, caught a very large falmon trout, weighing about fifteen pounds, which he prefented to the colonel, who ordered it to be ferved up for fupper. The In- dian flruck this fifh, with a reed harpoon, pointed very fliarp, barbed, and hardened by the fire. The fifli lay clofe under the fteep bank, which the Indian difcovered and (truck with his reed ; inftantly the fifli darted off with it, whilft the Indian purfued, with- out extradiiig the harpoon, and with repeated thrufts drowned it, and then dragged it to fliore. After leaving Broad River, the land rifes very fenfibly, and the country being mountainous, our progrefs became daily more difficult and flow ; yet the varied fcenes of pyramidal hills, high forefts, rich vales, ferpentine rivers, and catarads, fully compenfated NORTH AMERICA. 45 compeiifated for our difficulties and delays. I ob- ferved the great aconitum napellus, delphini\im pe- regririum, the carminative angelica lucida*, and «.e- rulean malva. We at length happily accompliflied our line, ar- riving at the little river, where our hunters bring- ing in plenty of venifon and turkeys, we had a plen- tiful fealt at fupper. Next morning we marked the corner tree, at the confluence of Little River and the Savanna , and, foon after, the Indians amicably took leave of us, returning home to their towns. The rocks and foflils, which conftitute the hills of this middle region, are of various fpecics, as quartfum, ferrum, cos, fdex, glarea, arena, ochra, ftaladltes, faxum, mica, &c. I faw no figns of marble, plafter, or lime-flone ; yet there are, near Augufla, in the forefls, great piles of a porous fri- able white rock, in large and nearly horizontal mafles, which feems to be an heterogeneous con- crete, confilf ing of pulverized fea fhells, with a fmall proportion of fand ; it is foft, and eafily wrought into any form, yet of fufficient confiftence for con- ftru6llng any building. As for the animal produ6lions, thev are the fame which originally inhabited this part of North Ame- rica, except fuch as have been aifrighted away luice the invafion of the Europeans. The buffalo (urus; once fo very numerous, is not at this day to be feeii in this pait of the country; there are but few elks, and thofe only in the Apalachian mountains. The dreaded and formidable rattle-fnake is yer too common, and a variety of other ferpents abound, particularly that admirable creature the glafs-ihake : 1 faw a very * Called Qondo in. Virgi ..ia ; by thr Creek a.'id Chcrc kcc traders, white root. hrg' 46 TRAVELS IN large and beautiful one, a little dlllance from our camp. The alligator, a fpecies of crocodile, abounds in the rivers and fwamps, near the fea coalt, but is not to be feen above Augufta. Bears, tygers*, wolves, and wild cats (felis cauda truncata) are numerous enough : and there is a very great variety of papilio and phalena, many of which are admir- ably beautiful, as well as other infed:s of infinite va- riety. The furveyors having completed their obfervati- ons, we fet ofF next day on our return to Augufta, taking our route generally through the low lands on the banks of the Savanna. We crofled Broad Ri- ver, at a newly fettled plantation, near its conflu- ence with the Savanna. On my arrival at Augufta, finding myfelf a little fatigued, I ftaid there a day or two, and then fet off again for Savanna, the ca-' pital, where we arrived in good health. Having, in this journey, met with extraordinary fuccefs, not only in the enjoyment of an uninter- rupted ftate of good health, and efcaping ill acci- dents, incident to fuch excurfions, through unin- habited wildernefles, and an Indian frontier, but alfo in making a very extenfive colledion of new dif- coveries of natural produftions ; on the recoUedion of fo many and great favours and blefiings, I now,' with a high fenfe of gratitude, prefume -to offer up' my lincere thanks to the Almighty, the Creator and Freferver. * This creature is cr.lled, in Peimfylvania and the northern States, pan- ther ; bwt in Carolina ;ind the fouthein States, is called fygerf it is very ftrong, much larger than any dog, of a yellowilK brown, or clay colour, ' having a very long tail : it is a mifthievous animal, and preys on calves, young colts, 6cc. CHAPi NORTH AMERICA. 47 CHAP. V. Having completed my llortus Siccus, and made up my colledlions of feeds and growing roots, the fruits of my late weflern tour, and fent them to Charlefton, to be forwarded to Europe, I fpent the remaining part of this feafon in botanical excurfions to the low countries, betw^een Carolina and Eaft Florida, and collected feeds, roots and fpecimens, making drawings of fuch curious fubjeds as could not be preferved in their native ftate of excellence. During this recefs from the high road of my tra- vels, having obtained the ufe of a neat light cyprefs canoe, at Bioughton liland, a plantation, the pro- perty of the Hon. Henry Laurens, Efq. I ftored myfelf with necefl'aries for the voyage, and refolvcd upon a trip up the Alatamaha. , I afcended this beautiful river, on whofe fruitful banks the generous and true fons of liberty fecurely dwell, fifty miles above the white fettlements. How gently flow thy peaceful flood?, O Alata- maha ! How fublimcly rife to view on thy elevated fliores, yon magnolian groves, from whofe tops the furrounding cxpanfc is perfumed, by clouds of incenfe, blended with the exhailing balm of the li- q' idambar, and odours continually arifmg from cir- cumambient aromatic groves of illicium, myrica, lau- rus, and bignonia. When wearied with working mv canoe ac^ainfl: the impetuous current (which be:omc-r ftronger by rv.'af(..!i 48 TRAVELS IN reafon of the mighty floods of the river, with col- lefted force, prelTing through the firfl hilly afcents, where the fhores on each fide prefent to view rocky cliffs rifmg above the furface of the water, in nearly flat horizontal matfes, waihed fmooth by the de- fcending floods, and which appear to be a compo^ fition, or concrete, of fandy lime-ft:one) I refigned my bark tp the friendly current, referving to my- felf the controul of the helm. My progrefs was rendered delightful by the fylvan elegance of the groves, cheerful meadows, and high difl:ant forefl:s, which in grand order prefented themfelves to view. The winding banks of the river, and the high pro- jeding promontories, unfolded frefh fcenes of gran- deur and fublimity. The deep forefts and difl:ant hills re-echoed the cheering focial lowings of do- melfic herds. The air was filled with the loud and fhrill whooping of the wary fliarp-fighted crane. Behold, on yon decayed, defoliated cyprefs tree, the folitary wood-pelican, dejeftedly perched upon its utmofl elevated fpire ; he there, like an ancient venerable fage, fets himfelf up as a mark of deri- fion, for the fafety of his kindred tribes. The crying-bird, another faithful guardian, fcreaming in the gloomy thickets, warns the feathered tribes of approaching peril ; and the plumage of the iwift failing fquadrons of Spanifh curlews (white as the immaculate robe of innocence) gleams in the ceru- lean flvies. Thus fecure and tranquil, and meditating on the marvellous fcenes of primitive nature, as yet un- modified by the hand of man, I gently defcended the peaceful ilream, on whofe polifhed furface were depitSted the mutable fhadows from its penfile banks ; whiKt myriads of finny inhabitants fported in its pel- lucid floods. The NORTH AMERICA. ... 4.(^ The glorious fovereign of day, clothed in light refulgent, rolling on his gilded chariot, hallened to revifit the weftern realms. Grey penfive eve naw admonilhed us of gloomy night's hafty approach : I was roufed by care to feek a place at fecure repofe, ere darknefs came on. Drawing near the high fhores, I afcended the fteep banks, where flood a venerable oak. An ar- cicnt Indian field, verdured over with fucculent giafs, and chequered with coppices of fragrant ihrubs, olfered to my view the Myrica cerifera. Magnolia glauca, Laurus benzoin, Laur. Borbonia, Rhamiius trangula, Prunus Chicafaw, Prun. lau- rocerafus, and others, it was nearly encircled with an open forelt of (lately pines (Pinus palullris) through which appeared the extenfive favanna, the fecure range of the Iwift roebuck. In front of my landing, and due eaft, 1 had a fme profpeft of the river and low lands on each fide, which gradually widened to the fea coafl, and gave me an uncon- fined profpeifl, whilft the far dillant fea-coa(l iilands, like a coronet, limited the hoary horizon. My barque being fecurely nioored, and having reconnoitred the furrounding groves, and collected fire-wood, I fprcad my fkins and blanket by my cheerful fire, under the protecling ihade of tlie hoi- pitable Live-oak, and reclined my head on my hard but healthy couch. I lillened, undilturbed, to the divine hymns of the feathered fongftcrs nf the groves, whilfl the foftly whifpering breezes faintly died away. The fun now below .the vi'eriern horizon, the /r.oon majeflically rifmg in the eafl ; again the tune- ful birds became infpired : how melodious is the lo/:ial mock-bird ! the groves refounJ the unceafing K crits 5& TRAV£LS IN cries of the whip-poor-will ; the moon abouf aii hour above the horizon ; lo ! a dark ecHpfe * of her glorious brightnefs came flowly on ; at length, a filver thread alone encircled her temples : at this boding change, an iiniverfal filencc prevailed. Nature now weary, I refigned myfelf to reft ; the night pafl'cd over ; the cool dews of the morning awoke me ; my fire burnt low ; the blue fmoke fcarce rofe above the moiftened embers ; all was gloomy : the late ftarry fides, now overcall by thick clouds, warned me to rife and be going. The livid purple clouds thickened on the frowning brows of the morning : the tumultuous winds from the, eaft now exerted their power. O peaceful Alatama- ha ! gentle by nature ! how thou wert ruffled ! thy wavy furface disfigured every obie«5l, prefenting them obfcurely to the fight, and they at length to- tally difappeared, whilfl the furious winds and fweep- ing rains bent the lofty groves, and proflrated the quaking grafs, driving the affrighted creatures to their dens and caverns. The tempeft now relaxed, its impetus being fpent, and a calm ferenitv gradually took place ; by noon the clouds broke away, the blue fl;y appeared, the fulgid fun-beams fpread abroad their animating light, and the fleady wellern wind refumed his peaceful re^gn. The waters were purified, the waves fubfided, and the beautiful river regained its native calmnefs. So it is with the varied and mutable fcenes of human events on the ftream of life. The higher powers and af- feftions of the foul are fo blended and connected with the inferior pafTions, that the moft painful feel- ings are excited in the mind when the latter arc crofTed : thus in the moral fyftem, which we have * The air at this time being ferene, and not a qloud to he fcen, I f: -v this annual almoft total autumnal eclipfe in its highcft degree of peifeclion. planned NORTH AMERICA. 5^1 planned for our condu6l, as a ladder whereby to mount to the fummit of terreftrial glory and hap- pinefs, and from whence wc perhaps meditated our flight to heaven itfelf, at the very moment when we vainly imagine ourfelves to have attained its point, fome unforefeen accident intervenes, and furprifes us ; the chain is violently fhaken, we quit our hold and fall : the well contrived fyilem at once becomes a chaos ; every idea of happinefs recedes ; the fplen- dour of glory darkens, and at length totally difap- pears ; every pleafmg obje<5l is defaced, all is de- ranged, and the flattering fcenc paflTes quite away ; a gloomy cloud pervades the underlfanding, and when we fee our progrefs retaraed, and our bcft intentions frufl:rated, we are apt to deviate from the admonitions and convidions of virtue, to fliut our eyes upon our guide and protestor, doubt of his power, and defpair of his afliflance. But let us wait and rely on our God, who in due time will fhine forth in brightnefs, diflipate the envious cloud, and reveal to us how fmite and cirxzumfcribed is human power, when afluming to itfelf independent wifdom. But, before I leave the river Alatamaha, wc will proceed to give a further and more particular account of it. It has its fource in the Cherokee mountains, near the head of Tugilo, the great weft branch of Savanna, and, before it leaves them, is joined and augmented by innumerable rivulets ; thence it defcends through the hilly country, with all its collateral branches, and winds rapidity amongil the hills two hundred rind fifty miles, and then enters the flat plain country, by the name of the Oakmulge „ thence meandering an hundred and fifty miles, it is joined on the eafi: fide by the Ocone, which likewife heads in the lower ridges of the mountains. After .this confluence, jE ^ ' bavin ?• 52 TkAVELS IN having now gained a vaft acquifition of wr.rers, it aflumes the name of Alatamaha, when it becomes a large majeftic river, flowing with gentle wind- ings through a vaft plain forelt, near an hundred miles, and enters the Atlantic by feveral mouths. The north channel, or entrance, glides by the heights of Darien, on the ead bank, about ten miles above the bar, and running from thence with fe- veral turnings, enters the ocean between Sapello and Wolf iflands. The fouth channel, which is efleemed the largeft and deepefl, after its fepara- tion from the north, defcends gently, winding by M'Intofh's and Broughton iflands ; and lafl:ly, by the weft coaft of St. Simon's ifland, enters the ocean, through St. Simon's found, between the fouth end of the ifland of that name and the north end of Jekyl ifland. On the well banks of the fouth channel, ten or twelve miles above its mouth, and nearly oppofite Darien, are to be leen the re- mains of an ancient fort, or fortification ; it is now a regular tetragon terrace, about four feet high, with baftions at each angle ; the area may con- tain about an acre of ground, but the fofle which furrounded it is nearly filled up. I'here are large Live Oak, Pines, and other trees, growing upon it, and in the old fields adjoining. It is fuppofed to have been the work of ihe French or Spaniards, A large fwamp lies betwixt it and the river, and a confiderable creek runs clofe by the works, and en- ters the river through the fwamp, a fniall difliance above Broughton ifland. About feventy or eighty miles above the confluence of the Oakmulge and Ocone, the trading path, from Augufl;a to the Creek nation, crolTes thefe fine rivers, which are there forty miles apart. On the eaft banks of the Oak- mulge, this trading road runs nearly two miles through NORTH AMERICA. 53 through ancient Indian fields, which are called the Oakmulge fields : they are the rich low lands of the rivt-r. On the heights of thcfe low grounds are yet vifible monuments, or traces, of an ancient town, fuch p ; artificial mounts or terraces, fquares and bank , encircling confiderable areas. Their old fiel,:: and planting land extend up and down the ri- ver', fifteen or twenty miles from this fite. : v'f are to give credit to the account the Creeks givcof themfelves, tliis place is remarkable for being the hrft town or lettlement, when they fat down (as they term it) or ellabliihed themfelves, after their emigratio!! from the wefi, beyond the Miififlippi, their original native country. On this long jour- ney they fuffered great and innumerable difficulties, encountering and vanquifhiuT i-umerous and valiant tribes of Indians, who oppoled and retarded their march. Having crofied the river, flill pufhing eafl- ward, they v/ere obliged to make a fland, ;.nd for- tify themfelves in this place, as tlieir only remain- ing hope, being to the laft degree perfecuted and weakened by their furrounding foes. Having; formed for themfelves this retreat, and driven off the inhabitants by degrees, they recovered their fpirits, and again faced their enemies, when they came off viftorious in a memorable and decifive bat- tle. They afterwards gradually fubdued their fur- rounding enemies, ftrengthening themfelves by tak- ing into confederacy the vanquifhed tribes. And they fay, alfo, that about this period the Englifh were eltablifhing the colony of Catolina ; and the Creeks, underftanding that they were a powerful, warlike people, fent deputies to Charlef- toii, their capital, offering them their friendfhip and alliance, which was accepted, and, in confequence thereof. 54 TRAVELS IN thereof, a treaty took place between them, which has remained inviolable to this day. They never ceafed war againfl the numerous and potent band of Indians, who then furrounded and cramped the Engliih plantations, as the Savannas, Ogeeches, Wapoos, Santees, Yamalees, Utinas, Icofans, Pa- ticas, and others, until they had extirpated them. The Yamafees and their adherents flickering them- lelves under the power and protection of the Spani- niards of Eall Florida, they purfued them to the very gates of St. Auguftine ; and the Spaniards re- •fufmg to deliver them up, thefe faithful intrepid al- lies had the courage to declare war againft them, and inceifantly perfecuted them, until they entirely •broke up and ruined their fettlements, driving them .before them, till at length they were obliged to re- tire within the walls of St. Augufline and a few in- ferior fortihed pofts on the fea coaft. After a fevi^ days I returned to Broughton ifland- The Cherokees and their confederates being yet dif- contented, and on bad terms v/ith the white people, it was unfafe to purfue my travels in the north wef- tern regions of Carolina. And recollediling many fubjecls of natural hiftory, which I had oblerved in the fouth of the iilhmus of Florida, when on a jour- ney fome years ago with my father, John Bartram, that were interefting, and not taken notice of by any traveller ; and as it was then in the autumn and winter, having reafon to think that very many curi- ous fubjetfh had efcaped our refearches ; I now formed the refolution of travelling into F.aft Florida ; accordingly, I immediately wrote to dotlor Fother- gill, in order that he might knov/ where to direft to me. PAR NORTH AMERICA. ^$ PART II. C H A P. I. We are, nil of us, fubject to croffes and difap- poiiitmenis, but more cfpecially the traveller ; and when they fuiprife us, we frequently become reft- lefs and impatient under them ; but let us rely on Providence, and by lludying and contemplating the works and power of the Creator, learn wifdom and underftanding in the economy of nature, and be fe- rioully attentive to the divine monitor within. Let us be obedient to the ruling powers in fuch things as regard human affairs, our duties to each other, and all creatures and concerns that are fubmitted to our care and controul. In the month of March, 1774, I fet off from Sa- vanna, for Florida, proceeding by land to the Ala- tamaha, where I diverted my time agreeably in lliort excurfion?, picking up curiofities, until the arrival of a fmall vellel at Frederica, from Savanna, which was deftined to an Indian trading houfe high up St. John's, in Ealt Florida. Upon inforAiation of this veflei's arrival, I immediately took boat and defccnded the Alatamaha, calling by the way of Broughton ifland, where 1 was kindly received by Mr James Bailey, ]\Ir. Laurens's agent. Leaving Broughton ifland in the evening, I continued de- fcending the fouth channel nine or ten miles, when, after crofling the found, I arrived at Frederica, on the ifland of St. Simon, where 1 was well received and entertained by James Spalding, efq. This gen- tleman 5^ 1 RAVELS IN tleman carrying on a very confiderable trade, and having extenfive conneclions with the Indian tribes of Eafl Florida, gave me letters to his agents refid- ing at his trading houfes, ordering them to furnifli me with horfes, guides, and every other convenient afli fiance. Before the veflcl was ready to fail again for St. John's, I had time to explore the ifland. In the cool of the morning early, 1 rode out of the town, direding my courfe to the fouth end of the ifland. After penetrating a thick grove of oaks, which al- mofl furrounded the town on the land-fide, fudden- ly a very extenfive and beautiful green favanna opened to view, in length nearly two miles, and in breadth near a mile, well ftocked with horned cat- tle, horfes, flieep, and deer. Following an old highway, now out of repair, acrofs the Savanna, I afcended the doping green bank, and entered a tioble forefl of lofty pines, and then a venerable grove of Live Gaks, under whofe fhady fpreading boughs opened a fpacious avenue, leading to the former feat of general Oglethorpe, but now the property of capt. Raimond Demere. After leav- ing this town I was led into a high pine foreft ; the trees were tall, and generally of the fpecies called Broom-pine (P. paluftris Linn.) the furface oi the ground covered with grafs, herbage, and fome Ihrubbery : 1 continued through this foreft nearly in a diredl line towards the fea-coaft, iive or fix miles, when the land became uneven, with ridges of fand-hills, mixed with fea-ftielh, and co- vered by almoft impenetrable thickets, confifting of Live Oaks, Sweet-bay (L. Borbonia), Myrica^ Ilex aquifolium, Rhamnus frangula, CalTmc, Sider- Dxylon, Ptelea, Halefia, Callicarpa, Carpinus, en- tangled with Smilax pfeudo-ci^ina, and ' other - fpecies. L NORTH AMERICA. 5/ fpecies, Bignonia fempervirens, B. crucigera, Rham- nus volubilis, ^^c. This dark labyrinth is fuccecded by a great extent of fait plains, beyond whi:h the boundlefs ocean is feen. Betwixt the dark forefl and the fait plains, I crofied a rivulet of freui wa- , ter, where I fat down a while to rell inyfelf, under the fliadow of fweet Bays and Oaks ; the lively breezes were perfumed by the fragrant breath of the fuperb Crinum, called by the inhabitants, White Lily. This admirable beauty of the fea-coafl- iflands dwells in the humid Ihady groves, where the foil is made fertile and mellow by the admixture of fea fhclls. The delicate flrudure of its fpaJix, its green broad leaves, and the texture and whitenefs of its flowers, at once charmed me. The Euphor- bia pida. Salvia coccinea, and Ipomea erecta, were alfo feated in front of my relling place, as well ivs rhe Lycium falfum (perhaps L. Afrum Linn.) a very beautiful ever-green ihrub, its cerulean flowers, and coral red berries, always on its branches, forming not the leafl: of its beauties. Time now admonifliing me to rife and be going, I, with reluctance, broke away from this alTcrablv of maritime beauties. Continuing on, fouthward, the fait plains on my left hand infenfibly became narrower, and I at length reached the flrand, which was level, firm, and paved with lliells, and aflbrded nie a grand view of the boundlefs ocean. 0 thou Creator fupreme, almighty ! how infinite and incomprehenfible thy works ! mod perfed, and every way aftonilhing ! 1 continued nearly a mile along this firm (lindy ing niv horlb'i beach, the waves of the fea fometimes wafhina niv 5S TRAVELS IN horfe's feet. I obferved a great variety of fliell- fifh, as' Echinitis, Corallinus, Patella, Medufa, Buccina, Concha venerea, Aurls marina, Cancer, Squilla, &c. fome alive, and others dead, having been cad upon the beach by the feas, in times of temped, where they became a prey to fea fowl, and Other maritime animals, or periihed by the heat of the fun and burning fands. At length I doubled the utmofl fouth point of St. Simon's, which forms the north cape of the fouth channel of the great river Alatamaha. The found, jufl within this cape, forms an excellent bay, or cove, on the fouth end of the ifland, on the oppofite fide of which I be- held a houfe and farm, v/here I foon arrived. This delightful habitation was fituated in the midll of a fpacious grove of Live Oaks and Palms, near the Itrand of the bay, commanding a view of the inlet. A cool area furrounded the low but convenient buildings, from whence, through the groves, was a fpacious avenue into the ifland, terminated by a large favanna ; each fide of the avenue was lined with bee-hives, to the number of fifty or fixty ; they feemed to be well peopled, and exhibited a lively image of a colony that has attained to a Hate of power and affluence, by the pradice of virtue and induftry. When I approached the houfe, the good man, who was reclining on a bear-ikin, fpread under the fhade of a Live Oak, fmoking his pipe, rofe and faluted me : " Welcome, ftranger, I am indulg- ing the rational dictates of nature, taking a little rell:, having ju(l come in from the chace and fifn- ing." After fome converfation and reft, his fer- vant brought a bowl of honey and water, a very refrefning and agreeable liquor, of which I drank. On rifing to take my departure, he objeded, and rcquefted NORTH AMERICA. 59 requefted me to flay aiid dine with hira ; and on my pleading, for excufe, the neccfTity of mv being at Frederica, " Yet, I pray you, Itay a little, 1 will foon have fome retrelhment for you." Prefently was laid before us a plentiful repaft of venifon, ;?cc. ; our drink being honey and water, llrengthened by the addition of brandy. Our rural table was fpread under the fhadow of Oaks, Palms, and Sweet Bays, fanned by the Uvely falubrious breezes wafted from the fpicy groves. Our mufic was the rcfponflve love-lays of the painted nonpareil, and the alert and gay mock-bird ; whilil the brilliant humming- bird darted through the flowery groves, fufpended in air, and drank neiflar I'rom the flowers of the yellow Jafmine, Lonicera, Andromeda, and fwcet Azalea. But yet, how awfully great and fublime is tlie majeftic fcene eaftward ! the folemn found of the beating furf ilrikes our ears ; the daflnng of yon liquid mountains, Hke mighty giants, in vain aiTail the fkies ; they are beaten back, and fall prollrate upon the fnores of the trembling illand. Taking leave of my fylvan friend, I fat off on my return to the town, where I arrived before night, having obferved, on the way, many curious vegetable productions, particularly Corypha Palma (or great Cabbage Palm) Corypha pumila, Corypha repens^ frondibus expanfis, liabelliFormibus, plica- tis, ftipit. fpinofis (Dwarf Saw Palmetto) Corypha obliqua, caudice arboreo adfcendente, frondibus expanfis, flabelhformibus, plicatis, flipit. ferratis, Cyrilla, Tillandfia monollachya, 'rill. linguiata, or Wild Pine ; both thefe curious vegetables are pa- rafites, living on the fubftance of others, particu- larly on the limbs of the Live Oak ; the latLcr fpc- cics 6o TRAVELS IN cies is a very large fiourifhing plant, grezitly ref- fembling, at fome diftance, a well grown plant of the Bromelia Ananas : the large deep green leaves are placed in an imbricated order, and afcendant ; but their extremities are reflex, their bafes gibbous and hollowed, like a ladle, and capable of con* taining near a pint of water : heavy tempefts of wind and rain tear thefe plants from the trees ; yet they live and flourifn on the earth, under the fha- dow of thefe great Live Oaks. A very large pare of this illand had formerly been cleared and planted by the Englifl-i, as appeared evidently to me, by veftiges of plantations, ruins of coflly buildings, highways, Sec. but it is novv' overgrown wiih foreits. Frederica was the firft town built by the Englifli in Georgia, and was founded by general Oglethorpe, who began and eftablifhed the colony. The for- trefs v/as regular and beautiful, conftrufted chiefly with brick, and was the largeft, mod regular, and perhaps mofl: coftly, of any in North America, of Britifli conftru6lion : it is now in ruins, yet occu- pied by a final 1 garrifon ; the ruins alfo of the town only remain ; peach trees, figs, pomegra- nates, and other fiirubs, groxv out of the ruinous walls of former fpacious and expenfive buildings, not only in the town, but at a diftance in various parts of the ifland ; yet there are a few neat houfes in good repair, and inhabited : it feems now reco- vering again, owing to the public and liberal fpirit and exertions of J. Spalding, efq. who is prefident of the ifland, and engaged in very extenfive mer- cantile concerns. CHAP- NORTH AMERICA. 6l CHAP. II. , The vcffel In which I was to embark for Eaft: Florida, being now ready to pinTue her voyage, we iet fail with a fair wind and tide. Our courfe was fouth, through the found, betwixt a chain of fea- coaft-iflands, and the main. In the evening we came to, at the fouth end of St. Simon's, having been hindered by the flood tide makinf]; ai^ainfl; us. The captain and myfelf, with one of our ciew, went on fhore, with a view of getting fome venifon and fca fowl. We had not the good fortune to fee any deer, ycc we were not altogether unfuccefsful, hav- ing taken three young racoons (Urfus cauda elon- gata) which are excellent meat : we had them for fupper, fcrvcd up in a pillo. Next morning early, we again got under way, running by Jekyl and Cumberland Iflands, large, beautiful, and fertile, yet thinly inhabited, and confequently excellent haunts for deer, bears, and other game. As we ran by Cumberland Ifle, keeping the chan- nel through the found, we faw a fail a head coming up tovv'ards us. Our captain knew it to be the trading fchooner from the fl:ores on St. John's, and immeciiatciy predicted bad news, as Ciit was not to iail until our arrival there. As fhe approached us, his apprehenfions were more and more confirmed, Irom the appearance of a number of paffengers on deck. AVe laid to, until ihe came up, when wc hailed her, " What news ?" " Bad ; the Indians have plundered the upper (lore, and the traders have cfcaped, only with their lives." Upon this both • effels came to anchor very near each other, when learning 62 TRAVELS IN learning the particulars, it appeared, that a large party of Indians had furprifed and plundered two trading houfes, in the ilthmus, beyond the river St. John's; and a third being timely apprifed of their hof- tile intentions, by a faithful runner, had time to carry Gif part of the effecls, which they fecreted in a fwamp at fome diftance from it, covering them with (kins. The upper ftore liad faved their goods in like man- ner ; and the lower flore to which we were bound, had removed the chief of theirs, and depofited them on a fmall ifland, in the river, about five miles be- low the ftore. With thefe effects was my cheft, which I had forwarded in this velfel, from Savanna, not being at that time determined whether to make this journey by land, or water. The captain of our veffel, refolved to put about and return to Frede- rica, for frefh inftruclions how to proceed ; but for my part, I was determined to proceed for the ifland up St. John's, where my chefl was lodged, there be- ing fome valuable books and papers in it, which I could not do well without.. I accordingly defired our captain to put me on fhofe, on Little St, Si- mon's, which was no'c far diftant, intending to walk a few miles to a fort, at the fouth end of that ifland, wh^rfe fome fifliermen reiided, who, as I expefled, would fet me over on Amelia Ifland, where vvas a large plantation, the property of Lord Eg- mont, a Britifii nobleman, whofe agent, while I was at Frederica, gave me an invitation to call on him, as I paiTed toward Ealt Florida ; and here I had expectations of getting a boat to carry me to St. John's. Agreeably to my defire, the captain put me on fliore, with a young man, a paifenger, for Eafl Florida, who promifed to continue with me, and fhare my adventures. We landed fafely ; the cap- tain wifliing us a profpcrous journey, returned on board North America, 6^ board his veflel, and we proceeded for the fort, en- countering fome harfn treatment fi om thorny thick- ^;ts, and prickly vines. However we reached the fort in the evening. The commander was out in the ioieito' hunting. My companion being tired, or in- dolent, betook himfelf to reft, while I made a tour round the fouth point of the ifland, walking the ihelly payed fea beach, and picking up novelties. . I had not gone above a mile before I came up to a roebuck, lying flain on the fands ; and hearing the report of a gun, not far off, and fuppofmg it to be from the captain of the fort, whom I expedted foon to return to take up his game, I retired to a little diilance, mounted the fand hills, and fat down, en- ioying a fine profpedt of the rolling billows and foaming breaker?, beating on the oar, and north rtromontcry of Amelia lile, oppofite to v^e. The captain of the fort foon came up, with a flain buck on his fhoulders. We hailed each other, and re- turned together to the fort, where we were well treated, and next morning, at my requefl, the captain obligingly fet us over, landing us fafcly on Amelia. After walking through a Ipacious forefl of Live Oaks and Palms, and crofTmg a creek that ran through a narrow fait niarfli, 1 and my fellow traveller arrived fafc at the plantation, where the agent, Mr. Egan, received us very politely and hof- pitably. This gentleman is a very intellig.cnt and able planter, having already greatly improved the ellate, particularly in the cultivation of indigo. Great part of this ifiand confiRs of excellent hom.- mocky land, which is the foil this plant delights in, as well as cotton, corn, batatas, and aim oil: every other efculent vegeta'ble. Mr. Egan politely rode '.vith me over great part of the ifland. On F.crinont 64 TRAVELS IN Egmont eftate are feveral very large Indian tumuH^ which are called Ogeeche mounts, fo named fron| that nation of Indians, who took Ihelter here, after being driven from their native fettlements on the main near Ogeeche river. Here they were con- ftantly harrafled by the Carolinians and Creeks, and at length flain by their conquerors, and their bones entombed in thefe heaps of earth and (hells. I ob- ferved here the ravages of the common grey cater- pillar (Phalena periodica), fo defl:ru£live to forelt and fruit trees, in Pennfylvania, and through the northern (tates, by dripping them of their leaves, in the fpring, while young and tender. Mr. Egan having bufmefs of importance to tranf- acl in St. Auguftine, prefied me to continue uith him a few days, when he would accompany me to that place, and, if I chofe, I fhould have a palfage, as far as the Cow-ford, on St. John's, where he would procure me a boat to profecute my voyage. It may be a fubjeft worthy of fome inquiry, why thofe fine iilands, on the coaft of Georgia, are fo thinly inhabited ; though perhaps Amelia may in fome degree plead an exemption, as it is a very fer- tile illand, on the north border of Eafl: Florida, and at the Capes of St. Mary, the finefl harbour in this new colony. If 1 fhould give my opinion, the fol- lowing fecm to be the mod probable reafons : the greateil part of thefe are as yet the property of a few wealthy planters, who having their refidence on the continent, where lands on the large rivers, as Savanna, Ogeeche, Alatamaha, St. llle, and others, are of a nature and quality adapted to the growth of rice, which the planters chiefly rely upon for obtaining ready ca(h, and purchafing fiimily arti- cles ; they fettle a few poor families on their in- fuhr NORTH AMERICA. 6^ fular eftates, who rear flocks of horned cattle, horfeSj fwine, and poultry, and protect the game for their proprietors. The inhabitants of thefe iflands alfo lie open to the invafion and ravages of pirates, and in cafe of a war, to inciirfions from their ene- mies' armed veiTels ; in which cafe they mud either remove with their families and effeOs to the main, or be flripped of all their moveables, and their houfes laid in ruins. The foil of thefe iflands appears to be particularly favourable to the culture of indigo and cotton, and there are on them fome few large plantations for the cultivation and manufadure of thole valuable ar- ticles. The cotton is planted only by the poorer clafs of people, jufl; enough for their family con- fumption : they plant two fpecies of it, the annual and Weft Indian ; the former is low, and planted every year ; the balls of this are very large, and the phlox long, ftrong, and perfedly white ; the Weft Indian is a tall perennial plant, the ftalk fomewhat ihrubby, feveral of which rife up from the root for feveral years fucccflively, the Hems of the former year being killed by the winter frolls. The balls of this latter fpecies are not quite fo large as thofe of the herbaceous cotton ; but the phlox, or wool, is long, extremely fine, filky, and white. A plan- tation of this kind will laft feveral years, with mo- derate labour and care, whereas the annual fort is planted every year. The coafts, founds, and inlets, environing thefe iflands, abound with a variety of excellent fifh, par- ticularly Rock, Bafs, Drum, Mullet, Sheeps-head, Whiting, Grooper, Flounder, Sea Trout, (this iaft feems to be a fpecies of Cod) Skate, Skipjack, Stingray. The Shark, and great Black Stingray, F are 66 TRAVELS IN are infatiable cannibals, and very troublefome to the fifhermen. The bays and lagoons are ftored with oyflers, and varieties of other fliell-fifli, crabs, Ihrimp, &c. The clams, in particular, are large, their meat white, tender, and delicate. There is a large fpace betwixt this chain of fea- Goail-illands and the main land, perhaps generally near three leagues in breadth ; but all this fpace is not covered with water : I eflimate nearly two-thirds of it to confift of low fait plains, Vv-hich produce Barilla, Sedge, Rufhes, &c. and Vv'hich border on the main land, and the weftern coafls of the iflands. The eafl fides of thefe iflands are, for the mofl part, clean, hard, fandy beaches, expofed to the wafh of the ocean. Between thefe iflands are the mouths or entrances of fome rivers, which run dcv>n from the continent, winding about through thefe low fait marflies, and deHvering their v. aters into the founds, which are very extenfive capacious harbours, from three to five and fix to eight miles over, and com- nmnicate with each other by parallel fair rivers, or paffes, that flow into the found ; they afiord an ex- tenfive and fecure inland navigation for mod craft, fiich as large fchooners, floops, pettiaugers, boats, and canoes ; and this inland communication of wa- ters extend along the fea coafl: with but few and fhort interruptions, from the bay of Chefapeak, in Virginia to the MilTiffippi, and how much farther I know not, perhaps as far as Vera Cruz. Whether this chain of fea-coaft-iflands is a ftcp, or advance, which this part of our continent is now making on the Atlantic ocean, we muft leave to future ages to determine. But it feems evident, even to demon- ftration, that thofe fait marfiies adjoining the coafl of the main, and the reedy and grafiy iflands and marfhes NORTH AMERICA. ^"J marfhes in the rivers, which are now overflowed at every tide, were formerly high fwamps of firm land, affording forefts of Cyprefs, Tupilo, Magnolia gran- diilora. Oak, A(h, Sweet Bay, and other timber trees, the fame as are now growing on the river fwamps, whofe furface is two feet or more above the fpring tides that flow at this day ; and it is plainly to be feen by every planter along the coaft or Caro- lina, Georgia, and Florida, to the MifSffippi, when they bank in thefe gralfy tide marfhes for cultivation, that they cannot fmk their drains above three or four feet below the furface, before they come to ftrata of Cyprefs (lumps and other trees, as ciofe to- gether as they now grow in the fwamps. F 2 CHAP. 68 TRAVELS IN CHAP. in. Being now ux readinefs to profecute our voyage to St. John's, wc let fall in a handfome pleafure- boat, nianricd with four flout negio Haves, to row '.n cafe of necellity. After paffing Amelia Nar- rows, we had a pleafant run acrofs fort George's found, where, obferving the pelicans fifhing, Mr. Egan fhot one of them, which he took into the boat. I was greatly furprifed on obferving the pouch or fack, which hangs under the bill : it is capable of being expanded to a prodigious fize. One of the people on board, faid, that he had feen more than half a bufhel of bran crammed into one of their pouches. The body is larger than that of a tame goofe, the legs extremely fliort, the feet webbed, the bill of a great length, bent inwards like a fcythe, the wings extend near feven feet from tip to tip, the tail is very fhort, the head, neck, and breaft, nearly white, the body of a light bluifli gray, except the quill feathers of the wings, W'hich are black. They feem to be of the gull kind, both in form and llrufture, as well as manner of fiftiing. The evening following, we landed on the main. It was a promontory of high land, covered with orange-trees, and projedinp; into the found, forming a convenient port. We pitched our Lent under the flicker of a forell of Live Oaks, Palms, and Sweet Bays ; and having in the courfe of the day, procured plenty of lea fowl, fuch as curlews, willets, fnipes, fand birds, and others ; we had them dreffed for fupper, and feafoned with excellent oyfters, which lav in heaps in the water, clofe to our landing-place. The NORTH AMERICA. 69 The fiirub Capficum growing here in abundance, afforded us a very good pepper : we drank of a well of frefh water jult at hand, amidll a grove of Myr- tles (Myrica ccrifera.) Our repofe however was in- complete, from the lllngs of mufquetoes, the roar- ing of crocodiles, and the continual noife and reft- leffnefs of the lea fowl, thoufands of them having their rooihng-places very near us, particularly loonr, of various fpecieSj herons, pelicans, Spanifh curlews &c. all promifcuoufly lodging together, and in fuch incredible numbers, that the trees were entirely co. vered. They rooft in inacceilible ifleis in the fait marfhes, furrounded by lagoons, and fliallow water. Juft without the trees, betwixt them, the water and marfhes, is a barricade of Palmetto royal (Yucca, gloriofa) or Adam's needle, which grows fo thick together, that a rat or bird can fcarccly pafs through them ; and the fliff leaves of this fword plant, ftand- ing nearly horizontally, are as impenetrable to man, or any other animal, as if they were a regiment of grenadiers with their bayonets pointed at you. Tlie Palmetto royal is, however, a very fmgular and beau- tiful produftion. It may be termed a tree, from its durability and magnitude, as likcwife from the ligneous quality of its ftem, or trunk, when old ; yet from its form and texture, I fliould be inclined to rank it amongft the herbaceous plants, for even the glorious palm, although it rifes to the altitude of a tree, and even tranfcends moft of them, yet it bears the character of the herbaceous ones : and this, Hke the Palm tree, rifes with a Itraight, eredb ftem, about ten or twelve feet high, crowned with a beautiful chaplet of fword or dagger like leaves, of a perfed green colour, each terminated with a ftiff, ftiarp fpur, and their edges finely crenated. This thorny crown is crefted with a pyramid of fil- ver 7® Travels in v.er white flowers, each rerembling a tulip or lily. Thefe flowers a!f mcceeded by a large fruit, nearly of the form and fize of a flender cucumber, which when ripe, is of a deep purple colour, the fkin fmocih and fhining, its pulp foft, very juicy, and of an agreeable aromatic flavour, but rather bitter to tjie tafte ; it is, however, frequently eaten, but if eaten to excefs, proves violently purgative. The feeds are numerous, flat, and lunated. The plant, or tree, when grown old, fometimes divides into two or three ftems, which feem of equal height and thicknefs, and indeed nearly of the fame thicknefs with the main (lem j but generally, when they arrive to this age and magnitude, their owft weight brings them to the ground, where they foon decay, the heart or pith firfl:, leaving a hol- low fibrous reticulated trunk or fleeve, which like- wife foon after decays, and in fine, all is again re- duced to its original earth, and replaces the vegeta- tive mould. But the deceafed are foon replaced by others, as there are younger ones of all ages and flature, ready to fucceed their predeceflbrs, and llourifh for a time, with the fame regal pomp and fplendor. Thefe plants are fo multitudinous, where- ever they get a footing, that the earth is completely occupied by them, and fcarcely any other vegetable is to be feen, where they are ; yet they are fome- times fcattered amongll other trees and vegetables. In three days after leaving Amelia, we arrived at the Cow-ford, a public ferry, over St. John's, about thirty miles above the bar or capes, the river here being above a mile wide. ' Mr. Egan, after procuring a neat little fail-boat for me, at a large indigo plantation near the ferry, and NORTH AMERICA. J i and for which I paid three guineas, departed for St. Auguftine, which is on the fea-coafl:, about forty- five miles over land. It was now about the middle of April. Vegeta- tion appearing every where in high progrefs, I was anxious to be advancing foutherly ; and having at this plantation (lored myfelf with ncceffaries for my voyage, I failed in the morning, with a fair wind. I was now again alone, for the young man, my fellow traveller, though flouter and heartier than myfelf, having repented of his promife to ac- company me to the Indian trading houfeg, I fup- pofe not relifliing the hardfliips and dangers, which might perhaps befal us, chofe rather to (tay behind, amongft the fettlements. His leaving me, however, I did not greatly regret, as I could not confidcr it a difappointment much to my difadvanta=i;e at the moment. Our views were probably totally oppo- fite ; he, a young mechanic on his adventures, Teemed to be actuated by no other motives, than cither to eftabllfh himfelf in fome well inhabited pari: of the country, where, by following hi:; occupn.ion, h?. might be enabled to procure, without much toil and danger, the neceflaries and conveniencies of life ; or by induilry and frugality, perhaps eflablifh his fortune. Whift I, continually impelled by a refl- lefs fpirit of curiofity, in purfuit of new produc- tions of nature, my chief happinefs confiltcd in trac- ing and admiring the infinite power, majeHy, and perfedion of the great Almighty Creator, and in the contemplation, that through divine aid and per- miflion, I might be inrtrumental in difcovering, and introducing into my native country, fome oiiginal productions of nature, which might become ufeful to Ji, TRAVELS- IN to fociety. Each of our purfuits was perhaps equally laudable ; and upon this fuppofuion, I was quite "willing to part with him upon amicable terms. My little veffel being furniflied with a good fail, and having filhing tackle, a neat light fufee, pow- der and ball, I found myfelf well equipped for my voyage, about one hundred miles to the trading- h^oufe. ' I croiTed the »river to a high promontory of wood-land, on the weft fliore, and being Itruck with the magnificence of a venerable grove of Live Oak, Palms, and Laurel (Magnolia grandiflora) I ftepped on fliore to take a view of the place. Orange trees were in full bloom, and filled the air with fra- grance. It was now paft noon, and this place being about eight miles above the Cow-ford, and the river near three miles in breadth, I wanted to reach a planta- tion in fight, on the oppofite fhore, in order to get fome repairs, m.y veflel having fuftained fome da- mage from the violence of the wind, in crofling over. I arrived late in the evening, and finding a conveni- ent landing-place and - harbour, 1 concluded to re- main here till morning, and then coaft it clofe along fliore to the plantation. It beginning to thunder, I was fufficiently warn- ed to prepare againft a wet night ; and obferving a very large Oak tree, which had been thrown down by a hurricane, and oft'ered me a convenient fhelter, as its enormous limbs bore up the trunk a fufficlent height from the earth to admit me to fit or lie down under it, I fpread my fail, ilanting from the trunk of the tree to the ground, on the windvi^ard NORTH AMERICA. 73 windward {ida ; and having collefted a quantity of wood, fufficient to keep up a fire during the night, I ftruck one up in front, and fpreading fkins on the ground, and upon thei'e placing a blanket, one half I lay down upon, turning the other over me for a covering;. The florm came up, with a furious wind and rvcmendous thunder and lightning, from the oppo- : . N. W. coafi:, but luckily for mc, little rain ^nd T relied very well. But as the wind next i ..' ■ i>lew very frefli, right in upon the ihore, there was no pollibility of moving, with fafety, ffo'.n my prefent fituation. I however arofe to rt-connoitre the ground round about my habita- tion, being rouled by the report of a muiket not far off. I had not left fight of my encampment, following a winding path through a grove of Live Oak, Laurel (Magn. grandiflora) and Sapindus, before an Indian (tepped out of a thicket, and eroded the path juft: before me, having a large turkey cock flung acrofs his flioulders : he faw me, and flepping up and fmiling, fpoke to me in Knglilh, bidding me good morning. I faiuted him with "■' It's well, brother,'* led him to my camp, and treated him with a dram. This friendly In- dian informed me that he lived at the next planta- tion, employed as a hunter. I afked him how far it was to the houfe ; he anfwered about half a mile by laud, and invited me to go there, teUing me that his mailer was a very good, kind man, and would be glad to fee me. I replied, that I would, if my boat and effeds in the mean time could be fafe. lie faid that he would immediately return to the houfe, and acquaint his mailer with it, who would fend trull y negroes to bring my velfel round the 74 TRAVELS IN the point, to the landing. I thanked him for his civility, and not willing to be troublefome, I told him I would leave my boat, and follow after him ; fo taking my fufee on my flioulder, alter dragging my bark as high up on ihore as I could, I followed the Indian, and foon reached the houfe. The gentleman received me in the mod polite manner ; and, after hearing my fituation, he re- quefted me to make my abode with him a few days, to reft and refredi myfelf. 1 thanked him, and told him I would flay a day. He immediately fent {laves who brought my boat round ; and having carpenters at work on a new building, he fat them about repairing my veflel, which by night was com- pletely refitted. I fpent the day in the mofl agreeable manner, in the fociety of this man of fmgular worth. He led me over his extenfive improvements, and we returned in company with feveral of his neighbours. In the afternoon, the mofl fultry time of the day, we retired to the fragrant (hades of an orange grove. The houfe was fituated on an eminence, about one hundred and fifty yards from the river. On the right hand was the orangery, confiding of many hundred trees, natives of the place, and left (landing, when the ground about it was cleared. Thefe trees were large, flourifhing, and in perfect bloom, and loaded with their ripe golden fruit. On the other fide was a fpacious garden, occupy- ing a regular Hope of ground, down to the water ; and a ple.afant lawn lay between. Here were large plantations of the Indigo plant, which ap- peared in a very thriving condition : it was then about five or fix inches high, growing in Itrait parallel rows, about eighteen inches apart. The Corn NORTH AMERICA. y^ Corn (Zea) and Potatoes (Con vol v. Batata) were greatly advanced in grovi^th, and promifcd a plen- tiful crop. The Indigo made in Eaft Florida is efteemed almofl equal to the bed Spanifh, efpeci- ally that fort, which they call Flora. Mr. Mar- {hall prefented me with a fpecimen of his own ma- nufafture, at this plantation : it was very little, if any, inferior to the beil Prullian blue. In the morning following, intimating my inten- tions of proceeding on my voyage, Mr. Marfliall again importuned me to ftay ; but I obtained his confent to depart, on my promifmg to vifit him at mv return to Georgia. After breakfaft I there- fore took my leave, attended to the fhore by feveral flaves, leaded with ammunition and pro- vifions, which my friend had provided for me. On my cxprefTmg fome difficulty in receiving fo large a fliare of his bounty, he civilly replied, that it was too little to mention, and that, if I had continued with him a day or two longer, he fliould luve had 4:ime to have ferved me in a much better manner. Taking my leave of Mr. Marfliall, 1 again em- barked alone on board my little vefTel, and bleffed with a favourable ftcady gale, I fet fail. The div was extremely pleafant ; the late thunder Horm had purified the air, by difuniting and dillipating the noxious vapours. The falling of heavy fliow- eis, with thunder and brilk winds, from the cool regions of the N, W. contributes greatly towards rei'toring the falubritv of the air, and purity of the waters, by precipitating the putrefcent fcum, that riles from the bottom, and floats upon the furface, near the fhores of the rivers, in tfiefe iouthern climates, during the hot feafons. The ill ores 'jd TRAVELS IN Ihores of this great river St. Juan are very level and fhoal, extending, in fome places, a mile or two into the river, betwixt the high land and the clear waters of the river, which is fo level, as to be co- vered not above a foot or two deep with water, and at a little diifance appears as a green meadow, hav- ing water-grafs and other amphibious vegetables growing in the oozy bottom, and floating upon the water. Having a lively leading breeze, I kept as near the Eaft fhore as poflible, often furprifed by the plunging of alligators, and greatly delighted with the pleafing profpetl of cultivation, and the increafe of human induftry, which frequently itruck my view from the elevated, diltant fhores. At night I ran in fhore, at a convenient harbour, where l was received and welcomed by the gentle- man, who was agent for the plantation, and at vi'hofe pleafant habitation, near the harbour, I took up my quarters for the night. This very civil man happened to be a perfon with whom I had formerly been acquainted in St. Aiiguftine ; and as he lived about twenty miles dif- tant from it, I had good reafon to expect that he would be a proper perfon to obtain intelligence from, concerning the dillurbancesv/hich were thought ftill to fubfift, between the Lower Creeks and the white inhabitants of Eafl Florida. Upon inquiry, and converfation with him, I found my conjedures on that head to have been well founded. My friend informed me, that there had, but a few days fince.; been a council held at St. Auguftine, between the governor of Eaft Florida and the chiefs of the Lovyer Creeks. They had been delegated by their towns. I NORTH AMERICA. 77 towns, to make inquiry concerning the late alarm and depredations committed by the Indians upon the traders ; which the nation being apprised of, re- commended thefe deputies to be choiea and fent, as foon as polTible, in order to make reafonable con- ceflions, before the flame, already kindled, Ihould fpread into a general war. The parties according- ly met in St. Augufline, and the aifair was ami- cably adjufted, to the fatisfaction of both parties. The chiefs of the delinquent bands, whofe young warriors had committed the mifchief, promifed to indemnify the traders for the lofs of their goods, and requefced that they might return to their ftore- houfes, with goods as ufual, and that they (hould be fafe in their perfons and property. The traders at this time were aQually preparing to return. It ap- peared, upon a flrid inveftigation of fads, that the affair had taken its rife from the licentious conduct of a few vagrant young hunters of the Siminole na- tion, who, imagining themfelves to have been ill treated in their dealings with the traders (which by the bye was likely enough to be true) took this violent method of doin^ themfelves juflice. The culprits however endeavoured to exculpate them- felves, by afferting, that thev had no defign or in- tention of robbin'T the traders of their cfteds, but meant it only as a threat ; and that the traders, from a confcioufnefs of their difhonefty, had been terri- fied and fled, leaving their florer, which they took polieflion of, to prevent their being totally loft. This troublefome affair being adjuded, was very agreeable news -to me, as I could now, without ap- prehenflons, afcend this grand liver, and vilit its delightful Ihores, where and when I pleafed. Bidding adieu to ray obliging friend, I fpread my fail to the favourable breeze, and by noon came to a-breaff ya TRAVELS IN a-breafl of fort Picolata ; where, being deiiroas of gaining yet farther intelligence, I landed ; but, to my difappointment, found the fort difmantled and deferted. This fortrefs is very ancient, and was built by the Spaniards. It is a fquare tower, thirty feet high, invefted with a high wall, without balHons, about bread high, pierced with loop holes and fur- rounded with a deep ditch. The upper flory is open on each fide, with battlements, fupporting a cupola or roof: thefe battlements were formerly mounted with eight four pounders, two on each fide. The works are conflru£led with hewn flone, ce- mented with lime. The ftone was cut out of quar- ries on St. Anaftatius Ifland, oppofite St. Auguf- tine : it is of a pale reddifh brick colour, and a tef- taceous compofition, confifting of fmall fragments of fea-fhells and fine fand. It is well adapted to the condrufting of fortifications. It lies in horizontal maffes in the quarry, and conftitutes the foundation of that ifland. The caftle at St. Augufline, and mofh of the buildings of the town, are of this flone. Leaving Picolata, I continued to afcend the ri- ver. I obferved this day, during my progrefs up the river, incredible numbers of fmall flying infeds, of the genus termed by naturalifls Ephemera, con- tinually emerging from the fhallow water near fliore, fome of them immediately taking their flight to the land, whilft myriads crept up the grafs and herbage, where remaining for a fhort time, as they" acquired fuificient flrength, they took their flight alfo, following their kindred to the main land. This refurreftion from the deep, if I may fo ex- prefs it, commences early in the morning, and ceafes after the fun is up. At evening they are feen in clouds NORTH AMERICA. 79 clouds of innumerable millions, fwarming and wan- toning in the (till air, gradually drawing near the river. They defcend upon its furface, and there quickly end their day, after committing their eggs to the deep ; which being for a little while toiled about, enveloped in a vifcid fcum, are hatched, and the little Larva defcend into their fecure and dark habitation, in the oozy bed beneath, where they remain, gradually increafmg in fize, until the re- turning fpring : they then change to a Nymph, when the genial heat brings them, as it were, into exig- ence, and they again arife into the world. This lly feems to be delicious food for birds, frogs, and fifli. In the morning, when they arife, arid in the evening, when they return, the tumult is great in- deed, and the furface of the water along fhore broken into bubbles, or fpirted into the air, by the contending aquatic tribes ; and fuch is the avidity of the fifli and frogs, that they fpring into the air after this delicious prey. Early in the evening, after a pleafant day's voy- age, I made a convenient and fafe harbour, in a little lagoon, under an elevated bank, on the Weft fhore of the river ; where I fhall entreat the reader's pa- tience, whilft we behold the clofmg fcene of the fliort-lived Ephemera, and communicate to each other the reflexions which fo fingular an exhibition might rationally fuggeft to an inquifitive mind. Our place of obfervation is happily fituated under the protecting (hade of majeftic Live Oaks, glo- rious Magnolias, and the fragrant Orange, open to the view of the great river and ftiil waters of the lagoon juft before us. At the cool eve*s approach, the fweet enchanting melody So TRAVELS IN melody of the feathered fongfters gradually ceafes, and they betake themfelves to their leafy coverts for fecurity and repofe. Solemnly and (lowly move onward, to the ri- ver's ihore, the luftling clouds of the Ephemera. How awful the proceflion 1 innumerable millions of winged beings, voluntarily verging on to deflruc- tion, to the brink of the grave, where they behold bands of their enemies with wide open jaws, ready to receive them. But as if infenfible of their dan- ger, gay and tranquil each meets his beloved mate in the flill air, inimitably bedecked in their new nuptial robes. What eye can trace them, in their varied wanton amorous chaces, bounding and flut- tering on the odoriferous air ! With what peace, love, and joy, do they end the lad moments of their exiitence ? I think we may aflert, without any fear of ex- aggeration, that there are annually of thefe beau- tiful winged beings, which rife into exiftence, and for a few moments take a tranfient view of the glory of the Creator's works, a number greater than the whole race of mankind that have ever exifted fmce the creation ; and that, only from the fhores of this river. How many then muft have been produced fmce the creation, when we confider the number of large rivers in America, in comparifon with which, this river is but a brook or rivulet. The importance of the exiftence of thefe beau- tiful and delicately formed little creatures, whofe frame and organization are equally wonderful, more delicate, and perhaps as complicated as thofe ot the moil perfect human being, is well worth a few moments contemplation j I mean particularly when NORTH AMERICA. St when they appear in the fly flate. And If we con- fider the very (hort period of tliat Ilage of exiftence, which we may rcafonably fuppofe to be the only fpace of their life that admits of pkafure and enjoy- ment, what a lefTon dotli it not afford us of the vanity of our own purfuits ! Their whole exiftence in this world Is but one complete year : and at leaft three hundred and fixty days of thiit tune they are in the form of an ugly grub, buried in mud, eighteen inches under water, and in this condition fcarcely locomotive, as each Larva or grub has but its own narrow folitary cell, from which it never travels or moves, but in a per- pendicular progrellion of a few inches, up and down, from the bottom to the furfacc of the mud, in order to intercept the pafTmg atoms for its food, and get a momentary refpiration of fre(h air ; and even here it muft be perpetually on its guard, in order to efcape the troops of fiili and ihrimps watching to catch it, and from whom it has no efcape, but by inliantly retreating back into its cell. One would be apt al- mofl to imagine them created merely for the food of lifir and other animals. Having refted very well during the night, I was awakened in the morning early, by the checrintr converfe of the wild turkey-cocks (Meieagris occi- dentalis) fainting each other, from the fun-bright- ened tops of the lofty Cupreftus diflicha and Mag- nolia grandiflora. They begin at early dawn, and continue till fun rife, from March to the laft of April. The high forefts ring with the noife, like the crowing of the domeftic cock, of thefe focial centlnels ; the w^atch-word being caught and repeat- ed, from one to anoiher, for hundreds of miles G around j ^2 TRAVELS IN around ; infoniuch' that the whole country is for ari' hour or more in ?.n univerfal fliout. A Httle after fun-rife, their ciovving gradually ceafes, they quit their high lodging places, and alight on the earth, where, expanding their filver bordered train, they ftrut and dance round about the coy female, while the deep fbrefts feem to- tremble with their fhril! noife. Tliis morning the winds on the greit rivei* were high and againll me ; I was therefore obliged to keep in port a great part of the day, which I em-' ployed in little excurfions round about my encamp- ment. The Live Oaks are of an alfonilhing magni- tude, and one tree contains a prodigious quantity of timber ; yet, comparatively, they are not tail, even in thefe forefls, where growing on flrong land, in company with others of great altitude (fuch as Fagus fylvatica, Liquidambar, Magnoiia grandi-^ flora, and the high Falm tree) they ftrive while young lo be upon an equality with their neighbours, and to enjoy the influence of the fun-beams, and of the pure animating air. But the others at lad prevail, and their pioud heads are feen at a great dillance^ towering far above the reit of the foreft, which con- fi (Is chiefly of this fpecies of oak, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Acer, rubi;um, Laurus Borbonia, Quercus dentata. Ilex aquifolium, Olea Americana, Morus, Gleditfia triacanthus, and, I believe, a fpecies of Sapindus. But the latter fpreads abroad his brawny arms, to a great diflance. The trunk of the Live Oak is generally from twelve to eighteen feet in girt, and rifes ten or twelve feet ere£t from the earth, fome I have feen eighteen or twenty ; then di- vides itfelf into three, four, or five great Hmbs, which NORTH AMERICA. 83 which continue to grow in nearly an horizontal di- redion, each limb Ibrming a gentle curve, or arch, from its bafe to its extremity. I have Hepped above fifty paces, on a flrait line, from the trunk of one of thefe trees, to the extremity of the limbs. It is ever'j:reen, and the wood almoll incorruDtible, even in the open air. It bears a prodigious quantity of fruit ; the acorn is fmall, but fweet and agreeable to the taftc when loafted, and is food for almofl ail animals. The Indians obtain from it a fweet oil, which they ufe in the cooking of hommony, vice, &:c. ; and they alfo roalt it in hot embers, eating it as we do chefnuts. The wind being fair in the evening, I fet fail again, and croffing the river, made a good harbour on the Eafl fliore, where I pitched my tent for the night. The bank of the river was about twelve or fifteen feet perpendicular from its furface, but the afcent gentle. Although I arrived here early in the even- ing, 1 found fufticient attractions to choofe it for my lodging-place, and an ample field for botanical em- ployment. It was a high, airy fituation, and com- manded an exienfive and varied profpeilii of the river and its (hores, up and down. Behold yon promontory, projecting far into the great river, beyond the ftill lagoon, half a mile dif- tant from me : what a magnificent grove arifes on its banks ! how glorious the Palm ! how majeflicaliy itands the Laurel, its head forming a perfed cone ! its dark green foliage feems filvered over with milk- M'hite flowers. They are fo large, as to be dif- tinfl:ly vifible at the diftance of a mile or more. The l.aurtl Magnolias, which grow on this river, are the mod beautiful and tall that I have any where feen, unlefs we except thofe, which Hand on the G 2 banks $4 TRAVELS IN banks of the Miffiffippi ; yet even thefe mud yield to thofe of St Juan, in neatnefs of form, beauty of foliage, and, 1 think, in largenefs and fragrance of flower. Their ,ufual height is about one hun- dred feet, and fome greatly exceed that. The trunk is perfectly ered, rifing in tlie form of a beau- tiful column, and fupporting a head like an obtufe cone. The flowers are on the extremities of the fubdivifions of the branches, in the centre of a co- ronet of dark green, Ihining, ovate pointed entire leaves : they are large, perfectly white, and ex- panded like a lull blown Rofe. They are polypeta- lous, confiiling of fifteen, twenty, or twenty-five petals : thefe are of a thick coriaceous texture, and deeply concave, their edges being fomewhat reflex, when mature. In the center (lands the young cone ; which is large, of a flefii colour, and elegantly ftud- ded with a gold coloured fligma, that by the end of fummer Is greatly enlarged, and in the autumn ripens to a large crimfon cone or ftrobile, difclofing multitudes of large coral red berries, which for a time hang down from them, fufpcnded by a fine, white, filky thread, four, fix, or even nine inches in length. The flowers of this tree are the largeft and moft complete of any yet known : when fully- expanded, they are of fix, eight, and nine inches -diameter. The pericarpium and berries poflefs an agreeable fpicy fcent, and an aromatic bitter taife. The wood when feafoned is of a fl:raw co- lour, compact, and harder and firmer than that of the poplar. It is really afl:onifliing to behold the Grape- Vines in this place. From their bulk and ftrength, one would imagine, they were combined to pull down thefe mighty trees to the earth ; when, in faft, among fl NORTH AMERICA. 85 amongfl: other good purpofes, they ferve to uphold them. They are jfrequently nine, ten, and twelve inches in diameter, and twine round the trunks of the trees, climb to their very tops, and then fpreaj along their limbs, from tree to tree, thioughouL the foreft : the fruit is but fmall and ill tafted. The Grape vines, with the Rhamnus volubilis, Big- nonia radicans, Bignonia crucigera, and another rambling flirubhy vine, which feems allied to the Rhamnus, perhaps Zizyphus fcandens, feem to tie the trees together with garlands and feftoons, and form enchanting fliades. The long mofs, fo called, (Tillandfea ufneaoides), is a fmgular and furpiifing vegetable produdion : it grows from the limbs and twigs of all trees in thcfe fouthern regions, from N. lat. 35 down as far as 28, and I believe every where within the tropics. Wherever it fixes itfelf, on a limb, or branch, it fpreads into fliort and in- tricate divarications ; thefe in time collect dull, wafted by the wind, which, probably by the moif- ture it abforbs, foftens the hark and fappy part of the tree, about the roots of the plant, and ren- ders it more fit for it to eftabUlh itfeU ; and from -his fmall beginning, it increafe?;, by fending down- wards and obliquely, on all fides, long pendant branches, which divide and fubdivide themfelves iid infinitum. It is common to find the fpaces be- twixt the limbs of large trees, almoll occupied by this plant ; it alfb hangs waving in the wind, like flreamers, from the lower limbs, to the length of fifteen or twenty feet, and of bulk and weight, more than fevcral men together could carry ; and in fome places, cart loads of it are lying on the ground, torn off by the violence of the wind. Any part of the living plant, torn off and caught jn the limbs of a tree, v:ill prefently take root. 8^ TRAVELS IN grow, and increafe, in the fame degree of perfec- tion, as if it had fprung up from the feed. When frefli, cattle and deer will cat it in the winter fea- fon. It feems particularly adapted to the purpofe cf (luffing mattraffes, chairs, faddles, collars, ^c. ; and for thefe furpofes. nothing yet known equals it. The Spaniards in South America and the Weft- Indies, work it into cables, that are faid to be very flrong and durable; but, in order to render it ufeful, it ought to be thrown into flrailow ponds of water, and expofed to the fun, where it foon rots, and the outfide furry fubftance is difiolved. It is then taken out of the water, and fpread to dry ; when, after a little beating and fhaking, it is fufficiently clean, nothing remaining but the interior, hard, black, elaflic filament, entangled together, and greatly re- fembling horfe-hair. The Zanthoxylum clava Herculis alfo grows here. It is a beautiful fpreading tree, and much like a well grown apple tree. Its aromatic berry is delicious food for the little turtle dove ; and epicures fay, that it gives their flefh a fine flavour. Having finifhed my obfervations, I betook myfelf to reft ; and v/hen the plunging and roaring of the crocodiles, and the croaking of the frogs, had ceafed, I flept very well during the remainder of the night : as a breeze from the river had fcattered the clouds of mufquitoes that at firft infefted me. It being a fine cool morning, and fair wind, I fet fail early, and faw, this day, vaft quantities of the Piftia ftratiotes, a very fingular aquatic plant. It .affociates in large communities, or floating illands, fome of them a quarter of a mile in extent, which are impelled to and fro, as the wind and current •NORiTH AMERICA: 6-7 n\ay dire«5l. They are firft produced on, or dofe to the fhore, in eddy water, where they gradually fpread thenifelves Into the river, forming mofl: de- lightful green plains, feveral miles in length, and in fome places a c[uarter of a mile in breadth. Thefe plants are nouriflied and kept in their proper hori- zontal fituation, by means of long fibrous roots, vhich defcend from the nether centre, downwards, towards the muddy bottom. J/ach plant, when full grown, bears a general refemblaacc to a well grown plant of garden lettuce, though the leaves are more nervous, of a firmer contexture, and of a full green colour, inclining to yellow. It vegctatec on the fur- face of the ftill ftagnant water ; and in its natural fituation, is propagated from feed only. In great ilorms of wind and rain, when the river is fuddenly raifed, large maffes of thefe floating plains are bro- ken loofe, and driven from the fliores, into the >vidc water, where they have the appearance of iflets, and float about, until broken to pieces by the winds and Vv'aves ; or driven again to fliorc, on fome diftant coaft of the river, where they again find fooling, and there, forming new colonics, Ipread and extend themfelves again, until again broken up and dif- perfed as before. Thefe floating iflands prefent a very entertaining profpect ; for although we behold an afl'emblage of the primary produdlions of nature only, yet the imagination feems to remain in fuf- penfe and doubt ; as in order to enliven the dclufion, and form a moft pidurefque appearance, we fee not only fiovvery plants, clumps of flirubs, old weather- beaten trees, hoary and barbed, with the long mofs waving from their inags, but we alfo fee them com- pletely inhabited, arid alive, with crocodiles, ferpents, l^rogs, otrer?- crow.^, lieron:., curlcvi-', jackdaw,^, S:c. Theri^ 03 TR.^VELS IN There feems, in fhort, nothing wanted but the ap- pearance of wigwam and a canoe to complete the fcene. Keeping along the Weft or Indian fliore, I faw bafking, on the fcdgy banks, numbers of alligators*, fome of them of an enormous fize. The high forefts on this coaft now wore a grand snd fubhme appearance ; the earth rifmg gradually from the river weftward, by eafy fwelling ridges, behind one another, lifting the diftant groves up in- to the fides. The trees are of the lofty kind, as the grand laurel magnolia, palma elata, liquidambar flyraciflua, fagus lylvatica, querci, juglans hiccory, fraxinus and others. On my doubling a long point of land, the river appe'ia'red furprifmgly widened, forming a large bay, of an oval form, and feveral miles in extent. On the Weft fide it was bordered round v/ith low marlhes, and inverted with a fwamp of Cyprefs, the trees fo lofty, as to preclude the fight of the high-land fo- refts beyond them ; and thefe trees, having flat tops, and all of equal height, feemed to be a green plain, lifted up and fupported upon columns in the air, round the Weft fide of the bay. The cupreiTus difticha ftands in the firft order of North American trees. Its majeftic ftature is fur- prifmg ; and on approaching it we are ftruck with a kind of awe, at beholding the ftatelinefs of the trunk, lifting its cumbrous top towards the fki^s, and cafting a wide lliade upon the ground, as a dark intervening cloud, which, for a time, excludes * I have made ufe of the terms alligator and crocodile indifcrlnilnatcly for this animal, alligator being the country name. tlie I NORTH AMERICA. 89 the rays of the fun. The delicacy of its colour and texture of its leaves, exceed every thing in vege- tation. It generally grows in the water, or in low flat lands, near the banks of great rivers and lakes, that are covered, great part of the year, with two or three feet depth of water ; and that part of the trunk which is fubjedl to be under water, and four or five feet higher up, is greatly enlarged by pro- digious buttrefl'es, or pilallers, which, in full grown trees, proje«fl out on every fide, to fuch a dillance, that feveial men might eafily hide themfelves in the hollows between. Each pilalter terminates un- der ground, in a very large, ftrong, ferpentine root, which ftrikes off, and branches every way, jult under the furface of the earth : and from thefe roots grow woody cones, called cyprefs knees, four, five, and fix feet high, and from fix to eighteen inches and two feet in diameter at their bales. The large ones are hollow, and ferve very well for bee- hives ; a fmall fpace of the tree itfelf is hollow, nearly as high as the buttreffcs already mentioned. From this place, the tree, as it were, takes another beginning, forming a grand flraight column eighty or ninety feet high, when it divides every wav around into an extenfive flat horizontal top, like an umbrella, where eagles have their fecurc nefls, and cranes and ilorks their temporary reding places ; ar.d what adds to the magnificence of their appear- ance is the fireamers of loni{ mofs that han? from the lotty limbs and float in the winds. This is their majeftic appearance when fl:anding alone, in large rice plantations, or thinly planted on the banks of great rivers. Parroquets are commonly feen hovering and flut- tering on their tops ; they delight to fliell the ball?, go TRAVELS IN balls, its feed being their favourite food. The trunks of thefe trees, when hallowed out, make large and durable pettiaugers and canoes, and af- ford excellent fhin^les, boards, and other timber, adapted to every purpofe in frame buildings. When the planters fell thefe mighty trees, they raife a ftage round them, as high as to reach above the buttrefles ; on this flage, eight or ten negroes afcend with their axes, and fall to work round its trunk. I havefeen trunks of thefe trees that would meafure eight, ten, and twelve feet in diameter, for forty and fifty feet ftraight fliaft. As I continued coafling the Indian fhore of this bay, on doubling a promontory, I fuddenly faw be- fore me an Indian fettlement, or village. It was a fine fituation, the bank rifmg gradually from the water. There were eight or ten habitations, in a row, or ftreet, fronting the water, and about fifty yards diftance from it. Some of the youth were naked, up to their hips in the water, fifiiing with rods and lines ; whilft others, younger, were divert- ing themfelves in /hooting frogs with bows and ar- rows. On my near approach, the little children took to their heels, and ran to fome women who were hoeing corn ; but the ftouter youth flood their ground, and, fmiling, called to me. As I paiTed along, I obferved iome elderly people re- clined on fkins fpread on the ground, under the cool fhade of fpreading Oaks and Palms, that were ranged in front of their houfes : they arof'e, and eyed me a& J paifed, but perceiving that I kept on without flopping, they refumed their former po- fition. They were civil, and appeared happy iu their fituation. There was a large Orange grove at the upper en4 >'ORTH AMERICA. 9I end of their village ; the trees were large, care- fully pruned, and the ground under them clean, open, and airy. There feemed to be feveral hun- dred acres of cleared land about the village ; a coniulcrable portion of wjiich was planted, chiefly with corn (Zea), Batatas, Beans, Pompions, Squaflies (Cucurbita verrucofa), Melons (Cucurbita citrullus). Tobacco (Nicotlana), 5cc. abundantly fufTicient for the inhabitants of the village. After leaving this village, and coafling a con- f;derable cove of the lake, I perceived the river be- fore me much contraiited within its late bounds, but ftill retaining the appearance of a wide and deep river, both coafts bordered for feveral milesi with rich deep fwamps, well timbered with Cyprefs, Afh, Elm, Oak, Hiccory, Scarlet Maple, Nyfia aquatica, Nyila tupilo, Gordonia lafiantluis, Cory- pha palma, Corypha pumila, Laurus Borbonia, tNcc. 7'he river gradually narrowing, I came in fight of Charlotia, where it is not above half a mile wide, but deep ; and as there was a confiderable current againft me, 1 came here to an anchor. This town was founded by Den. Rolle, efq. and is fituated on a high bluit, on the eail coaff, fifteen or twentv feet perpendicular from the river, and is in length half a mile, or more, upon its banks. The upper llratum of the earth confifts entirely of feveral fpe- cies of frefh water Cochleae, as Coch. helix, Coch. Inbyrinthus, and Coch. voluta ; thefecond, of ma-^ rinefhells, as Concha mytulus, Cone, oftrea. Cone, pceton, Haliotis auris marina, Hal. patella, ^c. mixed with fca land ; and the third, or lower ftra- tum, which was a little above the common level of the river, of horizontal maffes of a pretty hard lock, compcfcid aimoil entirely of the above fhell, generally whole, and lying in every direction, pe- trified g2 TRAVELS IN trifiecl or cemented together, with fine white fand ; and thefe rocks were bedded in a (Iratuni of clay. 1 faw many fragments of the earthen ware of the ancient inhabitants, and bones of animals, amongfl the fhells, and mixed with the earth, to -a great depth. This high fhelly bank continues, by gentle parallel ridges, near a quarter of a mile back from the river, gradually diminiflnng to the level of the fandy plains, which widen before and on each fide eallward, to a feemingly unlimited diftance, and appear green and delightful, being covered wich grafs and the Corypha repens, and thinly planted with trees of the long leaved, or Broom Pine, and decorated with clumps, or coppices, of floriferous, evergreen, and aromatic flirubs, and enamelled with patches of the beautiful little Kalmea ciliata. Thefe flielly ridges have a vegetable furface of loofe black mould, very fertile, which naturally produces Orange groves, Live Oak, Laurus Borbonia, Pal- ma elata, Carica papaya, Sapindus, Liquidambar, Fraxinus, exelfior, Morus rubra, Ulmus, Tilia, Sambucus, Pcelea, Tallow-nut or Wild Lime, and many others. Mr, Rolle obtained from the crown a grant of forty thoufand acres of land, in any part ol: Eafl Floridai, where the land was unlocated. It feems, his views were to tpke up his grant near St. Mark's, in the bay of Apalatchi ; and he fat fail from England, with about one hundred families, for that place j but by contrary winds, and ftrefs of weather, he. miiTed his aim ; and being obliged to put into St. Juan's, he, with fome of the principal of his ad- herents, afcended the river in a boat, and being flruck with its ma'clly, the grand fituationj ot its banks, and fertility of its lands, and at the fame time, confjdering the extenfive navigation of the river, NORTH AMERICA, 93 river, and its near vicinity to St. Aup:un;ine, the dapital and feat of government, he altered his views en St. Mark's, and fuddenly determined on this place, where he landed his hrfl: little colony. But it feems, from an ill concerted plan in iis infant eflablifhment, negligence, or extreme parfimony in fending proper recruits and other neceifarit^js, together with a bad choice of citizens, the fettle- ment by degrees grew weaker, and at length to- tally fell to the ground. Thofe of them who efcaped the conilant contagious fevers, fied the dreaded place, betaking themfelves for fubfilfence to the more fruitful and populous regions of Georgia and Carolina. The rcmaininjc old habitations are mouldering to earth, except the manfion houfe, which is a large frame building, of cyprefs wood, yet in tolerable repair, and inhabited by an overfeer and his family. There is alfo a blackfmith with his fhop and family, at a fmall diftance from it. The mofl: valuable diflricl: belonging to I\lr. Rolle's grant, lies on Dun's lake, and on a little river, which runs from it into St. Juan. This diftricl confifts of a vafl body of rich fwamp land, fit for the growth of rice, and lome very excellent high land furrounding it. Large fvvamps of excellent rice land are alfo fituated on the well fliore of the river, oppofite to Charlotia. The aborigines of America had a very great town in this place, as appears from the great tu- muli, and conical mounts of earth and iTiclls, and other traces of a fetilement which yet remain. There grew in the old fields on thefe heights, great quantities of callicarpa, and of the beautiful IhruU annona : the flowery of the latter are large, white, and fweet fcented. Having 94 TRAV£LS I. NT Having obtained from the people here dire(fkions for difcovering the little remote ifland where the traders and their goods were lecreted, which was about feven miles higher up, I fat fail again, with a fair wind, and in about one hour and an half arrived at the defired place, having fortunately taken the right channel of the river, amongfl a multitude of others, occafioned by a number of low fwampy iilands. But I fhould have run by the landing, if the centinels had not by chance feen me drawing near them ; who perceiving that I was a white man, ventured to hail me ; upon which I immediately ftruck fail, and came to. Upon my landing they conducted me to their encampment, forty or fifty yards from the river, in an almod impenetrable thicket. Upon my inquiry, they con- firmed the accounts of the amicable treaty at St. Auguftine, and in confequence thereof, they had already removed great part of the goods to the trading-houfe, which was a few miles higher up, on the Indian fliore. They fliowed me my cheil, which had been carefully preferved, and upon in- fpe6tion I found every thing in good order. Having learned from them, that all the effedts would, in a few days time, be removed to the Ilore-houfe, I bid adieu to them, and in a little time arrived at the trading-houfe, where I was received with great politenefs, and treated, during a refidence of feve- rai months, with the utmoft civility and fiiendfhip, by Mr. C. M'Latche, MelTrs. Spalding and Keifali's agent. The river almoft from Charlotia, and for near twelve miles higher up, is divided into many chaa- i^Is by a great number of iflands. CHAP. KORTH AMERICA. 95 CHAP. IV. Having refted myfelf a few day?, and by ranging about the neighbouring plains and groves, lurround- ing this pleafant place, pretty well recovered my strength and fpirits, I began to think of planning my future excurfions, at a diilance round about this centre. 1 found, from frequent conferences with Mr. M'Latche, that I might with fafety extend my journevs every way, and with prudence, even into the towns and fetilements of the Indians, as they "were perfectly reconciled to us, and fincerely wilhed for the renewal of our trade. There were three trading-houfes to be eftablifhed this fummer, each of which had its fupplies from the ftore on St. Juan, where I now had my refi- dence, and in which the produce or returns were to centre annually, in order to be (hipped for Sa- vanna orSunbury, and from thence to Europe. One of thefe trading-houfes was to be fixed about fixty miles higher up the river, from this place, by the name of Spalding's upper (lore ; a fecond at Alachua, about fihy miles welt from the river St. Juan ; and a third at Talahafochte, a confiderable town of the Siminoles, on the river Little St. Juan, near the bay of Apalachi, about one hundred and twenty miles diftance. Each of thefe places I de- figned to vifit, before the return of the veflel to Frederica in the autumn, that I might avail my- felf of an opportunity fo favourable for tranfport- ing my coIle£tions fo far on their way towards Qharlelton. The gS 'TkAVZLS I>f The company for Alachua were to fet off in about a month ; that to Little St. Juan, in July, which fuited me exceedingly well, as I might make my tour to the upper {lore direcftly, that part of the country being at this feafon enrobed in its richeft and gayefl apparel. About the middle of May, every thing being in readinefs to proceed up the river, we fat fail. The traders with their goods in a large boat went a- head, and myl'elf in my little veffel followed them ; and as their boat was large, and deeply laden, I found that I could eafily keep up with them, and, if I chofe, out-fail them ; but 1 preferred keeping them company, as well for the fake of collecting what I could from converfation, as on account of my fafety in eroding the great lake, expcding to return alone, and defcend the river at my own leifure. We had a pleafant day, the wind fair and mode- rate, and ran by Mount Hope, fo named by my fa- ther John Bartram, when he afcended this river, about fifteen years ago. It is a very high fhelly bluff, upon the little lake. It was at that time a fine Orange grove, but now cleared and converted into a large indigo plantation, the property of an Englifh gentleman, under the care of an agent. In the evening we arrived at Mount Royal, where we came to, and flayed all night : we were treated with great civility, by a gentleman whofc name was Kean, and who had been an Indian trader. From this place we enjoyed a mofl: enchanting profpeft of the great Lake George, through a grand avenue, if I may fo term this narrow reach of the liver, which widens gradually for about twoMniles, towards NO^TH, AMERICA. 07 towards its entrance into the lake, fo as to elude the exa^t rules of perfpeclive, and appears of an equal width. At about fifty yards diflance from the landing place, ftands a magnificent Indian mount. About fifteen years ago 1 vifited this place, at which time there were no fettlements of white people, but all appeared wild and favage ; yet in that uncultivated, ftate it pofleffed an almofl inexpreflible air of gran- deur, which was now entirely changed. At that time there was a very confiderable extent of old fields round about the mount ; there was alfo a large orange grove, together with palms and live oaks, extending from near the mount, along the banks, downwards, all of which- has fmce been cleared away to make room for planting ground. But what greatly contributed towards" completing the magnificence of the fcene, was a noble Indiaa highway, which led from the great mount, on a /Iraight line, three quarters of a mile, firft through a point or wing of the orange grove, and continuing thence through an awful forelt of live oaks, it was terminated by palms and laurel magnolias, on the verge of an oblong artificial lake, which was on the edge ot an extenfive green level favanna. This grand highway was about fifty yards wide, funk a little below the common level, and the earth thrown up on each fide, making a bank of about two feet high. Neither nature nor art could any where prefent a more Itriking contrail, as you ap- proached this favanna. The glittering water pond plavcd on the fight through the dark grove, like a hrllliant diamond, on the bofom of the illumined Javanna, bordered with various flov.ery Ihrubs and plains J arid as we advanced into the plain, the H fight 9^ TRAVELS IN fight was agfeeably relieved by a dillant view of the lorefts, which partly environed the green expanfe on the left hand, whillt the imagination was flill flatter- ed and entertained by the far diftant mifty points of the furrounding forefls, which projeded into the plain, alternately appearing and difappcaring, mak- ing a grand fw^p round on the right, to the diflant banks of the great lake. But that venetable grove is now no more. All has been cleared away and planted with indigo, corn, and cotton, but fmce de- ferted : there was now fcarcely five acres of ground under fence. It appeared like a defart to a great extent, and terminated, on the land fide, by fright- i'ul thickets, and open pine forefts. It appears, however, that the late proprietor had fome tafte, as he has preferved the mount and this little adjoining grove inviolate. The profpect from this ftation is fo happily lituated by nature as to comprife at one view the whole of the fublimeand pleafing. At the reanimating appearance of the rifmg fun, nature again revives ; and I obey the cheerful fum- mons of the gentle monitors of the meads and groves. Ye vigilant and faithful fervants of the Mofl High! ye who worfhip the Creator morning, noon, and eve, in fimplicity of heart ! I hafte to join the uni- verfal anthem. My heart and voice unite with yours, in fincere homage to the great Creator, the univerfal fovereign. O may I be permitted to approach the throne of mercy ! May thefc my humble and penitent fuppli* Cations, amidfl the univerfal fliouts of homage froai thy creatures, meet with thy acceptance ! And NORTH AMERICA. 59 And although I am fenfible, that my fervice can- not increafe or diminilh thy glory, yet it is pleafmg to thy fervant to be permitted to found thy praife ; for, O fovereign Lord ! we know that thou alone art perfect, and worthy to be worfliipped. O uni- verfal Father ! look down upon us, v.-e we befeech. thee, with an eye of pity and compaffion, and grant that uni verfal peace and love may prevail in the earth, even that divine harmony which nils the hea- vens, thy glorious habitation ! And, O fovereign Lord ! fince it has pleafed thee to endue man with power and pre-eminence here on earth, and eftablifh his dominion over all crea- tures, may we look up to thee, that our under- ftanding may be fo illuminated with wifdom, and nur hearts warmed and animated with a due fenfe of charity, that we may be enabled to do thy will, and perforni our duty towards thofe fubmitted to our fervice and protection, and be merciful to them, even as we hope for mercy. Thus may we be worthy of the dignity and fupe- liority of the high and diftinguifhed Itation in which thou haft placed us here on earth. The morning being fair, and having a gentle fa- vourable gale, we left our pleafant harbour in pur- fuit of our defired port. Now as we approach the capes, behold the little ocean of Lake George, the diftant circular coalt gradually rifing to view, from his mifty fringed horizon. I cannot entirely fupprefs my apprehen- fions of danger. My veltel at once diminiihed to a nut-fliell, on the fwelling feas, and at the dif- tance of a few miles, mufl appear to the furprifed H ?. ebierver f^O - TRAVELS IN obferver as fome aquatic animal, at intervals emerg- ing from its furface. This lake is a large and beautiful piece of water ; it is a dilatation of the river St. Juan, and is about fifteen miles wide, and generally about fifteen or twenty feet deep, except- ing at the entrance of the river, where lies a bar, which carries eisjht or nine feet water. The lake is beautified with two or three fertile iflands. The firft lies in the bay, as we afcend into the lake, near the weft coaft, about S. W. from Mount Roya)^ from whence it appears to form part of the weft fhore of the bay. The fecond ifland feems to ride on the lake before us as we enter, about a mile with- in it. This ifland is about two miles in breadth, and three quarters of a mile where broadeft, moftly high land, well timbered and fertile. The third and laft lies at the fouth end of the lake, and near the entrance of the river ; it is nearly circular, and con- tains but a few acres of land, the earth high and fer- tile, and almoft an entire orange grove, with grand magnolias and palms. Soon after entering the lake, the wind blew Co brifkly from the weft, with thunder-clouds gather- ing upon the horizon, that we were obliged to feek a fhelter from the approaching tempeft, on the large beautiful ifland before mentioned ; where, having gained the fouth promontory, we met with an ex- cellent harbour, in which we continued the remain- ing part of the day and the night. 'J'hrs circum- ftance gave me an opportunity to explore thegreatefl part ol it. This ifland appears, from obvious veftiges, to have been once the chofen refiden.ce of an Indian prince, there being to this day evident remains of a larg:e NORTH AMERICA. 1 ©| a large town of the Aborigines. It was fituat^d on an eminence, near the banks of the lake, and com- manded a comprehenfive and charming profpeift of the waters, iflands, eaft and well lliores of the lake, the capes, the bay, and Mount Royal ; and to the fouth the view is in a manner infinite, where th'^ fkies and waters fecm to unite. On the fite of this ancient town, ftands a very pompous Indian mount, or conical pyramid of earth, from which runs in a ftrait line a grand avenue or Indian highway, through a magnificent grove of magnolias, live oaks, palms, and orange trees, terminating at the verge of a large green level favanna. This ifland appears to have been well inhabited, as is very evi- dent, from the quantities of fragments of Indian earthenware, bones of animals and other remains, particularly in the flielly heights and ridges all over the ifland. There are no habitations at prefcnt on the ifland, but a great number of deer, turkeys, bears, wolves, wild cats, fquirrcls, racoons, and opofl'ums. The bears are invited here to partake of the fruit of the orange tree, which they are im- moderately fond of; and both they and turkeys are made extremely fat and delicious, from their feeding on the fweet acoins of the live oak. There grow on this ifland many curious flirubs, particularly a beautiful fpecies of lantana (perhaps lant. camerara, Lin. Syfl. A^eget. p. 473). It grows in coppices in old fields, about five or fix: feet high, the branches adorned with rough fer- rated leaves, which fit oppofite, and the twigs ter- minated with umbelliferous* tufts of orange coloured bloflToms, which are fucceeded by a duller of fmall blue berries : the flowers are of various colours, on the fame plant, and even in the fame cluifer, as 102 TRAVELS IN crimfon, fcarlst, orange and golden yellow : the \vhoIe plant is of a moll agreeable fcent. The orange-flowered fliruh Hibifciis is alfo confpicuoufly beautiful (perhaps Hibifc. fplnifex of Linn. ) It grows five or fix feet high, and fubramous. The branches are divergent, and furnifhed with cordated leaves, which are crenated. The flowers are of a mode- rate fize, and of a deep fplendid yellow. The pe- ricarpii are fpiny. I alfo faw a new and beautit^ul palmatcd leaved convolvulus*. This vine rambles over the flirubs, and flrolls about on the ground ; its leaves are elegantly fituated, of a deep grafs green, and fit on long petioles. The flowers are very large, infundibuliform, of a pale incarnate co- lour, having a deep crimfon eye. There are fome rich fvvamps on the fliores of the ifiand, and thefe are verged on the outfide with large marflies, covered entirely with tall grafs, ruflies, and herbaceous plants ; amongft thele are fcveral fpecies of Ilibilcus, particularly the hibif- cus cocineus. This moft (lately of all herbaceous plants grows ten or twelve feet high, branching regularly, fo as to form a fharp cone. Thefe branches alfo divide again, and are embellifhed vith large expanded crimfon flowers. 1 have feen this plant of the fize and figure of a beautilul httle tree, having at once feveral hundred of thefe fplen- did flowers, which may be then feen at a great diilance. They continue to flower in fuccefiion all fummer and autumn, when the ftems wither :ind decay ; but the perennial root fends forth new liems the next fpring, and fo on for many years. Its leaves arc large, deeply and elegantly finuated having ilx or fcven very narrow dentated feg- * Couvol. diile^ftus, mentsj NORTH AMERICA. iSj ments ; the furface of the leaves, and of the whole plant, is fmooth and pohflied. Another fpecies of hibifcus, worthy of paiticular notice, is like^ wife a tall flourifhing plant ; feveral flrong flcms arife from a root, five, fix, and feven feet high, embelliflied with ovate lanciolate leaves, covered with a fine down on tiieir nether furfaccs : the flowers are very large, and of a deep incarnate co- lour. The lad we fliall nov*' mention feems nearly al- lied to the alcea ; the flowers are a fize lefs than the hibifcus, and of a fine damafl; rofe colour, and are produced in great profufion on the tall pyrami- dal ftems. The lobelia cardinalis grows in great plenty here, and has a mod fplendid appearance amidft extenfive meadows of the golden corymbous jacobea (fenecio jacobea) and odorous pancratiiAn. Having finifned my tour en this princely ifland, I prepared for repofe. A calm evening had fuc- ceeded the llormy day. The late tumultuous winds had now ceafed, the face of the lake had become placid, and the fkies ferene ; the baimy winds breathed the animating odours of the groves around me ; and as I reclined on the elevated banks of the lake, at the foot of a live oak, I enjoyed the prof- peel of its wide Vv'aters, its fringed coafis, and the diftant horizon. The fquadrons of aquatic fowls, emerging out of the water, and haftening to their leafy coverts on jhnre, clofed the varied fcenes of the paft day. I was lulled afleep by the mixed founds of the wearied furf^ 1C>4 TRAVELS m furf, lapfing on the hard beaten fliore, and the ten- der warblings of the painted nonpareil and other "winged inhabitants of the grove. At the approach of day the dreaded voice of the aUigators fliook the ifie, and refounded along the neighbouring coafts, proclaiming the appearance of the glorious fun. I arofe, and prepared to accom- plifli my daily talk. A gentle favourable gale led us out of the harbour : \vc failed acrofs the lake, and tovt'ards evening entered the river on the op- pofite fouth coaft, where we made a pleafant and fafe harbour, at a fhelly promontory, the eaft cape of the river on that fide of the lake. It is a moft d-firable fituatior, commanding a full view of the lake. The cape oppofite to us was a valt cyprels fwamp, environed by a border of grafly marfhe?, which were projected farther into the lake by floar- ing fields of the bright green pillia ftratoiies, which rofe and fell alternately with the waters. Jufl to leeward of this point, and about half a mile in the lake is the little round illand already mentioned. But let us take notice of our harbour and its envi- rons : it is a beautiful little cove juft within the fandy point, which defends it from the beating furf of the lake. From a fhelly bank, ten or twelve feet perpendicular from the water, we en- tered a grove of live oaks, palm, magnolia, and orange trees, which grow amongft ihelly hills, and low ridges, occupying about three acres of ground, comprehending the ilthmus, and a part of the penin- fula, which joins it to the graify plains. This en- chanting little foreft is partly encircled by a deep creek, a branch of the river, that has its fource in the high forells of the main, fouth eaft from us ; und winds through the extenfive grafly plains which furround NORTH AMERICA. IO5 furround this peninfula, to an almofl infinite dif- tance, and then unites its waters with thofe of the river, in this little bay which formed our harbour. This bay, about the mouth of the creek, is almofl covered with the leaves of the nymphica nelumbo : its large fweet-fcented yellow flowers are lifted up two or three feet above the furface of the water, each upon a green flarol, reprefenting the cap of li- berty. The evening drawing on, and there being no convenient landing place for feveral miles higher up the river, we concluded to remain here all night. Whilfl my fellow travellers were employing them- fclves in colleding fire-wood, and fixing our camp, I improved the opportunity, in recoanoitering our ground ; and taking my fufee with me, I penetrated the grove, and afterwards entered fome almofl un- limited favannas and plains, which were abfolutely enchanting ; they had been lately burnt by the In- dian hunters, and had juft now recovered their vernal verdure and gaiety. How happily fituated is this retired fpot of earth ! What an elyfium it is ! where the wandering Simi- nole, the naked red warrior, roams at large, and after the vigorous chafe retires from the fcorching heat of the meridian fun. Here he reclines, and repofes under the odoriferous Ihadcs of Zanthoxy- lon, his verdant couch guarded by the Deity ; Li- berty, and ihe Mules, infpiring him with wifdoni and valour, whilfl the balmy zephyrs Ian him to fleep. Seduced by thefe fublime enchanting fcenes of primitive nature, and thefe vifions of terreftrial hap- pinefs, 1 had roved far away from Cedar Point, but awakening ic6 TRAVELS IN awakening to my cares, I turned about, and in the evening regained our camp. On my return, I found fome of my companions fifiiing for trout, round about the edges of the float- ing nympheea, and not unfuccefsfully, having then, caught more than fufTicient for us all. As the me- thod of taking thcfe fifii is curious and fmgular, I Ihall juft mention it. They are taken with a hook and line, but with- out any bait. Two people are in a little canoe, one fitting in the ftern to (teer, and the other near the bow, having a rod ten or twelve feet in length, to one end of which is tied a ftrong line, about twenty inches in length, to which are fattened three large hooks, back to back. Thefe are fixed very fecurely, and covered with the white hair of a deer's tail, ihreds of a red garter, and fome particoloured fea- thers, all which form a tuft, or taffel, nearly as large as one's fift, and entirely cover and conceal the hooks : this is called a bob. The fteerfinan paddles foftly, and proceeds llowly along fiiore, keeping the boat parallel to it, at a diftance juft fuificient to admit the fillierman to reach the edge of the floating weeds along fliore ; he now ingeni- oufly fwings the bob backwards and forwards, juft above the furface, and fometimes tips the water with it ; when the ^unfortunate cheated troat in- flantly fprings from under the weeds, and feizes the fuppofed prey. Thus he is caught without a pofli- bility of efcape, unlcfs he break the hooks, line, or rod, which he, however, fomethnes does by dint of flrength ; but, to prevent this, the fifiierman ufed to the fport is careful not to raife the reed fiiddenly up, but jerks it inftantly backwards, then (teadiiy drags the fturdy relu6tant fifh to the fide of the canoe. NORTH AMERICA. 10/ canoe, and with a fudden upright jerk brings hiiii into it. The head of this fifh makes about one third of his length, and confequently the mouth is very large : birds, filh, frogs, and even ferpents, are frequently found in its flomach. The trout is of a lead colour, inclining to a deep blue, and marked with tranfverfe waved lifis, of a deep flate colour, and when fully grown, has a cad o{ red or brick colour. The fins, with the tail, which is large and beautifully formed, are of alight reddiili purple, or flelh colour ; the whole body is covered with large fcales. But what is mofl fin- gular, this fifh is remarkably ravenous ; nothing; living that he can feize upon efcapes his jaws ; and the opening and extending of the branchioftega, at the moment he rifes to the furfacc to feize his prey., difcovering his bright red gills through the trant- parent waters, give him a very terrible appearance. Indeed it may be obferved that all fifii of prey have this opening and covering of the gills very large, in order to difcharge the great quantity of water which they take in at their mouth, when they ftrike at their prey. This fifli is nearly cuneiform, the body ta- pering gradually from the breaft to the tail, and Hghtly comprelVed on each fide. They frequently weigh fifteen, twenty, and thirty pounds, and arc delicious food. My companion, the trader, being defirous- of crofiing the river to the oppofite fliore, in hopes of getting a turkey, I chofe to accompany him, as it offered a good opportunity to obferve the natural productions of thole rich fwamps and iflands of the river. Having crofled the river, which is here five io8 TRAVi:n In- five or fix hundred yards wide, we entered a narrow channel, w-hich, alter a Terpentine courle for rome miles, rejoins the main river again, above ; form- ing a large fertile iiland, of rich low land. We landed on this ifland, and foon faw a line roebuck* at fome diflance from u?, who appeared leader of a company of deer that were feeding near him on the I'erge of a green meadow. My companion parted from me in purfuit of the deer, one way; and I, cbferving a flock of turkeys at fome dilfance, on the other, direded my fteps towards them, and with great caution got near them ; when, fmgling out a large cock, and being juft on the point of firing, I obferved that feveral young cocks were af- frighted, and in their language warned the relt to be on their guard againlt an enemy, whom I plainly perceived was induftrioufly making his fub- tile approaches towards them, behind the fallen trunk of a tree, about twenty yards from me. This cunning fellow-hunter was a large fat wild cat (lynx): he faw me, and at times feemcd to watch my motions, as if determined to feize the delicious prey before me. Upon which 1 changed my objed, and levelled my piece at him. At that inftant, my companion, at a diflance, alfo difcharged his piece at the deer, the report of which alarmed the tlock of turkeys ; and my fellow-hunter, the cat, fprang over the log and trotted oft^ The trader alfo miflfed his deer : thus we foiled each other. By this time it being near night, we returned to camp, where having a delicious meal ready prepared for our hun- gry ftornachs, we fat down in a circle round our wholefome repaft. How fupremely blefled were our hours at thii time I plenty of delicious and healthful food, our * CervuR fylvaticus. lliC Aincruan d-eer. itomacU* 1 NORTH AMERIQA. lOQ flomachs keen, with contented minds ; under no controul, but what reafon and ordinate paflions dic- tated, far removed from the feats of ftrife. Our fituation was like that of the primitive ftate of man, peaceable, contented, and fociable. The fimple and necellary calls of nature being fatisfied, we were altogether as brethren of one family, ftran- gers to envy, malice, and rapine. The night being over we arofe, and purfucd our courle up the river ; and in the evening reached the trading-houfe, Spalding's upper ftore, where 1 took up my quarters for feveral weeks. On our arrival at the upper ftore, we found it occupied by a white trader, v;^ho had for a compa- nion a very handfome Siminole young woman. Her father, who was a prince by the name of the White Captain, was an old chief of the Siminoles, and with part of his family, to the number of ten or twelve, was encamped in an orange grove near the Itores, having lately come in from a hunt. This white trader, foon after our arrival, deli- vered up the goods and ftore-houfes to my compa- nion, and joined his father-in-law's camp, and foon after went away into the forefts on hunting and tra- ding amongft the flying camps of Siminoles. He is at this time unhappy in his connexions with his beautiful favage. It is but a few years fince he came here, I think from north Carolina, a llout genteel well-bred man, aftive, and of a heroic and amiable difpofition ; and by his indudry, honeltv, and enga^iini; manners, had tained the afieclions oF the Indians, and foon made a little fortune by traffic with lid • TRAVELS IN wlth the Siminoles : when unfortunately meeting with this little charmer, they were married in the Indian manner. He loves her fmcerely, as (he pof- fefles every perfection in her perfon to render a man happy. Her features are beautiful, and manners engaging. Innocence, modeily, and love, appear to a ftranger in every a6lion and movement ; and thefe povv^erlul graces Ihe has fo artfully played upon her beguiled and vanquilhed lover, and unhappy flave, as to have already drained him of all his pof- feflions, which fhe difl.oneftly diltributes amongft her favage relations. He is now poor, emaciated, and half didra&ed, often threatening to fhoot her, and afterwards put an end to his own life ; yet he has not refolution even to leave her ; but novV endea- vours to drown and forget his forrows in deep draughts of brandy. Her father condemns her dif- honefl and cruel condud. Thefe particulars were related to me by my old friend the trader, dire6lly after a long conference which he had with the White Captain on the fub- jecl, his fon-in-law being prefent. The fcene was affecling ; they both flied tears plentifully. My reafons for mentioning this affair, fo foreign to my bufmefs, was to exhibit an inftance of the power of beauty in a favage, and her art and fineffe in im- proving it to her private ends. It is, however, but doing juflice to the virtue and moral conduQ: of the Siminoles, and American aborigines in general, to obferve, that the charafler of this woman is condemned and detefted by her own people of both fexes ; and if her hufband fliould turn her away, according to the cuftoms and ufages of thcfc people, file would not get a hufband again, as a divorce leldom takes place but in confequence of a delibe- rate NORTH AMERICA. II f rat<^ impartial trial, and public condemnation, and then Ihe would be looked upon as a harlot. Such is the virtue of thefe untutored favages ; but I am afraid this is a common phrafe epithet, having no meaning, or at lead improperly applied ; for thefe people are both well tutored and civil ; an d it is apparent to an impartial obferver, who refides but a little time amongfl: them, that it is from the mod delicate fcnfe of the honour and reputation of their tribes and families, that their laws and cuftoms receive their force and energy. This is the divine principle which influences their moral condud, and folely prefcrves their conflitution and civil govern- ment in that purity in which they are found to pre- vail amongft them. CHAP. Hi TRAVELS IN CHAP. V. Being defirous of continuing my travels and ob- fervations higher up the river, and having an invi* tation from a gentleman who was agent for, and refident at, a large plantation, the property of ^an. Englifh gentleman, about fixty miles higher up, I refolved to purfue my refearches to that place ; and having engaged in my fervice a young Indian, ne- phew to the White Captain, he agreed to aflilt me in working my veflel up as high as a certain bluff, "wheie I was, by agreement, to land him, on the Weft or Indian fhore, whence he defigned to go in quefl of the camp of the White Trader, his relation. Provifions and all necefiaries being procured, and the morning pleafant, we went on board and flood up the river. We paffed for feveral miles on the left, by ifiands of high fwamp land, exceedingly fertile, their banks for a good diftance from th^ wa- ter, much higher than the interior part, and fufii- ciently fo to build upon, and be out of the reach of inundations. They confilt of a loofe black mould, wdth a mixture of fand, fhells, and diflblved vege- tables. The oppofite Indian coafl is a perpendicu- lar bluff, ten or twelve feet high, confilting of a black fandy earth, mixed with a large proportion of Jhells, chiefly various fpecies of frefh water cochleae and mytuli. Near the river, on this high Ciore, grew ccrypha palma, magnolia grandiflora, live oak, callicarpa, myrica ccrifera, hybifcus fpinifex, and the beaudful evergreen fhrub called wild lime or tallow nut. This lafl fhrub grows fix or, eight lect high, many ercQ. items fpring from a root ; the NORTH AMERICA. II : the leaves are lanceolate and entire, two or three inches in length and one in breadth, of a deep green colour, and polifhed ; at the foot of each leaf grows a ftifF (harp thorn ; the flowers are fmall and ia clullers, of a greenilh yellow colour, and fweet fcented ; they are fucceeded by a large oval fruit, of the fhape and fize of an ordinary plumb, of a iine yellow colour when ripe ; a foft fweet pulp co- vers a nut which has a thin fliell, enclofing a white kernel fomewhat of the confidence and talte of the fweet almond, but more oily and very much like Jiard tallow, which induced my father when he firlt obferved it, to call it the tallow-nur. At the upper end of this bluff is a fine orange grove. Here my Indian companion rcquefted me to fet him on fnore, being already tired of rowing under a fervid fun, and having for fome time inti- mated a dillikc to his fituation. I readily complied with his defire, knowing the impoliibility of com- pelling an Indian ugainlt his own inclinations, or even prevailing upon him by reafonable arguments, when labour is in the queflion. Before my velfel reached the (hore, he fprang out of her and landed, when uttering a flirill and terrible whoop, he bound- ed off like a roebuck, and I loft fight of him. I at firft apprehended, that as he took his gun with him, he intended to hunt for fome game and return to me in the evening. The day being exceffively hot and fultry, I concluded to take up my quarters here until next morning. The Indian not returning this morning, I fet fail alone. The coafts on each fide had much the fame appearance as already defcribed. The palm trees here feem to be of a different fpecies from the cabbage tree J their ftraight trunks are fixtv, eighty, or ninety X ' feet If4 TRAVELS IN feet high, with a beautiful taper, of a bright afh co- lour, until within fix or feven feet of the top, where it is a fine green colour, crowned with an orb of rich green plumed leaves : I have meafured the ftem of thefe plumes fifteen feet in length, befides the plume, which is nearly of the fame length. The little lake, which is an expanfion of the ri- ver, now appeared in view ; on the eall fide are ex- tenfive marihes, and on the other, high forefts and orange groves, and then a bay, lined with vaft cy- prefs fwamps, both coalls gradually approaching each other, to the opening of the river again, which is in this place about three hundred yards wide. Even- ing now drawing on, I was anxious to reach fome high bank of the river, where I intended to lodge ; and agreeably to my wiflies, I loon after difcovered on the weft fliore a little promontory, at the turning of the river, contrading it here to about one hun- dred and fifty yards in width. This promontory is a peninfula, containing about three acres of high ground, and is one entire orange grove, with a few live oaks, magnolias and palms. Upon doubling the point, I arrived at the landing, which is a cir- cular harbour, at the foot of the bli^lf, the top of which is about twelve feet high ; the back of it is a large cyprefs fwamp, that fpreads each way, the right wing forming the well coalt of the little lake, and the left ftretching up the river many miles, and encompalfing a vail fpace of low giaify marfhes, Ftx)m this promontory, looking eaftward acrofs the river, 1 beheld a landfcape of low country, unpar- ralleled as 1 think ; on the left is the eaft coaft of the little lake, which I had juft pafTed ; and from the orange bluff at the lower end, the high forefts begin, and increafe in breadth from the, fhore of the lake, making NORTH AMERICA. II5 making a circular fweep to the right, and contain many hundred thoufand acres of meadow ; and this grand fweep of high forefts encircles, as I appre- hend, at lead twenty miles of thefe green fields, interfperfcd with hommocks or iflets of evergreen trees, where the fovereign magnolia and lordly palm ftand confpicuous. The illets are high Ilielly knolls, on the fides of creeks or branches of the ri- ver, which wind about and drain otFthe fapcrabun- dant waters that cover thefe meadows during the winter feafon. The evening was temperately cool and calm. The crocodiles began to roar and appear in uncom- mon numbers along the fhores and in the river. I fixed my camp in an open plain, near the utmolt projcdlion of the promontory, under the Ihelter of a large live oak, which (tood on the highefl part of the ground, and but a few yards from my boat. From this open, high fituation, I had a free prof- ped: of the river, which was a matter of no trivial confideration to me, having good reaibn to dread the fubile attacks of the alligators, who were crowd- ing about my harbour. Having collected a good » quantity of wood for the purpofe oF keeping up a light and fmoke during the night, I began to think of preparing my fupper, when, upon examining my flores, I found but a fcanty provifion. I thereupon determined, as the mod expeditious way oi fupply- ing my neceflities, to take my bob and try for fome trout. About one hundred yards above my har- bour began a cove or bay of the river, out of which opened a large lagoon. The mourh or entrance from the river to it was narrow, but the waters foon after fpread and formed a little lake, extend- ing into the marlhcs : its entrance and fliore^ with- 1 2 ill I H6 . TRAVELS IN in I obferved to be verged with floating lawns of the piftia and nymphea and other aquatic plants j thelc I knew were excellent haunts for trout. The verges and iflets of the lagoon were ele- gantly embelliflied with flowering plants and flirubsj the laughing coots with wings half fpread were trip- ping over the little coves and hiding thenifelves in the tufts of grafs ; young broods of the painted fum- mer teal, flcimming the ftill furface of the waters, and following the watchful parent unconfcious of danger, were frequently furprifed by the voracious trout; and he, in turn, as often by the fubtle greedy alligator. Behold him rufhing forth from the flags and reeds. • His enormous body fwells. His plaited tail brandifhed high, floats upon the lake. The waters like a cataracl defcend from his opening jaws. Clouds of fmoke iflTue from his di- lated noftrils. The earth trembles w ith his thunder. When immediately from the oppofite coafl: of the lagoon, emerges from the deep his rival champion. They fuddenly dart upon each other. The boiling furface of the lake marks their rapid courfe, and a terrific conflid: commences. They now fmk to the bottom folded together in horrid wreaths. The^ water becomes tliick and difcoloured. Again they rife, their jaws clap together, re-echoing through the deep furrounding foreits. Again they fmk, -when the conteft ends at the muddy bottom of the lake, ?.nd the vanquiflied makes a hazardous efcape, hid- ing himfelf in the muddy turbulent waters and fedge on a dillant fliore. The proud victor exulting re- turns to the place of aCiion. 'I'he ihores and foreflis relound his dreadful roar, together with the triumph- ing fliouts of thefe plaited tribes around, witnelfes of the horrid combat. My NORTH AMERICA. II7 My apprehenfions were highly alarmed after be- ing a fpectator of fo dreadful a battle. It was ob- vious that every delay would but tend to encreafe my dangers and difficulties, as the fun was near, fetting, and the alligators gathered around my har- bour from all OjUarters. From thcfe confi derations I concluded to be expeditious in my trip to the la- goon, in order to take fome fifli. Not thinking it prudent to take my fufee with mc, left I might lofe it overboard in cafe of a battle, which I had every reafon to dread before my return, I therefore furnilhed myfelf with a club for my defence, went on board, and penetrating the firil line of thofc which furrounded my harbour, ihey gave way ; but being purfued by fcveral ver)' large ones, I kept ftriclly on the watch, and paddled with all my might towards the entrance of the lagoon, hoping to be ihelleretl there from the multitude of my aflailants ; but ere I had half-way reached the place, I was attack- ed on all fules, feveral endeavouring to oveifet the canoe. My fituation now became precarious to the iaft degree : two verv large ones attacked me clofe- jy, at the fame inilant, rufliing up with their heads and part of their bodies above the water, roaring rerrihly and belching floods of water over me. They (truck their jaws together fo clofe to my ears, as almolt to dun me, a.nd I expected every nioraent to be dragged out of the boat and inflantlv devoured, ^ut I applied my \yeapons fo efi'eclually about me, though at random, that I was fo fuccefsful as to beat them off a liule ; when, finding that they defigned to renew the battle, I made for the fiiore, as the only means hit me for my prefer'. ation ; for, by keeping clofe to it, 1 fhould have ray enemies on one fide of me onlv, whereas I was before furround- «edby them-, and there was' a probabiliry, if pulhed ^9 11§ TRAV£1.? IN to the hifl: extremity, of faring myfelf, by jumpin^jj out of tlie canoe on ihorc, as it is eafy to outwalk ihem on land, although comparatively as fwift as lightning in the water. 1 found this laft expedient alone could fully anfwer my expectations, for as foon as I gained the fhore, they drew off and kept aloof. ^This was a happy relief, as my conlidence ■was, in fome degree, recovered by it. On recol- ledling myfelf, I difcovered that I had almoft reach- ed the entrance of the lagoon, and determined to venture in, if poflible, to take a few filh, and then return to my harbour, while day-light continued ; for I could now, with caution and refolution, make my way with fafety along Ihore ; and indeed there was no other way to regain my camp, without leav- ing my boat and making my retreat through the marfhes and reeds, which, if I could even effect, would have been in a manner throwing myfelf away, for then there would have been no hopes of ever recovering my bark, and returning in fafety >yCto any fettlements of men. I accordingly proceed- ed, and made good my entrance into the lagoon, though not without oppofition from the alligators, who tormed a line acrofs the entrance, but did not purfuc me into it, nor w^as I molefted by any there though there were fome very large ones in a cove at the upper end. I foon caught more trout than I had preft:nt occafion for, and the air was too hot and fukry to admit of their being kept for many hours, even though falted or barbecued. I now prepared for my return to camp, vvhich I fucceeded in with but little trouble, by keeping clofe to the (liore ; yet I was oppofed upon re-entering the liver out of the lagoon, and purfued near to my landing (though not clofely attacked), particularly by an old during one, about twelve feet in length, who NORTH AMERICA. IJ9 who kept clofe after me ; and •when I ftepped on. fhore and turned about, in order to draw up my canoe, he ruihed up near my feet, and lay there for feme time, looking me in the face, his head and flioulders out of water. I refolved he jfliould pay for his temerity, and hanng a heavy load in my hi- fee, 1 ran to my camp, and returning with my piece, found him with his foot on the gunwale of the boat, in fearch of fifli On my coming up he withdrew fullenly and flowly into the water, but foon returned and placed himfclf in his former pofititm, looking at me, and feeming neither fearful nor any way difturbed. I foon difparched him by lodging the contents of my gun in his head, and then proceeded to cleanfe and prepare my fiOi for fupper ; and accordingly took them out of the boat, laid them down on the fand clofe to the water, and began to fcale them ; when, railing my head, I faw before me, through the clear water, the head nnd flioul- ders of a very large alligator, moving flowly towards me. I inrtantly Ttepped back, when, with a fweep of his tail, he brulhed off feveral of my fifh. It was certainly moa providential that I looked up at that inftant, as the monfter would probably, in lefs than a miraite, have feized and dragged me into the river. This incredible boldnefs of the animal dif- turbed me greatly, fuppofmg there could now be no reafoaable fafety for me during the night, but by keeping continually on the watch : I therefore, as foon as I had prepared the fifh, proceeded to fe- cuie myk if and eifccls in the bed manner I could. ]n. the firit pl:»ce, 1 hauled my bark upon the fliore, aunoft clear out of the water, to prevent their oxerfetring or finking her; after this, every moveable Vvas taken out ?j\d carried to my camp, V.hich was but a few yards otl'; theii ranging fome dry 120 TRAVF.I S IK dry wood in fuch order as was the mofl: convenient, I cleared the ground round about it, that there might be no impediment in my way, in cafe of an attack in the night, either from the water or the land ; for I difcovered by this time, that this fmall ifthmus, from its remote fituation and fruitfulnefs, was re- forted to my bears and wolves. Having prepared myfelf in the bell manner I could, 1 charged my gun and proceeded to reconnoitre my camp and the adjacent grounds ; when 1 difcovered that the pe- ninlula and grove, at the diftance of about two hun- dred yards from my encampment, on the land fide, were inverted by a cyprefs Iwamp, covered with water, which below was joined to the ihore of the little lake, and above to the marflies furrounding the lagoon ; fo that I was confined to an iflet exceed- ingly circumfcribed, and T found there was no other retreat for me, in cafe of an attack, but by either afcending one of the large oaks, or pufliing off with my boat. It was by this time dufk, and the alligators had nearly ceafed their roar, when 1 was again alarmed by a tumultuous noife that feemed to be in my har- bour, and therefore engaged my immediate atten- tion. Returning to my camp, I found it undif- turbed, and then continued on to the extreme point of the promontory, where 1 faw a fcenc, new and furprifmg, which at firft threw my fcnfes into fuch a tumult, that it was fome time before I could com- prehend uhiit was the matter ; however, I foon ac- counted for the prodigious alTemblage of crocodiles at this place, which exceeded every thing of the kind I had ever heard of. How fliall I exprefs myfelf {o as to convey an adequate idea of it to tiie reader, and at the lame time. NORTH AMERICA. 121 time avoid raifmg fufplcions of my veracity. Should I fay, that the river (in this place) from fliore to fhore, and perliaps near half a mile above and be- low me, appeared to be one folid bank of fifli, of various kinds, pufhing through this narrow pafs of St. Juan's into the little lake, on their return down, the river, and that the alligators were in fuch in- credible numbers, and fo clofe together from fhore to fhore, that it would have been eafy to have walked acrofs on their heads, had the animals been harmlefs ? What expreflions can fulficiently declare the fhocking fccne that for fome minutes conti- nued, whilfl this mighty army of fifh were forcing the pafs ? During this attempt, thoufands, I may fay hundreds of thoufands of them were caught and fwallowed by the devouring alligators. I have feen an alligator take up out of the water feveial great fifh at a time, and juft fqueeze them betwixt his jaws, while the tails of the great trout flapped about his eyes and lips, ere he had fwallowed them. The horrid noife of their clofmg jaws, their plung- ing amidll the broken banks of fifli, nnd rifnig with their prey fome feet upright above the water, the floods of water and blood rufliing out of their mouths, and the clouds of vapour iHuing from their wide noifrils, were truly frightful. This fcene con- tinued at intervals during the night, as the fifh came to the pafs. After this fight, fliocking and tremendous as it was, 1 found myfelf fomewhat ea- fier and more reconciled to my fituation ; being convinced that their extraordinary alfemblage here was owing to this annual fead of fiih ; and that they were fo well employed in their own element, that I had little occafion to fear [heir paying me a vifit. It 1-22 TRAVELS IN It being now almoft; night, I returned to my camp, where I had left my fifh broiUng, and my kettle of rice ftewing ; and having with me oil, pepper, and fait, and excellent oranges hanging in abundance over my head (a valuable fubftitute for vinegar) I fat down and legaled my felf cheerfully. Having finifhed my repaft, I rekindled my fire for light, and whild 1 was revifmg the notes of my pad day's journey, I was fuddenly roufed with a noife behind me tov/ard the main land. I fprang up on my feet, and liftening, I diftinctly heard fome crea- ture wading in the water of the iUhmus. I feized my gun, and went cautloully from my camp, dired:- ing my fteps towards the noife : when I had ad- vanced about thirty yards, I halted behind a cop- pice of orange trees, and foon perceived two very large bears, vvhich had made their way through the water, and had landed in the grove, about one hun- dred yards diftance from me, and were advancing towards me. I waited until they were within thirty Yards of me : they there began to fnufF and look to- wards my camp : I fnapped my piece, but it fiaflied, on which they both turned about and gallopped off, plunging through the water and fwamp, never halt- ing, as I fuppofe, until they reached faft land, as I could hear them leaping and plunging a long time. They did not prefume to return again, nor was I molefted by any other creamre, except being occa- fionally awakened by the whooping of owls, fcream- ing of bitterns, or the wood-rats running aniongfl: the leave^;. y \ . ... I The wood-rat is a very curious animal. It is not half the fize of the domellic rat; of a dark brown or black colour ; its tail llendcr and faorter in proportion, and covered thinly with (hort hair. It NORTH AMERICA. I23 It is fingular with refpetl to its ingenuity and great labour in the conRruflion of its habitation, which is a conical pyramid, about three or four feet high, conflrufted with dry branches, which it collects with great labour and perfeverance, and piles up without any apparent order ; yet they are io inter- woven with one another, that it would take a bear or wild cat fome time to pull one of thefe caftles to pieces, and allow the animals fuiiicient time to fe- cure a retreat with their young. The noife of the crocodiles kept me awake the greater part of the night ; but when I arofe in the morning, contrary to my expe«Stations, there was perfect peace ; very few of them to be feen, and thofe were afleep on the fhore. Yet I was not able to fupprefs my fears and apprehenfions of being at- tacked by them in future ; and indeed ye(lerday*s combat with them, notwithftanding I came off in a manner victorious, or at lead made a fafe retreat, had left fufficient impreflion on my mind to damp my courage ; and it feemed too much for one of my ftrength, being alone in a very fmall boat, to encounter fuch colleded danger. To purfue my voyage up the river, and be obliged every even- ing to pais fuch dangerous defd«s, appeared to ms as perilous as running the gauntlet betv\ixt two rows of Indians armed with knives and firebrands. I however refolved to continue my voyage one day longer, if I poilibly could with fafcty, and then re- turn down the river, fliould I find the like difficul- ties to oppofe. Accordingly I got every thing on board, charged my gun, and let fail cautioufly, along fhore. As I paiied by Battle lagoon, I began fo tremble and keep a good look out ; when Sud- denly a huge alligator rulhcd out of the reeds, and with 124 TRAVELS IN with a tremendous roar came up, and darted as fwift as an arrow under my boat, emerging upright on my lee quarter, with open jaws, and belching water and fmoke that fell upon me like rain in a hurricane. I laid foundly about his head with my club and beat him off; and after plunging and dart- ing about my boat, he went off on a ftraight line through the water, feemingly with the rapidity of lightning, and entered the cape of the lagoon. I now employed my time to the very bell advantage in paddling clofe along fhore, but could not forbear looking now and then behind me, and prefently perceived one of them coming up again. The wa- ter of the river hereabouts was fhoal and very clear : the monfler came up with the ufual roar and me- naces, and paffed clofe by the fide of my boat, when I could diftin£lly fee a young brood of alliga- tors, to the number of one hundred or more, fol- lowing after her in a long train. They kept clofe together in a column without draggling off to the one fide or the other ; the young appeared to be of an equal fize, about fifteen inches in length, almoft black, with pale yellow tranfverfe waved clouds or blotches, much like rattlefnakes in colour. 1 now loft fight of my enemy again. Still keeping clofe along fiiore, on turning a point or projection of the river bank, at once I ne- held a great number of hillocks or fmall pyramids, refembling hay-cocks, ranged like an encampment along the banks. They flood fifteen or twenty yards diftant from the water, on a high marfli, about four feet perpendicular above the water. I knew them to be the nefts of the crocodile, having had a de- fcription of them before; and now expecied a fu- rious and general attack, as I law feveral latge cro- codiles KORTH AMERICA. 12$ codiles fwlmming abreaft of thefe buildings. Thefe nefts being fo great a curiofity to me, I was deter- mined at all events immediately to land and exa- mine them. Accordingly, 1 ran my bark on fhore at one of their landing-places, which was a fort of nick or little dock, from which afcended a floping path or road up to the edge of the meadow, where their nefts were ; mod of them were deferted, and the great thick whitifli egg-fhells lay broken and fcattered upon the ground round about them. The nefts or hillocks are of the form of an obtufe cone, four feet high and four or five feet in dia- meter at their bafes ; they are conft rutted with mud, grafs, and herbage. At firft they lay a floor of this kind of tempered mortar on the ground, upon which they depofit a layer of eggs, and upon this a llra- tum of mortar, feven or eight inches in thicknefs, and then another layer of eggs, and in this manner one ftratum upon another, nearly to the top. I be- lieve they commonly lay from one to two hundred eggs in a neft : thefe are hatched, I fuppofe, by the heat of the fun ; and perhaps the vegetable fub- ftances mixed with the earth, being a6led upon by the fun, may caufe a fmall degree of fermentation, and fo increafe the heat in thofe hillocks. The ground for feveral acres about thefe nefts fliewed evi- dent marks of a continual refort of rjligators ; the grafs was every where beaten down, hardly a blade or ftraw was left ftanding ; whereas, all about, at a diftance, it was five or fix feet high, and as thick as it could grow together. The female, as I ima- gine, carefully watches her own neft of eggs until they are all hatched ; or perhaps while ftie is attend- ing her own brood, fiie takes under her care and protection as many as file can get at one time, ei- ther 10,6 TRAVELS IN ther from her own particular nefl or others : bat certain it is, that the young are not left to ihift for themlelves ; for I have had frequent opportunities of feeing the female alligator leading about the fliores her train of young ones, juft as a hen does her brood of chickens ; and flie is equally afliduous and courageous in defending the young, which are un- der her care, and providing for their fubfiltence ; and when Ihe is balking upon the warm banks, with her brood around her, you may hear the young ones continually whining and barking, like young pup- pies. I believe but few of a brood live to the years of full growth and magnitude, as the old feed on the young as long as they can make prey of them. The alligator when full grown is a very large and terrible creature, and of prodigious flrength, activity, and fwiftnefs in the water. I have feen them twenty feet in length, and fome are fuppofed to be twenty-two oj twenty-three feet. Their body is as large as that of a horfe ; their fhape exaftly refembles that of a lizard, except their tail, which is flat or cuneiform, being comprefled on each fide, and gradually diminifliing from the abdomen to the extremity, which, with the whole body is co- vered with horny plates or fquamm^e, impenetra- ble v.'hen on the body of the live animal, even to a rifie-ball, except about their head and jufl be- hind their fore-legs or arms, where it is faid they arc only vulnerable. The head of a full-grown one is about three feet, and the mouth opens nearly the fame length ; their eyes are fmall in proportion and feem funk deep in the head, by means of the pro- minency of the brows ; the noftrils are large, in- flated and prominent on the top, fo that the head in the water refembles, at a diftance, a great chunk, NORTH AMERICA. 12/ chunk of wood floating about. Only the upper jaw moves, which they raife ahuofl: perpendicular, fo as to form a right angle with the lower one. In the fore-part of the upper jaw, on each fide, juffc under the noflrils, are two very large, thick, flron^ teeth or tufks, not very fliarp, but rather the Ihape of a cone : thefe are as white as the finefl polifhed ivory, and are not covered by any Ikin or lips and always in fight, which gives the creature a frightful appearance : in the lower jaw are holes oppofite tn thefe teeth, to receive them : when thc;y clap their jaws together it caufes a furprifing noile, like that which is made by forcing a heavy plank with vio- lence upon the ground, and may be heard at a great diltance. But what is yet more furprifing to a flrangcr, is the incredible loud and terrifying roar, which they are capable of making, efpecialiy in the Ipring fea- fon, their breeding time, it moil i-efembles very heavy diftant thunder, not only Ihaking the air and waters, but caufmg the earth to tremble ; and when hundreds and thoufands are roaring at the fame time, you can fcarcely be perfuaded, but that the whole globe is violently and dangerouily agitated. An old champion, who is perhaps abfolute fovc- reign of a little lake or lagoon fwhen fifty lefs than himfelf are obliged to content themfelves with fwel- ling and roaring in little coves round about) dans forth from the reedy coverts all at once, on the furface of the waters, in a right line ; at firll feem- ingly as rapid as lightning, but gradually more flowly until he arrives at the center of the lake, when he flops. He now fwells himfelf by drawing in wind and water through his mouth, which caufes a louj fonorous 128 TRAVELS IN fonorous rattling in the throat for near a minute, but it is immediately forced out again through his mouth and noflrils, with a loud noile, brandifhing his tail in the air, and the vapour afcending from his noftrils like fmoke. At other times, when fwollen to an extent ready to burft, his head and tail lifted up, he fpins or twirls round on the fur face of the water. He adls his part like an Indian chief when rehearfmg his feats of war ; and then retiring, the exhibition is continued by others who dare to flep forth, and flrive to excel each oiher, to gain the attention of the favourite female. Having gratified my curiofity at this general breed- ing-place and nurfery of crocodiles, I continued my voyage up the river without being greatly dif- turbed by them. In my way I obferved iflets or floating fields of the bright green Piftia, decorated with other amphibious plants, as Senecio Jacobea, Perficaria amphibia, Coreupfis bidens, Hydrocotylc fluitans, and many others of lefs note. The fvvamps on the banks and iflands of the river are generally three or four feet above the furface of the v^^ater, and very level ; the timber large and growing thinly, more fo than what is obferved to be in the fvvamps below lake George ; the black rich earth is covered Xvith moderately tall, and very fuc- culent tender grafs, which when chewed is fweet and agreeable to the tafte, fomewhat like young fugar- cane : it is a jointed decumbent grafs, fending out radiculss at the joints into the earth, and fo fpreads itfelf, by creeping over its furface. The large timber trees, which poffefs the low lands, are Acer rubrum, Ac. negundo, Ac. glaucum, Ulmus iylvatica, Fraxinus excelfior, Frax. aquatica, Ulmus fuberifer^ I NORTH AMERICA. IJig fuberifer, Gledltfia monofperma, Gledit. trlacan- thus, Diofpyros Virginica, NylFa aquatica, Nyfl'a fylvatica, juglans cinerea, Quercus cfentata, Qiier- cus phillos, Hopea tinctoria, Corypha palma, Mo- rus rubra, and many more. The palm jryows on the edges of the banks, where they are raifed higher than the adjacent level ground, by the accuniulatioa of fand, river-fliells, iic. 1 paffed along fsveral miles by thofe rich fwamps : the channels of the river which encircle the feveial fertile iflands I had palled, now uniting, formed one deep chmnel near three hundred yards over. The banks of the liver on each fide began to rife, and prefent flielly bluffs, adorned by beautiful Orange groves. Laurels and Live Oaks. And now appeared in Tight, a tree that claimed my whole attention : it was the Carica papaya, both male and female, which were in flower ; and the latter both in flower and fruit, fome of which were ripe, as large, and of the form of a pear, and of a mod charming appearance. This admirable tree is certainly the mofl beau- tiful of any vegetable production I know of; the towering Laurel Magnolia, and exalted Palm, in- deed exceed it in grandeur and magnificence, but not in elegance, delicacy, and gracefulnefs. It rifes ered to the height of fifteen or twenty feet, with a perfedly flraight tapering Item, which is fmooth and polifhed, of a bright a(h colour, refembling leaf filver, curioufly infcribed with the footdeps of the fallen leaves ; and thefe vefliges are placed in a very regular unilorm imbricated order, which has a fine t-ffeft, as if the little column were elegantly carved all over. Its perfectly fpherical top is formed of very large lobe-finuatc leaves, fupported on very long footftalks ; the lower leaves are the largeit as well as their petioles the longed, and make a a. graceful 130 TRAVELS .IN a graceful fweep or flourifli, like the long f or the branches of a fconce candleftick. The ripe and green fruit are placed round about the ftem or trunk, Irom the lowernioll leaves, where the ripe fruit are, and upwards almoft to the top ; the heart or inmoll piihy part of the trunk is in a manner hol- low, or at bell confifls of very thin porous medullrr or membranes. The tree very feldom branches or divide^; into limbs, I believe never unlefs the top is by accident broke oiY when very young : I faw one Avhich had two tops or heads, the Item of which di- vided near the earth. It is always green, orna- mented at the fame time with flowers and fruit, which like figs come out fmgly from the trunk or item. After refling and refrefiiing niyfclf in thefe de- llphtful fliades, 1 left them with reluctance. Em- barking again after the fervid heats of the meridian fun was abated, for fome time 1 paifed by broken lidc^es of iheliy high land, covered with groves of Live Oak, Palm, Olea Americana, and Orange trees ; fr ccjuently obferving Moating iflets and green fields of the Tiiiia near the fliores of the river and lagoons. Here is in this river and in the waters all over Florida, a very curious and handfome fpecies of birds ; the people call them Snake Birds ; I think I have fcen paintings of them on the Chinefe fcreens and other India piiftures : they fcem to be a fpecies of cormorant or loon (Colymbus cauda elongata), but far more beautiful and delicately formed than any other fpecies that I have ever feen. The head and neck of this bird are extremely fmall and flender, the latter very long indeed, almofl out of all proportion ; the bill long, flraight, and flender, tapering NORTH AMERICA. . I3I Capering from its ball to a fharp point ; all the upper fide, the abdomen and thighs, are as black and gloffy as a raven's, covered with feathers fo firm and elaftic, that they in feme degree refemble fifh-lcales ; the bread: and upper part of the belly are covered with feathers of a cream colour ; the tail is very long, of a deep black, and tipped with a filvery white, and when fpreac^, reprefents an unfurled fan. They delight to fit in little peaceable communities, on the dry limbs of trees, hanging over the flill waters, with their wings and tails expanded, I fup- pofe to cool and air themfclves, when at the fame time they behold their images in the watery mirrour. At fuch times, when m e approach them, they drop off the limbs into the water as if dead, and for a minute or two are not to be feen ; when on a fudden, at a vaft diftance, their long (lender head and neck only appear, and have very much the appearance of a fnake, and no other part of them is to be feen when fwimming in the water, except fometimes the tip end of their tail. In the heat of the day they are feen in great numbers, failing very high in the air, over lakes and rivers. I doubt not but if this bird had been an inhabi- tant of the Tiber in Ovid's days, it would have furniflied him with a fubjecl for fome beautiful and entertaining metamorphofes. I believe it feeds en- tirely on filh, for its tleih fmell.* and tafles intolera- bly flrong of it ; it is fcarcely to be eaten unlefs conftrained by infufferable hunger. I had now fwamps and marfhes on both fides of me ; and evening coming on apace, I began to look out for high land to encamp on ; but the extenfive niarlhes feemed to have no bounds, and it was ai- rnoll dark when I found a lolerably fui table place, K 2 and J32 TRAVELS h< and at lafl: was condrained to take up with a narrow Itrip of high fhelly bank, on the weft fide. Great numbers of crocodiles were in fight on both fhores. I ran my bark on fhore at a perpendicular bank four or five fetit above the water, juft by the roots and lindcr the fpreading limbs of a great Live Oak : this appeared to have been an ancient camping place by Indians and ftrolling adventurers, from a(h heaps and old rotten fire brands and chunks, fcattered about on the furface of the ground ; but was now evidently the harbour and landing place of fome fovereign alligator : there led up from it a deep beaten path or road, which was a convenient afcent. I did not approve of my iniended habitation from thefe circumltances ; and no fooner had I landed and moored my canoe to the roots of the tree, than 1 faw a huge crocodile rifing up from the bottom tlofe by me, who, when 1 perceived that 1 faw him, plung.^d down again under my veflel. This determined me to be on my guard, and in time to provide againll a troublefome night. 1 took out of my boat every moveable, which I carried upon the bank ; then chol'e my lodging clofe to my canoe, under the fpreading Oak, as hereabouts only, the ground was open and clear of high grafs and buflres, and confcquently I had fome room to ftir and look round about. I then proceeded to collect firewood, which 1 found diiiic-lt to procure. Here were ftand- ing a few Orange trees. As for provifions, I had liived one or two barbecued trout, the remains of my laft evening's colleclion, in tolerable good order, though the fultry heats of the day had injured them ; yet by Itewing them up afreCh w ith the lively juice ot Oranges, they ferved well enough for my fup- pcr, as I had by this time but litttle relilh or appe- tite NORTH AMERICA. I33 titc for my viftuals ; for conflant watching at night againft the attacks of alligators, flinging of muf- quitoes and fultry heats of the day ; together with the fatigues of working my bark, had almolt de- prived me of every defire but that of ending my troubles as fpeedily as poffiblc. I had the good for- tune to colle<^ together a fufficiency of dry (licks to keep up a Hglit and fmoke, which I latd by me, and then fpread my fkins and blankets upon the ground, kindled up a little fire, and fupped before it was quite dark. The evening was however ex- tremely pleafant ; a briik cool breeze fprang up, and the (kies were pcrfedly ferene, the flars twink- ling with uncommon brilliancy, i (Iretched myfelf along before my fire ; having the river, my little harbour, and the ftcru of my vell'el in view ; and now through fatigue and wearinefs I fell afleep. But this happy temporary releafe from cares and trou- bles I enjoyed but a few moments, when I was ^awakened and greatly furprifed, by the terrifying fcreams of Owls in the deep fwamps around me ; and what increafe my extreme mifery v/as the dif- ficulty of getting quite awake, and yet hearing at the fame time fuch fcreaming and fliouting, which increafed and fpread every way lor miles around, in dreadful peals vibrating through the dark extenfive forcils,^ meadows, and lakes. I could not after this furprife recover my former peaceable flatc and tran- quillity of mind and repofc, during the long night ; and I believe it was happy for me that I was awaken- ed, for at that moment the crocodile was dafiiing my canoe againft the roots of the tree, endeavouring to get into her for the fifh, which J iiowever pre- vented. Another time in the ni^ht I believe I nar- rowly efcaped being dragged into th< river by him ; jiQT when a^^ain through exec wive fatigue 1 had fallen alleepj 134- TRAVELS IN afleep, but was again awakened by the fcrcaminpj owl, I found the monRer on the top of the bank, his head towards me not above two yards diflant ; when ftarting up and feizing my fufee well loaded, which I always kept under my head in the night time, he drew back and plunged into the water. After this, I roufed up my fire, and kept a light during the remaining part of the night, being deter- mined not to be caught napping fo again : indeed the mufquitoes alone would liave been abundantly fuffi- cient to keep any creature awake that pofiefl'ed their perfe£t fenfes; but I was overcome and Itupified with inceffant watching and labour. As foon as I dif- covered the firft figns of day-light, I arofe, got all my efFe6ls and implements on board, and fet fail, proceeding upwards, hoping to give the mufqui- toes the flip, who were now, by the cool morning dews and breezes, driven to their flielter and hiding places. I was miflaken however in thefe conjec- tures, for great numbers of them, which had con- cealed themfelves in my boat, as foon as the fun arofe, began to revive, and fting me on my legs, which obliged me to land in order to get bufhes to beat them out of their quarters. It is very pleafmg to obferve the banks of the river ornamented with hanging garlands, com- pofed of varieties of climbing vegetables, both fhrubs and plants, forming perpendicular green walls, with projecting jambs, pilaflers, and deep apartments, twenty or thirty feet high, and com- pletely covered with Glycine frutefcens, Glyc. apios, Vitis labrufca, Vitis vulpina, Rajana, Hedera quin- quifolia, Hedera arborea, Eupatorium fcandens, Bignonia crucigera, and various fpecies of Convol- vulus, particularly an amazing tall climber of this genus. NORTH AMERICA. 13^ ^eiius, or perhaps an Ipomea. This has a very large white flower, as big as a fmall funnel ; its tube is five or fix inches in length, and not thicker than a pipe item ; the leaves are alfo very large, oblong, and cordated, fometimes dentated or angled, near the infcrtion of" the foot-ftalk ; they are of a thin, texture, and of a deep green colour. It is exceed- ingly curious to behold the Wild Squafli "^ climbing jover the lofty limbs of the trees ; its yellow fruit, fomewhat of the fize and figure of a large orange, pendant from the extremities of the limbs over the water. Towards noon, the fultry heats being intolerable, 1 put into (liore, at a middling high bank, five or fix feet above the furface of the river. This low fandy t-eftaceous ridge along the river fide was but narrow ; the furface light, black, and exceedingly fertile, pro- ducing very large venerable Live Oaks, Palms, and grand Magnolias, fcatteringly planted by nature. There being no underwood to prevent the play of the breezes from the river, it aiforded a defirable re- treat from the fun's heat. Immediately at the back of this narrow ridge, were deep wetfwamps, where Hood fome aftonifliingly tall and fpreading Cyprefs trees. And now being weary and drowfy, I was induced to indulge and liflen to the dictates of rcafon and invitations to repofej which confenting to, after fecuring my boat and reconnoitering the ground, I fpread my blanket under the Oaks near my boat, on which 1 extended myfelf, where, falling to fieep, I inftantaneouily palfed away the fultry hours of noon. What a bllfsful tranquil repofei Undilfurbed I awoke, refrefl«ed and ilrengthened ; I cheerfully Hepped on board again, and continued to afcend ihe river. The aftcrnooij 156 TRAVEL? \V afternocn be'ng cool r.nd pleafanf, and the trcr? very lofty on the higher weftern banks of the river, by keeping near that (hore I pafled under agreea- ble fliades the remaining part of the day. During almofl: all this day's voyage, the banks of the liver on both fliores were middling high, perpendicular, and waflied by the brilk current : the ihores were not lined with the green lawns of floating aquatics, and confequently net very commodious rcforts or harbours for crocodiles ; I therefore v, as not dil- turbed by them, and faw but few, but thofe were very large. I however did not like to lodge on thofe narrow ridges, inverted by fuch dreary fwamps; and evening approaching, I began to be anxious for high land for a camping place. It was quite dark before I came up to a blulf, which I had in view a long lime, over a very extenfive point of meadows. I landed however at lafl, in the bed manner I could, at a magnificent forefl of Orange groves, Oaks, and Palms. I here, with little labour or difficulty, foon colledfed a fufficient quantity of dry wood: there was a pleafant vifta of grafs be- twixt the grove and the edge of the river bank, which afforded a very convenient, open, airy en- camping place, under the protection of fome fpread- ing Oaks. This was a high perpendicular blufi', fronting more than one hundred yards on the river, the earth black, loofe, and fertile : it is a compofition ofriver- fhells, fand, &c. At the back of it from the river, were open Pine forefls and favannas. I met with a cir- cumflance here, that v^dth fome, may be reckoned worthy of mentioning, fince it regards the monu- ments of the ancients. As I have already obfcrvcd, when I landed it was quite dark j and in collecting wood NORTH AMERICA. 1 37 Vood for my fire, flrolling in the dark about the groves, I found the furface of the ground very un- even, by means of little mounts and lidges. In the morning 1 found I had taken up my lodging on the border of an ancient burying ground, containing fepulchres or tumuli of the Yamafees, who were here llain by the Creeks in the lafl; decifive battle, the Creeks having driven them into this point, between the doubling of the liver, where few of them efcaped the fury of the conquerors. Thefe graves occupied the whole grove, confiding of iwo or three acres of ground : there were near thirty of thefe cemeteries of the dead, nearly of an equal fize and form, being bblong, twenty feet in length, ten or twelve feet in width, and three or four feet high, now overgrown with orange trees, live oaks, laurel magnolias, red bays and other trees and fnrubs, compofing dark and folenm ihades. I here, for the firH: time fince I left the trading houfe, enjoyed a night of peaceful repofe. I arofe, greatly refrcflied and in good fpirits, (lepped on board my bark, and continued my voyage. After doubling the point, I pafTed by fwamps and meadows on each fide of me. The river here is fomcthing more contracted within perpendicular banks ; the land of an excellent quality, fertile, and producing prodigioufly large timber and luxuriant herbage. The air coniinucd fuitrv, and fcarccly enough wind to flutter the leaves on the trees. The Eaflern coail of the river now opens, and prefenis to view ample plains, confifling of grafiy marflies and green meadows, and afibrds a profped almoft unlimit- ed and extremely plenf.ng. The oppofite fhore exhibits a fublime contralt ; a high bluff" bearing magnificent forclls of grand magnolia, glorious palms. 138 TRAVELS IM palms, fruitful orange groves, live oaks, bays and other trees. This grand elevation continues four or five hundred yards, defcribing a gentle curve- on the river, ornamented by a fublime grove of palms, con- fiding of many hundreds of trees together ; thev entirely fhade the ground under them. Above and below the bluff, the grounds gradually defcend to the common level fwamps on the river: at the back of this eminence open to view expanfive green meadows or favannas, in which are to be feen glit- tering ponds of water, furrounded at a great dif- tance by high open pine forefts and hommocks, and iflets of oaks and bays projecting into the favannas. After ranging about thefe folitary groves and peaceful {hades, I re-embarked and continued fome miles up the river, between elevated banks of the fwamps or low lands ; when on the Ea(t ihore, in a capacious cove or winding of the river, were pleafing floating fields of piftia j and in the bottom of this cove opened to view a large creek or branch of the river, which I knew to be the en- trance to a beaufiful lake, on the banks of which was the farm I was going to vifit, and which I de-. figned fliould be the iaft extent of my voyage up the river. About noon the weather became extremely fultry, not a breath of wind flirring, hazy or cloudy, with very heavy diflant thunder, which was anfwered by the crocodiles, fure prefage of a ftorm. Soon after afcending this branch of the river, on the right hand prefents itfelf to view a delightful Ijrtle bluff, confifting chiefly of fliells, and covered with a dark grove of red cedar, Zanthoxylon and myrtle. I could not refifl: the temptation to fl:op h^TQ, although the tremendous thunder all around the NORTH AMERICA. 139 the, hemifphere alarmed me greatly, having a large lake to crofs. From this grove appears to view an expanfive and pleafmg profped. The beauteous long lake in front, about North EafI" from me, its moft diftant Eafl fhores adorned with dark, high forefts of ftately trees ; North and South almoft end- lefs green plains and meadows, embelliflied with iflets and projeding promontories of iiigh, dark fo- refts, where the pyramidal magnolia grandiflora, palma elata, and fliady oak, conlpicuoufly tower. Being heretofore fo clofely inverted by high fo- refls and deep fwamps ot the great river, I was pre- vented from feeing (he progrefs and increafe of the approaching tempeft, rhe terrific appearance of which now at once confounded me. How purple and fiery appeared the tumultuous clouds, fwiftly afcending or darting from the horizon upwards ! they feemed to oppofe and dafli againft each other ; the ikies appeared ftrcaked with blood or purple flame overhead, the flaming lightning flreaming and darting about in every diredion around, feemed to fill the world with fire ; whilfl: the heavy thunder kept the earth in a conllant tremor. I had yet fome hopes of crolTmg the lake to the plantation in fight. On the oppofite fliore of the creek before me, and on the cape as we enter the lake, flood a large iflet or grove of oaks and jtalms. Here I in- tended to feek flicker and abide till the fury of the hurricane was'overpaft, if I found it too violent to permit me to crofs the lake. In confequence of this precipitate determination, I ilcpped into my boat and puflied off. What a dreadful rufhing and roaring there was every where around me ! and to my ut- ter confufion and aftonifliment, I could not find from what particular quarter its flrongefl current or direc- riou 14* TRAVEtS IN tlon c^me, whereby I might have a proper chance of taking meafures for fecuring a harbour or running from it. The high forefls behind me bent to the blaft ; and the (hirdy hmbs of the trees cracked. I had by this time got up abreait of the grove or hom- mock : the hurricane clofeby, purfuing me, I found it dangerous and imprudent in the higheft degree to put in here, as the groves were already torn up, and the fpreading limbs of the ancient live oaks were flying over my head, and carried about in the air as leaves and fiubble. I ran by and boldly entered the lake (being hurried In by a flrong current, which i'eemed a prodigy, the violent v.'ind driving the flreani of the creek back again into the lake), and as foou as pofiible took fhelter under the high reedy bank of the lake, and made faft my bark to the boughs of a low fhrubby Hickory, that leaned over the water. Such was the violenc^^ of the wind, that it ralfed the waters on the oppofite fiiores of the lake feverai feet perpendicular, and there was a rapid flow of water from thg creek into it, which was contrary to its natural courfe. Such floods of rain fell during the fpace of half or three quarters of an hour, that my boat was filled, and I expected every moment when I lliould fee her fink to the bottom of the lake ; and the violence of the wind kept the cable fo conftantly extended^ that it was beyond my ability to get to her. My box which contained my books of fpeci- mens and other collecUons, was floating about in her ; and for a great part of the time the rain came dovi'n with fuch rapidity and fell in fuch quantities, that every object was totally obfcured, excepting the continual ftreams or rivers of lightning, pouring from the clouds. All feemed a frightful chaos. When the wind and rain abated, I was overjoyed to fee the face of nature again appear. It KORTH AMERICA. 141 It took me an.hour or more to clear the water out of my bark. I then crofl'ed the lake before a briik and favourable breeze (it was about a mile over), and landed fafely at the plantation. When I arrived, my friend was affrighted to fee me, and immediately inquired ot me in what manner I came there ; fuppohng it impoffible (until I had fhowed him my boat ) that I could have arrived by water, through fo tremendous a hurricane. Indeed I faw plainly that they were greatly terri- fied, having fuffcred almoll irreparable damages from the violence of the ilorm. All the buildincrs on the plantation, except his own dwelling-houle, were laid almoll flat to the ground, or the logs and roof rent afunder and tvvl fled about ; the manfion- houfe fliook and reeled over their heads. He had nearly one hundred acres of the Indigo plant almolt ripe for the fird cutting, vihich were nearly ruined ; and feveral acres of very promifmg fugar-cane, to- tally fpoiled for the feafon. The great live oaks which had been left fianding about the fields, were torn to pieces, their limbs lying fcattered over the ground : and one very large one which flood near his houfe torn down, which could not have been done by the united flrength of a thoufand men. But what is incredible, in the midil of this devaflation and ruin, providentially no lives were lofl ; although there were about fixty Negro flaves on the plantr- tion, and mofl: of them in their huts when the florm came on, yet they efcaped with their lives, though feveral wcie badly wounded. I continued here three days : indeed it took mofi: of the time of my abode with him, to dry my books and fpecimens of plant-. But with attention and care 142 TRAVELS IN care I faved the greateft number of them ; though fome were naturally fo dehcate and fragile, that it was impoffible to recover them. Here is a vafl: body of land belonging to this eftate ; of high ridges fit for the culture of corn, indigo, cotton, batatas, &c. and of low fwamps and marfhes, which when pro- perly drained and tilled, would be fuitable for rice. Thefe rich low grounds, when drained and ridged, are as produdive as the natural high land, and vaflly more durable, efpecially ior fugar-cane, corn, and even indigo ; but this branch of agriculture being more expenfive, thele rich lands are neglefted, and the upland only is under culture. The farm is fitu- ated on the Eail fhore of the beautiful Long Lake, which is above two miles long, and near a mile broad. This lake communicates with the St. Juan, by the little river that I afcended, which is about one mile and an half in length, and thirty or forty yards wide. The river, as well as the lake, abounds with fifli and wild fowl of various kinds, and incredible numbers, efpecially during the winter feafon, when the geefc and ducks arrive here from the north. New Smyrna*, a pretty thriving town, is a colo- ny of Creeks and Minorquines, ellablifhed by Mr. Turnbull, on the Mufquito river, and very near its * New Smyrna is built on a high (helly bluff, on the Weft bank of the South branch of Mufquito river, about ten miles above the capes of that ri- ver, wliich is about thirty miles North of C^pe Canaveral, Lat. 28. I was there about ten years ago, wlien the furveyor run the lines or precincfts of the colony, where there was neither habitation nor cleared field. It was then a famous orange jjrove, the upper or South promontory of a lidge, nearly half a mile wide, and Itretching North about forty miles, to the head of the North branch of the Mufquito, to where the Tomoko river unites with it, nearly parallel to the fea coaft, and not above two miles acrofs to the fea beach. All this ridge was then one entire orange grove , with live oaks, magnolias, palms, and red bays, and others : I obferved then, near where New Smyrna now ftands, a fpacious Indian mount and avenue, which ftood near the bunks of the river : the avenue ran on a ftrait line back, through the groves, acrofs the ridge, and terrtiinatcd at the verge of natuirti frtVijiBa* and yonds. mouth 5 NORTH AMERICA. I 43 mouth J it Is about thirty miles over land from this farm. My friend rode with me, about four miles diftancc from the houfe, to fhew meavaft fountain of warm, or rather hot mineral water, which iilued from a high ridge or bank on the river, in a great cove or bay, a few miles above the mouth of the creek which I afcended to the lake; it boils up with great force, forming immediately a vaft circular bafon, ca- pacious enough for feveral fliallops to ride in, and runs with rapidity into the river three or four hun- dred yards diltance. This creek, which is formed inftantly by this admirable fountain, is wide and deep enough for a Hoop to fail up into the bafon. The water is perfectly diaphanous, and here are continually a prodigious number and variety of tifh ; they appear as plain as though lying on a table be- fore your eyes, although many feet deep in the wa- ter. This tepid water has a moft difagreeable talle, brafly and vitriolic, and very otienfive to the fmell, much like bilge water or the wafiiings of a gun-bar- rel, and is fmelt at a great diftance. A pale bluifh or pearl coloured coagulum covers every inanimate fubftance that lies in the water, as logs, limbs of trees, kc. Alligators and gar were numerous in the bafon, even at the apertures where the ebullition emerges through the rocks ; as alfo many other tribes of fi(h. In the winter fealbn feveral kinds of fifli and aquatic animals migrate to thefe warm foun- tains. The forbidding tafte and fmell of thefe w-aters I'eems to be owing to vitriolic and fulphureous fumes or vapours ; and thefe being condcnfed, form this coagulum, which reprefents flakes of pearly clouds in the clear cerulean waters in the bafon. A charm- ing orange grove, w ith magnolias, oaks, and palms, half J 44 TRAVELS IN half furrounded this vaft foundin. A delightful ftream of cool falubrious water iffues from the ridge, meandering along, and entering the creek jiifl: below the bafon. I returned in the evening, and next day fet off again down the river. My hofpitable friend, after fupplying me with ne- ceffaries, prevailed on me to accept of the company and afiiftance of his purveyor, one day's voyage down the river, whom I was to fet on fliore at a certain bluff, upwards of twenty miles below, but noc above one third that dillance by land ; he was to be out in the forefls one day, on a hunt for tur- keys. The current of the river being here confined within its perpendicular banks, ran brifkly down : we cheerfully defcended the grand river St. Juan, enjoying enchanting profpeds. Before night we reached the deflined port, at a fpacious orange grove. Next morning we feparated, and 1 proceeded down the river. The profpeds on either hand are now pleafing, and I view them at leifure, and without toil or dread. Induced by the beautiful appearance of the green meadows, which open to the Eaiiward, I determined not to pais this Elylium without a vifit. Behold the Joud, fonorous, watchful favanna cranes (gius pra- tenfis) with mufical clangor, in detached fqiiadrons. They fpread their light elallic fail: at lirft they move from the earth heavy and flow ; they labour and beat the denfe air ; they form the line with wide extended wings, tip to tip ; they all rife and fall to- gether as onebiid ; now they mount aloft, gradually wheeling about j each fquadron performs its evolu- tions NORTH AMERICA. I45 tlon, encircling the expanfive plains, obferving each one its own orbit ; then lowering fail, defcend on the verge of fome glittering lake ; whilft: other fquadrons, afcending aloft in fpiral circles, bound on interelting difcoveries, wheel round and double the promontory, in the filver regions of the clouded Ikies, where, far from the fcope of eye, they care- fully obferve the verdant meadows on the borders of the Eafl Lake ; then contraft their plumes and de- fcend to the earth, where, after refting a while on fome verdant eminence, near the flowery border of the lake, they, with dignified, yet flow, refpedful fteps, appproach the kindred band, confer, and treat for habitation ; the bounds and precinils being fettled, they confederate and take polleflion. There is inhabiting the low fliores and fvvamps of this river and the lakes of Florida, as w-ell as Georgia, a very curious bird*, called by an Indian name (Epoufkyca) which fignifies in our language the crying bird. I cannot determine what genus of European birds to join it with. It is about the fize of a large domeltic hen : all the body, above and beneath, is of a dark lead colour, every feather edged or tipped w'ith white, which makes the bird appear fpeckled on a near view ; the eye is large and placed high on the head, which is very promi- nent ; the bill or beak is five or fix inches in length, arched or bent gradually downw^ards, in that refpe£t to be compared to one half of a bent bow ; it is large or thick near the bafe, comprefled on each fide, and flatted at top and beneath, which makes it appear four fquare for more than an inch, where the noftrils are placed, from whence, to their tips, both man- dibles are round, gradually lelTening or tapering to * Taatalus piftus^ L their 146 TRAVELS 11^ their extremities, which are thicker for about half an inch than immediately above, by which the man- dibles never fit quite clofe their whole length • the upper mandible is a fmall matter longer than the under ; the bill is of a dufky green colour, more bright and yellowifh about the bafe and angles of the mouth; the tail is very fhort, and the middle feather the longcfl ; the others on each fide fliorten gradually, and are of the colour of the reft of the bird, only fomewhat darker ; the two fhorteft or outermofl: feathers are perfectly white, which the bird has a faculty of flirting out on either fide, as quick as a flafli of lightning, efpecially when he hears or fees any thing that diflurbs him, uttering at the fame inflant an extreme harfli and loud fhriek : his neck is long and flender ; and his legs are alio long and bare of feathers above the knee, like thofe of the bittern, and arc black or of a dark lead colour. There are two other fpecies of this genus, which agree in almoll every particular with the above de- fcrlpion, except in fize and colour. The firft * of thele I Ihall mention is a perfect white, except the prime quill feathers, which are as black as thofe of a crow ; the bill and legs of a beautiful clear red, as alfo a fpace clear of feathers about the eyes. The other fpecies -f is black on the upper fide, the bread and belly white, and tlie legs and beak as white as fiTtovr. Both thefe fpecies are about' half the fize of the crying bird. They fly in large flocks or fqua- drons, evening and morning, to and from their feed- ing place or roolfs ; both ipecies are called Spanifii cuilewi: thefe and the crying bird feed chiefly on * T.-.r.talus al'bui. Numinusalbus. Cat. + Tantalus vcrricolor. Numinus fufcus, Cat. Cray NORTH AMERICA. 147 Cray fifh, whofe cells they probe, and with their flrong pinching bills drag them out : all the three fpecies are efteemed excellent food. It is a pleafing fight at times of high winds and heavy thunder Itorms, to obferve the numerous fqua- drons of thefe Spanifli curlews driving to and fro, turning and tacking about, high up in the air, when by their various evolutions in the ditierent and op- pofite currents of the wind high in the clouds, their fdvery white plumage gleams and fparkles like the brighteft cryflal, rellecling the fun-beams that dart upon them between the dark clouds. Since I have turned my obfervations upon the birds of this country, 1 fliall notice another very lingular one, though already mod curioufly and exadly figured by Catefby, which feems to be nearly allied to thofe before mentioned ; I mean the bird which he calls the wood pelican*. This is a large bird, perhaps near three feet high when (landing erect. The bill is very long and ftrong, bending with a moderate curve from the bafe to the tip ; the upper mandible is the largeft, and re- ceives the edges of the nether one into its whole length ; the edges are very Iharp and firm ; the whole of a dark afli or horn colour ; the forehead round the bafe of the beak and fides of the head is bare of feathers, and of a dark greenifli colour, in which fpace is placed the eyes, which are very large ; the remainder of the head and neck is of a nut brown colour j the back of a light bluifli grey ; upper part of the wings, bread, and belly, almoft white, with fome flight daflies of grey ; the quill- feathers and tail, which are very fhort, are of a dark Hate colour, almoft black ; the legs, which are very * T;intalus lociJator. Lir.n. L 2 long, J4^ TRAVELS IN long, and bare of feathers a great length above the knees are of a dark dull greenifh colour : it has a fmall bag or pouch under its throat : it feeds on ferpents, young alligators, frogs, and other rep- tiles. This folitary bird does not aflbciate in flocks, but is generally feen alone ; commonly near the banks of great rivers, in vaft marflies or meadows, efpe- cially fuch as are caufed by inundations ; and alfo in the vad deferted rice plantations : he flands alone on the topmoft limb of tali dead cyprefs trees, his neck contrafted or drawn in upon his ftioulders, and beak refting like a long fey the upon his breafl: : in this penfive pollure and foHtary fituation, it looks extremely grave, forrowful, and melancholy, as if in the deeped thought. They are never feen on the fait fea coaft, and yet are never found at a great diftance from it. I take this bird to be of a different genus from the tantalus, and perhaps it approaches the neared to the Egyptian ibis of any other bird yet known. There are two fpecies of vultures * in thefe re- gions, I think not mentioned in hidory : the fird we fliall delcribe is a beautiful bird, near the fize of a turkey buzzard f , but his wings are much (horter, and confequently he falls" greatly below that admi- rable bird in fail. J diall call this bird the painted vulture. The bill is long and draight almoft to the point, when it is hooked or bent fuddenly down and fnarp ; the head and neck bare of feathers r.early down to the domach, when the feathers be- gin to cover the ikin, and foon become long and of a foft texture, forming a ruft' or tippet, in which ihe bird by contrai:^ing his neck can hide that as » Vultur fa era- + Vultiir aurei. well NORTH AMERICA. I49 well as his head ; the bare fkin on the neck appears loofe and wrinkled, and is of a deep bright yellow colour ; intermixed with coral red ; the hinder part of the neck is nearly covered with fliort, (till hair ; and the ikin of this part of the neck is of a dun-pur- ple colour, gradually beconiing red as it approaches the yellow of the fides and fore part. The crown of the head is red ; there are lobbed lappets of a red- difli orange colour, which lie on the bafe ot the upper mandible. But what is fmguhir, a large por- tion of the Itomach hangs down on the hreali of the bird, in the likenefs of a fack or half wallet, and feems to be a duplicature of the craw, which is na- ked and of a reddifli flelh colour ; this is partly con- cealed by the feathers of the brcall, unlefs when it is loaded with food (which is commonly, I believe, roafted reptiles), and then it appears prominent. The plumage of the bird is generally v^'hite or cream colour, except the quill feathers of the wings and two or three rows of the coverts, which are of a beau- tiful dark brown ; the tail, which is large and white, is tipped with this dark brown or black ; the legs and feet of a clear white ; the eye is encircled with a gold coloured iris ; the pupil black. The Creeks or Mufcogulges conftrucl their royal ilandard of the tail feather of this bird, which is call- ed by a name fignifying the eagle's tail : this they carry with them when they go to battle, but then it is painted with a zone of red within the brown tips ; and in peaceable negociations it is difplayed new, clean, and white : this ftandard is held moll facred by them on all occafions, and is conftrutled and or- namented with great ingenuity. Thefe birds feldom appear but when the defcrts are fct on fire (which happens almoft every day throughout the year, in fome 150 TRAVELS IN fome part or other, by the Indians, for the purpofe of roufing the game, as alfo by the lightning : ) when they are leen at a diftance fearing on the wing, ga- thering from every quarter, and gradually ap- proaching the burnt plains, where they alight upon the ground yet fmoking with hot embers : they ga- ther up the roafled ferpents, frogs, and lizards, filling their facks with them ; at this time a perfon may fhoot them at pleafure, they not being willing to quit the feaft, and indeed feeming to brave all danger. The other fpecies may very properly be called the coped vulture, and is by the inhabitants called the carrion crow. As to bulk or weight, he is near- ly equal to either of the others before mentioned. His wings are not long and fliarp pointed, but broad and round at their extremities, having a clumfy ap- pearance ; the tail is remarkably fhort, which he fpreads like a little fan, when on the wing. They have a heavy laborious flight, flapping their wings, then fail a little and then flap their wings again, and fo on as if recovering themfelves when falling. The beak is very long and flrnight, until it makes a fudden hook at the point, in the manner of the other vultures. The whole bird is of a fable or mourning colour ; the head and neck down to the breafl is bare of feathers, and the fkin wrinkled ; this unfeathered fkin is of a deep livid purple, ap- pearing black and thinly fet with fhort black hair. He has a ruff or tippet of long foft feathers, like a collar, bearing on his breafl, in which he can con- ceal his neck and head at pleafure. Having agreeably diverted away the intolerable heats of fultry noon in fruitful fragrant groves, with renewed vigour I again refume my fylvan pilgrimage. The NORTH AMERICA. 151 The afternoon and evening moderately warm, and exceeding pieafant views from the river and its va- ried fhores. I palled by Battle lagoon and the bluff, •Avithout much oppofition ; but the crocodiles were already affembling in the pafs. Before night I x:ame to, at a charming orange grove bluff, on the Eail fide of the little lake ; and after fixing my camp on a high open fituation, and colleding a plenty of dry wood for fuel, I had time to get fome fine trout for fuppcr, and joyfully return to my camp. What a mofl beautiful creature is this fifli before me ! gliding to and fro, and figuring in the Hill clear waters, with his orient attendants and alfo- ciates : the yeliow bream * or fun fifh. It is about eight inches in length, nearly of flie fliape of the trout, but rather larger in proportion over the Ihoulders and breall : the mouth large, and the branchiollega opens wide ; the whole fifli is of a pale gold (or burnilhed brafs) colour, darker on the back and upper fides ; the fcales are of a propor- tionable fize, regularly placed, and every where variably powdered with red, rulfet, filver, blue, and green fpecks, fo laid on the fcales as to appear like real dull or opaque bodies, each apparent particle being fo projetled by light and fliadc, and the va- rious attitudes of the filh, as to deceive the fight; for in reality nothing can be of a more plain and poliflied furface than the fcales and whole body of the fifli. The fins are of an orange colour : and, like all the fjx'cies of the bream, the ultimate angle of the branchioftcga terminates by a little fpatula^ the extreme end of which reprefents a crefcent of ihe finell: ultramarine blue, encircled with filver and * Cyprinus coronurius. velvet 152 TRAVELS IN velvet black, like the eye in the feathers of a pea- cock's train. He is a fifh of prodigious (Irength and aflivity in the water ; a warrior in a gilded coat of mail ; and gives no reft or quarter to fmall fifh, •which he preys upon. They are delicious food and in great abundance. The orange grove is but narrow, betv/ixt the river banks and ancient Indian fields, where there are evident traces of the habitations of the ancients, furrounded with groves of live oak, laurel magno- lia, zanthoxylon, liquidambar, and others. How harmonious and foothing is this native fyl- van mufic now at ftill evening ! inexprellibly tender are the refponfive cooings of the innocent dove, in the fragrant zanthoxylon groves, and the variable and tuneful warblings of the nonpareil, with the more fprightly and elevated ftrains of the blue lin- net and golden iderus : this is indeed harmony, even amidft the incelfant croaking of the frogs : the fliades of filent night are made more cheerful, with the fhrill voice of the whip-poor-will * and active mock-bird. My fituation high and airy: a brifk and cool breeze fteadily and inceflantly pafling over the clear waters of the lake, and fluttering over me through the fur- rounding groves, wings its way to the moon-light favannas, while I repofe on my fweet and healthy couch of the foft* tillandfia ufnea-adfcites, and the latter gloomy and ftill hours of night pafs rapidly away as it were in a moment. I arofe, ftrength- * Caprimulgus rufus, called chuck-wiU's-vridow, from a fancied re- femblance of his notes to thefe words : it inhabits the maritime parts of Carolina and Florida, and is more than twice the iize of the night hawk or whip-poor-will. ened L n3 ^r/a (rr^j/i'/f<7,^ Caulis . t^itt 1 a^'natiJ' Foliis. Linfarihtncf^olaii-r ^I'tlf Tptirnff'ort NORTH AMERICA. J53 ened and cheerful, in the mornmg. Having fome repairs to make in the tackle of my veflel, I paid my tirll attention to them ; which being accompliflied, my curiofity prompted me to penetrate the grove and view the illumined plains. What a beautiful difplay of vegetation is here before me ! feemingly unlimited in extent and va- riety : how the dew-drops twinkle and play upoa the fight, trembling on the tips of the lucid, green favanna, fparkling as the gem that flames on the turban of the ealtern prince. See the pearly tear* rolling off the buds of the expanding Granadilla * ; behold the azure fields of cerulean Ixea ! what can equal the rich golden flowers of the Canna lutea, which ornament the banks of yon ferpenriuc rivulet, meandering over the meadows ; the almolt endlefs \'^rieties of the gay Phlox, that enamel the fwelling green banks, alTociated with the purple Verbena co- rymbofa, Viola, pearly Gnaphalium, and filvery Per- dicium ? How fantaftical looks the libertine Clito- ria, mantling the flirubs, on the villas Ikirting the groves ! My morning excurfion finifhed, I returned to my camp, brcakfaftcd, then went on board my boat, gently defcended the noble river, and palTed by feveral openings of extenfive plains and meadows, environing the eaft lake, charming be- yond compare. At evening I came to at a good harbour, under the high banks of the river, and refled during the night amidlf the fragrant groves, expofed to the court ant breezes from the river : here 1 made ample colledions of fpecimens and grow- ing roots of curious vegetables, which kept me fully employed the greatefl: part of the day ; and in the evening arrived at a charming fpot on the eaft * raffiflora incarnaca, called May-Apple. bank. 54 TRAVELS INT bank, which I had marked on my afcent up the ri- ver, where 1 made fome addition to my collec- tions ; and the next day I employed myfelf in the fame manner, putting into fhore frequently, at con- venient places, which I had noticed ; and in the evening arrived again at the upper ftore, where I had the pleafure of finding my old friend, the trader, in good health and cheerful, and his affairs in a profperous way. There were alfo a fmall party of Indians here, who had lately arrived with their hunts to purchafe goods. I continued a few days at this poft, fearching its environs for curious vegeta- ble produdions, coUeding feeds and planting grow- ing roots in boxes, to be tranfpofted to the lower trading houfe. Now, having procured neceflaries to accommo- date me on my voyage down to the lower flore, I bid adieu to my old friend and benefactor, Mr. Job "VViggens, embarked alone on board my little for- tunate velTel, and fet fail. I chofe to follow the eaflernmofl: channel of the river to the Great Lake, becaufe it ran by high banks and bluffs of the eaftern main the greateft part of the diftance, which af- forded me an opportunity of obferving a far greater variety of natural fubjects, than if I had taken the weftern or middle channel, which flowed through fwamps ^nd marlhes. At evening I arrived at Cedar Point, my former fafe and pleafant harbour, at the eaft cape of the Great Lake, where I had noticed fome' curious flirubs and plants ; here I relied, and on the fmooih and gentle current launch again into the Httle ocean of Lake George, meaning now, on my return, to coaft his weftern fliores in fearch of niew beauties in tfee bounteous kingdom of Flora. J was XORTH AMERICA: I55 T was however induced to deviate a little from my intended courfe, and touch at the inchantin^ little Ifle of Palms. This delightful fpot, planted by nature, is almofl an entire grove of Palms, with a few pyramidal Magnolias, Live Oaks, golden Orange, and the animating Zanthoxylon. What a beautiful retreat is here ! bleffed inviolatcd fpot of earth, rifmg from the limpid waters of the lake : its fra- grant groves and blooming lawns Inverted and pro- tecled by encircling ranks of the Yucca gloriofa. A fafcinating atmofphere furrounds this blifsful gar- den ; the balmy Lantana, ambrofial Citra, perfumed Crinum, perfpiring their mingled odours, wafted through Zanthoxylon groves. I at laft: broke away from the enchanting fpot, and itepped onboard my boat, hoiifed fail, and foon approached the coafl: of the main, at the cool eve of day : then traverfmg a capacious femicircular cove of the lake, verged by low, cxtenfive g^ally meadows, I at length by duflv made a fafe harbour, in a little lagoon, on the fea- fliore or ftrand of a bold fandy point, which de- fcended from the furf of the lake. This was a clean fandy beach, hard and firm by the beatingr furf, when the wind fcts from the eaft coafl:. I drew up my light veflel on the Hoping fhorc, that Ihe might be fafe from the beating waves in cafe of a fudJen dorm of wind In the night. A few yards back ihe land was a little elevated, and over- grown with thickets of (hrubs and low tlees, con- filting chiefly of Zanthoxylon, Olea Americana, Ranmus frangula, Sideroxylon, Morus, Ptelea, Ha- lefia, Querci, Myrica cerifera, and others. Tliefe groves were but low, yet fufhcientlv high to fliel- ter me from the chilling dews ; and being but a few yards diftance from my veflel, here I fixed my encampment. A brilk wind arinng from the lake, drove 156 TRAVELS IN drove away the clouds of mufqultoes into the thick- ets. I now, with difficulty and induftry, colleiled a fufficiency of dry wood to keep up a light during the night, and to roafl fome trout which I had caught when descending the river : their heads I flewed in the juice of Oranges, which, with boiled rice, af- forded me a wholefome and delicious fupper : I hung the remainder of my broiled fifh on the fnags of fome flirubs over my head. I at laft, after recon- noitring my habitation, returned, fpread abroad my fkins and blanket upon the clean fands by my fire fide, and betook myfelf to repofe. How glorious the powerful fun, minifter of the Mod High in the rule and government of this earth, leaves our hemifphere, retiring from our fight beyond the weftern forefts ! I behold with gra- titude his departing: fmiles, tinging the fleecy rofe- ate clouds, now riding far away on the eaftern ho- rizon ; behold they vanifli from fight in the azure ikies I All now filent and peaceable, I fuddenly fell afleep. At midnight I awake ; when, raifing my head ereft, I find myfelf alone in the wildernefs of Florida, on the fliores of Lake George. Alone in- deed, but under the care of the Almighty, and pro- tected by the invifible hand of my guardian angel. When quite awake, I ftarted at the heavy tread of fome animal ; the dry limbs of trees upon the ground crack under his feet ; the clofe fhrubby thick- ets part and bend under him as he rufhes off. I rekindle my fleepy fire ; lay in contact the ' exfoliated fmoaking brands damp with the dew of heaven. The I NORTH AMERICA. I57 The bright flame afcends and ilUimlnates the ground and groves around me. When looking up, I found my fifli carried off, though I had thought them fafe on the Ihrubs, jult over my head ; but their fcent, carried to a great diftance by the damp nocturnal breezes, I fuppofe urere too powerful attraftions to refift. Perhaps it may not be time loft, to reft a while here, and refled on the unexpeded and unaccount- able incident, uhich however pointed out to me an extraordinary deliverance or proteclion of my life, from the rapacious wolf that ftole my fifli from over my head. How much eafier and more eligible might it have been for him to have leaped upon my breaft in the dead of fleep, and torn my throat, which would have inftantly deprived me of Hfe, and then glutted his ftomach for the prefent with my warm blood, and dragged off my body, which would have made a feaft afterwards for him and his howling: affociates ! I fay, would not this have been a wifer ftep, than to have made protracted and circular approaches, and then after, by chance, efpying the fifh over my head, with the greateft caution and fdence rear up, and take them off the fnags one by one, then make off with them, and that fo cunningrly as not to awaken m-e until he had fairly accomplilhed his purp>ofe ? The morning being clear, I fat fail with a fa- vourite breeze, coafting along the fhores ; when on a fudden the waters became tranfparent, and difcovered the fandy bottom, and the feveral na- tions of fifh, pairing and repalling each other. Fol- lowing 130 TRAVELS IN lowing this courfe I was led to the cape of the little river, defcending from Six Mile Springs, and mean- dering fix miles from its fource through green mea- dows. I entered this pellucid dream, failing over the heads of innumerable fquadrons of fifli, which, al- though many feet deep in the water, were diftinftly to be feen. I pafled by charming iflets of fiourifli- ing trees, as Palm, Red Bay, Afh, Maple, Nyfla, and others. As I approached the diftant high foreft on the main, the river widened, floating fields of the green Piftia furrounded me, the rapid ftream wind- ing throucrh them. What an allurine^ fcene was now before me ! A vafl bafon or Httle lake of cryltal waters, half encircled by fwelling hills, clad with orange and odoriferous lUieiuni groves, the tower- ing Magnoha, itfelf a grove, and the exalted Palm, as if confcious of their tranfcendant glories, toffed about their lofty heads, painting, with mutable ihades, the green floating fields beneath. The fo- cial prattling coot enrobed in blue, and the fqueel- ing water-hen, with wings half-expanded, tripped after each other over the watery mirrour. 1 put in at an ancient landing-place, which is a Hoping afcent to a level graflly plain, an old In- dian field. As I intended to n)ake my moft confi- derable colleftions at tliis place, I proceeded im- mediately to fix my encampment but a few yards from my fafe harbour, where I fecurely faftened mv boat to a Live Oak which overfliadowed my port. After collecling a good quantity of fire-wood, as it was about tlie middle of the afternoon, I re- iolved to reconnoitre the ground about my encamp- xnent. Having penetrated the groves next to me, 1 came to the open forefls, confifling of exceed- ingly NORTH AMERICA. 159 ingly tall flraight Pines (Pinus Paluftris) that iftood at a confiderable diftance from each other, through which appeared at N. W. an almoft unlimited plain of graliy favannas, embellilhed with a chain of ihal- low ponds, as far as the fight could reach. Here is a fpecies of Magnoha that aflbciatcs with the Gordonia lafianthus ; it is a tali tree, fixty or eighty- feet in heighth ; the trunk ftraight ; its head termi- nating in the form of a fharp cone ; the leaves are oblong, lanceolate, of a fine deep green, and glau- cous beneath ; the flowers are large, pretty white and extremely fragrant ; with refpcfl to its flowers and leaves it differs very little from the Magnolia glauca. The filvery whitenefs of the leaves of this tree had a ftriking and pleafing effedt on the fight, as it flood amidft the dark green of the Ouercus dentata, Nyffa fylvatica, Nyf. aquatica, Gordonia lafianthus, and many others of the fame hue. The tall afpiring Gordonia lafianthus, which now Hood in my view in all its fplendour, is every way deferving of our admiration. Its thick foliage, of a dark green colour, is flowered over with large milk-white fragrant bioffoms, on long flender elaf- tic penuncles, at the extremities of its numerous branches, from the bofom of the leaves, and renewed every morning ; and that in fuch incredible pro- fufion, that the tree appears filvered over with them, and the ground beneath covered with the fallen, flowers. It at the fame time continually puflies forth new twigs, with young buds on them ; and in the winter and fpring, the third year's leaves, now partly concealed by tlie new and perfect ones, are gradually changing colour, from green to golden yellow, from that to a fcarlet, from fcarlct to crim- f©n ; and laflly to a brownifh purple, and :hen fall to l6o TRAVELS IN to the ground. So that the Gordonia lafianthui may be faid to change and renew its garments every morning throughout the year ; and every day appears with unfading luftre. And moreover, after the general flowering is part, there is a thin fuc- ccllion of fcattering bloflbms to be feen, on fome parts of the tree, almon: every day throughout the remaining months, until the floral feafon returns again. Its natural fituation, when growing, is on the edges of fliallow ponds, or low wet grounds on rivers, in a fandy foil, the neareft to the water of any other tree, fo that in droughty feafons its long ferpenline roots which runs near or upon the furface of the earth, may reach into the water. When the tree has arrived to the period of perfed magni- tude, it is fixty, eighty, or an hundred feet high, forming a pyramidal head. The wood of old trees when fawn into plank is defervedly admired in ca- binet-work orfurniture ; it has a cinnamon coloured ground, marbled and veined with many colours : the inner bark is ufed for dying a reddifh or forrel colour J it imparts this colour to wool, cotton, linen, and drefled deer-fldns, and is highly efteemed by tanners. The Zamia pumila, the Erythryna, coralloden- drum, and the Cadus opunfia, grow here in great abundance and perfeftion. The firll grows in the open pine forefts, in tufts or clumps, a large co- nical ftrobile diiclofing its large coral red fruit, which appears fingularly beautiful amidfl the deep green fern-like pinnated leaves. The Erythryna carollodendrum is fix or eight feet high ; its prickly limbs ftride and wreath about with fingular freedom, and its fpikes of crimfon flowers have a fine effe(^ amidfl the delicate foliage. the I NORTH AMERICA. l6l The Caftus opuntia is very tall, ered, and large' and ftrong enough to bear the weight of a man : fome are feven or eight feet high : the whole plant or tree feems to be formed of great oval comprcfled leaves or articulations ; thofe near the earth conti- nually increafe, magnify and indurate as the tree advances in years, and at length lofe the bright green colour and glofly fur face of their youth, ac- quiring a ligneous quality, with a whitifh fcabrous cortex. Every part of the plant is nearly deftitute of aculea, or thofe fafcicles of barbed brillles which are in fuch plenty on the common dwarf Indian Fig. The cochineal infeds are feeding on the leaves. The female of this infetfl is very large and flefhy, co- vered with a fine white filk or cottony web, which feels always moill or dewy, and feems defigned by nature to protect them from the violent heat of the fun. The males are very^fmall in comparifon to the females, and but very few in number : they each have two oblong pellucid wings. The large poly- petalous flowers are produced on the edges of the laft year's leaves, are of a fine fplendid yellow, and are fucceeded by very large pear-fhaped fruit, of a dark livid purple when ripe : its pulp is charged with a juice of a fine tranfparent crimfon colour, and has a cool pleafant talte, fomewhat like that of a pomegranate. Soon after eating this fruit, the uiine becomes of the fame crimfon colour, which very much furprifes and afi'rights a ftranger, but is attend- ed with no other ill confequence ; on the contrary, it is efteemed wholefome, though powerfully diuretic. On the left hand of thofe open forefts and favan- nas, as wc turn our eyes louihward, fouth-wefh and wefl, we behold an endlefs wild defert, the upper Itratum of the earth of which is a fine white fand, with fmall pebbles, and at fome diftance ap- M pears idl TRAVELS 13* pears entirely covered with low trees and fhrubs of ▼arious kinds, and of equal heighth, as dwarf Sweet Bay, (Laurus Borbonia) Olea AmericanayMo- rus rubra, Myrica cerifera, Ftelea, JEfculus pavia, Quercus Ilex, CX glandifer, Q^ maritima, foliis cuneiformibus oblolete trilobis minoribus, CX pu- mila, Rhamnus frangula, Halelia diptera, k terrap- tera, Caffine, Ilex aquifolium, Callicarpa John- fonia, Erythryna corallodendrum, Hibifcus^ fpinifex, Zanthoxylon, Hopea tindoria, Sideroxylum, with a multitude of other fhrubs, many of which were new to me, and fome of them admirably beautiful and fmgular. One of them particularly engaged my notice, which, from its frudification, I took to be a fpecies of Cacalia. It is an evergreen Ilirub, about fix or eight feet high ; the leaves are generally fomewhat cuneiform, fleihy, and of a pale whitilh green, both furfaces being covered with a hoary pubefcence and veficulse, that when preifed feels clammy, and emits an agreeable fcent ; the afcend* ent branches terminate with large tufts of corymbes of role-coloured flowers, of the fame agreeable fcent ; thefe clufters of flowers, at a difl:ance, look , *ike a large Carnation or fringed Poppy flower (Syn- gencha Polyg. ^qul. Linn.), Cacalia heterophylla, foliis cuneiformibus, carnofis, papil. vifcidis. Here is alfo another fpecies of the fame genus, but it does not grow quite fo large ; the leaves are fmaller> of yet duller green colour, and the flowers are of a pale rofe ; they arc both valuable evergreens. The trees and (hrubs which cover thefe extenfive wilds, are about five or fix feet high, and feem to L>e kept down by the annual firing of the deferts^ rather than the barrennefs of the foil, as I faw a few large 1-ive Oaks, Mulberry trees and Hicco- rica. NORTH AMERICA. 1 63 ries, which evidently have withflood the devouring flames. Thefe adjoining vild plains, fbrefts, and favannas, are fituated lower than the hilly groves on the banks of the lake and river ; but vhat Ihould be the natural caufe of it I cannot even pretend to conjefture, unlefs one may liippofe that thoie high hills, which we call bluti's, on the banks of this great river and its lakes, and which fupport thofe magnificent groves and high forefls, and are gene- rally compofed of fliells and fand, were thrown up to their prefent height by the winds and waves, when the bed of the river was nearer the level of the prefent furface of the earth ; but then, to reft upon luch a fuppofition, would be admitting that the Xvaters were heretofore in greater quantities than at this time, or that their prefent channels and recepta- cles are worn deeper into the earth. I now dire<^ed my fteps towards my encamp- ment, in a ditferent diredlion. I feated myfelf upon a fwelling green knoll, at the head of the cryi- tal bafon. Near me, on the left, was a point or projeclicn of an entire grove of the aromatic lUiciuni Floridanum ; on my right and all around behind me, was a fruitful Orange grove, with Palms and Magnolias interfperfed ; in front, juft under my feet, was the inchanting and amazing cryftal foun- tain, which incefl'antly threw up, from dark, rocky caverns below, tons of water every minute, form- ing a bafon, capacious enough for large Ihallops to ride in, and a creek of four or five feet depth of water, and near twenty yards over, which meanders fix miles through green meadows, pour- ing its Hmpid waters into the great Lake George, where they feem to remain pure and unmixed. A- bout twenty yards from the upper edge of the bafon, M 2 and 164 TRAVELS IN and directly oppofite to the mouth or outlet of the creek, is a continual and amazing ebullition, where the waters are thrown up in fuch abundance and amazing force, as to jet and fwell up two or three feet above the common furface: white land and fmall particles of ibells are thrown up with the waters, near to the top, when they diverge from the centre, fubfide with the expanding flood, and gently fmk again, forming a large rim or funnel round about the aperture or mouth of the fountain, which is a valt perforation through a bed of rocks, the ragged points of which are projedted out on every fide. Thus far I know to be matter of real fa6l, and I « have related it as near as I could conceive or exprefs myfelf. But there are yet remaining fcenes inex.- preilibly admirable and pleanng. Behold, for Inflance, a vafl circular expanfe be- fore you, the waters of v/hich are fo extremely tlear as to be abiblutely diaphanous or tranfparent as the ether ; the margin of the bafon ornamented v.'ith a great variety of fruiifal and floriferous trees, fiirubs and plants, the pendant golden Orange, dancing on the furface of the pellucid waters, the balmy air, vibrating with the melody of the merry birds, tenants of the encircling aromatic grove. At the fame inflant innumerable bands of fifh are feen, fome clothed in the niofl brilliant colours ; ihe voracious crocodile flretched along at full length, as the great trunk of a tree in fize ; the devouring garfilh, inimical trout, and all the varieties of gilded painted bream ; the barbed catlifh, dread- ed {ling-ray, Ikate, and flounder, fpotted bafs, flieeps head and ominous drum ; all in their fepa- Tate bandi. and communities, with free and unfuf- picious NORTH AMERICA. j€^ picious Intercourfe performing their evolutions : xhere are no figns of enmity, no attempt to devoiir each other ; the diftereut bands feem peaceably and complaifantly to move a little afide, as it were to make room for others to pafs by. But behold yet fomething far more admirable, fee whole armies defcending into an abyfs, into the moiith of the bubbling fountain : they difappear! are they gone for ever ? is it veal ? I raile my eyes with terror and aftonifhment ; i look down again to the fountain with anxietv, when behold them as it were emerging from the blue ether of another world, apparently at a vail diltanre ; at their firft appear- ance, no bigger than flies or minnows ; now gra- dually enlarging, their brilliant colours begin to paint the fluid. Now they come forward rapidly, and inflantly emerge, with the elaflic expanding column of cr\'f- talline waters, into the circular baion or luunel : ^cr. now how gently they rife, fome upright, others ob- liquely, or feem to lie as it were on their fides, fuf- fering themfelves to be gently lifted or borne up by the expanding fluid towards the furlace, failing or floating like butterflies in the cerulean ether ; then again they as gently defcend, diverge and move oil ; when they rally, form again, and rejoin their kin- dred tribes. This amazing and delightful fcene, though real, appears at tirll but as a piece of excellent paint- ing ; there feems no mjedium; vou imagine the picture to be within a few inches of your eyes, and that you may without the lall difficulty touch any one of the fi(h, or put vour finger upon the croco- dile's eye, when it really is twenty or thirty feet under water. And 1 66 TRAVELS IN And although this paradife of fifh may feem to exhibit a juft reprefentation of the peaceable and happy (late of nature which exifted before the fall, yet in reality it is a mere reprefentation ; for the nature of the fifh is the fame as if they were in Lake George or the river ; but here the water or element in which they live and move, is fo perfectly clear and tranfparent, it places them ail on an equality with regard to their ability to injure or efcape from one another; (as all river fifh of prey, or fuch as feed upon each other, as well as the unwieldy cro- codile, take their prey by furprife ; fecreting themfelves under covert or in ambufh, until an op- portunity ofters, when they rufh fuddenly upon them :) but here is no covert, no ambufh ; here the trout freely pafTes by the very nofe of the alligatorj and laughs in his face, and the bream by the trout. But what is really furprifing is, that the confciouf- nefs of each other's fafety, or fome other latent caufe, ihould fo abfolutely alter their conduct, for here is not the leafl attempt made to injure or dif- turb one another. The fun pafTmg below the horizon, and night ap- proaching, I rofe from my feat, and proceeding on arrived at my camp, kindled my fire, fupped and repofed peaceably. Rifing early, I employed the fore part of the day in colleding fpecimens of grow- ing roots and feeds. In the afternoon, I left thefe Elyfian fprings and the aromatic groves, and brilkly defcended the pellucid little river, re-entering the great lake. The wind being gentle and fair for Mount Royal, I hoifted fail, and iuccefslully crofling the N. weft bay, about nine miles, Qame to at Rocky Point, the weft cape or promontory, as we enter the river defcending towards Mount Royal : thefe NORTH AMERICA. l6j theffe rocks are horizontal flabs or flat mafTcs, rifmg out of the lake two or three feet above its furface, and feem an aggregate conipofition or concrete of fand, fhells, and calcareous cement, of a dark gray or dufky colour. The ftones are hard and firm enough for buildings, and ferve very well for light hfind mill-ftones ; and when calcined afford a coarfe lime : they lie in vail horizontal mafles upon one another, from one to two or three feet in thicknefs, and are eafily feparated and broken to any fize or lorm, for the purpofe of building. Rocky Point is an airy, cool, and ddlghttnl fituation, commandint^ a moft ample and pleafing prolpct^t of the lake and its environs ; but here being no wood, I re- embarked and failed down a little farther to the ifland' in the bay, where I went on fliore at a mag- nificent grove of Magnolias and Oranges, defirous of augmenting my colledtions. I arofe early next morning, and after ranging the groves and favannas, returned, embarked again, and defcending, called at Mount Royal, where I enlarged my collecl:ions ; and bidding adieu to the gentleman and lady who refided there, and who treated me with great hof- pitaUty on my afcent up the river, arrived in the evening at the lower trading houfe. CHAP. l68 TRAVELS IN c H A P. vr. Om my return from my voyage to the upper flore, I underftood from the trading company defigned for Cufcowilla, that they had been very aftive in their preparations, and would be ready to fet off in a few days. I therefore availed myfelf of the little time allowed me to fecure and preferve my collections, againft the arrival of the trading fchooner, which was hourly expected, that every thing might be in readinefs to be fhipped on board her, in cafe (he fhould load again and return for Savanna during my abfence. Every neceffary being now in readinefs, early on a fine morning we proceeded, attended by four men under the conducl of an old trader, whom Mr. M'Latche had delegated to treat with the Cowkeeper and other chiefs of Cufcowilla, on the fubject of re- eftabliihing the trade. Sec. agreeable to the late treaty of St. Auguftine. For the firfl: four or five miles we travelled weft- ward, over a perfectly level plain, which appeared before and on each fide of us, as a charming green meadow, thinly plantid with low fpreadi ng Pine trees (P. paluftris). The upper flratum of the earth is a fine white cryftalline fand, the very upper fur- face of which being mixed or incorporated wirh the afhes of burnt vegetables, renders it of fufii- cient ftrength or fertility to clothe itfelf perfectly with a very great variety of gralfes, herbage, and remarkably flow Ihrubs, together with a very dwarl Species of Palmetto (Corypha pumila ftipit. ferratis). Of >fOP.TH AMERICA. l6g Of the low fhrubs, many were new to nie and of a very pleafing appearance, particularly a fpecies of annona (annona Incarna, tloribus grandiorilius pani- culatis) ; this grows three, four, or five iett high, the leaves fomewhat cuneiform or broad lanceolate, attenuating down to the petiole, of a pale or light green colour, covered with a pubefcence or Ihort tine down ; the flowers very large, perfcdly white and fweet fcented, many connected together on large loofe panicles or fpikes ; the fruit ot the fize and form of a fmall cucumber, the fkin or exterior furface fomewhat rimofe or fcabrous, containing a yellow pulp of the confidence of a hard cufiard, and very delicioUvS, wholefome food. This feems a variety, if not the fame that I firft remarked, grow- ing on the Alatamaha near Fort Barrington, Char- lotia, and many other places in Georgia and Eall Florida ; and I obferved here in plenty, the very dwarf decumbent annona, with narrow leaves, and various flowers already noticed at Alatamaha (an- nona pigmsca). Here is alfo abundance of the beau- tiful little dwarf kalmia ciliata, already defcribed. The white berried empetrum, a very pretty ever- green, grows here on fomewhat higher and drier knolls, in large patches or clumps, aflTociatcd with olea Americana, feveral fpecies of dwarf querci (oaks), vaccinium, Gordonialafianthus, Andromeda ferruginca, and a very curious and beautiful flirub which feems allied to the rhododendron, cafiine, rhamnus frangula, Andromeda liitida. Sec. which being of a dark green foliage, diveifify and enliven the landfcape : but what appears very extraordinary, is to behold here, deprefied and degraded, the glo- rious pyramidal magnolia grandiflora, aflbciatcd amonglt thefe vile dwarfs, and even fome of them rifing above it, though not five feet high j yet Hill Ihowing rTC TRA\'«LS IN fhowing 1/irpre, beautiful and expanfive wliite fra- j;rant blolTbins, and great heavy cones, on (lender procumbent branches, fome even lying on the earth ; the ravages of fire keep them down, as is evident from the vafl excrefcent tuberous roots, covering feveral feet of ground, from which thefe flender /hoots fpring. In fuch clumps and coverts are to be feen feveral kinds of birds, particularly a fpecics of jay (pica glandaria cerulea non criflata) : they are generally of an azure blue colour, have no crcft or tuft of feathers on the head, nor are they fo large as the great crefted blue jay of Virginia, but are equally clamorous. The towee birds (fringilla erythropthal- ma) are very numerous, as are a fpecies of bluifh gray butcher bird (lanius). Here were alfo lizards and fnakes. The lizards were of that fpecies called in Carolina, fcorpioQS : they are from five to fix inches in length, of a flender form ; the tail in par- ticular Is very long and fmall : they are of a yellow- ilh clay colour, varied with longitudinal lines or llripes of a dufl^y brown colour, from head to tail : they are wholly covered with very fmall fquamas, vibrate their tail, and dart forth and brandifh their forked tongue after the manner of ferpents, \vhen they are furprifed or in purfuit of their prey, which are fcarabei, locufi?e, mufci, and other infetfls ; but I do not learn that their bite is poifonous, yet I have obferved cats to be fick foon after eating them. After pafTmg over this extenfive, level, hard, wet favanna, we croflcd a fine brook or rivulet ; the water cool and pleafant ; it§ banks adorned wilh va- rieties of trees and fhrubs, particularly tlie delicate cvrilla raceiniflora, chionanthus, clethra, nyifa fylvatica, Andromeda nitida, Andromeda formo- fiifnna : and here were great quantities of a very large XORTH AMERICA. I7I krge and beautiful filix ofmunda, growing in great tufts or clumps. After leaving the rivulet, we paiTed over a wet, hard, level glade or down, covered with a fine fhort grafs, with abundance of low faw palmetto, and a few ihrubby pine trees, quercus ni- gra, quercus finuata or fcarlet oak : then the path defcends to a wet bay-gale ; the ground a hard, fine, white fand, covered with black Audi, which conti- nues above two miles, w hen it gently rifes the higher fand hills, and dire<^ly after pafles through a fine grove of young long-leaved pines. The foil feemed here, loofe, brown, coarfe, fandy loam^ though fer- tile. The afcent of the hill, ornamented with a va- riety and profufion of herbaceous plants and graffes, particularly amaryllis atamafco, clitoria, phlox, ipo- mea, convolvulus, verbena corymbofa, ruellia, viola, &c. A magnificent grove of (lately pines, fuc- ceeding to the expanfive wild plains we had a long time traverfed, had a pleafing efted, roufing the faculties of the mind, awakening the imagination by its fublimity, and arrefling every aclive, inquifitive idea, by the variety of the fcencry, and the folemn fymphony of the fteady Wedern breezes, playing inceifantly, rifing and falling through the thick and wavy foliage. The pine groves parted, w^e immediately find our- felves on the entrance of the expanfive airy pine fo- relts, en parallel chains of low fwelling mounds, called the Sand Kills ; iheir afcent fo eafy, as to be almofl imperceptible to the progrellive traveller ; yet at a dillaiit view before us in feme degree ex- hibit the appearance of the mountainous fwell of the ocean immediately after a temped : but yet, as we approach them, they infenfibly difappear, and jTeem to be loil ; and we iiiouid be ready to conclude all 172 TRAVELS IN all to be a vifionary fcene, were it not for the fpark- ling ponds and lakes, which at the fame time gleam through the open forefls, before us and on every fide, retaining them in the eye, until we come up with them. And at laft the imagination re- mains flattered and dubious, by their uniformity, being moflly circular or elliptical, and almofl fur- rounded with expanfive green meadows ; and al- ways a piclurefque dark grove of live oak, magno- lia, gordonia, and the fragrant orange, encircling a rocky fhaded grotto of tranfparent water, on fome border of the pond or lake ; which, without the aid of any poetic fable, one might naturally fuppofe to be the facred abode or temporary refi- dence of the guardian fpirit ; but is aftually the pofTeffion and retreat of a thundering abfolute cro- codile. Arrived early in the evening at the Halfway pond, where we encamped and ftayed all night. This lake fpreads itfelf in a fpacious meadow, be- neath a chain of elevated fand hills : the (heet of water at this time was about three miles in cir- cumference; the upper end, ju(t under the hills, furrounded by a crefcent of dark groves, whi(;h fhaded a rocky grotto. Near this place was a flop- ing green bank, terminating by a point of liat rocks, which projeifted into the lake, and formed one point of the crefcent that partly furrounded the vaft grotto or b^fon of tranfparent waters, which is called by the traders a fink-hole, a fingular kind of vortex or conduit, to the fubterranean recepta- cles of the waters ; but though the waters of thefe ponds, in the fummer and dry feafons, evidently tend towards thefe fmks, yet it is fo flowly and gradually, as t« be almolt imperceptible, There is always a meandering KOI<.TH AMERICA. K5 expofures to light ; the fides and bellv of a briglit pale yellow ; the belly faintly ftained with vermiliion red, infenfibly blended with the yellow on the fides, and all garnifned with fiery, blue, green, gold and filver fpecks on the fcales ; the branchioftec^a, is of a yellowilh clay or firaw colour ; the lower edge ov border next the opening of the gills, ii near a quar- . ter of an inch in breadth, of a fea green or ma- rine blue ; the ulterior angle protends backwards to a confiderable lengthy in the form of a fpatula or feather, the extreme end dilated and circular, of r deep black or crow colour, reflecting green and blue, and bordered round with fiery red*, fomewhat like red fealing wax, reprcfenting a brilliant ruby on the fide of the fifti j the fins reddifh, edged with a dove colour : it is defervedly elfeemed a mod ex- cellent fifli. Here are, as well as in all the rivers, lakes, and ponds of Ealt Florida, the great foft ilielled tor- toifes* : they are very large when full grown, from twenty to thirty and forty pounds weight, extremely fat and delicious, but if eaten to exc^[s are apt to purge people not accudomed to eat their meat. They are flat and rery thin ; two feet and a half in length, and eighteen inches in breadth acrofs the back ; in form, appearance, and texture, very much refembling the lea turtle : the whole back fhcll, . except the vertebra or ridge, which is not at all prominent, and ribs on each fide, is foft or carti- laginous, and eafily reduced to a jelly when boil- ed ; the anterior and poflcrior extieinlcies of the back fliell, appear to be embolVed with round, * Tcllado nafo cyliiidracio clongato, truncate. hornv lyG TRAVELS IN horny warts or tubercles 5 the belly or nether fhell is but fmall and femicartllaginous, except a nai- Tow crofs bar connecting it at each end with the back fliell, which is hard and ofleous ; the head is large and clubbed, of nearly an oval form ; the up- per mandible, however, is protended forward, and truncated, fomewhat refembling a fvvine's fnout, at the extreme end of which ihe noflrils are placed j on each fide of the root or bafe of this probofcis are the eyes, which are large ; the upper beak is hook- ed and fharp, like a hawk's bill ; the lips and cor- ners of the mouth large, tumid, wrinkled, and barb- ed with long, pointed warts, which he can project and contraft at pleafure, which gives the creature a frightful and difagreeable countenance. They bury themfelves in the flufhy bottoms of rivers and ponds, under the roots of flags and other aquatic herbage, leaving a hole or aperture juft fufficient for their head to play through ; to fuch places rhey withdraw themfelves when hungry, and there feize their prey by furprife, darting out their heads as quick as lightning, upon the unwary ani- mal that unfortunately flrolls within their reach : they can extend their neck to a furprifmg length, which enables them to feize young fowl fwimming on the furface of the water above them, which they inftantly drag down. They are feen to raile their heads above the furface of the water, in the depths of the lakes and rivers, and blow, caufmg a faint pulling noife, fomewhat like a porpoife ; probably this is for palHme, or to charge themfelves with a proper fupply of frcfli air. They are carnivorous, feeding on any animal they can feize, particularly young ducks, frogs, and fifh. We had a large and fat one ferved up for our fupper. y T/.-, //\rrS). ^a\% NORTH AMERICA. 177 fupper, "which I at firft: apprehended we had made a very extravagant waftc of, not being able to con- iume one half of its flcfli, though excellently well cooked : mv companions, however, feemed regard- lefs, being in the midft of plenty and variety, at any time within our reach, and to be obtained with little or no trouble or fatigue on our part ; when herds of deer were feeding in the green meadows before us ^ flocks of turk^vs walking in the groves around us, and myriads of fifh, of the greatcft variety and de- licacy, fporting in the cryftailine floods before our eyes. The vultures and ravens, crouched on the crooked limbs of the lofty pines, at a little diflance from us, jfliarpening their beaks, in low debate, waiting to regale themfelves on the offals, after our departure Irom camp. At the return of the morning, by the powerful influence of light, the pulfe of nature becomes more active, and the univerfal vibration, of life infenfibly and irrenflibly moves the wondrous machine. How cheerful and gay all nature appears ! Hark ! the mu- sical favanna cranes, ere the chirping fparrow flirts from his grafly couch, or the glorious fun gilds the fops of the pines, fpread their expanfive wings, leave their lofty roolls, and repair to the ample plains. From haif-way pond, we proceed Wefl:ward, through the high forclls of Cufcowilla. The appearance of the earth for five or fix miles prefented nearly the fame fcenes as heretofore. Now the fand ridges became higher, and their bafeti proportionably more exteiifive j the favannas N and 1 ;-8 TRAVilLS IN" and ponds more expanfive ; the fummlts of the ridgeJ more gravelly ; here and there, heaps or piles ot rocks, emerging out of the fand and gravel : thefe rocks are the fame fort of concrete of fand and fhelh as noticed at St. Juan's and the great lake. The vegetable productions nearly the fame as already mentioned. We gently defcended again over fand ridges, eroded a rapid brook, ripling over the gravelly bedy hurrying the tranfparent waters into a vaft and beautiful lake, through a fme fruitful orange grove, -vvhich magnificently adorns the banks of the lake to a great diflance on each fide of the capes of the creek. This is a ftne fituation for a capital to\vn> Thefe waters are tributary to St. Juan's. We alighted to refrefh ourfelves, and adjuft our packs. Here are evident figns and traces of a power- ful fettlement of the ancients. Sat oiT again, and continued travelling over a magnificent pine foieft, the ridges, low, but their' r^afes extenfive, with proportionable plains. The' Ready breezes gently and continually rifing and fall- ing, fill the high lonefome foreds with an awful re- verential harmony, inexpreflibly fublime, and not to" be enjoyed any where, but iu thefe native wild In- dian regions, Crofnn.g another Urge deep creek of St. Juan's, the country is a vaft level plain, and the foil good' for the diltance of four or five miles, though fight and fandy, producing a foreft of ftately pines and Janrels, with fome others ; and a vail profufion of herbage, fuch as rudbeckia, hefianthus, filphium, polymnia, ruellia, verbena, rhexea, convolvulus, fo- phora, NORTH AMERICA. I79 phora, glycine, vitia, clltorea, ipomea, iirtica, falvia graveolens, viola, and many more. How cheerful and focial is the rural converfe of the various tribes of tree frogs, whilft they look to heaven for prolific ihowers ! How harmonious the flirill tuneful fongs of the wood thrufii, and the foothing love lays of the amorous cuckoo *, feated in the cool leafy branches of the (lately magnolias and fliadowy elm.«, maples and liquidambar, together with gigantic fa- gus fylvatica, which Ihade and perfume the fequef- tered groves ! How unexpected and enchaniing the enjoyment, after traverfing a burning fandy de- fert ! Now, again, we behold the open pine forefls, and afcend the fandy hilh, which continue for fome miles, then gently defcend again, when a level expanfive iavanjia plain prefents itfelf to view, which, after entering and proceeding on, becomes wet and co- vered bv a fine fliort grafs, with extenfive parterres of the dwarf creeping palmetto, its ftipes fliarply toothed or ferrated, together with clumps of lov/ fhrubs, as kalmia, Andromeda, annona pygmea, my- rica cerifera, empetrum, vaccinium, and others. We now afcend a little again, and pafs through a narrow pine forelt ; when fuddenly opens to view a vaftiv extenfive and fedgy marlh, expanding South- erly like an open fan, fetmingly as boundlefs as the great ocean ; our road croiling the head of it, about three hundred yards over ; the bottom here was hard land, a loot or more under a folt muddy furfnce. I'he traders informed me, that thefe valt mar flies lie on the borders of a great lake, many miles in length, in magnitude exceeding Lake * Cuculus Caro'iinlcnf;s. N 2 George, iSo TRAVELS IN George, and communicating with St. Juan's by a river * ; its contiuence above the lower ftore at the Little Lake. Obferved as we pafled over the fand hills^ the dens of the great land tortoife, called gopher : this iirange creature remains yet tindefcribed by hifto- rians and travellers. The firft figns of" this animal's exiltence, as we navel Southerly, are immediately alter we crofs the Savanna River. It is to be ieen only on the high dry Sand hills. V/hen arrived at Its greatefl: magnitude, the upper fliell is near ei-^j[hteen inches in length, and ten or twelve inches m breadth ; the back is very high, and the (helf of a very hard bony fubitance, confifling of many regular compartments, united by futures, in the manner of the other fpecies of tortoife, and covered xvith thin horny plates. The nether or belly fhell is large, and regularly divided tranfverfely into iive parts : thefe compartments are not knit toge- ther like the futures of the (kull, or the back IheU of the tortoife, but adhere, or are connedled toge- ther by a very ridgy horny cartilage, which ferves as hinges for him to Ihut up his body withi-n his Ihell at plcafure. The fore part of the belly fhell towards its extremity is formed fomev/hat like a fpade, ex- tends forward near three inches, and is about an inch and an half in breadth ; its extremity is a Httle bifid ; the pofterior divifion of the belly fhell is likewife protended backwards confiderably, and is deeply bifurcated. The legs and feet are covered with flat horny fquamse ; he feems to have no clefts in them or toes, but long ilattifh nails or talons, fomewhac in * Great Ockli-Waha. refemblance NORTH AMERICA". I Si refemblance to the nails of the human fingers, five on the fore feet ; the hind legs or feet appear as if truncated, or as (lumps of feet, armed ail round with fliarp, ilattifli ftrong nails, the number unde- termined or irregular ; the head is of a moderate fize ; the upper mandible a little hooked, the e^ges hard and Iharp ; the eyes are large ; the nofe pick- ed ; the noftrils near together and very minute ; the general colour of the animal is a light afh or clay, and at a diftance, unlefs it is in motion. any one would difregard or overlook it as a Hone or an old flump. It is aflonifhing what a weight one of thefe creatures will bear ; it will eafily carry any man {landing on its back, on level ground. They form great and deep dens in the fand hills, cading out incredible quantities of earth. They are clteemed excellent food. The eggs are larger than a mufket ball, perfectly round, and the fliell hard. After crcfling over this point or branch of the marfhes, we entered a noble forell, the land level, and the foil fertile, being a loofe, dark brown, coarfe fandy loam, on a clay or marley foundation : the foreft confilled of orange groves, overtopped by grand magnolias, palms, live oaks, juglans cinerea, mo- rns rubra, fagus fylvatica, tilia, and liquidambar ; with various kinds of flirubs and herbaceous plants, particularly callicarpa, halefia, fambucus, zanthoxy- lon, ptelea, rhamnns frangula, rudbeckia, filphium, polymnia, indigo fera, fophora, ialvia graveolens, &c. We were cheerfully received in this hof- pitable fliade, by various tribes of birds ; their fprightly fongs feemed a prelude to the vicinity of human habiraiions. This magnificent grove was a wing of the vafl forcfts lying upon the coafl of the great and beautiful laks of Cufcowilla, at no great diftance 152 TRAVELS IN diflance from U5. Continuing eig-ht or nine miles through this fublime forell:, we entered on an open forefl of lofty pines and oaks, on gently fwelling land hills, and prefently faw the lake, its waters fparkling through the open groves. Near the path was a large artificial mound of earth, on a moil charming, high fituation, fuppofed to be the work of the ancient Floridans or Yaraafees ; with other traces of an Indian town. Here were three or four Indian habitations ; the women and children faluteJ us with cheerfulnefs and complaifance. After riding near a mile farther, we arrived at Cufcowilla, near the banks : a pretty brook cf water ran through the town, and entered the lake jufl by. We were welcomed to the town, and conducted by the young men and maidens to the chiefs houfe^ which flood on an eminence, and was dlrtinguifhed from the reft by its fuperior magnitude, a large flag , being hoifled on a high flaff at one corner. We immediately alighted : the chief, who is called the Cowkeeper, attended by feveral ancient men, came to us, and in a very free and fociable manner, fhook our hands, or rather arms, (a form of ialutation pe- culiar to the American Indians) faying at the fame time, " You are come." We followed him to an apartment prepared for the reception of their gueffs. ■ • ' The pipe being filled, it is handed around ; after which a large bowl, with What they call, " thin drink," is brought in and fet down on a imall low table. In this bowl is a great wooden ladle ; each perfon takes up in it as much as he pleafes, and after drinking until fatisfied, returns it again into the bowl, pufhing the handle towards the next perfon in the circle j and lo it goes round. After NORTH AMERICA. j3^ After the ufual compliments and inquiries rela,- t'lve to our adventures, &c. the chief trader inform- ed the Cowkeeper, in the prefence of his council or attendants, the purport of our bufinefs, with which he expreffed his fatisfadion. He was then informed what the nature of my errand was, and he received me with complaifance, giving me unlimited permif- fion to travel over the country for the purpofe of collecting flowers, medicinal plants, 5cc. faluting me by the name of Puc Puggy, or the Flower hunter, recommending me to the friendfhip and protection of his people. The next day being agreed on to hold a council und tranfa<5l the bufmefs of our embalTy, we ac- quainted the chief with our intention of making our <"ncampment on the borders of the great Alachua SAVANNA, and to return at the time appointed to town, to attend the council according to agree- ment. Soon after we had fixed on the time and manner of proceeding on the further fettlement of the treaty, a confiderable number of Indians affembled around their chief, when the converfation turned to common and familiar topics. The chief is a tali well made man, very affable and cheerful, about fixty years of ag^, /lis eyes lively and full of fire, his countenance manly and placid, yet ferocious, or what we call favage, his nofe aqui- line, his drcfs extremely fimple, but his head trim- jncd and ornamented in the true Creek mode. He has been a great warrior, having then attending him as flaves, many Yamalee captives, taken by .'?'"nh"tii ^'hen young. They were drCiTed better thiin 184 TRAVELS IK than he, and ferved and waited upon him with figns of the mod abjeft fear. The manners and cufloms of the Alachuas, and mofl of the lower Creeks or Siminoles, appear evidently tinftured with vSpanifli civilization. Their religious and civil ufages mani- feft a predileQion for the Spanifli cufloms. I'here are feveral Chridians among them, many of whom wear little filver crucifixes, affixed to a wampum collar round their necks, or fufpended by a fmall chain upon their breaft. Thefe are faid to be bap- tized ; and notwithflanding mofl of them fpeak and underfland Spanifli, yet they have been the molt bitter and formidable Indian enemies the Spaniards ever had. The flaves, both male and female, are permitted to marry amongfl them : their children are free and confidered in every refpecl equal to themfelves ; but the parents continue in a (late of ilavery as long as they live. In obferving thefe Haves, we behold at once, In their countenance and manners, the flriking contraft betwixt a flate of freedom and Ilavery. They are the tamefl, the mofl abject creatures that we can pofTibly imagine : mild, peaceable, and tradable, they feem to have no will or power to a6l but as di- rected by their maflers ; whilfl the free Indians, on the contrary, are bold, active, and clamorous. They differ as widely from each other as the bull from the ox. The repafl is now brought in, confifting of veni- fon, flewed Vv'ith bear's oil, frefh corn cakes, milk, and homony ; and our drink, honey and water, very cool and agreeable. After partaking of this ban- quet, we took leave and departed for the great fa- vanna. We NORTH AMERICA. 185 We foon entered a level, graffy plain, inter- fperfed with low, fpreading, three-leaved Pine-trees, large patches of low fhrubs, confiding of Prinos glaber, low Myrica, Kalmia glauca, Andromedas of feveral fpecieSj and many other flirubs, with patches of Palmetto. We continued travelling through this favanna or bay-gale, near two miles, when the land afcends a little ; we then entered a hommock. or dark grove, confiding of various kinds of trees, as the Magnolia grandiflora, Corypha palma. Citrus Aurantium, Quercus fempervirens, Morus rubra, Ulmus fylvatica, Tilia, Juglans cinerea, itfculus pa- via, Liquidambar, Laurus Borbonia, Hopea tinclo- ria, Cercis, Cornus Florida, Halefia diptera, Ha- lefia tctraptera, Olea Americana, Callicarpa, An- dromeda arborea, Sideroxylon fericium, Sid. tenax, Vitis labrufca, Hedera arborea, lledera quinqviefo- lia, Rhamnus volubilis, Prunu? CaroHniana(pr. fior. racemofis, foliis fempervirentibus, lato-lanceolatis, acuminatis, ferralis) Fagus fylvatica, Zanthoxylon clava Herculis, Acer rubrum, Acer negundo, Frax- inus excclfior, with many others already mention- ed. The land dill gently rifing, the foil fertile, loofe, loamy, and of a dark brown colour. This continues near a mile ; when at once opens to view the mod fudden tranfition from darknefs to light, that can poinbly be exhibited in a natural land- Icape. The cxtenfive Alachua favanna Is a level green plain, above fifteen miles over, fifty miles in cir- cumference, and fcnrcely a tree or buHi of any kind to be feen on it. It is encircled with high, doping hills, covered with wavins^ foreds and fragrant Orange groves, rifing from an exuberantly fertile foil. The towering Magnolia grandidora and tranfcen- dcnt s86 TRAVELS IN dent Palm, (land confpicuous amongd: them.. At ihe fame time are feen innumerable droves of cat* lie; the lordly bull, lowing cow, and fleek caprir ■cious heifer. The hills and groves re-echo their cheerful focial voices. Herds of fprightly deer, fquadrons of the beautiful fleet Sirainole horfe, blocks of turkeys, civilized communities of the fo- Tiorous watchful crane, mix together, appearing happy and contented in the enjoyment of peact;, ■(ill dilKirbed and affrighted by the warrior man. Behold yonder, coming upon them through the darkened groves, fneakingly and unawares, the Kiaked red warrior, invading the Elyfian fields and green plains of Alachua. At the terrible appear- ance of the painted, fearlefs, uncontrouled, and free Siminole, tiie peaceful innocent nations are at once thrown into dilorder and diiinay. See the ditFcrent ■tribes and bands, how they draw towards each other ! as it were deliberating upon the general good. Suddenly they fpeed off with their young in the centre ; but the roebuck fears him not : here he lays himfelf down, bathes and flounces in the cool flood. The red w^arrior, whofe plumed head f.afhes lightning, wiioops in vain ; his proud am- bitious horfe ftrains and pants ; the earth glides from under his feet, his flowing mane whiilles in tht wind, as he comes up full of vain hopes. The bounding roe views his rapid approaches, rifes up,, lifts aloft his antlered head, eretis the white flag*, and fetching a flirill whiPile, fays to his fleet and free alTociates, " follow :" he bounds off, and in a few minutes diftances his foe a mile; fuddenly he flops, turns about, and laughing fays, " how vain ! go chafe meteors in the azure plains above, or hui)t "butterflies in the fields about your towns." * Aljudine to his tail« NORTH AMERICA. 187 We approached the favanna at the fouth end by a narrow iflhmus of level ground, open to the light of day, and clear of trees or buflies, and not greatly elevated above the common level, having on our light a fpacious meadow, embelliflied with a little lake, one verge of which was not very diftant from us ; its fhore is a moderately hiiih, circular bank, partly encircling a cove of the pond, m the form of a half moon ; the water is clear and deep, and, at the dillance of fome hundred yards, was a large rioating field (if I may fo exprefs myfelt) of the Nymph^ea nelumbo, with their golden bloflbms wav ing 10 and fro on their lofty flenis. Beyond thefc fields of Nymphssa were fpacious plains, encompniled by dark groves, opening to exteniive Pine ioiefts, other plains flill appearing beyond them. This little lake and furrounding meadows would have been alone fufficient to furprife and delight the traveller ; but being placed fo near the great fa- vanna, the attention is quickly drawn olt, and wholly engaged in the contemplation of the unlimited, va- ried, and truly aftonifliing native wild fcenes ot landfcape and perfpedive, there exhibited : how is the mind agitated and bewildered, at being thus, as it were, placed on the borders of a new world ! On the lirif view of fuch an amazing difplay of the wifdom and power of the fupreme author of nature, the mind for a moment feems fufpenJed, and im- prcfled with awe. This idhmus beinc: the common avenue or road of Indian travellers, we pitched our camp at a fmall diilance from it, on a rifing knoll near the verge ot the favanna, under fome fpreading Live Oaks : this fituation was open and airy, and gave us an un- bounded profpccl over the adjacent plains. Dewy eveninof lS8 TRAVELS IN evening now came on ; the animating breezes, which cooled and tempered the meridian hours of this fiiltry feafon, now genrly ceafed ; the glori- ous fovereign of day, calHng in his bright beaming emanations, left us in his abfence to the milder government and protection of the filver queen of night, attended by millions of brilliant luminaries. The thundering alligator had ended his horrifying roar; the fiiver plumed gannet and ftork, the fage and folitary pelican of the wildernefs, had already letlred to their {"ilent nocturnal habitations, in the neighbouring forells ; the fonorous favanna cranes, in well difciplined fquadrons, now rifing from the earth, mounted aloft in fpiral circles, far above the denfe atmofphere of the humid plain ; they again viewed the glorious fun, and the light of day ilili gleaming on their polifhed feathers, they fung their evening hymn, then In a ftralght line majellically defcended, and alighted on the towering Palms or lofty Pines, their fecure and peaceful lodging places. All around being {till and filent, we repaired to reft. Soon after fun-rife, a party of Indians on horfe- back appeared upon the favanna, to cblled toge- ther feveral herds of cattle which they drove along near our camp, towards the town. One of the party came up, and informed us, the cattle belong- ed to the chief of Cufcowilla ; that he had ordered fome of the befl fteers of his droves to be flaughtered for a general feaft for the whole town, in compli- ment of our arrival, and pacific negociations. The cattle were as large and fat as thofe of the rich grazing paftures of Moyomenfmg in Pennfylva- nla. The Indians drove off the lowing herds, and we foon followed them to town, in order to be at council at the appointed hour, leaving two young n)en of our party to protec> our camp. Upon NORTH AMERICA. lS(^ Upon our arrival we repaired to the public fquare or council-houfe, where the chiefs and fenators were already convened ; the warriors and youjig men af- fembled loon after, the bufinefs being tranfacted in public. As it was no more than a ratification of the late treaty of St. Augufline, with fome parti- cular commercial flipulations, with refpeft to the citizens of Alachua, the negotiations (oon terminated to the fatisfaclion of both parties. The banquet fucceeded ; the ribs and choiceft fat pieces of the bullocks, excellently well barbecued, were brought into the apartment of the public fquare, conltrufted and appointed for feafting ; bowls and kettles oi Hewed fleih and broth were brought in for the next courfe, and with it a very fingular difli, the traders call it tripe foup ; it is made of the bcily or paunch of the beef, not overcleanfed of its contents, cut and minced pretty fine, and then made into a thin foup, feafoned well with fait and aromatic herbs ; but the feafoning not quite ftrong enough to extinguilh its original favour and fcent. This difh is greatly efteemed by the Indians, but is, ill my judgment, the lead agreeable they have amongll them. The town of Cufcowilla, which is the capital of the Alachua tribe, contains about thirty habitations, each of which confilts of two houfes nearly the fame fize, about thirty feet in length, twelve feet wide, and about the fame in height. The door is placed midway on one fide or in the front. This houfe is divided equally, acrofs into two apartments, one of which is the cook room and common hall, and the other the lodging room. The ther houfe is nearly of the famedimenfions, Handing about twenty yardi from the dwelling houfe, its end fronting the 190 TRAVELS IN the door. This building is two florles high, and confhu£ted in a different manner. It is divided tranf- verfely, as the other, but the end next the dwelling houfe is open on three fides, fupported by pofts or pillarF. It has an open loft or platform, the afcent to which is by a portable flair or ladder : this is a pleafant, cool, airy fituation, and here the mafter or chief of the family retires to repofe in the hot feafons, and receives his guefts or vifitors. The other half of this building is clofed on all fides by notched logs ; the lowed or ground part is a pota- toe houfe, and the upper ftory over it a granary for corn and other provifions. Their houfes are con- flruded of a kind of frame. In the firll place, flrong corner pillars are fixed in the ground, with others fomewhat lefs, ranging on a line between ; thefe are ftrengthened by crofs pieces of timber, and the whole with the roof is covered clofe with the bark of the Cyprei's tree. The dwelling (lands near the , middle of a fquare yard, encompaifed by' a low bank, formed with the earth taken out of the yard, which is always carefully fwept. Their towns are clean, the inhabitants being particular in laying their lilth at a proper diflance from their dwellings, which undoubtedly contributes to the healthiuefs of their habitations. I'he town Hands on the mod pleafant fituation that could be well imagined or defiied, in an inland country ; upon a high iwelling ridge of fand hills, within three or four hundred yards of a large and beautiful lake, the, circular fhore of which conti- nually waflies a fandy beach, under a moderately high floping bank, terminated on one fide by ex- tenfive forelfs, confifting of Orange groves, over- topped with grand Magnclias, Palms, Poplar, Ti- lia, NORTH AMERICA. I9I Ha, Live Oaks, and others already noticed ; and the oppofite point of the crefcent, gradually retires with hommocky projeiling points, indentincj the grally marfl-ses, and iafily terminates in inrinite green plains and meadows, united with the Ikies and wa- ters oF the lake. Such a natural landscape, fuch a rural Icene, is not to be imitated by the united in- genuity and labour of man. At prefent the ground betwixt the town and the lake is adorned by an open giovc of very tall Pine trees, which ftanding at a confiderable diilance from each ocher, admit a delightful profpect of the fparkling waters. The lake abounds with various excellent li!h and wild fowl ; there aie incredible numbers of the latter, efpecially in the winter feafon, when they arrive here from the north to winter. The Indians abdicated the ancient Alachua town on the borders of the favanna, and built here, call- ing the jiew town Cufcowilla : their reafons for re- moving their habitation were on account of its un- healthinefs, occafioned, as they fay, by the (lench of the putiid iifn and reptiles in the fummer and au- tumn, driven on fhore by the alligators, and the exhalations from marflies of the favanna, toQ;ether with the perfecution of the mufquitoes. They plant but little here about the town ; onlv a imall garden fpot at each habitation, confilting of a little Com, Beans, Tobacco, Citruls, ;?vc. Their plantation, which fupplies them with the chief of their vegetable provifions, fuch as Zea, Con- volvulus batata, Cucurbitacitrulus, Cue. lagenaria, Cue. pepo. Cue. tnelopepo. Cue. verrucofa, Do- lichos varieties, &c. lies on the rich prolific lands bordering on the great iVlachua favanna, about two miles diltance. This planiaticn Is one common en- clofurC;, igZ TRAVELS IN clofure, and Is worked and tended by the whole community ; yet every family has its particular part, according to its own appointment, marked off when planted ; and this portion receives the com- mon labour and aihlUmce until ripe, when each fa- mily gathers and depofits in its granary its own pro- per fliare, fetting apart a fmall gift or contribution for the public granary, which (lands in the centre of the plantation. The youth, under the fupervlfal of fome of their ancient people, are daily ftationed in their fields, and are continually whooping and hallooing, to chafe av/ay crows, jackdaws, black-birds, and fuch predatory animals ; and the lads are armed with bows and arrows, and being trained up to it from their early youth, are fure at a mark, and in the courfe of the day load themfelves with fquirrels, birds, &c. The men in turn patrole the corn fields at night, to protect their provifions from the depredations of night rovers, as bears, raccoons, and deer ; the two former being immoderately fond of young corn, when the grain is filled with a rich milk, as (wett and nourifting as cream j and the' deer are as fond of the Potatoe vines. After the fead was over, we returned to cur en- campment on the great favanna, towards the even- ing. Our companions, whom we left at the camp, were impatient for our return, having been ou* horfe hunting in the plains and groves during our abfencc. I'hey foon left us, on a vifit to the town, having there fome female friends, with whom they were anxious to renew their acquaintance. The Siminole girls are by ho means deflitute of charms to pleafe the rougher fex : the white traders are fully fenfible how greatly it is for their advantage to NORTH AMERICA. I93 to gain their affedions and friendfliip in matters of trade and commerce ; and if their love and efteein for each other is fmcere, and upon principles of re- ciprocity, there are but few inftances of their neg- lecting or betraying the interefts and views of rheir temporary hulbands ; they labour and watch con- ftantly to promote their private inrerefts, and de- te^ and prevent any plots or evil defjgns which may threaten their perfons, or operate againfl their trade or bufmefs. In the cool of the evening I embraced the oppor- tunity of making a folitary excurfion round the ad- jacent lawns. Taking my fuzee with me, I foon came up to a little clump of flirubs, upon a fvrelU ing green knoll, where I obferved feveral large faakes entwined together. I Itepped up near them ; they appeared to be innocent and peaceable, having no inclination to ftrike at any thing, though I en- deavoured to irritate them, in order to difcover their dilpofition ; nor were they anxious to efcape from me. This fnake is about four feet in length, and as thick as a man's wrill ; the upper fide of a dirty a(h colour ; the fquamas large, ridged, and pointed ; the belly or under fide of a reddifh dull flefh colour ; the tail part not long, but (lender, like moft other innocent fnakes. They prey on rats, land frogs, young rabbits, birds, &c. I left them, continuing my progrefs and refearches, delighted with the ample profpetts around and over the fa- vanna. Stopping again at a natural fhrubbery, on turn- ing my eyes to fome flowering fhrubs, I obferved near my feet the furprifing glafs fnake (anguis iragilisj. It feems as innocent and harmlefs as a worm, li is, when full grown, two feet and O :^a 194 TRAVELS IN and half in length, and three fourths of an inch in thicknefs ; the abdomen or body part is remarkably Ihort, and it feems to be all lail, which, though long, gradually attenuates to its extremity, yet not fmall and llender as in Ivvitch fnakes. The colour and texture of the whole animal is exactly hke bluifli green glafs, which, together with its fragi- lity, almoit perfuades a Ibanger that it is in rea- lity of that brittle fubllance : but it is only the tail part that breaks off, which it does like glafs, by a very gentle itroke from a flender fwitch. Though it is quick and nimble in twilling about, yet it cannot run faft from one, but quickly fecrets it- felf at the bottom of the grafs or under leaves. It is a vulgar fable, that it is able to repair itfelf after being broken into feveral pieces ; which pieces, common report fays, by a power or faculty in the animal, voluntarily approach each other, join and heal again. The fun now low, fhot the pointed fhadov/s of the projecting pro- montories far on the Ikiits of the lucid green plain : Hocks of turkeys calling upon their flrolling aflb- ciates, circumfpedly marched onward to the groves and high forefts, their nocturnal retreats. Dewy eve now arrived, i turned about and regained our en- campment in good time. The morning cool and pleafant, and the fkies ferene, we decamped, puriuing our progrefs round the Alachua favarma. 'i'hree of our companions feparating from us, went a-head, and we foon lofk fight of them : jhey again parting on different ex- curfions, in quelt of game and in fearch of their horfes, fome entered the lurrounding groves and forefls, others (truck off into the green plains. My compa- liion, the old trader,- and myfelf kept together, he beinji NORTH AIVriiRICA. I95 being the mod intelligent and willing to oblige nie. We coalttd the green verge of the plain, under the furrounding hills, occafionally penetrating and croil- ing the pi ejecting promontories as the pathway or conveniency dictated, to avoid the waters and mud which flill coi.tiautd deep and boggy near the ileep hills, in ipringy places ; lo that when we came to luch places, we found it convenient to afcend and coaft round the fides of the hills, or flrike out a little into the favanna, to a moderately fwelling ridge, where the ground being dry, and a delight- ful green turf, was pleafant travelling ; but then we were under the neceflity of fording creeks or rivu- lets, which are the conduits or drains of the (hal- low boggy ponds or moratVcs juil under the hills. This ranee or chain of moraflc'S continues round the fouth and fouth weft border of the favanna, and appeared to me to be fed or occafioned by the great wet bay-gale or favanna Pine lands, which lie immediately back of the high hilly forefts on the great favanna, part of which we crolTed in coming from Cufcowilla ; which bottom is a flat, level, hard fand, lying between the fand ridge of Cufcowilla, and thefe eminences of the great favanna ; and is a vaft receptacle or lefervoir of the rain waters, which being defended from the aCtive and powerful exha- lations of the meridian fun, by the fhadow of the Pine trees, low fhrubs, and grafs, gradually filtei- ing through the fand, drain through thefe hills, and prefent themfelves in innumerable little meandering rills, at the bafes of the (hady heights fronting the javaiiiia. Our progrefs this day was extremely pleafant, over the green turf, having in view numerous herds of cattle and deer, and fquadrons of horfe, peaceablv browzing on the tender, fweet grafs, or ItroUino- O 2 throusih. 196 TRAVELS IN through the cocl fragrant groves on the furrounding heights. Befide the continued Orange groves, thefe heights abound with Palms, Magnolias, Red Bays, Liquid- ambar, and Fagus fylvatica of incredible magni- tude, their trunks imitating the fhafts of vaft co- lumns : we obferved Calline, Prunus, Vitis la- brufea, Rhamnus volubilis, and delightful groves of jf^fculus pavia, and Prunus Caroliniana, a mofl beautiful evergreen, decorated with its racemes of Jweet, white bloflbms. Palling through a great extent of ancient Indian fields, now grown over with forefts of (lately trees. Orange groves, and luxuriant herbage, the old trader, my affociate, informed me it was the an- cient Alachua, the capital of that famous and power- ful tribe, who peopled the hills furrounding the. favanna, when, in days of old, they could aflemble by thoufands at ball play and other juvenile diverfions and athletic exercifes, over thofe, then happy, fields and green plains. And there is no reafon to doubt of his account being true, as almoft every ftep we take over thofe fertile heights, difcovers remains and traces of ancient human habitations and cultiva- tion. It is the mofl elevated eminence upon the fa- vanna ; and here the hills defcend gradually to the favanna, by a range of gentle, grafly banks. Ar7 riving at a fwelling green knoll, at fome diflance in the plains, near the banks of a pond, oppofite the old Alachua town, the place appointed for our meeting again together, it being near night, our aflbciates loon after joined us, where we lodged. Early next morning we continued our tour ; one di- vifion of our company direding its courfe acrofs the plains to the north coaft ; my old companion, with NORTH AMERICA. I97 with myfelf in company, continued our former rout, coafting the favanna W. and N. W. ; and by agree- ment we were all to meet again at night, at the E. end of the favanna. We continued fome miles crofling over, from pro- montory to promontory, the moft enchanting green coves and viftas, fcolloping and indenting the high coafts of the vail plain. Obferving a company of wolves (lupus niger) under a few trees, about a quarter of a mile from fliore, we rode up towards them ; they obferving our approach, fat on their hinder parts until we came nearly within fliot of them, when they trotted off towards the foiefts, but flopped again and looked at us, at about two hundred yards diftance : we then whooped, and made a feint to purfue them ; when they feparaied from each other, fome flretching off into the plains, and others feeking covert in the groves on Ihore. When we got to the trees, we obferved they had been feeding on the carcafe of a horfe. The wolves of Florida are larger than a dog, and are perfectly black, except the females, wiiich have a white fpot on the breafl ; but they are not fo large as the wolves of Canada and Pennfylvania, which are of a yellowifli brown colour. There were a number of vultures on the trees over the carcafe, who, as foon as the wolves ran off, immediately fettled down upon it ; they were however held in reflraint and fubordination by the bald eagle (falco leucoce- phalus). On our route near a long proje(fl:ed point of the coaft, we obferved a large flock of turkeys : at our approach they half ened to