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UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
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TRAVELS
THROUGH
NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA^
GEORGIA, EAST AND WEST FLORIDA,
THE CHEROKEE COUNTRY,
tHE EXTENSIVE TERRITORIES OF THE MUSCOGULGES
It:
OR CREEK CONFEDERACY, AND THE COUNTRY OF THE CHACTAWS.
C O N' T A I N : N" G
f-N ACCOUNT OF THE SOIL AND NATURAJ. PRODUC- TIONS OF THOSE regions;
TOGETHER WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE MANNERS OF THE INDIANS.
EMBELLISHED WITH COPPER-PLATES.
By WILLIAM B A Ri: R A M^V -^^
THE SECOND EDITION IN LONDON.
fHlLADELPHIA : PRINTED BY JAMES AND JOHNSON. 179I. LONDON:
REPRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, IN ST. PAUL'S CHVBCH-YARD.
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Contents
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PART I.
INTRODtJCTION.
CHAP. T. IThe Author embarks at Philadelphia — amves at Charlefton Page i CHAP. II.
fimh /irks again forGeorgi a and arrive;; at Savanna — proceedsSouthwnrdanJ nniveb at Sunbury — obrer\ations on the town, harbour, and ifland of St. Ca- tharine, its foil and productions — account of the cftablifhment of St. Jo'iiii's diftricSt, and Midway meeting-houfe — defcription of a beautiful fifh — pro- ceeds for the river Alatamaha, defcription of a tremendous thunder ftorm 4 CHAP. III.
CrofTes the river at Fort Harrington antl arrives at St. lUe — pafTes the fron- tier ftttlements and nneets an holtile Indian — crclfes the river St. Maiy ami arrives at the tr^ding-houfe, account of the country thereabout, its natural produ<5tions, of the lake Ouaquaphenogaw, faid to be the fource of the river St. Mary — returns to the Alat.imaha and thence to Sav.inua 16
C H A P. IV.
Set off<; from Savanna to Augufta, one hundred fixty-five miles Korth- Wefl from the fea coaft — def'cribes tl;e f.ice of the coLintrv,th..; river Savanna, the catarads and v ihage of Augufla — congrels vv ith the Indians at St. Augufla .^[he village of Wrightfborough on L ttle Rivi-r — monuments of an ancient Indian town on Little River — Buffaloe Lick — be'> ins the furvey of the New Purchafe— high proof of Indian fagacity^returus to Savanna zS
CHAP. V. ■ The Author leaves Broughton ifland and afcends the Alatamaha — nighc fcene — a tempeft — defcription of the river — ruins of an ancient fortificaiion .—Indian monuments at the Oakmulge fields — Creeks, account of their fet- tlement in Georgia 47
PART II. CHAP. I, Sets off from Savanna to Ealt Florida, i^roceeding by land to the A.I;ita- maha— defcends that river to Frederica on tlie ifland of St. Simon's — de- fcribes the ifland and the ckv 5^
CHAP. II. Leaves Frederica for the lower trading-houfe on St. Juan's — paffes through and del'cribes the found, &c. 6i
CHAP. III. Leaves Amelia ifland and arrives at the Cowford, on the river St. Juan's — proceeds up the river alone in a finall canoe ; futFers by a g;:le or" wind in eroding the river, is hofpitably entertained at a gentleman's houfe, where he refits and fails again — defcribes .'ort Piolata — various productions, viz. Magnolia grandifiora, Tillandfia ufueadfcites, floating fi-.-lds of the Piftia ftratiotes, the river and country, touches .at CharlotteviUe — arrives at tlic lower trading-houfe 6';$
C H A P. IV. •Proceeds farth.-r u;-) th? river— )<. ill;: ; by Mount Hope, and qomes to at Mount Royal — defcribes the mount, Indian highway, Arc — i)eautiful land- fcape of the country and profpe6t of the Ipke — enters Lakvj Geoige — defcrip- tion of the Lke — forced by flrefs ofweat"er to put in'o tl e beautiful ifle Edelano, defcription of the ifland, ancieni ird ^n town, mour.t and highway — croffes over the lake and arrives at the upper tradiu^-huufe 95
a a C H A P.
iir (Contents.
C H A P. V.
Provides fur contiimin^ his voyage higher up the river, engages an Indiafit to allift ill navigating his bark, and fets fail, the Indian becomes tired and requeftb to be fet on (hore — encamps at a delightful Orange grove— conti- nues again alone up the river; defcriptioa of tlie Palma Elaca : enters the Xittle Lake and comes to camp at an Orange grove — fight of alligators ; a battle with them ; great embarradraents with them; kills one : vaft airem- blage of filh : defer iption of the alligator and its ne{l,&c.— defcribes theCarica papaya — ^a very curions bird — in danger of being taken napjiing by a huge crocodile — the banks of the river adniirabiy ornamented with fefloons and tapellry, the work of nature — fepulchres of the ancients — a kurricane — vifita a plantation on the banks of the Long Lake ; defcription of the lake, a large fufphureouS fountain — account of the founding and prefent ftate of New Smyrna, on the Mufquitoe river — 'returns down the river — Eaft Lake — curious birds and a beautiful fifli — leaves Cedar Point, touches at the ifle of Palms ; r'-bbed by a wolf — arrives at Six Mile Springs — an account of that admirable fountain — defcribes the Gordonia, Zami.i, Caftus opuntia, Ery- thrina, Cacalia, &c, — -touches at Rocky Point— arrives again at the lower ti'ading-iioufe 112
C H A P. VL
Proceeds on a journey to Cufcovvilla— tlefcribes the country and waters— Annona incana, Annona pygmea, Kalmia clliata, Empetrum album, Andro- meda ferruginea, Rhododendron fpurium, Pica glandaria non criftata, La- nlus, Lacerta, Snakes, Chionanthus, Andromeda formofiHima, Cyrilla— ':ncamps at the Halfway Pond — 'defcribes the pond and meadows, a beau- tiful landfcape — pilgrimage of fifh— defcribes various kinds of filb — great foft flielled tortoife and great land tortoife— moral reflexions and meditations — leaves Half-way Pond and proceeds — fituation, quality, and furniuire o£ the earth — arrives at Cufcowilla — reception from the Indian chief: his cha- radter — Siminoles prediledlioii for Spaailh cuftoms and civilization — India ilaves, their condition — departs for tl;e Alachua favanna ; defcription of the favanna — Siminoles on horfeback — returns to Cufcowilla — a council and Indian feaft — defcription of the town and Cufcowilla lake — returns to the I'avanna — glafs Inake — makes the tour of the favanna — veftiges of the ^incient Alachua — Orange groves, turkeys, deer, wolve^, favanna crane— • arrives at the great hafon or fmk — defcription of the fink — account of the alligators, incredible number of fifh ; their fubtei ranean migrations — returns . — old Spanifa highway — Ind'an higluvay — arrives again at the trading- houfe on St. Juan's — charailier and comjianfoo of the nations of the Uppe'- Creeks, and Lower or Siminoles 16?
C H A P. VII.
Sets out again on a journey to TrJahafochte — defcription of the Si-pinolu horfe— encamps at an enciianting grotto on the banks of a be.>utiful lake- rocky ridges and defert wilds — engagement between a hawk and the coach- xvhip fnake— ^defcription of the fnake — account of the country, grai:d Pine forelt — encamps on the borders of an exieniive favanna — defcription of tlic- favanna crane — comes upon the verge of extenfive favanna^:, lying on a beau- tiful lake— the expanl'ive fields of Capola, decorated with delightful groves «— fquadrons of Siminole hoifes — a troop under the condudl and care iif art Indian dog — the fields of Capola a delightful region — ferruginous rocks, rich iron ore — arrives at Talahafuchte on the river Little St. Juan's — defcribes the town and river— Ir.dian canoes — their voyages and tratlic — Indian voy- age to Cuba — a fnliing party and naval race — an excurfion to the Manatee I'pring— -defcrijitii>n of tl.at incomparable nymphxnin — an account of the Alanatee — crolfcs the river to exjilore the country — Spanifii remains — waft Cane wild'ernelie': — ancient Sjianilli pl.iii'ations — Apalachean o'll fields- returns to town — White King's arrival — a council and fe.dt — charaifter of the king — leaves tlie town on rcfearcl'es, and encamps in tiie foiefts — ac- count of an extr.iordinary eruption of waters — joins his companions at camp % — untci"'
CONTENTS. V
■— euteitaiiiment by the White King in Talahafuchte — Contce, its prepara- tion and ufe — return; f > camp — great defert plains — entertainment with a party of young Siminole warriors — various natural wells and finks : con- jedures concerning them — account of the Long Pond, r.nd delightful jirof- pe(5ls adjacent — returns for the trading-houfe on St. Juan's — cmbarrairments occafioned by the wild horfes — encamps at Bird ICand Pond-— vail number of wild fowl tending their nerts — engagement with an alligatoi- who fur- jirifed the camp by night— obfervations on the great Alachua favanna and its environs— arrival at the trading-houfe 213
CHAP. VIII. The Author mikes an excurfion again v.p St. Juan's to Lake George— revifits Six Mi'e Springs and Illicium groves, makes colledions, and re- croffes the lake to the F.aftern coaft — that (hore more bold and rocky than the oppnfue — coafls round that ihore, ti)uching at old deferted plantations .^HeriMinial Cotton— Ir,.!jj— unpardonable devaftation and negledt of the white ftctlers, with reipeft to the native Orange groves — returns to the trading-houfe 250
CHAP. IX. Indian warriors, their frolic — curious conference with the Long Warrior —ludicrous Indian farce relative to a r.attle fnake — war farce 253
C H A P. X. Farther account of the rattle fnake — account and defcription of other fnakes and animals — catalogue of birds of Ncrtli America; obfervations concernin -, cheir migration, or annual paiiages from North to South, and back, again z6z
CHAP. XL Vifits an Indian village on the river — water melon fe-fi — defcription of the banqueting-houfe — makes .an excurfion acrofsthe river ; g'-eat dangers in crolfuig ; lands on the oppofite fliore — difcovers a bee tree, ivhich yielded a great quantity of honey — returns to the fhore — embarks for Frederica ia Georgia : vifits the plantations down the river ; enters the found and paiTes through; arrives at Frederica — embarks again — touches at Sunbury — ar- rives at Cha: leflon, South Carolina— meditates a journey to the Cherokee country and Creek Nation, in Weft Florida 301
PART III.
C H A P. I.
The Author fets out for the Cherokee territories— pafTes through a fine cultivated country— croffes Savanna river and eTirers the flate of Georgia— • Dirca paluftris— cowpens — civil entertainment at a jjlaHtation — purines the road to Augufla, and recrofl'es the river at Silver Bluff — account of Mr. dolphin's villa and trading flore?, Silver Bluff, fort Moore, Auguiia, Sav.anna river, mountains of large foflil oyfter fheils 306
C H A P. IL
Proceeds for fort Jame?, Dartmouth — curious fpecies of Azalta— crofTes Broad River — eflablilhment of Dartmouth — Indian mount, &c. crofTes Sa- vanna river — violent gufl of rain — curious fpecies gf .^fculus pavia— town of Sinica — fort Prince George, Ke»we — defcribes the country 31S
CHAP. III.
Ocone vale — monuments of the ancient town — croffes the mountains— their fituaciun, views, and produ(Slion5 — reftson the top of Mount Magnolia —defcription of anew and beautiful fjiecies of Magnolia — caft;ades of Fallmg Creek — thunder florm — head of Tanafee — vale of Cov.c— Indian graves- towns of Echoe, NucalFcjand Whatoga — noblv entertained by the piinceof Whatoga — arrives at the town of Cowe — makes an excurfion vvitii a young trader on the hills of Cowe— incomparable profpe£ls — horfc ftamp-^lifco- vers a company of Cherokee nymphs — a frolic witti them — returns to town 331
C H A P.
W C O N T E N T S.
CHAP. IV.
Sets off from Whuoga to the Overhill towns— Jore viliajie— 'Rosiing Creek— th':' Author and his guide part — furpri^ed by an Indian — faiute and part friendly — mi untainous vegetable produdlions— -arrives on the top of Jore mountain— .fviMimc profpedts— Atta-kul-kulla, grand Cherokee chief '' — gracioof receptun— returns to Cowe — great council-houfe — curious In* dian ilance — reti.rns and flops at Sinica — arrives again at fort James, Dart- mouth— lift of Chertikee towns and villages 357 CHAP. V.
Sets off f:jm Dartmouth to the Upper Creeks and Chai5taws country— Flat Rock— a curious plant — Rocky Comfort — Ocone old Town — migrai lion of the Ocones — cro'Ios the river — fordsthe Oakmulge at the Oakmulge Selds — Stoney Creek-— Great and Little Tabofachte — new fpecies of Hy- drangia — crotfes Flint river—defcribes the country — perfecuted by extraor- dinary heats and incre''ible numbers of biting flies — Hippobf)fca and Afikis i— extraordinary thunder gufl — croffes ChataUehe river—defcribes the town —very larg? a-.d ropuloii-:— jToceeds and arrives at the A.palachucla tov.-n -— -viiits the old town — i'-xt\ aordinary remains and monuments of the anci- ents— general face of the ct.hntry and vegetable piodutlions— new fpeties of^fculus 373
C H A P. VI.
Proceeds, and after three days journey arrives at Tallafe, on the Talla- f)oofe river^ — Coloomc, a handfome tftwn — great phiins — further account of the country — Dog woods — crofles the river Scliamhe — comes to Taenfa on the Eafl banks of the Mobile, thirty miles above the city — French inhabi- tants—paffes down the river, arrives at the city of Mobile— fhort ac- count of the city and fort Condc — returns to Taenfa, and proceeds up the river as fai' as the entrance of the Chicafaw branch — fioatin;^ forefts of the ISIymphjea Nelumbo — vifits the adjacent lands — returns to Mobile — goes to the river Perdido — continues on to Penfaco!.'.— -cordially received by gover- nor Chefler — fome account of the town — difcovers a new and beautiful fpe- cies of Sarraceiiia — returns to Mobile 394. C H A P. VII.
Leaves Mobile for JVIanchac on the Miflillipi — proceeds by \v?ter to Pearl 'Ifl:ii\d — kindly entertained by Mr. Rumfey — defcribes the ifland-^large crinifon Plum — a delicate fpecies of Mimofa — pafTes Lake Pontchartrain — touches at the river Taenfiipaoa — paffes over Lakt; iv-laurepas — proceeds up to Iberville — croffes by land to Manchac — goes up the Miffiffipi — fettle- ments of New-Richmond-^White Plains — curious mai'cle flrells in the river • — croffts over to Point Coujic — Spanifh village and fortrefs — high cliffs op- pofue Pcint Coupe — returns to the Amite, thence down through the lanks, and founds back again to Mobile 416
CHAP. VIII.
Leaves Mobile on his return — proceeds with a company of traders for the Creek nation — his horfe tires — is in great diffrefs — meets a company of tra- ders, of whom he purchafes a freih horfe — Illicium groves — meets a cdm-. pany of emigrants from Georgia — great embarralfment at a large creek fwoUen with late heavy rains — airives at the hanks of the Alabama — croffes it and arrives at Mucclaffe — Indian marriage — ferious reflections — perilous fituation of the trader r)f Mucclaffe — lets off for Otaffe — defci ibes the coun- try contiguous to the Tallapoofe river — plantations and toi\n.: — Coolome- Tuckabatche — crofles the river and arrives at Otaffe — rotunda and fquare— black drink — fpira! fire — Sabbath or holy day to the Great Spirit — fets off with a comjiany of traders for Georgia — Chehaw and Uffcta, Creek tt)wns on the Apalachucla river, almolt join each other, yet tlie irbabitants (peak two languages radically ditfeieni — arrives at the Oakmulge — croffts the river in a portable leather boat — croffes the river Ocone — head branches of Great Ogeche — arrives at Augufta — takes leave of Augufta and l:is friends there, and proceeds for Savanna — lifl of Mufcogulgc towns and villages— conjcdttires concerning the rile of thy Mulcosjulge confederacy 438
CHAP-
CONTENTS. VJi
CHAP. IX.
Short 'excurfioii in the South of Georgia — makes co]!e>flions— ^^thers feeds of two new anJ very curious fhruhs 46c
C H A P. X.
Proceeds for Charlefton — Calls r.t a gentleman's plantation— Adoe — Tan- nier — wild pi?^eons— After fruticofu^ — leaves Charlefton, proceeds on hi: return liome to Pennfylv.inia— croifes Cooper river, nine miles above the pity — Long B ty — reefs of rocks — mcts a gang of Negroes — jiafles the boun- 5lary-h.01.ie>— large '.'.■.'anna — Diona^a mufcipula — old towns — Brunfwick— • the Clarendon or Cape Fear rivei- — Korth Weft — Livingfton's creek— Wackarr.aw Like — Carvr's creek— Afliwoou — various vegetable pioduc- tious — cultivated vege'ables — delcribes the f.ice of the country on the banks pf theN orth Weft and the adjacent landt — ftrata of the e.irth or foil — rocks »— petnfadtions — ancient fubmarine productions, &cc. — leaves Afhwood, con- tinues up the river — vaift trunks of ti ecs with their roots, and Ihimps of limbs with the bark on, turned into very hard ftone— Rock-Filh creek— Crofs creeks — the rife, progrefs, and prefenl ftate of Cambe'ton — curious fpecies of fcandent Fern— Deep river — croffes Haw river — IVIeherren ri- ver m Virginia — Cucurbita lagewaria — curious fpecies of Prinos — Alexan- fjiia — George town — fudden fa'l of fnow — extreme cold — crolTes the river Sufquehanna upon the ice— river Schuylkill — arrives at his father's houfe, Tft jthm three miles of Philadelphia 467
PART IV,
CHAP. I.
Perfons, character, and qualifications of the Aborigine- — moft perfedl hxir jnan figure — Mufcojulge women— women of the Cherokecs — arrogance of the Mufcogulges, yet magnanimous and merciful to a vanquifhed enemy 481 CHAP. JI.
Government and civil fociety — conllitution fmiply natural— the mico or king prefules in the fenate — elective — yet mylterious — the next man ia <lignity and power is the great war chief — entirely independent of the niico •—his voice in council of the greateft weight concerning military affairs — the high prieft a perfon of confequence, and maintains great infinence in tlieir conftitution and councils of ftate — thefe Indians not idolaters — they adore the Great Spirit, the giver and taker away of the breath of life, with the moft profound homage and purity — anecdote 492
CHAP. III.
Drefs, feafts, and divertifements — youth of both fexes are fond of decora- tions with refpedt to drefs — their ears lacerated — diadem plumes, &c — paint tht;ir fkin — drefs of the females different from th;:t of the men — great horned owl fltin ftuffed and borne about by the prieft^ — infignia of wifdom and divination — fond of mufic, dancing and routs — different clafTes of fongs — vanety of fteps in their dani,es — fenfible and powerful effeds — ball play — feftival of the Buik A99
C H A P. IV.
Concerning property, agriculture, arts and manufa(Slures — private pro- perty— produce of their agricultural labours — common plantation — king's crib — public treafury — women the moft ingenious and vigilant in mechania arts and raanufadtures 500
CHAP. V.
Marriages and funeral rites — polygamy — take wives whilft they are yet young children — adultery — Mufcop;ulges bury their dead in a fitting pofture — ftrange cuftoms of the Chatlaws relativ to duties to the deceafed — bone hoiife — dirges — feaft to the dead — methods which the nurfes purfue to flat- ten the infant's (kuU and retain its form 5iz CHAP. VI.
Language and monuments — Mufcogulgf language fpoken throughout the confederacy — agreeable to the ear— Cheiokee language lond — pyiamidal artificial hills or mounts, terraces, obeli&s— high ways and artificial Lakes — chunk jards— flave pofts ' 517
INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
JL H E attention of a traveller fhould be particularly turned, in the firft place, to the various works of Nature, to mark the diftinftions of the climates he may explore, and to offer fuch ufeful obfervations on the different produftions as may occur. Men and manners undoubtedly hold the firft rank — what- ever may contribute to our exifcence is alfo of equal importance, whether it be found in the animal or vegetable kingdom ; neither are the various articles, which tend to promote the happinefs and con- venience of mankind, to be difregarded. How far the writer of the following fheets has fucceeded in furnifhing information on thefe fubje6ts, the reader will be capable of determining. From the advan- tages the journalift enjoyed under his father John Bartram, botanift to the king of Great Britain^ and fellow of the Royal Society, it is hoped that his labours will prefent new as well as ufeful infor- mation to the botanift and zoologift\
This world, as a glorious apartment of the bound- lefs palace of the fovereign Creator, is furnifhed with an infinite variety of animated fcenes, inex- preffibly beautiful and pleafing, equally free to the infpeftion 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 vegetable world : fuch a variety of pleafing fcenes, ever changing throughout the fealbns; arifing from
various
INTRODUCTION'. IX
various caufes, and afilgned each to the purpofe and life determined.
It IS difficult to pronounce which divifion of the earth, between the polar circles, produces the greateft variety. The tropical divifion certainly affords thofe which principally contribute to the more luxurious fcenes of fplendour, as Myrtus communis, Myrt, caryophyllata, Myrt. pimsnta, Caryophyllus aromacicus, Laurus cinnam. Laurus camphor Lau- rus Perfica, Nux mofch. Iliicium, Camellia, Pu- nica, Cadlus melo caftus, Cadtus gianditlora, Glo- riofa* fuperba, Thcobroma, Adanfonia digitata, Ny6lanthes, Pfidium, Mufa paradifica, Mula fa- pientum, Garcinia mangodana, Cocos nucifera, Ci- trus, Citrus aurantium, Cucurbita citruUus, Hya- cinthus, Amaryllis, Narciflus, Poinciana pulcherri- ma, Crinum, Ca6lus cochinellifer.
But the temperate zone (including by far the greater portion of the earth, and a climate the mofi: favourable to the increafe and fupport of animal life, as well as for the exercife and a6livity of the human faculties) exhibits fcenes of infinitely greater variety, magnificence, and confequence, with refpedt to human economy, in regard to the various ufes of vegetables.
For inftance; Triticum Cereale, v/hich affords us bread, and is termed, by way of eminence, the ftaff of life, the moll pleafant and nourifliing food to all terreilrial animals. Vitis vinifc^ra, Vv^hofe ex- hilaradng juice is faid to cheer the hearts of gods and men. Oryza, Zea, Pyrus, Pyrus malus, Pru- nus, Pr. cerafus, Ficus, Nedarin, Apricot, Cydo-^ nia. Next follow the illuftrious families of foreft- trees, as the Magnolia granciiflora and Quercus fempervirens, which form the venerated groves and folemn fhades, on the Miffiffippi, Alatam.iha and
b Florida j
X INTRODUCTION.
Florida; the magnificent Cuprefiiis difticha of Ca- rolina and Florida j the beautiful Water Oak *, whofe vail hemifpheric head prefents the likenefs of a diftant grove in the fields and favannas of Ca- rolina ; the gigantic Black Oak -}-, Platanus occi- dentalis, Liquidambar ftyraciflua, Liriodendron tu- iipera, Fagus cailanea, Fagus fylvatica, Juglans nigra, Juglans cinerea, Jug. pecan, Ulmu?, Acer faccharinum, of Virginia and Pennfylvania ; Pinus phoenix, Pinus tceda, Magnolia acuminata, NylTa aquatica, Populus heterophylla, and the floriferous Gordonia lafianthus, of Carolina and Florida^ the exalted Pinus ftrobus. Pin. balfamica, Pin. abies. Pin. Canadenfis, Pin. larix, Fraxinus excelfior, Ro- binia pfeudacacia, Guilandina dioica, ^fculus Vir- ginica. Magnolia acuminata, of Virginia, Mary- land, Pennfylvania, New Jerfey, New York, New England, Ohio, and the regions of Erie and the Illinois ; and the aromatic and floriferous Ihrubs, as Azalea coccinea. Azalea rofea, Rofa, Rhodo- dendron, Kalmia, Syringa, Gardenia, Calycanthus, Daphne, Franklinia, Styrax, and odiers equally celebrated.
In every order of nature we perceive a variety of qualities diftributed amongft individuals, defigned for different 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 leem to be of fufhiicnt import- ance to manifeft the divine and inimitable work- manfliip. The pompous Palms of Florida, and glorious Magnolia, ftrike us with the fenfe of dig- nity and magnificence; the expanfive umbrageous Live Oak J with awful veneration ; the Carica
• Qaercus Hemifpherica. f Qwrcus tiudtoiia.
% O'-iercuG feuipervireiK"-'.
? papaya.
INTRODUCTION. XI
papava feems fupercilious with all the harmony of beauty and gracefulnels ; the Liliuin f-jperbum re- prefents pride and vanity ; Kalmia latifoHa and Aza- lea coccinea, exhibit a perfe6t fhow of mi:th and- gaiety; the Illicium Floridanum, Crinum Florida- num, Convallaria nnajalis of the Cherokees. and Calycanthus fioridus, charm with their beauty and fragrance. Yet they are not to be compared for iifefulnefs with the nutritious Triticum, Zea, Oryza, Solanum tuberofum, Mufa, Convolvulus Batata, Rapa, Orchis, Vitis vinifera, Pyrus, Olea ; for cloth- ing with Linum Cannabis, GofTypium, Morus; for medicinal virtues with HylTopus, Thynjus, Anthemis nobilis, Papaver fomniferum, Quinquina, Rheum rhabarbarum, Pifum, &c. Though none of thefe moft ufcful tribes are confpicuous for ftatehnefs, figure, or fplendour, yet tlieir 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 fuRenance, amufement, and delight.
But there remain of the vegetable world feve- ral tribes that are diftinguifhed by very remarkable properties, which excite our admiration, fome for the elegance, fingularity, and fplendour of their veil- ment, as the I'ulipa, Fritillaiia, Colchicum, Pri- mula, Lilium fuperbum, Kalmia, &c. : others aftonifh us by their figure and dilpofal of their vef- ture, as if defigned only to eiTibellifli and pleafe the obferver, as the Nepenthes didiliatoria, Ophrys infedtoria, Cypripedium calceolus, Hydrangia quer- cifolia, Bartramia bracleata, Viburnum Canadenfe, Bartfia, &:c.
Obferve thefe green meadows how they are de- corated ; they fcem enamelled with the beds of fiowersi The blufhing Chironia and Rhexia, the
b 1 fpiral
Xll INTRODUCTION"*
fpiral Ophr)" with immaculate white flowers, the Limodorum, Arcthufa pulcherrima, Sarracenia pur- purea, Sarracenia galeata, Sarracenia lacunofa, Sarracenia flava. Shall we analyze thefe beautiful plants, lince they feem cheerfully to invite us ? How greatly the flowers of the yellow Sarracenia repre- fent a filkcn canopy ? the yellow pendant petals are the curtains, and the hollow leaves are not unHke the cornucopia or Amakhea's horn ; what a quan- tity of water a leaf is capable of containing, about a pint! tafte of it— how cool and animating — lim- pid as the morning dew : nature feems to have fur- nifhed them with this cordated appendage or lid, which turns over, to prevent a too fudden and copious fupply of water from heavy fhowers of rain, which would bend down the leaves, never to rife again; becaufe 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 which contribute to their fupply, are the rebounding drops or horizontal fl:reams v/afted by the winds, which advemitioufly find their way into them, when a blaft of wind fhifts the lid: fee thefe fliort ftiff hairs, they all point downwards, which dire6t the con- denfed vapours down into the funiculum; thefe iliff hairs alfo prevent the varieties of infecSts, which are caught, from returning, being invited down to fip the mellifluous exudation, from the interior fui face of the tube, where they inevitably perilh ; what quantities there are of them! Thefe latent waters undoubtedly contribute to the fupport and refrcfhment of the plant: perhaps defigned as a refervoir in cafe of long continued droughts, or other cafualtics, fince thefe plants naturally dwell in low favannas liable to overflows, from rain water: for although I am not
of
INTRODUCTION. , XIU
of the opinion that vegetables receive their nouriili- ment only through the afcending part of the plant, as the ftem, branches, leaves, &c.; and that their defcending parts, as the roots and fibres, only icrve to hold and retain them in their places; yet I be- lieve they imbibe rain and dews through their leaves. Hems, and branches, by extremely minute pores, which open on both furfaces of the leaves and on the branches, which may communicate to little auxiliary du6ls or veflels; or, perhaps the cool dews and Hiowers, by conftriding thefe pores, and thereby preventing a too free ptrrfpiration, may recover and again invigorate the languid nerves cl thofe which feem to fuffer for want of water, in great heats and droughts; but whether the infefts caught in their leaves, and which diflolve and mix with the fluid, ferve for aliment or fupport to thefe kind of plants, is doubtful. Ail the Sarra- cenias are infeft catchers, and f^ is the Droflba rotundifolia.
But admirable are the properties of the extraor- dinary Dionea mufcipula ! A great extent on each fide of that ferpentine rivulet is occupied by thofc fportive vegetables — let us advance to the fpot in which nature has feated them. Aftonifliing pro- dudlion ! fee the incarnate lobes expanding, how gay and fportive they appear ! ready on the fpring to intrap incautious deluded infefts 1 what artifice ! there behold one of the leaves juft clofed upon a ftruggling fly; another has gotten a worm ; its hold is fure, its prey can never elcape — carnivorous vege- table ! Can we after viewing this objeft, hefitatc a moment to confefs, that vegetable beings are en~ dued with fome fcnfible faculties or attributes, C.milar to thofe that dignify animal nature; they are b 3 organical.
KIV ir^TRODUCTION.
organica], living, a,nd feif-moving bodies, for we fee here, in this plant, motion and volition.
What power or faculty is it, that directs the cirri of the Ciicurbita, Momordica, Vitis, and other climbers, towards the twigs of fhrubs, tree?, and other friendly fiipport ? we fee them invariably lean- ing, extending, and like the fingers of the human hand, reaching to catch hold of what is nearefl:, 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 m.ore elaftic and effec- tual, than if it had remained in a dirvft line, for every revolution of the coil adds a portion of llrength ; and thus colkfted, they are enabled to dilate and contradl as occafion or necefiity requires, and thus by yielding to, and humouring the motion of the limbs and twigs, or other fupport on which they depend, are not fo liable to be torn off by fudden blafts of wind or other affaults : is it fenfe or inftii.cl that influences their a(5lions? it muft be fome impulle j or does the hand of the Almighty adl and perform this work in our fight ?
The vital principle or efficient caufe of motion and aclion, in the animal and vegetable* fyftem, perhaps may be more fmiilar than v/e generally ap- prehend. Where is the effential difference between the feed of peas, peaches, and other tribes of plants and trees, and the eggs of oviparous ani- mals, as of birds, fnakes, or butterflies, fpawn of fiih, &c. ? Let us begin at the fource of terreftrial exiftence. Are not the feeds of vegetables, and the eggs of oviparous animals fecundated, or influenced with the vivific principle of life, through the approxi- rnation and intimacy of the fex€s ? and immediately after the eggs and feeds are hatched, does not the
* Yn], Sponfalia pliuitriium^ Aman. Acad. 1. n. 12. Linn.
young
INTRODUCTION. XV
young larva and infant plant, by heat and moifture, rife into exiftcnce, increafe, and in due time an ive to a ftate of perfeft maturity ? The phyfiologifts agree in opinion, that the work of generation in viviparous animals, is exa6lly fimilar, only more fecret and enveloped. The mode of operation that nature purfues in the produ<51:ion of vegetables, and oviparous animals, is infinitely more uniform and manifeft* than that which is or can be difcovered to take place in viviparous animals.
The moft apparent difference between animals and vegetables is, that animaL-> have the powers of found, and are locomotive, whereas vegetables are not able to fhift themfelves from the places where nature has planted them: yet vegetables have the power of moving and exercifing their members, and have the means of tranfplanting and colonifing their tribes almofb over the furface of the whole earth ; fomq feeds, for inftance, grapes, nuts, fmilax, peas, and others, whofe pulp or kernel is food for ani- mals, will remain feveral days without being in- jured in ftomachs of pigeons and other birds of pafTage j by this means fuch f )rts are diflributed from place to place, even acrofs feas ; indeed fane feeds require this preparation by the digeftive heat of the flomach of animals, to diflblve and detach the oily, vifcid pulp, or to foften the hard fhells. Small feeds are fometimes furnifhed with rays of hair or down j and others with thin light membranes attached to them, which fcrve the purpofe of wings, on which they mount upward, leaving the earth, float in the air, and are carried away by the fwift winds to very remote regions before they fettle on the earth ; fome are furnifhed with hooks, which catch hold of the wool and hair of animals paffing by them, and are by that means fpread abroad i
b 4 other
^Vl INTRODUCTION.
Other feeds ripen in pericarpes, whicli open with elaftic force, and fhooc their feed to a very great diftance round about ; feme other feeds, as of the Moffes and Fungi, are fo very minute as to be in- vifible, light as atoms, and thefe mixing with the air, are v/afted all over the world.
The animal creation alfo excites our admiration, and equally manifefLS the almighty power, wildom, and beneficence of the Supreme Creator and Sove- reign Lord of the univerfe; fome in their vaft fize and itrcinath, as the mammoth, the elephant, the v/haiv.% die lion, and alligator j others in agility ; others in dieir beauty and elegance of colour, plumage, and rapidity of flight, having the faculty of moving and living m thj air; others for their immediate and indifpenfable ufe and corvenience to man, in furnifhiig means Lr our clothing and fuftenance, and ad niniftering to our help in the toils and labours of life : how wonderful is the me- chanifm of thefe finely formed fclf-moving beings, how complicated their fyftem, yet what unerring uniformity prevails through every tribe and parti- cular fpecies ! the effeft we fee and contemplate, the caufe is invifible, incomprehenfible ; how can it be othcrwife ? when vve cannot fee the end or origin of a nerve or vein, while the divifibility of matter or fluid, is infinite. We admire the me- chanifm of a watch, and the fabric of a piece of brocade, as being the production of art j thei'e merit our admiration, and mud excite our efleem lor the ingenious artitl or modifier; but nature is the work of God omnijiotent ; and an elephant, nay even this workl, 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 \q (idniirably beautiful, harmonious, and incompre- henfible.
INTRODUCTION. -Xvij
henfible, what muft be the intelleftiial fyflem ? that inexprefTibly more eflential principle, which fecretly operates within? that which animates the inimitable machines, which gives them motion, impowers them to aft, (peak, and perform, this muit be divine and immortal?
I am fenfible that the general opinion of philo- fophers has diftingiiifhed the moral fyftem of the brute creature from that of mankind, by an epithet which implies a mere mechanical impulfe, v/hich leads and impels them to neceflary anions, without any pr( meditated defign or contrivance ^ this wc term inftinft, which faculty we fuppofe to be inferior to reafon in man.
The parental and filial affeftions feem to be as ardent, their fenfibiHty and attachment as aftive and fiithful, as thofe obferved in human nature.
When travelling on the eaft coaft of the ifthmus of Florida, afc^^nding the fouth Mufquito river, in 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 Chamserops; (tiiis fruit is of the form and fize of dates, and is delicious and nourifhing food:) we faw eleven bears in the courfe of the day, they feemed no way furprifed or affrighted at the fight of us. In the evening, my hunter, who was an excellent markfman, faid that he would ilioot one of them for the fake of the fkin 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 croffing over to the oppofite fhore, in order to get under cover of a fmall ifland ; this we cautioufly coafted round, to a point, which we apprehended would take U3 within fiiot of the bears ; but here finding
ourfelves
XVm. INTRODUCTION,
ciirfejyes at too great a diftance from theni;, and clilcovering that we miifl: cpenly fliow ourfclves, wc had no odier alternative to eifecl our purpofe, but naaking oblique approaches. We gained gradually on our prey by this artifice, without their noticing Vus ; finding ourfelves near enough, the hunter fired, snd laid the largeft dead on the fp'jt whei-e fhe ilood ; when presently the other, not feeming the leaft moved at the report of our piece, approached the dead body, fmelled, and pawed it, and ap- pearing in agony, fell to weeping and looking up- ward?, then towards us, and cried out like a child. "VVhilfl: our boat approached very near, the hunter was loading his rifle in order to fhoot the furvivor, which was a young cub, and the flair, fuppofed to be the dam. The continual cries ot this affii6ted child, bereft of its parent, afFeded me very fenfibly ; 1 was moved with compafiion, and charging myfelf as if accelTary to what now appeared to be a cruel murder, endeavoured to prevail on the hunter tor iiive its life, but to no effeft! for by habit he had become infennble to compalfion towards the brute creation: being now within a few yards of the harmlefb devoted vi6lim, he fired, and laid it dead upon the body of die dam.
If we bellow but very litde attention to the economy of the animal creation, v;e fhall find ma- nifeft examples of premiCditation, perfeverance, re- folution, and confummate artifice, in order to effeft their purpofes. The next morning, after the Uaughter of the bears, whilfl my companions were ftriking our tent, and preparing to re-embark, I refolved to make a little botanical excurfion alone: crofllng over a narrow ii'thmus of fand hills, v/hich feparated the river from the ocean, I paded over a pretty high hill, its fumiriii; crefted with a few palm trecsj
llirrounded
INTRODUCTION. XIX
furrounded with an Orange grove: this hill, whofe bale was waflied on one fide by the floods of the Mufquitoe river, and on the other fide by the bil- lows of the ocean, was about one hundred yards diameter, and feemed to be an entire heap of fea fhells. I continued along the beach a quarter of a mile, and came up to a foreil of the Agave vivi- para (though compofed of- herbaceous plants, I term it a foreft, becaufe their fcapes or flower- fcems arofe ere61: near 30 feet high) : their tops re- gularly branching in the form of a pyramidal tree, and thefe plants growing near to each other, occu- pied 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, take root, and fix them- ielves in the fand : the plant grows to a prodigious fize before the fcape flioots up from its centre. Having contemplated this admirable grove, I pro- ceeded towards the fhrubberics on the banks of the river, and though it was now late in December, the aromadc groves appeared in full bloom. The broad-leaved fweet Myrtus, Erythrina coralloden- drum, Caftus cochinellifer, Cacalia fuffruticofa, and particularly, Rhizophora conjugata, which flood clofe to and in the fait water of the river, were in. full bloom, with beautiful white fweet fcented flowers, which attrafted 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 llripes of pale yellow, with fome fpots of a crimfon colour near the body. Ano- ther fpecies remarkable for fplendour, was of a larger fizej the wings were undulated and obtufely cre- -nated round their ends, the nether pair terminating near the body, with a long narrow forked tail -, the
ground
XX INTRODUCTION.
ground light yellow, ftripeJ obliqiie-tranA^erfe]}', •with ffripes of pale cekllial blue, the ends of them adorned with lictle eyes encircled with the fineft biliie and crimion, which reprefented a very brilliant Fofary. But thole which were tlie moft numerous were as v/hite as Inovv, their Vv^ings large, their ends lightly crcnated and ciliated, forming a fringed bor- cfer, faintly marked with little black crefcents, their points downward, with a clufter of little brilliant orbs of blue and crimfoHj on the nether wings near the body : the numbers were incredible, and there leemcd to be fcarcely a flower ror each fiy, multi- tudinous as they were, befides clouds of thern hover- iog over the mellifluous groves. Befidcs thefe pa- pUes, a variety of other infefts come in for a fhare, particularly feveral fpecies of bees.
As I v;as gathering fpecimens of flowers from the flirubs, I was greatly furprifed at the fudden ap- pearance of a remarkably large fpider on a leaf^ of the genus Araneus fallens: at fight of m.e he boldly faced about, and railed himfelf up, as if ready to fpring upon mej his body was about the fize of 2 pigeon's egg, of a bufi^ colour, which, with his legs, were covered with fhort filky hair; on the top of the abdomen was a round red fpot or ocelle en- circled with black. After I had recovered from the furprile, obferving that the wary hunter had retired imdcr cover, I drew near again, and prcfcntly dif- covered that I had furprifed him on predatory at- tempts againft the inie6l tribes. I was therefore detcrniiincd to v/atch his proceedings. 1 foon no- ticed that tlie object of his wiihcs was a large fat tomble bee (apis bombylicus), that was vifiting the flowers, and piercing their neclariferous tubes : this cunning intrepid hunter conducted his fubtil ap- proaches with die circumfpedtion and perfeveranc^^
of
INTRODUCTION. :{X1
C'fa Siminole when hunting a deer, advancing mtii ilow fteps obliquely, or under cover of denfc fol'i^. age, and behind the limbs, and when the bee was engaged in probing a flower, he would leap nearer, and then inllantly retire out of fight, under a leaf or behind a branch, at the fame time keeping a fharp eye upon me. \Vhen he had now gotten v/ith.'ij two feet of his prey, and the bee was intent on ijuping- the delicious nedar from a flower, with his back next the fpider, he inftantiy fprang upon him, and graiped him over the back and flioiikicr, when for lome moments they both difappeared. I expecbed the bee had carried off his enemy, but to my fur- prife, they both together rebounded back again, fufpended at the extremiiy of a ftrong elaflic 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 bte's wings, endeavouring to extricate himfelf, made them both together appear as amov- ing vapour, until the bee became fatigued by wlnrl- ing round, flrft one way and then back again : at length, in about a quarter of an hour, the bee quite exhaufted by his ftruggles, and the repeated wounds of the butcher, became motionlefs, and quickly ex- pired in the arms of the devouring fpider, who, afcending the rope with his game, retired to feafr on it under cover of the leaves ; and perhaps before night, became himfelf the delicious evening repafc of a bird or lizard.
Birds are in general focial and benevolent crea- tures ; intelligent, ingenioiis, volatile, active br- ings; and this order of animal creation confiiis of various nations, bands, or tribes, as may be ob- lerved from their different ftrufture, manners, and ianguag . or voice; each nation, though fubdi- vided into many different tribes, retaining its ge-
rtral
X:ai TNTRODUCTIO.V.
neral form or ftruftiire, a fimilarity of cufl.oms, and a fort of dialedt or language, particular to that na- tion or genus from which thofe tribes feem to have defcended 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 amiufe the female, entertaining her with melody, &c. This harmony, with the tender fo- licitude of the male, alleviates the toils, cares, and diftreffes of the female, confoles her in folitary re- tirement whilft 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 pafTions and affeftions, are particularly confpicuous in the different tribes of the thrufh, fa- mous for fbng. On a fweet May morning we fee the red thrufhes (turdus rufus) perched on an ele- vated fprig of the fnowy Hawthorn, fweet flower- ing Crab, or other hedge fhrub, exerting their ac-* complifnments in fong, Itriving by varying and ele- vating 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, of another lively and elevated, of others fonorous and quiver- ing. The mock-bird (tardus polyglotcos) who ex- cels, dillinguifnes himfelf in a variety of adlion as well as air; from a turret he bounds aloft with the celeriiy of an arrow, as it were to recover or recal his very foul, expired in the lall elevated ftrain. The high forefts are filled with the fymphony of the fong or wood thrulh (turdus minor).
Both fexes of fome tribes of birds fing equally 5 finely j
INTRODUCTION'. Xxlll
finely ; and it is remarkable, tliat thefe reciprocally aflift in their domeftic cares, as building their nefts and fitting on their eggs, feeding and defending their young brood, &c. The oriolus (idcrtu:. Cat.) is an inftance of this cafe; and the female oi the ifterus minor is a bird of more iplendid and gay drefs than the male bird. Some tribes of birds will relieve and rear up the young and helplefs, of their own and other tribes, when abandoned. Ani- mal fubftance feems to be the firft food of all birds, even the granivorous tribes..
fiaving paffed through fome remarks, which ap- peared of fufticient confequence to be offered to the public, and v;hich were molt fuitable to have a place in the introduftion, I fiiall now offer fuch ob- fervations as muui necefiarily occur, from a careful attention to, and inveft:igation of, the manners of the Indian nations ; being induced, while travel- ing among them, to alfociate v/lth diem, that I might judge for myfe'f, whether they were deferving of the fcvere cenfure which prevailed againft them among the white people, that they were incapable of civilization.
In the confideration of this important fubjedl it will be necefiary to inquire, whether they were in- clined to adopt the European modes of civil ibcie- ty ? Whether fuch a reformation could be obtained, without ufing coercive or violent means ? And laftly, whether llich a refoiucion would be productive of real benefit to them, and confequently beneficial to d:ie public ? I was fatisfied in difcovering that they were defirous of becoming united with us, in civil and religious fociety.
It may, therefore, not be foreign to the fubjed, to point out the propriety of fending men of abi- lity and virtue, under die authority of gove:nment,
as
SXIV INTRODUCTrONv
as friendly vilitors into their towns : let thefe men be inftrufted to learn perfe6lly their languages, and by a liberal and friendly intimacy become acquaint- ed with their cuftoms and ufages, religious and ci- vil j their fyftem of legiflation and police, as well as their moft ancient and prefent traditions and hif- tory. Thefe men thus enlightened and inflrudled would be qualified to judge equitably, and when re- turned to us, to make true and juil reports, which might afTift the legiflature of the United States to form, and oiTn- to them, a judicious plan for their civihzation and union with us.
But I prefume not to dictate in thefe high con- cerns of government, and I am fully convinced that fuch important matters are tar above my ability j the duty and refpe6t we owe to religion and re6bi- tude, the moil acceptable incenfe we offer to the Almighty, as an atonement for our negligence in the care of the prefent and future welibeing of our Indian brethren, induce me to m^ention this matter, though perhaps of greater concernment than we ge- nerally are aware.
TRAVELS
SXIV rNTRODUCTlOlsrv
as friendly vifitors into their towns : let thefe men be inftrufted to learn perfedly their languages, and by a liberal and friendly intimacy become acquaint- ed with their cuftoms and ufages, religious and ci- vil j their fyftem of legiflation and police, as well as their moft ancient and prefent traditions and hif- tory. Thefe men thus enlightened and inllrudled would be qualified to judge equitably, and when re- turned to us, to make true and juft reports, which, might afTift the legiflature of the United States to form, and offer to diem, a judicious plan for their CLvihzation and union with us.
But I prefume not to dictate in thefe high con- cerns of government, and I am fully convinced that fuch important matters are far above my ability i the duty and refpeft we owe to religion and refbi- tude, the moft acceptable incenfe we offer to the Almighty, as an atonement for our neghgence in the care of the prefent and future wellbeing of our Indian brethren, induce me to m.ention this matter, though perhaps of greater concernment than we ge- nerally are aware.
TRAVELS
UlM-A Ton-a-
I ffAxASTATIA
""-^S'M.
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TRAVELS
I N
NORTH AMERICA,
CHAR I.
THE AUTHOR SETS SAIL FROM PHILADELPHIA, AN'D ARRIVES AT CHARLESTON, FROM WHENCE HE BEGINS HIS TRAVELS.
At the requeft cf Dr. Fothergill, of London, to fearch the FJoridas, and the weftern parts of Ca- rohna and Georgia, for the difcovery of rare and life ul produdlions of nature, chiefly in the vege- table bngdom 3 in April. 1773, I ennbarked for Lharlefton South CaroHna, on board the bri^an- tine Charlefton packet, captain Wright, the brig - - - -, captain Mafon, being in company with iJs, and bound to the fame port. We had a plea- ^nt run down the Delaware, 150 miles to cape Henlopen, the two veffels entering the Atlant-'c to- gether. For the firfl twenty-four hours we had a profperous gale, and were chearful and happy in the profpeft of a quick and pleafant voyage ; but alas ! how vain and uncertain are human ^expeda- tions ! how quickly is the flattering fcene chang- .€d ! 1 he powerful winds, now rufliing forth from
^ their
2 TRAVELS IN
their fccrct abodes, fuddenly fpread terror and dc* vaftation j and the wide ocean, which, a few mo- ments paft, was gentle and placid, is now thrown into diforder, and heaped into mountains, whofc white curling crefls feem to fweep the fkies !
This furious gale continued near two days and nights, and not a little damaged our fails, cabin furniture, and flate-rooms, befides retarding our paflage. The florm having abated, a lively gale trom N, W. continued four or five days, when fhifting to N. and laftly to N. E. on the tenth of our departure from cape Henlopen, early in the morning, we dcfcried a fail aftern, and in a fliort 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 futfcred 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 filb, having caught a great number of them whiift he was detained in harbour. He got into Charlefton that evening, and we the next morning, about eleven o'clock.
There are few objects out at fea to attra(5t the notice of the traveller, but what are fublime, aw- ful, and m.ajeitic : the feas themfelves, in a tem- peft, exhibit a tremendous fcene, where the winds aflert their power, and, in furious conflidl, feem to fet the ocean on fire. On the other hand, nothing can be more fublime than the view of the encir- cling horizon, after the turbulent winds have taken their flight, and the lately agitated bofom of the deep has again become calm and pacific ; the gen- tie moon rifing in dignity from the eaft, attended ty thoufands of glictering orbs i the luminous ap-»
pearancc
NORTH AMERICA.
appearance of the feas at night, when all the waters feem tranfmiited into liquid filver , the prodigious bands of porpoifes foreboding tempeft, that appear to cover the ocean, the mighty whale, fovereic^n of the watery realms, who cleaves the feas in his cour e; the fudden appearance of land from the mnV if ^''''^''^S each way, beyond the ut- moft reach of %ht, the alternate appearance and recefs of the coall, whilft th.e far diftant blue hills flowiy retreat and difappear ; or, as we approach the coaft, the capes and promontories firfl ftrike our fight emerging from the watery expanfe, and, , Ike miguty giants, elevating their crefts towards the Ikies, the water fuddenly alive with its fcaly in- habitants ; fquadrons of fea-fowl fweeping through the air, impregnated with the breath of fragrant aromatic trees and flowers; the amplitude%nd magnificence of thefe fcenes are great indeed, and niay prefent to the imagination, an idea of the firil appearance of the earth to man at the creation. On my arrival at Charlefton, I waited on doftor
Tnd r Kl- ' S'^^^"^^" of eminence in his profeffion and public employments, to whom I was recom- mended by my worthy patron, and to whom I was to apply for counfei and affiftance, for carrving into
metirTVT.^^'^r''''^"^^- ^^^' dodor recdved me vvith perfedl pohtenels, and, on every occafion, treated me with friendfl.ip ; and by mea'ns of the eftel ""-'k ""^'u \' ^'^' "^^^' ^"d ^he marks of cu nTed" r'"'^ ^' ^r^^''^ "^'^ ^ became ac onfv of r7^ ""'7^°^ '^' ''^''^y ^^'^^i^i^^> not
^ 2 CHAP.
TRAVELS m
CHAP. II.
Arriving In Carolina very early in the I'pring, vegetation was not fufficiently advanced to invite me into the weftern parts of this ilate; from which circumftance, I concluded to make an excurfion into Georgia ; accordingly, I embarked on board a coafting vefTel, and in twenty-four hours arrived in Savanna, the capital, where, acquainting the go- vernor, Sir J. Wright, with my bufinefs, his ex- cellency recei/ed me with great politenefs, fliewed me every mark of efteem and regard, and furnifli- cd me with lettcs to the principal inhabitants of the ftatc, which were of great fervice to me. An- other circumftance very opportunely occurred on my arrival : the affembly was then fitting in Sa- vanna, and feveral members lodging in the fame houfe where I took up my quarters, I became ac- quainted with feveral worthy characters, who in- vited me to call at their feats occafionally, as I pafled through the country ; particularly the hon. B. Andrews, efq. a diftinguiflied, patriotic, and li- beral character. This gentleman's feat, and well- cultivated plantations, are fituated near the fouth high road, which I often travelled j and I feldom pafied his houfc without calling to fee him, for it was the feat of virtue, where hofpitality, piety, and philofophy, formed the happy family i where the weary traveller and ftranger found a heariy welcome, and from whence ic mull be his own fault if he departed without being greatly be- nefited.
After
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After refting, and a little recreation for a few davs in Savanna, and having in the mean time piiichafed a good horfe, and equipped myfclf for a journey fouthward, I fat off early in the morning for Siinbuiy, a fea-port town, beautifully fituated on the main, between Medway and Newport ri- vers, about fifteen miles foutfi of great Ogeeche river. The tov/n and haroour are defended from the fury of the feas by th^ north and fouth points of St. Helena and South Catharine's iflands ; be- tween which is the bar and entrance into the found : the harbour is capacious and fafe, and has water enough for fhips 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 fupped and fpent the evening in a circle of genteel and polite ladies and gentlemen. Next day, being defnous of vifiting the idands, I forded a narrow fhoal, 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 loofe fand, not very fertile, except fome fpots bordering on the found and inlets, where are found heaps or mounds of fea-fhell, either formerly brought there by the Indians, who inhabited the illand, or which -were perhaps thrown up in ridges, by the beating furface of the lea : poffibly both thefe circumftances may have contributed to their formation. Thefe fea-fhells, through lengdi of time, and the fubde penetrating efleCls of the air, which diffolve them to earth, render thefe ridges very fertile ; and, •when clear of their trees, and cultivated, they become profufely produftive of almoft every kind >Qf vegcraljlc. Here are alfo large plantations of ' B 3 indigo.
b TRAVELS IN
indigo, corn, and potatoes*, with many other forts of efculent plants. I obferved, amongft the ihells of the conical mounds, fragments of earthen vef- fels, and of other utenfils, the manufadlure of the ancients : about the centre of one of them, the rim of an earthen pot appeared amongft the fliells and earth, which I carefully removed, and drew it our, almoft whole : this pot was cunoufly wrought all x)ver the outfide, reprefenting bafket work, and was undoubtedly eftcemed a very ingenious "perform- ance, by the people, at the age of its conftru6lion. The natural produce of thefe teftaceous ridges, be- fides many of lefs note, are, the great Laurel Tree, (Magnolia grandiflora) Pinus tasda, Laurus Bor- bonia, Quercus fcmpervirens, or Live Oak, Prunus Lauro-cerafus, Ilex aquifolium, Corypha palma, Juniperus Americana. The general furface of the ifland being low, and generally level, produces a very great variety of trees, ilirubs and herbaceous plants ; particularly the great long-leaved Pitch- Pine, or Broom-Pine, Pinus paluftris, Pinus fqua- mofa, Pinus lutea, Gordonia Lafianthus, Liquid ambar (Styraciflua) Acer rubrum, Fraxinus excel- cior; Fraxinus aquatica, Quercus aquatica, Quercus phillos, Quercus dentata, Quercus humila varietas, Vaccinium varietas, Andromeda varietas, Prinos va- rietas, Ilex varietas, Viburnum prunifolium, V. den- tatum, Cornus florida, C. alba, C. fanguinea, Car- pinus betula, C. oilrya, Itea Clethra alnifolia, Hale- /ia tetraptera, H. diptera, Iva, Rhamnus frangula, Callicarpa, Morus rubra, Sapindus, Caffine, and of fuch as grow near water- courfcs, round about ponds and favannas, Fothergilla gardini, Myrica cerifcra, Olea Americana, Cyrilia racemiflora,
i'l
* Convolvulus batata.
Magnolia
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Magnolia gkiica, Magnolia pyramidata, Cercis, Kalmia anguftifolia, Kalmia ciliata, Chionanthiis, Cephalanthos, TEfculus parva ; and the interme-. diace fpaces, furrounding and lying between the^ ridges and favannas, are interie(5ted with plains of the dwarf prickly fan-leaved Palmetto, and lawns o{ grafs variegated with ftarely 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 iiland, lies on a foundation, or ftra- tum, of tenacious cinereous-coloured clay, which perhaps is the principal fupportofthe vaft growth of timber that arifes from the furface, which is little more than a mixture of tine white fand and diflblved vegetables, ferving as a nurferybed to hatch or bring into exiftence the infant plant, and to fupply it with aliment and food, fuitable to its delicacy and tender frame, until the roots, ac- quiring fufficient extent and folidicy to lay hold of the clay, foon attain a magnitude and (lability fuf- ficient to maintain its ftation. Probably if this clay were dug our, and caft upon the furface, a'rer be- ing meliorated by the faline or nitrous qu.ilities of the air, it would kindly incorporate wirh the loofe fand, and become a produftive and lading manure.
The roebuck, or deer, are numerous on this ifland ; the tyger, wolf, and bear, hold yet fome pofleffion j as alfo raccoons, foxes, hares, fquirreis, rats, and mice, but I think no moles. There is a large ground rat, more than twice the uze of the common Norway rat. In the night time it throws out the earth, forming little mounds, or hillocks, Opollums are here in abundance, as alfo pole- cats, wild-cats, rattle fnakes, glafs-fnake^ coach- whip-fnake, and a variety of other ferpents.
B 4 Here
S TRAVELS INT
Here are alfo a great variety of birds, through- out the feafons, inhabiting both fea and land. Firft I fhall name the eagle, of which there are three fpecies. 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- porrs his aiTumed dignity and grandeur by rapine and violence, extorting unrealbnable tribute and fubfidy from all the feathered nations.
The iafl: of this race I fliall mention is the falco- pifcatorius, or fxHiing-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 propor- tion to the volume of his body. This princely bird fubfifts entirely on fifli which he takes himfelf, fcorning to live and grow fat on the dear-earned labours of another ; he alfo contributes liberally to the fupport of the bald eagle.
Water-fowl, and the various fpecies of land-" birds, alfo abound, moft of which are mentioned by Catelby, in his Hift. of Carohna, particularly his painted finch (Emberiza Ceris Linn.) exceeded by none of the feathered tribes, either in variety and Jplendour of drcfs, or melody of fong.
Catefby's ground doves are alfo here in abun- dance : they are remarkably beautiful, about the fize of a fparrow, and their loft and plaintive cooing perfeftly enchanting.
How challe the dove ! " never known to vioLite tlie conjugal
contraft." She flees the feats of envy and llrifc, and fceks the retired paths
of peace.
The
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The fight of this delightful and produftlve idand, phced in front of the riling city or Sun- bury, quickly induced me t.- explore it; which I apprehended, from fornner vifits to this coaft, would exhibit a comprehenfive epitome of the hiftory of all the fca-coaft Iflands of Carolina and Geor2:ia, as likewife in eeneral of the coall of the main. And though I confidered this excurfion along the coafi: of Gc^O'gia and norcnern border of Flo- rida, a deviciLicn from the high road of my intended travels, yet I perfurm.ed it in order to employ to the moll advantage the time on my hands, before the treaty of Augulla came on, where I wa:> to at- tend, about May or June, by defire of the Super- intendant, J. Stewart, efq. who, wht-n I was in Charlefton, propofed, in order to facilitate my tra- vels in the Indian territoriesj tha", if I would be prefent at the Congrels, he would introduce my bufinefs to the chiefs of the Cherokees, Creeks, and other nations, and recommend me to their friend- ll;iip and protecftion ; which promife he fully per- formed, and it proved of great fervice to m.e.
Obedient to the admonitions of my attendant fpirit, curiofity, as well as to gratify the expedla- tions of my worthy patron, I again fat off on my fouthern excurfion, and leit Sunbury, in company with feveral of its polite inhabitants, who were go- ine to Medway meeting, a very large and well-con- ftrudled ••lace or worfhip, in St. John's parifh, where I afibciated with them in religious exercife, and heard a very excellent fermon, delivered by their pious and truly venerable paftor, the Rev.
Ofgood. This refpeftable congregation is
independent, and confift chiefly of families, and
profelytes
lO TRAVELS IN
profelytes to a flock, which this pious man led about forty years ago, from South Carolina, and fettled in this fruitful diftrid. It is about nine miles from Sunbury to Medway meeting- houfe, which ftancls on the high road oppofite the Sun- bury road. As foon as the congregation broke up, I re-aflumed my travels, proceeding down the high road towards Fort Barrington, on the Alatamaha, pafling through a level country, well watered by large ftreams, branches of Medway and Newport rivers, courfing from extenfive fwamps and marfhes, their fources : thefe fwamps are daily clearing and improving into large fruitful rice plantations, agsrandizins; the well inhabited and rich diftri6l of St. John's parilh. The road is ftraight, fpacious, and kept in excellent repair by the induilrious in- habitants i and is generally bordered on each fide with a light grove, confifting of the following trees and fl:irub3 : Myrica Cerifera, Calycanthus, Halefia tetraptera, I tea ftewartia, Andromeda nidda, Cy^ rella racemi flora, entwined with bands and gar- lands of BigRonia fempcrvirens, B. crucigera, Lo- nicera fempervircns and Glycene frutefcens ; thefe were overlhadowed by tall and fpreading trees, as the Magnolia grandiftora. Liquid ambar, Lirio- dendron, Catalpa, Quercus fempcrvirens, Quercus dentata, Q^ Phillos ; and on the verges of the canals, where the road was caufwayed, fbcod the Cuprefilis difticha, Gordonia Lacianthus, and Magnolia glauca, all planted by nature, and left ftanding by the virtuous inhabitants, to fhade the road, and perRnne the fultry air. The exten- five plantations of rice and corn, now in early ver- dure, decorated here and there with groves of flo- ritcrous and fragrant trees and Ihrubs, under the
cover
NORTH AMERICA. It
cover and protection of pyramidal laurels and plumed palms, which now and then break through upon the fight from both fides of the way as we pais along ; the eye at intervals ftealing a view at the humble, but elegant and neat habitation, of the happy proprietor, amidll harbours and groves, all day, and moon-light nights, filled with the melody of the cheerful inockbird, warbhng nonpareil, and plaintive turtle-dove, altogether prefent a view of magnificence and joy, inexpreflibly charming and animating.
In the evenins; I arrived at the feat of the lion. B. Andrews, efq. who received and entertained mc in every refpeft, as a worthy gentleman could a ftranger, that is, v/ith hearty welcome, plain but plentiful board, free converfation and liberality of fentiment. I fpent the evening very agreeably, and the day following (for I was not permitted to de- part fooner) : I viewed with pleafure this gentleman's exemplary improvements in agriculture ; particu- larly in the growth of rice, and in his machines for flielling that valuable grain, which {lands in the water almoO: from the time it is fown, until within a few days before it is reaped, when they draw off the water by fluices, which ripens it all at once, and when the heads or panicles are dry ripe, it is reap- ed and left Handing in the field, in fmall ricks, un- til all the ftraw is quite dry, when it is hauled, and ftacked in the barn- yard. The machines for clean- ing the rice are worked by the force of water. They Hand on the great refervoir which contains the waters that flood the rice-fields below.
Towards the evening we made a little party at fifliing. We chofe a (haded retreat, in a beautiful grove of magnolias, myrtles, and Iweet bay-trees^
which
12 TRAVELS IN
which' were left Handing on the bank of a fine creek, that, from this place, took a flow ferpen- tine courfe through the plantation. We prefently took foaie fifh, one kind of which is very beau- tiful; they call it the red- belly. It is as large as a man's hand, nearly oval and thin, being comprefTed on each fide ; the tail is beautifully formed ; the top of the head and back of an olive-green, be- fprinklcd with rufiet fpecks ; the fides of a fea- green, inclining to azure, infenfibly blended with the olive above, and beneath lightens to a filvery white, or pearl colour, elegantly powdered with fpecks of the fineft green, rufiet and gold ; the beliy is of a bright fcarlet-red, or vermillion, dart- ing up rays or fiery ftreaks into the pearl on each fide ; the ultimate angle of the branchioftega ex- tends backwards with a long fpatula, ending with a round or oval particoloured fpot, reprefenting the eye in the long feathers of a peacock's train, verged round with a thin flame- coloured mem- brane, and appears like a brilliant ruby fixed on the fide oftlie fifh ; the eyes are large, encircled with a fiery iris ; they are a voracious fi(h, and are tafily caught with a fuitable bait.
The next morning I took leave of this worthy family, and fat off for the fettlements on the Ala- tamaha, ft ill purfuing the high road for P'ort Bar- rington, 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 coaft-. The fore part of this day's journey was pleafanc, die plantations frequent, and the roads in tolerable good repair ; but the country being now lefs cultivated, the roads became bad. 1 piirfued my journey almoft continually through fwamps and creeks, v/aters of Newport and Sapcllo, till nijiht,
when
NORTH AMERICA. IJ
v/hen I loll fny way: but coming up to a fence, I faw a glimmering light, which conduced me to a hoLife, where I itayed all night, and met with very civil entertainment. Early next morning I fat off again, in company with the overfeer of the farm, who piloted me through a large and difficult 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 crofTing 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*Intofh, a family of the firft co- lony eftabliflied in Georgia, under the conduct of general Oglethorpe. Was there ever fuch a fcene of primitive fimplicity, as wa3 here exhibited, fince the days of the good king Tammany ! The vene- rable grey-headed Caledonian fmilingly meets me coming up to his houfe. " Welcome, ftranger ; come in, and reft ; the air is now very fukry ; it is a very hot day." I was there treated with fome excellent venifon, and here found friendly and fecure fhelter from a tremendous thunder ftorm, which came up from the N. W. and foon after my arri- val began to difcharge its fury all around. Step- ping to the door to ooferve the progrefs and di- rection of the tempelt, the fulgour and rapidity of the ftreams of lightning, palTing from cloud to cloud, and from the clouds to tlie earth, 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 fi:ood thirty or forty yards from me, and fet it in a blnze. The flame inftantly
3 afcended
t4 TRAVELS IN-
afcehded upwards of ten or twelve feet, and conti- iiiied flaming about fifteen minutes, wlien it was gra- dually extlnguiflied by the deluges of fain that fell upon it.
I faw ^ere 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 llately beautiful bird, of a very dark dufky brown colour, the tips of the feathers of his neck, bread, back, and fhoulders, edged with a copper colour, which in a certain cxpofure looked like burnifhed gold, and he feemed not infenfible of the Iplendid appearance he made. He was reared from an egg, found in the foreil, and hatched by a hen of the common domeftic fowl.
Our turkey of America is a very different fpe- cics from the meleagris of Afia and Europe ; they are nearly thrice their fize and weight. I have i'ecn feveral that have weighed between twenty and thirty pounds, and fome have been killed that weighed near forty. They are taller, and have a much longer neck proportionally, and likewife longer legs, and Hand more eredl j they are alio very different in colour. Ours are all, male and female, of a dark brown colour, not having a black feather on them ; but the male exceedingly fplen- did, with changeable colours. In other particulars they diiFer not.
The temped being over, I waited till the floods of rain had run off tne ground, then took leave of my friends, and departed. The air was now cool and falubrious, and riding {even or eight miles, through a pine foreft, I came to Sapello bridge, to which the fait tide flows. I here fl:opped, at 4 Mr,
NORTH AMERICA. Ij
Mr. Bailey's, to deliver a letter from the governor. This c-entleman received me very civilly, inviting me to ftay with him ; but upon my urging the ne- cefllty of my accelerating my journey, he permitted me to proceed to Mr. L. M'lntoJfh's, near the river, to vvhofe friendihip I was recommended by Mr. B. Andrews.
Perhaps, to a grateful mind, there is no intel- leftual enjoyment, which regards human concerns, of a more excellent nature, than the remembrance of real a6i:s of friendihip. The heart expands at the pleafing recolledlion. When I came up to his door, the friendly man, fmiling, and with a grace and dignity peculiar to himfelf, took m.e by the hand, and accofted me thus : ** Friend Bartram, " come under my roof, and I delire you to make my " houfe your home, as long as convenient to your- " felf J remember, from this moment, that you are t* a part of my family, and, on my part, I fhall en- " deavour to make it agreeable, " which Was veri- fied during my continuance in, and about, the fouthern territories of Georgia and Florida ; for I found here fincerity in union with all the virtues, un- der the influence of religion. I fhall yet mention a remarkable inftance of Mr. M'Intofh's friendihip and refpe<5t for me ; which was, recommending his eldeft fon, Mr. John M'Incolh, as a companion in my travels. He was a fenfible virtuous youth, and a very agreeable companion through a long and toUr fome journey of near a thoufand miles.
Having been gready refrefhed, by continuing a few days with this kind and agreeable family, I pre- pared to profecute my journey foutherly.
CHAP.
1 6 TRAVELS m
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- Barringtcn. I paffed through a well-inhabited dif- trict, nr»<*flly rice plantations, on the waters of Cat- head creek, a branch of the Alatamaha.. On draw- ing near the fort, I was greatly delighted at the appearance of two new beautiful fhrubs, in all their blooming grac s. One cf them appeared to be a fpecies of Gordonia*, but the flowers are larger, and more fragrant than thole of the Gordonia Laf- canthus, and are fefiile ; the feed vefiel is alio very different. The other was equally uifti ■: iiihed for beauty and fihguiarity ; it grows twelve or fifteen feet high, the branches r.fcendant and oppofite, and terminate with large panicles of pale blue tubular flowers, fpecked on the infide with crlmfon ; but ■what h lingular, thefc yar'.cles are ornamented with a number of ovate large bra61:e«, as white, and like fine paper, thtir tops and verges ftained with a rofe-red, which, at a little dillance, has the ap- pearance of clufters of rofes, at the extremities of the limbs : the flowers are of the CI. Pentandria monogynia ; the leaves are nearly ovate, pointed and petioled, fl:anding oppofite 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
• Fianklinia AIataliam£.
vefligcs
NORTH AMERICA. Ij
veftlges of an ancient Indian town may be feen, fiich as old cxtenfivc fields, and conical mounds, or artificial heaps of earth. I here crofled 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 the NyiTa coccinea, fi. Ogeeche, growing on the banks of the river. They grow in the water, neai* the Ihore. There is no tree that exhibits a more defirable appearance than this, in the autumn, when the fruit is ripe, and the tree diverted of its leaves; for then they look as red as fcarlet, with their fruit, which is of that colour alfo. It is of the fliape, but larger than the olive, containing an agreeable acid juice. The leaves are oblong, lan- ceolate and entire, fomicwhat hoary underneath} their upper furface of a full green, and fhining; the petioles Oiort, pedunculis mukifloris. The moft northern fettlement of this tree, yet known, is on Great Ogeeche, where they are called Ogeeche limes, from their acid fruit being about the fize of limes, and their being fometimes ufed in their ftead.
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, paffing through an uninhabited wilder- iiefs. The fudden tranfition from rich cultivated fettiements, to high pine forefts, dark and graffy favannas, forms in my opinion no difagreeable con- tratls ; and the new objefts 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 fand-hillsj I obferved
C a new
id TRAVELS IN
a new and moft beautiful fpecies of Annona, FiaT- ing clufters of large white fragrant flowers ; and a diminutive but elegant Kalmia. The ftems are very fmall, feeble, and for the moft part undivided, furnifhed with little ovate pointed leaves, and ter- minate with a fi mple 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 moift favannas, but more efpecially near ponds and bay-Iwamps. In flmilar f]tuations, and com- monly a near neighbour to this new Kalmia, is {etn a very curious fpecies of Annona. It is very dwarf^ the fliems feldom extending from the earth more than a foot or eighteen inches, and are weak and almofl: decumbent. The leaves are long, extremely narrow, aimofl: 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, vi^hich is very fhort -, their leaves ftand alternately, nearly ered;, forming two feries, or wings, on the arcuated ftems. The flowers, both in fize and colour, refemble thofe of the Antrilobe, and are fingle from the axilla of the leaves on incurved pedunculi, nodding down- wards. I never faw the fruit. The dens, or ca- verns, dug in the find-hills, by the great land-tor- toife, called here Gopher *, prefent a very Angular appearance : thefe vaft caves are their caftles and diurnal retreats, from- v/hence they ifliie forth in the nighr, in fearch of prey. The little mounds, or hillocks of frefli earth, thrown up in great num- bers in the night, have alfo a curious appearance.
In the evening I arrived at a cow-pen, wheic
• Teftudo Polypliemws,
thera
u-^
n.i.
I
Fl.2.
,m\
( ' '//////'//// ///-// //^w/vv/
there was a habitation, and the people received mc very civilly. I ftaid here all night, and had for fupper plenty of milk, butter, and very good checfe of their own make, which is a novelty in the mari- time parts of Carolina and Georgia} the inhabitants being chiefly fiipplied with it from Europe and the northern ftates. The next day's progrefs, in ge- neral, prefented fcenes fimilar to the preceding, though the land is lower, more level and humldy and the produce more varied : high open forefts of (lately pines, flowery plains, and extenfive green favannas, chequered with the incarnate Chironia pulcherrima, and Afclepias fragrans, perfumed the air whillt they pleafed the eye. I met with fome troublefome cane fwamps, faw herds of horned catde, horfes and deer, and took notice of a pro- cumbent fpecies 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 flifi^ hair. I alfo faw a beautiful fpecies of Lupin, having pale green villous Ungulate* leaves; die flowers are difpofed in long ere6t fpikes ; fome pla ts produce flowers of the fineft celeftial blue, others incarnate, and fome milk white, and though they all three feem to be varieties of one fpecies, yet they afl"oci- ate in feparate Communities, fomedm.es approach- ing near each other's border, or in fight at a dif- tance. Their difl:ri6ls are ficuated on dry fandy heights, "in open pine forefts, which are naturally thin of undergrowth, and appear to great ad van- tagCj generally, where they are found, they occu- py many acres of furface. The vegetative mould IS compofed of fine v;hite fand, mixed, and colour- ed, with diflblved and calcined vegetable fubltances j
* Lupinus breuQij, foFii-. integerimU eblongis villofis.
C 2 buc
to TRAVELS IN
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 Httle chimnies> or air holes of cray-fifii, which perforate the favan- nas. Turkeys, quails, and fmall birds, are here to be feen ; but birds are not numerous in defert fo- refts J they draw near to the h..bitations of men, as I have conllantly obferved in all my travels.
I arrived at St. I lie's in the evening, where I lodged, and next mornings having crofTcd over in a ferry beat, fat forward for St. Mary's. The fitua- tion of the territory, its foil and productions, be- tween thefe two laft rivers, are nearly fimilar to thofe which I had palled over, except that the fa- vannas are more frequent and extenfive.
It may be proper to obferve, that I had now paffed the utmoft frontier of the white fettiements on that border. It. was drawing on towards the clofe of day, the lines ferene and calm, the air tem- perately cool, and gentle zephyrs breathing through the fragrant pines j the profpecl around enchant- ingly varied and beautiful ; endlefs green favannas, chequered with coppices of fragrant flirubs, filled the air with the richeft perfume. The gaily at- tired plants which enamelled the green had begun to imbibe the pearly due of eveaing ; nature feem- ed fiienr, and nothing appeared to ruffle the happy moments of evening contemplation ; when, on a ludden, an Indian appeared croffing the path, at a confiderable diftance before in..\ On perceiving that he was armed with a rifle, the firfl fight of him ftartled me, and I endeavoured to elude his fight, by Hopping my pace, and keeping large trees be- tween usi but he efpicd me, and turning fhort
about.
NORTH AMERICA. 21
aboiir, fat fpnrs 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 ^^wn that my fpirits were very much agitated : I fa-w at once, that, being unarmed, I was in his power -, and hav- ing now but a few moments to prepare, I refigned myfelf entirely to the will of the Almighty, truft- ing to his mercies for my prefervation : my mind then became tranquil, and I refolved to meet the dreaded foe with refoluti.in and chearful confi- dence. The intrepid Siminole (topped f.iddenly, three or four yai-ds before me, and filencly viewed me, his countenance angry and fierce, fhifting his rifle from fhoulder to flioulder, and looking about inflantly on all fides. I advanced towards him, and with an air of confidence ofi-ered him my hand, hailing him, brothc^r j 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 intlancly Ipurred up to me, and with dignity in his look and action, gave me his hand. Pollibly the filent language of his foul, during the moment of fufpenfe (for I be- lieve his defign was to kill m.e when he firfi: came up) was after this manner : " White man, thou " art my enemy, and thou and thy brethren may " have killed mine ; yet it may not 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 forefts, who knew " how to be humane and compalfionate." In fine, we lliook hands,' and parted in a friendly manner, in the midft of a dreary wildernefs ; and he inform- ed me of the courfe and diftance to the trading- houfe, where I found he had been extremely lil- treated the day before.
C 3 I now
t2 TRAVELS IN
I now fat forward again, and after eight or ten miles riding-, arrived at the banks of St. Mary's, oppofue the ftores, and got fafe over before dark. The river is here about one hundred yards acrofs, has ten feet water, and, following its courfe, about ilxty 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 laft wi:h the Indian, the chief replied, with a counte- nance that at once befpoke furprife and pleafure, *' My friend, confidtr yourfelf a fortunate man: *^ that fellow," faid he, " is one of the greateft v'lU *' lains on earth, a noted murderer, and outlawed '^ by his countrymen. Laft 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, going off, he would kill ** the firft 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 upv^n my mind.
Can it be denied, but that the moral principle, which dire6ls the favages to, virtuous and praife- worthy adlions, is naiural or innate ? It is certain they have not the affiftance of letters, or thofe means ot education in the fchools of philolbphy, where the virtuous ftntiments and actions of the moft jUuftrious charadcrs are recorded, and care- fully laid before the youth of civilized nations : therefore this moral principle muft be innate, or they mull be under the immediate influence and guidance of a more divine and powerful preceptor,
who,-
NORTH AMERICA, ^3
Vho, on thefe occafions, inftantly infpires them, and as with a ray of divine light, points out to them at once the dignity, propriety, and beauty of vir- tue.
The land on, and adjacent to, this river, not- withftanding its arenacec:-: (iirface, appears natu- rally fertile. The peacli trees are large, hcaltny, and fruitful ; and Indian corn, rice, cotton, and indigo, thrive exceedingly. This faady furface, one would fuppofe, from its loofe texture, would poflefs a percolating quality, and fufFer the rain- waters quickly to drain off; but it is quite the con- trary, at leaft 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 ftratum is perhaps five, eight, and ten feet above the clay, the earth, even in the longeft droughts, is moift an inch or two under the furface ; whereas, in the rich tenacious low lands, at luch times, the ground is dry, and, as it were, baked many inches, and fometimes fome feet deep, and the crops, as well as almoft all vegetation, fuffer in fuch foils and fituations. The reafon of this may be, that this kind of earth admits more freely of a tranfpiration of vapours, arifing 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 refume again nxy proper em- ployment, that of difcovering and colle<5ling data for the exercife of more able phyfiologifts.
The favannas about St. Mary's, at this feafon, idifplay a very charming appearance of flowers and verdure; their more elevated borders are varied
C 4 with
S4 TRAVELS IN
with beds of violets, lupins, Amaryllis atamafco, and plants of a new and very beautiful fpecies of Mimofa fenfitiya, which I think as admirable and more charming than the celebrated Humble plant, equally chafte and fearful of the hafty touch of the furpriffrd admirer. The flov;er is larger, of a bright damafic 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 peluncle, fix or eight inches high, fupporting an oblong head of flowerets, which altogether, at a fmall diflance, have the appearance of an exuber- ant field of clover j and, what is fingular, and richly varies the fcene, there are interfperfed patches of the fame fpecies of plants, having flowers of the finefi: golden yellow, and others fnow white ; but the incarnate is moil prevalent. Magnolia glauca, Itea Clethra, Chionanthus, Gordonia lafi- anthus, Ilex anguftifolium, Olea Americana, Ho- pea tindoria, i^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 fequefl:ered river, the follo'.ving trees and fhrubs : Quercus fempervirens, Q^aquatica, Q^Phillos, Q^dentata, Nyfla aquati- ca, N. fylvanca, N. Ogeeche, fi. coccinea, Cupref- fus diliicha, Fraxinus aquatica, Rhamnus frangula, Piunus laurocerafa, Cyrilla racemiflora, Myrica rerifera, Andromeda fcrruginia, Andr. nitida, and the great evergreen Andromeda of Florida, called Pipe-flem Wood, to vhich I gave the name of An- dromeda formofilfima, as it far exceeds in beauty every one ot diis family.
The river St. Mary has its fource from a vaft lake, or marlh, called Ouaquaphenogawj which lies
between
NORTH AMERICA. SJ
between Flint and Oakmulge river-, and occupies a fpace of near three hundred miles in circuit. This vafl accumulation of waters, in the wet feafon, appears as a lake, and contains fome large iflands or knolls, of rich high land -, one of which the pre- fent generation of the Creeks reprelent to be a moft blifsfui fpot of the earth : thf^y lay it is inhabited by a peculiar race of Indians, whofe women are in- comparably beauiiifuli they alfo tell you that this terreftiial paradife has been facn by lome of their enterprifing hunters, when in purfuit of game, who being loft in inextricable fwamps and bogs, and on the point of perifhing, were unexpe:ledly relieved by a company of beautiful women, wiiom they call daughters of the fun, who kin.ily gave them .fuch provifions as they had with them, which were chiefly fruit, oranges, date.s, &c. and fome corn cakes, and then enjoined them to fly for fifety to their own country; for that their hufbinds were fierce men, and cruel to ibangcrs : they further fay, that thefe hunters had a view of their Icttle- ments, fituatcd on the elevated banks of an ifland, or promontory, in a beautiful lake ; but that in their endeavours to approach it, they were in- volved in perpetual labyrinths, and, like enchanted knd, ftiil as they imagined they had juft gained it, it feemed to fly before them, alternately appearing and dilappearing. They refolved, at length, to leave the delufu^e purfuit, and to return; which, after a number of inexprelTible difficulties, they ef- fected. When they reported their adventures to their countrymen, their young warriors were en- flamed with an irrefiftible defire to invade, and make a conqueft of, lb charming a country; but all their attempts hitherto have proved abortive, never having been able again to find that en- chanting
26 TRAVELS i:f
chanting fpor, nor even any road or pathway/ to it ; yet they fay tiiat they frequently meet with certain figns of its being inhabited, as the building of ca- noes, footfteps of men, &c. They tell another ftory concerning the inhabitants of this fequefccred country, which feems probable enough, which is, that they ar^K the pollerity of a fogitive remnant of the ancient Yamafes, v/ho eicaped mafiacre after a bloody and decifive conBicl between them and the Creek nation (who, it is certain, conqviered, and nearly exterminated, that once powerful people), and here found an afykirn, remote and fecure from the fury of their proud conquerors. It is, however, certain that there is a vaft 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 tholb powers whofe territories border upon it. From this great fource of rivers *, St. Mary ariles, and nieanders through a vait plain and pine foreft, near an hundred and fifty miles to the ocean, with which it communicates, between the points of Amelia and Talbert iQands ; the waters flow deep and gently dov^rn from its fource to the fea.
Having made my obfervations on the vegetable produdions of this part of the country, and ob- tained Ipecimens and feeds of fome curious trees and fhrubs (which were the principal objedt of this excurfion) I returned by the fame road to die Ala- tamaha, and arrived fafe again at the ieat of my good friend, L. M'lntofh, Efq. where I tarried a few days to reft and refrelh myfelfj and to wait for
* Source of rivers. It is faid, that St. llle, St. Mary, and the beautiful river, Little St. Junn, which difcharj^es its ivaters into the bay of Apalachi, al St. M.irk's, take their rife from tiiis fwarop-
my
NORTH AMERICA. TTf
xny young companion and fellow pilgrim, Mr. John M'lntofh, who, being fond of the enterprife, had been fo aftive during my ablence, in the neceffary preparations, that we had nothing to wait for now but Mrs. M'lntofh's final confent to give up her fon to the perils and hardfliips of fo long a journey; which difficult point being fettled, we fet off with the prayers and benevolent wifhes of my com- panion's worthy parents.
CHAP.
2$ T^RAVELS IN
CHAP. IV.
Early in the morning, we mounted our horfes, and in tv/o days arrived in Savanna ; here we learned that the fuperintendant of Indian affairs had left the capital, and was on his way to Auguila. I re- , mained but one day in Savanna, which was em- ployed in making up and forwarding the coUeftions for Charleiton.
The day following we fet off for Augufla, which is on Savanna river, at leaft an hundred and fifty miles by land from the capital, and about three hun- dred by water. We foliov/ed the courfe of the river, and arrived there after having had a prof- perous journey, though a little incommoded by the heats of the feafon.
As nothing very material occurred on the road, I iliall proceed to give a fummary account of the obfej vations I made concerning the foil, fituation, and natural produ6lions of the country.
In' our progrefs from the fea coaft, we rife gra- dually, by feveral fteps or afcents, in the following manner : Firft, from the fea coaft, fifty miles back, is a level plain, generally of a loofe fandy foil, producing fpacious high forefts, of Pinus tasda, P. lutea, P. Iquarrola, P. echinata, i. Quercus femper- virens, 2. Quercus aquadca, j. Q^phillos, 4- Q^ tinftoria^ 5. Q^dentata, 6. Q^prinos, 7. Q^ alba, 8. Q^ finuata, 9. Q^ rubra, Liriodendron tuli-
I. Live 0;ik. z. Delln-lenvcd Warer Onk. 7. Wlllow-leaveJ Osk. 4. Great Bl.ick 0;il<. 5. Nairow-lcnved Wiiitcr-rJen O.ik. 6. Swump white Oak. 7. White Oak. i. Spaiiifh Oak. 9. ReJ O.ik.
pifera.
NORTH AMERICA. 1^
pifera, Liquidambar ftyraciflua, Morus rubra, Cercis tilia, Populiis heterophylla, P-Jatanus occi- dentalis, Laurus faflafras, Laurus Borbonia, Ho- pea tinftoria, Fraxinus cxcelfior, Nyfl;i, Ulmus, Juglans exaltata, Halcfa, Stcwartia. Nearly one- third of this vaft plain is what the inhabitants call fwamps, which are the fources of numerous fmall rivers and their branches : thefe they call fait ri- vers, becaiife 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 Ipread abroad like an open hand, interlocking with each other, and forming a chain of fwamps acrofs the Carolinas and Georgia, feveral hundred miles pa- rallel with the fea coaft. Tliefe fwamps are ftrd and repleniihed conilantly by an infinite number of rivulets and rills, which fpring out of the firft bank or afcent : their native trees and llirubs are, befides moft of thofe already enumerated above, as follow: Acer rubrum, Nylla aquatica, Chionantlius, Celtis, Fagus fylvatica, Sambricus ; and the higher knolls afford beautiful clumps of Azalea nuda and Azalea vifcofa, Corypha palma, Corypha pumila, and Mag- nolia grandiflora j befides, the whole furface of die ground between the trees and flirubs appear to be occupied with canes (Arundo gigantea) entangled with feftoons of the floriferous Glycine frucelCens, Bignonia fempervirens, Glycine apios, Smilax, va- rious fpecies, Bignonia crucigera, Bign. radic.ms, Lonicera fempervirens, and a multitude of ochcr' trees, fhrubs, and plants lefs confpicuous ; and, in very wet places, Cuprefllis diilicha. The upper foil of thefe fwamps is a perfeflly black, foapy, rich earth, or ftifF mud, two or three (cQl deep, on a foundation or flrarum of calcareous fofTiJ, 5 which
jo TRAVEtS IN
which tfie inhabitants call white marie j aiicl this f« the heart or ftrength 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 caufing it to fall like quicklime, it manures the furface : but it has one difad vantage, 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 becom.es (o tough as to burn and kill the crops, efpecially the old cleared lands ; as, while it w as frefh and new, the grc at 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 coafl", 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 fret (and thefc are called the fand-hills), when we find ourfelves on the entrance of a vafl plain, generally level, which extends weft fixty or feventy miles, rifing gently a$^ the former, but more perceptibly. This plain is moft- ly a foreft of the great long-leaved pine (P. pakiftris Linn.) the earth covered with grafs, interfpcrfed with an infinite variety of herbaceous plants, and embellifl:ied with extenfive favannas, always green, Iparklmg with ponds of water, and ornamented with Clumps of evergreen, and other trees and ftiriibs, as Magnolia grandiflora. Magnolia glauca, Gordonia, Illex aquifolium, Quercub, various fpe- cies, Lauruo Borbonia, Chionanthus, Hopea tindo- ria, Cyrilla> Kalm.ia apguftifolia, Andromeda, va^
NORTH AMERICA. ^t
rieties, Viburnum, Azalea, Rhus vernix, Prinos, varieties, Fothergilla, and a new fnrub of great beauty and fingularity ; it grows ere<5l, feven or eight feet high; a multitude of eredl ftems arife from its roocj thefe divide themfelves into afcend- nnt branches, which are garnifhed with abundance of narrow lanceolate obtule pointed leaves, of a light green, fmooth and fiilning. Thefe branches, with their many fubdivifions, terminate in fimple racemes of pale incarnate flowers, which make a fine appearance among die leaves ; the Bowers are fuccecded by deficcated triquetrous pericarpi, each containing a fingle- kernel.
The loweft fides of thefe favannas are generally joined by a great cane fwamp, varied with coppices and hommocks of the various trees and ilirubs al- ready mentioned. In thefe fwamps feverai rivulets take their rife, which drain them and the adjoining favannas, and thence meandering to the rivers through the forefts, with their banks decorated with fhrubs 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 (Iratum of cinereous coloured clay, except the fand-hills, where the loofe fandy furface is much deeper upon the clay , ftone of any fort, or gravel, is feldom feen. ■
The next afcent, or flight, is of much greater and more abrupt elevation, and continues rifing by broken ridges and narrow levels, or vales, for ten or fifteen miles, when we reft again on another cxtenfive nearly level plain of pine forells, mixed with various other forell trees, which continue^ weft forty or fifty miles farther, and exhibits muck
the
Ji tRAVJLS IN
the fame appearance with the great forefl laft men- tioned ; its vegetable produftions 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 mixed with particles of clay and fmall gravel, and the foil of a dufl^y brown colour, lying on a ftratum of reddifh brown tough clay. The trees and fhrubs are, Pinus tasda, great black Oak, Quercus tin6loria, Q^ rubra, Laurus, Saffafras, Mag- nolia grandiflora, Cornus Florida, Cercis, Halefia, Juglans acuminata, Juglms exaltata, Andromeda aiborea : and, by the fides of rivulets (which wind about and between thefe hills and fwamps, in the vales) Styrax latifolia, Ptelea trirbliata, Stewartia, Calycanthus, Chionanthus, Magnolia tripetala, A- zalea and others.
Thus have I endeavoured to give the reader a' Ihort and natural defcription of the vaft plain lying between the region of Augufta and the fea coaft ; for from Augufta the mountainous country begins (when compared to the level fandy plain already pafied), although it is at leaft an hundred and fifty miles weft, thence to the Cherokee or Apalachean iTiountains ; and this fpace m.ay with propriety be called the hilly country, every where fertile and de- lightful, continually replenifned by innumerable ri- vulets, either courfing about the fragrant hills, or fpringing from the rocky precipices, and forming many cafcadesj the coolnefs and purity of which ■waters invigorate the air of this other wife hot and fultry climate.
The villap;e of Augufta is fituated on a rich and fertile plain, on the Savanna river ; the buildings are near its banks, and extend nearly two miles up to the catarafts, or falls, which are formed by the
firft
NORTH AMERtCA. ^^
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 catarafts are four or five feet in height acrofs the river, and the waters continue rapid and broken, rufliing 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 leaft two millions of acres of land, from the Indians, as a difcharge of their debts, due, and of long Handing : the Creeks, on the other hand, being a powerful and proud Ipirited people, their young warriors were unwilling to fub- mit to fo large a demiand, and their condu6l evi- dently betrayed a difpoficion to difpute the ground by force of arms, and they could not at firil 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 re- fill, and finally prevailed. The treaty conclud- ed in unanimity, peace, and good order; and the honourable fuperintendant, not forgetting his promife to me, at the conclufion, mentioned my bufinefs, and recommended me to the protc6lion of the Indian chiefs and warriors. The prefents being diflributed among the Indians, they departed, re- turning home to their towns. A company of fur- D veyors
^4 tRAVELS r^f
veyors were appointed by the governor and coun- cil, to afcertain the boundaries of the nev/ pur- chafe; they were to be attended by chiefs of the Indians, feleded and delegated by their country- men, to afiift, and be wicneffes that the articles of the treaty were fulfilled, as agreed to by both par- ties in Congreis.
Col, Barnet, who was chofen to conduct this bufinefs on the part of the Georgians, a gentleman every v/ay 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 perfe6lion, appeared with all her aftraftive charms, breathing fragrance every where ; the atmofphere was now animated with the efficient principle of vegetative life; the arbuftive hills, gay lawns, and green meadows, which on every fide inveft the villa of Augufta, 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 fequeftered refidence near this place, yet, as I was never long fatisfied with prefent pofieffion, however endowed with every poffible charm to attraft the fight, or intrinfic value to engage and fix the eiteem, I was reftlefs to be fearching for more, my curiofity being infatiablc.
Thus it is with regard to our afFetflions and at- tachments, in the more important and interefting concerns of human life.
Upon the rich rocky hills at the catara<fcs of Au- gufta, I firft obferved the perfumed rhododendron
ferrugineum,
KORTH AMERICA* 35
ferrugineiim, white-robed philadelphus inodoriis, and cerulean malva ; but nothing in vegetable na- ture was more pleafing than the odoriferous pancra- tium fluitans, which alnnoft alone pofiTefTes the little rocky iflets which juft appear above the water.
The preparatory bufinefs of the furveyors being now accompliflied, Mr. J. M-'Intofh, yet anxious for travelling, and delirons to accompany me on this tour, joined with me the caravan, confifling of fur- veyors, aftronomers, artifans, chain-carriers, mark- ers, guides, and hunters, befides a very refpeftable number of gentlemen, who joined us, in order to fpeculate in the lands, together with ten or twelve Indians, altogether to the number of eighty 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 fat off 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 diftant from Augufta. At this Lick the furveyors were to feparate 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 left 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 fir James Wright, then governor of Georgia, who greatly promoted
D 2 the
^6 TRAVELS m
the eftabllfhment of the fettlement. Mr. Mattock, who is now about feventy years of age, healthy and a6tive, and prefides as chief magiftrate of the fet- tlement, received us with great hofpitahty. The diftance from Augufta to this place is about thirty miles; the face of the country is chiefly a plain of high forefts, favannas, and cane fwamps, undl 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 flratum of reddifh brown tenacious clay, and that on a foun- dation of rocks which often break through both ftrata, lifting their backs above the furface. The foreft trees are chiefly of the deciduous order, as, quercus tindloria, q. liciniata, q. alba, q. rubra, q. prinus, with many other fpecies ; celtus, fagus fylvatica, and, on the rocky hills, fagus cafl:anea, fag. pumila, quercus caftanea .; in the rich vales, juglans nigra, jug. cinerca, gleditfia triacanthos, magnolia acuminata, liriodendron, platanus, fraxi- nus excelfior, cercea, juglans, exaltata, carpinus, morus rubra, calycanthus, halefia, asfculus pavia, aefc. arborea.
Leaving the pleafant town of Wrlghtfborough, we continued eight or nine miles through a fertile plain and high forefl:, to the north branch of Little River, being the largeft of the two, croiTing which, we entered an extenflve fertile plain, bordering on the river, and fliaded by trees of vaft growth, which at once fpoke its fertility. Continuing fome time through thefe fhady groves, the fcene opens, and difclofes to view the mofl magnificent foreft I had ever feen. We rofe gradually a Hoping bank of twenty or thirty feet elevation, and immediately entered this fublime foreft. The ground is perfe6tly
a level
NORTH AMERICA. 37
a level green plain, thinly planted by nature w'tli the moll ftately foreil trees, fuch as the gigar:ic black * oak (q. tin6loria), liriodendron, juglans nigra, plitanus, juglans exaltata, fagus fylvatica, ulmus fylvaiica, liquidambar ftyraciflua, whofe 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 aflert, that many of the black oaks meafured eight, nine, ten, and eleven feet diameter five feel above the ground, as we meafured feveral that were above thir^v feet girt, and from hence they afcend perfe6lly iiraight, with a gradual taper, forty or ftfty ftet to the limbs; but below five or fix feet, thefe trunks would meafure a third more in circumference, on account of the projedting jambs, or fupports, which are more or lefs, according to the number of hori- zontal roots that they arife from : the tulip tree, liquidambar, and beech, were equally ftately.
Not far diftant from the terrace or eminence, overlooking the low grounds of the river, many very- magnificent monuments of the power and induftry of the ancient inhabitants of thefe lands are vifible. I obferved a ftupendous conical pyramid, or artificial mount of earth, vaft tetragon terraces, 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, whofe period of grandeur perhaps long preceded the difcovciy of this continent.
"^ Gigantic black oak. Qiierc. tiiidloria ; the bark of this fpccies of oak: is found to afford a valuable yellow dye. This tree is knowu by ihe name of black oak in Pennfylvania, Ncw-Jerfey, New-Yoik, and New-Eng- land,
D .1 After
38 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 rifes almoft infenfibly by gentle afcents, exhibiting defart plains, high forefts, gravelly and ftony ridges, ever in fight of rapid rivulets ; the foil, as already defcribed. We then pafled over large rich favannas or natural meadows, wide fpreading cane fwamps, and frequently old Indian fettlements, now deferted and overgrown with forefts. 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- ferved, 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 nourifliing food. Though thefe are natives of the foreft*, yet they thrive better, and are more fruitful, in cultivated plantations, and the fruit is in great eftimation with the prefent generation of Indians, particularly juglans exaltata, commonly called fliell-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. They pound them to pieces, and then caft them into boiling water, which, after pafling through fine ftrainers, preferves the moll oi!y part of the hquid : this tliey call by a name which fignifies hiccory milkj itjs as fweer and rich as frcfli cream, and is an ingredient in moft of their cookery, efpeciaily homony and corn cakes.
* The Chicafaw plun 1 think mud be excepted, for though certainly a native .If imerici, yet I .lev r law it wild in the forelh, but always in old d'.fertfu 111 Jian p. 'n;at'."Ti : 1 fu^p: le it to have been brought from theS.W. t><-'iOad the Mifliiij-iii, by the Chicafaws.
'■ '■ ■ ■' ■ • ■• • ■ , After
NORTH AMERICA. ^^9
After four davs moderate and pleafant travel- ling. \ve ai lived in the evening at the Buffalo Lick. This extraordinarv place occupies ffveral acres of grcu^J, at the foot of the S. E. prMTiontory of the Great Ridge, which, as before obferved, divides the rivers Savanna and Alatamaha. A large cane fwamp and meadows, forming an iminenfe plain, lie S. E. from k; in this fwamp I believe the head branches of the o-reat Ogeeche river take their rife. The place called the Lick contains three or four acres, is nearly level, and lies between the head of the cane fv/amp and the afcent of the Ridge. The earth, from the fuperficies to an unknown depth, is an almoll white or cinereous coloured tenacious fattiih clay, which all kinds of cattle lick into great caves, purfuing the delicious vein. It is the com- mon opinion cf the inhabitants, that this clay is im- pregnated with faline vapours, arifing from fofTile falts deep in the earth ; but 1 could difcover nothing fahne in its talle, but I imagined an infipid fweet- nefs. 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 perfeft clay ; which, when dried by the fun and air, is almoft as hard as brick
We were detained at this place one day, in ad- jufting and planning the feveral branches of the lurvey. A circumftance occurred during this time, which was a remarkable inftance of Indian faga- city, and had nearly difconcerted all our plans, and put an end to the bufinefs. The furveyor having fixed jiis compafs on the ftaff, and being about to afcer- tain the courfe from our place of departure, which was to ftrike Savanna river at the confluence of a certain river, about ieventv miles diftance from us ;
D 4 jull
40 TRAVELS IN
jiift 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 courfe to the place was fo and fo, holding up his hand, and pointing. The furveyor replied, that he himfelf was certainly right, adding, that that little inftrument (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 deciiions, fince it would wrong the Indians out of their land. This miftake (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 bufinefs, and return the fhorteft way home, and forbad the furveyors to proceed any farther : 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 fliould be difcarded, and rendered incapable of ferving on this bufmefs ; that the chief himfelf fhould lead the furvey; and, moreover, receive an order for a very confiderable quantity 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 moll extenfive and varied, we fat off from the Buffalo Lick, and the Indian chief, heading the party, condLi6ted us on a flraight line, as appeared by collateral obfer- vation, to the defired place. We purfueci nearly a north courfe up the Great Ridge, until we came near the branches of Broad River, when we turned
off
NORTH AMfLRICA. 4I
off to the right hand, and encamped on a confi- derable branch of it. At this place we continued almoft a whole day, conftituting furveyors and aftronomersj who were to take the courfe, diftance, and obfervations on Broad River, and from thence down to its confluence with the Savanna.
The Great Rido-e confifts of a continued hioh. forefl, 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 ftone. The foreft trees and other vegetable produ6lions are the fame as already mentioned about Little River: I obferved hale- fia, ftyrax, sefculus pavia, sefc. fylvatica, robinia hifpida, magnolia acuminata, mag. tripetala, and fome very curious new fhrubs and plants, particu- larly the phyfic-nut, or Indian olive. The ftems arife many from a root, two or three feet high; the leaves fit oppofite, on very fhort petioles ; they are broad, lanceolate, entire and undulated, hav- ing fmooth furfaces of a deep green colour. From the bofom of each leaf is produced a fingle oval drupe, {landing ere6l, on Lng flender ftems ; it has a large kernei, 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, fuppofing that it has the power of charming or drawing that creature to them i from whence, with the traders, it has ob- tained the name of the phyfic-nut, which meanSj with them, charming, conjuring, or fafcinating. Malva fcandens, filix fcandens, perhaps a fpecies of tiichoinanes } the leaves are palmated, or ra- diated i it climbs and roves about, on fhrubs, in mpifl ground. A very fingular and elegant plant, of an
unknown
42 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, almofl reclining on the ground ; from their centre arifes a firaight upright flem, five, fix, or feven feet high, fmooth and polifhed ; the ground of a dark purple colour, Vv'hich is elegantly pow- dered with greenifh yellow 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 Superior one-fourth divifion of this ftem is formed in 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 J 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, underfl:anding that their route was to the low lands on the Ocone, I accompanied them : we had not rode above three miles before we came to the banks of that beautiful river. The cane fwamps, of immenfe extent, and the oak forefts, on the level lands,
are
NORTH AMERICA. 4^
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 confiderablc branches, and left my companions, to retire, as ufual, on botanical refearches, on afcending a fteep rocky hill, I accidentally difcovered a new fpecies of ca- ryophyllata (geum odoratilfimum) ; on reaching to a fhrub 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'Intofh, 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 relifli. The waters at this place were ftill and fhoal, and flowed over a bed of gravel jufl: beneath a rocky rapid : in this eddy flioal were a number of little gravelly pyramidal hills, whofe fummits rofe almoll to the furface of the water, very artfully confl:ru6t- ed by a fpecies of fmall cray-fifli (cancer macrou- rus) which inhabited them : here feemed to be their citadel, or place of retreat for their young againfl: the attacks and ravage^ of their enemy, the gold- fifli : thefe, in numerous bands, continually infefl:ed them, except at fhort intervals, when fmall detach- ments of veteran cray-filh fallied out upon them, from their cells within the gravelly pyramids, at which time a brilliant fight prefented; the little gold- nfli inliiantly fled from every fide, darting through the tranfparent waters like fl:reams of lightning i fome even fprang above the furface, into the air, but all quickly returned to the charge, furround- jng the pyramids as before, on the retreat of the
Cray-
44 TRAVELS I!T
cray-fiili; in this manner the war feemed to be
continua].
The gold-fifh is about the fize of the anchovy, nearly four inches long, of a neat Oender form j the head is covered with a falade of an ultramarine blue, the back of a reddifh brown, the fides and belly of aflame, or of the colour of a fine red lead ; a nar- row dufky line runs along each fide, from the gills to the tail J the eyes are large, with 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, almoft overfliadowed on one fide by a ridge of high hills, well timbered with oak, hic- cory, liriodendron, magnolia acuminata, pavia fyl- vatica, and on their rocky fummits, fagus cafta- nea rhododendron ferrugineumi, kalmia latifolia, 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 ftruck this filh, with a reed harpoon, pointed very fharp, barbed, and hardened by the fire. The fifli lay clofe under the fteep bank, which the Indian difcovercd and ftruck with his reed ; inftantly the fifh darted off' with it, whilft the Indian purfued, with- out cxtrafting the harpoon,, and with repeated thrufts drowned it, and then dragged it to fhore.
After leaving Broad River, the land rifes very fenfibly, and the country being mountainous, our progref-. became daily more difficult and flow ; yet the varied fcenes of pyramidal hills, high forefts, rich vales, fcrpentine rivers, and cataracts, fully
compenfated
NORTH AMERICA. 4^
compenfated for our difficulties and delays. I ob- ferved the great aconitum napellus, delpliinium peregrinum, the carminative angelica lucida*, and cerulean malva.
We at length happily acccompliHied our line, ar- riving at the little river, where our hunters bring- ing in plenty of venifon aud turkeys, we had a plen- tiful feaft at fupper. Next morning we marked the corner tree, at the confluence of Little River and the Savanna J and, foon after, the Indians amicably took leave of us, returning home to their towns.
The rocks and folTils, which conflitute the hills of this middle region, are of various fpecies, as, quartfum, ferrum, cos, filex, glarea, arena, ochra, ftalaftites, fhxum, mica, &c. I faw no figns of marble, plafter, or lime-ftonej yet there are, near Augufta, in the forefts, great piles of a porous friable white rock, in large and nearly hori- zontal mafles, which feems to be an heterogeneous concrete, confiding of pulverized fea-fhells, with a fmall proportion of fand ; it is foft, and eafily wrought into any form, yet of lufHcient confidence for conIlru(51:ing any building.
As for the animal productions, they are the fame which originally inhabited this part of ^^ orth Ame- rica, except fuch as have been affrighted away fmce the invafion of the Europeans. The buffalo (urus) once fo very numerous, is not at this day to be fcen. in this part of the country; there are but fev/ elks, and thofc only in the Apalachian mountains. The dreaded and formidable rattle-fnake is yet too com.nion, and a variety of other ferpents abound, particularly that admirable creature, the glafs-fnake : I faw a very
"^ Called ncnda in Virginia ; by the Creek anl Cherok-e tra.'ers, white root.
large
4^ TRAVELS IN
large and beautiful one, a little diftancc from otH' camp. Tlie alligamr, a fpecies of crocodile, abounds in the river and fwamps, near the fea coaft, 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 infedts of infinite variety.
The furveyors having completed their obferva- tions, we fat off next day on our return to Augufta, taking our route generally through the low lands on the banks of the Savanna. We crolTed Broad River, at a newly fettled plantation near its conflu- ence with the Savanna. (3n my arrival at Augufta, finding myfelf a little fatigued, I ftaid there a day or two, and then fat ofi^ 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, incider.t to fuch excurfions, through unin- habited wildernefTes, and an Inrian frontier, but alfo in making a very extenfive collection of new dif- coveries of natural produftions ^ on the recolledlion of fo many and great favours and bieffings, I now, with a high fenfe of gratitude, prefume to offer up my fincere thanks to the Almighty, the Creator and Preferver.
* This creature is called, in Pennfylvania and the northern States, panther ; but in Carolina and the fouthiern States, is called tygef ; it is very ftrong, much larger than any doj:, ot" a ycUowifh brown, or clay colour, having a ■very long tail : it is a mifchievous animal, and preys on calves, young
Cultt, SiQ,
CHAP,
NORTH AMERICA. .4^
CHAP. V.
Having completed my Hortiis Siccus, and made up my colle6lions of feeds and growing roots, the fruits of my late weftern tour, and fent them to Charlefton, to be forwarded to Europe, I fpent the remaining part ot this feafon in botanical excurfions to the low countries, between Carolina and Eaft Florida, and colle6led feeds, roots and fpecimens, making drawings of fuch curious fubjefts 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 ne>:c light cyprefs canoe, at Broughton Ifland, a plantation, the pro- perty of the Hon. Plenry Laurens, efq. I ftored myfelf wirh necefiaries for the voyage, and refolved upon a trip up the Alatamaha.
I afcended this beautiful river, on v/hofe fruit- ful banks the generous and true fons of liberty fe^ curely dwell, fifty miles above die white fettle-^ ments.
How gently flow thy peaceful floods, O Alata- maha ! How fublimely rife to viev/, on thy elevated fhores, yon magnolian groves, from w^hofe tops the furrounding expanfe is perfumed, by clouds of incenfe, blended with the exhaling balm of the li- quidambar, and odours continually arifing from circumambient aromatic groves of illicium, myrica, laurus and bignonia.
When wearied with working my canoe, againfl: the impetuous current (which becomes ftronger by
J reafon
4^ Travels m
reafon of the mighty floods of the river, with <toU lefted force, prelfing through the firft hilly afcents, where the fhores on each fide prefent to view rocky cliffs rifing above the furface of the water, in nearly flat horizontal naaffes, wafhed fmooth by the de- fcending floods, and which appear to be a connpo- lition, or concrete, of fandy lime-ftone) I refigned my bark to 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 diftant foreft:s, which in grand order prefented themfelves to view. The winding banks of the river, and the high pro- jedling promontories, unfolded frefli fcenes of gran- deur and fublimity. The deep forefts and diftant hills re-echoed the cheering fociai lowi-igs of do- meflic herds. The air was filled with the loud and iTirill hooping of the wary fliarp-fighted crane. Behold, on yon decayed, defoliated cyprefs tree, the folitarv wood pelican, dejeftedly perched upon its utmofi: 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 fwifc failing fquadrons of Spanifli curlews (white as the immaculate robe of innocence) gleams in the ceru- lean fls:ies.
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 fl:ream, on whofe poliflied furface were depitled the mutable Ihadows from its penfile banks; whilil: myriads of finny inhabitants fported in its pel- lucidfloods.
The
JiOR'TH America. 49
The glorious fovereign of day, clothed in light refulgent, rolling on his gilded chariot, haftened to revifit the weftern realms. Grey penfive eve now adinonirncd us of gloomy night's hafty approach : 1 \vas roufed by care to feek a place of fecure repofe, ere darknefs came on^
Drawino; near the hWh fhores, I afcended the ileep banks, where flood a venerable oak. An an- cient Indian field, verdured over with fucculent grafs, and chequered with coppices of fragrant Ihrubs, offered to my view the Myrica cerifera, Magnolia glauca, Laurus benzoin, Laur. Boibonia, Rhamnus frangula, Pruniis Chicafaw, Prun. lau- rocerafus, and others. It was nearly encirckd with an open forefl of flately pines (Pinus paluflris) through which appeared the extenfive favanna, the fecure range of the fwift roebuck. In front of my landing, and due caft, I had a fine profpeft of the river and low lands on each fide, which gradually "ividened to the fea-coaft, and gave me an uncon- fined profped:, whilft the far diftant fea-coaft iflandsj like a coronet, limited the hoary horizon.
My barque being fecurely moored, and having reconnoitred the furrounding groves, and colle6led fire-wood> I fpread my (kins and blanket by my cheerful fire, under the protedling fhade of the hof- pitable Live Oak, and reclined my head on my hard but healthy couch. I liftened, undiflurbed, to the divine hymns of the feathered fongfters of the groves, whilfl the foftly whifpering breezes faintly died away.
The fun now below the weflern horizon, tlie moon majeftically rifing in the eafl; again the tune- ful birds became infpircd : how melodious is the foeial mock-bird ! the groves refound the unceafing
E cries
5<? tRAVELs ri^r
Cries of the whip-poor-will; the moon about aif hour above the horizon ; lo ! a dark eclipfe * of her' glorious brightnefs came flowly on ; at length, a- lilver thread alone encircled her temples: at this boding change, an univerfal filence prevailed.
Nature now weary, I refigned myfelf to reft; the night paffed over ; the cool dews of the morn- ing awoke me; my fire burnt low ; the blue fmoke fcarce role above the moiftened embers ; all was gloomy : the late ftarry fkies, now overcaft 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 ^avy furface disfigured every objeft, prefenting them obfcureiy to the fight, and they at length to- tally difappeared, whilft the furious winds and fweep- ing rains bent the lofty groves, and proftrated the cjuaking grafs, driving the affrighted creatures to their dens and caverns.
The tempeft now relaxed, its impetus being fpent, and a calm ferenity gradually took place ; by noon the clouds broke away, the blue fky appeared, the fulgid fun-beams fpread abroad their animating lights and the fteady weftern wind refumed his peaceful reign. The waters were purified, the waves fubfided, and the beautiful river regained its native calmnefs. So it is with the varied and mutable feenes>of kumanevcats on the ftream of life. The higher powers and af- fections of the foul are ih blended and connected with the inferior paflions, that the moft painful feel- ings are excited in the mind when the latter are croJfed : thus in the moral fyftem, which we have
* The air at this time being ferene, and not a cloud to be fccn, I faw this annual almoft total autumnal eclipfe iu Us hij^hcft degree of perfection.
planned
NORTH AMERICA. 5 I
planned for our ccndu61:, as a ladder whereby to mount to the fummit of tenedriai f-dory and hnp- pinefs, and from whence we perhaps meditated our fiight to heaven itfelf at t^ .e very moment when we vainly imagine ourfelves to have attained its pointy fome unforefeen accident intervenes, and furprifes usi the chain is violently fhaken, we quit our hold and fail : the well-contrived fyitem at once becomes a chaos; every idea of happinefs recedes; the fplen- dour of glory darkens, and at length totally diiap- pears ; every pleafing objeft is defaced, all is de- ranged, and the flattering fcene paiTes quite away ; a gloomy cloud pervades the underllanding, and when we fee our progrcfs retarded, and our beft intentions fruftrated, we are apt to deviate from the admonitions and convidtions of virtue, to fhut our eyes upon our guide and protestor, doubt of his power, and defpair of his alTiftance. But let us wait and rely on our God, who in due time will fliine forth in brightnefs, dilTipate the envious cloud, and reveal to us how finite and circumfcribed is humaii power, whenaHliming to itfelf independent wifdom.
But, before I leave the river Alatamiahaj we will proceed to give a farther 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, andj before it leaves them, is joined and augmented by innumerable rivulets j thence it defcends through the hilly country, with all its collateral branches, and winds rapidly amongft the hills two hundred and 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 caft fide by the Ocone, which likewife heads in the lower ridges of ihe mountains. After this confluence,
E a having
<2 TRAVELS rN
liaving now gained a vafb acqiiifitlon of wafers, it afTumes the name of Akcainaha, v/hen it becomes a large majefiic river, fiowing with gentle v/ind- ings through a vaft plain foreft, near an hundred miles, and enters the Atlantic by feverai mouths. The north channel, or entrance, glides bj the heights of Darisn, on the call bank, about ten miles i(bo\'e the bar, and running from thence with fe- verai turnings, enters the ocean between Sapello and Wolf iflands. The fouth channel, which is Cileemed the largefl and deepefl:, after its fepara- ticn from the north, defcends gently, winding by M'Intofii's and Broughton iflands; and laftly, by the weft coafb of St. Simeon'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 weft banks of the fouth channel, ten or twelve miles above its mouthy and nearly oppofite Darien, are to be feen the re- mains of an ancient fort, or fortification j 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 fofie which furrounded it is nearly filled up. There are large Live Oak, Pines, and other treeSy growing upon it, and in the old fields adjoining. It is fuppofed to have been the work of the French or Spaniards. A large fwamp lies betwixt it and the river, and a confidcrable creek runs clofe by the works, and en-- ters the river through the fwamp, a fmail diftance p.bove Broughton ifland. About feventy or eighty, miles above the confluence of the Oakmulge and Ocone, the trading path, from. Augufta to the Creek nation, crofles thefe fine rivers, which are there forty miles apart. On the eaft banks of the Oak- mulge, this tradiiig road runs nearly two miles
througla
NORTH AMERICA. .5^
through ancient Indian fields, which are called the Oakmulge fields : they are the rich low lands of the river. On the heights of thefe low grounds are yet vifible monuments, or traces, of an ancient town, fuch as artificial mounts or terraces, fquares and banks, encircling confiderable areas. Their old fields and planting land extend up and down the river, fifteen or twenty miles from this fite.
If we are to s;ive credit to the account the Creeks give of themfelves, this place is remarkable for being the firfl: tov/n or fettlement, when they fat down (as they term it) or ePcabliihed themfelves, after their emigration from the v/eft, beyond the MifTifippi, their original native country. On this long journey they fufi^ered great and innumerable difficulties, encountering and vanquilhing numerous and valiant tribes of Indians, who oppofed and re- tarded their march. Having crofled the river, flill pufliing eaftward, they were obliged to make a ftand, and fortify themfelves in this place, as their only remaining hope, being to the lad degree per- fecuted and v/eakened by their furrounding toes. Having formed for themfelves this retreat, and driven off" the inhabitants by degrees, they recover- ed their fpirits, and agaia faced their enemies, when they came ofFvi6lorious in a memorable and decifive battle. They afterwards gradually fubdued their furrounding enemies, fiirengthening themfelyes by taking into confederacy the vanquiflied tribes.
And they fay, alfo, that about this period the Englifli were eilabliihing the colony of Carolina; and the Creeks, underllanding that they were a powerful, warlike people, fent depudes to Charlef- 'ton, their capital, offering them their friendfliip and alliance, which was accepted, and, in confequence
E J thereof^
54 TRAVELS m
thereof, a treaty took place between them, which has remained inviolable to this day. They never ceafed war againft the numerous and potent bands of Indians, who then flirrounded and cramped the • Englilh plantations, as the Savannas, Ogeeches, Wapoos, Santees, Yamafees, Utinas, Icofans, Pa- ficas, and others, nntil they had extirpated them. T he Yamafees and their adherents Ihieltering them- felves under the power and protection of the Spa- niards of Ead Florida, they purfued them to the very gates of St. Auguftine j and the Spaniards re- fufing 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 oblii.ed to re- tire within the walls of St. Auguftine and a few in- ferior fortified pofts on the fea coaft.
After a few days I returned to Broughton ifland. The Cherokees and their confederates being yet dif- contented, and on bad terms with the white people, it was unfafe to purfue my travels in the north wef- tern regions of Carohna. And recollefting many fubjefls of natural hiftory, which I had obferved in the fouth of the ifthmus 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 cu- rious fubjefts had efcaped our refcarches ; 1 now formed the rcfolution of travelling into Eaft Florida; accordingly, I immediately wrote to dodlor Fo- the-gill, in order that he might know where to di- rcd to me.
PART
WOUTH AMERfCA. 55
PART IL
CHAP. I.
We are, all of us, fubjeft to croflcs and difap- ^ointments, but more efpecially the traveller j and when they furprife us, we fr^^quently become reft- leCi and impatient under diem : but let us rely on Providence, and by ftudying and contemplating the works and power of the Creator, learn wifdom and iinderftanding in the economy of nature, and be ferioufly 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 fat off from Sa- vanna, for Florida, proceeding by land to the Ala- tamaha, where I diverted my time agreeably in Ihort excurfions, picking up curiofities, until the arrival of a fmall velTel at Frederica, from Savanna, which was deftined to an Indian trading houfe high up St. John's, in Eaft Florida. Upon information of this veflel's arrival, I immediately took boat rnd defcended the Alatamaha, calling by the way o;' Broughton ifland, where I was kindly received by Mr. James Bailey, Mr. Laurens's agent. Leaving Broughton ifland in the evening, 1 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 I was well received ^nd entertained by James Spalding, efq. This gen-
E 4 tleman
56 TRAVELS IN
tleman carrying on a very confiderable trade, and having extenfive connexions with the Indian tribes of Eaft Florida, gave me letters to his agents read- ing at his trading houfes, ordering them to furnifh me with horfesj guides, and every other convenient aHiftance.
Before the vefiel was ready to fail again for St. John's, I had time to explore the ifland. In the cool of the morning early, I rode out of the town, diiecfting my courfe to the fouth end of the ifland. After penetraring a thick grove of oaks, which al- moft furrounded the town on the land-fide, fudden- ly a very extenfive and beaudful green favann^ opened to view, in length nearly two miles, and in breadth near a mile, well flocked with horned cat- tle, horfes, fht^ep, and deer. Following an old highway, now out of repair, acrofs the Savanna, I afcen led the floping green bank, and entered a noble foreft of lofty pines, and then a venerable grove of Live Oaks, under whofe fhady fpreading boughs opened a fpacious avenue, leading to the former feat of general Oglethorpe, but now the property of capr. Raimcnd Demere. After leav- ing this town, I was led into a high pine forefl ^ the trees were tall, and generally of the fpecies called Broom-pine (P. palullris Linn.) the furface of the ground covered with grafs, herbage, and fome flirubbery : I continued through this foreft nearly in a direft line towards the fea coafl, five or fix miles, when the land became uneven, witli^ ridges of land-hills, mixed with fea-fhells, and co- vered by almoft imipenetrable thickets, confilling of Live Oaks, Sweet-bay (L. Borbonia), Myrica, Ilex aquifolium, Rhamnus frangula, CaiTine, Sider- oxylon, Ptelca, Halefia, Callicarpa, Carpinus, en- tangled with Smilax pfeudo-china, and other
fpecies^
NORTH AMERICA. l^J
fpecies, Bignonia fempervirens, B. crucigeni, Kham- nus volubilis, &e. This dark labyrinth is fucceedeci by a great extent of fait plains, beyond which the boundlefs ocean is feen. Betwixt the dark foreft and the fait plains, I crofTed a rivulet of frefj-i wa- ter, where I fat down a while to reft myfelf, under the ihadow of fA^eet Bays and Oaks ; the lively breezes were perfumed by the fragrant breath of the fuperb Crinum, called by the inhabirants, White Lily. This admirable beauty of the fea-coail- iflands dv/eljs in the humid fliady groves, where the foil is made fertile and mellov/ by the admixture of fea (hells. The delicate ftru6lure of its fpadix, its green broad leaves, and the texture and whitenei^ of its flowers, at once charmed me. The Euphor- bia pi6la. Salvia coccinea, and Ipomea ere6la, were alfo feated in front of my refting place, as well as the Lycium falfum (perhaps L. Afrum Linn.) ^ very beautiful ever-green flirub, its cerulean flowers, and coral red berries, always on its branches, forming not the leaft of its beauties.
Time now admonilliing me to rife and be going, I, with reluftance, broke away from this afTembly pf maritime beauties.
Continuing on, fouthward, the fait plains on my left hand infenfibly became narrower, and I a« length reached the ftrand, which was level, firm, and paved with fiiells, and afforded me a grand view of the boundlefs ocean.
0 thou Creator fupreme, almighty I how infinite and incomprchenfible thy works ! moft perfed:, and every way aftonifliing !
1 continued nearly a mile along this firm fandy J)each, the waves of the fea fometimes wafliing my
^ horfc's
5^ TRAVELS IN
horfe's feet. I obferved a great variety of rhelU fifh, as Hchinitis, Corallinus, Patella, Medufa, Buccina, Concha venerea, Auris marina, Cancer^ Squilla, &c. fome alive, and others dead, having been cafi upon the beach by the feas, in tinnes of tempeft, where they became a prey to fea-fowl, and other maritime animals, or periflied by the heat of the fun';and burning lands. At length I doubled the utmoft Ibuth point of St, Simon's, which forms the north cape of the fouth channel of the great liver Alatamaha. The found, juft within this cape, forms an excellent bay, or cove, on the fouth end <jf the ifiand, on the oppofite fide of which I be- held a houfe and farm, where I foon arrived. This delightful habitation was lituated in the midft of a Ipacious grove of Live Oaks and Palms, near the ilrand of the bay, commanding a view of the inlet. A cool area furrcunded the low but convenient buildings, from whence, through the groves, was ^ fpacious avenue into the ifland, terminated by a larofe favanna : each fide of the avenue was lined with bee-hives, to the number of fifty or fixty 5 they feemed to be well peopled, and exhibited 9, lively image of a colony that has attained to a ftate of power and affluence, by the pra<5tice of virtue and induftry.
* When I approached the houfe, the good man, who was reclining on a bear-flcin, fpread under the fliade of a Live Oak, fmoking his pipe, rofe and faluted me : " Welcome, ftranger ; I am indulg- ing the rational did:ates of nature, taking a litde rell, having juft come in from the chace and fifli- ing. " After fome converfation and reft, his fer-r vant brought a bowl of honey and water, a very refrefliing and agreeable liquor, of which I drank. On rifing to take my departure, he objefted, and
requcftcd
NORTH AMERICA, ^^
requefled me to ftay and dine widi him ; and on my pleading, for excufe, the neceflicy of my being at Frederica, " Yet, I pray you, ftay a little, I will loon have Tome refrcfhment for you. " Prefendy was laid before us a plentiful repaft of venifon, &:c. j our drink being honey and water, (Irengthened by the addition of brandy. Our rural table was fpread under the Ihadow of Oaks, Palms, and Sweet Bays, fanned by the lively falubrious breezes wafted from the fpicy groves. Our mufic was the refponfive love-lays of the painted nonpareil, and the alert and gay mock-bird j whilft the brilliant humming- bird darted through the flowery groves, fufpended in air, and drank ne6lar from the flowers of the yellow Jafmine, Lonicera, Andromeda, and fweet Azalea.
But yet, how awfully great and fublime is the majefl:ic fcene eafliward ! the folemn found of the bearing furf fl:rikes our ears ; the dafliing of yon liquid mountains, like mighty giants, in vain afTail the fkies ; they are beaten back, and fall proflii-at^ upon the Ihores of the trembling ifland.
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, flabelliformibus, plica- tis, fl:ipit. fpinofis (Dwarf Saw Palmetto) Corypha obliqua, caucjice arboreo adfcendente, frondibus expanfis, flabelliformibus, plicads, ftipit. ferratis, fCyrilla, Tillandfia monoftachya. Till, lingulata, or Wild Pine; both thefe curious vegetables are pa- rafites, living on the fubflance of others, particu- larly on the limbs of the Live Oak j the latter fpe-
cies
60 TRAVELS IN
cies is a very large flourifliing plant, greatly re- fembiing, at fome diftance, a well grown plant of the Bromeiia Ananas : the large deep green leaves are placed in an imbricated order, and afcendant ; but their extremities are reflex, their bafes gibbous jind hollowed, like «i ladle, and capable of con- taining near a pint of water: heavy tempefls of "wind and rain tear thefe plants from the trees ; yet they live and flourifli on the earth, under the fha- dow of thefe great Live Oaks. A very large part of this ifiand had formerly been cleared and planted by the Englifh, as appeared evidently to me, by veftlges of plantations, ruins of coftiy buildings, highways, &c. but it is now overgrown with fore lis. Frederica was the firft town built by the Englifh in Georgia, and was founded by general Oglethorpe, who began and eftablifhed the colony. The for- trefs was regular and beautiful, conftrufted chiefly with brick, and was the largeft, mofl: regular, and perhaps moft coftiy, of any in North America, of Britifh conftruftion : it is now in ruins, yet oc- cupied by a fmall garrifon ; the ruins alfo of the town only remain; peach trees, figs, pomegra- nates, and other Ihrubs, grow- out of the ruinous walls of former fpacious and expenfive buildings, not only in the town, but at a diftance in various parts £>f the illand ; 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- pantile concerns.
C H A P,
KORTir AMERICA. ^f
CHAP. II.
■ The vefTel in which I was to embark for Ead Florida, being now ready to pirrfue her voyage, wc fat iliil with a fair wind and tide. Our courfe was foiith, through the found, betwixt a chain of fea- coafl-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 making againft us. The captain and myfelf, with one of our crew, went- on fliore, with a view of getting fom^e venifon and fea fov/1. We liad not the good fortune to fee any deer, yet we were not akogether unfuccefsful, hav- ing taken three young racoons (Urfus cauda elon- gata) vv^hich are excelknt meat : we had them for ilipper, ferved up in a pillo. Next morning early, we again got undci- way, running by Jekyl and Cumberland Iflands, large, beautiful, and fertile, yec thinly inhabited, and confequently excellent haunts for deer, bears, and other game.
As we ran by Cumberland IQe, keeping the chan- nel through the found, we faw a fail a head coming lip towards us. Our captain knew it to be the trading fchooner from the ftores on St. John's, and immediately predicted bad news, as flie was not to fail until our arrival there. As fhe approached us, his apprchenfions were more aiid more confirmed, from the appearance of a number of paffengers on deck. We laid to, until flie came up, when we hailed her, " What nev/s ? " " Bad j the Indiana have plundered the upper ilore, and the traders have efcaped only with their lives. " Upon this both TefTels ca-me to anchor very near each other, wheti,
learnina.
$2
TnAVELS IN
learning the particulars, it appeared, that a large party of Indians had furprifed and plundered two trading houfes, in the ifthmus, beyond the river St-. John's; and a third being timely apprifed of their hof- tile intendonsj by a faithful runner, had time to carry off part of the effeds, which they fecreted in a fwamp. at fome diflance from it, covering them with fkins. The upper ftore had faved their goods in like man- ner; and the lower ftore, 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 thcfe effefts was my che'ft, which I had forwarded in this veffel, from Savanna, not being at that time determined whether to make this journey by land or water. The captain of our Veflel refolved to put about and return to Frede- rica, for frefti inftrudlions how to proceed ; but for my part, I was determined to proceed for the ifland lip St. John*s, where my cheft was lodged, there be- ing fome valuable books and papers in it, which I could not do well without. I accordingly defired our caotain to put me on ftiore, on I>ittle St Si- mon's, which was not far diftant, intending to walk a few miles ro a fort, at the fouth end of that ifland,- where fome finiernien refided, who, as I expededj would fet me over on Amelia Ifland, where ^as a large plantation, the property of 1 ord Eg- mont, a Britifli Nobleman, whole agent, while I ■^vas at Frederica, gave me an invitation to call on him, as I pafiTed toward Eaft Florida ; and here I had expedatloiis 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 paflenger, for Faft Florida, who promifed to continue with me, and fliare my adventures. We landed fafelyj the cap- t:un wifliing us a profperous journey, returned on
board
NORTH AMERICA.
(J/
board his vefTel_, and we proceeded for the fort, en- countering fome harfh treatment from tliorny tliick- ets, and prickly vines. However we reached the fort in the evening. The commander was oOt in the foreft, hunting. My companion being tired, or in- dolent, betook himlelf to reft, while I made a tour round the , Ibuth point of the iiland, walking die flielly paved fea beach, and picking, up neveltiesv I had not gone above a mile, before I came up to a roebuck, lying ilain on the fands ; and hearing the report of a gun, not far off, and liippofing it to be from the captain of the fort, whom I expelled foor> to return to take up his game, I retired to a little diftance, mounted the fand hills, and £at down, en- joying a 5ne profpedl of the rolling billows and foaming breakers, beating on the bar, and north, promontory of Amelia Ifle, oppofite to me. The captain of the fort foon came up, with a Ilain 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 requeft, the captain obligingly fat us over, landing us fafely on Amelia. After walking through a fpacious forefb of Live Oaks and Palms, and crofTing a creek that ran through a narrow fait marfn, I and my fellow traveller arrived fafe at the plantation, where the agent, Mr. Egan, received us very politely and hof- pitably. This gentleman is a very intelligent and able planter, having already greatly improved the eftate, particularly in the cultivation of indio-o. Great part of this ifland confiils of excellent horn- mocky land, which is the foil this plant delights in, as well as cotton, corn, batatas, and almoft every other efculent vegetable. Mr. Egan politely rode with me over great part of the idand. On
Jigmoiit
^4- TRAVELS m
Egmont eftate are feveral very large Indian tit- muli, which are called Ogeeche mounts, fo named from that nation of Indians, who took fhelter here> after being driven from their native fettlcments orl the main near Ogeeche river. Here they were con- ftantly harafied by the Carolinians and Creeks, and at length flain by their conquerors, and their bones entombed in thefe heaps of earth and fhells. I ob- ferved here the ravages of the common grey cater- pillar (Phalena periodica), fo dellruftive to forefl and fruit trees, in Pennfylvania, and through the northern Hates, by ftripping them of their leaves, in the fpring, while young and tender.
Mr. Egan having bufinefs of importance to tranf- a6l in St. Auguftine, prefTed me to continue with 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 fubjefl: worthy of fome inquiry, why thofe fine " ndis, on the coaft of Georgia, are {o thinly inhal ited ; though perhaps Amelia may in fome degree plead an exemption, as it is a very fer- tile ifland, on the north border of Eaft Florida, and at the capes of St. Mary, the fineft harbour in this new colony. If I fliould give my opinion, the fol- lowing feem to be tiie moft probable reafons : the; greateft 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. Ille, and others, are of a nature and quality adapted to the growth of rice, which the planters chiefly rely upon for' obtaining ready cafli, and purchasing family arti- cles i they fettle a few poor families on their in-
fular
MORTH AMERICA. 65
ililar eflates, who rear Hocks of horned cattle, horfes, fwine, and poultry, and proted: 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 veffels j in which cafe they mud either remove with their families and effedls to the main, or be ftripped of all their moveables, and their houfcs laid in rilins.
The foil of thefe iflands appears to be particu- larly favourable to the culture of indigo and cotton, and there are on them fome few large plantations for the cultivation and manufadure of thofe valu- able articles. The cotton is planted only by the poorer clafs of people, juft enough for their family confumption ; they plant two fpecies of it, the an- nual 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 Weil Indian, is a tall perennial plant, the ftalk fomewhat fhrubby, feveral of which rife up from the root for feveral years fuccefiively, the ftems of the former year being killed by the winter frofts. 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 plantation of this kind will laft feveral years, with moderate 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, particularly Rock, Bafs, Drum, Mullet, Sheeps- head. Whiting, Grooper, Flounder, Sea Trour, [this laft feems to be a fpecies of Cod] Skate, Skip- jack, Stingray. The Shark, and great black Scing-
F lay
66 TRAVELS m
ray, are infatiable cannibals, and very troublefbmc to the fifliermen. The bays and lagoons are ftored with oyfiersj ajid a variety of other fhell-fifh, crabs,, ihrimp, &c. The clam?, irr particular, are large, their meat white, tender and delicate- There is a large fpace betwixt this chain of fea- eoaft-iflands and the main land,., perhaps generally near three leagues in breadth; but all this fpace is. not covered with water : 1 eftimate nearly two- thirds of it to confift of low fait plains^ which pro- duce Barilla, Sedge, Rufhes,. &c. and which border on the main land, and the weftern Goalts of the iflands.. The eatt fides of thefe iflands are> for the mofb part,, clean, hard, fandy beaches, expofed to the wafli of the ocean. Between thefe iflands are the mouths or entrance of fome rivers, which run down from the continent winding about through thefe low fait marflies, and delivering their waters into the founds, which are very extenfive capacious harbours, from three to five and fix to eight miles over, and com- municate with each other by parallel fait rivers, or pafies, that flow into the found : they afibrd an ex- tenfive and fecure inland navigation for mofl: craft, fuch as large fchooners, floops, pettiaugers, boats, and canoes ; and this inland communication of wa- ters txicnds along the fea coaft with but few and ihort interruptions, from the bay of Chefapeak, in Virginia, to the Mifllfippi, and how much farther I Jcnow nor, perhaps as far as Vera Cruz. Whether this chain oi fea-coait-iflands is a fiep, or advance,, which this pare of our continent is now making on tlie Atlantic ocean, we muft leave to future ages ta determine. But ii feems evident, even to demon- ilration, that thofe fait madhes adjoining the coaft of tile main, and the reedy and grafly iflands and
njarfliei-
NORTH AMERICA. ^7
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- diflora. Oak, Afh, Sweet Bay, and other timber trees, the fame as are now growing on the river fwamps, whofe fiirface 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 of Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, to the Miffifippi, when they bank in thefe graffy tide marllies for cultivation, that they cannot fink their drains above three or four feet below the furface, before they tome to ftrata of Cyprefs flumps and other trees, as tlofe together as they now grow in the fwamps.
CHAP.
6S tRivELS IN
CHAP. III.
Being now in readinefs to profecute our voyage to St. John's, we fat fail in a handfonne pleafure- boat, manned with four flout negro flaves, to row in cafe of neceflity. After paffing Amelia Nar- rows we had a pleafant run acrofs fort George^s found, where, obfcrving the pelicans fifhing, Mr. Egan fliot one of them, which he took into the boat. T 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 iccn 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 fnort, 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 fliort, the head, neck, and, bread, nearly whi:e, the body of a light bluifli grey, except the quill feathers of the wings, which are black. They feem to be of the gull kind, both in form and ftrudlure, as well as manner of fifiiing. The evening following we landed on the main. It was a promontory of high landj covered with orange-trees, and projefting into the found, formiing a convenient port. VVe pitched our tent under the fhelter of a foreil of Live Oak^, Palms, and Sweet E:■:y^ ; and having, i:i the C(Aiile of the day, procured ])If nty of iea lov. 1, luch as curlews, wilkts, fnipes, lind birds, a i.1 odicrs, we had them drelled for flipper, una feafoned with excellent cyflers, whicii lay in he-pG in the vvai^r, Ciofc to our Janding-place.
'Ihe
NORTH AMERICA. .69
The fhrub Capficum growing here in abundance, af- forded us a very good pepper : we drank of a well of frefh water juft at hand, anildft a grove of Myr- tles (Myrica cerifera.) Our repofe however was incomplete, from the ftings of mufquetoes, the roar- ing of crocodiles, and the continual noife and reft- leflhefs of tlie fea fowl, thoufands of them having their rooiling places very near us, particularly loons of various fpecies, herons, pelicans, Spanifh curlews, &c. all promifcuoufly lodging together, and in fuch incredible numbers, that the trees were entirely co- vered. They rooft in inacceffible iflets in the fait marfhes, furrounded by lagoons, and fliallow water. Juft without the trees, betwixt them, the water and marlhes, is a barricade of Palmetto royal (Yucca gloriofa) or Adam's needle, which grows fo thick together, that a rat or bird can fcarcely pafs through -them ; and the ftiff 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. T'^e Palmetto royal is, however, a very fingular and beau- tiful produ(51:ion. It may be termed a tree, from its durabihty and magnitude, as likewife from the ligneous quality of its ftem, or trunk, when old ; yet from its form and texture, I fhould be inclined . to rank it amongft the herbaceous plants, for even xhe glorious Palm, although it rifes to the altitude of a tree, and even tranfcends moft of them, yet it bears the chara6ters of the herbaceous ones: and this, like the Palm tree, riles with a ftraight, ere(5t ftem, about ten or twelve feet high, crowned with a beautiful chaplet of fword or dagger-like leaves, of a perfect green colour, each terminated with a flifF, fharp fpur, and their edges finely crenated. This thorny crown is crefted with a pyramid of fil- F 3 ver
70 TRAVELS IN
ver white flowers, each refembling a tulip or lily, Thefe flowers are fucceeded 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 fmooth and fhining, its pulp fofc, very juicy, and of an agreeable aromatic flavour, but rather bitter to the tafte ; it is, however, frequently eaten, but if eaten to cxcefs, proves violently purgative. The feeds are numerous, flat, and lunated.
The plant, or tree, when grown old, fometlmes divides .into two or three fl:ems, which feem of equal height and thicknefs, and indeed nearly of the fame thicknefs with the main fliem ; but generally, when they arrive to this age and magnitude, their own weit-hc brings them to the ground, where they foon decay, the heart or pith firfl:, leaving a hol- low fibrous reticulated trunk or fl^eve, which like- Vv'iie foon after decays, and, in fine, all is again re- duced to its original earth, and replaces the vege- tative mould. But the deceafed are foon replaced by others, as there are younger ones of all ages and ftature, ready to fucceed their predeceffors, and flourifn for a time, with the fame regal pomp and fplendor. Thefr plants are lb multitudinous, where- ever they get a footing, that the earth is completely occupied by them, and fcarccly any other vege- table is to be feen, where they are ; yet they are fometimes fcattered amongft other trees and vege- tables.
In three days after leaving Amelia, we arrived at the Cow-ford, a public ferry, over St. John's, about thirry miics above the bar or capes, the river here being above a mile wide.
Mr. Egan, after procuring a neat little fail-boat
for.
•NORTH AMERICA. "] i
far me, at a large indigo plantation near the fcny, and for which I paid three guineas, departed for St. Auguiline, which is on the fca-coaft, 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 fouthcriy ; and having at tliis plantation ftored myfelf with necefTaries for my voyage^ I failed in the morning with a fair Avind. I was now again alone^ for the young man, my fellow traveller, though ftou.ter and heartier chan myfelf, haying repented oi his promife to ac- .company me to the Indian trading hcufes, I fjp- pofe not relilLing the hardihips and dangers, which might perhaps befal us, chofe rather to Hay behind, amongft the fettlements. His leaving me, however, I did not greatly regret, as I could not confider it :a difappointment much to niy difadvantage at the moment. Our views were probably totally oppo- fite ; hej a young mechanic on his adventures, Teemed to be actuated by no other motives, than either to .eftablifh himfelf in fome w^ll-inhabited part of the :C0untry, where, by following his occupation^ he might be enabled to procure, without much toil and .^danger, the necefTaries and conveniences of life ^ or by iaduftry and frugality, perhaps eftablilli his fortune. Whilil I, continually impelled by a reft- lefs fpirit of euriofity, in purfuit of new produc- tions of nature, my chief happinefs confiiled in trac- ing and admiring the infinite power, majefty, and perfcdion of the great Almighty Creator, and in ,the contemplation, that through divine aid and per- ^niffion^ I might be inilrumental in difcovering, and introducing into my native country, fome original produdions of nature, which might become ufeful
F 4 to
72 TRAVELS IN
to foclety. Each of our purfuits was perhaps equally laudable j and, upon this fuppofition, I was quite willing to part with him upon amicable terms.
My little veflel being furnifhed with a good fail, and having filliing tackle, a neat light fufee, pow- der and ball, I found myfelf well equipped for my voyage, about one hundred miles to the trading houfe.
I crofled the river to a high promontory of wood-land, on the weft fhore, and being ftruck with the magnificence of a venerable grove of Live Oak, Palms, and Laurel (Magnolia grandiflora) I ftepped on fhore 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 fbme repairs, my vellel having fuftained fome da- mage from the violence of the wind, in crofTing over. I arrived late in the evening, and finding a convenient landing-place and harbour, I concluded to remain here till morning, and then coaft it clofe along fliore to the plantation.
It beginning to thunder, I was fufliciently warn- ed to prepare againft a wet night; and obferving a very large Oak tree, which had been thrown down by a hurricane, and offered me a convenient Jlieltcr, as its enormous limbs bore up the trunk a fufficient height from the earth to admit me to fit or lie down under it, 1 fpread my fail, flanting from tlie trunk of the tree to the ground, on the
windward
NORTH AMERICA. ^J
windward fide; and having collected a quantity of wood, fufficient to keep up a fire during the night, I ftruck one up in front, and fpreading fkins on the sround, and upon thefe placing a blanket, one half I lay down upon, turning the other over m? for a covering.
The ftorm came up, with a furious wind and tremendous thunder and lightning, from the oppo- fite N. W. coaft, but luckily for me, little rain fell, and I refted very well. But as the wind next morning blew very frefli, right in upon the fhore, there was no poflibility of moving, with fafety, from my prefent fituation. I however arofe to reconnoitre the ground round about my habita- tion, being roufed by the report of a mu{l<:et 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 Hepped out of a thicket, and crofTed the path juft before me, having a large turkey cock flung acrofs his fliouiders : he fav/ me, and ftepping up and fmiling, fpoke to me in Englifh, bidding me good morning. I faluted 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 land, and invited me to go there, telling me that his mafter was a very gcod, 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. He faid that he would immediately return to the houfe, and acquaint his mafter with it, who would fend trufty negroes to bring my veflel round I the
74 \ TRAVELS rrvr
the pcint, to the landing. I thanked hinn for his civHity, and not willing to be troublefome, I told ^im I would leave my boat, and follow after him ; fo taking my fufee on my flioulder, after dragging my bark as high up on fiiore as I could, I followed the Indian, and foon reached the houfe.
The gentleman received me in the mofl polite manner J arrd, after hearing my fituation, he re- quefted me to make my abod-e with him a few days, to reil and refrefh myfelf. I thanked him, and told him I v,/ouid ftay a day. He immediately fent flaves who brought my boat round j and having carpenters ar work on a new building, he fat them about repairing my veifel, which by night was com- pletely refitted.
I fpent the day in the mod agreeable manner, m the fociety of this man of fingular worth. He led me over his extenfive improvements, and we returned in company with feveral of his neighbours. In the afternoon, the moft fultry tiaie of the day, wc 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, confifting of many hundred trees, natives of the place, and left ftanding, when the ground about it was cleared. Thefe trees were large, flour illiing, and in perfe6t bloom, and loaded widi their ripe golden fruit. On the other fide was a fpacious garden, occupy- ing a regular flope of ground down to the water j ^nd a pleafant lawn lay between. Here were l<:rge plantations of the Indigo plant, which ap- peared in a very thrivino- condition : it was then .'bout hve or fix inches high, growing in flrait pir.;llel row?, about eighteen inches apart. The
Corj>
NORTH AMERICA. 75
Corn (Zea) and Potatoes (Convolv. Bat.ita) we-e greatly advanced in growth, and promifcd a plen- tiful crop. The Indigo made in Ead Florida is efteemed almoft equal lo the beft Spaniih, efpeci- ally that fort which they call Flora. Mr. Mar- fhall prefented me with a Ipccirnen of his own ma- nufacture, at this plantation : it was very little, if any, inferior to die beft PruPfian blue.
In the morning following, intimating my inten- tions of proceeding on my voyage, Mr. Marfliall again importuned me ro ftayi but I obtained his confent to depart, on my promifmg to vifit him at my return to Georgia. After breakfaft I there- fore took my leave, attended to the fhore by feveral flaves, loaded Vv'ith ammunition and pro- vilions, which my friend had provided for me. On my exprefllng fome difficulty in receiving fo large a fhare 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 Ihould have had time to have ferved me in a much better manner.
Taking my leave of Mr. MarlTiall, I again cm- barked alone on board m.y little veiTel, and, bleilcd with a favourable fceady gale, I fet fail. The day was extremely plcalant ; the late thunder ftorm had purified the air, by difuniting and diilipadng the noxious vapours. The falling of heavy Ihcw- ers, with thunder, and brifk winds, from the cool regions of the N. W. contributes greatly towards reftoring the falubrity of the air, and purity of tlie waters, by precipitating the putrefcent fcum, that rifes from the bottom, and floats upon the furface, near the fliores of the rivers, in thtfc Iquchern climates, during the hoc feafons. The 8 lliorcs
*^6 TRAVELS m
fliores of this great river St. Juan are very lev<4 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 i'o level, as to be co- vered not above a foot or two deep with water, and at a little diftance appears as a green meadow, hav- ing water-grafs and other amphibious vegetables growing in the oozy bottom, and floating upon the \vater.
Having a lively leading breeze, I kept as near the Eafl fhore as poflible, often furprifed by the plunging of alligators, and gready delighted with the pleafing profpeft of cultivation, and the increafe of human induftry, which frequently ftruck my view from the elevated, diftant Ihores.
At night I ran in fhore, at a convenient harbour, \vhere I was received and welcomed by the gentle- man, who was agent for the plantation, and at whofe pleafant habitation near the harbour, I took up my quarters for the night.
This very civil man happened to be a perforj with whom I had formerly been acquainted in St. Auguftine ; and as he lived about twenty miles dif- tant from iti I had good reafon to expeft that he Would be a proper perfon to obtain intelligence from^ Concerning the diflurbances which wei e thought ftill to fubfifl between the Lower Creeks and the white inhabitants of Eaft Florida. Upon enquiry, and converfation with him, I found my conjeftures on that head to have been well founded. My friend informed mc, that there had, but a few days fince, been a council held at St. Auguftine, between the governor of Kafl PUorida and the chiefs of the Lower Creeks. They had been delegated by their
towns,
NORTH AMERrcy\. 7-7
towns, to make inquiry concerning the late alarm and depredations committed by the Indians upon the traders ; which the nation being apprifed of, re- commended thefe deputies to be chofen and fent, as loon as poflible, in order to make reafonable eoh- cefllons, before the flame, already kindled, fhould Ijpread into a general war. The parties according- ly met in St. Auguftine, and the affair was ami- cably adjufted to the fatisfadion 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 requefted that they might return to their ftore- houfes, with goods as ullial, and that they IhouJd be fafe in their perfons and property. The traders at this time were adtually preparing to return. It ap- peared, upon a ftrid inveftigation of fails, that the affair had taken its rife from the licentious condu6t of a few vagrant young hunters of the Siminole na-: ticn, who, imagining themfelves to have been iH treated in their dealings with the traders (which by the bye was likely enough to be true) took thifj violent method of doing themfelves juftice. The culprits however endeavoured to exculpate them^ felves, by afferting, that they had no defign or in- tention of robbing the traders of their effccfts, but meant it only as a threat ; and that the traders, frorr> a confcioufnefs of their difhonefty, had been terri- fied and fled, leaving their ftorcs, which they took poffeffjon of, to prevent their being totally loft. This troubiefome affair being adjufted, was very agreeable news to me, as I could now, without ap- prehenfions, afcend this grand river, and vifit its delightful fliores, where and when I plealed.
Bidding adieu to my obliging friend, I fpread my ik'il to tiie favourable threes e, and by qoon came to
y8 TRAVELS in
a-breaft of fort Picolata ; where, being defirous of gaining yet farther intelligence, I landed; but, to my difappointment, found the fort difmanded 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 baftions, about breaPc high, pierced with loop holes and fur- rounded with "a deep ditch. The upper (lory is open on each fide, with battlennents, fupporting a cupola or roof: thefe battlements were formerly mounted with eight four pounders, two on each fiJe.
The works are conftrufted with hewn flione, ce- mented with lime. The ftone was cut out of quar- ries on St. Anaibtius Ifland, oppofite St. Auguf- tine: it is of a pale reddilli brick colour, and a tef-. taceous compofition, confiPdng of fmall fragments of fea-fliells and fine fand. It is well adapted to the conftru cling of fortifications. It lies in horizontal maffes in the quairy, and conflitutes the foundation of that ifland.' The caftlc ac St. Auguftine, and moft of the buildings of the town, are of this ftone.
Leaving Picolata, I continued to afcend the ri- ver. I obkrvcd this day, during my progrefs up the river, incredible numbers of fmall flying infeds^ of the genus termed by naturalifts Ephemera, con- tinually emerging from the fliallow water near fhore, fome of them immediately taking their flight to tlie land, whilfl: myriads crept up the grafs and herbage, where rem.aining for a fliort time, as they acquired fufiicient ftrength, they took their flight alfo, following their kindred to the main land. This rcfurredion 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, «->
/ i*
clouds of innumerable millions, Iwarming and wan- toning in the ftill air, gradually drawing near the river. They defcend upon its furface, and there quickly end their day, after committing their eo-as to the decpi which being for a little while toiTSi- about, enveloped in a vifcid fcum, are hatched, znd the little Larva delcend into their fecure and dark habitation, in the aozy bed beneath, where thtv remam gradually increal^ng in nze, until th€ re- turnmgfpring : they then chlinge to a Nymph, when the genial heat brings them, as it were, into exift- ence, and they again arife into the world. This fly leems to be delicious food for birds, frogs, and <filh. _ In the morning, when they arife, and in the evening, when they return, the tumult is great ia- deed, and the furface of the water along fnore broken into bubbles, or fpirted into the air, by th'- contending aquatic tribes '^ and fuch is the avidity of the fi/li and frogs, that they fpring into the air alter 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 fliore or the river; where I Ihall entreat the reader's pa- tience, whilft we behold the clofing {ceac of the Ihgrt-hved Ephemera, and communicate to each other the refledions which fo fingular an exhibitior^ might rationally fuggeft to an inquifitive mind. Uur place of obfervation is happily fituated under the protecting fhade of majeftic Live Oaks alo- rious Magnolias, and the fragrant Orange, opeS to the view of the great river and ftill waters of tha iagoon juft before us.
At the cool eve's approach, the fweet enchanting
melody
§d TRAVELS IN
melody of the feathered fongfters gradually ceafes; iand they betake themfelves to their leafy coverts for fecurity and repofe.
Solemnly and flowly move onward, to the ri- ver's fhore, the ruilling clouds of the Ephemera* How awful the procefTion ! innumerable millions of winged beings, voluntarily verging on to dellruc- 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 Hill 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 laft moments of their exiilence ?
I think we may afiert, without any fear of ex- aggeration, that there are annually of thefe beau- tiful winged beings, which rife into exiftence, and for a few momiCnts 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 fince the creation ; and that, only from the fhores of this river. How many then mud have been produced fince the creation, when we confider the number of large rivers in America, in comparifon v/ith which, this river is but a brook or rivulet.
The importance of the exiftence of thefe beau- tiful and delicately formed litde creatures, whofe frame and organization are equally wonderful, more delicate, and perhaps as complicated as thofe of the mod perfe6l human being, is well worth a few moments contemplation j I mean particularly
whea
NORTH AMERICA. 8t
viien they appear in the fly Itate. And if we con- fiiier the very fhort period of that flage ofexiftence, which we may reafonably fuppofe to be the only fpace of their life that admits of pleafure and enjoy- rnent, what a leffon doth it not afford us ofxhe vanity of our own purfuits!
Their whole exiflence in this world is but one complete year : and at lead three hundred and fixty days of that time 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 progrefTion of a few inches, up and down, from the bottom to the furface of the mud, in order to intercept the paffing atoms for its food, and get a momentary refpiration of frefh air; and even here it muft be perpetually on its guard, in order to efcape the troops of fifh and fhrimps watching to catch it, and from whom it has no efcape, but by inftantly retreating back into its cell. One would be apt al- moft to imagine them created merely for the food of fifii and other animals.
Having refted very well durihg tlie night, I was awakened in the morning early, by the cheering converfe of the wild turkey-cocks (Meleagris occi- dentalis) faluting each other, from the fun-bright- ened tops of the lofty Cupreflus didicha and Mag- "iiolia grandiflora. They begin at early dawn, and continue till fun-rife, from March to the lail of -April. The high forefts ring with the noife, like the crowing of the domeftic cock, of thcfe fecial ceminels ; the watch- word being caught and repeat- ed, from one to another, for hundreds of miles
G around j
Si TRAVELS IM
around j inlbmuch that the whole country is for an Jiour or more in an univerfal fhout. A little after fun-rife, their crowing gradually ceafes, they quit their high lodging-places, and alight on the earth, where expanding their fiiver bordered train, they {brut and dance round about the coy fennale, while the deep forefts feem to tremble with their Ihrill noife.
This morning the winds on the great river were high and againil 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 aftonilhing mag- nitude, and one tree contains a prodigious quantity of timbcrj yet, comparatively, they are not tall, even in thefe forefts, where growing on ftrong land, in company with others of great altitude (fuch as Fagus iylvatica, Liquidambar, Magnolia grandi- flora, and the high Palm tree) they ftrive while young to 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 laft prevail, and their proud heads are feen at a great diftance, towering far above the reft of the foreft, which con- fifts chiefly of this fpecics of oak, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Acer rubrum, Laut us Borbonia, Quercus dentata. Ilex aquifolium, Olea Americana, Morus> Gledirfia triacanthus, and, I believe, a fpecies of Saplndus. But the latter fpreads abroad his brav/ny arms, to. a great diftance. The trunk of the Live Oak is generally from twelve to eighteen feet in girt,, and rifcs ten or twelve feet erett from the earth, feme I have feen eighteen or twenty; then di- vides itfelf iuro three, four, or five great limbs, 6 which
I
NORTH AMERICA. 8j
which continue to grow In nearly an horizontal di- re(5lion, each limb forming a gentle curve, or arch, from its bafe to its extremity. I have ftepped above fifty paces, on a flrait line, from the trunk of one of thefe trees, to the extremity of the limbs. It is evergreen, and the wood almoft incorruptible, even in the open air. It bears a prodigious quantity of fruit i the acorn is fmall, but fweet and agreeable to the tafte when roafted, and is food for almoft all animals. The Indians obtain from it a fweet oil, which they ufe in the cooking of hommony, rice, &:c. ; and they alfo roaft it in hot embers, eating it as we do chefnuts.
The wind being fair In the evening, I fat fail again, and croffing the river, made a good harbour on the Eaft ihore, 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, I found fufficient 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 extenfive and varied profpecl of the rivef and its fhores, up and down.
Behold yon promontory, projefting far Into the great river, beyond the ftill lagoon, half a mile dif- tant from me : what a m.agnificent grove arifes on its banks ! how glorious the Palm ! how ma- jeftlcally ftands the Laurel, its head forming a per- fe6l cone ! its dark green foliage fcems filvered over Nvith milk-white flowers. They are fo large, as to be diftinftly vifible at the diftance of a mile or more. The Laurel Magnohas, which grow on this river* are the moft beautiful and tall that I have any ^vhgre feen, unlefs we except thole, which ftand
Q 2 ea
§4 fRAVElLS IN
Oh the bcinks of the MilTifippi; yet even thele miift' yield to thofe of St. Junn, in neatnefs of form, beauty of foliage, and, I think, in largenefs and fragrance of flovv^er. Their ufual height is about' one hundred feet, and fame greatly exceed that. The trunk is perfectly erect, rifing in the form of a bcautiftil column, and fupporting a head like an obtufe cone. The flowers are on the extremities of the fubdivffions of the branches, in the center of a' coronet of dark green, fhining, ovate pointed entire leaves : they are large, perfectly white, and expanded like a full blown Rofe. They are poly- petalous, confining of fifteen, twenty, or twenty- five petals : thele are of a thiclc coriaceous texture, and deeply concave, their edges being fomewhat reflex, when mature". In the center ftands the young cone ; which is large, of a flefh colour, and elegantly fliwdded with a gold coloured ftigma, that by the end ot fummer is greatly enlarged, and in the autumn ripens to a large crimfon cone or flrobile, difclofmg multitudes of large coral red berries, which for a time hang down from themy fufpended by a fine, white, filky thread, four, fix, or even nine inches in length. The flowers of this tree are the largefl: and mod complete of any yet known: when fully expanded, tl>ey are of fix, eight, and nine inches diameter. The pericarpium and ber- ries polTcfs an agieeiible fpicy Icent, and an aroma-- tic bitter tafte. T'lie wood when feafoned is of a flraw colour, compaft, and haj-der and firmer than that of tlie poplar.
It is really aftonifliing to behold the Grape-Vines in this place. From tiieir bulk and llrength, one would imagine they were combined to pull down thefc mighty tree:* to the curtlii when, in fad:.,
amongfl:
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;imong{l -other good piirpofes, they feive to upliold .them. They are frequently nine, ten, and twelve inches in diamettr, and twine round the trunks of the trees, climb to their very tops, and then fpread ^long their limbs, from tree to tree, throughout xhe ibreft: the fruit is but fmall and ill tafted. The Grape vines, with the Rlmmnus vdlubilis, Big- nonia radicans, Bignonia crucigera, and another rambling fhrubby vine, which feems allied to the Rhamnizs, perhaps Zizyphus Icande-ns, feem to tie the trees together with garlands and felloons, and form enchanting fliades. The long mofs, fo called, (TiUandfea ufneaoides), is a fingular and furprifing vegetable production : it grows from the limbs and twigs of all trees in thefe fouthern regions, from N. lat. 35 down as far as 28, and I believe every where within the tropics. Whereve.r it fixes itfeli, on a limb, or branchy it fpreads into fhort and in- tricate divarications ; thefe in time colleft dufc, wafted by the wind, which, probably by the moif- ture it abforbs, foftens the bark and fippy part of the tree, about the roots of the plant, and -ren- ders it more fit for it to eftabliili itfelf; and frora this fmaJl beginning, it Lncreafes, by fendbg down- w^ards and obliquely, on all fides, long pendaRt branches, which divide and fubdivide themfelves ad infinitum. It is common to find the fpaces be- twixt the limbs of large trees, almoil occupied by this plant: it alfo hangs waving in the wind, like ftreamers, from the lower limbs, to the length of fifteen or twenty feet, and of bulk and weight, more than feveral men togetlier could carry ; and in fome places, cart loads of it are lying on the ground, torn off by the violence of the v/ind. Any part of the living plant, torn off and caught in the limbs of a tree, will prefently take root,
G 3 grow.
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grow, and jncreafe, in the fame degree of pei-fec^ tion as if it had fprimg up from the ked. When frefh, cattle and deer v/ill eat it in the winter fea- fon. It feenns particularly adapted to the purpofe of ftufEng mattraffes, chairs, faddles, collars, &c. ; and for thefe purpofes, nothing yet known equals it. The Spaniards in South America and the Weft- Indies, work it into cables, that are faid to be very ftrong and durable ; but, in order to render it ufefuj, it ought to be thrown into lliallow ponds of water, and expofed to the fun, v/here it foon rots, and the outfide furry fubftance is difiblved. It is then taken out of the water, and fpread to dry ; when, after a litde beating and fhaking, it is fufficiently clean, nothing remaining but the interior, hard, blacky eisdic filament, entangled together, and gready re- fembling horfc-hair.
The Zanthoxylum clavaHerculis alfo grows here. It is a beautiful fpreading tree, and much like a well grown apple-tree. Its arom.atic berry is delicious food for the little turtle dove; and epicures fay, that it gives their flefh a fine flavour.
Flaving finifhed my obfervations, I betook myfelf to reft 5 and when 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 ©f mufquitoes that at firft infefted me.
It being a fine cool morning, and fair wind, I fat faW early, and faw, this day, vait quantities of the Piftia ftratiotes, a y^^Y Angular aquatic plant. It fillociates in large communities, or floating iflands, fome of them a quarter of a mile in extent, v^'hich are impelled to and fro^ as the wind jind current
i^riay
NORTH AMERICA. 87
may direc^t. They are firll produced on, or cbfe to, the Ihore, in eddy water, where they graduiUy fpread themfelves into the river, formii^ mod de- lightful green plains, feveral miles in length, and in fome places a quarter of a mile in breadth. Thele plants are nourifhed and kept in their proper hori- zontal fituanon, by means of long fibrous roots, which defcend from the nether center, downwards, towards the muddy bottom. Each plant, when full grown, bears a general refemblance 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 vegetates on the fur- face of the (till ftagnant water ; and in its natural fituat on, is propagated from feed only. In great ftorms of wind and rain, when the river is fuddenly raifed, large mafles of thefe floating plains are bro- ken loofe, and driven from the fhores, into the wide water, where they have the appearance of iflets, and float about, until broken to pieces by the winds and waves J or driven again to fhore, on Ibme diftant coafl: of die river, where they again find footing, and there, forming new colonies, fpread and extend themfelves again, until again broken up and dii- perfed as before. Thefe floating iflands prefent a very entertaining profpe6t : for although we behold an aflTemblage of the primary produ6tions of nature only, yet the imagination feems to remain in fuf- penfe and doubt j as in order to enliven the delufion, and form a moft pidurefque appearance, we fee not only flowery plants, clumps of fhrubs, old weather- beaten trees, hoary and barbed, with the long mofs waving from their fnags, but we alfo fee them com- pletely inhabited, and alive, with crocodiles, ferpents, frogs, otters, crows, herons, curlews^ jackdaws, &c. G 4 There
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There f'-ems, in fliort, nothing wanted hut the ap- pearance of a wigwam and a canoe to complete the fcene.
Keepin2- alorg the Weft or T dian fhore, I faw bafking, on the fedgy banks, nurribers of aUigators% fome of them of an enormous fize.
The high foretis on this coaf!: now wore a grand ?.nd fubha'ie appearance i the earth rifjng gradually from the river weftward, by eafy fwelling ridges, behind one another, lifting the diftant groves up in- to the flcies. The trees are of the lofty kind, as the grand laurel magnolia, palma elata, liquidambar ftyrucuiua, fgus fylyaiica, querci, juglans hiccory, fraxiiius, and others.
On rny doubling a long point of land, the river appeared furprifingly widened, formjng a large bay, of an ov?l fo'-m, and feveral miles in extent. On the Vv jIt fide it was bordered round with lovy marfhes, and invefted with a fv/amp of Cyprefs, the trees fo ^'T V, as 10 preclude the fight of the high-land foiclts beyond them; and thefe trees, having flag tops, and ail of equal height, feemed to be a green plain, lifted up and fjppcrrc J upon columns in the air, round the \¥ea fide of the bay.
The Cu'?"'^rnis difdcha ftands in the firft order of North Amenccii tre* s. Its majefLic feature is fur- prifing; and on ^nproaching it, we are ftruck with a kind of a-.vc, at beholding the fiatelinefs of tlie trunk, lifting its cumbrous top towards the fkics, and calling a /ide (hade upon the ground, as a dark intervening cloud, which, for a time, excludes
• I have maJc ufe of the terms alligator aiu! crocodile indifcriminately ^or this ;iaimal, aliigutoi- bciij^; thu country name.
the
NORTH AMEftlCA. 89
the rays of the fun. The delicacy of its coloiTr^ 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 <.{ the year, with two or three feet depth of waters and that part of the trunk which is fubjeft to be under water, and four or five feet higher up, is greatly enlarged by pro- digious buttrelfes, or pilafters, which, in full grown trees, projeft out on every fide, to fuch a diflance, that feveral men might eafily hide thenifelves in the hollows between. Each pilafter terminates un- der ground, in a very large, ftrong, fcrpentine joot, which ftrikes off, and brdnches every way, jufl; ;jnder ;the furface of the earth : and from thefe 'roots grow woody cones, called cyprefs knees, four, five, and fix inches high, and from fix to eighteen inches and two feet in diameter at their bafes. The large ones are hollow, and ferve very v/ell for bee- hives ; a fmall fpace of tlie tree itfelf is hcliow, nearly as high as the buttrefies already mentioned. From this place, the tree, as it were, takes another beginning, forming a grand ftr-aight column eighty or nintty feet high, when it divides every way «f around into an extenfive flat horizontal top, like an umbrella, where eagles have their fccurc nefts^ and ,cranes and ftorks their temporary relling-places ; and what adds to the magnificence of their appear- ance is the ftreamers of long mofs that hang from the lofty limbs and float in the winds. Tlus is their majellic appearance v/hen ftanding alone, in large rice plantations, or thinly planted on the banks of g:eat rivers,
Parroquets are commonly feen hovering and flut- tering on their tops: they delight to fliell tlve
balls.
90 TRAVELS IN
balls, its feed being their favourite food. The trunks of rhefe trees, vi.en hollowed put, make large and durable pectiaugers and canoc^^, and af- ford excellent ihingies, boards, and other timber, adapted to every p\irpofe in fame built! ins;s. Vv^hen the planters fell thefc migh.y trees, they raife a flage round them, as high as to reach above the butc^trffes ; on this fcage, ei^ht or ten negroes afcciid with their axes, and fall to work round its trunk. 1 have feen trunks of thefe trees that would meaiure eight, ten, and twelve feet in diameter, for forty and fifty feet ftraight fhaft.
As I continued coafting the Indian fliore of this bay, on doubling a promontory, I fuddenly faw be- fore me an Indian fctdement, or village. It was a fine fituation, the bank rifing gradually from the water. There were eight or ten habitations, in a row, or flreet, fronting the water, and about fifty yards diftance from it. Some of the youth were naked, up to their hips in the water, fiiking with rods and lines; whilft others, younger, were divert- ing themfelves in fliooting frcgs with bows and ar- rows. On my near aporoach, the little children took to their heels, and ran to Ibme women who were hoeing corn; but the ftouter youth ftood their ground, and, fmiling, called to me. As I palled along, I obferved fome 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 arofe, and eyed me as I pafled, but perceiving that I kept on without flopping, they refumed their former po- fition. They were civil, and appeared happy in their fituaiion. «•
There was a large Orange grove at the upper
end
NORTH AMERICA. pi
end of their village ; the trees were large, care- fully pruned, and the ground under them clean, open, and airy. There fcemed to be feveral hun- dred acres of cleared land about the village ; a confiderable portion of which was planted, chiefly with corn (Zea), Batatas, Beans, Pompions, Squafnes (Cucurbitaverrucofa)j Melons (Cucurbita citrullus), Tobacco (Nicotiana), &c. abundantly fuiiicicnt for the inhabitants of the village.
After leaving this village, and ccafling a con- fiderable cove of the lake, I perceived the river be- fore me much contradled within its late bounds, buc ftill retaining the appearance of a wide and deep river, both coafts bordered for feveral miles with rich deep fwamps, well timbered with Cyprefs, AHi, Elm, Oak, Hiccory, Scarlet Maple, Nyffa aquatica, Nyflii tupilo, Gordonia lailanthus, Cory- pha palma, Corypha pumila, Laurus Borbonia, &c. Ihe river gradually narrowing, I came in fight of Charlotia, where it is not above half a mile wide, but deep j and as there was a confiderable current againft me, I came here to an anchor. This town was founded by Den. Roile, efq. and is fituated on a high bluff, on ihe eaft coafl, fifteen or twenty feet perpendicular from the river, and is in length half a mile, or more, upon its banks. The upper Itratum of the earth confifls entirely of feveral fpe- cies of frefli water Cochkse, as Coch. helix, Coch. Ubyrinthus, and Coch. voluta ; the fccond, of ma-, rine fheils, as Concha mytulus, Cone, ofirea, Cone, peeton, Haliotis auris marina, Hal. patella, &c. mixed with lea fand ; and the third, or lower flra- tum, which was a little above the common level of the river, of horizontal malles of a pretty hard rock, compofed almoft entirely of the above fnell, generally w^iole, and lying in every direftion, pe- trified
^Z TRAVELS IM
trified or cemented together, with fine white fand; and thefe rocks were bedded in a ftratiim of clay. I faw many fragments of the earthen ware of thp ancient inhabitants, and bones of animals, amongit the fhells, and mixed with the earth, to a great depth. This high fhelly bank continues, by gentle parallel iidges, near a quarter of a mile back from the river, gradually diminilTiing to the level of the fandy plains^ which widen before and on each fidf; eaftward, to a feetiiingly unlimited diftance, and appear green and delightful, being covered with grafs and the Corypha rept-ns, and thinly planted with trees of the long-leaved, or Broom Pine, and decorated with clumps, or coppices, of floriferous, evergreen, and arotnatic fhrubs, and enamelled with patches of the beautiful little Kalmea ciliata. Thefe ilieliy 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, Frr.xinus exelfior, Morus rubra, Ulmus, Tilia, Sambucus, Ptelea, Tallow-nut or Wild Lime, and many others.
Mr. Rolle obtained from th^ crown a grant of forty thoufand acres of land, in any part of Eaft Floiida, where the land was unlocated. It feems^ his views v/ere to take up his grant near St. Mark's^ in the bay of Apalntchi ; and he Cat fail from England, with about one hundred families, for that place ; but by contrary winds, and ftrefs of weather, he niidcd his aim ; and being obliged to put into St. Juan'?, he, with fome of the principal of his ad- herents, afcended the river in a boat, and being ftruck with its majelly, the grand fituadons of its banks, and fertility of its lands, and at the fame time confidering the extcnfive navigation of the
river,
NORTH AMERICA. 9^5
fiVer, and its near vicinity to St. Auguftine, the capital and feat of government, he altered his views on St. IVIark's, and fuddenly determined on this place, where he landed his firil litde colony. But it feems, from an ill-concerted plan in its infant eftablifhmcnt, negligence, or extreme parfimony in fending proper recruits and other neceiTiries, together with a bad choice of citizens, the fettle- ment