PREFACE. ix; 



take a more extensive range for my botanical excursions, 

 vvliich during my stay at the Woodlands had been con- 

 fined within a comparatively small compass, the neces- 

 sary attention to the duties of that establishment not per- 

 mitting me to devote more time to them. 



Accordingly, in the beginning of 1805, I set out for 

 the mountains and western territories of the Southern 

 States, beginning at Maryland and extending to the Ca- 

 rolinas, (in which tract the interesting high mountains of 

 Virginia and Carolina took my particular attention,) 

 and returning late in the autumn through the lower 

 countries along the sea-coast to Philadelphia. The fol- 

 lowing season, 1806, I went in like manner over the 

 Northern States, beginning with the mountains of Pen- 

 sylvania and extending to those of New Hampshire, (in 

 which tra(;t I traversed the extensive and highly interest- 

 ing country of the Lesser and Great Lakes,) and returning 

 as before by the sea-coast. 



Both these tours I principally made on foot, the most 

 appropriate way for attentive observation, particularly 

 in mountainous countries ; travelling over an extent of 

 more than three thousand miles each season, with no 

 other companions than my dog and gun, frequently tak- 

 ing up my lodging in the midst of wild mountains and 

 impenetrable forests, far remote from the habitations of 

 men. The collections and observations made in the 

 course of these journeys, all of which I communicated to 

 Dr. Barton, were considerable, in respect to the dis- 

 covery of many new and interesting subjects of natural 

 history in general. But the knowledge which I thereby 

 acquired of the geography, soil, and situation of the 

 plants of that coiuUry, (points of the greatest interest 



