6 BOTANICAL EXCURSION TO 
elevated range on the Tennessee side, and travelling for the 
most part through an unbroken wilderness, near the end of 
June he reached the Block House, on the Holston, famous in 
the annals of border warfare. Several persons had been 
killed by the Indians during the preceding week, and general 
alarm prevailing, Michaux abandoned his intention of pene- 
trating into Kentucky, and resolved to botanize for a time in 
the mountains of Virginia. He accordingly entered that 
State, and arrived on the 1st of July at * Washington Court 
House, premiére ville dans la Virginie que Don trouve sur la 
cóte occidentale des Montagnes, en sortant de la Carolinie 
Septentrionale.” To this he adds the following note: “ Pre- 
mière ville, si l'on peut nommer ville une Bourgade composée 
de douze maisons (log-houses). Dans cette ville on ne mange 
que du pain de Mais. Il n'y a ni viande fraiche, ni cidre, mais 
seulement du mauvais Rum.” Abingdon, the principal town 
of Washington County, is now a flourishing place; but 
Michaux's remarks are still applicable to more than one 
premiere ville in this region. From this place he continued 
his course along the valley of Virginia throughout its whole 
sxtent, crossing New River, the Roanoke, and passing by 
Natural Bridge, Lexington, Staunton, and Winchester ; and 
thence, by way of Frederick in Maryland, and Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania, he arrived at Philadelphia on the 21st of July, 
and at New York on the 30th. In August and Septem- 
ber, he returned to Charleston by Baltimore, Alexandria, 
Richmond and Wilmington, North Carolina. In November, he 
revisited the mountains which he had explored early the preced- 
ing summer, passing through Charlotte, Lincolnton and Mor- 
ganton, to his former head-quarters at Turkey Cove; from 
whence he visited the north branch of Catawba (North Cove, 
between Linville Mountain and the Blue Ridge), the Black 
Mountain, Joe River, &c.; and reached Charleston in De- 
cember, bringing home two thousand five hundred young trees, 
shrubs, and other plants. From January until April 1791, 
this indefatigable botanist remained in the vicinity of Char- 
leston; but his memoranda for the remainder of that year 
