46 On the Geography and Natural History 



all the high lands : Morus nigra, Liquidamber styraci- 

 flua, Acer pennsylvanicum, A. saccharum. Of these I 

 saw a few on Cane-River ; Laurus Sassafras, and An- 

 nona glabra, Laurus Benzoin and iEsculus parviflora of 

 Walter, are common ; also, the Myrica cerifera. 



The Fagus pumila, or Chinquepin, I had almost 

 omitted. This is very abundant, and grows to a very 

 great size. I have seen them, at Rapide, thirty feet 

 high, and seven feet in circumference ; and was told, 

 that there were some much larger. 



There is a shrub, on this river, that grows from ten 

 to twenty feet high, and bears a drupe somewhat like the 

 olive, but not so large. It is, when ripe, of a reddish- 

 purple colour. The putamen is of a woody fibrous 

 structure : the fibres are easily separated by the fingers. 

 The same peduncle supports from ten to fifteen drupes. 

 The peduncles are numerous and subopposite. Its 

 leaves are elliptic. Probably, it may be the Elaeagnus 

 of Linnaeus. 



The banks of this river are, in most places, covered, 

 from low to high water mark, with the Mimosa punctata. 

 At Rapide, I saw the Erythrina herbacea in flower. 



The Alligators are very abundant, and of very large 

 size. The largest I have had an opportunity of me^- 

 suriiig, was twelve feet long. 



