13 [ 300 ] 
munication, die at “ort Jupiter, Jupiter inlet, February 4, 1838, of whieh 
extracts are respectfully submitted: “ We have been delayed at this place, 
until the present time, by want of shoes for the men, one-third of them being 
barefooted, and most of them having their clothes torn off. This is not 
surprising, considering the nature of the country through which we have 
sepa one- ae of a is covered with the saw palmetto, and the other 
alf with water and sawgrass, destroying not only their shoes and elothes, 
but severely pee ialit flesh. ‘The greater part of the dr, ragoons will 
be dismounted, in consequence of their horses being worn out. Our time for 
operations is becoming limited. Beyond March, no human being could live 
in this country. Even the Indians themselves acknowledge that it is unin- 
bitable.” The sawgrass mentioned above is presumed to be the species 
of sedgegrass, called Scheenus effusus, with leaves prickly forwards, and 
< six to ten feet high, of which the ages term signifies a cord, given as a 
name to a rush, of which cords were ma The saw palmetto is probably 
the Chameerops serrulata, with plaited paltaias fronds, and sharply serrate 
stipes. Several species of this genus of palms afforded to the Florida tribes, 
food, wine, sugar, fruit, cabbage, fans, darts, ropes, and cloth. Some have 
good fruit —- plums ; others, austere like dates. They are now chiefly 
hats, fans, baskets, and mats, with the leaves. 
fiomeaie iecuhielome to the march of armies, or even of individual travel- 
lers, Divine Providence has thus furnished the means of covering the 
soils of Florida with a dense population of small cultivators and of family 
manufacturers. The subscriber also submits to the committee, an index of 
the officinal and economical plants mentioned in the Natural System of 
Botany of John Lindley, (2d edition, London, 1836,) with the common and 
a names of some other very valuable vegetables hap tm by himself, 
A reference to Katon’s Manual of Botany will show the names of nearly 
four hundred species of exotic plants introduced into the United States, of 
which, however, the greatest proportion are of very little pRNaices utility. 
Hence, although many valuable plants are not embraced in the aforesaid 
list, yet a comparison will exhibit the immense number of useful scion 
remainiug to be introduced into our common country. As the English 
editions of scientific works are extremely costly, the subscriber cuts out 
from Lindley’s Introduction to Botany, (2d edition, London, 1835,) the chap- 
ter on the geography of plants, and adds some notes, to illustrate the practi- 
cability and importance of the immediate domestication of topon! plants 
in southern Florida, and of their gradual aceiimation throughout our 
southern States. As the documents git accompany the report of the 
committee of the lower House, made on the 17th, contain an abridged ac- 
count of various mp sgt plants, nt subscriber now presents merely 
a leaf, on which is copied the descriptions given, by various botanists, of the 
characters, habits, and range of eur indigenous Yuccas and Agave, by! i ig 
it is shown that they pe the worst soils from Pennsylvania to 
and from the banks of the Potomac to the banks of the Missouri, fam the. 
confluence of the river Platte to the mountains 
He further sutaats, the metereological t tables which demonstrate t the ex- 
passage into a law of such a bill as. your commi ee may ape, he 
Gn a trusts that, after six years’ delay, it may now . carried through 
