422 JOHN BAR TRAM [1702. 



TO MOSES OR WILLIAM BARTRAM, AT CAPE FEAR, N. C. 



November the 9th, 1762. 



Dear Children: 



I am now returned home in good health, in which I also found 

 my family ; God Almighty alone be praised. 



I had the most prosperous journey that ever I was favoured 

 with. Everything succeeded beyond my expectation ; and my 

 guardian angel seemed to direct my steps, to discover the greatest 

 curiosities. The presence of God was with me; and my heart 

 overflowed with praises and humble adoration to Him, both day 

 and night, in my wakeful hours. 



I met with Mendenhall, a few miles after we parted, sixty 

 miles from his house ; so I set off directly to the Wateree, to 

 SAMUEL Wtlt's, where I was recommended; but he was not at 

 home, nor was expected for many days. He was gone a survey- 

 ing ; but it soon rained after I came, and he soon came home, and 

 received me very friendly ; and next day lent me his horse, to ride 

 over the Congaree about seventy miles, to Georgia. 



In this ride, I found a wonderful variety of rare plants ami 

 shrubs, particularly a glorious evergreen, about four or five feet 

 high, and much branched, in very small twigs growing upright. 

 The leaves are much like the Newfoundland Spruce, rather smaller, 

 and grow around the twigs close, like it. The seed is very small, 

 in little capsules, as big as mustard \Cyrilla racemiflora, L. ?]. 

 Stayed at Wyly's two whole days, to rest my horse ; then set 

 forward to the Moravian town, which is two hundred and fifty 

 miles from Charleston ; "Wyly's is one hundred and twenty ; the 

 ferry over the Congaree is one hundred and forty to Charleston. 

 From the Moravian town it is thirty long miles to the settlements 

 in the bottom, and a very bad road. The bottom is near twenty 

 miles broad, and pretty good land. When I came to the last 

 house, I inquired the way to the mountain, about ten miles off. 

 They said there was four hunters just going over to the mine, and 

 to Holston's River. This I took as a great Providential favour, 

 indeed. * * * We headed the east branch of the Yadkin, in 

 the mountain, and lodged on a little branch of the New River, at 

 the distance of seven miles, or, as some said, fifteen, from the head 



