Travels Through North America 



copper upon the Roanoke, belonging to Colonel 

 Chiswell. This last mentioned gentleman is also 

 going to try for lead upon some hunting-grounds 

 belonging to the Indians, towards New River, and 

 the Green Briar; where, it is said, there is fine ore, 

 and in great plenty, lying above ground. Some 

 coal mines have also been opened upon James 

 river near the falls, which are likely to answer very 

 well. 



The forests abound with plenty of game of various 

 kinds; hares, turkeys, pheasants, woodcocks, and 

 partridges are in the greatest abundance. In the 

 marshes are found soruses, a particular species of 

 bird, more exquisitely delicious than the ortolan; 

 snipes also, and ducks of various kinds. The 

 American shell-drake and blue-wing exceed all of 

 the duck kind whatsoever; and these are in prodi- 

 gious numbers. In the woods there are variety of 

 birds remarkable both for singing and for beauty; 

 of which are the mocking-bird, the red-bird or night- 

 ingale, the blue-bird, the yellow-bird, the humming- 

 bird*, the Baltimore bird, the summer-duck, the 

 turtle, and several other sorts. 



Insects and reptiles are almost innumerable. The 

 variety of butterflies is not greater than is that of the 



* The humming-bird is the smallest and most beautiful of all 

 the feathered race: its colours are green, crimson, and gold; it lives 

 chiefly by suction upon the sweets and essences of flowers; and 

 nothing can be more curious than to observe numbers of them in 

 gardens, where there are honey-suckles or trumpet-flowers, flying 



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