50 September 1748. 



* 



and they now, in point of height, vie with the 

 talleft oak, 



Sept. 1 8th. IN the morning I went with the 

 Swedi/h painter, Mr. Heffelius, to the country 

 feat of Mr. Bartram, which is about four Eng- 

 KJh miles to the fouth of Philadelphia, at fome 

 diftance from the high road to Maryland* Vir-> 

 ginia, and Carolina, I had therefore the firft 

 opportunity here, of getting an exat knowledge 

 of the ftate of the country, which was a plain 

 covered with all kinds ^ trees with deciduous 

 leaves. The ground ; w| fandy, mixed with 

 clay : but the land feemeo to be in greater quan- 

 tity. In fome parts the wood was cut down> 

 and we faw the habitations of fome country peo- 

 ple, whofe corn-fields and plantations were 

 round their farm-houfes. The wood was full of 

 mulberry-trees, walnut-trees of feveral kinds, 

 chefnut-trees, faflafras, and the like. Several 

 forts of wild vines clafped their tendrils round, 

 and climbed up to the fummits of the highefi 

 trees ; and in other places they twined round the 

 cnclofures, fo thick, that the latter almoft funk 

 down under their weight. The Perjimort y or 

 Diofpyros Virginiana Linn. fp. pi. p. 1510, grew 

 in the marfhy fields, and about fprings. Its 

 little apples looked very well already, but are 

 not fit for eating, before the froft has afieded 

 them, and then they have a very fine tafte. 

 Ueffelius gathered fome of them, and defired my 

 fervant to tafte of the.fruits of the land ; but this 

 poor credulous fellow had hardly bit into therr^ 

 when he felt the qualities they have before the 



froft 



