THE LAND OF EDEN. j i|5 



least very gay. We encainped upon Hico river, pretty high up, and iiad 

 much ado to get our house in order, before a heavy shower descended upon 

 us. I was in pain lest our sick men miglit suffer by the rain, but might have 

 spared myself the concern, because it had the effect of a cold bath upon 

 them, and drove away their distemper, or rather changed it into a canine 

 appetite, that devoured all before it. It rained smartly all night long, which 

 made our situation on the low-ground more fit for otters than men. 



6th. We had abundance of drying work this morning after the clouds 

 broke away and showed the sun to the happy earth. It was impossible for 

 us to strike the tents till the afternoon, and then we took our departure, and 

 made an easy march of four miles to another branch of Hico river, which 

 we called Jesuit's creek, because it misled us. We lugged as many of the 

 dainty pieces of the buffalo along with us as our poor horses could carry, 

 envying the wolves the pleasure of such luxurious diet. Our quarters were 

 taken upon a delightful eminence, that scornfully overlooked the creek, and 

 afforded us a dry habitation. We made our supper on the tongue and udder 

 of the buffalo, which were so good, that a cardinal legate might have made 

 a comfortable meal upon them during the carnival. Nor was this all, but 

 we had still a rarer morsel, the bunch rising up between the shoulders of this 

 animal, which is very tender and very fat. The primings of a young doe, 

 which one of the men brought to the camp, were slighted amidst these dain- 

 ties, nor would even our servants be fobbed off with cates so common. The 

 low-grounds of this creek are wide in many places, and rich, but seem to lie 

 within reach of every inundation ; and this is commonly the case with most 

 low-grounds, that lie either on the rivers or on the creeks that run into them. 

 So great an inconvenience lessens their value very much, and makes high- 

 land, that is just tolerable, of greater advantage to the owner. There he will 

 be more likely to reap the fruits of his industry every year, and not run the 

 risk, after all his toil, to see the sweat of his brow carried down the stream, 

 and perhaps many of his cattle drowned into the bargain. Perhaps in times 

 to come people may bank their low-grounds as they do in Europe, to confine 

 the water within its natural bounds to prevent these inconveniences. 



7th. The scarcity of bread, joined to the impatience of some of our com- 

 pany, laid us under a kind of necessity to hasten our return home. For 

 that reason we thought we might be excused ^r making a sabbath day's 

 journey of about five miles, as far as our old camp upon Sugar Tree creek. 

 On our way we forded Buffalo creek, which also empties its waters into Hico 

 river. The woods we rode through were open, and the soil very promising, 

 great part thereof being low-grounds, full of tall and large trees. A she 

 bear had the ill luck to cross our way, which was large enough to afford 

 us several luxurious meals. I paid for violating the sabbath by losing a pair 

 of gold buttons. I pitched my tent on the very spot I had done when we 

 ran the dividing line between Virginia and Carolina. The beech whose 

 bark recorded the names of the Carolina commissioners was still standing, 

 and we did them the justice to add to their names a sketch of their characters. 

 We got our house in order time enough to walk about and make some slight 

 observations. There were sugar trees innumerable growing in the low- 

 grounds of this creek, from which it received its name. They were many of 

 them as tall as large hickories, with trunks from fifteen to twenty inches 

 through. The woodpeckers, for the pleasure of the sweet juice which these 

 trees yield, pierce the bark in many places, and do great damage, though the 

 trees live a great while under all these wounds. There grows an infinite 

 quantity of maidenhair, which seems to delight most in rich grounds. The 

 sorrel tree is frequent there, whose leaves, brewed in beer, are good in drop- 

 sies, green-sickness, and cachexies. We also saw in tiii? place abundance 



