Travels Through North A?nerica 



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 

 v/ell. 



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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