Penfyhania, Journey to Wilmington. 151 



full of grapes, which hang below the leaves, 

 and were now almofl ripe, and had a plea- 

 fant fourifh tafte. The country people ga- 

 ther them in great quantities, and fell them 

 in the town. They are eaten without fur- 

 ther preparation, and commonly people are 

 prefented with them when they come to pay 

 a vifit. 



The foil does not feem to be deep herea- 

 bouts ; for the upper black flratum is hard- 

 ly two inches. This I had an occafion to 

 fee both in fuch places where the ground is 

 dug up, and in fuch where the water, du- 

 ring heavy fliowers of rain, has made cuts, 

 which are pretty numerous here. The up- 

 per foil has a dark colour, and the next a 

 pale colour like bricks. I have obferved 

 every where in America, that the depth of 

 the upper foil does not by far agree with 

 the computation of fome people, though 

 we can almofl be fure, that in fome places 

 it never was ftirred fmce the deluge. I 

 fhall be more particular in this refped: af- 

 terwards.* 



K4 The 



* The learned Dr. Wallerius, in his Mineralogy, §. 8. in 

 the note to the article, Humus communis atra, mentions that 

 fome people were of opinion, that the mould of our globe in- 

 creafed gradually from the yearly putrefaftion of plants and 

 their parts, efpecially in fuch places as had been uncultiva- 

 ted ever fmce the deluge, and that thus in a hundred years, 



half 



