24 Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina. 



curred at a lower elevation than usual, scarcely more than three 

 thousand feet above the level of the sea, and in a dwarfish state 

 (about a foot high): subsequently we only met with it on the 

 summit of the Grandfather and other mountains which exceed 

 the altitude of five thousand feet, where it is commonly three or 

 four feet high. We were too early for the fruit, a small, red or 

 purplish berry, which does not ripen until August or September. 

 It has an exquisite flavor, according to Pursh, who found the 

 plant on the mountains of "Virginia: but our friend Mr. Curtis 

 informs us that is rather insipid, and entirely destitute of the fine 

 acidity of the Cranberry. 



On the 2nd of July we continued our journey (11 miles) to 

 Jefferson or Ashe Court-House, a hamlet of twenty or thirty 

 houses, and the only village in the county. Intending to make 

 this place our head-quarters while we remained in the region, we 

 had the good fortune to find excellent accommodations at the 

 house of Col. Bower, who evinced every disposition to further 

 our inquiries, and afforded us very important assistance. We 

 may remark, indeed, that during our residence amongst the 

 mountains, we were uniformly received with courtesy by the in- 

 habitants ; who for the most part wanted the general intelligence 

 of our obliging host at Jefferson, and could scarcely be made to 

 comprehend the object of our visit, or why we should come from 

 a distance of seven hundred miles, to toil over the mountains in 

 quest of their common and disregarded herbs. Curiosities as we 

 were to these good folks, their endless queries had no air of im- 

 pertinence, and they entertained us to the best of their ability, 

 never attempting to make unreasonable charges. A very fastid- 

 ious palate might occasionally be at a loss ; but good corn-bread 

 and milk are everywhere abundant ; the latter being used from 

 preference quite sour, or even curdled. Sweet milk appears to 

 be very generally disliked, being thought less wholesome, and 

 more likely to produce the 'milk sickness,' which is prevalent in 

 some very circumscribed districts ; so that our dislike of sour, 

 and fondness for sweet milk was. regarded by this simple people 

 as one of our very many oddities. Nearly every farmer has a 

 small dairy-house built over a cold brook or spring, by which the 

 milk and butter are kept cool and sweet in the warmest weather. 



We botanized for several days upon the mountains in the im- 

 mediate neighborhood of Jefferson, especially the Negro Moun- 



