Botanical Excursion to the Mountains of North Carolina. 11 



crosses the Yaliey of Yirginia. At any rate, it is certain that the 

 original tickets of liis specimens in the herbarium of the late Prof. 

 Barton, under whose patronage he travelled, as well as those in 

 Mr. Lambert's herbarium, furnish no evidence that he extended 

 his researches into the mountainous portion of North Carolina; 

 but it appears probable (from some labels marked Halifax or 

 Mecklenburg, Virginia,) that he followed the course of the Roa- 

 noke into the former State. His most interesting collections were 

 made at Harper's Ferry, Natural Bridge, the Peaked Mountains^ 

 (which separate the two principal branches of the Shenandoah,) 

 the Peaks of Otter^ in the Blue Ridge ; also. Cove Mountain^ 

 Salt-Pond Mountain, and ParneWs Knob, (with the situation of 

 which I am unacquainted,) the region around the Warm Sul- 

 phur Springs, Capon Springs, the Sweet Springs, and the 

 mountains of Monroe and Greenbrier Counties. 



Early in the present century, Mr. Kin, a German nurseryman 

 and collector, resident at Philadelphia, travelled somewhat ex- 

 tensively among the Alleghany Mountains, chiefly for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining living plants and seeds. He also collected 

 many interesting specimens, which may be found in the herbaria 

 of Muhlenberg and Willdenow, where his tickets may be recog- 

 nized by the orthography, and the amusing mixture of bad Eng- 

 lish and German, (with occasionally some very singular Latin,) 

 in which his observations are written. 



In the winter of 1816, Mr. Nuttall crossed the mountains of 

 North Carolina from the west, ascending the French Broad River 

 (along the banks of which he obtained his Philadelphus hirsutus, 

 (fee.) to Asheville, passing the Blue Ridge, and exploring the 

 Table Mountain, where he discovered Hudsofiia montana, &c., 

 and collected many other rare and interesting plants.* 



As early as 1817, the mountains at the sources of the Saluda 

 River were visited by the late Dr. Magbride, the friend and cor- 

 respondent of Elliott ; who, in the preface to the second volume 

 of his Sketch, renders an affecting and most deserved tribute to 



* The spur of the Blue Ridge from which the picturesque Table Mountain rises 

 like a tower, is called by Mr. Nuttall, the Catawba Ridge. I am informed, how- 

 ever, by my friend Mr. Curtis, who is intimately acquainted with this interesting 

 region, that it is not known by that name, but is called the Table Mountain Ridge. 

 Its base is not washed by the Catawba River, but by its tributary the Linville. 



