ELEMENTS OF BARTRAM'S LANDSCAPE 89 



in Bartram's landscape, mention must also be made of his in- 

 numerable references to " rills," " brooks," " ponds," " pools," 

 and " streams." 



And here also it must be noted that Bartram's bodies of 

 water are not isolated objects. They blend into the general 

 landscape; they reflect the hills and forests on their banks; they 

 are dotted with islands; they swarm with animal life; they are 

 covered with vegetation. His description of the " very singular 

 acquatic plant," the pistia stratwtes, which " associates in large 

 communities, or floating islands, some of them a quarter of a 

 mile in extent " (p. 88) , is one of the most memorable passages 

 in the Travels. In a later chapter, he again notes " floating 

 islands and green fields of the Pistia near the shores of the river 

 and lagoons " (p. 132) . Another fine passage is his description 

 of the Nymphaea Nelumbo, the " many acres " of it, " which 

 at a distant view presents a very singular and diverting scene; 

 a delusive green wavy plain ..." (p. 408). 



Bartram's plains and mountains and streams, important as 

 they are in themselves as sources of aesthetic delight, are even 

 more important as habitations of both plants and animals. 

 Bartram's first interest was the "vegetable kingdom"; his 

 second was the '" animal kingdom." We have seen that his 

 plants are described in their native habitat, be that a marsh, 

 mountain, meadow, or pond. The same observation applies to 

 his description of animals. Wherever he went he noted every 

 bird, beast, and insect that came within his view. Species hither- 

 to unknown to him, naturally, interested him most, but he also 

 welcomed any opportunity to enlarge his knowledge of the 

 species he already knew. 



His description of the common wild animals is mostly exposi- 

 tory. He tells us that the bears of the region he explored "" are 

 a strong creature, and prey on the fruits of the country, and will 

 likewise devour young calves, swine and sheep." But, he adds, 

 he could never " learn a well attested instance of their attacking 

 mankind " (p. 282). He tells us that " the wolves of Florida 

 are laro^er than a dog, and are perfectly black, except the 

 females, which have a white spot on the breast, but they are not 

 so large as the wolves of Canada and Pennsylvania, which are 



