xxii THE CAYUGA FLORA. 



here, is about 22 miles to the head of Cayuga, which I intend to reach 

 to-morrow. 



7. — Having opportunity of going in company of a wagon, who 

 would carry my things, I set out early this morning. The road leads 

 through a very romantick valley, the mountains sometimes very high. 

 After following the course of Cayuta Cr. for 9 miles, we turned off to 

 the right. <S miles this side of Cayuga city, or as it is called sometimes, 

 Ithaca, we crossed a place very beautifully situated, called Sapony 1 

 Hollow ; this place has been once cleared and probably settled by In- 

 dians, but it is now grown up with small, white pine very hand- 

 somely mixed with Populus tremuloides and Magnolia acuminata. 

 The last is very scarce about here and the trees here in this 

 place and two or three others I seen are of a creeply, small and 

 old growth, nothing like to what they are in Virginia. At this place 

 we refreshed ourselves and feed the horses, as far as this I had this 

 day travel very agreeable, as on account of the roughness of the road 

 and the deep mire holes in some places the wagon could not go on as 

 fast as I could walk, having plenty of time to look about myself, be- 

 sides being unincumbered with any baggage. But the road getting 

 now good and evening drawing nigh, I had to get into the wagon and 

 we traveled tolerabiy fast. About 3 or 4 miles from Sapony Hollow, the 

 timber changes into oak, and from there to Ithaca it is all Oak timber 

 mixed with pine, with the rest of plants similar to Tyoga point. We 

 arrived at Ithaca at night-fall. 



8. — Being now on the heath of Cayuga I remembered your inform- 

 ation about Erica caerulea growing on the high lands between Cayuga 

 and Seneca lake ; I was very anxious of seeing this plant in its native 

 place, but having not received the particular directions to find the 

 place, as I had been promised of, besides that, being rather afraid of 

 running myself out of money necessary to come to Onondaga, as my 

 pocket was low and the distance considerable, I had to my own mort- 

 ification, to give up all Ideas of a search for it.- The morning 

 was rather suspicious for rain, as it had rained some all night, 

 I was detained at Ithaca until 11 o'clock, when I set out for the 

 lake, which is only two miles distance. My route was going on the 

 east side of it. After having crossed Cayuga Creek, with a great deal 

 of difficulty to perform it, and coming on the rising grounds, on the 

 other side, I heard a very strong noise of falling water : I followed 

 the sound and came to one of the most romantick and beautiful falls 

 of this creek, I had ever seen ; the access even only to a sight of it is 

 very difficult ; but regretted very much that I had not had the least 

 information about these falls at the town, as I should have made it my 

 business to visit them unincumbered with my baggage, that I might 

 have spent the day by it. The ledge of rocks confined in a very nar- 

 row cove, and surrounded by very high hills ; impossible to ascend 

 with a load on my back on account of steepness ; over which this 

 considerable stream drops itself down, is a very interesting scene, and 

 I doubt not if time and opportunity had allowed me to make an ex- 

 amination of it, I might have been paid for the trouble with some- 

 thing or other interesting or new in my line ; but to go back to the 

 town I thought to be too much ; so I had to go on and be satisfied 

 with having had only a peep at it. I got into my road again, where I 



' Now called " Pony Hollow." Sapony Hollow is the only nominal 

 relic in this region, — their last home, — of a once large tribe of Indians 

 called Catawbas or Saponies, formerly residing in Virgi'nia and North 

 Carolina. There is indirect evidence that this last remnant sought 

 protection of the Cayugas, and settled in this valley about 1753. Co- 

 reorganel was their principal town, and their burial places were near 

 that village, also north of Buttermilk Falls and on the bluff near Dr. 

 Parker's, East Hill, Ithaca. As a nation they were utterly extin- 

 guished by Smllivan's army as it swept over them, Sept., 1779. 



2 The supposed occurrence of Erica, (or Bryauthus taxifolius,) in 

 this region, was, of course, a mistake. 



