72 Expedition to the 



a short distance on shore, but retured much fatigued by his 

 exertions.* 



On the morning of the 27th, after having taken in a small 

 supply of indifferent fuel, we crossed over to the right hand 

 side of the river, and took on board one of the party, who 

 had left the boat at an early hour, to visit a friend residing 

 a short distance from the river. At evening we came to 

 anchor half a mile below point Labidee, a high bluff, where 

 observations for latitude were taken. Here we were detained 

 a day making some necessary repairs. 



A fine field of wheat, which appeared to be ripe, extended 

 down to the brink of the river opposite the spot where we 

 lay. This belonged to the plantation of a farmer, recently 

 from Virginia. From him we obtained a plentiful supply 

 of milk, and some bacon hams. A portion of the bank had 

 lately fallen into the river, and with it, a part of the wheat 

 field, and the dwelling hojise and other buildings seemed 

 destined soon to follow. 



The shore here was lined with the common elder, (Sam- 

 bucus canadensis) in full bloom, and the cleared fields were 

 yellow with the flowers of the common mullien. This plant, 

 supposed to have been originally introduced from Europe, 

 follows closely the footsteps of the whites. The liatris 

 pycnostachia here called " pine of the Prairies," which was 



* The vegetable productions at this place were, the populus deltoides, oc- 

 cupying the narrow margin of the river, (not here preceded by the salix an- 

 gustata, as is generally the case in recent alluvial grounds on the Ohio and 

 Missisippi,) the amorpha fruticosa,f and platanusoccidentalis, next follow. 

 The margin of the bluff produces the quercus rubra, juglans pubescens, 

 carpinus Americana, (around the latter, we observed the celastrus scan- 

 dens eutwined and in fruit,) and on higher grounds, the laurus sassafras 

 andjuniperus Virginianus. Of herbaceous plants, the only one in flower 

 was the Rudbeckia fulgida. The higher parts of the hills were in many 

 places thickly covered with species of Elymus and Andropogon, the 

 summits being usually quite naked, and consisting of horizontal masses of 

 ferruginous coloured sandstone. Baldwin. 



t This beautiful flowering shrub occupies the low lands of Georgia, on the sea 

 coast, but is not confined to the margin of rivers, as appears to be the case on the 

 Missouri. 



