THE FLORA OF THE DISMAL SWAMP. 523 
rotundifolia), weaving almost impassable barriers with its tough 
prickly stems, also Myrica Gale, and Leucothõe Catesbæi. But 
most beautiful of all, at this season, is the yellow jessamine 
(Gelsemium sempervirens), twining around trees to the height of 
twenty or thirty feet, covering thickets, hanging in festoons from 
the branches, and throwing out everywhere its racemes of golden 
yellow blossoms, loading the air with its fragrance. It has but 
one drawback, the frequent tendency of its perfume, in a close 
room, to cause headache and other disagreeable symptoms. 
Of deciduous trees and shrubs, just opening, we noticed Acer 
rubrum and dasycarpum, horse-sugar, Symplocos tinctoria, a beau- 
tiful shrub, worthy of cultivation, Pyrus arbutifolia, Quercus 
salicifolia, and very abundantly Rubus villosus, with two or three 
species of Vaccinium and Gaylussacia. Along the canal banks, 
and at times, in large masses, forming almost impenetrable cane- 
brakes, from two to twenty feet in height, we found Arundinaria 
gigantea and tecta, being fortunate enough to detect the former in 
flower, on the shorter stems. This is a most troublesome weed in 
the clearings, its matted roots resisting everything but fire or a 
breaking-up plough. 
Leaving the steamer and paddling three miles up a smaller 
canal to Lake Drummond, we met with Osmunda regalis, Clay- 
toniana and cinnamonea, in great abundance and luxuriance ; also 
Typha latifolia. Nesæa verticillata, great quantities of Saururus 
cernuus, Onoclea sensibilis, Mitchella repens, Viola PT 
and Orontium aquaticum, only the last two being in flower. 
lake is about six miles long by four wide, and is so bordered at 
cypress swamp, that éxcept in a boat no access to it can be had. 
The water is as dark as brandy, but not unpalatable nor un- 
healthy. Fish are quite plenty. We saw no animals, though 
foxes, “possum” and “coon” are plenty, and bears and deer are 
seen occasionally. Birds too are scarce; now and then a turkey 
buzzard sails slowly overhead, or a hawk starts up from an old 
stump, or a flock of crows wind their noisy way from wood to 
cornfield, but very few of the sparrows or flycatchers or other 
cheerful occupants of ordinary woods meet the view. For the 
most part silence and solitude reign supreme. 
Around Elizabeth City, the ground is dry and the soil good, 
and we found in addition to species already enumerated Senecio 
tomentosus, Asarum arifolium, Ranunculus pusillus and bulbosus, 
