21^ 



t;NItEi> STATES* 



The swamps are covered with the heaviest growth 

 of timber, shooting up canes (arundo gigantea) in great 

 quantities ; and so thick in many places, that a bird 

 cannot Hy between them. Over these, a thick growth 

 is produced of tupelo, cypress, ash, maple, water oak, 

 bay, gum, elm, and white oak, in proportion to the 

 greater or less strength of the land, and the higher 

 or lower the situation may be, on which they grow* 

 In these swamps knoiis or small rising grounds pre* 

 sent themselves ; on which grow the laurel (magnolia 

 grandiflora,) the beech, the plane tree, the cotton 

 tree, birch, prick]y leaved holly, and the deciduous 

 hoily, the wild orange, (prunus lusitanica,) persim- 

 iiion, wild swamp whortle-berry, and dwarf palmetto. 

 A soil so productive sufiiciently denotes its riches. 

 Tiie inundations, and Bowing of tides, bear to it, and 

 precipitate thereon, the fmest and most subtile par- 

 ticles of manure ; and form a soil of a dark brown 

 loam, v/ith a strong tenaceous light blue clay under- 

 neath, for a depth of fifteen or twenty feet, or more; 

 perfectly inexhaustible, and of so level a nature that 

 tvhere the tides flow, a few inches of water can 

 coYQY the lands for agricultural purposes. This 

 soil will dissolve in the mouth, without leaving a par- 

 ticle of sand upon the tongue ; and in every respect is 

 entitled to high consideration, as being the best kind 

 of land in the state. From the point, to where the 

 tides fiov/, freshes occasionally pour violently down 

 the river ; but the swamps continue deep, and excel- 

 lent, rising in height above the level of the rivers, as 

 one advances tov/ards their falls; and in the same 

 proportion, their soils are of coarser texture, but 

 btili abundantly promoting ail purposes of vegetation. 



