( 2 45 ) 



ly pafs : it being affirmed that there is fixty fa* 

 thom water in this river above a hundred and fifty 

 leagues from the fea. 



As to the forefts which almoft entirely cover this 

 immenfe country, there is nothing, perhaps, in 

 nature comparable to them, whether we confider 

 the fize and height of the trees, or their variety, 

 and the advantages which may be drawn from 

 them : for, excepting dye-wood, which require a 

 warmer foil, and are only to be met with between the 

 tropicks, there is hardly any fort of trees, which can 

 be mentioned, that are not to be found here. There 

 are forefts of cyprefs, eight or t^n leagues in extent, 

 all the trees of which are of a thicknefs proportion- 

 able to their height, furpafting every thing we have 

 of that kind in France. That fort of ever-green 

 laurel, which we have called the tulip-tree on ac- 

 count of the fhape of its flower, is now beginning 

 to be known in Europe. This grows to a greater 

 height than the chefnut-tree of India, and its leaf 

 is much more beautiful. The palm is ftill larger 

 and thicker, and yields a balm not much inferior 

 to that of Peru. Ail the known fpecies of nut- 

 trees are likewife to be found here in great quan- 

 - tities, and all the woods proper for building or 

 carpenter's work; but care muft be had to avoid 

 thofe which grow on the banks of the river, or 

 in that fpace which is liable to be overflowed by 

 the rifing of the ftream, for their roots being con- 

 tinually foaked in water, they would be too heavy 

 and apt to rot very foon. 



At length I arrived at the firft village of the 

 Akanfas on the fecond of December about ten 

 o'clock in the morning. This village ftands in 

 a fmall meadow on the weftern bank of the Miffif- 

 fippi. There are three others within the fpace 

 R 3 of 



