C 305 ) 



tolony, feeing it can receive no affiftance from 

 (hipping, nor afford them any, for the reafons 

 already mentioned. Belides, the road has two great 

 defects, the anchorage is not good, and is full 

 of worms, which deftroy all the fhipping : and the 

 only advantage that can be drawn from it, is its 

 ferving for fhelter to veffels in a gale of wind, 

 before they difcover the mouth of the Mifliffippi, 

 which, being low land, it would be dangerous to 

 approach, in bad weather, without having firft: 

 feen it. 



Biloxi is not of more value by land than by fea. 

 The foil is very fandy, producing little but pines 

 and cedars. Caffina^ otherwife called Afalachina^ 

 grows here every, where in abundance : it is a 

 very fmall flirub, the leaves of which, infufed 

 like thofe of tea, are reckoned a good dilfolvent 

 and an excellent fudorifick, but their principal 

 quality confifts in their being diuretick. The 

 Spaniards make great ufe of it over all Florida \ 

 it is even their ordinary drink. It began to be 

 in fome repute at Paris when I left it ; but 

 that was a bad time for making fortunes* they 

 difappearing or vanifhing almoft as fuddenly as 

 they were acquired. I know, however, that 

 many who ufe Apalachina give it great commenda- 

 tions* 



There are two forts of it, differing only in the 

 fize of their leaves. Thofe of the large fpecies 

 are more than an inch in length, the others are 

 about half as long. In fliape and fubflance they 

 are pretty much like the leaves of the box-tree, 

 excepting that they are rounder towards the extre- 

 mities, and of a brighter green. The name of 



Vol. II. X Apalachina 



