134 



A VOYAGE TO 



rous of cultivating its friendship; this he said he val- 

 ued highly, because he knew when we professed a 

 friendship it might be safely relied on. In withdraw- 

 ing it is the custom to imitate the movement of a 

 certain animal, not yet the mt)st graceful of the crea- 

 tion, as it is considered indecorous to turn one's back 

 upon the king; the audience room being very long, 

 the commodore found it inconvenient, and not a little 

 ilifficult, to hack out with safety and grace. The com- 

 missioners did not think proper to claim the honor of 

 a presentation; having no communication to hold, they 

 could only be regarded here in the light of private ci- 

 tizens. 



The day after our visit to Mr. Sumpter, a little ex- 

 cursion was agreed upon by Mr. Reed and myself, 

 with Dr. Baldwin, the surgeon of the Congress, and 

 justly celebrated as a naturalist. We were desirous 

 of ascending to the top of the Parrot's head, which we 

 were informed might be accomplished in a day. On 

 our arrival at Mr. Sumpter's, he politely furnished us 

 with a guide, and we proceeded some distance through 

 a valley which gradually narrowed as we went along 

 a rapid mountain stream, brawling among loose rocks 

 and stones. A number of negro washwomen were 

 plying their tasks on its borders. On each side of 

 us there were bare masses of granite of great height, 

 the water oozing from underneath the vegetation on 

 their summits, and in some places the drippings collect- 

 ed into a tolerable stream, rushed down several hun- 

 dred feet. In the season of drought the streams are 

 apt to dry up, which may possibly be owing to their 

 not being so well supplied with perennial fountains, 

 but in the manner I have described. At this season, 



