NORTH AMERICA., g& 
who, on thefe occanons, -inftantly infpires them^ 
and as with a ray of divine light, points out to them 
at once the dignity, propriety, and beauty of vir> 
,lue. 
The land on, and adjacent to, this river, not- 
withstanding its arenaceous furface, appears natu- 
rally fertile. The peach trees are large, healthy, 
and fruitful ; and Indian corn, rice, cotton, and 
indigo, thrive exceedingly. This fandy furface, 
one would fuppofe, from its loofe texture, would 
pofTefs a percolating quality, and fuller the rain- 
waters quickly to drain off ; but it is quite the con- 
trary, at lead in thefe low maritime fandy coun- 
tries of Carolina and Florida, beneath the moun- 
tains ; for in the fands, even the heights, where the 
arenaceous ftratum is perhaps live, eight, and ten 
feet above the clay, the earth, even in the longed 
droughts, is moid an inch or two under the furface ; 
whereas, in the rich tenacious low lands, at fuch 
times, the ground is dry, and, as it were, baked ma- 
ny inches, -and fometimes fome feet deep, and the 
crops, as well as alio oft all vegetation, fuffer in 
fuch foils and fituations. The reafon of this may 
be, that this kind of earth admits more freely of a 
tranfpiration of vapours, arifmg from interline wa- 
tery canals to the furface ; and probably thefe va- 
pours are impregnated with faline or nitrous prin- 
ciples, friendly and nutritive to vegetables ; how- 
ever, of thefe caufes and feoret operations of nature 
I am ignorant, and relume again my proper em- 
ployment, that of difcoveriDg and caUegting data 
for theexercife of more able phyfioiogilh. 
The favannas about St. Mary's* at this feafon, 
difplay a very charming appearance of flowers and 
verdure 5 their more elevated borders are varied 
