NORTH -AMERICA. 
a level green plain, thinly planted by nature with 
the mod (lately fbrett trees, fuch as the gigantic 
black # oak (q. tincloria), liriodendron, juglans 
nigra, platanus, juglans exaltata, fagus fylvatica, 
ulmus fylvatica, liquidambar ftyraciflua, whole 
mighty trunks, feemingly of an equal height, ap- 
peared like fuperb columns. To keep within the 
bounds of truth and reality, in defcribing the mag- 
nitude and grandeur of thefe trees, would, I fear, 
fail of credibility; yet, I think I can affert, that 
many of the black oaks meafured eight, nine, ten, 
and eleven feet diameter five feet above thirty feet 
as we meafured feveral that were above the ground, 
girt, and from hence they afcend perfeclly ftraight, 
with a gradual taper, forty or fifty feet to the limbs 3 
but, below five or fix feet, thefe trunks would mea- 
fure a third more in circumference, on account of 
the projecting jambs, or fupports, which are more; 
or lefs, according to the number of horizontal 
roots that they arife from : the tulip tree, liquidam- 
bar, and beech, were equally {lately. 
Not far diflant from the terrace, or eminence, 
overlooking the low grounds of the river, many very 
magnificent monuments of the power and induftry 
of the ancient inhabitants of thefe lands are vifible. 
I obferved a flupendous conical pyramid, or artifi- 
cial mount of earth, vaft tetragon terraces, and a 
large funken area, of a cubical form, encompaiTed 
with banks of earth 5 and certain traces of a larger 
Indian town, the work of a powerful nation, whole 
period of grandeur perhaps long preceded the dif- 
covery of this continent. 
* Gigantic black oak. Querc. tinctoria ; the bark of this fpecles of oak 
ss found to afford a valuable "yellow dye. This tree is known -by the 
jiame of black oak in Pennfylvania, New-Jerfey, New- York, and New* 
jSngland. 1 
After 
