TRAVELS IN 
After about feven miles progrefs through this 
foreft of gigantic black oaks, we enter on terri- 
tories, which exhibit more varied fcenes : the land 
rifes almofl infenfibly by gentle afcents, exhibiting 
defart plains, high forefts, gravelly and (tony 
ridges, ever in fight of rapid rivulets ; the foil, as 
already defcribed. We then palfed over large rich 
fav annas, or natural meadows, wide fpreading cane 
fwamps, and frequently old Indian fettlements, 
now deferted and overgrown with forefts. Thefe 
are always on or near the banks of rivers, or great 
fwamps-^ the artificial mounts and terraces elevat- 
ing them above the furrounding groves. I ob- 
ferved, in the ancient cultivated fields, i. diofpy- 
ros, i. gleditfia triacanthos, 3. primus chicafaw, 
4. callicarpa, 5. morus rubra, 6. juglans exaltata, 
7. juglans nigra, which inform us, that thefe trees 
were cultivated by the ancients, on account of their 
fruit, as being wholefome and nourifhing food. 
Though thefe are nativesof the foreft*, yet they thrive 
better, and are more fruitful, in cultivated planta- 
tions, and the fruit is in great eftimation with the 
prefent generation of Indians, particularly juglans 
exaltata, commonly called fheli-barked hiccory. 
The Creeks (lore up the laft in their towns. I have 
feen above an hundred bufhels of thefe nuts belong- 
ing to one family. They pound them to pieces, 
and then call them into boiling water, which, after 
palling through fine ftrainers, preferves the mod 
oily part of the liquid : this they call by a name 
which fignifies hiccory milk ; it is as fweet and rich 
as frelli cream, and is an ingredient in moil of their 
cookery, efpecially homony and corn cakes. 
* The Chicafaw plumb I think mud be excepted, for though certainly 
a native of America, yet I never favv it wild in the foreft , but always in 
old deferted Indian plantations : I fuppofe it to have been brought from 
the S, W. beyond the Miffiffippi, by the Chicafaws. 
After 
