TRAVELS IN 
a graceful fweep or flourifh, like the long f or the 
branches of a fconce candleftick. The ripe and 
green fruit are placed round about, the item or 
trunk, from the lowermoft leaves, where the ripe 
fruit are, and upwards almoft to the top ; the heart 
or inmoft pithy part of the trunk is in a manner hol- 
low, or at bed coniifts of very thin porous medullss 
or membranes. The tree very feldom branches or 
divides into limbs, I believe never unlefs the top k 
by accident broke off when very young : I faw one 
which had two tops or heads, the ft em of which di- 
vided near the earth. It is always green, orna- 
mented at the fame time with flowers and fruit, 
which like figs come out fmgly from the trunk or 
Iteni. 
After retting and refrefhing myfelf in thefe de- 
lightful fhades, 1 left them with reluctance. Em- 
barking again after the fervid heats of the meridian 
fun was abated, for fome time I paifed by broken 
ridges of fhelly high land, covered with groves 
of Live Oak, Palm, Olea Americana, and Orange 
trees \ frequently obferving floating illets and green 
fields of the Piftia near the Ihores of the river and 
lagoons. 
Here is in this river and in the waters all over 
Florida, a very curious and handfome fpecies of 
birds ; the people call them Snake Birds ; I think I 
have feen paintings of them on the Chinefe fcreens 
and other India pictures : they feem to be a fpecies 
£>f cormorant or loon (Colymbus cauda elongata), 
but far more beautiful and delicately formed 
than any other fpecies that I have ever feen. The 
head and neck of this bird are extremely fmall and 
flender, the latter very long indeed, almoft out of 
all proportion \ the bill long, ftraight, and flender, 
/ tapering 
