TRAVELS IN 
evening now came on; the animating breezes^ 
which cooled and tempered the meridian hours 
of this fultry feafon, now gently ceafed ; the glori- 
ous fovereign of day, calling in his bright beaming 
emanations, left us in his abfence to the milder 
government and protection of the filver queen of 
night, attended by millions of brilliant luminaries. 
The thundering alligator had ended his horrifying 
roar ; the filver plumed gannet and ftork, the fage 
and folitary pelican of the wildernefs, had already 
retired to their filent nocturnal habitations, in the 
neighbouring forefts ; the fonorous favanna cranes, 
in well difciplined fquadrons, now rifing from the 
earth, mounted aloft in fpiral circles, far above the 
denfe atmofphere of the humid plain ; they again 
viewed the glorious fun, and the light of day ftiil 
gleaming on their polifhed feathers, they fung their 
evening hymn, then in a flraight line majeftically 
defcended, and alighted on the towering Palms or 
lofty Pines, their fecure and peaceful lodging places. 
All around being flill and filent, we repaired to reih 
Soon after fun-rife, a party of Indians on horfe- 
back appeared upon the favanna, to colled toge- 
ther feveral herds of cattle which they drove along 
near our camp, towards the town. One of the 
party came up, and informed us, the cattle belong- 
ed to the chief of Cufcowilla ; that he had ordered 
fome of the beft fleers of his droves to be flaughtered 
for a general feaft for the whole town, in compli- 
ment of our arrival, and pacific negociations. 
The cattle were as large and fat as thofe of the 
rich grazing paflures of IVIoyomenfing in Pennfylva- 
nia. The Indians droye off the lowing herds, and 
we foon followed them to town, in order to be at 
coimcii at the appointed hour, leaving two young 
men of our party to protect our camp. 
Upon 
