V 
NORTH AMERICA. 22^ 
The Indians and traders fay that this liver has no 
branches or collateral brooks or rivers tributary to 
it, but that it is fed or augmented by great fprings 
which break out through the banks. From the ac- 
counts given by them, and my own obfervations on 
the country round about, it feems a- probable afler- 
tion ; for there was not a creek or rivulet to be feen, 
running on the furface of the ground, from the 
great Alachua Savanna to this river, a diilance of 
above feventy miles ; yet, perhaps,' no part of the 
earth affords a greater plenty of pure, falubrious 
waters. The unparalleled tranfparency of the.fe wa- 
ters furni flies an argument for fuch a conjecture, 
that amounts at lealt to a probability, were it not 
confirmed by ocular demonftration ; for in all the 
flat countries of Carolina and Florida, except this 
ifthmus, the waters of the rivers are, in fome degree, 
turgid, and have a dark hue, owing to the annual 
firing of the for efts and plains ; and afterwards the 
Heavy rains warning the light furface of the burnt 
earth into rivulets, which rivulets running rapidly 
over the furface of the earth, flow into the rivers, 
and tinge the waters the colour of lye or beer, 
almofl down to the tide near the fea coafl. — 
But here behold how different the appearance, 
and how manifeft the caufe ! for although the 
furface of the ground produces the fame vegetable 
fubftances, the foil the fame, and fuflers in like 
manner a general conflagration, and the rains, in 
impetuous fhowers, as liberally defcend upon the 
parched furface of the ground ; yet the earth be- 
ing fo hollow and porous, thefe fuperabundant wa- 
ters cannot conftitute a rivulet or brook, to conti- 
nue any diilance on its furface, before they are 
arretted in their courfe and fwallowed up : thence 
defceadinsr, 
