3 86 
TRAVELS IN 
Next day, after traverfmg a very delightful ter- 
ritory, exhibiting a charming rural fcenery of pri- 
mitive nature, gently descending and pafiing alter- 
nately eafy declivities or magnificent terraces lup- 
porting fublime forefts, almoft endlefs grafTy fields^ 
detached groves and green lawns for the diftance of 
nine or ten miles, we arrived at the banks of the 
Chata Uche river oppofite the Uche town ; where, 
after unloading our horfes, the Indians came over 
to us in large canoes, by means of which, with the 
cheerful and liberal affiftance of the Indians, fer- 
ried over the merchandize, and afterwards driving 
our horfes altogether into the river fwam them over : 
the river here is about three or four hundred yards 
wide, carries fifteen or twenty feet water, and flows 
down with an active current j the water is clear ? 
cool and fahtbrious. 
The Uche town is fituated in a vaft plain, on 
the gradual afcent as we rife from a narrow flrip 
of low ground immediately bordering on the river $ 
if is the largefl, moft compact and beft. fituated 
Indian town I ever faw ; the habitations are large 
and neatly built ; the walls of the houfes are con- 
ftrucled of a wooden frame, then lathed and plaif- 
tered infide and out with a reddiih well tempered 
clay or mortar, which gives them the appearance 
of red brick walls ; and thefe houfes are neatly co- 
vered or roofed with Cyprefs bark or mingles of 
that tree. The town appeared to be populous and 
thriving, fall of youth and young children : I fup- 
pofe the number of inhabitants, men, women and 
children, might amount to one thoufand or fifteen 
hundred, as it is faid they are able to mufter five 
hundred gun-men or warriors. Their own national 
language is altogether or radically different from 
