39 6 
TRAVELS IN 
leave, returning home, and we continued on our 
journey, entering on the great plains. We had not 
proceeded far before our people roufed a litter of 
young wolves, to which giving chace, we foon caught 
one of them, it being entangled in high grafs ; one 
of our people caught it by the hind legs and ano- 
ther beat out his brains with the but of his gun,— 
barbarous fport!— This creature was about half 
the fize of a fmall cur-dog, and quite black. 
We continued over thefe expanfive illumined 
graily plains, or native fields, above twenty mi les 
in length, and in width eight or nine, lying parallel 
to the river, which was about ten miles diftance ; 
they are inverted by high forefls, extenfive points 
or promontories, which project into the plains on 
each fide, dividing them into many vail fields open- 
ing on either hand as we palled along, which pre- 
sents a magnificent and pleafing fyivan landfcape 
of primitive, uncultivated nature. Crolled feveral 
very confiderable creeks, their ferpentine courfes 
being directed acrofs the plain by gently Swelling 
knolls perceptible at a diftance, but which feem to 
vanifh or difappear as we come upon them ; the 
creeks were waters of the Alabama, the name of 
the Eaft arm of the Mobile below the confluence of 
theTallapoofe. Thefe rivulets were ornamented by 
groves of various trees and fhrubs, which do not 
Spread far from their banks. I obferved among il 
them the wild Crab (Pyrus coronaria), and Prunus 
Indica or wild Plumb, Cornus Florida, and on the 
graffy turf adjoining grew abundance of Strawber- 
ry vines : the Surface of the plains or fields is clad 
with tall grafs, intermixed with a variety of her- 
bage. The moft confpicuous, both for beauty and 
novelty, is a tall fpecies of Silphium ; the radical 
leaves 
