NORTH AMERICA. 
421 
fumes or exhalations, from this bed of clay, may- 
have a vivific nutritive quality, and be received by 
the fibres of the roots, or being condenfed in the 
atmofphere by nocturnal chills, fall with dews upon 
the leaves and twigs of thefe plants, and there ab- 
sorbed, become nutritive or exhilerating to them. 
Befides the native foreft trees and fhrubs already 
noted, manured fruit trees arrive in this ifland to 
the utmoft degree of perfection, as Pears, Peaches, 
Figs, Grape Vines, Plumbs, &c. ; of the laft men- 
tioned genus, there is a native fpecies grows in this 
ifland, which produces its large oblong crimfon 
fruit in prodigious abundance ; the fruit, .though of 
a moil enticing appearance, is rather too tart, yet 
agreeable eating, at fultry noon, in this burning 
climate ; it affords a moft delicious and reviving 
marmalade, when preferved in fugar, and makes 
excellent tarts ; the tree grows about twelve feet 
high, the top fpreading, the branches fpiny and the 
leaves broad, nervous, ferrated, and terminating 
with a fubulated point. 
My eyes having acquired fufficient ftrength to 
endure the open day light, I fet off from Pearl 
ifland, for Manchac on the Miffiffippi, in a handfome 
large boat, with three Negroes to navigate her. 
Leaving the friendly Mr. Rumfey's feat on Pearl 
Ifland, we defcended a creek from the landing 
near his houfe ; this creek led us about a mile, 
winding through fait fedgy marines, into Lake 
Pontchartrain, along whofe North mores we coaft- 
ed about twenty miles, having low, reedy marines, 
cn our flarboard : thefe marfhes were very exten- 
five between us and the far diftant high forefts on 
the main : at evening the more became bolder, with 
fandy elevations, affording a few dwarf Oaks, Zan- 
thoxylon, 
