NORTH AMERICA. 4-23 
inhabitants neglecl: agriculture, and generally em- 
ploy themfelves in hunting and fiihing: we however 
furnimed ourfelves here with a fufficiency of ex- 
cellent Batatas. I obferved no new vegetable pro- 
ductions, except a fpecies of Cleome (Cleome lu- 
pinifolia) ; this plant poilefTes a very ftrong fcent, 
fomewhat like Gum AlTafetida, notwithstanding 
which the inhabitants give it a place in foups and 
fauces. 
From Taenfapaoa, we frill coafted Weft ward, 
three or four miles, to the ftraits that communicate 
with the lake Maurepas ; entering which and conti- 
nuing fix or eight miles, having low fwampy land on 
each fide, the channel divides, forming an ifland in 
the middle of the pafs : we took the right hand chan- 
nel, which continues three or four miles, when the 
channels reunite in full view of the charming lake. 
We came to at an elevated point, or promontory, on 
the ftarboard main fhore, it being the North cape, 
from whence I enjoyed a very pleafing and complete A 
view of the beautiful lake Maurepas \ entering which 
next morning, a fteady favourable gale foon wafted 
us nine or ten miles over to the mouth of the river 
Amite ; afcended between its low banks ; the land 
on each fide a level fwamp, about two feet above 
the furface of the water, fupporting a thick foreft 
of trees, confifting chiefly of Fraxinus, Nyfla aqua- 
tica, Nyfla muiti flora, Cupreffus difticha, Quercus 
phillos, Acer mbrum, Ac negundo, Acer glaucum, 
Sambucus, La urns Borbonia, Carpinus, Ulrnus, and 
others. The foil or earth humid, black and rich. 
There is fcarcelya perceptible current: the water 
dark, deep, turgid and ftagnate, being from fhoi e 
to fhore covered with a fcum or pellicle of a green 
and purplifh caft, and perpetually throwing up 
fro ra 
