NORTH AMERICA. 
427 
fcafon is dry, and its bed twelve or fifteen feet 
above the furface of the Miffiffippi ; but in the win- 
ter and fpring has a great depth of water, and a 
very rapid dream which flows into the Amite, thence 
down through the lakes into the bay of Pearls to 
the ocean. 
Having recommendations to the inhabitants of 
Batonrouge, now called New-Richmond, more than 
forty miles higher up the river, one of thefe gentle- 
men being prefent at Manchac, gave me a friendly 
and polite invitation to accompany him on his re- 
turn home. A pleafant morning ; we fat off after 
breakfaft, well accommodated in a handfome con- 
venient boat, rowed by three blacks. Two miles 
above Manchac we put in to more at Alabama : this 
Indian village is delightfully fituated on feveral 
fwelling green hills, gradually afcending from the 
verge of the river : the people are a remnant of 
the ancient Alabama nation, who inhabited the 
Eaft arm of the great Mobile river, which bears 
their name to this day, now poffeffed by the Creeks 
or Mufcogulges, who conquered the former. 
My friend having purchafed fome bafkets and 
earthenware, the manufactures of the people, we 
left the village, and proceeding twelve miles higher 
up the river, landed again at a very large and well 
cultivated plantation, where we lodged all night. 
Obferved growing in a fpacious garden adjacent to 
the home, many ufeful as well as curious exotics, 
particularly the delicate and fweet Tube-rofe (Poly- 
anthus tuberofa) : it grows here in the open garden^ 
the" flowers were very large and abundant on the 
items, which were five, fix or feven feet high, but 
I faw none here having double flowers. In one cor- 
ner of the garden was a pond or marfh, roun4 about 
which 
