NORTH AMERICA. 43 1 
of our way, in purfuit of a bear croffing from the 
main, but he out-fwam us, reached the iiland 9 
and made a fafe retreat in the fbrefts entangled 
with vines ; we however purfued him on more, 
but to no purpofe. After reding a while, we re- 
embarked and continued on our voyage, coafting 
the Eaft more of the ifland to the upper end ; here 
we landed again, on an extended projecting point 
of clean fand and pebbles, where were to be feen 
pieces of coal flicking in the gravel and* fand, to- 
gether with other fragments of the foffil king- 
dom, brought down by inundations and lodged 
there. We obferved a large kind of mufcle in the 
fand ; the Ihell of an oval form, having horns or 
protuberances near half an inch in length and as 
thick as a crow quill, which 1 fuppofe ferve the 
purpofe of grapnels to hold their ground againrl 
the violence of the current. Here were great num- 
bers of wild fowl wading in the fhoal water that 
covers the fandy points, to a vail di (lance from 
the mores : they were geefe, brant, gannet, and 
the great and beautiful whooping crane (grus al- 
ber.) Embarked again, doubled the point of the 
ifland and arrived at Point Coupe in the evening. 
We made our vifxt to a French gentleman, an 
ancient man and wealthy planter, who, according 
to the hiftory he favoured us with of his own life 
and adventures, mufl have been very aged ; his 
hair was of a filky white, yet his complexion was 
florid and conflitution athletic. He faid that foon 
after he came to America, with many families of 
his countrymen, they afcended the river to the 
Cliffs of" the Natches, where they fat down, being 
entertained by the natives ; and under cover of a 
ftrong fortrefs and garrifon, eftablifhed a fettle- 
ment, and by cultivating the land and forming 
plan- 
