NORTH AMERICA. 
475 
fide of the river, about forty miles, in the banks 
of a creek, five or fix feet below the fandy furface, 
are to be feen projecting out many feet in length, 
trunks of trees petrified to very hard -ftone ; they 
lie between the upper fandy ftratum and the com- 
mon bed of blackifh vitriolic earth ; and thefe (tone 
trees are to be feen in the fame fituatipn, flicking 
out of the perpendicular banks or bluffs of the 
river in this region : there are feveral trunks of 
large trees with their bark, (tumps of their limbs 
and roots, lying petrified on the fand hills and Pine 
forefts, near the road abpiit this creek, not far 
from the faw-mills, 
Crpffed Rock-fim, a large branch of the North 
Weft, near its mouth or confluence, and at even- 
ing arrived at Crofs-Creeks, another very confi- 
derable branch of the river, flowing in through 
its Weft banks. This creek gave name to a fine 
inland trading town, on fome heights or fwelling 
hills, from whence the creek defcends precipi- 
tately, then gently meanders near a mile, through 
lower level lands, to its confluence with the river, 
affording moil convenient mill-feats : thefe pro- 
fpecls induced active, enterprifmg men to avail 
themfelves of fuch advantages pointed out to them 
by nature ; they built mills, which drew people 
to the place, and thefe obferving eligible fituations 
for other profitable improvements, bought lots and 
erected tenements, where they exercifed mechanic 
arts, as fmiths, wheelwrights, carpenters, coopers, 
tanners, he. And at length merchants were en- 
couraged to adventure and fettle : in fhort, within 
eight or ten years, from a grift-mill, faw-mill, 
fmith-fhop and a tavern, arofe a flourifhing com- 
mercial town, the feat of government of the county 
of 
