travels in 
After about feven miles progrefs through this 
foreft of gigantic black oaks, we enter on terri- 
tories which exhibit more varied fcenes : the land 
rifes almofl infenfibly by gentle afcents, exhibiting 
defart plains, high forefts, gravelly and ftony 
ridges, ever in fight of rapid rivulets 5 the foil, as 
already defcribed. We then palled over large rich 
favannas, or natural meadows, wide fpreading cane 
fwamps, and frequently old Indian fettlements, 
now deferted and overgrown with forefts. Thefe 
are always on or near the banks of rivers, or great 
fwamps, the artificial mounts and terraces elevat- 
ing them above the furrounding groves. I ob- 
ferved, in the ancient cultivated fields, 1. diofpy- 
ros, 2 f gleditfta triacanthos, 3. prunus chicafaw, 
4. callicarpa, 5. morus rubra, 6. juglans exaltata, 
7. juglans nigra, which inform us, that thefe trees 
were cultivated by the ancients, on account of their 
fruit, as being wholefome and nourifhing food. 
Though thefe are natives of the foreft*, yet they thrive 
better, and are more fruitful, in cultivated planta- 
tions, and the fruit is in great eftimation with the 
prefent generation of Indians, particularly juglans 
exaltata, commonly called fhell-barked hiccory. 
The Creeks ftore up the laft in their towns. 1 have 
feen above an hundred bufhejs of thefe nuts belong- 
ing to one family. They pound them to pieces, 
and then caft them into boiling water, which, after 
palling through fine ftrainers, preferves the moft 
oily part of the liquid : this they call by a name 
which fignifies hiccory milk ; it is as fweet and rich 
as frefh cream, and is an ingredient in moft of their 
cookery, efpecially homony and corn cakes. 
The Chicafaw plumb I think mull be excepted, for though certainly a 
native of America, yet I never faw it wild in the forefts, but always in oia 
deferted Indian plantations : I fuppofe it to have been brought from the S, W. 
beyond the Mifiilippi, by the Chicafaws. 
After 
