NORTH AMERICA,, 
The fhrub Capficum growing here in abundance, af- 
forded us a very good pepper : we drank of a well 
of frefh water juft at hand, amidft a grove of Myr- 
tles (Myrica cerifera.) Our repofe however was 
incomplete, from the flings of mufquetoes, the roar- 
ing of crocodiles, and the continual noife and reft- 
leffnefs of the fea fowl, thoufands of them having 
their roofting- places very near us, particularly loons 
of various fpecies, herons, pelicans, Spanifh curlews, 
&c. all promifcuoufly lodging together, and in fuch 
incredible numbers, that the trees were entirely co- 
vered. They rooft in inacceffible iflets in the fait 
marfhes, ftirrounded by lagoons, and {hallow water. 
Juft without the trees, betwixt them, the water and 
marfhes, is a barricade of Palmetto royal (Yucca 
gloriofa) or Adam’s needle, which grows fo thick 
together, that a rat or bird can fcarcely pafs through 
them; and the ftiff leaves of this fword plant, Hand- 
ing nearly horizontally, are as impenetrable to man, 
or any other animal, as if they were a regiment of 
grenadiers with their bayonets pointed at you. The 
Palmetto royal is, however, a very Angular and beau - 
tiful production. It may be termed a tree, from 
its durability and magnitude, as likewife from the 
ligneous quality of its ftem, or trunk, when old ^ 
yet from its form and texture, I fhould be inclined 
to rank it amongft the herbaceous plants, for even 
die glorious Palm, although it rifes to the altitude 
of a tree, and even tranfcends moil of them, yet 
it bears the characters of the herbaceous ones: and 
this, like the Palm tree, rifes with a ftraight, ereCt 
ftem, about ten or twelve feet high, crowned with 
a beautiful chaplet of fword or dagger-like leaves, 
of a perfed green colour, each terminated with a 
ftiff, fharp fpur, and their edges finely crenated. 
f his thorny crown is crefted with a pyramid of fii- 
F ver 
