TRAVELS IN 
palms, fruitful orange groves, live oaks, bays and 
other trees. This grand elevation continues four or 
five hundred yards, defcribing a gentle curve on the 
river, ornamented by a fubiime grove of palms, con- 
fifcmg of many hundreds of trees together; they 
entirely fhade the ground under them. Above and 
below the bluff, the grounds gradually defcend to 
the common level fwamps on the river : at the back 
of this eminence open to view expan five green 
meadows or favannas, in which are to be feen glit- 
tering ponds of water, furrounded at a great dis- 
tance by high open pine forefls and hommocks, 
and iflets of oaks and bays projecting into the 
favannas. After ranging about thefe folitary groves 
and peaceful fhades, I re-embarked and continued 
fome miles up the river, between elevated banks- 
of the fwamps or low lands; when on the Eaft 
fhore, in a capacious cove or winding of the river, 
were pleafmg floating fields of piftia; and in the 
bottom of this cove opened to view a large creek 
or branch of the river, which I knew to be the en- 
trance to a beautiful lake, on the banks of which 
was the farm 1 was going to vifit, and which I de- 
figned fhould be the laft extent of my voyage up the 
river. 
About noon the weather became extremely fultry, 
not a breath of wind ffirring, hazy or cloudy, with 
very heavy diftant thunder, which wajs anfwered by 
the crocodiles, fure prefage of a ftorm! 
Soon after afeending this branch of the river, on 
the right hand prefents itfelf to view a delightful 
little bluff, confiding chiefly of ihells, and covered 
with a dark grove of red cedar, Zanthoxylon and 
myrtle. I could not refill the temptation to flop 
here, although the tremendous thunder all around 
