TRAVELS IN 
I96 
through the cool fragrant groves on the furrounding 
heights. 
Befide the continued Orange groves, thefe heights 
abound with Palms, Magnolias, Red Bays, Liquid- 
ambar, and Fagus fylvatica of incredible magni- 
tude, their trunks imitating the fhafts of vafl co- 
lumns : we obferved C affine, Prunus, Vitis la- 
brufca, Rhamnus volubilis, and delightful groves of 
i^fculus pavia, and Prunus Caroliniana, a mod: 
beautiful evergreen, decorated with its racemes of 
fweet, white bloffioms. 
Paffing through a great extent of ancient Indian 
fields, now grown over with forefts of (lately trees. 
Orange groves, and luxuriant herbage, the old 
trader, my affociate, informed me it was the an- 
cient Alachua, the capital of that famous and power- 
ful tribe, who peopled the hills furrounding the 
favanna, when, in days of old, they could affemble by 
thoufands at ball play and other juvenile diverfions 
and athletic exercifes, over thofe, then happy, fields 
and green plains. And there is no reafon to doubt 
of his account being true, as almofi: every flep we 
take over thofe fertile heights, difcovers remains and 
traces of ancient human habitations and cultiva- 
tion. It is the mod elevated eminence upon the fa- 
vanna ; and here the hills defcend gradually to the 
favanna, by a range of gentle, graffiy banks. Ar- 
riving at a fwelling green knoll, at fome diilance 
in the plains, near the banks of a pond, oppofite 
the old Alachua town, the place appointed for our 
meeting again together, it being near night, our 
affociates foon after joined us, where we lodged. 
Early next morning we continued our tour; one di- 
vifion of our company directing its courfe acrofs 
die plains to the north coafl : my old companion, 
with 
