NORTH AMERICA® 
3 01 
CHAP. XL 
After the predatory band of Siminoles, under 
the conduct of the Long Warrior, had decamped, 
Mr. MfLatche invited me with him on a vifit to an 
Indian town, about twelve miles diftance from the 
trading-houfe, to regale ourfelves at a feafb of 
Water Melons and Oranges, the Indians having 
brought a canoe load of them to the trading-houfe 
the day preceding, which they difpofed of to the 
traders. This was a circumftance pretty extraor- 
dinary to me, it being late in September, a fea fon 
of the year when the Citruels are ripe and gone in 
Georgia and Carolina 3 but here the weather yet 
continued hot and fultry, and confequently this 
cool, exhilarating fruit was ftill in high relifh and 
eftimation. 
After breakfafling, having each of us a Siminole 
horfe completely equipped, we fat off: the ride 
was agreeable and varioufly entertaining. We 
kept no road or pathway confcantly, but as Indian 
hunting tracks by chance fuited our courfe, riding 
through high open, pine forefts, green lawns and 
flowery favannas in youthful verdure and gaity, 
having been lately burnt, but now overrun with a 
green enamelled carpet, chequered with hommocks 
of trees of dark green foliage, interfered with fer- 
pentine rivulets, their banks adorned with fhrub- 
beries of various tribes, as Andromeda formofiffima. 
And. nitida, And. viridis. And. calyculata, And. 
axillaris, Kalmia fpuria, Annona alba, &c. About 
noon we arrived at the town, the lame little village 
1 I pafT- 
