NORTH AMERICA. 
361 
with large trees, and at a diftance furrounded with 
high forefts. I was on this elevated region fenfible 
of an alteration in the air, from warm to cold, and 
found that vegetation was here greatly behind, in 
plants of the fame kind of the country below ; for 
inftance, when I left Charlefton, the yellow Jafmine 
was rather pall the blooming days, and here the 
buds were juft beginning to fwell, though fome were 
in bloom. Continued more than a mile through 
this elevated plain to the pitch of the mountain, 
from whence prefented to view an expanfive pro- 
fpebl, exhibiting fcenes of mountainous landfcape, 
weftward, vaft and varied, perhaps not to be ex- 
ceeded any where. 
My fir ft defcent and progrefs down the weft fide 
of the mountain was remarkably gradual, eafy and 
pleafant, through graffy open forefts for the diftance 
of two or three miles ; when my changeable path 
fuddenly turned round an obtufe point of a ridge, 
and defcended precipitately down a fteep rocky hill 
for a mile or more, which was very troublefome, 
being incommoded with fliattered fragments of the 
mountains, and in other places with boggy finks, 
occafioned by oozy fprings and rills ftagnate finking 
in micaceous earth : fome of thefe fteep foft rocky 
banks or precipices feem to be continually crum- 
bling to earth ; and in thefe mouldering cliffs I dis- 
covered veins or ftrata of moft pure and clear white 
earth*, having a faint bluifh or pearl colour gleam, 
fomewhat exhibiting the appearance of the little 
cliffs or wavy crefts of new fallen fnowdrifts : we 
like wife obferve in thefe diffolving rocky cliffs, veins 
of ifmglafs (Mica S. vitrum Mufcovitieum), fome 
* Mica nitida i fpecimens of this earth have been exported to England, 
for the purpofe of making Porcelain or China ware.. 
of 
