TRAVELS IN 
392 
courfmg through the green plains; and dark pro- 
montories, or obtufe projections of the fide-long 
acclivities, alternately advancing or receding on 
the verge of the illumined native fields,. to the ut« 
rnoft extent of fight, Th ii. omits of the acclivi- 
ties afford, befides the foreft trees already recited, 
Haiefia, Ptelea, Circis, Cornus Florida and Amor- 
pha. The upper mound or terrace holds up a dilated 
level plain of excellent land, for the diftance of five 
or fix miles in width, which is a high foreft of the 
majeftic trees already mentioned, as Quercus tindto- 
ria, Juglans nigra. Morns, Ulmus, Tilia, Gleditfia, 
JngJans hiccory, &c. The land after this diftance, 
though almoft flat and level, becomes leaner ; the 
vegetative mould or furface is fhallower, on a 
ftratum of tenaceous humid clay, for the diftance 
of fifteen or twenty miles, more or lefs, according 
to the diftance of the next great river ; prefenting 
to our view a fine expanfe of level graffy plains, 
detached forefts and groves of Quercus alba, - 
lobata, Q^phillos, hemiipherica, Q^aquatica, 
with entire groves of the fplendid Nyfta fylvatica 
and perfumed Liquidambar ftyraciflua, vaft Cane 
meadows, and laftly a chain of graffy favannas. 
Immediately from this we began to afcend gra- 
dually the rnoft elevated, gravelly and ftony ridge, 
con filling of parallel chains of broken fwelling 
hills, the very higheft chain frequently prefenting 
to view cliffs of the ferruginous rocks and red 
clay already noticed. This Ml mentioned high 
ridge divides the waters of the great rivers from 
each other, whence arife the fources of their nume- 
rous lateral branches, gradually increaftng as they 
wind about the hills, fertilizing the vales and level 
plains, by their inundations, as they pour forth 
from the vaft humid forefts and fhaded prolific hills. 
