TRAVELS IN 
396 
leave, returning home, and we continued on our 
journey, entering on the great plains. We had not 
proceeded far before our people roufed a litter of 
young wolves, to which giving chafe, we foon caught 
one of them, it being entangled in high grafs ; one 
of our people caught it by the hind legs and an- 
other beat out its brains with the but of his gun,— 
barbarous fport !— This creature was about half 
the fize of a fmall cur- dog, and quite black. 
We continued over thefe expanfive illumined graf- 
fy plains, or native fields, above twenty miles in 
length, and in width eight or nine, lying parallel 
to the river, which was about ten miles difiance ; 
they are invefted by high forefts, exteniive points 
or promontories, which project into the plains on 
each fide, dividing them into many vaft fields open- 
ing on either hand as we paffed along, which pre- 
fents a magnificent and pleafmg fylvan landfcape 
of primitive, uncultivated nature. CrofTed feveral 
very confiderable creeks, their ferpentine courfes 
being directed acrofs the plain by gently fwelling 
knolls perceptible at a diftance, but which feem to 
vanifh or difappear as we come upon them 5 the 
creeks were waters of the Alabama, the name of 
the Eaft arm of the Mobile below the confluence of 
the Tallapoofe. Thefe rivulets were ornamented by 
proves of various trees and fhrubs, which do not 
fpiead far from their banks. I obferved amongfl 
them the wild Crab (Pyrus coronaria), and Prunus 
Xndica or wild Plumb, Cornus Florida, and on the 
graffy turf adjoining grew abundance of Strawber- 
ry vines : the furface of the plains or fields is clad 
with tali grafs, intermixed with a variety of her- 
bage. The mofl confpicuous, both for beauty and 
novelty, is a tall fpec'ies of Silphiums the radical 
leaves 
