NORTH AMERICA. 
•397 
leaves are large,, long and lightly fmuated, but thofe 
which garnifh the ftem are few and Ids finuated ; 
thefe leaves, with the whole plant, except the flow- 
ers, appear of a whitifh green colour, which is ow- 
ing to a fine foft filky down or pubefcence; the 
flower ftem, which is eight or ten feet in length 
when (landing eredt, terminates upwards with a long 
heavy fpike of large golden yellow radiated flow- 
ers ; the ftem is ufually fee n bowing on one fide or 
other, occafioned by the weight of the flowers, and 
many of them are broken, juft under the panicle or 
fpike, by their own weight, after {terms and heavy 
rains, which often crack or fplit the ftem, from 
whence exudes a gummy or refinous fubftance, 
which the fun and air harden into femi-pellucid 
drops or tears of a pale amber colour. This re fin 
poflefTes a very agreeable fragrance and bitterifh 
tafte, fomewhat like frankincenfe or turpentines 
it is chewed by the Indians and traders, to cleanfe 
their teeth and mouth, and fweeten their breath. 
The upper fir a turn or vegetable mould of thefe 
plains is perfectly black, foapy and rich, efpecially 
after rains, and renders the road very flippery : 
it lies on a deep bed of white, teftaceous, limeftone 
rocks, which in fome places refemble chalk, and in 
other places are ftrata or fubterrene banks of va- 
rious kinds of fea fhells, as oftrea, &c.: thefe diffolv- 
ing near the furface of the earth, and mixing with 
the fuperficial mould,, render it extremely pro- 
ductive. 
Immediately after leaving the plains we enter 
the grand high forefts. There were ftately trees of 
the Robinea pfeudacacia, T ilia, Morus, Ulmus, 
juglans exaltata, Juglans nigra, Pyrus coronaria, 
Cornus Florida, Cercis, .&c, Our road now for 
ieveral 
