NORTH AMERICA* 
405 
repeated heavy fhowers of rain, from morning until 
evening. 
Not having an immediate opportunity from 
hence to Manchac, aBritifh fettlement on the Mif- 
fiffipi, I endeavoured to procure a light canoe, with 
which I defigned to purfue my travels along fhore 
to the fettlements about Pearl river, 
Auguft 5th, fet off from Mobile up the river in 
a trading boat, and was landed at Taenfa bluff, the 
feat of Major Farmer, to make good my engage- 
ments, in confequence of an invitation from that 
worthy gentleman, to fpend fome days in his fa- 
mily : here I obtained the ufe of a light canoe, to 
continue my voyage up the riven The fettlement 
of T aenfa is on the fite of an ancient town of a 
tribe of Indians of that name, which is apparent 
from many artificial mounds of earth and other 
ruins. Befides Mr. Farmer’s dwellings, there are 
many others inhabited by French families* who 
are chiefly his tenants. It is a molt delightful fitua- 
tion, commanding a fpacious profpedt up and down 
the river, and the low lands of his extenfive planta- 
tions on the oppofite fhore. In my excurfions about 
this place, 1 obferved many curious vegetable pro- 
du&ions, particularly a fpecies of Myrica (Myrica 
inodora): this very beautiful evergreen fhrub, which 
the French inhabitants call the Wax tree, grov/s in 
wet fandy ground about the edges of fwamps * it 
rifes ere£t nine or ten feet, dividing itfelf into a 
multitude of nearly erebl branches, which are gar- 
ni fhed with many fhining deep green entire leaves 
of a lanceolate figure* the branches produce abun- 
dance of large round berries, nearly the fize of bird 
cherries, which are covered with a fcale or coat of 
white wax* no part of this plant pofleffes any de~ 
D d 2 
gree 
