NORTH AMERICA, 
41 f 
■a great diftance. Returned home in the evening 
fully fatisfied with the day’s excurfion, from the 
difcovery of many curious and beautiful vegetables. 
Having advice from Mobile of an opportunity 
to Manchac, although my health was not eftablifh- 
ed, feverifh fymptoms continuing to lurk about me* 
l refolved, notwithftanding, immediately to embrace 
this offer, and embarked again, defending the ri- 
ver to the city in company with Dr. Grant, a phy- 
fician of the garrifon, and late in the evening ar- 
rived in town, having buffered a fmart fit of the 
fever by the way. 
In the courfe of converfation with the dodlor, I 
remarked that during my travels fince leaving the 
Creek nation, and when there, I had not feen any 
honey bees. He replied, that there were few or 
none Weft of the Ifthmus of Florida, and but one 
hive in Mobile, which was lately brought there from 
Europe, the Englifh fuppofing that there were none 
in the country, not finding any when they tookpofi- 
feffion of it after the Spaniih and French. I had 
been affured by the traders that there were none in 
Weft Florida, which to me feemed extraordinary 
and almoft incredible, fince they are fo numerous 
all along the Eaftern continent from Nova Scotia 
to Eaft: Florida, even in the wild forefts, as to be 
thought, by the generality of the inhabitants, abo- 
rigines of this continent. 
The boat in which I had taken a paffage to Pearl 
river, not being in readinefs to depart for feveral 
days to come, I fought opportunities to fill up this 
time to the beft advantage poffible ; and hearing 
of a boat going to the river Perdedo, for the pur- 
pofe of fecuring the remains of a wreck, I appre- 
hended 
