NORTH AMERICA. 429 
cliffs, now called Brown’s cliffs, in honour of the 
late governor of Weft Florida, now of the Ba- 
hama Iflands, who is proprietor of a large diftri £t 
of country, lying on and adjacent to the Cliffs® 
At the time of my refidence with Mr. Rumfey 
at Pearl ifland, governor Brown, then on his paf- 
fage to his government of the Bahamas, paid Mr. 
Rumfey a vifit, who politely introduced me to 
his excellency, acquainting him with my character 
and purfuits : he de fired me to explore his territo- 
ry, and give him my opinion of the quality of the 
White plains. 
Auguft 27th, 1777, having in readinefs horfes 
well equipt, early in the morning we fee off for the 
plains. About a mile from the river we crofted a 
deep gully and frnall rivulet, then immediately en- 
tered the Cane forefts, following a ftraight avenue 
cut through them, off from the river, which conti- 
nued about eight miles, the ground gradually but 
imperceptibly rifing before us : when at once opened 
to view expanftve p!ains,which are a range of native 
graffy fields of many miles extent, lying parallel 
with the river, furrounded and interfered with Cane 
brakes and high forefts of ftately trees ; the foil 
black, extremely rich and productive, but the vir- 
gin mould becomes thinner and lefs fertile as it 
verges on to the plains, which are fo barren as 
fcarcely to produce a bufti or even grafs, in the mid- 
dle or higheft parts. The upper ftratum or furface 
of the earth is a whitifh clay or chalk, with veins of 
fea fhells, chiefly of thofe little clams called les co- 
quilles, or interlperfed with the white earth or clay, 
fo tenacious and hard as to render it quite fteril ; 
fcarcely any vegetable growth to be feen, except 
fhort grafs, or cruftaceous moffes ; and fome places 
quite bare, where it is on the furface $ but where it 
lies 
