TRAVELS Itf 
33 
After about feven miles progrefs through this 
foreft of gigantic black oaks, we enter on terri- 
tories which exhibit more varied fcenes : the land 
rifes almoft infenfibly by gentle afcents, exhibiting 
defart plains, high forefts, gravelly and ftony 
ridges, ever in fight of rapid rivulets ; the foil, as 
already defcribed. We then palled over large rich 
favannas or natural meadows, wide fpreading cane 
fwamps, and frequently old Indian fettlements, 
now deferted and overgrown with forefts. Thefe 
are always on or near the banks of rivers, or great 
fwamps, the artificial mounts and terraces elevat- 
ing them above the furrounding groves. I ob- 
ferved, in the ancient cultivated fields, 1. diofpy- 
ros, a. gleditfia triacanthos, 3. prunus chicafaw, 
4. callicarpa, 5. morus rubra, 6. juglans exaltata, 
7. juglans nigra, which inform ns, that thefe trees 
were cultivated by the ancients, on account of their 
fruit, as being wholefome and nourifhing food. 
Though thefe are natives of the foreft*, yet they 
thrive better, and are more fruitful, in cultivated 
plantations, and the fruit is in great eftimation with 
the prefent generation of Indians, particularly juglans 
exaltata, commonly called fhell-barked hiccory. 
The Creeks ftore up the laft in their towns. I have 
feen above an hundred bufhels of thefe nuts belong- 
ing to one family. They pound them to pieces, 
and then call them into boiling water, which, after 
palling through fine ftrainers, preferves the molt 
oily part of the liquid : this they call by a name 
which lignifies hiccory milk; it is as fweet and rich 
as frefh cream, and is an ingredient in molt of their 
cookery, efpeciaily homony and corn cakes. 
* The Chicafaw plum I think muft be excepted, for though certainly a 
native of America, yet 1 never faw it wild in the foreits, but always in old 
deferted Indian plantations : I fuppofe it to have been brought from theS.W. 
beyond the Miffifippi, by the Chicafaws. 
After 
