NORTH AMERICA. 
4* 
otF to the right hand, and encamped on a confit- 
derable branch of it. At this place we continued 
almoft a whole day, conftituting furveyors and 
aftronomers, who were to take the courfe, diftance, 
and obfervations on Broad River, and from thence 
down to its confluence with the Savanna. 
The Great Ridge confifts of a continued high 
forefl, the foil fertile, and broken into moderately 
elevated hills, by the many rivulets which have 
their fources in it. The heights and precipices 
abound in rock and flone. The foreft trees and 
other vegetable productions are the fame as already 
mentioned about Little River: I obferved hale- 
fia, ftyrax, asfculus pavia, asfc. fylvatica, robinia 
hifpida, magnolia acuminata, mag. tripetala, and 
fome very curious new fhrubs and plants, particu- 
larly the phyfic-nut, or Indian olive. The items 
arife many from a root, two or three feet high 5 
the leaves fit oppofite, on very fhort petioles ; they 
are broad, lanceolate, entire and undulated, hav- 
ing fmooth furfaces of a deep green colour. From 
the bofom of each leaf is produced a fingle oval 
drupe, handing eredt, on long flender hems 5 it 
has a large kernel, and thin pulp. The fruit is 
yellow when ripe, and about the fize of an olive® 
The Indians, when they go in purfuit of deer, carry 
this fruit with them, fuppofing that it has the 
power of charming or drawing that ci eature to 
them ; from whence, with the traders, it has ob- 
tained the name of the phyfic-nut, which means, 
with them, charming, conjuring, or fafcinating. 
Malva fcandens, filix fcandens, perhaps a fpecies 
of trichomanes ; the leaves are palmated, or ra- 
diated 3 it climbs and roves about, on fhrubs, in moift 
ground. A very lingular and elegant plant, of an 
unknown 
