NORTH AMERICA. 
The fhrub Capficum growing here in abundance, af- 
forded us a very good pepper : we drank of a well 
of frefh water juft at hand, amidft a grove of Myr- 
tles (Myrica cerifera.) Our repofe however was 
incomplete, from the firings of mulqueto.es, the roar- 
ing of crocodiles, and the continual noife and reft- 
leffnefs of the fea fowl, thoufands of them having 
their rootling places very near us, particularly loons 
of various (pedes, herons, pelicans, Spanish curlews, 
&c. all promifcuoufty lodging together, and in fuch 
incredible numbers, that the trees were entirely co- 
vered. They rooft in inaccefli'ble ifiets in the fait 
marfhes, furrounded by lagoons, and fhallow water. 
Juft without the trees, betwixt them, the w r ater and 
marfhes, is a barricade of Palmetto royal (Yucca 
gloriofa) or Adam’s needle, which grows fo thick 
together, that a rat or bird can fcarcely pafs through 
them ; and the ftiff leaves of this (word plant, (land- 
ing nearly horizontally, are as impenetrable to man, 
or any other animal, as if they were a regiment of 
grenadiers with their bayonets pointed at you. The 
Palmetto royal is, however, a very fingular and beau- 
tiful production. It may be termed a tree, from 
its durability and magnitude, as likewife from the 
ligneous quality of its Item, or trunk, when old ; 
yet from its form and texture, I fhould be inclined 
to rank it amongft the herbaceous plants, for even 
the glorious Palm, although it rifes to the altitude 
of a tree, and even tranfcends mo ft of them, yet 
it bears the characters of the herbaceous ones : and 
this, like the Palm tree, rifes with a ftraight, ereCt 
ftem, about ten or twelve feet high, crowned with 
a beautiful chaplet of fword or dagger-like leaves, 
of a perfeCl green colour, each terminated with a 
ftiff, fharp fpur, and their edges finely crenated. 
This thorny crown is crefted with a pyramid of fil- 
F 3 ver 
