Ip4 TRAVELS IN 
furf, lapfing on the hard beaten fhore, and the ten- 
der warblings of the painted nonpareil and other 
winged inhabitants of the grove. 
At the approach of day the dreaded voice of the 
alligators fhook the ifle, and refounded along the 
neighbouring coafts, proclaiming the appearance of 
the glorious fun. I arofe, and prepared to accom- 
plifh my daily talk. A gentle favourable gale led 
us out of the harbour: we failed acrofs the lake, 
and towards evening entered the river on the op- 
pofite fouth coaft, where we made a pleafant and 
iafe harbour, at a Ihelly promontory, the ealt cape 
of the river on that fide of the lake. It is a molt 
defirable fituation, commanding a full view of the 
lake. The cape oppofite to us was a vaft cyprefs 
fwamp, environed by a border of grafly marfhes, 
which were projedled farther into the lake by float- 
ing fields of the bright green piftia ftratoites, which 
rofe and fell alternately with the waters. Juft to 
leeward of this point, and about half a mile in the 
lake, is the little round ifland already mentioned. 
But let us take notice of our harbour and its envi- 
rons : it is a beautiful little cove, juft within the 
Tandy point, which defends it from the beating 
furf of the lake. From a fhelly bank, ten or 
twelve feet perpendicular from the water, we en- 
tered a grove of live oaks, palm, magnolia, and 
orange trees, which grow amongft fhelly hills, and 
low ridges, occupying about three acres of ground, 
comprehending the ifthmus, and a part of the penm- 
fula, which joins it to the grafly plains. This en- 
chanting little foreft is partly encircled by a deep 
creek, a branch of the river, that has its iburce in 
the high forefts of the main, fouth eaft from us ; 
and winds through the extenfive grafly plains which 
