TRAVELS IM 
I36 
afternoon being cool and pleafant, and the trees 
very lofty on the higher weftern banks of the river, 
by keeping near that fhore I paffed under agreea- 
ble fhades the remaining part of the day. During 
almoft all this day's voyage, the banks of the river 
on both fhores were middling high, perpendicular, 
and wafhed by the brifk current: the fhores were 
not lined with the green lawns of floating aquatics, 
and confequently not very commodious reforts or 
harbours for crocodiles ; I therefore was not dis- 
turbed by them, and faw but few, but thole were 
Very large. I however did not like to lodge on. 
thofe narrow ridges, infefled by fuch dreary fwamps 5 
and evening approaching, I began to be anxious 
for high land for a camping place. It was quite 
dark before I came up to a bluff, which I had in 
view a long time, over a very extenfive point of 
meadows. I landed however at lad, in the bed: man- 
ner I could, at a magnificent foreft of Orange 
groves, Oaks, and Palms. I here, with little labour 
or difficulty, foon collected a fufficient quantity of 
dry wood : there was a pleafant villa of grais be- 
twixt the grove and the edge of the river bank, 
which afforded a very convenient, open, airy en- 
camping place, under the protection of fome fpread- 
ing Oaks. 
This was a high perpendicular bluff, fronting 
more than one hundred yards on the river, the earth 
black, loofe, and fertile : it is a compofition of river- 
fhells, fand, &c. At the back of it from the river, were 
open Pine foreffs and favannas. I met with a cir- 
L 
cumflance here, that, with fome, may be reckoned 
worthy of mentioning, fince it regards the monu- 
ments of the ancients. As I have already obferved, 
when I landed it was quite dark $ and in collecting 
woo4 
