TRAVELS IN 
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palms, fruitful orange groves, live oaks, bays and 
.other trees. This grand elevation continues four or 
five hundred yards, defcribing a gentle curve on the 
river, ornamented by a fublime grove of palms, con- 
filling of many hundreds of trees together ; they 
entirely fhade the mound under them. Above and 
below the bluff, the grounds gradually defcend to 
the common level iwamps on the river : at the back 
of this eminence open to view expanfive green 
meadows or favannas, in which are to be feen glit- 
tering ponds of water, furrounded at a great dif- 
tance by high open pine forefts and hommocks, 
and iilets of oaks and bays proje cling into the 
favannas. After ranging about thefe folitary groves 
and peaceful fhades, 1 re-embarked and continued 
feme miles up the river, between elevated banks 
of the fwamps or low lands ; when on the Taft > 
fhore, in a capacious cove or winding of the river, 
were pleafing boating fields of piftia ; and in the 
bottom of this cove opened to view a large creek 
or branch of the river, which I knew to be the en- 
trance to a beautiful lake, on the banks of which 
was the farm I was going to vifit, and which I de- 
figned fliould be the laft extent of my voyage up the 
river. 
About noon the weather became extremely fultry, 
not a breath of wind ftirring, hazy or cloudy, with 
very heavy diftant thunder, which was anfwered by 
the crocodiles — fure prefage of a ftorrn ! 
Soon after afeending this branch of the river, on 
the right hand prefents irfelf to view a delightful 
little bluff, confifting chiefly of fhels, and covered 
with a dark grove of red cedar, Zanthoxylon and 
myrtle. 1 could not refill the temptation to flop 
here, although the tremendous thunder all around 
= " - g the 
