ttORTri AMERICA* *55 
1 was however induced to deviate a little from 
my intended courfe, and touch at the inchanting 
little Ifle of Palms. This delightful fpot, planted by 
nature, is almoft an entire grove of Palms, with a few 
pyramidal Magnolias, Live Oaks, golden Orange, 
and the animating Zanthoxylon. What a beauti- 
ful retreat is here ! biefTed un violated fpot of earth, 
rifing from the limpid waters of the lake : its fra- 
grant groves and blooming lawns invefted and pro- 
tected by encircling ranks of the Yucca gloriofa. 
A fafcinating atmofphcre furrounds this blifsful gar- 
den; the balmy Lantana, ambrofial Citra, perfum- 
ed Crinum, perfpiring their mingled odours, wafted 
through Zanthoxylon groves. I at laft broke away 
from the enchanting fpot, and ftepped on board 
jny boat, hoifted fail, and loon approached the coaft 
vf the main, at the cool eVe of day : then travers- 
ing a capacious femicircular cove of the lake, verged 
by low, extenfive grafly meadows, I at length by 
dufk made a fafe harbour, in a little lagoon, on the 
fea fhore or brand of a bold fandy point, which 
defcended from the furf of the lake. This was a 
clean fandy beach, hard and firm by the beating 
furf, when the wind fets from the eafl coaft. I 
drew up my light veftel on the hoping fhore, that 
ftie might be fafe from the beating waves in cafe of 
a fudden ftorm of wind in the night. A few yards 
back the land was a little elevated, and over- 
grown with thickets of fhrubs and low trees, con- 
fiding chiefly of Zanthoxylon, Olea Americana, 
Rhamnus frangula, Sideroxylon, Morus, Ptelea, Ha- 
iefia, Querci, Myrica cerifera, and others. Thefe 
groves were but low, yet diffidently high to fhel- 
ter me from the chilling dews; and being but a 
few yards diftance from my veffel, here I fixed my 
