TRAVELS IN 
232 
bly vanishing from fight, like the two points of a 
crefcent, foftly touching the horizon, reprefent the 
mod magnificent amphitheatre or circus perhaps in 
the whole world. The ground defcends gently from 
the groves to the edge of the Cane-break, forming 
a delightful green grafty lawn. The Canes are 
ten or twelve feet in height, and as thick as an or- 
dinary walking-ftaff ; they grow fo clofe together, 
there is no penetrating them without previouily cut- 
ting a road. We came up to this vaft plain where 
the ancient Spanifh highway croffes it to Penfacola : 
there yet remain plain veftiges of the grand caufe- 
way, which is open like a magnificent avenue, and the 
Indians have a bad road or pathway on it. The 
ground or foil of the plain is a perfectly black, rich, 
loapy earth, like a ftiff clay or marie, wet and boggy 
near the fh ore, but, farther in, firm and hard enough 
in the Summer feaion, but wet arid in fome places 
under water during the winter. 
This vaft plain, together with the forefts conti- 
guous to it, if permitted (by the Siminoles who are 
fovereigns of thefe realms) to be in pofTeftion and 
under the culture of induftrious planters and me- 
chanics, would in a little time exhibit other fcenes 
than it does at prefent, delightful as it is j for by 
the arts of agriculture and commerce, almoft every 
defirable thing in life might be produced and made 
plentiful here, and thereby eftablifh a rich, popu- 
lous, and delightful region ; as this foil and climate 
appears to be of a nature favourable for the pro- 
duction of almoft all the fruits of the earth, as Corn*, 
Rice, Indigo, Sugar-cane, Flax, Cotton, Silk, Cochi- 
neal, and all the varieties of efculent vegetables; 
and I fuppofe no part of the earth affords Inch end- 
* Zea. 
lefs 
