TRAVELS IW 
236 
faying that I was as one of his own children or peo* 
pie, and fhould be protected accordingly, while I 
remained with them adding, u Our whole country 
is before you, where you may range about at plea* 
fure, gather phyfic plants and flowers, and every 
other produ&ion thus the treaty terminated friend- 
lily and peaceably* 
Next day early in the morning we left the town 
and the river, in order to fix our encampment in 
the forefts about twelve miles from the river ; our 
companions with the pack-horfes went a-head to the 
place of rendezvous, and our chief conduced me 
another way to fhow me a very curious place, calk 
ed the Alligator-Hole, which was lately formed by 
an extraordinary eruption or jet of water. It is 
one of thofe vaft circular finks which we beheld 
almoft every where about us as we traverfed thefe 
forefts, after we left the Alachua favanna. This 
remarkable one is on the verge of a fpacious mea- 
dow, the furface of the ground round about uneven 
by means of gentle rifing knolls : fome detached 
groups of rocks and large fpreading live oaks fhade 
it on every fide : it is about fixty yards over, and 
the furface of the water fix or feven feet below the 
rim of the funnel or bafon : the water is tranfparent, 
cool, and pleafant to drink, and well ftored with 
fifti j a very large alligator at prefent is lord or chiefs 
many have been killed here, but the throne is never 
long vacant, the vaft neighbouring ponds fo abound 
with them. 
The account that this gentleman, who was an 
eye-witnefs of the laft eruption, gave me of its firft 
appearance, being very wonderful, I proceed to re- 
late what he told me whilft we were in town, which 
was confirmed by the Indians, and one or more of 
our 
