NORTH AMERICA. 
3*5 
by water, the Savanna uninterruptedly flows with 
a gentle meandring courfe, and is navigable for 
veflfels of twenty or thirty tons burthen to Savanna, 
where fhips of three hundred tons lie in a capacious 
and fecure harbour. 
Augufta thus felted at the head of navigation, 
and juft below the conflux of feveral of its rnoft 
jconfiderable branches, without a competitor, com- 
mands the trade and commerce of vaft fruitful 
regions above it, and from every fide to a great 
diftance ; and I do not hefitate to pronounce as my 
opinion, will very foon become the metropolis of 
Georgia.* 
I chofe to take this route up Savanna river, in 
preference to the ftraight and fhorter road from 
Charlefton to the Cherokee country by fort Ninety 
Six, becaufe by keeping near this great river, I had 
frequent opportunities of vifiting its fteep banks, 
vaft fwamps and low grounds ; and had the advan- 
tage, without great delay, or deviating from the 
main high road, of obferving the various foils and 
fituations of the countries through which this fa- 
mous river purfues its courfe, and of examining their 
various productions, mineral, vegetable and animal : 
whereas had I purfued the great trading path by 
Ninety-Six, I ftiould have been led over a high, dry, 
fandy and gravelly ridge, and a great part of the 
diftance an old fettled or reforted part of the coun- 
try, and confequently void of the varieties of origi- 
nal or novel productions of nature. 
Before I leave Augufta, I fhall recite a curious 
phenomenon, which may furnilh ample matter for 
* A few years after the above remark, the feat of government was 
femoved from Savanna to Auguita. 
phiiofophical 
