53 6 TRAVELS ttf 
The upper end of this fpacious green plain is cli« 
vided by a promontory or fpur of the ridges be- 
fore me, which projedts into it: my road led me 
up into an opening of the afcents through which 
the glittering brook which watered the meadows 
ran rapidly down, dafhing and roaring over high 
rocky fteps. Continued yet afcending until I 
gained the top of an elevated rocky ridge, when 
appeared before me' a gap or opening between 
other yet more lofty afcents, through which con- 
tinued as the rough rocky road led me, clofe by 
the winding banks of a large rapid brook, which at 
length turning to the left, pouring down rocky pre- 
cipices, glided off through dark groves and high 
forefts, conveying ftreams of fertility and pleafure 
to the fields below. 
The furface of the land now for three or four 
miles is level, yet uneven, occafioned by natural 
mounds or rocky knobs, but covered with a good 
ftaple of rich earth, which affords forefts of timber 
trees and fhrubs. After this, gently defcending 
again, I travelled fome miles over a varied fituation 
of ground, exhibiting views of grand forefts, dark 
detached groves, vales and meadows, as heretofore, 
and producing the like vegetable and other works 
of nature ; the meadows affording exuberant paf- 
turage for cattle, and the bafes of the encircling 
hills, flowering plants, and fruitful ftrawberry beds : 
obferved frequently ruins of the habitations or vil- 
lages of the ancients. Crofted a delightful river, 
the main branch of Tugilo, when I began to afcend 
again, firft over fwelling turfy ridges, varied with 
groves of ftately foreft trees ; then afcending again 
more fteep grafly hill fides, refted on the top of 
mount Magnolia, which appeared to me to be the 
higheft ridge of the Cherokee mountains, which 
feparate 
