NORTH AMERICA* 
347 
the decorated banks of the river, as it meanders 
through the meadows, or boldly fweeps along the 
bafes of the mountains, its furface receiving the 
images reflected from the flowery banks above. 
Thus was my agreeable progrefs for about fif- 
teen miles, fince I came upon the fources of the 
Tanafe, at the head of this charming vale : in the 
evening efpying a human habitation at the foot of 
the floping green hills, beneath lofty forefts of the 
mountains on the left hand, and at the fame time 
obferving a man eroding the river from the oppo- 
fite fhore in a canoe and coming towards me, I wait- 
ed his approach, who hailing me, I anfwered I was 
for Cowe \ he entreated me very civilly to call at 
his houfe, adding, that he would prefently come to 
me. 
I was received and entertained here until next 
day with the moft perfect civility. After I had 
dined, towards evening, a company of Indian girls. 
Inhabitants of a village in the hills at a fmall dis- 
tance, called, having bafkets of ftrawberries ; and 
this man, who kept here a trading houfe, being 
married to a Cherokee woman of family, was in- 
dulged to keep a flock of cattle, and his helpmate 
being an excellent houfe-wife, and a very agreeable 
good woman, treated us with cream and ftraw- 
berries. 
Next morning, after break fafting on excellent 
coffee, relilhed with bucanned venifon, hot corn 
cakes, excellent butter and cheefe, fat forwards 
again for Cowe, which was about fifteen miles dis- 
tance, keeping the trading path which courfed 
through the low lands between the hills and the 
river, now fpacious and well beaten by travellers. 
