TRAVELS IN 
3?^ 
courffng through the green plains ; and dark pro^ 
montories, or obtule projections of the fide-long 
acclivities, alternately advancing or receding on 
the verge of the illumined native fields, to the ut- 
moft extent of fight. The fummits of the acclivi- 
ties afford, befides the foreft trees already recited, 
Jdaleffa, Ptelea, Circis, Cornus Florida and Amor- 
pha. The upper mound or terrace holds up a dilated 
level plain of excellent land, for the diflance of five 
or fix miles in width, which is a high forefl of the 
majeftic trees already mentioned, as Quercus tindlo- 
ria, Juglans nigra, Morus, Ulmus, Tilia, Gleditfia, 
Juglans hiccory, &;c. The land after this diflance, 
though almoft flat and level, becomes leaner ; the 
vegetative mould or furface is fhallower, on a 
ffratum of tenacequs humid clay, for the diflance 
of fifteen or twenty miles, more or lefs, according 
to the diflance of the next great river ; prefenting 
to our view a fine expanfe of level graffy plains, 
detached forefis and groves of Quercus alba, 
lobata, CQ phillos, Q. hemifpherica, aquatica, 
with entire groves of the fplendid Nyffa fylvatica 
and perfumed Liquidambar flyraciffua, vaft Cane 
meadows, and laftly a chain of graffy favannas. 
Immediately from this we began to afcend gra- 
dually the mofl elevated, gravelly and ftony ridge, 
confiding of parallel chains of broken fwelliag 
hills, the very highefl chain frequently prefenting 
to view cliffs of the ferruginous rocks and red 
clay already noticed. This laft mentioned high 
' ridge divides the waters of the great rivers from 
each other, whence arife the fources of their nume- 
rous lateral branches, gradually increaffng as they 
wind about the hills, fertilizing the vales and level 
plains, by their inundations, as they pour forth 
from the vaft humid forefts ahd fhaded prolific hills. 
