TRAVELS Itf 
420 
not be exceeded by any of that celebrated family. 
It is a perennial plant, fending up many nearly 
ere6t flems from the root or fource ; thefe divide 
themfelves into many afcendant (lender rods like 
branches, which are ornamented with double pin- 
nated leaves, of a molt delicate formation. The 
compound flowers, are of a pale, greenifh yellow, 
collected together in a finall oblong head, upon a 
long (lender peduncle, the legumes are large, lu- 
nated and flat, placed in a fpirai or contorted man- 
ner, each containing feveral hard comprefled feeds 
or little beans. 
The interior and by far the greater part of the 
ifland confifls of high land ; the foil to appearance, 
a heap of fea. fand in fome places, with an admix- 
ture of fea fhells ; this foil, notwithstanding its fandy 
and ileril appearance, when divefted of its natural 
vegetative attire, has, from what caufe I know not, 
a continual refource of fertility within itfelf: the 
Surface of the earth, after being cleared of its origi- 
nal vegetable produ&ions, expofed a few feafons 
to the fun, winds, and triturations of agriculture, 
appears fcarcely any thing but heaps of white fand, 
yet it produces Corn (Zea), Indigo, Batatas, Beans, 
Peas, Cotton, Tobacco, and almoft every fort of 
efculent vegetable, in a degree of luxuriancy very 
furprizing and unexpected, year after year, incef- 
fantly, without any addition of artificial manure or 
eompoft : there is indeed a foundation of Strong 
adhehve clay, confiding of ftrata of various colours, 
which I difcovered by examining a well, lately dug 
in Mr. Rum fey’s yard ; but lying at a great depth 
under the Surface, the roots of Small (hrubs and 
herbage* cannot reach near to it, or receive any 
benefit, unkfs we may Suppofe, that afcending 
c fumes 
