NORTH AMERICA. 
423 
inhabitants neglehh agriculture, and generally em- 
ploy themfelves in hunting and hilling : we however 
furnilhed ourfelves here with a fufficiency of ex- 
cellent Batatas. I obferved no new vegetable pro- 
ductions, except a fpecies of Cleome (Cleome lu- 
pinifolia) j this plant poffeffes a very ftrong fcent, 
fomewhat like Gum Affafetida, notwithftanding 
which the inhabitants give it a place in foups and 
fauces. 
From Taenfapaoa, we ftill coafted Weft ward, 
three or four miles, to the ftraits that communicate 
with the lake Maurepas ; entering which and continu- 
ing fix or eight miles, having low fwampy land on 
each fide, the channel divides, forming an iiland in the 
middle of the pafs : we took the right hand channel, 
which continues three or four miles, when the chan- 
nels reunite in full view of the charming lake. We 
came to at an elevated point, or promontory, on the 
ftarboard main fhore, it being the North cape, from 
whence I enjoyed a very pleafing and complete view 
of the beautiful lake Maurepas ; entering which 
next morning, a fteady favourable gale foon wafted 
us nine or ten miles over to the mouth of the river 
Amite 5 afcended between its low banks ; the land 
on each fide a level fwamp, about two feet above 
the furface of the water, fupporting a thick foreft 
of trees, confiding chiefly of Fraxinus, Nyffa aqua- 
tica, Nyffa multiflora, Cupreffus difticha, Quercus 
philios, Acer rubrum, Ac. negundo, Acer glaucum, 
Sambucus, Laurus Borbonia, Carpinus, Ulmus, and 
others. The foil or earth humid, black and rich. 
There is fcarcely a perceptible current : the water 
dark, deep, turgid and ftagnate, being from fhore 
to fhore covered with a fcum or pellicle of a green 
and purplifh call, and perpetually throwing up 
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